Sickness and sweetness.

Last night (or rather early this morning) our almost 2 1/2 year old woke up crying.  Kevin ran upstairs to find her in her bed covered with throw-up.  Ugh!  Our poor baby.  This is her first bout with the flu.  Mommy took over cleaning up and soothing Selah while daddy set about getting the bed cleaned up.  

About 30 minutes later mommy and Selah crawled into the guest bed.  Thank goodness we have extra sheets and towels because we had the same scenario happen three times.  Finally around 3 a.m. sleep found us comfortable and feeling better.

Unfortunately this morning Selah is still feeling sick.  No more throwing up but a fever has taken over her body (which is good) and  she is simply lethargic.  For the first time ever in her life she has just lain on the couch watching PBS.  Finally she fell asleep for some more rest.

Here is a picture of her after her rest.  You can see how her cheeks are red.

The sweetness throughout this experience has been Sofia's desire to take care of her little sister.  Last night Sofia was up with us all in the middle of the night asking how she could help.  Her prayers for Selah were so sweet.

Throughout the morning we've had to keep  Sofia upstairs playing because she has simply wanted to sit and stare at her little sister.  We didn't want her to wake her up though.

Finally when Selah woke up Sofia was able to read books to Selah.   Selah loved this.

Lord, we pray for complete healing in Selah's body.  Thank you for allowing us as a family to love on her.  

Sanctity of Human Life Sunday

Join us on Sunday, January 24th in asking the Lord that in His vast mercy He

1.  End abortion

2.  Bring compassionate forgiveness to women who've undergone abortion and men who encouraged those women

3.  Establish protection of unborn children under American law

4. Spread the gospel in such a way that respect for the sacredness of and desire to protect life from conception to natural death would be re-born in the United States.

We know!

Yesterday was our Family Fun Friday and we began it at the doctor's office.  As shared in the previous post I was scheduled for my 20th week ultrasound.  It was so much fun having the girls in the room as we viewed our baby.

Here is a pic of the girls with me and our baby in the background.  The girls were simply being uncooperative about getting their pic taken so this is as good as it gets.

Of course the first question asked by the tech was, "Do you want to know the gender?"  Kevin and I looked at each other and without hesitation we both said, "Yes."  However, our baby since day one is quite the wiggler and was moving all around the place.  Because of this the umbilical cord was in-between the legs and at first (I said at first) we weren't able to tell.  The tech said we would try again later and went on to see the growth of the baby and take measurements.

My due date is May 30.  This would put the baby at 20 weeks 4 days but according to the measurements the baby is measuring 21 weeks 6 days.  So either the due date is off or we are going to have one big baby.  More than anything everything is developing quite nicely and we have a healthy baby.

Here is a pic of our baby.  It took about 10 minutes to get this pic again because of our baby's activity.  The baby's arms were constantly in front of the face.  Camera shy just like their daddy.  Finally this is the pic we got.  The face is in the upper right hand corner.

Then, finally, the baby moved into the right position and without a doubt the tech was able to tell us whether we were having a boy or a girl.

Here is a picture drawn by the girls for their new sibling.  This should give you the hints needed.  Sofia drew a fire truck, a baseball bat, all kinds of balls, and a rocket.  Selah drew a lot of circles and squiggles, the posterboard is BLUE, and at the very bottom Sofia wrote, "I love you brother".

That's right!

We are having a son!

We're half way there!

I am in my 20th week of pregnancy and considering Sofia came at 35 weeks and Selah came at 38 weeks I may be more than half way there.:)

Thankfully I have felt pretty good ever since week 16.  Our baby reminds me with its flutters that he/she is growing and developing.  Such a wonderful feeling.   I look forward to when Kevin and the girls will be able to feel the baby kick and see my belly move.

This Friday we have the 20th week ultrasound but honestly we have not decided if we are going to find out the gender of the baby as yet.  We have pros one way or the other.  We are going to have the girls join us for this ultrasound so they can see the baby in mommy's belly.:)

We are thankful for the many prayers and encouragement we receive daily.  The Lord is preparing us to become a family of 5!

 

Snow play and friends!

I know I've blogged quite a few times about the girls playing in the snow but guess what?  It's winter time here in the midwest and that is what we do!

Last week we had a playdate with our friends the Hanburys.  Miles and his daddy had put together a sled run in their backyard.  So on Thursday, I packed up the girls and all of their gear and headed over to their house for some fun time in the snow.

Here is Miles.  He is 5 yrs old and very proud of his sled run.  He should be.  Especially considering he and his family just moved here a couple of months ago from Florida.

