Stertz Family

We said good-bye to a good friend today.

2011-10-08T14:58:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I have posted (we don't have internet at home).

But today was a sad day as we said good-bye to our dog, Lincoln.

We're not exactly sure what was wrong with him. A few weeks back we found a lump on his nose. We took him to the vet to get it checked out and they thought he might of had a broken nose.

We left him with the neighbors while we went away on vacation. We were managing his pain with pain meds. Well he got worse so they took him to the vet to have X-rays done. It turned out that the lump was tears, his tear duct was plugged because the bone of his nose was deteriorating. We're not exactly sure from what...the pathology report was due back at the beginning of next week. There was two possibilities.
1) bone cancer - which is somewhat uncommon in young dogs (Lincoln was only 5.5 years old). -or-
2) blasto (a fungal infection) - Thinking back on it we think this may of been it (all the sneezing and hyperventilating type noises). We think that he might of had this (which we thought was just allergies and so did the vet). There really is no way of knowing whether your dog has it without a pathology report.

Well today we got a call that Lincoln was in a lot of pain and not moving or responding much. We talked about it and decided to have him put down.

He will be missed, he was a great dog!

The Last 13 Days!

2011-08-13T20:54:00.000-07:00

Wondering what we've been up to?!

Well I'll tell you all about it! :)

As you have heard Miss Kendra Mae joined our family on August 1st. Miss Kendra and I came home on August 2nd. I was going to post some pictures from the hospital, but realized they are all on David's computer.

I was very glad to come home. However it was short lived. ;) David and I stopped at the house so that he could show me the new carpet (they labored over my carpet the same time I was in labor)! ;) We were looking down the basement stairs and noticed that they didn't lay carpet at the base (which we were a bit bummed about). Than I noticed some water (not really thinking about it I said, good thing they didn't lay carpet down there, there is water down there. To which David said, "What's the water from?" Good point I never thought of that.

So down we went....and the basement was full of water and the window was out of the sill. We have NO idea at this point what happened (thankfully the window was not broken). So we went to the neighbor's house to pick up the other two kids. Boy were they excited to be home....they were bouncing off the walls and SUPER hyper. Which normally if daddy was here wouldn't of been a problem, but daddy needed to figure out what happen to the window.

Daddy later called a man in our church who must of known something that was going on. Well we found answers. The man was not there at the time, but told us basically what happened. You see it rained TONS while I was in the hospital (Tuesday, the day I was getting out). David had gone home Monday night and stayed with the kids and I stayed at the hospital on my own. Well that morning David went into town to run a few errands (we had had some awful wind and storms earlier that morning, in fact David said there were trees down everywhere in town).

On to what happened at the house. I'll just start (and finish) by asking a few questions.... ;)
1) Do you know how much water a window well can hold? Like how many gallons?
2) Do you know what happens with LOTS of water and water pressure?
3) Especially up against a window?
4) Guess where all the water went when the window popped out of the sill?
5) Guess who had to spend all evening trying to figure out what to do and fix the problem so we didn't get toads or other animals in there to ruin our new carpet?
6) Guess who was home alone with a newborn (just 24 hours old) a 4 year old and a 2 year old (who were bouncing off the walls)? ;)

Yep that pretty much sums it up!

Other than that...we're doing good! We're still trying to figure out how to fix the problem, sounds like gutters on the back of the house might be our best bet!

Back to what's going on here:

A few fun quotes from when the Annika and Van met Kendra.

Donovan- (Saw her for the first time) "Hi, Sweetie." Now he always asks me to put her down so "I can hold you." or "Can we snuggle." He was doing really good with her, but I think he's starting to get a bit more jealous.

Annika- Walked into the room (not a "hi mom") this is the conversation I have with her...
Annika: "What's her name?"
Me: "Kendra"
Annika: "Couldn't you pick a prettier name than Kendra? Something like Anna?"
That child! :) She likes the name now and has named one of her baby dolls Kendra and has given the name Anna to her puppy! :)

Oh and if you're wondering...Kendra is a pretty good baby! She sleeps great! Goes to bed around 10:30 pm wakes up around 3:30-4 am to eat than back to sleep until 7 am!

Here's a slide show to show you what we've been up to (not much)! ;) But I'm going to bed! Enjoy!

Yep they are related! :)

2011-08-08T13:07:00.000-07:00

All these pictures are within 2 days home from the hospital!

Annika (7lbs 15oz - 21 inches long)

Donovan (7lbs 15oz - 20 inches long)

Kendra (7lbs 3oz - 19.5 in long)

Bundle of Cuteness!

2011-08-05T09:44:00.000-07:00

Look what bundle of cuteness now lives at our house!!!

Meet

Kendra Mae Stertz

Born Monday, August 1, 2011 (2 weeks early)

She weighed 7 pounds 3 ounces and was 19 1/2 inches long

I've been a bad blogger!

2011-07-29T21:02:00.000-07:00

Wow, I've not done to well on keeping up have I??

Things have gone from busy to busier! ;) But I think they may start slowing down!

A couple of weeks ago David took 5 teens from our church to camp at Northland, so it was me and the kiddos for the week. We spent all our time at home (since the breaks went out on the car on my way into town on Monday, no one was hurt we were on a back road when they went out so nothing to horrible happened). But we did spend time helping Grandma Gabi with Vacation Bible School decorations!

Just this past Sunday-Thursday we finished our Vacation Bible School.

So an update on us:

We are all doing well, keeping busy (as ~~"seen"~~ read above).

The kiddos have been enjoying the warm weather and playing outside a lot!

I'm doing well, ready to be done with this pregnancy...hard to believe I only have about 2 weeks (give or take a week both ways). I had a doctor's appt. last week and my midwife wasn't sure I'd hold on through out this week, but I did...although I guess I have a few hours left in the week). ;) I have another appt. on Monday we shall see how I have progressed at that one. I've been getting contractions on a pretty regular basis now (especially when in a car).

On a side note while talking about babies: between David's family and mine we were blessed with many pregnancies and births. My cousin (Ashley) had her first baby in June (a girl), David's cousin (Joelle) and her husband had their first baby (a boy) in July (in fact a few days ago), I'm due in August (as you know), my sister (Sheila) and her husband are expecting their first baby (a girl) in September, and David's sister (Elizabeth) and her husband are expecting their first baby (a boy) in October! That's a lot of babies in a short time and I can't wait to meet them all!

As for the house...we are getting VERY close to finishing! The trim is all done!! All that is left is:
1) Sheet rocking the garage ceilings (hoping to get this done this week also).
2) Finishing the duct work for the heating system (this is happening this week).
3) Getting the carpet in the bedrooms and down the basement stairs (this should happen on Monday).
4) Finish up the siding on the garage (not a whole bunch left).
5) We have lots of dusting, vacuuming, and sweeping to do also.

Other than that I think we're ready to go. We locked in our interest rates today and have 45 days to close on the house (which means it looks like we will for sure be moved in to our house in 45 days...although we'd like to be in sooner, which is a huge possibility). I've been packing little by little (but we don't have much storage space for boxes).

I think I'll close this post up now (w/ no pictures)...I'll come back and add some tomorrow if I have time. For now I think you got enough information from me! Although you'd probably rather see the pictures than read the posts! :)

2011-07-04T08:25:00.000-07:00

HAPPY 4th OF JULY!

Donovan Turns 2!!

2011-06-26T02:37:00.000-07:00

Although if you ask him, he tells everyone he's going to be 5! :) Not sure where he got that from.

You can see more pictures from his party here

Looking back on last years Birthday post of where he was at and to where he is now...wow! It's amazing what a little person can learn in a year!

Over the last year he has learned:

* to walk! :)

*to recognize the alphabet (capital letters he's got down, we are working on lower case letters now, he misses a little under 1/2). We were rather surprised that he knew these, I haven't worked with him at all on the alphabet.

*shapes (the names to the shapes on the tupperwear shape ball, even the difference between a pentagon and hexagon).

*colors (these took him a bit longer, but he's got them down for the most part)

*Alphabet Sounds (he and Annika have been learning these together).

* He talks in full sentences and sometimes too much! Annika told us the other day that he must be a girl because he talks so much (she than said she was just teasing).

*He has also learned numerous songs which he sings when he's in his crib.

*I'm sure I'm missing some!

His Likes:
*slides (playgrounds in general, but loves slides)
*coloring with markers
*legos
*pizza
*tacos
*chocolate cereal w/ marshmallows (we ran out and he's been asking for it since)
*Thomas the Train (I think he might be moving out of the princess stage)
*hide and seek
*singing...he LOVES music
* throwing stuff down the stairs (much to the dismay of his parents)
*freeze-y pops
*pop (he's definitely his daddy's son). If I ask him what he wants to drink he says, "how about pop?"

His Dislikes:
*bed time
*nap time
*potatoes
*when daddy leaves (this makes him very sad)

Fun Facts:
*he's wearing last years summer clothes this summer (size 12 months)
*he loves playing with Annika's blue princess (Cinderella)
*when I asked him what he'd like to drink, milk or water he would answer, "how about some pop?"
*is new question is (since he's moved out of the "how about...'fill in blank' stage), "Should we...(fill in the blank)?" Like "should we have some cake, mom?"
*he ends every sentence with the name of the person who he is talking to (see above "should we..." question.
*he sleeps with a knit (or crocheted) blanket, it doesn't matter what color or whose it is.
*if he even sees a knit (or crocheted) blanket and he's tired his fingers (pointer and middle finger) will automatically go into his mouth (indicating that he's tired or wants a blanket).

Birthday Photos: (I didn't post the one of him sleeping at the top b/c I thought you'd like to see his smiling face).

June 26, 2009 - 12:35 a.m.

June 26, 2010 - 12: 35 a.m.

June 26th, 2011 - 12:35 a.m.

Some Happenings at the Stertz Household!

2011-06-24T04:45:00.000-07:00

We've been pretty busy around here (I think I say that in every post....I'm not sure life is about to slow down anytime soon)!

The house is coming a long...the kids are growing more rambunctious by the day...and I'm just growing (bigger)!

I'm so thankful for outside play time! :) My kids fall into bed at night (although not so much lately as we've been having some late nights with Menards runs...the best thing about Menards runs is 49 cent cones at Mc. Donalds!

It's hard to believe that we are down to about 50 days until this new little girl joins our family!

Here's what's been going on around our little part of this world:

Cities: Annika's is on the left, Van's on the right (his city after tornado??)

New Slippers! 99 cents after rebate at Menards!

The sweet girl looking so grown up!

