2013 where did you go?

Or maybe… where did I go?

Well, all I can say is it sure wasn't where I planned. It never is. But that is okay, because in the end He has the perfect plan.

So on one hand there is a lot that I want to forget about 2013. I don't want to remember the mice, the rental house, or my attitude.  But then on the other hand I want to remember my days at home, my babies (especially the one in her first year), the laughter, the happiness, the dreams, and the love.

So with that, here is a recap of 2013!

October obvious brought Norah.  But November was about celebrating Miss Addi!  A monkey 2nd birthday was quite appropriate for this little monkey.  In November we also moved into the rental house.

December was a non stop Christmas celebration.  We had fun with Advent activities, including frosting cookies, snowmen pancakes, and fancy hot cocoa!

January was pretty quiet, but included a trip to Grandma and Papa's where the girls were treated to s'mores in the fire place!

February brought more snow and stories of a house that a farmer needed moved off his land.  Ever since the sale of our house, we had been keeping our ears open for such a lead!

March was Aunt Laura's wedding!  And that meant three sweet flower girls!! Both Cori and Addi made it down the aisle, and Cori surprised us all by standing up with the big girls during the entire wedding!!

Sunny and warm days were back for April so we attempted some kite flying to celebrate.  We also made some paintings and Norah had her first tastes of food.

May meant 6 months for Norah!  But is also meant saying goodbye to some dear friends. (we miss you)

Summer was in full swing by June (yes, mommy misjudged the size of the kiddy pool).

Norah learned to crawl, we loved being outside, and tried our best to keep cool!!

July was a mash up of all things summer… more pool time, small town Fourth of July, and county fair.

When the girls look at pictures it is the month of July that seems to be their favorite!

August was camping and cousin camp.  Yes, camping… but we sorta cheated.  We "camped" in a cabin at the lake, the weather wasn't the greatest but small quarters with your closest friend was a blast.

Cousin camp was new this year!  This meant we had lots of quality time at Grandma and Grandpa's and got to take advantage of big city life.  

September = School!

What!!! Really, how can this be! But it was true, 5 years have really flown by! But we are blessed that she has a great preschool to attend with a wonderful teacher and wonderful friends!

Year one for Norah was in the books when Halloween rolled around in October.  Addi was easy to convince to be Little Red Ridding Hood, Norah had little choice to be the Big Bad Wolf, and once Cori voiced her opinion that Grandmother should have glasses and wear a skirt she was on board too!

After what seemed like forever, we were finally making visible progress with a new house by November.  I do believe that God has a perfect plan in all of this, but I will admit that doesn't make it easier to wait on things/people who are out of your control. Now it is the next stage of this journey that will probably throw us some more curve balls, but we are excited for all that lays ahead.

And as a little teaser, until I can post again… here is our home sweet home:

(December 2013)

introducing: Norah Kaye

The newest member of our family, Norah Kaye, arrived October 23rd at 4:56pm.  

She weighted 8lbs and 2oz and measured 21inches long!

I would love to tell you that she arrived on time and by her own choice, but I'm afraid she is a little more stuborrn than that!

Little Miss Norah has a mind of her own, which meant I was induced 9 days after her due date!

(I would love to blame her stubbornness on her daddy, but I'm afraid my own birth story is more like hers...who can blame a girl for liking to be warm and cozy?)  But I will say once she agreed to her eviction notice she didn't waste any time!!

She has been loved on and cuddled and kissed ever since... and with two big sisters it doesn't show any sign of slowing down.

Biggest sister Cori is doing a wonderful job at being a helper and trying to keep Norah calm when she starts to cry.

Big sister Addi is also being a great help with "diappies" and giving Norah her "mi-mi" (pacifier).  She also wants to give lots of "tisses" (kisses).

I know we are only a few days in, but the adjustment is going pretty well so far.  Granted we haven't gone anywhere just us girls, so I might change my tune then!  So other than waiting what seemed like forever for her arrival, the hardest thing so far was picking her name!!  With Cori, she was always Cordelia Grace and when Addi came along, Randy picked Adalynn Jean and we knew that is who she would be.  But the third time around was a little more difficult!  By this time we have had a TON of friends who have had babies, not to mention in our own families!  Some of the names we liked were the same or too similar to names already out there.  Plus we wanted her name (like the other girls) to have some meaning behind it.  Her middle name was the only one we agreed on... Kaye for my grandpa Kay, meaning "pure".  Plus, they share a birthday month and there has already been a little passing down if his name through my mom and myself.  But for her first name it was wait and she her... and... well... she just looked like a Norah.  Norah means light and we pray that she will be a "pure light" of Christ to the people around her! 

Welcome to the world and our hearts and arms little Norah, you are so very loved! 

