the graham's

Asher is 4 months old!

2012-01-16T12:43:00.008-06:00

Asher had his 4 month well-child check up today. He's perfectly proportional - 85% in both height and weight. He's a whopping 16lbs 13oz and 26" long! The doctor did also say that his eyes are not symmetric in shape, so we're anxious to see what (eye doctor) uncle Nathan says when Asher has his appointment next week with him. Our smiley little man is always so very content (so long as mama here does not consume even a speck of dairy) and continually loved on by his big siblings. He'll nap any time anywhere just as long as he's on his tummy and has full access to his thumb :-). We love you, Ash man!

If you give a toddler a bedtime...

2012-01-14T15:23:00.005-06:00

...she's going to ask you for a story. When the story's all done, she's going to ask for it "again again again". When you finish it a second time, she's going to ask for a cup of "moak" (milk). When she finishes her milk, she's going to ask for a "back scatch" and "sing". When you finally leave her to her slumbers and she's out of your sight for the 10 minutes it takes to nurse her baby brother to sleep...
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...she's going to find the hand cream.

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-11T18:26:00.002-06:00

"No Mama, I do it"

2012-01-04T10:05:00.002-06:00

During nighttime snuggles with Savannah, she'll often roll to her side and say "Back scratch? Sing song." I say, "sure, I'd love to sing a song to you". I sing a couple different songs, but then without fail, as soon as I start to sing Jesus Loves Me, she says "no Mama, I do it". So I snuck the camera into her room to savor her sweet little voice. Don't worry, it's supposed to be pitch black. The lights are off in the room :-).

Little Ash man

2011-12-27T11:42:00.002-06:00

Don't you just want to smooch up those chubby little happy cheeks??

"A Splishy Splashy Vacation"

2011-12-25T13:37:00.037-06:00

The fantastic six took a little winter vacation to Wisconsin Dells this past week. Mike had never been there at all and I had only been there during the summer months, so it was quite a treat for us to experience the winter Dells for the first time together with our cuties. We stayed 3 nights at the Great Wolf Lodge. It's such a fantastic place to take kids! Everything there is child-geared.

We stayed in the "Wolf Den" and it was just perfect. Aside from the Queen bed for Mike and I (and a pack-n-play for Asher), there was this little 'den' in the corner for the kids that had a set of bunk beds in it.

Super cute, isn't it? The big kids had the bunks and little Savs had a bed made up on the floor for her. My genius husband also brought along a sheet and a roll of duct tape (I mean, what CAN'T you make with duct tape, right??) to create their own little cave.

They had a blast in there! It was the coolest little fort during the day, and made for a pretty decent closed-door bedroom at night.

There was even a little 'tunnel' (so they made it) on the side that they managed to climb in and out of (even though it was over 2 feet about the floor).

It was so fun to spend so much time in the water in the middle of December!

While the big kids were enjoying the water, Asher slept. And slept, and slept, and slept....

And when he wasn't sleeping, he enjoyed learning to use his little fingers by grabbing onto daddy's string.

The hotel had an amazing 'pajama story time' every night at 8pm. There was a two story tall presentation with talking animals and all. Afterwards, all the kids sang a couple Christmas carols (completely with real snow in the lobby during the song "Let it Snow"!).

The second night we were there, we went to a really fun restaurant down the street from the hotel called Buffalo Phil's. For one thing, it was HUGE. We didn't even get a chance to see most of the activities at one end of the restaurant (bounce houses, bull rides, bowling, and 4D movies theater to name a few). We did, however, get our food delivered to us by train! Jeremiah loved watching that train so much that he didn't eat hardly a single bite of his dinner. Too cute.

During our stay, we were lucky enough to get a visit from Santa. The kids were so cute sitting up on his "yap" (lap) and Savannah was determined to not get any closer than a hand wave.

I'm thinking this should be an annual trip :-).

Woohoo!! first 'real' snowfall!

2011-12-04T21:06:00.008-06:00

After a successful Christmas photo this afternoon, the kids got their chance to bundle up and throw a few snowballs. They had so much fun!

Of course Savannah was much more interested in eating the snow.

Brooklyn taught Savannah how to make snow angels.

Mmmmm nothing like a big mouthful of (hopefully not yellow) snow!

Sorry, Ash. You'll have to join in the cold weather fun when you're just a tad older.

Red Day

2011-10-17T10:29:00.004-05:00

This week (and next) Brooklyn's school is having a Celebration of Colors. As part of the celebration, many of the kindergarten classes are having a color-of-the-day. Today is RED day and I have to say that Brooklyn is pretty much the cutest little kindergartener ever!

Little Ash is 1 month old!

2011-10-16T10:22:00.000-05:00

Happy one month birthday, Asher! You are growing like a weed, my dear. So glad the chiropractor was able to take away your pain so you can live a happy baby life without screams and spitting. We love you!

Oma and Opa Time

2011-10-14T10:05:00.001-05:00

We were lucky enough to have Oma and Opa Graham over at our house recently. As usual, they were so much fun! They were so sweet to bring dinner to us and a very special Halloween dessert project for the kids. They turned out so cute! Here are their ghost and witch's hats cookies...

Meanwhile, Opa and Asher took a nice little cat nap on the couch :-)

While the frosting was drying, the girls got to have a fun story time with Oma...

...while Jeremiah glued himself to his chair repeatedly asking "Are they dry now? Are they dry now? Are they dry now?

Thanks for a fun afternoon, Oma and Opa!

Park Play with Grandma and Grandpa!

2011-10-09T21:14:00.011-05:00

It was so beautiful today, we just had to take advantage of the nice weather. What better way than to meet grandma and grandpa at the park??

(ok, so this picture wasn't take at the park, but I couldn't resist the nakey pic I took of him right before bed :-) )

"No diap-o! Undies."

2011-10-02T20:46:00.002-05:00

That's right. Our not-so-little-anymore Savannah is now potty trained (thanks to, well, herself). We got home from Oma and Opa's anniversary party and when I told Savannah it was time for a diaper change she said, "No diap-o! Undies". Seriously, Savannah?? Because I'm pretty sure I wasn't even planning to tackle that until Asher was a little older. He was born a week ago! Aren't you supposed to be regressing?? Nope, not her. She put her foot down. She wanted undies and has had nothing to do with diapers since that night. Way to go, sweet girl! We're so proud of you!

Welcome, Asher Michael!

2011-09-20T14:11:00.001-05:00

Asher Michael Graham joined us on September 16 at 2:05pm. Boy was he tucked up and hidden in me. He came out at a whopping 9lbs 6.5oz and 22 1/4" long. His size was a shock to us all. We were blessed to have my friend, Kate, there for the birth to take photos and she did a great job! Here is a slideshow she put together for us. There is music set to it, so if you want, turn up your speakers :-).

SLIDESHOW

First day of Kindergarten

2011-08-31T08:36:00.007-05:00

Today is the day. The day Brooklyn has been counting down to. "My favorite day EVER!" (according to her, before she had even attended it). She has shown nothing but excitement for weeks and weeks. Gosh, I just can't believe she's there! I already know that I will strongly dislike empty-nesting in 18 years. Here's our little cutie this morning before we walked (or should I say, scootered) to school.

Can't wait to hear about your day, Brookie! I'll be watching the printout of your class' daily schedule all day (no really, I will). Love you, Brookie-do!

Savs has a new look

2011-08-11T15:18:00.012-05:00

Say CHEESE!

Savannah is now a full-times glasses wearer! A few weeks ago, Mike and I noticed her left eye turning in (while her right eye was looking straight forward). We thought it was a little advanced for her to knowingly cross only one eye, so we made a point to watch her closely over the next few days. Sure enough, as each day went by, it was more and more apparent. Fortunately for Savannah, her Uncle Nathan (Mikes brother) is an optometrist so we mentioned the eye-crossing to him. He suggested we bring her in for an exam.

She sat so still while Uncle Nathan checked out her eyes. She even let the nurse put the drops in to dilate them. What a big girl! After a very thorough exam, Savannah is now prescribed glasses for severe hyperopia (farsightedness) and strabismus (the eye-turn in her left eye). The prescription in her right eye is +7.50 and the prescription in her left eye is +9.50. So far, she is doing a wonderful job of keeping them on! It didn't take her too long to decide that she likes seeing the world through her glasses as opposed to without them. She even woke up in the middle of the night last night (for some good snuggles :-) ) and the first thing she asked for was her glasses! Well of course Savannah, if you need to tell mommy about the bad dream you had, you have every right to see mommy while you're doing that :-).

I found this visual simulator online. It allows you to see through the eyes of a +9 which is almost as high as one of Savannah's eyes, but gives a general idea of what she sees without her glasses. Just click here.

We think she looks absolutely adorable. This little beauty was made to wear glasses!

Look who's 4!!

2011-07-25T14:49:00.003-05:00

Our little peanut is a whopping 4 years old now! It feels just like yesterday when we first stepped onto Texan grounds when he was only a year and a half. He had his 4 year well-child check and here are his measurements:

Height - 38.15" (9th percentile)
Weight - 31.8lbs (14th percentile)

Looks like his has Mikes genes :-).

(here with his first cake - total disaster - at least he thought it looked somewhat like a pirate hat)

(the mask that gets a LOT of use around here!)

