At Home Journal vol. 4

Outside my window:  foggy, chilly and wet...though I do notice more daylight hanging on in the afternoons since we've passed solstice.

Around the house: things are in need of some cleaning.  After the bustle of the holidays passed cleaning was the last thing on my list.  Now, the kitchen floor is hollering for a good wash and the bathrooms would like a scrubbing, especially the toilet.  Julia is not the neatest potty trainer.  Makes me cringe to think about Erik giving it a go!  We've also started cloth diapering again.  So the laundry is once more on schedule...guess that's good.

The baby: is sleeping on my chest as I type this in the Ergo- that both of us love.  He continues on schedule of eat, sleep, poop and is quite content most days unless he has a bubble from one end or the other.  And a content baby means BIG smiles and gooing come our way quite a bit!

The kiddos:  have been at eachother the past few days.  And that leaves me at them...leaving none of us very happy about things.  They have come to new levels of arguing and I am trying not to play referee but things continue to come back to me.  Ugh.  I feel like  I need to renegociate my contract. :)
Katie enjoys bringing Julia to tears and tantrum and Julia enjoys rubbing Katie the wrong way and so the endless cycle.  Currently, Julia is in tears again as Kate has hidden her doll..."Katie make me mad!"  While Katie is harping, "Go check behind the couch...it's not scary."  Argh!

In the kitchen:  We enjoyed a Herb Roast Chicken yesterday.  If you're a fan of easy whole chicken recipes I highly recommend this one!  Kurt also dazzled us with Brie en Croute  that he used to make with Ken and Pat at the Wisconsin House many moons ago.  Delicious!  We also had a friend gift us a freezer casserole that I used this week Wednesday.  A nightmare ensued with Katie 'no casserole'.  That is one thing I don't like about being the one to chose the menu...you can't please all tastes all the time.  We'll see what the weekend holds.  I think Gooch's Pizza Saturday as we don't get FOX and want to watch the Packers in the playoffs at least for a bit.

Bringing me joy:  My mommy friends who keep it real.  We got together yesterday for an Epiphany party.  They are the best!  Baby smiles and snuggles.  A new author, Kate Morton, who's books I've been enjoying.  I got to read The Forgotten Garden over the holidays and loved it and all the fairy tale, Secret Garden references.  Now I am in the middle of reading The Distant Hours. 

Thinking about:  balancing time with my spouse and children...sharing love.  Struggling to work on the plank in my own eye before seeing something in some else's.  Staying healthy and away from the flu without going into hibernation which just the thought of makes me crazy.  My extended family up north, I miss them.  Our Christmas was canceled due to flu.

Picture to share:  Well, I can't seeme to get Blogger to upload right now so it looks like we're pictureless.  But if you're on Facebook check out the video I posted this week!

Advent and Christmas in Pictures

I have been hoping to find time to write more about our Advent and Christmas but find myself busy enough away from the computer.  I loaded these pictures just after Christmas and still haven't composed a post.  So, I'm just going to caption the pictures and call it good...moving on from here.

Decorating the tree.  The ornament has a picture of her first Christmas, December 2007.

Lots of low hanging ornaments!

Working together.

We put the trees up while my mom was here.  The girls thought it was so fun and I was so grateful for the help! 

Erik and the baby friendly Nativity

My brother John visited in Advent to seek out nomination for "favorite Uncle," sorry Tom!

 

Katie helping write some of our Christmas letters.

 

Some lucky folks received letters signed by her hand!

 

Cutting out Gingerbread Cookies!  We'll definitely make these next year- YUM!

 

Just before Christmas (the 20th and 21st) we got our snow!  Beautiful White Christmas!

 

When the cousins arrived we celebrated with ribs off the smoker!  Jacob ate his fair share!

Christmas morning!

 

 

She wound up with those socks in the Snyder $10 exchange...along with her coveted nail polish!

 

Two sledders!

 

Christmas pretzels thanks to Aunt Micki and Mary Frances.  Beautiful and delicious!

 

Playing Fibber with the cousins.  Just the glasses with noses for the game are funny!

 

And finally, a cute baby picture...all tuckered out from the holidays!

Welcoming a New Year

Best wishes on your 2013!  Here we are saying "Hello New Year! " with cake! My love decided we should celebrate another year of me a day early since work (and school) start again tomorrow.   He's been working all morning in the kitchen on a favorite recipe from America's Test Kitchen, Coconut Cake with Coconut Butter Cream Frosting. My day just got a little sweeter! Yum!  How sweet it is to be loved....

