Team W

Thankful- November 15

2009-11-15T18:21:00.000-08:00

1. An amazing dinner last night with my BFF, Beck. Thankful for almost 12 years of friendship with the girl who has taught me more about unconditional love than anyone else I have ever known (save for my gracious hubby :) ).
2. The sounds of three kids playing together- laughing and enjoying each other. Mind you, it only lasts a minute or two before someone is crying, but it is bliss while it lasts.
3. The way Mark touches the small of my back, kisses me on the cheek and says "I love you".

Thankfulness

2009-11-12T13:56:00.000-08:00

I might as well get it out there right away- this holiday season is going to be quite difficult. So much about the holidays for me revolves around family and to know that my Daddy will not be a part of them this year rips a hole in my heart all over again. I share my birthday this year with Thanksgiving Day. My dad never, NEVER, missed an opportunity to sing "happy birthday" to me. Last year he called and I didn't answer- he sang the whole thing on my voicemail. I remember thinking "I should totally save this." But I didn't. What I wouldn't give to still have that voicemail. Because we never lived around family growing up, Thanksgiving always meant just the four of us. My mom would make a feast made for 12 and we would eat for days :). It was quiet, quaint and special. And it was US. This year it's different. We have another new child to add. This year Halle Joy and Isabella will actually be eating at the kid's table. Markus and Katie will be fully feeding themselves and have much to say about everything they put on their plates. Mark and I and Boo and Dawn will be busy looking after kids and my Mom will be busy in the kitchen as always. But this year, she will not have my Dad to mash the potatoes. We will not have his ridiculous schedule that he writes the day before, planning when everything needs to be in the oven, for how long, at what temp, etc. He will not have the opportunity to make my Mom's eyes roll when he asks for "three fingers" of root beer in his frozen mug. Mom will actually get to take all the credit for an amazing meal; Dad usually got the credit simply because he would do the plating and that was the last thing people saw- him with his hands on their plate- so it was always assumed he was responsible for the meal. Us grown up kids will not share quiet laughter and stolen glances when Dad takes residence in "his chair" and sits in the way that always made us laugh at him. There will be moments where we forget that Dad is not there- and then we will spend the next hour fighting the guilt that comes at forgetting he is not there.

We will be together, but different. And Daddy will be missed.

It would be very easy for me to become extremely discouraged during this holiday season. But I am choosing today not to. I will choose instead to be thankful. Thankful that while this season will bring all sorts of sad firsts without Dad, there will be so many exciting firsts for our precious Zavion Michael. I will choose to be thankful, because I have three healthy, beautiful, amazing children and a husband that I fall more in love with each day. I will choose to be thankful because I live a drive away from my brother, sister and wonderful nieces. I will be thankful because we will spend the holidays together with my Mom- one of the most giving individuals I have ever known, and my Grandma- who a few years ago we never thought would see these days. I will be thankful because most importantly I have a God who remains by my side, encouraging me, teaching me, growing me and meeting me in my darkest of places.

My choosing thankfulness does not mean there will not be hard days. Hard moments. It doesn't mean there will not be times where I literally have to tell my feet to keep walking, one in front of the other. It doesn't mean that there won't be plenty of tears. But it does mean that I will keep perspective. Because in a season such as this, that is the best tool I have.

In light of all this, I am going to post things on here over the next few months that I am thankful for. Some will be humorous, some will be serious. But all will mean something to me, and will be another notch in my toolbelt of perspective.

And I will choose to be thankful.

Motoring

2009-07-03T16:56:00.001-07:00

These two motor around on these toys all day long. It's a riot. Try cooking when they are underfoot.

It only took 16 1/2 months

2009-07-03T16:50:00.000-07:00

LC3 Vision Statement by Markus

2009-06-13T21:52:00.000-07:00

Markus being Markus

2009-06-05T21:51:00.000-07:00

Love this dude. Singing songs, being random, hamming it up and reciting this week's verse.

Our evangelist

2009-06-05T21:41:00.000-07:00

Markus on the front lawn, letting the entire neighborhood know that they should "Love God, love the people and love the world. Yes."

Just for me, and a haircut that wasn't

2009-05-07T13:17:00.000-07:00

I just needed to get these stats down so I can throw the papers away :).
Markus, age 3: 33 1/2 lbs, 3'1"
Halle Joy, age 1: 22 lbs 6 oz, 29 3/4"

We attempted to get Markus his first haircut today. Did you catch the word "attempt"? We have been talking about this all week. He was super excited. Daddy would get his cut first, then it would be Markus' turn. And Miss Krista would even have a lollipop for him. We knew it could be difficult. Markus doesn't like new and out of his control... he did great watching Daddy, but as I began telling him that Daddy was almost done and it was almost his turn, we began the downhill slide. Markus kept saying "not yet Mommy, not yet". Well, it of course eventually was time. We got him up in the chair, Miss Krista got the apron on and that was the end. Kicking, screaming, crying, begging to go home. The promise of a lollipop and a special treat of his choice afterwards (I even offered Coldstone!) meant nothing. I was so torn. I didn't want to let him "win", but I also didn't want to push a new experience if he was genuinely afraid (which with Markus is a very distinct possibility). In the end, we gave up. According to Markus on his way home "I will be ready next time Mommy." We'll see.

Spring Photos

2009-04-24T20:29:00.000-07:00

Happy 3rd Birthday sweet boy

2009-04-07T11:51:00.000-07:00

Dear Markus,

Today you are three. Three! You have been talking about this day for months. You know that your birthday is April 7th. You really became interested in when your birthday was coming in February when we celebrated Halle Joy's birthday. Last week, while Daddy took you and Halle Joy on a date to Barnes and Noble you walked up to another kid and said "My name is Markus Jaden Wilkening. My birthday is on April 7th and I am going to be three."

At three years old you already have so much personality Markus! You truly live life to the full, enjoying every minute. You never do anything halfway, and if you are not interested in something you have no problems hiding it :). You still favor your music instruments, although recently you have been asking for a guitar "like Daddy's. With a strap." You love to go to church and play Daddy's guitar with the "blue triangle" (guitar pic). You're pretty fascinated with the drumset up on stage too. You readily sing along with the songs we listen to in the car (usually Veggie Tales worship CD with Matt Redman) but you no longer sing on cue. That's okay. You like to "be shy" sometimes when meeting new people- other times you march right up to new faces and introduce yourself using your full name (that cracks me up!). You enjoy your trains and love to read books. Today I took you to Barnes and Noble for your birthday. I told you that we had some birthday money for you to spend (thanks Grammie and Papa!) and asked if you wanted a new train or new books. I loved that you chose new books! You picked out a froggy book about froggy playing tee ball (perfect, since you got a tee ball set this morning!) as well as The Very Busy Spider book by Eric Carle. You love reading his books. You can "read" Brown Bear, Brown Bear and Head to Toe all by yourself. You also continue to love your airplane. Recently you named it "Petap" and it has almost become an imaginary friend to you. You like for it to be at the table when we eat and you share your food with it.

Your best friends are Abigail, Grace and Zach. We are with them often, although Grace and Zach will be moving in a few weeks (I haven't had the heart to tell you yet). You are especially fond of Abigail lately, and you are right by her side whenever she is at our house. Your favorite people to be around though are by far your Abu, Papa and Dita. When I asked you who you wanted to come to your birthday party, that's who you said. You have a special relationship with each of them.

