One foot in front of the other...

So some of you might know that our past two weeks have been anything but easy.  Two weeks ago this Tuesday (the 19th I think?) Casey was bow hunting and I was home to fend the wild animals we call children on my own.  It was supper, bath, bedtime at home, so I was crazy busy and my phone was on the charger downstairs.  Apparently it rang three times as I gave Jacie and Kamry a bath, but I didn't hear it.  Just as I was about to pray with Kam, I heard Casey downstairs, and something didn't feel right, so I ran down there to see what was up. 

Turns out while Casey was waiting on a doe to turn broadside, the strap holding his tree stand about 15 feet up in the air broke, and he, the stand, his bow, and two live arrows fell.  After a few minutes of catching his breath and wiggling his toes to make sure he could, he walked out of the timber (albeit slowly) praising God he could walk.  I got the girls down to bed, nursed Eden and put her down, and we called a girl we have watch the girls once in awhile over so that we could head to the ER.  He had a hard time catching his breath so I wanted to make sure he didn't break a rib and puncture a lung or something crazy like that.  Turns out he really did "break his back" with a compression fracture on L2 (mid to low back) and also what they called a limbic fracture.  Nothing really we can do, but it is pretty painful for him, and it's been tough around here with the three little girls (okay, and me too) who like to hang on him.  He's been going to the chiro several times a week (we usually go at least 2x a month anyways for wellness) and that is helping some too.

Anyways, keep us in your prayers!  We keep saying to each other, "Just put one foot in front of the other" as we tackle the everyday chores in maybe just a little different way.  I've really had to conquer my fear of the basement because Casey isn't supposed to carry the laundry up.  ScArY!  :) 

Happy Halloween!

So we're not huge into Halloween, but the kids like dressing up, and so we took them to the hospital where I work last Tuesday evening.  (That's one week post Casey's 15 foot fall from the treestand for those of you keeping track, and yes, I unloaded the stroller, not him :) ).  I got the girls' costumes last year at Target for 90% off, and so Eden ended up a pumpkin, we didn't know her gender at the time!  We called Jacie a Candy Corn Princess, Kam was obviously a giant piece of candy corn, and Eden our little pumpkin.  They had fun and Kamry tore it up scoring treats.  Saturday night we went with some friends and their two kids to First Baptist Church's Harvest Party which was a blast, except for we had to leave early as Jacie ended up coming down with the stomache bug.  Sorry to any kids we unknowingly infected at FBC!



What a lucky guy :)

More family pics

We got our CD in the mail today from Jennifer Waters Photography.  I couldn't believe how many pictures we got back!  There were 15 posted to her website, and our CD had over 110 images.  So excited to finally get our old ones changed out.

Casey and Tara

Dork:)



Jacie Josephine - 4 years

Jacie's growing up like crazy.  Sometimes she does something so sweet and thoughtful and just GROWN UP that Casey and I look at each other and about cry.  We have a hard time believing we are the parents of a four-year-old.

The other day my mom and I were driving home with the girls and talking about this guy that once fixed our ceiling in the "dance room", which is our upstairs porch.  I couldn't remember his name, but knew he was there while I was in the hospital after Eden was born.  Jacie pipes up from the back, "Mommy, I think you mean Gordy Barry."  How she remembers things like that is beyond me.  She will bring up the house we rented when we lived in Atlantic ("I loved that carpet!" she says.  It was BURGANDY.)

Jacie's a great helper to me, constantly running upstairs for diapers, wipes, or other random things I forget.  She now takes Kamry with her when she goes to the bathroom, and I can hear her in there encouraging her.  "No, try putting your panties on this way, it's way more comfortable!"  Kamry runs around a lot with them on backwards, just like her shoes are always on the wrong feet.  Jacie, being the responsible first child she is, always has put her shoes on the correct feet.

Jacie's current loves are perfecting her letters and numbers, learning how to spell common words and names, the kitties we have, landing her cartwheels on her feet, and the kitties.  She takes forever to get moving in the morning, dislikes sleep, and is so much like me it isn't funny.

