Isaiah Michael Patrick Rains

Trick-or-Treat, Smell my Feet!

2011-11-01T22:38:00.002-05:00

Earlier this month we went to this fabulous pumpkin patch where we actually clipped the pumpkin from the vine. Isaiah LOVED it! They also had a zip-line for people to do, but we decided Isaiah was a bit too young. He did, however, shoot tennis balls from a air gun out onto their lake. You were to try and hit these floating things on the lake to win stuff. We didn't win anything, but sheer giggles.

Isaiah's costume was an Iron Man this year. He's got like 3-4 action figures. Kevin took him trick-or-treating around my parent's house. He actually said, "Trick or Treat, Smell my feet!!" Nathan dressed up as a huge lion too!....too funny! The night before beggar's night, Kevin let Isaiah carve his own pumpkin....what a hoot!

Farewell, Summer

2011-09-19T20:06:00.003-05:00

For our final shin-dig of the summer, we decided to join our friends, the Goulds, at Adventureland one final time. It was the 2nd to last weekend and the lines were insanely long. We did manage to have some fun, though.

Just Monkey-ing Around

2011-09-19T20:03:00.003-05:00

While the kids were here on their time with us, we took them to the zoo with our great friends, the Goulds. The kids had a ton of fun, I think. Ben and Isaiah even got their faces painted!

Up, Up, and Away...

2011-09-19T19:57:00.002-05:00

It has been forever since I have posted. Partially because I started this job, got sick, and honestly have been insanely busy as a family. In early August, the Indianola Balloon Festival was in town (in Indianola, tee hee). We went down the final night. They had amazing balloons including a bald eagle. We got to see some take off and some land, which doesn't happen very often! Isaiah loved it. I wish I could upload all the pictures he took, but it would be 20+ of the ground, the balloon, and his face! He loves the camera.

National America Miss...Abbey rocked this!

2011-07-25T21:34:00.002-05:00

Abbey participated in National America Miss (NAM) for the 2nd year in a row this past weekend in Waterloo, Iowa. Mimi and Papa (Kevin's parents-for those of you who do not know) and Grandma and Papa (Greg's parents) made the long journey into corn land to show our support. However, it was Ashley who traveled a day early from Uganda to support her who wowed us all with her energy. Abbey, of course, was naturally beautiful in her blue ball gown by Tom's side for the formal wear competition. Her inner beauty was seen by the judges during acting (which she took home 1st place), and the personal introduction/interview because she came in 3rd runner up for the crown! Truly awesome as she was one of the youngest in her division this year! We were all so very proud of her!

It was great to spend time with Ben and Tom & Lynn as well!!!!

Family Fun

2011-07-25T21:23:00.002-05:00

The older kids came out for visits this summer. We totally forgot to take pictures when they were here in June. We did go to Adventureland for a day with our friends The Gould and The Workmans. We also had a bit of excitement when the city fire department showed up during a family night with the Goulds with a campfire (well, not really a campfire, but none-the-less). They were very pleasant and we extinguished it with no problems. Abbey, my mom, my sister, and I also went to a PURE Fashion Show. It is this fantastic Christian girls' group who promotes modesty and self-esteem. Abbey fell in love and is looking into seeing if her home church will start one in the Quad Cities...so stay tuned.

Ben's visit was cut short due to a doctor's appointment, but we still managed to have tons of fun checking out books from the library, playing Transformers, and our main event: a visit to American Dream Cars. The boys (including Kevin) all had huge eyes walking through there! I was just interested in how cute I'd look in them (haha!). Of course, the boys needed to pose with "Bumblebee".

Abbey's visit was full of drama and laughs. We were supposed to go to the waterpark, but decided to do the economic thing and create one at home. We filled the cooler with water balloons, busted out the squirt guns, the kid pool, and of course, the slip and slide. Tons of fun...and total cost was about $2.50 (the water balloons). We also went camping and I discovered I am not a camping kind of gal. Next time, we are using a camper or I am not going! Unfortunately, in our haste to get the car packed, we forgot the camera (thank goodness b/c I was not smiling at all). Abbey and I ventured to the craft store and made bracelets from string and hemp (Kevin's birthday gifts). We also toured Valley Junction's Atomic Garage and found an adorable polka-dot skirt for her 50's dance for NAM. Yes, it was a fun....fun....fun time!

April Celebrations

2011-04-23T16:57:00.002-05:00

Our great friends, the Goulds, celebrated the 1 year birthday of their youngest sweetie, Rosamae. Isaiah and I were lucky to attend her birthday celebrations at Chuckie Cheese along with several old friends from JCFC. She got lots of awesome stuff, the kids had a great time, and the parents had a chance to socialize. However, that being said....we will never celebrate Isaiah's (or any other toddler's) birthday at Chuckie Cheese. Parents there are crazy letting their children run wild. I was so frustrated with the older children being mean to the younger ones, even with the parents standing there. But enough about that, it was an awesome birthday party! Rosamae was so funny eating her cake, she kept looking at Tammy and Shawn as if to say, "So TODAY you want me to make a mess? You people are all crazy!" It was classic!

