These are my people

Being a mom of 4 kids 9 and under, I don't have many dull moments. If I do happen upon one it usually is followed by some sort of chaos, someone screaming, a huge mess, someone starving or bleeding...I have a few dramatic children, so nearly anything can be made into a crisis (we've had a few rough moments about which way the wind was blowing in the window). You can't make this stuff up. 

However, as they are growing bigger, more of my moments are filled with interacting with them, watching them, playing with them, rather than actually tending to their needs. No one is nursing anymore, only the youngest is in diapers and they can all feed themselves (for the most part). 

Every once in a while I get to watch them without them being aware. A glimpse at who they are trying to be, a moment of make believe, of mimicking an older sibling (or me!), a moment lost in their own thoughts. Lately, as this happens I keep being in awe of these people. These little beings that have been so attached to me are growing into small humans. They each see the world in their own unique way, have their own reactions and responses to each situation as it presents itself and each add to our family in such a special way. 

They're each growing at their own pace, but the end point is obvious from the biggest down to the smallest of them. One day they will each grow fully into their own person. They won't need me anymore. All the ways that I spend my days busily caring for them will disappear as they will have learned to not only care for themselves, but for others. 

This simple fact amazes me. I know this is what motherhood is about. Shaping and molding children to one day contribute to this world, but to watch it begin to unfold before my own eyes, well, it's a little bit miraculous. These are my people. The people I love and care for. The people who I grew for months on end and rocked and nursed at all hours of the night. These are my people and I love them, I find them amazing, interesting and complex. 

These are my people. 

The Same New Beginnings

We're settling into routine out west and this year was the first year since I've been a mom that the beginning of the school year has looked the same as the previous one. We still had moments of wondering what the class would be like missing a few friends, a few tears over the end of summer (not only from me...), and a small amount of anxiety over the new beginnings that the school year brought, but it was nice to have it all be familiar. It was nice to expect and anticipate the routine that would be coming. To know what our days would look like and to be eager to return to familiar friends and activities. 

The big kids started school a few weeks earlier this year, but Ginny's preschool still waited to start until after the late labor day. This gave the littles and I a few weeks to do a few final visits to the zoo and playgrounds and soak up the last few days of summer. It was wonderful. We missed the bigs, but it was also so fun to see Wiley and Ginny lean on each other as playmates, making the transition from a house full to just the other for entertainment. 

This mama heart is full. It is great to have confidence in where I send my kids each day. They each have good teachers this year that will help shape them in the coming months. Ginny is in love with her preschool teacher and is already eagerly anticipating joining Lucy and Murray next year at their school. I'm pretty sure everyone will know her before she steps in for her first day and she will feel like the queen bee in kindergarten. She's a hoot how she chats up anyone who will listen once we're on campus. 

New beginnings none the less. It's all the same, familiar, but different. 

Lucy's in 4th grade and beginning to make that transition towards middle school. She's started playing soccer after school and is joining handbells (forgoing band because she didn't want another instrument to practice at home). We're starting to see friendships become more solid and she's becoming more aware of her peers and social things. 

Murray...well he's our steady eddy. Still all about running and being one of the fastest boys in his class. He's pretty easy going and I'm not sure much can shake him. It's fun to hear how he's immersed back with his friends and I love that they're growing up together. 

Ginny and Wiley. I won't be able to lump them together much longer. I am here, because well, that's where I sense the change. They play so creatively together. Often I overhear them playing house with Ginny being the mama and Wiley playing the part of a puppy or baby, they just find joy every day. I feel this year that these days are fleeting. In the past I've felt the start of a school year as a time to come up for air and just relax a bit, this year I feel the rush. The rush to just soak it all in before I start to lose them to school days and friends. Wiley's afternoon naps are numbered, Ginny's lazy mornings at home, outings in the neighborhood and trips to the grocery store after dropping the bigs at school...these things, they're all numbered now. Where before I felt like I was drowning in little people, I now see the end and I'm not ready for it just yet. So, for now we'll take each day as it comes. Settle into our school year and soak up as many snuggles and lazy days as we can manage. We'll also keep playing and being creative, cheering on the bigs in all they're accomplishing and just keep growing the best we can out west. 

