Bits and Pieces of the Kruger World

We haven't posted in a while (neither me- Aphia, nor my mom) so I thought I'd post some stuff and my mom wants to say a few things too.





Last Wednesday we got to welcome a new cousin into our family! Addison Grace Foskett was born to my Auntie Becca and Uncle Tim. We got to go to the hospital on Friday morning to see them, and then to their house on Saturday to see them again! I just love the "beebee!" so much! I love to kiss her, and wave "hi" to her, and smother her with love! Jonah likes to say, "Hi Buddy Boy," until Mommy reminds him that Addi is a girl. Then he just says, "Hi Buddy," in a really sweet, soft voice.



Here's some pictures of our visits with her! Here's Me seeing Baby Addi for the first time!

Below is Jonah and Mommy talking to Addison Grace!


Mommy and Addi are pretty tight already. She's definitely the favorite Auntie :)

Here's Proud Uncle Jer, who only has nieces! But he loves them to bits!

Ok, now my mom has some things to say.

So on Friday we had to run to Old Navy to return some shoes I had gotten for Jonah.







Back up a couple steps and I need to tell you that occasionally, Jonah mixes up the words "dimple" and "nipple" and sometimes he says "nimple" for either one... ok, now you know this going to be funny!





So, back to Old Navy. Jonah puts his shoes up on the counter and says to the cashier, in his sweet 3 year old voice, "I'd like to return these shoes." She asks, "Do you have a receipt?" "Yes I do, right here," and he hands her the receipt. She smiles her big, dimpled smile and Jonah whips his head up to me with a big smile and says, "Mom! Does she have big nipples?!"





Now I'm not one for taking the Lord's name in vein, but "Oh God!" Quick NeeNee, THINK! "DIMPLES! Do you mean 'dimples' Jonah?" While pointing to my cheeks, to which he FORTUNATELY replies with an enthusiastic, "Yes!"





Just another "Mommy Moment" with the Jones.



Here are some more pictures of our walk to the park on Sunday. It was cloudy most of the day, so when the sun peaked out, we were out of the house and in the sun!





Finally a note another note about Jonah. I'm so proud of the way he gobbles up knowledge! He's in Cubbies for AWANA this year at church, and they have to memorize Bible verses. When I say, "Jonah, what's your Bible verse?" He replies with, "Genesis 1:31, All He had made was very good!" (paraphrased for little ones). He's great at memorization.




I've known that he's good with letters and words, memorization, and stuff like that. He knew all his letters by 2 1/2 and is starting to put sounds together to form words when he wants to spell something. It's pretty fun to watch and teach. He's also pretty darn good at writing, he can write his name, Aphia's, Mom, Dad, and he'll look up at the letters on the wall and copy ones to make what he thinks are words!




But lately he's been pretty into numbers too. We told him, "5 more minutes until bedtime," the other night. Then we said, "Ok it's been 3 minutes," to which he replied, "Ok, then 2 more minutes!" Jeremiah and I looked at each other, surprised! A minute later Jeremiah said, "Ok, it's been 4 minutes. How many more minutes?" To which Jonah promptly said, "One," like duh, Dad! I wondered if these were flukes, but I've been asking him a lot now, questions like those and he really knows and understands how to add and subtract small numbers like that!



Makes me proud as a mom :)

So Blessed!

Just a lil note to brag on some pretty fabulous folks I know!

My children's grandparents (ALL of them... and the "Greats" too) are just so darned awesome!

Two particular things come to mind, because they are presently affecting me!

First, my mom came out here today, surprising me (and Jonah- who stood there stunned, staring at her!) to help me out for the day! I had a plethora of children and she had come to fulfill the mantra, "Many hands make light work." And it truly was a wonderful day. AND to top it off, she spoke to me through EVERY love language!!
1. Quality Time: She came out here yes, to help me out, but I also got to spend time with her, which I love and cherish.
2. Gifts: She stopped at Coffee Connection and brought me my FAVORITE- white chocolate mocha with decaf. She also brought me a box of random stuff, including a picture that I hung in my bathroom, that I LOVE and have wanted. If you want to know what it's of, you'll have to come to my bathroom and see :)
3. Acts of Service: She came to help me out with all the kids I had today!! What a blessing!
4. Physical Touch: We always gotta hug!
5. Words of Affirmation (which is actually my #1): She affirmed that I'm doing a good job, boosting my confidence, saying that I was brave taking on twin infants for daycare, and just over all affirming me all day in what I'm doing.

