The family picture

The last little while, we have needed a family picture. Jacob needed to take one to Primary on Sunday, Luke needed one for school, and Jacob was Student of the week and we needed to post a family picture on his poster. The only one we had was when Daniel was a baby. So, we sat down last night and I put the timer on teh camera and this is what we got. Pretty amazing everyone is looking at the camera. I can't believe how time has flown. Luke turned 5 on Christmas, Kate turned 10 last month, Claire turned 3 a few days ago and Jacob will turn 8 and be baptized in about 6 weeks and Daniel has been in nursery for a month. WOW!!! How time is flying in OHIO. We are a little more than 1/2 done with Steve's Residency Program. The kids are all doing well. The older two are in piano, Kate is in Dance. Jacob has played soccer and bball, and Luke has been playing soccer. Claire is doing a great job at being Daniel's other mom.

I am so proud of Steve in all that he does....juggling his crazy schedule, yet making sure his kids know how much he loves them and me.
The kids have lots of friends at church and at school and keep me busy. I am so proud of them for being such great helpers around the house and being the best that they can be. I am not sure I could be any happier. We have been so blessed as a family and am grateful for all that we have. I do want to one day write a post on the funny, crazy, hard things we have done to make it through medical school and residency with a family....but who knows when that will happen. Just wanted to document a picture.

Last minute trip to Chicago

So, I heard about this place called Lego Discovery Center and they were having Star Wars Weekend.  Steve was off, and so he said, Let's Go!!!  Shocked as I was, I had the car mostly packed when he got home from work and we drove out of Dayton at 5pm.  We got a great priceline hotel(Marriot) for DIRT CHEAP.  Well, Lego Discovery wasn't quite as cool as we thought, and we knew it wouldn't take all day, so on Sat. Morning, we went to the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry.  Kate and I had already been when we went in March, but I knew we had to take the rest of the family back.  Who knew it would have been so soon?  Anyways, with our other museum year long pass, we got in here for free.   IT IS, I THINK, THE COOLEST MUSEUM WE HAVE EVER BEEN TO.  AND FOR SURE THE BIGGEST! 

 

Museum of Science and Industry

So here, you got to adjust the air pressure coming out of these tubes and then throw the balls up, and they would float.  Our kids would have just stayed here if we let them...

Standing infront of the giant light bulb

Standing in the WIND TUNNELL.  They loved this too!!

 

This next area is the train area...Holy Cow...we thought of our cousin Zach...he would be going totally NUTS!!!!

Luke is always pulling the faces....

No, didn't fly to Chicago(only a five hour drive).  They had a real airplane that was suspended from a balcony that we got to explore!!

Daniel and Claire were Troopers.  I loved seeing their faces..

LEGO DISCOVERY CENTER

The things built out of legos were amazing....as you can see.. you can also see between this post and the previous that my boys have haircuts.  I love my boys with new haircuts and am embarrassed they got to be looking so shaggy!!!!

I can't believe he is almost 1!!!!!!  Such a happy boy...even though he is getting tubes in his ears on Tuesday becuase of never ending ear infections. 

 

Indiana Jones!!

How cool is this????

They then had large tables with tons of legos that the kids could just build.  

 

Yes, even Lego Santa!!!

And of course, the whole reason we went....all made out of Legos!!!

So all in all a fun trip after getting home at 2 in the morning(and still making 9 am church after sleeping in till 830...yes even all 7 of us showered)....Legos Discovery Center is definatley a 2-3 hour thing and probably won't EVER go back.  Not as cool as we expected for the price they charged to get in.  But the Museum of Science and Industry...a must return.  I think we only saw maybe half of it. June has been such a great month.  Steve has only been on call 4 times this month and he usually gets home at a normal time.   We have enjoyed the last minute trips and spending time with DAD!!!

Columbus Zoo

So one morning, Steve walked in the door at 8am.  He had been on call all night, but ususally doesn't get home till 1 or2.  But since he got home that early, he slept for a few hours and then when the kids got home from school, we took them to the Columbus Zoo.  We have a year pass (thanks Grandma and Grandpa), so we took advantage of the time.  It was a rainy day in Columbus on and off, but it is an amazing zoo.  Jack Hanna's stuff is  all filmed here.  It was so fun just to be with Steve as a family. 

