I am a mommy to 4 beautiful boys.. 3 here with us and one sweet little guy in heaven. All such miracles and blessings from God.. this is my journey!
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Picture says it all!!
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Sunday, July 17, 2011
First haircuts!!!
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
7 years
His birthday requests for today was to have breakfast in bed... so I made pancakes shaped into number 7's along with orange juice and grapes!! He loved waking up to me walking into his room with his tray of breakfast!! Then he had a choice to go to any restaurant he wanted to tonight and you know what he picked?? Hungry Howie's pizza and breadsticks at home and then out for ice cream to our local ice cream train - it's a train set up as an ice cream joint.. cute for kids and they have a lot of yummy treats!!
A funny story.. Brevin just came back from a school friends birthday sleepover... he has a good time but he said to me that he didn't sleep well at all and was up from 2am to 5am... when I asked him why he told me that the boy sleeping next to him fell asleep on his arm... Brevin told me that he didn't want to move his arm because he didn't want to wake him up so he layed there the whole night with his arm hurting underneath this boy.... stories like this just go to show Mike and I just how sweet and thoughtful this boy of ours is!!! Always thinking of others!!
Monday, June 20, 2011
Father's Day... Nascar Race
What a fun day with my Dad.. Mike and Brevin. We still have no idea how Brevin got into Nascar.. neither Mike or I ever really watch it but it is fun seeing Brevin really enjoy and get into this!! It was so special for us to be able to spend one-on-one time with Brevin and he so enjoyed having Grandpa with!! I can't wait till next year.. we might have to make this a Father's Day tradition!!
Monday, June 13, 2011
Three years ago today....
Saying a special thanks to some pretty amazing family members and friends who remembered and sent e-mails. notes and phone calls.... means so much to me!!
Sending hugs and kisses up above.... today and always!
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Is it really June already?
We do have a busy summer... with a wedding... Nascar race... Wisconsin Dells trip... then Brevin has outdoor day camp for one week.. then football camp the next week and then... gulp... he starts full tackle football! Yes I am nervous about this but he really wants to do this and we are excited for him... we pick up his full uniform this month.. can't wait to see him in that. It will be fun hanging out with friends watching his games this fall!! I am so proud of Brevin!
We had a great time this past Memorial Day weekend.. we ended up staying home and not going to my parents place in Ludington... we really wanted to go but glad we stayed home with how the weather turned out. We had a wonderful warm day on Memorial Day so we decided to get out and head to Kensington Water Park for the day... we packed up the twins and Brevin and picked one of Brevin's friends. We had a great time and he twins did great - it was a little hard because the twins.. especially Alex... didn't want to hold our hands.... so independant but with kids running everywhere... we had to hold onto them so they would get run over... this made them mad but they still had a great time getting soaked!!
The twins are doing great - everyday I realize how blessed I am to have them... Mike and I still to this day cannot believe we are parents to 4 boys... never in my life did I think this would happen... after losing Troy I didn't think we would have anymore kids - it was hard and quite a process but God had plans.. wonderful plans for us and he gave us 2 more blessings - I am thankful everyday for all my boys.
Speaking of Troy... I cannot believe that on the 13th of this month it will be 3 years since I gave birth to him... 3 years since we lost him... still to this day it brings tears to my eyes... it stirs up emotions that I still feel from that very day. A couple days ago out of the blue Brevin said how happy he was to have 3 brothers. He said he was sad that Troy was not here with us.... just knowing that Brevin remembers him... it means a lot to me and warms my heart in a way.
My Grandma and Grandpa gave us a lilac bush in memory of Troy and it is in full bloom right now... in June.. how special is that... I always look at that bush and think of Troy.
So in closing.. here is a picture of my beautiful lilac bush.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Friday, April 29, 2011
18 month Appt...
Ian
29 pounds 15 ounces
35 1/2 inches tall
Alex
26 pounds 14 ounces
34 1/2 inches tall
They did not like being at the doctor this time around... when we got into the room.. it was the same room we were in when they had the croup... where they had to do the RSV test and the breathing treatment... Alex really started to cry when we walked in.. it was like he remembered being there. They did okay until either the nurse or doctor walked in... then they started to cry and cling to either me or Mike. Soon as they would walk out.. they would run around laughing and playing like nothing was wrong
Alex has another ear infection so we have them on another antibiotic.
