Sunday, December 05, 2010

Landon at 2 1/2

Time goes by so fast. My little baby boy is growing up so much quicker than I want him to! How can he already be two and a half?? I know that I will blink and he will be 5. Sometimes I wish I could go back in time to different points in his life. Like when he was just learning how to laugh, or walk, or say his first words. I don't want to miss a thing. I don't want to ever be too busy that those sweet moments pass me by because I did something that I wanted to do. I want to be faithful to raise him in the way that the Lord would want me to teaching him things of the Lord. I pray these verses are lived out in our home:

"You shall therefore impress these words of mine on your heart and on your soul; and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall teach them to your sons talking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road and when you lie down and when you rise up" (Deut. 11:19,20).

Since time does go by so fast and I seem to forget things so easily, I wanted to post things about Landon that I want to remember from when he was 2 1/2...

He sees the world in letters and shapes. He often will make something with his legos and say, "It's a diving board" or "it's a cross!" When we were walking somewhere the benches were in a zig-zag shape and he said, "it's a Z!" He'll magnet his trains together and say, "it's an octagon" or "it's a kite" (four in the shape of a diamond then the others as the tail). The other day he put his train track in a big "S" shape and said, "it's an S!" It's so fun to see the world through his eyes. His favorite letter to spot is "L" and he'll say, "It's L for Landon!"




He drew this on daddy's iPod touch (which is sadly no longer working) back in July and said, "It's an A!" Sure looked like an A to me too :)



He is fascinated by the story of David and Goliath. He loves to swing something around and pretend to sling a stone at Olivia and have us make her fall over. He laughs and laughs.

He has started to tell us a series of events. A few weeks ago we all went to the YMCA and left Landon and Olivia at the childcare place there. On the way home he started saying how a boy hit him and he would say, "he hit me like this, BOOM!" (while hitting his head). He told us everything that happened (see movie below). It was pretty funny. He has had a hitting problem since about a year old, although he has gotten SO much better. I was glad when he said he didn't hit the boy back.



He is very honest and I really appreciate this about him. When he does something wrong he will tell us. We always ask him to tell us what he did wrong before we disciple him and he always is honest and says, "because I didn't pick up my trains," or "because I threw my bobby (his drink)," or "because I said, 'AHH'" etc... He'll even offer information without me asking, like after BSF one day, "I hit David" (poor David!).

He is really into puzzles right now. We got a couple of those 24 piece puzzles and he does pretty good with them. He needs help, but he's getting to where he can put a part of it together on his own. He really likes to put together "Sally" on his Cars puzzle :)

He loves playing with his trains and legos. He will sit really well and play for a long time which is nice when I need to get something done!

He loves his baby sister. He is always concerned about her well-being. He will talk to her when she cries saying, "It's ok Olivia, it's ok, IT'S OK!!! (if the first few "it's ok" don't work and her crying continues, he starts to yell this...). He'll hold her hand in the car and will get upset if her can't find it. He brings her toys. I just love watching them together.

Our little Landon brings us so much joy and I am so thankful that the Lord has entrusted us with such a gift!

Menu for the Week

M: Baked Spaghetti (didn't get to this last week)
T: Chicken Pot Pie
W: Potato Soup
R: Farmhouse Chicken
F: Chicken Fajitas
S: College and Career - Make your own pizza night with this crust
S: Oven Fried Fish

Monday, November 29, 2010

November

We have had a nice November. It has been quite crazy, but a time surrounded by family and friends which is always great! We traveled to Iowa to celebrate my parents 35th wedding anniversary. We had a nice dinner with just the immediate family. It was so nice to all be together. We talked about how they met and their wedding. My dad proposed after his first date with my mom!

Here is a picture of my parents that was actually taken at our wedding, but I thought it was a nice one. It is actually their anniversary today, so Happy Anniversary mom & dad!


Here is a cousin picture (minus Olivia, Aubrey, and Logan) - these are so hard to take these days!



...and a picture of all of Landon's Iowa friends (which was hard to take too!)


Olivia turned 3 months. She's always sticking out her tongue like a little lizard...





We also had a Thanksgiving Party for the neighborhood and Sunday school kids. We had a great time. I pray that the Lord will grow the little seeds of the gospel that were planted and that these little ones might be saved at young ages.




