I am such a sad excuse for a blogger. Can I use the excuse that I have been busy? We had an extremely blessed, but busy December. By the time December is over, we will have taken 2 vacations covering a total of 1700 miles, we will have had out of town guests, we will have served nearly 80 people for 3 different dinner parties within six days in early December. It has been a ton of fun and we really enjoy having people over. On another note, Jude turned 9 mos old yesterday. Yeah Jude! Picture Jude clapping, because that is what he has started doing the last couple of days. Pretty fun!
Look for some more updates really soon! I will take some new pictures of Jude tomorrow and will post them for you to see!+
This is a long exposure shot of the stahlhouse on Halloween. I think it is cool that you can actually see stars in the photo. Fun stuff for sure. We did have quite the fun on Halloween this year. The boys and I carved pumpkins and hit the neighborhood up for some loot. Josh and Jakin didn't like cleaning out the pumpkin, it was kind of yucky. I have posted some new Halloween photos on flickr for your viewing.
Josh and Jakin were firefighters this year. They had fun. Did I mention that they like candy?
Jude the PeaPod
That is all for now!
GO Here for Pictures!
Updates!
Sorry, it's been a while since I last gave an update. I will try to recap.
The Rock had a baby dedication on Friday night the 20th. Jude got dedicated to the Lord. This is a ceremony where we all promise as parents to raise our kids on the values of the Bible and for us to do that publicly at church. There were at least 20 kids that night which is quite amazing since the Rock started as a singles church. We now have 40-50 kids coming to The Rock. Pretty cool.
The boys and I have been busy outside doing some home projects. Electrical service upgrades, tree triming, retaining wall rebuilding, fence removing, brush removal, sandbox relocation. It has been fun to say the least. The boys certainly have fun with dad outside. We went outside and worked in the dark tonight, then went on an adventure to Menard's. We picked up some supplies for the retaining wall/fence project. I will post some pictures soon, so check back.
Jude is funny as ever. He has this thing with his tongue - he likes to have it stick out. He is also getting more mobile. He is crawling now and before we know it, he will be flying across the floor to get some juicy prize.
House church - The Rock started house churches which meet twice a month in people's homes. I guess that is where the term house church originates. We still meet weekly on Friday nights for the Rock. In the house church we are trying to immitate the example of the church in the book of Acts. We have 4 house churches led by 2 guys each. Our pastor has been mentoring 8 guys at The Rock going through the GCLI program which is our leadership program and in house seminary training. I am one of those 8 and I am co-leading a house church with my buddy Kevin. Each week time we meet for house church we sing, take communion, preach and then pray. I haven't spoken yet, my first preaching stint is on November 14th. I will be talking on Servant/Kindness Evangelism. I am really excited and pumped to be involved in something so unique.
Halloween - the boys and I carved some pumpkins and did some prep on the 30th. We went out on Halloween and got some loot along with Laura handing out invites to a neighborhood progressive dinner. Josh and Jakin were fireman this year. Jude was a pea-pod. Pretty cool costumes. The boys sure like candy.... just like mom and dad!
That is all I can think about right now...
Oh yeah.. more STAHLHOUSE Dictionary Items.
Sheen - Machine
Biper - Diaper
Gaykin - Jakin
The Rock had a baby dedication on Friday night the 20th. Jude got dedicated to the Lord. This is a ceremony where we all promise as parents to raise our kids on the values of the Bible and for us to do that publicly at church. There were at least 20 kids that night which is quite amazing since the Rock started as a singles church. We now have 40-50 kids coming to The Rock. Pretty cool.
The boys and I have been busy outside doing some home projects. Electrical service upgrades, tree triming, retaining wall rebuilding, fence removing, brush removal, sandbox relocation. It has been fun to say the least. The boys certainly have fun with dad outside. We went outside and worked in the dark tonight, then went on an adventure to Menard's. We picked up some supplies for the retaining wall/fence project. I will post some pictures soon, so check back.
Jude is funny as ever. He has this thing with his tongue - he likes to have it stick out. He is also getting more mobile. He is crawling now and before we know it, he will be flying across the floor to get some juicy prize.
House church - The Rock started house churches which meet twice a month in people's homes. I guess that is where the term house church originates. We still meet weekly on Friday nights for the Rock. In the house church we are trying to immitate the example of the church in the book of Acts. We have 4 house churches led by 2 guys each. Our pastor has been mentoring 8 guys at The Rock going through the GCLI program which is our leadership program and in house seminary training. I am one of those 8 and I am co-leading a house church with my buddy Kevin. Each week time we meet for house church we sing, take communion, preach and then pray. I haven't spoken yet, my first preaching stint is on November 14th. I will be talking on Servant/Kindness Evangelism. I am really excited and pumped to be involved in something so unique.
Halloween - the boys and I carved some pumpkins and did some prep on the 30th. We went out on Halloween and got some loot along with Laura handing out invites to a neighborhood progressive dinner. Josh and Jakin were fireman this year. Jude was a pea-pod. Pretty cool costumes. The boys sure like candy.... just like mom and dad!
That is all I can think about right now...
Oh yeah.. more STAHLHOUSE Dictionary Items.
Sheen - Machine
Biper - Diaper
Gaykin - Jakin
Family Photos
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thestahlhouse/sets/72157594324824540/
See this link for the polished versions of the latest "milestone" pictures. Josh at 3, Jakin at 2, Jude at 1/2. Then our family photo too!
See this link for the polished versions of the latest "milestone" pictures. Josh at 3, Jakin at 2, Jude at 1/2. Then our family photo too!
The Stahlhouse Dictionary
Boobins - in the last post Josh had used this term in conjunction with a police car toy. He did use the term again 2 weeks ago. We were on our way home from house church and we had to wait at a stoplight as 2 squad cars went flying through the intersection. Josh said when we got home that he saw two boobins. In talking with Laura, we think this pronunciation comes from Ambulance. As in boolance to the term boobins.
Guk - this is milk. Both Josh and Jakin used this term for milk without learning it from each other. The jury is still out on Jude, he still has some more time.
Sawgage - this is Josh's term for Sausage.
Brocky - Brocolli (Jakin really likes Brocky)
BanBan - Band Aid
PakPak - Back Pack
.... more to follow....
