The Goad Life

Foster Ave. Goodbye

2012-02-12T15:39:00.000-05:00

It's been a month and a half now since we moved from Foster, our first home. The sale and move itself was a bit crazy as it all happened within the 16 days over Christmas break. I've hardly had time to really process the change. It was completely bittersweet! The house had been for sale for 20 months so we were anticipating a sale at some point. I think after so long though we almost thought we might never have to say goodbye. Really, how do you say goodbye to your first house, all the memories...

Originally I thought we'd bring maybe one baby home to that house...certainly not 8 eight years later and three babies! Below are just a few pictures of 'lasts'...

Last night

beds are gone, just mattresses

Last breakfast

Max enjoys eating like a big kid as we prematurely sent off his high chair

Last bath

Last walk through

...to make sure there was nothing forgot in closet.

We are grateful for God's leading and directing us to what's next. As Josh and I reflected over the past two years (the for sale process) it was so neat to see just how we've grown in trust for our Lord. You could even see a significant difference in the way we were praying for a sale two years and the way we were praying two months ago. God is good in his own time.

"He made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ." Ephesians 1:9-10

Christmas Past

2012-01-20T13:04:00.002-05:00

Almost a month past due, this post is really only for me and archiving purposes. We are all well beyond the Christmas season around here but I felt like still wanted to recap a little...

Christmas with the Goads...Jack was just getting over the flu and so the family didn't stay together for too long...just enough to do some legos and play Sorry!

Our last Christmas morning on Foster Ave. complete with a Doodle Bear and new sleds for the hills at Nana's house. (where we are currently living)

Other than the craziness of selling the house and moving within two weeks, one of our favorite things this season was actually getting to attend church on Christmas morning. It was a memorable service and allowed us to really share in a tangible way with our kids the reason we celebrate to begin with.

Merry Christmas.

Instafriday

2012-01-13T22:34:00.000-05:00

Phone pics from this week...

I never realized Ellie had such a small head until she commandeered Max's super cute sock monkey hat.

watching cartoons like a big boy

Introducing my new niece, Sadie Harper

Great Wolf Lodge

2012-01-13T21:40:00.000-05:00

Back in early December (wow, that seems like forever ago) we took the kids on a surprise overnight trip to Great wolf Lodge. It has become somewhat of an annual getaway for us, but the kids didn't think it would happen until sometime well after Christmas. It so was fun to surprise them. We had the car packed the night before and after church the next morning just kept driving north.

I love watching kids in the water, especially when they're fearless :)

At first I thought we would need two adults at this kiddie slide for Max (one at the top and one at bottom). I was pleasantly surprised how independant he was...

Great Wolf Lodge from JoshandJodi on Vimeo.

2011-12-29T21:28:00.000-05:00

After 21 months of praying and waiting our house has SOLD! (hence the reason for the lack of blog activity this past month). It's been a pretty crazy Christmas break. We've had two and half weeks from the time of the offer until we need to be out. Closing is tomorrow and hopefully the last of several trips to a storage facility.

As soon as things settle down next week I will post some pictures of our December activities, Christmas activities and the whole moving process.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Christmas Palooza

2011-11-29T13:59:00.000-05:00

Christmas Palooza (our created day set aside for traditions and celebrating the start of the advent season) seemed to come upon us so fast this year. We were out of town a couple days for Thanksgiving and then poof there it was. We usually start off the morning with some delicious fresh baked goods...it's a good thing I had pumpkin scone dough in the freezer.

We spent the rest of the morning selecting the perfect tree

And the afternoon decorating it. Sadly, Jack had a birthday party in the afternoon and with Max sleeping it was just me and my girl.
The past few years we've had a pizza picnic for dinner but who can pass up BOGO at Qdoba?

and so we ended the evening with pj's and for the first time watching 'Elf'

Thanksgiving

2011-11-28T14:54:00.000-05:00

Here's a little snip-it of Thanksgiving...

My mom had the kids over the weekend before to do a little thanksgiving crafting.

Over the holiday we spent two nights with Josh's family at this little house in the middle of nowhere. Friends of his parents graciously let us stay. The outside doesn't look like much, but the inside was totally redecorated...one of those where the refridgerator looks like just another cupboard and the dish washer like a kitchen drawer...It was beautiful inside

And because Instafriday was replaced with black friday...

Ellie and my niece Kennedy were taking turns being the photographer as we enjoyed a little fresh air. I think I had over 100 pictures to delete by the time they were done, but it wasn't for nought. I think they got some keepers.

Instafriday

2011-11-18T22:00:00.000-05:00

This week Ellie found old "footie" pjs of Jacks and the hat I pulled out for Max to wear this winter. This girl couldn't be happier with her brothers' stuff.

riding shoulders to the Rockford football playoffs

Oh sweet face, he looks so much like Jack did

Loving leaves!

Family Love

2011-11-09T10:14:00.001-05:00

Where did the time go? Look how big they are! First grade already! I'm living out of my car back and forth to school so much.

Life seemed so simple with the kids not in school. I could hang out at the house all day crafting, playing, cooking, cleaning, my choice. I loved those days and sometimes wish myself back there. There are certainly things I don't like about school age, but the thing I love the most is watching them learn...everything. It is amazing how much they soak up daily. More often I find myself saying "I never learned that in school." Recently we've found ourselves during our morning prayer (in the sunroom or in the car before school) praising and thanking God for our mind and our brains that we learn so much and use our knowlege to serve him and bless others.

parent teacher conferences this week...Jack's teacher had them all write a little note. He specifically asked if he could write to all of us instead of just parents. It's so sweet, I think this is one we'll keeping around for a while :)

Deal of the Day

2011-11-08T12:39:00.002-05:00

I truly enjoy after Holiday shopping and all the great deals and discounts.

Halloween 2012...I couldn't resist. For $5 my Max will be Max!

Vader, a cat and a cowboy

2011-11-02T11:04:00.000-04:00

Of course, lots of fun 'trick or treating' on Monday.

Eleanor brought along one of her friends from school this year.

This girl loves her brother soooo much! If I had a nickel for everytime I said "leave your brother alone" or "Ellie, put him down"... She just can't get enough of him and is always trying to grap and wrestle or pull him on top of her...you name it! It really is sweet how she loves him. I love it, but sometimes it drives me crazy :)

ArtPrize

2011-11-02T10:58:00.000-04:00

Somehow I totally missed posting about ArtPrize.

For those who don't live in Grand Rapids and are unaware of this super cool, take over the city art competition, you should check it out...

ArtPrize is a completely open competition to any artist in the world who can find space and open to anyone who wants to create a venue. The winner is chosen by popular vote. It completely takes over the downtown area for over two weeks and it seems like during that period I hardly had a conversation that didn't talk about art in some way.