Then, we celebrated Thanksgiving down here. The Bloom family made it down as well as Brian, Rachelle and Wesley. We had a great time together and ate lots of yummy food and had a couple shopping trips with the girls. My sister, Heidi, and her family stopped through on their way to Dallas and on their way back. We are so thankful to have such wonderful families on both sides. The Lord has truly blessed us.

Here is my menu for the week:

M: Chicken Lasagna (didn't get to this last week)
T: Lime Chicken Soft Tacos (...and I didn't get to this) with chips and salsa
W: Ham & Potato Casserole
R: Asian Peanut Wraps with fried rice
F: Homemade Pizza
S: Chicken Noodle Soup with bread
S: Baked Spaghetti with Italian Cheese Wedges

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Samuel's Birthday Recap...

It's been a little over a month, but I meant to recap Samuel's birthday. So, here it is a month later...

We had a really nice day as a family celebrating Samuel's birthday. We went to the cemetery and found 4 balloons at Samuel's marker. That was a sweet surprise. Then, we went out to eat at Steak n' Shake and talked about what life might have looked like if Samuel were here. Landon had helped me make a cake, so later that night we sang "Happy Birthday" to Samuel.

I have thought of making a cake in the past, but never felt up to it. I just never felt like celebrating. This year, I decided to make one and that we would do a little party. It was really nice. I think it was good for Landon to start to understand who his big brother is and show him that he will always be a part of our family.

A couple days after Samuel's birthday, I helped with a ceremony called, "A Walk to Remember." It is basically a time for people to get together and remember the babies that they have lost. It was the most beautiful day, and we had such a sweet time remembering our little Samuel.

I made a little movie of Samuel's birthday this year and the clips and pictures at the end are a part of that ceremony...


2 Week Menu

Breakfasts:
Mocha Frappuccino with Waffles
Baked Oatmeal
Cold Cereal
Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with caramel
Fruit Smoothies

Dinners:
T: Beef Tacos
W: Vegetable Calzones
R: Taco Grande Pizza
F: Chili with Cornbread
S: Cilantro Chicken over rice Iced Pumpkin Cookies for dessert
S: Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches with homemade buns

M: Chicken and Apple Curry over rice
T: Vegetarian Penne with Italian Cheese wedges
W: Chicken Lasagna
R: Thanksgiving! (still need to decide what I'm making...)
F: Ham & Cheese Sliders
S: Homemade Pizza
S: Lime Chicken soft tacos

Sunday, November 07, 2010

Marriage Seminar Recap & weekly menu

We had a great weekend at the annual young couples marriage seminar in Topeka. Steve Price spoke on several areas in marriage that were good to be reminded of.

Here are a few things that stuck with me:

Brake easily - Be quick to admit you are wrong to your spouse. Don't look at their wrong and dwell on it, but treat your sin as the only sin in the room and confess it to the Lord and your spouse. Don't hang onto your pride, but brake easily.

Spiritual Gifts - Find out your spouse's spiritual gifts and look for ways to allow him/her to cultivate and use them, don't hinder this process through your own selfishness.

Marriage Design - The man needs to feel respected and the woman needs to feel loved - this is the best way to create peace in the home. I've heard this a million times, but it's always good to be reminded to be conscious to show respect and appreciation to your spouse.

Others are watching - Your kids and others that you interact with are watching how you treat each other. Work to have a marriage that honors the Lord and gives the picture of marriage that God intends that of Christ and the church.

It was so good to be reminded of these things. All the messages will be up on the Topeka Gospel Chapel's website in a couple weeks. I would highly recommend listening to them.

Here is my menu for the week. I had fun browsing through different recipe blogs and am excited to try some new recipes! It's a short week, because we plan to visit my family next weekend. We are going to celebrate my parent's 35th wedding anniversary! It should be a really nice time together.

M: Minestrone Soup with garlic cheese bread
T: Broccoli Rice Casserole with a salad
W: Easy Fiesta Chicken with cilantro lime rice
R: Chicken Divan over rice

Oh, and these pumpkin caramel cinnamon rolls look amazing... I don't think anything would smell better that these baking in the oven.. MMmmaybe I'll get to these this week :)

Wednesday, November 03, 2010

Olivia update

Olivia Ruth is doing very well. She is growing like crazy. She had her 2 month appointment (at 2 and 1/2 months) and she was 12lb 12oz (90%) and 24 3/4 inches long (95%)!

