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Two

June 8, 2012, 1:17 pm
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I can't believe two years have passed since the day you were born.
Hudson Joseph, you are a delight! We absolutely adore you and can’t imagine life without your hearty belly laughs and your huge bear hugs around our necks. You get so excited to go outside (“side”) to help Daddy on all kinds of projects using tools (“too”), shovels (“shov”), and lawn mowers (“mah-mawer”).  The other day I caught you getting into my purse.  By that time you already had three wrapped pieces of gum in your mouth and were starting on a fourth.  You looked up at me and said, “Bite?” and then quickly, “No! No!”   

 I love to see how much you want to be near your big brother and sister.  Every night you crawl into their beds to help tuck them in.  “Nigh, nigh,” you say, and then snuggle way down under the covers next to them.  One of these nights we’ll let you all have a big slumber party…  

 Happy Birthday, Hud Bud!  We love you so much, and pray that you’ll grow into a young man who loves Jesus with all his heart.
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My Summer Reading List

July 9, 2012, 2:23 pm
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 Here are the titles sitting on my shelf this week... Yes, this is an announcement!  I loved our parents' reactions when we told them the news.  We gave them each a note that read, "This coupon good for One New Grandchild... Valid thru January 2013."

It's pretty fun to have a surprise!  :)
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Snapshots from vacation

July 9, 2012, 2:40 pm
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We were in Michigan with my family the last week in June.  We enjoyed playing games late into the night, hiking up the sand dunes, fun times with Grandpa and Grandma, lots of water and sunshine, smores around the campfire, and many beautiful sunsets.
 Jeff and Clay gave us quite the ski show...

 Coming in after an afternoon of boating...all smiles.
  Goofy sibs - someone shouted out that we should hold up our fingers to show our birth order.  I guess Amanda and I missed it. Anyway, I love my family and the fun we have when we're together. Some of my favorite times are when we're all gathered in our semi-circle around the fire, watching the sun go down.
This year, we lit some sky lanterns, which looked beautiful going up over the lake into the night sky. Clay was a good helper with the lighter. :) 

These are the kind of evenings you want to last just a bit longer... one of my favorite spots in the world.  Until next year, Lake Michigan.
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A visit from cousins

July 20, 2012, 12:22 pm
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 Clayton's cousins Hunter (12) and Zach (10) came from TN to visit us this week.  They all get along great and had fun playing games of Monopoly and Ticket to Ride, wrestling, and trading Matchbox cars. The boys enjoyed the Lego exhibit at the Children's Museum.
 This was the Hot Wheels exhibit.  Since they had been trading lots of Matchbox cars, it was fun to see them BIG!
 We took them to the Indy Zoo and got to see this tiger very close up as he was prowling.

The Three Musketeers... A moment that made me smile was to hear them talking in the backseat as we drove to meet their mom in KY. One of their little conversations went something like this: "So, what do you like to do in your spare time?" And then the answer came of playing Legos, reading books, etc. They sounded like little men back there. We are really thankful for cousins so close in age, and for them to be such good buddies.
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Picking Blueberries

July 20, 2012, 12:30 pm
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We were in Northern Indiana for a wedding this weekend and took advantage of picking at a great little blueberry farm, The Blueberry Ranch. 
 It's so yummy to eat them right off the bush... Happy Summer!

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A new niece

August 15, 2012, 8:52 am
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 We had the privilege recently of visiting our new niece, Harriet Sparrow Reichanadter. (Someone reminded us that this is what our family picture will look like in a few months...) She arrived 2 1/2 weeks early, and since her parents were in Indiana visiting family, there wasn't enough time to drive back to Ann Arbor.  The good news for us was that we also happened to be there that weekend, so we got to visit just hours after she was born at the hospital close by.  Sparrow is precious and we all fell in love with her!
 Mother and Daughter
Emma especially loved holding little Sparrow.  Congrats, Scott and Jayme!  We are thrilled for you.
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State Fair

August 15, 2012, 9:01 am
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 Last night was a gorgeous night to be at the fair.  The kids had fun going on a few rides, seeing the animals, climbing on the huge tractors, and eating an elephant ear and some funnel cake.



