Pumpkin Farm

Going on a hayride
In search of the perfect pumpkin
The morning and afternoon preschool sessions
Just needed a picture of Caleb in this post
Such a cute helper
Having fun with Daddy on the field trip

Isaac had a field trip to a pumpkin farm. The trip was rescheduled because of bad weather and I couldn't take him as I had something else going on. Nate got off a night shift, slept for 3 hours and then went on the field trip with Isaac. What a great Dad! Isaac had fun playing games, picking a pumpkin and getting a goody bag. And he likes chocolate candy. He enjoyed eating an Almond Joy. I'm a little bummed because that was the candy I could eat out of the Halloween bags without the kids caring! Isaac's teacher told me today that Isaac is part of a 'love triangle' at school. (She was just making a joke.) There are two girls that are always vying with each other to be next to Isaac or to play with Isaac. That's kind of cute. What makes it funnier is that Caleb has been telling me recess stories recently. I guess the girls spend the recess chasing the boys and trying to catch them. Apparently the teachers ended that game today. As Nate said, "they're DeMaster boys, of course the girls like them!"

Julia is saying some cute things. When we stop at the mailbox she asks if we're getting "email." Ah, children of the internet age. Julia is calling one of her dolls "her baby daughter." Isaac and Julia have an odd game right now. Julia will pretend to cry and then Isaac will clap and say, "good show, good show." Then they both laugh. Not sure where that came from. The two of them also like to annoy each other by singing a song and putting the other person's name in it. For example, "A, B, C, D, Isaac, Isaac." It drives the other child crazy and I'm not sure how to end this annoying game. Julia wants to be Little Miss Helper these days. Whatever I am doing, she wants to help me. It is cute, but I have to admit I am not handling this stage well. Her "helping" slows me way down and it is hard to find a balance.

I had a nice Mommy Mental Health day. I spent the evening with other Korean adoptive Moms and that is always a good time. I also enjoyed having alone time to read, spend time with Jesus and get some shopping done. I came back refreshed and ready to keep going! Please pray for Nate as he has the engineering test on Friday, thanks!

Happy 4th Birthday!

Happy 4th Birthday Isaac! We're leaving soon to camp at Traverse City State Park so this will be short. Isaac wanted a poison dart frog cake. Technically this is a red-eyed tree frog, but we'll call it whatever he wants! We'll do cake and presents at the campsite. We are so proud of our 4 year old. He always wants to grow up faster, I think he's growing too fast! It's hard to believe he will be starting preschool in a couple weeks. Isaac is still a cuddler(sometimes), loves to be silly, has lots of questions about God and heaven, is really good at building things and enjoys helping Mom and Dad. We thank God for our little boy!

Summit

Dennis Rainey (of the radio program Family Life Today) interviewing Luther and Rebecca Ellis- Luther played for the Lions and has adopted a bunch of kids
Julia said "princess" when she tried on her flowergirl dress- adorable
Caleb dressed for the beach- kind of. It was 50 degrees that day. It's spirit week at school
Met some favorite bloggers- Jodi from Sun Breaks in the Rainy City and Kristen from Rage Against the Minivan

Last week I went to Summit in Louisville. Summit is a Christian conference focused on orphan care. I drove down with other women from western MI. The van (not mine) broke on the way down so we spent 4 hours in a repair shop and then rented a van. We picked up the repaired van on the way home. There were a couple highlights from the conference. I went to a breakout session led by Dennis and Barbara Rainey and Dennis said "hi" to us in the parking lot. :) I went to a blogger meet-up. I got to chat with some bloggers I follow and admire. There were some inspiring keynote speakers, a woman who grew up in a Russian orphanage and only survived after leaving because a Christian came alongside her. Also from an amazing saxophonist who grew up in the US foster system and only thrived because of Christians caring about him. It was a great reminder that the church is the only answer to the orphan crisis, governments can't solve the problem. There are always amazing families who have adopted numerous children and most of them have moderate incomes- about $60,000/yr. They all trust God so completely and just step out in faith. I went to a session that talks about excellence in short term missions. I hope to someday go on a short-term orphan care trip, but I want to make sure we are doing things in a way that helps people in need- not just doing what we think they need. I also went to a session about supporting adoptive families after the adoption. I think this is so important as often issues arise and families need support. Another session was practical realities of parenting children from hard places- lots of good tips and encouragement. We left Summit early so we missed an African children's choir and a Sara Groves concert. I was disappointed to leave early, but it was also good to get home. Summit next year is at Saddleback Church in California, start saving pennies! :)

An exciting update is that Isaac passed his milk challenge and no longer has any food allergies!! We are so happy for him. Eating goldfish crackers is the best part for him so far. We are slowly increasing the amount of dairy in his diet. He doesn't like the taste of milk, so we are mixing it with his rice milk for awhile. Praising God for this answer to prayer!