What my Baby Wore Today (Christmas 2012)

When you're home for Christmas...after a late night at Christmas Eve Mass...you wear flannel.

 

Flannel makes me cuter!

Flannel makes me cozier!

Flannel makes me look more like Dad!

As an aside, Mom had me all dressed up for Christmas Eve and two minutes before we were headed out the door  I pooped it all up so I just wore "normal" baby clothes as I'd pooped in the rest of the Christmas attire earlier in the day.  Everyone thought I was the cutest nonetheless but Mom didn't take any pictures.  See what other babies wore at Simple Mama.

Christmas Letter 2012

"For unto us a child is born..."

December 2012

Dear Family and Friends,

These words of the angels certainly ring true in a new way to our family this year as we welcomed a new baby to our home this Holy Season!  What a visual into the lives of Mary and Joseph!  Though I’m not sure what the scene at the stable would look like with a four year old and two year old in tow.  I am attempting to type this with babe in arms and two begging sisters asking for third breakfasts.  Neither childbirth nor parenting is very glamorous and that reality hasn’t changed since Christ’s birth! Yet at Christmas we celebrate the birth of a King born in poverty and recall the love of a Father for all His children that is beautiful beyond our comprehension.

Here in the Snyder home there are glimpses of beautiful love as well…

Kurt continues to provide for our family.  By day he is a John Deere engineer by night a volunteer firefighter and farmer and of course fulltime Dad.  This year, after moving closer to a friend’s farm he helped raise and butcher 300 chickens.  He also worked on perfecting his apple press and cider making skills.  Our orchard had its first ‘record year’!  He kept our yard and garden looking good and has been making numerous home improvements to our house. 

Katie, 4, is our magnificent, independent, performer and artist.  Days with her are full of song, dance and projects!  She’d like to record her day on the smartphone and camera.  Katie has really come a long way in learning, too.  Her favorite pastime of late is writing notes, lists and letters.  Soon enough I’ll be able to pawn this job off on her!  She is an amazing big sister and natural mother.  And just this week Katie won her first game of UNO and teamed up in our Gym class to help me lose her first game of SPUD!

Julia, 2, is adjusting to life as middle child.  She has the best sense of humor!  JuJu has found her voice this past year.  Dad is greeted with a play by play of our day each afternoon.  And with voice has come opinion!  She’s potty training on her terms, dresses herself, can be rather helpful with the baby.  She’s the first to grab a diaper, help burp, and warn of crying.  She loves the game I SPY.  Both Julia and Katie are continually changing identities in their perpetual game of pretend.  They also demand that Kurt and I become players in their adventures- from nights out at Gooch’s, becoming our friends and neighbors families, or making an imaginary family of our own.  It gets to be rather confusing when the call for “Mom!” is not actually for me!

Erik Edward Snyder joined our family on the morning of November 14^th.  What’s the saying, “New house, new baby?”  Kurt was thrilled to have boy join our ranks as he was worried about his continual hair loss from the female drama that is our home. J  And beyond the drama of his birth, Erik is about as low key as they come. He is thus far an easy and happy baby.  Already so alert and gracing us with smiles and an occasional coo his days consist of eat, sleep and poop.  He is the pride of his sisters who beg to hold him and be near him. Weighing in at 9 lbs. 4 oz. he has continued to grow and grow!  Our transition to a family of five was made easier with the help of family and friends.  We feel incredibly blessed and loved!

As for me, I love our new home and the time spent with family in it.  Waking up to this view has yet to get old. There is something to being with the ones you love in the midst of God’s creation each day!  I’m still keeping busy at church, the library, the blog, kids’ gym and art classes, coffee klatch and moms’ group.  I put down countless jars of apples, applesauce, pickles, marinara, and salsa this fall in our canning kitchen.  I am learning to count the things I am grateful for and have noticed so many things I have taken for granted. 

We are sending you Christmas wishes and blessings on your 2013! 

Love,

Kurt, Angie, Katie, Julia and Erik

 

That Little Boy of Mine

One of the coffee klatch ladies wrote this up in her congratulations card for Erik...so sweet.  They sang it for us while I was still expecting!

That Little Boy of Mine
(Bonnie Owens)

A tiny turned up nose,
Two cheeks just like a rose,
So sweet from head to toe,
That little boy of mine.

