To those few out there whom actually read...

I have occasionally been told what an awful blogger I am and how I'm failing miserably at keeping our page updated so here's another attempt! I can just maintain that I didn't blog through the winter as I protested the bitter cold by ceasing all social activity.

We found out in December, much to our delight, that we're expecting our first baby girl! She looks gorgeous on ultrasound and remarkably like Cole. Due date is April 29th so we're rounding on the final weeks currently. We've decided to name her Kinley Elizabeth. We feel so blessed to have been given the opportunity to parent a little girl and await her arrival anxiously (though patiently.) Mom has decided to use the nurse midwives for this birth and wants labor to start spontaneously, progress naturally, and deliver without intervention of medications of any kind. We're delivering at the new and beautiful Bellevue Medical Center as well! Mom's holistic approach to health is a newly developed appreciation that has arisen out of becoming an Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultant last fall, something she has aspired to do for a while! Pray for our good fortune in the coming days for a flawless delivery of a healthy baby girl!

The weather is either wonderful now, or awful... but we're starting to look at the camper in the backyard with great enthusiasm. Mom is of the mindset that we're not camping hugely pregnant, but we're planning to get out very soon after the baby is born!

Our home recently underwent major renovations in preparation for the coming baby and also for hanging out in Walnut for another several years. We replaced all the windows, gutted and remodeled the nursery, and did a master bathroom renovation that makes life so much more practical and easy (moved the washer dryer hookup out of the snake dungeon and into the bathroom!) It's amazing the sense of accomplishment you get from taking something old and ugly and making it new and wonderful!

On a sadder note, we lost Grandpa John Faust on Thanksgiving and the family is still reeling from that blow in many ways. We miss him everyday. Terrible how loss teaches us to embrace more tightly that which we have today. We pray everyday for the healing our extended family so badly needs and take solace in knowing he now keeps company with his sweetheart.

Cole is rounding the corner on 4 years old already and recently we finally accomplished potty training! It took a lot of candy and a lot of praise,but by golly we got there! He moved into a big boy bed over the winter as well in order to free up the nursery furniture for the baby and he is sleeping in it wonderfully! Today we have preschool screening though Mom is completely unwilling to admit that Cole going to preschool in the fall is even a possibility!

Cameron and Kaden are finishing up 3rd grade and getting ready to turn 9 years old. They excel in school and have tested in the gifted range this year! They're terribly excited to have a baby sister and Mom is terribly excited at the prospect of being only a few years away from having built in babysitters! I knew there was a perk to child spacing!

Daddy is still working in Denison for HyVee and has done phenomenally. He was awarded a "Rising Star" award, the only kind given annually for the entire company of HyVee, for his outstanding achievement.

Next posting.... our birth story and baby photos!

More than 6 months later... and still not all that much to say!

Alright that's a 100% bona fide fib if I do say so myself! We had an absolutely WONDERFUL summer! We managed to get our camper out a total of 50 days! It really is our home away from home and as the seasons start to turn colder, I have to admit I'm more than a wee sad and a bit wistful that another entire warm season is gone. It seems the years seem to fly by with more speed the older you get, and I do remember always hearing that... I'm just not happy to find out it's true!

Cameron and Kaden started 3rd grade in the fall. This year they have gotten involved with karate and are beginning to get involved with church, something I've felt was missing in all of our lives for quite some time now. They have such funny things to say as their conversation has become more mature.

Cole turned 3 in August and has embraced his inner terrorist. He's quite an attitude some days! He is incredibly resistant to potty training despite Mom and Dad's great interest in the matter. All Cole's friends of the same age and younger are completely potty trained and we are still wearing diapers all day long. He often adamantly refuses to go in the potty chair and I guess you really can't force the issue?? He's adorable though and keeps us on our toes and remains the snuggliest little guy around. Given the opportunity, he still readily jumps in bed and assaults (I mean, snuggles?) us both all night.

AAAAAAnnnndddd we're expecting child number 4 (4th and final that is) the end of April! We're very excited but Mom is a little nervous at the prospect of going from 3 to 4. It really changes a lot of things... like our ability to all ride in a non-third row vehicle together! We've started renovating our house more in preparation for another member. Yes we will find out the sex of the baby in December, yes this is our last one, yes we're excited, yes we'll be fine with a 4th boy, yes we would love to have a girl as well but won't be disappointed either way, and yes we were trying! That should answer the most common questions you get in early pregnancy! The twins are excited but are adament that it MUST be a sister as they have plenty of brothers already. Cole seems very interested and has been talking to Mom's belly as soon as we gave him the news (it felt a little awkward knowing that for the first 2 months he was talking to my jelly roll instead of a baby bump... but hey! I'm sure the message traveled!)

We had family photos done in August and here's our favorites... went very well and minimally stressful with our new favorite photographer Dani Stanley.

I'm going to be better.. I promise...

I've said it before, I'll say it again... I'm really an aweful blogger. It's just so easy to get caught up in life and not take the time to sit and share my wonderfully exciting (ha!) insight into our world! However, I'm going to try to be better!

