Love It While It Lasts

Brooke and I went for a long walk today. We looked at all the different trees, collected leaves, stopped at the park to swing and came home to rake and swing some more. I fear this is one of our last gorgeous fall days. Tomorrow is supposed to be blustery and rainy so HOW could we stay inside today???

I LOVE our little Sugar Maple in the back yard. It is my favorite part of our lawn in the fall. It just produces an amazing variety of color. I love how it changes from the inside out. God is incredible. What creativity and blessings He provides for us.

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest

Sun, moon and stars in their courses above

Join with all nature in manifold witness

To Thy great faithfullness, mercy and love

Great is Thy faithfullness

Great is Thy faithfullness

Morning by morning new mercies I see.

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided

Great is Thy faithfullness

Lord, unto me.

On Saturday, September 26 we went to Cherry Lane Farm in Marengo, IL. Our church family held their annual Fall Harvest Party at the farm this year. It is a beautiful place. The kids allowed me to snap a few photos before running off to play with their friends.

The farm is approximately 80 acres. Of course, we didn't explore the whole farm. The kids enjoyed the huge playground area. We toured the glass shop where one of the farm's owners makes beautiful fused glass creations. The "greenhouse room" is a warm, glass enclosure to sit and visit with friends. And perhaps the most unique building was the littlest of all: the bath house. It was decorated like a tiny antique guest room, complete with daybed and desk, not to mention the "necessities".

We ate chili and desserts in the finished barn. After dark we gathered around the bon-fire to sing praises to our Lord and give testimonies of thanksgiving. We completed the evening by making smores over the fire. What a wonderful time we all had together!

Family Photo Fall 2009

First Day of School 2009

I'm a little late on this post, but better late than never. The weather was absolutely gorgeous for the boys' first day of school. Both Trent and Grant were VERY ready for the new school year to begin. Trent was also GREATLY looking forward to his new teacher, Mrs. Gregory....

Can you see why? Look at that grin on his face! Looks like the cat who got the canary! He even said, "Mom, Mrs. Gregory is young, blonde, fun and cute! Plus, she wears really cool glasses!" Okay then, that settle that!

Trent joined the Neubert Elementary Drama Club. Mrs. Gregory is in charge of it. Trent will be playing the role of "Tiny Tim" in the school production of "A Christmas Carol". Trent is also glad to finally be able to join the Neubert Choir. He has been waiting to join since Kindergarten!

Grant was ready to be back in school and with his friends in 2nd grade. His teacher is Mrs. Burke. She has 25 years of experience and she is really great. Grant was very excited to learn that his seat was next to "Steven" and "Alyssa". For Grant, its all about the socializing!

Grant joined the Neubert Garden Club. They do lots of hands-on projects with nature related items as well as plant and do grounds work around the school yard. He loves to get dirty and help in the yard so this is right up his ally.

A week later, Brooke started the "Junior 5's Program" at St. Barnabas Christian PreSchool. Both boys went to pre-school there and had a great experience. She was very glad to go and really likes her teachers and new friends.

She does very well, even in spite of her vision deficit. Her teachers are amazed at what she CAN do. Her teachers have been very accomodating already. They labeled a set of markers and crayons with bold words so she can learn to read the colors. They also made a set of alphabet letters for her with hot glue and sand so she can trace the letters with her finger and feel them before she tries to write them. The teacher allows her to use markers instead of pencil on her papers because they are easier to see.

I am so thankful that all my children enjoy and look forward to school each day.

Welcome to Our Hearts and Home, Stanley

This summer we visited the Henry Doorley Zoo in Omaha, Nebraska. The favorite exhibit, by far, was the "Budgie Experience" - an outdoor aviary filled with Parakeets. The kids fell in love.

For the remainder of the summer we discussed the possibility of a parakeet. We read, we priced birds and cages, and we talked about it. Finally I got a recommendation from a friend for a pet store nearby that hand-raises their birds. So, we went to look. Of course, whenever you take your three kids to "just look" you know there is a very real possibility that you are coming home with an animal!

The store only had two birds ready to go home. The other four were still too tiny. The little green and yellow, "spirited" bird caught our eye. It was love at first sight!

Stanley adjusted very quickly to our family. He had already been trained to perch on our fingers. We are still working on getting him to let us "pet" him, he's doing better everyday. I have also trained him to sit on my shoulder so I can have him with me while I do dishes or housework. We have been repeating phrases over and over again in the hopes that someday he will "talk".