Who needs a water park??

The boy says, "Look at me mom!" To which I replied, "Get that off your head!" (after snapping a quick picture). On a side note: I don't let my child play with plastic bags, this was after lunch!

The boy says, "Should we take a picture?" After he put on his sister's headband (at least he's wearing it "Rambo-Style"). Oh and yes the purple boots were Annika's also, but he lives in those things!

Ready for church! Annika wanted me to take a picture of her new outfit (my garage sale buy...she's loving the skirt)! Van just wanted in the picture!

Another Garage sale buy (shirt and sweater), she's been posing for the camera lately...she really likes this shot! :) She was able to wear this on Wednesday as it was only about 63 degrees here)! Not sure what happened to summer...

We're hoping for some warmer weather today (I believe it says we're suppose to be up to almost 80 today), yesterday day was a whoppin' 58 degrees!

We're also looking forward to Van's bday party tonight! He doesn't officially turn 2 until Sunday, but Sundays aren't good days to celebrate (they tend to be to busy around here)! So I'll be back Monday morning to share some bday pictures and probably again on Wednesday to update about his appointment (just a 2 year check up) and I also have one on Wednesday.

Hope you have a great weekend!

Less We Forget: The Boy!

2011-06-09T18:34:00.000-07:00

The Big Girl and The Little Girl...

2011-06-02T07:18:00.000-07:00

THE {BIG} GIRL!!

Annika finished her first year of Kids 4 Truth last night! She did a great job and got all of her patches.

The one thing I absolutely love about this program is the songs that my daughter sings. She often sings these song while she is playing in her room. Some of the songs include:

All Things Bright and Beautiful; Immortal Invisible God only Wise; Holy, Holy, Holy; Amazing Grace; The King of Love My Shepherd Is; Holy Bible Book Divine; Come Ye Sinners

THE {LITTLE} GIRL!!

We were able to have our 29 week ultra sound yesterday.

(profile picture of the her face with her hand up under her chin)

They did in fact double check to make sure she was a girl! ;) Everything looks great. While I still have a low lying placenta (which means my placenta did move a some) a c-section will not be needed (this makes me VERY happy)! Her heart beat was at 144. She did not however like being poked and prodded during the ultra sound and while my midwife checked for a heart beat (she kept kicking). This little girl (if I remember the other two pregnancies) is A LOT more active than Annika or Van! My midwife said to expect that when she comes out! :)

A Month...... :(

2011-05-25T01:18:00.000-07:00

Has it really been a month since the last time I posted?!?! I'm VERY sorry (it must be close b/c I have 30 pictures to show to you). I'm hoping once this house is built maybe I will be a better poster (maybe). ;)

A few things that have hindered me from posting more....
1. The house building project - while we are moving along (for a bit it was pretty slow), but now we are making progress. David was able to finish up all the fascia this week, we got the hard wood flooring in, the painting is almost complete (boy will I be glad when this is done...so will my sciatic nerve, however, I have had TONS of help from ladies at church and what a blessing it has been), David did laid tile in the hall closet (he did pretty good for his first time), and it looks like cabinets and counter tops will be installed in the kitchen the next couple of days! We still have a ways to go but it is coming along. I'll post more pictures when they finish with the kitchen.

2. The sunshine! We've been outside a TON lately. The kids LOVE to be outside!! Church softball started up on Tuesday nights (obviously I'm not playing unless I'm the ball). ;) But David is and we've enjoyed going to the first two games. The kids and I have also been going to sporting events of the teens in our church which we have enjoyed a lot. The sad thing is along with the sunshine comes the bugs. Poor Van has bug bites (little gnat bites all over his head). They don't seem to hurt or bother him at all (Annika has a few also, but not like compared to Van), but they are pretty bad looking. They leave a drop of blood behind and bug spray doesn't seem to help. Someone asked me if he had the chicken pox or measles...just bug bites.

3. Pregnancy brain...can I claim that? I honestly just forget. :) I haven't had any appointments since the previous post, but I do have one a week from today to check the status of my placenta previa. We get to see baby again also. Along with this appointment comes the glucose test. I'm not sure if you know what that is, but it's a test I have to go in for 2 hours. I have to drink this orange stuff (which tastes like really flat orange soda, it's rather gross), than they check your blood sugar after one hour and again after 2 hours. I just entered my third and final trimester which is rather shocking to me since it has seem to fly by.

On to the pictures from over the last month (a few back from as far as Easter).

Baby Update

2011-04-26T05:16:00.000-07:00

I had an appointment yesterday and everything looks great! Baby is right on track with growth! Heart beat was at 152.

A couple Sundays ago I had a bit of a scare as I had some pretty strong contractions (which isn't good when you're only 23 weeks along). I ended up calling my midwife and she told me to drink some water and rest. Which helped b/c they went away. A little later I ended up getting the flu. But all is good now.

My next appointment is June 1st, I go in for another ultrasound to see if my placenta previa has corrected itself. If it hasn't I'm not sure what they will do (I know if it doesn't by the time baby is ready to come that a c-section is enevitable), but I'll only be 28 weeks so I'm not sure if they will have another ultrasound after that or not. I do know that most of the time it corrects itself (so I'm still not to worried about it).

Baby is moving all the time these days. If I remember correctly this little one moves more often than the other two. I was able to have Annika catch the baby move, she loved it and has asked me since to feel "the newborn" move (yes she calls the baby newborn). ;) I also was able to let Van feel baby kick (or punch). I didn't know if he would feel it or quite get what was going on. Well he did feel it b/c the look he gave me was really cute. I still don't think he quite understands it though. :)

Our Easter...

2011-04-24T19:39:00.000-07:00

"...Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen..."

(Matthew 28:5-6)

We had a great Easter here. Started out with David preaching a 9:00 am service than a fellowship time of sweet breads and muffins in between and David preaching a 10:30 am service.

A wonderful couple from our church invited us over after the service for Easter dinner. We had a great time of fun and fellowship. The kids played outside most of the day (Van didn't get a nap until 4:00 pm - way later than normal). Both kids are in bed and asleep. We enjoyed great weather today.

We came home and watched "Bambi" (a gift from grandma and Papa Dan). Thank you!!

Here's a picture of Annika and Van in their Easter outfits!

Another blessing is hearing Annika talk about Jesus and how He died on the cross for our sins. We have been really stressing that Easter isn't about candy and gifts, but that it is about Christ dieing, being buried, and rising from the dead and that He now lives in heaven with God the Father.

Time for an Update about what's been happening round here...

2011-04-18T18:17:00.000-07:00

Life has continued to move right along:

A note about Annika's drawing (last picture). Daddy and Van both have mo-hawks (can you see David w/ a mo-hawk??) ;) Annika and I are both wearing crowns (appropriately)! :)

We took the kids to the Como Zoo last week, it was nice to spend some time together as a family and the kids really enjoyed it!

Fun Story: If you look in the pictures you can see a picture of Van w/ a sea lion in front of him (Van is leaning off to the side). The sea lion kept swimming up to him and planting his flippers (is that what you call them??) on the ledge of the pool (which is right next to the glass where Van was standing). Well Van didn't care for that very much, he kept scooting further and further away (it was rather comical).

House update:
Things are going good...the priming is done! David and the neighbor man are going to work on getting the ceilings sprayed tomorrow night and we're hoping to get them painted by Friday so that we can get started on painting on Friday. I'm so blessed to have at least 7 ladies offer to help w/ the painting!

We're still a bit away from finishing it but getting closer!

Annika is doing well, she's been into wearing shorts and tank tops a lot around home (which she doesn't wear them outside b/c it's still not warm enough). Did you hear we're suppose to get more snow tomorrow....I think Annika thinks if she wears shorts and tank tops that summer will come (Oh the faith of a child)! She's been such a great helper lately! She got to feel the baby kick the other day for the first time, she thought it was pretty cool and has come up and asked me if she can feel the baby.

Van still surprises us everyday with what he is learning. He's learning in leaps and bounds! He's in love w/ his purple rain boots (hand-me-downs from Annika). He will wear these things ALL over the place (from sun up to sun down). I do not allow him to wear them to the store or library (pretty much the only two places we go). ;) I'm sure you'll see them in the above pictures! :)

David is doing well. Keeping busy. He just finished up a block class at Central last week. He's got a few more weeks left in the semester. He's not taking a summer coarse b/c there is none that he needs. He is keeping busy with church responsibilities (Pastor Cable retired at the end of March). We finally just got our new church blog up www.sunrisebiblechurch.org.

I'm doing pretty well, had a scare on Sunday early morning (think like 1am) as I started having contractions (real ones), they went away after a couple of hours (thankfully, 23 weeks is a lot to early to have this baby) and later that day I got the flu. I'm still recovering, I'm feeling better, but don't have much energy.

I think that about sums everything up! ;)

Baby Update!

2011-03-29T15:25:00.000-07:00

It's a GIRL!!!!

Annika was very excited to hear this! When the ultrasound tech said "it's a girl" Annika put her fist in the air and had a big smile on her face!

I have a few pictures to share. We got well over 15 pictures...I believe it was closer to 30 (and a DVD) but baby wasn't co-operating to well so the pictures aren't the greatest (I think that's why we ended up with so many, the ultra sound tech I think felt bad).

A few pictures:

Everything is checking out good! Baby weighs in about 13 ounces and my due date is the same (August 13th).

The only problem is that I have placenta previa. Which is common in pregnancy (although this is the first time I've had it). Basically it means the placenta is in the way of delivering baby and if the placenta doesn't move up than a C-section is required (you can read more if you click on the link, if you want the long version). In most preganacies this rights itself and by the end things are just fine. I'm guessing ours will also, but just in case I go back in at 28 weeks for another ultrasound. I can't complain to much as I've only had one ultrasound for each child, so I'm looking forward to see what baby looks like at 28 weeks. :)

And less you think they could be wrong (since they were with Annika) we'll take a second look than! :)

A Big Boy and New Shirt

2011-03-25T00:33:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to share a picture of Van that I took a few days ago. He doesn't look to much like my little baby anymore. :) He's getting so big! He's getting ready to turn 21 months old and he is amazing us everyday with the things he is learning! He's still on the short side (but that's okay so is his mom and she's made it thus far). ;)

This is the shirt I made for him. I wasn't allowed to share it until now as it was in the testing stage (I was one of the testers). I had so much fun making this shirt! It was my first time making a shirt out of knit (stretchy t-shirt-like material) and doing neck binding. The neck binding was A TON easier than I thought (I don't know what I was so afraid of). I have wanted to tackle neck binding for awhile now.

