A Belated Birthday Post.....

Kadin and his new Calgary Flames hat!









I can't help laugh when I look at this picture and see that saying on his shirt...he even knows it by heart!








Kadin specified a
blue and red race
car and Auntie
Jess delivered!
He was thrilled...




I am not sure I can believe it! Our boy is 6! Time flies. It seems like a short time ago that we were in the hospital meeting him for the first time....These days we are seeing him mature into a great kid who is usually quite willing to help me out or watch his siblings so they aren't wandering off or doing something dangerous! I always have to laugh in the morning when I see Kadin first thing. He is so intent on getting out of bed the moment his little eyes open that he stumbles around rubbing his eyes trying to figure out where he even is. Amidst my laughter I have tried to explain that it would be okay for him to stay in bed for a few seconds longer to orientate himself first.....but to no avail! He has very exciting things to all get done in one day and it is such a waste to lie there one second longer than necessary....I mean, why bother? Mom is very good at helping him get his bearings. " Kade! Look out bud...the table is in front of you! Kade, the toilet seat has to be up BEFORE you pee! Hello!"

Such are the joys of our very special son. Some days are more trying than others but with patience and lots of activity Kadin thrives! We have definitely noticed that his love language is quality time so I try to take an hour or two every day that he's not in school and build lego with him.At this point he is still enjoying Kindergarten....they have started home reading. I think they teachers give this assignment to help the parents learn patience. I have started to wonder if it's about the reading aspect at all! lol Marcel and I are looking forward to another fun-filled, interesting year ahead of helping Kadin grow into a young man who heart belongs to Jesus. Pray for us as parents. What an amazing, wonderful, HARD, trying job God has given us!

Who's cakes is this anyways......








Instead of having a birthday party with a thousand 6 year olds running around....we went with another family who's son was also turning 6. After we bowling (the kids beat some of the adults...oops) we went to Montana's for supper. They always give you these moose heads to wear while they sing to you. Kadin decided that they were weird and there was no way that he was going to wear them. Notice in the picture his hands on his head. He didn't remove them till they walked away....hilarious!

Monday mornings....and bread crusts

" Mom, I am not so sure I like these!"

"You wouldn't make me eat these, would you?"

hhhmmmm, I guess you would...."

YUM!

" I know you don't think I'm funny Mom.....but I gotta try!"

And...another Monday morning @ the Tootsies! How we love these mornings! After Sundays, the house is upside down, the kids are a little crabby from the routine disruption and I am happy as a lark and ready to get it all fixed up! I LOVE Monday mornings....and Monday afternoons if I could possibly convince my 4 year old and six year old that they are REALLY tired and maybe a sleep would do them good? and....then the bribe, "if you sleep, then you get to stay up..." (that said with a very cajoling tone a voice, of course!) I had this thought that morning as I watched Kamryn, our 2 1/2 year old push her crusts around her plate ( I really think that she thought if she did it long enough they really WOULD disappear!) Oh, right....the thought--Life is like bread crusts....we "eat" up all the good things and hope that the stuff that is a little harder to deal with will just disappear and that we never have to "eat" them. As we mature in life we will start realizing that the good comes with things that aren't always that pleasant. We need to experience life as a whole so that we reap the blessings of a full life, lived out for Jesus Christ...--
So, that was my thought on a Monday morning while trying to convince Kammi to eat her crusts. I don't think she hates them as much as she likes me think....look at that face! She actually imagines this whole scenario(which is a daily confrontation) is funny! I must admit, being her mother, that I did have to laugh. I also have to remind myself to keep laughing because not all of life goes smoothly and if I wasn't laughing....I most definitely would be crying.
(and no one wants to see that, right?) Besides that fact, I think my kids would start singing "A Joyful Heart is Good Medicine" to me instead of vice versa, and could I handle that? Probably not! My best advice to myself....keep your chin up and trust in your Heavenly Father to help you along....amidst bread crusts and all!



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This is a picture of Kadin that was taken this past summer at Heritage Park. I have a little story about something he said and I wanted to post a picture with it. This is one of my favorites.
Anyways, the other day Auntie Jess was over and Kyle very innocently asked her if she has a baby in her tummy...Auntie Jess assured him that there was indeed a baby in there. At that moment Kadin chose to walk into the dining room (and obviously having overheard the conversation) decided to add his own two cents. Dubiously looking at Auntie Jess' protruding belly, he said very nonchanantly, " It looks like you have a whole house in there!"
I don't know exactly how Auntie Jess felt about that brutally honest statement, but I personally thought it was roll on the floor hilarious. Don't tell Jess you thought this was funny! ( for the record, she also laughed her head off....she actually is the one who told me this.....)
So.....now that you are done laughing, you can thank me for giving you a chuckle today. ( or rather, Kadin) I don't always have things to report on Kadin. He is in a little bit of a stage right now. A little of a show off, and a attitude to rival a stubborn, MALE, bothered, donkey! But he can be very sweet and helpful and we appreciate his contribution to our household....

