3 years later

In 2003, when we started coming to our church, VCFP, we joined a small group.  That group grew and changed over the years, and I even helped lead it for a season.   About 4 years ago now the group really started to multiply.  Almost all the couples in the group announced they were pregnant around the same time.  After the babies arrived, the group decided to multiply into two groups, mostly because those with kids needed a different meeting schedule, and some new families with new babies joined as well.  

So it was over 3 years ago now that we had a Memorial Day BBQ, and these 5, soon to be 6, little babies started their journey as friends, and the parents got to know and support each other in new ways.

The babies: Josh, Emeline, Gracie, Jackson, and Noah

Some of the parents, Elaine & Jessie.

Wes & Dan

And Heather, with baby Jonah on the inside, holding baby Emeline on the outside.

The kids have grown up together so much in the past 3 years.  Here is our best attempt at a group kid shot at Emeline's first birthday: Jonah, Jackson, and Josh in the back, with Noah and Emeline rapidly escaping.

So we opted for a better shot holding the kids: Elaine & Emeline, Jessie & Jackson, David & Jonah, Michelle & Noah, and Wendy & Josh.

As unfortunate that it is, many good things must come to an end.  The group has grown so much (number of kids doubling), people moving around the area, and with a deep desire to have space to invite more families to fellowship, our little group is multiplying into more groups.  So at our last hurrah as a group, we got some more photos to help us remember how far we've come.  

Look at how big these 3 year old are now!  Jackson, Emeline, Noah, Josh, Jonah, and Gracie.

And with all the #2s: Jackson & Cosette, Emeline & Kate, Max & Noah, Faith & Josh (holding Anna), Gracie & Annie, and Jonah on top.

And one group shot with all 12 adults and 12 children.  That's a lot of people! 

Back row:  Heather, Anna, David, Jonah, Wendy, Josh, Faith, Jeffrey, Dan, Jackson, Kate, Wes, Mike, Annie.

Front row: Terah, Noah, Michelle, Max, Jessie, Cosette, Emeline, Elaine, Liane, Gracie.

 

So much has happened in the last 3 years, we will deeply miss sharing the details of life with these wonderful people, but we are excited to see how God will grow us all.

New horizons

Today marks the beginning of the 'why's' for Emeline. She has asked 'why' before, but today there was a string of them, in tell tale form. I knew this day would come, I even was surprised it wasn't here yet. 

Today we also had some explorations of new mediums of art. I give you couch art, and floor art, respectively.

We've had accidental floor art before, and at first I thought this was Kate's work. But Emeline quickly claimed it. 

So with Kate in her screaming, frustrated without words phase, Emeline with a case of the 'why's' and early stages of vandalism, and a growing belly that is sucking the life out of me, I am one tired mama. I think if I can get through this I deserve a parenting trophy. At least one for the early years ;). I'm sure as teenagers these kids will continue to push my parenting skills to new horizons.

33

This year's birthday was very low key, but full of lots of rest and surprises.  I felt very blessed.

On my actual birthday, my aunt Diane surprised me by offering to take the kids for the afternoon and evening so I could have some time to myself, and to go out to dinner with Wes.  My dad surprised me with a gift card to Left Bank Steak (a fancy steak house in Santana Row).  I had a very relaxing day, and then when we went out to dinner, Wes surprised me further by inviting a couple friends to join us.  Yay for dinner with Sarah and Elizabeth!

Then, the weekend of my birthday, Wes let me have some free time to do some shopping.  While I was out, he and Emeline baked me some delicious birthday cupcakes.  My favorite combo, chocolate with mint frosting.  

And when I returned from my outing, I was greeted by a birthday serenade and cupcakes from my family.  It was very sweet.

That evening we had another date night.  Wes got me a prenatal massage and we went out to Evvia in Palo Alto for some delicious Greek food.  Here I am all relaxed from my massage at just about 23 weeks with baby #3.  

And some more birthday celebrating at Evvia!

This girl needs a stage

Swim lessons

During Emeline's two week break from preschool, we put her in a two week intensive swim lesson course. The early 8:30am time slot, the only one left due to our last minute planning, has kicked our butts, but Emeline has had a lot of fun and seemed to improve a lot. Here are a few pics from her last day.

Quotes

It's been a while since I posted quotes, so these are my backlog for a few months.
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Getting ready to go to Home Depot to pick up a new window with Papa.  Emeline is always thinking big.

Emeline: We have to go to Home Depot to pick up the window, Papa

Wes: Yep.

Emeline: Then we can buy a giant house (at Home Depot)

Wes: But this IS a giant house. 

Emeline: No, this is a small house.

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Speaking to the cleaners we have once a month.  Needing to learn some manners.

After you're done with the sheets, you can put on the blankets, and then I will say thank you.

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Emeline: Can we go outside and play?

Grandpa: In a little while. I need to sit and digest my food. Do you know what digest means?

Emeline: Yeah.

Grandpa: No you don't. (Skeptically) What does it mean?

Emeline: It means for people's food to go away.

Me: Not bad! (I never told her about this, preschool maybe?)

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A little conversation about the new baby.  We've had similar ones a few times.  It sounds like an awful conversation, but it's clear she's processing ideas of life and death.

Me: Are you excited to have a new brother or sister to play with?

Emeline: I want the baby to die.

Me: We want the baby to live and be strong and come out. You grew in my tummy and then came out and be in our family. Kate grew in my tummy and came out to be in our family. We want the new baby to grow strong and come out to be in our family.

Emeline: OK.
Now our conversations about the new baby are much happier.  She wants to have "another Kate".  She's convinced it's a girl.  She loves to kiss my belly and talk to the baby and seems excited for it to come out.

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After hearing the sound of bowling pins crashing in a Raffi song:

That was the sound of Emeline biting an apple!
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On returning a Madeline DVD to the library...
I want to keep this one FOREVER.
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On swim lessons...
I want to do swimming lessons FOREVER.

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Describing a picture she drew:

This is my idea of the world.

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The conversation we had as I put the above picture on Facebook.

Emeline: Don't put me on Facebook.  

Me: Why not?

Emeline: Because I want to be myself.

I should have respected her, great wisdom really, but I put that one on Facebook too because it was so good I had to share!

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A blogger I read talked about interviewing kids over time about different things, to see how their perceptions and ideas change.  Here's her latest:

Me: What is your favorite thing to do? 

Emeline: Go in the water!

Me: What is Papa's favorite thing to do?
Emeline: Work.

Me: What is mommy favorite thing to do?
Emeline: Bible study!

Me: What Kate's favorite things to do?

Emeline: Stay home.

Me: What is your favorite thing to do?
Emeline: Go to school!
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Playing at Great Grandma's house

When we went down to Southern California for my Grandpa's memorial, the girls got in some good visits with Great Grandma and other family.  Here are some photos of them playing in her backyard.