Summer Vacation in Indiana

We were blessed to spend a week at my parents' in Indiana.  We did a LOT while we were there!

• We got to see Aunt Erin's sister's family-- Lincoln &; Lily and Katie & Dan! -- We'd never even met Lily, and hadn't seen the other 3 in years, so it was an extra special treat!

• We visited my friend Nancy and got haircuts -- all 3 kids and Mommy. And, Sylvia got hers cut SHORT! She didn't have much of a choice though, since she'd broken off several inches of the hair on the left side of her head by twirling it! She has a cute bob now though, and is trying really hard not to twirl.

• We took lots of naps. -- even Mommy.  Ahhhhhhhhh!

Tuesday, May 23, 2006 - Grandpa taking Caeden for a walk around the yard

Tuesday, May 23, 2006 - Caeden thought the gourd birdhouse was a ball, so Grandpa held him up so he could touch it.

• We went to the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo! -- This time we went to the Australian Adventure part of the zoo, which none of the kids had ever been through. Our favorite part was the log ride.

Wednesday, May 24, 2006 -

Wednesday, May 24, 2006 - pretending to be hatching baby dinosaurs

Wednesday, May 24, 2006 -

Wednesday, May 24, 2006 - We had a little rest and a Fruit Loop snack.

Wednesday, May 24, 2006 - Caeden was SUPER excited about playing in the train!!!

Wednesday, May 24, 2006 -

Wednesday, May 24, 2006 - holding the baby chicks

• We went swimming!  Grandpa worked very hard to get the pool in order so that we could all swim. We were especially grateful when it got up to 90+ degrees outside!!

• We went on a date! Well, Mommy & Daddy did. We did a little shopping in Fort Wayne and ate at Cheddar's. We also watched Walk The Line on PPV, which we really enjoyed. Yeah, we don't get out much.  Still, it was nice.

• We visited with Grandma Lopshire, Great Grandma DeHaven, and Charlie. -- The kids loved playing outside and having lunch there!

Friday, May 26, 2006 - Annah and Charlie playing wiffle ball

Friday, May 26, 2006 - riding cycles at Grandma & Grandpa Lopshire's house

Saturday, May 27, 2006 - Caeden liked visiting with Great Grandma. He even gave her a big kiss and told her he loves her.

• We celebrated Simon's 1st birthday! -- The park was really nice, and we had fun despite the heat!

• We went to church. Sylvia is a little trooper and loves going to class at Krampa & Gram's church.

Sunday, May 28, 2006 - Caeden knew just what to do with corn on the cob!

• We went fishing -- Well, the girls did. The rest of us thought it was too hot out!!

Sunday, May 28, 2006 - Grandpa took Annah and Sylvia fishing even though it was extremely hot. They had a really fun time and caught 15 fish!

Sunday, May 28, 2006 - Sylvia even caught a bass! Annah has no problems touching the fish, but Sylvia didn't feel like holding it.

Sunday, May 28, 2006 - Caeden didn't get to go fishing in the boat, but he did his own kind of fishing right out of the bucket! He actually reached right in and picked up the fish with his hands!

Sunday, May 28, 2006 - Definitely all boy!

• We went to the Crabill Family Gathering on Memorial Day.  It was nice to see some family we don't see all that often, and the food is always GREAT!

Sylvie's Milk Moustache

 Sylvie is proud of her cute milk moustache!

Last day of Preschool, Picnic, Daddy's Birthday, whew!

Today, Annah's last day of preschool, was the class picnic!  Our whole family attended--even Daddy, who took the day off from work!

 We were amazed that Annah can do the monkey bars!

AND the spiral!

Sylvia can't wait to start preschool here in the fall!

Caeden loved a chance to play on the playground too!

Annah is pretty good at scootering!

Friday, May 19, 2006 - Happy birthday Daddy!

Goof balls and Ping balls

Sylvia just came downstairs with a golf ball and a ping pong ball and told Jeremy, "Daddy! Here's your goof balls! We found them in our closet with the stuffed animals!" After Jeremy tried to explain to her what they were actually called, they decided it would actually be better just to call them goof balls. Then Annah corrected Sylvia and told her that the one was really a ping ball. ;) So, we have ping balls and goof balls at our house!

Annah's Preschool Graduation / Crossing Over to Kindergarten

Tonight we attended Annah's preschool graduation program.

This is both the 3-year-old and 4-year-old classes.

The theme of the program was "You Are My Sunshine," so all the kids wore yellow or orange...

...and sunglasses!!

It was bittersweet to see Annah crossing over to kindergarten and receiving her preschool diploma. 

We are proud of our girl!

Mrs. DeFries (teacher), Annah, and Mrs. Morris (teacher's aide)

After the ceremony we celebrated Ashley's and Annah's graduation from preschool at the Stambaugh's house.

Congratulations big kindergarten girls!!

