The Dummermuth Family

Another birthday!!!

2012-03-16T19:44:00.003-05:00

So today was our little Lu's 5th birthday. 5...can you believe that?! Of course, she is still the teeniest kiddo in her class...

The thing about turning 5 is that there is this shift that happens about this time when the little preschool baby begins to change. All three of the girls went through it. All of a sudden, the way they talk, their sense of humor, what they care about all points to the inevitable...kindergarten is coming.

We've been trying to convince Lucy to stay 4 so that we wouldn't have to send her to kindergarten this fall, because, frankly, the thought of putting her on a bus and sending that little bitty thing on her way just seems so wrong. But this kid is stubborn, and despite my pleading, she turned 5 anyway.

So, today we celebrated our Lu with hamburgers and presents (including a grown-up, non-play, purse), balloons, the birthday book and treats, and I would say that she had a pretty sweet day. It's always a little tough to tell with this one. Her happiness shows itself in different ways...squinty head-bobs and bursts of talking from this quiet peanut...and we saw them both, so I think it was good.

Anyway, here are a couple pictures from today of my still little, but not so baby, Lucy...

Spring Break!

2012-03-15T08:41:00.006-05:00

Last year we took our first family vacation...a trip to Omaha. Wahoo! In truth, we had the absolute best time and promised ourselves that we would make little family trips like that one an annual thing. So, a couple of months ago we started talking about it and chose our destination...NW Arkansas.

Growing up, my family didn't really take very many vacations if you think about stays in hotels at beaches and such, but we did spend a good two weeks every summer in NW Arkansas visiting my grandparents. And I have to say, many of the best memories of my life were during those glorious weeks. So, the idea of taking all of my kiddos to some of my favorite spots was just too much to resist.

This week the kids are on Spring Break, so after Anthony finished class on Monday we loaded up the car and set our Garmin for...

Now, only those who have been there can understand why setting our destination as AQ made me smile ear to ear. I didn't take any food shots while we were gone, but let me tell you, if I had, the Original Panfried Chicken at AQ is AMAZING. (As is the Chocolate Mess at the MarketPlace and the Cappuccino Chip ice-cream from Braums that were my other must haves that we indulged on.) It was as good as I remembered and I made sure to save my third piece to eat cold after the kids went to bed...I always saved my third piece. = )

After the chicken we headed for the hotel where we quickly threw on our suits and headed down to the pool...an activity we repeated every day. Then it was showers, jammies, and bed for all six of us.

Tuesday we decided to try something new. We drove about 40 mins. to a small town with a HUGE drive-thru safari. That's right, in Arkansas. It was such a blast. We spent over an hour just driving down the roads that took us through herds of zebras and camels and past the cages of lions and tigers. It was really fun to have them come right up to the car, staring at us as hard as we were staring at them. I should have taken pictures, but there is always this tension between recording what happened and just enjoying it and I chose to enjoy it.

After the drive thru part we had a picnic and then walked through the petting zoo portion. I took a couple pictures of that...

Getting to hang with the kangaroos was definitely a favorite for all of us. The kids were just thrilled that they were actually able to pet a couple of them (they are so soft)...

...and I was fascinated by this one (she's stretching)...

See that lump in her belly? That's a little joey that we could see squirming all around. It was really fun for all of us to see that and the kids just kept saying, "that's like our baby in you mama!" Just another month or two and my belly is going to be squirming around just like that...we are all so excited!!

We fed animals, looked in cages and basked in the incredible 80 degree weather...what a day!

After the "safari", our plan was to go to a family fun center with go-carts and mini golf, unfortunately, when we got there it was closed much to Nate's disappointment (he was so excited to "race cars"). But after a phone call with my dad, we headed to a beloved mini golf course of my brothers and mine...

We've never played mini golf as a whole family before and we just had so much fun. I particularly had fun because I beat Anthony by one stroke...glory! The kids had fun too.

See how Nate and I are both holding little yellow cards in this pic? That's because he and I both got hole-in-ones on the last hole and won free games! Nate got a hole-in-one!!!!! It was amazing and he was so proud. And since we had two free games, we hung around a little longer on Wednesday to get another round in. Good thing we did too because Adele got her first hole-in-one and I beat Anthony by 4 strokes and won another free game!! Guess we'll just have to head back there one of these days. = )

To cap off our trip we stopped at my favorite place in NW Arkansas...

This is the first home my grandparents lived in there and just speaks to my soul. We loved this place. They had another home that they moved into when I was in high school and it was great, but it wasn't the same. This is the place in the woods on the lake. The place that we would walk into and be on vacation and at home all at the same time. This is one of my favorite places in the world...and I'm dying because it is for SALE!!

Anyway, no one was home, but we went ahead and walked down to the lake, threw some rocks in the water off the old fishing dock, and I may have shed some tears. (Not only am I sentimental, but pregnant...what a combination!)

We even took a picture of the kids in front of the tree house that my grandpa, Drew and I built. (I'm sure I was a huge help.)

So that was our trip. We got in the car, and drove home. It was amazing and we are already talking about where we will go next year...

Happy Birthday Adele (FINALLY!)

2012-03-11T19:19:00.004-05:00

So our sweet Adele had a birthday on Thursday. She turned 8...can you believe that?! We wanted to make sure that she had a special birthday particularly because Anthony was going to be gone the whole day at a conference and all the kids were home with Spring Break having started.

So, we started things on Wednesday by having a couple of Adele's buddies come home from school with her. They jumped on the trampoline, played Legos, and roasted hot dogs and marshmallows for dinner. The weather held off perfectly and it was a great start to our celebration.

On Thursday we started the morning with birthday balloons and the opening of presents before Dad had to run off at 7:30. Her gifts included two new books for her collection and some fake frames that she is loving...hopefully that will mean no more popping out the lenses of her sunglasses!

We continued the day just playing at home until we ran over to the movies to watch The Lorax with Nana and Papa after lunch...and that's when things started to go downhill. Everyone enjoyed the movie, but Adele's mood had clearly gone quiet and when we got home she decided to go up to her room and actually fell asleep. (And this girl quit napping at 2!) She seemed even more off when she came downstairs and we debated as to whether or not we should still go meet Dad for dinner (Ethiopian...yummm). We went ahead, but before the food even reached the table, she needed to head home and went straight to bed. No cake, no birthday book tradition. It was so sad as the rest of us sat eating dinner, while the birthday girl was in bed upstairs.

The next morning it was clear that she was quite sick. Luckily, I was able to get her into the doctor first thing and found out that she had the flu. You know, the one you get a shot for...and the one none of us had gotten a shot for. So, to make a long story short, we are all now on medication to keep the rest of us from getting it (I think we are in the clear now) and Adele is finally feeling better which means that we were FINALLY able to finish celebrating our sweet girl tonight...

Happy Birthday my big 8 year old!!

Loving us some 2012.

2012-03-01T18:41:00.003-06:00

So, basically 2011 was a super crappy year. I mean, really really crappy. And as much as I believe that every day is a new beginning, there was something about seeing that year end that was just such a relief.

And now we are in the third month of 2012 and I have to say this year has already given us so much to hope for. Anthony has been loving (and really succeeding in) school, we are slowly healing from all the church crap, our kids are doing amazing, and well, what more tangible hope can you find in life than a new baby!?

That's right, I'm pregnant! And we are all just absolutely thrilled. Our kids are so excited and our hearts are so at peace. Our journey to this has been unexpected (I'll explain more on my adoption blog soon), but already it just feels so right for our family.

Anyway, so yeah for 2012!!! And a double yeah for the new beginnings that each day can bring!!

More like a turtle, less like a hare.

2012-02-22T10:31:00.003-06:00

So, as usual, with a new year comes new thoughts about how I want to live my life. I set some goals, knowing that in a good year I will obtain maybe half of them, and beat myself up a little over the things that I know I value and yet can't seem to flush out in my day to day.

Yesterday, I was having another one of those thoughtful moments. I had been reading the blog entry of a friend that was all about her approaches to food, and I realized that that is an area where I never seem to be able to pull my act together. That thought quickly rolled into all the other areas in my life where how I wish I lived and how I in fact live, well, they just don't line up. And it isn't like they are big things either, they are completely doable. You know, things like not having so much clutter everywhere, cooking real meals, writing more...

There's something that you should know about me. I am not the most motivated person in the world. I have my moments when I get really into something and completely dedicate myself to it, but I usually fizzle and end up, oh, i don't know, finding my office with one beautiful sewn curtain hanging without ever even starting the second. I have kinda figured that this has been a consequence of having things come really easy to me as a kid. I just never had to try hard, so I didn't, and now it is hard to push myself.

Another thing you should know is that I also HATE busyness. I mean I really HATE it. I don't envy moms who are constantly on the go, taking their kids from this activity to that, on this committee and that one, volunteering at every class party and scheduling playdates for their kids every spare moment. Nope, don't envy them one bit. And I can't stand that we live in a community where one of the first questions is always about what extra activities our kids do. And I'm not dumb, I know that there is this underlying attitude that we are somehow not giving our kids every advantage because we only allow them one or two activities a piece each year...doing all we can to have only one or two of them going at the same time. Because I actually think we are doing our kids a favor.

As a kid I swam competitively for 9 years, played piano for 5, soccer for I think 6 years, I danced, did Brownies (or a church equivalent)...and I don't do any of those things now. And not only that, but I never did something that I really loved. I never found a passion for myself. I just did what was expected and found myself graduating from college with a degree (art history) that I will never use and absolutely no interests that I could really sink my teeth into...besides Anthony, that is. = )

And so now as an adult I find myself interested in a number of things but completely uncertain as to how to really engage with them. And I feel like a big failure...a lot. But I also know that my hatred towards busyness keeps me from just trying to do it all. Rather than running around with my head cut off, I find that I want to slow things down even more. I find that that is how I believe I can actually begin to live the way I want to live. Busyness causes me to shut down and become completely useless, but if I could slow things down and be more thoughtful and intentional in what I do...

So that is my new thought, my new goal if you will. I want to slow down. Take the day with each minute it offers and spend my time more thoughtfully. I want to kick my feet up when I need too, but also take the 2 minutes to make my bed in the morning, knowing that each time I walk in my room that day, I will feel so much more at peace instead of being frustrated. I want to take the time to think about what I would enjoy eating, what my family might enjoy, and embrace the whole process of a meal instead of watching each minute tick by after 4:30, dreading the first one who will ask me what's for dinner.

I won't do it every day and frankly, I'm not the kind of person who needs the house to be spotless and the meal perfectly balanced...but I hope that if I take the time to be more thoughtful about my time, I'll enjoy life more...

And just so you know, that thought just made me smile and audibly sigh.

February's books

2012-02-08T13:40:00.003-06:00

Okay, sorry it has been awhile. I have a couple of posts planned that I will get to eventually this month...I hope.

Anyway, I really enjoyed my books last month and wanted to let you all know what I am reading this month.

First of all, about last month's selections...I have to say that I really enjoyed my Sherlock Holmes book. In a way, it was exactly how you would expect it to be and yet it truly held me the whole time and I pretty much flew through it. Really a fun read.

I also enjoyed the CS Lewis book. I will say that there were some chapters that I absolutely loved and some that I just kinda read over. I feel like this is one of those books that I will get more and more out of each time I read it. It's on my list to read again.

Now to this month's choices...

Classic: Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe. I already had this on my shelf. (Pretty sure we stole it from my mom's house.) I have the exact edition of what is pictured below, although mine is in better condition. It is from 1930 and it is just beautiful, with incredible colored illustrations. It's a bit of a random choice, but I have read all the girlie books in our house and have been left with the boy adventure ones until I buy myself something new.

Spiritual: Simply Christian by N.T. Wright. This has got to be good because all really great Christian authors go by their initials. = ) Anyway, I know nothing about this book, only that Anthony thinks I will really like it once I get passed the first few chapters. (He is so enjoying picking these books out for me!)

So, that's it! Check back and I'll try to get another post up soon. In the meantime, go read something good...it's good for you.

January's Books

2012-01-08T21:39:00.003-06:00

So, I have started my book goal for the year (one classic, one spiritual each month). I've decided to let Anthony chose my spiritual books because he is constantly telling me I should read this and that, and now he gets a whole 12 books that I promise I will read. He has already started a little pile. = )

The classics are up to me though. I have two that I know I am going to read because I already have them, but I have already informed Anthony that I plan to purchase the others. I guess you could say that my love affair with beautiful books is continuing and as I have begun to encourage Adele in her own efforts as a book collector, I am getting antsy to surround myself with all sorts of lovelies.

Okay, so this month my selections are...

Classic: The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle...that's right people, I'm reading a Sherlock Holmes mystery. Okay, so it is one of my random books, but I think I am learning that sometimes the random ones are the most enjoyable (i.e. Tess of the D'Urbervilles).

Spiritual: The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis...I have read all of the Narnia books, but not a single other work by Lewis. Shameful. Well, that's what this goal is for!!