Two eyes that shine so bright,
Two arms that hold me tight,
Two lips that kiss goodnight,
That little boy of mine.

No one will ever know
Just what his coming has meant
Because we love him so,
He's something heaven sent.

He's all the world to me,
He climbs upon my knee,
To me he'll always be,
That little boy of mine.

At Home Journal vol. 3

Outside my window: Sunny, chilly and still some snow on the ground!

Clothing myself in: Real khaki pants (as apposed to maternity), a navy blue knit t-shirt, everyday wool socks and a flowered scarf.

Around the house:  things are fairly tidy.  There seems a never ending pile of laundry that has come with Erik's arrival.  And for me the tricky part is we get a better deal on electrical in our cooperative before 11 a.m. and after 7 p.m. so I'd like to do all the laundry then...but find myself thinking about it now while the kids nap and I have a moments peace.  I also noticed I have to bring in my planters, now frozen and covered with snow.

The baby: is a darling child and I say that with no sarcasm!  At this point he couldn't be an easier addition to our family.  He has definitely started filling out and you can see it in his legs, cheeks and chins.  He is also staring at me lots when in arms.  I love that curious look!  We had him baptized this past weekend.  Friends of ours agreed to be his godparents and we couldn't be happier- thank you Troy and Rachael.  The baptism itself seemed like a bit of a three ring circus for me, with our kids and their kids but I take comfort in the loving smile of our patient pastor and in that Christ made the sacraments effective.  Welcome to the Church Erik Edward!

The kiddos:  Katie has been all about Advent and the activities we're trying to do as a family this season.  She is still volunteering to hold Erik constantly it seems but I hesitate to go too far when she has him as there is the deep longing to tote him around like a baby doll.  She really enjoyed St. Nicholas Day this year.  And has loved extra time with Gramma in the past weeks.  I think she will be ready for Kindergarten in the fall.  Crazy how big she is getting!  Julia is living up to being two (and a half!) and still adjusting to life with the new baby.  Her tantrums and meltdowns stress me out and her non-stop motion accounts for my lack of energy most nights.  I feel like I need to give her more time but I'm not sure what that looks like at this point.  She is such a funny little girl and I love her dearly...but want to affirm that to her as most of me seems monopolized at the moment.  She is all about Christmas and asks daily if it is today (no concept of time)!  She's been miraculously taking charge of her own potty training.  She'll wear and keep her undies dry until nap time and usually after nap.  We have been struggling at night time though as she takes that opportunity to poop after being laid down for bed (fun!) and ends up leaking out of her diapers by morning sometimes...wondering about pull-ups...we never used them for Katie but she was always dry at night.  Ah, the joys of a mommy journal!  Seems awful similar to my musings from last time!

In the kitchen: we are still enjoying a freezer meal or delivery from friends here and there and I have yet to really delve into cooking much.  Just keeping it simple and pretty hassle free.  Tonight, meatballs and pesto pasta, tomorrow Kurt's aunt is bringing us a meal, Thursday my brother will be coming into town and we may venture out, Friday a kid friendly retirement party, Saturday is up in the air and Sunday we're hoping to Packer Party with some friends!  Ah, life is good!  I am saving up for Christmas time!

Bringing me joy:  countless blessings, time with my parents this past weekend, my brother's upcoming visit, SNOW!

Thinking about: The Christmas pictures my mom and I took the kids to take last week at Sears.  It was not a good experience (though the kids were beyond wonderful and so was my mom!) and now I can't even get the pictures they emailed me a link to to download, grrr.  We'll be going back to Portrait Innovations next year.  A conversation I had with another mom and then talked with Kurt about.  We are sure blessed and I try not to take that for granted. When will we get more snow...can Christmas come any faster?  I am not ready!!!!  And when will I be able to get ready...took comfort in this post.  Should I even attempt a Christmas letter??

Some pictures:

Erik in our family baptismal gown...see the names embroidered 'round the bottom...thanks Gramma Ann!

What are you wearing?  "See in this white garment the outward sign of your Christian dignity..."

Hear the sounds of the circus...my monkey in Dad's arms and elephant on my feet?  Though the godparents look like they're paying attention!

Father Bernie and the three he's now baptized.  I think this picture is the best of the bunch!

Katie wanting to be in a picture.

God bless you little buddy!  (See, she snuck into this picture, too!)