(...and even on the pontoon)

(our little spiderman keeps us well-entertained by his constant "fshew fshew!" - shooting webs)

(*giggle* "I yicked it, mama")

It's been an unbelievable 4 years with you in our lives, Jeremiah! We love you so much, bubby!

"A Radical Vacation"

2011-06-30T15:20:00.037-05:00

(Which is what Brooklyn called it COUNTLESS times!)

So, I may be a bit behind on blogging about it, but it sure doesn't take away from just how nice it was to get out of town for a few days. It's amazing what kind of adventures a family of 5 can pack into 4 days of travels.

After leaving bright and early friday morning, our first stop was for a nice picnic lunch in Winterset, IA with some of our favorite people! Kate (whom we named Savannah's middle name after) and her kids, Ava (Brooklyn's best friend for life) and Austin, met us at a really nice park for some good leg stretches and playtime. It was so nice to see them! What a great family they are :-).

(Brooklyn was so thrilled to finally learn how to slide down the fireman pole all by herself!)

(Jeremiah was completely taken by these little remote controlled toys. He and Austin hardly put them down. He is all boy :-) )

(Brooklyn and her bff, Ava)

(note the cute little random boy in the pic who was very determined to be included in all the picture-taking fun :-) hehe)

(we just couldn't pass up a photo shot in one of the many covered bridges there!)

Our next stop was just a few short hours down the road to my grandparents house in Tarkio, MO. Last time we were there was when I was 6 months pregnant with Savannah, so it sure was great to be there for a weekend.

(future tennis player??)

Next stop, ROYALS GAME! And it was so fun. We checked into our hotel (right across the street from the stadium) and started our 3/4mi walk to the stadium. It was a tad on the warm side that day (heat index of 103), but the kids did really well overall. We were so lucky. Once we crossed the bridge to the edge of the Royals parking lot, a very nice employee of the Royals stopped by with his golf cart and offered us a ride to our gate (*jaw drop*). Let me think...pregnant lady, 3 small children in tow, nice warm day...yup, we'll take a ride, thanks!

(this was one of the few times that Brooklyn did not have a terrified look on her face as we sate in our upper deck seats that she was CONVINCED would make us topple over the edge)

(we were pretty excited to have found the AIR CONDITIONED hall of fame)

(after many innings of "where's dat yion" from Jeremiah, he was pretty thrilled to actually be taking a picture with "dat yion")

(we even got a ride BACK!)

After a nice swim at the hotel's outdoor pool, we exhausted the kids and had a fun sleepover party in our suite. The hotel even included a hot dinner! Yes, we were full that night. Early rise the next morning (and another hot breakfast buffet), then we were off to see Mimi, my grandma, just down the road about 20 minutes. Then ursing home she's staying in has a nice little entertainment area with a bird (named "baby"). Oh my word the kids loved that bird!

AFter leaving Mimi's, we had our longest day of travel, heading to Souix Falls, SD to see our good friends, the Kohls'. There's a chance we may have run into a few detours from all the flooding, adding on several more hours of driving, and blowing a tire in the meantime. That didn't stop us from thoroughly enjoying some good car time on our "radical vacation". Like when Savannah snatched daddy's Dorito bag and dumped half of its contents in her lap...

(look of guilt? I think so)

...then passing it on to her big brother

Yes Brooklyn, I'd have to agree. It really was a radical vacation. :-)

Ahh the bliss of summer

2011-06-05T20:12:00.011-05:00

I have to admit that I've finally reached the point in parenting (maybe it's the number of children??) that I've started doing a much poorer job of picture taking. Well, enough's enough. Now that I'm 'just' a mom and no longer a daycare provider, I'm back at it.

We've been soaking up every ounce of sun there is out there lately. We are so lucky to have kids that want only to be outside. Now that we purchased a lawn hose (we haven't even had a place to hook one up at our many previous homes, so this is a treat!), we've been making great use of our NEMO sprinkler! Here are a few pictures of our fun today :-).

"I think I'm so stinkin' cute because I'd rather make all kinds of faces than smile for a camera"

"turn your back for one second, mom. I promise I'll find something to get into (literally)"

Yes, that's Jeremiah hiking up his shorts that seem to continually fall down while Savannah - so eager to be like her big brother and sister - is trying to jump over the sprinkler.

Brooklyn simply can not hold back her excitement as she's on her way to dump that cup of nice cold hose water on daddy's toes.

How on earth did we get so lucky?? :-)

The much-desired Bubble Gun

2011-03-09T14:08:00.006-06:00

Jeremiah, Savannah and I were running errands recently and got the pleasure of meeting Grandma at Target (so fun!). We were sort of buying some time until Grandma got there so to keep him entertained, I let Jeremiah hold this big bubble gun in the cart while we walked around. Boy did he fall in love with that quickly! 10 minutes later, he was describing (in great detail) every inch of it to Grandma. So, of course by the time we decide to put the gun away and head home, Grandma offeres to buy it for him. He was ecstatic! I should probably mention that this thing shoots only colored bubbles, so I told Jeremiah that we could only use it in the bathtub until it gets warmer outside. And this is what we ended up with...

Oh my word!! That was the bluest water I've ever seen! We took drippings from the gun and had a little fun with it :-). Needless to say, we got to take a second bath that day. It took a little scrubbing to get all the blue off. Haha! Thanks so much for a really fun bath, Grandma! :-)

This is how we do it

2011-02-21T13:44:00.006-06:00

...when we're snowed in again! Thankfully, the kids never cease to come up with new ways to be entertained. The cause of today's giggles? Luggage :-).

The fun lasted all morning (between that and the amazing, big fort we built :-) ). I should have probably taken a video of these three in the suitcases. While I was taking these pictures, Savannah and Jeremiah thought it hysterical that they kept pushing Savy's lid back and forth to cover up the other.

Savy would push the lid right over Jeremiah, then quickly look at the camera and say "eeee". Then Jeremiah would push it back over her and let out his most adorable giggle. Straight from the gut. Oh, those little laughs make my heart melt.

She's Reading!!

2011-01-11T20:11:00.002-06:00

I'm so proud of Brooklyn. AHHH! I'm leaping out of my skin right now. She can read!! It's amazing. My friend, Rosie, found these BOB books for her daughter and passed the information on to me. I reserved them at our library and they just got them in over the weekend. Unbelievable. It took Brooklyn all of about 20 seconds to put it together. From there, she just took off. The pride on her face when she finishes each book is just priceless.

Ever wonder what it's like...

2010-12-25T19:58:00.004-06:00

...to have three energetic, amazing kids on Christmas day??

What you don't know is that Brooklyn is wearing eight pairs of underwear here. She liked her new undies so well that she put the whole package of seven on top of the pair she was already wearing. And yes, you heard it right. At the end, she says "it's like a whoopie cushion!". Only recently does she even know what a whoopie cushion is. She excitedly gave one to daddy for Christmas :-).

Savannah has been saying 'banana' (actually, "bleh-la-bleh-la-bleh-la") for a little while now. This is the first time we were able to get it on camera. What a little monkey. She loves bananas!

Merry Christmas from the Grahams

2010-12-24T22:51:00.004-06:00

Christmas Eve 2010
Life is quite fast. With children at the ages of five, three, and one, life feels as if it moves at light speed for Jill and myself. That’s why today is such a wonderful day to relax and celebrate Jesus together. No responsibilities of work or otherwise, and no real agenda beyond spending time together as we praise our Lord for the most amazing gift of all time – salvation through Christ.
This morning, we enjoyed watching a new layer of Minnesota’s beautiful white fluffy snow fall onto our yard while it seemingly begged us to play in it. Today can officially be a pajama party as even after our morning showers we climbed right back into our “cozy” pajamas as the kids would say. We even made puppy chow while listening to Christmas music.
A little recap (written by Jill) on the wild year of 2010 for the members of the Graham Family:
Brooklyn has grown into such a beautiful little girl. She started preschool this year and enjoys it so much. She has a wonderful teacher and a classroom full of friends (one of which she has already asked to marry her). What a cutie. She lost two teeth this fall, can’t seem to stop writing her numbers and letters, and is taking large steps towards reading on her own. Oh how I wish I could sometimes freeze time, if only for a moment, to enjoy all these milestones for just a little longer. Her latest endeavor is quite the project. Completely infatuated with fairies, she is bound and determined to catch one. That’s right, she plans to catch a fairy of her own. In fact, she has been collecting very specific items that she will use to build a fairy house (complete with peppermints and graham crackers so as not to let that poor fairy go hungry). We adore watching her amazing imagination continue to grow.
Jeremiah is all boy. Who would have known that anything from straws or spoons to toy screwdrivers could be “pew-ers” (aka guns that he accompanies with the sound affect “pew pew”)? He has a love for “fido fightow twuts” (firefighter trucks) and pirates. He will point out a “ladder” in almost anything (typically mommy’s legs when she’s reading books on the floor with her feet up on the couch) which often turns him into a firefighter, climbing up and down the ‘ladder’. When he’s not a firefighter, he’s a pirate. Apparently, stems from artificial flowers make perfect swords! Our quiet little daydreamer has such a creative little mind.
Savannah is packed full of so much energy. She is strong-willed and very determined. She even knows how to throw a terrific tantrum. What a blessing she is. She’s running everywhere, learning more and more sounds each week, and utilizing her baby signs. Her favorite: “mo” (more). She loves dancing circles around the living room while listening to music, and will drop anything she’s doing to bring us “buh” (books) and snuggle in our lap for a good story.
Jill likes to have projects to work on in her “spare” time (though she’s not always sure she even remembers the meaning of “spare time”). From sock monkeys and curtains, to tutus and super hero capes, she has grown quite fond of her sewing machine. The better part of her days is spent having the best dance parties with her favorite little people, building forts, riding bikes, taking walks, and now playing in our backyard winter wonderland. God has truly blessed this family with three amazing children!
Mike – In 2010 I lived in three different states and at four different addresses. Change has been my only constant and I am learning and growing because of it. My adventures, mistakes, and experiences have taught me more than I can ask for – I only hope and pray that I use them as a stepping stone to mature from. I have been writing quite a bit this year and believe it has helped me grow from my experiences.
Today I am so happy to have my four favorite people in my life every single day. I praise you Lord Jesus for Jill, Brooklyn, Jeremiah, Savannah, and for everybody who reads this letter. God, please bless all who read this with the desire to know you more and with a delightful Christmas Holiday.
Merry Merry Christmas,
Michael, Jill, Brooklyn, Jeremiah, and Savannah Graham

Dear Snow: We missed You!!