Your heart is so tender and sensitive Markus. You still get very concerned when Halle Joy cries. You rush to her, put your hand on her back and say "it's okay Halle." You thrive on words of encouragement and hugs and kisses. The other day when you awoke from your nap you asked if we could snuggle on the couch. We were blessed as Halle Joy slept a half hour longer (usually she is awake before you) and we spent that whole time laying on the couch together under the blanket. You didn't want to read or sing or watch a show- you just wanted to snuggle. I happily obliged. You are not without a strong will though and we are definitely seeing you battle for control- much more than we ever have. Part of that is just being three, and we are doing the best we can to guide you and teach you and grow you through those moments with God's help.

We wonder what God is going to do with you my sweet boy. We pray that your tenacity, strong will, sensitivity towards others, love for music and tender heart will be used in mighty ways for God's glory. We have already seen how He uses you to reveal Himself to our family, and for that we praise Him. I pray that your life will be a daily testimony to the God who loves you more than I ever could Markus. I love you and wish you the happiest of birthdays.

Love, Mommy

Halle, Halle, Halle!

2009-04-06T15:39:00.000-07:00

I titled this post Halle, Halle, Halle because that is what I am hearing most frequently out of the little dude's mouth lately. As Halle has become much more mobile and way more interested in what big brother is doing, she is causing a bit of a ruckus around here getting into whatever Markus is into at the moment. I know she is in his space when I hear the frantic "Halle, Halle, Halle!" in an escalating tone of voice. It's pretty funny. We have been blessed with GORGEOUS weather the last two days so I took advantage of Halle's super short nap and Markus' super long nap yesterday and snapped some sunny shots of Halle in our yard. The licking the plate shot is just a bonus- what a funny girl!

Bob the Builder invaded

2009-04-04T21:33:00.000-07:00

We had a small birthday party for Markus and his closest friends today (he kept calling them his "little guys"). It was a Bob the Builder theme complete with a dumptruck cake (per his request), construction hats for everyone, painting wooden dumptrucks and backhoes (Markus wanted to paint at his party!), John Deere fruit snacks and a new workbench for Markus and his pals to play with. What fun. We loved the party, and the kids had a great time. I spent the evening after the party commenting on what a treat each one of the kiddos that were there is. We are so blessed to have such neat little ones (and their parents!) in Markus' life. Our friends are such a blessing. Enjoy a few pics of the big day! (And Markus' real birthday is Tuesday... more birthday to come :) )

An update

2009-03-22T15:17:00.000-07:00

Just some recent pics...

Markus has been driving me a little batty the last couple days. He is just not himself. However, he continues to crack me up all the time.
1. Today, he and Halle were playing in her crib while I took a shower. I had the monitor on so I could hear if any disasters broke out. This is what I heard- "Halle, sit on your bottom. Because you are married to me now."
2. His latest fascination is playing under blankets. While he and Mark were playing under the blanket on the couch the other day, he said "The girls get too hot under the blanket. And the boys go under the blanket to keep them warm." Oh please, start praying for this boy now! :)
3. As I dressed Halle for church this morning, he said "Mommy I don't think that dress works for her." He then grabbed another dress from her closet, held it out to me and said "Try this one. I LOVE it." So I did :).

Halle Joy is crawling everywhere- and she's super fast. She can motor up the stairs all by herself. She is pulling up on furniture and is just starting to take a few steps while hanging on. She is starting to hit Markus when he gets in her personal space- which is all the time. She still eats just about anything you put in front of her, and is actually getting the nhang of feeding herself from the spoon. She happily plays when I am not around- but if I am anywhere near her she is not happy unless in my arms. She is a delightful little gal!

A new blog

2009-03-02T09:51:00.000-08:00

I started a new blog today. No pictures to post there- basically, just an online journal where I can record what God is teaching me. If you're interested, the address is www.myheartscry2009.blogspot.com. Don't worry, this one with the cute kids and cute stories will continue :).

The refrigerator

2009-03-01T08:30:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Halle Joy was a bit of a mess all day. Fever + runny nose + no appetite = needy baby. I was comforting her and Markus came to me and asked for his milk. I told him he could go get it from the refrigerator. It was a few minutes later when I realized he was very quiet, too quiet, and I hadn't seen him since I told him he could get his milk. I peeked into the kitchen to find him happily sitting inside the fridge, his milk, some syrup and hershey's syrup lined up on the floor, an open whipped cream canister and some "evidence" (as if there wasn't already enough) on his face, hands and the floor. I cracked up. The minute he saw me he pulled the door closed as far as he could, and then peeked out the side with a huge grin. I did what any scrapbooking mom would do- asked him to stay put and grabbed the camera. Once he knew he wasn't in trouble (he wasn't- we had never told him that was a "no"- now, of course, it is!) he held out the hershey's syrup to me (I didn't think he even knew what it was) and said "Mommy, what IS this? It's gooooood." I replied "It's chocolate sauce" and he said "I like chocolate sauce!" Then he held out the whipped cream canister and said "I can't get this to work Mommy" to which I replied "Thank God."

Happy Birthday Sweet Girl

2009-02-02T18:58:00.000-08:00

Dear Halle Joy,
Today you are one. I cannot believe how quickly your first year has gone by. It is difficult for me to even remember what our lives were like before you were a part of our family.
Your name means praise and joy, and my sweet girl, that could not describe your disposition any better. You are a joyful, content, happy little girl. You rarely cry- when you do, we know it's something serious. You are loving and sweet and super affectionate. You love to cuddle and snuggle. As I pray over you at night I pray that you will keep that joyful disposition all the days of your life, and that your joy will be rooted in Christ and you will live a life of praise to the God who loves you more than I ever could.
You thoroughly enjoy your big brother, and nothing gets you to squeal more than when you "get him" by grabbing his hair. He truly delights in you Halle Joy. You have a precious gift in him, and we pray that you two will always treasure and prefer one another.
You recently started crawling, and there is no stopping you now. You want so badly to pull yourself up on things, but you haven't quite figured it out just yet. You love to bounce on our laps or in your jumper. You are trying to stand up from the floor, but it looks like you are doing the downward facing dog position. It's a riot. We often call you "Thumper" because you thump your legs on your crib before you even cry or talk to let us know you are awake.
You are quite the chunky monkey my girl, and you love to eat. We like to joke that even your rolls have rolls. Your eyes are beautiful, and they often smile before your mouth does. Your smile can captivate me like nothing else. When you reach for me, I melt.
Halle Joy, you are more precious a gift to me than I could ever ask or imagine. I look forward to watching you grow and learn... but for right now, I simply am basking in your "baby-ness". I love you and I celebrate you today.

From Iowa

2009-01-30T19:05:00.000-08:00

We are in Iowa, visiting Grammie and Papa this week and next. Despite the fact that both kids have gnarly colds and I am sleeping in the same room as one of them and directly across the hall from the other (and I am a RIDICULOUSLY light sleeper), we are having a great time :). Seriously though, Markus and Halle Joy are thoroughly enjoying their grandparents- and I have a feeling their grandparents are enjoying them too :). I had to jot down a funny from the dude today. We were listing off all the people in his life that love him (long list!). Then I asked him who did he love? "I love Jesus and God. And all my people." His people? Does he have an entourage I am not aware of? But how great that this little man listed Jesus and God first? Love it. Love his tender heart. I said to him today "I love you to the moon and stars Markus." He responded "Well I love you to the cow jumping over the moon Mommy!"