This shirt was really cheap to make as all the fabric you see is from the thrift store (striped fabric was $2 for 4 yards and red fabric $1.50 for 3 yards) except the neck binding. I had a hard time getting it off him and he really liked it!

I have one more made, it's just waiting for some neck binding (which I'm waiting for a piece to arrive in my mailbox from a friend). ;)

Van "Performs" ;)

2011-03-15T21:13:00.000-07:00

Donovan took a short nap today (only about 1.5 hours). I'm not sure he was feeling all that great when I put him down tonight. But he had a good afternoon (he actually slept less than his sister...which is saying a lot b/c she's not a big napper, but she's just getting over being sick...the good ole' MN crud...as called by many people near us).

But I was able to take a few videos of him and the things he has learned:

First up is a video of him counting. We are thinking he learned to count from Annika for two main reasons.
1) I know personally I have not worked with him all that much, and...
2) He skips the number 12 when he counts...so does his sister! :)

Next ups is a video of him singing the ABC's (w/ help). But he does a pretty good job! :)

He also loves the Tupperware shape ball.

He's been able to put the shapes in these for a bit now. I love to watch him (and Annika) learn new things. He's definitely learning a lot! Now if we could just get him to tell me he has to go potty BEFORE he goes! ;) But he's still little still! :)

Look Who Turned 4!

2011-03-06T10:49:00.000-08:00

Born at 9:33 am, March 6, 2007

Taken at 9:33 am, March 6, 2008

Taken at 9:33 am, March 6, 2009

Taken at 9:33 am, March 6, 2010

Taken at 9:33 am, March 6, 2011

A Party Fit for a Princess!

2011-03-05T15:04:00.000-08:00

Annika asked me if she could have a princess party with some girls over. I figured that would be just fine. So we sent out invitations to 5 little girls at church. Today all the little girls came over and I had a house full of 6 princess (and 1 prince).

Annika had a great time! If you click here you can see pictures from her party! Than you can click on the first picture and just press the arrow key over to see larger images.

A few Random Pictures...

2011-03-04T03:14:00.000-08:00

He matches the couch...well the top 1/2 of him. Not sure what he's looking at. :)

Last Sunday Annika made crowns in both Sunday School and Junior Church. Van is still in the nursery so he did not get one. Annika shared! :)

A Close up: Just when I thought he was growing into his ears! ;)

Something you may not have known about Annika, but she ALWAYS naps in her PJ's. She hates to wear jeans to bed (which I don't blame her). Well last Sunday she came out and dressed herself in these PJ's pretty cute, huh?!?!

Also impressive, check how far she got them zipped up! :) Pretty good for on backwards! :)

Making blonde brownies for the evening service fellowship!

I got some tags in the mail (mama made tags) to put on my sewing and the Annika and Van LOVED them! It kept them busy while I finished up lunch!

If you can't tell Annika loves these pj's! We got them in a hand-me-down box of clothes and she would live in them! Except at night to sleep in (she gets to hot, so changes and will put these back on when she wakes up and sleeps in them at nap time). I do get them off of her long enough to wash! :)

___________________________________________________________________________________

Seeing this last pictures also reminded me (it was taken Monday after I got back): I went to the doctor on Monday (2nd pre-natal appointment). Everything looks good, heard the heart beat it was 146 (always a sweet sound)! We have our 20 week ultrasound 3 weeks from Monday.

We (more so me) really are going back on forth on wanting a surprise (not knowing whether boy or girl). We "knew" with Annika what we were having (although they were wrong so we were kind of...or rather really surprised). :) We knew for sure with Van. I think we are more leaning toward knowing so we can plan on what to do about rooms (whether baby will share a room with Annika or Van). Although I guess it doesn't matter since for the first few months baby will be in the living room (mommy doesn't sleep well and adding a grunting baby in the room doesn't help). ;) We tried it with Annika, she was in the same room with us oh for about 3 days. With Van...well we didn't even try. He was in the spare room right next door.

Another reason I want to know....I want to sew some baby things! ;)

Just wanted to share this fun story about Annika and going to the doctors!

I woke Annika the morning of my appointment to get her ready (we had to leave earlier than their normal wake up time), but I asked her if she was ready to go to the doctor. She told me she did not want to go. Annika hasn't been to the doctor much in her life besides her well-baby check ups (which stop at 2 years old). Well she did end up going the Emergency Room. In which they gave her medicine (she HATES medicine...and who can blame her). :) Well she was not to happy about going even when she found out that the appointment wasn't for her but for mommy. So laying in her tent (um...yes she hasn't slept in a bed since she got her tent on December 17th for an early Christmas present), I told her that mommy had to get a shot (really they just needed to do some blood tests - regular pregnancy stuff) and asked her if she wanted to come and see. To which Annika with a smile on her face shook her head...I wasn't sure whether to be pleased that she wanted to go or not....

Well she did watch and didn't think much of it. Let me tell you for two small kids in a waiting room, mine did pretty good. Van my NOT shy little boy kept singing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" and impressed everyone with his counting abilities. He can count up to 13 now (kind of, I noticed that he forgets the number 12...which is kind of funny b/c when Annika counts she also forgets the number 12...guess he's learning from her)! :)

House Update!

2011-02-24T20:10:00.000-08:00

The kids were put down about 10 minutes ago (yes it's 10pm right now)! ;) They take late naps and wake up late morning (which works great for mommy)! David is at the house working...so I have some free and quiet time. And you're in luck, I also took a nap today (so I'm not too tired to blog)!

The house is coming a long and finally feels like we are getting someplace. It seemed for a while that nothing was happening. I think the big reason was there were no huge changes (at least not ones visible when you went inside). David finished up the heating with some help from some wonderful guys in the church, he also finished up the plumbing and passed on the first inspection! ;)

We were able to get a man who has hung dry wall for 20+ years to come and help. He and David and a couple other guys from church hung all the dry wall on the ceilings in less than 2 days. This was to prepare for the spray foam insulation. Well the insulation guy came Monday and Tuesday and finished that all up.

Today with some help David was able to get the bathtubs in the bathrooms (he had to take out a stud and some plumbing and put it all back together but they are in)! He's got a few plumbing changes to make before tomorow.

Tomorrow the guy who helped hang the ceiling dry wall is coming to start on the walls. It's finally starting to look like a house! I'll post some pictures later (I'd like to go get some of the tub surrounds in)! :)

I hope this finds you all well.

Valentines Day and Beyond!

2011-02-19T19:44:00.000-08:00

Wow is February almost half over?!?! This month is FLYING by!

First up is Valentine's Day: Here's a slide show of the kids on Valentines Day. Just a bit of background. We really don't celebrate Valentine's Day. But this year I found a blog post that mentioned about making Valentine bags a week a head of time and than through out the week you can make a Valentine for anyone and just drop it in their bag. Annika had a blast with this! So each of us made a bag (well mommy and Annika made daddy's bag). I did find out that through all of this Van LOVES glue sticks. :)

Next up is some pictures of the kids from the other day! It was a day filled with fun and excitement!

First up: We started the day out with some painting. We were making some streamers for spring (although I didn't get them finished, which may not be that big of a deal since we expecting A LOT of snow this week).

Next up: Puddle Jumping (for 1 hour). It was a pretty nice day about 40 degrees (a heat wave considering what we've been having). Quite a few pictures in this section...

Poor Van....he got Annika's old boots! Don't worry we won't put him in her pink ones when the time comes! :)

Annika is looking older than her almost 4 years in this picture! She's growing up!!

Watching Annika!

Stomping in the puddles!

FUN!!

Trying his hardest to stomp!

After the puddle jumping came the lunch and cookie baking! Chocolate, Chocolate Chip Cake Mix Cookies.

The BEST part of helping!

After that came naptime for the kiddos and a quiet time for the mommy (I might of even taken a nap). ;)

Isn't she just sweet?!?!

After that we spent another hour outside puddle jumping and delivered some of our cookies to the neighbors!

Last but not least is a video of the Van-man. I'm completely suprised with how much he's picked up in the last couple of months. We found out a few nights ago that he can count to 5 on his own (9 w/ some help). But today I was working on the computer and he was sitting at my feet playing and I hear, "like a diamond in the sky." So here's a video of him singing the rest of it!

Well I think that about catches you up with what's been up us at the Stertz House hold!

All is going well with David, he is keeping pretty busy. His days are filled with working at church, meeting with people, classes Thursdays, and working on the house (when he's not doing the other things). I'll update more on the house on Monday or Tuesday.

Me, well....not much has been up. I'm struggling with headaches (sinus stuff). This pregnancy seems to be so different than either Annika's or Van's. I wasn't sick with either of them and am thankful that for the most part my ~~morning~~ all day sickness is gone! I have a doctors appointment in a couple of weeks (I'll write more about that after I have it). :)

Whew...that was long! The kids are officially in bathed and in bed! ;)

I hope this finds you all well! Have a great Sunday!

Sunday's Best!!!

2011-02-06T20:35:00.000-08:00

GO PACK GO!!

It was a happy evening in our house tonight!

Thought I'd share the kid's Sunday Clothes with you! ;)

The back of Van's shirt:

Annika's First Trip to the ER!

2011-02-03T11:39:00.000-08:00

Very early this morning (4am) Annika woke up crying. I was on the couch sleeping (that's another story). But I had heard her crying and heard her go into the bathroom. I went to check on her (now she usually wakes up in the night to use the bathroom, than goes right back to bed (how do I know this?? I hear her run back and forth as our room is right below parts of both of those rooms). But she usually doesn't cry. When I got into the bathroom she was drinking water from the faucet "like daddy" (tipping her head and drinking it from the stream of water). She than told me that her throat hurt and she was making a funny noise. I had thought well she has a frog in her throat (by the noise she was making). I told her try and clear her voice and she came to me and I rubbed and patted her back. Than I realize that the noise she was making wasn't that noise at all but was her gasping for air. I ran down to get the lamp from our room (of course I can't find a flashlight anywhere), so I got the lamp and looked at her throat. Her airway was almost completely blocked by her tonsils.

I went and got David up and asked him if we need to take her in. He said to call the hospital and see if there was anything we could do for her. The nurse said bring her in (she was a bit worried that she was gasping for air) and said that the cold air might help some.

So off David and Annika went. David called me and told me that she had calmed down some and that the cold air did help. That she was breathing easier.

They got to the ER and the doctor ran a strep test on her (came back negative), she wasn't running a fever or anything like that. So he looked again and said both her tonsils and adenoids were very enlarged.

