Cuter Than This?

So, I challenge you...

Can it get any cuter than this?

A Daddy (with a 5 o'clock shadow) and his daughter...it is priceless!

The Moments That Make It All Worth It (A Child's Prayer)!!!

So just a few moments ago, Aiden said his prayer before he went to bed. "Heavenly Father, thank you for daddy. I love daddy. Please help him to be healthy...." He then went on to thank God for his mommy, and Connor, and Shane, and Lydia, and a few of his stuffed animals. It melted my heart and nearly brought me to tears. I am so grateful to have these special little children in my life and in our home. As hard as it gets at times, it just makes me want to have more children. I have so much to learn from them and hopefully they can continue to grow my heart as they do each time they are born. As I am sitting here typing, Aiden has come out of his room to get some toys. I am wondering what he is going to do with toys when he is supposed to be sleeping. Luckily, mom took care of it. It will be one of many attempts to keep him in bed tonight. At any rate, the moments like the one I had tonight are the moments that make it all worth it.

Graduation...Anticipation

Well, no pics this time...and for a reason of course.  BUT, I had to get this cute little story down before it escapes my mind that is overflowing with lists of nursing school responsibilities!  As Steve and I were walking the school campus Thursday evening for the commencement ceremony, Connor had something very profound to say:

Connor: Mommy the last time we were here, you nursed me huh?

Steve: Connor, you don't even know what that means.

Me: (Hearing Steve's non therapeutic message and using my new found therapeutic nursing lingo) Connor, tell me what you mean by that.

Connor: Remember when we were here, and you were a nurse with me?

(Trust me, Steve is much better at the nursing lingo that I...I have to really think about simplicity!  Steve's better at it with patients...I'm testing it out on the kids randomly!)

Now Steve gets it, and I recall vividly the last time I rushed around campus with Connor, wobbling with Lydia in womb and accomplishing one task after another...for nursing school!

So, to set the record...we graduated!!! :)  But...we still have three months of school to go!!! :(  Steve and I were allowed to walk in the commencement ceremony on Thursday evening, but I am hesitant to post our "hat hair" pictures until August when we actually receive our diplomas.  I will say this much though, Connor was thrilled as we walked to the car after the ceremony:

Connor: Mom, does this mean that was your last day of school? (Laughing and strolling so proudly with my cap on his head!)

Mom: Yep! (Not really hearing what he said) Oh...no hunny...I still have three months left, but I am almost done!

Confused?  He was too!

Now, as you can see by the time, I am up late doing "nursing school" responsibilities...while you all sleep peacefully!

Joy

17 weeks old

More beautiful than ever.

And she sleeps...

quietly...

peacefully...

and then she wakes

to greet me with a smile.

This is joy!

#1 on #4 (We Love You Aiden!)

So, our little angel Aiden turned 4 years old on Thursday. He was #1 on #4. In my book, he is #1 every day! Aiden truly holds up to his nickname of angel. He is so innately sweet and caring. He is always sharing and wanting to make others happy. Normally our little boy is full of smiles and energy! He has been sick a lot lately, but I think he really enjoyed his special day and we are so grateful to have him in our little family. I'm confident he has a great work to do while here on Earth. As you can see, he wore his new "X-Man" costume (as he calls it), all day. He is obsessed with super heroes. He is always saying how when he is a daddy he will be a super hero of some kind or another. It is so cute.

Aiden is always keeping us young with his goofiness. He sure is cute though, isn't he?

The request was made for an X-Men cake and we were able to make that birthday wish come true. This is the second time of blowing out candles because Aiden decided to blow candles out right after they were lit the first time. We reminded him that we needed to sing first. According to Mr. Aiden, he was not 4 until the candles were out and the cake eaten, so I guess it is official.

There was no waiting to devour this slice of cake. He took a few finger scoops of icing before getting an official piece.

And of course, there were a few presents. This little boy had a day full of fun. I hope he knows how much we love him. Aiden Obadiah, servant of the Lord, you are our second born! We love you Aiden! Here's to many more special birthdays.

WE DID IT!!!

It was a long day, and my eyes were tired from late night housework and prep for the first day of this semester, but I kept a smile ALL DAY LONG...

except when I said goodbye to Miss Lydia...

then there were tears.

I'm not saying it wasn't hard...for both of us, but WE DID IT! And now we are one day closer to the end of the semester and the start of a whole new path!

Lydia decided not to eat.

Thought that would happen! Yet, I found time to skip out of class a few minutes early to rush home and feed her, and then it was back to my clinical site as I grabbed a measly lunch for myself.

We're both having feeding issues.

Thank heaven for my little princessa...what a good girl she is!