Cole is hilarious... I love this age so much! The way he says things just cracks us up. "Have it" comes out as "Habit" and "Love You" is "Lubyew." He has a long mop of red hair that I still struggle with cutting... such sweet soft baby curls! He roars all the time (which sounds more like he has a hairball) and that is his standard greeting for strangers and friends alike. He has been known to scare other children by incessantly roaring at them! He LOVES dinosaurs, any toy that has a dinosaur, any movie that has dinosaurs, any food that may have dinosaurs on the box, ... etc... you get the idea. Dino fanatic! Mom keeps a handful of plastic dinosaurs in her purse for outings that get hairy.

Cameron and Kaden are anxious to be done with second grade as they've struggled quite a bit with their teacher. Call it a personality conflict or a mean ol' bitty with a bad attitude... either way it has made for a difficult year. I think (hope rather) ultimately that they have learned a bit about dealing with conflict. They are just as sick of winter as all of the rest of us, they've been asking to ride their bikes since January despite the large amounts of snow piled up "we won't fall in the snow Mom, it'll be fine." They are reading above their grade level and Mom is so proud of them! They have been planning their 8th birthday party that isn't until the end of May since... well last May so I guess Mom had better get on board and figure out the details of the festivities. We took a trip to the Wisconsin Dells last September to the Great Wolf Lodge and they seem dead set on making a birthday return trip!

Andrew continues working hard in Denison managing the Hy Vee pharmacy. He brought his store ranking from bottom of the pile to 2nd for all of Hy Vee!

Mom decided grad school wasn't the right plan as she doesn't REALLY know what she wants to do when she grows up or if she's already doing it? Instead, she's planning to sit for boards in July to be an IBCLC (international board certified lactation consultant!) She has a real passion for it and some of her most rewarding days at work involve helping Moms have real success breastfeeding. It's a good fit for her so that's the main thing she's focusing on for now. Maybe there will be a revisit to grad school later on but right now just isn't the time.

We've been thinking long and hard about having another baby. Dad is ready whenever.. of course. Mom however really struggles with the idea of having another one now that Cole is fairly easy to travel with and do exciting things with not to mention Mom and Dad have been really enjoying doing some adult traveling without kiddos also. They have a trip planned to St Lucia in June and we certainly don't want to be pregnant at that time. We also have no idea what next fall and winter will bring or where we will even be. Our house is still listed on the market and though the prospect of it selling this summer looks bleak, we would really like to not be in transit while pregnant. AAhhh.. the things to consider.

For now, we're just enjoying our 5 person family and anticipating the coming camping season. Hit us up if you'd like to go camping as we're always looking for company! The more the merrier!

More Pictures

Ready for the Camping Season

Well we purchased a new camper and are ready to go camping this year. Here are a few pictures of the new one.

A Pictoral Update...

Ok.. I'm a cruddy blogger. Here are some photos to keep you up to date until I feel like a bit of narration. They're mostly of our spring expeditions camping and to the zoo... and a few others. Enjoy!



The first one, however, needs explained now. Cole had sneakily gotten into my underwear/junk drawer and selected his party attire... PRICELESS!

A photo update...

Not any entirely exciting things to talk about lately, main reason I haven't blogged all that frequently. Mom is going insane keeping up with the kids, working, and doing the school thing. Most days she's only partially nuts, but there's a choice few where she's all out full fledge clinically insane and likely would fit the bill for being committed! No joke friends, no joke! All the boys are taking good care of her though, nurturing her through this tough time (Cameron and Kaden are learning that YES... the dirty pajamas they leave in the middle of the living room floor every morning MIGHT send Mom over the edge today... pick them up perhaps?!) We all just keep thinking about how once May rolls around and Mom is done with finals that things will be a bit more normal for a little while. Have to hold onto something right?! We've had a few gorgeous days already... a little hint of spring to come, and we took the opportunity to get out and about. Poor Cole has been a bit too sheltered... these photos are some of his first outdoor experiences since being able to walk! He was picking the rocks out of the rock bed oh so deliberately one by one... and throwing them into the window well. Each time he heard the metallic "DING" to tell him he'd made it, he'd look up very proud and clap. He did this for at least 15 or 20 minutes... and he was just as proud of the last rock as he was the first.

Spaghetti and toddlers... never a dull moment when you mix the two.

AHHHHH MOMMA LEMME GOOOO!

Cole LOVES the broom these days... give the kid a broom and he's happy for hours. I can't honestly say that he gets any cleaning done with it, but what the hay!

Aww... good boy moments. When I uploaded our most recent photos this evening and began editing them... Drew looked at them and said "Aw... he's getting so big! Look at that little boy!" Then.. as if he spontaneously had some sort of revelation.. he looks to me and says "We've gotta have another one now!" HA!... As if Mom isn't busy enough... sure, lets go ahead and throw a newborn into the equation!

Daddy is working on getting a management promotion... we're exciting! Will update as soon as we know for sure!

Love to all.. sending some good wishes and good vibes for frequent and total restoration (something I myself need!)

Joy and her many boys