Eleanor's favorite was 'Glitter Girl.' Made from thousands of multicolored sequence pinned to a board

This guy painted a canvas live every night and kept adding them throughout the week.

Behind Ellie is a field of flowers that was made from plastic water bottles painted with acrylic paints.

There were tons of really cool pieces this year. I wish I taken more photos.

'Grizzlies on the Ford'

One of the top ten finishers and a kid's favorite was these giant grizzly bears carved only with a chain saw. There were about 10 of them all in around a the fountain at the Ford Museum.

1582 Artists
38811 Registered voters
33858 Activated voters
0 Votes this hour
383106 Total votes placed

My Breakfast

2011-10-25T10:12:00.002-04:00

One of my favorite things about fall is all the seasonal baking I get to do. I have quite a sweet tooth and so as I try to teach my kids to enjoy the healthy fruits and veggies, they will certainly get their fill of apple pie, zucchini bread, pumpkin whatever and so on. Last year I shared one of my new found favorites the Pumpkin Scone. In case you missed that one, you can find it here. So there it is, and if it wasn't so indulgent I could probably eat three every morning :)

Fall

2011-10-21T16:43:00.000-04:00

This is all I could get for all three...not our best work

Just enjoying a beautiful Sunday afternoon at the farm complete with hay ride, corn maze, play ground, donuts, apples and pumpkins. Have I ever mentioned I think fall is my favorite season!

The Red Sharks

2011-10-03T10:57:00.000-04:00

Soccer season is now well under way. Josh, who volunteered to be an assistant coach some how was made the only coach for Jack's team. It seems like such a small commitment having two practices a week and then a game on Saturday...I don't even want to think about what high school might look like with 3 kids potentially in sports and extra-c activities - CRAZY!

We are constantly putting chapstick on Jack's lips. This is where you'll find his tongue most of the time on the field.
The next few pictures capture a celebration of Jack's first goal this season. It was so cute to see him go sprinting over to his daddy to celebrate.

Jack's cousin Hailey also plays on another team. It's funny how when they are together how much they talk about when their teams will play against oneanother. It should be a fun game to watch...Look for a report after October 22 :)

Last days of summer

2011-09-10T22:19:00.000-04:00

Rewind...
Before there was school, there was the weekend...Labor Day weekend.
Something about the end of summer makes me a little camera happy too. The way things worked out this summer there were very few times when all the kids were there together.
I love to see all the memories made here, my favorite place on earth :)

As you can see on the bottom right, we are training up some good workers for taking the dock out.

These pictures above, brought back the memories like a flood. As kids we used to have races and play 'olympic' games every night after dinner. Uncle Ben was a great coach here and rounded everyone up for a relay around the house...all in line from littlest to biggest.
We laughed so hard...they were taking it so seriously. The smiles and determination on their faces says it all. Thanks to Allison for the great action shots.
"Goodbye Higgins Lake"

Preschool

2011-09-10T21:13:00.000-04:00

Not much of a story here. Eleanor off to Preschool.

This being her second year there was absolutely no fear or hesitation. She had a great first day and can't wait to go back.

So it was 9am on Friday morning and I was remembering what it was like to have just one kiddo...I think I'm going to like this year :)

First Grade

2011-09-06T22:00:00.000-04:00

It's a strange thing to let them go...to realize that you won't spend the majority of the day with them anymore and to trust their hearts and minds to so many others...
Other than being completely exhausted after a full day of school and an hour of soccer practice, Jack had a great first day. We already love his new teacher and look forward to all that this year holds. We trust that even though we loosen our grips a bit, the Lord is establishing Jack's steps.
Proverbs 16:9 "In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps."

Jacks idea to take a picture of the "Goad boys"

Instafriday

2011-09-02T23:15:00.000-04:00

Last Saturday Josh and I were able to get away for a night in the Amway Grand Hotel. It was a gift from last Christmas...don't ask me why it took us so long to use it.

We spent all day together doing various things we don't get to do with littles around...movie theatres, dining out, walking leisurely downtown, dining out again :) Anway, It was a fabulous retreat and just enough to energize me for 3 days as a single parent this week.

For breakfast on Sunday we ate at this wonderful cafe called The Westsider. New to us, we loved it and I will spend the next few months bringing everyone I know to share in the goodness.

So while we ate here...

the kids were here...grateful my MIL likes to send me mobile pics :)

Breakfast...

Cuban Skillet

Huevos Rancheros

You could just about throw a stone from my doorstep to Kingmas Market. We have been so fortunate to have this local gem so close. In the spring and summer months I can safely say we are there almost everyday. If not for food, just for something to do with the kids. In the spring, Eleanor would spend an hour walking up and down the rows of flowers feeling all the petals...stinkin' adorable, but so much it kind of drove me nuts :)

When you don't have the yard for your own garden, Kingma's comes through with a bushel of tomatoes for $7. Hello sauce and salsa!

Hooray for mums! I love to see all the different colors lined up around the outside of the store. Today I was there without Ellie and I can't wait to tell her they've arrived :)

Mackinac Island

2011-08-21T15:38:00.000-04:00

Last week Josh took off work and we spent the week at the cottage for a little vacation. The weather was beautiful and we had some much needed time away as a family...and by family I mean including my mom because she was there with us and was a great help! She even kept Max for a day so Josh and I could take the older two up to Mackinac Island.
Anyone other than myself may not remember, Mackinac is where Josh proposed...We hadn't been back since and that was 10 years ago. We brought our own bikes and burley and rode about 20 miles total. The kids had so much fun playing on the rocky beaches and exploring the trails and terrain.
One of the pictures in the video of the kids and I from behind is at the spot I got my ring :) It was actually a lot easier to find than we thought.

Mackinac Island from JoshandJodi on Vimeo.

and the rest of the week was spent doing all the normal 'Higgins' stuff...

boating, fishing, swimming at the state park, trampoline, fires and friends. (Kate and Brett, you were dearly missed! Now counting the days until spring break :)

final count for the morning...13.

mostly rock bass and a few perch

Josh's dad (Paw Paw) gave Jack a fishing pole and tackle box for his birthday and took him camping on a special overnight just the two of them. We generally don't do much fishing at Higgins but I think Jack might be setting a new trend.

Monster Max

2011-08-21T15:30:00.000-04:00

If you were to ever hang around just Josh with Max, you might think his name is 'Monster Max'
He's not really a monster, actually quite the opposite but I guess it just happens to be Josh's nickname of choice.

