Monday, November 30, 2015

Our fall days

So many good times outside this fall. The weather was lovely.

Christian loves to shoot baskets...I love watching his expressive personality.


Jonah and Daddy

This tree in our backyard looks so clean, crisp and fall like in the late afternoon.

 Kansas sunsets, you are among my favorite.

Apple Cider Donuts....they smelled delicious...and tasted oh so yummy.

My two kitchen helpers are often willing to climb up and get involved!


Great Grandpa John (90 years old) rode his bike over to check out Noah's new bike.

We use the tree house swings quite often.
Noah took it to a new level, bringing his pillow...while wearing his cape. Brining nap time to the swing set.

We go on walks when we can, rarely do we go TOO far with Noah on his balance bike..but he's getting better at it!

And some days, I hook them up to the bike and we go on a bike ride. On this day, I had biked into town to the post office..and they both fell asleep on the way back...so I kept going. They stayed sleeping for at least 20 minutes after I stopped at home. It was the sweetest.

Morning's can start out pretty lazy...
they both like to see Christian get on the bus, if they are awake,




 Jonah is so fond of his biggest brother..it is so cute. And Christian is usually gracious to give him the hugs and kisses that he wants. Christian actually asked to hold him..which isn't usually the case..I said, "good luck, he's not much for sitting still anymore!!"
But as it turns out, he loved every second (well, for at least several seconds anyway!).


Christian was studying "Tom Turkey" at school, and he had the idea to ask Grandpa for some old ties to use for Tom Turkey's Tail!

Bear.
We refer to Jonah as this...and for several reasons. He is kinda a teddy bear, he makes the growling sound very well, and on occasion we just need a different name to call him :)

 Lots and lots and lots of coloring goes on in our house. 
Noah gets pretty particular about his pictures, and NEEDS to fill them with color!

Friday, November 27, 2015

Thanksgiving [Hershberger family]

We didn't attempt to go to more than one Thanksgiving gathering...so the day after Grandpa and Grandma H, and Sam came over to our house. 
They brought pizza and played games. It was still very cold and icy out, so we stayed inside.


 Playing Suspend



We hadn't seen Sam for quite some time..so we attempted a picture with all three boys.

 Thankful for a good time together....we had fun eating and playing!

Thursday, November 26, 2015

Thanksgiving Day


 My heart is thankful.
We have these three beautiful boys...and I am so grateful and blessed to have a wonderful husband/Daddy...thankful for sure.



 ................................................

We went to Mom and Dad's to celebrate Thanksgiving. Brent/Alyssa's family, Mitch, and the Moyo family also joined us. It a very delicious meal...Mitch made a smoked turkey this year.

Noah was showing Ron the magnet toys....



We went around the table saying something we are 'thankful' for.
Noah took Grandma's hand to hold. And on his turn he said, "I'm thankful for water."
Melt my heart.


After the meal and dishes were taken care of....it was time to start setting up for Christmas. 
Their house turns into all things CHRISTMAS! Mitch was not quick enough to get up and help...so he became decorated with the stuff that needed put away.

It was really cold. Freezing rain, just very wintery. That evening, Ben, being the good chicken farmer he is...went out in the dark to set them up with a heater. I'm certain they are thankful for him too!


So thankful. Family, health, home, food, water, safety, jobs, love, faith...so thankful.

Monday, November 23, 2015

Pure joy

It was a beautiful afternoon...so we spent some time outdoors.
I raked a 'few' leaves with some help from Noah while Christian was at school. 
He was SO excited when he came home, to jump and play in them!

They played in them for quite some time. 
Squeals, laughter, running, jumping, throwing leaves up in the air, and many many smiles.
Hearts full of joy.






Jonah observed for the most part...he loves to watch his brothers.

We let him down for a bit and he had his first real encounter with Stella, without anyone holding him.
She didn't get close enough to find out just how grabby his little hands are (which is probably a good thing for both of them).

Oh they just loved it!







A fall favorite for sure.

Monday, November 16, 2015

Fall [2015]

Fall, I love you.

I love the vibrant colors

I love the fall harvest


I love the fall weather


I love watching the leaves change


I love being outdoors


I love remembering my Grandma (even if it makes me cry sometimes)


I love looking at nature as though it were a painting (God has serious skills)


I love the sound of leaves crunching


I love the sunsets


I love cool, crisp air...perfect for campfires


I love thinking of all I have to be thankful for


I love how it makes me feel like I'm home..
that cozy feeling that all is well.

