Dandelions

Our grass is getting greener and taller and really could use a mow, but we haven't gotten around to it yet.  We're not the neighbors on our block who keep a strict schedule with mowing our yard.  It eventually gets done, but it's not usually a priority.  We keep hearing the lawn mowers and weed wackers all around us, but we're content to wait till it's necessary.  The plus side?  Our lawn is gloriously decorated with dandelions right now.  Some people consider the sight of dandelions as a clear indication that it's time to mow, but we see them as a clear sign that it's time to run through the grass and pick the bright flowers to our heart's content.

Maybe we'll mow the lawn this weekend.  Maybe not.  Either way, we'll enjoy our chances to run and play in the backyard.  (Well, my boys run and play - all three of them - while I saunter or even waddle sometimes :) )  We do not take it for granted that we have this space to play in, or that it's the time of year when our boys can play outside without hats and jackets.  It's a short season here in Duluth and we are relishing every chance we get to be outside, with or without a perfectly mowed lawn.

The Rocks of Lake Superior

It was a beautiful holiday weekend and we knew it was time to head to the lake for some rock-throwing.  Caleb and Kai love throwing rocks in the water.  They'd do it for hours if we let them.  As it was, we managed to last almost an hour, which is pretty good.  In between every "Be careful!" and "Step back!" and "Don't do that!  You almost hit him in the head!" we managed to enjoy a lovely morning and successfully dump a lot of rocks back into Lake Superior :)

Taking pictures while maneuvering the rocky terrain was not easy, especially with my big belly in the way of getting positioned for good shots.  But in between every "Watch your step!" and "Slow down!" and "Eli, grab him!" I managed to sit back far enough and avoid having a child fall into the water.

It was a lot of fun, but I've vowed to never take the boys to the lake by myself for the rest of the summer.  This pregnant mama simply can't keep up with both of them in a place like this.  But Eli was with us, as well as my friend Steph who was visiting for the weekend.  We were 3-on-2, which was a fantastic ratio!

My friend Steph drove up from Des Moines for the weekend and it was a delight to have her here!  She is a friend of ours from Bethel, and she and I were both in grad school at Wheaton at the same time too.  I love and respect her a ton.  She has been a blessing and joy to us for several years and now our kids adore her too, even if Caleb mispronounced her name as "Stem" the whole weekend :)

We'll be leaving Duluth later this year, which will be good in the sense that we feel like our allotted time here is coming to a close.  But we'll miss it too.  We'll miss these opportunities to play by Lake Superior, and we'll miss the incredibly gorgeous surroundings.  It's a thin chance that Caleb, let alone Kai, will ever remember this place, so we're thankful for photos that capture some memories from our time here.  Our boys love it here, and we hope and pray that they'll grow a love for every place we find ourselves living throughout the years, because there will be many places for us to live as a family.  Duluth was a good place to start, though.

Yep, it was a good place to start.  We feel blessed to have called Duluth "home" for the past four years!

Birthday Boy

We're not exactly sure if Caleb understands what a birthday is.  But one this is sure: he understands presents!  Our boy, who is now 3 years old, was more than happy to open presents, even if he didn't understand why he was receiving them.

Caleb's actual birthday was last Friday and we were in Michigan City, IN, for our annual Small Group Reunion with the amazing friends we had the joy and honor of being connected with while we lived in Chicago during med school.  Caleb was surrounded by other kids to play with and he enjoyed some special treats, including a donut for breakfast and dirt cake with gummy worms for dessert.  In other words, he was quite happy :)

Even though the weather was less than ideal, we ventured to the beach.  The Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is a beautiful piece of shoreline and our boys loved playing in the sand and throwing rocks and sticks into the water.  They've both had Spring Fever for awhile and want to be outside even in chilly, misty weather.

Before the weekend was over, we wanted to get a picture of all the kids.  There were ten of them this year and, for the most part, we were successful.  Notice how still and lovely these little tykes are sitting on the couch.  (What you don't see is the TV, which had just been turned on to capture their attention.)  But there are only nine kids in this photo.  Hmm?  Where's Caleb?  Where has the Birthday Boy gone to?