Murray Man is 6

I can't believe it's been 6 years since I became a believer that a girl can fall in love with a boy in an instant. That moment I held you, stared into your eyes and made a final debate about your name. I'm so glad we chose Murray, you're such an amazing Murray Man and it suits you so well.

You're such an amazing little man Murray. You are kind, sensitive and full of life and love. You are all boy, loving anything rough and tumble, competitive in almost everything you do. You love your bow and arrow, nerf guns and wrestling and fighting "ninja style". You also can spend hours building with legos, kicking a ball or racing around in the backyard.

I am so proud of who you are growing into. You are considerate of others and are extremely well attuned to others wants and needs. This is evident everyday in the way you play so kindly with Ginny and Wiley and on occasion used against Lucy to "push her buttons" and get her fired up, but usually you get along well with her also.

We celebrated your birthday a few days early while up in Traverse City with a Moomers ice cream cake and great friends around. The Bauer's and the Troxel's. It was fun to share your special day with them since your actual birthday Daddy had to leave for a trip.

We love you Murray Man, I can't believe you're 6! I can't believe what a smart, funny, sensitive, and strong young man you are becoming. I can't wait to see what this next year of life has in store for you. It is a joy to share  life with you and watch you grow.

Thankful Thursday

Today I'm thankful for my wonderful, sweet, mischievously smiling little boy. 

We visited the ENT today to have Murray's ears diagnosed further. Basically today I learned that everything the Dr. originally said is true...and he can sit amazingly still and quiet while someone cleans his ears out. He also looks amazingly cute while getting a hearing test done. Sitting in the sound booth by himself smiling proudly as he says "BEEP". 

We'll get an x-ray and I have to monitor his sleep once for 10 minutes and then we'll go back at the end of April for a follow up where it will be decided for sure our plan of action. Looks like we're headed in the direction of tubes.

I'm thankful to be able to take my son to his dr. appointments. I'm thankful to appreciate his smile and see his achievements. What a great blessing to share my life with this amazing little man!

Wordless Wednesday

Now that's a sandwich!

Towers with Murray

The other day Murray asked to play with Ginny. She was happily sitting up banging stacking cups around. Murray went and sat by her and built towers for her to knock over. She loved it, laughing and hitting them as they fell into a pile. Murray laughed and built them again and again. It's so fun to see them learning to interact more as Ginny gets bigger. Can't wait to see what they'll do with her once she's on the move!

A boy after my own heart

Being married to a Pastor there are a few things about Christmas morning that are a bit different than I did growing up...


One of those is getting to church early on Christmas morning...the one car situation makes it even more complicated because we all need to get there when he needs to get there. So, instead of the rule being everyone must have their teeth brushed and hair combed before we go down to open presents (like it was at my house), the rule is No One may go downstairs by the presents until Everyone is dressed for church! 


This year the tree was down 2 levels in the family room, so we could be in the kitchen. I do a baked french toast so we eat breakfast just before leaving for church (after presents). 


We were just about ready to head downstairs, but waiting for a few people to finish up (I think Ginny was getting ready at this point). I started emptying the dishwasher figuring whatever I can get done now I won't have to do later....when Murray started helping out! 


This is a boy after my own heart! Christmas morning, he's anxiously awaiting the presents under the tree, just 5 steps away and he asks yes asks me..."can I help you put the dishes away mama?" Oh my goodness! That boy can be full of sweetness!

Murray's Christmas Program

Murray did a great job singing at his preschool Christmas program. We were all very proud of him! 

Wordless Wednesday

Murray Man: It's always nice to have a superhero in the house!

Wordless Wednesday

It's always nice to have a little helper!

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 :)

Terrific Tuesday

Just a few things...before the quiet becomes chaos!

We're enjoying a quiet morning with Murray at preschool...and the thought keeps creeping in my mind: I would never appreciate the quiet of two children if I didn't usually have three! It's strange to me! I can remember feeling like things were SO incredibly busy when Murray was just a few months old. Two kids was just so busy...

