Jan. 19th-31st, 2013

Hi Everyone!

We are counting down the days until Baby Fox is due! This Saturday will mark 5 weeks to go. Yay! I am getting more excited by the day about meeting our little one. Seth asks every so often, “Is it March yet?”.

Last week we said good bye to our favorite future Seaman. He flew out last Wednesday, the day after his 24^th birthday. We're hoping to get a letter from him soon that will give us his mailing address so we can write. Can't imagine what's taking him so long to write?!?  ;)

 Seth being picky about who he gives his hugs to...

 A familiar sight on Sunday afternoons when Pappy comes to visit. :)

Packing up to leave.
 

Seth decided to get a jump on his Navy training. 
 

The "Last Supper" together. We drove down to Raleigh the night before Bro shipped out for a final dinner together.

 One last hug. 
 

Seth practicing rocking (another) one of his babies on the chair the other day. Just getting ready for the real baby. ;)

 Blake made a castle for me today. I think we reached a milestone today. It was the first time the boys played by themselves with blocks and actually used them for their intended purpose. Usually, the blocks are made into missiles and bullets to throw across the room at various targets, so we're making progress!

(see Oscar under the bush?) When it's nice enough outside, all three boys are sent out to play. Oscar is still fitting in nicely and the boys get so much enjoyment out of petting, playing with and yes, I'm afraid even chasing him around. :)
 

Seth is very proud of his new rubber frog boots. Boots are a mother's best friend. No laces to tie, straps to put on, socks are optional and they don't even have to be on the right feet to serve their purpose. :)


A few Blake and Seth funnies...
 

We were getting ready to host our weekly Bible study and Micah was explaining to the boys that if they behaved themselves during the meeting they could have some of the dessert afterwards. Seth said, “I’m going to do a good boy tonight.”

Blake likes to combine words and phrases lately. Some of our favorites is “Scritchy” for when he scratches something that itches on his body. 

For those who didn't hear, Kate had her baby 15 days early on Sunday, January 20th. On her birthday! Roger Oliver Maher was born healthy and ready to go. We are hoping to get to meet him this summer.

Hope you all have a good week! 

Love, 

Kari, Micah, Blake and Seth

 
 

January 4-18th, 2013

 Hi Everyone!

The past two weeks spent some time outside and have been taking steps to get ready for baby. Blake and Seth graduated to "big boy" beds and were very excited to learn what a bunk bed was. Once the baby arrives the three of the them will be nice and snug in the room together, but it's all part of our plan to make this house last as long as possible for us. 

Speaking of the baby, after today we only have seven weeks left! This pregnancy is really flying by and I've been blessed to have it fairly easy with no complications so far. (Kate, by the way, only has three weeks left! Yay!) Blake and Seth are still saying the baby will be a boy.

  

So last Sunday we were in short-sleeved shirts enjoying 70 degree weather. I was expirementing with some settings on my camera, some of the pictures didn't turn out. :)

  
Seth has officially overcome his fear of the truck. He calls it the "Antenna Truck", I guess because it has an antenna?

Fairly common expression of Seth lately... this is his tantrum face. :) This camera setting only picked up the color blue. Kinda fun!

Orange this time...

 Oscar has ventured outside several times so far and is totally fascinated with this whole new world he's never experienced before. He still tip-toes through the tall grass. 

 We aren't sure if Oscar has ever been around dogs before, but we found out he has no fear of them whatsoever. If you look closely in this picture you can see him chasing the neighbors dog along the fence. Poor dog didn't know what to think of a cat that didn't back down. :)

 Last night, only five days after our 70 degree stent, we were thrilled to have our first snow of the winter! It was a first for Seth and both boys spent a while this morning romping around outside. 

They would play for a while and then come in to warm up and then back out again. Of course, the amount of time it took to bundle up and then undress is about as long as they would last outside each time. Blake kept calling chunks of snow his "iceburgs". 

  
Oscar was happy to pass on today's outing. 