Here are the girls observing Miles while he showed them how to sled on his run.

Sofia LOVED it!!!!

Here's Miles going down backwards.

Selah went "down" a couple of times and opted to play on the swingset.  Valerie (who is 4 yrs old and one of Sofia's good buddies) was so sweet and helped push Selah on the swings.

Here's the gang:

Mommy Dina

Kids l to r:  George (2), Selah (2), Sofia (5), Miles (5), and Valerie (4).  Baby Nora (4 mos.) was inside sleeping.

Oh, and Mommy Keri?  I'm behind the camera.:)

Our Frosty

The snow was a bit soft but on New Year's Eve daddy and the girls went out to build a snowman. As you can see from the first pic the girls were a lot of "help" to daddy. And being that it was pretty cold the snowman turned into a cute little pudgy of a fellow. Sofia and Selah gave him an original name of...Frosty!!!

Frosty gives us something fun to look out at through the back window now that we are homebound for a few days. On New Year's Day an artic blast blew in and due to the windchill, temperatures won't be rising above zero for the next few days. BRRRR!!! At least this guarantees Frosty will be around for awhile.

Christmas 2009

We left in the afternoon of Christmas Adam (Dec. 23) and headed over to the Grand Rapids, MI area. Around 6:30 p.m. we arrived in Hudsonville where we spent a few hours with Aunt Kelli and cousins Caleb and Hannah. Gift opening began that night with gifts that Aunt Kelli had brought back from her trip to OK. The girls had gifts from Gramma and Papa Bill, Uncle Kirk and Aunt Tamra, and from Aunt Kelli and kids. It was fun BUT UNFORTUNATELY I DIDN'T HAVE MY CAMERA AND AUNT KELLI TOOK ALL THE PICS.

Christmas Eve we attended Christmas Eve service at the church Kevin grew up in as a child. We went with Grandpa Sheck, Uncle Jim and his family, Aunt Kerri and her family, and Uncle Paul.

After the service we went over to Uncle Jim and Aunt Sunde's house for chili, pie and games. Cousins Jimmy and Christina joined us. Unfortunately Uncle Tom and family weren't able to make it due to the very icy roads.

Christmas Day the girls woke up to finding stockings filled by Santa. Thankfully this year they were more thrilled about being with family then opening gifts. Sofia actually slept until 10 a.m. that morning and was in no hurry to check her stocking. We had a fun-filled day with most of the family coming over to Grandpa's for a ham dinner and gift opening.

After-dinner activities included lots of game playing and for some...a winter's nap. Sofia "taught" her uncles Glen, Bruce, Paul, and cousins Aaron and Ben how to play Creatures & Features. Selah enjoyed playing with cousins Jordyn and Hayley.

Late Christmas night we made the 4 hour trek back to Illinois. Saturday morning the girls woke to find the gifts Santa left at our house. Sofia couldn't believe she really got a Barbie doll. It was fun watching the girls play together with their new toys. They also had a special time of eating pancakes on the couch and watching a Christmas show.

More than anything this Christmas we enjoyed being able to share with our girls the true meaning of Christmas. It is a gift to us to see them act out the Nativity during their own play time and to gain a step of understanding in knowing that Christmas is a time for us to celebrate the birth of Christ!!!

"Edith Bunker" Practice Session

First piano lessons, then maybe voice lessons will come later.

Sofia's 1st Piano Recital

We're proud of our little girl!

Making Disciples - Sometimes Humiliating, Always Humbling

This commercial is hilarious, but it also packs a poignant punch. The clueless guy with the huge stain had no chance of being heard by his interviewer because the stain on his shirt spoke volumes.

About fifteen years ago, I went golfing with a guy who the Lord had brought into my life to help disciple. To make a long story short, I ended up using a lot of really nasty words at the foursome behind us that really dishonored the Lord. Thankfully, the guy I was with, was far enough along in his walk with the Lord to pray with me, forgive me, and to this day still loves the Lord, and me! But, oh, how humiliating!

I wonder if we Christians, who are called to be disciples of Christ, and commissioned to make disciples of Christ, couldn't learn a lesson from the shirt-stained guy in the commercial? I wonder if the reason our witness for the Lord, and efforts in discipleship fall on suspecting deaf ears, really has nothing do with other people being deaf after all? Perhaps those we are seeking to disciple hear just fine, but perhaps our lives are filled with unchecked stains of sin which speak volumes above anything that we might try to teach others?

The way I see it is that we have two options really. We can give up on our commission, and many have, or we can evaluate ourselves humbly and seek God's grace to train us to renounce ungodliness and worldliness and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present age (Titus 2:12).