Here are a few things that our little girl is up to:
She is wearing 3-6 months clothes and had grown out of some really cute outfits - that is always so sad to me!

She has rolled over in her crib a couple of times (from tummy to back).

She is starting to almost laugh. She smiles really big and then lets out the little coo.

She is practicing her voice cooing a lot. I love having "conversations" with her.

She still hates her car seat (she has hated it since the day we took her home from the hospital). She is very stubborn and will cry for a looong time before falling asleep in her car seat.

She likes us to lay her down in her crib when she's tired.

She just fights sleep harder when we try to rock her to sleep.

She's a really light sleeper. Landon sleeps hard - I could vacuum and do the dishes while he slept, but with her we have to be really quiet.

We are so thankful for this little girl, she brings us such joy.

She loves the swing, bouncy seat, and bumbo - I just rotate between the three.


She loves to play with her hands like this, I think it's so sweet.


Landon is such a sweet brother, he is always giving his sister kisses and holding her hand when she cries.


I guess I better start buckling her in!

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Play? Date?

My good friend, Brooke, and I had a nice time visiting a local pumpkin patch. Landon really enjoyed his time with Sophie. I was laughing as I looked through these pictures - it really looks like they are on a date :)
















Thursday, October 14, 2010

Happy 4th Birthday Samuel!


Dear Samuel,

Happy 4th Birthday in heaven sweet boy. I often wonder what it's like for you to spend every moment hand in hand with Jesus. He's here with us too, but not in the same way. I'm sure you've realized this, but where you are there is no sin, sadness, or pain. There is only joy and complete peace. Here on earth we cry tears of sadness because we miss you. I know there are no tears in heaven and I'm so glad you will never feel this kind of sadness. You probably wonder why we cry as you know all too soon we will be there together.

I often wonder what it was like for you to fall asleep here on earth and wake up to see Jesus' face. He was the first face you ever saw! That is an amazing thought. You never had to see a world that is spoiled by sin. Don't get me wrong, there are many beautiful things here too - like the ocean, the mountains, the flowers, the trees with their colorful changing leaves, and I could go on. But I'm sure even the most beautiful things here on earth don't even compare with the beauty of heaven.

God gives us little glimpses of heaven through the Bible, enough for us to know that it is an incredible place. He let us know that there is no need for the sun and the moon in heaven because His glory fills heaven with light. He let us know that nothing impure will ever enter, but only those who have accepted the Lord Jesus as their Savior, those who have been cleansed by His blood. The Bible tells us there is a beautiful river as clear as crystal and that the great street in heaven is made of pure gold as clear as glass. What a perfectly beautiful place it must be! I can't wait to join you, sweet boy, there in heaven. Until then, I will miss you here.

So, today on your birthday, we will not only celebrate the brief life you had with us here, but the eternal life you have in heaven with our Lord Jesus. I love you so much!

Love,

Mommy

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

A Gift for Samuel

Samuel's birthday is just a couple days away. It's hard to believe he would be 4 years old. We really want Landon and Olivia to know who their older brother is. We always want Samuel to always be a part of our family.

So, we decided to go pick out a present for Samuel. We had gotten a couple of coupons for free accessories at Build-A-Bear and thought that a present from there would be perfect. We picked out a pair of shoes for "Sammy Bear" and a shirt for "bear bear" (Landon's bear from Samuel). We had a nice time as a family and it felt good to buy something as a present for our little boy in heaven.

When we got home, we said to Landon, "Let's go find Sammy bear and put his new shoes on!" Landon ran to his room and on his way shouted, "Samuel's in there!!!" with the most excitement I've seen him display in a long time. He thought he was finally going to meet his big brother. We had to explain that Samuel wasn't in there. We wish he was...

It's so hard to explain to a 2-year-old that heaven isn't somewhere that we can go visit for a day. Samuel can't come "home" to live with us here. Oh, how I wish he could...

Yet, I know that there is no better place that our little boy can be. He is in the Lord Jesus' arms. He is safe. He is perfect. He is loved. He is happy. He is worshiping our Lord.

Even though I wish I could be getting the last minute birthday plans together for our little boy and buying things that 4-year-old boys love, I know that he already has the best gift of all. An eternity with our Savior. I can't wait to join him!

