LIFE IS GOOD!  

     
I just saw a car tag that said this earlier this morning and it got me to thinking… LIFE. IS. GOOD!!!  Our family, friends, jobs, and even our crazy home is GOOD! So here is the deal…

       Collins, my sweet darling boy, is no longer a “baby”.  He has sprinted through infancy and is now walking, eating textured foods (well trying to), growing, cutting teeth like crazy (has four on top 3 on bottom), laughing insanely, and babbling like it his job.  He steals sighs of insane love from me all of the time.  I look at him and I am IN LOVE!!!!  He is the happiest baby, but not only that, he is just bursting with joy. 

       Charlie Kate is such a big girl, saying her own prayers at night, brushing her own teeth (in the ‘morning), picking out clothes for herself, agh!  I’m so proud of her and just love her funny personality!  She is obsessed with snakes now and tells me how to kill them every day.  “Mommy, if you want to kill a snake, you go get daddy!”  “We run really fast”.!!  HA! She makes me crazy with her ‘threeness’, if that could be a word.  She is learning all about play time, quiet time, calm down time, and Time-Out!

       We moved from our house to my parent’s old house!  Woo Hoo!  Jon and I had always imagined how we would love to have some land and thought of ways to make that happen.  All of this just happened because it is what God wanted.  We definitely didn’t really help with making it happen very much.  We considered buying their house, but I couldn’t quite get the kitchen to be what I wanted from a kitchen when we were thinking of the renovation.  So we dismissed it for several months.  The house we thought we wanted fell through and we were looking and looking and looking.  Ugh, the looking!!!  Jon got a notification on his app that a house came on the market… it was my parent’s old house.  The relocation company bought it from them and then re- listed it so…. Jon got to thinking again and came up with a pretty cool idea to make that kitchen how we want.  The next thing we know we are moving in to the house I grew up in!!  Oh, and on one of the only snow/ ice days in February!  Ha!  It makes for a good story as does most of our life.

       So Collins and Charlie Kate loved the snow that continued to come down following the days after the move.  We were staying with Katy for a few days and then moved over to Dan and Leann’s for a week while some work was happening to the kid’s rooms.  It all worked out great since Dan and Leann were gone to China to get Finn!!!!  Yes, he is finally ours and it is so right and good!  He is just the perfect addition to our family.  Charlie Kate is all about learning sign language so she can tell Finn “I wuv you”.

       We celebrated Charlie Kate’s 3^rd birthday, but I’m not sure I have accepted it!  I keep telling people she is 2, Ha!  We had a combined party with Sam Medley and it was fantastic!  Charlie Kate was Minnie Mouse and Sam was a little baseball player.  Sam wore his red birthday shoes and Charlie Kate gave it a good 5 minutes for the Minnie mouse ears.  Papa did great on the cake as always.  We even got to celebrate with grandma since she was in town on Charlie Kate’s actual birthday.  We went to Chuck-E- Cheese’s.  I, personally, would feel better if everyone would wipe the bottoms of their shoes before entering my car after going to Chuck-E- Cheese- Florence location… It feels greasy to me, but Charlie Kate loves it, so…

We are still renovating.  It will be a year or two before we get everything done, maybe longer.  Right now we are focusing on the mudroom, laundry, playroom, master bath and master closet.  It feels like we live in chaos!  Oh wait, we do!  The kid’s rooms are done besides flooring and it is nice outside… those two things keep me from going crazy!

We are at the end of training to become foster/adoptive parents, and are becoming more and more aware that it will be some time before we can pass a ‘walk through’ with the crazy that is happening in our home at the moment.  So, I am getting very motivated to come to a halt so we can get certified!!!

I feel like a failure, of course, because I haven’t posted nearly as much for Collins as I did with Charlie Kate.  Then when I really think about it, is it a bad thing? Yes, he won’t have as many things to read of himself later on, and he may read into it that it wasn’t important to me to record every ounce of his beautiful life… BUT I AM PRESENT.  I am present in his life, loving on him and Charlie Kate, playing, hugging, grocery shopping, teaching them to play together, teaching sister not to torture him with tickles or roll on top of him, teaching him to walk and teaching CK not to push him over, feeding him, rocking him, watching him sleep, keeping sister from waking him up, and kissing his delicious face.  So, when guilt sets in, I have to stop and look at what it is that I DO, and the reasons I don’t have a perfect memory book or memory blog for that matter.  I guess I just hope that his memories and his security take over any time he might wonder why we didn’t record as much of his baby years.   