Instafriday

2011-08-12T08:44:00.000-04:00

he was one tired boy!

my new lisa leonard necklace :)

enjoying a special Starbucks treat

One Year

2011-08-12T08:32:00.000-04:00

Maxwell growing before our eyes...from one month to one year

Star Wars Party

2011-08-11T22:40:00.001-04:00

I was so thrilled (in a bitter sweet kind of way) to celebrate Jack's 6th Birthday today. Happy Birthday Boo! Jack, I love to tell you about the day you were born and in return you love to hear it...at least you pretend to :) You have grown into such a little man. You are all boy but with the tenderest little heart. I am trying to soak up every minute of being with you the next few weeks before you're off to first grade and gone all day (insert sniffles here)
I say I am thrilled because after 3 birthday parties this summer I think I'd like to be done for a while
Here is Jack doing a little pre-party playing

Young Jedis in training

After completing a series of lightsaber, balance, and course training they were awarded their official Jedi robes.

Jack and Traeger reading a clue to find where Darth (Josh) is holding Leia (Ellie) captive

A few other things I forgot to take pictures of...Destroying the Death Star (my homemade pinata), Star Wars Bingo, and the classics for any star wars party-Galactic pizza and Yoda sodas

All in all a great time was had on our star planet today. Love you Jack! Happy Birthday

Celebrating Maxwell

2011-08-02T21:36:00.000-04:00

Seriously, how did my baby turn one before my very eyes. Where did the time go?
Tonight we had a small party with family to celbrate this little guy
I love you Max, and thank the Lord for the blessing you are.

Grandpa Buzz with the all the kiddos (except for the one on the way...not mine though :)

Fearless

2011-07-20T14:09:00.000-04:00

Friends of ours have this amazing man-made pond/pool in their backyard. It has a liner and a pump, but pretty much everything else is natural. The sides mesh right up with the grass and it has a natural organic compound that keeps the algae out and pond dye that makes the water a dark blue green color. In all other respects, it's just like a regular pond. No maintenance for the winter either...just let it freeze and then play broom ball :)

I have never seen anything like it. It's amazing!

Speaking of amazing...who ever thought my 4 and 6 year old would have the guts to climb this tower and jump off an 18ft high dive! And for the faint at heart there is a giant rock which jumps well too.

Untitled from JoshandJodi on Vimeo.

Vintage Circus Party

2011-07-15T19:52:00.000-04:00

On Wednesday I had 12 girls ready to go to the circus!

We had such a fabulous time celebrating Eleanor's birthday with her friends.

I had seen this idea for a party long ago and it just stuck with me. I knew Ellie would go with whatever so I went with it.

There were carnival games, a bouncer (Thanks Allison!), a ticket booth, and lots of sugary treats.

The invitations and printables were done by The Tomkat Studio. I was so pleased the way everything came out.

a little round of duck, duck goose

cousins Sydney and Kennedy

The sun was so bright Ellie kept covering her eyes until she got her glasses...we all thought she was upset about something

getting right to her gifts after all the girls left

Happy Birthday Eleanor

2011-07-13T20:07:00.000-04:00

Four years ago today this girl arrived in the world at only four pounds!

Eleanor, you are a beautiful little spunk of a person and everyday you make me proud to be your mom.

Here's a little sneak peek of the fun we had today...more to come soon.

and in true kid fashion, as we're tucking Ellie in to bed she says "Can it be my birthday tomorrow too?"

11 Months

2011-07-07T22:23:00.000-04:00

Monster Max is what your daddy calls you, but your personality couldn't be more different
Maxwell, you have such a sweet disposition. My favorite thing right now is your laugh which we hear ALL the time.
You decided baby food was boring and would have no more of it :)
You are a good little traveler as we spend a lot of time up north on the weekends.
and it won't be long before your first steps...

Love ya kiddo!

Moser Visit - Take 2

2011-07-04T10:53:00.001-04:00

We had such a great time back in March visiting the Moser family that we had to do it again...this time with a little more sun and sand. We met near Saint Joseph, MI where their family was vacationing last week.

These boys have already formed such a great friendship. I'm sure it will last a long time.
They are so much alike in some respect and so different in others. My favorite thing was watching Ben put his arms around Jack (from the back) to help him hit the baseball...what are good friends for!

...and these three dumped buckets of sand out of their suits when we were finished

Butterfly chasing

The water in the big lake was to cold for everyone else but Josh and Isa. Mostly the kids all played in this gross little stream that running into the lake...seriously gross water that didn't seem to phase them.

Even the littlest loved the stream and eating rocks

Beautiful sunset enjoyed by adults only :)

Instafriday on Sunday

2011-07-03T10:47:00.001-04:00

A fellow blogger came up with this brilliant idea, and i’m totally jumping on the bandwagon!

i’m posting my iphone pics from the week that i've snapped on instagram.

don’t you love how instagram totally makes lame pictures look cool?!

I think I'm going to like this...not just because it was a fun way to recap my week, but also because i don’t have to edit any photos – makes for fast blogging!

I never get sick of taking pictures of kids on the dock and in the sand.

Something about it is so nostalgic for me.

Impromptu pool party turned picnic with friends

I think this so funny because Jack has a mouth full of food, but he's trying to smile so nicely for me.

These next couple just get me rolling...I was in Gap the other day with the kids and Jack says "Hey mom, look it's Dad!" I turned around to see him embracing this manequin :)

We got a pretty good laugh and kept moving through the store.

Then Ellie says "lets take one with mom too"

I can't even get them to take pictures this good with me for real.

Babes chillin' on the beach in Saint Joseph

As Maxwell does less and less nursing, Eleanor gets to feed more and more bottles.

She still loves to hold him, but since he's almost as big as she is, he will not sit still very often.

Caps for Sale

2011-06-19T19:46:00.002-04:00

One of Eleanor's favorite books of late is Caps for Sale. This weekend while at a small store up north she was channeling her inner sales girl. I was getting ready to take her picture and she turns around with this great smile...

I love you Ellie, and all the things you do that make me laugh everyday.

Mobile Blogger

2011-06-13T08:12:00.004-04:00

So I'm just testing out this whole mail2bogger thing which allows me to post from my phone. Here are the kids with their cousin Hailey at the Rockford summer celebration...so cool.

Kindergarten Graduation and Park Party

2011-06-11T16:14:00.000-04:00

My baby is so grown up...

It was such a memorable year and Jack has made some great friends.

10 Months

2011-06-08T14:50:00.000-04:00

Do you know how hard it is to get a ten month old to sit still when you are only feet away with a shiny toy (i.e. camera) that he wants so badly?

Here is what the first few attempts looked like...

Memorial Weekend

2011-05-31T16:09:00.000-04:00

We had a great start to our summer at the lake this weekend.