Ian and Alex still have NO desire to talk so we really have to work on that eventhough I have been working on this with them.
Alex knows where his eyes and nose are when asked.. he also waves bye bye and will clap and hold up one finger when asked how old he is. He also know the sounds to a kitty... a cow and a monkey. He also will clap his hands and do all the motions to Patty cake Patty cake.
Ian on the other hand... when you ask him where his eyes are.. his response is to run and laugh and do nothing that I ask... but if I read him a book.. he will sit literally for an hour and listen to the book... he also loves that I sing and will listen to me for a long time so I know he has that attention to pay attention but just has no desire to do what I ask. We were told not to worry and to just keep working with him. It is really cute.. when Brevin plays basketball.. Ian will stand there still and watch him. Soon as Brevin puts the ball away.. Ian will go and grab the ball and will walk up to the hoop and will stand there looking up and you can tell he is trying to figure out how to get the ball into the hoop. He is very observant!!
Lately one of Ian's favorite things to do is sit on Alex... seriously.. If Alex is laying on the floor playing with a toy.. Ian will walk up to him and sit on him.. making Alex SO upset. Sometimes when Alex is playing with a toy or looking at a book - If Ian gets anywhere close to him.. he will put his hand in Ian's face and push him away.
They both LOVE to be outside - they are so fun to watch but I will be honest.. they go in opposite directions making "outside time" for me exhausting!
Ian now eats with a hat on... he loves to play with his hair while he eats so that makes for some messy hair!!
Alex is a good eater but doesn't eat as much as Ian.. but he will eat anything I put on his tray.. Ian on the other hand is much more fussy... he will eat chunks of apple but he will chew it and suck the juice out and then take the apple out of his mouth and throw it on the floor. Alex never spits anything out.. he eats it all.
I had posted earlier how Ian loves to watch me vacuum on his head.. I turn on the vacuum and he puts his head on the floor with his butt up in the air.. well.. now he does it ALL the time.. he loves to experience the world upside down.. even outside on the cement!
Alex loves to ride his scooter and he is quite fast on it.. he has no fear.. he will ride it up our little hill and then lift his feet up and go down without stopping.. making Mike and I run after him in a panic!!
They are growing up so fast and are just so much fun. Big brother Brevin is still SO good to them.. he plays with them and loves them... I am one proud and blessed Momma!!!
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
This first photo is on Easter Sunday... all the grandkids with Grandma and Grandpa... I tried to get a family picture of us but a no go with the twins.. they were having NO part of that!!
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
The past few weeks...
So...they got better.. for about a week anyway... Mike just took Alex to the Urgent Care last night... his breathing was really short and he just seemed to be struggling to catch his breath - seriously.. that is the most horrible sound that can come from a child - it is so scary!!! So now Alex has Bronchitis AND a double ear infection. He is on a steriod, Zyrtec and an antibiotic. I do have to mention that all this sickness really has not messed up their sleep at all.. they are still sleeping 12 + hours at night... even through all this yucky stuff!!
Can I just say that I am so ready for Spring/Summer... just warm weather to get all this sickness out!! Thankfully Brevin has been healthy and has been at school through most of this which is good - I would have felt bad for him if he was at home to... he would have not had much of my attention with how the twins were. Brevin has been so helpful and understanding... he is just such a good kid. You know... he came home from school with a sheet of paper and that had a wish on it... it was st. patricks day and I guess all the students had to write a wish on a piece of paper and you know what Brevin's wish was?? His wish was for his brothers to feel better soon. He is the best brother!!
So I guess that is it for now... hoping that we can get this sickness gone for good... so prayers would be much appreciated!!!