Tonight's the night before Easter. Tomorrow we have a fun-filled day of church, dying Easter eggs, dinner and Easter Bunny baskets. We are starting a new tradition this year with a recipe for "Resurrection Cookies" I found in a Christian mom's magazine. Basically, you make the cookies the night before and with each step, you read a part of the Passion. For example, you smash the chocolate pieces and you tell the part of the story where Jesus was beaten by the Romans. The next morning, you open the oven (you leave them in there overnight with it turned off) and eat them. They are hallow on the inside! You continue to talk about Jesus' sacrifice and the shock the disciples had when they realized Jesus was alive. I can't wait!

The picture of Isaiah with the nest is this little bird's nest he made at Jalayne's on Friday with pretzels, frosting, a Peep, and jelly beans. So cute...and tasty!

Missing Diamond

2011-04-23T16:33:00.003-05:00

As most of our family and friends know, we adopted a 2 year old female German Shepherd from the Marion County Humane Society. Her name is Diamond and she is absolutely gorgeous! We got her on a Tuesday evening and brought her home. She immediately was attached to Kevin's hip and very loving to the rest of us. Despite her incident with the neighbor's cat, she continued to grow to be apart of our family. However, on Monday a horrific event happened. Isaiah opened the door and she bolted, going after a neighborhood teenage girl. Needless to say, we were floored! The girl is okay, one small bite. Animal Control took her for 10 days, but we decided that Diamond was best suited for a farm out of the city. We've contacted the shelter and asked them what they would like us to do. Diamond will be missed, but know this is what is best for all involved. We love her and know she will be a great dog for someone else.

The finals days of 2010

2011-01-01T17:50:00.002-06:00

A few days after Christmas, Abbey and Ben came back out for a longer visit. Abbey had a sleep over with Katelynn Gould and her friend, Jasimyn. I gave them all makeovers prior to them munching on pickles, chips, orange soda, and mint chocolate ice cream....gross!!!!! I am apparently crazy because I also brought Nathan over so I had 6 kids in the house by myself while Kevin was at work. We survived though! The boys went out and played in the snow and brought Isaiah back into me crying telling me they threw snowballs at him. Oh, bother! Surprisingly, he survived and got them both back with the Nerf gun later.

A little bit about...New Year's Eve. My parents spent New Years' with the little man while we rang in 2011 at my friends', Ashley and Ryan, wedding in Rock Island, Moline. Tons of fun....and memories! I am sooo not ready to go back to work, but even more dreading writing my comprehensive exam for my Masters. I am 1 class away! Woohoo!

"Yatas & Santas"

2011-01-01T17:26:00.002-06:00

Wow! The holiday times have been busy for us, as I am sure they have been for most. For Isaiah's 3rd birthday we invited several friends and family over for chili and cake. Last time we counted there were approximately 20 people here besides us (and Abbey and Ben)...yikes! It was hectic at times, but everyone seemed to have a good time. Isaiah especially loved the "yata" (pinata) we got him for surprises for his friends. Unfortunately, our camera didn't have batteries, so we relied on Mom and Dad for pictures.

A couple days before Christmas, my parents took Isaiah to Bass Pro Shop's Winter Wonderland to see santa. He asked santa for "Bumblebee" from Transformers, but when asked later he said he asked for a puppy. No, he did not get the puppy...this year. We were grateful beyond words this Christmas. A lady at the hotel, graciously gave us 2 Manheim Steamroller tickets so Kevin and I were able to have a short, but amazing date as we sat 5 or 6 rows from the front. They were so great! Additionally, my parents and siblings gave Isaiah some awesome toys, Tom and Lynn gave him some more (super cute clothes, too!), and my parents gave us things we really needed (a tire & money to pay off my pass due car loan).

Our most shocking surprise, was coming home on Christmas Eve to a kitchen, freezer, and pantry full of groceries. Additionally, presents from this "Secret Santa" for Isaiah and us with a note saying to put them under the tree. We are/were in complete shock and cannot believe how blessed we are to have such amazing friends to do something like this for us. It renewed the CHRISTmas spirit and showed us Christ's love for us in a very DIRECT way! Thank you, Secret Santa! We cannot wait until next year to pass a blessing on to someone else...

Airplanes and Leaves

2010-11-23T22:49:00.002-06:00

While in Davenport for Abbey's play, Kevin's parents (Mimi and Papa) came to see us. Isaiah is totally blessed to have a Papa with his own plane. Kevin took a flight with his dad and didn't stop talking about it for days! He was so excited and can't wait for the next time.

Our new yard is full of trees, which means tons of raking. Kevin spent and entire afternoon raking and made a huge pile for Isaiah to jump in. He was so stinking cute running through the leaves and chasing Kevin around trying to attack him with leaves! Now that it's getting chilly, I miss the fall....boo, Iowa winters! Can't wait to get Isaiah on a sled again this year though. Look for pictures yet to come...

Fun Fall Time

2010-11-23T22:43:00.003-06:00

We went to a small pumpkin farm outside of Des Moines city limits. It was very cute and they even had a go-cart (see Kevin's picture)! Isaiah had a blast picking out a pumpkin and it was soooo nice, hence why I'm wearing a tank top.

In early October, we took Isaiah to see his big sister, Abbey, in her play Stuart Little. She looked so grown up in her narrator costume! Isaiah was in total awe of the mouse and Abbey introduced him to Isaiah afterwards. I don't think he knew what to think! Isaiah loved snuggling with Ben while watching the play too. Fun fall times!