It seemed like the kids really enjoyed playing 'together' as opposed to individually side by side.

Too bad the warm weather couldn't heat up the freezing 55 degree water.

my sweet little man...

Splish Splash

2011-05-26T15:49:00.000-04:00

When Ellie asked to go outside and play yesterday, my first instinct would normally have been "Are you crazy? It's raining."

But really, what's a little water hurt :)

Riverbank 25K

2011-05-15T14:05:00.000-04:00

This weekend, Jodi ran her first 25k (15.5 miles). She has been much more into the triathlons and has not been too excited about the long distance running. Needless to say, months of training and Saturday's filled with long runs culminated with this past Saturday. As we drove downtown for the race through a steady downpour, we both wondered where the rest of the day would go. Lucky for us, the rain was finished before the race started.

Here is Jodi about 100m from the end of the race...it was a good sign that she still had a smile on her face..

The triumphant runners during post race rehydration (Chocolate milk and water bottles) and carbo loading (panera bagels).

Jack's interpretation of race day...

Eleanor's interpretation of race day...

All told, Josh ended the day with a new personal best and Jodi finished right in the range she was hoping to finish. I am thinking I might be on my own next year, though...

-Josh

Rub-a-dub-dub...

2011-05-14T15:01:00.000-04:00

...three kids in a tub.

Dairy Discovery

2011-05-11T09:58:00.000-04:00

Eleanor's class went to a dairy farm last week for a field trip. It's such a cool experience...even for us adults. I went last year with Jack and Josh was able to go with Ellie. The guide shows them the whole process from the birth of the calf through the milk leaving the farm. They actually watched a calf being born.

running the hill with friends doesn't get old

Everyone got to pick a calf and feed it a bottle. Josh and Ellie named theirs Martha

funny pose :)

9 Months

2011-05-06T21:25:00.000-04:00

Not much new this month. Max is moving all over on his belly doing the 'army crawl', still not on his knees but pretty fast. Today I wasn't watching closely and he crawled or rather fell down a couple stairs to the landing...ooops.

He's eating a few solids like cheerios, bananas and cheese and top front teeth are just poking through.

Love him soooo much!

Swingin'

2011-05-02T08:03:00.000-04:00

Finally...

2011-04-13T10:30:00.000-04:00

It's warm!

And with nice weather comes

sunshine, shadows, and freeze tag.

8 Months

2011-04-06T11:29:00.000-04:00

Is he a happy guy or what?

Super explorative and learning new things everyday

Just this past week Max accomplished picking up food on his own. (That's good, I was sick of putting the puffs in his mouth for him)

He also is now rocking on his hands and knees...not going anywhere yet except pushing himself backwards under the bed.

We are working on clapping. He will give a high five though.

Goodness he looks so old...

Bike safety day

2011-04-02T13:41:00.000-04:00

Last week Eleanor's class got to bring their bikes (or in Ellie's case, her scooter) to school for "Bike Safety Day" A police officer, one of her classmates dad, came to talk about the importance of wearing helmets and well, being safe.

Eleanor had no desire to sit on her knees so she could be seen...do you see her little face poking out near the back?

I felt a little bad not having a bike for her. She has outgrown the tricycle used last summer and we have yet to purchase a two-wheeler. Thankfully Ellie has never been a follower and seemed to be okay doing her own thing on the scooter. Some of her friends were kind enough to let her try out their bikes as well. She told me she's ready to get her new bike now and at Meijer last night picked out a horn for it (a very loud horn the whole store could hear over and over).

Max and the Neverland Pirates

2011-03-28T22:23:00.000-04:00

Peter Pan has been a favorite for pretend play around here for a while.

Tonight Jack shared his knife with Max so he could be a pirate too.

Like most 8 month olds, Max just thought it was good for chewing

What are they looking at? Maybe the camera was pointed in the wrong direction.

My Girl

2011-03-28T22:07:00.003-04:00

Just some fun shots of my girl...
It's so rare for her to enjoy being captured so I was eating it up

Brothers

2011-03-28T22:05:00.001-04:00

Lisa Leonard Giveaways

2011-03-21T14:41:00.000-04:00

Everyday this week Lisa Leonard Designs is having a giveaway on her blog. If you've never seen her stuff before you should check out the shop. She makes beautiful hand stamped jewelry that I've been lusting over for quite some time. Before I bite the bullet and purchase something maybe I'll get lucky this week!

Here are two of my favorites...

family tree necklace

tiny squares necklace

Moser Visit

2011-03-07T21:55:00.000-05:00

This weekend we made our way to Taylor University in Upland, IN to visit one of Josh's college roommates and his family. He is a hall director at Taylor and so for three days we packed 11 people into their little apartment. We had a great time and all the kids played together so well. Jack was so happy to have two other boys who love to play Star Wars as much as he does...between action figures and dress up I'm not sure they did anything else.

Max and Stella (about 5 weeks apart)

Letting their bellies rest after ice cream at Ivanhoe's

Burning energy in the gym cause the weather wasn't great

On your marks, get set, go

Class of 2027 Roommates

7 Months

2011-03-07T17:16:00.000-05:00

Max is such an easy going guy. He smiles and flirts with just about anyone.
He loves to sit on the floor and play or sit in the exercsaucer. He's been rolling from back to stomach for a week or so and just this morning I found him sleeping on his stomach. I love this milestone because I think they sleep so much better...

2011-02-22T12:59:00.000-05:00

Three is only sometimes a crowd, otherwise it's just cute!

Frosty

2011-02-12T14:53:00.016-05:00

After all that snow a few weeks ago the kids had been asking incessantly for help building a snowman.

Snowman building requires just the right consistency so after a few warm days and a little melting Josh suited up...

May I present to you Frosty

6 months

2011-02-05T20:57:00.001-05:00

Max is six months old!

He just sat up unsupported tonight for the first time...show off.
His first tooth popped through last week.
His hair keeps getting lighter, maybe he'll be our first blonde.
He eats four times a day, and generally takes two day time naps and one catnap after dinner.
Totally easy going guy...I think he's a keeper!

Weighing in at 17 lbs. 3oz. and 27.25 in. long. As for the weight, he went from being in the 80% to the 40%...that's more like a Goad kid :)

Great Wolf Lodge

2011-02-05T13:51:00.000-05:00

Last weekend we spent a night in Traverse City at the Great Wolf Lodge (indoor waterpark). It was a great break from the long cold winter at home. It is such a family friendly place...I love that even the little kids can ride on the big slides. Jack and Hailey (cousin) also spent a lot of time in the lazy river swimming their fastest to escape Josh and Grandpa.

Once Eleanor found the 'warm' pool we had a hard time getting her to do other things.

