Lydia Rose Brown

We proudly announce the birth of our daughter, Lydia Rose Brown, born Monday, June 11th, 2012, at 1:28 a.m.  She weighed 9 lbs. 3 oz. and was 21 inches long.

If you'd like to hear more about her birth, read the previous post. :)

Lydia's Birth

She's here!  I'm twelve days late in posting this, and most of you have already heard the news by now, but I wanted to go ahead and post about Lydia Rose Brown's birthday.

Here's the story:  On Thursday, June 7th, I went to the doctor for my 38 week appointment.  I was at 4 cm and 90% effaced, and I had a few other signs that made my doctor say that she'd be surprised if I didn't go into labor that night.  Woo-hoo!  I was ready to have a baby, so I let Josh know what was up and went home to finish some cleaning and other last-minute nesting projects.  I did have a couple of hours of contractions that evening (which is nothing big for me--I've had them for months), but no labor.

No biggie, it will happen the next day, right?  Friday morning, I called my cousin, Lauren, and talked her into going to the zoo with the boys and me.  We walked around there for a couple of hours, then went home and did some more deep cleaning, but alas, labor did not begin.

This is the last picture of me before Lydia was born.

Saturday rolls around, and I'm still waiting.  By this time, I'm just annoyed that I'm still pregnant.  And Sunday was more of the same.  The worst thing is that other than not having contractions, I felt like I was in labor (lots of pressure, sore back, etc.) 

Anyway, Josh's college group from church was going canoeing that Sunday afternoon, and since I wasn't in labor, he went ahead and helped out with the trip.  He didn't actually canoe, but he shuttled the kids from their cars to the river and went to the party afterwards.  I stayed home and pouted. :)

Sunday evening, I started to have back pain with my random contractions, and one particularly strong one at around 8:30 made me think I might be in labor, but they were so random and far apart that I wasn't sure.  But, I texted Josh and had him come home around 9:00, because I was very uncomfortable and having trouble getting the boys to sleep during a thunderstorm.

Josh got home and got the kids to bed, then we just sat around waiting to see if this was the real thing or not.  Contractions were very painful (back labor!), but they followed no pattern--10 minutes, then 13, then 25, then 8.  Around 10:30, I called Lauren to come spend the night, just in case we needed to leave for the hospital. 

Finally, I called my doctor, since I was in so much pain (have I mentioned that back labor is the worst?).  I was really hoping that she wouldn't tell me that I had to stay at home until contractions were 3-5 minutes apart.  I was relieved when she told me to go ahead and go in.

So, Lauren arrived and we headed to the hospital around 11:15 p.m.  During the 10 minute drive, I had three contractions, and from then on they grew steadily closer and stronger.  We had to go through the ER to get to Labor and Delivery, so we didn't get up to the room until 11:50.  My doctor had called and alerted the nursing staff that I would go quickly, so they had everything ready for me.

Only 30 minutes after arriving, they already had the epidural in and I was feeling pretty good.  I was grateful for the sweet nurse I had who, after finding that I was at 7 cm when I arrived, just took care of getting me comfortable before making me sign any paperwork.  We actually "checked in" after Lydia was born. :) 

Anyway, it was pretty quick and smooth from there.  I was quickly fully dilated, then we waited a short time for my doctor to arrive.  As soon as she got there and got prepped, a couple of quick pushes and Lydia was born at 1:28 a.m.  Dr. Taggart kept talking about how huge she was.  And at 9 lbs. 3 oz, 21 inches long, I was glad she came 10 days early.

We named her Lydia Rose.  I liked the way it sounded with Brown, and the Rose is after my grandma, Roselia, and my aunt Rose Ann.  Since her birth was pretty quick, she came out with a nice round head and no bruising--just perfect.  She did spend a little time in the warmer to bring up her body temperature, but everything else was healthy as can be.

My daughter and me.

Proud daddy.  He's happy to finally have a daughter.

These are two proud brothers.  They love her so much!

My three children and me.  I'm so blessed!

Eli's 2nd Birthday

Eli turned 2 on April 9th, the Monday after Easter.  We were blessed to have all of the Browns and Sheppardsons come to celebrate with us.  We spent Saturday morning at the zoo, and had fun even though it was a little chilly and rainy to begin with.  After the zoo, we returned home and had a backyard Easter Egg hunt. 

