A 2015 Update

So April is nearly over, and I'm thinking I'd better hurry up and write something before December hits!  The time just flies with a baby who is still up a couple of times each night and eats what seems like around the clock and two older kids who need to be driven to school twice a day and also seemingly eat around the clock.  Oh, and that husband who seemingly works around the clock... and eats a lot too!  

One thing for sure, 2015 has made Anna just about the cutest thing we've ever seen... though this is what we said about our other two when they were this age.  But something happens around the two year mark.  Maybe it was that they started talking and their demands lost the adorableness of those sweet baby shrieks.  Anyway, I digress, Anna lights up our lives.  Owen and Chloie's lives a bit too much as they constantly hover and smother and really honk her off much of the time, as siblings tend to do.

I have waited, as a good farmer's wife would, patiently for the slow season when Matt would be home a bit on the weekends and spend an afternoon relaxing on the couch... however, as spring looms in the air, I am forced to admit there is no down time for my beloved.  He spent his every winter moment chainsawing and wood chipping, changing the landscape of his farm from a gnarly woodland stream to a lovely, free flowing ditch.  

It was a challenge to make it out for a visit, but we managed to be moral support a couple of times anyway.

 

And it can't be the end of April without a happy birthday for our Chloie.  She has only asked every day for the last month, "How many more days until my birthday?"  

With a bright and early 6:00 wake up, she eagerly began her 5th birthday! 

So many family members and friends made her day so special.

She is one loved little girl.

From 6:00 a.m. until nearly 10 p.m., even out playing Owen, she partied and played, our dear five year old, Chloie Marie... (who looks like she's 7... she will insist).

Rounding Out 2014

It was a blessed, if not long, harvest this fall.  It was bittersweet that I never even made it into a tractor or combine. Little Anna was either napping or nursing or pooping... such is the life of an infant.  However, thanks to our dear grandparents, Owen and Chloie got plenty of time in the harvest action.  

Oh, what's this... Christmas?  No, Happy Halloween!  Wonder what the kids dressed up as??? Hmm... well, good thing we recycled last year's costumes.  If I want to know, I'll just pull up last year's camera roll. 

Daddy turned 34! No wonder I notice so much gray when I cut his hair! Since there are no pictures of me turning 34 a few weeks later, I will pretend that I am much younger and experience none of the graying in my own hair... 

Chloie can be such a great big sister to Anna in the mornings while Owen is at school.  I can just pretend that it is always so lovely...

But don't let that adorable red hair trick you.... She's a handful.  Right now she thinks Anna must love really loud, grunting noises. Because who wouldn't??  Poor Anna cries and jumps, and Mommy reprimands, but this stubborn red head just keeps at it.  We're all looking forward to the day she outgrows this rather annoying behavior...

Merry Christmas!  It was an interesting advent.  Owen went through denial of Santa Claus for the first week.  And then he wasn't sure.  By the third week, he was a full believer in Santa, Jesus and love he told me!  It always helps encourage belief when a good buddy at school has seen Santa with his own eyes the year before leaving presents.

Owen was especially excited about every silly gift exclaiming, "I didn't even ask for this, but Santa knew just what I would love! Santa is the best!"  Why, thank you, Owen...

And then just some super classy Meyer Christmas pictures.  Al is really getting into Christmas here

Melanie was so excited to be gifted these handy pajamas in the white elephant gift exchange. And can you believe no one stole this sweet item from her??

Cute family... though two minutes after this picture was taken, that sweet looking Lily dropped a fart bomb on her dad and ran out.  

Oh my gosh, Frozen!!

Everybody loves Aunt Nancy!

Anna is quite interested in this rather dated and yellowed wrapping paper...

Owen's favorite part of the night was when Grammy gave him and Austin some of Dad's hats.  Owen exclaims, "It's Grandpa's hat... FOR FREE!" He wore that hat for three days without hardly taking it off.  Tears and smiles...

And wearing Grandpa's hat, Owen finds the board that Dad so diligently wrote all the grandkids names on the previous Christmas.  A hole in all of our hearts and a quietness to our celebrations.  A first Christmas without such a loved one present among us is difficult.  But the very meaning and purpose of that first Christmas gives my faithful heart hope and joy despite my grief.  There will be a time to dance and sing and sip some homemade wine with my Dad again because God came down from heaven that we may gain eternal life.