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The climbing wall

August 15, 2012, 9:10 am
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 We went to the Children's Museum with Grandpa and Grandma Rack yesterday and the kids' highlight was the climbing wall.  This was their first time to do it, and I wasn't sure how they would do.  Grandpa Rack was holding the rope at the bottom, ensuring safety.  :) 

Love it that Emma's wearing a dress...(at least she had shorts on under).  She's very feminine, but also pretty adventurous.  They both persevered and had huge smiles at the peak of "Mount Pittman."  When they got done, they shouted, "That was AWESOME!"  It was a great moment of facing some fears and experiencing success.  Clay and Em already talking about next time, and wanting to do the "intermediate" course. :)
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Conner Prairie

August 23, 2012, 1:25 pm
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We went last week to Conner Prairie, an interactive history park nearby.  The kids enjoyed going back in time to 1836 and learning about how life was then...




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Last golden day of summer

August 23, 2012, 1:32 pm
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 We put on our hiking shoes and tromped around Holliday Park on the kids' last day of summer vacation. 


It has been such a wonderful summer, full of lots of playing outside, swimming, campfires, friends, family, times at the beach, library, museums, the zoo, etc. Clay and Emma both said that the summer felt like it lasted a very long time.  I remember when I thought like that too, when I was a kid.
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Back to School

August 23, 2012, 1:36 pm
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Today was the kids' first day together at the Oaks Academy.  They were so excited, they could hardly get to sleep last night!  We are so thankful to have them both at this incredible place!


This is the traditional "sleepy-eyed" photo in front of the house...Did your mom do that for you too? :)
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Daddy's Helper

August 27, 2012, 8:20 am
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One of Hudson's favorite things in life is power tools.  Whenever Jeff gets out his toolbox, Hudson puts on his "work" boots and wants to be right there with Jeff in all the action. 

Hud made a nice fashion statement with his pajama pants tucked into his rain boots... He was having fun drilling screws into the tree. :)  He stayed very focused and then if a screw dropped, he said, "Uh, oh, Mama."
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This is what happens...

September 19, 2012, 2:06 pm
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...when you're the third child and have a big sister who likes to do hair.
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Traders Point Creamery Trip

September 19, 2012, 2:12 pm
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 I got to go with Emma's class last week on a fun field trip to the farm. We visited the cows, who get to roam and eat lots of grass all day long.  The farm is amazing, and the cows are antibiotic-free.  We learned a lot, and even got to taste some chocolate milk, string cheese, and yogurts made there. 


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Working with the boys

September 19, 2012, 2:26 pm
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Now that the drought is over and we have some cooler temperatures, we decided to start landscaping our backyard.  Jeff found Home Depot had most of their plants 50% off since it is nearing the end of the season, so he brought home a van load of bushes, trees, etc. 
Hudson was mostly "along for the ride," making Jeff's wheelbarrow loads about 30 lbs. heavier, but Clay was a big helper at digging holes and getting the plants in the ground! (Emma happened to have a birthday party to go to, so she got out of the hard labor!)
Hudson was pretty proud of himself when he figured out how to work the hose.  He had fun watering things (and himself)... and as always, he wore his "work boots."  :)

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Sparrow's Shower

October 1, 2012, 8:52 am
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 The Reichanadter family had a shower for Baby Sparrow in Elkhart this weekend.  We had so much fun planning with this woodsy, garden, nest theme.  (The banner hanging in front of the food table says, "Hello Love.") When guests arrived, there was a "blessing tree" (on the cabinet below) and they could write a prayer or blessing for Sparrow and attach it to the tree.
 Melissa and I enjoyed tapping into our creative side by brainstorming and coming up with ideas together.
 The four girl cousins
 Tiered plates of spritz, cream wafers, and babycakes
 We used moss, log "chargers," burlap, aqua mason jars, twine and lace.
There were over 30 women/children in attendance.  We had a great time eating, mingling, praying for Jayme & Sparrow, and playing Baby Bingo while Jayme opened the gifts.