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Abiding in the True Vine

I have been involved in BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) for almost 4 years now and I love it. This year they introduced a new study, one of Isaiah. Last week we covered Isaiah 5 and there are a few thoughts that keep coming to mind that have really challenged me to examine my heart.

Isaiah 5:1-2
I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well. Then he looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit.

This vineyard was given everything it needed to bear GOOD fruit, and yet it bore fruit that was BAD. This vineyard had the best soil, a place where it would get sun and rain. The best vines were used. There was even a watchtower built in expectation of a good crop that someone would need to keep watch over in case of intruders. Yet, the vines yielded bad fruit... This doesn't make sense! Why would it yield bad fruit when it was given everything it needed to flourish and potentially bring forth some of the BEST fruit?

Then it hit home. I have been given God's perfect word. I have been given the ability to come before the Throne of Grace and bring anything before the very God of the universe. I have been given forgiveness through the Lord Jesus Christ. I have been given the Holy Spirit who lives in me. I have been given so much! I should bring forth GOOD fruit...

Yet, when I examine my heart, my motives are so often selfish, my attitude is so often wrong, my heart is often prideful...BAD fruit.

I produce bad fruit when I rely on myself instead of relying and abiding in Christ alone.

John 15:1-5 says,
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing."

He desires and expects us to bear GOOD fruit based on what He has given to us. This is my prayer, that I would abide in the True Vine that through Him and through His pruning I would bear GOOD fruit that will last for eternity.



Monday, October 04, 2010

Menu

M: Recuperating from vacation to Topeka (we had a great time!) - pick something up...
T:
Pasta Primavera with garlic bread
W: Enchiladas with chips and salsa
Th: Chicken Lo MeinS: Oven Fried Fish with tarter sauce
S: Chili with corn bread

These verses encouraged me today to look beyond the temporal to the eternal:

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Safe in the Arms of Jesus

Today, I found out my sister had her second little baby go home to be with Jesus. It is hard to understand why these things happen. I was praying for a miracle. I know that the Lord has made blind men see, the mute speak, lame men walk, and brought people back from the dead. He is able, and yet he didn't. That is hard to understand. Yet, I know his love for His own is great and nothing happens outside of his control. I know that in His sovereignty He is able to turn a horrible situation into something beautiful.

But, I know her arms still ache for what would be her seven month old baby today. I know how cautiously hopeful she was when she found out she was pregnant again. I know how she wishes she could have seen that little heartbeat today and looked forward to feeling this baby move. I know she knows that her baby is with Jesus. I know she has hope to meet her two little ones one day... but her arms are still empty.


This world can be so hard. I am so thankful that it is not our home. That one day, "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
(Rev. 21:4).

A passage that someone encouraged me with when we lost Samuel and one I often think of when these little ones go home to be with the Lord is Isaiah 40:11

"He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young."

My sister, Rebekah, is a mother, she has young ones, they are just in the Lord Jesus' care. He will lead her through this trial as He cares for her young. He is a great Shepherd and loves His own.

Fanny Crosby also lost a baby, which may have inspired her to write the following hymn:

Safe in the Arms of Jesus

Safe in the arms of Jesus,
Safe on His gentle breast,
There by His love o'ershaded,
Sweetly my soul doth rest.
Hark! 'tis a song of heaven
Borne in the sweetest voice,
Echoed by saints in spirit,
Making my heart rejoice.

Safe in the arms of Jesus,
Safe on His gentle breast,
There by His love o'ershaded,
Sweetly my soul doth rest.

Safe in the arms of Jesus,
Safe from corroding care,
Safe from the world's temptations,
Sin cannot harm me there.
Free from the blight of sorrow,
Free from my doubts and fears;
Only a few more trials,
Only a few more tears.

Jesus, my heart's dear Refuge,
Jesus has died for me;
Firm on the Rock of Ages
Ever my trust shall be.
Here let me wait with patience,
Wait till the night is o'er,
Wait till I see the morning
Break on the golden shore.

Monday, September 27, 2010

Goodbye Summer, Fall is Here!

We had a great summer. We stayed inside most of the time since most days you could probably fry an egg on the sidewalk, but it was nice. We really enjoyed our annual trip to the Lake of the Ozarks with my side of the family. Even though we were there for over a week, the time flew by. We rented a house on the lake. It was so nice to all be able to stay together in the same place. Landon had a blast with his cousins, aunts and uncles, and nanny and bumpa. He wanted to stay there forever!







