Growing Up Gerwick

Full Circle Moment

2012-01-06T11:48:00.000-06:00

We started a new tradition this year in the Gerwick household. Thank you pinterest and the woman who came up with it---I tried to find her link, but could not find it---so please make sure she gets the credit for the fabulous idea.

Anyway--I saw this on pinterest 2 days before December 1st so I was a tailspin to try to get it all together. Keeping it real--I did not have the project fully complete prior to us starting so we did miss a couple of days. I tried not to sweat it too much because the boys were having a blast.

On to the project, basically we counted down the 25 days til Christmas by doing a Random Act of Christmas Kindness each day. We called it being "RACK'd". Each day we would read a scripture and a task for the day. In the beginning of the project, it was hard for the boys to understand that they were not going to get anything in return for their act of kindness. I would explain that we were doing something, never expecting anything in return. We were just sharing God's love by being kind. I also explained that "what goes around comes around" as in...if you give out kindness in the world, kindness comes back to you. When I was teaching them about kindness coming back you, I never expected it to come full circle. It never.crossed.my.mind! (make sure to read all the way to the end of pictures)

The boys really got into the project and loved being able to do nice things for people. They even started thinking up ways they could do a personal act of kindness on their own. I was truly amazed at how much they started to look for ways to be kind. I am super excited to do this again next year and will plan accordingly and creatively.

Advent Calendar - 25 Days of Random Acts of Kindness

Each day had a scripture and task

Card we handed out when we did the RACK - this one pictured was "tape quarters to children's vending machines"

So here is our full circle moment---a couple of days after Christmas we went out to eat as a family. We paid the bill and never looked back. Almost a week passed, and I was packing up all the Christmas decorations and I noticed something taped on my window near the front door. I saw an envelope that said "Happy New Year". When I opened it, I saw some receipts and immediately thought one of Billy's old co-workers dropped something off for him. I took it to him and he was unsure what it was so we clearly we needed to examine it a little further. We noticed a void on a receipt for the dinner we had almost a week ago. The bill was almost $75 with tip and it was voided out, taped on our door with a happy new year & no name, I mean...really?! As we started to process what had happened, we were in shock and also AMAZED. Did this really just happen? We just spent almost a month, doing random acts of kindness with our boys---NEVER expecting anything in return and here we were holding a voided receipt. I can hardly explain how it made us feel, but it was pretty awesome--not only for us personally, but also because we know how all the people we touched felt when they received their RACK.

We have no clue who did this, but we thank you on so many levels.

Happy New Year!

Voided Receipt

Park Day

2011-10-06T18:11:00.000-05:00

Last weekend the weather was AMAZING and we decided to take the boys to the park. We love the park, but the crazy Texas heat has kept us from enjoying it for ~~the whole summer~~ quite some time. For those of you not from Texas, our heat has been in the triple digits through September. Craziness, I tell ya!

What do the boys do at the park?

Well of course, they look for frogs.

And they play with our dog, Copper---who has not been to the park with us in years---~~partly~~ mostly because I can only handle so much. Truth be told, the boys have always been a handful at the park and Copper would have been ~~lost~~ neglected. But---we have finally arrived to a season of life where we can take our dog AND our kids to the park. It may be time to throw a party, yes---it IS time to throw a party. :)

Sweet and Loyal Friend - Copper - 12 years old

And they play with Daddy, of course. He is really good about playing with the boys at the park. Thank you honey!

Best Friends

And they pose for an occasional picture.