Relaxing Summer

2010-08-13T21:18:00.002-05:00

This is the first summer since I was 14 where I didn't work a full time job. Although, I was taking graduate credits all summer long and working 2-3 shifts at the Tavern, this summer was LAZY. Here are a few pictures of our summer... Isaiah's getting better at his bedtime routine, but we are still struggling with it a bit. He has decided he is too big for his toddler bed and sleeps in the trundle bed most of the time. Before bed he always gets a story and a song. His favorites right now are Llama Llama Red Pajama, Where's Dave, and Green Eggs and Ham. His favorite song is Hey Diddle Diddle, the nursery rhyme.

Fourth of July

2010-08-13T21:14:00.002-05:00

So, I have been getting scolded by Abbey because I haven't posted a single picture from this summer on here. So....I'm catching up now.

Every year, West Des Moines has a parade the 3rd of July. I haven't been able to go for several years because at the end of the parade is a street festival in Valley Junction. Since I work at the Tavern I generally have to work. Kevin, my brother, and parents all went up to see the parade. Isaiah loved it, especially the fire trucks.

Potty Time-Day 1

2010-06-18T18:24:00.004-05:00

I have super sick with Strep-throat this weekend. It was horrible. I had planned on potty training starting on Wednesday, but naturally didn't feel up to it. Today, I picked him up from Jalayne's and started talking about potty training. He was very excited to pick out motorcycle big boy undies Mimi and Papa had gotten him. When we got home we went straight to potty and waited. Dad came home and sat with us. After a few minutes, Isaiah went!!!! Here are pictures of a very happy toddler!

Sibling Time

2010-05-08T11:32:00.003-05:00

My entire family drove to Davenport to help celebrate Ben's 10th birthday. It was the first time we've seen the kids since New Years and we were all excited to see them. Isaiah went swimming with them and loved jumping into the pool to Abbey and Daddy. I got him a little flotation outfit and I was amazed to see him wear it. We love the kids so much and Isaiah cried when we dropped them back off. Whenever he sees their pictures now he says, "We go swimming!?" Love you Abbey and Ben.

Easter and funny glasses

2010-05-08T11:29:00.001-05:00

Sorry for the delay in adding pictures. Kevin and I were both finishing our finals for classes. For Easter we went to service @ JCFC and then over to my parents for Easter dinner. Isaiah received a frog towel, a dollar coin, and Toy Story 1 & 2. Later, he found some funny glasses of Nathan's and refused to take them off. Too cute!

Fun in the tub!

2010-03-29T21:04:00.002-05:00

Isaiah absolutely loves bath time. Here are some recent pictures...

Saint Patrick's Day Fun

2010-03-29T21:00:00.002-05:00

Isaiah loved St. Patrick's Day. Our sitter took him to the parade downtown and said he was the "official waver". He found my antennas and insisted on wearing them. When he got bored of that he put them on the monkey. We even taught him to scream, "Happy Saint Patrick's Day!"...although you had to know what he was saying to understand.

Mimi's Outfit

2010-03-21T19:53:00.002-05:00

Mimi made this outfit for Isaiah. He loves it and looks so sharp in it! The buttons are little teddy bears!

Abbey's Play

2010-03-07T18:30:00.003-06:00

Abbey is a wonderful actress and enjoys participating in theater. Kevin went to see her latest show this past weekend. It was a play about the book Ramona Quimby. Here are some photos of the play...

Monkey Business and more jammies

2010-01-04T21:44:00.006-06:00

Aunt Katie and Uncle Ray bought Isaiah some great presents. A puzzle, a poop book (loved by Ray), and some new clothes. Isaiah loves wearing jammies so he couldn't wait to get home to try them out. Daddy and him even posed from wrestling for a picture.
He sat still for 1 picture in the past 2 months.
He loves his new light stick.

Part of mom and dad's birthday present to Isaiah was tickets to Curious George Live. The show was this Saturday and he apparently had a ball. They were really close to the stage so they got to see everything! Mom and Dad got him a light stick that he carries around making money sounds. Too cute!

2nd Birthday

2010-01-03T20:19:00.003-06:00

Nathan played "Happy Birthday" on his trumpet.

I finally got pictures from Isaiah's birthday off of Mom's camera.

Christmas night is always better in new pjs

2009-12-25T21:43:00.003-06:00

Smile for Mimi and Papa. He said, "What?!" (His new catch phrase for everything Kevin and I say.) I said, "smile" so here we go...
Wearing new pajamas to bed the 1st night in his new bed. Took 1 1/2 hours to get him down for a nap today, so hopefully bedtime will go quicker.
I told Isaiah to smile like Mr. Potato head. Looks great, huh?

Santa's here!!

2009-12-25T08:51:00.003-06:00

Isaiah woke up screaming, "Mom, are yous up?!" Dad, I'm up. Are you guys up!?" It was so funny. I finally got up with him and he ran into the living room in his new Buzz Lightyear Jammies (the elves brought him to prepare him for the night before Santa). When he ran into the room he yelled. "Oh look! More presents!" It was too cute!!

He loved the "big boy bed"! (He asked Santa for it.) He was so excited to open more presents he couldn't even sit down. We opened family presents yesterday and Isaiah loved all of them. He was so excited to finally get to open the presents. He loved Chuck, the toy truck, from Mimi and Papa. And was so excited to put "moneys" in his piggy bank from Aunt Amy and Uncle Jeff. It looks hand-painted and has a train on it. Isaiah loves trains!