Dear Collins and Charlie Kate,

This time in both of your lives is just so sweet! I wish I could record all of it for you to see how much you love each other now.  I know there will be times in your lives when you don’t enjoy each other very much but this is pure joy to watch when you play together and see each other first thing in the morning.  It breaks Charlie Kate’s heart when she can’t get in bed with you to play right when you wake up, Collins.  Charlie Kate, Collins claws at my legs to get across to you during church.  I hope you enjoy each other this much forever and stay super close always!

Here is our prayer for your relationships with our family:

God, please hold tight the bond of our children.  Keep them together through the tough times in life, and please help us to teach them loyalty to you and each other.  We pray that they go and have adventures and experiences in order to gain wisdom and humility, but that they are drawn back to family throughout their lives.  We hope to instill in them the value of family and overall, the value of your family.  Thank you for these two precious blessings!! It is in Jesus’ name we pray these things.  Amen

Happy 2015! So Long 2014!

Happy 2015!  So long 2014!

Actually 2014 was such a good year for us!  It passed much faster than I wanted. There was a lot of new...

Family News

Our family has gained a lot and experienced a lot of change.  We have a new sister in-law, Morgan.  She is a blessing to our family.  It’s apparent that she loves Jeremy, Alex, and Race!  What an answer to prayer. 

        We have a brand new nephew and one on the way!  Jarrod Emory Burgess, Jeb, arrived not long after his big brother, Bennie, turned one in September.  Matt and Whitney are taking on the challenge of such a close age, and don’t seem to have to beg for the grandparents to help when they need it.  I am thrilled that Collins will have such close boy cousins get into mischief with, of course when we aren’t looking.    Finn is on the way as soon as Dan and Leann get travel approval to go get him from China!  They will spend two weeks there with him and then bring him home to his FOREVER family!  We are all anxiously waiting for him.  I will be so relieved to know that he will begin… to feel strong bonds, relationships that are steadfast, a relationship with God and learn about Jesus.  There are so many things that he will have the opportunity to begin once he is with us, and I am so glad to be a part of it.  I’m sure that the only expectation that we are allowed is, it will be an awesome experience for all of us.  God will do the hard stuff.

By the way…

        Oh and our house is still on the market! We love our house and what we have made of it, but it is time for more room, and maybe no stairs! Since Charlie Kate has fallen down our stairs once and another set of stairs once, we feel the need for stairs to be in someone else’s house, not ours.  

The new dynamic and Charlie Kate                                            

 The first seven months of Collins’ life have been fast forwarded.  I think that what people have been telling me about time speeding up once you have kids is true.  I am getting to witness sibling love from a perfect seat.  Charlie Kate is very vocal with her actions of her love for Collins.  She has taken on several responsibilities and is helping take care of him every chance she gets.  Now that he is a giggle box , Charlie Kate loves making him laugh.  Collins looks at her as if he is seeing her for the first time.  He is in awe of her when she is playing, when she is singing, or even sitting still.  She is very entertaining to us too.  She sings, Let It GO, Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, Jesus Loves Me, Down in My Heart.  There might be other in the rotation from time to time, but those are her favorites.  The discipline is the hardest and my least favorite..  The reward from consistency, the use of a time-out, and occasional “spank-spank” is good.  She is learning boundaries and appropriate behaviors for different circumstances, but IT IS A CHALLENGE on a daily basis! Woo!  On some days she is lucky that she is so cute! ha!  This kid loves anything considered to be a treat or special snack.  So, now she wants a special juice, or special treat every day.  We are trying to teach her what “special” means. 