Guk - this is milk. Both Josh and Jakin used this term for milk without learning it from each other. The jury is still out on Jude, he still has some more time.
Sawgage - this is Josh's term for Sausage.
Brocky - Brocolli (Jakin really likes Brocky)
BanBan - Band Aid
PakPak - Back Pack
.... more to follow....
Commonly Heard Phrases in thestahlhouse!
As we are growing as parents, and as our kids are growing up to be more vocal contributors to our household, we have heard some mighty fine "words" come out of the mouth of our "babes."
"Momma, my nose doesn't work!" ~ This was uttered by Josh one morning when he woke up with a stuffy nose.
__
Momma - "Josh do you have to go poop on the potty?"
Josh - "No, I don't have to go poop on the potty?"
Momma - "Why don't you go and try?"
Josh - "Can you help me?"
Momma - "How can I help you go poop on the potty? Go up there and try to go."
Josh - "grunt, grunt, grunt - No poop coming"
Momma - "keep trying!"
Josh - "no poop coming"
Momma - "keep trying"
Josh - "Poop is coming"
Josh - "I poop a lot"
Momma - "nice job Josh"
____
Jakin - "nak"
Momma - "what's that honey?"
Jakin - "momma, nak"
Momma - "You want a 'snack'?"
Jakin - "No, nak"
Momma - "does you neck hurt?"
Jakin - "No, nak"
Momma - "can you show me what you want"
Jakin then takes momma to the bathroom where he gets his Kleenex. I guess that is what he heard. Klee Naks!
____
Josh - "I want my bloobins"
Daddy - "what, you want your bloobins?"
Josh - "Yes, my bloobins."
Daddy - "Can you show me where your bloobins is?"
Josh then takes me upstairs to the toy bin and points to a police matchbox car. So today that was a bloobins. I have know idea where that came from.
____
Jakin - "Bee-yo"
Momma - "you want to watch a video?"
Jakin - "no, bee-yo"
Momma - "Josh, what is Jakin saying?"
Josh - "bee-yo"
.... to be continued, we still aren't sure what Jakin was saying.
___
Daddy - "Josh it's time for you to rest"
Josh - "It's not time, I don't want to go to sleep"
Daddy - "you don't have to sleep, but you do need to rest in your room"
Daddy - "I have to go out and spend time with God"
Josh - "I don't want you to leave"
Daddy - "I have to leave so that I can pray and seek God for direction in leading you and being a good daddy."
Josh - "I want to go with you"
Daddy - "I need to go and spend time alone with God."
Josh - "I don't want you to leave"
Daddy - "I need to spend time with God so I can be a good daddy, don't you want me to be a good daddy?"
Josh - "no, I don't want you to be a good daddy?"
_____
Other news.. Jakin went poop on the potty tonight. As his reward he got to go get ice cream with Daddy. It was a cookie dough blizzard. Jakin was nice enough to share it with me. Yummy!
"Momma, my nose doesn't work!" ~ This was uttered by Josh one morning when he woke up with a stuffy nose.
__
Momma - "Josh do you have to go poop on the potty?"
Josh - "No, I don't have to go poop on the potty?"
Momma - "Why don't you go and try?"
Josh - "Can you help me?"
Momma - "How can I help you go poop on the potty? Go up there and try to go."
Josh - "grunt, grunt, grunt - No poop coming"
Momma - "keep trying!"
Josh - "no poop coming"
Momma - "keep trying"
Josh - "Poop is coming"
Josh - "I poop a lot"
Momma - "nice job Josh"
____
Jakin - "nak"
Momma - "what's that honey?"
Jakin - "momma, nak"
Momma - "You want a 'snack'?"
Jakin - "No, nak"
Momma - "does you neck hurt?"
Jakin - "No, nak"
Momma - "can you show me what you want"
Jakin then takes momma to the bathroom where he gets his Kleenex. I guess that is what he heard. Klee Naks!
____
Josh - "I want my bloobins"
Daddy - "what, you want your bloobins?"
Josh - "Yes, my bloobins."
Daddy - "Can you show me where your bloobins is?"
Josh then takes me upstairs to the toy bin and points to a police matchbox car. So today that was a bloobins. I have know idea where that came from.
____
Jakin - "Bee-yo"
Momma - "you want to watch a video?"
Jakin - "no, bee-yo"
Momma - "Josh, what is Jakin saying?"
Josh - "bee-yo"
.... to be continued, we still aren't sure what Jakin was saying.
___
Daddy - "Josh it's time for you to rest"
Josh - "It's not time, I don't want to go to sleep"
Daddy - "you don't have to sleep, but you do need to rest in your room"
Daddy - "I have to go out and spend time with God"
Josh - "I don't want you to leave"
Daddy - "I have to leave so that I can pray and seek God for direction in leading you and being a good daddy."
Josh - "I want to go with you"
Daddy - "I need to go and spend time alone with God."
Josh - "I don't want you to leave"
Daddy - "I need to spend time with God so I can be a good daddy, don't you want me to be a good daddy?"
Josh - "no, I don't want you to be a good daddy?"
_____
Other news.. Jakin went poop on the potty tonight. As his reward he got to go get ice cream with Daddy. It was a cookie dough blizzard. Jakin was nice enough to share it with me. Yummy!
Nana's Prized Tomatoes
Here is a shot of Nana posing with her tomatoes. Nice work Nana!
MNStateFair001
Originally uploaded by thestahlhouse.
MNStateFair001
Originally uploaded by thestahlhouse.
The Great Minnesota Get Together
I know I am a little behind in posting updates. I have been busy. Anywho, the boys, Nana and I went to the MN State Fair on a wednesday night. It was quite an adventure. We did pretty well with curbing our eating, but who can resist donut holes and Sweet Martha's Cookies? We had a absolute blast. The kids rode some rides. I even went on the Giant Slide with Jakin. Josh went down all by himself. Nana said "you should have seen the look on Josh and Jakin's face". They loved it. It was also cool to see the Fine Arts building. I always like to look at the photographs. I had wondered about entering some photos in the fair, but hadn't done so yet. Nana asked someone about the process. What she found out is that 660 people submitted art and only 130 were accepted to be displayed a the fair. Odds like that really challenge me, so I just might try and enter something next year.
