"THE BEST PARTY EVER"

That is what Grandma and Grandpa DeBoer had to say the day after the party. It was the first time in way too many years that the whole family had gotten together. It was a time to create new memories playing an old favorite game and running around the gym with the kids and catching up with family we don't see too often.
THE WHOLE FAMILY

GRANDMA AND GRANDPA WITH ALL 16 GREAT GRANDKIDS

GREAT GRANDMA AND LEVI

GRANDPA PLAYING BINGO WITH GRANDMA MINTS (Marlee kept giving Great Grandpa her hat)

PLAYING SERIOUS BINGO-WE'VE GOT PRIZES!



A LITTLE BIT OF MUSIC

WHAT GREAT HELPERS WITH THE BIG CLEANUP

WHOOPS!

This didn't happen as gracefully as Naomi would have liked. One evening we were checking how loose her teeth were and Naomi pulled back really fast with my finger on her tooth. Well, it made a cracking sound that freaked Naomi out and brought her to tears. She was not happy with me. It was really loose but she dragged out pulling the tooth out until the next day. She went into the bathroom and came out with a prideful toothless smile on her face. Gotta love the girl drama...

LEVI AT 6 WEEKS

These photos were taken a couple of weeks ago in the middle of November. Our little Levi is growing like crazy. Around week 6 his eyes started turning very blue and he started waking up a lot more during the day. He likes to sleep in his bouncy seat yet because he is too gassy and burpy to lay flat. Levi is a great addition to our busy family because he is already used to the noise as he quite often sleeps in the middle of all of the big kids running around and being wild. Love to see that he fits right in! His blanket is the one I helped design and my mom made and the robot is the his first handmade thing from mommy.

THE END OF OCTOBER

Levi on Halloween

Max is very proud of his findings!

Naomi loving the bigger and better pumpkin.

Marlee thinking very hard about her pumpkin. I love that face she pulls when she is thinking about something.

Stud Muffins.

Carved and proud of them!


Marlee's new favorite place.

My eight year old sweetheart.

I love your sweet tender eyes. You have such a loving heart and a great spirit within you my dear Noah.

I love to capture your joy in playing in the leaves. This photo is so you-dressed up and really into what you are doing.

Marlee discovering that leaves are a lot of fun!

Daddy is very proud to be feeding Levi his first bottle. We got a break with this little guy-he sucks it down without a problem!

This is the scene from my kitchen many days. I caught Marlee checking out her little brother here. Levi loves being on the floor watching Marlee and me do our work in the kitchen. He is very content in this place as long as Marlee doesn't step on him.

JUST PHOTOS TODAY

Enjoy the photos of our life.
Levi in the hospital

Leaving the hospital

Marlee was overjoyed to have her baby home

First sponge bath and loving it

Marlee lovin on Levi

Ten days old

Not liking his first bath so well

Big sister Naomi helping with Levi's bath

TODAY

-Levi is 2 weeks young.
-is my first day on my own since having Levi.
-I could drive.
-I had my 2 week check-up.
-Naomi has the flu.
-Grandma Callie came up to sit with the girls while I brought Noah to the flu infested doctors office to find out he has a sprained ankle.
-the doctor told me to get out of the office quickly so Levi doesn't get sick.
-Noah and Levi stopped at Target with me to get Noah some pants that fit him.
-I picked up Max from school on time.
-I am feeling the need to be creative but have no idea what to work on and not a whole lot of energy to do it.
-I am not enjoying the sickness this season already.
-I need to remind myself to be patient.
-hugs cure a lot of things.
-reminds me that there is tomorrow but I still need to enjoy today.

LEVI DAWSON OOSTERHOUSE

He came into this world at 8:11 the morning of October 2, 2009. Levi was born weighing 7 pounds 4 ounces and was 20 1/2 inches long. He is rockin' our world and we are lovin' every bit of the sweet little guy while cherishing many moments along the way.




More to come...