Anyway, so there you go. Here's to enriching my mind, or at least getting me to shut the tv off!!

New Year = New Tradition

2012-01-01T12:26:00.003-06:00

So, I had this thought the other day about how we never videotape our kids and how they are just so darn cute and so I decided to start a new tradition of taping little end/beginning of the year interviews with them. We'll see if I keep it up...I hope I do!

Anyway, so here you go! The first videos...

Merry Christmas!!!

2011-12-25T19:09:00.004-06:00

Well, we had a wonderful Christmas today. Complete with me hiding out during dinner with a hot bath and what was left of our pear mimosas! Don't judge.

Seriously though, we have such great kids and they make everything so much fun. And of course, my brunch was killer and we had a great time with family and one dear friend.

I didn't take many pictures of the morning, but here are a few to keep you happy!

Gotta love homemade decorations! Here are a couple of the houses the kids made with my mom this year.

This is what things looked like when we went to bed last night...

So, the rule was that as the kids woke up, they were to wait in the loft until they were all there, then they could ring a bell I had left for them, and we would come up and get them. This is what welcomed us this morning.

Adele introduced us to a German tradition that she learned about in school about hiding a pickle ornament on the tree and how whoever found it got an extra present from Santa. She had made an ornament at school and was the lucky finder this morning. And what do you know, Santa's extra gift was a legit pickle ornament!! (I'm not sure what makes me laugh hardest in this picture...Adele's hair, a pickle ornament, or my crazy son in the background!!!)

I also wanted to post this video that our sweet little church played last night during the Christmas Eve service...it is just that good. = )

As Nate would say..."Ho Ho Ho. Merry Christmas everybody!"

A Little Goal Setting...

2011-12-10T10:09:00.003-06:00

A few years back Anthony gave me an article (yes, he does stuff like that) about making a list of lifetime goals. It was actually a great article and I made a list...which I have, of course, lost. I do remember that on the list I put that I wanted to build or remodel a house someday...and then started the process only a couple of months later. = ) So, at least I can check that baby off!!

UPDATE!! Found my old list. It was from 10/8/08 and had 32 goals on it. I wasn't as crazy about how I wrote them because they were harder to check off since some of them were something that are continual (like go on vacations with Anthony annually), but I found that I had completed 8 of the 32 and had 11 more that had shown up on my new lists.

Anyway, so the other day I decided to make a new list. I broke it down into three sections: goals for 2012, goals to be done before the end of 2016 (five years), and lifetime goals. It is a really fun thing to do actually. I threw in some big ones and then some little, attainable ones...I'm pretty happy with my list.

So, I figured I would share some of them with you and blog about them as they come along. I'll put in ( )s what category they are in...

1. finish blogging the house tour (2012)
2. make own shirt/dress and wear in public (2016)
3. find hairstyle I love (2012)
4. surprise Anthony with something big (life)
5. create a family cookbook (2012)
6. spend a month eating store-free (2016)
7. flip a house (life)
8. hang 20 things on my walls (2012)
9. go back to our honeymoon place with Anthony (2016)
10. read one classic book and one spiritual book each month (2012)

I'm sure I'll share some others as I go along and some of them are Rwanda/adoption related, which I will post about on my adoption blog soon.

If you have never made a list, you should try it. It really is fun and gets you thinking. At the top of my list I wrote a CS Lewis quote that says, "You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream". I love the idea of living life with that much hope.

I wonder how many of these I will cross off as the years go by, and how many more I will add over the years. (I have 44 total goals right now.) I guess we'll just have to wait and see!

Lovin' Us Some December!!

2011-12-04T18:18:00.001-06:00

FOUR!!!!

2011-11-26T20:36:00.002-06:00

So, somebody in our house had a birthday today...

Little Nate is a big four year old now. It's hard to believe. My baby is four...FOUR. Seriously, how did this happen?!

We had such a great day celebrating this sweet little man. Presents, the Muppet movie at the theater, Five Guys burgers and hotdogs, cake, family...it was so much fun. We also did a little lesson in Kinyarwanda, trying to learn how to say Happy Birthday to Nate....Isabukuru nziza y'amavuko! (EeSahBooKooRoo NZeeZah YahMahVooKoh) Try that three times fast!!!

Anyway, another wonderful year, with an incredible little man...Ndagukunda Nathan Irakoze!!!

My Treasure Chest

2011-11-25T14:52:00.014-06:00

So, it's been a really long time since I blogged. Sorry about that. But I hope that this post will make it up to you. = )

I got a new computer...now if only I would get a new camera we would really be in business!! Anyway, it is this sweet little MacBook that I am super excited about. One of the things that came up when I was buying it was the idea of doing a data transfer. Now, we are keeping our desktop since the kids are on the verge of needing to use a computer at home, so I didn't really need to do any transfer with that. But in our basement, way back in the storage, was my old computer that my grandfather bought me as a high school graduation gift.

We used that as our computer until midway through 2005 (a little after Elise was born), which means that I used it for 7 years! That also meant that all my old pictures from my very first digital camera were locked away on it. (Not to mention a treasure trove of songs that I painstakingly downloaded through good old dial-up onto Napster...glorious!!)

Now Apple wasn't able to transfer that all over for me, but they gave me the name of someone who could and so $50 later, here are some of the gems that we are enjoying once again...

The pictures start with a family vacation to Cancun in the spring of 2001. Yeah, that is the only picture you will ever see of me in a bikini!!!

This is kinda a dark pic, but I love it. Some of the best times I had in college were on the trips I took to visit people. England to stay with my uncle's family for a month, California to visit my dear Annie, and two trips to Boston to hang out with one of my absolutely best friends, Alysia. This pic is from my 2nd trip in the fall of 2001. We always had the best time...

That fall was also my last semester at KU. I led this really great bible study with this amazing guy (recognize the one in yellow?)...

Sigh...I fell in love. HARD. And fast. Which leads us to the next picture which is one of my all-time favorites. It's a cute pic of Anthony and I, but the story behind it is what makes me grin. This picture was taken on a Sunday when Anthony and I drove to my folks' house to go to church with them and so that my parents and older brother Drew could meet him. (Colby already had.)

Now I had only brought one other boy home before, but it was clear that this was really different and my slightly over-protective brother was not exactly warm to the idea. I'll never forget our asking Drew to take our picture and him snapping this one and then going off in a huff. It was a while before he would give Anthony the time of day!! Actually, I'm quite certain that the first time he showed any kind of approval of Tone and I, was the day we got engaged and he pushed me out of the way to give Anthony a big hug. I'm grinning ear to ear just remembering it!!

Three days after we got engaged I moved to Colorado Springs to spend a semester at Focus on the Family. Being apart was AWFUL, but we never went more than 3 weeks without seeing each other and had some amazing visits. This is a pic from one of Anthony's trips when we went on a hike up in the mountains. I spared you from a kissing pic. = )

There were other pics of Tone and I on there, but what I was most excited about was all the baby pictures of Adele that we hadn't seen in forever.

Seriously, how insanely cute was she?!?!?!?!

And one last one of my sweet Gram...

So, there you go! A little trip down memory lane with me. Thanks for indulging!!

Family Meeting!

2011-10-17T09:55:00.006-05:00

So we have had a couple of family meetings over the years. They have been pretty informal. Just a quick check-in about something that is going on. And the kids have absolutely loved them. In fact, they CHEER when we say we are going to have one.

Anyway, recently we decided to formalize them a bit, to really go for it. We bought a notebook to take down notes from the meeting and we decided that someone will make treats each time.

What is the point in the meetings? Well, our goal is not to torture our kids and produce a bunch of eye rolling (hopefully not at least). It's just that we want our kids to be really thoughtful about life and so to set aside time where we think through things as a family, well, we're trying...

So, last night was our first meeting and it was a real success. Our topic was on how we can be better stewards of what we have been given, or more specifically our attempt to be a little more green. The kids got really into it and we had a lot of fun, of course the yummy brownies helped!!

One of my favorite things about the whole evening was watching how seriously Adele took her note-taking job. That little girl is such a hoot! And I just had to share her handiwork...

My hope is that this will be a family tradition that we will really enjoy. We'll see!

House Pics 4: Basement/Playroom

2011-10-11T11:59:00.002-05:00

You know, it is so hard to get good pics of a big room, but welcome to our basement!! This time I have no pictures from the old house because we had no finished basement and we had no place to keep toys besides a little shelving in our great room. It drove me CRAZY. Of course, this place gets crazy messy and also drives me crazy, but at least I can chose whether or not to go down and look at it!

Truly a little peace of heaven for the whole family.

Whoops!

2011-09-20T20:03:00.004-05:00

So, I just realized that when I had posted pictures of the new kitchen I forgot to include the pics of the old one! So here is a quick picture comparison and I'm hoping tomorrow to post a new post.

Okay, so here is a couple of pics I posted of the new kitchen...

And here is the old kitchen/dining room...oh, and please note that our kitchen had been bright green until it went on the market. = ) Oh, and remember our new cubbies and hooks...see those jackets hanging in the background? That would be the before!

Boy it seems so surreal that we even lived there not that long ago!

On a hunt...

2011-09-16T10:07:00.013-05:00

***Update at the end***

Okay, so this summer I told you about my LOVE for the Penguin Classic clothbound books. Well, my addiction/collection has continued. My lovely mother bought me Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen, and I gave Anthony The Portrait of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (gotta love when gifts serve a dual purpose like that...he did read and like the book though) and I just "threw" Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell on the end of an Amazon order that is coming next week...heehee.

Oh they are all looking so lovely on my shelf. Aren't they?

And then I found out that there were kid classic books!!! I about died! I have been reading classics to my kids for the last couple of years and had been thinking about starting to collect some nice copies. Oh my word am I one happy lady! So, I have bought them all...that's right, there is eight of them and they are mine! Actually I bought nine and gave a copy of Anne of Green Gables to my dear friend Leslie who is having her first girl and shares a love for reading and dear Anne with me. I plan to slowly give the books to my kids over the next couple of years...

Seriously, how cute are they?! And for $11 a pop on Amazon...so worth it.

I went ahead and bought them all in part because I am quickly realizing how a book or two can disappear all of a sudden, and be nearly impossible to find. Which of course leads me to my hunt...

Two of the clothbounds that I have been collecting for myself have already disappeared, Madam Bovary by Gustav Flaubert and Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky (which I really want to get for Anthony) and I am on the hunt. So please, if you find them let me know!!!!!

Thanks! And just out of curiousity...anyone been inspired and bought any of these classic beauties?

***Oh so sad. Apparently those two books are out of print. Seriously? How will my collection ever become complete?!***

Life keeps going!!

2011-09-15T12:45:00.005-05:00

So, I've been lame...I know. But here are a couple of pics wrapping up the summer and heading into...dare I say it?...fall! And hopefully now that ALL of my kiddos are going to school (see below!), I'll find a bit more time to update this thing!

The summer was so great for us. Well, emotionally exhausting and full of changes and challenges, but as our little family of six it was truly sweet. A lot of time at the pool (never took any pictures but you can see some on my cousin's wife's blog here) and lots of trampoline jumping (yeah, no pictures of that either).

I do, however, have a couple of pictures from the activities that Adele and Elise joined in. We are determined as a family to not be over-scheduled with activities and are keeping them to a minimum as long as possible, but everyone gets a turn now and then.

So, Adele's turn came in the form of softball which was SO much fun. Her little team was laid back, but worked hard, and Adele did great. I so badly wish that I had a video of my favorite moment, I don't, but let's all take a minute to picture it together because it was just that good...2 outs, Adele is on 3rd and runs for home, which was straight in our direction. The other team is rushing to get the ball there and my little girl is running for dear life. You just can't imagine the fear and determination on that sweet little girl's face...I'm tearing up just thinking about it! She ran so hard and just barely got there to score the run! It was one of the best moments EVER!! She was so proud and I was so that proud mama!

Go Blue Stars!! (front row, center)

Another "successful" family pic...sigh...

Elise also got in on some fun with some tennis lessons...which she totally did for the outfit.

And which you can totally understand why!!!

So, then summer ended and now school has started! And while I have already forgotten to hand in a couple of papers and completely spaced on a parents' night thing (we've had those teachers so many times now though that I don't feel that bad), it is good to be in a new groove.

Can you believe I have a 1st and 2nd grader?! Crazy!!!!

I'm watching my nephew, Owen, on Wednesdays so he was there for all the first day of school "fun".

So, that was in August, and last week the other two started.

Seriously, they kill me with all their cuteness!!

House Pics 3: Kitchen

2011-08-20T18:00:00.004-05:00

I should be posting first day of school pictures of Adele and Elise, or at the very least be posting an entry about the end of summer, but oh well!

So, here is the kitchen (requested by Lindsay in my comments)! I cleaned it up really well this morning because I had extended family coming by, so I snapped a couple of shots while it looked all pretty. By the way, my camera sucks...it needed to be said.

Can I just say how much I love my kitchen? It is so big and bright and beautiful and if it would only clean itself it would be perfect!

