A New Year

Before leaving the first month of this new year of 2014 I should recognize we have come into a new year which I am overly excited for.  Most know our 2013 was a little crazy and WE were so ready to say goodbye to 2013.

Quick recap of what our 2013 looked like...

1. Troy's new job at TIU
2. Troy moved to Chicago and live on campus.
3. Lot's of flu season take overs
4. Packing
5. Putting the house up for sale
6. Troy totaled you beloved toyota corolla
7. we refinanced our house
8. my dad came for a weekend to help us buy troy a new car
9. found someone to rent our house
10. loaded up the truck for storage
11. moved in with my parents for 4 months
12. good times in cinch from friends to amazing bible studies
13. photographed wedding #1
14. the air conditioning unit went out on the van
15. photographed wedding #2
16. our move to Chicago with a truck that leaked
17. schenk family vacation
18. 10 years of marriage and back in the same city to celebrate
19. new friends, new church, new memories
20. home-school pre-school for Gracie
21. the start of a new football season
22. miscarriage, weight gain, and missing family & friends
23. we all got older
24. issues with the canton house and finding new tenants
25. Photographed wedding #3

I literally went through all the post of 2013 to just remind myself.  Although there were lots of hard times that tried on us as a family, individually, even on our marriage there were some wonderful times too.  Lots of times to love on each other as a family to see our true hearts.  Gracie and Nolan have changed and grown so much this last year and there were many first for both, lots of new friends, and new experiences in a new place.  I am so thankful that we were loved on by so many that checked on us so often and prayed for us as unconditionally.  Thank you Lord for pushing us through it and thank you for new beginings.

Growing Up, Well Kind Of

When I took on the challenge of potty training I made the decision based on a few things.  First, Nolan would take off his diaper every time he went no matter what.  I felt telling him to stop taking off his diaper was making him get use to sitting in it what he did not like.  He always told me what he was doing and he really wanted to wear undies.  Troy was leaving to go out of town and I thought starting Friday would work just fine.  Turns out my guy would not even sit on the toilet the first half of the day, on day 1.  He was terrified!  He also thought the running to the toilet was fun and would laugh and say faster.  He did get the telling me part down on going pee but as for #2 we were going no where and that lasted for a long while.  He was terrified to go on the toilet.  After things were bad for a couple days then we would have a bunch of great days and then bad and then he got sick the number 2 kind.  I felt so defeated.  I would never have taken this on now with all the stress we already have this was the worst idea.  Of course, the weekend Mema was in town no accidents not even #2.  And although I already knew he was stubborn the whole "I do it when I want to" is SO Nolan's attitude.  Scary!

As of today he is a whole lot better.  We had big victories and he is going days without accidents but then there are random days when I say what is going on.  The #2 has been conquered for the most part.  He has been sick again and the poor little guys just did so well with running.  I have been so proud of him and he is pretty proud of himself as well.  I could finish this up with pictures of some of the things that happen and the text sent to Troy with this just happened captions under pictures but some of you can't handle that kinda stuff.  But it was bad.  We are done and I know there still will be days but far a few between.  And I am so thankful for the continued support from my mother-in-law and friends and of course my hubby who have kept me sane.  This little booger makes me truly run the spectrum of emotions in a day.  Lord have mercy!

A Cincinnati Christmas

For 10 years the switch of holidays has been the norm.  Over the last couple of years my brother Stephen and wife Kassi stopped making the trip for Thanksgiving and only travel for Christmas.  Understandable the cost to fly 4 people for back to back holidays is crazy let alone having the kids endure and all day trip.  This sadly means I see them every other year and although ichat does help it is still really sad.  So traveling to Cincinnati for the holiday is not a question.  So this was a exiting holiday for us.  Getting to see everyone and my parents recently had a their dream renovation done which made Christmas so awesome.  We also went for our second time to see the Awaited Show at my parents church.  Gracie and Nolan attended 2 years ago but Nolan was a month old but Gracie loved it then.  This year we decided to take Nolan to the  1 1/2 show which he loved.  He was mesmerized by all the dancing the animals and the real snow falling from the ceiling.  The best thing I have ever seen and I wish I could take everyone I know to see it. So that being said I thought I would just give you a little taste of what my family and I love.  Oh, just a note make sure you check out Troy's ugly Christmas sweater in our Family Picture.  All the boys wore them to the Show.

Enjoy 2 video's that represent my Christmas holiday and the end to a very hard year.

Better Late then Never...

This is really late but I have been uploading video's and making a few movies for clients so I have nothing but uploading time on my hands.  This has become a tradition with my kids to video tape them with a few questions to document a few of there favorite things and so I can remember there cute little voices.

enjoy!

Family Christmas {part 2}

then came the gifts...

 the first gift was a rag doll, twin rag dolls that I made

our MOPS group choose to help a family and I made these

 turned out pretty cute

 of course cooking making which 

Nolan seems pretty serious about

 reading the christmas story

 The gifts were things we had put away a long while back which made this Christmas very easy this year.  Honestly when it comes to toys really the kids already have too many and we really wanted the to understand to be thankful for all the things we have and there are so many with so little.

 thank you hugs

 On my list was to make gracie a doll.

Interesting enough she asked for a doll for christmas and was specific about her hair color, green eyes, and a blue dress.  I think she has gotten a little to use to the fact that mommy can make things;)

 true love

 This book was purchased this summer before I had any idea how his love for tractors would grow.

Family Christmas {part 1}

For those of you still following thank you and I am sorry.  I have tried to sit down and write but just can't seem to get myself to finish or to get anything posted.  So seeing it is the new year I decided to make the fresh start and get some things in line for posting.  I will go back a little to catch us up to our new 2014.

Our family Christmas was celebrated first in Chicago.  And the story will be told in pictures as some of the best stories are...

too cool

 nolan and his john deere have been inseparable since thanksgiving

 gracie added the red beads

 nolan was convinced it should be a john deere christmas

 loving our christmas decorating

 as it has be come tradition to make a ginger bread house

and a tradition for gracie to eat most of the candy

 i did the icing work but gracie did the decorating

most of the roof candy was eating by 

Nolan after nap while I was not looking

and she enjoyed some of the icing