Moore Family Christmas

2009-12-23T11:59:00.002-06:00

A couple weekends ago, we drove to Carroll for our annual Moore Family Christmas. Isaiah ate cookies, candies, and cheese....that's it! We protested, but Grandma and Grandpa over-ruled our decision. Isaiah enjoyed running around with my cousin's kids, Seth (age 5) and Amara (age 2). All the little ones got a visit from Santa. Isaiah liked the gift, but didn't like Santa. Nathan did! :)

Isaiah's 2nd birthday

2009-12-23T11:55:00.002-06:00

My camera died so I only got one picture. Mom's camera and video recorder got more. I'll upload them over Christmas so everyone can see the little man enjoy opening gifts and eating his cake.

ABCs

2009-11-18T14:04:00.000-06:00

Isaiah is learning his ABC's. Both Grandma and Daddy have heard it. I am jealous I haven't!

More Family Photos

2009-10-27T21:16:00.002-05:00

Fall Family Photos

2009-10-27T21:11:00.003-05:00

A friend of ours volunteered to take family photos. Isaiah wasn't very cooperative, but we did get some great ones.

More Bridges

2009-10-19T22:33:00.003-05:00

We saw a photo opportunity.

Bridges of Madison County

2009-10-19T22:24:00.002-05:00

Kevin took Isaiah and I to the Bridges of Madison County. It is about 45 minutes south of Des Moines. We have 3 more to see, but the pictures are great!

Temper Tantrum stages

2009-10-02T13:51:00.000-05:00

Please keep our family in prayer as Isaiah is in a very testing stage with his temper tantrums. I know we will get through it, but a little prayer never hurt! :)

More Fair and wild times with the toy box

2009-09-27T16:36:00.002-05:00

Isaiah loves to climb into things...see?

Fair Time...a little late.

2009-09-27T16:26:00.002-05:00

The fair was over a month ago, but with the move and school starting I am just getting to posting the pictures. Our friends the Goetzingers joined us. They have a little girl, Reislynn, that is almost 2 as well. Isaiah and her had a blast! Isaiah didn't like Clifford this year either.

Running as fast as you can!

2009-07-22T13:15:00.000-05:00

Full Speed Ahead!

A little bit of everything!

2009-07-22T13:12:00.001-05:00

This is a little bit of everything. Abbey with her braces, our trio at the 25th Anniversary party, Mom and Dad with their grandson, and camping pictures.

Riding the Dinosaur

2009-07-22T13:11:00.000-05:00

Pool time!

2009-06-29T10:06:00.002-05:00

Mom and Dad bought Isaiah a little pool for the backyard. Amy Esbeck brought over Briella after church and we took the kids swimming. The loved it!

Putting my shoes on

2009-06-21T19:54:00.007-05:00

Isaiah was playing in his room by himself while I was getting ready for church this morning when he came walking out holding one shoe and wearing the other! It was on the correct foot even! The last picture was tonight, after my game, when Isaiah found the camera and decide to play photographer. I helped him on this one, the rest were of the floor!

We found out that Isaiah LOVES yogurt. It's a great, healthy snack so I'm stoked!

Worlds of Fun

2009-06-14T23:22:00.003-05:00

I know this is supposed to be all about Isaiah, but wanted to share a few pictures from our Anniversary weekend in Worlds of Fun. No, Isaiah was not there. He was busy being spoiled by Grandma and Grandpa.

We met the whole Peanuts gang for a picture, but only got 2 actually in the picture. Kevin's face is priceless. I think this was before the MAMBA (one of the worlds fastest and highest roller coasters). And Kevin thought it would be FABULOUS to have me take a picture with the "psychiatrist" because he assumes I need one. FUNNY!!! lol!

Super Butt Cheeks

2009-06-14T23:16:00.002-05:00

My parents got Isaiah these little superman pajamas. The shorts were a little too big at first. Abbey, Ben, and I decided to call him "SUPER BUTT CHEEKS!" Yep, he will love these pictures when he is older!

2009-05-11T21:58:00.000-05:00

More pictures, but there are a TON more!

Omaha Zoo

2009-05-11T21:55:00.001-05:00

Mom and Dad took us all to the zoo for Mother's Day. Isaiah had a ball!

Playing with a bowl

2009-05-11T21:54:00.002-05:00

Isaiah found this bowl and decided it was a hat.

Visiting the kids

2009-05-11T21:51:00.000-05:00

Kevin went to Abbey and Ben's Spring concert...

2009-04-27T20:40:00.001-05:00

Isaiah said ABBEY and BENNY tonight...too cute!

Best Buds

2009-04-16T21:27:00.005-05:00

While I was getting ready for Mary Kay today, Isaiah was super quiet. (That is never a good thing!) I found him in his room hanging out with Mya (our crazy Siamese) on his rocker. They were too cute chillin' together. Meanwhile, Daisy was relaxing in the middle of the bed, far away from Isaiah.

Fun around the house

2009-04-12T08:41:00.003-05:00

Here is the boy hanging out around the house...

Ben's Birthday Party

2009-04-12T08:35:00.003-05:00

Abbey and Ben were here for their Spring Break. Ben's 9th birthday was Thursday (they were going home on Wed) so we threw a Star Wars party at my mom and dad's. I got the kids Darth Vader masks to wear. Isaiah loved it, but wouldn't put one on. We had mint chocolate-chip ice cream cake. Yummy!!!

