Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Welcome, Audrey! (WARNING: lots of cute photos!)


My new neice, Audrey Noel Meredith, was born on July 28, 9 pounds of total cuteness!
What a joy to finally see her!



My dad with Audrey


Diana had a pretty fast labor and did an awesome job!

This cracks me up.


One of my favorite photos.  Eleanor was quite taken with her new cousin!

Family of three!


Pretty amazing to see my little brother as a dad!  He's a great one already!


Audrey with her Oma, Diana's mom.

I think she thinks Uncle Todd is pretty silly already!


Audrey and my mom.
 
 


The last time my kids held a newborn girl it was their sister Lucy, and her soul was already with Jesus.
There was something redemptive about seeing them hold their cousin.

Welcome, Audrey!
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Monday, July 23, 2012

a few pictures


Batman!  aka Jack
Even better when the shirt is tucked into the Batman underwear...


Love this one of Todd and Will!


Eleanor with the hat she made (with Mimi Gayle's help) for VBS crazy hat day

 

Me at close to 37 weeks and my sister-in-law Diana nearing 41 weeks...these cousins are going to be close!


A couple days shy of 37 weeks. 
Eager to see this little guy!
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Thursday, July 12, 2012

Oh, Canada


A couple of weeks ago my dear sister and her dear husband moved to a FOREIGN LAND.  Well, they moved to Canada.  They stopped and stayed with us for a couple days, and although the time was short, it was special and we made some fun little memories with them as well as with my parents and Andrew and Diana.  We went to a baseball game (Star Wars theme night!), swim lessons, and enjoyed some great food.  Brian made his now-famous watermelon hedgehog, and us girls found a fabulous recipe for 'smores cupcakes (Polly, please send recipe ASAP!)  Will especially enjoyed hours of lego building with Uncle Brian.  Come back soon, you guys!



 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Monday, July 9, 2012

Happy Birthday, Super-Jack!

This past weekend we celebrated Jack's third birthday, Superhero style!  We are thankful for the joy and laughter God has brought to us every day through this special little boy.  He loves wrestling with his Daddy, snuggling with his Mommy, and playing imaginative games with Eleanor and Will.  He is tenacious and determined, doesn't give up...whether he is trying to take down Todd, move a couch, open a string cheese, or build something!  Yet for all his determination, he is quite an easy-going little guy.  He loves books, weapons, the outdoors, diggers and trash trucks and cars, Star Wars, and superheros!  If you call him "Jack", he will probably correct you and inform you who he really is that day - Superman, Batman, Spiderman, Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, the Emporer, etc.  He changes his clothes more times a day than his sister ever has!  Batman HAS to wear Batman underwear to fight the bad guys, didn't you know?!

 Jack, we thank God for the gift He has given us in you! 


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Father's Day

God has blessed us with a man who is an incredible husband to me and an amazing father to our children!  He both verbalizes, and shows, his love to us on a daily basis.  What a blessing God has given us in Todd!

I am thankful to the Lord today, too, for my own father and father-in-law.  I truly could not ask for better!  They have spent huge portions of their lives sacrificing of themselves to invest in their children and grandchildren. 

 


Yesterday Todd took Eleanor to a Chick-fil-a Dad and daughter date "night."  She chose her dress and hairdo, they ate chocolate covered strawberries and were serenaded by a violin.  And cows dressed in tuxedos.

All three kids and I made a little book for Todd with photos of him and them together, and with a series of questions I had asked the them about their Daddy.  A wonderful range of sweet to funny!
Here's a little sampling:

Q. What do you like to do with Daddy?
A. Eleanor - I like to say "do underdogs!" on the swings at the park!
A. Will - Play plain Star Wars video games and Legos Star Wars video games and play Legos and play with Jack with him.
A. Jack - Buy him a Broncos shirt and play David and Goliath and get him a toy baseball bat.

Q. What is his favorite food?
A. Eleanor - Pepsi.
A. Will - Beef.
A. Jack - Salsa and carrots.  I heard him say "Carrots are my favorite food."
(The older two were spot on!  Jack, well, I don't where he was pulling that from!)

Q. Why do you love Daddy, or what is something that you love about him?
A. Eleanor - Because he's my Daddy!  We do lots of fun things together and he spends lots of time with me.
A. Will - He plays Star Wars video games with me!
A. Jack - Because Mommy is Daddy's buddy.

Pretty sweet.
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