Spring break

Julia loves water tables and was sufficiently soaked
The boys experimenting with water pressure
Cool little fountain
Look at those mountain climbers!
Family bowling
Julia really wanted to bowl, but she still had fun watching
Did someone call a plumber?
Isaac's method resulted in balls going very SLOWLY down the lane, but he knocked pins down!
Caleb practiced throwing the ball instead of rolling it
Watching my cousin Tyler's baseball game at Calvin
My cousin Scott (also at Calvin) and his girlfriend, Jenna, met us at the game


We had a fun spring break at home. The week started with Isaac having his annual allergist appointment. He is allowed to start trying apples again- yay! He was very excited to eat applesauce that night. :) He will have a blood test done to see if he is still allergic to milk. If the test is negative, he can do a "milk challenge" this summer. The challenge is done in the allergist's office and they slowly give him milk products to see how he handles it. The doctor seems fairly confident he will outgrow the allergy either this year or next. We're praying!

Nate was off on Monday, so we all went to the Curious Kids Museum in St. Joe. It is not a large museum, but the kids always enjoy going. We ate dinner at the Texas Roadhouse which the kids think is great b/c they can throw peanut shells on the floor. The boys don't like to eat the peanuts, they just like to peel them and give the peanuts to Julia.

On Tuesday, I took the kids to story hour at the library. I tried to convince Caleb that he would be bored, but he insisted on going. I think he just wanted to see what Isaac talks about every week.

On Wednesday, we met some friends at the Fennville Children's Museum. This one is even smaller than Curious Kids, but that is ok with me. It is basically one room so it is possible to keep an eye on all 3 kids.

On Thursday, we met some friends at our church gym and let the kids run around. It was nice to be able to chat with other Moms and let the kids be crazy. We then took the kids bowling that afternoon. Bowling was the one thing Caleb wanted to do during spring break. I had the highest score, but that might have been b/c we were using bumpers....

On Friday, we went to Dash and Splash at the gym and had some friends over.

Today, we went to my cousin's baseball game at Calvin. Caleb seemed to really enjoy the game. My cousin Scott and his girlfriend met us at the game. Julia wasn't so sure about them at first. Jenna let Julia play with her phone and she was then Julia's new best friend. :) It was fun to catch up with Scott for awhile. We talked with Tyler briefly after the game. I resisted the urge to embarrass him at the game and talk about how I held him when he was a baby and sang, "Welcome to the Family," at his baptism. :)

Some other news from spring break is that Caleb is learning to tie his shoes! He was practicing again in the car tonight and he seems to have it- so proud of him! We are also looking for a (used) new bike for him. He's going to learn how to ride a two-wheeler next. It is so rewarding to watch him master new skills.

Caleb is bummed that spring break is over, but he gets TWO spring breaks this year. We are leaving for Florida in one week! We are going to visit Nate's parents in Ft. Myers. It is hard to believe it is 90 degrees there, what does that even feel like?

Happy 3rd Birthday!

Tractor Cake
The birthday boy and his pig cookie

Julia enjoying her cookie
Daddy being silly
Present time!
Isaac received a rocket launcher that you stomp on
Such a handsome 3 year old!

Today is Isaac's 3rd birthday! We celebrated last weekend with Aunt Steph, Grandpa and Grandma Jongsma. I made a tractor cake for him which was a big hit. I started decorating the cake when the kids went to bed one night and finished around midnight. I preferred staying up late and not having any interruptions. :) Today we celebrated with just our family. He requested pizza for his birthday meal. Since we already had a cake, we did birthday cookies instead. Caleb had made pig cookies somewhere else and we thought Isaac would enjoy making them. Frosting, marshmallows, and cookies are a winning combination of course! We gave Isaac a stomp rocket that I believe said for kids 8 and older. He's 3, that is close enough, right? Don't worry he will always be supervised. :) We also gave him a Curious George DVD. The boys need some new DVDs. We're a little tired of always hearing Blues Clues or Boz. Caleb picked out a soccer ball for Isaac which was thoughtful.