The really cool thing though is that Nana entered some tomatoes and she took 4th place. Not bad. We are all so proud. This is another reason why I want to enter the fair. Nothing like a good old competition.
The really cool thing though is that Nana entered some tomatoes and she took 4th place. Not bad. We are all so proud. This is another reason why I want to enter the fair. Nothing like a good old competition.
Family Photo
Here is a recent shot of our family. We don't all get into the picture very often. We were on our way over to Nana's place all dressed up for Jakin's Birthday. I recently purchased a remote switch for my camera. It has a 9' cord. These pictures were taken with my toe!
It is hard to make the kids smile when there is no one behind the camera. Maybe I need to set up a mirror for us to look at.
All for now!
It is hard to make the kids smile when there is no one behind the camera. Maybe I need to set up a mirror for us to look at.
All for now!
#2 is now 2
Jakin turned 2 today. It seems weird. In one sense 2 years doesn't seem like that long, but with kids it is a huge difference. It was just yesterday that he was born, right? Man do I feel old. When you are younger, you look forward to when you are older. When you are older you just want things to slow down. Life gets that way sometimes.
Jakin had a great day. He loved all his presents. It was a beautiful sunny day for a birthday too. That was a bonus.
Photos to follow soon!
Jakin had a great day. He loved all his presents. It was a beautiful sunny day for a birthday too. That was a bonus.
Photos to follow soon!
Perils of Picking Crabapples
The other night my wife went out to pickup crabapples. This is a routine activity since our 2 trees have approximately 1.5 million crabapples on them. You might ask, "why bother to pick them up in the first place?" There are several reasons. 1. They smell. 2. They attract bees, yellow jackets, fly's etc. 3. They get squishy in your toes. 4. They stink. 5. They clog up the tires on the lawn mower. 6. They can be very alluring to young children who typically like to put things in there mouth. Photos Here! 7. They will sprout new trees in the spring. 8. And lastly, they don't smell very good.
So my wife, being the awesome servant she is, decided to go tackle the yard after our week of vacation. She has been very sympathetic this time of year when my allergies are in full force. Thanks sweetie!
We here in Minnesota have had a very dry summer. We didn't get much rain in June or July. August has made up for it and so have the mosquito's. So how much fun can it bee (get it) to be outside with all those flying insects picking up mushy crabapples? It can be loads of fun if you dare to try.
WarWounds001
Originally uploaded by thestahlhouse.
So my wife, being the awesome servant she is, decided to go tackle the yard after our week of vacation. She has been very sympathetic this time of year when my allergies are in full force. Thanks sweetie!
We here in Minnesota have had a very dry summer. We didn't get much rain in June or July. August has made up for it and so have the mosquito's. So how much fun can it bee (get it) to be outside with all those flying insects picking up mushy crabapples? It can be loads of fun if you dare to try.
WarWounds001
Originally uploaded by thestahlhouse.
This is a picture of Laura's foot. She had 15 mosquito bites and they were very itchy. So she applied some cortizon and some bandages. She is even sporting some "Chicken Little" tatoo bandages. Very cool. With kids, I am glad I can get them for $1 a box instead of $3.50 in the store. Anyone with kids out there need some? Let me know!
We are now taking applications for full time assistant crabapple pickers.
We are now taking applications for full time assistant crabapple pickers.
A week of vacation!!!
I took a week of vacation starting on Monday the 14th. We planned on leaving for Aberdeen, South Dakota on Tuesday evening, so I figured I needed the whole weekend to prepare and pack for the trip. Here are the highlights from our week.
Monday the 14th
Started doing the prep work of our trip by cleaning the van. I vacuumed, washed, waxed, and even used armor all. The boys helped and were pretty much in the van the whole day. They were good, with very little mischief. Josh woke up this morning and was all ready to go see Papa John and Grandma Sandi. He must have asked every hour if we were ready to go yet. No other problems except Jakins belly flop onto the concrete garage floor. I am not sure what that sounded like since I was running the vacuum at the time. It must have hurt because he wasn't very happy.
Tuesday the 15th
Josh again woke up ready to go on the trip. He spent most of the day in the van with me as I packed it and ran some cables for separate speakers. I wanted the video sound just in the back so Laura and I could listen to what we wanted on the stereo. This worked really well. The boys were playing with the dashboard and the ashtray since it was full of coins. I told them to keep them the coins in the ashtray so they wouldn't end up all over. So I finished the speaker and power runs for the video stuff, just in time to see Jakin inserting coins into his bank. When I say bank I mean steering column. So when did I catch him? Not before he inserted 13 coins totalling $1.19. At 3:00 we headed on our way to Aberdeen. We arrived at about 9:45PM. Josh and Jakin were put in the sunroom to sleep in their new sleeping bags. They had fun until they wouldn't go to sleep, so Jakin ended up in our room with Jude, Laura and me. 3:30AM. Jakin wakes up screaming. He rolled under our bed and couldn't get out. Laura jumped up, turned on the light and extracted our "rolling" boy from under the bed. We took Jude (not so mobile) out of the portable crib and put Jakin in his place. Jude did just fine on the floor of our room. He didn't get stuck under the bed, whew!
Wednesday the 16th
We got up and had breakfast then headed to Wylie Park. This is a local park with a lot of activities including Storybook Land. It is really fun for the kids and adults alike. The kids enjoyed the time, rode the train, had a picnic and a lot of fun. We went home after this and enjoyed some naps. I went over to Grandma Jeanettes to introduce her to Jude. We had a very nice visit, then I left to take Jude back for his nap. Mike, Mary and I went back over to Gr. Jeannettes to learn how to make strudles. These are German dough logs that you cook and serve with gravy. I think they are quite yummy. After that we all played and had fun. Then we went home and the boys Sam, Josh and Jakin went for a "swim" in mom and dad's whirlpool tub. That night my mom thought it would be cool if all the older grandkids slept in the sunroom with their sleeping bags. Kate didn't want to join in, so Sam, Josh and Jakin tried sleeping together. Jakin was in the portable crib. Sam and Josh were on the floor. Josh is certainly the instigator. Jakin and Sam wanted to sleep, but Josh was keeping everyone up. So we removed Josh to fall asleep on our bed, then we moved him back to Sam and Jakin. All was well until the morning.