The prognosis....tonsillitis. They didn't give her anything in the hospital (the swelling went down some on it's own)

She was just fine when she got back from the hospital at 6am (wouldn't go back to sleep so she laid on the couch and watched a movie and was up and jumping around after the movie.

They gave her some medicine to take for the next 5 days (the first day it was 5 ml and the 4 days after 2 ml). The side effects basically flu symptoms. :( She has the medicine once a day on an empty stomach. She had her first dose at 9:00 am she was up and jumping around still playing with Donovan, no problem. By about 10 pm she felt like she was running a slight fever (I believe it's gone now and it wasn't much of one), but she was complaining of an upset stomach. We watched another movie (it just might be a movie day). ;)

She's now napping (didn't argue at all when I told her it was nap time and fell asleep faster than ever). She must just be wore out.

We head back to the hospital after her meds are all gone and go from there. Sounds like if she has one more flare up they will take the tonsils and adenoids out.

I took this picture about 2 hours ago (a bit blurry but you can kind of see the back of her throat and how swollen it is). It was a bit worse on the left side (looking at the picture) when I laid her down for a nap but she didn't say anything about it.

She has a raspy voice right now and wheezing and coughing a bit, but doing much better!

And because no one wants to see a picture of the inside of her throat without her cute face! Here's a picture of her in a skirt that a sweet lady I met made for her! It's such a fun twirly skirt, but an upset stomach stopped the twirling for today, but I'm sure it will get much more twirl out of it in the days to come!

Busy Busy Busy!

2011-01-29T08:05:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Aunt Jenny!!

2011-01-25T13:12:00.000-08:00

Facebook wouldn't let me post these on her wall....so I posted them here!! :)

Here's the Van-man (he was getting tired). ;)

and...

Here's Miss Annika

Happy Birthday from all of us in MN.

Van's New Shirt...

2011-01-18T20:19:00.001-08:00

What we've been up to!

2011-01-10T10:05:00.000-08:00

We've been pretty busy around here, but thankfully things seem to have been slowing down gradually. :) We've gotten back into a schedule after we got back from all our holiday traveling.

Our biggest schedule change has been at nap time. Before it was that both kids would lay down at the same time and Van would for sure fall asleep and I was lucky if Annika would.

Now Van goes down at about 1 pm. At which time Annika and mommy find our way to the couch and work on Annika's school work. She just finished up her first set of paces and is well into her second set now. She was VERY excited to finish her first set. We spend about 30-45 minutes working on school work than it is time for Annika to go take a rest (and mom to have a bit of free time before Van wakes up). Van usually wakes up around 3:30 and I usually leave him in his crib for 15 minutes (so he can play on his own). I than get him up and spend some time with just him and mommy. Annika has usually fallen asleep by this time and she tends to sleep until 4:30pm when I wake her up (she only takes about an hour long nap). Both kids go to bed later in evening (between 9:30-10pm) which works great for us because they both tend to sleep until 8 am which gives mom a little bit more free time in the mornings.

Both Annika and Donovan are doing really well with this schedule and it gives me some a lone time with both of them at different times (even though my alone time is cut short in the afternoons). But I do not mind it.

Other than that not much else is going on. Here's a few photos from this past month.

Before the New Year...

2010-12-31T11:25:00.000-08:00

Wow, is it really almost 2011?!?! Where did 2010 go?!?!

We've had a lot going on the month of December, I know I shared some. But I'll update on the last half (everything that happened after my last post....well not everything just the things I can remember)! :)

Donovan turned 18 months old on December 26th. Hard to believe he's almost 2! He is such a delight. He rarely ever cries (unless sister is picking on him). He loves to read books! He is also talking a TON. I'm not sure if it is because he has an older sister or what but he does talk really well for his age. We went for his 18 month check up and were surprised to learn that he had a double ear infection (he's so sweet and never complains we never knew). He's still just a little guy (well in height, in weight not so much)! :) He is in the 10% for height (pretty short) and just below the 50% for weight. He's just now moving into 12 month pants (although 9 months still fit just a tad bit to short).

Annika...hmmm....what can I say about her? We started doing preschool this year (which she LOVES), although we havne't done it in a long time due to just being plain busy. I'm hoping to pick it up after the New Year (wait that's tomorrow...maybe we'll wait a week or two)! :) She always asks to do school and would do WAY more than what is assigned for the day.

We are still working on the house, it is coming slowly, but we're hoping to be in by the end of February (or at least have close to completed). I haven't posted pictures in awhile, there is not much change in what it looks like. We're mostly now working on the rough in plumbing and heating.

David finished up his semester (Central Seminary) at the beginning of December. We were thankful for this since he's had a full plate with working at the church full-time, going to class part-time, working on the house, trying to be a father, and husband, needless to say life has been absolutely CRAZY! But with the ending of classes came more time to spend working on the house and a bit more time to spend with family! He plans on taking one class this spring semester where he will have to travel to Central one day a week (about a 1 hour commute one way), he also plans to take a modular course (meets for one week) later in the spring semester.

For me, not much has been going on. Taking care of the kidlets and helping with the house a bit (I now know how to side)! I also have been teaching 2-4 year old Sunday School at church which I LOVE. My class is cute and they are very good listeners. Other than that my days consist of cleaning, laundry, cleaning, playing with kids, cleaning, organizing, and cleaning (did I mention that?!?). :)

We had a great Christmas which started off down at my mom's house on Friday-Sunday, than we headed to Hudson, Monday-Wednesday (where we met w/ David's mom's side of the family all 31 of us, however we were sad that Geoff and Jenny and Justin couldn't join us, but we will see them later in January! Here is an album of pictures from my facebook account.

I hope you all have enjoyed a wonderful Christmas and hope you have a wonderful new years! We are so thankful for the Lord's leading in our life and that His mercies are new every morning of each day of ever year!

May the Lord Bless you in the New Year!

Over a Month...

2010-12-15T08:52:00.000-08:00

...that's the last time I posted. I'm sorry!!! :( I have pictures (but am going to link you to them that way I don't have to download them yet again)

Here are the Thanksgiving Pictures from this year! We had a great time!!!

In this over a month we've also gotten snow...LOTS of snow!!!
Here's pictures of the first snow fall and the larger snow fall we got last week.

At the beginning of December our church had it's 9th Annual Christmas Tea (which yours truly was in charge of). Everything went great! We had a total of about 169 ladies that attended. The speaker was great, the special music was fantastic, and the food delicious! I however got no pictures since I was busy seating ladies.

That about sums it up for now. I hope you enjoy the pictures and I'll try and not make it another month before I post again.

A lot (39 to be exact) of Pictures! Enjoy the slide

2010-11-02T08:11:00.000-07:00

I've been pretty behind lately...on a lot of stuff! Enjoy!

Fall Photos of the kids!

2010-10-16T07:14:00.001-07:00

A few fall photos of the kids I took the other day!

This one cracks me up...he's checking' out his socks!

House update...Looks more like a house!

2010-10-07T05:42:00.000-07:00

Well I went to "the land" (as we've all been calling it for a very long time) and it didn't look like "just land" anymore. Yesterday morning the builders had the back wall up...that was it, by the evening you could kind of see where everything would be. We took the kids over to see the house and explain where the main rooms would be (the kitchen didn't have a wall up to divide from the entry way yet).

At the beginning of yesterday they had one wall up, this is what they had finished by the end of the day. David is walking up to the house (the garage is on his left). You can see the front door right next to the garage, the next window is overlooking the stairwell that leads to downstairs, the next window is in Annika's room and the last window is in Van's room.

Walking in the front door.

You are looking at the kitchen (although the wall near the entry is not up yet) and dinning room and part of the living room. The sink will be where the smaller window is at. The other large opening on the same wall is the patio door (that is in the dinning room) and the other opening is the window in the dining room. I had NO idea my windows were going to be that big! I'm very excited about that!!!

Now we're going to head down the hallway! The first room on the right is Miss Annika's Room.

This is Annika's room. She requested that when we move we bring her bed, toys, and the dog! ;) She also asked that we paint her room purple (like her room here) since we didn't take her up on her wanting to paint the outside of the house purple. Beyond her room will be a 1/2 bath and a coat closet.

This is Van's room, it's not as big as it appreas in the photo (don't get me wrong it's not small either) b/c they have not made the wall dividing Annika and Van's room yet. You can see his little closet on the left hand side of the room...he's a boy he only needs a small one right?!? ;)

This is the master bedroom

Van is standing in the master closet doorway, next that closet (the thick boards) mark where the master bathroom starts, than behind that you can see (where the window is) the kids/guest bathroom. If you look close you can see kind of a in the corner a blue paper, that will be a corner linen closet.

This is the basement. There will be 2 more rooms at the end of the hall (where each window is) and an office in between the stair well and the supporting wall (seen in the picture) and the other side of the hallway from the office will be another full bath and the utility room. The rest of the area (not picture b/c I'm standing in it) will be the family room downstairs). We are not planning on finishing the basement off right away.

Hope you enjoyed your tour of what we have done of our house! I'll post more later as the dry wall goes up and such!

TODAY (10/07) Accomplishments!

At the end of the day the house looked like this!

I believe tomorrow they are going to put the windows in. (Come back and see, I'm sure I'll post another picture). ;)

Having Fun & House Update

2010-09-30T06:13:00.000-07:00

Having Fun!

House Update:

The basement walls are done and now we (David) is working on filling the basement with dirt (so the dirt level is with the footing level. He's also working on the plumbing for the basement. The cinder blocks have been laid for the garage. We are planning for the framers to come on Monday and do the floor tresses, than we have the excavating men coming on Tuesday to do the back fill (putting dirt around the basement and sloping out the landscaping, the framers will continue to frame on Wednesday and the following week we are hoping to get the siding and roofing done. So that is the plan for the next couple of weeks (I'll post pictures as we move forward).

First Day of Pre-K

2010-09-21T08:32:00.000-07:00

Annika started her first day of pre-k (we are homeschooling so we didn't have to go far)!

Eating breakfast before school starts...

Showing off her backpack (it doesn't hold her books because it is to small).

Annika Carol Stertz - 3 Years Old - First Day of Pre-K

Sitting at her "desk." She asked to use her tray while sitting on the couch.

Doing her school work. Following directions while coloring. She did a wonderful job!

Since it was the first day it was pretty easy. She got to listen to a story and than had to answer questions about the story. Then she got to color a bit. Tomorrow we start on the sounds of the letters of the alphabet.

