Halloween and Blessings

We had a great time trick-or-treating this year!  I really don't like halloween, but getting Tenley into a cute costume makes it fun!  We went around Nappanee to some of our close friends and families homes and then headed to Bremen to make some of the residents at the nursing home smile!  They loved Tenley and got a kick out of her costume.  Although, some people thought she was a cupcake, but that's okay!  We'll let it slide this year :)  I just love watching her interact with people and she's walking around so much more and getting much MUCH quicker.

After the nursing home we went to Mike's aunts houses.  At Aunt Barb's we got to spend some time with his cousins.  We don't get to see them enough so it was a lot of fun see how their babies are growing and catch up a little bit.  Chesney and Tenley are just three months apart (Ches is 10 months old), so watching them play together was hilarious!!  They would chase each other around and then Tenley would scream and that would scare Ches and she would run back to her mom!  But Ches held her own with Tenley too!  We are going to have so much fun at Christmas this year!!  We will have SIX babies under the age of 3!  Yikes!  I love to see how our families are growing!

This was also an exciting week, because not only did we welcome little Liam Goeglein into the world on Monday night, but we also found out that two of our good friends are now EXPECTING!  Congrats to Renee and Nick Klein and Trina and Jason Bonham!  What a special time this is!!

Safety

Around this area we've had a rash of break-ins and murders and it has everyone talking about our safety.  I've been one of the first to get freaked out.  I do a great job of lying awake at night and wondering if every door and window is locked (they always are) and wondering about escape routes, etc.  I'm great at freaking myself out.  But over the past few weeks I've really felt God pulling at my heart telling me that this world isn't where I belong.  So I started thinking today that I don't think we're necessarily supposed to feel safe here.  This world isn't supposed to be easy.  We're here to do God's work, not our own. Yes, it's scary, yes it doesn't always calm my fears in the middle of the night- BUT I know that God is here and He has a plan.  And I'm in His plan.  I'm here to bring more people to him, and to help, clothe, feed and give to others.

Pumpkin Patch

What a fun day we've had!  We spent the afternoon at Knollbrook Farm in New Paris.  It was so much fun and such a nice to day to go.  Tenley loved looking at the cows, carrying her pumpkin (and dropping her pumpkin), and going down the big slide!  Mommy loved taking pictures and Daddy loved the pumpkin launch!

We tried our hand at the VERY large corn maze, but it's possible that choosing to let Tenley lead the way was a bad idea.  We wound up going in circles and after I was satisfied with the pictures I took we had her lead us to the exit.

This was just the kind of day that we needed.  It was so nice to spend time together and hear Tenley's giggles and belly laughs as daddy ran with her on his shoulders.  It's not often that Mike gets to spend a whole afternoon with her because of work so it was really nice.  Here's some more pictures from our day together.

Tenley was in a trance looking at this giant cow!  She didn't quite know what to make of it.

Now it's on to hopefully celebrating an Irish win with some friends and then our Mast Thanksgiving tomorrow!  More pictures to come I'm sure!  We're excited to put her in her cute little halloween costume next week too!!  Look for her toddling up to your front door!

Time Flies

I was looking at old blog posts and exactly one year ago today I posted this:

"Yesterday was a big day in our house!! Tenley smiled at me, intentionally, for the first time! I just about cried I was so excited! It took quite a bit of work (silly faces, funny noises, etc) to bring it out, but I finally got one! This morning she gave one up a little more freely, so I hope that they will come easier! :) I caught a little one with my camera yesterday...

Isn't she just the sweetest!? I fall more and more in love with her everyday.
Annnd yesterday she moved her arm more than ever! Due to Erb's Palsy in her left arm she hasn't been able to move it much. But the neurologist gave us some exercises to do with her and I've been doing them everyday and was getting a little frustrated at not seeing any results. But then yesterday... We see this:


Isn't that fantastic!! I was so glad Mike was home to witness it too. Ps- Please don't judge the outfit! I ran to Target yesterday morning and came home and THAT is what Mike dressed her in. Guess I'll have to start laying out the outfits from now on!
On another note, we have boxes everywhere, we're getting all packed up and ready to move back to Nappanee!"
                                                  ------------------------------------------
Did you watch that video!?  Wow, just to think about how far we've come makes me weapy!!  She couldn't even move her left arm then and now she's running and crawling and you would never even know.  God is so good!!  This is how far we've come -

We can't get enough of this sweet little girl.  Thank you Lord for her and all the joy she brings to us.