Later that afternoon, we headed to Papio Greens golf center for Eli's party.  Through his work, Josh somehow won a free party for up to 30 people there, so we were able to invite a couple of other families to join us for unlimited mini golf and hot dogs.  It turned out to be a great place for a party, since all the kids loved the mini golf and there was a driving range to keep the adults happy, too.

The family was able to stay through Easter dinner, so I got to use my fancy dishes for the first time.  Eli and Micah were so happy to have spent so much fun time with their extended family.  Micah really loved the birthday party, too.  He has already told us that when he turns 4, he wants to have a party with mini golf and he wants to invite the same friends that came to Eli's party.

I snapped a picture of the entire Brown family at the zoo.

After the zoo, we had an easter egg hunt in the backyard.  Micah had too many eggs for his basket, so he turned to the wheelbarrow.

We all worked together to make the cake.  Eli still talks about it.

He blew out the candles like an old pro.

And he thoroughly enjoyed the cake. :)

It was too bright for him to say "cheese" while looking at the camera, but he had an awesome time playing mini golf.

This was taken on his actual birthday.  What a great kid!  We love having him in our family.

Quick 5 #13

1. I. Am. Tired.  32 weeks pregnant, and for the last week or so, I've had absolutely no energy.  I really don't feel bad that I'm not keeping the house clean, but I do feel bad that no energy translates into less patience with the kids.  That is one aspect of pregnancy that I will not miss.

2. Speaking of pregnancy, all is going well.  I still feel pretty good, other than some achiness and the exhaustion.  But I'm huge.  I've gained the "maximum" 35 pounds so far, and the baby can gain a pound every two weeks from here on out, so I will definitely get bigger.  And the doctor says I'm measuring 2-3 weeks ahead of where I am, which means I most likely will have another big baby.  That's okay, though.  I like 'em sturdy. :)

3. Micah saw a pogo stick on a t.v. show, and he's convinced that he needs one.  I wasn't too worried about it, because although I've never specifically looked for one, I've never seen one in a store.  But then today we went to a garage sale, and wouldn't you know, they had a pogo stick.  Luckily, I let him try it out (with me holding him up), and I was able to convince him that it was a little too big for him.  Here's hoping that pogo stick desire wears off quickly!

4. Eli got some sunglasses for his birthday, and when he put them on I said, "You're looking great, Eli!"  Now, whenever he gets dressed, he'll go tell Josh, "I lookin' great."

5. My dad turned 68 yesterday.  Happy Birthday, Dad!

Quick 5 #12

1. Eli is 2-years-old now. We had a party over Easter weekend, which I will post pictures and blog about soon. He's quite the big guy now, talking all the time, making jokes, and showing us in various ways that he is indeed a toddler and no longer a baby.

2. About a month ago, we switched Eli to a big boy bed. He has struggled a little to learn to stay in it, sleeping many naps on the floor behind his door. However, he always stays in it at night. Why? Because Micah sleeps in the same twin bed. Yes, we have two separate beds for them, but Micah keeps saying that he just wants to snuggle with Eli at night, and honestly, they both sleep all night when sharing such close quarters, so we're cool with it.

3. Last Sunday, I went to my friend Tracy's house so that we could teach our high school girls' small group, and when I got there, I was greeted by a surprise baby shower! It was lots of fun, and our baby girl now has lots of cute outfits and accessories, as well as a couple of sweet pink blankets. Between that and a ton of hand-me-downs I've received lately, this baby girl won't be needing us to buy her anything but diapers. :)

4. Micah has a favorite word: Avacado. He says it randomly and frequently, and he pronounces the "v" as a "b," so it sounds like "abacado." It's like his answer to everything, or sometimes he just yells it to be silly. People give him funny looks, but he doesn't seem to mind. And Eli imitates him, so sometimes both my boys are randomly yelling "Avacado!" for no reason whatsoever.

5. We're gearing up for a busy graduation season. There are 43 seniors graduating out of our student ministry (some are only marginally connected, but we still like to go to their parties to wish them well). Between those and my baby cousin's graduation (can't believe my youngest cousin is 18!), we will have two or three very full weekends. For some reason, though, I really love attending all those open houses. It's just great to chat with each kid and find out what their plans are. You don't get a chance to do that during regular student ministry events.