I wanted our house to feel really open and I definitely didn't want to waste any space, so we don't have a separate dining room. Just one big table to seat our big (and hopefully someday bigger) family.

I love that it doesn't feel over-crowded even when there are a bunch of people here. It truly is my dream kitchen.

Oh, and here is a shot of the inside of our pantry (door next to the fridge)! Don't judge me by the contents!!!!

A lesson in vanity.

2011-08-15T20:24:00.003-05:00

Elise has got to be one of the sweetest and prettiest little girls I know...and that she knows. That's right, at six, this little girl is all about being pretty, batting her eyelashes, and just flaunting all her cuteness. Don't get me wrong, she isn't doing it in a bad way AT ALL, but I also don't want her growing up thinking that is the most important thing in the world and so I am attempting to address this and all my kiddos various not-so-great tendencies while they are young. And Elise's just happens to be a bit about vanity.

So, her hair has definitely played into all of this the last couple of years as she has really long hair which is just perfect for flipping over your shoulder. (You think I'm kidding?) And so, a while back she and I started talking about her donating her hair...it took a bit to sell her on it, but I stressed what a good thing it would be and so finally we agreed and today was the day!

Before:

The ponytail!!!

After:

And she likes it...maybe too much actually. In fact, she has transferred all her feelings of vanity to the new cut. Oh well. She does look adorable...

House Pics 2: Kids' Rooms

2011-08-12T10:28:00.009-05:00

Okay, I'm trying to get this done...slowly, but surely.

So, this house has a LOT of bedrooms. Six actually. But alas, Adele and Elise still share a room and while Nathan and Lucy are no longer roommates, the hope is that one day they will each have a buddy to make a mess with. Each room also has a small bath attached, but I didn't take any pics...pretty basic stuff.

Anyway, so here are the before and afters!

Adele and Elise's room in our old house...

And now! We just got them the dresser and obviously have a whole lot left to do to decorate, but it is a start!!

So, here is the picture of Nate and Lucy's shared bedroom in the old house. Can I just tell you how happy it still makes me? I thought so long and hard about how to merge the boy and girl schemes and loved how it came out. But, it was time for them to go on their own...although they LOVE having "sleepovers"!

So, here is Lucy's room now! Did you notice that both girls' rooms have window seats? Totally my imposing my childhood dreams on my kids, but whatever...

And Nate's!! The pics above the bed were made by Adele (Grover) and Elise (Nate driving Lightning McQueen). Lucy has a picture of the little mermaid over her window seat, also done by Elise. I love that. = )

The kids are all so in love with their rooms and are so proud of them. If you ever come over they are sure to show you their spaces and explain each and ever little change made. I have to say, I love their little spaces too and look forward to adding to them.

To finish the entry I figured I would share one of the pics that Lucy took when she snagged the camera for a bit....her room through her eyes you could say!

Hmmm...what should I show next?!

House Pics 1: the Mudroom and Powder Room

2011-08-05T07:23:00.008-05:00

Boy do I start with a bang! I'm sure you all have been saying to yourselves, I'm sure the house is nice, but what I am dying to see is the mudroom. Well, listen, when you have four kids (with hopes for more) a good mudroom is essential! In truth, this is one of the rooms that I was most excited about and I just love it.

My plan for these entries is to include some pictures from the old house (which by the way it feels like AGES since we lived there) to do a little fun comparison.

So, here we go...

Laundry/Powder Room Before:

Not that I wasn't grateful for just having a space to do laundry, but it was definitely a bit cramped. Oh, and if you are wondering where all jackets and backpacks were...jackets on hall hooks right outside this door and backpacks in their bedrooms.

And Now: (rainy morning...finally...but pics a bit dark)

Oh for the love of SPACE!!

Cubbies!!! Which we just organized since school is on the horizon.

Folding Station...often covered with WAY MORE clothing.

Kids' hooks...Anthony and I have a separate little closet nearby.

And here is a little pic of the SEPARATE powder room!

So very happy.

Back to life...

2011-07-29T11:18:00.002-05:00

So, I am finally settling back into life after a wonderful trip to Rwanda. It has taken a couple of days of grumpiness (from all 6 of us), lots of laundry, the sewing of a table cloth, and all sorts of other things to get me feeling as though I am back in the swing of things.

Anywho, so here I am and boy do I have some plans for you all! So, remember how we moved into a new house a year ago? And remember how I have NEVER posted any pictures of the inside? Well, I have finally given up on the dream that I will ever actually finish one of the rooms in the next decade and will be posting pictures of the inside over the next week or so...get excited!!!

packing?!

2011-07-14T09:53:00.003-05:00

I leave tomorrow morning for Rwanda. There are a million things still on my list to do before I go...laundry, going to the bank, picking up some pictures and a couple of last minute toiletries, the actual packing...you get the idea.

So, what I have I been doing yesterday afternoon and first thing this morning?

Making and installing some curtains in our bedroom! Why not, right?

Classic...

2011-07-08T19:18:00.004-05:00

So, I have taken to reading classics lately. I fell in love with Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen, when I went to Rwanda to get Nathan. Truly it is one of my all-time favorite books. But then I discovered Penguin Classics amazingly beautiful books and an addiction was born.

I mean, seriously, how beautiful are these books? Aren't you just dying to put one on your shelf?! I have taken to buying one only every now and then, since they are $20 a pop, but I have visions of owning them all some day...

The first one I owned was, of course, Pride & Prejudice. Anthony just surprised me one day with it. Boy do I love that man! I bought Little Women by Louisa M. Alcott and Great Expectations by Charles Dickens for the birthdays of some dear friends (both of whom are older, by the way). Then the closings at some local Borders stores had me combing the shelves grabbing any one that I could find, even if I didn't know the title. I walked away with A Christmas Carol and Other Christmas Stories by Charles Dickens, The Hound of Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, and Tess of the D'Ubervilles by Thomas Hardy.

I plan to read A Christmas Carol this year and maybe even The Hound of Baskervilles (a Sherlock Holmes book) and have already made it through the other two. Wuthering Heights was dark and interesting and Tess of the D'Ubervilles, which I finished last night, is definitely one I will read again...so good.

The thing that has been neat about this, is that not only am I enjoying pretty books, but the writing has really drawn me in. They just make you feel, I don't know, smarter and more cultured and maybe even a bit more lovely. I have also polished off Emma, Northanger Abbey, and Persuasion (all by Austen) in the last month...like I said, total addiction.

So, this the point when I ask for recommendations. I'm borrowing Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, for my trip to Rwanda next week (NEXT WEEK!!!!), but would love some ideas for when I get back. Any thoughts?

Oh, and of course, if you ever feel the need to give me a present for some reason, well, I think you know what to do. = )

For the love of RANDOM!!

2011-06-24T13:11:00.008-05:00

Camera in the hands of a 4 year old...

One of our favorite pastimes this spring? Dunkin Donuts after Nate and Lucy's gymnastics...

A little male-bonding between Nathan and my nephew, Owen. Just so you know, Owen would get really upset if we took him out. = )

Remember when little Elise got stitches one Christmas? Well, Nate will not be outdone!!

These two just seem SO OLD now. {mother sigh}

A little run through the rain...in the background, I could hear Anthony saying, "Lucy, if you aren't going to run around outside, then you need to put your clothes back on". Hmmm... = )

I love being random.

Looks like summer!!!

2011-06-16T17:46:00.003-05:00

Well, we are getting into the swing of summertime. We've been to the pool a bunch, the library, bought a trampoline for the kids and on this rainy afternoon, gave a couple of the kids some fresh summer hair-dos!!

Adele has been dying for me to cut her hair short again and Nate has been favoring the fro-hawk again.

Oh, and, yes, I did them myself, and yes, I am very aware that they are far from professional looking...but seriously, they are kids and I saved myself about $30 today!!

New Beginnings...

2011-06-09T10:10:00.003-05:00

So, a couple of months ago I told you all about Anthony losing his job. If I am honest, there are still a number of things about that that is really hurting us, BUT, as I mentioned in the post, we had already begun to take some steps towards something new before the church's decision. Well, today is when the new begins...

Anthony is going back to school!!!!

We have actually wanted him to do this for a while and the day before he lost his job, he had interviewed for a program at a local university. And while he planned to continue working at the church while he was in school, we are so excited about his being able to do this anyway (with a side-job at Starbucks to provide insurance for our brood).

So, what he is going for is to get his Masters in Counseling and I have to tell you that if you know him, this is a PERFECT fit. Anthony is one of those amazing people who is able to really listen to people, deeply cares for others, is so relational, and has that unique ability to bring hard truth and perspective to someone without them feeling attacked or un-cared for. He is going to be an amazing counselor.

Anyway, so today is his first day and yesterday the kids and I gave him some cards and new school supplies to let him know how proud of him we are and how much we support him. And of course, I took the obligatory first day of school pic this morning...enjoy!!!

Don't you love his new lunch bag and folder? He will definitely be the coolest kid in class! = )

little fun...

2011-06-08T20:39:00.004-05:00

There are a lot of things that the older two girls get to do that the little ones don't in our house. Case in point, tonight they are off for a late night with Daddy and Grandpa at the Royals game.

But that doesn't mean that Nathan and Lucy and I don't find our own way of having fun...

Nothing says summer like sleepovers in a fort!!

A Snappy Tale

2011-06-02T08:33:00.004-05:00

One of my favorite moments in our family that I have blogged on was about Elise and the frog. It still makes me laugh...

The frog is not the only life we have seen out here. We are just enough out of town that our yard is frequented by deer and groundhogs and skunks and fox and snakes and our newest buddy, Snappy.

The other day I was looking out our back window when I noticed a turtle moving across the yard.

I grabbed the younger three kiddos that were home and we ran outside. Since turtles aren't slimy, I picked it up and we put it in a box so that we could show it to Anthony and Adele when they came home.

The garbage man happened to be picking up our trash at the time and saw us and informed us that the turtle's red neck meant it was a snapping turtle...oops.

Of course, this story wouldn't be complete without a little bit of Elise to keep me laughing...

Here is how the exchange went with my kids after we put it in the box.

Lucy: But we haven't seen a girl turtle yet!
Me: Well, I don't even know if this is a boy or girl turtle.
Elise: It's a boy turtle.
Me: How do you know?
Elise: I can see his penis.
Me: Elise, that's its tail!!

That girl kills me.

Our Little Vacation

2011-05-27T09:30:00.005-05:00

So, I have been a bit behind on this blogging stuff. Truth is that there has been a lot going on with us and I have been stressed and when I get stressed I'm not one of those people who gets a bunch done or loses wait. I'm the type that freezes up and eats...lovely.

But, we went on the most amazing trip to Omaha, no seriously, as a family and I wanted to post about our trip. It was the very first time that Anthony and I have taken our kids someplace by ourselves. And since Anthony wasn't working and school hadn't started yet for him, we figured it was as good a time as any to take off for a few days.

We went there mostly to go to the zoo, but I actually lived in Omaha when I was little so there were a couple of places that I was excited to go back to. Anyway, we truly had a wonderful time. It was so relaxing and easy...we have amazing kids. So here are some pictures from our time, enjoy!

One of the very first things that we did was go to dinner at an old family favorite, the Surfside club. I remember this sign making me laugh even as a kid!

All they serve there is fried chicken or fried catfish, oh, and the most delicious corn fritters ever. The last time I was there was 25 years ago...when I was Elise's age!

Here is the only family pic we took the whole trip. It was a little cold and rainy at the zoo, but they have a lot of indoor things and it made it so the zoo wasn't very busy, so we really didn't mind.

The penguins were definitely a favorite (especially of Anthony).

Each night we ate an early dinner, came back to the hotel and went swimming, followed by baths and watching tv in bed...it was bliss.

The best part of the trip for me though was going by my childhood home. There was a truck outside, so we knocked on the door and the owners (who have been the owners since we left) let us come in and go through the house. It was so so fun for me to walk through there...I remembered everything.

We even drove by my old school and the girls climbed on the "spider web" at a playground in our neighborhood that I used to climb. Pretty sweet.

It was truly a sweet time for our family. It's a good thing for us to know that not only can we get away with all our kids, but that it really isn't that hard and is absolutely worth it. Wonder where we will go next year...

No Place Like Home?!

2011-05-25T16:09:00.006-05:00

So, when my family was moving to Kansas from upstate New York, it didn't take long for my classmates to start in with the jokes...

"Tell Dorothy I say hi!"
"Watch out for the twisters!"
"What state is Kansas in?" (Seriously, someone asked me that.)

The first week we lived here there were some serious storms and I remember asking my parents where on earth did they move us too!! But while we have had some big storms over the years, I still haven't really worried about tornadoes. But I'm not feeling quite the same way anymore.

When Joplin, Missouri, was hit earlier this week, my heart broke. I've driven through Joplin and it really isn't that far from us and it made things a little too close for comfort. And then today, the sirens went off (although we can't hear them and need to buy a weather radio) and we took the babies down into the storage room in the basement while we kept one eye on the news. It was awful and I was a basket-case, in part because I didn't have two of our girls here with us. It came so close to all who I love and ended up destroying a town, once again, not that far from us. (Prayers to you, Sedalia!)