…Then you have Collins

Collins is sitting up so strong, crawling, and slightly pulling up.  He is a strong little boy, and happy all of the time…Almost all the time. Ha!  He is only unhappy when he is sleepy, wants to cuddle, or hungry.  He is so so so ticklish and laughs so hard when you get his belly or chin.  He still likes to be semi swaddled to sleep, but always gets out of it by the end of the night or nap.  He likes the minkie dot material on his bumpers, and cuddles with it.  He laughs at himself at his reflection and loves his car mirror.  He just talks and talks to the mirror and Charlie Kate the whole ride around town..  He is FUN!  We all like him

Dear Charlie Kate and Collins,

        This has been the Merriest of Christmases that we have ever had!  We can only look forward to the next one and the days to come and hope to cherish each moment with you.  Your laughs make our faces hurt with smiles.  Your faces are the most beautiful because of your sweet soul that beams through every expression.  Your love for each other is what we have prayed for, and what we continue to pray.  We are so proud of how you are growing and becoming you. Your personalities are delicious and we are glad for the challenges you bring to us because it means that you are still ours!

Happy NEW Year!

Love, Mommy and Daddy

3 Months with Little Brother

We love this boy!  The day starts something like this,  "Good morning Collie!"  "Want to eat cheeseburger, French fries, oranges, applesauce, bananas, gro-grurt, and bre-fast?"
Charlie Kate wants him to do all of the things she does.  He is getting there!  He is rolling to his side from his back, holding his head up... high!  He laughs out loud when you tickle his belly and chin. He makes us all smile big when he smiles.   Collins likes his bath now, Woo hoo!  He does NOT like to get out of the bath...mad boy! 
Life has been so busy this time around.  I think I remember being at home with Charlie Kate  for a long time, but now we are on the go alot!  Big sister goes to pre - school two days a week, which she loves now!  So, I get sweet alone time with Collins on those days. I'm so glad to get her from school each time, it's strange without her with us.

Charlie Kate is all about laying right next to Collins or cuddling on the couch.  She loves to play outside with the dogs, and yells "don't dig, Marge!" And, "Kingsley poop stinky!". She can open the refrigerator now... so she puts everything in it, everything.   I found her paci in there, a plate with two cheese-it crackers, a wooden hammer, and an open pack of gummies.  She loves Greek yogurt. She calls it "frozen gro-grurt".  I put fruity cheerios on top and it's like a trip to yogurt mountain up in here!   Score 1 for mom! But... we are battling the terrible two's!!! She loves the word NO!  Ugh!  I have tons of strategies and have implemented all of my educated techniques that I have learned in college for classroom management.  But this girl is persistant! Now we are having a contest to see who has the strongest will, mother or daughter.  I think I have a few cards left to play, but I hear the three's are worse. So I'm saving some strength for that. 
All joking aside, being a parent has given me new perspective of God, our Father.  I see that it is so hard to stand firm as a parent, not to give in to the demands that are being screamed.  It's so hard to stand firm in what you know is the HEALTHY decision for your child.   Charlie Kate fights me with all her heart and I'm sure she will loudly question my love for her at some point.  But like the Father, we see a broader picture for our children. I see that eating gummies right before bed could result in her wanting to eat them every night. (There is no,"just this once") Which will result in cavities. You won't enjoy them because you will have to scarf them down. So I say no to gummies in bed... horrible mommy, right?
In our eyes, we question God's answers to us. We question His timing, and His reason for waiting.  He loves us so much that He decides to let us question, yell, scream, and even work ourselves into a fit.  He puts up with it so that we can have the HEALTHY outcome. He says, have your gummies, but have them at the perfect time. Have them when you can share them with someone, or when you have worked for them, and will appreciate them, savor them.  He doesn't give in to our foolish requests.  He is a perfect God who loves us past our yelling and ignorance.  He puts us in "timeout" when we are throwing our fits. We can't hear Him when we are yelling at Him!   If we would just calm down, and listen, we would get results alot faster.   I definitely have a much greater respect for His perfect patience.
I just have to remeber that my children's world is so small in their eyes, and that even gummies are huge in my two year old girl's eyes.  I need to stand firm in order to show her that I love her more than I love a fit free day.

Kiddos,
Collins, you melt our hearts! Charlie Kate, you are hilarious and we adore you.  We are so greatful for all that you help us to see. You are beautiful.   We hope you both get to experience this kind of love.
Love, your imperfect mommy and daddy

Charlie Kate has found her favorite toy, and we call him Collins

               Charlie Kate has found her favorite toy, and we call him Collins

We have a new arrival… well almost 7 weeks new!  Collins Ashton Burgess has come into our world!  His sister is in love with him.  She wakes every morning, and from every nap, asking to see him.  She gives “nose kisses”, and regular slobber kisses at least 15 times a day.  She wants him to have EVERYTHING!  She brings him toys to play with, especially when he is unhappy. 