Fun times were had by all. Saturday was definitely a day I wanted to bottle up and save in my memory forever. Glad I had my camera!!! :)

Friends

2011-08-06T16:01:00.000-05:00

Last week we went to Dallas to visit some friends. We stayed with my long-time friend Cassie and her family for 2 nights and then we went over to the Lewis household for 2 nights. We all had a blast. It was fun catching up and letting the kids play with each other. Love all the memories that we have made. While at Cassie's, the dads took the kids to a Ranger game and Cass and I got to hang out. Not really sure how that came to happen, but I loved the girl time. :) On Saturday, at the Lewis house, we decided to take the kids to the Lego Discovery Center and the Aquarium at Grapevine Mills Mall ----sooo much fun. I hope to post those pic's later---but I will not promise because I am bad at keeping my promises on this blog!!! :)

Gavin, Grayson & Lawson - all start kindergarten the same year

This little dove was a guest at Cassie's house while we were there. This was taken right outside of the back door. She has come back 4 times to lay her eggs and I was fascinated with her.....so were the kids. She became our friend while we were there so I had to take her picture. You really should name her Cassie!?

Little bird being a momma

sitting on her eggs

Grayson, Ethan, Gavin, Kyla, & Gage

Gavin holding Kyla - Watch out!!!

Let's hear it for the girls!

2011-07-23T21:30:00.000-05:00

I have to tell you that I take my job at mothering these boys very seriously. Not only is it my goal to raise good men of character, who love God, but it is also very important to nurture their future husband capabilities. I have humbly accepted that I am the only girl in the house for now and most days I truly love being the one and only. But.... I would be lying if I did not say that I find comfort in knowing one day, these boys will get married and have kids of their own. I look forward to the day that I will not be the one and only. I look forward to having a daughter-in-law. In preparation for a long awaited female presence, I prepare the way.

This one's for you girls.....

These two....

2011-05-24T20:56:00.000-05:00

ARE officially done with preschool AND are sooo ready to go to Kindergarten.

Where did the time go?

These are shots of them the night of their "graduation". They are being goofy and will probably hate these pictures one day, but I love them.

What's Up?

2011-04-29T11:06:00.002-05:00

Good Morning!! I feel like I have not posted in forever, well---because I haven't. All is good at the Gerwick house. We are near the end of another baseball season for Gavin and starting Cudas (our competitive swim team). All the boys are going to swim. They are super excited and I promise to post more frequently this summer and try to catch up on some missed posts. I promise, really--- :)

I am coming to you today, really to share something that has been going on with us over the last 9 months. I guess it has been something I have kept low on the blog radar---unless you were looking specifically for it. I don't really know why, except for the reason that it has been private, but I have felt led by God to share my story more openly and what a better way to start. It is concerning the 6 frozen embryos that we had. I have shared with you here and here on this blog before. If you know me personally, then you know my story---I am super open about it. If you don't, then I want to share with you now.

In February, I started a blog about my journey/ life after IVF. It will pretty much explain it all. Please stop over and check it out. And I have a favor to ask, if you know anyone that is/has/or is thinking about going through IVF, please send them a link to the blog. And I graciously accept any of your prayers, because it can be a little scary to be so transparent. Oh, the blog.... www.lifebeyondivf.blogspot.com Make sure to start from the beginning---there are only 4 posts so it is not too long. :)

Thanks for sharing in my life.

Much Love,
Tanni

Polar Express

2011-01-08T22:15:00.001-06:00

In early December, we took the boys to the Polar Express in Palestine. It is about 2ish hours away from our house (one way), so we were a little apprehensive about going, BUT it was SOOOO worth it. The boys had a blast, we had a blast watching them experience something magical, AND a wonderful added bonus was that we meet our friends from Dallas---Brad, Cassie, Lawson & Harlan. Cassie and I have been friends for more years than I can count. Way back in the day---we lived together. It was so fun to meet her and her family and experience this train ride together. All the boys had a blast.....the pictures don't lie!!! :)

You have to BELIEVE for it to be magical----or at least be a parent watching our kids love every moment of it. :)

Here is the train and all the kids waiting in anticipation (in the cold) for the train ride to take place.

They were so excited----well everyone, except Gavin who did not want his picture taken at the moment! :)

Our ticket

Now the smiles are starting to come....