Even Hudson was delighted by this sweet little girl, "Parrow," as he called her.

Mom Reichanadter was also a great mastermind behind the events.  She read some beautiful quotes about sparrows, and one of my favorites was by Henry David Thoreau:  "I once had a sparrow alight upon my shoulder for a moment, while I was hoeing in a village garden, and I felt that I was more distinguished by that circumstance than I should have been by any epaulet I could have worn." 

Harriett Sparrow, you have captured our hearts! We loved celebrating your life this weekend!
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Surprise!!!

October 26, 2012, 2:00 pm
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 Jeff and I have been planning for months to surprise the kids and go back to California for a visit.  We had frequent flier miles to cover 4 tickets, plus a free rental van, so we decided to go for it!  Last week when we put the kids to bed every night, we were like elves, scurrying around packing suitcases, and then the next morning, acting like nothing happened.  Finally THE morning arrived.  We had the van packed and woke up the kids.  They asked, "What are we doing up so early?" Jeff's reply, "We're going to visit some friends.  We'll tell you more in the car."  Above shows their expressions when they got the boarding tickets for a flight to LAX.
 We had lots of luggage...2 carseats, baby backpack, tent, 5 sleeping bags, camping gear, and clothes for warm/cold weather.  This was an adventure to remember!

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Sequoia Grove

October 26, 2012, 2:06 pm
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 Our first big stop was at the Sequoia Grove near the entrance of Yosemite National Park.  This Park was one of our favorite places to visit when we lived in California and we knew we wanted to go back.  You can't help but feel very small in the shadow of these huge trees!  It felt like we were watching God use His huge brush strokes to declare His splendor and glory.  What an amazing Creator He is!
 The trees below are named "The Bachelor and The Three Graces."

Job 26:14
"And these are but the outer fringe of his works;
    how faint the whisper we hear of him!
    Who then can understand the thunder of his power?”
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Yosemite National Park

October 26, 2012, 2:25 pm
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 We spent a few days in Yosemite...hiking, playing in the streams, bouldering, exploring, etc.
 The famous peak "Half Dome" is in the back of the photo above, with our three little explorers checking the place out.
 Looking for "fool's gold."
 It was so relaxing to be in this beautiful place, literally surrounded by majestic peaks, trees, sparkling water...and the beach all to ourselves.  I think our family comes alive and recharges when we're in nature, and it points us back to God.
Psalm 95:3-7
3 For the Lord is the great God,
    the great King above all gods.
4 In his hand are the depths of the earth,
    and the mountain peaks belong to him.
5 The sea is his, for he made it,
    and his hands formed the dry land.
6 Come, let us bow down in worship,
    let us kneel before the Lord our Maker...
  And there's always time for a little sword fight... :)


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Camping Out

October 26, 2012, 2:49 pm
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 This was our campsite the first night at Yosemite.  It was right along a little creek so the kids could explore and play.  We had very sweet neighbors who gave us firewood and even built our fire for us since we got there at dusk and had to set up our tent.  I told the kids maybe they were angels.  However, during the night the man snored and I asked Jeff, "Is that a bear?" I decided he wasn't an angel after all.
 
 The view from our tent
 Jeff and the kids were brave and went bouldering along a dry waterfall bed.  He had Hudson in the backpack and climbed all over the slippery rocks. There was also a big sign that said: "Danger...many injuries and fatalities have occured," so I thought I better be careful, being 7 months pregnant and all! I just stayed back and took pictures.



 Our last night of sleeping in the tent, we woke up to rain. In the morning we packed up our dry things, Jeff carried the kids to the van, and we took down the tent in the rain and 40 degrees. Jeff said the good thing about the rain though was that there would be snow on the mountains on our drive out.  Sure enough, we drove through areas that looked like winter!  The kids got out and threw snowballs.
Then we drove through "fall" again on down the mountain, back to sunny Pasadena, where our next segment of the adventure would begin!
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