I love him

2009-01-24T15:10:00.000-08:00

Markus makes me laugh so much. Somedays he makes me cry, too, but mostly he makes me laugh. Here's some more recent funnies...
1. I made cupcakes last night for Halle Joy's birthday party (we are having family over and a couple close friends to celebrate early as we will be in Iowa for her birthday). Markus, of course, wanted one. I told him that he could have one the next day when we celebrated Halle Joy's birthday. When he woke up this morning, he asked me if it was Halle Joy's birthday yet. More than once.
2. To continue with the cupcakes... he was eyeing them again this afternoon, and again asked if he could have one. I told him he would have to wait until we sang Halle Joy "Happy Birthday". He promptly started singing, and sang "Happy Birthday" in it's entirety to Halle Joy.
3. We were looking at "The Barnyard Dance" book before bed a few nights ago. On one page you can only see the bottom half of the horses. He said "Mommy, can you ask those horses to jump down so I can see the rest of them please?"
4. Yesterday, out of nowhere, he came up to me and said "I love my sister Mommy."
5. A few days ago, he was in the car with Mark. Mark turned at a stoplight- the only time we ever turn at this particular stoplight on our way home is if we are getting coffee. You can't even see the Starbucks from there. But right as Mark turned, Markus piped up "Who wants coffee Daddy?"
6. Today, I told him it was time for nap. He said, "I'll go lay down in my bed, close the door and turn the light off all by myself for nap." And he did! He totally put himself to bed. I went to check on him after about 30 min and he was snuggled under his comforter, sound machine on, lights off, fast asleep.

Before I forget...

2009-01-09T20:05:00.000-08:00

1. Markus new train batteries died last week. I told him that I would be happy to get him some new ones. He looked at me and said "OK mommy, here's the plan. I will stay home with daddy and play, and you go to the store to get the batteries." Here's the plan? What?
2. Mommy to Markus-"Markus, mommy is married to daddy." Markus to mommy and daddy- "I want to be married." Daddy to Markus- "Who do you want to marry Markus?" Markus to mommy and daddy- "I want to marry mommy". Awwww.
3. Today, Markus was asking for daddy to come home. ALL DAY. On one occasion, I said "Markus, you are so blessed to have such a great daddy." To which he replied "You're a great mommy too, mommy. And Halle is a great baby."

Merry Christmas Eve

2008-12-24T14:57:00.000-08:00

More sledding adventures

2008-12-19T22:59:00.000-08:00

Playing in the snow

2008-12-18T20:53:00.000-08:00

Decorating Cookies

2008-12-14T22:03:00.000-08:00

My dear friend Katie hosted some of us and our kiddos to decorate some sugar cookies last week and make Christmas play-doh. Markus had a grand time- especially when eating the frosting with a spoon.

Sweet Girl

2008-12-14T21:35:00.001-08:00

Halle Joy is still as sweet as could be. She has two teeth now- they are so cute! She figured out how to play peek-a-boo last week, and does it all the time now. The pics with her and the plate are of her playing peek-a-boo. She is still loving big people food- she inhales grapes, eggs, grilled cheese, peas and chicken faster than you can put them on her plate. She will allow us to feed her, but she definitely prefers to do it on her own. She tolerates pureed food, but only if it has some texture to it and only if she knows she is getting some big people food too. She still is super serious sometimes and is starting to show very mild separation anxiety. No crawling yet, but she is trying so hard and wants to so badly. I know it will be soon. And I am excited for it. She will be so happy moving around.

Sugar cookies

2008-12-14T21:31:00.000-08:00

Markus and I had so much fun making sugar cookies last week. He loved rolling out the dough, cutting the shapes and putting them on the cookie sheet. Of course, the best part was when he started scraping up the bits of dough on the board and eating them. He thought they were pretty tasty.

He is hilarious

2008-12-14T21:19:00.000-08:00

1. While shoving his thumb in my face (said with total serious and need in his big brown eyes): "I need to go upstairs and suck this".
2. While playing with trains with Halle Joy: "Halle Joy, you little stinker. You broke my trains!".
3. While sleeping in bed with us when on vacation (at 4:30 am) he rolled over, put both hands on my face and said "Mommy, should I be awake right now?".
4. While driving home from church on Friday night in the dark "I need the light on in the car Mommy". "Why?" I responded. "So I can see Halle Joy my little sister".
5. While in the bathtub last night, holding a farmer near the tub ledge: "Mommy, can I put the farmer on the stage to sing?".

Zoolights 2008

2008-12-12T13:27:00.000-08:00

We spent a wonderful evening at Zoolights with our great friends, Zach, Jennifer, Claire and Ethan. It was freezing, and poor Halle Joy was so bundled up she couldn't even lift an arm in her stroller, but we still had a great time. The photos aren't great; darkness + running, excited children = poor quality photos. But you get the gist.

Christmas Tree 2008

2008-12-10T15:18:00.000-08:00

We had our annual trip to Starbucks and Schilter Farms last week. We picked out a great tree and had a fun time as a family!

Markus singing You are Holy

2008-12-03T09:30:00.000-08:00

We Will Remember

2008-12-02T13:44:00.000-08:00

Two recent funnies....

2008-11-17T22:04:00.000-08:00

1. On our recent trip to the Oregon coast with Mark, Katie, Abigail and Maddie (our dear friends), Markus and Abigail really bonded. They played so well together (they are only two months apart) that we never once had to step in on a toddler fight. Not once! On our last night, I was getting Markus ready for bed in our room while Katie was getting Abigail ready for bed in another. Markus and Abigail were literally calling out for each other- "Markus, Markus" followed by "Abigail, Abigail". It was a riot. I looked at Markus and said "Isn't it great that you have a best friend like Abigail?". He looked at me and responded "Yes Mommy. It's kind of like Markus is the daddy lion and Abigail is the mommy lion".
2. At Costco today, we saw a gentleman which quite a long, gray beard. I don't know how many beards Markus has seen in his two and a half years. Anyways, he turned to me and asked "Mommy, is that an elephant?". I couldn't stop laughing.

Think he had a good time?

2008-11-04T22:09:00.000-08:00

Lots of photos to upload and edit and stories to tell, but here is a taste. We had a fantastic time on our Oregon coast vacation/staff retreat. Markus had so much fun on the beach and playing with Abigail. Both kids did great... unless you count the sleeping part... or lack thereof. We are all exhausted, but refreshed, if that makes sense.

More to come...

2008-10-28T21:57:00.000-07:00

just a couple to share from our visit to Schilter Farms today. Markus had so much fun- when I tucked him in tonight, he asked if we could go back to the punkin patch tomorrow.

Amazing Grace

2008-10-17T22:52:00.000-07:00

Celebrate

2008-10-17T22:32:00.001-07:00

Please notice that Markus does not celebrate good times. Rather, he celebrates guitars.

Bath Time

2008-10-08T14:23:00.000-07:00

I love baths in the sink. So does Halle Joy.

