Sum, Sum, Summa Time!

We stopped quick at Solomon Farms this week to snap a few pics of the kids while they were dressed up. I'm so excited to spend my summer with these three loves! Can't believe how grown up they are getting!

Fun days ahead…

Grand Prix Time!

Third time's the charm! This is Trent's 3rd and final race. This year he came out on top with a WIN! Pour Drew had to start down at 4th place for his first year (just like Trent)…in fact, Drew's times were better than Trent's first year. This year the times were SO VERY close! Good job boys.

When I went searching to find posts about the other 2 cars, I discovered I never blogged them…well, here, see what other fun you missed…

2013 = 3rd place - Speed! I didn't get a picture of the results, bummer! But, I tracked down the times:
First Place 10.3242, Second Place 10.5978, Third Place 10.6182

We thought the church shuttle bus was clever - maybe win a design award, never thought this block of wood would actually be in the running for speed. Pleasantly surprised us! 4th place, time: 10.6798

21 months

Not a baby anymore! **Sniff, sniff.** Love her spunky, determined, joyful personality. 
Funny story from this week, I found her in the bathroom sitting on top of the potty seat (i didn't know she even knew what this was) which she had put on top of the toilet. She climbed up and got stuck and began crying for help to get down. How did she do that by herself??? I can hardly wait for the terrible two's to officially begin ;)

Kinda reminds me of her big brother who had the same curiosities and no-fear tendencies. Remember the old refillable popcorn buckets from the zoo? Yep, he wanted some popcorn…so he climbed on top of the fridge to get the special bucket. Oh my, that kid!

All in Good Fun...

No explanation necessary...especially if you're a Kuhn! The caption was just perfect with her little hands on her hips showing a bit of attitude, dontcha think ;)

One out of 3 isn't so bad...Trent's joined the dark side...Drew's pretty neutral...so Anna has no choice but to stick with me on this one.

Boo...

But I still love you Mike & Trent...my silly brainwashed boys!

Runners!!

I just love that my boys have the opportunity, at a young age, to experience cross country. I must say, knowing how much they enjoy basketball and baseball and football, I never imagined they'd enjoy running so much. I didn't think cross country would even be on their radar, especially if'd they'd have to choose that instead of the other sports they've played since they were 5.  I enjoyed running for my school when I hit junior high. My only experience up until that point was probably the 50 yard dash at the annual field day. If you ask Mike, he'd admit, the running genes come from my side of the family. My dad and younger brother were also runners.

The boys have run 3 races so far this season. Last Friday, Trent set a goal, went for it, and got first place. His determination is amazing to me. He was white as a ghost after he crossed the finish line and walked over to me. His lips were quivering both from the emotion of his excitement and sheer exhaustion. He half whispered through his dry mouth "I did it, Mom!" He gave me a big HUG! (you know, in front of EVERYONE!)

Yes, I totally teared up! So amazed by his drive and determination and accomplishment. He has not yet won in his 3 years of running. He's been 2nd many times, so this was fun for him. I loved cheering him on and sharing in his success!

Drew has done well this season too. He's enjoyed running and being part of a team. I'm learning more about his personality as well. I love that he is just as excited, if not more, to see his friends do well than he is for himself. He's got a good heart.

Enjoy a few pics from the race...

Schools In

A new school year has begun!

New School,

fresh supplies,

lunches packed!

Praying you have a great year, boys!

And, yes, we miss you already! See you this afternoon...

Celebrating!

...another year of life...

We always do a big b-day party with Mike's family on our vacation together. We spanned June through September this party. So here are, of course, 3 of my sweet 6 gifts!

Sporting her new pink tutu! She wears it well.

Idependance Day 2013

We got to celebrate the 4th with my family in Ohio. We took the kiddos to King's Island and had fun going on the big rides! We hardly spent any time in the kiddy area. They are just growing up so fast. We stayed with my brother and had a nice afternoon in their pool.

Too, two, SWEET!