This is what it's like trying to get Ellie to take a picture...

Blizzard of 2011

2011-02-02T12:22:00.001-05:00

It's the ultimate snow day.

A few inches is not a big deal to shovel, but's it's accumulation like this that makes us wish we had a snow blower...18+ inches and more with the drifts.

After shedding his outer layer he kinda looks like a ninja with a snow hat.
Thanks for digging us out Josh!

Eczema

2011-02-02T11:01:00.000-05:00

Max has not escaped the extremely dry skin that the winter brings on our kids. If we don't stay on top of it, the red inflamed skin gets out of control. Short nightly baths help and I was getting sick of leaning over the tub...the sink it is.

Sledding

2011-01-31T11:12:00.000-05:00

Michigan snow is good for something...

We have a great sledding hill just a few blocks from our house at Ellie's school. Funny thing remembering myself sledding on the same hill at this age.

The sunshine is deceiving.
Max lasted about 10 minutes in 20 degrees with the wind blowing
so this time we watched from the sidelines (i.e. car)

Star Wars Doll House?

2011-01-08T10:52:00.001-05:00

Nothing brings joy to a parent like stumbling upon irrational creativity from your kiddos. In this case, I wandered into the living room to find Jack and Ellie transporting Eleanor's doll house furniture to a random location and setting up the old Star Wars crew for a little TV watching. If you must know, they spent time watching some Narnia, followed up by the football game that started out being between the Lions and Bears (Go Lions!) and turned into a game between the fighting AT-AT Walkers and the Bears (I am pretty sure the Bears don't stand a chance).

Poor Darth had to sit on the coffee table, with Luke on the floor while Ahsoka got the primo seat.

Leia and the clone trooper were cozy on the couch with R2 playing chaperone...hand check!

One big happy family...looks like Uncle Chewy swung in for the end of the game.

Note that there is a bathroom in the upstairs (I can attest to Ahsoka being very lady-like on the potty), a kitchen next to the pink box (they baked steak for dinner...you know Chewy loved that), and when bed time came around, this Star Wars family definitely believes in the concept of family bed.

Jack and Ellie...thanks for a great memory.

Josh

Biking in a Blizzard

2011-01-04T16:49:00.000-05:00

Okay not really a blizzard, but it makes the experience sound better right?

Sunday evening we were feeling a little cooped up and the kids asked if we could take a walk around the block.

I was all for getting some fresh air.

We made it about 100 yards before Jack was ready to turn around

Ellie was done before leaving the front of the house.

It was COLD!

5 Months

2011-01-02T22:08:00.000-05:00

Another month has passed so quickly. Maxwell is still our chunker but seems to sliming down a bit as he grows. Over the passed month he graduated from the playmat to the exersaucer and has been eating cereal for about a week. He does alright with it, but definitely still prefers to nurse.

He loves to grab and stuff any kind of fabric (burp cloth, taggie, shirt) in his face and chew on it. He is very ticklish under his arms and on the bottom of his feet...bummer for him Jack and Ellie know this. He has a very pleasant and chill demeanor and seems to be the one thing everone comments on.

brother and sister just couldn't leave him alone

silly faces always

Haircuts

2010-12-29T20:36:00.000-05:00

...It had been since school started and E has never had more than a trim. I was so tired of fighting about pulling it up and combing through all the tangles. The new 'do' is adorable and makes her look so grown up. It makes me wish we would've cut it sooner.

Before

After

Trying her hand at the Wii

2010-12-29T08:36:00.000-05:00

The view...

2010-12-28T20:09:00.000-05:00

After finishing some chores upstairs this was my view on the way down...

On the bright side, at least the toys were all in one spot.

myPod iPod

2010-12-24T22:38:00.000-05:00

So In case your thinking it, I do realize I post way more pictures of Max than the other two or anyone else. To my credit though, he's the only one who will sit still...

We are trying very hard to keep and include Josh's parents in the rapid evolution of electronics and so they were gifted their first iPod (touch) today. Not bad for the first picture taken. Some how we captured Max in this awesome mid-movement candid.

Merry Christmas all!

Preschool Christmas...

2010-12-23T15:09:00.000-05:00

This is mostly for the Grandparents that couldn't make it...

This is just a little snip it of Ellie's Christmas program at school.

She is standing next to her good friend Madie. The part you don't see is when she so eloquently manipulated another friend to trade places so she could stand there.

These next pictures are at the church Christmas program. Again, all the 3 year olds were supposed to be animals but somehow moments before the show Eleanor was able to weasel her way into being an angel along with her 4 year old cousins Kennedy and Hailey (E is in the middle). Maybe not a good thing, but that girl knows how to get her way.

Love the super fake smile.

Nativity

2010-12-17T09:10:00.000-05:00

I love this picture Jack drew of the nativity scene. It actually started off much simpler and before I had a chance to scan it he decided he needed to fill in the background.

Both the kids love to draw and color...It's so fun to see what's in their little brains as it comes out on paper.

4 Months

2010-12-06T11:18:00.001-05:00

I don't feel like much has changed about Max this month. He eats a ton and sleeps well. He's also starting to grab more at his toys and rolls from his stomach to avoid 'tummy time'. I think the thing I love the most right now are the smiles and pure excitement to see me when he wakes up :) At his 4 month appt. he weighed 15 lbs. 14 oz. and was 26 inches long. Both about the 85%.

Just because he's cute

2010-11-28T19:51:00.000-05:00

Christmas Palooza

2010-11-28T19:47:00.001-05:00

Loving the holidays, loving each other...

We had a lot of fun on Saturday picking out our tree (we got the best one!), decorating, and watching movies in our new Christmas pajamas.

Santa Parade

2010-11-25T10:55:00.000-05:00

How do you go 30 years in Grand Rapids and not even know there is a Santa Parade? My parents never took us growing up so when we took the kids last year I knew we'd started a new tradition. Last Saturday we bundled up and headed downtown...

We ran into cousins and managed to get a picture. Jack has his arm around my cousins daughter Maren who is town from Colorado

Weekend with the Goads

2010-11-16T14:33:00.001-05:00

It had been over a year since we've spent a weekend or overnight with Josh's family. The craziness of life had gotten the better of us. spent Thanks to some family friends we were able to stay the weekend at their home/cottage in Spring Lake. It was so fun to all be together! The kids entertained themselves and the adults were able to play games, catch up on life and cook. What would a Goad weekend be without a lot of good food?

We are so grateful for our family and the chance to "do" life together.

Thank you Lord for family that not only loves and pours into us, but above all loves you!

