my window

2012-01-18T13:17:00.000-08:00

We are moved, done painting, and somewhat settled into our new house. It was a whirl wind between Christmas and New Year but I am glad the last few weeks are behind us. We are enjoying the new house - lots more room! It's strange how much we missed the brown house, but we are all adjusting to our new home.
In the midst of all the business over the past few weeks it seems as if our baby has grown up. She is crawling, sitting up and has her first tooth. She continues to be the happiest baby I know!

Trying on Harper's tutu. Lake and Harper continue to amaze me with how much love they have for Maechen. The newness of having a baby sister has not worn off. Harper wanted to share her tutu and headband with Maechen so we got the camera out. She has a big personality for such a little girl!

It's alot of hard work...

but she loves to be able to move on her own

Harper turns 3

2011-12-23T08:04:00.000-08:00

The morning of Harper's birthday she woke up with pink and purple balloons in her room.

Donut balls for her birthday breakfast.

We had her princess birthday party at Nana and Papa's house. It's hard to believe we have already had three amazing years with her.

A princess party wouldn't be complete without a princess cake.

Maechen continues to be the sweetest and happiest baby...she is working on sitting up and cutting her first tooth. Yesterday we found her up on her knees trying to scoot along the floor. Where does the time go...

changes...

2011-12-02T08:13:00.000-08:00

Lots of changes are happening at the Cowman household...bittersweet changes. We bought a house, which means we have put building our "dream house" on hold a bit longer. We have to close on the new house by the end of the year, which means Merry Christmas and happy packing for me. We look forward to having more space in the new house, but will miss our current house and the friendships we have made with our neighbors. We have defiately made our "brown house" home for the time we have lived here and made many memories that I don't think even the kids will forget. So, it will be a bitter sweet move for many reasons.
We also will be moving one less Cowman. Two nights ago Jack the Cat was hit on the road. Talk about a tough night for us all! The Hopkins joined us and we took Jack out to be buried next to Layla and the many other pets that we have buried over the years. Lake cried many tears that night and is still sad when he thinks about Jack. Because of Harper's age we don't think she was bothered nearly as much by it. Her comment was "We can just get a new tat for twistmas."

Below are many pictures from the past couple months.

Our new little niece and cousin, Rhemy, came to visit to us.
Meachen is growing up way too fast! She continues to be a great baby. Working on sitting up.

Playing baby with a real baby. :) Maechen puts up with alot!

We celebrated Lake's 5th birthday with family and friends. We had a birthday party at Mike and Vicki's the Saturday before his birthday with family, and then went bowling with a few of Lake's friends the night of his birthday. That was a riot seeing 6 5 year olds bowling. :)

The pirate cake!

Opening presents at home the 5 of us.

She looks like her Daddy!

I think she has a great smile, a feature that is very different from when Lake and Harper were babies.

I found Lake in her bed yesterday afternoon, she loves her big brother.

An interrupting volcano

2011-11-03T13:08:00.000-07:00

I don't think it gets much cuter than this! :) We didn't go trick or treating this year for various reasons, but Lake's preschool class did dress up the day of halloween. If you know me by now, I refuse to buy Halloween costumes, so two days before halloween, Lake and I came up with the idea of having him be a volcano. We were cramped for time (nothing unusual) again, so our "volcano" didn't quite turn out how we envisioned, but he didn't care. We taped volcano facts to his front and back, making the costume "educational." :) Lake introduced himself to his class as an "interrupting volcano," complete with sound effects.
Harper dug through her dress-up box when she caught wind that Lake was going to be a volcano, and Maechen is wearing an old costume from a few years ago.
They had fun dressing up that afternoon, and we enjoyed a night out with some good friends instead of trick or treating.

Fall Fun

2011-10-18T11:04:00.000-07:00

I lumped a bunch of posts into one for the sake of time. We are enjoying fall! Lake went to a pumpkin patch with his preschool class yesterday and Josh was able to go with them.

Lake and his classmates.

Lake's buddy, Simon.

Lake, Simon, and Landon

Josh ran the Des Moines Marathon on Sunday to end his season. He did amazing with a time of 3:09. I was sick so I sent Lake and Harper with my parents because Lake was signed up for the kids run.

After Lake's run...proud Daddy :)

Before the race (pics are out of order)

Maybe someday Lake will run his first marathon with Josh

Josh's cheering section minus Nana

Josh took Lake and Harper to the Fall Festical on Saturday.

Maechen at 8 weeks old

We celebrated Josh's 30th birthday

New pictures!

2011-09-26T12:16:00.000-07:00

I can honestly say we are getting into the groove of being a family of 5. Maechen is such a laid back baby, so she has made the adjustment pretty easy. She is now on a schedule and going to bed at a reasonable time in the evening, so life feels like our "new normal." She has the smiling thing down...she smiles with her whole body. :) Vicki brought over a picture of Josh when he was 6 weeks old, and it is fair to say Josh takes the credit this time around because she looks just like her Daddy, which I love.

Swinging with her big sister. I never got the swing out when Harper was a baby, so she spends lots of time swinging now. We say she's really too big for it, but that doesn't matter to her.

My studly preschooler! Lake is loving preschool, and looks forward to going everyday.

It looks like her eyes are going to stay blue.

Hyvee Tri

2011-09-09T12:35:00.000-07:00

Josh participated in the Hyvee Tri this past weekend. Maechen and I stayed home, but Lake and Harper went up with my parents and Josh's parents. The weather was beautiful! Josh had a good race, but he wasn't overly happy with his performance. But, it is a great race and many of his Sterling teammates raced as well, so they had a great day.

Waiting and watching for Daddy. Our good friends, the Gustufsons, also went up to watch Dan race.

My parents watched the kids while Josh got his bike out of transition. The race was downtown this year so they took advantage of playing by the capital

She's growing!

2011-09-08T11:25:00.000-07:00

Time is flying by! It's amazing Maechen will be 6 weeks old in a few days. But, it's also hard to remember life without her. She has definately been a great addition to our family. She is such a sweet baby and seems to be laid back and easy going. She is loved very much by not only her parents, but Lake and Harper. I never would have imagined they would be this bananas over her...something that warms my heart as their mother.
Maechen loves her tummy! She has started rolling from her tummy to her back, and she is also smiling. I have been trying to catch these smiles on camera, but usually I am too late. She is a great eater and has never had her days and nights mixed up, so Mommy is feeling great. :) The weather has been beautiful so we spend lots of time outdoors. We are working on a schedule, but it's hard when I bring Lake to and from school 4 days a week.
By the way - Lake is loving school. Not that that is a shock, but it is fun to see him excited about going everyday. I am full of questions when I pick him up, and usually learn what was for snack and what he did on the playground. We have over heard him singing songs that he learned in his classroom, so that has been fun.

Tummy time...she is getting pretty good at this.

The day has finally come!

