Jim, prayer, and the jumbotron

It's Graduation Day! Jim has been busy with all the festivities that involve that and today he is at the ceremony to give the opening and closing prayers. Because it's such a large group there will be two jumbotrons so that the people in the way back can see what's happening up front. Jim and I both laughed at the thought of himself on the big screeen...praying.

On the homefront, Matthew woke up yesterday with a nasty case of pink eye in not one, but both eyes. He's also got quite the cold so he's pretty much a mess when he wakes up; eyes are all filled with gunk, and nose is crusted in snot. It was his camping day at school and I had to be the one to tell him that he wouldn't be going. He was heartbroken and very disappointed. Jim, being the great dad that he is decided to give Matthew his own camping day downstairs in the basement. He set up both tents, got out all of our gear and even made hot chocolate. Both kids have been LOVING it. I understand we are all sleeping down there tonight? We'll see how that goes...

Simply wonderful...

she is that. Simply wonderful to me. I am in awe of how beautiful she is; she is our daughter, our sister.

Sara is doing well at home. Perhaps the best out of all of us! She is a big sleeper with a few awake times at night but even then they are at a minimum. You'd think I wouldn't be so tired; I make it sound so easy. But it's juggling three...nursing, diaper changes, helping big kids to the potty, making meals etc. that take its toll. All that can wear me down in a hurry but then I have moments like today and I think, "wow, I LOVE my job." And I love having three.

Labor day...

and not the one in September.

Baby girl now has a name- she is Sara Christine Gunn; born Friday May 2, 2008; 6lbs. 14oz.;

19 1/2 in.; 2:20pm.

Quickest labor yet once things got started. She is a tiny little thing and quite the sleeper here in the hospital. We were grateful for the childcare we had for the kids yesterday. Jim is now home managing everything there on his own. Meanwhile I'm at the hospital for another night trying to get some much needed rest.

Enjoy the pictures!

The digital age...

We're back online with a new digital camera and the kids couldn't be more thrilled. Actually I'm pretty excited about it too, but the kids are glad that they can now see the picture right after I take it. It was so hard to explain film to them! On that same note...I was reading a story from my childhood to Ella Jane and wondered if she realized what the picture on the cover was. She didn't, and I told her it was a telephone. She very adamantly said, "no it's not!" I realized she'd never seen anything like that before; a phone with a cord and a dial that you have to, well, dial.

Went to our community wide yard sale this weekend and found bikes for both of the kids. Ella Jane's has training wheels so she's able to ride it but Matthew's does not so he needs one of us to balance him on it. I'm amazed at how strong Ella Jane has gotten in the past two weeks even with being on her tricycle. I tell her to use her muscles and she has delighted in showing me how she is pushing her muscles everytime she goes up our driveway. She's really gotten good.

Above are some fun new pictures...enjoy. The first three were taken today. Imagine that!

"Tow truck man...

but some people just call me man." The kids were just outside riding tricycles and Ella Jane still needs a little push to get up the incline of the driveway. Matthew became the tow truck and gave her a little push from behind. It's fun to watch when they play like this. So later, he says that he's the tow truck man, but that some people just call him man. Fair enough.

I think Jim is nesting...

Matthew hard at work

Ella Jane LOVES puzzles

Baby girl about a month ago

Some light reading...

Building the snow fort


Matthew did great at the dentist!

You know how pregnant women tend to "nest" when it comes time to get ready for baby? They decorate the nursery, move furniture around etc. I did this about month ago with Matthew's room. Turned the whole thing upside down; books, toys, bedding EVERYWHERE only to return everything to its almost previous spot. Oh well. At least his room got a thorough cleaning.

Can husbands nest? If so, then Jim has! This last weekend he spent outside raking the front and back yards, cleaning up leaves and pruning plants that had missed out from last fall. He was very hard at work. Next up was laundry. He has washed every piece of winter clothing we have; hats, coats, mittens, and even boots. One night last week we had just put the kids down to bed and I was putting the days dirty clothes into the basket and he came in the laundry room and said "are we doing laundry?" "Uh, no" was my reply. Over the next two days he went on his laundry spree and now everything is clean and ready for storage.

Above are some fun winter pics of the kids, Matthew's first trip to the dentist, Ella Jane's love of puzzles, and a few more. Enjoy.

Heave Ho...

as in the baby in the belly that is growing by the day and for the mama who is feeling quite loaded down. We've got just 6 weeks to go and are starting to gear up for little girl gunn to join our family. If she comes out with bruises it's because Matthew and Ella Jane still love to feel her but don't always understand that when they push on the belly, they are also pushing on me...well and baby girl too. So, I just have to make sure I have a hand ready block the big mash that is about to come my way and redirect with "gentle, gentle."

My best winkers

A few weeks ago Ella Jane discovered she could wink. She thought it was the coolest thing. So for awhile we had a lot of winking in the house. Funny thing with Ella Jane is that when she winks she looks like a little tough girl; Matthew looks pretty Joe Cool in this winking picture too though. They are so funny together. Since our little friends are still sparse around here they mostly just play with each other. Some days it hits me how MUCH time they spend together. With this warmer weather we're bound to be outside more and hopefully meet more of our neighborhood.

We are gearing up for Easter which means having egg hunts in the house, going to egg hunts at church and posting Matthew's Easter projects from school. They are just beside themselves when holidays roll around.

Little baby girl is just that. Little baby girl. No name yet for this little one, but she continues to grow as I now find myself holding on to my belly just to give it a little more support. It's fun to try and guess body parts, I'm really only good at deciphering her legs since she sometimes has them criss crossed on the top of my belly.

Matthew has been amazing both Jim and I lately with his thirst for knowledge. Mmm...I wonder where he gets that? :) He's very interested in spelling, and pointing out familiar words. The other day we were at the library and noticed a large city map of Dubuque on the wall. Nothing fancy, just the plain kind. He wanted to know what it was a map of, and not really being a map person myself I nonchalantly said it was a map of DBQ. He then wanted to know where our house was, and then where campus and his school were. Definately Jim's brain inside this child of ours! So we spent some time looking at the map and learning where everything was.

Pictures are of present and past; enjoy!

Matthew helping to make cinnamon rolls

mmm...they're soooooo good!

I love my dad

I love this photo- she's so contemplative

Patsy made pillows for the kids; Ella Jane loves hers AND Matthews


Melting crayons to make Valentines for Matthew's class

Watching the crayons melt...wow!

My winkers...aren't they great?

Last fall...before all of our snow

More pillow time; and Matthew looks so grown up here

They really do make a great team

They were both batman for Halloween

Just a cute photo