Pool and Papa Thom

Every summer we look forward to the pool and yet we never seem to get there enough!!!  

This year, Addi was ready for the water!  Sometimes too ready.  By the end of pool season she was right in there with the big kids :)  and always asking "go?" which meant she was ready to jump in (even if you weren't)

We had pool dates with lots of different friends (this was the only time I remembered my camera!) They were quite funny as they never figured out how to all run and jump in at the same time.

This past weekend we were able to get over to Hastings to see Papa Thom race.  Cori is always talking about being a racer girl (most likely with a pink race car!)  As soon as we got there she jumped right into the drivers seat and started begging to go for a ride!

But before she could ride we got to see him race!!

Now for the ride!!! Even Addi insisted that she needed to ride too!!

Papa with his trophy girls!! 

And for you who are TopGear fans..... a future Stig? 

She might be okay with a white helmet, but I think the all white race suit my be in for a change!!

time flies

I've been waiting for my friends to do new post, and yet I haven't done any.... well almost a year later, here we go....  because of selling our house and living in limbo for the next several months, these are not only the most recent pictures I have but the only ones!

In July we took a trip (ie. a long drive) to New Mexico to see cousin Roan (and his mommy and daddy too).  We had lots of fun on our visit!  

Cori got to go fishing with the big Boys who took her fishing for the first time!!

We ended our trip with stops in both El Paso and Midland Texas before heading home to the craziness of moving!!

We have also been looking forward to going back to the County Fair (for the rides and funnel cones of course!!)  I told myself last year that I would not make the mistake again of only buying Cori tickets for the rides and instead buy her an all you can ride wristband.... mistake corrected for Cori, but major fail for Addi.  I didn't think she would like the rides as this was her first year on them.... I was wrong!! Correction will be made for the State Fair!!!!

Having SO MUCH FUN!!!

Daddy took the girls on the carousel early, which was a good plan as he gets dizzy easily!

Maybe one of the oldest rides there, but they are true race car girls!!

A bigger girl ride for Cori.... with jumps and lots of speed!!

Hopefully the next few months will be lots of pictures of the new house(s).... and then before too long Baby Girl #3!!

pumpkins and more

Our annual trek to the pumpkin patch was made a little more interesting/exciting with two kids in tow this year.
At first, neither one of them knew what to think of this little adventure.

Here the girls are getting a little practice in the straw maze.

Addi and her first pumpkin (found with Daddy's help it was just the perfect size). Cori found a great one too!


This year we tried something new... the Corn Maze (which I have to admit I was a little scared to do after just reading about the couple who got lost in a corn maze with their 3 week old child!!) Cori putting on her best "we are lost" look (lower left)

Other activities at the Pumpkin Patch included: animals, slides, corn boxes, 3 wheelers, and attempts at posed photos.

Note that I said "attempt", and who can blame them... after all that... who wants to take a picture...
If I could read their thoughts:
Cori = "how silly can I be"
Addi = "get me out of here"
Randy = "I agree with Addi, are you done yet?"

Happy Fall!

the past two months! YIKES

The weeks have flown by since my last blog post.... trying to squeeze in as many summer memories as possible! So here are are many pictures as I could cram in to show you exactly what we have been up to...

 

Camping with the family... yes, tent camping!  We only stayed one night but it was a good night and we had a blast!

 

Getting as much time outside as we could... like going to the petting zoo with friends.

 

Swimming of course!!! 

 

 

At the fair we learned a valuable lesson... buy Cori an all you can ride bracelet next year! 

 

Celebrated Cordelia's 3rd birthday (twice)... once at home with an all things PINK party.

 

Adalynn trying to "play" with cousin Linley... well butt heads and try to sit on her play!

 

Birthday celebration number 2... with an ice cream cake and candle (but no singing and grandma had to blow the candle out!!)

 

As cowboy as the Gehrt girls get :) on the trail ride.  Cori was very excited to be Cowgirl Cori and ride the horses and on Papa's wagon.

 Addi on horse back for the first time with Papa and getting to stretch her legs at lunch (yes, she is walking and somewhere I have lost the pictures to prove it!!)

 Cori ridding all by herself... now that is a BIG girl!

It was a full summer and we did fit a lot in, but there were items on my to-do list that never got checked off... until next summer I guess.  Thanks for peeking in!  And if the pictures weren't enough her are a few Cori-isms:

- "time for bed Cori" ... "mom I can't, I just REALLY can't"

-"I'm meaning you"... translation "I'm mad at you"

-"Cori would you like to go on a date with Daddy?"... her answer... "I just don't know about that?"

- "mommy, tell me the truth"... "who is the truth Cori?".... "Jesus!"

- and when she doesn't want to do something "cause Jesus said"