Cozy little weasel

2010-11-07T20:51:00.001-05:00

Friday night Josh was out and after putting the older ones to bed Maxwell and I had some good snuggles. Three times in a row I had him asleep in my arms and then tried to put him down. I thought the third time was a charm so when I came back with my apple pie I was surprised to see these sweet little eyes staring up at me :)

Cozy little weasel, go to sleep!

Three Months

2010-11-04T10:38:00.000-04:00

...and growing!

I love this the next few months because you totally see their personality coming out.

Max loves to smile (especially after eating) and also started giggling quite a bit.

Here's to surviving 3 months with 3 kids.

Lord, thank you for the gifts these little ones are and, do I dare say it, the challenges they bring every day.

Happy Halloween

2010-10-30T17:48:00.001-04:00

Every year my cousins get together with our kids for a Halloween party. It's funny how all the costumes get passed around. I think there are costumes here that have been worn at least five times.

Also, if you look to the upper right corner you'll see my grandparents who now have 15 great grands with another on the way!

It's also been fun to compare Max with Jack in certain clothes and outfits since their b-days are just 9 days apart. It may not look like it here, but Max is now almost 3 months and the same weight Jack was at 6 months.

Pumpkin Scone

2010-10-20T10:18:00.000-04:00

Josh and I love Starbuck's pumpkin scone however very rarely do we treat ourselves in addition to coffee. Google here I come. I was on the hunt for a copy cat recipe and I think I managed pretty well. I've made these scones a few time in the past couple weeks and what should last at least 4 days end up disappearing in about a day and a half! If you don't like scones because they tend to be too dry, don't shy away. These are the perfect consistency (in my opinion). Hope you like!

Starbuck's Pumpkin Scones

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups all-purpose flour
7 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
3 tablespoons half-and-half
1 large egg
6 tablespoons cold butter

Plain Glaze
1 cup plus 1 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 tablespoons whole milk

Spiced Icing (this is actually enough for about 3 batches)
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 tablespoons whole milk
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
pinch ground ginger
pinch ground cloves

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon cloves, and 1/4 teaspoon ginger in a large bowl.
3. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together pumpkin, half-and-half, and eggs.
4. Cut butter into cubes then add it to the dry ingredients. Use a pastry knife or a fork to combine butter with dry ingredients. Continue mixing until no chunks of butter are visible. You can also use a food processor: Pulse butter into dry ingredients until it is the texture of cornmeal or coarse sand.
5. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients, then form the dough into a ball. Pat out dough onto a lightly floured surface and form it into a 1 -inch thick rectangle that is about 9 inches long and 3 inches wide. Use a large knife or a pizza wheel to slice the dough twice through the width, making three equal portions. Cut those three slices diagonally so that you have 6 triangular slices of dough.
6. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes on a baking sheet that has been lightly oiled or lined with parchment paper. Scones should begin to turn light brown. (I baked mine for 13 minutes and thought it was perfect)
7. While scones cool, prepare plain glaze by combining ingredients in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed. Mx until smooth.
8 When scones are cool, use a brush to paint a coating of the glaze over the top of each scone.
9. As that white glaze firms up, prepare spiced icing by combining ingredients in another medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed. Drizzle this thicker icing over each scone and allow the icing to dry before serving (at least 1 hour). A squirt bottle works great for this, or you can drizzle with a whisk.Makes 6 scones.

The Green Machine

2010-10-17T11:53:00.000-04:00

Well this year, Jack was finally eligible for some good old-fashioned sporting and we signed him up for the local Under-6 soccer league. Of course, being a push over, I agreed to help out with the coaching. Everything has been great this season, good kids, fun times, except for the fact that our team is brutal. After a pair of 9-1 thrashings, my expectations for this season's success went out the window. Regardless, I hope Jack has had as much fun as I have and look forward to many more years of doing the sports thing with him.

Jack has fallen victim to the "follow the ball" mentality, but he certainly lacks in focus and aggressiveness.

My job is to manage the sideline...as you can see below, I have my own issues.

- Josh

Sweet Potato

2010-10-17T11:22:00.001-04:00

I guess I didn't realize that Sweet Potato Vine grew real potatoes! I've used sweet potato vine in planters before but never found something like this. When I went to pull out all my plants this week to clean up for winter this is what I found! If you can't tell from the picture, the big one in the front is about 8 inches long and the size of regular large potato. It makes sense though...a potato vine growing potatoes. It just never occured to me I would find such large roots in my planters. Does anyone know if these are edible? I tried googling it but couldn't find a concrete answer.

Smile

2010-10-08T14:24:00.001-04:00

Max is all smiles all the time right now. I love it!
(Don't mind the spit up spot by his head)

Two Months...and a few days

2010-10-08T14:21:00.000-04:00

I'm normally a very punctual person, however I seem to be late on just about everything around here...

Maxwell is now two months old and still my biggest :)

He weighed in at 14 pounds and 24.5 inches.

If you can have a favorite at two months, his is the play gym. We just recently dusted it off and this kid loves to lie under that thing and kick his legs and coo...He sometimes actually cries when I pull him away.

Lovin' him so much and grateful for all the joy he's brought us the past two months.

Star Student

2010-10-07T10:51:00.000-04:00

Alright, I'm a little behind, but I still had to brag a little bit.

Last week Jack was honored in an assembly in front of the whole school for being the star student of the month in his class and displaying the character trait of wisdom. I was so proud of my little guy! Being an August birthday I sometimes second guess our decision to send Jack to kindergarten, but this was just a little extra confirmation that God has him right where he should be.

Remember this post too...The verse at the bottom I was praying for Jack...I don't believe it's a coincidence

Lord, turn Jack's ear toward wisdom and his heart toward understanding. Give him a teachable spirit, one that calls out for insight and searches for it as for hidden treasure. (Proverbs 2:2-4)

Even better, our good friends daughter also got the award for her class.

Making Friends

2010-09-27T14:10:00.000-04:00

For anyone whose kids have 'started school' you know that it's like putting a piece of your own heart out there. You want them to be liked, to have friends, to not have their feelings hurt for any reason, etc... Well all of that is part of life, the good and the bad. Jack started at new school this year so he's having to make new friends...

The first days of school we would ask him about kids in his class, who he sits by and who he plays with at recess...all subtly encouraging him to make new friends and not rely on his two little girl friends from church who are in the other class. Some days he plays with the girls and some days he said he played by himself.

Let me just tell you about last week.

When I picked Jack up on Wednesday, he had the biggest smile on his face and came running over to me.

"Mom, I played with one of the boys in my class at recess today! His name is Toby and he had a football and asked me to play catch with him...and mom, I asked him if he wanted to come over to our house sometime." My heart about melted on the spot! It was so stinkin' sweet. Thank you Jesus for giving us friends.