Quick 5 #11

Apologies to those of you who have wondered where I've been the last two months or so since I last posted. I've been right here, pregnant, and seemingly unable to do anything at all....

1. The busy spring season has arrived for the Browns. For some reason, it's one event or conference right after another from the beginning of February through graduation time in May. That's the life for people in youth ministry, which means that before I know it, June will be here and this baby will arrive.

2. Speaking of "this baby," it just occurred to me that I never posted on here that we're having a girl. The facebook world knew right away, though, so probably most of you knew, too. We're very excited. Josh has always wanted a daughter, so I'm excited for him. :) And I really wanted my boys to have a sister. It's good for them.

3. I have to say that I am loving the weather this winter. We've had all of maybe two weeks of average-or-below-average temperatures, and other than that, it's been beautiful. We went to the zoo yesterday, and were able to run from building to building without totally bundling up. So nice!

4. I'm starting a group for the mothers of young children at my church. It's not an official MOPS group, but it will be similar. It's a lot of work, so I guess that's one of the things that's been keeping me busy lately.

5. I'm getting over a cold that I've had for the past week and a half. I haven't had a cold this bad in years. And before that, Eli had a nasty stomach virus for 5 days. I can't wait for all the sickness to be gone from my house so we can get back to normal (whatever "normal" is).

6. Eli says "Amen" when we finish reading a book.

7. Micah is outgrowing all his 4T clothes. I'm going to have to buy him a few more long-sleeved shirts in 5T to get him through this winter. He is my son who never stops growing, while Eli is my son who grows so slowly that he's now been in 12 month and 18 month clothes for a full year.

October Mini-Vacation

Okay, so I'm a little (okay, a lot) late on this post. But I decided I needed to post about the little vacation we took back in October.
The story goes like this: Josh was at Bass Pro Shop and was approached by a lady selling timeshares. She kept trying to get him to sign up to spend two nights in one of their resorts in exchange for us listening to their presentation. He kept saying no, and she kept throwing in more and more incentives until she offered him more money in Bass Pro gift cards than the cost of the stay in the hotel. So, he went for it.

We decided to go to Wisconsin Dells, since it was one of the closest resorts we could choose, and it was also near Camp Forest Springs, where Josh's brother Matt is currently living and working. If you've never heard of the Dells, it's basically a tourist trap town. It's the waterpark capital of the world, and the world's biggest waterpark is located there.

We stayed at a hotel that had an indoor waterpark and an indoor amusement park (and a lot of outdoor stuff that was closed for the season). I wouldn't recommend visiting the Dells during the off-season, but there were plenty of things to do for our young boys. The indoor amusement park had a lot of kids rides. Here are my three guys on the spinning teacups (it was a little too nauseating for this pregnant mama to ride!).
The kids really enjoyed the arcade, too, especially this mini-bowling.

We splurged on one fun dining-out experience at a restaurant where a toy train brings your food out to you. The kids loved it, especially when the train came by with a bubble machine on it!

The indoor waterpark was pretty fun, too. There was a whole area just for kids, and the boys were brave enough to try the little slides and things. We could only talk Micah into riding the three-story tall slide with Daddy once, though.

After two nights at the hotel (and one morning spent listening to the timeshare presentation), we went on to Westboro, Wisconsin where Camp Forest Springs is located. We were blessed to be hosted by a couple of college friends, Sam and Tawnya Smith, so we were able two spread out in their basement and get better sleep than at the hotel. Our kids had a great time playing with their kids, and Tawnya's cooking was amazing!

While we were there, we went to the camp (where Josh also worked one summer in college) to look around, and I was able to understand the setting where so many stories I've heard took place. Josh and Micah played some mini-golf and we looked at the lake and game room. We also hung out with Aunt Courtney and Uncle Matt at their apartment. It was a treat to get to see them. (And I didn't take a single picture of our time at camp. Bummer.)

It was about a nine-hour drive home, and the boys did great until the last hour. By that time, it was dark, so they couldn't see anything, and Eli had simply had enough of the car, so he cried inconsolably for the last solid hour. But we made it.