The Trine tongue, gotta love it

Kamry Kate - 2 years

Kam is our free entertainment.  She performs daredevil tricks (hair clippy, anyone?) and never stops moving.  She's got the best sense of humor!  She loves to laugh and make us laugh.  Her latest accomplishments are the transition out of diapers to the potty and drawing circles that are beginning to take on a human resemblence.  :)
Today Kamry and I were playing outside while Daddy and Jacie were at the pumpkin patch and Eden was napping.  I had to run in for something and when I came out, she was putting our kitten, Sally on the rug.  I asked her what she was doing and she said, "Sally will not stay on the scooter, so she has to go to timeout!"  After Sally got out of timeout, Kamry took Sally for a spin on the scooter, and Sally rode the whole time.  It was great.

Jacie and Kamry have really started playing well together, before I think Kam was just a little to young to understand what Jacie was trying to orchestrate so Jacie would get frustrated that Kam didn't get it.  Last night I was in peeling potatoes for supper and I looked out the windows and they were in line like a parade both blowing on Casey's duck calls.  Farm girls.

First thing anyone says when they see Kamry is something about her crazy blue eyes.  They seriously get cooler everyday.  So glad someone got Rick and Casey's eyes, they're pretty amazing!

 Eden Elise - 3 months

Eden is a super laid back, easy going baby.  I've said this before, but when you are the third child to two very active big sisters, you become laid back if you weren't to begin with.  Eden started sleeping 10 - 730 at 9 weeks, and just started her 2nd week of sleeping 7 - 730.  So thankful to have a few more zzz's around here.

Eden's latest discovery is her feet.  She can get ahold of them and almost get them to her mouth.  I love it when babies can grab their feet while they are on their backs, it's so cute!

She loves to look in the mirror and her big sisters are the greatest entertainment.  Sometimes while she's watching Kamry be Kamry, she'll give me this look like, "Well, what can you do?" 
Eden's rolled over once, but might be a little behind because we couldn't give her tummy time until about 7 weeks.  Poor stinker ended up with a broken left clavicle from delivery (ouch), which was surprising since she came so fast and in a push and a half.  But sometimes I wonder if because she came so fast she didn't quite get turned enough to get out and that's when it happened.  We'll never know for sure, but I'm so thankful it's healed and I barely can feel the bump anymore.

If we knew future children would be as easy as Eden, Casey says we'd have more.  I'm the one that has to deliver the babies, though, and I'm pretty sure I'm happy with three. :)   Honestly, God made us to be a family of five, and we are so happy with what he's blessed us with.

Family pics

I love October!

I have to say, October has always been my favorite month.  I'm not a fan of being hot, and I love the changes that the colder weather brings.  It also happens to be the month my awesome cousins introduced Casey and I, and the month we were engaged 364 days later.  :)

I took this picture on October 10th, 2010, and it was 80 degrees.

A year ago, on October 10th, 2009 it snowed.  I wrote it in Jacie and Kam's books.  I remember Jacie putting her snowboots on with a fall jacket and making footprints on our deck.  This year we almost could have gotten out the wading pool.

This month we have lots going on, Eden is now 4 months, as of 10/10/10, she'll be dedicated at our church the 17th, my awesome brother-in-law, Brandon will graduate from Palmer (he's a DC - doctor of chiropractic), the Trine family is going to participate in the Race for the Cure for the 2nd year in honor of Ann, and Casey and I will celebrate 9 years together and 8 years since we were engaged.  Wow.  And I forgot two preschool trips in there, one to the pumpkin patch (Daddy's going along for that one), and to the Fire Station (my turn!).  She's pumped.

Here are some pics of what we've had going on.  My parents watched the girls October 2nd so Casey and I could have a weekend away, and we went to Ames and watched the Cyclones beat Texas Tech in some pretty sweet seats (thanks, Dad!).  We had Eden during the day as we shopped and ate at Hickory Park (a fave when we were dating) and then my dad picked her up before the game, and we had our first night away from all three girls.  It was much needed, and we are so grateful to my parents for watching the girls.  I think they enjoyed it as much as or more than us as they took Jacie and Kamry to Carroll's pumpkin patch in Grinnell where they had a blast. 

