Todd and Noelle's Blog

Thursday, April 26, 2012

24 weeks, etc..

so here i am on monday, 24 weeks!

we've been enjoying some great outdoor time with this awesome warm weather! todd and my brother andrew have been working on a retaining wall/prep for a patio, and we're also working on a collaborative vegetable garden project with andrew and diana. i'm super excited!

here are some of the seedlings we've started indoors. how fun for the kids (and myself) to plant the seeds and then watch them sprout!

these three were thrilled to finally break out the wading pool!

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

22 weeks

We are having another...BOY!
He has been lovingly nicknamed "Buster" and his siblings have big plans for him - especially Jack!
This pregnancy is a very emotional one, after losing Lucy almost one year ago. I am thankful that God's plan is good, perfect, and pleasing; that we can trust Him in absolutely everything.

Eleanor's 6th Birthday!

On March 29th our little firstborn turned 6! Eleanor is smart, an excellent student who has recently learned to read. Her memory and powers of observation amaze me sometimes! She creates beautiful artwork and does well in her music class. But what I love and appreciate about her more than all those things is her sweet, kind, and thoughtful spirit. I love to watch her play with her brothers and friends - including, sharing, and encouraging. She asks some wonderfully deep questions about the Lord and about the Gospel of Christ. She believes and loves all that she understands about Jesus. I am so thankful that God blessed us with Eleanor!

Her birthday celebrations were quite drawn out this year! We started out the weekend before by sharing ice cream sundaes with Papa Steve and Mimi Gayle, Uncle Andrew and Aunt DeDe.

Her Mimi Gayle took her to Build-A-Bear for the first time! She returned with the now beloved "Doxie."

On her actual birthday I baked cinammon rolls and snapped this photo.

The following weekend we celebrated with Papa Rod and Mimi Ruthie, Uncle Andrew and Aunt DeDe, and her dear friends Abby and Hannah. We had cake and ice cream, opened gifts, and spend a fun afternoon at the penny arcade!

The week after that, I made these adorable (if I must say so myself!) cupcakes to take to a little celebration in her T-TH kindergarten class. After working on them late Monday night, we woke up the next morning to...a snow day! School was canceled and the cupcakes did not survive a whole week. So this past Monday night, you can guess what I did again! The boys and I loved taking the cupcakes to her class, reading a story she chose to all the kindies, and observing part of their morning routine.

The parties are over til next year!

Monday, April 9, 2012

Easter 2012

Monday, March 19, 2012

19 weeks

God is so good, truly the Giver of every good and perfect gift, as James says! He is the giver of life, and we praise Him for the new life growing in me. Due in early August.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Disneyland - 350 photos - how will I ever choose?!

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Christmas

We were so blessed to host Christmas at our house this year!! My parents were here, along with my siblings and their wonderful spouses. I am so thankful that they all made the effort to come and be with us - it was super special! I missed our little Lucy. I had imagined a Christmas with our baby girl scooting around. We hung a stocking in her memory, and a couple of ornaments. Todd gave me a little figure called "Forget-me-not" that I had wanted since Lucy died. I read recently that a Jewish custom is to introduce some sorrow into important joyous occasions by remembering loved ones who have passed from this earth. We certainly remembered our little girl, as well as my two grandparents who died this past year. The sadness was real yet did not take away from our joy. I am thankful for the birth of our Savior, the Savior who makes possible the certain hope of a future where every tear will be wiped from our eyes, where we will dwell with the Lord, free from sin and sadness!