2010-12-18T11:33:00.004-06:00

Don't get me wrong, we absolutely loved being spoiled by the sun while we were in Texas, but clearly we missed the snow. There is no doubt we are a Minnesota family. For some, these last couple of snow falls (blizzards!) were something to be avoided, but for a mommy who has no place she needs to be...this was a winter wonderland! Brooklyn loves to help me shovel, Jeremiah could spend hours tracing the paths he makes that lead to his homemade slides, and Savannah actually enjoys all the snow so much more than I thought a 1 yr old would. She does her best to keep up with her brother and sister, despite all the face plants in the snow that she gets along the way. It's so fun to see all three of them playing together. We are such fortunate parents in so many ways.

"Cuz I'm a boy and my name's Jeremiah"

2010-11-30T13:52:00.004-06:00

Jeremiah has really been coming out of his shy shell lately. With that, we've been enjoying so many wonderful 'Miah-isms'. Recently, his reasoning for most anything is "cuz I'm a boy and my name's Jeremiah". Some examples...

ME: Jeremiah, should we go outside and play in the snow?
Jeremiah: YEA!! Cuz I'm a boy and my name's Jeremiah.

ME: Ooh, let's wear your alien shirt today. I like that one.
Jeremiah: Yeah I want to wear the alien shirt! Cuz I'm a boy and my name's Jeremiah.

ME: Hmm...What should we have for a snack? Applesauce or carrots?
JEREMIAH: Applesauce. Cuz I'm a boy and my name's Jeremiah.

ME: Did you have fun playing legos during your quiet time?
JEREMIAH: Yep, cuz I'm a boy and my name's Jeremiah.

We love you bubby! You and all your adorable stories ;-).

Buffalo Princess

2010-11-24T14:53:00.001-06:00

Our beautiful little firstborn is now five years old. And good at it ;-). I told her that it was her special day and she could do whatever she wants (within reason, of course). She is her father's child. She chose to eat her birthday dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings. Apparently they have the best coloring books. I think every birthday gets more and more fun to celebrate. She is such a joy. She truly is. She has always done such a loving job at making a birthday person feel loved. She, more than anyone, completely deserved to have this day to do what she wanted and get showered with gifts. (And yes, I even gave her the option of not taking her vitamin that day. She loved that idea and even offered to eat two the next day to make up for it.). Brooklyn, I'm so thankful for you. You continue to amaze me day after day. The love you show toward your siblings, your artisitic abilities, and the maturity you carry make me so proud. Love you, Doodle XOXO.

As part of her birthday celebration, we let her pick out a movie to rent. So we all got to watch Tinkerbell together. She was already infatuated with fairies, but this movie really sparked her interest. After watching it, she decided that she should catch one. Yes, catch a fairy. She sprinkled herself with 'fairy dust' (ie sparkly powder-y make-up from Auntie Kiki)...

...and set goldfish crackers outside as bait. That's right, fairy bait.

We have yet to see that fairy, but when she does choose to arrive, Brooklyn has an adorable little fairy house set up (inside her dollhouse) with plenty of goldfish crackers :-).

Could a Child Possibly Have More Energy Than This??

2010-11-12T14:29:00.003-06:00

Oh Savannah...sweet sweet Savannah. One year old and no time to stand still. I am convinced that Brooklyn and Jeremiah never had nearly this much energy at this age. This girl just does not sit still. How could you sit still when you have two fun, energetic siblings chasing/tickling/playing peek-a-boo with you? What a wild little cutie. She's getting really good at the beginning sounds of words, though most things to her are "ck, ck, ck" as she points to it. She is a wonderful little snuggler and really likes her new 'ah ooh ah ooh" (monkey) and knows exactly how to use the word "no" (with a great big head shake!). Happy birthday little texas baby!

Looks Like The Tooth Fairy Is On Her Way

2010-10-10T21:28:00.012-05:00

Not just one, but TWO loose teeth! Can you believe it? Both of her bottom middle teeth are loose and we're pretty sure at least one of them will be out before her 5th birthday. It has sparked many fun conversations lately about the tooth fairy and how big she might be, how in the world she'd get into our house, how she knows that the tooth has fallen out and is waiting under the pillow, if we could visit the tooth fairy, where she lives. Brooklyn's giddy at the thought that a cute little fairy would come visit her at her house.

We've been able to enjoy some amazing weather lately. Living right by this beautiful trail has been perfect for us. We are on it (or the sidewalks surrounding) at least once each day. It's such a quiet neighborhood. We love it! I captured some fun moments out in the yard while Mike was grilling today.

And guess who took seven steps today (two different times!) without anyone's hand! All this practice pushing toys will bring her closer and closer to saying goodbye to crawling all together. *tear*

Yep, It's Official...

2010-09-15T22:11:00.003-05:00

Brooklyn is all grown up. She's now in preschool. Wow, preschool?! My goodness, where did the time go? Two days under our belt and she just LOVES it! She attends mondays, wednesdays, and fridays from 8-11am. Yes, that's an early start. So far so good. We've had a few sleepy-eyed kids this week, but Brooklyn's pure excitement trumps any sleepy's. Monday, after school, she said "Tomorrow I'm gonna be like 'tomorrow I get to go to school! Tomorrow I get to go to school!' and then the NEXT day I'm gonna be like 'Today I get to go to school! Today I get to go to school!'". When I picked her up today, she looked like she had been doing this for years. She was so comfortable. She loves her teacher, remembers and reiterates every part of each story they read, and explains to ME how to play Duck Duck Grey Duck. Cute!

When I picked her up monday, amongst the chaos of kids getting on the bus and parents picking them up, her teacher (Ms Abby) made sure to pull me aside and tell me how great Brooklyn was and how wonderful she is at raising her hand. She said she quickly realized that she had to continually scan the class "even during playtime because there was Brooklyn...quiet as can be (clear on the other side of the room)...with her hand straight up in the air waiting to be called on". Oh to be a fly on that wall. When we first met with Ms Abby during parent/teacher conferences, I'm pretty sure she thought Brooklyn would always be as shy as she was that day. And I'm pretty sure she threw that thought out the window today after she got to wait with Brooklyn for me to pick her up. Abby told me that Brooklyn just jumped up and sat right next to her and very enthusiastically said, "let's tell stories!".

So, mama wipes a tear as her baby Brooklyn embarks on this new adventure. Way to go, Brookie-do! We're so proud of you!

Nancy and Joe's Wedding Extravaganza

2010-08-08T14:37:00.000-05:00

We had a really great weekend celebrating Nancy and Joe's wedding. The weather was beautiful for their outdoor ceremony and the afternoon at Duck Lake completely topped it off for the kids! Even though my in-laws live on a lake, it's not often that we get the kids right into the sand, making castles and squishing their cute little toes in it. They had a blast!

Brooklyn was begging me to let her swim further and further out, while it took a LOT of convincing to get Jeremiah this far. They had so much fun. They could have stayed for hours longer!

Jeremiah and his teeny tushy had a hard time keeping those swim trunks on. What a little peanut!

Jeremiah turns 3!!

2010-07-21T13:37:00.012-05:00

Wasn't it just yesterday that little Jeremiah was learning to 'scoot'? What a sweet boy he's turned into. This year, his birthday fell right around the weekend that the Grahams had their annual get-together on the lake. It was a perfect way to celebrate him, running around with his cousins, hanging out on the pontoon, and many hours in the pool. I went completely outside of my culinary boundaries this year and baked/decorated a dinosaur cake for him. He LOVES dinosaurs, so I was so excited to give this a try. Considering that I once made a 2 year old throw up at Brooklyn's party from homemade frosting (if you could even call it frosting), to me this was a success.

I really wish I would have recorded Jeremiah's reaction when he opened up his Twins hat. Oh my word! He's typically a happy boy, but he sure was excited to see a hat just like daddy's that fit him! (Thank you Oma and Opa Steck!)

He's also made very good use out of his very own lawn mower. So cute!

It's so nice to have "the big boat" for us all to enjoy together (thanks Gordy and Carolyn!). Jeremiah often asks "Can we go on da big boat?". He even ventured into the lake this year. Boy, did he think that was fun!

