Blogger's Block

I'm not sure what you are supposed to write about when you haven't even posted for over 18 months and sporadically before that.  I'm also not really sure that I can concisely full in all the gaps for the last 18 months, but I will try!  To sum it up, the last year has been filled with changes, big decisions, heartbreak, new directions and lots of prayer and reflections.  Most of you probably know the details.

What I can add is this:  God has been ever present, teaching and guiding us.  I could go through coffee cup after coffee cup sharing with you what my heart has learned.  Through it all my Savior has been a gently teaching me and affirming me.  This year has been hard.  I can't sugar coat that, but He has been so faithful.

So that seems philosophical enough to summarize the big gap!  I will try to return to more faithfully posting pictures and videos of the kids and our adventures.  For whoever happens to be reading!!  The picture above was taken last Sept.  It's the view from my backyard.

-Tara

Crab Tormenting

Hex Bugs

Thanks Gaonas! These are mostly screams of delight, but Jael still didn't really like handling them if they were on.

Success!!

Loose tooth take #1- fail!

CAKE!

We let her go for it. Didn't get quite as covered in frosting as Ben did, but I think she enjoyed it!

Jael's First Birthday!!!!

We had a sweet, fun time celebrating Jael turning one. Even though I was in complete denial about it all day!

Cruisin

How our family would travel if we lived in Africa!

Giggles

Cute kids

This is already kind of an old picture (yes, it's from Easter). But cute none the less!

Month in review

So here is a random, probably not inclusive run down of our last month!


Jael is now 2 months old, she has started sleeping through the night in the last week. She can still get up pretty early sometimes but I am thankful not to be seeing 3am on my clock anymore! She is smiling like crazy and starting to "talk".

We had our first ever familiy bowling event a few weeks ago. The kids loved it! Ben would use a little metal ramp to push his ball down the lane and he ended up with the best score. They were all so excited and we could barely contain Benjamin until it was his turn.

The kids love watching Jael get a bath. Despite her face in this picture she usually doesn't mind the audience.

A frequent occurance at our house is nerf wars. We have 3 small guns and one semi auto machine gun that shoots about 50 darts. Daddy posed this picture, Ben is wearing sunglasses because he is too small for our safetly goggles.

Happy Birthday Great-Grandma!

Last weekend we celebrated Great-Grandma's birthday with her. We had chocolate cake, as Benjamin demonstrates in this picture! It was also her first time meeting Jael. I think she enjoyed her time and I am sure had a good nap after we left!!

3 weeks!

Jael is now 3 weeks old! It's been a busy couple of weeks. Mama Sue came to visit and help out. We also had a 5th birthday party for Naomi. Jael had a check up yesterday and she now weights 8lb 4ozs! So all is well at the Loyd house, now if I could just get a nap....

Introducing.....

Jael Patricia Loyd

Jael (pronounced "J" "L") joined our family on 01-22-10 at 3:33am. She weighed 6lbs 15oz and was 18 1/4 inches!

We are home from the hospital and are being well cared for by Mark, my parents and sister and our church family. Audrey was my nurse for the two nights I stayed in the hospital. I tell you, it sure is easy to get some rest when when the nurse you are handing your kid off to is a very affectionate Aunt!

Christmas Blizzard

We had a great lazy Christmas day due to in part to the weather blowing outside. When we woke up this morning we were drifted in even more.

This is the view out my laundry room window. You can see the corner of the door leading into our garage and the snow is drifted up to the top of our fence.

Our sliding glass door offers a great cross section of what it's like inside a snow drift.

Our back deck! Unfortunately our street really drifts in front of our house. Even with Mark's truck we are stuck here until the city sends a plow our way. Since we live on a minor residential street I'm sure we are not a huge priority. It's a very good thing we have lots of new toys and games to play with to pass the time!

New beds and first bed head.

A couple of weeks ago we completed a room switcheroo. Our guest bedroom was cleaned out and painted and Naomi got her own room. She was very excited and it was my plan over the next several weeks to transition Ben into a toddler bed in his own room and then when that was going smoothly move him over with Jeremiah to make room for the new baby. I had this carefully orchestrated plan complete with (probably) needing to buy a bed rail since Ben would be in a twin bed.

So much for plans. Naomi was so excited about her new bed, and Jeremiah was a little sad about sleeping by himself, that my risk taker husband thought we should throw caution to the wind and just put Ben to bed in the bottom bunk, no rail, no transition, just jump in. Well, he was just thrilled and by far as been the easiest of our kids to leave the crib. He loves his new bed, doesn't fall out, doesn't ask to be rocked anymore :(, and other than some early morning brother shnanagans, things are going well.

It's a little hard to tell in this picture but Ben finally has enough hair that we had a first this morning: Bed head on our little blonde boy! He is 2 1/2 and has never had a hair on his head cut.

snuggles

The Pumpkin Patch

A little catch up with some random cuteness!