We are so proud of Isaac. He is a silly, affectionate boy. He has alot of energy and throws himself into activities, literally! He hurts himself often and gives me gray hair. His vocabulary has taken off this year, but he still says funny words. He says, "I have a g'dea!" for I have a good idea. He likes to make up nonsense words and ask what they mean. He often makes us laugh by pulling his pants past his stomach and walking around funny. Isaac adds so much joy to our family. We thank God for the gift of this little boy!

Julia's 1st Birthday

Our beautiful girl
Daddy loves his girl
Butterfly cake

Not so sure about the hat
Julia loved the cake!
Celebrating on her actual birthday

Julia is 1 year old today! We are so grateful to be celebrating this milestone with our daughter. These past 3 months have been joy-filled. Everyone comments on how well she has adjusted to our family and I think it really is amazing. It is like she has always been here. She is happy and healthy. I think she is going to be talking earlier than our boys did. She says mama, dada, bye-bye and is close to saying please, bottle and hi. This week she has started pretending she is talking on the phone. She'll put her hand up to her ear and babble, very cute. She is also walking behind the push toys now and she is SO proud of herself. We're still working on her understanding of the word "no." She laughs and continues on with what she was doing when we tell her no, little stinker. :) She still likes to "clean" our floors by finding specks and trying to eat them and she is very curious these days.

This past Saturday we had a birthday party for Julia. We had some family and friends over and our house was crazy! There were alot of boys running around as our basement isn't usable right now because Nate is drywalling. But, everyone had a good time. We dressed Julia up in her hanbok, which is a traditional Korean outfit worn on birthdays and special holidays. We then did a doljabi table which is a Korean first birthday tradition. We put Julia in front of a table with different items on it. A pencil (scholar), string (long life), microphone (entertainer), ball (sports), hammer (builder/architect), stethoscope (doctor), and I put a Bible for missionary. :) Whichever item the child picks will be their future career. Julia went right for the pencil. I knew she was smart. :) We served a traditional American feast of pizza and cake! Julia loved the cake. She was eating it as fast as she could. Thank you to all of our friends and family who celebrated with us!

Today we celebrated her birthday with my Mom here. I was gone all day so my Mom made a nice pot roast dinner. For birthdays in Korea they make rice cakes. That wasn't happening so I copied someone else's idea of making rice krispie treats instead. Of course, the boys enjoyed helping Julia open and play with her presents.

Today I took Isaac to a pediatric allergist. He's been complaining alot about his stomach hurting and I felt like we were missing something with his food allergies. And I didn't feel like I completely understand food allergies and what he should be avoiding, etc. The visit was very informative. He had the allergy skin test done and he is allergic to milk, wheat, and apples. He is also allergic to dust mites and dogs. The wheat allergy really threw me for a loop. He has always eaten wheat products. But, the Dr. recommended completely removing milk and wheat products from his diet for a couple weeks to see if he stops complaining about his stomach. I can then reintroduce wheat and see what happens. She said the wheat might have been a false positive, I hope that is true! The milk products have to be completely removed though. He is strongly allergic to them and she prescribed an epi pen for him. There is still a chance he could outgrow the milk allergy, that would be wonderful! The Dr. was really helpful in understanding Isaac's asthma/lung issues. He gets a horrible cough with every cold and he throws up multiple times during a cold because he is coughing so hard. She prescribed a different inhaler he can use during his colds that should cut down on his coughing, thank you! So I left the appt with mixed emotions. I have a better understanding of what my child needs, but that also discouraged me. We are going to be one of those families that other people don't understand. Yes, you have to be careful around our kid and not give him "normal" foods. Yes, we're going to be bringing our own food to events. I'm trying hard not to feel sorry for myself, because he doesn't have a terminal illness or cancer, just special dietary needs. I would appreciate prayers over the next couple of weeks as I try to serve foods that are dairy and wheat free, oh boy.

Julia update

I don't always do a great job of writing things down about the kids' growth and changes. When filling out babybooks, etc I often go back to the blog for information. :) So, sorry if you don't find this overly interesting!