The evaluation process is truly humbling, and never really ends on this side of heaven, but it is the most rewarding course.

The belly's growing!

Between Thanksgiving, Christmas and the New Year, many waistbands expand. Mine is not an exception. But thankfully it is because of Baby Sheck #3!!!

Tomorrow marks week 17. Unbelievable. Baby Sheck #3 didn't let me forget, however, that he/she is growing and making themselves comfortable in my belly. From week #6 to week #15 I experienced morning sickness every afternoon and evening. Some evenings were really bad. A couple of times I struggled trying to take care of the girls and prepare dinner for the family so by 4:30 I was calling Kevin to come home. Can I just say that I have a most amazing husband.

Then poof! Last Monday I woke up with this new energy and have yet to experience nauseousness. Oh it is a wonderful feeling. I've also noticed this week that my regular size clothing is beginning to get a little snug. No doubt come January I will be moving onto maternity clothes.

But for now I am enjoying the belly expanison...a wonderful reminder of the miracle that is taking place in my body. God is knitting together our child.

We look forward to our child arriving around Memorial Day Weekend.

Is Santa real or fake?

According to Sofia we believe in the fake Santa. I guess this means that she knows he isn't really real but he used to be real because he helped people know that they should give gifts. You see, Santa Claus, or St. Nick, was a man who desired to show people love. He desired to show love just as God did by giving us a gift...the greatest gift of all...His Son Jesus Christ. So St. Nick began to give gifts to show love.

The belief in Santa continues to be magical in our household even if he is fake (but she really does believe he is real). This past Monday night we took the girls to see Santa. Selah actually wasn't scared this year and went right up to Santa and said, "Merry Christmas". Sofia on the other hand was nervous to see Santa. Her reason was that she had been naughty that day (no arguments from mommy).

At dinner time Sofia had shared that she wanted to tell Santa she wanted a Barbi for Christmas. But when Santa asked what she wanted, she just kept saying, "I don't know." Finally Santa asked, "Would you like a Barbi?" WOW!!! How did he know? Maybe Santa is real.

Here is a pic of the girls sitting on Santa's lap.

Then they snapped this pic while the girls were giving their hugs.
And then Santa called mommy and daddy over for a family pic.

P.S. Santa pics are free at Bass Pro.

Winter Play

When you live somewhere cold it is so much easier to accept when there is snow. Of course, this comes from a stay-at-home mom who doesn't have to get out and shovel or drive on precarious roads.

Snow decorates the outside with a beautiful white blanket. So lovely to look at and so lovely to enjoy when the wind isn't blowing. Yes, when the wind isn't blowing. Yesterday was one of those nice snow days when the temps were around 34 degrees, the snow was lightly falling, and the wind wasn't blowing (at least it was this way for a couple of hours in the morning). And when it's like this....that means WINTER PLAY.

I bundled the girls up in their snow suits and we headed out for about an hour. They had so much fun and I loved seeing them enjoy making snow angels and having snowball fights.

After a walk around the subdivision we headed to the beach. I was surprised to see five swans swimming across the lake. Maybe they were getting one last swim in before the lake totally freezes. The lake's edges are already beginning to do so.

Snow fun!!!

Gift of (Learning) Music

We as parents don't necessarily know whether or not our girls have the gift of music but we do know that we can give them the gift of learning music.

Sofia began piano lessons the second week of September. Now just three months later, she played in her first piano recital.

I've attached a couple of pictures (and will try to post a video later).

This is Sofia at her very first lesson with Mrs. Hibdon. Mrs. Hibdon by the way is the most talented piano player and teacher. She teaches 65 students each week, is organized, patient, and fun. Mrs. Hibdon has a great love for the Lord and for music and seeks to pass both loves on to her students.

The recital was held at The Piano Co., a local piano store that has a Java Cafe' attached that served as the concert hall. On borrow is a 9 ft. Sauter piano worth $250,000 that the students were allowed to use for the recital.

Faces of Thanksgiving

The day before Thanksgiving we made the 4 hour drive to Sparta, MI to be with the Sheckler side of the family. Each year Uncle Jim (Kevin's oldest brother) and Aunt Sunde host the family gathering. It is always such a fun time of eating, playing games, and telling of stories.

This year Sofia was official photographer. She captured the faces of those who were able to make it this year.