2011-08-22T15:25:00.000-07:00

Today was the big day! Lake has been talking and anticipating this day for the past 2 1/2 years, and no, that is not an exagerration. He has been so eager to go to "school" since he learned what school is. Needless to say, when he woke up this morning he could hardly believe today was the day. He was ready to head out the door at 8:15, but preschool didn't start until 12:30, so we had a few hours to get through first.
Lake is going to preschool at one of the elementary schools in town. He has school 4 afternoons a week. Harper, Maechen and I had a quiet afternoon, and were eager to pick him at the end of his day. :)

Maechen Wren

2011-08-12T11:21:00.000-07:00

Maechen is 11 days old today. The four of us went to the doctor yesterday for Maechen's first appointment. She weighed 8 pounds 5 ounces, this puts her in the 50% for weight and 80% for height.
Many people have been asking about her name. Josh and I stumbled across this name when I was pregnant with Lake, so it's been around awhile. Her middle name, Wren, is after Josh's Great Grandpa Warren. She is definately a Maechen Wren, and Harper insists on calling her "Maechen Wren."
We are adjusting well to being a family of five, but life is much busier. The kids are doing great with her. They love to hold her and Harper can't seem to give her enough kisses throughout the day. The weather has been beautiful this week which has allowed for some outings to the park and evening walks with Daddy.
Christina has been asking for pictures so I did my best to upload some. It's funny how you forget tp take pictures with so much going on.

Josh's favorite thing to do with her.

The oldest and youngest VZ grandchild. Maechen made it even...4 boys and 4 girls.

He is such a sweet big brother!

Lake use to make this same facial expression.

Blessed!

2011-08-02T14:57:00.000-07:00

We are so happy to introduce our newest little miracle, Maechen Wren Cowman. Maechen was born Monday at 1:50 pm. She weighed 8 pounds 12 ounces and was 21 1/2 inches long...my biggest baby yet. She is doing great and we are all adjusting to being a family of 5. Even though she has only been here for a couple days, it's hard to imagine life without her. We feel so blessed to have had a healthy baby and know God answered many prayers.

The morning of I was scheduled for an induction at 6:30. Josh insisted on one last pregnancy photo.
The waiting game. I had to be put on pitocin which was something new and scary for me. But, it was actually the most pleasant delivery I have had yet.

We were shocked when we saw she was a girl, and that she was as big as she was. Lake weighed 8'10" and Harper weighed 7'6" at birth.

We couldn't be happier!

Daddy will have his hands full with 2 little girls.

A very proud Big Brother and Big sister. They were so excited to meet their little sister. Josh brought them back to meet Maechen before the rest of our family met her.

My two beauties...

Still Mama's girl

Going home!

What have we been up to?

2011-07-07T13:52:00.000-07:00

We have had a busy spring and summer. We sold our house a few weeks ago and moved last week. We are currently renting a 3 bedroom house close to the square and are enjoying being back close to downtown. The kids are adjusting well to the move and are sharing a bedroom. We aren't exactly sure what is in store for our future, but feel we made the right decision and look forward to what God has in store for our family.

I am 36 weeks pregnant! It's hard to believe we will be meeting the newest addition to our family in less then a month. This has been the toughest pregnancy by far, but I can now see the end is in sight. Lake and Harper are very excited to meet their baby brother or sister, and enjoy feeling the baby move in my tummy. They have been to every pre-natal appointment with me and have enjoyed seeing my tummy grow and hearing the baby's heart beating at every appointment. They pray daily for a healthy baby, which melts my heart.

Zoo

2011-07-07T13:25:00.000-07:00

We went to the zoo a couple weeks ago and had a great time. When we were finished seeing everything Lake asked to it all the animals again. He could have stayed all day and night if we let him.

Feeding the parakeets
love Lake's expression

Big girl doing it all by herself.

Feeding the llama...Harper was excited to see a llama close up but thought he was pretty big.

Feeding the fish.

Feeding the giraffe.

This year the Blank Park Zoo has a dinasour exhibit...Lake loved it!

Our annual family picture on the train.

Kansas 70.3

2011-07-07T12:41:00.000-07:00

It's Tri season! Josh participated in the Kansas Half Ironman a few weeks ago. He chose this race because it was only 30 minutes from Scott and Christina's house so we were able to stay with them and they were able to come and watch. It was a great race to watch because we saw Josh several times on the bike and run. He had a great race and felt good about his time.

The morning of...we were able to see Josh before he got in the water. I'm still not sure how we all managed to get out of the house and be there in time to see him.

Start of the swim.

Transition 1 - in from the swim and out on the bike.

Lake always comes prepared. It was suppose to rain the majority of the day but fortunately it didn't rain and was even a little cool.

waiting...we have learned how to do this well during a race :)

blowing bubbles

And he is finally in from the bike.

The run course was a loop that he completed three times, so we saw him several times.

waiting some more

He's done...

and so is Harper.

Summer Fun

2011-07-07T12:35:00.000-07:00

Lake was in Bible School for the first time this summer and he loved it. At the end of the week they put on a small program for the parents. Somehow Lake managed to sing on stage with the teacher while the rest of the kids sat in the pews with their class. He never ceases to amaze us. :)

Tulip Time

2011-07-07T12:30:00.000-07:00

We had a great Tulip Time this year. The kids loved watching the parades, riding a float and scrubbing streets.

We even talked Daddy into wearing a Dutch costume this year (you'll do anything for your kids).

swimming lessons & Easter

2011-07-07T12:17:00.000-07:00

Lake and Harper were both in swimming lessons this past winter. It has been amazing seeing Lake progress over the past two years. He is now a moonfish, and learning more swim strokes then I even knew existed.
This was Harper's first time in lessons, she was in the parent-child class. She loved it and seems to enjoy the water even more then Lake did at her age. She will start swimming lessons on her own this winter.

Update

2011-01-26T12:20:00.000-08:00

I know it's been a really long time since I have last updated our blog, and I really don't have any good excuses. We have been enjoying the winter, but are eagerly anticipating spring. We had a beautiful couple days last week so the kids were out with their bikes and even spent time in the sand box. But, that nice weather was short lived and we were enjoying our sledding hill once again this afternoon.
We have been keeping busy with doctor appointments, swimming lessons, Waumba and have also had a couple Bethany babies in our home over the past couple months. Lake is in the moonfish swimming class and is donig great. So far he has learned the crawl, back stroke, whip kick and the dolphin kick...the dolphin kick is by far his favorite and it is hilarious to watch. He is also working on his dive, and is doing awesome with that as well. Harper is patiently waiting for her turn to start swimming lessons in a couple weeks...she eagerly follows in her big brother's foot steps.
I am 18 weeks already, how time flies when it's your third. I am still feeling sickly during the day, but it seems to be getting a little better as the weeks go on. Lake continues to have many questions about the baby and my pregnancy, so we look on-line often at what the baby looks like in my belly. I plan to take the kids to my prenatal appointment in a couple days to hear the baby's heart beat. I really should probably warn Dr. Rob that Lake is coming with...he can have 100 questions for his favorite doctor. Lake is praying for a baby brother. He says he already has a little sister, so why would God give him another one. ?? Actually this morning Lake told me while he was praying to God, God told him the baby was a boy. He even has a name for the expected baby...Saul. He says it's a great name for his baby brother. We will be having an ultrasound in the next couple weeks, but like the last two pregnancies, Josh and I have decided to wait until the delivery room to learn if this baby is a boy or girl.
Below are a few pictures during Christmas and the month or January. I lost the battery charger to our camera, which I found today :), so we don't have any recent pictures to share.

Christmas morning

watching a movie together

still best buds

This picture is for G-ma Karen, she made these aprons for Lake and Harper.

Lake making a "dollhouse" for Harper.

Helping Daddy fix a leak in the bathroom.

Foam rollers!

Announcement!