Thursday the 17th
The boys got up a little early. Jakin needs his sleep but with Sam and Josh up, it was difficult to get them w/o Jakin. So they all got up about 7:30. Jakin was tired the rest of the day. This day we went to the farm to see Grandpa and Grandma Stahl (Earl and Joyce). We had fun riding the 4 wheelers, playing in the corn and having a great meal from Joyce. The family headed home around 1:30 and I stayed to take some pictures of my grandparents. We had some fun and enjoyed a nice chat about ancestors. We (Gr. Earl, Gr. Joyce and I) took a drive "down home". This is part of the original homestead of my Gr. Grandpa Arthur Bean (Joyce's Dad). This land has never been tilled or planted. It used to have the farm hands house on it and a barn. The house was moved to my Earl and Joyce's current farm and they live in that house today. It was really cool to see this land. It is hilly and beautiful. Maybe I just like the flatness of South Dakota or maybe because it is a piece of history. I don't know what, but I like it. Gr. Joyce and I picked some apples from a tree that her dad had planted in the 1920's. It is amazing the tree is still alive. Gr. Joyce made me an apple pie from those apples. She delivered it to us on Friday and it was delicious. My grandpa Earl gave me a camera that was bought in 1927 by his mother Elsie. This a Kodak Brownie Autographic camera. I want to locate some film for it and shoot some pictures to send back to grandpa Earl. Thursday night we had the Gr. Grandparents over for a group birthday party. Josh's birthday was in July. Sam's is August 22, Jakin's is August 27 and Kate's is September 21st so we celebrated them all when we were home. Is was some really nice chaos. This night we put Jakin in the laundry room and he did just fine. So much so, that he slept in there the next 2 nights too!
Friday the 18th
Today was the day we were going to the Brown County Fair. My parents had bought some unlimited ride wrist bands for the grandkids. They rode the cars, the carousel, the whale, the planes etc. They had tons of fun. I got some good pictures for sure. After that we had naps and then to Uncle Jim's and his pool. It was a beautiful day for a swim. Josh did very well all by himself, and the help of his swim fins. Jude even floated in a float ring we bought for Josh and never got to use for Josh or Jakin. They grew too big too fast. This time Jude fit in just fine.
Saturday the 19th
This was a down day. We didn't do much except try to keep the kids entertained. They played in Grandpa's muddy yard. Lot's of fun for sure. We also took pictures of the grandkids. Later, Jackson came by (he is a few months younger than Jakin) so we could take pictures of all the Great Grandkids of Earl and Joyce. My cousin Corey and his wife are expecting at the end of September so that will make 7 "greats" for my grandparents. In the evening we had some relatives over for some pizza. A little later than that we played some games. Mom bought us a new game called Spite and Malice. I had seen this game before in the store and I didn't know if it sounded like fun or not. Let me tell you, it is quite fun. We also did some preliminary packing.
Sunday the 20th
We did some more packing. Mike and I went to Grandma Jeannette's to look at some family heirlooms. I picked up 2 bowls and a piece of depression ware that Gr. Jeanette says her Gr. Rath had and probably came from her Great Grandma Gutschmidt. She would be my Gr.Gr.Gr. Grandma Gutschmidt. Pretty cool though to have some more of history. Family is very important to me. I love our history. Our trip home wasn't too eventful which is good.
That's all for now! I'll have some pictures posted on flickr soon.
Monday the 14th
Started doing the prep work of our trip by cleaning the van. I vacuumed, washed, waxed, and even used armor all. The boys helped and were pretty much in the van the whole day. They were good, with very little mischief. Josh woke up this morning and was all ready to go see Papa John and Grandma Sandi. He must have asked every hour if we were ready to go yet. No other problems except Jakins belly flop onto the concrete garage floor. I am not sure what that sounded like since I was running the vacuum at the time. It must have hurt because he wasn't very happy.
Tuesday the 15th
Josh again woke up ready to go on the trip. He spent most of the day in the van with me as I packed it and ran some cables for separate speakers. I wanted the video sound just in the back so Laura and I could listen to what we wanted on the stereo. This worked really well. The boys were playing with the dashboard and the ashtray since it was full of coins. I told them to keep them the coins in the ashtray so they wouldn't end up all over. So I finished the speaker and power runs for the video stuff, just in time to see Jakin inserting coins into his bank. When I say bank I mean steering column. So when did I catch him? Not before he inserted 13 coins totalling $1.19. At 3:00 we headed on our way to Aberdeen. We arrived at about 9:45PM. Josh and Jakin were put in the sunroom to sleep in their new sleeping bags. They had fun until they wouldn't go to sleep, so Jakin ended up in our room with Jude, Laura and me. 3:30AM. Jakin wakes up screaming. He rolled under our bed and couldn't get out. Laura jumped up, turned on the light and extracted our "rolling" boy from under the bed. We took Jude (not so mobile) out of the portable crib and put Jakin in his place. Jude did just fine on the floor of our room. He didn't get stuck under the bed, whew!
Wednesday the 16th
We got up and had breakfast then headed to Wylie Park. This is a local park with a lot of activities including Storybook Land. It is really fun for the kids and adults alike. The kids enjoyed the time, rode the train, had a picnic and a lot of fun. We went home after this and enjoyed some naps. I went over to Grandma Jeanettes to introduce her to Jude. We had a very nice visit, then I left to take Jude back for his nap. Mike, Mary and I went back over to Gr. Jeannettes to learn how to make strudles. These are German dough logs that you cook and serve with gravy. I think they are quite yummy. After that we all played and had fun. Then we went home and the boys Sam, Josh and Jakin went for a "swim" in mom and dad's whirlpool tub. That night my mom thought it would be cool if all the older grandkids slept in the sunroom with their sleeping bags. Kate didn't want to join in, so Sam, Josh and Jakin tried sleeping together. Jakin was in the portable crib. Sam and Josh were on the floor. Josh is certainly the instigator. Jakin and Sam wanted to sleep, but Josh was keeping everyone up. So we removed Josh to fall asleep on our bed, then we moved him back to Sam and Jakin. All was well until the morning.