Ben got a totally cool light saber and space ship from us. Figurines from Jenny and a gift card (later used to purchase a transformer) from my parents/Nathan. Thanks everyone!!!

sorry

2009-03-30T15:19:00.001-05:00

I want to apologize if the song is Demon Hunter...go to bottom and hit skip. I did it because Daddy and Isaiah love to rock out to it.

Jamming out

2009-03-22T17:58:00.002-05:00

I got home from the conference last night. Isaiah decided to help me unpack. He found my Ipod and Daddy let him listened to it. He loved it!!!! He was shaking his tush at the music (except country). It was so cute!

2009-02-21T23:08:00.002-06:00

I am working on posting some videos I got of Isaiah from my digital camera. They are adorable. Hope I can get it to work soon. We miss everyone. Were doing okay....please keep us in prayer.

Isaiah is a walking machine. He refused to let me carry him to/from the car today. He wanted to walk!

Mommy/Babies visit to Columbia

2009-02-08T18:28:00.002-06:00

I went to visit my best friend, Lindsay, in Missouri. Yes, we have the same name! Anyways, I took Isaiah and she had her little girl, Kaitlyn, there. Jeremy (her fiance) is in Oklahoma for school so it was mommy/baby weekend. It was great just to be around with her. Here are pictures from the mall play area. Does it remind you of Monday night football?!!!

Family Pictures

2009-01-25T15:58:00.002-06:00

We had family pictures taken at JC Pennys. They are wonderful and will soon be in the mail for everyone! Enjoy!

Baptism at Sacred Heart

2009-01-23T12:12:00.002-06:00

We are having Isaiah baptized at Sacred Heart on Saturday, January 31st @ 4:00pm during mass. Kevin and I discussed, before Isaiah's birth, to raise our child in both churches. Although, we frequent Jordan Creek Family Church much more than Sacred Heart I still felt a desire to have him baptized. His godparents are Katie Lang and Ray Champlin (soon to be wed themselves).

SLEDDING!

2009-01-18T21:44:00.002-06:00

We had a pretty decent family weekend. Money isn't intensely tight right now (thanks to Tom and Lynn) so we spent less time freaking out about bills and enjoyed each other's company. Isaiah is the cutest right now. He has recently started to scowl at people (namely, me) when he doesn't like things. It's hard not to laugh at him.

After church and some mall walking Grandma and Grandpa took Isaiah sledding at Waveland. Well, he didn't actually go sledding, but was pulled in his sled around. We bundled him up in his new coat/snowsuit and it was adorable. Silly me forgot to the camera so I guess that means Kevin's going to have to take him again. Me?? Oh no, I don't do the snow thing. I like looking at it while sitting in a warm house. I know, I'm a wimp. Anyways, back to the sledding. Mom said that all the high school girls came over to "flirt" with my lil' hunk. Too cute. Jessie, from JCFC, commented on his flirty behavior today at church. Great! Now I am going to have to figure out how I can lock him in his room until he is 30....anyone know a good locksmith?

Well, I just downloaded some songs (thanks to Kevin's christmas gift) on my new Ipod. I am going to bring it to work tomorrow. We have staff inservice and I have 3 IEPs to do...ugh. Oh, and did I mention I have to sign up for 2 online masters courses tomorrow in addition to the 4 credit one I am already taking. I am going to be a super busy mom this semester. Let's hope I can keep it all in perspective and remember I have an obligation to my family before my career. Thank you Lord for giving me the means to earn my Masters and help me in the upcoming months.

Prayer Request

2009-01-09T10:37:00.003-06:00

Please keep Isaiah and Kevin in your prayers. Kevin has been very ill these past couple of weeks and is just now starting to make a little bit of growths in his health. Isaiah's leg is fine, but he is getting 4 teeth in at the same time. He doesn't seem to be interested in eating anything for a couple days now. And last night he woke up with a fever. So please, keep them in your prayers.

Christmas Time 2

2008-12-25T21:02:00.006-06:00

Mimi and Papa got Isaiah a super awesome Columbia snowsuit and coat. We tried it on...fun times! Grandpa wore this hat and Isaiah kept taking it off him because he looked weird. We put it on him instead. That lasted about 30 seconds. In tradition, we took a family picture in front of the tree (you can't see the tree though).
Side note:

Thanks Tom and Lynn for the GREAT purple IPOD! I love it and can't wait to work out using it! Kevin loves his DVDs and bible. We wish you could've been here. Isaiah sends kisses and hugs. Pictures will come of all the snazzy outfits. Thanks for everything you have done for us!

Thanks Jeff and Amy for the gift card. It will be a wonderful treat. The outfit you got him is adorable. He loves the nativity set too! We all hope to see you soon.

Thanks Jenny for the gift cards and for all the baby-sitting you do for us. We appreciate getting to go out and enjoy some alone time.

Nathan, you are the best lil brother in the world. Isaiah adores you! Thanks for entertaining him.

And last, Mom and Dad...we wouldn't be sane without you. You gave us an amazing wedding and help us out daily. We are grateful for everything....and thanks for the sweatshirt (boo) and jewelry. Oh, the sled was hit!

Christmas Time 1

2008-12-25T20:56:00.002-06:00

We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with my mom and dad. Isaiah opened presents both days....he was so funny! Here are a couple pictures for your viewing pleasure.