2011-01-05T17:57:00.000-08:00

We are thrilled to announce that Baby #3 is on his/her way. Josh and I found out several weeks ago that I was pregnant, but kept it a secret until we told Lake and Harper on December 23 and our parents and siblings on Chritmas Eve and Christmas Day. I went to the doctor today for the first time and heard the heart beat and was reassured that everything is going along as planned. I have been quite miserable the past few weeks, but hope that will get better as the next few weeks go on. My due date is August 1, so I am preparing for a long, hot, Iowa summer.
Lake is so excited!!! Everyday he asks me if "that baby" is still in my tummy, how big is it, and when is it coming out. He has big plans for a brother, and has convinced Harper that she too wants a baby brother. Harper tells me that she is going to hold the baby. I could have my arms full with lots of help when the baby arrives, but I am very much looking forward to experiencing this pregnancy with a 4 and 2 year old.

Happy 2nd Birthday!

2010-12-17T08:42:00.000-08:00

Where has the time gone? It seems like just yesterday Dr. B. announced "Lake has a sister!" We were thrilled at the news that we had a healthy baby girl. Over th past two years Harper has shown us what a sweet little girl she can be: full of energy, awnryness, laughter, curiosity, and even a bit of naughtyness once in awhile. :) We feel blessed to be raising such an amazing little girl, and look forward to many more years to come.
Happy Birthday Harper!!

Happy Birthday!

2010-11-22T11:53:00.000-08:00

4 years ago today we welcomed into the world the most amazing little boy. Lake was actually born at 10:30 pm, after a very long labor and delivery. Josh and I spent Thanksgiving in the hospital that year being thankful for a healthy baby boy. Lake has brought so much joy to our lives, and he continues to amaze us everyday. We aren't sure why God blessed us with such a unique little boy, but we cherish every moment with him.

Meet our newest addition...

2010-11-19T12:31:00.000-08:00

Jack! Jack joined our family last weekend as an early Christmas present. When Josh and I first got married he said right away NO CATS. We agreed on a dog, and that was the end of it. Well, I am an animal lover and we have figured out that Harper and Lake are as well. So, when Harper started saying "Kitty birthday, kitty birthday," Josh couldn't resist any longer. We found adopted Jack from a local vet. He is a great kitty! Lake says everyday, "Mom, we found the best cat." Jack does great with the kids, and can run circles around Bea, which I didn't know could be possible.

This happens very frequently, and he actually enjoys it. He took a nap in the stroller this afternoon.

Watching Sunday afternoon football.

Keeping up with Harper and Bea.

big girl changes & Halloween

2010-11-10T12:19:00.000-08:00

We have had some changes happening in our house the last few weeks so I haven't had the time (or energy :)) to do a blog post. I decided to start potty training Harper the same day we switched her to a big girl bed....now looking back probably not the greatest idea but it worked. :)
I had lots of help from Lake as you can see from the picture below, and I can say that she is potty trained. !! No more diapers. She still continues to get out of her bed at naptime, but we'll keep working on that.

We started a tradition that consists of eating a pumpkin shaped pizza and caramel apples for dessert the night we carve our pumpkins.

Finished product!

This year for Halloween Lake wanted to be David and Josh was suppose to be Goliath. Thankfully, G-ma Karen was able to make a shephard's costume for Lake but the costume Josh came up with the night of trick-or-treating wasn't what Lake had in mind. So, David and his sheep went trick-or-treating.

potty traning and laundry

2010-11-09T07:54:00.000-08:00

So, typically I post pictures of my life and rarely share funny stories of my day-to-day events that take place with a toddler and a preschooler, but this morning I am taking the time to jot down the sweet and funny things that happen everyday amidst the chaos.
As I sat down to my work laptop with my chai I could hear noises coming from different parts of the house that I knew I couldn't ignore until I was done with my work obligations.
I passed by the bathroom where I found Harper...sitting on her knees in front of the toilet talking to her baby doll whom she had propped up on her potty seat. As I sat and listened for a few moments I quickly learned she was potty traning her baby doll, a task we have conquered with Harper and she has now moved on to training her baby dolls. I just hope for the day when she trains her baby dolls to sleep in her big girl bed without getting out. :)
As I leave the bathroom I hear noises coming from the laundry, which honestly scares me because I never know what I will find when Lake is involved. Lake has become a huge help around the house and today was no different. As I peer into the laundry room I find Lake jumping up and holding on to the washer as he grabs the sheets inside, pulls them out and puts them in the drier. "Hi Mom, I'm just doing the laundry for you."

Des Moines 1/2

2010-10-18T13:48:00.000-07:00

I ran the Des Moines Half Marathon last weekend...for those of you who are curious a half is 13.1 miles, a distance I never would have imagined running let alone finishing. If you've read Josh's blogs after his races you probably enjoy "race reports." I attempted to write a race report, but it just wasn't me.
When I started training 4 months ago, I had three goals: to commit and sign up for the race (which I didn't do until a month ago), to finish (not caring at all about my time), and to run the entire 13.1 miles without walking. I am proud to say I accomplished all three with a time of 1hour 59 minutes.
To sum up the race in a few words, it was exciting, exhausting and challenging. You will see from the pictures below Josh was by my side every step of the way. Thanks Babe!!!

Josh turning around to get his Dad's attention

Harper waiting to see Mommy and cheering on the other runners.

almost done!

Lake participated in the Kids Race that afternoon. He was pumped! :)

Lining up...he's at the far right.

Finish line

Only wanting a picture of his ribbon.

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-13T11:35:00.000-07:00

We went to the pumpkin patch last Friday. The weather was perfect! Lake had been asking to go to the pumpkin patch ever since the first snow fell last winter, so he was pumped to learn we were finally going again.

Finding the perfect one. It was Lake's idea this year to find a pumpkin that he could carry all by himself.

Unsure if she wants to feed the goats...this is her "processing" stance.

Lake figured out how to feed the goats without getting his hands dirty.

Harper continues to love kitties, and was so excited when she saw this one.

Finally, comfortable enough to feed a goat.

The "orange bouncy thing" is an all-time favorite of all all of ours.

Happy Birthday Josh!

2010-10-07T12:46:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Josh's 29th Birthday last week. I can't believe 30 is right around the corner. I remember when my parents were 30, so it's hard to believe we're that old already. I was talking to my sister the other day and we both agreed that we still feel like were 18, we're just married and have kids. :) The saying 'you only as old as you feel,' rings true for me.

The day of Josh's birthday, Lake brought me a roll of wrapping paper, and told me he had the perfect present for Daddy, "ME!"
(these pictures are out of order)

We have been enjoying the beautiful fall weather. Lake has spent some time in the combine with Brandyn and Papa and we are making plans to go to the pumpkin patch so fall pictures are yet to come.

Harper is in awe (and maybe a little scared) of the garbage truck. She waits and watches as it makes its way down our street.

It has been a lot of fun watching these two girls grow up and change the past 22 months. Now that they are nearing their 2nd birthdays, they are enjoying one another more and more. They are both into playing "babies" and both love the outdoors.

Bray was over to play this particular day.

Ironman 70.3 Branson

2010-09-20T13:15:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's hard to know where to begin. Josh has been training for this race for a year, and I feel like I have mentally been thinking about this race for 7 months, starting the day he signed up and told me we would be driving to Branson to watch him do a 1/2 Ironman.
We left early Friday morning morning so the kids could sleep part of the 7 hour drive to get there. We stopped a couples time so they could get out and run off some energy. One of the stops was the the Bass Proshop, which the kids loved.

We were able to spend some time by the pool on Friday and Saturday. Josh was only able to join us on Friday because he was busy on Saturday getting ready for the big day.