Please pray with us

2008-10-04T16:03:00.000-07:00

Please visit our adoption blog and PRAY with us. We received a tough update today- but we know that God is faithful and that He is in control.
www.markandkelsadoptionjourney.blogspot.com

Adoption Blog

2008-10-03T07:11:00.000-07:00

Posted an update and a prayer request at
www.markandkelsadoptionjourney.blogspot.com.
Have a great Friday!

Today at the park

2008-09-30T21:08:00.000-07:00

1. I had to use the restroom- fun with a baby in hand and a toddler... but I digress. We walked back to the park after we went to the restroom. Mind you, there were 6 other moms and their kids, none of which I knew, playing at the park. Markus waits until we are back amongst all the others and shouts out "Good job going pee-pee on the potty Mommy!" and gives me a high five.
2. Markus was playing "soccer" with the bouncy ball we brought to the park. At one point he kicked it and it kept rolling and rolling. He was running after it saying "Stop ball, stop. Listen to mommy! If you don't stop you will get a timeout!". He caught up to the ball, picked it up and carried it to a bench. He placed it on the bench and said "You stay here for two minutes. Don't move and don't touch anything. I will come back and get you." He walked away and played for a minute or two, went back to the ball and said "Are you ready to be kind?" and off he went to play soccer again.
3. After playing with the ball for a bit, he picked it up and said "The ball needs milk". He then trotted over to a bench, sat down, and pulled up his sweatshirt and tee shirt to give the ball some milk. Don't worry- at this point, we were the only ones left in the park. Thank God.

The Mariner Moose- A tale of two kiddos

2008-09-27T18:51:00.000-07:00

Upon arriving at Safeco field today for the Mariners game, Markus happened to notice the Mariner Moose down on the field. His immediate response "I yon't yike the moose". From then on, he continued to scan the field with a pensive, stressed out look on his face saying "Markus find the moose. I yon't yike the moose". We knew a visit from the moose probably wasn't going to be a good idea. During the third inning, Markus was needing to run a little bit, so we ran our races up and down the hallways where the suites were located (we were spoiled today!). While running slightly ahead of me, Markus came face to face with the moose as he came out of another hallway. I scooped him up as fast as I could, but it was too late. The hysterics had already started, and he sobbed into my shoulder "I yon't yike the moose mommy, I yon't yike him. Markus scared." One of the moose's entourage whispered to me as she passed by "I have never seen such terror before." We walked back to the suite (Markus clinging to me the entire way and searching for the moose). We settled back in our seats in the front row outside the suite. I heard some commotion inside the suite and turned to look- sure enough, the moose was in the suite. I was too late to shield the dude- he caught a glimpse and lost it. Luckily, Halle Joy was in the arms of Auntie Beckie and I could deal with Markus. I seriously thought he was ready to jump headfirst over the railing to escape the moose. He kept asking me to put my feet up on the bar- as if somehow that would block the moose from coming in. He was literally shaking from head to toe the poor kid. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to me, Halle Joy was loving the moose and grabbing his face and talking to him. Thank goodness for Uncle Rando who captured her on camera while I attempted to reassure and comfort my frightened boy.

Markus searching for the moose. Look at this face.

Markus is in doubt that the moose has indeed gone bye-bye.

Halle Joy couldn't get enough of his face.

She loves him!

If ice cream is good, and popcorn is good...

2008-09-27T18:46:00.000-07:00

then they must be GREAT together!

Halle Joy

2008-09-26T21:26:00.000-07:00

She's growing too! She is actually starting to swallow more solids than she is spitting out, is rolling over both ways and is sitting up on her own. So far she has eaten bananas, carrots, rice cereal and cheerios. Her first experience with cheerios was an absolute riot. I will try to post the video. She is still the delight of all of our hearts.

Markus and Grace

2008-09-26T21:08:00.000-07:00

These two are the best of friends. Perfect, since I consider Grace's mommy one of my besties too. Here's some pics of them dancing together at the park today.

Such a big boy

2008-09-26T20:59:00.000-07:00

Tonight when I put him to bed, I said "I love you". I was so sad when he said "I love you" back. You see, he has always said "I yuh you". Just another example of how he is growing up so fast... makes a mommy sad and excited all at the same time. And another example of him being a big boy are these pics- climbing the rope ladder at the park all by himself!

Some pictures do not need a caption!

2008-09-23T20:55:00.000-07:00

The fair with family

2008-09-17T20:43:00.001-07:00

We headed to the fair for round two (I will post round one pics later) with Abu, Papa, Dita and Katie last week and had a blast. Halle Joy was there- I will just have to photoshop her into some pics somehow so she believes me when she is older. oops!

Today at Abu and Papa's house

2008-09-17T20:43:00.000-07:00

We had the chance to go play with my beautiful nieces today, Katie and Isabella. I posted lots of pics on here tonight of the two of them so their mommy could look at them while she is away on business. Hope you enjoy!

And I quote

2008-09-09T20:33:00.001-07:00

It was a really tough day with the dude. I mean, really tough. Lots of time spent on the steps. Lots of please forgive me-s. Lots of tears and stomping feet and thrown food and lemonade. Which led to lots of cleaning the floors. But finally, after we survived dinner, he turned a corner and was doing a bit better. I was in the office and he came in with some of his trucks to place on the windowsill. I asked "What are you doing buddy?". He said- "Don't worry about it mommy. I'm just chillin'." I almost fell off my chair. I even asked him again to make sure that was what he said, and sure enough, it was. Love it. Love this boy. Even on the tough days.

During Halle Joy's nap...

2008-09-08T11:35:00.000-07:00

we had some fun outside.

Celebrating him

2008-09-02T19:57:00.001-07:00

Today marks the 33rd birthday of my best friend and partner in life. I have been blessed to be in his life since 2001 and am thankful for (almost :) ) every minute of it. Mark is my everything and I never want to even imagine my life without him. He supports and encourages me. He makes me laugh. He gets up with the kids so I can sleep. He adores my family. He would do anything for Markus and Halle Joy. He is totally in love with our Ethiopian child whom he doesn't even know yet. He lives every moment of his life for Jesus. He is passionate about people. He has a beautiful voice. And amazing blue eyes. Today I celebrate him and all that he has become in his 33 years. I love you Mark and wish you the happiest of birthdays.

On our walk...

2008-08-29T20:28:00.000-07:00

Markus noticed some moss growing in between a crack on the sidewalk. "Look Mommy, there's some broccoli!"
And this picture... I have to save it for the wedding slideshow someday.

No, she couldn't be any cuter

2008-08-29T14:54:00.001-07:00

So thankful...

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that God saw fit to heal my grandmother from her scare last weekend that required an emergency stay at the hospital. So we could capture more precious moments like these.