Top L: Greg (Aunt Sunde's bro) Top R: Kevin's Aunt Dorothy

Middle L: Aunt Sunde's 93 yr. old mom Middle R: Kevin's Aunt Joyce

Bottom L: Kevin's Uncle Ron Bottom R: Kevin's Uncle Bob

Clockwise from left to right: Uncle Paul, Uncle Glen (who was busy cooking), Uncle Todd, Uncle Jim, and Uncle Bruce and Aunt Kerri

Clockwise from l to r: The girls watching Grandpa make dressing then stuff the bird; cousin Aaron, Aunt Sunde sporting a moustache acquired during one of the games; and cousin Ben.

Family. We are so thankful for family.

The day she turned 5!

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

We are so grateful for the many knees that bent and prayed for our five year old on November 6th.

Sofia enjoyed her birthday very much. If you were to ask her what she did for her birthday she would tell you she had a Hello Kitty party. Reality is that she didn't have a party but we had a fun day of celebrating.

Sofia awoke to her Hello Kitty presents sitting on the breakfast table. She was so excited. After breakfast mommy took her to the doctor for her 5 year old check-up. Boy did I get hasseled. First by daddy then by the nurse and doctor because at this check-up she had to get 5 shots. No fun! I do feel so bad. I don't know what I was thinking. Anyway, Sofia grew 2 1/2 inches this past year but only gained one pound. She is now 43 inches tall and weighs 35 pounds.

Following the drs. visit Sofia had a special lunch at Noodles & Co. then to the bakery to pick up her Tinker Bell cake.

Friday night is our normal small group night so it worked out very nicely for us to have sweet family friends celebrate Sofia turning five.

GO BLUE!

When you marry a Michigan boy you learn real quick that the only team to root for during college football season is Michigan (or whoever is playing Ohio State).

So on game day, the cheerleader outfit is donned, the ponytail is decorated with a blue ribbon, and the somersaults and cheers begin.

Now, if only Michigan would actually win. Especially today since they are playing Ohio State.

GO BLUE!!!!!!

Happy Birthday, Sofia!

This gorgeous brown-eyed, full of energy little girl is a gift to us. She loves to dance, sing, and colour and more than anything just be with people. Her understanding of who God is and her compassionate spirit at times humble us.

FIVE years ago today she came into this world. Today we invite you to join us in celebrating her life through prayer.

Pray that…

Sofia will continue in good health and grow developmentally.
Sofia’s love for books will continue and that one day she would find great pleasure in the Word of God.
Sofia will continue to be curious, and that someday her curiosity will be satisfied by knowing Jesus.
Sofia, whom God put on this earth for His enjoyment, will bring glory to God by enjoying Him.

This is a picture Sofia coloured a couple of weeks ago. It is her and her little sister, Selah.

Halloween = Imagination time!

Halloween has simply turned into a wonderful time for mommy and daughter to be creative. It wasn't until a couple of years ago, right before Sofia turned three that we began putting her in costume. And the reason we did was because Sofia gave us inspiration.

That first year we dressed her as a mouse. The inspiration was her facial expressions. Sofia would crinkle up her nose and mouth and so we went with it.

Last year Sofia knew she wanted to be a Christmas present from November 1 on. Don't ask us where she got this idea but she stuck with it and we had a lot of fun last year putting this together.

This year was a bit more difficult. Sofia kept changing her mind. One day she wanted to be a chocolate chip cookie, the next day a princess. One day she even said, "Mommy, why don't I just be myself for Halloween."

About a week ago, Sofia gave us the inspiration for this year's costume. She kept walking around the house in this certain character. She had the voice, the arm movement, and the walk.

So this year she was a....ROBOT!!!!

And Selah. Let's just say it wasn't worth the tears. Maybe next year Selah.

She scares us.

Yes we realize that last night was Halloween but that was no reason for Selah to give us a scare.

If you are a faithful reader you know that Selah does not like to stay in her bed nor does she like to keep her clothes on at night. Last night was no different.

About a half hour after putting her to bed Kevin went in her room to check on her. What he found was Selah naked and standing by her changing station pulling out wipes. He soon realized that she had stripped in bed and without a diaper on proceeded to wet it.

The crib is still in the room so Kevin simply re-dressed her and put her to bed in the crib.

A couple hours later around 10:30 Kevin went in to check on her one more time before we settled in for the night. Selah was sound asleep BUT....

Selah was naked. And Selah was on top of her changing table. THE CHANGING TABLE. THE TABLE THAT IS A FEW FEET OFF THE GROUND. THE CHANGING TABLE THAT ISN'T VERY WIDE. And yes, Selah was sound asleep. YICHS!!!!

This is a scary feeling as a parent to know that your baby could have seriously injured their self. And we are so grateful she didn't. Our prayers seeking protection of our girls are strengthened.

And Selah...please don't scare us like this again.