The little things...

 I just wanted to share what a typical evening meal in mi casa with my kiddos. Sophia has taken it upon herself to say the prayer prior to the meal and she usually does a great (and thorough) job. It generally goes something like this... "Dear Jesus, thank you for our food and thank you for our family. Thank you for our Jesus. Please help to heal Grandpa. Please help other Grandpa in heaven. Help mommy to have a good day at work, and Daddy too. Amen." Around this time, Noah chimes in "Don't forget me, Dophie!" so she amends it "and help Noah to be good....and me too!" The whole spring and summer, she often would pray for Bennett and his heart. Some of her prayers melt my heart ("Please help to heal baby Bennett and make him not to hurt anymore") and some of them are funny ("Thank you for the chicken, and the lettuce, and the chicken). Sometimes she doesn't want to pray, which is when we explain that we praise God when we want to and more so when we don't. She's starting to ask so many more questions about God and faith now- it's amazing to watch her little brain work. What a blessing these wonderful children are- and how much they teach us!

Happy Birthday Noah!

  Unbelievable! My little Bubba Jones is already THREE! Where has the time gone? As you can see, we had (yet another) Cars-themed birthday party for the big day. He and I went back and forth for days between Thomas the Train and Cars, and finally I just picked one and went with it. Later that week, he asked about his Thomas party (go figure!). My entire family came for the party (which was held the Saturday after his actual birthday, since September 21 was a wednesday this year), so my kids got a lot of Grandma and cousin time in the month of September! One interesting fact- my son Noah shares his birthday not only with my mother, but with my father's mother as well! Three generations on one day! I am so grateful that God put this sweet little boy in my life and I can't wait to see the man he becomes someday. I just hope I can help him have a lot of fun while he grows, and that I can steal a few more cuddles while he's still little enough to want them! I love you to the heavens, Noah Doyle!

What a day!

  Today started like any other work day- I got up, got ready, and got to work a little before 7am. I learned upon my arrival that I would be again training as a triage nurse (something everyone but me seems to think I'm ready for!). Things went as well as they could, and I learned a lot from Karla (just like I did from Liz and Sherry when I trained with them). Around 10 am, I was working with a great student nurse when my manager Diane asked if I could meet with her for a few minutes. Even though I knew better, I first thought was that I was in some sort of trouble. I felt better when Diane invited Emily (the student nurse, and a friend of mine) to come with; surely she wouldn't talk to me about anything troubling with a student in tow! Diane stated "this would be great for a student to be in on also." That intrigued me a little...
  We headed to the break room, and upon opening the door I was greeted by about 20 smiling faces (and THREE boxes of cinnamon rolls- you know you're a nurse when you notice food right away!). I was presented with the DAISY Award for Excellent Nurses! I couldn't believe it! I didn't even know I was nominated. I had heard about the award when they first started implementing it at Altru (it's given every quarter) and thought it was a wonderful program, (if you're wondering what it's about, see the website at http://daisyfoundation.org/) and I often see many of my co-workers exemplifying what it means to be an excellent nurse. I learned I was nominated by my friend Tiffany, whom I cared for during the delivery of her baby boy Kyson when he was about 20 weeks along. I didn't do anything special, I just cared for her and baby as I would and do for any of my other patients. I am proud to be an OB nurse and I just hope each day that I prove that and give my patients the care they not only deserve to get, but the care I deserve to give. I love my job, and I am so humbled to even be nominated, let alone to win. Needless to say, it sure made for a great day, and made me proud to be a nurse!!

Dance class has begun!

 It's that time of year again- Sophia has started her favorite activity: dance class!! She started classes last year at North Dakota Ballet Company, so we continued with them this year as well. Ever since she danced on the big stage in May, she has wanted to get back to dance class. Sophia loves to express herself, and dance is the perfect outlet for her. Since she isn't in preschool, I wanted her to have an activity where she needs to learn how to take direction and learn patience and perserverence as well. I hope that this is something that she continues to do (I'm kind of living vicariously through her- I was in dance for a few years when I was younger, but those of you who know me know about my lack of grace), but I won't push her too hard. It's exciting to see how my children are growing and learning new things about themselves, but it's all going too quickly! God's blessings are abundant!

   It's been quite a busy week- a good thing since it's most likely our last week of nice summer weather! I started the week out at the spray park in University park with all three kids. Bennett really enjoyed it, as it was his first time there. His favorite part was to sit next to the sprays that shot up from the ground and try to "catch" the water as it shot out. In the picture to the left, he had wiggled his way ON TOP of the spray and was giggling at the fact that he was getting sprayed in the bottom with water!  He is such a little clown! The older two also enjoyed themselves, and they got to take a break from the water every so often and play in the playground next to the spray park. Sophia can go all the way across the monkey bars without any help! I've always said my kids were half-monkey, half-fish, but now I really know that's true! Bennett and I would take a break  occasionally too and sit on a towel in the shade and watch the older two play. We stayed for almost TWO hours (a feat in this seemingly ADD family), and by the end, all three of the kiddos were playing with the spouts (see left). We all had such a good time, and the kids had fun playing with some older kids there as well. It was a perfect way to spend what I knew would be one of the last summer days of this year! It's terrifying to think that by the end of next summer, my baby will be 18 months old, my Noah will be nearly four years old, and my sweet Sophia will be starting kindergarten! It sounds so cliche, but time really does go by so quickly. I remember bringing Sophia home for the first time like it was yesterday, now she has two little brothers to play with! We must be having a lot of fun, because the days are flying by!

The Wevers family bike train!

 Tuesday through Friday days and evenings were spent pretty much at work (with the exception of our co-ed kickball match on Wednesday~ it still feels silly to tell people I'm on a kickball team!), where it is the busiest I remember it being for many years. I try not to work both Thursday and Friday if possible, because B works every Saturday through Wednesday and then I don't get to see him very much. Yesterday, we all rode our bikes to the park that is about six blocks away from our house. Bennett rode in the pull-along behind B, and the other two kids rode their little hearts out, super-excited to get to "the park!!!" After playing for about an hour, we all packed back up onto the bikes and rode on- all the way to Happy Joe's, which is another 6 or 7 blocks away! We enjoyed a nice family pizza buffet and rode ALL the way home! I was so proud of the kiddos, they didn't complain once and had so much fun. (Not to mention, they all took GREAT naps when we got home!) I'm trying to really enjoy all these little moments we have together, because I know that they will get less and less as the kids grow. It's funny, ten years ago when I thought about my future, THIS is not what I imagined. Believe me when I say, it is SO much better!