"Anyone seen Caleb?  We're missing a kid for the photo op here!"

"Found him!  Just stand right there, buddy, while we snap a few shots."

Anyone seen Caleb?  We're missing a kid for the photo op here!  Oh wait..."

"Let's try that again.  Just sit right here, buddy, while we snap a few shots."

"Hmm, it would appear that he's not in the mood to have his picture taken..."

"Well, at least they're all in the photo.  Caleb can just be remembered as that kid years down the road."

Our son, despite his refusal to cooperate for posed photos (of which he has a long history so far), is quite an amazing little man.  He loves to learn and laugh and play, and his intelligence and humor astound and delight us every day.  He is energetic and expressive and emotional.  He will often ask if he can snuggle with us - so much so that we call him The Snuggler.  He wants and needs to be around people, but doesn't like being put on the spot.  He loves books and will repeat facts like it's the greatest joy in life.  He is interested in all things boy: animals, superheroes, construction machines, dinosaurs, football.  He loves to climb on the couch and jump on the bed and wrestle with his dad and brother.  He loves to eat fruit snacks and will often ask to have them for breakfast, followed by a giggle because he knows he's being funny.  His favorite Bible stories are anything with an animal in it (plus David and Goliath, and Samson).  He loves to "read God" by watching Bible stories on an app on my phone and talk about what's happening in the story.  His favorite place in the world is the zoo and he loves going on "an adventure" whether it's to the bank or the playground or the airport.  He still wakes up too early and we are exhausted because of it, but he fills our cup to overflowing and we know we don't deserve him.  We pray regularly that Caleb will live up to his name, which means "wholehearted," and will be a wholehearted follower of God.  We love our little man beyond measure and are learning how to be more joyful, more patient, more fascinated with the world around us, and more selfless every day.  He keeps us busy, and he keeps us blessed.  We're so thankful for the past three years!

It's a...

...baby!  It's hard to believe we're already halfway to welcoming another Horn Baby!  The first trimester felt slow with the nausea and exhaustion as two little boys ran around and needed me just as much as usual, but since I've stopped vomiting the time has flown by.  And this week we had our 20-week ultrasound and saw our little squirt for the first time!  It was one of the few times reality sunk in.  This pregnancy has been so different for me - it's been hard to remember that another one is on the way, despite how pregnant I look and feel.  Caleb and Kai keep me so preoccupied that I haven't been able to think about and process through this pregnancy very much.  But when I saw our baby on the screen, it hit me.  There's a baby!  And it's ours!  And it's beautiful!!!  I cried a bit as I marveled at the life squirming around inside me.  This baby is LIFE and this baby is beautiful.

We opted not to find out the gender again so it will be a surprise for everyone.  We will be ecstatic either way.  Many people have asked if we're hoping for a girl, or have bluntly stated that they hope we're having a girl, but we truly don't care.  We've learned how fun and amazing little boys can be, so we'd be delighted in having another one.  We'd also love the chance to learn how fun and amazing little girls can be, so that would be a delight as well.  We will truly be happy and grateful either way!

Here I am at 20 weeks.  I know I look big already.  Par for the course, I guess.  The measurements from the ultrasound showed that (surprise surprise) this baby is measuring a tad on the large side.  After having two moose babies (Caleb was 10lbs, 2oz and Kai was 10lbs, 8.5oz) I won't be surprised or overwhelmed if we have another.  In fact, I'd be shocked if we have a normal-sized baby.  I keep joking that if we have a normal-sized baby that I'd be afraid it would fall apart in our hands!  We've only had heavy, chunky newborns who are strong and sturdy from the outset.  Anything else would feel fragile.  But we shall see!

Caleb is slowly grasping the concept that there's a baby in my belly.  He's kissed my belly a few times recently, which melts my heart, and I hope and pray that he'll actually like this kid when he/she comes out.  Kai, of course, has no idea what's coming :)

We're excited and grateful and eager and nervous all at once.  We're praying for a continued healthy pregnancy and for this little one to offer praise to God from the womb.  May He be glorified for the life He's created in His image, even as this person awaits to see the world outside of me.