Yes, I know the boys need haircuts.....I know I know I know.  just wait till the next post!!!

The sisters....they love each other...Kate is sooooooo good to Claire and Claire will do anything that Kate is. 

This little boy....my heart melts.  He is sooo good and happy. 

Komodo Dragon...nice Jacob!!!

 

The kids LOVED getting pictues with all of the statues!!!

One Year

So I have wanted to do this post for a few weeks now, but now I am getting time to document our first year in Ohio.  WE HAVE SURVIVED.  And I will say that with flying colors.  I just want to remember what happened during this first year and all of the things that were going on with our family.

End of May...arrived in Ohio, moved into our house(that we love by the way). 
June--put the Kate and Jacob in swim team, went boating frequently with Robb and Robin,they went to Vacation Bible school, enjoyed having Steve at home for the first 2 weeks then started orientatio, my mom came near the end.
July--My dad came, Steve started residency(q-4), Daniel still not here, my parents left on July 5th.  July 8th, Daniel came.  I drove myself to the hospital at 5 in the morning(Steve was on call, and he met me there about 6)...my brother came over....  the rest of the month is a blurr....Need I say more ....q-4. 
August---Steve was on a Pulmonology rotation, so he didnt have call...that was a bonus...still just on survival mode...went boating a few times...can't remember much...oh yeah...the kids started school, we signed up for soccer and dance and piano.  Being busy is good for me...it keeps me scheduled and going. 
September and October--Steve was Q-4 both of these months.  I was so grateful my mom came in September for 10 days and then Steve's parents came in October for 10 days.  I needed it.  The kids continued on Swim team, Soccer and dance and piano.
November----Steve was at the AF base, so he was only on call 5 times that month. He had Thanksgiving off and that was fun.  The Wirthlins and Gerritesens came over for that...
December---Q-4, but Steve did get 5 days off at Christmas. Luke turned 4....
January--Steve was at the AF Base again, and he had a week off....Steve's mom and dad came and we went to Kirtland and the PRo-football hall of fame(the boys).  Kate got her ears pierced for her 9th birthday. 
Februrary ---long month again---Q-4 and sometime during the winter the kids were out of school for 6 days due to snow.....not much snow, but something about rural roads and the busses getting to those areas.
March--_ER and community Medicine...pretty good hours the last half of the month. 
April--HeMonc----q4 again...long,
May--Q-4 again, busy month due to soccer dance recitals, piano recitals...oh yeah and at the end...STEVE'S CAR DIED!!! WE ARE A ONE CAR FAMILY. We get to spend an extra hour together as a family in the car.  We take Steve to work and pick him up.
June--Still taking steve to work, but now he is at the AF Base clinic.  Not as much call and he has a week off.  The kids are getting out of school this week, will have Vacation Bible school again, and just play with all of the new friends we have made.  Steve will be consided a Senior Resident at the end of the month and we will have just 2 years left of residency.  The car situation still not worked out, but 2 cars is a luxury right?  We have been so blessed and am so grateful for our situation. 

So this was a month or so ago...I tried for a few sundays in a row to get picures and getting 5 kids to smile at the same time is next to impossible....

While I am on a roll

So here are a few just to document. Daniel was smiling, but Claire is so loving, he tends to get really really concerned with her around. Luke grabs and eats an entire Large Carrot after church and as you can see dipped his sleeve in ravioli's. I love white shirts. You can just bleach them. Claire pulls her hair out right when she gets in the car after church, so this is her post church FRO!

Kate turned 9

My Kate.....I left the camera in "the Van" when she got her BIG birthday present. She turned nine on Martin Luther King Day...while we were in Kirtland. On our way home from Kirtland, Steve wanted to go the NFL Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, OH. So we dropped the boys off there and we took Kate to the mall and surprised her to get her ears pierced!!! So I don't know how to download my phone pictures onto the computer...so this is the shot of her the next day when we did cake and ice cream with cousins. YAY to have cousins around. I am so proud of Kate. She is such an amazing oldest child and I am so grateful for her. She is the BEST big sister to Claire. She plays with her and reads to her and helps her, and even changes her diaper. Claire is always asking for her and wants Kate to do everything for her. Kate is so good to her brothers. She compromises so much to make them happy. She is stuck playing "boy games" all the time, yet is so creative to bring in the girl story to the game.