Here are some out-takes candids I took the other day when I was trying to get a good pic of Anna for her "12 month" picture! I just love to watch these two together. Drew is the sweetest big brother! He is pretty attentive to her (when he isn't playing on his dads iPhone). He likes to help keep her entertained in the car and he LOVES to make her LAUGH! He's better at it than any of us. She just cracks up for Drew.

One of those days...

...and its only 8:15am...

I woke up early, early this am to Anna's whimpers of "daa daa daa." I grabbed her out of her crib, fed her, and promptly tucked her in and back to sleep. Ahh...another hour and a half till my alarm goes off...

Enter Trent...

"Mom, it's 7:30, aren't we supposed to leave for school now? You have to hurry cuz I need snacks and stuff for my read-in." (As a reward, students get to bring blankets/pillows, electronic readers, and snacks out to the hallway and read for the afternoon. Yes, fun stuff for 4th graders!)

I hop out of bed, throw on yesterdays clothes...take out my retainers and swish with water.

"Hurry, hurry! We are gonna be late, boys. Trent why didn't you wake me sooner?"

"I didn't realized what time it was." (yeah, because he was playing minecraft, no doubt)

We tear through laundry baskets to find Drew some socks and he says, "But, mom I have to do announcements this morning!"

"Oh great...well we've really got to book it now!"

We throw bagels in the toaster and amazingly both boys are dressed.

It's 7:45 and I snatch a sleeping Anna from her crib and bounce down the stairs to get her buckled into her car seat.

Everyone is loaded up...check.

Everything we need is loaded up...check.

"Oh good, Drew, we are gonna make it in time for you to do the announcements...wait, I can't find my keys!"

WHAT?

Just minutes before, I grabbed my purse from the unlit living room. It still sat by the computer from the wonderful duty of balancing the checkbook the day before. I begin to dig for my key chain...that's weird, can't find it.

I throw out the tic tacs, the notepad, the hand lotion...they have to be here...where else would they be!?! Seriously, I'm very good about keeping keys "in the right spot" you know, so I can find them when I need them...that's what I tell my boys almost on a daily basis, right!?!

Nope. Not there.

I dig in my coat pockets. Nope.

I call Mike. Maybe he saw them...no answer...I call about 5 more times in a row...

Boys are "looking" in the car, but at least they are ready. School starts at 7:50.

I look on end tables and counters...finally, I go back to the unlit living room and there, ON THE FLOOR, probably right beside my purse, lay my keys.

So we jump in the car...it's 7:52.

I plug in my cell phone, which had been beeping all morning to let me know it was about dead!

I call the school and let them know Drew is coming, but we are 7 minutes away, and that he is scheduled to do announcements.

"Drew I think they might wait for you, but I'm not sure."

He hangs his head in disappointment.

We sit through two red different lights...

"I can't believe I didn't see those keys when I grabbed my purse, we could've probably made it just after the bell rang. We would've at least been close."

Drew so sweetly says, "Yeah, maybe I should've gone in to look, cuz, you know, I eat LOTS of carrots!" He peeks his head around the back of the headrest and smiles at Anna.  "Anna, you didn't laugh!?! BUT that was funny."

"Thanks, Drew, for making me smile too."

I park the van and we run to the front door (well, poor Anna bounces). The secretary buzzes us in and I see the principal watching for us from behind the counter.  I smile and mouth "Thank You!"

He says, "We are ready for you Drew." I pat Drew on the shoulder and he disappears down the hall.

I sign them in, the clock reads exactly 8:00.

I exit the office and sit down on the bench outside.

I hear a sweet, sweet voice...

"Good Morning.  This is Drew K and ____ with the announcements for Friday, March 15th...where we practice the life goal of "treat people right and do the right thing."....Lunch today...Now, let's take a moment of silence before we start the day..."

Yes, Thanks Lord, for THIS day. For giving me opportunities to show grace and peace to my kids when I really just want to yell and throw the silly tic-tacs because things aren't going my way.  Thanks that Drew can read the announcements in front of the whole school...when, because of me, he almost missed his opportunity. Maybe he'll get to share and show his friends Your grace and peace today. I pray that we ALL do it more.