A little phone time

2008-08-29T14:46:00.000-07:00

Brownie Batter Face

2008-08-29T14:44:00.000-07:00

Her favorite toy

2008-08-29T14:39:00.001-07:00

He melts me

2008-08-26T20:57:00.000-07:00

I had a great day with my kiddos today (the 5-6 pm hour was a nightmare, but we'll forget about that for now). Halle Joy passed out around 6:15 which left some good evening time for Markus and I to be together. Since I didn't eat dinner with Markus (see note about 5-6 hour above) I made myself a quick quesadilla while we were playing. He claimed he was still hungry (after 1 cup of corn, a hot dog, a yogurt, half an apple and some peach cobbler with ice cream) and he parked on the floor with me and we shared my "dilla", played with toys and colored. There really wasn't anything exciting about our time together, but for some reason my heart was just super tender towards him and I was overwhelmed with love and appreciation for him. I could not stop hugging and kissing him- and he was eating it up. It was just a simple, precious time. After he was tucked in bed and our books were read, I asked him if he wanted to pray. Usually we talk about what we can pray for, and Mark and I have been talking a lot about things that we can be thankful for with him when we say nighttime prayers. He is "coached" quite a bit through his nighttime prayers. But tonight, after I asked him if he wanted to pray, he launched into his own, totally unprompted prayer- "Dear Jesus, thank you for going outside to play today. Thank you for fun with mommy. I love you Jesus. Amen.". And that my friends, is what being a mommy is all about.

The girl

2008-08-22T09:26:00.000-07:00

Not much to say about her yet. She has all of us wrapped around her little finger. She is a crummy nighttime sleeper... but I cherish those moments alone with her. She was 17 lbs at her 6 month checkup (60th%) and 27" long (80th%). She had a super smile and continues to be relatively easygoing. No teeth yet, no rolling over, sitting up for about 15 seconds on her own, loves the Bumbo, loves her big brother.

Markus Sparkus

2008-08-22T09:11:00.000-07:00

The kid is a riot lately- and a handful. He is definitely two. We are hearing way more "I wants" than "May I please have" but we are getting there :). He is exerting his will in some not so pleasant ways... but there are a multitude of moments when he is the sweetest, most loving boy you could ever imagine too.
The other day it was raining and I needed something fun to keep him busy indoors. We had received an email that morning that a friend who recently lost her husband was in need for some encouragement... and it just so happened that she loved chocolate cookies. So when Markus awoke from his nap we baked a batch of chocolate-white chocolate chip cookies to take to her and her family. While we were baking these were Markus' funnies-
1. When he poured the flour into a bowl it made a mound. He exclaimed, "Look Mommy! Markus made a mountain!"
2. When we mixed the dry ingredients with the wet there was a cloud of flour dust that came out of the bowl. He said, "Mommy don't touch. The cookies are hot." It definitely did look like steam!
3. I was placing the dough onto the cookie sheet and Markus asked if they were ready. I said no, we had to put them in the oven first. His response? "We put them in the oven and then they get nice and warm."
And here are some random summer pics. Enjoy!

No pics but some cute stories

2008-08-12T19:48:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't posted any pics in a LONG time. We are having hard drive issues and I cannot upload any pics until we get a new backup. But here are some cute recent tales of my life with my wonderful kiddos.
1. A couple weeks ago, I put both the kids to bed and headed downstairs to the computer. It wasn't but a few minutes when I heard Markus get out of his bed, which is unusual for him. Then I heard his door open- WHAT? The kid can open doors now? I heard the door close, and thought he had gone back to bed... then I heard the little footsteps on the stairs. He was oh so quiet. My back was to the stairs and so I just sat and waited and pretended I didn't know he was coming down the stairs. I just wanted to see what he would do. When he got to where he could see me he stopped. He waited for 5 minutes! Then ever so quietly he went down the rest of the stairs and tiptoed into the living room where he proceeded to ever so quietly pull out some toys to play with. After 10 minutes (I had to get my composure- I was giggling too much to keep a straight face when I told him he had to stay in his room at bedtime!) I walked out into the living room and just waited until he saw me. He finally looked up and got the biggest grin he possibly could on his face- and then jumped up and took off as fast as he could away from me. He knew he was in for it! I grabbed a childproof doorknob cover and we headed back upstairs to bed.
2. Today I was peeling a peach for Markus. I was making quite the long peel, and Markus said "Look, Mommy's making a snake!"
3. We were out running errands a few days ago, and I took more time than I should have (imagine that with two kids, right?). The last 10 minutes of our drive Halle Joy screamed bloody murder. When we pulled up in front of the house, Markus leaned toward Halle Joy's carseat and said "It's okay Baby Halle we're home! Now it's time for your milk!"
4. Markus and I often lay on the floor with Halle Joy. I am encouraging her like crazy to roll over. The other night I left her playing on the floor on her back and was making dinner. Markus came tearing into the kitchen saying "Mommy, Baby Halle rolled over! Baby Halle rolled over!". Sure enough, when I went into the living room she was on her tummy, happy as could be. I got down on the floor and said "Good job Halle Joy!" which Markus repeated over and over as he tried to give her a high five. I rolled her on her back again so I could see her roll over (you know where this is going, right?) . I even called Mark to tell him that she had rolled over. After a minute or so, Markus got in her face again and said "Good job Halle Joy. Baby Halle roll over!" and proceeded to put both his little hands on her bottom and roll her over. I asked him if he had rolled her over before- you already know the answer.
5. Markus perched at the top of the slide at a playdate today and yelled out "Hello everyone! Here I come!"
6. The little dude continues to be all about cleaning, organizing, etc. Tonight he "swept" the floors, because "big brothers help mommies" (he came up with that one all on his own) for 20 minutes. Oh how I hope he continues to be this fascinated with cleaning when he actually can help mommy :).
7. Out of nowhere the other night at bedtime Markus surprised me by singing "Twinkle, Twinkle" (or, Tinkle, Tinkle per Markus) from start to finish all by himself. I really didn't think he knew any of that song.
8. No funnies about Halle Joy. She just continues to be as sweet as ever, despite having a gnarly cold right now. SHe has her 6 month check on Thursday, so I will post some stats then.

Sobering

2008-07-29T20:02:00.000-07:00

** This is also posted on our adoption blog**

I was surfing the internet tonight and I stumbled across an interesting project called the "Mocha Club". They are working to support Africans with HIV/AIDS by way of nourishing food, education, medical care and most importantly, sharing the love of Jesus Christ. I didn't spend enough time navigating their site to say whether or not I would endorse it- that would take more time than I have tonight. But there was a video on the site that moved me and shook me... there was a 14 year old woman with her baby who showed up to receive medical care for her baby, who was covered in sores from head to toe. When the representative asked her what the baby's name was, she told her. I don't remember the name, but I will remember the meaning for the rest of my life... the baby's name meant "NO HOPE". The woman asked the young mother why she gave her that name. The young mother responded, "I watched my mother die of AIDS. I will die of AIDS. She has no hope". Wow. Through subsequent visits to the clinic, the young mother was introduced to and accepted the truth of Jesus Christ. She renamed her baby Lelethu, which means "Jesus is our hope". I can't stop crying. According to this website, $7 can give 9 orphans 3 meals in one day, pay for 21 orphans housing for 1 day or gibe 7 Africans clean water for a year. I shudder to think I spent $6 today on lunch and a snack for Markus and I today while we were out running errands. I can't help but wonder if our baby is out there already, with a mother who is heartbroken thinking there is no hope for her baby. I can't help but wonder if our baby is hungry right now. Or in pain. Or cold. Or lonely. And I can't help but think that although I know we can transform and give the life giving hope of Jesus Christ to the baby that God has for us, there will be millions that will be left behind. And the enemy whispers in my ear that we can't make a difference, that our one baby out of the millions left behind isn't enough... and yet I know. I know that God is bigger than all these statistics. I know that God loves these babies. And I trust that He has a plan. But I still cry.

