Last night, Nic and Amanda, graciously agreed to help us try to capture a current family picture. I told the kids if they smiled good they could run through the splash pad park with their clothes on. Kate and Creighton loved it. Lincoln just kept saying “I wet. I berry wet.” He quickly retreated to the swings.
This picture makes me smile, Creighton is trying to escape as Kate lifts her behind to spray him with water.
For anyone who hasn’t heard, my friend, Sacha, whom I have talked about multiple times on my blog, left this world last Tuesday. It’s hard to believe that she has already been gone for over a week. Last week was really hard, but her visitation and funeral were so touching and a real testimony to Sacha. I just want to thank everyone who sent me texts or e-mails, for facebook comments, and phone calls. They all meant a lot to me. I appreciate all of you and I’m truly thankful for all the wonderful people in my life.
We celebrated Kate’s birthday a few more times over the past few days. We started with letting her pick someplace to go out-to-eat on Saturday night since we wouldn’t be able to take her out on her actual birthday. She picked Steak N Shake or Shake N Steak, as she calls it.
The following day we celebrated her birthday (and Nora, Creighton, and Amanda’s as well) with the Rassi Family. Thanks, Greg & Mary, for hosting at the cabin and providing the delicious meat!
I attempted a “present cake.”
Creighton thought that everyone trying to blow out the candles was really funny.
Hope and Kate were making Boone giggle.
Monday, Kate’s actual birthday, I made her whatever she requested for supper, which was – homemade pizza, macaroni and cheese, and green beans.
Opening her gifts from Mike & I.
On Tuesday, Lincoln, Creighton, and I met my good friend, Codee, and her 3 kiddos at Eureka Lake playground. Creighton fell asleep in the swing.
Creighton trying to escape…
Kate started Kindergarten last week. It sure is quiet around here, especially if Creighton is napping because Lincoln is so calm and he older/younger siblings are so …. spirited. =) Here is Kate on her first day of school.
Bethany invited us over the make cookies on Kate and William’s first day of school to help Norah and Lincoln have something to do without them.
Wendy joined us after a bit and these 3 had a grand ol’ time together, as usual, although I think Bryce was not so sure how he felt about playing with the “little” kids.
Here is a random picture of Creighton and I.
Lincoln has quite the fascination with all instruments right now. He was playing the drums one day with markers and tupperware.
This picture is for my friend, Amber. I thought you’d like to know that it would appear Creighton is going to be a climber as well.
We celebrated my Mom, Creighton, and Kate’s birthday’s with my fam over the weekend.
Creighton eating his cupcake. (I know, I’m not creative and birthday’s aren’t an event at our house, so for all you people for whom it is an event, please keep your children from talking to mine about it. Just kidding) =)
Dad, are you sure I can eat this?
Thanks, Dad!
We had a fun, but busy week. Mike and Brett were able to fly to Atlanta to take in a PGA event. Mike has a few pictures on his phone, but he isn’t here, so I don’t have them. They said the course was really neat and they enjoyed their short, but sweet, boys trip. =) The kids and I did a few fun things while he was away. The time went really well, except for one small incident. I had spent Saturday morning picking things up and doing some cleaning, hoping we could swim after lunch. I put Creighton down for his morning nap and the kids came outside with me while I mowed the grass. The kids played really well together and went on a “hunt.” During their hunt they picked grass, leaves, dirt, etc up and put them in two large coffee cans. When I had about 10 minutes left mowing, they asked to come inside because they were hot. I told them that was fine. A few minutes later, I finished mowing and came inside to find that they had taken the dirt, leaves, grass, and rocks and spread them throughout their rooms. Realizing that they had created quite a mess, they went and filled buckets with water and trying to clean it up (we have wood floors) so what I saw was leaves, rocks, grass, and dirt swimming in large puddles of water. Needless to say, we spent the next hour cleaning up instead of swimming. =) At the end of cleaning up the mess Kate looks at me and says, “Mom, I just never dreamed this would be such a problem.”
Mike got home Saturday afternoon and Saturday evening we headed to the Peoria Chief’s game that we had been invited to by CEFCU (thru Mike’s work contacts). We enjoyed some free food, baseball, and fireworks. I tried to hold Creighton’s ears thinking he would find them to loud and he would swat at my hands and he kept signing “more” throughout the fireworks show.
The kids enjoying some ice cream.
Sunday night, we went with some friends to see a friend, Jake Eigsti, play the Normal Corn Belters. He plays for the Riverhawks and had a great game. Some random guys walked up to Lincoln and gave him a baseball, Lincoln insists that Pastor Troy gave it to him.
