Bye for now

Well, we are officially moved out of our home in Newburgh.  It has been a crazy week for us and I am glad it's over. 

I most likely won't be posting anything for the next month or so.  We are living with family as our home in Southern Illinois is not ready yet.  It is a time of transition for us....but this too shall pass!!

I will try to post something soon! So long for now.

Kade at 10 months

It has began....the obsession with the DVD drawer.

Kade loves crawling over to the TV stand and pulling the drawer open.  He then proceeds to empty the drawer out.  Keagan had this obsession as well....and still does!! So now I have two kids always messing around with the DVDs!! 

OH my dear sweet Kade.  I can't believe you are 10 months already.  You are a BIG boy too.  You are weighing in at 22 1/2 pounds now.  Last week we went shopping for a new car seat.  You are officially out of the infant carrier.  It was KILLING my back and neck hauling you around in that - and well - I sold your travel system at the garage sale. 

Look at my big hands!! Do you see them?

AND my big feet!!

You finally are crawling the traditional way now.  For awhile it was the weirdest crawl I had ever seen.  It was a combination of army crawling, slithering like a snake, rolling, and "moutain climbers."  You got where you needed to go though!

You have six teeth (four top and two bottom).  I think you may be getting two more on the bottom.  You are transitioning to some table food but most of your intake is still baby food. 

You love your Mama.  You will go to other people but you still jerk around and desperately look for me. 

You still sleep good at night and take two good naps. 

I am so thankful for your sweet temperment.  You smile at everyone and are pretty laid back - except when it's dinner time.  When the food is out - watch out!

I love you Kade!

101 things to do with boxes

There seems to be a lot of playing with boxes around here lately.  They are not being used for what their true purpose is....packing.  Everytime I get a box out someone has to play with it first.  Let's just say I am not making much progress!

In this particular photo, Kellen is a baby dragon.  He is an animal of some sort every day.  We play this game probably 15 times a day....and he's a different animal every time.  You have to pretend that you find this "animal" and ask it all sorts of questions and make a big deal about it.  It's precious....but also exhausting when in the back of my mind I'm thinking "okay... I really need to have this box back for packing."  I don't want to stop him from playing and using his imagination though.

  

Keagan was pretending he was locked up in a cage.  Kellen was shaking the box trying to get him out.

Here is a panda bear cave.  Notice the "bamboo" in the pot? 

The panda bear is sleeping.  Later he comes out and pretends to eat the bamboo. 

Kade is throughly enjoying the boxes as well.  He loves to sit and hang out in them and then play with all the flaps. 

If only I could manage to fill these boxes up and tape them shut...  but then I wouldn't have these precious memories and pictures. 

30 days of being 30

I wasn't going to do a post about my birthday.....mostly because I dreaded admitting that I am now 30...and have been for over 30 days now.  Sigh.

I decided to reflect back on this decade of being twenty and as I really started thinking, I realized how many things have happend and how God has truly blessed my life. 

On the weekend of my birthday both sets of family came to visit.  I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. 

I'm going to list everything that has happened over the past decade....at least the major milestones and events that have impacted my life forever.  So here goes........

• Met and became engaged to my best friend.
• Finished and graduated from Bradley University with my BSN in nursing
• Married my best friend
• Karsten started the long journey of medical school
• Started a career (that lasted 5 years) of ICU nursing
• Bought our first house
• Got our first baby (Bailey)
• Got another furry baby (Murphy)
• Had our first child (Kellen)
• Sold our first house
• Moved and bought another house in Evansville
• Karsten graduated and started residency in Evansville
• Had another baby (Keagan)
• Had one more baby (Kade)
• Karsten matched with a fellowship in Carbondale, IL
• Sold our house in Newburgh
• Getting ready to graduate from residency and then a big move to Carterville, IL

Wow! We have been busy.  I am so blessed with what God has given to me over the past 10 years.  I am so thankful for His Mercies.....because it has not been an easy road.  I just hope that the next 10 years will be as great as these past 10 years!!