UNEXPECTED

I had no idea how a c-section could be a positive birth experience. I have thought for way to long about the pain involved because that is what I have previously been through. This time I was given a gift. A gift of great nurses and doctors. A gift of an anesthesiologist who let Kevin be in the room from the prep of my spinal all the way to the birth without having to leave. A gift of this same doctor dropping the drape and lifting my head up to watch our new baby being brought into this world. A gift of this same doctor moving things around so I could see the nurses clean up Levi to take my mind off being put back together. I got to see him come out. I felt like a mother in that sterile room, not just a patient being cut open. I thank God for answering prayers given by my friends and family over the past few days and weeks for this to be a positive birth experience for me. I still have pain but it is bearable because I can hold my beautiful son and praise God for the many gifts He has given me so far through this amazing life experience.

LETTING GO...

is not an easy thing for me. I love each one of our children so much and it has given me so much fulfillment as a mother to do all I can for each of them. I feel that it is just part of me to do all I can for them to teach them to be responsible litle people. A big learning curve for me is that I don't have to do it all. This morning I let Noah ride his bike to school with some neighborhood kids who have done it for a while. This gives me a little more time to get the younger ones ready and off to their school. Looking at this photo of Noah is teaching me to have trust in him riding safely and making good decisions and also trusting other people to not ever do a bad thing to one of our children. God has Noah in his hands for the 1/4 of a mile ride to school that I can't see him. It is a minimal ride to school but one that is teaching me a huge lesson to trust in the Lord with all my heart and that He is the watcher of our kids.

Psalm 28:7
The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.

MY LITTLE BUDDY

Marlee is attached at my waist since the kids left for school this week. She loves to help me clean up, sit with me and play, read books, and dance while watching Country Music Television videos. I love experiencing her little personality grow. She is absolutely obsessed with babies-from pictures of them anywhere to the new baby room and the basket full of clothes to be washed. She just keeps saying "baby" over and over again. She also picks up stuff from everyone else in the family and will say "Dada, Max, Na(for Noah and Naomi), Mama" for each thing she gets her hands on. I am so blessed that she is mostly very content and extremely smiley and happy!

MAX AND NAOMI'S 6TH BIRTHDAY

We celebrated Max and Naomi's 6th birthday this weekend. It was so wonderful to see them wake up and be excited about being 6. I have heard from Naomi for a while that she can do or wear something while she is 5 but not when she is 6. Max is overjoyed that he is 6 when he starts 1st grade. We had a small family party for them on their special day. I am so grateful our children have been blessed to grow knowing their Grandma and Grandpa's and great Grandma and Grandpa's. For me it is always a little hard because I can just imagine how my Grandparents would have enjoyed our little ones. I wish I would have been able to watch my Grandparents love on any of our children.
Something we will always remember about Grandma and Grandpa DeBoer are the goodie bags they make up for any party. Our kids know that there is always something special Grandma and Grandpa shopped at Meijer to put together for them. Their names are labled on each bag and there are always extra's for anyone else there. Grandma Oosterhouse still holds the tradition of handing out $2 bills for each grandchild which the kids stash in their drawers and wallets. The cakes were easy again this year as Naomi wanted Polly Pockets and Littlest Pet Shop figures on her cake and Max wanted Star Wars Lego guys on his cake.
I am so very thankful for our parents too. They love each one of our children so much and they are always excited hear when something new happens. They are a huge support to our family and we love to share life with them. The kids love their Grandma and Grandpa Collin and all the trips to the campground. They keep busy all day with activities and playing at the park. Grandma and Grandpa Callie enjoy having the kids for overnighters so they can play all day and watch movies into the evening and go to Cracker Barrel or Bob Evans for a meal. I love that our kids are growing up knowing their family and that they will have many memories from life with them.



Our Family

Grandma and Grandpa Collin (Meyer)

Grandma and Grandpa Callie (Oosterhouse)

Great Grandma Oosterhouse

Great Grandma and Grandpa DeBoer

Cousin Collin

SO HE SAYS...

"Oh yeah, mommy is gone! Now we can do whatever we want. This is like a dream come true!" This is what Noah said 30 seconds after I walked out the door the other night to go order myself my much needed new food chopper. I was going to be gone no more than a half hour but the kids must find much joy in what they can do or what they can eat with daddy when mommy is not home. I later learned (and should have known) our children are being influenced by the Cheaper by the Dozen movie. Many of the phrases from it have been started to come out of the mouths of our babes. Gotta love it!