But we are all safe and sound, thank You Lord!! At least for today we are. But I will say that I felt a bit unnerved when I got this picture today taken at the girls' school...

A bit too close for comfort if you ask me!!

Happy Mother's Day...TO ME!!!

2011-05-08T14:24:00.002-05:00

WIWW?

2011-04-28T17:45:00.003-05:00

So, I'm a blog stocker, er...follower. And today as I was doing my daily check-ins, I saw that a friend of mine had joined a bloggy trend called WIWW, or What I Wore Wednesday. The gist of it is this, many of us stay-at-home mamas have a tendency to have uniforms...the same jeans/sweats and t-shirts every day. So, by posting what you are wearing it is supposed to encourage a bit of effort in the clothing department.

So, I'm looking at this and thinking, I could use a little encouragement to dress a bit cuter (when did I last wear my contacts?), perhaps I should give it a go. But it is Thursday, not Wednesday, and the day is really lovely and I have a bunch of yardwork that I wanted to get done and I still have about 15-20lbs. to lose and I hate most my clothes, or at least how I look in them...ENOUGH!! I'm doing it anyway!

Here is what I wore today...

Ummm...Lucy took my picture. Here is the run down...

Pants: Target, my friend Traci bought them for me in 2002 because I told her I liked hers and that is just the kind of girl she is
Shirt: My beloved Product (RED) shirt from the GAP that is a few years old and has finally made the move to my crappy clothes pile.
Sweatshirt: Gap. I finally replaced the one I used to wear all the time, but had more holes in it that my Product (RED) shirt.
Shoes: who knows, circa 2000

The perfect mow the lawn, pull weeds, and turn the mulch outfit, don't you think?

For fun, here is a pic of my morning buddies...

Lucy is wearing all hand-me-downs and in fact, Nate's shorts are hand-me-downs too. I'm pretty sure they were our babysitter's, little sister's soccer shorts...nice.

Okay, so I don't think that is really what the goal of this was supposed to be, but whatever.

Happy Easter!!

2011-04-24T19:35:00.003-05:00

Hope you all have had a wonderful day full of jelly beans and a lovely brunch and a church service that reminded you why we celebrate this day.

Me vs. Tradition

2011-04-05T08:33:00.003-05:00

I learned so many things about myself during the build of our house. One of the things that wasn’t a surprise though was how insanely picky I am about what I buy. You need to know that I am a HORRIBLE shopper, just ask my mom or my dear friend, Leslie. I’m awful. I’m so so picky and rarely find what I’m looking for. Clothes are the worst because I NEVER like how I look in things (ever notice how there are almost NO pictures of me on this blog?), but I was almost as bad with our house finishes.

Okay, so that isn’t entirely true. It took me about two seconds to pick out a lot of them, because I know what I want and so if I found it, I was committed…done. But if I couldn’t find what I wanted? OH MY WORD…it took me FOREVER. And let me tell you, the style of things here in Kansas hurts me. If I saw another busy granite countertop with dark cherry cabinets and oil-rubbed bronze EVERYTHING…I was losing my mind!!! I like simplicity, clean lines, and a light and bright feeling. I don’t want my finishes to depress me, the mess in our house does that plenty!

Anyway, so slowly I found what I wanted in each room and we finished the house, except for two spots…the light over our tub and the light for my office. Nothing worked, so there has been a plate over the socket above our tub and a bare bulb in my office for the last eight and a half months…until yesterday.

Now, this is where you may be a bit surprised by my light purchase…

What do you think? Doesn't it just scream non-traditional? Doesn't it just say light and bright? Not at all! It is just begging for a tuscan-themed room, isn't it? (By the way, if that is your style...ummm...sorry to offend, but I am just so over it.)

The thing is that on this one I wasn't looking for a certain finish, I was looking for a certain form. Something a little girly and whimsical to hang in my office. Something that would be easy to spray paint!

Now what do you think?! Don't you just love spray paint?! The photo truly doesn't do it justice, because this is just the cutest green chandelier EVER!! And I must give a little shout out to my friend, Meghan, who inspired me to do this a long time ago with this blog entry of hers. So so fun.

Time to Celebrate!!!

2011-04-03T07:50:00.009-05:00

Well, yesterday was Elise's birthday which means we have concluded the birthday season here at the Dummermuth home. It also means that I owe you all a whole bunch of pictures, so here goes!

Adele: My sweet first born turned seven on March 8th. I have a seven year old...crazy. As each year goes by I am amazed as I see how each of my kids have changed, but there is something about watching the oldest, the first one getting old, that blows my mind. Adele is an amazing little lady and I love celebrating her!

This year was the first time that we barely got to see our girl on her day. On the bus at 8am, off at 4pm. Doesn't seem fair...but we got what we could in and she seemed satisfied with her constant, "This is my best birthday ever!" Gotta love those kids that are so easy to please.

Lucy: Can you believe this little peanut turned four on March 16th?! Well, she did. And despite the fact that I am still constantly reminding her that she is only to suck her thumb in her bed, she is seeming less and less like my little baby and more and more like her big sisters every day.

Lu's birthday landed over Spring Break and we spent the whole day as a family. It was the kind of day that just felt right. A whole day full of family love and celebration...it was lovely.

PARTY!!!: Every year since the year Lucy was born, we have done a joint party for our three girls and their birthdays. This year we celebrated with flower-shaped cookies and a sleepover with cousin Ella. It was such fun.

(I'm realizing that I have become quite the slacker at taking pictures...you'll see that even more below...so my apologies. I swear we had fun though!)

Elise: Our little princess turned six yesterday. We had a crazy busy day and I took NO pictures. Our dear friend Nick did at Community group last night though so at least we have a little record of her day! Pictures or not, this girl is amazing and we LOVED celebrating her yesterday.

Elise's day was full of family fun (yeah for Saturdays!) and ended with our community group at our house that night. At first we weren't sure if we should still have it, but Elise was more than happy to have the extra attention. = )

Anyway, so there you go. Pink balloon season is over...wonderful as always. We just love these girls so deeply and celebrating them all at once is such a treat.

An Unexpected Bend...

2011-03-31T15:31:00.002-05:00

So, this has been some week and I have to tell you, my emotions have been all over the place...

On Tuesday, after almost five years of working there, my husband's job at our church was eliminated. Budget cuts... We were completely shocked and if I am honest, quite hurt by the whole thing. We love our church and it is a huge part of who we are. We are involved there in so many ways outside of his job. And now there is one of those painful breaks in life that we aren't sure how to heal.

How do we go back? How do we walk in those doors and see those people that hurt us? How do we show them grace and guard our hearts from bitterness? How do we love them even though we don't feel loved? I don't know. I only know that Anthony and I have never shied away from challenges and will press forward. We will forgive and love even when we'd rather say some harsh words (okay, that's mostly my desire). God will see us through this...we trust in that.

On the job front...we are certainly not lacking in hope for the future and had already been taking some steps in a new direction before we knew of the church's decision. And we have found a lot of comfort in that. I'll keep you posted.

So, all that to say...we'd love some prayers and really appreciate kind words. The silence, for me, is always the most painful part. And for those of you who know us well, thanks for loving us and believing in us and what God is doing through us. We are so thankful for you all.

This day...

2011-03-28T19:15:00.004-05:00

It is always a bittersweet one, this day. March 28th. It's a day that I always find myself reflecting on my past. Because, you see, today is her birthday. Today is the birthday of my childhood best friend.

There are really almost no memories that I have of my childhood that don't include her. We were inseparable. We were close neighbors and spent every moment we were allowed to together. She was the closest thing that I ever had to a sister and I still deeply and profoundly love her.

But something happened and to this day that relationship is one of the greatest mysteries and wounds in my life. So many years have past and my heart still aches whenever I think of her.

You know, we had one of these necklaces. I gave it to her in the 3rd or 4th grade, more than 20 years ago today. And as I look at it now it feels less like a silly little girl's thing to do and more like a tangible reminder of how it was once so whole and is now so painfully broken.

And if I am truly honest, I still have a couple of dreams about her every year. Dreams where we are reconciled, when all the confusion of our preteens is cleared and we are able to love each other as dear friends once again. Those dreams will probably never come true, I know that. But I'll never quit hoping. I'll never quit loving. And I'll never quit wishing her a quiet Happy Birthday on this day.

These Two

2011-03-23T08:45:00.004-05:00

One of the best things about being a parent is seeing your kids interact. Watching them develop little relationships is priceless and worth every extra load of laundry and occasional fight over a red crayon. (There is another one right next to it, so why must they fight over THAT one?)

Adele and Elise have always had a sweet little relationship that I have loved watching over the years. In part, I think that I wonder at this wonderful thing called sisterhood, that I have never had and have definitely longed for. In fact, just the other day my mom genuinely apologized for never giving me a sister...there is just something special about that relationship.

There have been other relationships that have formed over the years by our four. Elise and Lucy tend to have similar loves of all things dramatic and girly and love playing together. Similarly, Adele and Nate love to tackle and run around and I often hear myself saying that thing that my mom always said that I thought I never would..."Somebody's going to be crying."

But of all the relationships so far, I have to say Nathan and Lucy's is the one that absolutely overwhelms me.

You have to understand. These two LOVE each other. They fight occasionally, but it is really not that often. They play and play and are so sweet to one another. They look out for each other and are often coming to me on the other's behalf (and not in a tattle-tale way). Lucy is motherly towards Nate eventhough she is more than an inch shorter and he seems to love every moment of it. And they are both so very goofy and funny together and they keep each other (and definitely us!) in stitches all day.

But the truth is that I think the thing that makes this all even sweeter is their striking differences. And they are SO different. Lucy plays with a certain control over her every move and Nate throws caution to the wind and his body all over the floor and couch and anything else. His humor is physical with funny faces and strange walks. Hers is a dry humor...her comments and jokes are so clever.

And then, well, there is the color thing.

You have to understand the hopes that we had for our family when we chose to adopt transracially. You have to understand how we dreamt that our children would not be colorblind, but rather that they would deeply love their differences and embrace each other not inspite of, but because of what made each other unique. You have to understand that we wanted them to experience a vision of God's family being of people of all sorts of colors and backgrounds within their own home. And you have to understand that when I see my pale little blonde-haired, blue eyed daughter and my chocolate colored, deep brown-eyed son with his curly black fro...when I see them love each other without reservations, I feel as though not only are they learning this, but I am learning it. And it is profound, and it is beautiful, and it is a picture of what FAMILY is supposed to be...

A Quiet House

2011-03-17T21:22:00.004-05:00

So, what do I do when Anthony and all the kids leave me for a few hours in the middle of the day, alone in the house?

Well, I did organize my office some...it has desperately needed my attention and is still not yet finished...

BUT I also did a little of this...

AND a little of this...

And it was GLORIOUS.

Ooops!

2011-03-10T15:11:00.003-06:00

So, it is birthday season in the Dummermuth household, but before I can post anything about any of the girls' birthdays, I MUST FINALLY post the pictures from Nate's 3rd birthday...BACK IN NOVEMBER!!

Better late than never I guess...

Here is the train cake that the girls and I made for Nate's birthday party.

Since his birthday is right around Thanksgiving we were all home (no school, no work), so we went out to Fritz's for lunch. Can't beat greasy burgers delivered by train!

Ummm...here is one of his gifts...are you noticing a theme?!

We did throw in some Lightning McQueen inspired cupcakes to finish off the day. Can you believe our boy is three?! Unbelievable. I'd say Happy Belated Birthday to the little man, but he is a little annoyed that he is the only kiddo who doesn't have a birthday right now. = )

Whew...got it done!

This is new...

2011-03-03T20:59:00.004-06:00

So, I have never changed the way that this blog looks even though I have desperately wanted to for such a long time. The font alone has been driving me crazy, as I hate using common fonts for anything.

All this means that I basically spent entirely too much time today tweeking it. And while it looks better, it is far from perfect and I have a feeling I will be messing with it again soon. I wish that I knew how to make it truly lovely, a real expression of who I am, but alas, my Art History degree did nothing to teach me about web design. Oh well.

Waterfront property?

2011-03-01T11:24:00.003-06:00

So, there has been a lot of snow this winter and on Sunday night there was a lot of rain...what does that mean for us? Apparently it means that there can be a flash flood in our backyard resulting in a big, muddy, rocky mess...awesome.

I couldn't get the video of the flash flood to work, but here are some (not quite as impressive) pictures of what was left behind...

Today...

2011-02-21T14:50:00.003-06:00

The kids are home from school and Anthony is home from work, so what did we plan for today? Surgery! That's right, Nate has finally had his tonsils and adnoids removed. We decided he needed this done last spring, but they prefer not to do it until kids are three, so today was the day. And then, last Wednesday, at his appointment we found out that he had fluid in his ears that was causing a mild hearing impairment. I guess he wasn't ignoring us after all...poor kid couldn't hear! Anyway, so we did that too.