Julia just keeps growing! I'm curious to see how much she has grown at her 1 year check-up. (Her birthday is March 9.) She stands alone for a couple seconds and walks pretty well when we walk with her. She seems to understand the words "no" and "come here." We love the faces she makes at us. I also love how she shakes her whole body in excitement when we come to pick her up. She still enjoys most food. She is my first child that loves to eat green beans! I also wonder if she is starting to wean herself from the bottle. She is less interested in drinking the bottle and we hate to waste formula- it's expensive! I gave her milk the other day in a sippy cup. She drank some sips and made funny faces. She didn't drink much of it, but she didn't seem to hate it. I'm so nervous she is going to have a food allergy. I pray about it alot and ask God that if she does have an allergy, can it be the same as Isaac's?? I bought a new (used) baby carrier for Julia and I don't use it as much as I thought I would- which is good. She's happy just crawling around. I usually use the carrier during the hour before supper. And all of the Moms reading this just smiled in understanding. :) I wish she would be done with this phase of cleaning my floors! If there is a speck, she will find it and eat it. Yuck. We don't hear her grieving much anymore. If she is feeling sick and really upset she will cry, "Umma." We love listening to her baby babbles and watching her grow everyday!

Isaac had some funny sayings the other day. I was driving in the car with Isaac and he was talking about the garbage truck. I thought I was making the appropriate sounds to show I was listening until Isaac yelled, "Talk! Mommy, talk to me!" Ok, I got the message. :) We then went to a friend's house. They have a dog that had spilled dog food over the floor. Isaac said, "Doggy made a mess. Doggy go in time-out." So cute.

End of summer fun

It is hard to believe that summer is almost over. This summer turned out differently than we thought it would in the spring. We had been so certain that Cardale would move in with Ryan and Jenn by mid June, at the latest. Obviously God has different plans. Cardale has spent the weekends with Ryan and Jenn this summer. We're glad he was able to spend that time with them, but I think everyone is ready to stop driving between Hastings and South Haven every weekend.:) Once again, I was so certain that the Winebrenner's license would open up this week, hasn't happened. We are going out east for a week and Cardale has to go to respite care. We really thought he would be with the Winebrenner's by now and he wouldn't have to go to someone else's home. Guess God has different plans again. Sorry if I seem kind of frustrated. I dislike feeling torn about our vacation. We had made plans to go now b/c Cardale would (most likely) be gone, Nate had the time off, and Caleb starts school after Labor Day. I know we can't bring Cardale with us b/c travelling with the 3 kids and staying in hotels, family member's homes, etc would not be relaxing at all. I just want God to tell us, "here is the date the license will open and when Cardale will move in with Ryan and Jenn." Have I mentioned it is hard to accept God's timetable sometimes?

In other news, we know that Isaac is still allergic to milk. I made mashed potatoes with milk and butter and gave some to him a couple weeks ago. His chin turned red and he started complaining that it itched. He has had a similar reaction to watermelon and cantelope recently. So now we try to eat our watermelon in secret b/c he really likes it! My sister isn't allergic to milk, but gets an itchy mouth after eating watermelon as well. I guess if you have seasonal allergies you sometimes have reactions to certain fruits. Isaac does have some seasonal allergies as well. Poor kiddo. I'm thankful though that his allergies aren't life-threatening. Usually some Benadryl clears up the symptoms right away.

Isaac did his first full-fledged nap strike today. He was in bed for 1 1/2 hours and didn't go to sleep. Even giving him books to read didn't help this time. Of course, he was a wreck the rest of the day. He is too young to do this! Although, I remember Caleb had nap-strike phases and eventually he started napping normally again. Have I mentioned that Isaac's vocabulary has taken off these past few months? People who haven't seem him for awhile are shocked at how much he's talking now. I love this stage of listening to him speak in sentences and describe everything. Of course, now he knows how to talk back too. :)

We are leaving on Saturday for Freeport. I am going to a Tri-County reunion. It is not going to be well-attended, which is frustrating since I've been planning it, but it will be fun to catch up with old friends! Then on Sunday we start driving to Rochester. We'll stay overnight at a hotel and then get to Rochester on Monday. After spending a few days with Nate's parents we're heading to PA to see his brother Reuben and family. Then we head home on the weekend so Caleb can start school on the 8th! We're looking forward to our trip out east as we don't travel that way very much. Should be a fun vacation!