Saturday night we had dinner with a few a Josh's teammates, and families, who were also participating in the race. After dinner we went miniature golfing with Wes Chaplin's family.

Noah, Courtney (Wes's kids) and Lake.

Love this...we are standing alike. :)

Race Day

I went to the start of the race and left the kids with Mike and Vicki because it was going to be a long enough day for them. I met up with Amy Recker, and we watched the swim and bike portion together.

In case you aren't familiar with an Ironman, Josh did a 1/2 which is considered 70.3...1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike and 13.1 mile run.

Josh and his teammates waiting for the swim waves to start. The swim is broken up by age groups, hence the color of their swim caps.

Josh's wave got in the water at 7:27

and their off! The swim can be nerve racking to watch because they are in the water for what seems like forever. This is the longest race Josh has ever done, so at this time of the day I was already a nervous wreck. I say a lot of prayers throughout the morning for Josh's safety and I always feel better when I see him get out of the water.

Here he comes, out of the water, up the hill to T1. That was a good feeling to see him. :)

Walking/running his bike to the start of the bike

Once he starts on the bike I know I won't see him for at least 2 1/2 hours.

So, it seems like I am missing a few pictures here and I am. Amy and I got stuck in traffic for over 1 1/2 hours, but at one point we were on the bike course and I was able to see Josh ride past coming back into Branson.

On the run, he looked hot and tired but he gave us the thumbs up.

And he's done! I have never been more relieved to see him come through the finish and be okay. His final time was 5 hours 32 minutes. It was an honor to be his wife that day and I am very proud of him. He trains hard, and at times that can get tiring for me because it means he is away from us in the evenings and weekends, but he accomplished an amazing goal this past weekend and I am very happy for him. He has hopes of doing Ironman 140.4 sometime in the next couple years, but for now he is pleased with his performance and is looking forward to taking a "break" from training. (and by "break" I mean maybe a week of two. :))

Not only was Josh done but so were the kids. :) They were troopers the entire weekend.

If you want to hear more about Josh's race, check out his blog joshcowman.wordpress.com

Weekend getaway

2010-09-20T12:48:00.000-07:00

We went to Chicago over Labor weekend with Taylor and Bridget Lind and their little boy, Brody. Taylor's parents live about 45 minutes outside of Chicago. We had a great time, as did the kids. :)

We took the train into Geneva, twice, to get ice cream. The kids loved it.
Waiting for the train.

Lake and Brody looking out.

Harper loved it!

We also spent a day in downtown Chicago and went the the Children's Musuem.

They had a display of baby chicks, and chicks that were hatching.

Harper and Brody driving the combine.

Taylor, Brody and Lake

The Bean in downtown Chicago.

Harper and Brody looking up at their reflections.

Boys will be boys. :)

bitter sweet moments

2010-09-07T13:38:00.000-07:00

Our neighbors and dear friends recently sold their house and moved. Fortunately they only moved a few minutes away, but it has been an adjustment for all of us. But, we are happy that they have more space and are settling into their new house.

A few days before the move we got the slip'n'slide out. The kids enjoyed it so much!

Moving day! Four adults+four kids=a lot of patience on moving day. But, we were so happy with what we got done the first day and by the evening of day 2 everything was moved.

Fortunately we had some help the second day. Vicki came over and played with the kids while we finished moving everything in.

Iowa State Fair

2010-09-07T13:17:00.000-07:00

So...because I am a farm girl I absolutely love the Iowa State Fair. I think Josh secretely hopes each year that I will choose to not put our kids through the hot temps, crowds of people, and any kind of fried food on a stick...but each year I can't imagine not going. Lake really enjoyed going the past couple years and now that Harper is getting older, I knew she would enjoy it as well.

We were able to watch a baby lamb being born...Lake is so curious about the world and how everything works, this was right up his alley. :)

The famour slide.

Harper loves animals, espeically cows and horses. But we found out she prefers there be a fence and atleast 15 feet between her and the animal. Lake on the other hand...no fear.

In awe while walking through the horse barn.

Mike and Vicki met us there later in the day so Lake insisted Mimi go down the big slide as well.

Lake loved this!

Ye Old Mill....I love Mike's expressions. :)

Big Creek Tri

2010-08-09T14:22:00.000-07:00

Josh raced at the Big Creek Tri yesterday morning, and his diehard fans came to cheer him on. :) The swim and run portions were shortened because of a heat advisory (it was hot!). Josh was a little bummed because he has yet to race an Olympic distance this year, but he finished 5th overall in his age group and was fairly happy with his time.

Waiting to see Daddy come out of the water.
There he is!

We love going to cheer Josh on, but the reality is that we don't see much of him during the race. We love the Big Creek Tri because there is a huge playground for the kids to play on while we are waiting to see Josh again.

Coming in to T2

Start of the run

Finishing strong!

Daddy and his Pipa

The kids love the free food afterwards. :)

Proud of his Daddy!

Thumbs up from my Dad. :)

Cool down run with the Sterling teammates.

Sterling teammates (with shades)

(without shades:)) Their idea, not mine

Fun at the lake

2010-08-09T14:07:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we went to Josh's Aunt and Uncles' lake home for a "Vanderbeek weekend." The weather was perfect and we had a great time together. My kids love the water, so I knew we would have fun.

Lake and Papi
G-ma Karen, Brynn and Lake on the boat.

Lake and Brynn's turn to tube.

Even Harper took a ride on the wave runner.

Josh's solo ride on the tube. That morning he rode 100 miles on his bike, so it is safe to say he was not only sore the next morning from his bike ride but also his tube ride. :)

Lake had a ball watching Josh tube.

Harper and Mimi

That's my boy!

Harper and Kenna playing in the tube.

Too cute...Ty, Whit Lake and Olive. :)

Towards the end of the day Harper decided she wanted to swim again, eventhough I was under the assumption we were all dry and done for the day, she obviously did not. She wanted to be in Kenna's tube, and did not want anyone to touch her. She had a ball floating around for what seemed like forever. At this time of night the water was warmer than the air.

Lake on the tube again.

and we are still in the water...I think she was getting sleepy by this time.

I Cubs game

2010-07-22T12:58:00.000-07:00

We went to the I Cubs game lastnight with our Dan, Chablis and the boys. The weather was perfect and we had a great time!

Summer Fun

2010-07-22T12:29:00.000-07:00

Hello! It's been awhile since I lasted blogged and when I looked on my camera today I realized there were a lot of pictures that were worth sharing with family and friends. :)

Sorry, these two pictures are out of order.

Even though Harper is a girl, she has always preferred playing with cars, trucks, trains and calls. But recently, she has started to play with her baby dolls. She now insists on taking a baby to bed with her at night, which Josh removes from her crib when he checks on her later because she is usually smothering. And now I often find her caring for her baby...brushing baby's hair, wiping baby's face, and even sucking our baby's nose (which she makes the sound effects for).

Playing at the pool. Harper is a little fish, even more then Lake was at her age. She has no fear of the water, so I have to keep a close eye on her.

Lake loves the diving board. He literally sprints off and belly flops into the water, and comes out saying "Again!"

Going down the family slide. It took all summer for Lake to go down this slide by himself last summer, so he is a pro now.

And of course, Harper has to do everything Lake does, so she too is going down the slide with help from Daddy.

They were going on a walk to find Bea. She often goes missing when we are outside and returns awhile later. It drives me crazy because I worry she is going to get hurt and make our neighbors mad, but she finds a way to sneek off everyday.