It's always fun when the cousins get together. I love watching how much more they interact with eachother every time we get together. Each of them is becoming just a little more mobile and a their vocabulary is expanding so fast! I think Jeremiah was expecially enamored of Piper ("Pipey" to him). I'm so glad Stephanie had her camera on her while they were running around the backyard together.

8 Months Old

2010-07-10T21:06:00.000-05:00

Her accomplishments are kind of old news since I'm a little behind on posting this, but I didn't want to leave out Savannah's 8 month pictures. :)

She has mastered "so big", is a great cheer leader (claps all the time!), and is just now starting to eat solids (her favorites are banana and black beans). She rocks on her hands and knees and is able to twist and turn to get what she needs is it's close by. It won't be long before she's crawling!

July 4th 2010

2010-07-05T21:47:00.000-05:00

We spent the 4th of July holiday out at the lake this year. I found myself often thinking back a year ago from this weekend, remembering how we celebrated. How fast time flies! Last year, we were sweating it out at the neighborhood park in Carrollton. The kids' little cheeks were red, their hair dripping with sweat, letting them stay out way past their bedtime to take them to a Rangers game (which, by the way, proved to be the most spectacular show of fireworks I have ever seen!). This year, it was a lot of fun to be celebrating with family. The lake was perfect (as was the pool). Even better, we were able to be with Nathan and Heidi too. How crazy that we go from seeing them only a few times over the course of a couple years to seeing them as often as we want! We're so glad they are in town!

Our Little Tumbler

2010-06-14T20:29:00.000-05:00

Brooklyn took a short gymnastics session over this last month. She was in a little tumbling class right around the time Jeremiah was born and absolutely loved it, so we thought we'd give it a try again. She had a hard time wiping that adorable smile from her face. She had a blast! I had to zoom pretty far so they are not the best quality of pictures, but you can still see her cute little face.

Memorial Day Weekend

2010-06-02T14:39:00.001-05:00

So, I'm a little late on posting this pictures, but better late then never! I couldn't resist putting up such adorable pics of our kids on the weekend we celebrated our five year wedding anniversary. We even got to spend it at the Graham Resort ;-).

Brooklyn wasn't so fond of the rye in grandma and grandpa's rye bread, so she covered her eyes while she ate it. Apparently, if she can't see it, it no longer exists :-)

Brooklyn took it upon herself to take care of grandma and grandpa's flowers. She was a really good helper!

No, Brooklyn is not a ham. She always smiles nice and big for every picture :-).

Savannah could not get enough of those squids!

If you look closely, you can see daddy tugging on her feet under the water.

You might not be able to hear him, but Jeremiah is singing, "I'm a little airplane now". He had such a great time at the lake!

I'm Six Months Old!

2010-05-25T20:04:00.000-05:00

Savannah is now 6 months old. She changes so much every single day! It's hard to keep up with her! She likes to get her hands on anything within reach (though she'll find a way to get to it even if it ISN'T in reach). She's rolling all over the place and just figured out how to say "ba ba".

Brooklyn and Jeremiah continue to pour all their love onto 'Baby Savannah' every day. They are a perfect example of wonderful, caring big siblings.

We have been truly blessed. What an amazing family we have!

Weekend in Wisconsin

2010-05-24T22:06:00.012-05:00

We were able to go back to my parents' house in Wisconsin for the weekend to help give Bethany(my future sister-in-law) a baby shower. It's always fun for the kids to be able to see their grandparents. It was especially fun this time as we got to see Oma and Opa Lang (my mom's parents). They drove up from Missouri for the baby shower and were able to meet Savannah for the first time. Opa especially got some cute giggles out of Savannah over the weekend. It was really fun to see both of my grandparents getting to know the kids better!

The next door neighbor's little 'pond' is a popular place for the kids when we visit. They love tossing in the fish food and watching all the little goldfish come find it. This weekend, the neighbor's daughter was in town visiting and she brought her little dog. I'm so glad she captured a few pictures for us!

Our trips to Wisconsin usually involve nail polish with Auntie Kiki. This time, Kiki let Brooklyn put it on by herself (definitely a first!).

(Did I mention that Brooklyn gets to have slumber parties with Auntie Kiki??) As you can see, they have no fun at all ;-)

Jeremiah and Brooklyn spent a lot of time on this swing in the backyard. It was so cute to overhear them telling secrets, jumping off to give eachother pushes, and tons of giggles. They play so well together!

'Gonzo' is one of Brooklyn's favorite people. The two of them made sure to sneak next door to feed the goldfish one last time before we left.

A Little Sunshine

2010-05-02T12:00:00.007-05:00

We just LOVE our afternoon playtime outside! It's such a highlight to our day. We've gone through chalk faster than I thought possible (and yes, the mural on the side of the house is from Jeremiah) and those Strider bikes never get a break. As long as the sun is out, so are we.

Savannah just couldn't get enough of that grass! I kept readjusting her on her blanket, but she'd find any way possible to snag a big handful of it. Hilarious!

Oh, The Blossoming Artist

2010-05-02T11:42:00.004-05:00

To my surprise, Jeremiah has really taken an interest in art. I guess I'm just surpised because he has never had any interest in it before. If I ever did get him to sit down with a crayon, it lasted all of about 12 seconds (so completely opposite of Brooklyn!). Recently though, he's been so very content to grab a crayon and create his own masterpieces. It's amazing! He draws shapes (and even correctly identifies them), faces (with eyes, mouths, and hair even!), baseballs, dinosaurs, and even "robot heads". He really has done well with the "only on paper" rule, until last week. After cutting Mike's hair, we peeked around the corner into the hallway to find this...

Thank you, Jeremiah, for always keeping us on our toes :-).

So Many New Things!

2010-04-26T21:27:00.005-05:00

I feel like the Graham house has skipped time. In just a matter of days, Savannah learned to sit all by herself (what a big girl!), Brooklyn now sports a new 'do' (she looks so much older to me!), and Brooklyn and Jeremiah are both riding two-wheelers. My oh my!

At first, I was counting the seconds that Savannah was sitting before falling over, but I started losing track somewhere after 3 min. She's a pro!

It was definitely haircut time. Jeremiah was starting to 'sprout' in back (doesn't he look so handsome??)

and Brooklyn was due for a trim. After I informed Brooklyn that a shorter cut would keep knots and tangles away, she said "let's cut it NOW!". So, off it went yesterday. About 6 inches, that is! She kept saying, "I look JUST like Auntie Stephanie, don't you think, mom? When it's dwy, can we cuwl(curl) it just like Auntie Stephanie does?". After waking up this morning, she was THRILLED (to say the least) that her hair 'cuwled' all by itself and looks 'just like Auntie Stephanie'. What a little beauty.

I read about these Strider Bikes online not long ago. They are amazing! I read through Strider Sports' website, watched some videos of them in action, and was sold. So we ordered one for Brooklyn and Jeremiah. Unbelievable! After only a day on it, I'm convinced Brooklyn could now ride a bigger two-wheeler (with pedals). She's always been so hesitant on her training-wheeled bike, but the low height on the Strider is just perfect for her! Jeremiah is also getting faster and faster each day. I just love them!

Already 5 months old

2010-04-09T20:39:00.003-05:00

At the rate that Savannah is moving, I think she'll be walking sooner than she'll be crawling. She never stops! Even when she's nursing, I think she's trying to 'spring' off whatever her feet may be touching (arm of the couch, someone's lap sitting next to me...). What a strong, quickly-growning child. Still holding her spot at the 100th percentile, she's 26.25" tall and weighs 18lbs. Living out of boxes is kind of working in my favor with her. She's growing out of her clothes faster than I can pull out the bigger sizes! Even through sleepless nights of teething, she has a hard time break her smile. We are unbelievably blessed with such a cheerful child.

Easter 2010

2010-04-06T20:51:00.000-05:00

How crazy to think that a year ago we were celebrating Easter in Texas, starting a new journey down there. Though we loved the time we spent down south, we are truly grateful to be back in Minnesota with our family. And just in time for Easter! We spent the weekend out on the lake, watching the little cousins play so well together (minues half of little Pipey's energy :-( ) and breathing in the crisp Minnesota air (yes, I have become quite the weather nerd. I just can't get enough of Minnesota...it's all I can talk about!).

Brooklyn got to have her favorite kind of quiet time (coloring with grandma and grandpa).

(Jeremiah even got to join in on some of the fun)

Cute as ever, our girly girl Savannah sporting her new dress from grandma Joyce (thanks mom!)

My attempts at getting a group shot of our favorite monkeys...

"Seriously, mom. How many more are you gonna take??"

"Mommy, I just licked baby Savannah's hair"

"It didn't taste BEH-wee(very) good"

"I think there's something in my mouth still"

I was a little curious to see how the kids would handle packing up again for a weekend stay away, considering we just moved across the country only days before. Of course they were wonderful though, completely in their element.

(And completely worn out!)

'Castle Park'

2010-03-14T19:19:00.008-05:00

Mike found a new park today. I'm actually not sure what the true name of the park is, but Brooklyn calls it 'The Castle Park'. It's really big! It's all made of wood and there are stairs all over, bridges, swings, monkey bars, tires..it's definitely now one of our new favorite parks.
While we were there, Brooklyn figured out how to climb across the monkey bars all by herself! I've never seen them so low to the ground before. What a great idea for littler ones to learn by themselves!

The weather could not have been more perfect. Beautifully sunny and almost 80 degrees!