Still working on a name

Yes, we are still talking about what to name our daughter. I would say we've narrowed the selection down to about 5 names, so that's progress! I made an announcement in church on Sunday to let everyone know we were adopting a baby girl. I am grateful that there are so many people who are excited for us. There are going to be a lot of people waiting to meet our daughter when she comes home. :) Anyways, after the service a Korean woman came up to me. She and her husband live in Chicago, but spend their weekends here during the summer. They travel to Seoul every other year to visit her family and she said if I needed help with anything to just ask. We're making connections without even trying, God works in every situation!

In other news, we switched Isaac's crib to a toddler bed. The first day went great. The second day I spent 1 1/2 hours putting him back in his bed during naptime. He thinks it's great that he can look out the window, bring toys in his bed, etc.:) When we switched Caleb to a bed, he never pushed the limits. To this day, he doesn't like getting out of bed in the morning until we come in the room.:) I knew Isaac would be a bit more challenging in this area, but eventually he'll learn to stay in bed, right? :)

This past weekend we had our annual college friends get-together. It's been 8 years running now. In the beginning we would rent a cottage or camp. Now that the majority of us have multiple small children, we've scaled back a little. On Friday night we had an adults-only dinner in Holland. It's always nice to have uninterrupted conversation and not have to cut anyone's food! On Saturday afternoon we all met at the beach. It is fun to see everyone's kids again. There was plenty of sand eaten and lots of sandy diapers to change, but a good time overall! I'll post some pictures soon!

Babysitting

Where's Zoey?

Line 'em up, it's time to eat!

This morning I babysat a little girl named, Zoey. Her Mom was in a pinch and needed a babysitter for the morning. I agreed, although I was slightly nervous. Zoey just turned 1, so I had a 12 month old, 15 month old and a 19 month old today. My boys have a hard enough time getting along, I was nervous how they would treat a girl littler than them. Thankfully the morning went well! The key is rotating the toys/activity often. I think my boys enjoyed having another kid around because it forced me to play alot with them.:) It's good to have days when I accept that I won't be getting anything done and can just play.

Isaac had his 18 month well child visit, about a month late. He is 28 lbs and 33 inches. He's in the 75th percentile for height and weight. His ears are clearing up, but still have fluid in them. The Dr. scheduled an audiologist appointment for Isaac and Cardale in a couple of weeks. Better to be on the safe side. Hopefully they can both stay healthy for a while! Isaac has learned the word "no" and has become a policeman. He is very aware of what the "rules of the house" are and is quick to yell for me when Cardale is doing something wrong.:)

In other news, I'll be in Denver this Sunday thru Wednesday! My sister is graduating from Calvin in May with her nursing degree and is moving to Denver. She is going out now to interview and figure out where to live. She asked me to go along for moral support. That was a hard decision- travelling with no kids and no responsibilites- sign me up! We'll have some good sister bonding before she moves far away. My Mom is coming over to help care for the kids while I'm gone, thanks Mom!

White flag of surrender

Ok, I give up! These ear infections are getting the best of us. I took Isaac and Cardale back to the Dr. today to see if the antibiotics worked. Cardale's ear infection was mostly cleared up, but he has alot of fluid still in one of his ears. So, the Dr. prescribed another round of the same antibiotic in hopes it will completely rid his ears of fluid. After this round, he may need to see an audiologist just to make sure his hearing isn't being affected by all of these ear infections. The Dr. wants to hold off on tubes in the ears a little bit longer.

Then there is Isaac. One of his ears is cleared up, the other one is still horrible and infected. So, he is on another round of a different antibiotic. On top of it all, he has a yeast infection in his groin area and needs prescription cream to clear it up. (Antibiotics can sometimes give babies yeast infections.) So, Isaac is scheduled to see the Dr. next Wednesday for his 18 month check-up and hopefully we'll be able to tell if the antibiotics are working. It's kind of funny that he has to go back for a well-child visit, we've been there so often lately!

