Thankful Thursdays

The weather is changing, the fall colors are starting to come out...it's cold in the morning, it's rainy most afternoons (or so it seems)...and it can be tough to be thankful!

It's been a tough day for me...a tough day with Lucy, a tough day with myself and my thoughts.  It's in these moments I'm reminded that I'm not perfect and I don't need to be. After a tough math lesson this morning Lucy and I were doing her hair and talking about why it was important she learn her numbers. At the end of the conversation I said to her...

"but you know I love you right?" 

Yes mom, I know you love me lots! 

"and you know Jesus loves you too?"

of course mom!

and that's why I do what I do!

I'm thankful that my children know they are loved. I'm thankful that Ginny smiles and giggles at us and my kids interpret it, by saying "she loves me! she's smiling at me, she loves me!"

I'm thankful that at the age of 30, when my phone rings and I see it's my own mom calling I get excited because she has something to share with me. I still love my mom and she still loves me! You don't outgrow it...the love of your mom (or dad) is forever and endless and wonderful. I imagine that God created this love between a parent and child and said "there...now they'll get just a glimpse of what it's like for me to love them". I just imagine that on my worst days He's looking down and saying, "but I just want her to understand, I just want her to listen to me...oh I hope she gets it!"

I know Lucy will learn her numbers...I know one day she'll see the number 12 and call it twelve instead of 1-2 or instead of Aaron Roger's number...and I know I'll love her until then, past then and through all the life lessons she has to learn. 

Today I'm thankful for the ability to love my kids, my parents and the assurance that God loves me even when I'm not perfect!

She lost a what?!?

That's right...our baby girl is growing up too fast...

Lucy lost her first tooth! I still remember her biting me at church in Albuquerque when I realized her first tooth (well, teeth) had just broken through...

Now they're falling out and coming in all over again. Lucy lost her first tooth last week on Wednesday, October 19th! I couldn't believe it!

We had been looking at making her tooth fairy pillow and I was actually out buying the supplies for it when the tooth fell out. Needless to say, we stayed up a bit past bedtime to get the pillow made so she could leave it hanging on her doorknob for the "tooth fairy" to visit. 

We still have a few finishing touches to complete on the pillow, but overall it worked great and is pretty cute (not as cute as mine growing up, but hey...I try!)

Wordless Wednesday (not so wordless this time)

A great day at The Henry Ford Museum as a family 

exploring The Wizard of Oz Exhibit...

We're not quite finished with the book yet, but a great day was had by all!

They both love Dorothy! I see a possibility for next year's Halloween costumes!

(Lucy wants to be Glinda the good witch!)

Building a rainbow with daddy!

When you get all the gears together the Tin Man's heart would light up!

These two go together...what I'm doing is speaking into a voice changer that makes you sound like a munchkin...Ginny LOVED this...we would talk in it and she would just smile and giggle! It was fun for the whole family!

Go Pack Go!

Ginny has just witnessed her 7th Packers Victory.

She's loving watching football with Daddy and thinks winning is sweet even without ever experiencing defeat...here's hoping Ginny has to wait until Next season for that. 

Either way...we're all smiles about the Packers in the Koschmann house!

(Pictures taken during previous games...we were doing yard work throughout the game so pictures were not taken today!)

Thankful Thursdays

Thankful Thursdays....I really enjoy the focus this Thursday blog gives me. After a rushed morning of getting ready, sending a little boy to preschool on a day when there is no school and then fishing a pair of pants from the potty (after it had been used)...well, it's nice to have a reason to sit down and be thankful for these moments. 

I'm thankful this week for a chance for my kids to get to know their Aunts, Uncles and cousins out west. I'm so thankful for my in-laws for providing their home to create these memories. What a great experience the balloon fiesta was. The kids LOVED seeing the balloons, but I think all their relatives may have overshadowed the balloons just a bit...we can't wait to see everyone again!

I'm thankful for happy kids...they may not be super healthy this week (we're all fighting coughs), but they are all in good spirits and I haven't had much whining (maybe I should learn from them...)

I'm thankful for a warm cup of tea on a cold and dreary fall morning. 

I'm thankful we're half way through October. This month has seemed so overwhelming for so long, and now the overwhelmingness of the month is drawing to a close and I can focus my efforts back on the home front again...I am SO excited to be done with planning big events. 

So...in the midst of crazy kids and not feeling well...lots of laundry and a messy house...I have a lot to be thankful for!

Ginny at 3 Months

Wow! Time flies...can my baby really be 3 months already?!? 
While it seems like time is just flying by, she definitely seems to be growing and getting bigger much quicker than seems possible! We went to the doctor before our trip to Albuquerque and this sweet little girl was already just over 14 lbs (with clothes on!)

We opted for a few festive pictures in her candy corn leg warmers...

don't you just want to eat her up?!?

Here's a picture without the leg warmers...

just so you can see how adorable her legs are becoming!

What an amazing blessing this sweet girl is to our family. A few 3 month highlights:
Evangeline Kate is on the verge of sleeping through the night...even though she still wakes up a bit early to feed she likes to sleep late like her big sister (we'll take it!)


She's trying so hard to roll over; she gets up on her side and uses all her muscles to pull herself around. I think she'll be rolling over any day now!


She is full of smiles! This sweet baby girl wakes up full of smiles and gives them out to us all day long. She loves her brother and sister and will turn her head to see them in the room (Lucy was above her while I was taking pictures...making it hard to get her to look at me!)


Giggles are given less readily and reserved for super special moments. Getting this girl to giggle makes any day amazing! She has the sweetest, gentlest giggle and while we haven't experienced any "belly laughs" yet, I'm hopeful they'll be coming soon. Giggles are a special gift she gives us only occasionally :)


Overall Ginny is still an even keel happy girl! We can't imagine our life without her and she is brings so much joy to our family. It is not uncommon to hear Lucy or Murray complain that they haven't had enough time with her yet today. Lucy has even taken to calling her "My Little Pumpkin". What a loved little girl she is!

No More Sick Days...

If there's one thing every mom knows it's that sick days are a precious commodity. You have to weigh the pros and cons...if I lay in bed today, what type of mess will I encounter tomorrow?  Am I really sick enough to leave my children left to their own devices to find entertainment?

When I was pregnant last year, I weighed these options most days and usually got out of bed and suffered through it. Then I had Ginny and when she was just 1 week old it happened....fever of 1o3, chills, achy body...the doctor was called and prescriptions were picked up (by my husband...not me...I didn't leave the sofa...it was too cold in my bedroom!)

Thankfully for that sick day, my mom, dad, sister and brother in law were visiting. I took my first true sick day in FIVE long years! 

Enter our trip to Albuquerque. I've been nursing colds in the 2 littler kids and my husband for weeks. I took the little ones for antibiotics before we left for vacation and thought I had escaped getting the awful cold (at least any more than the sniffles I had when we left). 

3 days into Albuquerque and I was hit. It's not so much congestion, but my whole body hurts. So, I'm staying home as much as possible and relaxing...but still hoping to enjoy a few Albuquerque experiences, a hike or two and time with family...

No sick days for this mom!

A Post to Post

Wow! I can't believe I haven't posted in SO long...I've thought about posts...I have post ideas...but I'm too busy enjoying the people the posts are about to sit down and actually post...hopefully I'll get some up soon! In the mean time...here's a sneak peak at the cute little people I'm enjoying :)