Seeing Santa

2008-12-20T14:26:00.004-06:00

Kevin was at camp last night so Mom and Dad invited us to the mall with them. They wanted to buy Isaiah his first pair of "shoes". Last time they took him there he wasn't quite standing up so the lady said to wait. They bought him a super cute brown pair from the kid section. You will all find it crazy to hear that Isaiah has HUGE FEET! He is wearing size 7 shoes! Yep, most one year olds are wearing 4s or 5s. What can I say? He has great genes!? After getting a balloon from Stride Right, Mom wanted to take him to see Santa. I was apprehensive knowing his temperament, but it went fairly well. He didn't scream and throw a fit like I had figured. Then Uncle Nathan took him on the train. Isaiah smiled so big when it was going around....of course every time I took the picture he stopped...lil booger! Then we went to Happy Joe's for pizza...he sure loves Pizza (just like his Daddy). This morning I put one of his new shirts from Mimi and Papa on him and he looked so handsome I got him to pose once for me. Of course, then he went to torture poor Mia...and I took a picture of that too. (For future proof!). Well, enjoy the pictures everyone....it's snowing and blowing here. Hope all of you in warmer weather consider yourselves LUCKY!

After the picture

2008-12-13T20:55:00.003-06:00

so I realized after I sent the last message....these pictures will be seen first, oh well. Yep, quite the mess!!!

Isaiah's Birthday party

2008-12-13T20:43:00.004-06:00

We had Isaiah's first birthday party this Saturday. Our friends, the Esbecks, came over to spend the evening with us. Isaiah received TONS of adorable clothes! (Thanks, Mimi and Papa). Grandma, Grandpa, and Nathan got him a cool music radio to annoy the living heck out of us (THANKS!) and a pull telephone (an old time toy). We got him a car/helicopter garage. Jeff, Amy and Addy got Isaiah an AMAZING painted picture with scripture from Isaiah. Can't wait to hang it up! Amy, Todd, and Briella Esbeck got Isaiah an AWESOME book with CDs. And Katie and Ray (who couldn't be there) gave us a gift card for Target to get a toy or something...haven't spent it yet!

We got a Sesame Street cupcake birthday cake for him, but he had his own cake...seen in the picture. See next post for what happened after this post!

Helping Decorate Grandma's Tree

2008-12-13T20:38:00.002-06:00

We went over to Grandma and Grandpa's house last weekend because Daddy was gone at camp. Grandma let Isaiah put some decorations on the tree. He loved it! Then Isaiah had spaghetti...his favorite!

Isaiah's 1st Birthday

2008-12-05T10:42:00.003-06:00

Isaiah is 1 years old!

Altough his party is scheduled until the 13th, we had a mini celebration at my mom and dad's. Isaiah was so excited about the cake he dove right in...literally!

Isaiah ate two whole pieces of cake....yep, he definately has my sweet tooth!

We opened two presents last night. One from Mimi and Papa was some super cute and comfy pjs. Kevin and I got him some blocks...cause we enjoy picking up MORE toys!

Recent Photos...

2008-11-11T22:06:00.002-06:00

We took the kids to a pumpkin patch. They had tons of fun on the hayrack ride, picking pumpkins, and roasting hot dogs.

There are some pictures from Abbey's birthday party too!

Drama, Drama, Drama

2008-10-29T22:08:00.001-05:00

Please keep Kevin and I in your prayer. We are under spiritual attack on all fronts. God, please hear our prayer!

Helping Daddy

2008-09-28T19:43:00.005-05:00

Sorry, I haven't written in a while. I have been super busy with Mary Kay, Tavern, and school. Isaiah is doing FABULOUS! He has turned into such a little man. Mom told me about going out to eat at Carlos O'Kellys. He was flirting with a little 2 year old blondie. She gave him the peace sign as they left. He giggled and waved bye-bye (his latest accomplishment). He is crusing along furniture, but hasn't taken any steps by himself-won't be long though. He started saying "kitty" as he is chasing the cats. They love it...haha! Just kidding! Here are some recent pictures.

Mimi and Papa sent Isaiah a package of clothes. He was so opening the box and tossed all the clothes all over. THEY ARE ADORABLE! He will be such a stud in them. Thanks, Mimi and Papa!!!

Our pastor, Josh, and his wife, Dara, had an extra mattress in their garage they gave us. So today, Kevin and Isaiah moved the crib into the bedroom and tonight we are transitioning him into it. Wish us luck! Isaiah was so cute trying to help Daddy.

Update

2008-08-19T09:03:00.002-05:00

Well, things are starting to calm down now that we are in our new place. Thanks to Mimi and Papa for the couch, loveseat, and bed. It means a lot. Isaiah is a crawling MANIAC now. The poor cats just don't know what to do. And Bridget (Nathan's dog) is in complete panic as Isaiah crawls faster than she can walk. HAH! Yep, Isaiah has also discovered the beauty of pots/pans + wooden spoons. Kevin and I enjoy hours of lovely "kitchen music". He has 4 teeth coming in on top and still only has 2 on the bottom. His face already looks so different with teeth. I had to go back to school and with Kevin's schedule he will most likely be at Jalayne's 3-4 days a week instead of all week. Megan missed him and apparently she has her hands full with the two of them crawling and getting into everything! Good luck! Well, I suppose I should probably get back to work...

Later

More Fair Pics...

2008-08-14T22:52:00.004-05:00

Here are some more pictures from the Iowa State Fair. He loved it and enjoyed looking at all the animals with Daddy. He also rode a ride with Mom and Dad.

Isaiah's First Fair

2008-08-14T22:35:00.003-05:00

We took Isaiah to the fair...