So there you go. That was our mini-vacation. Hopefully we'll get to take more vacations as the kids get older, because I hear that's how the most memorable memories are made. :)

Quick 5 #10

1. We moved Eli's crib into Micah's room. We knew we'd have to double them up before the baby gets here in June, and we were debating when to make the switch. Then we had a cold front come through, and since Eli's room is the coldest in the house, and he will not stay under a blanket when he sleeps, he woke up early a couple of nights just from being cold. So, we decided to go ahead and move him. So far, it's worked out great. I think they really like sharing a room. I'm sure we'll have nights when they spend time laughing and talking instead of going to sleep, but so far that hasn't been a problem.

2. Eli is in a running-away phase. If I set him down in a store or parking lot or a long hallway, he's off in a flash. Twice now, he has put himself in potentially dangerous situations while my hands were otherwise occupied. This phase must die! I remember going through it with Micah, and I'm so glad that he has now learned to stay next to me.

3. Micah has always been my pickiest eater, but recently he's maturing enough that we can get him to try certain foods (usually with some sort of promised reward), and he's actually learned to like some new things. That gives this frustrated cook some hope!

4. I spent a fair amount of time this week throwing together a concession stand for a movie that was being shown at our church. I took it on as a last-minute, easy fundraising opportunity for a mom's group that I'll be starting soon. The movie was free, but you had to print off tickets, so the internet was telling us to expect around 475 people. Unfortunately, only 250 or so showed up.....So, I bought waaaaaay too much stuff, and if I return all the unused things that I'm allowed to return, we'll break even. It's frustrating to put in hours of work on a project and get no return for it. Oh well, live and learn.

5. Christmas is coming quickly! I still need to sew a few gifts for nieces and nephews, so I'm hoping I can find some times next week when the kids are occupied enough that I can bring out sharp objects without them getting too curious. Ha ha, maybe not until after they're in bed for the night!

How Eli Amuses Himself

I'm really not sure how to describe this, but every once in a while, Eli will do this goofy thing where he tenses up until his face turns red. It's really funny and he likes making us laugh. This isn't the best example of it, but it's what I caught on video. :)

Quick 5 #9

1. We spent the week of Thanksgiving at the Browns' in South Dakota. It was a lovely week, which included me learning to make gravy and stuffing when Grandma got the flu on Thanksgiving Day. It was up to us sisters to pull the dinner off, and I think we did a pretty good job.

2. Micah and Eli like to play a game called "Micah Pie" or "Eli Pie." One of them gets in a laundry basket, then the other puts in "ingredients" like invisible flour, cinnamon, eggs, and sugar. Then they mix it up, cover the basket with a blanket "crust," shove it in the "oven," count to ten, then take the crust off and eat the Micah Pie or Eli Pie. So cute!

3. I went to a bridal shower tonight for a girl that I've known since 5th or 6th grade. She was in my youth group (as was her fiance), and now they're getting married. I'm very excited for this couple, and I realize that this is probably the first of many weddings I'll attend for former youth group members.

4. Josh is going to Israel. He has the opportunity to go with his seminary and get three credits for it, so he jumped at the chance. The trip is in the beginning of January. I'm really excited for him! We've both wanted to go there for a long time. It would be nice if I could go, too, but I didn't think now was the right time for me, being pregnant and having such little boys at home. I'll go someday. :)

5. I've been trying to talk with Micah about the meaning of Christmas. He's heard the story many times, but so far, whenever I ask whose birthday is on Christmas, he says Eli. Oh well, he'll get it eventually.

Quick 5 #8

1. Happy 11-11-11! That may just be the coolest date in history. I might write a check today, just so I can write today's date.

2. Living in a military community, Veteran's Day seems more meaningful than it was growing up in a small town where most of the veterans served in WWII or Vietnam. I now know hundreds of active duty and retired servicemen and servicewomen, and I see the dozens of sacrifices they and their families make on a daily basis.

I'm grateful not only to those who have given their lives for my freedom, but to those who have survived combat to endure the rest of their lives with disabilities or agonizing memories and constant nightmares about the things they saw.