A Few new ones

2010-09-12T10:53:00.000-07:00

The first set of pictures are of what's been going on around here. By the way the reason I'm posting on a Sunday during church is b/c I'm home with a sick little guy. I believe he's feeling better, but I want to make sure, he threw up quite a bit last night, but is now happily resting.

The next set of pictures are the progress that has been made on our house. I couldn't remember if I shared that we are building a house. Although I know many of you know that already! But here's a few pictures of the progress. On Friday the Diggers came and dug the basement for us (the kids LOVED watching it) and then the men came and laid the forms for the footings. They are planning on cementing the footings on Monday. They had planned on doing it on Friday, but we have to have a pump truck come in b/c there would be no place (with all the dirt mounds) to put a regular cement truck). David and a couple of men plan on getting the walls put together (we are doing a ICF poured cement block wall...whatever you want to call it) by the end of this coming week.

This is a look of a man who spent all summer cutting and clearing trees, watching a digger pull up a maple tree like it was a tooth pick! ;)

Donovan Loved the digger

I woke her up to see the digger

Getting Started!

He loved it!

"We're building a house, Donovan."

Watching the digger.

A Few Video Clips (Pictures to come later)

2010-08-29T19:58:00.000-07:00

Annika's been into making up her own songs lately (the only problem is we can't understand her...well some of the words and the songs just don't make sense). But I love her facial expressions in this short clip!

Here's a clip of Van and Annika singing together.

Note: She didn't get him at the end...mom got to them before the girl could do anything! ;)

And here's a recent one of the Van-man walking. While he can now walk, crawling is still his preferred method of transportation (it's faster with a lot less bumps)! ;)

Almost a month....I'm Sorry!

2010-08-25T06:37:00.000-07:00

Wow it's really been almost a month since I last posted! I apologize for that! We've been pretty busy. On our way back from Chetek earlier this month we had a man pull out in front of us on Highway 8 (if you know the Hwy it's pretty busy and can be quite dangerous), praise the Lord no one was hurt! But it did mean that we needed to find a new (which we still haven't done). Also we are getting everything in order to start building our house. David has cleared almost all the land (with some help) and we are closing on our loan today! Which means we hope to break ground by next week (if that changes I'll let you know).

Now on a video and some pictures...

First off is our Van-man (can you believe he's going to be 15 months old tomorrow...b/c I can't!!) Oh and no walking yet, he's taken up to 5 steps, but I think he just likes teasing mommy! ;)

He does however LOVE to dance (go figure). We have the movie "Barbie and the 12 Dancing Princess" which is one of Annika's favorites (b/c she can ballet dance), but I think it's one of Van's favorites also as whenever it comes on he comes right to where it's playing and watches (and eventually starts dancing). He's got the ballet moves down! ;) Poor guy he's doomed w/ an older sister! Although I don't think he minds all that much! Daddy can even whistle the song and he starts dancing (no matter where he is). It's quite funny!

Now for some pictures!
First is a set of Donovan! Because they were too cute not to share. Annika came and said "Mom, Donovan pulled out all his clothes from the drawer."

And the last batch of pictures!

Daily Happenings....getting caught up!

2010-07-31T07:04:00.000-07:00

Recent pictures!

Chowing down on his sister's lunch (she's outside) and he already ate his own!

Annika's new hat and skirt (made by mama)! She loves it!

Annika and Mama made Monster Cookies! MMMmmm! Recipe to come!

Van is getting bigger! Look how long he looks in this picture!

Sweet girl! Look at the red highlights in that hair!

My Van-man!

I have an order for 8 name plaques so Miss Annika got to watch a movie....kind of. :)

VBS Week

2010-07-28T06:18:00.001-07:00

We are still here... (quick update)

2010-07-19T19:44:00.000-07:00

Life is just a "little" bit busy right now. Last week David took some kids to Camp Northland for Bible camp which left me home with the kiddos, to work on VBS decorations (which took almost everyday of the week and up until about 10-11 pm at night. This week we are in full swing of VBS. I will come back and blog again....when I have time! :)

But I'll leave you with a picture from last week (when daddy was gone. It was such a busy week I decided to get up and make the kids and myself a yummy breakfast. The problem: I was us at 6 and had stuff ready by 9am and my kids were still sleeping and I was starving...so I did wake them up to feed them! :) I don't think they minded!

4th of July Weekend!

2010-07-05T10:16:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July

2010-07-04T13:18:00.001-07:00

Birthday Boy Stats...

2010-06-30T20:11:00.000-07:00

We took Donovan in for his one year check up yesterday and he seems to be doing great! You would never of guessed that he was not even on the charts for weight and height just 3 months ago!

Here's a recap of his stats at 9 months old:
Weight: 15 lbs
Length: 25 1/4 inches
(he wasn't even on the charts)

Yesterday (12 months):
Weight: 21 lbs 15 ounces
Length: 29 inches
(he is in between the 25-50% now)

No worries with him at all anymore!

So I guess I will make this Van's official Bday post when I share more about him!

Van-man is a GREAT little boy (so different from his sister at this age). He LOVES life and usually always has a smile on his face! He doesn't cry often (unless VERY tired or hungry)....or if sister is around (b/c she's usually picking on him).

He's still army crawling (he knows how to crawl on hands and knees) but the dr seems to think that he might skip that altogether and just start walking. he's cruising along everywhere. He just started walking holding on to one hand (albeit a bit wobbly).

He LOVES to play outside in the sandbox and swimming pool. He just loves water in general, if he hears the tub water running you can know for sure that in a very short time you will have a little boy standing next to you trying to climb in the tub (he climbs on everything)!!

His current words (which the dr was impressed with since most kids his age only say 1-2 other words besides mommy and daddy) are ball, baby, puppy, stay (talking to Lincoln), bye-bye, all done, Bobbi (neighbor lady's name), and hi. He can sign all done, more, and eat.

Here's a short video of him playing outside with a toy he got from his birthday.

First Photo Contest

2010-06-28T17:04:00.000-07:00

Well I entered a photo contest through Parent Magazine...and my photo got chosen for one of this weeks finalist! I didn't expect that at all! The way to win is to get the most votes (so I'm to get people out and vote)...so here's the link! All you have to do is click on this link press the vote button and than type in the odd word (verification code) and press submit vote!

Donovan turns 1!!

2010-06-26T20:07:00.000-07:00

Wow and I thought time went by fast when Annika was little! This just seem to fly by, I can't believe he's one already!

June 26, 2009 12:35 a.m.

June 26, 2010 12:35 a.m.

Pictures from his party can be seen here: click here!

We've yet to go to the doctor (Tuesday) so I'll share more about him and his stats on Tuesday!

Family Fun

2010-06-22T14:10:00.000-07:00

Annika and Van Photos

2010-06-10T17:03:00.000-07:00

I took Annika's 3 year old pictures (a bit late) and Donovan's 1 year old pictures (a bit early). Here's what I got...

Vacatoin Pictures!

2010-06-05T09:34:00.000-07:00

Okay, only the second half of vacation pictures...the rest are on David's computer and I have yet to download them. I'm just going to put a link and send you to the album where they are at so I do not have to upload them again!

Click HERE to see the 2nd half of our vacation pictures! You can than click on the first picture and use the arrows at the top right hand side that say Previous and Next buttons.

***I was able to upload the rest of our vacation pictures from David's computer! You should be able to see all of them now (just not in order). :)

Morning Play

2010-05-13T10:56:00.000-07:00

There are times when Annika just doesn't play that well with Donovan, but lately that hasn't been the case. I don't know if it's because she is the center of attention (as he adores her and wants to be with her) or if she truly enjoys it (maybe a little of both). ;) Here is some of the things they did this morning together, before Van was ready to be laid down for a nap (morning naps are rare these days, I'm afraid he's been slowly phasing out of them, but I can't complain to much because he really is a sweet baby)!

Playing with the magna-doodles

Playing with the kitchen set

Jumping rope:

A video of jumping robe because...the laughing is just contagious!

Spring Time Fun

2010-05-04T10:24:00.001-07:00

Lookin' for a New Car?!?

2010-04-19T09:31:00.000-07:00

So...Are ya lookin' for a new car?!?

You are?!?!? I got just the beauty for you!

Look right over here.

She shines like a sparkling diamond...

What do you mean that's not what you want?!?

It's got newer tires, new battery...

It's got EVERYTHING you could possibly want!

What can I do for YOU...to get you to buy this car?!?

Price....price you say?!?!

For you, I'll knock $500 off!

How can you refuse a deal like that?!?!

Boy...oh boy...you're a tough sell!

This is my last offer...take it or leave it....$700 off!

You'll take it?!?!? Now we're talking!

Baby, let me walk you to your new car!!!

**Update on Van

2010-04-13T09:41:00.000-07:00

We went to the doctor yesterday for Van's weight check. He gained .6 pounds in 2 weeks which is progress (but we were hoping to see a bit more). When I said before that he was in the 3% I was wrong...he was not even on the chart (and still is not). He did however in the 2 weeks show a consistent growth, the line was a sharp turn up instead of a straight and steady line across (I hope that makes sense, I'm not sure how to explain it without a picture and that I don't have). We have upped his formula intake (but we're still holding onto the morning nursing also). The doctor didn't want to wait until his one year appointment (which would be in 2.5 months) so we go back in a month to see how he is doing. Hopefully we'll get this figured out sooner rather than later. :)

A Sneak Peak and All Done!

2010-04-09T06:50:00.000-07:00

This is a sneak peak at one of Annika's 3 year old pictures. I've not edited it any. I'm working on editing the ones I have and I'll share more later!

Van just learned how to sign "All Done"!

Same Pants

2010-04-03T05:06:00.000-07:00

I was looking at pictures yesterday and found this one of Van. In this picture he's a little less than a ~~year~~ (sorry) Month old. ;)

I looked over at my smiling little boy sitting next to me on the ground happily playing and realized that he's wearing the same pants (at 9 months old). :)

Book Review - Not a Sparrow Falls - Linda Nichols

2010-04-01T04:59:00.000-07:00

“Two Desperate People- One With All the Answers...One With None”
I put this book at the bottom of the stack of books I had to review, I looked at it and read the back cover and decided this was the one I was the least interested in. When I finally got to this book it took me a few days to actually grab it and start reading. I also got through the prologue and wasn’t to sure how much I would like the book.

After I started reading the book, I had a hard time putting it down. I thought Linda did a wonderful job writing the book. Her characters were well thought out she was clear on many aspects of the happenings in the book. I thought her use of doctrine was pretty good also. I would definitely recommend this book to others!