While waiting for Josh to come home from work so we could go swimming all together, Lake decided it was too hot to just play, so we turned on the sprinkler.

Harper contemplating going through the sprinkler.

Trying to convince Harper to join him

maybe someday...

2010-07-07T14:20:00.000-07:00

When Josh leaves for a bike ride, I usually try to be anywhere but home with the kids, because it is so hard on Lake to see him go. This particular day Harper was napping so Lake and I were home when Josh was ready to go. Lake is becoming more and more perisistant to go with Josh, and on this particular afternoon he was even more persistant. We told him that Daddy is going on a very long ride, and will ride very fast. So, between his tears, Lake rode his bike on the driveway as fast as his little legs could take him, and said "see, I can ride fast." Not knowing what to say next we told him he couldn't go on a long ride until his training wheels were off, so as Josh was taking off down the road, Lake was in Josh's toolbox looking for some kind of tool to take off his training wheels. When Josh returned Lake's persistance had not waivered and he was determined to ride without training wheels. But, he got two feet down the driveway and decided he better put them back on and be content with a ride around the block instead. Who knows, maybe one day they will be a tri together. :)

4th of July

2010-07-07T13:56:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful 4th of July weekend! Saturday morning, while Josh was biking and running, the kids and I went out to Nana and Papa's for cinnamon rolls (a Saturday morning tradition). When Josh was done with his workout we headed uptown for the festivities. We had so much fun last year, we were excited to go again.

The frog jumping contest.

Josh and Harper listening to the instructions of the game, while Lake is in lala land. :)

The frogs...and yes they are huge!

Lake calling for his frog. Harper is thinking the frogs are getting a little too close.

2 feet is much too close b/w her and the frog.

Harper wasn't a fan of the train ride, but loved it a few days later in Sully.

On the feriswheel.

Watching the parade with Nana and Papa.

Dancing!

Showing Papa her ouwies.

At the end of the parade the fire trucks sprayed water on the crowd, the kids loved it.

Josh's Aunt, Uncle and cousins were in town from Missouri, so we went to Mike and Vicki's for supper and sparklers Saturday night. Dan, Chablis, Landon and Chase also came for the night.

We ended the night on our deck with our neighbors and enjoyed the fireworks. The little ones were in bed, but Lake and Landon stayed up to watch the fireworks.

Do The Zoo!

2010-07-05T12:52:00.000-07:00

Lake has been asking to go to the zoo for awhile now, so last week Josh took an afternoon off from work and we headed to the Blank Park Zoo. As always, we had a great time and the kids loved every minute of it. :)

One of the exhibits was feeding parakeets. We were given a popsicle stick with bird seed stuck to one side. We walked into a large cage with hundreds of beautiful green parakeets. They flew up to our arms and perched while they ate the food from our sticks.
Harper didn't want to hold her own stick, but she was all about touching the bright green feathers. She loves birds!

Waving to the monkeys.

Watching the giraffe.

As always, the kids fed the giraffe.

Patiently waiting for the train to start.

Lately, Lake has been fascinated with cows' udders. I'm not sure what started this fascination, but we have daily conversations about how baby cows drink from their mommy's udders, and he has now learned that cows are not the only animal that feeds their young this way. He was excited to be able to milk a "pretend" cow.

Trying to figure it all out. :)

Feeding the hungry goats.

If only Nana and Papa had fish in their pond that looked like these fish.

It was super hot so the kids cooled off by the spraying elephant.

This picture pretty much sums up our day! :)

Finger painting

2010-06-23T11:39:00.000-07:00

It has been raining lately or so incredibly hot and humid that we have been finding new things to do when we are not at the pool cooling off. I picked up finger paint the other day and the kids have been making masterpieces for me. :) And yes, we paint without clothes because it is amazing how much of Harper's paint ends up on her body and instead of on her paper. Fortunately, it comes off very easily in the bathtub.

She's thrilled with her work! :)

We also have been coloring with markers, so much cooler than crayons.

Such a silly girl. Harper has a very silly side, but many people don't get to see it because she is much more shy then Lake has ever been around other people.

Lake is learning to write his name. He has had the letter "L" down for some time, but we are working on the three that follow.

My Mom has been dying to get her hands on Harper's hair now that it is growing past her shoulders. She finally had the opportunity to braid the other day when she was over. Harper sat fairly still eating a snack while my Mom braided. She said she was a little rusty from the days when she use to braid my hair and Christina's hair. Unfortunately, after nap time it was a mess and had to be taken out, but it was cute while it lasted. :)

Summer nights...

2010-06-18T13:41:00.000-07:00

I still consider myself as country girl at heart and it's summer nights like these that I miss it the most. I think my brother and sister would agree that being raised on the farm/in the country it's simply in your blood. There are certain times of the year I long for the peacefulness of the country. Even though my kids may not grow up the same place I did, I want them to appreciate God's creation and the serenity of "the farm."

Lake could spend hours by the pond looking for frogs, bugs, tadpoles, etc.
Trying for a picture, but Harper was not having it.

The best we could do. Harper was talking to the dogs.

Walking down my parents' driveway.

It's mulberry season! Lake ate a sour one. :)

Harper signing "more." She now is saying the word and signing at the same time, definate progress in her speech development.

Those blue eyes say so much.

Riding the ranger at sunset. Harper likes to drive, but doesn't want any assistance from Nana even if we are headed towards the ditch.

Hy-vee Tri

2010-06-14T11:50:00.000-07:00

Josh competed in the Hy-vee Tri yesterday. The weather was doubtful but we headed up anyways. Josh left at 3:30 am and I pulled the kids from their beds at 5:00. On my way to Des Moines with my parents, Mike, Vicki and Ty, Josh called to tell me they changed the distance from an Olympic to a Sprint, because of the weather. Josh was bummed because that would have been his first olympic distance for the year, but was glad the weather was going to hold off to atleast be able to compete.
Josh jumped in the lake at 6:16 but because of parking and shuttling delays we were not able to make it there on time. We were able to see him in transition II and the start of his run. His time was 1:05, 16th in his age group.
We left soon after hoping to get back to the car before the storm came through. We all ate breakfast and watched it pour. Our parents and Ty went home after that and Josh and I and the kids stuck around hoping to watch the pros race later in the afternoon.

Josh running out of transition II.

Lake's reaction when he saw the first female cross the finish line and break the tape; He wanted his Daddy to win. :)
Crossing the finish line. The swim goes off in waves, so the time at the finish line is from when the first swimmer dove in the water, not when Josh got in.

One of the Sterling MultiSport team members, Josh Smith.

We were able to head back down to the race to watch the pros in the afternoon. After getting up at 5, Harper was in need of a nap. If she wasn't so easy going, we wouldn't have been able to pull this off.

Lake was all about watching the pros. He loved it!

Watching and waiting for the pros to head into TI.

Cheering them on.

At the Hy-vee Tri there is grandstand seating to watch the bike and run legs of the race. Very fun to watch, because they lap several times through the grand stand seating. Harper enjoyed the excitement as well!

We had a great day and I am very proud of Josh for yet another accomplishment of his. He puts in alot of time and energy (usually before we are even awake for the day) and we support him 100%. We look forward to a few more races in August and then the Half Ironman in September.

Random pictures

2010-06-10T12:19:00.000-07:00

Harper and Bea...Harper is really good about staying in the yard when we are playing outside unless she is following Bea. Who knows where these two could end up.

