Virginia

The jacuzzi tub in our condo was the highlight for Caleb. They all have suits on, except Julia :)
Caleb and Britta mini-golfing
We had an egg toss- Look at that skill and concentration. Nate dropped our egg, not me!
Nate's brother, Pete, Julia and April
Jack, Colleen, Julia, Grandpa, and Isa
Kids playing musical chairs, all of the kids were crying by the end. :)
Caleb and Britta were best pals
Grandpa and Grandma with the grandkids
Blaise (3), Britta (5), Caleb (5), Isaac (2)
Julia loves to roll around on the coach with us
The ladies went for a hike for a couple hours, good bonding time!
Inside Shenandoah Caverns- very cool
Caleb got a hole in one, I did not. :)
Go-Karting was awesome!

We had a great time in Virginia. It was a 13 1/2 hour drive, but the kids did well considering the circumstances. The kids had fun playing with their cousins and grandparents. There are 10 grandkids now- 9,8, two 5 year olds, 3, 2, two 1 year olds, and twin 11 month olds! We enjoyed catching up with family and playing games every night. We took some hikes, swam in the pool, walked thru a cavern, went mini-golfing and did I mention we played games? :) Hopefully we can all get together again in a couple years. Thanks again to Mom and Dad for organizing this reunion!

Easter

Checking out the chicks and ducklings at Tractor Supply
I think Isaac is cuter than the chick :)
Playing with Grandma
Julia wanted to see what was going on
Kind of a gross picture, but funny too. Isaac decided he didn't like the taste of boiled eggs!
I like this picture of Caleb. It's not very often we get a "natural" smile when taking a picture!
Nate reading to the boys during Cardale's visit.
Family picture on Easter

Easter egg hunt. I like Tim's idea of sipping wine during the hunt!
Isaac checking out the eggs.

We spent Easter weekend at my parent's house along with my siblings. We had some really nice weather! The boys enjoy seeing the chicks at Tractor Supply every spring. Caleb really wanted to buy some chicks. I had to remind him that chicks grow up into chickens that can peck you. Remember, the chickens at Uncle Reuben's house and how you didn't like them? :) I also don't think our neighbors would appreciate a bunch of chickens in our backyard. The boys had fun decorating Easter eggs, although Isaac cracked most of the ones he touched. Cardale also came over for an afternoon which was probably the highlight of the weekend for Isaac. Caleb enjoys playing with Cardale, but Isaac and Cardale have alot of fun together. Granted, there is still some of the rivalry between them, but overall they have a good time. We are very excited for Cardale and his parents because his adoption will be finalized in a couple weeks!

My Mom was feeling a little better over Easter weekend, but ended up back in the hospital this week. Her pancreas is kind of going crazy on her. She's hoping to go home this week and then she'll see a specialist at University of Michigan in a couple weeks. Hopefully the specialist can figure out what needs to be done and get the procedure scheduled quickly!

We started reintroducing apples into Isaac's diet. The first apple slices he ate went well. However, yesterday we gave him apple slices at lunch and applesauce at supper. He complained his stomach hurt and then threw up at bedtime. Ouch. It's not looking so good for apples in the diet.

Still Here!

Opening her package from Gpa and Gma D- the paper was the best part!
Cruising around the house
Quick get a picture, they are getting along! ;)
Isaac with his "Thomas the Train" sunglasses
Isaac showing his new fireman boots from Gma D- he wears them alot!
Caleb got his first lollipop from his teacher, I was actually a little jealous. Lollipops are so cool!
Enjoying a snack in a cute spring outfit

It's hard to believe I haven't blogged since Julia's birthday. It seems like life has been in the fast lane this past month. After learning we had to cut wheat and dairy out of Isaac's diet, I was overwhelmed. It took a few days to gain confidence that I could find food for him to eat. After changing his diet we did notice some changes in Isaac. He wasn't waking up during the night anymore and he wasn't complaining about his stomach hurting all of the time. This week his blood work came back saying he isn't allergic to any food. Say what?? The pediatrician had warned me that allergy testing isn't always conclusive, she was right. The allergist said we can start reintroducing wheat and apples into Isaac's diet and keep a journal about how he does. Since his skin reacted so quickly to milk products, she recommends keeping milk out of his diet for another year or two. At that point they will do a food challenge to see how he tolerates milk. We started reintroducing wheat into his diet a couple of days ago. I know it is still early to know for sure, but he has been crabbier and complaining about his back/stomach hurting. I'm praying that maybe he's just getting sick, but I'm guessing he has a sensitivity to wheat. We'll see what happens.

This past month my Mom also got really sick. She ended up in the hospital with pancreatitis for over a week. She is home now, but struggling with nausea. The doctors think they know what caused the pancreatitis, but she needs to see a specialist at the University of Chicago as well. Please keep praying that she regains her appetite and strength soon.

Julia started taking some steps on her own a couple of days after her birthday! She will occasionally walk between Nate and I, but she still prefers crawling. She is discovering her voice these days. I think she realizes the boys are pretty loud and she feels the need to compete and make sure she is noticed. :) We are down to one bottle a day now, yay! She is drinking whole milk better, but we still have to add a little sugar free chocolate syrup.

Caleb is reading now! He can read the little books made up of 3 letter words. It is so amazing to see your child reading. Soccer will start soon which he is excited about. We are trying to teach him how to ride a two wheel bike. It will be slow going, but I'm confident he'll catch on this summer.

It seems like there was more I wanted to write about, but my brain is shutting down. :) I pray you all have a wonderful Easter celebrating our risen Lord!