"It's only a season"

I feel like I keep repeating this to myself these days.  It's become my mantra.  "It's only a season".  Tenley has started screaming, a shrill happy scream, but when it turns to a whiny I didn't get my way scream, I have to remind myself- it's only a season.

She spits out her veggies and only eats the starches..  It's only a season.

Mike and I just cleaned the house and now because of the busy-ness of all of us - it's messy again.  It's only a season.

We're still renting...when will we own our own house?  It's only a season.

But then, I have a week like this week.  My days off were spent with Tenley who made me laugh so hard, smile so much.  And I'm hit with the knowledge that this too is only a season.  She's going to be grown before we know it and our house won't be so messy with little baby toys or cheerios on the floor and I'll wonder why I wished away these moments, because there's certainly a whole lot of good with the bad.

This is only a season.  And I plan on enjoying every moment.

She's ONNNEEE!!!

Good grief she went and did it.  She went and grew up on us.  Tenley is ONE!  Overnight she has turned into a toddler.  What is she up to now you ask?

-She's 22 lbs.
-30 inches long (75th percentile)
-She walked across the living room the other night all by herself, but she hasn't done it since.  Stubborn little thing.  She knows how excited we got so now she's just teasing us!
-Anyone who knows her knows that she won't sit still for anything.  She's a little wiggle worm through and through- BUT when she's sitting on the chair that Grandpa made for her- She sits.  STILL.  This is a BIG accomplishment for our little ball of energy!
-She's drinking whole milk in the mornings with oatmeal and just getting a bottle of formula at night before bed.  We'll be trying to transition from a bottle soon.
-She's a great eater.
-She's still in size 3 diapers.
-She is in 18 month clothes.
-size 4 shoes.
-She says HI in the cutest way.  She also says HI at random passing signs, trees, people, animals, cars, etc.  No stranger danger here...we're going to have to work on that.

We survived our first year!  I know it's only going to get even more fun the older she gets!

One Year Ago Today...

Do you know what you were doing exactly one year ago today?  I sure do.  Today is the day that we were sent to the hospital to be induced!  A year ago on facebook I wrote "39 week appointment today!  I hope the doctor tells us something exciting!"  Boy did she!!  She said that due to my elevated blood pressure and a big baby, she was inducing!  Today!  I will never forget the look on Mike's face when she said "Are you ready to have a baby?"  Fear and excitment mixed as he looked at me, and then the doctor and said "TODAY?"  It's funny as we felt SO prepared walking into the doctor.  But walking out of the doctor and making our necessary phone calls, all the fear and nervousness kicked in!  Were we ready for our lives to change forever?!  Of course we were.  But in that moment we were second guessing ourselves!

I remember walking out to the car and making a list of everything Mike had to go and get from our apartment for me.  The doctor instructed Mike to drop me off at the hospital and let me get in checked in, and then he was to go back and get our bags.  I recall walking down the hallway in the hospital by myself thinking "We're really doing this...Today is the day baby!"  Little did I know that today would not be the day!  Tomorrow would actually be the day!

I couldn't wait for our parents to get there!  I still can so vividly remember calling Nappanee Elementary and asking the secretary for my mom.  Everyone knew this call would be coming soon!  The secretary said "Michelle?!  Is it time!?"  I just laughed as she paged my mom.  I simply said, "Mom, it's time!" I explained what was happening, that I was being induced and not to worry- Baby and I were fine, but that I was being induced right away and that they needed to come.  I called my dad and relayed the same message.  I'm sure they rushed around and so did Mike's parents.  They both walked into the hospital within minutes of each other!!  Of course they wouldn't have really needed to rush... our stubborn little baby took her sweet time coming out.

As I remember all of these feelings from that day I'm overwhelmed with how special of a day it was.  And the day after!  I love remembering everything about that day.  What an exciting time for Mike and I.  There's nothing like those feelings, thoughts and emotions.

Tomorrow our sweet girl turns one.  This year has gone so fast, I can't quite grasp it.  It's taken a year, but I'm feeling more confident in my mothering abilities (most days).  And Tenley is now trying to walk, "talking" more and her personality is incredible.  We love you so much bug!