Our other blog

2008-07-21T14:09:00.000-07:00

Please come and read as we journal through our latest adventure... international adoption!!!
www.markandkelsadoptionjourney.blogspot.com

Day with friends

2008-07-19T20:30:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday Markus, Halle and I traveled to Kirkland to spend time with one of my bestest friends, Beck, and her little man Sam. We had an awesome day and Markus and Sam really played well together. Sam was in love with Halle Joy and got lots of practice being a big brother (he will be one come August).

Just diapers

2008-07-14T15:36:00.000-07:00

It's been hot here this past week. I love when the babies can just wear their diapers all day. Halle Joy will kill me for this fantastic shot of her and all her roly-poly goodness when she is older.

Pics from the zoo

2008-07-12T14:44:00.001-07:00

After walking around the zoo on Thursday, the sun was shining and the kiddos were hot, so into the sprinkler playground they went!

Daddy's girl

2008-07-09T13:50:00.000-07:00

My awesome boy

2008-07-08T15:17:00.000-07:00

Just some funnies to record...

* We recently went to my neice's baptism at a Catholic church in Seattle. Upon seeing the lifesize Jesus on the cross, Markus leaned over and asked "Who's that guy?". I responded, "That's Jesus". Markus' response... "Jesus has owies!".
* Markus was fascinated with the font at the church where the girls were baptized (at one point I thought he was going to dive in). The next morning, as we headed to our church, Markus asked "Can we go to the wet church again?".
* Upon leaving childcare at church yesterday, Markus said bye to the workers (Mimi, Poppy and Miss Jilly). He then shouted out "Bye kids!" to the rest of the children waiting to be picked up.
* Today in the car he asked me where Uncle Mark was.
* While praying at dinner the other night, Markus prayed the following prayer completely unprompted and on his own "Dear Jesus, help me to obey. Thank you for Abu, Dita, Papa, Daddy, corn, chicken, fork, milk. I love you Jesus. Amen."
* While at the pool the other day, Markus walked right over to a woman and said "Hey, how's it going?".

My sweet girl

2008-07-08T15:09:00.000-07:00

Sweet giggles

2008-07-06T21:43:00.000-07:00

Hopefully this adorable video of the girl will make up for what a slacker I have been lately...

Hear him sing

2008-06-19T21:17:00.001-07:00

A picture

2008-06-11T15:08:00.000-07:00

We're having a great time!

We're off!

2008-06-01T22:39:00.000-07:00

We are off on a two week vacation tomorrow to the midwest. Please pray for our travels- three hotels in 14 days with two kiddos. Plus- the dude has a double ear infection to boot :). I don't know what our internet availability will be while we are gone, but look for some posts when we return... and a picture or two of our little diva with her ears pierced (sorry Drams!). Blessings!

These two

2008-05-25T22:35:00.000-07:00

There are days when I think they look totally different. But looking at these pics of them at almost the same age... I'm thinking they look pretty alike!

Sunday Seven

2008-05-25T19:54:00.001-07:00

I've been neglecting this lately... time to get back in the groove!

1. Some great time with my family while my Uncle Jim (Dad's brother) and Aunt Yvonne are in town. Dinner at mom and dad's Friday, the farmer's market yesterday and church and lunch here today.
2. Watching Markus and Katie become pals. They played really well together on Friday. Watching them take a bath together was a riot. Markus talked about it the whole way home.
3. Halle Joy started to giggle more when tickled this week. Such a precious sound.
4. Reading a lift the flap book with Markus tonight that has all the major kid Bible stories. He was obsessed with Adam and Eve (I'll have to get him saying their names on tape- it's pretty cute). He also loved saying his version of Goliath (sounds kind of like giraffe) over and over again. He wanted to go into the ocean like Jonah.
5. Mark watching the kiddos this afternoon so I could get a nap (little miss let me sleep from 1-4 last night...).
6. Coming to a decision with Mark about something that I am SUPER excited about.
7. Bible study on Tuesday. It was our last one of the year. I will miss it terribly during the summer- I love those gals!

Ice Cream

2008-05-24T21:14:00.000-07:00

Halle Joy

2008-05-24T21:08:00.001-07:00

Processing

2008-05-23T09:36:00.000-07:00

Two days ago, Maria Sue Chapman (age 5), daughter of Christian musical artist Steven Curtis Chapman, was involved in a tragic accident in her family driveway and subsequently is celebrating her homegoing with Jesus right now. I heard the news yesterday morning and have since been processing some pretty major things. I wanted to jot them down while they were still fresh, and somehow writing them here- on a public setting- makes them more real to me. So here goes.

1. Notice in my opening sentence I used both the words "tragic" and "celebrate". "Accidents" that result in death are an interesting paradox for believers. On one hand, we say this death was tragic- the manner in which it happened, the fact that a family mourns their 5 year old girl, etc. But on the other hand, her death means that she now is with her Savior Jesus for eternity, in a place where there are no tears, no shame, no hurt- pure Joy alone. As a believer, I can claim that an event such as this is both tragic and wonderful, sad and beautiful, heartbreaking and freeing. Interesting.

2. On Monday night during our small group time, we had a discussion about really committing to the Lord all of our possessions here on earth. One of the things the Lord really impressed upon all of our hearts was the need for all of us to commit our children to Him as well. After all, they truly are His, not ours. I thought that I had committed our children to Him, trusting Him with their lives. Then I heard this story... and I found myself wondering if I truly have trusted Him with them. What if He called them home sooner than I thought appropriate? Would I trust Him with that? Would I still love Him through that? My head says absolutely. He is my God and He is sovereign and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that His will is perfect. But my heart... it is something I really need to pray through and make certain that I am daily relinquishing my control over to Him.

3. I have always had a heart for adoption. Over the last year and a half, Mark and I have been praying about whether or not adoption is for our family. Maria Sue Chapman was the youngest of the three Chapman girls that they adopted from China. As much as I think her little life was cut too short, I can't help but think how full that little girl's life was because the Chapmans welcomed her into their hearts and home. She was loved dearly and exposed to Jesus on a daily basis in a home that honored Him. She more than likely never would have experienced an introduction to Jesus had she remained in an orphanage in China. She never would have known the love of a family. She was blessed because of their willingness to follow God's command to care for the widows and orphans. Mark and I have so much love to give and it is hard for me to think about having another biological child when there are MILLIONS in this world that are desperate for what we can provide. This story has made that reality even more real in both our hearts. We are processing what that means for our family.

4. In closing, I have included a video from the Chapmans' website featuring a precious moment between Maria Sue and her daddy. Something as simple as washing dishes can be such a delight to a child. How often do I run through a day, doing all the mundane stuff, without a thought to how I can engage and enjoy my kiddos? My time with them is precious, and I do not know which moment could possibly be the last. Instead of hurrying through the day, I am now going to challenge myself to thoroughly ENJOY every part of being with my kiddos. Markus' new thing is dancing on the sidewalk whenever we walk out to the car. Typically, I am rushing him and am sometimes even annoyed that he would rather dance on the sidewalk than get in the car and get to whatever the next thing is on my list for the day. I now know it is my job to not only allow him a few moments to dance to his heart's content, but to dance and clap and laugh right along with him- and bask in every moment of that precious time. I need to have the video camera and digital camera ready at all times and be willing to CAPTURE life as it is happening. I need to let go of my schedule (when appropriate) and my to-do list and PLAY. Because as I quoted before from my dear friends' Ross and Taya's blog, the days are long but the years are short. There may be a day when I am longing for those long days again, and I don't ever want to regret the manner in which I lived those long days with my kiddos.