Kate, Lincoln, and Kailyn enjoyed playing with Claire and Hailey for more than the game. =)
Kate met with her Kindergarten teacher this morning to see her classroom and put her school supplies away. Here she is with her big book bag of stuff. She starts school tomorrow and she is so excited! (You certainly can’t tell from this picture, though)
Maybe by now you are wondering why my friend, Sacha’s, battle with cancer has had such a profound impact on me. At times, I have trouble thinking about much else. To be honest, I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s because I’ve known her since I was 4 years old and we went to preschool together. Maybe it’s because I turn 30 in November and it has become so much more real that I and my family and friends are not invincible, maybe it’s the fact that we had little boys on the same day, maybe it’s any number of other things. I can’t explain it, except to say that it has really hit me. I’ve cried a few tears over it, but last night I laid on my bed after reading the latest caring bridge entry and I’ll be honest, I sobbed. I cried for every memory she will not be able to make with Jack and Joe, I cried for a little boy who won’t get to know his Mom, I cried for the difficult time that is staring Joe and everyone close to Sacha in the face. I cried, “God, this does not seem the least bit fair to me.” That’s the real truth, yes, I am a born again believer in Jesus Christ. I believe that His shed blood saved me and gives me the hope of Heaven. That said, I am still human and I still question just like everyone, why her? Why now? This doesn’t seem to make much sense. I know that so many people have prayed for a miracle for Sacha. I believe with all my heart that God heard every single one of those prayers, but for whatever reason, her healing is going to come in Heaven, rather than here on earth. That’s hard, yet I believe God has used Joe and Sacha to change lives. I believe that were you to really ask the family and friends of Joe and Sacha, I think that many would say that this situation has touched them. I think that friends, who maybe never prayed together before, have prayed together now. Friends who haven’t spoken in ten years (due to busyness) now talk often. Families who were wrapped up in life are now savoring each other and each memory they get to make with each other. People who before maybe struggled to find ways to be thankful now find themselves seeing how much they have. People who have spent years thinking mostly of themselves now have hearts of compassion. Maybe Sacha isn’t getting to see a miraculous healing here on earth, but I have seen a lot of miracles take place. God always shows up when people take the time to pray – He doesn’t always do what we think He should – but He is always there.
This past weekend we enjoyed a weekend in Wisconsin Dells with the whole Kaiser Family. Every single person in the family was there this year. The place we stayed was perfect for having 3 young kids. The kids had so much fun playing in all the pools and I think the older families had fun at the water parks they went to and on the hikes that they went on as well. Thank you, Grandpa and Grandma, for the fun weekend and thank you A. Marj and U. Randy for organizing it all! I did a poor job of taking pictures, but here are a few.
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We played some Minute to Win it games on Saturday night, I only have this picture of U. Tim, but I thought it was really fun.
Lastly, the group picture. Quite the crew.
Kind of a strange title, isn’t it. I feel like that sort of sums up how I feel about my blog. I love the blog, I love to look back at what we’ve done, what the kids have said, and how different the kids look. But lately, I just feel like it is so inane. I think a lot of it stems from the fact that a few streets away, my friend lays in her home, treasuring each of her remaining days here on earth and my life is just so…normal. (Some of you would question whether life with 3 kids under 5 could ever be normal). Yet there is nothing wrong with normal. I like my normal. Just so much about normal doesn’t seem fair. A number of my friends have lost a baby or babies to miscarriage, are struggling to balance family, college, and work, have a spouse with a significant illness, or any number of other difficult or at least demanding situations, and our life, it’s just so normal. I could start to feel a little guilty about it. But then I think about something I heard a woman say. You are not equipped to handle what anyone else has, both the bad AND the good. So, I know, that God has not equipped me to have anybody else’s life and when my trial comes, because we all know that nobody is exempt for trials, I will be perfectly equipped to handle it, whether it be big or small, just like each of my friends is perfectly equipped to handle whatever situation in life they have been handed. I hope if you are in one of those difficult or demanding times of life, or even in just a frustrating time, I hope you can take courage in knowing that God specifically equipped you better than anyone else to handle this time of your life.
With all that said, we had a blessed week/weekend with lots of fun events to enjoy. Friday, Mike was able to take part of the day off of work and we went boating with Nic and Amanda. Lincoln and Creighton (yes, you read that right) both tubed for the first time. Lincoln loved it, Creighton, he was a bit bored with the tube unless Mike hung him over the edge. I am quite sure the Grandma’s would not have liked this so much. =)
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When we got home, we went to our friends, Darren and Jane’s, for supper. They were so hospitable, as were their girls. They had ponies and kittens and our kids, especially Kate, were in absolute heaven. It was a great evening!
Saturday morning, my friend, Bethany and I, ran our first 5K together. It was so incredibly hot, but it felt good to run the race, knowing how just a few short weeks ago I could barely run for 3 minutes and now I can run 3.1 miles. Nothing about Saturday was pretty. I was sweating profusely and alternated being feeling like I might pass out or that I might throw up. But I finished, and pretty close to the time I was shooting for, despite the heat. Mike and the kids did a 1 mile walk during the race, which was kind of a circus for him, but we were glad to support the cause (Money went to an orphanage in Guatemala).
After the race, Kate, William, and Norah did the kids “Fun Run.”
Saturday night, my aunt and uncle invited us over for a cookout. We again had a wonderful time and my cousins did such a fantastic job playing with our kiddos. Thanks!!
A few misc shots of Creighton.
Sunday we went to church, went swimming and then out to eat, and when the whole weekend was said and done, though we had a blast, this is how we all felt. =)