I received a free copy of this book from Bethany House Publishing for the purpose of reviewing.

My Big {little} Guy

2010-03-29T12:19:00.000-07:00

Donovan is my big guy because he's 9 months old already. But he's not so big in stature. He's infact just a tiny little guy. His stats:
Length: 25 1/4 inches (so just a shorty) Annika had him beat by about 2 inches at this age)
Weight: 15 lbs 8.5 ounces (less than the 3%). This has our dr. a bit worried and we go back in two weeks for a weigh check. It's not such a huge deal that he only weighs 15 lbs the problem is that his percentage of weight has gone down drastically. He was in the 50% at 6 months and in 3 short months has dropped below 3%. I think he is in general just a smaller little guy, but he's still in 3-6 month clothes (and I still have to roll the waist to make them stay up on him).

Our plan to help him gain weight (man, and here I'm trying to loose and he gets to gain)! ;) We are going to start supplementing formula. We'll see how this goes, we did it once so far today and he ate a good 2 ounces (not bad for a start).

If his weight doesn't go up like the doctor would like they will do blood tests and see if there is something else wrong. I personally think that supplimenting formula and feeding him a few more (good) fatty foods will help so I'm not to worried about it.

We will go back in two weeks to check his weight and see how he's doing.

Now on to a few pictures:

And this is what you call a head of lettuce! ;)

Visit to WI

2010-03-26T06:55:00.000-07:00

We took a quick visit to WI last weekend to see my family. My grandma turned 75 so we had a party. It was a good time. We got to see my sister and her husband who live in Virginia. This was her first time meeting Donovan.

Book Review- Never Say Never by Lisa Wingate

2010-03-16T07:47:00.001-07:00

Never Say Never
Lisa Wingate

“Sometime Life’s Storms Blow in Unexpected Possibilities”

Kai Miller found herself in Daily, Texas after a hurricane evacuation forced her out of the place where she had formerly lived. Kai was a person who didn’t lay down roots and call any place “home” that was until she met the hometown hero Kemp Eldrige. She can imagine herself laying roots down, but not knowing where Kemp’s heart lays leaves her little choice but to leave Daily, Texas back to her job. But Kemp’s aunt Donetta has other plans for the young couple.
 Lisa did a good job developing the story. I feel like I know her characters well. I do like how she captured what is happening in the life of both Kai Miller and Donetta Bradford (the aunt). However, the story is somewhat predictable.

I do however wish she would of had a more clear presentation of the gospel in the book. Over all I thought the book okay, but it was not something I would pick up and read again. I would not mind try reading other books from this author.

I received a free copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers for the purpose of reviewing.

Annika gets all the fun sewing stuff...until...

2010-03-10T10:32:00.000-08:00

NOW! Van got himself a new pair of pants!

I bought myself a pair of pants from the thrift store for $3 that I REALLY like, but they are now to big so I put them aside to make something out of them. Well one of my favorite sewing blogs was hosting a boys month (that's one post a day all about sewing for boys). She had these REALLY cute pair of pants with flat front pockets, well I now found an idea of what to do with those pants! And a bonus....there's enough material to make him another pair or two in different sizes! ;) They were really easy to make and you will probably see more of them!

By the way it is kind of hard to take a picture of pants on a little boy who can't stand by himself yet.

Here's a few really cute face shots of him!

Birthday Party and Interview

2010-03-08T04:29:00.000-08:00

We had a birthday party for Annika on Saturday night and had a good time! Here's some pictures. We've been asking her for the last month what kind of cake she wants for her birthday and she was insistant upon strawberry cake. We're not quite sure where she got this from because she has NEVER had it. We've tried talking her out of it also, but that didn't work. So, for her birthday she got strawberry cupcakes (I did make some chocolate ones with fudge frosting and some raspberry cream cheese ones also). Well she sat down to eat her strawberry cupcake and she wouldn't eat it. :) We figured that would happen she was happy with the chocolate ones!

Here's a short interview I did with Annika on her birthday. (Annika's answers in orange)

What is your favorite color? orange (today, yesterday it was green and the day before red)

What do you like to eat? pizza

What's your favorite animal? baby deer (tiny little dear)

What do you like to drink? juice

What are you excited about? church (kid’s activity)

Where do you like to go? to the aquarium

Where do you not like to go?to my house

What is your favorite song? Jesus Loves me

What is your favorite art activity (cutting, gluing, painting, sewing, drawing)? play with favorite color orange playdough

What do you like to eat? pizza

What does dad like to do? Put on shirt (not sure where this came from)

What does mama like to do? Take pictures

What do you like to wear? She wasn't quite sure about this question, so I asked a more detailed question. Do you like to wear hats? Yes. Do you like to wear shoes? Yes. Socks? Yes (although if her shoes are off so are the socks). Jeans? Yes. Dresses? Ah, no...I hate dresses! (I'm wondering if maybe she gets that from her mom?!?) :)

Annika has aquired quite the little personality. It's fun to watch it develop more and more (although sometimes it gets her in trouble, she can be quite the hand full).

Things that she has learned: She really has taken a liking to the alphebet. She could recognize the letters when she turned 2, (you know ask her where the "a" was and she'd point) she can now tell you what each letter is (not in alphabetical order).

She is now working on learning to write some letters (I'm trying to teach her to write her name).

She has learned how to ride her new scooter pretty well. She can't wait until the snow is melted and when she can take it outside and give it a try. Which will be soon since the snow is almost gone off the parking lot.

She has a love for any kind of stuffed animal (but please don't buy her any...we have enough for now)! ;)

She is becoming more cuddly. For those of you who knew Annika when she was smaller, she was a very colicky baby and she HATED to be held or touched (which made it hard on mommy and daddy to try and make her not cry). But now she will come and sit by me and say, mom I'm going to cuddle with you (which lasts all of about 5 minutes). :)

She thinks she has outgrown naps (mommy's not ready for this one yet, and usually after about an hour of playing in her bed she does fall asleep).

Annika loves to play with Donovan or rather likes to watch Donovan smile at her. If he is in the room she's usually in front of him dancing around and trying to make him smile.

We just recently got a story on cd and she is really enjoys listening and "following along" in the book (she likes the sound it makes when you have to turn the page).

She still loves to listen to classical music and dance to it.

She loves to play the piano if we are at church near a piano she LOVES to play. The other night she was "playing" for daddy while he was practicing the Kids4Truth songs (this was quite entertaining for me).

She loves to sing, she makes up songs about EVERYTHING!

She ABSOLUTELY LOVES to play with other kids. She is good at playing and entertaining herself, but if there are other kids in the room (no matter who) she loves to play with them!

Wow this got kind of long! I could put a ton more of stuff that she likes to do, but I think this is a good start!

On to the pictures!
The last 3 pictures are of her Sunday Morning in her Birthday Outfit that mommy made her.

She did it!

2010-03-06T20:21:00.000-08:00

Annika turned 3! It was a busy day with lots of laughter and fun. I'll post more about it tomorrow. But for now enjoy the pictures!

It's funny to think that 3 years ago today we were waiting for the birth of Davin William and came home with an Annika Carol! We wouldn't changer her for the world! Happy Birthday Sweet Annika Carol!!

Born at 9:33 am, March 6, 2007

Taken at 9:33 am, March 6, 2008

Taken at 9:33 am, March 6, 2009

Taken at 9:33 am, March 6, 2010

Sewing...

2010-02-27T08:36:00.000-08:00

I LOVE to sew!! I love making things and it's kind of a stress relief for me. However I haven't had much time for it lately (although this past week is different since I'm helping a lady with her daycare and I don't have much to do there, I bring my sewing stuff with me). But when I'm home I need to work sewing into Van's sleep schedule. I took this picture (w/ my new camera) and couldn't resist sharing it...I call it...

The reason I don't sew as much!

Sledding

2010-02-22T07:17:00.000-08:00

Some friends in our church invited the kids and I to go sledding! Annika once she was use to it had a blast! Donovan enjoyed going down also! ;)

Annika's New Haircut!

2010-02-18T07:59:00.000-08:00

Annika has been in need of a haircut for a while now. I just couldn't justify paying $12 on a hair cut that would probably take about 10 minutes (max) to cut. I finally decided to try and cut it myself (after much debating in my head). I think it turned out pretty good (just don't look to close)! ;) I didn't want it quite so short, but I couldn't get her to sit still.

Before: Her hair was pretty thin and just needed to be cleaned up (especially in the back).

After: Pardon the hair in her face (she wasn't to thrilled to have to stop playing so mommy could take her picture).

New Camera and Alphabet!

2010-02-15T10:46:00.000-08:00

I got a new camera!! Our deal was that if I saved up half the money we could use our Christmas money to buy a new camera....I finally was able to save up! I LOVE my new camera!! It's a Nikon D5000 SLR 12.3 mega pixel.

Here's a few pictures:

Check out this face:

Even the pictures that don't turn out the greatest still look good!

The kids playing on Saturday morning!

I did nothing special for this one, just pointed it at the pine tree and took a picture! Can you imagine the photos this "baby" would take when I actually try and do something like this! ;)

It also has HD movie capabilities...which means what?!?! You getter better movie quality!!! Annika has been pretty adamant on working on her alphabet so she can "go to school" in the fall and wear her "new school tennis shoes." (not sure how she got stuck on new school shoes). :) I am planning on doing a few things this fall with her. But for now we are working on the alphabet. She did pretty good in the video (but actually did better right before when we sat at the lunch table and went through it, she only missed 4 letters). But I think she does a pretty good job!

And while I'm still waiting for the video to load I thought I'd add this picture of Van-man. He LOVES to stand (well outside the exersaucer when I put him in it he's not too thrilled). This was taken on my 'old' camera (I'm charging the battery of the new one). Look how little he looks! The exersaucer is set on the lowest setting.

Oh and don't feel bad for the 'old' camera because we plan on having him stick around! So it won't be the last you see from him, you'll just see more from the 'new guy'! :)

Donovan's 6 month pictures

2010-02-10T19:32:00.000-08:00

(a bit late).

I had some great light shinning through the kitchen windows today and thought it would be a great time to take Van's 6 month pictures (since it's too cold to go by our favorite rock!

Here's what I got:

One's not showed in the slide for some reason:

From Donovan

Gotta love the two front teeth and all the drool! ;)

Happenings at the Stertz Household...

