wisconsin dells weekend

We had an absolutely marvelous time in the Dells this weekend. Bill's grandparents were celebrating their 50th anniversary and treated the whole family to a weekend at the Wilderness Resort & Waterpark. We all had such a great time. Bill especially...he was like a 12 year old kid running around from waterslide to waterslide. There were four indoor waterparks within the facility. It was quite impressive.

"falling" for you

We have had a gorgeous, unseasonably warm autumn this year. Although the warm weather has been nice, I sometimes miss the chill the season usually brings. The colors have come and gone, but the leaves are sure fun to jump in. The kids have had a blast with all of the leaves out at Auntie Megan and Uncle Ben's house. We lost a few large trees in our yard late this summer in a bad storm, so we haven't got much raking at our place. I guess it saves on work, but somehow it's just not the same. It's been beautiful and we should cherish these days. A few months from now when the snow and slush get old, we'll wish for these days.

baby lauren

On Monday, October 15th, baby Lauren Renee was born to our friends Pastor Dan and Kristy Sterken. Lauren is currently under care in St. Joseph's Hospital in Marshfield. There was a placental abruption during labor. Lauren was born with an Apgar score of 1 after suffering an injury to her brain. They are unsure of her prognosis, but the doctors tell them that 80% of babies with her symptoms end up having serious motor skill impairments. We ask for your prayers for this beautiful little girl and our friends Dan, Kristy, and their daughter (and Anna's little friend) Abby.

baby benjamin

Anna and Jackson go to an in-home daycare in Weston on Thursdays. Their daycare provider, Miss Jackie, just had a baby boy on October 6th. Here is a picture of the kids seeing baby Benjamin for the first time. They were just amazed at how tiny he is and laughed at all the funny noises he made when he slept. Anna spoke to him in such a lofty gentle voice. It was so sweet to see how motherly she is. Jackson looked at him like he couldn't believe Benjamin was actually real. They will begin daycare again at Miss Jackie's house this Thursday. The baby will probably get a lot of attention.

buddies

It has been so heart-warming as Jackson grows up to see a relationship develop with his Daddy. They are truly best buds. They love to wrestle and watch football together. Bill is also looking forward to the winter, so they can go ice fishing out on the lake.

I think all too often these days, fathers don't spend enough one-on-one time with their boys. I am so blessed with a husband who sees the importance in that time and isn't afraid to show our children how much he loves them.

Another thing about Bill I really appreciate is how great he is alone with the kids. Two nights a week, I come home later from work and supper's always ready, the kids are ready to eat and the house is relatively clean. What a guy! In a couple weeks, he's going to be with the kids alone for a whole weekend during our girls' Christmas shopping trip. Not many guys can handle that!

best baker in town

Anna has been such a big helper in the kitchen. She loves to help momma out with baking or making supper. She always has such a big sense of accomplishment when people like the food she helped prepare.

Anna is beginning to understand the concept of a recipe, but she calls it a "map." We're trying to teach her different measurements as well as the ingredients. "Flour" is a tough one for her. She always says, "More 'flowers' Momma?"

Of course, her favorite part of baking is testing the batter or dough. She's pretty funny. Sometimes, after I tell her "no more," she'll try to sneak bites when I'm not looking. She's so much like her dad in so many ways. What a kid!

apple dumpling

Jack has been growing up so quickly. I look at this photo and think, "What? My baby's eating apples all by himself! I don't have to skin them, mash them, or even cut them up?" He sure grew up fast. It seems so cliche to say, but I seriously don't know where the time went.

Our little man has been learning so many new words lately and is beginning to form them into sentences. This morning he asked me, "Momma, Aya go nigh nigh?" (Wondering if Anna was awake yet.) Last week he found a AA battery in a drawer and said "In my choo choo." He had watched Bill replace the batteries in his train set about a week earlier. He's so smart already at 19 months!

Jack has been also learning how to pester his sister. He likes to swipe a toy she's playing with and take off running down the hall. Whether he's just being a little stinker, or if he really just wants her to chase him and play with him, we'll never know. It's quite humorous to watch though, until you have to break up a fight.

our little cubbie

This year is Anna's first year as an AWANA cubbie at church. AWANA is a bible club held at our church on Wednesday nights for kids ages 3 and up. She absolutely loves it! At Cubbies, they learn bible verses, hear bible stories, have puppet time, game time, art projects, and of course snacks.

One major focus of AWANA is that the home is the primary place for spiritual training. During the week, we sit and work through her Jumper book with her and she practices her verses and recites them to her leaders on Wednesdays at club. It's really amazing that a three-year-old can soak up that much scripture! It can sure teach us all a lesson! She loves to be read to and learn new things! It's giving us high hopes for school next year!

She is sure making her mommy and daddy proud! She is so proud of herself too! She gets to wear a special little cubbie vest and gets a new patch for her vest when she completes each section in her book. When we pick her up from Cubbies on Wednesdays, she can't wait to show us what she did and the things she learned.

AWANA has had a big influence in my (Holly's) life too. I went to AWANA as a child and can still remember so much of what I learned through the program. We are so thrilled that our children will have the opportunity to go through the same books and learn the same biblical principles and foundations of christianity. Next year, Jack will get to be a part of AWANA too. They just started a group called "Puggles" for 2 year olds. (Apparently a puggle is a baby platypus?) Learn something new every day!

To learn more about AWANA, check out their website at www.awana.org