Lake's first motorcycle ride with Papi. He looks scared in the picture but he loved it.

Josh and Dan's idea of going for a walk with the kids. :)

Dancin' in the rain

2010-06-10T12:14:00.000-07:00

Tri season

2010-06-10T12:08:00.000-07:00

Tri season is underway! Josh competed in his first race this past weekend and finished 4th in his age group (it's nice to see the year long training is worth his while:)). The kids and I stayed home last weekend so Lake could attend his first Waumba Land (Sunday School). I can't believe he has graduated out of nursery.
Josh will be participating in the Hy-vee Tri this weekend. We look forward to cheering him on. I hope to get some pictures from the day.

The majority of Josh's tri "stuff" is off limits to the kids, but every chance Lake gets he is trying stuff on and messing around.

new boots

2010-06-10T11:53:00.000-07:00

Harper has finally outgrown an old pair of boots from Lake and is loving her new pink boots. These are definately her "shoe of choice."

Lake spends alot of time on this rock watching ants.

We borrowed our neighbors' pool last week when they were gone visiting family. It was a nice relief from the heat and humidity.

Practicing with goggles.

Lake can make Harper belly laugh very easily.

Slip'n'Slide and Sprinkler

2010-05-25T14:19:00.000-07:00

I'm not exaclty sure what happened to Spring. 3 weeks ago we bundled up with coats and blankets to watch the Tulip Time parades, and now we are in swim suits and applying sunscreen. Oh well, we are enjoying Iowa humidity and finding fun ways to cool off.

Not quite sure if she dares to go down the slip'n'slide. It's almost more fun watching Lake get wet.

It didn't take Lake longer then a few seconds to jump on and go.

Harper is pretending she is going down.

Much more fun to sit at the bottom.

brrrrrrr!

He's lovin it!

This is one of her many looks.

Trying to get her shoes back on.

She is growing up right before my eyes, and becoming a little girl.

Landon and Harper have a special connection. We aren't quite sure what it is, but they are very sweet with eachother. The other day Landon told me he loves how Harper says "Mama." :)

I couldn't find Harper for a few moments...this is where I found her.

Trying out hill #2.

Chablis got her little pool and sprinkler out yesterday. Even Chase joined us.

Perfect afternoon for a freezy pop.

cookies, tadpoles and Bea

2010-05-25T14:02:00.000-07:00

This is kind of a random post but I had a few cute pictures on my camera from the past couple weeks.

We made cookies last week, and I had my two "helpers" helping me. I've decided Harper is more of my "taste tester."

Sharing!

The tadpoles are still alive and swimming around happily on my kitchen counter. We have found out that tadpoles love to eat lettuce. (didn't know you were going to learn something today, did you:))

Almost every morning I have to remind Harper we can't go outside to play until we have clothes and shoes on. She was trying to get out with her jammies on.

Kisses for Bea.

Saturday afternoon nap

2010-05-25T13:59:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday I laid Harper down for her nap as usual but 40 minutes later she was awake and not happy. So, Josh was around and decided he would go down and see what the problem was. An hour past before I realized he hadn't come back upstairs (I was busy getting things done in peace and quiet). I went to check and this is what I found. Moments like these will be gone far too quickly.

What have we been up to?

2010-05-11T19:00:00.000-07:00

We have been staying busy playing outside when it is nice, or finding things to do inside when it is cold and rainy.

We made banana bread today, which means I now have 2 helpers on the counter and two little tongues waiting to clean the spoons.
Lake has a big imagination, and today I found him playing with the clothes hamper. When I asked him what he was doing he looked at me and said "This is Noah's Ark, God is sending a flood. " I'm sure Noah had room for trucks and tractors, right?!?!

We took care of Landon and Chase a couple weeks ago so Dan and Chablis could go on a much needed date night. We love to have the boys over to play! Lake just asked today if Chase could come over to play. :)

Harper rides the tractor everywhere, and when she gets sick of riding she just picks it up and takes it where she wants to go...a true country girl. :)

This is an everyday event...Josh leaving for work. None of us like to see him go.

We have tadpoles! My parents' pond is full of tadpoles and we love to go out there to watch them. So, the other day I got this great idea to take some home so we could see them growing and changing everday. When they get bigger we will take them back to the pond...Lake is already saying how much he is going to miss them when they are gone. :)

I remember my Mom putting foam rollers in my hair when I was little, so I bought a set and tried them out. Harper's hair isn't quite long enough, but we had fun playing with them anyways.

Tulip Time 2010

2010-05-11T18:47:00.000-07:00

We made it through another Tulip Time despite the cold temps. I hate to admit but I had to pull out the winter coats. Thursday was the warmest day so I spent the afternoon walking around with the kids, and we went up to the parade that night. We met some friends and their kids and enjoyed the parade.

Brody, Lake, Harper and Landon. Chase was there as well, but too comfy on his Mommy's lap to get in the picture. The kids did great...sat and watched the entire parade.

He is still in awe of the big fire truck.

Lake was in the Saturday afternoon parade. He rode in the Pella Motors wooden shoe train. He was very excited!

Yes, that is Josh on the far left. Lake sat and waited in the wooden shoe for 45 minutes before they started down the parade route. Let's just say he was Very comfortable with all the other kids by the time they started moving. We waited on the first corner and when we saw Lake he was turning around alot...Josh had to remind him that he needed to face forward and wave at the people.

There ya go, Buddy!

Where's Lake??

He was getting a little bored towards the end of the parade route.

Saturday night we went up just the four of us. Lake got a hold of the camera and took some pictures.

Waiting and watching for more to come.

Tiptoe through the tulips

2010-04-23T13:33:00.000-07:00

We got the dutch costumes out of the closet lastnight and tried them on and it looks like they will work for another year. :) So, after all that work I just decided to take them uptown and get the "tulip pictures" taken. Lake and Harper actually did quite well for once, and we were able to get a few decent pics.

They are being stinkers for this picture.

love this!

Spring is here!

2010-04-21T08:10:00.000-07:00

Hello! It's been a little while since I last updated my blog. We are spending as many hours possible outdoors which leaves little time to be on the computer. Lake and Harper love the warm weather and are enjoying Spring. Lake has been riding his bike and is doing very well. He rode uptown and back twice in the last two days. We have had a few falls and some pretty nasty looking ouwies, but he seems to forget about them and keep on going.
Harper has also had her first official ouwie. She fell a couple weeks ago while running on the sidewalk. Josh was gone for a few days and wanted me to send him a picture of her ouwie. This was the first night, and by morning her eye was swollen shut partway. Good thing she is tough!

My Mom and I went down to KC for a few days last week to spend time with Christina, Scott and the boys. We were so busy I didn't take any pictures except for the one below.

This is their attempt at making a silly face. Christina took a few more so hopefully she'll put them up on her blog. (hint hint:))

We have ants taking over our front yard. I'm not too excited about their multitude of ant hills that they are creating, but Lake and Harper have already spent hours watching them. Lake is trying to teach Harper that you don't want to step on their "home," but she doesn't seem to care most of the time.

This is Harper's way of saying "where did they go?" Harper is saying a hand full of words but does most of her communicating with sign language, facial expressions and occasional high pitched sreams...meaning she's not too impressed with what is happening at that moment. We are definately seeing her personality coming through more and more everyday.

"over there!"

Lake lets them crawl up and down his arm.

Daddy reading the Cat book to Harper. Lake and I have had no luck talking Josh into getting a cat, so now it's Harper's turn.