Now when I have a morning of just two kids I plan extra school for Lucy and make goals for myself and Ginny and even have time to imagine up extra projects I hope to do later in the day (mmm....banana bread)!

I'm excited that Ginny is napping in her bed, Lucy has finished school (minus handwriting...she'll finish this afternoon b/c she just couldn't concentrate any longer!)

What a terrific Tuesday morning, but now I'm sitting here counting the minutes until my sweet boy comes home from school...it's just too quiet without him!

Murray's First Day of School

Today is Murray's 2nd day of going to school all by himself. Last Tuesday I stayed with him for a "meet and greet" and on Thursday morning he went all by himself. We did take these pictures last Thursday (September 8th), but just didn't get them off the camera.

Isn't he handsome? He's getting SO big!

Love that smile...it gets him into...and out of lots of trouble!

Murray's first day! Wow! Where has the time gone? I know it seems cliche, but I remember when I first brought him home and he was a snuggly baby...now he's off to school! That boy has such a kind and gentle heart covered in all BOY! He plays rough and intense! Everything is done in full force, but he can slow down and melt your heart or melt down himself. I'm hoping preschool helps him learn to control those melt downs a bit!

His first day was quite an adventure. I have to admit I was sad to see him climb in the car with Nick and drive off. I had to fight the urge to call and find out how drop off had gone and as Lucy and I worked our way through school that morning I missed the "kerchow!" and crashing noises he spends the morning making. I did not miss being asked for snacks every 2 minutes though.

Imagine my surprise when Nick called mid morning to tell me Murray had "escaped"! Our independent little man had decided he was finished at preschool and went to the youth room to hang out with daddy. He left his teachers and all the kids in the gym running races! He's so quick about it, the teacher wouldn't have even known he was gone if another boy hadn't said that someone went up the stairs! Of course the teacher and the preschool director were in a panic looking for him! Once they realized it was Murray they thought he could be anywhere! So, they were searching the bathroom and just heading up to the offices when Nick came walking back with him.

Oh, my poor sweet boy cried when he realized he had made his teacher worried. He said he was sorry and that he would stay with his class now. He was so sad to tell me about it when he came home from school that day. Well, I was honestly hardly surprised at all! If anyone was going to leave school early it would be Murray...that boy can have a mind of his own! I wish I could see the world the way he does, I just hope and pray I can gain insight and begin to understand the way he thinks before he is a teenager!

(This picture is from his very first day Tuesday September 6th...he enjoyed exploring all the cars and toys in the room including the play dough.

Monkey See, Monkey Do...

Monkey see, monkey do happens at our house a lot these days...

Lucy does something, Murray does it louder and with more intensity...it's quite entertaining (most of the time). We've always called Lucy and Murray our little monkeys. It started because Lucy was so obsessed with monkeys and Curious George and continued because Murray was such a monkey himself...we did find him in the sink at 11 months! Ginny is just being lumped with them so far since she's given us no reason to think she won't be a little monkey as well. So I often just say...where are my monkeys? or Let's clean up monkeys! They know who I'm talking to and respond a lot better than when I call them kids or something similar.

Because we love monkeys so much at our house we have lots of monkey related things, including lots of monkey books. Today we were reading through a few of our favorites including Cha Cha Chimps and One Monkey Too Many. The plot of One Monkey too many is that every time they find an activity perfect for that number of monkeys another monkey arrives and trouble happens. On the last page the author leaves to go to lunch saying 5 is the perfect number of monkeys for the book and then a 6th sneaks in..."One monkey too many climbed into this book!" It's a great read! After reading the last page today I say to Lucy, "What do you think, do we have 1 monkey too many in our family now?"

Her response, "No mom, not even close!" Guess I better watch out!

Oh Murray Man

I told Murray he needed to get dressed before he could play outside...he wanted to stay in his pj's all day. Beint the wonderful boy he is, he's all politician and compromise (he'll make a great husband some day) This is what he came up with...he stayed in it all day...until bedtime when he requested new pj's...what will tomorrow bring?

