Evan is 5...

Got this idea about posting a letter to your child on their birthday from another bogging friend!

Evan,

You will always be my surprise boy! When I found out I was pregnant with you I said, WOW, this is a surprise, Ean is only 10 months old! But God had a plan, and how perfect it turned out! On the day you were born I did not even know I had been in labor for several hours before hand. Ean and I took a walk that morning, I had to stop twice for contractions, but they did not feel to bad, so I went on with my day. Daddy, Ean and I went to lunch at Village Inn in Urb. We decided that we would call you Evan Christopher if you were a boy. John, Jayne, Ean and Evan all mean gift from God. Christopher is you Dad's middle name. We liked the way it sounded with Ean. With that done, we went back home, Dad and Ean took naps and I went to get a pedicure. While I was getting my toes done I again had two strong contractions. Still did not think anything of it. I still had 7 days until my due date. I went home and was really tired, so I layed down on my left side to take a nap. Half hour later, I had a VERY painful contraction. Two more came. I called G Connie and told her that she may need to come watch Ean. Called the Doctor and they said, do you want to come to the office and be checked, I said no, I will go to the hospital. Called G Connie back and had her start to drive over. Got your Dad up, and by this time my contractions were about 7 to 8 min apart. I wanted to get to the hospital so I could get drugs. G Connie came, and we went to the hospital! I kept asking for drugs and the hospital staff kept telling me that they were coming, the Doctor need to see me first. I never got my drugs. We got to the hospital at about 4 pm and you were born at 4:55pm. So yet again another surprise! Such a quick labor and delivery. Now that I look back, it was very intense, but I am so glad I did not have to wait any longer to see you! One difference of your birth as apposed to Ean's was when I met Ean I had never been a mother and did not know what that love was like. When Ean was 24 hours old I was holding him and then knew that I loved him with all my heart. With you, the moment they put you in my arms for the first time I loved you right away. I could not believe that. You were my son from the moment we met!

For the past 5 years these are some more special things I have come to love about you.

You favor the Leinen's in looks.

You have you Dad's quiet spirit and I think, his feet!

You also have the wonderful servant quality. When I ask for help cleaning up, you stop what you and doing and help! This also remind me for your Dad!

When you ask Emma for hugs, it warms my heart, I love how you love her. You also use a sweet soothing voice with her. I pray you always help protect her!

Although you and Ean have your moments with each other, you are really the best of friends! The way you both love the Wii, Mario and Luigi, and any video games is a bond you will have for you whole lives.

It's fun for me to be your teacher this year. We are working on your letters and you are getting better and better.

You are still a thumb sucker and burp rag lover. As much as I want to help you kick these habits, apart of me wants to keep these cute young this forever!

I love you so much! You will always be my forever special surprise boy!

Love,

Mama (that's what you call me now!)

First holiday away...

Easter 2010, our very first holiday as a family alone together. This shot was taken outside Wayside Chapel after the service this morning.

I must say I did not know how this day was going to go. I am so used to having Grandma's cooking dinner and setting up Easter egg hunts for my kids. This time it was all up to me! The day did not start off to well. I worked Saturday to try and help Sunday morning, but I got behind. I got frustrated and having a two year old never helps a frustrated mom. So, I ended up yelling at the kids to hurry up and got mad at Emma for getting my lip stick, so glad she did not make a mess! What a way to get your mind ready for Easter morning service. Ugh! I had to ask for forgiveness later. Very thankful for forgiving children.

Cooking takes some work! I made Company French Toast for brunch at Sunday School. For our lunch I made ham and potatoes in the crock pot, jello jigglers, rolls, banana bread, and deviled eggs. Dinner could have been a little better. I am trying. Maybe I tend to like food made by others better than my own. Oh well!

We did the egg hunt in our back yard. Emma was so excited! She just wanted to see what was in each egg as she picked them up. The boys ran around the yard very quick!
This did not take long! They wanted to eat the candy!!!

I must say that this day really went well! We did skype with both sides of the family, it was nice to see them! It was different, but fun! Seeing the kids faces when they opened their Easter baskets and as they gathered eggs was priceless. I think I could get used to this! It is nice to spend special time with the four people God has given me to live with, make memories with and love! The Lord has blessed me with eternal life and a great family to spend this time on earth with! I love them!

Visitors from Iowa...

