Feb and March...oh so fun

These days are busy and filled with so much fun!!  Johnny is literally growing before our eyes.  I'll bring clothes up from the basement one day because he's grown out of his old ones and before I know it he's grown out of those too!!  What a fun fun fun little man he is.  He is always smiling at everyone, especially his big brother and his big sister.  Here's some pics of our most recent escapades.  We had a super fun trip to Fort Lauderdale where Isaac and Lily played in the pool for at least 2-3 hours every day.  Although it's march, we've had a lot of snow lately so we've been able to do lots of sledding and snow man building and just playing in the snow... and lily has taken to sitting on the front porch in the afternoon even in the snow and often asks if I would care to "join" her.  Isaac has started reading this month which is awesome and amazing!!  We are so so so proud of him.  On saturday we enjoyed a pancake breakfast at Madison school.  This life is blessed.  I'm thankful every day for these three sweet sweet little people and Dan the man!!

Lily's Fancy Costume Party

For Lily's 4th birthday I told her that we would do whatever kind of part she wanted to do and she could pick out everything.  She decided that she wanted to do a "Fancy Costume Party."  So that's just what we did.  She wanted to wear a costume that was both fancy and scary, so she picked out this sorceress costume.  She told me that she wanted to give each guest at her party a pumpkin and a flower to take home with them.  It ended up making the table look beautiful.  We got little vases for each girl to take home along with their pumpkin.  lily asked that we would serve crepes, strawberries, and cupcakes at her party.  The friends that she invited were, Libby and Addy (from preschool), Penny (Isaac's new friend Quinten's little sister), Ella and Noah Potoshnick (noah was the only boy invited other than isaac), and Angela (from church).  We played classical music.  They all decorated crowns, made necklaces and bracelets, we played hot potato (pretty unsuccessfully while Dan tried to do music...fyi...jock jams are NOT appropriate for 4 year olds), and did a burst the balloon/candy game.  It was a super sweet little party.  By the time the final guest was leaving lily was laying on the floor wearing only a pair of green undies having a total melt down.  Typical :)

A couple other sweet things of late to mention...  The other day I was reading a book to lily and it said something about love.  Lily looks at me and says, "mommy, I love love, will you kiss me?"  It was one of the sweetest moments.  This little girl is just full of love and I LOVE it!!!

This week Isaac, Johnny, and I were on the way home from taking Lily to preschool.  Isaac from the way back yells up to me, "Mom, I hope Lily and I die on the same day."  I say, "what??".  He says, "I don't want to die, but I hope that when I do die, that lily and I die on the same day."  I ask, "why?".  He says, "because I want to get to heaven on the same day as Lily."  My heart just about burst.  These two have the sweetest little relationship and I love it!!  

What a gift it is to be a mom!!

PS - Johnny has been such a wonderful gift!!  He is growing so fast and changing every day.  He LOVES to be in the middle of the action.  He gets very upset when I try to put him off to the side in a chair or a swing.  But if Lily or Isaac go over there and play with him, talk to him, or sing to him, he is all smiles and coos.  It's so fun to have a warm and snuggly baby to rock and to hold.  I am just eating this up!!  I say just about every day to dan that I am just blown away that we have another beautiful and healthy child.  He is such an amazing little boy!!!

Johnny Boy

Last night I was saying to Dan how much I love babies.  I've been surprised with each child how much I have adored each of my babies.  I'm just not really a baby person, so it surprises me every time!! Before I had Isaac I just had no idea how I would feel and was afraid that I wouldn't be cut out for this baby thing.  And then I looked at his round little face and I couldn't have imagined loving anything more. When I was about to have lily, I thought that I would just be too overwhelmed having two under the age of two to really enjoy another baby.  And then she came and again I was so shocked at how much I not only loved another baby, but how much I enjoyed her as a baby.  When I was pregnant with Johnny, I was really feeling worried about entering back into this baby phase.  As I thought back it felt like it was going to be a struggle to again go through all the diapers and spit up and waking up in the night and nursing non stop, especially with Isaac and Lily being at such fun and demanding ages.  Well, yet again I have been surprised.  I am totally in love with this little baby boy.  I love every time he wakes up and looking into his eyes and hearing those sweetest noises in the whole world that tiny babies make.  I love that he is so simple, his needs are simple, and the only way to be with him is just to look into his eyes and be with him.

It has been such a joy to welcome Johnny into the family.  It's strange that it's only been two months and I cannot imagine life without him.  He adds a dynamic to our family that is wonderful and beautiful.  Children are truly one of the greatest blessings that God can give.  Thank you God!!

Isaac and Lily have embraced Johnny wholeheartedly.  I guess that they do pretty much everything that they do wholeheartedly.  They are all over him all the time, which is both so sweet and endearing, and also kind of driving me crazy :)  Isaac is surprisingly sweet and gentle with Johnny.  He is always kissing him and singing this little song to him that goes like this, "I love you brubber (brother), I love you brubber, I love you brubber."  That's it...just over and over and over.  Again, amazingly sweet and also kind of driving me crazy.  Lily is always singing, not just to johnny, but whatever she is doing she is singing (which melts my heart EVERY SINGLE DAY!!!) but if johnny is crying she will always include him in whatever song she may be singing at the time.

We love you Johnny and are soooooo glad to have you in the family!!!

A Lily favorite from today:   I told lily that it was time to go for a nap and she said, "what I hate about naps is that you aren't with your mom... what I love about naps is that you get to snuggle with your blankies."  Priceless!!  I have the best job in the whole world!!

First day of school

Today was lily's first day of pre-school at Wheaton Bible Church.  Isaac's first day of kindergarten at Madison school was a week and a half ago.  I cannot believe that my babies are in school!! We are so proud of these two little people.  What gifts they are to us.

Today when I was taking Lily to preschool we miraculously got there ON TIME, and no one was crying, and Johnny did great keeping quiet the whole time :)  Lily was so proud of herself on her first day.  She went out to the car ten minutes early and sat in there with her back pack and her shoes on, all buckled in and ready to go.  She walked into her class proudly and gave me a kiss and hug and off she went.  So grown up!!  Isaac and Johnny came with me to the parents meeting.  As the director of the school was telling us what kind of snacks we could bring for the class, Isaac would lean over and whisper to me which ones Lily would like the most, and that we should bring those, namely - popsicles.  Then as the parents introduced ourselves to each other we were told to share what our child likes to play with.  Isaac from a few rows back gets my attention to let me know that I should tell all the other parents that Lily likes to play with dolls.  What a sweet big brother he is.

On Isaac's first day of kindergarten he got to wear his favorite pair of skinny pants.  (the only kind of pants that he will wear).  Dan took him out for a special lunch at McDonalds before his first day.  Isaac was also so proud of himself as he stood in line with all the other kids on his first day.  He has been loving kindergarten and has even gotten "pinned up" twice (which means that they teacher was encouraging him for good behavior).  Mrs. Bailey has told us that Isaac is doing great, he is very diligent and has a great attention span.  On the first week of school he ran a whole mile during gym class and came home from school VERY sweaty that day.  

I think that I have only cried myself to sleep twice since he has started school.  I wasn't expecting to feel so emotional, but it has really gotten to me a few times.  I can't believe that my first baby has started real school.  It's so hard letting go.  It's so hard knowing that he is only going to be walking out the door of our house more and more.  I have cherished these past five years, having my sweet Isaac home with me, more than I will ever be able to say.  He is such a gift!!