Ginny's Baptism Up Close!

Here's a few highlights from Ginny's Baptism Weekend

in a totally random and no particular order (sorry)...

Olivia LOVED holding baby Ginny...I'm pretty sure she would have held her all day if we let her!

This is the most still I have EVER seen Murray sit in church. It was after the

service of course, and he was enthralled with the drums!

Evangeline Kate, baptized August 7th. She wore the "Murray" baptismal gown and a necklace from her Great Grandma Eve whom she's named after.

Big Sisters Olivia and Lucy

Koschmann family and Rudzinski family...oh how I wished we lived closer!

Koschmann Party of 5!

Yum! Nick made ribs (and chicken and corn)...

My last minute cake...it turned out pretty well

(there will be another post about this as it was the most delicious cake I've ever made

and I MUST share the recipe I found!)

Chloe holding Ginny...she is also baby obsessed...all the babies in my house were using all the baby equipment all weekend long...Ginny had to wait her turn to use the swing, car seat, bed, bouncy seat etc...adorable (since it was only for the weekend...)

Ginny was pooped after a long, super fun day...she just watched me clean up from the kitchen counter (don't worry...her daddy was standing right there by her!)

Wordless Wednesday

Baking Cookies with Grandma while Lucy's at VBS

(he even got to crack an egg for the first time)

3 weeks and 3 years!

This morning Aunt Kate and I took Ginny and Murray to the doctor for some check ups. Murray's 3 year check up (yes, a little late...we're doing his 3 year old pictures tomorrow) and Ginny's 3 week check up (right on time).

Here are the stats from the check up:

Ginny: 10 lbs 8 oz and 22 inches long, head circumference 37 3/4 cm

Murray: 34.5 lbs and 40 inches tall, blood pressure 88/58

I have two healthy kids. Murray did need 1 shot and it was his first that he'll remember...it wasn't very fun, but he did well and I took him for a treat after. I suggested a happy meal and he asked if Lucy could have one too, so we picked up 2 special lunches and then picked Lucy up from VBS to share our treat.

It was Kate's first "kid" doctor experience and she got to experience the "mommy guilt" that goes with shots. From now on though, Murray will remember that the shots hurt and then feel better...so hopefully there will be less guilt involved on my end of things for him. I hate knowing it's going to hurt him and him having no clue of what's coming.

Thankful for healthy kids though!

Wordless Wednesday

Enjoying some time with Lotty Ladybug!

Murray found it entertaining as well!

Pirate Party!!

Murray Man is 3!!!

This year we decided it was finally time to let him celebrate with a party! A Pirate party it was! He's been really into a pirate show on Disney Jr. and Lucy really enjoys it as well so it seemed to be the perfect party for him and a few of his friends.

Aside from the fact that Murray woke up at 5:30 on the day of his party and didn't nap...the party was excellent. A tired Murray shed a few unnecessary tears, but hey, it was his party, so he could cry if he wanted too...right?

Our Party was complete with launching canons (water balloons) at an enemy Pirate, Pin the treasure on the map, an amazing treasure hunt complete with "loot" at the end, and of course some sword fighting. The kids had a great time and all got along really well.

The cake...ahh, the cake. I felt like Murray had not yet received a true, fun cake from me. His birthday last year was the day after we arrived home from our 2 week adventure...so he had cupcakes quickly thrown together on a super hot day! I know he doesn't remember, but I do, and he's my little boy. Just because I'm tired and pregnant doesn't mean I get to skip his birthday. So...a Pirate cake I made. The first ship collapsed into 4 pieces (or more). It was a disaster to say the least. Apparently, really yummy, moist cake is not ideal for making a sculptured cake...so we went with less moist, still delicious cake for round 2. I think it turned out really well and the sails that Nick made really pulled it all together and gave it a personal touch.

Here's the end result:

It was a hit and the kids enjoyed looking at it more than eating it! Overall we enjoyed celebrating our little man turning 3. It's hard to believe 3 years have passed already, but our little Murray man certainly brings much joy and adventure to our lives daily.