Cozy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving, we had snow! We got about an inch in less than an hour and it was beautiful. It's always exciting to receive those first real snowfalls, especially around the holidays.

A little while later all four of us went outside to play, pick up sticks (haha, I know, a little late...), and eat snow. Rachel touched the snow with her little fingers and was not too impressed. Joshua raked the snow and helped pick up sticks. He tried to eat the snow, but kept getting grass clippings in his mouth!













Back inside it was cozy with Christmas music and just being together as a family. Later in the afternoon we all went over to Joe and Heather's house for Thanksgiving dinner. They are friends from church and they have a little girl, Isabel, just over a year old. The dinner was delicious and the company was fun. There were 14 people total including children. We played, and chatted, and of course watched a little football. I think the winner for Joshua was the big playhouse in the basement. He asked me for one today. Of course I said no, what would we do if we had people over. We wouldn't be able to see each other. "They can just talk through the windows [of the playhouse]."
All in all it was a cozy Thanksgiving and we are thankful for God, for Jesus, for family, and for everything God has done and given.
Happy Thanksgiving!

Goofy

Some fun pics of the kids! Joshua has blue goggles, pool wings, and a paper towel tube. Rachel is eating her banana (which she peeled by herself!)

Assumption

When I was a child, books were my companion. I read many different books, over and over. And, like most children my age, I received magazines such as, Your Big Backyard, and Ranger Rick. My brother received a boy scouts magazine, Boy's Life, which I also read when I could get my hands on it.
Now I am older and married. An adult, perhaps?

Once in awhile, Joel and I will be having a conversation, which comes rarely, but it is a good thing for married couples to do. Sometimes, there will be some disagreement on how a 'word' is pronounced. Usually Joel is the winner on this one. My defense? I usually have never heard the 'word' spoken out loud before. I had always read it in books and sounded it out the way my childish brain thought was the way it sounded.

I will give you some examples:

Brooch (an elegant sort of pin that ladies wear on their throat). Now if you were 10 years old how would you sound this out? Exactly. Broo-ooch. Can you hear the laughter the first time I attempted to say this out loud? No dear, it's 'Broach'.

Another one: Hors d'oeuvre Again, imagine an English speaking only, no French experience except for her name, trying to sound this one out! Would you like to know how I spoke it to Joel for the first time? Literally: Hors di-vores. I was quite shocked that I had been pronouncing it in my head so wrongly for so long!!

There are many other words but these are the two that I can think of right now.

So I mentioned that I looked at Outdoor Magazines. I've seen many different animals in pictures, but hardly in real life. Last night, Joel and I finally watched 'March of the Penguins' for the first time.
Imagine my shock when I saw the little 2-4 foot penguins walking around the cameramen when for almost 20 years I had thought these Emperor Penguins were at least six feet tall!!

Photography can be very deceiving.

Traffic Jam

Some wives' husbands come home from work later than expected due to the high volume of automobiles on the road. Some come home late because of an auto accident, difficult weather, or perhaps the car broke down.

My husband, Joel, was late because of some moose on the bridge. Not just on the road where the moose can just run off, but it was on the bridge where they were stuck. It took awhile for the few moose to meander, begrudgingly, off of the bridge and eventually off of the road.

No Surprises

First off, I want to thank you for praying (if you were) for us as Joel and I went to Duluth today.
Second, I would like to tell you how it went. The meeting was pretty short, maybe about 20 minutes. But I think that was good. Dr. Wright, Emily's Pediatric Cardiologist, explained to us her autopsy report. The report held no surprises. What I mean by no surprises is that when Emily's blood pressure dropped on June 11, the docs and the Specialists had a good idea of why. We were explained these reasons, and four months later the autopsy report confirmed those ideas. This was some sort of a relief to me (Renee). Another great relief was that Emily did not suffer as she passed away.

A precious moment that I remember which I will share with you, moments before Emily went into surgery, Joel and I stood by her bedside. Her eyes were open, and she was looking at us. We prayed over her and enjoyed that short and rare moment of looking into her deep blue eyes. Once she was wheeled into the operating room they gave her drugs that made her unconscious (just like most anyone having heart surgery). These doses continued to the next day when she passed away. I realized just today, Joel and I were the last people Emily saw before she went to heaven. How special this realization was to me, always wondering if Emily even knew me when she was alive!

Five Hours Away

Oliver, one of Joshua's good friends, had a birthday this weekend. Naturally there was a party to go along with this special third birthday. Joshua was invited, and Mommy really wanted to go and take him. Only problem was, Oliver lives five hours away and Mommy was sick. (Still is actually) What to do?? Mommy buys Oliver some presents to send along with a friend who IS going. This friend, Sara is her name, offers to take Joshua to the party. Seriously? Yes she was serious. So, long story short-Joshua went with Sara, Gideon, Genevieve, and Annabelle five hours to Oliver's house for the weekend. Boy, did he have a blast! He came home Sunday night excited, tired, happy, and you know what? He was polite and said yes when Daddy or Mommy told him to do something. He wasn't spoiled in the least!
So this is a BIG Thank You to Sara and Gideon and to Mark and Kelley!! I hope you had as much fun as Joshua did.

And thanks also to Jake for helping to butcher Joel's deer. Actually it was more like Joel helping Jake, who works as a butcher for a local grocery store. It was great.

Monday morning finds Joel and Renee sick with some type of pneumonia bug that's going around town. Joshua is fine (he had it three weeks ago) but Rachel is coming down with something again.

Tomorrow is a big day for us. Some of you may know that Joel and Renee are going to Duluth to speak with our daughter's Pediatric Cardiologist. Though it is not required, we have chosen to go over Emily's autopsy report. Renee is looking forward to this meeting though she knows it will be challenging.

The Plymouth Neon Sport Utility Vehicle

Who needs a truck to go deer hunting?

Praise God for a nice size doe and a freezer to put it in on the same day!

Joshua and His Tricycle

The size of a Grape Nut

Is the size of our new baby who is eight weeks old in utero right now.
Due June 13, 2009.
To see a picture scroll down and it'll be on the right.
We are very excited about this new little one!!