I do have a few other prayers requests if you don't mind... One is for a friend who is pregnant - she has gone through SO much already with pregnancies.. miscarriage and losing her baby girl twins way to early... she did carry a pregnancy to term and now has a healthy little boy who is the same age as the twins... she is now pregnant again and due in October so prayers for an uneventful and healthy pregnancy!!
Another request is for our neighbor... her Mom is in the hospital... she just had hip surgery and ended up with pneumonia and now is on a ventilator so prayers would be so much appreciated!!
I will update hopefully again soon!!
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
All About Alex...
Thursday, February 24, 2011
All About Ian

Ian LOVES it when I vacuum - for some reason when do.. he likes to watch me upside down - I have a picture of him doing this... soon as I turn the vacuum on.. he puts his hands and head on the floor and watches me this way... makes me laugh!!
Monday, January 31, 2011
All About Brevin
He seem to be making new friends everyday - he goes to school with some very special kids.. we are setting up new playdates as we speak!!
Brevin has been attending church school on Wednesday nights and seems to really like it.. we started going to a new church and we just wrapped up a Starting Point class.. learning more about the church - we really like it and everyone there seems so nice.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Patience Patience Patience
You know... I remember a friend of ours... and a Pastor... telling me that he never asks God to grant him patience because instead of just giving us patience.. HE may teach us how to learn patience. So.. instead of asking God for that.. I am just asking Him to help me get through the frustrations.
Lastnight.. my 6 year old son was playing the wii... super mario bros and he is trying SO hard to beat this level - well... after many attempts.. frustration and tears.. I decided it was time to quit and settle down.. it was bed time anyway and he went to bed grumpy. So I decided to try to beat this level for him and guess what.. I did. I ran up and told him and he was so happy. The next morning he was up extra early so he could play a few games before school... well... I must have done something wrong and possibly didn't save the game... thought I did but must not have. He was so upset and the morning started off like this. It was then 5 minutes before we had to be at the bus stop and he reminded me that it was library day at school so do you think I could find his book to return.. nope... Brev was mad at ME for not finding his book that was somewhere up in his room.. so off to the bus stop in tears we go. I know I can't expect a 6 year old to remember where he left his book - he doesn't even remenber if he ate supper an hour after he did eat supper!!
He is on the bus and off for school.. I e-mail his teacher explaining the morning and the reason he doesn't have his book - which I did eventually did find - he will just have to bring it with him tomorrow.
Now on to the twins.. getting them ready now to head to the gym.. I am trying really hard to get some exercise in during the week - I have a free membership because I work at the gym so I decided it was time to put it to use. I change both diapers - both boys pooped so we are good to go... I get the twins in the gym.. which is a workout on it's own and I get them settled in the nursery room... I head up stairs to start some cardio - about 15 minutes in... I get called down.. Alex pooped - so I go down to change him and as I am doing this.. Ian starts to poop. I finished up Alex and now on to Ian. He managed to poop all the way through his clothes so I had to change him AND his clothes and this child really dislikes diaper changes so it is a battle alone to just change his diaper and now I have to change his clothes to... well.. after all of that I lost my motivation and neither of the twins was happy about me leaving them again to finishes my workout.. so I pack them up and headed to the car - I decided to go to Biggby Coffee and treat myself after the morning that I had. Whew... I made it and now the twins are down for a nap and i am thinking of napping myself but to much to do... laundry, cleaning the kitchen etc... Anyway.. so I guess this is just a vent post - not all days are like this and I know I will look back and just laugh at this post.
Life is hectic with 3 kids.. two of them toddlers and one of those toddlers that LOVES to climb on anything he can find to climb on.. if I am not quick enough.. he falls off and bumps his head or something.. he even likes to run with his eyes closed. Yes.. he does this... he has run into things and tripped and fallen into things.. we have had a black eye... bitten lip and bump on the head. But with all this said... I am thankful for a FULL life... Thankful for a husband that will take my calls during the day and just let me vent to him... Thankful for friends who will hear me out and eventually we end up just laughing... thankful for the 3 amazing boys that I have and that there is never a dull moment.
Okay.. enough typing.. on to laundry now!



