We've been sticking around home finally, Jacie and Casey fished one afternoon.

October also means hunting around here.  Casey got a new bow this year after saving for quite some time, and he's been sighting it in the past few weeks.  Apparently there's a "monster" buck where he'll do his bow hunting, so I'll keep everyone updated on whether or not he gets him this year.  His last BIG buck he shot the first year we were dating (2001!) and even though he's had some decent ones since then, we think he's due.

Like I said before, we went back to the Marshalltown area the first weekend of October.  The girls do okay traveling but we haul way too much stuff.  It's ridiculous.  The two big girls are in the back seat of the van, Eden in the middle with the other seat stowed, and Casey and I up front.  Sometimes we wish we had earplugs.

 Jordan Creek Mall is our halfway point traveling, so we stop here a lot because the girls need a break, Eden needs fed or changed, or Mama needs an excuse to go shopping.  Living where we do, we only have Wal-Mart for shopping.  I think the poor girls think that's the only place a person can shop.  Sad.

Eden all dolled up for our Ames excursion!

Big Milestone!!

Just had to share the news that our not yet 4 month old slept 7pm until 7am on Sunday night!!!  :)  We do BabyWise with the nursing and sleep schedule for the girls, and we now have three girls sleeping about 12 hours each at night.  The first few months with a newborn are always rough on parents, going on little sleep, and we're finally out of the sleep deprived stage.  In celebration of Eden sleeping 12 hours, I went to bed Monday night at 8:15, and slept until 7:20 with the girls this morning, and only got up one time at 10:45 when Casey woke me up to pump.  It was amazing.  :)  I haven't slept that long since before I was pregnant with Eden!  Anyhow, we're proud of our happy little baby, and I had to share!

Family pics

We had family pictures taken by Jennifer Waters on September 26.

I wanted to have pictures of all the girls individually as well since I've been a little late on getting Jacie's 4 year and Kam's 2 year pictures.  I wanted to wait until Eden was born so we could get all three girls together.  Family might remember after Kamry was born we did the bright pink family picture, but we were a little bit nicer to Casey this time going with navy.

The girls did well despite traveling to Ankeny for the pictures with a potty-training Kamry.  Nothing like traveling with the pink potty in the van with us.  I was just happy there were no accidents during the photoshoot, Kam's been doing a great job!

Here's our blue-eyed beauties.  It was quite an ordeal coordinating everyone.  Etsy is my friend for cute hairbows and headbands!

Love this one of Jacie Josephine.  Casey and I still have a hard time believing we have a four-year-old.

Jacie's a sweetie, perceptive to everything going on.  She's very aware of people's feelings, something we've tried to drive home.  Put others first.  Love God, love people.  Jacie's definitely our sugar.

If Jacie's our sugar, than this little gal is our spice.  :)  Kamry keeps it interesting around here.  She's the one you've got to say, "Kamry don't kiss me, no hugging Mommy!" to get her to kiss or hug you.  She sleeps 12 hours at night, but if you've seen her during the day you know why.  She does not, I repeat, DOES NOT stop moving.  Even at supper.  We call her Moyer the Destroyer (Veggie Tales, anyone?).  She earned that name.  If you don't believe me, take a look at my camera sometime.

And here's the newest Trine chick that has learned to roll with the punches.  All it takes to get Eden to smile is a look in her direction.  I think all third children are required to be laid back.  It helps that Casey and I pretty much have this baby thing down pat.  Eden's current loves are her jingling caterpillar and pattycake.  She rolled over last Friday for the first time (tummy to back) while Casey was home with the girls and I was at work.  I couldn't believe it.  I work six hours a week and she decides to showcase her talents in that timeframe.  It reminded me of when Jacie learned to crawl (by Daddy enticing her with a grilled cheese sandwich) while I was at work when she was a baby. 

Great job, Jennifer!  You caught our crazy family and we're so thankful for the fun pictures!

http://www.jenniferwatersphotography.blogspot.com/.