Dancing

2008-05-21T20:50:00.001-07:00

Our sweet boy sure loves to dance!

Markus and Halle

2008-05-21T20:45:00.000-07:00

They are too cute together!

Markus' favorite word

2008-05-21T20:43:00.000-07:00

Any guesses from his video as to Markus' favorite word?

Children's Museum

2008-05-14T19:47:00.000-07:00

We were blessed with a super fun day last week at the Seattle Children's Museum with Uncle Boo, Auntie Dawn, Katie and Isabella. Markus and Katie had a blast together- it was so fun watching them really PLAY with one another. There were lots of fun things to do and lots of space to explore. Markus was asleep before we even hit the freeway when we left!

Hugs from Big Brother

2008-05-13T07:04:00.000-07:00

Whenever Halle Joy is on the floor, Markus is right there with her- often hugging her like so.

See the absolute joy on his face when he is with her?

I love how she is watching him in anticipation of what's to come...

Notice how slimey her face is. That's from Markus kisses, and that is often the state of her face and head when he is around.

Mother's Day

2008-05-11T21:13:00.001-07:00

This morning, as I crawled back into bed at 5:15 (after feeding Halle at 4:30), I prayed. I said, "Lord, it would be an awesome Mother's Day gift and a huge blessing to me if Markus slept until 7 am this morning". As I awoke to hear Markus playing in his room, I looked at the clock... it was 6:20. By 6:35 he was ready to be done in his room. I went and snatched him up and brought him into our bed- knowing there was no way I would get him to go back to sleep. But he loves to bounce and play on our bed, and at least I could stay under the covers for a little bit! We had a FANTASTIC time together. It was almost as if someone told him it was an extra special day for mommies and he was expected to turn his affection notch a few dials up (as if it isn't already super high anyways). We played and built pillow towers and hid under the blankets and tickled and giggled and sang songs and really enjoyed some just the two of us time. As we headed downstairs to start the day, I was reflecting on my prayer. God certainly blessed me, though not how I asked. He gave me sweet time with my precious son, and though I was tired, I wouldn't have traded sleep for it at all. About twenty minutes later, the morning changed... and my precious, sweet, affectionate boy was replaced with the toddler who throws tantrums, hits, screams and asserts his little will like you wouldn't believe. Our great morning turned, well, not so great. Up until we left for church (late, I may add, because of lots of discipline that had to be carried out) we battled. And I mean battled. It was awful. As I drove to church, late, tired and frustrated that I couldn't stop and get myself a Mother's Day treat at Starbucks (I didn't think it would look very good if I walked into church 20 minutes late with a latte in hand), I had another realization- this is exactly what being a mother is all about. Riding out the highs and the lows. Walking the kiddos through super fun times and super frustrating times. Being showered with kisses one minute and meltdowns the next. Mixing blueberry pancakes with delight and then seeing those very same pancakes end up on the floor- by the choice of the angry toddler. And through it all, being totally consumed by a love that I never knew was possible before I became a mommy. That love is what a day like today, a day to celebrate the mothers in my life and be celebrated myself, is all about. And I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Helping Mommy make blueberry pancakes

2008-05-05T12:42:00.000-07:00

2008-04-23T14:07:00.001-07:00

Doesn't he have a total look of mischief on his face in this picture?

Sunday Seven

2008-04-21T21:13:00.000-07:00

A day late... oops!

1. Markus staying the night at Abu and Papa's. I love the boy to bits, but it's really nice to get one on one time with Halle Joy and to get some house cleaning done too :).
2. An opportunity to spend some time with my new neice and my Aunt Jeannie and Uncle Mike from Indiana. Halle Joy looked HUGE compared to little miss Isabella!
3. Halle Joy in her brown polka dotted baby legs. Too cute.
4. Markus laying his head on Halle Joy's lap and saying "Ohhh, so nice". He could not be any sweeter with her. He melts me.
5. Girls night out to Joeseppi's on Friday. Fantastic food (if you live in the Tacoma area and have never tried it- GO) and great fellowship. Lots of laughs and no kiddos. Eight girls at one table. Need I say more?
6. A new haircut. That I only paid $11 for. And I LOVE it. Make an appt with Krista at the Salon Professional Academy now. Before she graduates in November and you have to pay more for her awesome skills. But I would pay more. Because she is talented. And she is just a delightful young woman to be around.
7. A husband who stayed home with the kiddos two nights in a row. What a gem of a guy I have!!!!
8. Bonus- Watching Markus give "sitos" to Jack the dog. It was an absolute riot.

They both love to read

2008-04-20T21:15:00.001-07:00

Markus loves his books. For that, I am thankful and excited. I have always been a reader and always hoped that my kids would find as much enjoyment in books that I have through the years. We always read a few books to Markus before bed. When Halle is awake and not too fussy, we have her join in the fun. She loves them too! She smiles and laughs at the books just like Markus. What fun!

Birthday Pics

2008-04-20T21:08:00.000-07:00

Baby Besito

2008-04-18T10:26:00.000-07:00

For all of you who think I am exageratting when I say that all Markus does around Halle Joy is ask to give her "sitos" (besito- kiss)... A couple days ago we were on our way to play with Markus' best friend Grace. While they were waiting for us, Lisa, Grace's mommy, asked Grace what Markus' mommy's name was. She promptly replied Kelsey. Then she was asked what Markus' baby sister's name was. Grace's response? Baby Besito.

Sunday Seven

2008-04-13T18:52:00.001-07:00

Time for this week's Sunday Seven!

1. A fantastic, small birthday party for Markus on Monday that included Halle Joy, Mark, Abu, Papa and Dita. We had dinner, ate cake and opened presents. It was a blast. Markus loved his "piano" (he calls it the poe-py), his new bike and his sand and water table (currently filled with rice- way easier to handle on his little body than sand!).
2. Great conversation at our Tuesday morning Mom's Bible study. I love being with those gals. Highlight of my days each week.
3. A fun playdate at Katie's during which Markus and baby Zach got so soaked at their water table that we had to change their clothes. But we were at a house with only girls, which meant Markus and Zach were dressed in pink from head to toe. Markus even had a diaper on with the Disney princesses. Classic.
4. An overnight with just Halle Joy in Lynden staying at Dave and Carol's. We had a blast the whole day on Friday, visiting with the Clays, the Bargens, the Dunkins and the Zweegmans. Saturday morning was breakfast at the Hilltop with Dave and Carol and then off to a wedding in Bellingham. There we witnessed a lovely young couple start the most amazing journey of their lives and we were blessed to see lots of loved ones at the reception.
5. A surprise visit with my dear friend Kristi on our way home from Bellingham. Halle Joy was starving and very angry in the car and we just happened to be right near Kristi's exit off I-5. It was so fun to see her world and catch up a bit- and get Halle to stop screaming for a few minutes :).
6. Coming home from our time away to a little boy who couldn't have been more excited that we were home. I tried to tell myself he was the most excited to see me... but deep down I know that it was really all about Halle Joy.
7. Mark being a fantastic Daddy and giving Halle Joy a bottle tonight... and she took it!!!!