Stanley was 7 weeks old when we brought him home. Why "Stanley", you ask? I don't know...that's just what the kids came up with! We still aren't certain if he is a boy or girl, but the name "Stanley" will stay regardless! I dearly hope he is a boy as the males are supposed to be better talkers.

He reminds me of my "Skipper" I had when I was a girl. I loved Skipper so much and I hope my children find the same joy and affection from Stanley.

10 Years Ago

On August 18, 1999 Trent Alexander Bauman was born. But nothing could have prepared us for this: After a beautiful pregnancy, I became toxic and Trent was delievered by emergecy C-section. He did not breathe, he could not cry and he was purple. Trent suffered from A-genesis of the Left-Hemi-Diaphragm. The left side of his diaphragm never developed, causing all his abdominal organs to grow into his left chest cavity, push his heart and stomach to the right side, wrap his right lung around his back and crush his left lung to the size of a raisin.

48 hours after birth, Trent underwent his first surgery to construct a diaphragm out of Gortex and place all the abdominal organs back in the abdomen. But that was the easy part. The next two years would be filled with hospitalizations, life-threatening complications, mechanical ventilators, oxygen, feeding ports, countless sleepless nights, ambulance rides and more surgeries.

The night before Trent was born, I was in a Bible study with a friend. During that study, Psalm 18:30 seemed to leap off the page: "As for God, His way is perfect;The word of the LORD is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him." Little did I know how much I would have to trust Him and His way.

This is how I spent the first two months of Trent's life - camping at the NICU, holding a baby so wrapped in tubes that neither of us could move. With each complication, each new low, God kept reminding me: My way is perfect. "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." I cannot say that I was never anxious. I was. But I can say that I have never known a peace like I did then. It was a supernatural peace that words cannot describe.

God did not take us out of the trial. He held our hand, and led us through. He was faithful, even when I doubted.

The song writer, Don Moen, penned this song. I clung to it through those dark days. Even today I cannot sing it without tears running down my cheeks. And on Trent's birthday, my soul sings it as a sweet offering of praise to Him alone.

God will make a way

Where there seems to be no way

He works in ways we cannot see

He will make a way for me.

He will be my guide.

Hold me closely to His side.

With love and strength for each new day

He will make a way.

God will make a way

Happy 10th Birthday Trent. You are a miracle. God has a purpose for you and He will use you in ways we can only dream about. I love you. XOXO, Mommy

Happy 5th Birthday Brooke!

It is hard to believe that you are FIVE years old, Princess. I love you so much. In some ways, I wish I could keep you little forever. I love your innocence, imagination, and joy. I am thankful for your congenial spirit and determination despite your vision challenges. I love to hear you sing your created songs about everything under the sun. I love to watch as you "read books" to your dollies with the book turned out like you are the teacher. I love how you can dress up and play pretend with absolutely no one else around.
But even though I mourn the loss of my "baby-girl", I celebrate each milestone and step of independence. You make me look forward to each day like it is a new adventure. Thank you for blessing my life with the gift of YOU.
XOXO,
Mommy

Brooke celebrated her 5th birthday on Sunday evening, August 16th. She invited 5 friends to share her special day. I made a small 8x8 cake. The theme was "Tinkerbell". Daddy bought her a beautiful costume to wear at her party.

Mckenzie, Jenna, Sophia, Brooke, Brooklynn, and Maia

This was such a fun "girly" party. I always enjoy the little girls. They are very easy to entertain. After dinner, we decorated fairy wings. I cut wing shapes from pink poster board. The girls glued on sequins, beads, bells, glitter, and stickers. I punched holes in the posterboard and tied them on with grosgrain ribbon. None of the pictures turned out of the wings. They were so cute. Then we played some outdoor games like "Pixie Parade" (cake walk concept - winner got a bottle of bubbles to blow and the game continued.) and "Tinkerbell Tag" (if you were tagged, you had to go to Neverland and say "I do believe in fairies" five times in order to be set free.)

Then we came inside for "Fairy Flutter" (musicial chairs - except when a girl got "out" she got to get a Tinkerbell tattoo).

We finished with presents and cake. Then the wings were dry so the girls put them on and went outside to blow bubbles and "flutter" around as the parents arrived. It was so much fun and the girls were all so adorable.