'Little' Savy

2010-03-12T13:48:00.015-06:00

Savannah is now 4 months old. It's hard to believe how many new things she learns every day. She has such an outgoing personality, most always content. More often than not, she plants a huge smile across her face, but has decided to not like trains all that well (sorry, Jeremiah). As soon as their horn lets out (in her defense, it is a loud horn!), so does her lower lip (and of course, some tears).
Savannah has now...
-Rolled over for the first time
-Started sitting so far forward in her swing that she probably shouldn't even be sitting in it anymore
-Learned how to cry
-Figured out how to keep herself upright in the exersaucer at the gym
-Begun to LOVE swinging at the park
-Completely fallen in love with Brooklyn and Jeremiah
-Decided to loathe her Bumbo
-Spit bubbles on everything (everything!)
-Made efforts to get anything within reach into her mouth
-Managed to stay in the 100th percentile in height and weight

She weighs 16lbs 12oz and is 26" tall. While Mike was gone, I switched her over to 6-9 month clothing, and now some of THOSE clothes are too short for her. Yep, she's officially a Pierson.

Spring Is Here!

2010-03-11T14:41:00.010-06:00

Brooklyn's play group met at a nearby park this morning and it was so beautiful out! Brooklyn's best friend, Emerson, was there. They play so well together! All three of them really. Jeremiah fits right in with the girls. This is the second park that we've found recently that has the 'chewed up' rubber floor (like a track). It's so perfect, especially since we've had a lot of rain recently. I don't have to worry at all about the kids slopping through mud puddles. Savannah slept on me during most of our time there, but woke up just in time to get a quick swing in before leaving (she LOVES to swing at the park!)

Brooklyn, Emerson, and Jeremiah are counting together in their game of Hide and Seek to find Molly

EMERSON: "Can I carry you, Jeremiah"? JEREMIAH: "Oh, sure you can" (a common answer of his)

We Have an Address!

2010-02-04T18:38:00.007-06:00

We got our first letters from Mike yesterday! It feels so good to hear from him. It sounds like he just started his actual physical training Monday. Up until then, he was going through processing at the Reception Battallion. He said that they kept him up until 2:00am that first night he got there (after being awake since 4:00am that morning...and only getting 5 hours of sleep the night before that!). I'd be desparately searching for a cup of coffee the morning after that! He said he has his uniform and dog tags and has already gotten his hair cut. One day, apparently his 'group' was missing a person, so they all had to stand at attention outside in the snow for over an hour and a half! He mentioned that his feet hurt after that (I don't doubt it!).

He is in the Alpha 2 platoon and his line number is 101. Apparently he is addressed by his line number and not his name. Fun ;-). He also seems to be getting along well with a few guys already. He's mentioned the name Vingeault a few times. He even said that one other guy in his platoon is a 21Delta (diver), which is kind of rare since there are only about 150 engineering divers total in the Army. There's a guy, two bunks down from him, that likes to call him "chap" or "chappy" since he knows Mike wants to go back to Seminary some day. He thinks Mike should be a chaplain.

So, this was all from letters he wrote over the weekend. I actually got a call from him last night. He was very homesick for us, and it wasn't easy for me to hear over the phone (in only a 3.5 minute conversation none-the-less!). He said all the physical work was fine and he can do it, but he just misses us terribly. Lots of our love sent through letters are the best thing for him right now! I hear this far into basic is the hardest, emotionally. So, here is his address. I encourage everyone to send a thoughtul note if you get a chance :-).

SPC Graham, Michael D. 0953
A-2-10 Inf Regt 2nd Plt
495 Iowa Ave, Unit 12
Fort Leonard Wood, MO 65473

Be sure to write the number "2" on the back of the envelope and circle it. This specifies which platoon the letter should be sent to. He can also only recieve letters and photos (due to lack of locker/storage space). It's against the rules for him to recieve packages bigger than that. So, we can shower him with letters!

Graham Siblings

2010-01-19T20:28:00.015-06:00

I feel like we've been having visitors here every weekend (almost true). I love it! We've been very blessed to have family travel so far to come see us. This last weekend was so much fun. We got to have Mike's sister Stephanie, his brother Nathan, and Nathan's wife Heidi here. Stephanie flew in from Wisconsin and Nathan and Heidi flew in from Boston on Friday morning. They even managed to find flights that arrived within five minutes of eachother. Nice! We kept the weekend pretty low-key which was just perfect. The kids definitely kept us all well-entertained. We played a lot of Hungy Hungry Hippo, had some tea parties, played lots of trains and cars, had some fun story times, and Auntie Heidi even got to join Jeremiah in his Thomas tent!

If you ask the kids though, they'd probably tell you that THIS was the highlight of our time together over the weekend...

Of course, we took our walk to the park down the street. We thought we'd be able to show them some warm Texas weather, but it was surprisingly chilly. We just bundled the kids (and cut our park date short).
Sunday was a fun day. We brought them to our church in Plano, and I think they all really enjoyed it. I always love listening to the choir (with 300 people in the choir, it's hard NOT to like it!) and the 30-person orchestra. What a great way to start the day. This was also the first time we brought the kids in with us instead of having them go to their classrooms. They pretty much sat wide-eyed with jaws open when they first heard the choir. Too cute! After church, we all went to our friend's Kathy and Suresh's house for a lunch (and Vikings vs Cowboys game). Having them near is almost like having family around. They've been long-time friends of my in-laws, so it was an entertaining afternoon for everyone. They put out a big flag in honor of Mike and had a bit of a going-away send-off with a cake topped like an American flag. How sweet. How lucky are we to have them living 15 minutes away!

Nathan and Heidi stayed a couple days later than Stephanie (much thanks to the weather in Boston preventing them from going home). What a great surprise! (Though Nathan would have probably been okay with keeping on schedule with his patients). We thought it was great! The first time Nathan and Heidi left, Jeremiah kept saying "mo may-fin an auntie heidi. No bye bye". Needless to say, he was THRILLED when Mike got their phone call asking us to come back to the airport and pick them up again. I forgot that Heidi was in gymnastics as a child. She was quite a shock to Brooklyn as she showed off her mad gymnastics skills at the park :-).

Mike couldn't let them leave without showing off his amazing line dancing skills (with the help of a nice pair of boots). Before moving here, I would have never imagined Mike doing this (and enjoying it)!

We miss everyone already! Thanks for sacrificing your time and in Stephanie's case, your family (a big THANKS to Kyle!). We really love you guys.

Oma and Opa!

2010-01-13T21:00:00.004-06:00

We had a wonderful visit with Oma and Opa. They added on quite a few hours of driving to include us on their trip to Tucson, but a long morning of driving didn't stop them from diving into a good game of Memory with Brooklyn (the minute they walked in the door!) or zooming Jeremiah's cars across the floor with him. (I even caught Jerry side-skipping down the hall with Jeremiah at one point..how fun!).

They got here around 1:00 in the afternoon and stayed until after 7:00pm. It was so much fun! They both got many good snuggles and kisses from all the kids (Opa even took a little nap with Savannah on the couch :-) ), read lots of good books, raced a lot of cars, and had a delicious tea party put on by Brooklyn.

Thanks for driving all that way, Jerry and Joan. We love you!

Anxiously Awaiting Oma and Opa

2010-01-13T19:51:00.001-06:00

It's no exaggeration to say that our children really are very happy almost all the time.Today though, they were beyond happy (is that even possible?). All they've been talking about for the past four days is, "how many more minutes 'til Oma and Opa come". They were off the walls (literally!) all morning.They could not stop giggling. Anything I said just put them rolling on the floor with the cutest little gut laugh. They turned random objects into "hats", "telescopes", "hoppers" (anything that allowed them to hop), and ran everywhere. Where did this energy come from and can I please have some??)

It was also a fun day because Savannah used her Bumbo for the first time! Her neck is so strong, she does GREAT in it! I couldn't help but think she looks a lot like Jeremiah at this age, so I had to dig up a picture. He's actually almost 4 months old in this picture, but they are similar in size.

Happy 2 Month Brithday, Savy!

2010-01-09T14:09:00.007-06:00

Savannah is two months old today. Wow, time flies. This little girl is all smiles and full of good stories. She holds her head up so well and already prefers to be facing away from me when she's in the Moby. She likes to see everything and everyone around her. What a smart girl! Pacifiers are definitely a thing of the past (though they were hardly a 'thing' at all for her). If she wants soothing, her preference is to snuggle in my arms and take a walk/dance around the house (lucky me!). She has a nice little bald spot on the back of her head, but so far it looks like we won't need to shave the rest of her hair :) (we love you, Hadley!). One of her favorite things (and always has been) is getting patted on the butt. It'll often put her right to sleep.

She had her 2 month well baby check and has really grown (I mean, REALLY!). She's 24.25" tall (putting her just at the 100th percentile) and 13lb 14oz (putting her just below the 100th percentile). I about fell over when I saw those numbers. The Pierson baby genes really did sneak up on her :-).

Holiday with the Pierson's

2010-01-05T12:14:00.051-06:00

We were very lucky to have some of my family come visit us over the holidays. My parents, my sister Kiki and her boyfriend Nick drove down New Years Eve from Wisconsin and were able to stay a couple days. How lucky were we! They got here around 7:30pm on New Years Eve, and the kids were ecstatic! Thinking they wouldn't get into town until later, we had planned on not letting the kids stay up, but my family's early arrival was definitely worth keeping them past their bedtime (afterall, it was New Years Eve, right?). With all the driving they had done (and with us just being parents of three), we barely made it to midnight (Sad? Yes. I'm okay with sleeping though).

