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Goodbye Joe

Saturday morning we got ready for the funeral and again, had the boys stay home with a babysitter.  The funeral was a beautiful good-bye to Uncle Joe.  My brother, cousin Kerri and I were asked to read the readings during the mass and we were also pall bearers along with Jake, Jared & Kyla, and Josh & Jordan.

After we returned from the cemetery, the church ladies provided us with a wonderful luncheon.  We were able to visit with many of our extended relatives, many of whom we had not seen for several years.  “Why is it that we only get together at weddings and funerals?” was a question that was asked many times over.

Jake and Jared brought the boys to the church after we were finished eating so we could introduce them to family members who had only seen them in pictures.  At that point we also selected a few items of Joe’s to remember him by.

After a long & emotional morning/afternoon, we returned to Jared & Kyla’s for the evening.  We had dinner and sat around the table reminiscing and looking at photos.

Uncle Joe ended up having the last laugh tonight.  My cousin, Josh, had brought home a humidifier box (after the encouragement of my mom).  When he opened it at home that night, he had to drive back to Jared & Kyla’s to show us what he had found.  Apparently my mom had used the box to send Joe a care package for his birthday back in what we think must have been 2004!  The birthday card and treats inside the box were never opened!  Little Debbie cakes were hard as rocks and Hershey Kisses exploded while Hershey Miniatures disintegrated.  From what we can figure, Uncle Joe must have thought he was getting a humidifier for his birthday and didn’t even bother to open the box.  So funny & yet, not surprising 🙂

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Weekend trip to SD

We traveled to SD this weekend to lay my Uncle Joe to rest.  It was a sad reason to get together with family, but at the same time, good to be with family.  The kids and I rode with my dad (my mom had gone down earlier in the week and Jake and Tony drove together after work.)  All 3 kids did quite well in the car.  The boys were entertained for a while by good ‘ol Cars.  Thank you Pixar.

Once we arrived at my cousin’s house, we had dinner, changed and went to the prayer service for my uncle at the church.  Jared & Kyla found a sitter to watch all 4 boys so we could attend the service undistracted.  When Kyla and I arrived home, we found the boys here:

They remained up until about 11:30.  WWWWWAAAAYYYY past bedtime, but they were having so much fun with each other, how could we put them to bed???

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Happy 3rd birthday Lincoln!

Dear Lincoln,

I thought I’d write you a recap letter detailing today’s events.  I can’t believe you are 3 years old today.  As I sit here typing, I’m looking at a picture of you and your big brother when he visited us in the hospital after your birth.  You look so tiny!  Yet, I can see in your eyes, it’s you!  You have become such a fun, independent, inquisitive & loving boy.  I thank God for the gift you are in my life!

The day started off much like it did on the Easter Sunday you were born – we woke up to wet, heavy snow.  You, Nolan & I had breakfast in our pj’s and gobbled up purple waffles – your request.  After getting dressed, we had planned on going to the Children’s Museum, but the snow and slop made the roads extra messy (and dangerous,) so we decided to save that adventure for another day.  You didn’t seem to mind since you had a chance to play with a few of the birthday presents you opened in the morning.

For lunch, you asked for “Taco Bells,” so you and Daddy (who took the day off from work) picked up tacos and nachos for us.  After lunch, you, Nolan & Daddy went to pick up your cake – Buzz Lightyear was what you asked for this year.  I briefly considered making your cake again this year, but decided to let the ladies at the bakery make it for you this go-around.  You fell asleep in the car on the way home, so Daddy laid you down for a birthday nap – probably a good idea since you ended up being up past your bed time yet again tonight.

Our family and friends came over for cake and ice cream at about 6:30.  We sang “Happy Birthday” to you and your eyes just beamed!  I think you enjoyed being the center of attention today 🙂  After cake, you politely asked if you could open your presents, and had so much fun doing so.  You received many wonderful, sweet well-wishes & gifts from your grandparents, aunts, uncles & friends.

You are loved by so many wonderful people, Lincoln.  Never forget that.  And in the words of your great-grandma Fran, God loves you, and so do I!

 

XOXO

Mommy

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3/22/11

Rest in peace, Uncle Joe.  We love you and pray we will one day join you in the presence of our Lord.

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Jumpin’ Lincoln

Nolan came to the kitchen this afternoon and said, “Mommy, Lincoln is in the jumper.”

Following Nolan into the toy room, I discovered this:

Pinching my lips together so as not to let on just how funny the situation was, I said, “Lincoln, get out of there.”  His response to me was, “I can’t! Mommy, can you help me?”

Good thing we know the springs in the jumper are rated to at least 30 pounds.  Ingrid should be safe.

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A little time with Mommy

Today, Nolan was asked to go to a classmate’s house to have lunch and play after school.  That left me with only 2 kids for a good portion of the day.  (Good thing, because I battled a migraine for most of the time he was gone.  But I digress…)

We took a meal over to a family who recently had a baby and then perused the aisles of Sam’s Club – always a rousing good time.  Then, because he was such a trooper, I told Lincoln we could go out to lunch.  We ate at Panera and then grabbed dessert to eat at home.  In the time it took me to unload the groceries from the truck, Lincoln made his way to the dining room table, opened his M&M cookie, devoured it, and threw away his trash.  Amazing what he’s able to do on his own when sweets are involved.  🙂

When I eventually had a few minutes to snack on the cinnamon roll I brought home, he was kind enough to “help” me eat it.  I was able to snap a picture of the two of us using the camera in my phone.  Not the greatest quality, but it captured a sweet moment I was able to share with my favorite almost 3 year old.

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Back to belly

So it’s official.

We have a roller.

I have yet to witness it firsthand, but Grandma Patti did this afternoon.  And Jake saw our little girl, post-roll, this evening as he was getting the boys ready for bed.  I don’t know if I’m ready for what’s coming next.  I’m hoping she’s perfectly content just being on her belly for a while!

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Just like Mommy

After putting the boys to bed tonight, Jake and I were talking in our room while I was feeding Ingrid.  At one point, he looked across the hall and saw the light on in the boys’ room.  Opening the door, he saw Nolan in bed with a Dr. Seuss book.  (Thankfully, Lincoln was out to the world.)

Jake: “Nolan, what are you doing?”

Nolan: “I’m reading to relax, like Mommy does.”

Oh what that child observes and retains.

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Some kind of berry

Nolan: “Mom, why is she blowing cranberries at me?”

Ingrid has learned how to blow “raspberries” with all of the extra saliva she’s producing in preparation for her new teeth.  Today, she blew them at her brother 🙂

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Backwards

It seems I need to do a better job at looking at the kids’ clothes before they head off to school.  I went downstairs this morning with Lincoln and Ingrid and told Nolan to get himself dressed.  (He sometimes dawdles a bit too long if I wait for him, so when I leave the room and he generally gets dressed faster.)  Well, I didn’t even think to look closely at what he was wearing.  I just assumed that since his shirt looked fine, everything else was in order.  Wrong.  I think he was going for the Kris Kross look today.  His preschool teacher had to point out to me that his pants were on backwards.  I guess they were roomy enough that they didn’t bother him.  It’s nice to know he’s not the first to have done this at school 🙂