Thursday the 17th
The boys got up a little early. Jakin needs his sleep but with Sam and Josh up, it was difficult to get them w/o Jakin. So they all got up about 7:30. Jakin was tired the rest of the day. This day we went to the farm to see Grandpa and Grandma Stahl (Earl and Joyce). We had fun riding the 4 wheelers, playing in the corn and having a great meal from Joyce. The family headed home around 1:30 and I stayed to take some pictures of my grandparents. We had some fun and enjoyed a nice chat about ancestors. We (Gr. Earl, Gr. Joyce and I) took a drive "down home". This is part of the original homestead of my Gr. Grandpa Arthur Bean (Joyce's Dad). This land has never been tilled or planted. It used to have the farm hands house on it and a barn. The house was moved to my Earl and Joyce's current farm and they live in that house today. It was really cool to see this land. It is hilly and beautiful. Maybe I just like the flatness of South Dakota or maybe because it is a piece of history. I don't know what, but I like it. Gr. Joyce and I picked some apples from a tree that her dad had planted in the 1920's. It is amazing the tree is still alive. Gr. Joyce made me an apple pie from those apples. She delivered it to us on Friday and it was delicious. My grandpa Earl gave me a camera that was bought in 1927 by his mother Elsie. This a Kodak Brownie Autographic camera. I want to locate some film for it and shoot some pictures to send back to grandpa Earl. Thursday night we had the Gr. Grandparents over for a group birthday party. Josh's birthday was in July. Sam's is August 22, Jakin's is August 27 and Kate's is September 21st so we celebrated them all when we were home. Is was some really nice chaos. This night we put Jakin in the laundry room and he did just fine. So much so, that he slept in there the next 2 nights too!
Friday the 18th
Today was the day we were going to the Brown County Fair. My parents had bought some unlimited ride wrist bands for the grandkids. They rode the cars, the carousel, the whale, the planes etc. They had tons of fun. I got some good pictures for sure. After that we had naps and then to Uncle Jim's and his pool. It was a beautiful day for a swim. Josh did very well all by himself, and the help of his swim fins. Jude even floated in a float ring we bought for Josh and never got to use for Josh or Jakin. They grew too big too fast. This time Jude fit in just fine.
Saturday the 19th
This was a down day. We didn't do much except try to keep the kids entertained. They played in Grandpa's muddy yard. Lot's of fun for sure. We also took pictures of the grandkids. Later, Jackson came by (he is a few months younger than Jakin) so we could take pictures of all the Great Grandkids of Earl and Joyce. My cousin Corey and his wife are expecting at the end of September so that will make 7 "greats" for my grandparents. In the evening we had some relatives over for some pizza. A little later than that we played some games. Mom bought us a new game called Spite and Malice. I had seen this game before in the store and I didn't know if it sounded like fun or not. Let me tell you, it is quite fun. We also did some preliminary packing.
Sunday the 20th
We did some more packing. Mike and I went to Grandma Jeannette's to look at some family heirlooms. I picked up 2 bowls and a piece of depression ware that Gr. Jeanette says her Gr. Rath had and probably came from her Great Grandma Gutschmidt. She would be my Gr.Gr.Gr. Grandma Gutschmidt. Pretty cool though to have some more of history. Family is very important to me. I love our history. Our trip home wasn't too eventful which is good.
That's all for now! I'll have some pictures posted on flickr soon.
Fruits of my labor, well sort of...
Here is a dandy picture of 2 strawberries picked from our patch last week. These are the only 2 strawberries I got all year. We planted 12 plants on Memorial Day. All those plants died, so Laura took them back to Gertens. They explained to us that we fryed them. Basically we planted them on a day that was too hot. It was only 95 degrees. So we got 12 new replacement plants and waited until it cooled down. These plants were doing quite well and bearing fruit. They had some really nice berries on them. Then one day, Laura asked if I had been picking the berries, well I hadn't. It seems that birds must like strawberries too. Since strawberry plants are June bearing, we didn't anticipate any more berries. The plants are concentrating on spreading out and making a bigger patch. I was suprised to see these two, so I had to pick them and have some berries from the year. I wish I had strawberries as plentiful as my crabapples..... more later on that.
It's A Hot One!
So the Twin Cities set a high today. I don' t think it was a record, but this was the first time since 1995 that the temp has been over 100 degrees. This was the ninth day in a row above 90. Kind of warm don't you think? So how did you stay cool? How do you beat the heat? Well the boys and I had some fun playing with the hose last night. It was amazing that I was soaking myself with cold tap water, but it really didn't feel that cold. The boys were having fun with the water, throwing it around. Their diapers became quite water logged and droopy. I had an idea to move our new play structure to the pool so the boys could slide right into the water. Josh went down several times but Jakin only once. Jakin started out on his trip down and managed to roll to his stomach. He then shot down the slide and landed face down in the pool. He wasn't all that happy about it. He was rather upset. I gave him a hug and as he was still wimpering I said "wasn't that fun?" Jakin responded, "yeah"!
Stay cool!
Stay cool!
The Fish Were Biting - But We Weren't Fishing!
We made the huge committment of going swimming on Sunday. We thought that with it being so hot that we could get out and cool off. After having the preparations take approximately 45 minutes, we said "hey let's go to the pool instead of the lake". It was already after 6:00PM and the pool was only minutes away. We had checked the info on the pool earlier. I was commenting on how expensive it is to go to the pool. I started saying stuff like, "It wasn't this expensive when I was a kid". I had to stop myself from continuing for fear of feeling even older than I am. So we got to the pool, ready to fork over approx. $17 for our family to go swimming. We unloaded, got the stroller out, headed for the door. Everyone is excited, including me. We walked in the front door and the clerk said, "are you here for the party"? I said "what party?" She then proceeded to tell me that the pool is closed on Sunday nights and is only open for private rentals. This pool was pretty packed and I certainly didn't think it was a private party. So we walked back to the van, in the mean time Josh is balling and stating in a crying, very upset voice "I want to go swimming!" I told him I felt the same way and that I was about to cry too!