I wrote this Valentine's message for MOPS today and I thought I would share it with you.



I read this saying the other day….“A good marriage is like a casserole, only those responsible for it really know what it’s comprised of.” (Leave it to me to come up with a saying related to cooking) Anyway, after much thought ( because I don’t always understand everything I read right away…and because three kids leave my brain not cooperating as well as it used to) I have decided that this is a quote worth remembering. We all know what goes into our casseroles. No one else does, but as long as it tastes good, no one needs to, right? Unless of course it is SO fabulous that we all need the recipe. (that would be the day….) There are many different ingredients that make a good a marriage. One of these ingredients in my marriage is hefty dose of humor. The things that endear my husband to me never cease to drive me crazy. For instance….I have totally given up on being surprised by a gift. Actually, let’s make that surprised by anything! My husband has this innate ability (that means it has been there since birth…don’t worry I checked with his mom, it’s true) to give away everything and anything he has planned. He doesn’t believe me but I even knew exactly when he was going to propose. I would say though, as much I have resigned myself to never being surprised, I would not trade this for anything. Do you have any idea how cute a 30 year old guy can look when he’s trying his best not to give away a secret….and it’s not working? Absolutely ADORABLE! (let’s not tell him I told a room full of ladies that) Another healthy ingredient(depending on the day) that accompanies our marriage is thankfulness. Who couldn’t love or appreciate a man that brings you hot chocolate in bed, cleans the house quite regularly, says romantic things and loves his kids like crazy? Or how about when he says you look beautiful even when the mirror wonders who the freak with pimples, smeared mascara and dry, frizzy hair is…… Okay, back to the point of this little story thing. Marriage is wonderful. I am not saying that it is always easy and that you will never get frustrated….but I believe we have been given an amazing gift when we are blessed with marriage. And like the quote above, none of us really knows what goes into anyone else’s marriage. I have been blessed with good friends, great family and many encouraging comments over the years. (The not so helpful ones I tend to forget) To sum this all up and to say what I was trying to say this whole time is… marriage takes all different kinds of compromise, patience, trust and most importantly LOVE. ( a little peace and quiet and some time alone, mixed with some chocolate….also helps make a good casserole…oops, I mean marriage! LOL

A Beautiful Morning

I just could not resist getting out the camera this morning. I looked out the window to see lots of fog....and then-there, I saw the sun trying valiantly trying to peek through and shine for us. Just gorgeous! To me it is a reminder once again how every morning starts fresh and new. Yesterday was not a good day in the life of the Toeters. I don't know how we managed, but Marcel and I got very sick.....together. If it hadn't been so terrible I might have actually laughed. Every time the kids needed something we would look at eachother and try to decide who was sicker....of course the person who lost had to get up and deal with the kids. And trust me when I tell you that the kids really don't care if you are sick. They STILL want breakfast.....Anyways, we got through the day all right and we both woke to better health....and like I was saying, a fresh new morning.

Well, the new year has begun. Things have once again started going smoothly again. Don't get me wrong, I do love the holidays. We had a fabulous time with my family. We were priveledged to meet my second niece(apparently the Meinen's aren't that great at producing girls) Anyways, little Rachel is a doll....almost had me wishing for another one. Notice the"almost". I enjoyed holding her and lavishing some love. It will be awhile till we see her again.
Kadin and Kyle are still really enjoying going to school. They are always disappointed when they wake up and find out that it's not a school day. Next year will be very quiet with Kadin being gone all day......I might actually miss all the crazy conversations that we have. Today he needed to know why we drink "skin" milk. Like would would seriously do something like that? Ironically he loves skim milk and knowing that, it kinda puzzles me why he would be willing to drink it....I mean, come on---would you drink something that you thought was made out of skin? NOT ME! lol
As for Kamryn...we are still enjoying getting to know how little girls tick......if they even tick. When I think of ticking I imagine something that stays consistent. Little girls are NOT consistent. One day it goes.....the next day it doesn't. Definitely keeps us on our toes. Here's a little snapshot of the princess in this family!

More happy days @ the Toeters!

Well, this old mama is now 28! Time flies....as for our little guy, he's now 4. I can't help but think it wasn't long ago that he was born and that I only had two kids. The other part of me can't even remember what life was like with-out Kamryn (the other mother of the household--today it was, "Kyle, that's enough!")
Kyle's b-day was on the 16th and I actually think Kadin was more excited than Kyle. He just couldn't wait for everyone to come and of course bring in the presents. It took alot of convincing for Kadin to simply let Kyle open things himself.
I do want to give thanks to our Father for giving us another whole year with Kyle. He has truly been a blessing to this family. We hope and pray that we have many more years to try and figure exactly how this child ticks.......