So, today, on this lovely "vacation" day, our house looks something like this...

Nothing better to heal a boy than a houseful of mommies and a movie marathon of Cars and Thomas!

SNOW DAY!!!

2011-01-11T07:51:00.006-06:00

Being from upstate New York, the words SNOW DAY have almost a mystical feeling. They almost never happened because a little snow never scared the schools, but when they did it was an outside all day kind of event. Snow forts were elaborate and contained rooms! Sledding varied from my best friend Meg's mini hill in her back yard to the big hills at places like Powdermill Park where you would only go down the hill 3 or 4 times because it took such a long time to walk back up...yes, snow is a magical word for me.

Yesterday the kids had a snow day (actually they have one today too). We called our neighbors up the hill, who actually own sleds, and spent a couple of hours enjoying our Kansas winter wonderland...

I SO wish this picture was better. We were short three things yesterday...sleds, boots for me (plastic bags on my feet, sneakers over worked great), and snow pants for Nate...so trash bag and packing tape it was (with sweats and his sister's leggings on underneath)!! He was such a good sport!

Dad and the crew.

Adele was so funny because she is so determined to be a great sledder, but too cautious to really go for it.

Yep, Elise is snow-eating kind of kid.

Our kids and our buddies Claire and Keat.

See how happy I look in this picture?

Well, this was right before I headed down the hill (I'm still a killer sledder). I then waited as Anthony sent Elise and Nate down, so I could help Nate walk back up. He may have pushed them a bit too hard and they came sailing down, heading straight for the edge of a small rock wall. I jumped in front of them, keeping them from flying off, but sending myself off the 4 ft. ledge and onto a boulder below. I now have a nice softball size bump/bruise on my leg. Guess today I'll be spending the snow day cold only from the constant ice pack on me...the magic continues. = )

By the way, my mom told me I'm supposed to post a picture of my bruise, but its placement would probably show more impressively my cellulite. Sorry.

Your Christmas Present!

2010-12-25T16:08:00.008-06:00

I know, I know, I am WAY behind with my posts. I have all of November that I want to update for you and hopefully will soon, but as my Christmas present to my faithful followers (who are probably a bit annoyed with me by now) here is our Christmas update!!

We have had a wonderful Christmas so far. We still have two more celebrations to go! Anyway, so here are a few of my favorite pictures so far...

Let's start with my favorite picture...when I was in the 4th grade, my Grandma Marty gave me Kirsten, the American Girl doll. It became our thing and I have just about every item in Kirsten's collection. When my mom found out I was have a girl, she knew that this is something she wanted to do for my girls. Well, last night Adele and Elise got their dolls (Kit and Rebecca). The only thing that could have made it sweeter would have been for my Gram to still have been here with us to see this.

Here are the best pics of the kids. And yes, Lucy always makes that face when I take a picture, so its as good as I could get.

And yes, I do use fruit snack (and granola bar) boxes in my wrapping...just call me green!

And then there are the less interesting pictures of the decor...humor me.

Never really thought I would put something on the ledge above our hood, but I have LOVED having our Rwandan nativity up there this year.

Last few pictures are some home/school-made items from this year. Love having them around!!

Elise's painted snowman

Adele's sock snowman (insanely cute!)

Headbands I made for the girls this year

The door wreath I made. (Totally stole the idea...so glad I did!!) Not the greatest close-up, but I tried.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

New York, New York

2010-11-11T11:31:00.003-06:00

Here are a few more pictures from our trip to New York City!

We stayed with our friend Donna for a couple of nights and it was so great. Not only is she wonderful, but her place was wonderful...and the views! Here are a couple of pictures from the rooftop of her building...

Ground Zero

The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island

There was a HBO movie filming on Wall Street...didn't see anyone interesting, but it was fun watching a bit of the process. Here's a picture of all the extras freezing their tails off.

We were really excited to get in a little of the NYC Marathon. We saw the leader at about the 2hr. mark in Central Park, but didn't get a picture of it. This guy wasn't too far off though!

It's funny. Here we are on a kids-free vacation and we kept finding ourselves in places like FAO Schwartz, Dylan's candy, and ToysRUS on Times Square...what can I say, I love my kids!

Man, I would love to be the one who got to put a LEGO thing like this together!

So, I once again attempted to meet Matt Lauer and once again failed. He just doesn't hang around like the others and say hi to people...I'm trying to not let that taint my...affection (?) for him. = )

We were on the show a bunch of times though and it was fun when we got home to watch it on tv with the kids (I had DVRed it).

It was an incredible time...great food, great shows (In The Heights was AMAZING), and great visits with family and friends, but the best part of it was just getting to spend time together. I just can't help it...I love this guy.

NYC teaser...

2010-11-06T22:33:00.002-05:00

On a trip with the hubby! Just a quick picture, will post more in a few days!!

Our princess and her froggy chance...

2010-09-30T18:54:00.005-05:00

Okay, so this is probably one of those things that is funnier to us than it will be to you, but whatever...

So, today Lucy was looking out the window and yelled, "Mom, there's something hoppin' out there." I looked out, and sure enough, it was a frog. Not a toad, as we usually see, but a slimy green frog. I ran downstairs and got Elise and we headed out back to find the frog. Soon, I found myself, Elise, Lucy, and Nathan outside, looking over this frog, and daring each other to touch him or pick him up.Here's what happened...oh, and the videos were taken with our old digital camera, so they're pretty sad.

Did you catch my favorite line? The part when Elise explains to me WHY she is afraid to pick him up? Because she's afraid she is going to kiss it! What?!?!

Here's our next much more successful attempt...

So, Elise screamed and I kinda picked it up (a videographer, Elise is not) and I definitely threw it. All in all, we were dying of laughter and I just love times like that. Elise missed her chance this time for a kiss, but we'll keep an eye on the backyard for another opportunity. = )

Chantal

2010-09-19T15:44:00.005-05:00

See the woman in this picture...

...in August of 2008 she told me who my son was...and in October of 2008 she put him in my arms...

Chantal will forever be a part of our family and we all love her more than I could ever even begin to put into words...

Ndagukunda Chantal!

What?! Don't knock it 'til you try it...

2010-09-14T16:39:00.003-05:00

School!!

2010-09-09T10:22:00.005-05:00

Well, as of yesterday, school is now in full swing here at the Dummermuths. The older girls started a couple of weeks ago, but with Lucy starting preschool yesterday, it now feels much more official.

Anyway, so here are a bunch of first day of school pictures!

Originally our bus stop was up the huge hill and around the corner, but we had it moved to our house. It's nice not to make the hike three times a day with the babies, but we do miss being with our sweet neighbors Claire and Keat.

And now finally it is Lu's turn! I'm so excited for her and I know she is loving every minute of it!!

And now it is just me and this little man on Monday and Wednesday mornings. We're planning on having some good times together...grocery shopping, long walks (or possible even runs), and trips to the pumpkin patch when it opens. Oh, to be the only child! = )

8 YEARS...

2010-09-07T20:34:00.004-05:00

See this man here? I LOVE this man. And 8 years ago today I walked down the aisle toward him and promised to be his wife. And let me tell you, I am a better woman because of that day. This man knows my soul, the good and the bad, and loves me deeply. And as the years go by and as we grow to know each other more, I fall deeper in love.

He's not perfect. Heck, he isn't even here this evening! But he is good, so good. And it is an honor to be his wife. I hope and pray that we have so many more years together, but even if we don't...well, today, I thank God for 8 wonderful years.

Bloggy Question

2010-09-02T09:43:00.007-05:00

I'm a loyal blog follower. There are a handful that I check every single day and get totally annoyed when there aren't new posts. = ) Anyway, maybe sometime I tell you all about my favorites, but for today I am just copying the post of my friend, Lindsay. (Of course, she was copying someone else's too...)

Anywho, so the question posed was where do you blog? Well...

I have two computers and therefore blog in two different places. If I have pictures to post then I spend at least some of my time at my desk in my office...

But most of the word work is done on my lovely little laptop...

...at my favorite little spot...

...on this lovely BIG couch. (Guess this is a bit of a preview to our house too!)

Oh, and here is my view as I'm typing all of this up! = )

Where do you blog?

Wrapping Up The Summer!

2010-08-31T11:13:00.005-05:00

Summer has ended. The kids are in school and I'm learning our new normal. We have this new beautiful home that I am slowly getting together. I have a first grader and a kindergartner and next week Lucy starts preschool. I will have only one at home. Do you realize that the only time I have had that in the last five and a half years was that brief time between when Elise went off to preschool and before I went to receive Nate? And Nate isn't even a baby...it won't even be a baby I have here.

It's strange how life keeps changing. Anyway, enough of my sentiment...

Summer on Canterbury Road, that's what you came for here...here is a snippet!

A bit wet from a little playing in the rain...

Some potty-training (yes, puppy is wearing her underwear)...

The Chicken Run, which Lucy got to participate in this year (the second picture shows how it went for her)...

And just some good old fashion fun at home...

About caught up!

Summer on Conser Street...

2010-08-25T09:54:00.007-05:00

Okay, summer update...just think, soon I'll be back to the present! So, what did this summer look like for us before the whole moving thing? Well...

A great crop of strawberries from our old strawberry patch. (Remember when we planted those Annie?)

A little Sheridans Frozen Custard (and a non-dairy donut for Nate)...

A little water fun...

hehehehehe...

And Lu did a little bit of pre-preschool.

Which we, of course, celebrated at Sheridans.

Well, I think that wraps things up at our old place! Next update we'll be in the right place!!

Behind in life...

2010-08-23T15:29:00.009-05:00

I have been watching all my regular blogs lately and all those mamas seem to be getting their act together now that school has started...but not me! I feel behind in life. And I hate posting new pictures when I know there are others that I should post before them. Like how can I post school pics if I haven't even posted Elise's birthday from April?!

So, let's play a little catch up...

Elise turned 5 back in April. (This is so embarrassing that I am just now posting this.) Apparently she is the classic middle child since I am just now getting to this...I should know better, I'm a second born too. But it (her birthday) was great and she is just incredible.

After Elise's birthday was Easter (still embarrassed)...

And then school wrapped up...

Whew! Next entry...SUMMER!! Sadly, I feel as though I have really accomplished something here. A pitiful accomplishment, but I'll take it!

Our Home...

2010-07-26T15:41:00.001-05:00

More pictures to come...once I get a few more boxes put away! = )

A Detour

2010-07-24T14:37:00.002-05:00

I know, I know. You are probably hoping for pictures of the house or updates on the kids, but that will just have to wait for another day. You see, today has carried with it the scariest moment of my life...

A little background...about two weeks ago someone came to our door to tell me that they had found Anthony laying by the running trail. She had been able to get him to her car and had brought him home. I quickly switched him over to our car, had our relator (who happened to be there) stay with the kids until Anthony's dad could get there and headed to the ER. Tests were done and all that it came back with was that he was a bit dehydrated. We figured he had just passed out, felt uneasy about the whole thing, but Anthony seemed fine and we moved on. He intended to go and check in with his general doctor, but hadn't gotten around to it yet with the move and all.

So, today seemed like every other day and we decided to hike up our back hill and go down to the neighborhood fishing pond. As we neared the top of the hill I turned around and saw Anthony kinda bending down. I immediately began to think that he was going to "pass out" again, so I took hold of him to help him lay down. But as soon as I got a hold of him he went into a seizure and fell to the ground. It was so scary. I screamed to Adele and Elise to run to the closest house and ask for help and just sat there screaming for help while having absolutely no idea what I should do. As the seizure continued he began to foam at the mouth, turned blue, began to lose consciousness and his eyes even began to roll back.

The neighbors were great. (What a way to meet the new neighbors though!) Some took care of the kids. Called 911. Let me borrow a cell so I could try to reach my family. And one was even a respitory therapist that was able to help me with Anthony and assure me that his heart was still beating. I truly thought for a little while there that I was losing him.

Anyway, there is so much I could tell, but...

We are now thankful to be home from the hospital. The thought now is that Anthony may have developed a seizure disorder (his earlier episode is now being thought of as another seizure, just no one was there to witness it) and he will now be taking anti-seizure meds, will need to visit a specialist, and no more driving etc. for a while. If this is all that it is...I'm just so thankful.

You see, whether it is rational or not, I have ALWAYS thought I would lose Anthony early on. It's so hard to write that as part of me struggles with the idea that writing it will somehow make it true. And even as Anthony was in the midst of it all, I kept saying over and over to myself...I always knew. And that thought is perhaps what was so incredibly scary.

Every day is a gift and if today is the last one that I will have with Anthony then I am stating here and now that I will thank God for every moment that He has given to us. And I will thank God that our time apart will only be for a small period of time on this side of the pearly gates. I hope and pray that we have MANY years more to journey through this adventure together, but I will trust in God even if we don't.