So back in the van - on to Ft. Snelling State Park and the beach. We arrived, ready to try out our new swimming trainers for the boys. We had new kickboards too. The lake has a very nice, shallow swimming area. It is pretty cool because you can see lots of little fish swimming around by your feet. I remember having minnows peck at my feet at Lake Miltona during our many summer vacations there. The minnows are quite nice and tickle.
Ft. Snelling has different kind of fish. They are not shy and quite aggressive. They are considerably larger than a minnow. These fish vary in size between 2 - 4". So I am playing with Josh and I no sooner did I fall over in the water on my chest, did one of these "pirahnas" atack me. No it didn't go for the juggular, it attacked my left nipple. I gave out a yelp, which Josh found quite amusing. That little fish struck me hard, it made my nipple bleed. It wasn't alot of blood, but nonetheless, it drew blood. I did have another one take a crack at my little toe later in the day, but no other incidents to report. This is very similar to our trip to the beach last year. One of those fish struck Josh in the back while he was laying in the water. Josh didn' t like that so much. He definitely likes it better when it is someone else getting bit.
We just may rethink this public pool thing after all. I just wish it wasn't so expensive. Our West Saint Paul pool charges $4 for adults and $3 for kids under 42". Those are the rates for the 6:00 to 8:00PM session. Add a buck to those prices for the afternoon session. A family membership would cost our family $185 for 3 months of swimming. Yikes! Now I realize my old stomping ground's prices have gone up too, but WSP seems very high and it doesn't seem like they are open much either.
Just for comparison - Holgate pool - Holy Cow! I just looked up the prices. They are still cheap. Excellent. Family season pass $60. Daily admission for family $5.50. Don't you think $17 is a little steep to use your local pool?
Ok, I am done venting and I still love swimming!
So back in the van - on to Ft. Snelling State Park and the beach. We arrived, ready to try out our new swimming trainers for the boys. We had new kickboards too. The lake has a very nice, shallow swimming area. It is pretty cool because you can see lots of little fish swimming around by your feet. I remember having minnows peck at my feet at Lake Miltona during our many summer vacations there. The minnows are quite nice and tickle.
Ft. Snelling has different kind of fish. They are not shy and quite aggressive. They are considerably larger than a minnow. These fish vary in size between 2 - 4". So I am playing with Josh and I no sooner did I fall over in the water on my chest, did one of these "pirahnas" atack me. No it didn't go for the juggular, it attacked my left nipple. I gave out a yelp, which Josh found quite amusing. That little fish struck me hard, it made my nipple bleed. It wasn't alot of blood, but nonetheless, it drew blood. I did have another one take a crack at my little toe later in the day, but no other incidents to report. This is very similar to our trip to the beach last year. One of those fish struck Josh in the back while he was laying in the water. Josh didn' t like that so much. He definitely likes it better when it is someone else getting bit.
We just may rethink this public pool thing after all. I just wish it wasn't so expensive. Our West Saint Paul pool charges $4 for adults and $3 for kids under 42". Those are the rates for the 6:00 to 8:00PM session. Add a buck to those prices for the afternoon session. A family membership would cost our family $185 for 3 months of swimming. Yikes! Now I realize my old stomping ground's prices have gone up too, but WSP seems very high and it doesn't seem like they are open much either.
Just for comparison - Holgate pool - Holy Cow! I just looked up the prices. They are still cheap. Excellent. Family season pass $60. Daily admission for family $5.50. Don't you think $17 is a little steep to use your local pool?
Ok, I am done venting and I still love swimming!
Tummy Time for Jude
Jude is getting quite strong. Laura plopped him on the bed the other night and he held his head up quite high. Despite the fact that he has been ill lately. Too many runny diapers. The doc says he must have caught a summer virus. So we have to change formula (soy based) so his tummy can adjust and heal. Jude seems to like the soy based, but then again he just likes food. I don't think there is much difference with the new formula except the ripe smell. Hopefully in a few days, Jude will be back to normal.
Jude on a Morning Walk
Jude and I went for a walk at a little before 6:00 this morning. The weather was quite nice and Jude seemed to have a good time. In other words, he stayed awake. I am amazed at how time flies so much faster when you get older. I remember waiting to be older when I was younger, now that I AM older, I wish I was younger. With kids, time certainly speeds up. Jude is 4 months old, Josh is now 3 and Jakin is pushing 2. My, my life is an adventure and Laura and I are sure enjoying it!!
At the Park
Here is a photo with me and my oldest sons. Jude was sleeping in the stroller. We are trying to make the most of the summer. Summer always seems to fly by. It is almost August. I usually get depressed about mid-June when I know the days are getting shorter. Oh well, ice and hockey are just around the corner.
"Jude The Squaker"
I took some video of Jude this morning. Now the video is not too great because I didn't want him to get camera fright. I was trying to capture his squaking while playing on the floor. I think the video does that justice.
I took some video of Jude this morning. Now the video is not too great because I didn't want him to get camera fright. I was trying to capture his squaking while playing on the floor. I think the video does that justice.
1 Assumptions 2:5
“Daddy’s Bible says that I get two M&M’s when I share.”
I am not sure what Bible version Josh says that I am reading. But he said that very matter of factly. I can assure you that my Bible doesn't say that. Maybe Josh was thinking of some foreign Bible that has some extra books. I could also have been a translation error from some obscure Bible. That is highly unlikely. I don’t think M&M’s were around when the Bible was written and besides, Josh can't read. How would he know what the Bible says unless I tell him. And I certainly never told him that. Kids say the silliest things!
I am not sure what Bible version Josh says that I am reading. But he said that very matter of factly. I can assure you that my Bible doesn't say that. Maybe Josh was thinking of some foreign Bible that has some extra books. I could also have been a translation error from some obscure Bible. That is highly unlikely. I don’t think M&M’s were around when the Bible was written and besides, Josh can't read. How would he know what the Bible says unless I tell him. And I certainly never told him that. Kids say the silliest things!
Tough Guy!
Jakin has quite the personality. He is always hamming it up. He has the best laugh of all our boys, so far. We haven't heard much from Jude yet. This smile was after a nice cool frozen drink. Note the very nice mustache he is sporting. We took this picture and it is probably the best smile Jakin has given. Usually his eyes are closed and mouth wide open. His teeth usually don't line up either. Jakin is a tough guy. He is always falling down, bumping his head, legs, body etc. I am concerned that he will either become Tough and Ruthless or Rough and Toothless. Jakin came over to Laura the other day and was saying "mouth, mouth" but she couldn't see any blood or injury. Somehow, someway Jakin managed to chip his tooth. Funny kid and certainly tough guy!