9 months

A lot has happened in the last two weeks! Anna started crawling 3 days before she turned 9 months.  She also started eating snack puffs on her own.  She has been picking them up for a while, but now she is able to put them in her mouth! We have also been working on giving her a sippy cup.  She usually just chews on the spout, but I think she has finally realized that she can get a drink.  Love watching her learn and grow...she crawls to her toys now and really interacts with them...of course, she loves the noisy-light-up ones the best.

I've enjoyed picking the boys up from school lately.  Anna gets so excited to see her brothers.  I love driving down the road and hearing laughter in the back seat...Drew can really get her to giggle! Boy do they adore each other...see what I mean...

SWISH

What our weekends consist of these days...

The plight of a younger sister...being lugged to ALL of her brother's sporting events! Upside: When Grandma comes for the weekend and snuggles said little sister during her brother's games! You can tell she hates the attention, huh!?!

5 months

We braved the cold weather for our last chance at some outdoor pictures. My friend Jen met us at a nearby park and took some family shots for us! Can't wait to hang them up in our new house! We had to be out of our old house on Halloween...so we moved into a small rental for a month until we can move into our new home.

I grabbed a box from the rental garage before we left...we thought this picture was so appropriate for this time in her life...we've been living amidst boxes for a long time...looking forward to unpacking for good!

Fall Festival...a.k.a...

Halloween.

My little Monsters!

Yes, I totally raided their CANDY stash!

Course it's not real hard for the boys to share when they DON'T like CHOCOLATE anyway!! 

Yummo!

My Boys!

...Because I'm to cheap to pay $60 for school pictures...

I made the boys stand by our fence before they left for school...yes, on picture day.  BUT I don't think they turned out to bad :)

New School Year!!

I can hardly believe I have a 4th and 2nd grader!!  They are getting so grown up. I remember thinking how BIG and grown Trent was when he went into 2nd grade and now - with Drew - I just think he seems so young still.  It's a little weird for me to have a 4th grader...I remember sitting at my desk (as a 4th grade teacher), having deep conversations, answering some hard questions, learning, laughing, cheering on, but still reading to :) some pretty amazing kids.  I would dream about what MY life would be like when my own kids were that age.  NOW it's here and it's a bit surreal :)  Excited to see my boys continue to learn, grow, mature, and become good friends and leaders and athletes...but most importantly have a heart that desires God and His Word.

So, here's to another year...can't wait to see what's in store!

The Great

We had the chance to see my grandpa and step-grandma at the beginning of August.  They were visiting Ohio from Florida and so I took the kids on a short trek to meet up with them. He hadn't seen Annalise yet - and after all our losses and g-pa and g-ma's many prayers...it was an emotional introduction! This makes the 7th living great grandchild for them :)

A few peeks...

Here are just a couple pics of the adoring brothers and our sweet little bundle of Joy!

Little Footsies...Precious Wonder!

Can you believe she is Really HERE?!?

One Sweet Sista!

Love at First Sight!

In case you didn't believe it...

Here is

proof

that we do indeed have a

clone trooper

living with us!

Mother's Day

We traveled up to Michigan to spend the weekend with Mike's mom.  A bittersweet day for me...wish I could hug and squeeze all 5 of my kiddos.  Thankful, still, for the blessing of being a mom.  Hopfully I can do as good of a job as both our moms did for us!  Love you, Mom!

Dear Lord, it's such a hectic day

With little time to stop and pray

For life's been anything but calm

Since You called on me to be a mom

Running errands, matching socks

Building dreams with building blocks

Cooking, cleaning, and finding shoes

And other stuff that children lose

Fitting lids on bottled bugs

Wiping tears and giving hugs

A stack of last weeks mail to read

So where's the quiet time I need?

Yet when I steal a minute, Lord

Just at the sink or ironing board

To ask the blessings of Your grace

I see then, in my small one's face

That you have blessed me

All the while

And I stop to kiss

That precious smile