1st Hair Cut

2008-08-14T22:16:00.003-05:00

We took Isaiah to get his first haircut on Tuesday. He did so well. He sat on Daddy's lap and squirmed a little when she used the clippers. He looks so good. (We had to give him a cup and comb to chew on because his teeth are bothering him so much.)

Daddy's clothes

2008-08-09T08:41:00.002-05:00

Tom and Lynn found some of Kevin's old baby clothes and brought them up here when they came for Christmas. With all the craziness, they were just found again. Isaiah looked so cute!!!

WAHOOH

2008-07-28T00:23:00.001-05:00

On Friday night Isaiah crawled across the couch to pet Mya...and she let him! Way to go baby boy!

Interesting tid bit

2008-07-24T22:29:00.004-05:00

Dad and I were having lunch and we thought I would give him a bite of my pickle spear. Dad was leery, but I thought, "what the heck!" He gobbled the whole thing up! He loved it!!! Haha!

The latest!

2008-07-21T22:11:00.000-05:00

This is one of the first times we realized Isaiah liked the bath now. Originally, we avoided the shower since he SCREAMED his head off! Now he's a splashing fool!!!

Daddy's Lil' Demon Hunter!

2 weeks with the kids

2008-07-20T23:23:00.000-05:00

Well, the kids just left. It was a blast having them here. They had a lot of fun and we had tons of time to hang out. There was tons of swimming (Ben is such a little fish). Isaiah even joined in the fun for a while...with a little assistance from big sister Abbey. Yeah, it was so nice to have the kids here for so long and we all had a great time...besides the rediculous drama at the end. But oh well, that is to be expected now. Isaiah's face is healing quickly from his minor collision with the floor. He is NOT crawling yet, but is practicing by moving his knees. And no, he is STILL not sleeping through the night. Please pray for Him to comfort Isaiah through the night so we can all get a good night's rest.

cornerstone

2008-07-08T19:18:00.000-05:00

Kevin and I spent our unofficial honeymoon at Cornerstone Festival in Bushnell, IL. It was hot, but very humbling. Kevin got to see his favorite band, Demon Hunter. I sat in the chair on the side, while he moshed. EXCITING! The hotel was terrible, but we made the best of it. We were just happy to be away from the bug situation and be with one another. We decided as a couple to sponsor a 4 year old boy from India. Please pray for him and to help us keep our commitment.

spuuuugetti!!!

2008-07-08T19:10:00.000-05:00

No words can explain this...

1st time at the pool

2008-07-08T19:04:00.000-05:00

We took Isaiah to he pool last time the kids were out. He loved the water, but not the kids jumping in and screaming

Update on the boy!

2008-06-23T09:43:00.000-05:00

Isaiah is doing fabulous! He has 2 teeth on the bottom and enjoys "chewing" on anything. Beware! He is eating tons...2 containers/meal! He eats almost all veggies (minus Squash) and all fruits! He went to the doctor 2 weeks ago. He weighed 19 1/2 lbs and 28 inches long. He was developed socially/congnatively for 6 months already. He is a super happy baby and loves ELMO now. He has started laughing at funny faces and noises. And the most recent....he was up balancing on all fours yesterday. Won't be long now!

I'll post pictures of him in a couple days!

2008-06-23T09:16:00.000-05:00

THE WEDDING DAY!

June 14, 2008

The wedding party (in no particular order!):

Jennifer and Jeremy. Doesn't Jenny look amazing? She really cleans up well. So do you, Jeremy. Thanks for making the trip up here AGAIN!

The best man and maid of honor!!!

Lindsay #2 and Jeff. Stunning!

Katie and Ray. Practice makes perfect!!!
(hint, hint...RAY)

Abbey and Nathan...

The Juniors! AWWW!!! Don't they look so happy?!

Miss Kaitlyn and Mr. Benjamin. Darling!

The Bride with her dad:

And FINALLY the Bride and Groom:

After birdseed:

Kissing the bride:

Being announced for the first time:

Cutting the super yummy cake!

Thanks to our family and friends who shared this special day with us. We couldn't have asked for more! We are truely blessed!

PS-Thanks Mom and Dad!!!

Love, Your little girl (I am so happy!)

MOVING!!!

2008-04-03T16:11:00.000-05:00

Okay, after much drama and misunderstandings...Kevin and I are officially moving. We are planning our adventure for the first weekend in May (yep, right in the swing of all the wedding stuff). If any strong men or women would volunteer their services, we would greatly appreciate it. We love you all!

My new friend, Sarah

2008-03-31T13:16:00.001-05:00

Isaiah stayed with my friend, Michelle, from school and her daughter Sarah. Aren't they cute?

I'd loose my head

2008-03-31T12:52:00.000-05:00

Well, it looks like we are moving AGAIN. This time back to an apartment, but a nicer one. It will be a good move for us, I hope. The place is much bigger than our duplex and is in West Des Moines. We spend most of our time on this side of town anyways. The rent is a little more, but the utilities will make up for it...
Anyone wanting to build some arm strength and help move can meet us at our current place of residency on the 3rd of May. See us for details....

Yummy Rice Cereal

2008-03-31T12:47:00.000-05:00

Like I said...we started him on rice cereal.

This was taken before...haha!