Harper loves being outside almost more than Lake does. She is constantly finding shoes around the house and bringing them to me and then pointing to the door.

This is her new facial expression. She makes this face when she has discovered something that makes her happy...typically a bird or a plane.

Lake is very proud of his tomato plants. A few weeks ago he told me he wanted to plant something so we went to Walmart and bought tomato seeds and a pot. I'm pretty impressed that I have managed to keep them alive, but Lake has high hopes that we will eventually find a home for the plants outside and then that they will produce fruit. I do not have a green thumb, and usually fail when it comes to keeping a plant or flower alive, but Lake doesn't know that. He talks about growing beans and cucumbers and even watermelon in our backyard. :) I am starting small and we'll see where these tomato plants take us.

Happy Easter

2010-04-05T12:11:00.000-07:00

Saturyday morning we went up town to the annual Easter egg hunt in Central Park. It was a little overwhelming for Lake and Harper; according to Lake there were too many people. But, it was fun none the less. They had two more Easter egg hunts, one at my Mom's and one at Grandma Karen's, so they had their fill of sweets. :)

Easter morning with their Easter baskets. This year Josh and I opted for books, bubbles and kites instead of candy.

I was so excited when we had a few extra minutes before church to snap a few pictures.

Harper's new "smile."

Never a dull moment with these two. :)

1st firepit of the year

2010-03-30T13:24:00.000-07:00

We had our first fire pit lastnight and roasted marshamallows for smores. Our neighbors came over and we all had a good time.

Lake wanted a picture of his marshmallows that he roasted.

We also opened the sandbox for the first time this year.

Dan and Landon roasting marshmallows.

Harper enjoyed some snuggle time with Chablis.

Notice little Chase, he is growing up so fast. The last fire pit we had he was only weeks old.

Who's excited for Spring...?

2010-03-30T13:16:00.000-07:00

...Harper is!!!

We are having so much fun playing outside. It seems little by little the temp is climbing and we are able to take layers of clothes/coats/hats off when we are out. Today we played outside with short sleeves on.

Monkey see monkey do...Harper loves to do everything Lake does.

Lake is showing Harper how to put her feet on the pedals and go.

Bray-Lynne played at our house for a few days when Brandyn and Emily were on a trip. Nana and Papa were busy with house stuff so we got her all to ourselves.

Trip to Naples, Fla.

2010-03-23T14:06:00.000-07:00

Last week we went to Naples, Florida with Mike, Vicki, Tyler and Whitney. We had a great time all together and many memories were made. Lake has been looking forward to this trip since Christmas, and was so excited that the time had finally come.

Waiting at the Des Moines airport to board our first flight.
He was so excited to ride on an airplane.

Harper was a "lap child."

Finally...they both took a nap on our 2nd flight.

but it didn't last long. :)

The house we stayed had a pool in the development that we could use.

Lake learning to dive.

Not too bad for his 1st try, he'll try anything once.

Harper and Papi enjoying the warm sunshine.

The 4 of us at Randy's Fish House, great place to eat.

First day at the ocean. It was pretty cold that we didn't last long, but long enough to bury Lake in the sand.

Helping Mimi in the kitchen

The boys went to a spring training game one afternoon, and wore themselves out. :)

A great picture of the 6 of us, except Harper spotted a cat during the picture session.

Hangin' with Uncly Ty.

Tired after an afternoon of swimming.

Lake and Aunt Wi.

Josh and I don't take many pics of just the two of us anymore, so I had to include it.Mimi and Harper.

Quite the pair.

This picture was taken outside of AleHouse, another great restaurant.

brotherly love

Lake loved the ants on the driveway.

We took a fanboat ride in the Everglades to look for alligators. We were amazed when we saw 51!

One of the many alligators.

Harper loved the water.

Jammie time with Papi.

Playing at the beach.

The second day at the beach was awesome!

Lake being burried again.

Making a turtle out of sand.

Harper taking a nap on the beach; very tempting for Lake.

We took a few outdoor toys along and had fun playing outside in the evening. Harper loves playing soccer.

When we were walking onto the place on the way home the pilot asked Lake if he wanted to see the cockpit, Lake was in his glory. :)

diving board

2010-03-11T11:35:00.000-08:00

Josh and I have been taking the kids to the pool once a week during open swim. Lake and Harper love the water and enjoy spending time at the pool. Last week Lake watched the older kids jump, dive and flip off the diving board, and he thought he could do it. I was hesitant at first, and glad Josh was with me because Lake was persistant. His first jump he didn't hesitate one little bit. He looked so little walking along the board, I felt I should be up there with him holding his hand. After nearly 15 jumps off the board he was exhausted. That night when we were tucking him into bed and talking about our day he told me he was going to flip off the board the next time. I'm hoping he forgets about flipping off the board the next time we go and is content to jump without his life jacket instead...but who knows. :)

scooter

2010-02-24T13:36:00.000-08:00

Lake got this scooter for x-mas and we put it away thinking we would get it out when warmer weather arrives. But, Lake found it the other day and thought he should practice. Harper insisted on riding as well, and Lake did such a nice job helping her. (never mind the head band)

pig tails

2010-02-24T13:35:00.000-08:00

I never knew pigtails could be so much fun!

Open Gym

2010-02-24T13:29:00.000-08:00

We have been taking advantage of open gym at the community center during these cold winter days. I still can't believe there's a wide open gym with balls and matts to plan on...and it's free! The kids love it and it's a great way to burn off some energy.

carrying around the biggest ball she could find

Lake's attempt at hula-hooping

Guppies I

2010-02-24T13:15:00.000-08:00

We signed Lake up for swimming lessons this winter. He is in Guppies I (I love the name; the next class is Guppies 2 and then he moves on to tadpoles:)). We were very skeptical how he would do because he just turned 3 and the classes are open to kids 3-6. I, of course, was the Mom who thinks my kid can do anything and Josh is the Dad who doesn't want to see his kid fail. (for those who don't know, we had two terrible experiences with Lake in the parent/child swim class the past 2 winters...yep we had the kid who screamed and cried the entire lesson)
But, it's just like Lake to knock our socks off and prove he can do something very well. He loves being a guppy and looks forward to swim lessons.

Harper

2010-02-16T13:27:00.000-08:00

Everyday I watch in awe as a little baby girl slowly becomes a toddler. I think I took for granted these moments with Lake because I was always wanting him to do the next big thing in his development. We couldn't wait for him to crawl, walk, talk, catch a ball etc. With Harper being my second born I find myself sitting back in amazement sometimes. She has a very sweet personality and is beginning to know how to care for her baby dolls and walk around with fancy shoes on her feet. She has a word for everything if you can understand her language. She can be strong willed and defiant at times, but melt your heart the next. But, the most amazing part about Harper is how much she loves and looks up to her brother. It's interesting to think about but Lake has a small role in shaping who Harper will become someday. He has already taught her to be strong and stick up for herself. She can be a girly girl one minute, and tough as a rock the next. Sure, they fight everyday but there are moments throughtout my day like the one below that I treasure.

Happy Valentine's Day

2010-02-16T13:12:00.000-08:00

Growing up my parents always made a big deal over Valentine's day; who wouldn't want to celebrate the holiday of love? Now that I have a family, I too want to always make this little holiday in the middle of February extra special. As my kids are getting older, it is becoming more and more fun to watch their expressions and come up with our own family traditions. We spent the week cutting out and decoring hearts until our dining room was fully emeresed with red and pink. We had originally made plans with our neighbors with a fondue night, but when kids were sick with colds, we had to go to plan B. We had a great evening just the four of us, and I am already looking forward to next year.
Harper's rose from Daddy.