I'm also grateful to those who haven't seen combat, but have sacrificed living near their families, endured the frustrations of Tri-Care and military red tape, have willingly moved more times than they can count, and have lived with TDY's and deployments. Not sure how many veterans read my blog, but I'll say a big THANK YOU to Kellen and Jenny and Josh and Erin and anyone else who serves or has served.

3. Last night I gave the boys haircuts. I recently bought a haircut cape (for free with my Swagbucks), and it made all the difference! Micah didn't cry at all and he was very patient. Eli still had a hard time, but it was much better than before. Why didn't I get one of these years ago?

4. Tonight is our annual "Boasting in the Lord" women's event at church. Basically, it's a potluck of desserts and we hear testimonies from women in our church. I love this event! Delicious treats and encouragement--what could be better?

5. Micah insists that there's a baby in his tummy. He's said things like, "Hmmm, what should I name it?" and, "The baby in my tummy is making me feel sick, too. Can I have some hard candy, too?" This morning I overheard Josh explaining that Micah can't have a baby in his tummy because he's a boy, and only girls can have babies in their tummies. Apparently, he was kind of disappointed to find this out. Josh said, "You'll be grateful for that fact when you're older, son." Ha ha ha ha ha!

Quick 5 #7

1. I am so behind on everything right now. We went on vacation, and then I started feeling the morning sickness, so my chores, paperwork, picture and blog posting, and almost every other area of my life is so far behind right now. My house is a DISASTER. And the worst part is, every time I clean up one area, it just gets dirty again. Funny how frustrating that is when you're trying to grow a baby.

2. We went on vacation a couple of weeks ago to the Wisconsin Dells. We stayed there two days and then went on to Camp Forest Springs where Josh's brother Matt and his wife, Courtney, are living and working this year. We had a good time, and in the (hopefully) near future, I will post all about that.

3. I am now beginning my 30th year of life on this earth. My 29th birthday was November 1st, so my 20's are coming to a close. I don't mind at all. It seems like the older you get, the younger your current age sounds.

4. Eli's current obsession is saying "hi" to anyone and everyone. He greets just about everyone he meets, at church or in the store or anywhere. He does the cute little rotating-wrist wave with it, too. He also greets Josh and me several times a day.

5. Micah needs a haircut. The last time I gave him one, it was a 45 minute cry-fest, so I'm dreading doing it again. But I used some Swagbucks to purchase a haircut cape, so maybe he won't hate it quite so much. It seems like the hair falling on him is what he hates the most, so we'll see.

Announcement

For those of you who have not heard via facebook or word of mouth, I have announced that Josh and I are expecting a baby early next June.

Micah says he wants another brother, and he first thought we should name it Eli, but since we already have an Eli, he changed his mind to Ella. Not sure naming a son Ella is such a good idea, but we have several months to talk Micah out of that name.

We asked Eli what we should name the new baby, and he said, "Micah." It was so cute, because he really hasn't said Micah's name before.

The kids might be rooting for a boy, but I think Josh and I (and pretty much everyone else I've talked to) are hoping for a girl this time. It's good for boys to have a sister. And, back at the ultrasound when we found out Eli would be a boy, the first thing Josh said was, "Well, that just means we'll have to have another baby so we can have a girl." We'll see how it turns out.

Quick 5 #6

1. I subbed twice this week. Once was a half Day for the public school district, and the other was a full day at Cornerstone. Cornerstone is much more enjoyable, mostly because I know the kids, but also because I don't have to teach the same grade more than once a day. I like variety.

2. While I subbed today, I got to teach beginning trombone--as in, the second time they'd ever had class. It was loud and awful-sounding, but oh, so fun!

3. The cookie project from last week went well. We ended up with 99 plates of cookies, and when they passed them out, there were plenty left over. Glad we didn't make up 120 plates, as we originally planned!

4. Thanks to my sister-in-law, Jenny, I have a temporary camera. She sent me her old one to use until I get my new one. It works pretty well, although they replaced it because it was on its last leg, so it won't last forever. I have wasted no time in taking pictures, though! I don't want to forget to capture all the beautiful, mundane moments that happen every day.