Since we have been down here we have gotten to see a few people from back home. Our first surprise was Jenny Keating, (John's cousin), she was visiting the Reece's and showed up at the church house we were staying at the first weekend we were here! I know we will be seeing more of her, she seems to like it here!
In February, Grandpa Terry, (aka PaPa per Emma) and Grandma Mary made it down! What fun to see family! The first thing Emma said when she saw them was "Jennfer?"! I think she thought that they always come together! What a help they were to me! Opening boxes, playing with the kids, and hanging pictures were just a few of the things did. We enjoyed seeing the Alamo and Riverwalk with them as well. I was very thankful to get to go to Comfort, TX for the night knowing that they were with the kids! While we were gone they took the kids to the Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch. The kids loved it! Emma really liked feeding the animals! This is the only pic I got of G and G. Mary took better pictures of this trip!

During Spring Break we had two families visit! Dave, Jayme, Megan and Logan Witzenburg came into town on Monday and had dinner at our house. The boys loved playing Wii. We had to make sure there was ref. because we had some real competitors in each family!!! Tuesday we went to the Children's Museum downtown. The kids really enjoyed that. Thanks for going with us guys!

Last Sunday we met with Paul and Kari Nilles at our favorite place, Freddy's! They were just back from Israel. It was nice to remember our trip from 9 years ago. We were amazed at how well the kids did while we talked. Emma really enjoyed talking to Kari about Dora! It was nice to catch up, we had not talked to them in a long while.

We are thankful for all the people who have come to see us. It's nice to see DSM faces.

We hope our next visitor is Aunt Jenn, we are praying hard!

Been to long...

Ok, the last post I made was a rather sad one! This one will be better. I must say that we are having fun getting to know other families at Wayside Chapel. I am attending a Sunday School that has been very welcoming to our family. We are discussing discipline. The couple that teaches the class have four children that they have home schooled the whole way through. What a blessing this has been for me. I love going to class to learn!
My bible study on Tuesday mornings is keeping me in the word and that has been a saving grace! The ladies in my small group listen, care, cry and laugh with me! I love each one of them!
Mops has also really helped with a need to just be social! Talking about kids, husbands, and health have been the topics this winter. I am still trying to sort out all that I have been convicted on! The gals are just like me! Trying to raise kids the healthy and right way!
I am also getting to know both of the Youth Pastors wives. Kim has two little girls who like to play with Emma and Linsey is pregnant! We can't wait to find out what she is having. I love talking about pregnancy, mom stuff and being a ministry wife with them. They know what it like to have a husband who works funny hours!
Marsha is on staff with John and she is the director of women's ministry at Wayside. She has let me talk and talk about starting a new life, missing my mom and rental houses! Can't wait to have coffee again!
On to the kids.
I was worried about Evan the first two months. All of Jan and Feb he would complain every time we left the house. He never wanted to go to church and ended up almost in tears when we took him to class. When March hit, new boy! He is his old self. He enjoys going to class and is making friends! Ones that play the Wii seem to be the best right now! Playing Wii at the Pouparts was a great highlight of our time here!
Ean is doing really well! He is reading more and more. He is great at math also! He has finished his Awana book and is now reviewing it for another award we hope!
Emma is all girl and two years old going on ten years. She is now needing to be disciplined more everyday. She is pushing her limits all the time. All of the ladies at church love to have her in class. They say she is so much fun! On March 20Th she went pee pee on the potty for the first time! We will be working on this soon, I hope. She likes to sit on the potty like the boys do! She also needs to have her purse at bed time, nap time and when we leave the house. I think she is really watching me more than I think! I am going to have to be careful. When we go shopping she likes to walk with me and touch clothes and make comments about them. I LOVE IT!
John is working a lot! He is trying to get a team together. He is really happy with the staff at Wayside. They all work together really well and are always helping each other out. When we were on a staff retreat to Comfort, TX in Feb and I really saw what John was talking about. We had a wonderful time getting to know the staff better and was really blessed by a time of sharing and prayer that we had before leaving Comfort. I truly believe the prayers from this time and home in DSM have helped Evan become more comfortable with TX. God is good!
I can't forget the weather!!! It is full on spring here! I love Spring!!! Right now I feel like it's May in DSM. This is my favorite time of the year! Everything is new. We are trying to use the park all the time before it gets hot.
I hope to not wait another two months before I write again. Hope you enjoyed!

Missing...