One of Landon's favorite things to do was to go fishing on the dock with Nanny. I think he caught 4 fish while we were there! He was pretty excited about it all.



We had a fire pit and roasted marshmallows one night. I think that was Landon's first exposure of roasted marshmallows... maybe marshmallows in general. Let's just say they are now his after potty treat :)


We were sad that uncle Joshie was only able to stay for a few days. Landon is always talking about his uncle Joshie and wanting to pray for him.

On Labor Day we ventured out and had breakfast on the lake at a local restaurant. It was so nice!


So, goodbye to a great summer!

I can't believe Fall is already here. Fall is my absolute favorite season! I wish it lasted longer. I love the smells, the soups, the leaves changing colors, the fresh cool air - I love it all and it was here over night. We got dressed for church like it was another typical summer day and were we surprised that we all had to go grab jackets and change the kids into warmer clothes :) Here are a couple pictures of the kids together...




....And lastly, here is my menu for the week. I need to find some yummy fall recipes, if you have any pass them on! It is a shorter menu since we will be visiting family in Topeka this weekend - we are very excited to see everyone there!

M: Broccoli-Mushroom Penne Pasta with garlic bread and salad
T: Mexican Lasagna with chips and guacamole
W: Chicken Parmesan over spaghetti
R: Mushroom Stroganoff with a salad
F: Broccoli Cheese Soup with homemade artisan bread and chocolate chip oatmeal cookies

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Menu for the week and 1 Month old

Here is our menu for the week. It's been a few weeks since I've done this! It feels good to be getting back into the swing of things as Olivia gets a little more predictable.

M: Artichoke Spaghetti with Meatballs, Salad, and Garlic Bread
T: Broccoli, Rice, cheese, and Chicken casserole with salad
W: Chicken stir fry
R: BBQ Grilled Chicken, Corn, Salad
F: Homemade Pizza with salad
S: Chicken and Rice Soup with bread
S: Vegetable Beef Stew

Hopefully soon I can post about our vacation, but it's been hard to find the time! Olivia is now 1 month old. She has started smiling which is so much fun. She's sleeping pretty good, 3-4 hour stretches and gets up to eat and goes back to sleep. She likes to be held a lot which makes certain things difficult, but I don't mind. I got a Moby wrap and that really makes multitasking possible. Here's a picture of our little peanut...

Wednesday, September 01, 2010

Our new every day life

We are having a wonderful time adjusting to our new normal. This little girl is such a joy and we are so thankful to have her here. She has been sleeping pretty well most nights, but has occasional bad nights. She had an appointment last week and was already up to 8lb8oz and 22 3/4 inches long, so she is growing well.





I've tried to slowly get back into cooking this week and I've found it's kind of nice to escape to the kitchen. I tried these sticky buns which were really yummy (probably because of all the butter...) - they are best hot out of the oven!

A couple good friends came down to visit this past weekend and we had a great time. Landon had fun playing his his friend Uriah (or as he calls him, My-riah). The first day Landon had a few hitting issues with him, but by the next day they were running around holding hands - it was so fun to watch them.





Friday we will be leaving for our annual vacation with my side of the family. We are very excited! Lots of riding on the boat, swimming, and relaxing. We rented a big house so we can all fit. I can't wait to meet my new niece, Aubrey, who was born just 9 days before Olivia. Hopefully I can get some packing done in the midst of caring for these two kiddos.



Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Olivia is doing well. She had her first doctor's appointment yesterday. She was 7lb 14oz, so basically back to her birth weight. She has been a little yellowish, so they checked her bili, but I think it should be getting better in the next few days. My dad was able to come down for a long weekend, so that was a lot of fun.



My mom is still here, which has been great to catch up on rest. I know I would be exhausted without her here to help with our very busy boy. Last night he was kicking field goals in our living room...



We are enjoying every second with our precious new addition and are praising the Lord for her.



Thursday, August 12, 2010

More Pictures of our Olivia






Olivia Ruth Nienhuis

3:30pm - She is here!!!

Olivia Ruth is here!! She was 7 pounds 15 ounces, 21 inches. Marcie did super! She was not able to have an epidural because she was too far along.