Right now my sweet man is taking a nap. Our kids (who by the way witnessed everything and are incredible little people) are on their way home from the pool with Nana and Papa. I'm sitting in my beautiful new house watching Mr. Darcy and Miss Elizabeth once again fall in love. I deserve none of this...and am beyond grateful for all of it. Words fail me now...God is truly good ALL THE TIME.

SOLD!!

2010-07-02T14:48:00.002-05:00

Hoping and praying that there aren't any issues between now and our closing (on the 22nd!), we have finally sold our house. I can't even begin to tell you how relieved we are. It is so nice to not have that hanging over us anymore.

Now all we need is for the new house's carpet to get in, touch-ups done, and we are ready to move in!! I am counting down the moments...

Almost...

2010-06-28T14:27:00.002-05:00

We are so close to moving...so close...

Last week we realized that the new carpet that they had just put in the house was the wrong color. Awesome. So, instead of moving this Wednesday, we will be waiting until next Friday. But it's okay really. I've started preparing things here at the house by slowly packing up boxes of stuff we don't need for now and organizing deliveries and such that we need for the new house. Hopefully by next week we will be good and ready!

Our "old" house (as we have come to call it) is still for sale which has become incredibly annoying. We are praying praying praying that someone will come along and just love it, but after almost three months we haven't had any luck. But we are trusting in God's timing in all of this and are hoping that before long we will be moved and only own one house! = )

I am so excited to post some pictures soon of our new house. I had thought I would post some along the way, but the reality is that every time they do something I keep thinking "oh, I should post a picture of it as soon as _______ is done". So, I guess you will just have to wait until it is ALL done! (And by "you", I of course mean my dear Annie...HI!!)

Here's hoping and praying for a move next week!

Today...

2010-06-17T20:52:00.003-05:00

So, this is really for Anthony and my parents as they have missed a HUGE day in the Dummermuth household, but you are welcome to read it anyway... = )

Well, today was Lucy's first day of school. We have her going to a little bit of summer school so that she will be good and ready for preschool in the fall. She is going to be gone on Thursdays from 9:30 to 1:30...it is so crazy, she is just so tiny.

Anyway, before I start crying AGAIN, here are some pics I took today!

I asked them to put their arms around each other...hence the summer school. = )

I love the sweet little relationships between all my kids, but there is something truly special about our "twins".

Is there any other way for us to celebrate than a little frozen custard?

And a Sheridan's trip is not complete without Great John (my grandpa). By the way, I had asked Nate to sit on the ground next to Lucy and I, but he said, "No, with Great John." Could he have sat any closer? I don't think Great John minded one bit. = )

My baby girl...she's growing up...

A smile...

2010-05-11T10:00:00.003-05:00

It's the little things and moments that make me love this family God has blessed me with...

Extreme marshmallow roasting.

Seriously? Like you wouldn't have run for the camera!!

It's a sweet life I live!!

My Dear Blog Followers,

2010-04-29T09:21:00.002-05:00

I promise I haven't forgotten you. I promise I will update you on all the things that you are missing out on right now. But it may be a while. You see, my computer (and therefore my pictures) are all at my mom and dad's house since we are attempting to sell ours right now. And since I hate it when people blog without any pictures, I have so far refused to without mine.

But things are beginning to wind down for us. I have made almost all the decisions for the new house, school is coming to an end...BUT there is one thing that I am definitely wishing would wrap up that I have no control over...

Want to buy our house?

Stole this picture off the real estate company's website. = )

Party Party Party!!!

2010-03-21T08:10:00.006-05:00

Well, it was our 4th annual Dummermuth Girl birthday party yesterday. I was thinking about the first one yesterday. I had just had Lucy, had mastitis and a 102 degree temperature...good times.

Anyway, this year was great. We had it on the first day of spring, it was a garden themed party, it was snowing, and the Jayhawks lost in the second round...well, so there were some downsides to it all, but we tried our best. = )

So, here are the pics from our day!

Ummm...spring?

Oh well, the theme must go on!!

Love these cupcakes and the girls had so much fun doing the flowers on them.

I have always thought these mixing bowls looked like flower pots and have been waiting for the day to do Dirt & Worms in it. Yipee!

All the girls had little butterfly wings, flower headbands, flower bags, and new flower outfits for the occasion.

Oh Lucy, was it really that cruel of us to ask you to blow out your candle?

Finally, digging in...

And we can't forget this little man!!

Glad you enjoyed your party girlies! Snow and all!

And then she was 3!!

2010-03-16T11:11:00.003-05:00

Well, it is our sweet little Lu's turn today. I can't believe that she is three, mostly because she is so so itty bitty, but three she is and we have had a great day. Here are some of the highlights...

Since Anthony didn't have his regular Tuesday morning meeting, we decided to take the kids to a childhood favorite of mine, Bruegger's Bagels. It was just heavenly!

One of our birthday traditions is that at one of the meals that we all eat together, we read Dr. Seuss's birthday book. It's one of my absolute favorite traditions and is one of those things that I have thought in the back of my head that I will want to give to all the kids when they start their own families someday.

Lucy is IN LOVE with all things Strawberry Shortcake right now, so much of our day had to do with that. Our desserts were little strawberry shortcakes and almost all her gifts were centered around it to. So, I guess to sum things up as Strawberry Shortcake would...it was a berry perfect birthday!!

Happy Birthday my sweet Lucy. Sure do love you!

Another house update.

2010-03-12T09:51:00.002-06:00

Well, the house is coming along. The drywall is hung and the mudding has begun! I just walked through the house for the first time with walls and I have to say that when I got in the car, I teared up and just thanked God for how extravagant He is with us. I'm just not even sure what to say. I just feel so so blessed.

Anyway, once the cabinets get put in, I'll post some pictures of the inside, but for now I just wanted to share this one of the outside. Nothing more is being done out there until the weather improves (which seems like is never going to happen), but I couldn't be more thrilled with how things are looking so far. It is just absolutely living up to my dreams...

Bowling Buddies

2010-03-10T09:10:00.005-06:00

Here are the pictures from Adele's little outing with her friend Reagan. We went bowling then to a cupcake shop and then came back and played for a bit before I took her home. Reagan told me it was her best day ever. And I think Adele enjoyed it too. = )

How cute are they!?! It was so fun just listening to them talk in the back of the car!!

Ok, so I had to include this picture of the purse we gave to Adele for her birthday. (She also got a wallet.) She LOVES it. She later came to me and said, "Did you notice Mom, when I opened it I almost started to cry?"...I think it was a successful birthday. = )

Our Little Six Year Old

2010-03-08T22:25:00.003-06:00

Well, another year has come and gone and our sweet Adele is now six. It is hard to believe in so many ways and yet, she just seems as though she is such a little person now. Each year I enjoy who she is becoming more and more. The things she says, the way she cares for all the others...she is just an amazing little lady.

Anyway, so here are a couple of recent pictures of our big girl...

One of Adele's gifts this year was to go to a "real hairstylist". She was insanely excited about this because she wants to be a hairstylist when she grows up. Katrina was great and did Adele's hair all curly. Adele smiled the rest of the day. = )

And today was just great. We had so much fun with her new LEGOs and she loved being able to pick out her own cake stuff (cherry!).

Tomorrow I will try to post again after Adele gets her last present...bowling and a special dessert with her little buddy Reagan!

Happy Birthday ADELE!!

I thought I lived in Kansas, not New York!

2010-01-14T14:22:00.005-06:00

Well, I tell you, everyone loves a white Christmas, but you certainly do view the fluffy white stuff differently when you are building a house! The girls have enjoyed it though (when it hasn't been too cold to go out) and I'm happy for them. But I'm even happier this week because despite the snow they have started on our house again! So, here is some pictures of both...

Playing at Grandma and Grandpa's with Daddy...

Adele is checking in our Pinochle game. Just a couple more years and she will be joining us!

Now for the house pictures that I took today!!

View of the side. The window is Adele and Elise's room.

The back, of course. Looking forward to them having the roof on so we won't have to worry about the weather so much!

And the front! It is so exciting now that we are really beginning to see what the house is going to look like.

Merry Late Christmas!

2010-01-12T09:59:00.002-06:00

I'm a bit behind, but hope to catch you all up...here's a quick Christmas post!

This was the best family picture we got. It's not easy with all these little monsters!!

We don't go crazy with Christmas, but the kids sure loved all their gifts!!

This year's ornaments.

This year's Christmas jammies.

How could I not include this picture!?!

Framing!!

2009-12-21T11:24:00.003-06:00

I can only imagine what things will look like later this week, but check out the progress so far!

Here is a view of the front...

...and one of the back!

One of my favorite things has been the rock retaining wall that they put in. This is along our driveway...so amazing.

Stockings...

2009-12-10T09:38:00.004-06:00

So, every year since Adele's first Christmas, I have been knitting stockings for the family. Not once have I had all of them done and not once have I been satisfied with those from the year before. So, each year, to the disgust of Anthony, I have ripped out my least favorites and started new ones. At least I reused the same yarn!

Well, this year I really went for it. I bought all new yarn and after making three stockings that I didn't like, I finally decided on a pattern. I am proud to say that this year we all have matching stockings hanging and Christmas is still weeks away.

Let's hope that I still like them next year!

Here are the fruits of my labor...

(I bought enough yarn to make two more stockings...hoping to use them in the next few years!)

Boy Party

2009-12-08T09:34:00.007-06:00

Here are the overdue pictures of Nate's birthday party! I mentioned this before, but we had it on the anniversary of our coming home. Crazy that it has been over a year now. It was a regular birthday party (although blue was something new for us) and was just so fun to finally celebrate this little man.

Enjoy the pics!

Yes, I decorate with nearly every car we had. It was fun!

A boy cake!!

I told you I used all the cars!

Our sweet family

Yummmm

The only presents that we asked for this year were boy books. I was getting a little tired of reading princess books to Nate! (Oh, and that is the shirt I made for him.)

I have one last picture that I wanted to include. As I spent time setting the decorations on the table, Adele worked really hard at her little African setup by the front door. She was so proud...I was too. = )

House Update

2009-12-01T09:14:00.007-06:00

We are headed over to the lot again today, but I figured that I would go ahead and post some pictures of the progress. Last time I posted they were just starting a hole in the ground...now there isn't even a hole left!

the foundation walls...side view

foundation walls from behind

Filled back in! View of the driveway

and the basement (looking down from the garage)

View from our back/side yard. Tone is standing in the garage.

We are supposed to start framing next week! This is just insanely exciting!!

I'm thankful for...

2009-11-26T20:39:00.006-06:00

NATE! Our little man turned two today. We mostly celebrated it in the morning, while Thanksgiving dominated the rest of the day. But even still, this year was really fun, a true celebration. I still thought at times of his birth parents and even got a little choked up when I looked at him and really considered the significance of today, but all in all it was simply his birthday...and I now have two two year olds in the house!

Here are some pics of today. (Will post some soon from his birthday party we had for him on the 5th, our one year anniversary of getting home.)

Birthday balloon tradition...two for the little man!

Getting a hang of the unwrapping thing!

Trucks and trains = one content boy
Oh, and yes he has a mohawk (hate to break it to you, Lindsay, but you inspired us!)

No one is in a crib anymore...so strange.

This is what happens when I leave the room and dad has the camera.

I lost my tooth...seriously!

2009-11-25T22:35:00.003-06:00

Adele is five and has now lost four of her teeth. If two of them hadn't already started growing in she would be completely toothless!

Anyway, so she has fully embraced the whole Tooth Fairy thing (which while we don't emphasize it, we do let her enjoy the mystery of it) and faced a near tragedy with this last tooth.

See, we were at a friend's house when it came out and it was placed into a ziploc bag and left in her dad's care. I'm sure you can see where this is going! So, somehow it got left behind and "losing a tooth" took on a whole new meaning. Luckily, Adele had heard my story of when I swallowed one of my teeth as a kid and how I wrote a note to the Tooth Fairy explaining what had happened. We decided Adele would do the same and I thought you all might enjoy it. (By the way, I only sounded out the words for her, she guessed all the letters and I must say, she did amazing!)

The next morning, she found her two quarters.

30...

2009-11-12T22:29:00.002-06:00

Today I turned 30. I must confess it feels a little strange. It sounds so adult and at times I still feel anything but that! But whenever someone makes a comment about my age, I kindly remind them that I do have 4 kids...it's about time I left my 20s.

Truth be told, I'm really quite excited about what this next decade is going to bring us. Our new home, another child...or two...the kids entering school and growing up. Don't get me wrong my 20s came with a lot, but it just seems like the next ten years are going to be really amazing and the thought of what is in front of us, brings only smiles (not dread) to my face.

Breaking ground...

2009-10-27T18:22:00.002-05:00

We finally broke ground today! And so it begins...

Yesterday...

Today...

One year later.

2009-10-24T22:43:00.002-05:00

Today is my Gotcha Day with Nate. He has been in my arms for an entire year. I will never forget that day.

Anyway, so here it is in pictures...

Then...

And now...