Precious Moments to Remember

Caeden and I recently created this little bedtime game that I just love. These days, he is usually tired enough that he is ready to get in bed, so sometimes he'll say, "Night night." and just let me put him right in. He expects his ice water sippy cup, his soft purple and yellow cow and brown and white puppy, and a blanket. I have the cow and puppy give him bunches of kisses, tell him to lie down and cover him with his blankie, and let him drink his water from his sippy for a bit. Then he'll sit up and say, "Muh?" (or however you write out the sound made along with a big kiss!) until I kneel down and stick my face between the bars of his crib. He'll lean forward and give me a kiss through the bars and say, "Muh!" Then, I am expected to move between a different pair of bars for kisses and we do this over and over. It's just too precious. If Caeden's feeling really silly, he'll ask, "Muh?" but then flop all around his crib so I can't kiss him, or he will stick his fingers, sippy cup, or stuffed animal up to my face instead. But, he always remembers and wants to play some version of our little game! I treasure these moments with him!

Caeden is also starting to have an interest in books! He even has a favorite one now that he will carry around the house quite a bit, since it's small. It was given to him by his Great Aunt Martha and Uncle Don and it's called, "My Train," and it has a foam cover. He loves to say, "All aboard!" as we read it to him.

Caeden got his first flip-flops! (Well, they actually have a heel strap, but he thinks they are super cool.)

Annah and some of her school friends on the playground at Enrichment Academy Preschool

(LtoR): Ashley, Annah, MacKenna, Paige

 Annah and Shelby Rae riding the shuttle

Ashley and Annah both received these outfits from their grandmas for Easter. Ashley's Grandma lives in western Illinois and Annah's Grandma lives in NE Indiana, and they do not know each other. How did they know that these two little friends would love having matching outfits?!?!?! It must have been God's hand, because it was not planned out by anyone else!

A visit to Kindergarten

I got to go on Annah's class field trip to kindergarten yesterday! We visited the elementary school she will be attending in the fall. We got to meet the school nurse, librarian, art teacher, music teacher, and see all their offices/classrooms as well as see the gym and the cafeteria. And, of course, we visited the kindergarten classrooms and met both of the teachers. I was very pleased to realize that they are both extremely nice ladies with fabulous classrooms. I think Annah and I both feel a little more at ease now.

They grow so quickly...

my babies' feet

I'm super emotional these days when I think about Annah and her going off to kindergarten in the fall. I just look at her and tear up. I can't believe the time has flown by so quickly, and I won't get to spend all day every day with her anymore, ever again in her life. I know it is good and exciting for her to grow up and become independant, but it hurts too. I question whether I have done all I could to prepare her for this next step. I pray that she will look to the Lord in all things. A friend shared this poem with me last week:

I Trust You'll Treat Her Well

by Victor Buono

Dear World:

I bequeath to you today one little girl

in a crisp dress...with two blue eyes...and a happy laugh that ripples all day long

and a flash of light blond hair that bounces in the sun when she runs.

I trust you'll treat her well.

She's slipping out of the backyard of my heart this morning

and skipping down the street to her first day of school.

And never again will she be completely mine.

Prim and proud she'll wave her young and independent hand this morning

and say "Good-bye" and walk with little lady steps to the schoolhouse.

Now she'll learn to stand in lines

and wait by the alphabet for her name to be called.

She'll learn to tune her ears for the sounds of school-bells

and deadlines...and she'll learn to giggle...and gossip

and look at the ceiling in a disinterested way when the little boy

across the aisle sticks out his tongue at her. And, now she'll learn to be jealous.

And now she'll learn how it is to feel hurt inside.

And now she'll learn how not to cry.

No longer will she have time to sit on the front porch steps on a summer day

and watch an ant scurry across the crack in the sidewalk.

Nor will she have time to pop out of bed with the dawn

and kiss lilac blooms in the morning dew.

No, now she'll worry about those important things

like grades and which dress to wear and whose best friend is whose.

And the magic of books and learning

will replace the magic of her blocks and dolls.

And now she'll find new heroes.

For five full years now I've been her sage and Santa Claus

and pal and playmate and father and friend.

Now she'll learn to share her worship with her teachers

which is only right. But, no longer will I be

the smartest, greatest man in the whole world.

Today when that school bell rings for the first time

she'll learn what it means to be a member of the group

with all its privileges and its disadvantages too.

She'll learn in time that proper young ladies do not

laugh out loud...or kiss dogs...or keep frogs in pickle jars in bedrooms

or even watch ants scurry across cracks in sidewalks in summer.

Today she'll learn for the first time that

all who smile at her are not her friends.

And I'll stand on the front porch and watch her

start out on the long, lonely journey to becoming a woman.

So, world, I bequeath to you today one little girl

in a crisp dress...with two blue eyes...and a flash of light blond hair

that bounces in the sunlight when she runs.

I trust you'll treat her well.

Let's look for birdies!

Annah says, "Caeden, let's look for birdies!"

He loves

 Caeden is really in love with his big sis Annah right now. He recently learned how to say her name, and now notices if she is not in the room with him. The first thing he says when he wakes up is, "Annah, Annah..." and when we drop her off at school and drive away, he says, "Annah, Annah..." He will probably be 15 before he can say Sylvia. We are teaching him to say "Sissy" for her, since we call her that a lot.

Monday, April 24, 2006 - This past week Caeden has decided he doesn't want to BE fed; he wants to do it himself WITH utensils! He does a pretty good job--as long as we can get him to the tub quickly after he's done eating! ;)