2 years and 2 months

2008-04-10T19:37:00.000-07:00

Halle Joy and Markus had their checkups today. Halle Joy is 12 lbs 3 oz and 23 1/4 inches. That means she is in the 75% for both height and weight. Markus is 28 lbs and 33 1/2 inches, putting him in the 25% for height and the 40% for weight. His head is still off the charts :).

You are two

2008-04-07T13:24:00.000-07:00

Dear Markus Jaden,

Today you are two. I cannot believe you have been in my life for two years now. As a wise friend of ours posted on their blog once, the days have seemed long but the years have gone by so fast.

You delight my heart each and everyday. You are extremely others-oriented and have a tender spirit. When others are crying or upset, you share in their pain and often cry too. You are at a loss when others are down. When we are in public places, you will often find the one person that really doesn't seem to want to notice you (often someone that seems a little downtrodden) and you will do everything you can with your charm to get them to see you and smile. You love your little sister more than I ever imagined you would. You hold her hand, give her kisses and stroke her cheeks. You wanted her to lay on your pillow with you this morning- and the smiles when you laid down next to her on both your faces would have lit up the darkest of rooms. You have an incredibly special relationship with your beloved "Dita" (Abuelita). You keep her going. It's one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. You love animals, and talk about them constantly throughout the day. Whenever there is music playing, you dance, clap, spin and/or shake your little body right along with it. You love to play the piano and the "drums" (bang your hands on anything you possibly can, or better yet, bang two things together). You always remind us to pray before meals. Your favorite books right now are about some of your favorite things: "Is Your Mama a Llama?", "My Daddy and I", "Noah's Ark" and "The Easter Story". You know that Jesus washed the disciples feet, and that He prayed in a garden. You know even before I ask you to that we need to pray to ask Jesus to forgive you for your naughties when you disobey. You hate the doctor's office, and scream "all done" the entire time we are there. There are so many people that love you. If you could be anywhere, it would be outside- preferably running on the grass, playing at the park or blowing bubbles. You are all boy. You are an observer- you take everything in that is going on around you, process it, and then make your decisions. You have a memory that blows my mind. You love The Wiggle and Mickey Mouse. If you could eat fruit for every meal, you would. You love to put money in your piggy. You have the most contagious and precious laugh. It is music to my ears.

Markus, my sweet boy, I love you. You are my joy and the best gift God could have ever given me. It is an absolute privilege to be your mommy.

Love,
Mommy

Sunday Seven

2008-04-06T23:48:00.001-07:00

I was blog surfing tonight (it's 11:50 pm and I'm a bit wired after getting things together for Markus; 2nd birthday tomorrow!). I came across a great idea on another blog. Every Sunday, this woman blogs her "Sunday Seven"- seven things she is grateful for from the past week. Isn't that a cool idea? I'm totally copying it. Here goes.
1. A husband who sees the roll of crepe paper I purchased and asks if he can help me put it up. I say, I don't know what I'm going to do with it yet. He grabs it and runs with it and makes our kitchen look super festive for Mr. Markus' big day tomorrow.
2. Seeing our sanctuary packed tonight for a lecture on Biblical creation and climate change according to the Bible. Super informative and really interesting. I did find it interesting, however, that the church was about 5 times as full as it is on the evenings we set aside for concerts of prayer. If only we put as much importance on the power of prayer as we do on gaining more knowledge... but I digress.
3. Watching Markus run up onto the stage last night at church, run straight to the piano, climb on the piano bench, lift the lid, and happily start playing away.
4. A fun dinner in our home with our dear friends Jeremy, Jodi and Abigail. Abigail is Markus' future wife, and we couldn't be more thrilled :).
5. An afternoon at the park with my kiddos and my hubby. Mark kept Halle Joy in the Bjorn which meant I got to chase around after Markus. So fun.
6. Seeing my child run and play with absolute abandon at Pump it Up on Saturday.
7. Decorating a cake last night at 11 pm that almost actually resembles a choo-choo. Hope he likes it.

"Bay-Bears" and "Hay-Bears"

2008-04-05T20:41:00.000-07:00

I never understood how parents could understand their toddlers before I actually had one. I know that a complete stranger walking into our home would have no idea what Markus is saying most of the day, but I do. For example, Bay-bears and Hay-bears. Any guesses? Bay-bears are gummi bears- one of Markus' favorite treats (thanks Abuelita!). Now do you have a guess about what hay-bears could be? Airplanes. Seriously. One letter- the b or the h- makes a big difference :) !

2 months old

2008-04-05T20:28:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe Halle Joy is 2 months old already. It's gone by so fast. She is a delightful baby, and all of us are completely smitten with her- especially big brother. So far she: * still hates the carseat * sleeps about 9-10 hours a night with one feeding * eats about every 3 hours during the day * loves to kick around on her back and face out when she is being held * falls asleep instantly in the bjorn or the moby * fills out her 0-3 month clothes extremely well * becoming more attached to her binky * usually doesn't fall asleep when nursing (complete opposite of big brother!) * loves to be outside

"Away"

2008-04-05T20:16:00.000-07:00

Markus is not a fan of shoes being left by our back door. He has taken to picking them up, telling me "away" and walking them into our pantry/laundry room where he places them on the shoe rack. It's a riot. Today he wanted to wear the shoes before he put them away.

Bath time

2008-04-05T20:09:00.001-07:00

Here's a glimpse at the difference in our bathtimes with the two kiddos. Mark was giving Markus a bath in one tub, and I was giving Halle Joy a bath in the other :).

Pump it up!

2008-04-05T20:03:00.000-07:00

We went to a birthday party today at Pump It Up in Tacoma. It's a place with all sorts of inflatable toys for kids to bounce, climb and slide on. We weren't sure how Markus would do there... he LOVED it. He ran around for an hour and a half without stopping. He had absolutely no fear of any of the toys and was trying desperately to conquer things that were much too big for him. Here's some unedited photo proof of the great time he had (if you click on "view your images" you can see the photos bigger!).

Welcome Isabella Madison!

2008-03-30T15:13:00.000-07:00

Isabella Madison came into the world this morning at 6:07 am weighing 8 lbs 15 oz and measuring 19". She is absolutely beautiful and lovely and we are so excited to have her as a part of our family. Both mommy and baby are doing great!

The Beach

2008-03-30T15:04:00.000-07:00

We took a much needed getaway as a family (with Grammie and Papa, too!) down to Cannon Beach last week. The weather was crazy- sun, rain, sleet, snow, hail, wind- but we had a great time. Markus LOVED the beach. He continues to talk about all that he saw- the water, the seagulls, the doggies (especially one named Abby who he continues to talk about by name), the duckies (don't think there were duckies at the beach, but that's okay), the kids, the sand and the rock. We had quite the time keeping him away from the ocean and he pretty much ran nonstop once he hit the sand. Halle never made it out to the beach- maybe next time :).