Sunday, November 15, 2015

Noah's Narratives

Hearing his newly three year old self say things like "amazing", "incredible", "interesting" (said 'intresting') and "ridiculous" to describe things can instantly bring a smile to my face. The other day, he was looking through a catalog (a toy one) for Christmas ideas. He came to a page and said in awe, "whoa! This is in-CRED-ible. Look at this!! It is Ah-MAZ-ing!!!" (It was a page with all things that glowed in the dark!) 
..................................
He has quickly learned from his big brother the word-age in terms of "playing nice". I will often hear them tell each other back and forth..."Jesus said.....". And occasionally, Noah will come to me and say, "Shis-shen is being mean (said with the poutiest and sad little face). And Jesus says to be NICE in the Bible. We be NICE!"
..................................
What is your name? "Noah". What is your full name? "Noah Hersgerber"
..................................
The other morning, he came into our room and stood by my head. I had him crawl in bed with me, as Ben had already left for work. He looked around and asked "Where's Daddy?" I told him he was at work. "Oh, he's a work?" So we go about our morning, eat breakfast, etc. I'm in the kitchen, and he comes in the room, and says, "Where's Ben?"
"Who's Ben?"
"Ben is Daddy."
"Oh, well, we just call him Daddy. He is your Daddy, and Christian and Jonah's Daddy."
"Oh, well he IS Ben."

(I couldn't help but laugh.)
..................................
At bedtime, we go through a process. Christian and Noah usually have there routine...brushing their teeth, climbing into bed, Ben reads a Bible story, and then tucks them in with a story. Somewhere in there I stop in with Jonah and tell them goodnight (as well as have Jonah say "goodnight"). Lately, Noah has been requesting "I hug Jonah", and it is about enough to melt my heart. Jonah knows exactly what's going on...he leans his head down onto Noah, and Noah gives him a hug around the neck...and then they stay like that for a brief moment. Oh, its so sweet. Tonight, he was hugging him and says, "Oh, I just love you SO much, Jonah." (Goodness, I treasure these moments.)
..................................
He has started the process of potty training. I just put him in underwear the other day and we went with it. Knowing he needed to poop, and he refused to go while he sat on the toilet...I just decided to leave his diaper off and see if he would follow through with letting me know when the time was 'right'. Sure enough, after a little bit, I saw him standing by the front door looking guilty as ever. I asked him "Noah, did you poop?" 
"No."
"Noah, did you go poop?"
"Yes."
"Where?"
"Over 'dere'. On the floor. Clean it up." (pointing in the direction of his room and the bathroom...and SO sassy!)
"Show me."
"See!"
Sure enough, on the floor in the bathroom. "But you were SO close to the toilet, next we need to go IN it!"
"Oh."
..................................
I said to him today, "Child! You need to go to the bathroom in the potty!!"
He looks at me with his smile, and says, "I not child."
"What? Why not."
"I not CH-ild. I am NOAH. My name is not child. That's a funny name."
....................
 When discussing colors, this poor boy is just stubborn.
He is becoming very good at coloring in general. He colors in the lines, changes colors for the small differences within the pictures, etc. BUT, when it comes to naming the color, he often doesn't even refer to it by a color name.
When I point to a green object, or crayon and ask him, "What color is this?"
"That is the same color as grass (or a tree, or a frog, or a variety of other green things he can think of)."
"But what color is it?"
"I already told you."
This will go on and on, each color he will have a reference for, but not a name.

Every now and then, he'll play my game and he'll tell me. He's usually right about red. Blue is almost ALWAYS referred to as 'water', and yellow is almost always called pink.
.......................................
 One more bathroom related one, since we have been spending ALOT of time in the bathroom...with little progress.
Potty words (not trashy potty words, but literal) are fascinating to Noah and Christian, I don't really get why...well I do, but I don't. I guess its the thrill of the reaction. The only time I say they can say potty related words is while they are going. And if they choose to while they are in their room, just to be funny...they get to go sit on the toilet for a bit since that must mean they have to go.
While Noah was on the toilet the other day, he said something about poop.
I told him that's fine, when he's in the bathroom he can talk about bathroom things... and he should probably go ahead and go poop now.
So then, he said went through EVERY possible thing he could see in the bathroom as options that he can say while on the toilet.
"And I can talk about towels on the toilet.....and I can talk about showers on the toilet...and I can talk about rugs on the toilet...and I can talk about...." and on, and on, and on.
However, on this particular day...the distraction of talking about ALL these things for QUITE some time worked! So whatever it takes, I'm game.