We like to take our guests to our favorite park, so Friday morning we all walked down the street and had a lot of fun running around for a while. The boys got to play a little football (as Brooklyn and Jeremiah attempted to catch up with them!) and the girls...well...didn't.

We got a few looks from other parents there (whose children were bundled in winter coats, hats, and scarves), but mostly directed at my sister, haha! A true Wisconsin resident who showed up at the park wearing capri sweats, a t-shirt, and flip flops (with her other half wearing shorts and a t-shirt). Hilarious. There was rare a moment that Savannah was not in someones arms. What a loved little girl! All the kids were so loved (and spoiled with way too many gifts!) over the weekend. It just felt so refreshing having family in town. And what a drive for them! After the kids went to bed that night, the adults played The Name Game. Oh my word, I don't remember the last time I've laughed so hard. In fact, I've never seen so many people laughing so hard for so long...ever! Tears (and possibly a mouthful of my water...sorry Mike) everywhere. Saturday morning, I had a piano student, so everyone else went back to the park for part of the morning. Apparently it was a bit chillier out that day. Fortunately, Mike had brought blankets in the stroller and Brooklyn got to wear grandma's coat (so cute!). Kiki brought back all these really adorable pictures and videos of everyone all bundled up. She was able to capture the cutest little story-teller talking about her favorite princess...Ariel. In Auntie Jenna's words, "she's in love with love" already.

I also heard some stories of how the weather created a not-so-happy Jeremiah, but my family jumped at the opportunity for snuggles in the park :-). Sigh...someday we'll see them more often. For now, we like being the hosts for winter 'vacationers'. Thanks for making the trip down, guys! We love you!

Less than 3 weeks...

2009-12-28T14:01:00.010-06:00

As excited as I am for this next step in our lives, I'm almost reluctant to look at the calendar. Mike leaves for Basic Training in just less than three weeks, so we are really soaking up our daddy time. We will definitely have fun brushing up on our letter-writing skills (something I should have been better at keeping up on anyway). We haven't talked to the kids about his leaving yet. They know "daddy is a soldier" and we've talked about what being a soldier means, but we still think it's too early to tell them that he'll be gone for a while. Brooklyn would most likely have quite a bit of anxiety if we told her too soon.

I'm anxious to have more of our questions answered once he gets there (like if/when/where we will move!). I'll just be gradually packing things up while he's gone and I guess we'll see where we end up :-).

Holiday Letter

2009-12-27T20:04:00.002-06:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2009 was a wonderfully wild year. Life is an adventure, and we don't intend to miss out. Our journey this year has brought us across the States and further.

Spring -
On March 29th, we said good-bye to our home in Mankato, MN and to many friends and family. Our purpose: to get a Master's degree from Seminary. Our school: Southwestern Baptist Theological in Fort Worth, Texas. I promise you, driving through the night across the States with two toddlers in the car wasn't easy (not to mention wiping away the tears from a dreaded good-bye to some of our very favorite people). Our spring Texas experience was warm - the kids enjoyed playing outside every single day in the beautiful weather, Jill got to go through the morning sickness of this pregnancy without the support of family baby-sitters around, and I landed my first paying church job. Living in campus housing we were only 3 miles from the zoo -- so we became members of the Fort Worth Zoo, where Brooklyn and Jeremiah are able to let their imaginations run wild. Brookie & Miah have become the best of friends, it is so incredible to watch them play and interact together. They are 20 months apart, and they love each other so much. It makes me think about how much I really do love Stephanie and Nathan, and how there is nothing that can compare to the deep relationship of siblings.

Summer -
HOT. Living in a different part of the country is a wonderful learning experience, and I would reccommend to all. As Jill's baby belly grew, so did the daily high temperature. Many back to back days in the triple digits. The summer also provided another move for us. My new job was a Minister Intern at a church in Plano, TX. The hour long commute was helpful to me for learning Greek in the car, but I missed the time with Jill and the kids. So on July 1st, we moved into our current home in Carrollton, TX. We are now able to be only 4 miles from the church and learn what it means to be a Minister's family. The internship at Prestonwood Baptist Church was an incredible experience. The church has a staggering 29,000 members and provided us with daily opportunities for impact and for learning. As I kept busy learning Greek and working, Jill teaches piano lessons out of the home and enjoy's her ever changing days as a stay-at-home mom. Our new home provides a fenced in back yard where Brooklyn loves to utilize the rope swing and the trees for climbing, wereas Jeremiah loves to run and hit home-runs! We also had the priviledge to learn how to exterminate cockroaches - gross, gross, gross.

Autumn -
The weather cooled off, but was just perfect for a Minnesota family to enjoy the outdoors daily. We have gone on many family walks, including the "Graham Family Flashlight Walk" around the neighborhood before bed time, and I have been able to grill out most every single Saturday and Sunday. We have been blessed to enjoy so many family and learning moments this year as we continue to grow and change. Our favorite moment this fall came at 9:28pm on 11/09/09. Savannah Kate Graham joined us at 9 lbs and 12 oz, measuring 21.5 inches long. What a beauty she is. (I even got to snuggle with her for a nap today). Both Brooklyn and Jeremiah adore her, smooch her, and talk about her often. It is so incredible to watch Jill mother Savannah along with Brooklyn and Jeremiah -- it is quite clear how much she loves being a mom. Also, our Thanksgiving was just perfect, my parents visited from Minnesota (for the 2nd time this year) and the kids couldn't stop hugging them and playing with them.

Winter -
Savannah is starting to be awake a little more often and is sharing more smiles with us. Brooklyn and Jeremiah are both quickly expanding their vocabulary and entertaining us with their questions and comments. We are lucky to be getting ready for a few more visitors: Jill's Family, and my siblings Stephanie and Nathan along with his bride Heidi are all coming for a visit in January. We love our experience here in Texas, but we love our family and friends much more. Lastly, we are gearing up for another big change - the Army. I enlisted for active duty for 4 years starting on January 25th, 2010. I know, the adventure continues. Many have asked the obvious - what about school, your family, etc. The short answer is that we are continuing to pursue God's leadership and guidance in our lives. We believe in our God, our country, in all of you, and that this is part of our overall big picture plan. We don't have all the puzzle pieces to the big picture yet, and this next "puzzle piece" may look a little rough around the edges, but it truly does fit. We believe we will learn and experience much - and if we approach it with the correct attitude, we can grow abundantly from this future journey. It will also provide us with the financials for school, as we plan to continue my 3 year Master's degree at Bethel Seminary in St. Paul, MN.

Today - I am relaxing for this last day of my Christmas break and I am going to grill for dinner, Jill is dying diaper covers (she cloth diapers the kids), Brooklyn is playing with her new dollhouse accessories, Jeremiah is analyzing his new train set, and Savannah is sleeping in her swing and keeping warm with a Boston Red Sox blanket (thanks Uncle Nathan and Aunt Heidi).

We wish you a wonderful 2010. We challenge you to make time to read an extra book or two this year. We hope you take life's curveballs as the adventure and opportunity for learning they are. We pray for you to grow closer in your relationship with God. We love you and miss you.

May God bless you and keep you,
The Graham Family - Savannah, Jeremiah, Brooklyn, Jill, and Michael

Christmas Eve

2009-12-25T15:17:00.007-06:00

We went to the Chistmas Eve service at church last night, and can you believe it was snowing! It had been snowing all day and actually accumulated on the ground (very much news-worthy for Texans). There wasn't nearly as large of a turn-out at church because of the weather, but our family sure soaked up as much as possible. It felt like a 'true' Christmas and the weather made us feel quite at home.

Brooklyn had been asking (for weeks) if it would snow soon, why there wasn't already snow, and if it would even snow at all in Texas, so she was thrilled to be making snow balls last night. Jeremiah, on the other hand, wasn't sure whether or not he really enjoyed having them thrown at him, but he did have fun (until his fingers touched it, to which he said, "Mama, teen my hands peez").
Savannah decided not to run around in the snow last night. She was much more content sucking on her fist (which, as of lately, has been much preferred over her paci).

Miss Independant

2009-12-20T18:50:00.005-06:00

Brooklyn continues to become more and more independant by the day. She's even begun to think that she knows best. Lately, this is how some of our conversations pan out:

"Time for dinner, sweetie"
"Well mom, I'm reading a story"

"Brooklyn, let's pick up your barbies now that we're done playing with them"
"Mommy, you can do it. I'm playing with my doll house"

"Brookie, two more times on the rope swing, but then it's time to go inside"
"Mommy, it's okay with me that I swing four more times because I'm fours years old"

What a hoot. Her most obvious act of independance is clearly her outfits. I want her to be able to pick her own clothes out. The only times I step in to intervene is when she's not dressed appropriately for the weather. I really do find it amusing to see what she has picked out for the day (though it's typically about four times a day that she changes outfits, haha). This is what she picked out to wear for our walk yesterday. For the love :-).

Home Run!

2009-12-16T14:22:00.020-06:00

Brooklyn, Jeremiah, and I had a lot of fun playing in the back yard this morning. They never grow tired of the rope swing, climbing that tree, or playing on the slide. It's so fun to see them running around back there, often in their own worlds. We played some fun games of chase this morning, and even hit a few good home runs! I'm officially not jealous of Minnesota weather :-)

Savannah was also giving some really big smiles while Brooklyn and Jeremiah were resting. She held them back while the camera was out, but she sure is starting to acquire some conversational skills. What a beauty.