2010-02-09T19:36:00.000-08:00

**Note: all of these pictures can be enlarge by clicking on them!**

First off, Donovan got to take his first bath (sitting up) in the big bathtub, he LOVED it! Check out that smile!

How's that for a face?!?

Concentration.

Daddy and Annika were playing with play dough and this is what they came up with.

I got a new sewing pattern from Grandma Gabi. I thought I'd give it a try (this was my first time going off a pattern for sleeves and buttonholes). I really enjoyed making this and I think it turned out pretty good!

And of course a shot of Little Miss Annika in it (and go figure after tons of pictures the one that turned out the best is the one of her not even in the center of the camera)!

Outside Fun!

2010-02-08T10:51:00.001-08:00

Getting ready to head out!

Annika was VERY excited to play outside!

Donovan didn't care either way! He didn't stay out to long...he went to bed!
After climbing up the "mountain"...
We built a snow(wo)man!But Lincoln likes carrots!
Luckily we were able to get it back!

A few pictures of the kiddos outside!

About Me...

2010-02-03T09:17:00.001-08:00

...the blogger! :) I don't often post about myself, but I hit a milestone and accomplished one of my goals for the new year!

I had 3 main goals for the new year:

1. To read one nonfiction book a month (I'm finishing up my February book and already started my March book)!!

2. To keep my house cleaner on a daily basis (not to get so far behind), I was doing good until last week when I worked daycare and got sick, but I'm back on top of it for the most part!

3. To loose weight (Everyone's goal for the new year right?!?!) :) This is the one I'm most excited about b/c this is the one I REALLY have to work at! To help me do this I started using Weight Watchers (just on my own). A friend gave me all of her stuff and I started it about 5 weeks ago and I am happy to say that as of today I have lost 10 pounds!! :) I am down to a little under my pre-pregnancy weight and can fit back into my old clothes (in fact if anything they are a bit big, but I'll manage)!!! ;)

Thanks for letting me share this!

And because a post isn't a post without pictures (and I have none of me, I'll post some of the kiddos this morning painting)

Annika LOVES to paint (just not with her fingers) :)

I have also been more diligent on working on the alphabet with Annika and she can now recognize all the letters of the alphabet except for about 10 of them (not bad for a girl of not yet three)!! :)

Donovan also enjoyed painting although he really just wanted to eat the paper! :) Check out the skinny arms on this kid!

So I guess it wasn't completely about me after all! ;)

Book Review

2010-02-02T12:08:00.000-08:00

The Silent Governess

Julie Klassen

Forced to leave her home with a secret, Olivia Keene eventually finds herself at the charge of Lord Bradley, who employs her as an under-nurse for his dear niece and nephew.

Lord Bradley has a few secrets of his own and not wanting Olivia to share those secrets he gives her little choice than to become an under-nurse. Lord Bradley believes he is safe for now since Olivia has injured her throat and cannot speak. Will either of their secrets get out? Will they come to an understanding?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. When I picked it up to read it I had a hard time putting it down. Klassen did a wonderful job developing the characters as well as the plot. She took me back into the 19th century and to the happenings at Brightwell Court.

I would recommend this book to anyone. It was a great read and a fun read! I look forward to reading more books from Julie Klassen.

I received a free copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers for the purpose of reviewing.

Happy Birthday Great-Grandpa!!

2010-01-29T17:54:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday!

Big Sister...

2010-01-19T10:19:00.000-08:00

I guess this is what happens when you have a big sister!

And together!

Is this Bad?!?

2010-01-13T14:44:00.001-08:00

Book Review

2010-01-11T09:55:00.001-08:00

The Busy Couples's Guide to Sharing the Work & the Joy

"Smart solutions to dozens of household dilemmas couples face every day."

Kathy Peel in her book seeks to help a person manage the life of their family and to share the responsibilities of the family among all the members. The book covers many aspects of life from managing finances, household chores, meal planning, and even how to manage special events such as birthday parties, holiday celebrations, ect. . .

Kathy shares some great tips on how to manage almost every aspect of your life like activities to do with your children that don’t cost a lot and how to save money at the supermarket. One chapter I thought helpful in these challenging economic times was her chapter on managing finances in general. She has worksheets to complete which helps a person put into practice her ideas. She also shares stories of people that have struggled with some of these areas and how she has or would help them. There are many helpful things in this book: from the real life accounts of people (it is nice to know that you are not the only one struggling), to the many different worksheets to help you complete as a family.

While the book brought out many helpful tips and practical ideas, I wouldn’t recommend sitting down and reading the book all in one sitting. I think it would be better to read a chapter a week so you have more time to focus on certain areas. While the book also shares some good Bible principles it is not a book meant to change your heart. In other words, there are great ideas here from a Christian perspective but the book is not a Bible teaching manuel.

I would recommend this book to others if you are looking for great practical advice and tips on managing your life with less stress.

I received a free copy of “The Busy Couples Guide to Sharing the Work and the Joy” from Tyndale Publishing for the purpose of reviewing.

A Couple of Videos

2010-01-08T19:47:00.000-08:00

Donovan has had sweet potatoes for about a week now. He is really enjoying solid foods. However for some reason today he didn't seem to enjoy them that much...and yet he kept eating them!

Next is a video of Annika. She was helping me write a shopping list.

6 Months (and then some)!

2010-01-05T19:24:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe that Van-man is already 6 months (and then some). I forgot my camera charger at my in-laws so these pictures are a bit before he turned 6 month.

Donovan's Stats:
Weight: 14lbs 5 ounces (20%)
Height: 24 3/4 inches (5%)

As you can tell from the percentages he's a little on the little side. He actually hasn't grown length wise at all since his 4 month check-up. He is smaller at this age than Annika was (not by much about a pound and little under an inch). We were wondering if we would have a little chubby boy, but for now it doesn't look like it! :) However this may soon change as we have embarked on the world of food.

With Annika I took a picture of her the minute she was born at 6 months old...I didn't get a chance to do with Donovan for two reasons: 1)He was born at 12:35 am, and 2) I forgot (I was even awake)....I don't think he'll be too disappointed!

Donovan is such a fun baby. He is very different from Annika (it's amazing how different two kids can be and still be related). He is happy to hang on the floor and smiles all the time. Of course he has a reason to smile now that he has gotten his 2 front teeth (bottom) for Christmas.

Whenever you see him he usually has his first two fingers of his left hand in his mouth as they are his best friends, they entertain him when he is bored, calms him when he is sad, and helps him go to sleep when he is tired. ;)

He has done very well at all of his doctor's appointments, he loves to smile at all the nurses and cries VERY little when he gets shots, usually he is mad b/c we hold him down as soon as mommy picks him up and his 'friends' enter his mouth (his fingers) he's good to go.

Donovan also LOVES people, he loves to watch faces and will let anyone hold him. It's not unusual for me to walk into church and not hold him for the whole morning. But he loves the attention!

He is rolling all over the place (the only way he knows how to get around these days). He has gotten up on hands and knees (once) but can't seem to get the hang of it. He also likes to stand and occasionally tries to let go of you, but soon finds out that he can't do that yet. He also is getting better at sitting up on his own, but still needs help some of the time.

Two of his favorite things these days are Lincoln (our dog) and Annika. If Lincoln is by Donovan, he is constantly watching him and looking at him, probably trying to figure out what the harry thing is. Donovan ADORES Annika. It's soo fun to watch her come into a room and see him light up with smiles. She's pretty good with him, but has her moments....she is still learning the fine art of sharing and loves to play "tug-o-war" with his arms...don't worry when we see this it soon ends w/ her not winning! ;)

Circus at the Stertz House!

2009-12-11T07:07:00.000-08:00

There's a circus going on at the Stertz House!

There will be...

Seals...

Zebras...

Birds of all sizes...

Giraffes...

and many more...

Your ring leader will be none other than....

Noah and his wife...

So park you cars...

Everyone's invited...

Old and Young alike...

COME JOIN THE FUN!

Why daddy doesn't work from home....

2009-12-10T15:38:00.001-08:00

Can you blame him? :)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM THE STERTZ FAMILY

2009-11-26T10:52:00.001-08:00

From Untitled Album

Annika's "How To" on Turkey Cookies!

2009-11-25T08:52:00.001-08:00

Annika wanted to share her first tutorial with you all! How to make Turkey Cookies!

Look at these fun little guys!

What you will need:

The "How To"

Getting ready to travel!

ENJOY!

Tune back in on Thanksgiving Day!

2009-11-24T20:01:00.000-08:00

Peter and the Wolf

2009-11-17T16:35:00.001-08:00

A near-by college orchestra was putting on a concert for little kids in which "Peter and The Wolf" was included. We have a CD at home with this music/story on it and Annika enjoys listening to it, so we thought we'd take her to the concert. She enjoyed it a lot.

Before the concert they had a "petting zoo" where kids could see and touch the different instruments. She was a bit hestitant to try the instruments (but the place was VERY crowded and there wasn't much room). Daddy was able to talk her into trying out the harp.

They also had a table where the kids could make a mask for one of the character, I was a bit surprised when Annika said she wanted to make a duck mask and not the cat mask. I have to say she makes a pretty cute little duck! :)

Donovan came with us also and had a fun time hanging out with daddy.

What's up with Annika

2009-11-10T07:10:00.000-08:00

First off, Check out this face!

This is the face of a little girl who finally uses the potty on a regular basis and went all day yesterday without any accidents (this included a dry diaper in the morning when she woke up and at nap time...she took a 3 1/2 hour nap)!!

Annika LOVES music! She's been playing her "violin" (saran wrap roll and a stick) all around the house. It's amazing the imagination she has (the stick than turns into a gun to go "Hunty" with)! :) I love to watch her! We've also started playing the Carnival of the Animals for her (classical music with no words) she's able to tell us what animal most of the songs are trying to portray.
Here's a short video of her playing and singing!

Last but not least we started working on the letter "A" work sheets. She knows her alphabet for the most part but she has enjoyed trying to write it. Here's a worksheet she did today: She traced the dots for the most part all by herself.

Here she's showing off the dress that mommy made for her from an old large womens skirt!

Colors, shapes, and potty training....

2009-11-05T18:34:00.000-08:00

Here's a short video of Annika saying her colors and shapes. We are just about ready to add some more colors and shapes. I'm not exactly sure if she's ahead for two and a half year olds or right on target or even behind, but I think she's pretty smart!! :)

I didn't realize until I was almost done with the video that the top of her head got cut off for the shapes part. I thought about doing taping it over, but I love her responses in this video so I decided to just leave it and write an apology.