To top that, after school we dropped Jack at a birthday party with a bunch of kids he went to school with last year. Upon seeing him everyone came running over to give him big hugs and tell him they missed him this year.

That's all for now.

More Max

2010-09-21T14:19:00.000-04:00

Per a few requests, here are a few recent pictures of Max. He is constantly changing from day to day and is not yet slowing down in size. I weighed him last Thursday when I was at the docs for Jack and he turned in at 13 pounds. I'll be careful not to blink or he might not fit in any of the 3-6 month clothes either...

Max started smiling a bit early last week. I took this picture on Saturday...his first 'captured' smile.

Last weekend Josh and I took our small group to the lake. It was great to have so many willing arms to hold max but also just to cuddle him myself. As kiddo #3 I don't get much time to snuggle him. After feeding he's usually quickly back to a bouncy seat or swing so I can tend to other things. I know you're jealous, he's a pretty good snuggler :)

First day of Preschool

2010-09-16T13:37:00.000-04:00

We hadn't decided until just a few weeks ago to put Ellie into preschool. Jack did not go when he was 3 but after having Max and realizing just how itchy Ellie was to get out, we went ahead with it. She has the same teachers Jack did last year and so he has spent the first half of the week prepping E for all she's going to do and learn not to mention all the rules.

I was a little nervous how she would since she cried twice going into church last week.

No worries. She was awesome and didn't look back.

When I picked her up and asked her to tell me about it,

she said "can I just tell you later Mom? I'm tired."

Within moments of leaving the parking lot she was asleep...on our way to pick up Jack.

When taking her picture E insisted on only putting her bag on one shoulder.

She is so stinkin' stubborn

...and goofy

very excited for her Cinderella folder...

What part of move the folder down don't you understand?

Reeds Lake Triathlon - XY Edition

2010-09-12T16:40:00.002-04:00

The past few years I have fallen in love with triathlons!

This would have been my 3rd year racing, but you can see how Maxwell created a problem for that.

Josh has been running long distance races and talked about doing the tri sometime...

I told him well this is the year cause I'm back at it next time and with 3 kids in tow we both can't train.

So here it is, Josh and my brother - the XY edition...I'll let him tell his story:

This was my year for the triathlon and I was pretty excited to do it. My brother in law, Dan, and I swam together twice a week for the last 10 weeks, we ran 2-3 times per week, biked 1-2 times per week, and generally exercised like mad men. Going into the race, I felt supremely confident in the swim and the run, concerned with the bike (probably my least-trained on activity). Enter: Saturday morning...

Hello humble pie! My confidence in the swim was drowned (almost literally) within 5 seconds of the start of the race. I was expecting to be able to get into a rhythm, let a few people get past me and then settle into my freestyle stroke with my face in the water. I think some combination of nervousness, the sheer amount of humanity closing in on me, the chill of the water, and the fact that I could die if I got pushed under the water led me to have what felt like a panic attack. I was unable to breathe comfortably, couldn't get my face in the water, and became the most-hydrated racer in the field (wave after wave washed over me...all, incidentally, during the exact moments I was attempting to breathe in). My 10 weeks of training went out the window and I swam a combination of breast stroke and floating on my back and kicking my legs. What I expected to swim in 14 or 15 minutes ended up taking me 22 minutes. My self-speak in the water involved a number of expletives and wondering what in the world I had gotten myself into. The good news about a triathlon is that it doesn't end with a swim. When my interminable water adventure ended, I got to the boat ramp and was running like an angry man on a mission.

I made my way to my bike, took my GU, took a sip of water and took off to attack the bike...except a freaking race official asked me to stop moving and buckle my helmet. If I could have punched him in the face and finished the race, I probably would have. Regardless, my transition was pretty quick and I ended up getting on the bike and pumping like I have never pumped before. I found myself with a group of guys in my heat (hard to believe I was with guys in my heat after that swim), these guys were fit and bikers, I was a little intimidated...until I realized that I was as fast as them. I ended up staying with and passing (and being passed back) by these guys for the duration of the ride. I had no idea how long it was taking me (thanks to my swim nervousness, I forgot to start my watch), but felt like I was moving pretty good. My strength was in the uphills (thank you 3 mile and Knapp) and I ended up finishing the bike in 51 minutes (about 5-6 minutes faster than I expected).

After another quick transition, the run was on. This ended up being easier than I thought and I enjoyed the camaraderie of the runs through the neighborhoods and all of the encouragement from the volunteers. As runners passed me and I passed runners, there were many words of encouragement shared. When I hit 2 miles to go, I had quite a bit in the tank and turned it up a little bit. I hoped for an 8:15-8:30 mile pace and ended up around 7:55/mile.

It was great to have tons of support at the finish and the adrenaline carried me for at least 2 more hours, until I crashed in a nap around 1:30 and then woke up to aches and pains everywhere. Would I do it again? Yes. Would I do anything differently? Only if I could convince 15 angry men to try to drown me as I swam across a lake instead of training in a pool. Do I respect my wife for her performance in her triathlons? Definitely. She is the queen.

My final stats:

1/2 mile swim - 21:35

17 mile bike - 51:25

4.9 mile run - 38:46

final time (with transitions) - 1:56:58

pre swim

post swim

transition to bike

finish time

Dan, cousin marie, and Josh...If you finish with a smile it's not all bad

I had a lot of fun watching, but it doesn't beat racing!

Until next year,

Jodi

Senior Night 2022

2010-09-09T10:16:00.001-04:00

This is one of those pictures we're going to see in 12 years

in the slide show for senior night at church...

Annalie, Rose, and Jack - great friends on the first day of school

Kindergarten

2010-09-08T22:19:00.000-04:00

Jack did awesome for his first day of Kindergarten yesterday. He was a totally different boy than he was starting pre-school last year. He was full of excitement, eagerness, and a little anxiety. Half days, school starts at noon and so even though we had all morning to prepare, we are not used to eating a full lunch at 11am. It's 11:15 and we were rushing to get food down and outside to take some pictures.

Eleanor doesn't start pre-school until next week but wanted to be in on the pictures too...bad idea since she leads the goofy train! No chance I was getting them to be serious.

Turned out pretty cute though!

A friend of mine whose son also started Kindergarten this year shared a verse on her blog that she was praying for her son as he also ventured into this big world. As I read it, I was reminded of how important it is to be praying God's word back to him and lifting our kids into his hands. (Thanks Bekah!)

Lord, turn Jack's ear toward wisdom and his heart toward understanding. Give him a teachable spirit, one that calls out for insight and searches for it as for hidden treasure. (Proverbs 2:2-4) I love this kid so much and I'm so grateful for you to entrust him to us.