 The aftermath... totally worth it though. :)


We say farewell to Jonathan on Tuesday as he heads out for Navy Recruit Training. He will be gone for  eight weeks and then, hopefully, we'll get to see him for this 96 hour break he will get between graduation and heading down to Florida for the remainder of his training. It's a little odd to think that he will find out through a letter in the mail if we had a boy or girl in March, but that's better than no communication, right? We won't know exactly what Jonathan's address will be until he gets there, so when I have it I will pass it a long to ya'll. He's not allowed to get packages, but letters are fine.

Will is also heading out on Tuesday to move back to Virginia. He'll be working with a friend on a construction crew while getting ready for college this fall. We'll definitely miss having him in town! 

Apparently this is the week to move because Joy and James are doing it too. This time to San Antonio, Texas for James' work. Joy will be looking for a nursing position in the area sometime after moving. Let me know if you'd like their new mailing address. 

After next week, it will be just Scott here in Burlington. Hope you like babysitting, Scott! ;)

Well, that's what has been happening around here lately. Hope you all are doing well! 

Love, 

Kari, Micah, Blake, Seth & Baby  

Dec. 14th - Jan. 3rd, 2013

Hi Everyone!

Hope you had a great Christmas! We are back online after taking a break over the holidays. Micah had an eleven day stretch of vacation which were so glad about!

 Spent an evening at our local downtown Christmas festival. This is Micah and boys playing in the "snow" (soap suds). 
 

 Our schedules work out this year so that we were able to attend all five of the Christmas get-togethers with immediate and extended family. Seth here, very proud of his new coat.

 

 At church on Christmas Sunday. Thanks, Grandma for the outfits! They looked soooo cute!

 

 A few of you received boxes from some little elves this Christmas. The boys had a blast painting. I felt like I was an octopus trying to keep the paint off the floor and clothes. I think I'm okay not getting out paints again until they are teenagers. That or next time we'll do it outside where we can just hose everything down afterwards. :) 

 

 I like this picture  :)

 

 Micah and I got away for a few days for our annual planning retreat. We try to take a couple days and talk about our past year and make new goals for the coming year. It's so nice to know where we are going and why. :) Some friends let us borrow their cabin and it had an amazing view of the mountains and river below.

 

 The boys got a hand-me-down Power Wheels truck from Micah's uncle. Wow, are they in hog heaven! 

 Well...almost. Seth did NOT want to get on it for the first few days. He has warmed up to it though and had fun chasing Blake around the yard. 

A few weeks before Christmas Micah asked me what I wanted him to get me. I told him that I wanted a gray cat, which I sometimes joke about wanting along with a pony and a baby donkey. He laughed. A little while later he asked me what I really wanted and I told him "I already told you". We've talked about getting a cat for a long time and so Micah surprised me got (against his better judgment I'm sure) decided to get me one. Yay!

Meet Oscar...he is big...a whopping 16 3/4 pounds. Let's just say that he is much bigger in real life that he looked in the ad. :) You never know with cats what type of personality you might be getting, but he is fitting in with the family really well so far. Eventually, he will be an outdoor cat in hopes that he will help us deal with our chipmunk issue, but for the first week or so he's enjoying the indoors.
 
He's not shy and doesn't mind laying around while the boys are running past him like wild animals. 

 Of course the boys love playing with him!
 

 The boys pretending to be fellow cats. :)

A few Blake and Seth-isms... 
For some reason when Blake has gotten up the last few mornings he runs over to Oscar's crate and says, "Look Daddy! He's still alive!". :)

When Seth wants to know if something is for him and Blake he says, "Is that for me and Seth?". 

I guess Blake had his fill of Christmas music over the holidays. He yelled from the other room this afternoon, "Mommy! I AM having a merry little Christmas!"

------ 

As Micah and I reflected on 2012 we were humbled to see the many ways that God has blessed and provided for us. We are looking forward to a new year and especially to welcoming Baby #3 in March!! (only 9 weeks to go!)

Over the next few weeks we'll be getting into a new routine around the house. We will also be preparing to say goodbye to Jonathan as he is leaving for the Navy on January 22nd. If you have a note you would like to send him, feel free to mail it to me and I can make sure he gets it.

Hope you all are doing well!

Love, 

Kari, Micah, Blake and Seth