Look at the Dude!
Look at this dude! No, not me, Jude. He is getting so big. He is working on his 3rd chin and 2nd crease on his knee. Laura and I have been trying to figure out who he looks like. Our families have been doing the same thing. Jude has blondish red hair and blue eyes. Laura and I don't have those traits. So, somewhere in our family line their are some genes for what this boy has got. One thing for sure, he is a cutie, but then again, I am biased because I am his dad.
Josh's Birthday
Wow, our oldest son turns 3 today. How exciting! I sure feel old and I often wonder, “Where did the time go?” We have a full day planned for Josh. It includes a trip to the MN Zoo. We have a date to feed the Giraffes. A couple of his buddies and their families will join us at the zoo. It should be a super fun day.
UPDATE
It was certainly a super fun day at the zoo. Josh really liked feeding the giraffes. Did you know that a giraffe has an 18" tongue? It also can reach and grab things, like an elephants trunk. Anyway, Josh enjoyed his birthday and so did his buddies Isaiah, Dylan, Rowan and his brother Jakin. We also enjoyed the time with our friends too!
4th of July
Happy 4th of July!We celebrated the 4th by sleeping most of the day. This afternoon everyone was down for a nap except me. Then Jude got up to keep me company. That was very nice. We were all kind of sleepy from last night. Laura and I went on a date and got home at a very late hour, 8:30. We then chatted with our baby sitters (Seth and Ann) for a while. At around nine we got our boys up and got there shoes on and headed out to the High Bridge and the Taste of Mn Fireworks. We got there pretty early, 9:30ish. The show didn't start until close to 10:15. The boys did fine. Jude slept. Josh was working the crowd, getting held by Seth, Mom, Nana or Dad. Jakin was taking plenty of pretzel bribes, but he did just fine. They enjoyed the show and we carted them back home and to bed. This morning the boys slept in, except Jude. We asked them if they enjoyed the fireworks and they said yes. So I guess it was a success!
Thank goodness.
Jakin on the Potty?
So yesterday Laura had a hunch Jakin needed to go poop. So she scooped him up and put in on the potty in the bathroom. After a few minutes of coaxing by Laura, Jakin went poop on the potty. That is pretty cool, although I think it is a fluke. Jakin is not even 2 yet and I think he is a little young to grasp the concept. Later in the day, Laura put Jakin on the potty again. Another surprise – he went poop again. This is quite remarkable for our 22 month old. Jakin thought it was pretty cool since he got the standard reward of 2 M&M’s for going poop on the potty. So today, Laura tried again with Jakin, this time it was to no avail. Jakin was not co-operating. Afterwards Jakin came downstairs and was pointing at the M&M’s, but without going poop, he doesn’t get any. So, that confirms my theory that Jakin isn’t quite sure of what to do and what actually gets him his reward. Hopefully with big brother Josh showing the way, he will get it soon. That would be nice to have only Jude in diapers. Very nice indeed.
I WAS LOOKING FOR YOU!
Last evening we put the kids to bed and we went outside for some yard work. Laura was out back and I was in the front yard pulling weeds. You see, the weeds are quite tall and are easy to pick out since my grass is really yellow. So I was taking advantage of the situation and plucking them out.
I heard the front door jostle a little bit. I thought maybe Laura was back in the house, putting something away, and bumped into the door. Anywho, a few minutes later Josh appears out of the garage door. Did I mention that we put him to bed already? Josh then says, "I was looking for you Daddy." By looking at him I could tell why he was looking for me. But he continued on and said, "I went poop on the potty." Now I don't know if I am really good, or have a keen sense when it comes to my kids, but I just knew that is what he wanted to tell me. On the other hand it could have been the fact that Josh was standing outside wearing his birthday suit from the waist down.
I went over to him and said good job. He then took me inside to show me what he did on the potty. I must say it was awfully big and stinky for a little boy.
It is amazing how kids always look to their parents for approval. I told Josh that I am really proud of him. He is doing a fantastic job at going pee-pee and poop on the potty.
I don't know if the desire for parental approval ever goes away. My mom sent me a fathers day card and it was awesome. In summary, my mom is very proud of me and my family. That's so cool!
I heard the front door jostle a little bit. I thought maybe Laura was back in the house, putting something away, and bumped into the door. Anywho, a few minutes later Josh appears out of the garage door. Did I mention that we put him to bed already? Josh then says, "I was looking for you Daddy." By looking at him I could tell why he was looking for me. But he continued on and said, "I went poop on the potty." Now I don't know if I am really good, or have a keen sense when it comes to my kids, but I just knew that is what he wanted to tell me. On the other hand it could have been the fact that Josh was standing outside wearing his birthday suit from the waist down.
I went over to him and said good job. He then took me inside to show me what he did on the potty. I must say it was awfully big and stinky for a little boy.
It is amazing how kids always look to their parents for approval. I told Josh that I am really proud of him. He is doing a fantastic job at going pee-pee and poop on the potty.
I don't know if the desire for parental approval ever goes away. My mom sent me a fathers day card and it was awesome. In summary, my mom is very proud of me and my family. That's so cool!
"Eegh! Eegh! Eegh!", said Jude.
Eegh! Eegh! Eegh!
Jude has got a new habit.
He wakes up around 4:00 AM for some play time. He grunts and scoots on his tummy until he gets to the end of the crib. At this point it is usually 4:15 AM and he is stuck. My theory is that once he gets to the end of the crib he works hard to go further, but can't. He pulls out all the stops and in doing so his right arm gets stuck outside the crib. Now he has got a problem, his head is in the corner and his arm is outside the crib. So what does a 3 month old do?
Eegh! Eegh! Eegh! Until we come and rescue him.
It was 4:14 AM this morning. I moved him back to the center of his crib. A little crying and Jude was back to sleep after his morning workout/playtime.
