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Monday, November 30, 2015

The Toddler Years {sigh}



There was a point where I really loved toddlers.  I still love how their whole world is unexplored territory, how every little thing can be seen with eyes of excitement and wonder.  A bug, a stick, a rock, or a bird can capture their attention for hours.  Often I think they see the beauty of the world better than any adult.  When was the last time you were enthralled with a rock?

But parenting a toddler is exhausting sometimes.  Little Mr. has been obsessed with the laundry detergent for a long time.  He knows he shouldn’t play in it, but man is it hard to resist the fun.  He’s defeated all locks in our house and now can open the fridge, which he does about a thousand times a day.  Recently he’s started trying to pour himself his own milk.  Which means lots of sopping up messes.



He also went through a stage where he’d get the eggs out of the fridge.  He even made himself a pot of them once.  Of course all this was done while I was nursing Drew, it’s so hard to keep an eye on him.  (He now refers to them as Daddy's Eggs and then follows that up by saying yucky.)

His current obsession is getting out apples and yogurt.  He's perfected the two finger spoon for yogurt consumption, however a lot of it usually ends up on his shirt, hair, floor, etc. 
I stepped into the kitchen and this little one quickly closed the door to the fridge and hid.  Mr. Yogurt fingers isn't so sly.

 I am sure we’ll have more fun through this next year.  It’s no wonder why I sleep hard every night.

Sunday, November 29, 2015

Kansas Vacation 2015 Wrap Up



We absolutely loved our time in Kansas year.  We didn’t have much on our agenda, and I ordered almost everything we needed to stock up on so we didn’t have to do much shopping, which is very stressful if you need something specific and can't find it.

We got to do some things we really love.  Marvin got to hit the golf course multiple times and  I got to wander around Target for a couple of hours in peace with a snuggley Drew nestled in the Ergo next to me. 

We even squeezed in a couple of dates, we ate at our favorite places in Manhattan and enjoyed a drive at sunset through campus.  That place is so beautiful and always brings back so many memories.

Kansas certainly is pretty and refreshes both our hearts.  What a gift to be able to walk on its soil again.

Saturday, November 28, 2015

A Beautiful Wedding



Our time in the states ended with a beautiful wedding.  It was a very sweet ceremony, and a joy to be a part of their lives coming together as husband and wife.

Marvin was in the wedding and my new sister-in-law was so sweet to help us find someone to watch the two littlest ones during the wedding.  It was in the middle of nap time and I knew it would be disastrous having them in the church, plus I knew Micah would probably fall asleep during the ceremony. 

I had nightmares of trying to handle 3 very tired children at the same time and all of them falling to pieces during the wedding and making a scene.  This way I was able to enjoy the wedding and only had to deal with Micah falling asleep during the ceremony and thanks be to God he did not start screaming when he woke up very delirious mid ceremony.

Their ceremony was held at a Norwegian church in down town Minneapolis, whose services are held in Norwegian, and they had some very fun history and books in the church.



The reception was fun and the boys had a blast playing in the hall.  I was so thankful they had a place to run.  



 It was held at the school where my new sister-in-law worked and was in a very diverse part of Minneapolis.  Between the wedding and the reception I walked over to a laundry mat to get quarters, our hotel had a washer and dryer, and it was a fun mix of people.  It was great for my international heart to hear other languages.

We were so thankful we could join them.  Thank you for getting married so we could come home!
We haven't seen this couple since our wedding, 13 years ago.  Carl also preformed our ceremony.  It was quite the treat to be able to cross paths with them once again.