happy birthday snuggle bug!

she was such a perfect little glow-worm baby

early smiles

you look so much like daddy!

such a wonderful big sister!

nursing




you finally got hair!




marit is three today. she is growing up so fast! i wish i had a recording of all the silly conversations we have all day long. she is such a talker and has lots of questions about things. the other day at dinner she asked "sooo (she uses this teenagery way of introducing many of her questions) what makes you bleed?". we then talked about the blood vessels in the body leaking when something sharp broke the skin. the next day she was talking about it again and she pointed to her rear end and said "when you bleed, your bottom, it leaks." after all, what is the difference in body and bottom?
another day, she was preparing dinner in her little play-kitchen. she brought me a huge bowl of random wooden and plastic foods-you know steak, orange, cupcake-and said "here's dinner, mommy." to which i replied: "thank you so much! what is it?" she thought for a minute, made a serious face and said "just eat it, ok?"
she is growing in independence and in understanding and it is such a joy to see as well! her favorite Bible story to read is the straight up Gospel story of Jesus dying for the world. she often talks about his "booboos" and if asked why Jesus was wounded and killed, she will say something about "to take my booboos away!" it is precious. really. today she let me cradle her in my arms for a few minutes while she chattered and made faces at me and i was reminded of those early days when we had no idea what we were doing as parents (that is still the case on many days!). we are so thankful for her sweet life and for the lessons the Lord has taught us about our own sin and the unfathomable heavenly Father-love He has for us.

happy birthday sweetie pie... love you bunches!

sick days

we have been laying low over here as the little people have been fighting off a fever virus since saturday. we haven't been sick in so long and honestly this has not been the worst kind. there is no throwing up or congestion. however, it is a little ironic that all the motrin and tyelnol has been recalled and is virtually unattainable. thankfully, a neighbor helped me out once ours ran out. and though it is never fun to be quarantined (sort of) to the house while dr honey bunny puts in a whopping EIGHT overnights (30hr shifts) in addition to the regular hours during his icu month, we are really doing just fine. my heart grieves for dear friends who are facing much greater trials of failing marriages and lost children and i just got a grave book in the mail about the persecuted church. we have much to be thankful for. and these little ones are among the many graces we daily experience. another one being that tomorrow i hit 3rd trimester! goodbye energy, hello HUGE tummy! we are thankful, thankful, thankful. look at these cuties:

1am fever resulted in her sleeping in the papazan chair next to my bed until 9am! talk about sacked out...


sickness always brings bumps in the sleeping schedules...graham took a few of his recent naps with me. i know those days are quickly coming to an end and i want to relish the extra snuggles when i can! he is back to his normal crib routine today thankfully. we will interrupt his sleep again when we take that pacifier away in the next couple months (before or after baby is the question).


they have been doing a lot of this. apparently marit still feels well enough to dress up in a leotard...


marit said "graham, can you doctor me" with some empty syringes...

recent roadtrip footage

the kiddos and i took a quick day-trip to a neighboring state for a few reasons:
to visit this glamorous grandma (she's wearing my 17yr old cousin's sunglasses and doesn't she look great?)


to meet this little beauty

to say goodbye (1st goodbye of a few) to the two wonderful people flanking grandma here. my brother and his wife are headed to India to teach music for a couple years.
while we were there, we were graciously welcome to the cookout on July 5th hosted by my cousin and his sweet wife kate

nathaniel is with my scary brothers

the kids had a blast with cousins and 2nd cousins. my grandma has 10 great grandchildren with one (ours) on the way.






though graham did get eaten alive, as usual

and benj got a mohawk

the fam minus the ones who left early with tired small children


of course i didn't take any of these pictures as my hands were usually occupied with little people. my sister-in-law bethany gets the credit. it was a lovely day, though rather exhausting. we are so thankful for dear family.