And can I just complain about how challenging it is to keep two 1 year olds happy in a doctor's office?! We got into the room fairly quickly. The kids were undressed down to their socks and diaper and then we sat and waited for an hour! I brought my 10 lb diaper bag with different toys to keep them occupied, but that only worked for so long. In the past I would have grimaced at parents who would let their kids crawl around on the floor in Doctor's offices, not anymore! I figure it is a big accomplishment if I can keep them out of the garbage can and biohazard wastebasket. Thankfully there is antibacterial gel on the wall in the Doctor's office, so that was used liberally.:)

It's Off

I wanted to update you all on Isaac's cast. His cast was taken off on Friday! They took some x-rays and everything is healing nicely. It was such a relief, I couldn't stop smiling. He can now take baths and play outside in the sand and water with no worries! I had to laugh at the Doctor's comment. Isaac wore through the bottom of the cast on his heel. The Dr. said he has never seen a young child wear through a cast, usually it's older kids. What can I say, the boy does not sit still!:)

The babies are starting some Mommy clinginess. They will both sit at my feet and cry to see who I pick up. If I happen to pick up one of them during the day, the other comes over and cries at me. This is not a fun stage and I'm hoping it ends quickly!

We also had some good news for Cardale. The social worker said everything looks good for him to go back with his Mom, they're just waiting for paperwork, etc to go through Indiana. It's frustrating b/c IN is not moving quickly, which doesn't help Cardale at all. The transition is going to be hard enough for him, why make the separation even longer? Please pray that paperwork gets done quickly, that his Mom continues to do well, and that the transition goes smoothly for him and our family. We do not have a timeframe yet of when he might leave.

On a fun note, Nate and I went out for a date on Saturday night. It is always nice to have dinner away from the kids and have a conversation without interruptions.:)

Ouch!

So, Isaac decided to break Caleb's record and get a cast at 12 months of age instead of 15 months like Caleb. And yes, this broken bone involved a bed again! We were at my grandparent's cottage over the weekend and Nate was changing Isaac on a top bunk bed. Caleb ran into the room and yelled, "Daddy!" Nate turned to look, and Isaac rolled off the bed. He cried for about 15 minutes and wouldn't walk, so we took him to the local ER. They took x-rays and couldn't find anything. This past week he has been walking, but noticeably favoring his left leg. I took him to an orthopedic Dr. today and they determined he broke his tibia right by his ankle! He will be wearing a cast for 3 weeks. At that point they will take the cast off, get more x-rays and see if it's healing. Isaac is very frustrated today and just sits on the floor and cries, hitting the cast. The Dr. said in the next couple days he'll figure out how to walk on it. As you can see in the last picture, he is starting to take some steps.

We're glad Isaac doesn't have anything seriously wrong with his leg, but we'd appreciate your prayers over the next couple weeks!

Looking Good

Isaac had his 1 year check up this week. He is 24 lbs and 31 inches long. He is about 2 lbs lighter and one inch shorter than Caleb was at this age. He still has the milk allergy, so we'll hold off on introducing any dairy for another year. We accidentally spilled milk on Isaac and wiped it off with a washcloth. A few minutes later he rubbed his face with his hands and broke out in a rash. So, the allergy is still present.:) Cooking dairy free has been a little challenging, but not as difficult as I anticipated. We can now switch him to soy milk and off the soy formula. Otherwise he is a happy, healthy one year old!

1 Year Old!

Happy Birthday to our sweet boy! Isaac is 1 year old today. It is hard to believe I was as big as a house and gave birth to an 8 lb 14 oz boy one year ago. I remember looking at Isaac and wondering what his personality would be like. Well, he is mischievious, curious, happy, and outgoing to name a few. He will eat anything and doesn't have any stranger anxiety yet.

Yesterday we celebrated Isaac's birthday early in Chicago with my family and grandparents. I made a dairy free Curious George cake, as our nickname for him is Curious George or Trouble. He loves cake! He enjoyed tearing paper off his presents too. Our gift to him was one of those collapsible tents with balls, both Isaac and Caleb think it's the greatest! We thank God for our beautiful boy!

Fun Times

I thought I would post some new pics of the boys. I pulled out the kiddie pool this week and the boys loved it! Isaac mostly enjoyed getting in and out of the pool repeatedly. Caleb enjoyed having a playmate in the pool! I put Cardale's toes in as well, but I couldn't get a picture of all three boys-Isaac doesn't sit still for long and he goes under easily. Cardale was happy sitting in the stroller and observing the mayhem.

Another exciting development is that Isaac is walking! He has been practicing taking steps on his own. The farthest he has gone is about halfway across the room. I love watching babies learn to walk. They look like little Frankensteins with their arms straight out in front of them.

Today is a rainy day here, but that is ok. The last picture is of the boys "watching" golf together. Isaac only sat there for the picture and then wanted down. My Mom was here for a couple days which was a huge help. We always enjoy having visitors!