Secondly, Rob and Bonnie are coming here tomorrow evening and bringing the kids back to Willmar with them for the weekend. I get to have the whole day on Friday ALL FOR MYSELF! I've got an amazing day planned, then we get to meet Chris and Emily in Mpls. for dinner at Buca!!!! I acknowledge that I am very, very fortunate! We have a wedding to go to on Saturday and then are heading to Willmar on Sunday to watch Auntie Liz in a play and have dinner with everyone. It will be a wonderful weekend of relaxation and much needed hubby/wifey time.

So yeah, just thought I'd throw this out there, because I know and love some pretty remarkable peeps that help keep me going.

We Roll With It

We had been planning on going camping this weekend... We'd been planning it since April. In April, we sat down and looked at our summer calendar, penciling in several weekends that we wanted to go camping and this was one that we were going to use. Little by little, 6 weekends of camping got widdled down to 3. We went in June, to a campground in Clearwater- one that I wouldn't highly recommend. We parked our camper at the cabin in July with the Krugers for a weekend there. And now we have one weekend left, the first weekend in October on the north shore with my mom's extended family (a trip we do every year... and looooong for every year!).

This weekend just didn't work out to go. This week had been insane all the way around. By the time Friday night rolled around we were still "planning" on going camping when I looked around at my house, and I swear that Ike had hit here!! There was nothing ready to go camping because I was completely exhausted from the week and the pending weather for the weekend was looking extremely grim.

As we sat on the couch, talking about going, we decided to just stay put. The decision to stay home, one that you wouldn't think would be a huge deal but was, actually elated me! We so rarely get an entire weekend at home, to just BE. Since we had been planning on being gone, there now was NOTHING on the calendar- halleluia!! And now at 6:45 pm, I'm STILL in my pajamas!! :) It feels amazing. Despite the yucky, rainy weather, I could not have asked for a better day. My house is still a wreck, but dinner is planned and I've enjoyed my time with Jeremiah, Jonah and Aphia. We've played, done little tinkering things around the house, watched football, took naps, and ran to Target and Cub (don't forget I'm still in my pajamas-sweats and a hoodie... and of course I saw 4 families I know!). The normalcy of it all almost makes me want to cry. To not have to rush here or high tail it there feels simply divine!

I know that I'm busy person and we have lots of things going on as a family, but sometimes we just have to make choices to just BE. I know this... it's just the act of doing the "being" that I sometimes forget to do!

I've still been doing well with my morning dates with Jesus at the coffee shop, times that I truly cherish and revel in. He has taught me much, while staring out at the waking city of Buffalo. I get home as my own family is arising from their slumber and the day almost ALWAYS goes spledidly, this past Thursday was no exception.

As I look forward at our September and October calendars, I think it's interesting that I'm actually "planning" times of nothingness. How sad. But that's our reality right now and we roll with it.

I hope you have a day, or at least a moment in the very near future to just BE.

A Normal Saturday

Who dresses this kid anyways?! (At 19 months, she was insistent on putting on her 4th of July shirt... over her normal clothes. AND insistent on wearing Jonah's shoes... backwards. I just laugh!)

Jonah spending some time out in the rain today with his raincoat and rain boots! The look on his face says that the skies don't look real promising.

Saying Goodbye to Uncle Richie! He's headed to Durham, North Carolina for work! We'll miss you Uncle Richie!!

Last Family Wedding (of one side!)

Daddy's cousin Nate got married last weekend to BJ. Nate is the youngest cousin on Daddy's mom's side, and the last to get married. They had their ceremony in Granny's (that's Grandma Judy's mom) backyard and it was so pretty! She had put lots of time into watering her flowers, grass, and everything was so lush!
Here are a few pictures of us at the wedding!

This one is me and Phia, and our cousins Hannah and Emily

Here's my mom, Phia, me and my dad

Here's Phia touching the baby in Auntie Becca's tummy! Baby will be here soon!!!

Here's just a random picture of us being sweet with each other!