Part of Lake's v-day gift was paint and paint brushes. Lake has been painting non-stop since last weekend. I have a pile of beautiful and colorful art work but I am running out of places to display his creative work. I asked Lake where I should hang the rest of the pictures and he firmly states, "all over the walls of the entire house, I can't stop painting until the walls are full."

Bray-Lynne

2010-02-08T13:42:00.000-08:00

Bray-Lynne came to play at our house this past weekend for a little while. Brandyn and Emily had plans, so we got to have her all to ourselves. Bray decided life is louder and busier at the Cowman's but I think she had a good time.

These two are quite the pair. They are playing together more and more everyday, which also means they are fighting and arguing more and more. But, the yelling and crying is worth it when they can get along so well.

Lake insisted on having a picture with Bea; of course Harper thought the same and joined in.

I don't know why but Harper will push Lake around in the cozy coupe for hours. When Bray was here she gave her a spin.

Lake likes to hold Harper and she loves to be held by him.

"cheese!"

enjoying the winter

2010-02-08T13:36:00.000-08:00

As I write this post we are once again in the middle of another Iowa snow storm. I think they are calling for up to 11 inches during the next 24 hours. I have to admit, Lake and I were excited when we woke up this morning and saw the beautiful snow flakes coming down. When we were sledding yesterday we both agreed our sledding hill needed a new layer of fluffy white stuff. I guess you could say I live in the right part of the country, because I do enjoy white winters. These pictures were taken last week during a small winter storm. It was so peaceful that night that we hooked the kids' sleds up to ropes and took everyone for a walk, including Bea. She fits right in....she loves the snow. :)

pictures, pictures and more pictures

2010-01-26T12:41:00.000-08:00

Life is back to normal today, and the 4th bedroom has been turned back into the office. Little E left yesterday, so life with a one year old and three year old seems less busy and a little quieter. I have many pictures in this blog, and they all basically show that we are enjoying the lovely Iowa winter once again, and anxious to keep turning the calendar in hopes of Spring.

Once in awhile I let Lake skip his nap to get some much needed outdoor time. This particular day was right after the ice storm. According to Lake it was beautiful, in case any of you thought differently.
He was glad to see his snow fort made it through the ice storm.
Amazed he could touch the neighbor's branches, but was puzzled that they covered the walking path of the sidewalk.

Our poor tree...as you can see it took a hit during the ice storm last year, and we have several more branches to cut down this Spring.

Nothing can stop a three year old from riding his bike. I can honestly say Lake has mastered the skill of riding a bike with training wheels all during the winter months.

Now that Harper is a year old, the shock of finding out that "he or she" was a girl, it has now completely sunk in and I am thoroughly enjoying the differences between Lake and Harper. One obvious difference is hair. Her hair is growing out, and can be unruly at times. I have a drawer full of barrettes, bows and clips and I am slowly learning what to do with hair that is misplaced 90% of the day. Harper woke up from her nap yesterday, and this is what her "beautiful" blond hair looked like. I often wonder what she does during a two hour nap to produce this:

The new cozy coupe has many miles on it already and it hasn't even left the basement and made it's way outside yet. I just hope it doesn't find it's way down Hemlock Hill with either of my children in it when it does make its way outside this Spring.

Busted...with a mouth full of marshmallows!

She is in her own world a majority of the time.

Maybe a gymnast in our future??

We called her the toast thief. After she got done with her meal, she would be caught eating off of Little E's tray.

Lake loved to help, and insisted on feeding the bottle to Little E all by himself this particular morning.

Look familiar? Lake did the same thing when he was this age, hence my unorganized drawer.

During these long winter months we get creative in the evenings filling the time between supper, bath and bedtime. A game of ring around the rosy is always a hit.

She is now brave enough to climb and can be found in the strangest places.

We are anxiously preparing for our trip to Florida in March with Josh's family. The kids were so excited when we bought swimming suits for the beach, even though Harper has no clue what the beach is, she put on a good show in her suit.

The thought of potty training another child seems daunting, and I can't believe it is right around the corner. Harper found the potty chair the other day, and Lake showed her how to use it. She is fascinated and very attentive when Lake goes to the bathroom that I sometimes worry she will try and mimic him exactly. But, she was very content to "sit" and read books with Daddy and Lake. And no, we have had no success and will probably not have any success for awhile, unless by accident, but this has become routine for Harper before bath time.

Pickles

2010-01-26T12:32:00.000-08:00

It's sad to say but Lake has never been a big fan of vegetables. As a baby, the taste of vegetable baby food was merely impossible to get in his mouth and then hope he would swallow instead of making these terrible gagging expressions. Now that he is 3 his taste buds seem to be maturing and he is able to at least try something green and healthy on his plate (and yes, he has figured out anything dipped in ranch is pretty good). We did find out at a young age that he loved pickles, and so we decided a pickle is a form of vegetable, so went with it. Being the good big brother that he is, Lake thought Harper should be introduced to the world of pickles. She is a better vegetable eater then Lake, and we are glad about that. :)

quick update

2010-01-19T12:42:00.000-08:00

I know I know, it has been too long since my last post. We've had a busy few weeks, so I find it hard to sitdown and spend time on my blog. Unfortunately, the flu bug hit our house last week. Harper got sick first, and a couple days later Lake got sick while we were in Iowa City getting hair cuts... poor guy. I don't think he will ever walk into a bakery again and not remember getting sick. He still tells me at mealtime that he can't eat too much or he will get sick again. Josh and I got sick towards the end of the week and spent the weekend trying to get back to normal.
I'm not able to post pictures right now because we have a little guy that has moved into the office, and naptime seems to be the only time that I have to upload pictures. So, today I am enjoying some peace and quiet for a couple hours while everyone naps.
Hope you are all enjoying your day and week and if you have a few moments remember to keep praying for the many people in Haiti that are dealing with so much more then we could ever imagine.

2010-01-04T13:17:00.000-08:00

Finishing up pictures from 2009. It's hard to believe a new year has begun. Harper went to the doctor today for her 1 year check-up. She didn't cry for her three shots, Lake was impressed. She had to have blood drawn for a lead test, and Lake held her hand, it was priceless. He's such a good big brother!

The day after Christmas we were invited to a wedding reception of a good friend from college. As you can see from the pictures, my kids love to dance. We have nightly dance parties at our house, so when we get in public and there's music, watch out!

All danced out, time for bed.

We can hardly believe we have made it 3 years and no ER visit for stitches or broken bones. We were hoping Harper would be a little less daring, but she is following in Lake's footsteps.

Look Mom, no hands!

If she's goin to be awnry, atleast she's cute. :)

Playing his new My First Computer game.We recently went to Curious George Live. Lake has been a big fan of Curious George, and couldn't believe he saw him in person. He sat through the entire show.

The KC boys came back for a few days and stayed at our house one night. We put all three boys in Lake's room, and they did great. Lake was so excited when he opened the front door and there stood Payton and Cadynce.

Watching a movie in 3-D. Lake had no idea why he had to wear these funny glasses, but Payton told him to and he does whatever Payton says.

Story time before bed.

Sweet kisses from Harper. Harper's hair has really started to grow out recently, so I have to tie it up all the time now or it is in her eyes. Josh took these pictures one night after we took her hair out.

She managed to get in here all by herself.