So what is Eegh? It is a little grunt he does in bursts. He will give this grunt when he is getting tired. He will give this grunt when he is uncomfortable. It is usually a warning sign. If we don't heed the warning, little Jude will start crying.
Jude has got a new habit.
He wakes up around 4:00 AM for some play time. He grunts and scoots on his tummy until he gets to the end of the crib. At this point it is usually 4:15 AM and he is stuck. My theory is that once he gets to the end of the crib he works hard to go further, but can't. He pulls out all the stops and in doing so his right arm gets stuck outside the crib. Now he has got a problem, his head is in the corner and his arm is outside the crib. So what does a 3 month old do?
Eegh! Eegh! Eegh! Until we come and rescue him.
It was 4:14 AM this morning. I moved him back to the center of his crib. A little crying and Jude was back to sleep after his morning workout/playtime.
So what is Eegh? It is a little grunt he does in bursts. He will give this grunt when he is getting tired. He will give this grunt when he is uncomfortable. It is usually a warning sign. If we don't heed the warning, little Jude will start crying.
Knepfla
This is what you will need:
4 Cups of flour
1 Cup of water
2 Eggs
1 tsp of Salt
Mix 1 Cup of water, eggs & salt. Then add flour, 1 cup at a time to make a firm dough. Roll out & cut into 1 inch strips on floured surface.
Cook in boiling water. Check at 20 min to see if firm. Drain. Heat 1 stick of margarine. Add saltine crackers crumbled. Brown crackers. Pour over Knepfla and stir. You can fry all together to get it all crispier.
For those of you who don't have German ancestry, Knepfla is a basic homemade egg noodle. Knepfla is certainly good to eat and thoroughly enjoyable to make.
Thanks for the help Josh & Jake! They had fun and so did I!
Ryan
4 Cups of flour
1 Cup of water
2 Eggs
1 tsp of Salt
Mix 1 Cup of water, eggs & salt. Then add flour, 1 cup at a time to make a firm dough. Roll out & cut into 1 inch strips on floured surface.
Cook in boiling water. Check at 20 min to see if firm. Drain. Heat 1 stick of margarine. Add saltine crackers crumbled. Brown crackers. Pour over Knepfla and stir. You can fry all together to get it all crispier.
For those of you who don't have German ancestry, Knepfla is a basic homemade egg noodle. Knepfla is certainly good to eat and thoroughly enjoyable to make.
Thanks for the help Josh & Jake! They had fun and so did I!
Ryan
New Morning Ritual
A while back I had a really good habit of reading my one year Bible, embarking on a prayer walk, then coming home to prepare breakfast before the rest of the family is out of bed. Well something happened 3+ months ago, we had our 3rd child and 3rd boy. What a blessing Jude has been in our lives. He is such a treasure just like his older brothers Joshua and Jakin. But my routine was messed up a bit with Jude's sleep habits. I used to love getting up early and carving out that time, just me and God. It was some really good times for sure.
So now that Jude has been sleeping through the night, we can get on a more normal schedule again. Or so I thought... Jude gets up at 5:15AM, now being the good dad and husband that I am, I retrieve the little tyke and feed him. This had been the New normal routine. I would feed Jude, read and then we would go on a prayer walk. Fast forward to yesterday.
Did I mention that Josh is now potty trained?
With Josh's new found freedom by being able to get out of bed and go pee-pee, he has pushed the limits of his old rules of having to stay in bed until we come and get him. So for the second day in a row now, Josh has joined Jude and I for our morning ritual, minus the prayer walk. On Monday I had to explain to Josh that this was quiet time in the morning and that he needed to be silent and read if he wanted to stay up. I had to give him quite a few reminders, but overall he was really good. Today, he was up with Jude and I at 5:15. Josh came down with all 3 of his blankets and plopped himself in the chair. He was really good. I hardly heard a peep out of him. I finished reading and feeding Jude.
After I put Jude on the floor for some play, Josh came over to cuddle. Daddy was pretty tired this morning, so I was trying to get some more rest. Josh placed my Bible in my open hand, I then told him that I had already read this morning. Josh then told me he wanted to read about cheeses. I took me a second to comprehend what he was saying (might I remind you this was before 6:00AM). Then I realized he wanted to read about Jesus. Seriously, Josh is almost 3, but I would swear he said cheeses, or that is how he pronounced it. So Josh and I read in the New Testament and had a grand time. It was really precious to be able to spend 1:1 time with him. I mourn the loss of my cool morning 1:1 time with God, but to have Josh want to spend time and read about Jesus - how cool is that?
No worries - I have a lunch hour that is perfect for reading and prayer.
Ryan
So now that Jude has been sleeping through the night, we can get on a more normal schedule again. Or so I thought... Jude gets up at 5:15AM, now being the good dad and husband that I am, I retrieve the little tyke and feed him. This had been the New normal routine. I would feed Jude, read and then we would go on a prayer walk. Fast forward to yesterday.
Did I mention that Josh is now potty trained?
With Josh's new found freedom by being able to get out of bed and go pee-pee, he has pushed the limits of his old rules of having to stay in bed until we come and get him. So for the second day in a row now, Josh has joined Jude and I for our morning ritual, minus the prayer walk. On Monday I had to explain to Josh that this was quiet time in the morning and that he needed to be silent and read if he wanted to stay up. I had to give him quite a few reminders, but overall he was really good. Today, he was up with Jude and I at 5:15. Josh came down with all 3 of his blankets and plopped himself in the chair. He was really good. I hardly heard a peep out of him. I finished reading and feeding Jude.
After I put Jude on the floor for some play, Josh came over to cuddle. Daddy was pretty tired this morning, so I was trying to get some more rest. Josh placed my Bible in my open hand, I then told him that I had already read this morning. Josh then told me he wanted to read about cheeses. I took me a second to comprehend what he was saying (might I remind you this was before 6:00AM). Then I realized he wanted to read about Jesus. Seriously, Josh is almost 3, but I would swear he said cheeses, or that is how he pronounced it. So Josh and I read in the New Testament and had a grand time. It was really precious to be able to spend 1:1 time with him. I mourn the loss of my cool morning 1:1 time with God, but to have Josh want to spend time and read about Jesus - how cool is that?
No worries - I have a lunch hour that is perfect for reading and prayer.
Ryan