"Teento Yiddo Staw"

2009-12-16T06:32:00.000-06:00

This was taken on November 1st, but I just figured out how to upload videos. Jeremiah was so cute that night. He was all snuggly in his jammies, singing so many songs to himself. He was a little apprehensive about singing more songs once I grabbed the camera, but I was able to capture his sweet little voice :-). It's a little dark because only his lamp was on (he was just climbing into bed for the night).

"It Was Really Silly"

2009-12-11T22:41:00.006-06:00

Brooklyn had her 4 year well child check up today. I was impressed with how thorough her pediatrician and the nurses were. After what I would think is the routine part of the exam, they had her look at a chart from down the hall to test her eye sight(though we obviously prefer Uncle Nathan ;-) ), they tested her hearing, and even had her give a urine sample. Brooklyn had to call Daddy after that appointment to say (through her giggles), "Daddy, I go'ed potty in a cup! It was really silly".

She's getting so tall (I'm curious to see how her height compares to her cousin, Hadley). She's 38.5", which puts her in the 25th percentile (yep, not much like her sister) and 33lbs, putting her at around the 30th percentile. She'll often tell us out of the blue, "I have a little Steck in me". She's right. She hasn't made it above the 25th percentile yet. I don't think she'll be a tall girl.

We're so proud of the beautiful little girl she has become. She's such a blessing to everyone!

I looked back at my baby book and had Carolyn looked at Mikes. We didn't have records of us at age 4, but these are our closest comparisons:

Mike (age 3)- 36" tall, 29lbs
(age 5.5)- 41.75" tall, 38lbs

Me (age 2.5)- 36.75" tall, 36lbs (Holy cow!!)

One Month

2009-12-09T22:27:00.010-06:00

I find it hard to believe that Savannah is already one month old. She has been giving us lots of smiles during the day, and keeping mama well-entertained at night :-). We very rarely hear cries from her. She typically 'grunts' when she's hungry. It's so cute, I wish I could imitate it to tell others, but my noises tend to come out a little less cute. I was able to get a few pictures of her with her eyes open, but she spent the better part of the day sleeping.

Brooklyn, Jeremiah, and I took advantage of that time and played outside in what the weather man described as "the lowest temperatures of the year!" (it was about 32 degrees at the time, ha!). We bundled in hats and mittens, but probably would have been scolded by the 'locals' for being under-dressed.

A Perfect Afternoon

2009-12-08T17:40:00.009-06:00

It was beautiful out today (I think the high was 61 degrees)! To be honest, the kids and I really haven't been out of the house all that often since Savannah was born. It's either been rainy, chilly (Texas chilly ;-) ), or I've just been too exausted to do much (mostly the latter). So today, after a nice nap and a delicious cup of coffee, we took a walk! I wore Savannah and Brookie and Miah were in the double jogger. "Mommy, it's so beautiful!" Brookie said as we passed by this 'creek' in the picture. She's right. It really was a perfect day to finally get out of the house!

During our walk, a nice elderly passer-by expressed her concern for the kids' health in this "cold weather" (even though they had long sleeves and were covered in blankets). I assured her that us migrators from Minnesota felt very comfortable in this weather ;-). The funny thing is that right before she said anything, I had just been thinking, "I wonder if Savannah is too warm". Hehe.

Oh My, She's Grown!

2009-11-30T21:05:00.003-06:00

Savannah had a follow-up appointment today with her pediatrician, Dr. Olobia. I really like the kids' doctor. He's great with the kids, always has very detailed handouts for each developmental stage (which I'm pretty sure he writes himself), so friendly and knowledgable. Plus, he has a fun Jamaican(/I'm really not sure at all) kind of accent.

Savannah is still looking great and all her bloodwork came back normal. I did have him run a Pulse Oximetry on her. There have been a couple times lately that her right hand turned purple. It was while I was dressing her, so I knew it could very well have been just that part of her clothing was cutting off some sort of circulation in the process, but I wanted him to check as long as I was already in the office. It came back normal. He said to watch it cosely. If it happens again or more frequently then he'll do extensive tests, but otherwise to assume her clothing was pinching her arm while I was dressing her.

Carolyn and I were convinced she had gained a little weight while they were visiting, but I would have never guessed that she gained almost a pound in just under two weeks! Today (she's three weeks old exactly) she weighed in at 10 lbs 7oz and is 22.25" long! Wow, Savannah! Looks like those top-of-the hour nightly nursing's are really doing something for you! You are so beautiful, sweet Savannah.

I wish I would have captured a picture, but today was also the first time she smiled at me (and it wasn't in her sleep)! She has the most beautiful facial expressions. How did we get so lucky as to be her parents?? The Graham family would not be complete without her.

A Wonderful Thanksgiving

2009-11-28T12:03:00.031-06:00

We were so lucky to have my in-laws here for Thanksgiving. Mike and I actually had never cooked a turkey before (or made stuffing or yams or gravy...), so Gordy and Carolyn used this as a teaching experience. SO fun! They even brought family recipes so that we can continue having delicious Thanksgiving meals "Graham-style".

They sure did get a nice greeting. As soon as we heard a knock on the door, Jeremiah and Brooklyn sprinted down the hall as fast ad the could, swung open the front door and literally leapt into their arms with squeals. I thought they'd never let go. I'll keep that beautiful image in my head forever. They are absolutely in love with their grandparents.

Brooklyn was literally attached at the hip to grandpa. (She refused to let go of him even while he was cooking!). It was the greatest thing in the world to watch. We really miss being close to them.

Jeremiah put on some great shows for them by dancing to The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, singing "You and me do-in fissin' in a dawt...tountin' staws..."

And Savannah was more often than not found nestled into grandma's arms. I really only held her when she was nursing. I'm so glad she got to have so many grandma Carolyn kisses (she smelled like every flavor of chapstick Carolyn was wearing while they were here! :-) )

The weather was really nice while they were here, so we spent some time at the park. This park is just down the street from us, so the kids really enjoyed showing grandma and grandpa where they spend their time while I'm teaching.

We also went to this really neat train exhibit (thanks to Kathy and Suresh!) in Dallas. Jeremiah especially loved it. There was so much detail put into these models, it was amazing. We even got some fun hats for our little tour.

And to end our very full, exciting day we took grandma and grandpa for a little trolly ride through Dallas. Mike, Brooklyn, and Jeremiah are waiting for the trolly to show up here. They sure love their daddy!

We sure had a great Thanksgiving, but we miss you already grandma and grandpa!

Proud Mama to Three

2009-11-23T18:04:00.009-06:00

We had a relaxing afternoon today while mommy got a little camera happy :-). I can't stop thinking how beautiful our children are.

Happy 4th Birthday Brooklyn!

2009-11-22T22:24:00.001-06:00

We are so proud of the beautiful little girl she has become. Time has slipped though our fingers. Just 4 years ago, she came home with us...a 7lb 9oz bundle of love. We are truly blessed to be called her parents.

Nothing Cuter Than a Fluffy Butt

2009-11-20T14:13:00.006-06:00

I'm very impressed with my flats. I would have had many blowouts by now if she were in disposables. These seem to hold everything in! (And they are so adorable on her!)

First Doctor's Appointment

2009-11-18T21:14:00.002-06:00

Savannah had her first doctor's appointment this morning. She's 9 days old today. They wanted to see her one week after being discharged from the hospital so they could check her bilirubin levels and listen to her heart (she was born with a heart murmur). Her bloodwork came back clear and she has outgrown her heart murmur (praise God!). She weighed in at 9lb 8oz (4oz less than her birth weight), putting her in the 91st percentile! They took her length and I could not believe that she has grown a half an inch already! She is 22in long, putting her in the 98th percentile. I shouldn't be too surprised since my side of the family is all tall, but it still amazes me since Brooklyn and Jeremiah have always been on the petite side (especially in length). Her newborn diapers (cloth) only fit for the first week. She now wears flats. And today I need to pull the next size up of her clothes from the garage. She definitely skipped over newborn size clothing and only a few of her 0-3 month clothing fit her. She really doesn't even have any rolls, but is so long that the shoulders of her little outfits are pulled off, her little chest shows, and the sleeves barely reach her wrists. I'm anxious to see if she continues to stay a tall child from the Lang genes or if more of the Steck genes stay in her :-).

Best Friends

2009-11-18T20:42:00.003-06:00

We got home from getting groceries this morning (my first outting with all three kids, by the way), and I let Brooklyn and Jeremiah play right by the front door by themselves while I was putting the groceries away. They play so well together. Brooklyn loves telling Jeremiah all kinds of stories. She jabbers away and I occassionally hear an "oh yea?" or "otay" from Jeremiah. I peeked around the corner to see them like this. Again, as soon as I took the picture Jeremiah said, "Mama, no pictures". They melt my heart.

Sleepy Head

2009-11-15T20:56:00.003-06:00

I'm almost getting concerned for my potential sleepless night tonight. Savannah has been very contently sleeping all day. She's bound to wake up just as I'm slipping into bed, and I know she's going to want a play date! Fortunately, I have three delicious flavors of coffee creamer choices to wake me up in the morning. As sleepy as I am in the groggy hours of the night, I can't resist snuggling her. What a perfect way for a mama to wake up (at any hour of the night!).