5. We're going to take a mini-vacation in a couple of weeks. It's a long story, and we'll have to listen to a time-share presentation while we're there, but we'll spend two nights at Wisconsin Dells followed by a day or so at Camp Forest Springs, where Josh's brother Matt is currently living. I'm getting excited! Usually, our "vacation" days are spent visiting family (which we love), so it's a rare treat to just go someplace as a family.

Josh's Sermons

Thanks to the amazing technology of the internet, our youth ministry has begun posting its sermons online. Which means that anyone can listen to my amazing, Godly, wise husband's preaching, if they so desire. Just thought I'd post the link to the page (which will be updated regularly as new messages are given) in case any of you long-lost relatives and friends would care to hear Josh preach.

http://www.lifespringchurch.com/media.php?pageID=79

Quick 5 #5

1. Tonight, I'm leaving my family to spend the night with a bunch of high school girls. Our church is hosting a youth retreat, and the kids are all spending the night in their small group leader's home. Since I'm a small group leader this year, I'm heading to my co-leader's house to debrief the girls and spend the night with them.

2. Another part of this retreat is the cookie project I mentioned in my last Quick 5. Well, I've baked cookies 4 out of 5 days this week, and I have roughly 16 dozen cookies to show for it. It's pretty agonizing for my family to not eat the cookies I'm making, but I think we'll all survive. I'm not sure what our group total will be, but I'll keep you posted.

3. When I was at the doctor with Micah on Wednesday, I stuck Eli on the baby scale. 25 pounds. He weighed 22-23 from the time he was 9 months through his 15-month check-up, so I'm glad to see he's putting on a little weight.

4. Today, I gave Eli a piece of celery. He wasn't a big fan, so I put a little veggie dip on his plate to encourage him to eat it. He dipped it for a while, but then I looked over, and he was just eating a handful of dip. Mothering Fail.

5. I was looking at the calendar for October, and I couldn't believe how little was on it. After a super busy August and September, I'm glad our family will have a little down time.

The Three-Year-Old Facts

Micah had his three-year-old well check yesterday. This was the first time that he didn't have any scheduled immunizations, the first time that he got to use the "big kid" scale, and the first time his height was measured standing up instead of lying down. Here are the facts:

Height: 38.7 inches (73rd percentile)
Weight: 39 lbs. 3 oz. (96th perentile)

So, I have a big preschooler! He's in 4T clothes, mostly, although most of his height is in his torso, so some of the pants are too long and some of the shirts are too short. :)

The rest of the checkup was good, too. He's healthy and well-developed in every way, despite the fact that he's a picky eater. :)

We did find out one thing that's kind of a bummer. Micah has some white patches on his skin, mostly on his legs and thumbs, and I wondered if it might be vitiligo. The doctor thought that it almost certainly is. Basically, vitiligo just means that for an unknown reason, skin will lose its pigment. It's permanent, and it spreads over time.

On the one hand, vitiligo is no big deal. It doesn't affect anything but the way he looks, and I'd much rather he have vitiligo than cancer or brittle bone disease or even a food allergy. But I feel a little bummed out that it's permanent, so those little spots on his skin will always be there. And since he's only three, there's a lot of his life left for the spots to grow and spread. I can imagine that it could be a cause for others to tease him as he gets older, especially if it spreads to his face or neck.

So, we left the doctor's office with a referral to a dermatologist, who can let us know if there are any new treatments that will slow the spread (if we feel that's necessary) and will answer any questions that I can come up with.

I'm so thankful for a happy, healthy, smart little boy. Today, he wrote his name for the first time (with sidewalk chalk), and he's super excited that he gets to go to a Jr. High football game this afternoon.

Micah's Third Birthday

Micah's birthday was Friday, September 23rd, so the boys and I decided to do some of Micah's favorite things during the day. We started out by going to the zoo, and Micah got to choose which animals we went to see. He also really wanted to "ride the alligator." Okay, it wasn't an alligator we rode. Here's Micah's description, and I'll see if you can figure out what "alligator" means:

"First we pushed the button, then we go inside and push the number '2,' and then we ride it and go out."

Then we went to Target to get a "blue," otherwise known as an Icee. Micah is forever asking to get one whenever we go there, but it's a rare treat. And I let him eat the whole thing himself. Of course, I paid for that when he couldn't fall asleep at naptime, but hey, a kid only turns three once in his life. :)

We went home for naps and I finished up some cleaning before Josh's parents, sister, and brother-in-law arrived around 5 p.m. Micah had a great time playing outside with all of them. Playing outside is one of his favorite things to do, especially on the swingset.

