Canadian Thanksgiving
Today is Canadian Thanksgiving. What a great reminder of how wonderful our Lord has been to us.
A couple of weekends ago we traveled to Iowa for Tim & Emily's wedding. What an absolute honor it was to be part of their special day. We are ecstatic for the future for this wonderful couple. Craig, Ryne, Eli and I took our first family trip to Chucky Cheese. What a blast! Ryne is at the right age for that place and there was plenty of digital crack for Eli to be entertained with. Oh, and we had a chance to hang out a bit with family and friends. As usual the trip was a whirl wind. Someday that might change.
Ryne is a typical 3 year old. He was at Opa & Oma's (my parents) for a week and then we picked him up when we came for Emily's wedding. So, with that we have to do a bit of retraining which is just about finished I think. He is giving up his afternoon naps which is a transition in and of itself. I should use the quiet time to do some work but it instead I'm finally updating this.
Eli is such a joy when he is content (aren't all kids?!). He has turned into a pretty good sleeper compared to the first 7 months of his life. He and Ryne are now starting to interact with each other which is so fun to watch. This morning (I was getting ready for church and asked Ryne to watch Eli for a second) I came down to the family room and I hear "get those chunky legs" and see Eli racing for the stairs and Ryne trying to slow him down by grabbing Eli's pants (which are nearly off by the time I see this). Ha! How does one not giggle at that moment?
That's about it. May you have a blessed day remembering God's faithfulness and goodness.
Another Hoekema?
If you have not yet heard we are expecting again. This was quite a surprise but one we are pretty excited for. Baby is due the middle of March. Yes, that means only 15 months between baby 3 and Eli. We are already praying for patience and endurance.
I haven't had a chance to post pictures of the boys for quite a while. I was planning on doing that after vacation but our computer crashed so I am patiently waiting until I have my computer back (and sneaking on Craig's every chance I get).
We were sad to hear that Pastor Ralph took a call to a church in Ontario. Please pray for us during this transition in ministry. It will be exciting to see what the Lord has in store for us to learn.
That's about it. Have a blessed week!
Another Day
This week is the 4th of July celebration in Iowa. I'm a little sad that I am not there this year to celebrate. There is something about a demolition that says it's the 4th.
Craig & I went to Denver, CO last week for a few days. He was busy helping with a church retreat (What does it mean to be reformed?) and I got sometime to myself. We went zip lining (which I would recommend for people who don't have a fear of heights). It was a great break from the kids, however, I missed them like crazy and Eli didn't eat much and was a bit out of sorts while I was gone. It is day 5 since we have been home and I think we are finally getting back into the swing of things.
Craig has been pretty busy with work. He has a funeral to do this week. I plan on trying to get some swimming done this week. Cal & Ruth are coming in a week and a half so I better get some cleaning done (don't kid yourself Janene, that isn't going to happen).
We love summer so much more than winter around here. Walking, running, soccer, obstacle courses, sidewalk chalk, little kiddie pools and campfires. Thank you Lord for summer!
Home Owners
So this is the first year in our married life that we are home owners in the spring. Yesterday we did some serious gardening. It feels really good to look at what we accomplished, but we know that there is still more to do. Funny how we took gardening for granted all these years! Ryne loved playing in the dirt (go figure). Eli was pretty content during most of the afternoon.
It does feel strange not having to pack and prepare for the new place. It feels like I should be getting the boxes out and packed for our next move. Hmmmm... what is it going to feel like when we have been in the house for longer than 3 years!
Since my last post we have dropped Eli's middle of the night feeding and replaced it with a middle of the night cry session. Ok, it really isn't that bad. He does wake up for a bit but generally puts himself back to sleep and wakes for the day between 6 and 7. Which compared to what he was doing is a HUGE improvement. Now working on the naps or surrendering to the idea that my kid is not a good napper/sleeper like his older brother was.
So my big decision of the afternoon is do I go running, nap or work outside during the boys' nap today. Well, Craig just left to run some errands (guess I can't leave the boys) so off to work outside I go.
Potty Training
Ryne has been potty training for the past 2 weeks. On Day 2 I thought I was out of my mind. He didn't go on the potty at all that day. All I could do is throw up my hands and say this too shall pass (ok, maybe I wasn't that optimistic). I am proud to say that he has done EXTREMELY well since then. When he was on the potty he tooted and I asked him "What was THAT?" His response, "it was a cloud of steam!". Oh my. He must be watching too much of Thomas or something :)
Eli is progressing wonderfully. He will be 4 months this week. Hard to believe, but I love it. This stage is so much more rewarding than the infant stage. He still needs to be a better sleeper at night. Last night I was up every hour putting his soother back in. Thankfully Ryne slept through it this time. This too shall pass (we hope).
Craig has been working on an apologitics class for church and some teaching sermons. He is really excited about this. I'm afraid his excitement is going to bring us back to seminary some day.
We are still doing Tales for Tots and Coffeebreak. Other than that I'm a stay at home mama. I'm always looking for great suggestions for crafts or activities to do with my little guy (suggestions welcomed!)
Have a blessed Easter!