See the pile she has brought for him?

Collins has been amazing!  I am still adjusting to two tiny humans to keep alive, but I can’t imagine anything else.  It’s so crazy how I worried to myself that I wouldn’t love another like I love Charlie Kate.  My heart grew!  I just love him so much that it seems dumb that I ever worried over it.  I cried for a week thinking that things were going to change between Charlie Kate and me.   Things did change, but it wasn’t as dramatic as I thought it would be.  It wasn’t a bad change. The early months are so demanding, and I just knew that Charlie kate was going to resent me and the baby for the time we spent together.  Thank God for hearing my prayer because she is right there with us,  loving him with all of the love she has in her sweet heart!

 

We have Kids!

 The other day I said to Jon, “The kids” are asleep.” That word being plural in our life blew our minds!  We stopped the conversation we were having and talked about how that word sounded so crazy for us to be saying.

We are still getting used to two, but could never get used to only one kid after this new love.

Collins sleeps most of the time, but eats like a champ when he is awake.

Charlie Kate is super busy being in love with all things princess. We are only able to dress her by saying that the articles of clothing remind us of “Cinderella’s shoes”, or “Rapunzel’s dress”.  We use this when eating too since she apparently hates to swallow food!  “Elsa eats all of her orange slices!”  Charlie Kate is a chipmunk at heart.  She has had chewed up turkey in her mouth for 45 minutes before.  Eww!  We have to check her mouth before she gets down.

Once she gets down from the table she is dancing, singing “twinkle star”, cooking pretend cupcakes in her kitchen, or dressing herself up with: high heels, bracelets on her ears, ankles, and wrists.  Charlie Kate would live outside if we would let her.  Of course she would be one solid red bump from bug bites...cherry red.  Not red from the sun as much as her father-like tendency to blush.  She talks about everything.  Everything is either “so good”, "so sweet”, or “so fun”!  We love her voice!

She is riding a zebra!  So brave!

 

its blurry but she is nursing her doll... learning from mommy

practice for brother's arrival

Practice came in handy!

Calling everyone she knows to tell them about our new baby!

In the morning her voice is our alarm clock.  “Mommy, Daddy, you can come in here!  Come in! Mommy Daddy come in here!” all of which is usually followed by singing.

She kisses us with her paci still in her mouth.  We look for her to volunteer to give up her paci any moment now.  Joke!  We are already preparing her to give them to Santa for other babies that need them. In return Santa will leave presents.  I’m sure someone out there has a theory about how this is wrong, but this is the best idea given to us so far… since she doesn’t seem to mind if they have holes I them.

We are potty training now too, because I didn't think we had enough new stuff happening! We are using “Charlie Kate’s toilet treats” -jelly beans in a jar.  So now every time she potties she says “Jelly Bean?”.  Also, every time she sees a jelly bean she asks to potty!  I’m sure this is one of the mistakes that might come back and bite later, like when we go to the dentist.

In the midst of all of this, Collins is still eating, sleeping, and pooping…every single time he finishes nursing!  I forgot how often this happens.  As I type this, we have two diapers left in the house for him… he goes through sooo many!  Jon is out getting them now, don’t worry.  He has some amazing smiles!  I’m thinking he is laughing at how often he makes me change his diaper, and pees on me!  He is a fountain, literally, of humor.  Gah, I love him!!!  

Dear Kids,

     So here is the news… you are the guinea pigs!  There are no practice children that we had before you to prepare. So you get the mistakes and the weird along with the amazing moments that only happen because God works through our weakness.  Did you know that anyone could have been your parents?  ANYONE!  God chose us though, and I am so glad He did!  That is the reason that I know we are the best fit for you… He chose us.  We asked for you, but He wanted you for us long before we asked,  Our lives are written already.  Our story is known to Him and he still chose to allow us to have you.  I am in awe of that!!!  We are going to make the mistakes that are written, but we will love you like crazy too.  I am just so glad that we get to live this story with you!  This life that was given to us has been made so much sweeter because of you two!  We love you two, and welcome you to our story.

Love, Mommy and Daddy