Creative Consequences

2009-10-01T11:56:00.000-05:00

I try hard to never use the word punishment in our house...I prefer consequence. I use it for both good and bad things so that the kids are learning that it is a result of their actions rather than me just being mean. It's a good thought, but we'll see if it works.

Anyway, the other day my 5 and 4 year olds drew with crayon on our family room walls. Are you kidding me?! They are too old to be doing something like that. At first I was just ticked at them and sent them to their room, but then I got an idea...

"Girls, come outside." I drew a big rectangle on the driveway with sidewalk chalk.
"Since you two like coloring so much...fill it in." It took them 45 minutes and provided me with some priceless pictures. (See Elise's update for my favorite!)

Okay, so I did say, "now don't smile" for that one, but come on! So funny!!

Laughter = Sanity

2009-09-30T09:37:00.003-05:00

Moments like this help me stay sane...

Elise's Update

2009-09-24T09:26:00.003-05:00

Elise's summer wasn't as full of firsts as some of the others, but it was another great summer with our Sis. This amazing little thing never ceases to blow my mind with how smart and sweet she can be. She is in her second year of preschool now, but is constantly lurking behind Adele as Adele works on her kindergarten work, muttering all the answers under her breath. (I finally got her to stop telling Adele what they were.) She is just so bright.

Elise is a constant joy to our family, cracking us up, and entertaining us with all her dramas. Boy are we going to have our hands full when this cutey gets into high school!! She is a constant source for priceless one liners and saying things in public that I know make me blush. Here is our favorite sample from this summer...

During a visit of our friend Dayo (who is from Nigeria), Elise turned to her dad and asked him, "What did that adopted guy just say?". Ummm...Anthony's response? "Just because someone is black, doesn't mean they are adopted."

Anyway, here are a few of Elise's pictures!

Elise actually ran with the other kids during the Chicken Run this year...a vast improvement from her attempt last year!

If you are in need of a good cuddle, Elise is your girl! But good luck getting her off!!

I HAD to include this picture, because unless she is wearing a dress, this is what I see daily!!

She's looking older isn't she? It's amazing watching these kiddos grow...

Adele's Update

2009-09-15T10:40:00.007-05:00

This was quite a summer for Adele. She's just at that age when life is changing so quickly...

One of her biggest accomplishments of the summer was learning how to swim. I have never seen anyone work so hard at something. It's something we have been trying to get her to do for a while now, but she just wasn't ready. And then, all of a sudden, one day she just did it. She looked and sounded like she was drowning, but if I reached out to help, she would push my hand away. She caught the bug, and I have to say, with my Dischinger blood still pulsating through me, seeing the next generation swimming around is pretty exciting.

The other big deal for her was the beginning of kindergarten. Yes, I have a kindergartner...crazy!! And boy, she could not have been more ready. Riding the bus, getting to her class by herself...she's amazing. She approaches those kinds of things with such determintation and I couldn't be more proud of her.

Here are some pictures of my sweet, getting so big, Adele...

Now that is a serious jump! (Thanks for capturing it Emily!)

A rainy first day of kindergarten...waiting for the bus.

Tennis lessons! Worth doing just for the outfit!!

Annual Chicken Run...Adele ran 1/4 of a mile this year!

Our new house!

2009-09-11T18:28:00.004-05:00

Well, here is the final drawing of our house! Now we just have contracts to sign, permits to get and we can break ground!!

And we're back!!

2009-09-08T11:23:00.007-05:00

So, it is really sad when your last blog entry is titled "On a roll" and is then followed by 3 months of silence...

Well, here I am...back. The summer just slammed into us and it seems like I have barely taken a moment to pause. But now things are settling in to yet another school year and I feel as though I am ready to once again entertain my sweet blog followers (hi Annie!!). My hope is to run through what all has been going on in each family member's life in separate entries, so you all will be fully updated. And I'm going to start with...

Anthony and Me...please hold back your disappointment. I know you are wanting cute pictures of the kids, but we have things going on too you know!!

So, this summer has been filled with travel and creating for Anthony and I. We took an amazing trip to New York City in May. (Okay, technically it was a seminar in Princeton, NJ, that we went out there for, but we took a couple of days in NYC too.) It was one of only a few trips we have been able to take together since we had kids and we enjoyed every minute of it. We did a bunch of touristy things including seeing a show, walking through Central Park, and waving on the Today Show. We also got a chance to see some cousins that I have that live there. It was just a great trip.

Anthony took another trip in August to Tanzania. It's a country in Africa that borders our beloved Rwanda and he was able to help lead a small missions trip there. He had such a wonderful time and although we deeply missed him, we were really glad that he had a chance to go.

So, that's the traveling we've done...then there was the creating...

I don't think I have ever mentioned this, but I actually have a small invitation business that I have been doing for years. I've only done things for people I know, but I love the work and the creative outlet that it provides. This summer I have done birthday invitations, shower invitations, a huge wedding (so many components), and am finishing up a rehearsal dinner...

But the invitations have really been secondary to our real "creative" project this summer...no, I'm not pregnant, no, we aren't adopting, but we are BUILDING A HOUSE!! It's absolutely insane! We feel so blessed to be able to be doing this right now. Our house is feeling smaller each day with our growing family. We need space, we need storage...we are just so excited!!

The most amazing thing about all of this is that I have been able to design just about every inch of it. I brought drawings to the architects we are working with and have been intimitely involved with every last bit of it. Our hope is that the design process will be wrapped up this week and building will start later this fall.

It is a huge undertaking, but we are just overwhelmed by the opportunity. It is going to be so good for our family and will also enable us to keep adding to it. And yes, we are itching to add another baby (adoption again) when all this is over. I'll post some pictures of the plans when the designing is done, but for now, here are some pictures of our lot! Enjoy!!

Well, that's it for me and Tone...four more updates to go!

Oh, wait!! I forgot to mention that yesterday was Anthony's and my 7th anniversary. It's crazy...seven amazing years...the more I think about my life, the more I realize how truly blessed I am!!

On a roll...

2009-06-04T14:05:00.004-05:00

Wow. I'm updating like crazy with pictures right now. These were actually taken today!! Don't worry, I'm sure my streak will end soon

Cousin Ella (my brother Drew's daughter) came to play today. She is a month older than Nathan. We had a blast although there were times when she just stood and stared at all my kids. I think it was a bit more commotion than she is used to!

Snack time! I can't believe they all looked at the camera at the same time! Okay, this was picture number three...but fruit snacks sure do a wonder!

Again! All five...are you kidding me? And this was picture number one! What a good picture day.

Lucy and Ella had the same suits on (which wasn't even planned) and they looked so cute. Um...so Lucy is saying "cheese" just in case you are wondering what is wrong with her. = )

The kids love it when we put the pool under the slide (which is why we have a hard shell pool rather than an inflatable). They really book it down that thing!

Lucy LOVES this little tube and uses it the whole time we go to the pool. Seriously, how cute is she?!

It is going to be so fun to watch all these kiddos grow up together. Nate, Ella, and Anthony's neice Paige will all be in the same grade...so fun!

Nate's Lunch.

2009-06-02T14:25:00.004-05:00

We are in that funny time of not being ready for a morning nap all the time, but barely surviving lunch without it. Here's a video to illustrate the issue that just makes me giggle. Enjoy!

Time keeps rolling...

2009-06-02T13:59:00.005-05:00

Well, the school year has ended and summer vacation has started. Here are a few pictures to wrap up the end of the spring...

Adele's graduation from preschool. She is just getting to be such a big girl.

We have definitely learned that taking a family picture with four small children is pretty much a guarantee that not everyone will be looking at the camera! It's best to just take what you can get and call it a day!

The girls also finished their ballet and tap classes with Miss Dana. She was such a great teacher and the girls really enjoyed the classes. We may pick them back up in the fall, but this summer will be about swimming for both girls and tennis for Adele.

The girls really enjoyed their teacher, Miss Dana!

The promised pictures

2009-05-11T15:28:00.006-05:00

Here are some more recent pictures. Enjoy!

Elise and Lucy watching a little Elmo. This is the kind of picture that makes you love being a parent.

We've had him home for over 6 months now...it's amazing how he is changing!

I'm trying to read the big girls some classic children's books...we are reading A Little Princess right now, we've read The Secret Garden, and our first one was the Wizard of Oz. I think it is really good for them and I'm really enjoying it too.

Luckily there was a Wizard of Oz exhibit here in KC recently...this pic is of us in the wizard's balloon.

A little sisterly love in their Easter dresses.

These two have become quite the little buddies...fighting one minute and laughing hysterically the next. They truly have embraced each other and it is just so sweet.

This boy is such a ham and is always making the silliest faces! We sure are blessed to have this little man in our family.

Gotta end with a picture of our Baby Lu. She is just so sweet...such a fireball, but so sweet.

Wonderfully Random Pictures

2009-04-15T19:45:00.005-05:00

Not much to say right now, but we have taken some cute pics lately, so I thought I would post a few over the next few days. Here's the first batch!

Lucy's beloved bunny had to go. He's been a good bunny, even made it into the family pictures this fall, but he was disgusting, smelly, and borderline dangerous with the beans threatening to spill out. So, we lined a bunch of the girls' stuffed animals up and she made a new selection...puppy won...and once again, the bunny that I painstakingly knit for her for Christmas was left behind.

The line-up...

The winner...

Ok, so this is a bit blurry, but Nate's fish face truly makes me giggle. I just had to include it!

Pictures like this make me wonder what life will be like when these three girls are all in high school together.

Look, he may have been born in Africa, but the kid loves desserts like a Dummermuth!!

This picture alone is why random pictures are fun to share. What a sweet, unscripted morning moment in our house.

Four years ago today...

2009-04-02T22:32:00.003-05:00

...our sweet little Elise was born. Oh, how this is the very favorite of all the birth stories in our house!!

If you have been reading along with the other girls' birth stories, I'm sure that you have caught on that my babies are always late. Well, Elise was no exception, although she is my favorite since she was the least late of all...only 7 days. Of course, if you keep in mind the fact that I had only not been pregnant for a about three and a half months prior to my pregnancy with Elise and nursed through six months of my pregnancy, well, I was feeling REALLY overdue by the end with her!!

So, it was April 2nd, 2005, and I was just so sick of being pregnant. It was a beautiful day outside and Anthony and I lived on this little street in Lawrence, KS, that formed a big square, so I decided it was time I try to walk this baby out. So, I walked and walked and walked around that square I don't even know how many times. (Probably less than I think!) Anthony and Adele joined me for a couple of loops and then I just kept walking. It was a Saturday and a bunch of our neighbors were having garage sales. I still wonder what they must of thought of that big, pitiful pregnant girl walking in circles! = )

When I finally went inside I just laid on the couch and within a couple of hours labor kicked in. I remember starting to pay attention to my contractions at 4:45pm and things kicked in quick. I was immediately in good labor and so we called the doctor and I was devastated to find out that my doctor wasn't the on call doctor! I cried on the phone...

We got things together, called my folks, and headed to the hospital. We arrived about 6pm. When we settled in and I was checked I was only a 6, which is good, but I had been a 7 when I got to the hospital with Adele, so I was disappointed. The only bit that I remember during the next couple hours is having them bring Adele in to me, so that I could just hug her. I needed a reminder. I needed that visual for why I was doing what I was doing...I'll never forget that.

Just before 9pm, the nurse came in and checked me again and said that I was a 9, but as soon as she started to walk out the door, I started to panic because I could feel my body pushing and Elise starting to come out. The nurse said, "No, don't push! You are only a nine!" and I said, "I'm not trying to push, but she is coming out!" So, the nurse checked and sure enough Elise was on her way. So, she ran out to get the doctor and I laid on my side and held my legs together as tightly as I could. When they came running back in with the doctor, they were literally still tying his gown on when they turned me on my back and Elise just fell out!! I never pushed once! My body just completely took over and the doctor barely had the chance to catch her. It was so crazy! So, different from the hour plus of pushing with Adele...

Anthony was of course by my side for all of this, but, unlike Adele and Lucy, my mom was there for Elise's birth. I had planned on having her there, but had never told her in case I changed my mind at the last second. As it turned out, I wouldn't have been able to kick her out if I wanted too!! But I am so glad that she could be there for it. It truly is an amazing thing. I've been able to be present at the birth of my dear friend Leslie's son and it was just so amazing. I hope that one of the girls (or all!) will let me join them in such an incredible experience some day. But back to Elise...

Elise Rebekah Dummermuth was born at 9:00pm. She was 8lbs. 13.6oz., almost the exact same size as Adele had been. She was so perfect. She barely ever cried while we were in the hospital. In fact, I remember at one point during the first night having to wake Anthony up so that he could have the nurses take Elise into the nursery. Not because she was crying, but because she was making the cutest noises and I couldn't go to sleep because I just kept staring at her!

And so here are the pics...Enjoy!

Oh, the looks I would get with my little Adele and my BIG belly!!

In labor...having my little snuggle with Adele before my dad took her to their house for bed.

Another big baby that is now the tiniest kid in her class!