Innocent Revenge

2010-09-05T14:30:00.000-04:00

This weekend our neighbors at the lake (high school or college kids) are having a big camp out with friends...all fun and games until they're up until 3am playing beer pong or something and keeping everyone in our house awake...

Fast forward eight hours.

Kids jumping on the trampoline, neighbors no doubt still sleeping in tents.

My Aunt Cindy, 'Grams' not so subtly encouraged the kids to scream as loud as they could

The kids had no idea what we were really encouraging, but thought it hilarious anyway.

okay, loving Ellie's static hair too!

Three's a Crowd

2010-09-04T13:29:00.001-04:00

Love these kids...

And I thought my lap was crowded with two.

It's feels good to be loved and wanted, but maybe we could spread out at least enough to turn the pages.

Ellie gets distracted easily especially with longer books. She couldn't resist making faces at Daddy with the camera.

1 month

2010-09-03T21:23:00.000-04:00

I've been doing my best to not fall prey to the 'second/third child syndrome' and I've purposefully been making sure I take a good amount of pictures of Max. Max is now one month old and is by far my biggest baby yet. Eleanor was always tiny, and Jack was never above the 25%. Maxwell went to the Dr. yesterday and weighed in at 11lbs. 3oz (85%) and 22.5in. My cousin gave me the idea to take the same picture each month for the first year. It's pretty cool to then put them all together at the end to see how they've grown. So here he is at 1 month!

Could I really say no?

2010-09-02T22:00:00.000-04:00

Along with starting Kindergarten comes all the fun school supplies, accessories, etc... One thing Jack is required to have is a pair of tennis shoes to leave at school for gym class. Last week I took him shopping...

We found a good pair at Kohls, but silly me thought we should look at Target anyway.

Before I was a mom I always made comments about how dorky those shoes with lights were and I there's no way in the world I would ever buy them for my kids...

I should've known better!

The look on Jack's face when he saw these Spiderman kicks was priceless...It was almost like he was looking to me for permission to 'like' them...and the way he kicks his leg to make them light...

How could I possibly say no?

Off to kindergarten on Tuesday. I love you Jack, and your Spiderman shoes too.

Back to the Lake

2010-09-01T16:45:00.000-04:00

After a 6 week leave from the cottage because of Maxwell's arrival we finally made it back last weekend. I was just itching to do some sort of water activity after not doing anything all summer. I am still healing, so a sea-doo ride was about all i could do, but Ellie was thrilled for me to take her out instead of Daddy.

Max is cashed out under the dash while anchored at the state park

First boat ride

napping with Dad out of the sun

Eleanor's Quote of the Day

2010-08-20T20:40:00.000-04:00

Josh: Ellie, did you help mommy bathe Max? (Ellie thought he said 'feed')

Ellie: I don't have milk!

For most kids with new little siblings, the nursing thing is a whole new experience. Both kids are fascinated with fact that milk comes out of my you know what...

Brothers

2010-08-16T15:53:00.000-04:00

Jack is just smitten with Maxwell!

I think I new he would be, but it is so cool to watch it.

Jack will often take time outs from play to sit down and talk with and love on Max. In this picture Jack has his cape on...pretending something and he is telling Max all about super heros.

Max actually really enjoys being held by Jack. He rarely cries or fusses, rather he just stares at jack. It's so cute.

Birthday Boy

2010-08-16T15:26:00.000-04:00

Last week Wednesday was Jack's 5th birthday. It's so crazy that my first baby is 5 years old and at the same time we're welcoming our third...

I really wish I could've had a big birthday bash for Jack where he invited friends and we made a big deal of the whole thing, but the timing of Max's arrival just wasn't condusive for that.

Instead of a party Josh decided to take him to Chicago for a boys weekend with one of his college room mates and his son

First Josh and Jack went to the children's museum on Navy Pier and then headed out to meet up with Drew and Ben for the main attraction...LEGOLAND. My husband didn't want to lug around a big camera so a big thanks to Drew who captured some great pictures! Check out the Moser Blog for a peek at their boys birthday weekend at Legoland.

birthday donut for breakfast

cake and ice cream at Nana's house

Max and Me

2010-08-08T10:39:00.000-04:00

Well, you may think I'm crazy, but I told Josh I didn't mind if he left for two nights so he could go to his college friends reunion this weekend. Since my mom had the older kids it would just be Max and myself. Friday night after he left I started thinking, what have I done? I can barely walk around the house let alone be here by myself with a newborn for two days.

It has actually been really nice. At times I'm tempted to do too much and not rest but I've enjoyed the time alone and getting to know Max. He continues to eat and sleep great...

Now please can I have my hubby home?

Super Nana

2010-08-08T10:24:00.000-04:00

If you didn't know, this is my mom and she is Super Nana!

She has for the majority of the past week been mom to Jack and Ellie. She even took them to the cottage for the weekend so I could have a few more days of rest.

I am so thankful and blessed to have her close and to have her in my life.

She is both mom and a best friend.

As a Nana, she has a very special and different kind of relationship with each Jack and Eleanor and I'm certain Max will be one lucky guy to have her too.

Thanks for everything you've done this week.

I love you Mom!

Visits galore...

2010-08-03T16:08:00.000-04:00

Max has had a big day. Eat, sleep, get passed around like a hot potato. It sure does feel like an election day, what with all of the kissing of babies going on in here. My favorite part was Jack and Eleanor getting to meet their little brother. Before the birth, Ellie was dead-set on a "gil" baby and said she would "give back" the baby if it were a boy...fortunately, she seemed happy enough today and even gave the baby a few kisses. Lucky for her, our princess is the only "gil" and she will be treated as such. See pics below of some of the choice visits. - Josh

E getting all maternal for the first time.

The first thing Jack did...

The first nephew/niece Goad that Uncle Scot has been able to visit in the hospital.

Nana sizing him up.

Ellie and Mama getting their kiss on...through the railing.

Jack's Turn

Ellie's Turn

Yinzy and Max

Paw Paw is taking Max's first Jonny B'z order...no surprises, 2 Tommy Dogs please.

Proud Grandpa Buzz!

Sorry for the long post...I just can't get enough of Max.

How do they stack up?

2010-08-03T07:17:00.000-04:00

Welcome to our family, Max!

2010-08-02T21:26:00.000-04:00

Jack and Eleanor were such peanuts...not the case with our new, not-so-little, man. Maxwell Jonathan was born at 6:26pm via c-section (might I simply say, NASTY!). He weighed in at a whopping 9lbs, 6oz, 21 inches long and was 6 days early. We are already smitten by his glorious rolls and cuddliness. See a few pics below...

Welcome to our family, Max. We have not been whole without you. Praise God for bringing you to us.