Feeling Blue.

In hours now, I am leaving her...

in pursuit of this...

and she won't take that (the bottle)!

So, we tried cereal...you can see how much she enjoyed that!

Lessons to take from this:

NOTHING takes the place of MOM.

Never has.

Never will.

So, if you ask why I look a little blue these days, there ya' go...I am a Mommy who would do ANYTHING to be home with her children because I love it that much, but I have been asked (of the Lord) to extend myself further for the sake of our family's well being. Think the kiddos will understand one day? Yep, they will...I understood as a child, and even more as a parent.

Wish me luck!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy mothers day to all, but especially to my dear wife and my mother! I cannot help but think of my Heavenly Mother as well. Something tells me she is there just as mothers are here on Earth, behind the scenes doing all the work. Mothers give and give and give, from what I have seen, and never complain or ask for much in return. They give their all out of love. They often put their own personal desires on the back shelf in order to please others, especially their family. I have seen that in my life, and am so very grateful for it. Thank you Crystal! Thank you mom! I love you both! Crystal, I could not have asked for a better eternal companion and mother to our children. You are so beautiful, loving, and talented. I am so excited we are finishing school together. It is kind of a nice mothers day present to find out you got in. We have been through so much together and it is a gift to close one door and open another together. Thank you for all of our beautiful children and for the way that you love them and nurture them. Thank you for teaching me how to sew and to do other crafty things. Thank you for pushing me to be my very best. I love you so much! I hope you will feel extra special today, but that you can feel special every day. Mom, thank you for all that gave me in terms of love throughout my life. You continue to love. You continue to give. Thank you for being such a support to our family through our loss and through this crazy path of school we have been in. I cannot express gratitude for everything, but I am grateful. Thank you most of all for life itself. Sometimes you may regret that decision, when I deserve a kick in the pants, but I am grateful for your choice to have three children. To all of the other mothers, and future mothers, you have been called to a great work and the world would be lost without you. I truly believe as Sheri Dew has said, that nobody can take your place.

Cuteness!

Her cuteness cannot be contained!

Need I say more?

With Sympathy!

So as I said earlier, I have a week off from school which finally gives me a few extra minutes to breath. Somebody recently suffered a loss and I have been meaning to send a card out to them for a couple of weeks now. I decided today to make it myself. Crystal hasn't played much with her Christmas present, so I tested it out today. It is a Cricut Expressions plotter/cutter. Some of the card was done by hand and some of it by the machine. My heart goes out to this family. To the family; I hope you know how much we love you and ache with you. I will leave the rest of my thoughts for the card. I just had to post pictures though of one of my first attempts at making cards. I have done a few in the past by hand, but nothing like this. First quilting, now this. I know you are all starting to wonder, right? Let me know what you think (of the card that is).

I Passed! One More Semester!

It seems, going into every nursing semester final that it is like a make or break test. School has been such a challenge with a family and a wife who is in school at the same time, but I could not have made it even this far without her. I took my final for this semester today and missed getting a B for the semester by a couple of points on the final. I will take the B- and move on to my last nursing semester. I am so excited and cannot believe I have made it this far. I look forward to furthering my education along the way as well and eventually becoming a nurse practitioner. My goal would be to become a neonatal or pediatric nurse practitioner, but only the future will prove where my path takes me. For now, I am just grateful to have passed this semester and look forward to having one more semester left for now. I am grateful for my sweet wife and owe so much to her for getting this far. Now, I get to enjoy my one week off before it starts back up all over again. Tonight, we celebrate getting one step closer.

Beautiful Mess!

Just like the song, our life is something of a beautiful mess! The first seven years have been a roller coaster ride, but they have been worth every minute. Beginning the next seven years, we are set to shove off again and move into an apartment. The plan never seems to work out the way we plan it. Is Heavenly Father trying to tell me something? I get it. He's in charge. Maybe he wants me to never forget that. Our place is a mess and we are supposed to be moving, next weekend. I have a final next Wednesday and Crystal has her finals the following week. Assuming I pass this semester, classes start again on Wednesday the 13th. This should be interesting. A work in progress often looks like a mess, but looking back it becomes beautiful to our eyes (most of the time anyway). That is the thing about creating a masterpiece. In the early stages, it doesn't look like much, but each piece put together makes something great. So, here we go again, down another road. I guess I have grown to love these adventures in a way. If seen with clear eyes, these adventures can only enlighten our minds, and shape our hearts. I think the kids are up for the change. They are getting used to it. I'm not sure if that's good or bad. Only time will tell. I wish strength and a feeling of love for my beautiful wife. Hopefully I can be her rock, as she is mine. Well, let it all begin!