I love the first daddy pics. I know that so many women want to be the first to hold their babies, but I tell you, I'm so glad that Anthony had that. And I love that he was the one to hand our girls to me and that I got to hand our boy to him!

Our big girls' first meeting. Adele just laughed and laughed and laughed.

And today. What a beautiful little four year old.

Big Girl Bed...success?

2009-03-19T18:46:00.002-05:00

Last night we found Lucy asleep in the middle of her and Nate's floor. Below is a picture of her at naps today. (Nate was sleeping in a different room.) Not sure that we can claim that her "big girl bed" has been a true success yet. = )

Two years ago today...

2009-03-16T09:10:00.004-05:00

...we were blessed with our third beautiful little girl, Lucy.

The day we found out that we were having another girl, we came home from the ultrasound, I grabbed our baby name book off the shelf, and just started saying names that I liked. When I got to Lucy, Anthony said he loved it. I did too, so I shut the book and we never opened it again. In so many ways this story fits our sweet little fireball that is now two!

Lucy Abigail Dummermuth was due on March 1st, 2007. My first two pregnancies had gone long, so it was no surprise that this one was going long too. And since I am quite opposed to inductions and think they are horribly abused by both doctors and patients, I held on as long as it seemed safe for Lucy. But after two weeks, my doctor (who is such a great support) finally said it was time and we headed for the hospital.

I can't even begin to tell you how much I hated being induced. I hated going to the hospital without being in labor. I hated the waiting around. I hated forcing my body to do something it wasn't quite ready for. It just isn't the way I like to do things...but I understand why it was deemed necessary and I'm thankful that little Lu came out so healthy and beautiful.

Really the induction wasn't much. Just a little pill that was tucked behind my cervix. They said the drugs were in my system for only two hours and at that point I was progressing and didn't need any more help. The labor itself was about five hours long if you count from when I woke up from the contractions until when Lucy was born. It was all during the night, which in a way was nice because it was so peaceful. The only other person we saw the whole night (until Dr. Baird came) was our nurse.

I once again chose to go at it naturally (which less than 5% do at the hospital I delivered at) and at one point the nurse said to me, "You sure are able to internalize your pain well." My comment? "Just wait. You'll know I'm really hurting when I start crying." Sure enough the next time she came in I was in tears! But Lu came out quick with just one round of pushes. Anthony and I laugh that it was so obvious that this was not our first time doing this as I picked up the camera he had set down and took a picture of him cutting the chord and then called my mom and dad while they were still cleaning me up!

So, Lucy was born at 6:26am on March 16th, weighing in at a big 9lbs. 3oz. (which if you saw Lucy today would shock you since she is now only in the 15% for weight). We made sure that the first family members to see her were her two big sisters. And I guess that was and always is my favorite moment...when we are finally all together for that first time. So precious.

Well, here are a few pics from that day!

Okay, so I don't have a labor shot, but here is one of our family on Adele's birthday...so, I'm one week overdue in this pic and still 8 days from having her!

I just had to include this...the picture I took of Anthony cutting the chord!

My biggest baby...well, I guess Nate was 18lbs. when I first held him, but that doesn't seem like a fair comparison. = )

Dad about to make the first handoff. I'm still taking pictures!!

First full family picture...although the girls didn't seem to care at the time!

And today!! You can tell she is happy because her tongue is sticking out of the corner of her mouth. I guess taking the front off her crib, so it's a toddler bed, made a good gift after all!

Happy Birthday Little Lu!!

Party Time!!

2009-03-15T11:04:00.006-05:00

Well, we are in the throws of birthday season here with Adele's last week and Lucy's tomorrow and Elise's in two and a half weeks. It's a busy and fun time for us all. Yesterday we threw a party for all three girls (I do not do separate parties...that would be insane!) and a bunch of family made it over to decorate cupcakes and eat pizza. The girls had a blast helping plan the party and were so proud with how it all turned out.

It was so fun decorating for this pink and orange party. Here are a couple of my favorite pics of the decorations.

I made the girls all t-shirts for the occasion and they all wore matching pink tutus too.

Decorating and a little "Cheese!" from Lu.

We asked everyone to contribute a little "art" to the space. (Note: It was my little brother that taped his directly over his wife's...not one of the children...that is unless you consider him to be one of the children...)

We aren't sure who enjoyed the cupcakes the most, but it was definitely a close one between Adele and Nathan.

Some day will have to bring this little boy a brother to help him survive all this girlieness!

Five years ago today...

2009-03-08T20:51:00.006-05:00

...God gave Anthony and I the most amazing gift, in our first daughter, Adele. What an incredible day that was, so incredible that I thought I would share it with you...

Adele was due on February 27th, 2004. I hoped that she would be born on the 28th, my dad's 50th birthday, but both days came and went with no baby. 2004 was actually a leap year, but I really hoped Adele wouldn't be born on the 29th...too confusing. So, we entered into March. My brother's birthday was on the 7th, but surely I would have her before then! But there I was at my parents' house, celebrating Drew's birthday instead of my daughter's. We knew things were beginning to get close though, little things were starting to happen (I'll spare you the details), so when we went back to our home that night in Lawrence, we stayed up late seeing if things would actually progress into labor. At about midnight, we gave up and went to bed. I woke up about an hour later...

Really my labor wasn't all that bad. Pretty textbook really. I progressed at a good rate and after driving back to my folks' house at about 3 in the morning, we labored there for a while before heading over to the hospital at about 6am. I had really wanted to do things naturally and was thrilled to find out that I was already a 7 when I got there! So I said no to the epidural that they offered and labored for about two hours before it was time to push. Pushing took about an hour and a half. I'm not a screamer when I am in labor, in fact, all I remember ever saying was "How much longer?" and "My back hurts." (back labor...yuck!).

Adele Elizabeth was born at 9:28am and weighed 8lb. 14oz. I remember being shocked she was so big! She was so beautiful and we were so blessed to have so much of our family there waiting in the waiting room. I'll never forget that moment when they all filed in and I was sitting in the bed holding Adele...the first grandbaby on both sides of our family.

Before I end this birthday entry with some pics from that incredible day, I wanted to share my two favorite memories from those first few days...

I can still picture so clearly those first few moments after Adele was born. They were cleaning her all up and Anthony (who was amazing through the whole thing...did I mention that yet?) was standing nearby watching them...and he was crying. It's one of the few times I have ever seen him "happy cry". He was just standing there, holding our camera, staring at our baby girl, and crying...probably one of the most beautiful memories of my life.

The other memory that is so sweet for both Anthony and I is from one of the nights when we were staying in the hospital. Someone had brought us a movie to watch while we were there (Serendipity) and so Anthony got in the hospital bed with me and we held Adele and just were this little family together. I don't remember the movie at all, but I'll never forget the time we spent there together.

Well, so there you go! Happy 5th Birthday my sweet Adele! We love you so so much! Enjoy the pics!

Me in labor. They had just told me that I was a 7 upon arrival...I was so happy!

Ahh...the beginning of my very late (that was 10 days in case you didn't calculate it yourself), big babies!!

How happy does this man look?! A few weeks before Adele was born, Anthony asked if he could be the first to hold her. With all three of the girls, he was the one who handed me my babies...so sweet.

This was taken just before we headed home from the hospital...our lives forever changed.

Fast forward to today!! Five years...I'm in awe.

Nathan Irakoze Dummermuth

2009-02-22T18:21:00.005-06:00

Well, it's the little man's turn. In some ways I have a ton I could say...in others, I feel as though we are still getting to know Nate.

Nathan is an incredible little boy. Being able to watch him change the last few months has been such an amazing experience. He's truly thriving. He's put on 4lbs., is taking a few steps, and is into EVERYTHING. He loves his daddy...oh, how he loves him. And is developing a really sweet relationship with Lucy. And by "sweet" I mean that they are giggling and causing trouble together one minute and pushing and screaming at each other the next. Ah, siblings!

So, what is his personality like? I have to be honest, this kid is dramatic. He is the fussiest of all our kids. He cries SO easily. But he is also so happy and so giggly. We get the full spectrum with him. He's loud when he is comfortable and he's not a push over. He gets right in there with the others and makes his presence known!

It's quite an adventure with Nate in tow. I'm so excited to see the kind of man he turns into. To learn more about who he is. He has added so much to our family. Now that I am a ways from the adoption, I find it hard to believe that we went through all of that. He's just one of our kids now.

Anyway, so here are a couple pics of our boy!

Playing with his big sis Adele. She carries him around like a little doll. I can't wait for the day when he can pick her up and carry her around! You know it's coming.

There are moments when I am really struck by the fact that he is so far removed from where he started...only a big God could have dreamt this up.

I love this picture. All my kids. He stands out so much, but in a beautiful sort of way. He adds color and dimension. I just truly feel as though when God looks down on this tub full of babies, He smiles.

So many people comment on his looks to us. He is really a handsome boy...and those eyes...

Lucy Abigail Dummermuth

2009-01-29T10:18:00.003-06:00

Where do I even begin with this little girl!?! I think that I have said this before, but Lucy's name means "light-bearer" and I have to tell you, that is exactly what she is. Just the thought of her warms my soul. She loves mommy and hugs and cuddles me all day. She is just so sweet and so fiesty and SO FUNNY. I mean, the others make me laugh with the things that they do too, but Lucy aims to be funny and really does make us giggle.

I love so much about her...the way she dances, the way she runs, the way she says "tissue", the sweet kisses that she gives, how she calls all princesses "Rella" and just delights in being called Cinderella by us...I could go on and on.

I can't wait to see who this little girl becomes. She already seems to be growing up so fast. She is really beginning to be able to play with the big girls and she desperately wants to do the things they do. She can be so helpful (when I remember to ask her!) and yet she is just so incredibly stubborn. There have been a number of meals where she has sat in her chair for well over an hour (her record is two hours) refusing to take the one bite I insist she takes. But in the end she always takes it, says "Done" and we move on with the day with a smile.

She's just a joy and I when I look back on that day when we were told we were having yet another girl, and I just wept because we so desperately wanted a son, well, I imagine God was watching us with a smile on His face thinking, Just wait...you'll see...I know what you really need.

Lucy loves so much about her big sisters and one of her ways of mimicking them this year was by wearing their sunglasses, so for Christmas she got some of her own. She still wears Adele's more.

Lucy is OBSESSED with her little white bunny and no matter how many times I wash it, it still smells. So, for Christmas I, without a pattern, knit her the cutest little bunny. She laughed when she saw it and I was so hopeful that we could pull a little switharoo, but alas, she hasn't touched that bunny since this picture was taken and she walking around with her smelly one as I type this.

Now that I am taking the time to teach her things, I'm realizing what a big help Lu can be. And she is still at the stage where it's fun to her, so I'm doing what I can to get her involved with things around the house.

Another princess...Lu loves dressing up now and especially loves shoes. It's just so fun having all these little girls!

I have a feeling that Lucy may be my most adventurous. She doesn't seem to mind when I send her down water slides or dunk her under the water, while the others always went into a panic. I love being able to try new things with her because she truly takes it all in stride. What a fun little girl!

Elise Rebekah Dummermuth

2009-01-19T15:49:00.004-06:00

Elise...My romantic. My little ballerina. She has perfect posture ALWAYS, no slouching for her. She does everything so daintilly. (Not sure that that's a word, but it certainly describes her!) Even when she toots, which is A LOT, she follows it up with a delicate "Excuse me". She is just mush around anything that is romantic and is constantly after Anthony to play the prince to her princess. The most effective form of punishment for her? Taking away dress-up clothes or making her way pants. (Gasp!) And she always is wanting me to wear my fanciest clothes and is always admiring me...from my clothes, to my make-up, to my panties! I'll never tire of her telling me that I'm "so beautiful".

And yet this child is incredibly mischevious. She knows exactly what buttons to push and does so quietly and with a sweet little smile on her face. I can't tell you how many times I have gone into the girls' room to find Adele screaming and crying and Elise quietly playing with a doll. Innocent she is not!

But boy does this girl make us laugh. How can we not smile at all her dreaminess? I often wonder what she is going to be like when she is older. Oh Lordy, when boys really become an issue WHAT AM I GOING TO DO!?! She is a beautiful little girl and I have a feeling she will be breaking hearts and getting hers broken a lot.

And she is such a great sister, not quite as nuturing as Adele (although getting there), but she loves her siblings and is always calling Lucy "my little sweety" and Nate "my little buddy". And she often has a secret to tell Anthony and I which is almost always a whispered "I love you".

What a little joy this girl is.

Christmas morning: Not sure what her favorite gift was, but anything that was princess or Tinkerbell related got her oohhhs and aahhhs.

I love this picture because it is so who she is. Living life in a ballerina costume!

This child is constant drama whether it is her "extreme exhaustion" that sets in right as it is time to pick-up or her absolute refusal to smile even when she is having fun.

I think that when I think back on Elise's younger years this is always how I will picture her...dressed up all fancy and eagerly awaiting something beautiful to happen in her life.