This was the first year I have missed seeing my best friends, who now lives in Florida, visit to Iowa. I was ok until I read another friends blog about how they had her family over to eat dinner and got to spend the evening with them. Oh well! I did talk to her on the phone this week and she agreed that it was so wired to not have me be in DSM. How do people do this?... How is it ok to move away?... I am getting some comfort from the bible study I am going through right now, but that does not stop from making me emotional. I keep hoping God has some great things in store for us.
To make matters worse, sorry honey! I mean to make things better, in the long run, John and I are going over a Dave Ramsey workbook. We need to get our money in order. While I really do want this, it just is hard to change. I just want all the money in the world to jump on a plain at any time and be in Florida or DSM when I want. But we always don't get what we want. Why?... That's what I am asking this afternoon. I know it's going to make me grow. I do need that. I know it's going to bring John the kids and I closer. I want the end result now. I don't want to go through the pain of getting there.
This is a pretty sad post and I am sorry, but I just had to vent. I keep thinking it will be another year before I see Heather again, and she is going to miss seeing Emma in her 2's. She is so cute right now.
I am going to end on a positive note. The kids are all playing outside right now. It's 70 something here in Texas! It's Jan.!!! We would be ice skating now in DSM, this is a good thing. Wish I could have helped my mom out with her van problems this week. Oh well, again!
We found a rental house two weeks ago! I am really happy with it! It's perfect! I feel comfortable with it! I did not feel that way with some of the ones we had looked at. Let me just say, I CAN'T wait to have all of MY stuff! I want to organize my house and get rid of what we don't need. Craig's list here we come.
I am meeting some women, it's hard not to have the history with them yet. I missed that about Mops last week.
John's parents are coming in a few weeks. It will be good to see family again. I wish we could get John's sister and some of my family down before we go back in May. But I DO NOT want this to be a burden to any one. I know now what it's like to budget.
Ok, the need to cry has passed. I feel better.
Staying home with Ean and Emma tonight. Evan is going to Cubbies. Ean was sick this morning, only now is running around like a crazy man. KIDS! I really wanted to go to the park today!
Maybe tomorrow!

Christmas Day 2009

Right now as I write this it's SNOWING light fluffy flakes outside! It started about 6:30 last night on Christmas Eve. When we went into church for the Christmas Eve service in was raining and when we came out it was SNOWING. Now I am not a real fan of snow, but on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning, WOW! This never happens so perfectly! God knew all in Iowa needed to have a WHITE Christmas. Christ does wash our sins whiter than snow, and what a wonderful thing!

This is a bitter sweet Christmas for me. We are leaving for Texas on the 30th. We will be spending the New Year in a rental home near Wayside Church. John's new place of work. And we hope it also becomes our new family. I say new family because leaving our family here in Iowa is going to be very hard. John's sister Jenn told me last night that she is making the kids a box of gifts to open on our way to San Antonio. Now for the whole trip the kids get to open a new thing about every few hours. What a BLESSING! I don't even have to think about that. We will be reminded of Aunt Jenn the whole way down.

My mom went to Hallmark and bought one of those books you can record your voice and the kids will be able to hear my mom read them a story any time they want to! When they opened the book this morning mom's voice started reading! It brought tears to my eyes! I almost could not compose myself. Mom also got emotional, we got through it! The kids will really enjoy this!

John car had to have a new starter this month. What can I say, when it rains it pours. What a blessing to be surprise with his parents helping us out with that expense! Wow, we did not see that coming. I also need to say a big thank you for ALL the babysitting they have done this month. We are going to miss that!

As I still feel a peace about leaving Des Moines, tears will be flowing when we drive away from the loving ones that mean so much to us. God has blessed us with TWO sets of Godly Christian families. This Christmas has been so special! I think one of my all time favs!

OK, before I end up in tears right now, from the snow to family and the wonderful birth of Christ this truly has been a MERRY CHRISTMAS!

John told me to post!

Ok, John just told me that it had been two weeks since I had last posted some thoughts, so here goes.

We are now living with the Stark's. We will be here until the 30th of December. John is going to finish the last newspaper of the year at FFC that week. So, Wednesday morning we will drive to San Antonio! I have had some fear this week about leaving my home town. We are still trying to figure out if we should buy or rent. Your prayers would be appreciated!

This week on Thursday, Ean vomited up his morning milk. Only at Grandma's would this happen. He choked on some mucas and was after a nap was asking for food and drink. I am so glad that he was not sick!

That same day, after her nap, Emma decided to color Grandma Mary's desk with a BLUE sharpie maker. Yes, once again, only at Grandma's. Who would have thought that a Scubbing Bubbles wipe would get marker of a computer screen, yes, I did say the computer screen! I did get most of the mess up, but Emma still has maker all over her tummy. Thankful for a Grandma who gave Emma a hug and kiss after we told her what happened. Yes, Emma is loved very much!

I hope that my posts in the future will be less messy and gross. I am also thankful that I was not even home to help clean up Ean. Dad and Grandma helped with that.

Did I metion that chili and fresh baked cookies awaited me after my long morning at work today? Are we sure we want to move away?!