We've also been working on potty training the last couple of days....she's not doing too bad, we've had more times going on the potty than accidents today and she has had her fair share of candy for going on the potty today! We've still got a ways to go, but we are getting there slowly.

A Princess and her Little Cow (and a dog)!

2009-11-02T18:44:00.000-08:00

Yep...Halloween!

Wind + Excitement + Sassy Little Princess = Not so great pictures!

These are the best I can do for Miss Annika.

Yes she's her mother's child...tennis shoes! :)

Can you just see the excitement??

I made her princess outfit (not to bad)...the shirt ended up a little big (but it was the first time I've made a shirt w/ sleeves) and it was nice b/c I was able to layer underneith it. Her skirt matches the curtains in my living room! The crown was one of my favorite things to work. I lined it with fleece so she could wear it over her ears if they got cold.

And last (but not least) my little cow! :) Sir Donovan....I didn't get any pictures of his little black nose, but I did find some face paint and put a bit on his nose to add to his costume (it was the perfect touch).

He wasn't quite sure what we were doing to him!

Then he got use to it.We were kind of bummed this year b/c the nursing home wouldn't let us in to hand out candy to the folks there b/c of the H1N1 going around...so we just ended up going to the outlet center.

I almost forgot the dog...no we don't usually dress him up, but my brother got this "costume" for my mom's dog, Lucy (but Lucy is to fat to fit in it). :)

Note: again you can click on the pictures to enlarge them!

4 Months

2009-10-30T05:49:00.000-07:00

Van-man turned 4 months old on Monday, boy does time fly! He went in yesterday for his 4 month check up.

Stats:
Weight: 13lbs 14 oz (he's only in the 25% for weight)
Length: 24 3/4 inches (he's in the 50% for height)

I have to say with daddy being 6ft. 3in I always wondered why none of our kids were in higher percentages for height...I guess they get it from their 5ft 3in mom!

Dr. Wallace said everything looks good and he's healthy. Although he is going to be watching his left eye, he says it turns in a bit (daddy noticed this not to long ago). Dr. Wallace also said that it can be normal for that to happen at this age (but his turns in a bit more than usual). Maybe he'll end up having a lazy eye like his mama and his mama's grandfather (although I would like this not to happen). We're not to worried about it (and to be honest, I've never noticed it). :)

He also got 3 shots...which he did really well...he didn't start crying until the 2nd one (I'm sure he wasn't sure what happened the first time), but than he only cried for about 5 seconds (as long as it took the nurse to poke him the 3rd time and be picked up).

The life of Donovan:
Well not much to tell...he eats, sleeps, and gets regular diaper changes...

He enjoys people...he LOVES looking at faces!

He is also a sweet, happy little boy (very different from his sister at this age).

He is to the point that really the only time he really cries is when he is hungry (oh and for 5 seconds after he's done eating...I think he figures he can't be done eating already). :)

He just learned to roll from his belly to his back (which is helpful since he doesn't care to be on his belly much). :)

And this morning I had him on his blanket completely and I just sat and watched him get up on his feet (with his arms still on the grown) and scoot himself forward so more than half his body was off the blanket (I wasn't quite expecting him to do this at all). He'd have the scooting thing down for sure if he could figure out how to use his arms...I'm willing to wait for this though! :)

He's pretty steady sitting up also (well for a 4 month old). :) I can sit him up and he can sit for about 30 seconds on his own (before he folds up like a taco). :)

He also likes to lay on the ground and take EVERYTHING in! His head and eyes are constantly on the move.

That pretty much is the life of Donovan (with a little of sister mixed in also)! :)

Here's a few recent pictures: (note: you can click on the pictures to enlarge them)

Chewing on his bottom lip (a new thing)

Annika and Donovan (she loves reading to him)

Sitting up all by himself

Hanging on the floor

Sitting in the high chair like a big boy

We had Snow

2009-10-20T19:32:00.000-07:00

Yep, that's right...snow. On October 12th we had snow. Annika enjoyed playing in it...so did Lincoln.

Sometimes I wonder who likes the snow more...Annika or Lincoln!

And since Van-man was sleeping he didn't get to go in the snow...but daddy did say he looked like a snowboarder in the new hat and pant set I made him today!

I was not quite ready for snow that early so I am glad that it didn't stick around and that we've had some warmer weather! :)

Vacation Photos

2009-10-17T11:48:00.000-07:00

Here they are...sorry it took me so long. Enjoy!

The first set is from the Water Park (Great Wolf Lodge)

The next set is from the Aquarium:

The Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-10T13:22:00.001-07:00

We took the kids to the Pumpkin Patch yesterday. Annika had a great time!

The pictures at the top of our blog are a few that I was able to take! While I know you can see them up there. I'll repost the one to them together down here w/ a few more that way you can see it better! :)

First up: the two of them together! I LOVE this picture!!

We've decided to get a picture of this each year. Here is Donovan's first one!

Here are Annika's the past 3 years!

Playing in the corn!
Daddy and Donovan
Maybe it'll turn into a prince?!?!
Riding on a tractor!
Finding the perfect (for us) pumpkin!
We found it!

Recent Pictures....

2009-10-08T05:55:00.000-07:00

Okay I'm still working on trying to get all the vacation pictures downloaded so give me a bit more time. When finished I'll have 3 or 4 slide shows! :)

Here's a few recent pictures...Okay there's a lot more than just a few! ;)

The first batch are of Miss. Annika:

This is usually how Annika gets her hair done...sitting on a table eating a snack (this was at g-ma and g-pa's house before church).

Miss Annika made a "train" all by herself she was soo proud of it...

...and asked me to take a picture of it.

She got a new skirt. I made this skirt w/ no pattern and I LOVE it, but it's to big (next fall she should fit into it). :)

It's fun to make things for her. She loves it when I make her something new. A lady from church came up to me last night and told me that I was a very talented lady. I wasn't quite sure what she was talking about so I gave a hesitant "thank you" she than continued to tell me that she told Annika that she liked her shoes, to which Annika replied, "mom made them." Well I'm NOT talented enough to make shoes, but I'm glad she likes me to sew her things. :)

And now some pictures of Sir Donovan:

Donovan often has this look on his face! He's kind of serious little guy sometimes!A boy and his dog...

Donovan wanted to share his hat with all our readers! :) While it didn't give him much luck last Monday night, he still wore it to watch the game.

And I share this picture because he looks a lot older than his 3 months in it!

Hope you enjoyed!
Vacation pictures to come!

organization....

2009-09-24T11:56:00.000-07:00

We are about to leave on vacation (well in about an hour when David gets home). But I wanted to take some time and get these pictures up before I leave...so without further ado!

The title has to do with this picture. I came into Annika's room the other day (she was being rather quiet and we all know that if it's quiet it may not be good) well with the help of her potty (the most use her potty has got) as a step stool she was able to reach her jars w/ her hair clips. Well here's what she did with them...she was working very hard!

Maybe she'll help me be more organized in the future!

Annika wanted to "read" to Donovan again (she loves doing this and he loves it also)!

Finally fits in his baseball caps!

And because she's adorable (and showing off the new belt I made her)!
Last but not least my favorite picture of the week! :)

Wanted to add...I showed this picture to Annika and said Donovan is eating Annika. Her reply, "No he's not, he's just licking Annika."

Happenings

2009-09-21T20:57:00.000-07:00

It's been busy around here and will get just a little bit more busy as we get ready to leave for vacation on Thursday!! :)

The other night one of David's roommates from college called and asked if he wanted to get online and play a game.

Like Father, Like Son!
Donovan loved it!! I love the expression on Donovan's face!!

Annika and I have been crafting quite a lot while Donovan has been sleeping. One day in particular we made a "fishing pond" for her. She had fun playing with it for quite awhile.

And last but not least...doesn't Donovan look thrilled! :)

For the Love of Marshmallows!

2009-09-15T09:47:00.000-07:00

Someone shared this video with me and I thought it was too funny not to share!! :)

Oh, The Temptation from Steve V on Vimeo.

I have a feeling Annika would eat 1/2 the marshmallow like the little girl in the movie and put the rest on the plate and expect another because hers was still on the plate. :)

Corn, Zuchinni, Kids, and Tomatoes

2009-09-13T04:38:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a busy day. Daddy had to get up and meet with some people and than head to a funeral in the cities. While mommy was home with the kiddos. So Mommy and kiddos got up and dressed and headed out to some garage sales (wasn't much out there). After the garage sales we went out to watch a boy in our church play football. He did a good job. Than we came home and the little ones took much needed naps! :) After that we decided to cut up some stuff from our garden (oh and stuff others gave us) so last night we froze some sweetcorn, zucchini, and tomoatoes. Here's a short video clip of Annika helping daddy with the sweet corn.

Also there was a mound of dishes...someone had to do them:

Next on the list....the bathroom. :)Disclaimer: Our child really didn't do all the dishes and we don't make her clean the bathroom either. ;)

Oh and Donovan just looks lost in this picture...daddy was talking to me and it was soo hard to listen b/c this is the look he had on his face the whole time. :)

Than bedtime finally came and look who conked out (w/ her blanket of choice) such a sweet girly blanket isn't it?!? :) She's gearing up for the big opener tomorrow! :)
Have a Great Lord's Day!!

Harley

2009-09-11T08:46:00.001-07:00

My Bad Boy! Uncle Ben LOVES Harley Davidson's...so this is for you Uncle Ben!

Nursery Graduate!

2009-09-09T15:38:00.000-07:00

Well it's official...Annika has graduated from the nursery at our church. She has been in Jr. Church since the middle of the summer and started Sunday School last week and tonight she starts her first night in Kids 4 Truth! She is going to be a "Discoverer" It's shocking how fast time has gone!

Here's a picture of her all ready to go (an hour early) :) Is this 2.5 years old going on 16 or what?!? :)

And b/c we can't forget Van-man

Peace Out! :)

And b/c he's adorable!

Smiles All Around

2009-08-25T08:16:00.001-07:00

I'm not sure if I shared these two photos on here in a slide show or not, but they turned out really good so I thought I'd share them when they weren't moving! :)

A Little Under the Weather

2009-08-20T10:04:00.000-07:00

Poor Annika and Donovan aren't feeling the greatest today. We've got coughs and runny noses all around (thankfully no fevers). I love this picture of the two of them (bummed it's a little blurry). Annika decided she was going to sit on the couch next to Donovan and read him a book. He is just staring at her...I love it!!

Recent Fun

2009-08-18T18:06:00.001-07:00

It's been awhile (34 pictures here)! :)