LOOONG Spring Break, yet no break at all

2008-03-24T15:13:00.000-05:00

Well, Spring Break is over. "Where did it go?" Kevin and I asked on our way back from our 6 hour drive to Davenport and back. It seemed like just yesterday we were getting pumped for a break and thinking of all the great things we would do (none, really got done though)! I guess with the kids here and having Nathan, the time just flew by. It was fun having them here and we bonded a lot. I am excited to finally start building a relationship with Ben. It's been a long road. It has been much easier to bond with Abbey (probably because she is so mature..and a girl), but Ben's been a struggle. He is very much a mama's boy and is into things I know nothing about. Nathan and him have a great relationship so hopefully I can play off that. Did I say having the kids here was a blast? Abbey was the best older sister, of course. And Ben was so cute with Isaiah this week. He was picking him up and trying to bounce him. Adorable! Thanks Mimi and Papa for the cute outfits! Can't wait for it to get warm enough to put them on him. It snowed last night, by the way. Yep, SNOW! I tell ya...we must be crazy living in Iowa.
Isaiah started on rice cereal and baby food this past week. We unfortunately discovered he does not care for peas...but they do add some color to our clothes when spit out :)! Hopefully tonight I will be able to download some of this week's pictures on here for all to see.
PS: Can't wait for June...not that I am counting or anything.

Abbey and Ben's weekend of fun!

2008-03-05T17:07:00.000-06:00

We had the kiddos out here for three days and it was an absolute blast. Abbey sure was a good lil' mom to Isaiah. Isaiah and Ben "blabbed" back and forth all weekend long. Nathan spent the night on Saturday so the kids stayed up way too late and probably laughed a little too hard. Anyways, things have been hectic here with the weather bouncing back and forth from nice to cold. I realized last week someone stole my hub-cap and I got a flat tire yesterday. Thanks for all those who prayed to keep us safe as we traveled. Please continue to pray for our family....

For Mimi and Papa

2008-02-24T21:18:00.000-06:00

RECENT PICTURES!

2008-02-24T21:00:00.001-06:00

ABBEY IN HER PLAY....

Daniel Fast

2008-02-18T21:55:00.001-06:00

Daniel Fast Begins!

We are doing a 21 day Vegan Fast with our church community starting yesterday after lunch. Starting with a 24 hour natural juice fast. I had done a mini-fast at school and really felt I accomplished something. We are both really excited. We are going to hold each other accountable to stick with it. I think we should add watching Dave Ramsey's series every night so I'll have to talk to Kevin about that. Since I am nursing I have to do a modified version of the fast. I am trying to follow along with the guidelines, but adding some stuff back into the meals. Kevin is trying to do his best to follow along. He came home with a screaming headache today. I guess not drinking your normal 3-5 cups of coffee a day will do that to you. Knowing how much of a picky eater I am we are definately going to have to PLAN like crazy! I had to have a roll-up last night. Since we had done grocery shopping last week and I don't want to waste food I did have some ham. Once this is gone, we will be not buying anymore meat. Tonight we had a VERY filling black beans and rice meal. It was based on the recipe from church, but we didn't have all the spices so Kevin modified. It is about 10pm tonight and Kevin just ran to the store to grab some fruit and veggies to snack on tomorrow. We have to plan our meals so we can do some real shopping tomorrow night. We both God moves into our hearts and gives us clarity on issues we are struggling with.

FRANTIC MORNING!

2008-02-13T08:01:00.000-06:00

So I am totally flustered today. I went to bed last night at 12am after grading papers, sorting through Mary Kay product, and cleaning. I slept fairly light due to my little bed mate! Anyways, when the alarm went off Kevin got up to take a shower first. Little known to me he was not watching the clock and woke me up at 7am! Yes, 15 minutes before I needed to leave for the day. So I am now sitting at work having not showered or eaten...and I forgot most of my stuff at home. Totally flustered! I have been meaning to put more pictures on here, but have been soooo busy. Last weekend we went to see Abbey and Ben. It was nice to see them and I know Kevin has missed them so terribly. We definatly need to make it a point to go out there more often. I wish they could come here more because I know they enjoy spending time with Nathan and us out here. One day...

Well, if I get some time to do it later I will put more pictures up here for Mimi and Papa to see their grandson and how BIG he is getting. Oh, and we get our pictures from JCPennys tonight. Those will be in the mail asap.

So cold, feeling better

2008-01-29T20:41:00.001-06:00

Kevin is feeling better today and will go back to work tomorrow. My throat is feeling scratchy so I am going to suck down tons of OJ and vitamins to stay healthy. I just had my hair done and although I know it looks different, Kevin claims it "looks the same." We had Isaiah's baby and family pictures scheduled for tonight. I had to cancel it because it is too cold out. The weather outside is RIDICULOUS! Sooooo cold (I know I already said that)! I can't believe yesterday we went out in long sleeve t-shirts, but today need a parka. Living anywhere in the south is looking really good.

2008-01-27T23:27:00.000-06:00

Dad and me....

2008-01-27T23:24:00.000-06:00

Grandma bought this for me for Christmas. We are going to take a picture with it EVERY year to see how he grows.

Look at that hair!

2008-01-27T19:49:00.000-06:00

2008-01-27T19:48:00.000-06:00

Say, "What?!"

Finally

2008-01-27T19:36:00.000-06:00

Kevin has strep throat and I have been doing some cleaning. Life has been crazy lately, but I have finally decided to create a blog for Isaiah. Enjoy our latest pictures of the baby....sooo cute!