Anna is Baptized

How sad but true that the third baby is much harder to find time to capture in picture!  Though I'd say there's no shortage of love or time spent talking with her and holding her and playing with her... but I find it much harder to take those extra few minutes to actually get out the camera, or even to get up and get my phone, if we're enjoying each other's company.  

 

But I really should get a few more of these pictures in... before she starts whining and screaming like her sister (who is fresh on my mind from a typical dinner tantrum, "I hate chili!  It's soooo disgusting!  You're a bad Mom for making this! ...two minutes later... "Yum, this is good.)  

"And He took the children in His arms, put His hands on them and blessed them." 

Mark 10:16

"Let the little children come unto Me, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." 

Luke 18:16

We were grateful Anna's godmother, Aunt Nancy could come for her baptism. 

And Grammy

And Grandma Deb.

We felt so blessed by the presence of all who could come... but my heart ached for those who couldn't, especially Dad.  I missed him terribly at this important event.  He wasn't able to be at Owen and Chloie's baptisms in Arizona, and I know he would have loved to have been here for Anna's.  My heart felt so heavy amid all the joy of the day missing that broad smile, crooked turn of his head.... standing just a little too close with a bit of coffee breath, making some ridiculous comment.  What would it have been.... "Why's she got that plug in her mouth?"  "You must be a prized milk cow?! Look at how big that girl is!" "Are we done with the pictures? Let's go."  Dad.... you are missed.

And this is how I feel sometimes too, Anna.  

I love you, my sweet girl.  Three months old tomorrow!

What Happened the Last 9 Months??

Oh my!  What has happened in our lives since my last post???  So much... Definitely too much to recount on a silly blog.  Some memories that will be forever cherished and some that will forever bring sorrow to my heart.  Gaining a daughter and saying goodbye to a Daddy would certainly sum up the highs and lows of the past nine months.  And since it is my Daddy's birthday today, I am especially thinking about him and notice the emptiness in my heart that only a Dad can fill with his laughter and love. Thank God for His hope and His promises. 

"Let us hold unwaveringly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful." 

Hebrews 10:23

But what are the fun memories we stored up along the way.... 

Chloie celebrated her 4th birthday!  A fun day at the park celebrating with Austin and Nolan. 

Hmm... that doesn't look like a homemade cake.  Well, look below to see what happened to Chloie's homemade cake.  Disaster!  

Owen graduated preschool!  Wow, so glad he made it through!

Then a lot of time went by when I was too grouchy or uncomfortable or tired to simply get the camera out.... So then on July 25th along came Anna!

 

 The dreaded "let's go to the hospital" picture.  Except this time there were no contractions making me wince during the picture... more like dread because my water had broken the evening before but no contractions started.  I knew a pitocin drip was forthcoming. 

 Oh, look! Still smiling several hours into the pictocin drip... but not long after this I clung to the bed and Matt's hands pretty sure I was going to die.  But thankfully I had such great support from Matt and Melanie that I didn't die (or poop) but birthed our little 8 pound, 6 ounce Anna Lynn.

Hello, Daddy.

I'm pretty sure I was the sweatiest woman ever to have given birth... but it was all worth it.

Owen and Chloie meeting their sister for the first time.  

Happy birthday, Anna!  I had envisioned myself making a birthday cake for her while I labored at home... well, that didn't happen, but a nice store bought cake worked all the same.

As worried as we were that Chloie would hate the baby, she couldn't love her more... actually if she loved her a little less it might be helpful at times.

I'm pretty sure this bath picture looks exactly like Chloie's bath picture... or maybe every baby looks exactly the same wrapped up in a little hooded towel.

And of course, you can't forget the helpers!  Always there to help... or smother.

And then shortly after our precious new edition, I had to send my biggest baby off to kindergarten!  Thankfully, he loves his school and teacher.  

But I don't think anyone could love school as much as Chloie.  She tried to trick me into feeding her lunch two hours early so she could go to school early the first week of school.  Hearing her little songs and watching her learn are such joys to a Mommy's heart.

So there it is... the quick 9 month review of the Davis Dish!