No Mommy's Allowed

2009-11-15T20:44:00.002-06:00

Mike was grilling dinner while I ran a quick errend this evening. I came home to find Brooklyn reading stories to Jeremiah in his room (perched on his books next to his bed). As soon as I walked in, Brooklyn said "Mommy, I'm reading stories to Jeremiah. He likes it. I'm a good reader. He doesn't want to talk to you". Wanting to laugh, I said "Oh, did you guys want to play by yourselves right now"? "Yes, we want to read stories all by ourselves. You should leave", says Brooklyn. I left for a couple minutes, but couldn't resist sneaking back in to take a picture of them. As soon as I took this picture, Jeremiah looked up and said, "Mommy, no pictures". What a hoot. I love our kids.

Brooklyn the Monkey

2009-11-15T20:24:00.007-06:00

This weekend, Brooklyn had so much fun swinging on the rope swing in the back yard. She's typically our cautious child, but this weekened she decided to try something new. She had daddy move the picnic table closer to the rope so she could stand on the table and swing about 16 feet (daddy's estimate) to land in a pile of leaves. Unbelievable! She is so strong. She was so anxious to get back to her rope swing this morning that she ran out back before she even got out of her jammies.

First Day Home

2009-11-12T11:34:00.011-06:00

What a fun morning it's been here. The kids and I stayed home and attempted to get some sort of routine down. I need to establish Savannah's feeding schedule before we have the slightest clue of what 'routine' means. She is such a content baby. The few times I've heard anything resembling a cry is during a few diaper changes. Otherwise, her big bright eyes are scanning the room trying to make sense of all the noise coming from two toddlers.

We've enjoyed the soft Boppy cover from Stephanie (thanks!). Savannah loves being propped up in this so she can get a better view around her. I can't seem to get enough adorable pictures of her little yawns. She has already developed her own personality quite well. So far, she's only nursing about every 3-4 hours. That is a big change from the last newborn I nursed. Jeremiah was feeding every 2 hours around the clock for his first two months of life. I hear this is a common difference between a 6lb 11oz baby and 9lb 12oz baby. So far the theory that bigger babies are more content and sleep more seems to hold true. Though I won't write off the chance that this just may be her personality and have nothing to do with her size.

I am really loving my cloth diapers on her. Jeremiah was closer to 9 months before I started him in cloth. These little diapers and covers are SO teeny and such a breeze! Cloth diapering couldn't be easier. Savannah still isn't a fan of any kind of diaper change. I'll admit that I've partially undressed her a few times just to be reminded that she does have a set of lungs. I just love her little wails! She calms instantly when she's swaddled back up afterwards. We could not be any more blessed to have the children that we do.

Happy Birthday Savannah!

2009-11-10T17:56:00.008-06:00

Our sweet Savannah is finally in our arms. I had an appointment yesterday with my OB/GYN at 1:45pm. He set me up with an NST for 20 minutes to monitor contractions and follow the baby's heart rate. Though he wanted to induce me at 39 weeks, I declined. I really wanted this little girl to come on her own time. At my appointmet yesterday, I was 40 weeks 4 days along and decided to have him strip my membranes. Since I was already past my due date, almost 5cm dilated, and 25% effaced, there was a chance it would 'stir things up' and get labor started within the next 48 hours. After the appointment, Mike and I took a nice long walk through Arbor Hills. It was beautiful! The kids and I had been to the playground there once beforehand, but this was the first I'd been on the trails. We walked for almost an hour and a half. Throughout our walk, my contractions were becoming more frequent and gradually more intense. I wasn't in any pain, but since we were timing them 2-5 minutes apart, we decided to check ourselves into Labor & Delivery. I'm so glad we did! We got to the hospital at 4:00pm and active labor started at 4:30pm. By 5:00pm I was 6cm dilated and 50% effaced. My contractions were then consistently 1-3 minutes apart and getting stronger.

At 6:03pm Dr Endelman broke my water. He gave me 30 minutes to continue laboring on my own, but instructed the nurse to hook me up to Pitocin if I made no further progress. Knowing that I wanted to avoid Pitocin, the nurse waited closer to 45 minutes before checking me again. Thankfully, by that time (around 6:45pm) I had dilated to 7cm and was 80-90% effaced! Yay for no Pitocin! I decided to try the IV pain killer as the contractions were quite strong. I had never tried this form of pain killer during labor with Brooklyn and Jeremiah. It was supposed to just take the edge off. It made me a little drowsy and allowed me to rest my body a little more in between contractions. By 8:00pm, the pain medication had worn off, so I asked the nurse for another dose. It ended up taking longer than I expected for her to get it for me. She had to get consent from my doctor and we were all preoccupied with trying to get the baby to turn her head. She was looking up instead of down, and it was preventing my cervix from fully dilating and causing my contractions to 'couple' (back-to-back contractions, followed by a about a 4 minute lull...repeatedly). By 9:00pm she had my pain medication ready but needed to check my cervix one last time. We were all surprised to find that I was completly dilated and ready to push (and also too late for another dose of pain killer). One problem - they had yet to call the doctor in because he was 20 minutes away! Those 20 minutes were, by far, the longest part of labor. Though I had an irresistable urge to push, the nurse was instructing me to wait until the doctor got there. Needless to say, the baby's head was crowning as the doctor came into the room at 9:20pm. Three contractions later, our beautiful Savannah Kate entered the world at 9:28pm, weighing 9lb 12oz and 21.5" long!

Daddy Got a Pull-up Bar!

2009-11-07T12:40:00.009-06:00

Mike has been especially focused on preparing for Basic Training these days. He's been doing a lot of running, push-ups, sit-ups...and now pull-ups! He 'splurged' with some of his birthday money and ordered this really neat pull-up bar that fits right in the doorway. I'm not sure who has more fun with it - Brooklyn or Mike.

Jeremiah has gotten up there to hang on it a couple of times, but is much more content with playing cars (and flexing for the camera!).

"Nap Time"

2009-11-03T14:59:00.008-06:00

For quite some time now, Brooklyn has let go of her afternoon nap, and replaced it with "quiet time". This is a wonderful opportunity for her to let her little mind wander, color pictures, listen to music, play with her baby dolls...and the list goes on. For some reason, as of lately, Jeremiah has also now stopped napping and chooses to play with his cars or 'too too twains' instead. Surprisingly, he still manages to keep up his energy until 7:30 bedtime every night! I go in to get the kids from their quiet time at 2:30pm every afternoon and this is how I found Jeremiah today...
...sound asleep!

In the Sprinkler

2009-11-02T09:11:00.009-06:00

I know this is Texas, but I still never thought I would hear myself saying that we were playing in the sprinkler on November 1st! The high was about 79 yesterday, so we turned on the sprinkler for the kids while Mike grilled dinner. Brooklyn had her newest favorite toy (her umbrella) dancing through the "rain" with her. What a sight. We truly are blessed to be parenting such amazing children.

Halloween

2009-10-31T21:11:00.016-05:00

The kids got their first real taste of trick-or-treating tonight. We started at our friends Kathy and Suresh's house, then made our way up and down their block. You can see in the pictures that Jeremiah missed his nap today. He was in a daze a lot of the evening. We had so much fun! Brooklyn put her own costume together. She was a fairy princess (thoroughly loving every minute of it) who got to wear make up outside of the house for the first time. Jeremiah is actually wearing a clown costume that my mom made for me when I was his age (how fun!).

Our church has a Fall Festival every year on Halloween night that gets quite the turn out. Typically, around 20,000-25,000 people attend. They had dozens of bounce houses, blow up slides, 'carnival' games, and more candy than the kids will ever eat! By 7:00pm when we got there, Jeremiah was pretty exhausted, so he stayed close by me for the most part.

Brooklyn, on the other hand, suddenly got a big second wind of energy and tried just about every 'ride' in the preschool corner (more than once!).

...As Jeremiah almost fell asleep standing up.

Old MacDonalds

2009-10-30T08:28:00.004-05:00

I recently joined the Carrollton Early Childhood PTA. So far we've only been to a couple play dates, but the kids and I really enjoy it. It's helped us get out and meet some more stay-at-home moms and kids their age. Yesterday, Brooklyn's play group met at Mcdonalds (Jeremiah calls it "Old MacDonalds and sings E-I-E-I-O whenever he hears "McDonalds") to play in their play area. Brooklyn is a fantastic climber and can easily maze her way through the tunnels and slides. This play area is huge! I get lost just looking from the outside. She has a blast. Typically, Jeremiah is Brooklyn's little shadow wherever she goes, but today he stayed pretty close by me instead of venturing in. I saw him crawl into the opening, assuming he'd sit there a minute and climb right back out (he's a little frightened still), but within minutes I hear, "MAAAMAAA! MAAMAA!" amid lots of tears. I frantically circled my way around the play area trying to figure out where his cries were coming from. He had managed to crawl halfway across this maze and end up at the top of a (not so small) tunnel slide. So I sent Brooklyn back through to see if she could coax him down while I yelled up the tunnel, "Jeremiah, Mommy's right here. Come on down buddy, I'll catch you". He was not going to have that. So, 39 week pregnant mama climbed UP this long, curly tunnel slide to rescue him. I kind of wish there was a camera around. I could have SWORN I would end up in labor after that adventure. Nope, still preggo and Jeremiah never went back in :-).