On Saturday, we all went downtown to the Farmer's Market and the parks down there. We started out on the slides, which both Micah and Eli loved!

I thought the Farmer's Market was pretty cool, although I'm not sure Micah was as excited about it. I tried to get him to pick out a balloon animal, but he was too scared. Eli got one though, and loved it. Micah really wanted an apple, so that's what he got.

Then we headed home to eat Chinese food for lunch. My mom and dad joined us, and the guys went golfing while the ladies relaxed at home during the boys' naps.

Then it was party time! We grilled burgers and hot dogs, and Micah had his first taste of Jell-o, which he called "jealoust." Then it was present time.

Micah did better at opening presents than ever before. When he turned 1, he didn't know how to open them. When he was 2, he would open one present and then he lost all interest in continuing because he wanted to play with the thing he'd just opened. But this year, he would open one, look at it briefly (and excitedly), and then move right on to the next one.

He got some puzzles, a Lightning McQueen pillow, a Penguin Pillow Pet, clothes, sidewalk chalk, and an awesome Hot Wheels track that mounts on the wall. So cool. Oh, and a couple of things for his room, including a personalized pillow sham.

Grandma Brown couldn't resist buying a couple things for Eli, too. He got a stuffed Angry Bird and a cute little t-shirt. Here he is with the bird up his shirt and a bow bustle (he's unfortunate to have the relatives he has, ha ha!).

Grandpa Brown was a party animal. :)

Then it was cake time. Let me tell you, Micah has no idea how to (and no desire to) pose for a picture. In this lucky shot, he was just imitating the face I was making to try to get him to laugh.

Micah wanted a puzzle cake. Did I mention he's into puzzles? I had fun making it.

We had a good time. Eli and Travis were pretty tuckered out by the time it was all done. I think this picture is hilarious!

Sunday morning, I tried to take a good 3-year-old picture of Micah, but he basically ran in circles on the driveway for 15 minutes. Then Eli came out and joined in the fun. After a while, they both sat down on the driveway for a rest. Cuties.

Here's the best picture I got of my big guy. What a blessing he is!

Happy Birthday, big guy! We love you and can't imagine life without you!

Quick 5 #4

1. It's Micah's birthday! Time flies--my firstborn is three years old. Whoa. And he's such a great kid. I'm blessed. It's also my brother-in-law's birthday today, and his and my sister's tenth wedding anniversary tomorrow. Can't believe they've been married ten years, either.

2. I lost my camera, and I'm pretty sure it's gone for good. So, there haven't been any pictures lately, and since I won't be able to replace it for a while, there aren't likely to be pictures on this blog anytime soon. I'm not too upset that the camera itself is gone (it was oldish and on its last leg), but I'm very, very sad at the thought that I might miss capturing some cute moments in my boys' lives. Sheesh, what would I have done in the days before cameras existed?

3. Last Friday, I did not do a quick 5 because I was at a women's retreat. It was a good conference, and it was great to get away for a couple of days. I think every mom should be allowed to leave the house for the weekend every six months or so, just for sanity's sake.

4. Josh's parents and sister and brother-in-law are on their way here from Rapid City right now, getting ready to P-A-R-T-Y for Micah's birthday. (I plan on borrowing their cameras to get pictures of everything, so at least I won't miss this big milestone in my lack-of-camera days. And I'll do a separate "Micah is Three" post sometime next week.)

5. Our youth are having a retreat next weekend that involves a service project with an inner-city ministry. My high school girls small group is going to make and wrap 120 plates of cookies that we can hand out to the neighbors that live near the ministry. So, that's like 1400 cookies! Should be a fun, though large, endeavor. I'll let you know how that one goes!

Okay, off to some more preparations before the family gets here. Happy Friday, everyone!

Quote of the Day #2

(Micah is squirming in his chair at dinner)
Me: Micah, do you have to go potty?
Micah: No.
Me: Are you telling me the truth or are you telling me a lie?
Micah (thinks for a moment): I'm not telling you anything!