Here are some pictures of our new niece and cousin, Julia Elizabeth, born to my brother and his wife on April 14. Our family took a trip to Chicago to meet her when she was one week old.
I realized after we returned home that we never took a picture of Julia with her mom and dad! Maybe next time. :)
St. Patrick’s Day, so far, has been the warmest day this year. Though it was technically still winter, the 63 degree high temperature that day made it feel like spring—and it felt wonderful! We went for a nature walk and also sat on the deck reading stories of Saint Patrick.
Playing in the yard before the nature walk:
Walking along the trail at Gezon Park:
Sisters wearing green:
Last year we had a fantastic time at the Blandford Nature Center learning how maple syrup is made. This year we were thrilled when a mom from our homeschooling group invited us for a hands-on experience making maple syrup in their backyard.
First, the girls had samples of the sap.
Next, it was time to collect sap from the buckets throughout the yard. If you look carefully, you can see a drop of sap falling from the tap into the bucket.
Kayla and Madeline were good little helpers. Savannah and I had a hard time keeping up.
Mrs. Miles helped the girls lift and pour the buckets, as most were very heavy.
Here Mrs. Steinbach, the one who invited us to her house, helped the girls.
Once collected, the sap is heated over a fire. As the water evaporates, the syrup remains. The heating process also changes the color from clear to brown, sort of like caramelization.
And when they were done working, the girls had a chance to play with Mrs. Steinbach’s goats!
A field trip like this, of course, required thank you notes. Here is Kayla’s.
And here is Madeline’s.
We’ve lived in Grand Rapids for a little over a year now. Shortly after we moved I learned about a place called “For the Kidz” that’s only about a mile from our house. It’s a gymastics and trampoline facility that offers classes and also has open gym times. One snowy night a few weeks ago, we decided we needed a family outing. For a cost of $16, the girls were able to burn their energy for a full two hours. We all had a great time.
I love this smile:
Future Olympic gold medalist:
Savannah turned three yesterday! Since it was her birthday, she chose the birthday breakfast (oatmeal) and also helped me plan the party menu (homemade chicken nuggets, cheesy potatoes, peas, vegetables and dip, fruit salad, cupcakes and ice cream). We also played a lot of hide-and-seek that day and even did a little imaginary crocodile hunting. She’s such a delight!
Grandma Mayes also brought a death-by-chocolate cake. :)
We’ve been waiting for the day we could see the baby via ultrasound and hopefully find out if we’re having a boy or a girl. Early on in the pregnancy I thought we were having a girl because I felt the same as I did in my pregnancies with Kayla, Madeline and Savannah. But during the past few weeks I began to think it might be a boy. My mind knew there was still a 50% chance the baby would be a girl, but I guess after having three girls, it felt like the odds of having another girl were less.
The girls, Aaron and I piled into the ultrasound room Tuesday afternoon, and the technician quickly found the baby’s legs. We had a good view, and right away Aaron and I knew we were having another GIRL! I couldn’t believe it, and I just kept laughing. Savannah, on the other hand, was crying. We thought she was sad that the baby is a girl, but she was actually crying because she didn’t like the way the pictures looked. I guess it wasn’t what she was expecting. :)
So here she is! We are so excited to meet her in July!
The fresh snow gave us the perfect opportunity to make a favorite treat of Mary and Laura Ingalls–molasses-on-snow candy. Here’s how we made it:
1) We mixed one cup molasses and one cup brown sugar in a large cast iron pot. We then boiled it until the mixture reached the “hard crack” stage–300 degrees F.
I didn’t get a picture of the mixture boiling, because my hands were full as I stirred constantly and held the thermometer.
2) Kayla scooped fresh, clean snow in two 9 x 13 pans. We then dribbled spoonfuls of syrup onto the snow.
3) Once the syrup was hard, we lifted it off the snow and set the candy on wax paper.
4) Time to eaat–if you dare! We’re not huge fans of molasses around here, and it’s also slightly possible that the molasses mixture began to burn while I was cooking it (though I never let it get above 300 degrees). The girls sort of liked it, but I tried it and thought it was horrible. The smell drove Aaron nuts, but overall we had fun experiencing life as Mary and Laura did.
Kayla and Savannah were super excited to play in the snow after the blizzard on February 1 & 2. Madeline, also known as Anne or Cordelia, tried going outside twice, but it was just too cold for her. Here are some pictures of the oldest and youngest enjoying the fresh snow.
The weather was crisp today, just 8 degrees when we left for sledding, but the sun was shining. Plenty of snow had fallen in Grand Rapids over the past few days, and the girls were excited to try their new sleds on a hill larger than the one in our back yard. We drove to a nearby park and took the girls sledding for the very first time! Yes, believe it or not, Kayla is six and a half years old and has never been sledding. (It probably wouldn’t be fair to blame Mt. Pleasant for the fact we didn’t sled while we lived there, but we may have been more likely to if it would have actually had some hills!)
Saltine crackers. Crumbs in bed. Sea Bands. Peppermint tea. Munching all day long. Preggie Pops. Food aversions.
These are just a few of the words and phrases that describe the last eight weeks of my life. It’s a familiar place–this first trimester–though I never thought I would see it again. Three girls made our family, and with that we were content. We were ready to move out of the baby and toddler stage and grow older with our three precious daughters.
Little did we know, our story was about to take a major turn.
In my heart and in Aaron’s, the Lord was moving and preparing us for the next step. And one day we knew without a doubt what He wanted for us—to have another child.
Today we joyfully announce that I am 12 weeks pregnant. This little baby inside me is wiggling, kicking and squirming, and I love it. I can’t say I love the unending nausea, but that hopefully will not last much longer.
The baby’s due date is July 16, 2011.