Svea "isms"

She was singing "Heart of Worship" and I told her thank you. She said it wasn't for me, it was for Jesus.  I didn't need to say thank you because it wasn't for me, but for Jesus.

She was signing in the car and Kieran was a little fussy.  I told him sister was singing for him and she said, "no I am not.  I am singing for Jesus!"

Mommy, why do I have two butts.  One back here and one right here?  In the tub the other night:)

"Daddy, tell me a story from your mouth that is only a story for me" (when she wants Dan to make up a story at bedtime).  "Now can I tell you a story from my mouth, only for you?"  "Except I have to hear it too so I share it with you".

4th of July at Sauk Lake

 We took a short break from packing and headed to the lake on the 5th.  My Aunt Jane and Uncle Duane have a little cabin on Sauk Lake, which is a town 30 minutes from us.  I took the kids one time last summer as well.  My cousins Amy and Erju and daughter Lara were there as well as my cousin Kelly and his girlfriend Sarah. The weather was super hot and humid and it was a perfect day to be at the lake.

 Kieran wasn't into the water too much at first so he mostly built his sand castles and exfoliated his legs:)

 It's a smaller beach, but there was just enough sand to complete this masterpiece. 

 Svea and Lara are a little over a year apart.  They didn't interact a ton, but we have our Carter family reunion next month and I'm hoping they will warm up to each other more.

 My aunt and uncle and cousin Amy and Lara! My aunt is battling lung and liver cancer.  She has been really tired lately, but on this day she did really well.  She was down by the water the whole afternoon.  You could tell she was tired, but she said she enjoyed just being by the water and watching the kids play.  Her prognosis is not very good.  We try to soak up every minute we get with her. She was the one that got Svea to go into the water last summer:)

 Almost like the real thing:)

 And then Kieran had to squeeze himself in there as well.  That poor fair skinned little boy. He's hard to keep up with as far as sun screen, hats, and clothing to protect his extra white skin:) 

Kelly and his new girlfriend Sarah who we love! It was a nice escape to do something fun and take a break from packing. 

Goodbye to PLC

 On Sunday, June 29th our family along with Dan's parents worshiped and said goodbye to the place that has been our home and like a family to us for the past six years.  Dan did the children's sermon and sermon themed around shoes. He gave Pastor Paul his own pair of black converse shoes just like the green ones he received when he arrived. Paynesville Lutheran Church will always be a place with good memories for us.  Dan blossomed as a pastor here.  We brought our two children home and had them baptized here. And I think I embraced the role of being a pastor's wife here. It was a morning full of tears, hugs, sharing of stories, and promises of prayers for each other.

 After worship the congregation had a farewell party in the fellowship hall.  Most of the time was spent razzing Dan about being bald as you can see in the picture below.  They gave Dan an art print by his favorite Christian artist.

 Jackie Skoglund and Kayla Youngs (our kids' babysitters) performed a song together.  I love listening to them sing.  They have such beautiful voices and they work well together.  We are going to miss them SO much!

 Here are all of the prospective new candidates for a replacement pastor after Dan leaves.  Notice they are all bald.  They seem to think that is what will make them be effective:)

 Dean and Kathy were here for the weekend.  The kids had so much fun with them as well and when they had to go Svea was begging them to stay just one more day.  The next morning she was singing in her bed about Grandma and Grandpa D and how she wished they were still here and how much she loved them:) I got all of these pictures from other people.  I don't have one of Kathy, but she was right there:)

PLC-we love you.  We are forever grateful for how you welcomed us in to your home like family.  Thank you Dean and Kathy for coming.  It was really great to have you there with us!

23 Months Old

 

Clothes: You wear size 18 month tops and anywhere from 12 months to 24 month shorts.  18 and 24 month shorts we have to roll once or they fall of your butt. You do have one 24 month top and it almost falls off your shoulders.

Shoes: You still wear a size 4 shoe. You have tiny feet, but they motor REALLY fast:)

Diapers: Size 5 diapers.  We had to buy some special nighttime diapers because you were leaking every night.

Sleep: You are a great sleeper with the random night of crying and wanting Mom.  Usually that is because you are getting a tooth.  We snuggle on the couch or you reach for me and say "rock".  How can I resist little man:) You sleep a solid 12 hours at night and nap usually about two hours.

Teeth: 14, but pretty sure some are coming in.  I can't see and you won't let us look. 

Traveling: We went to Jamestown  and spent a long weekend there.  Dad was gone at Synod Assembly and Papa had a surgery in Bismarck so Mom went out there.  You get SO hyper anytime we go somewhere different or people visit the house.  We can't even see because you are a blur running around so fast.  

Talking: You are talking quite a bit more.  You say so much that we can't understand, we know that.  Occasionally we can make out just what you are saying.  It's so fun for us because every once in awhile you will say something and it is so clear when usually it sound like gibberish.  We cheer and you smile;)

Favorite Activity: Your favorite things to do are push your Thomas the Train bike up and down the sidewalk.  You smile and look back at us with a face of pure joy.  You also LOVE the iPad and you ask for it by pointing and saying "I, i, I". Last, but not least you enjoy sitting down and being read to or reading on your own/us. We also caught you plenty of times pulling out all of your cars and the car track from under your bed.  You are starting to like cars a lot!

Favorite Books: I can't say you have a favorite right now.  You'll sit for almost anything and have been able to sit for longer books.

Favorite Foods: You still love peanut butter and fruit. Sometimes you surprise us and pig out at a meal, but most times you just graze. Some days you will eat your veggies, but most of the time you won't.              

Foods Dislike: Veggies!

Favorite Songs: You like to sing ABC and make up your own tunes.  It's really funny when you try to sing the Daniel Tiger theme song. Just tonight you were trying to sing the "pick up, pick up" song when we picking up your toys in your room.

Dislikes: Diaper changes and when we won't let you go and sit on every house's front steps.

Favorite Word: "Ya" We will ask you questions throughout the day to see if you want to do something or eat something and you always have this 2 second pause and then you say "ya", but it's so funny because you have this mono tone and flat affect when you say it.  It's funny!

Things we are learning: You are mostly learning how to communicate better with us and getting us to understand what you are thinking about or wanting to do.  You point, try to say the word or sometimes just whine.  We are still working on more body parts.  All you want to do though is point to your nose and say nose:)

Kieran, we can't believe you are going to turn two in one short month.  We will celebrate your 2nd birthday in Moorhead at our rental house.  We will be there about a week and a half so your Curious George Birthday Party will have lots of boxes around and have a strange surroundings.  I can't believe our baby is truly a little toddler and turning into a little boy.  We love you so much!