All 5 boys---wearing the same PJ's---so cute!

Are we really going to the North Pole?

IT IS MAGICAL---you have to BELIEVE!!! :)

The conductor came by to punch the tickets----just like the movie. Check out Grayson's look.

And here comes Santa....

The kids are playing with the jingle bells from Santa----if you could only hear the sound here----you would really need ear plugs.

Our trip to the North Pole via the Polar Express was amazing and I highly recommend it to anyone with small children. It was one of those moments in your life that will never be forgotten.

Gage & Teddy

2011-01-03T21:11:00.000-06:00

The little boys are in the bear class at their preschool and periodically each child in the class gets to bring Teddy home to spend the weekend with them. Teddy gets to be involved with all your weekend activities and them Mommy or Daddy get to journal about it for the class to read. Everyone includes pictures with the journal entry. Here is Gage with Teddy. Clearly he was giving me a hard time about taking his picture---too cute not to share because this child is always full of emotion.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-27T23:46:00.000-06:00

Stories of Bedtime

2010-12-14T22:27:00.004-06:00

Bedtime has become such sweet time in my house. We put the boys to bed at the same time. They individually go to their rooms, brush their teeth and then get in bed and wait for me or Billy to tuck them in and say prayers. Here is a glimpse of our time before bed tonight.

Grayson has been into sleeping the opposite way in his bed. I have no idea why and there is no rhyme or reason to it. Some nights he sleeps normally and some nights he wants to move his pillow to the opposite end. There is no reason to argue the point, so we let him. Tonight he decided was an opposite night. I tucked him in tight with a blanket since the sheets and comforter are no longer effective. This boy walks to the beat of his own drum. I have no doubt that he sees things from different angles. He is officially left handed and he is my thinker. He loves to sing every night before bed. Many nights we can still hear him singing 20 minutes after we have put him to bed. It is so cute. I can not wait to see what God has planned for his life.

Gage was so cute at bedtime tonight. He told me that when he was 6, he was going to get a girlfriend and that he wanted to be a Daddy. Of course, I explained that you have to be a little older to have a girlfriend and that before you become a Daddy you need to get married. Thankfully there were no questions on how you become a daddy----whew! He just loves his Daddy and wants to be like him----and I guess he is processing what it takes to have a family. He then proceeded to tell me that he wanted to have 8 kids---all girls!!?? Then he changed it up a bit and added some more kids----and some boys. It is so cute to see him trying to figure out life in his head. Something else funny about Gage and bedtime---he likes to know what he is having for breakfast before we can shut the door. If he does not like the first choice, he will give us some other suggestions. It is so funny and we have been doing this for months. I guess it is comforting for him to know how his day is going to start the next day.

I told Gavin tonight that he was getting so big and before he knew it he would be as big as Mr. Derrick (who is his 16 year old babysitter). I asked him to promise me---when he got older, that he would still love me. He promised and then said he would even still love me when he got married. I said, "you promise?" And he stuck out his little pinkie finger and said, "Want to pinkie swear?" So we did....tears welled in my eyes----I told him, I loved him and goodnight and he said, "Mommy, when you make my lunch tomorrow, will you write me a love letter?" I, of course, said, "yes buddy" and gently shut the door.

I treasure these moments with my boys before bed. Some days bedtime can be more stressful than others, but I really try to devote one-on-one time to each of the boys at bedtime. They are all so different, but so special just the same. This is precious time that Billy and I never want to forget. We are blessed!

Just to get you into the Christmas season

2010-12-02T22:13:00.004-06:00

Papa took it upon himself to put together a disco Christmas video of us....it is too funny. Enjoy! :) Don't forget to pause the music...

Oh, and Gavin's first comment after seeing Billy was..."He's not suppose to have hair.." Ha! :)

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Halloween 2010

2010-11-09T09:27:00.004-06:00

We had a wonderful weekend celebrating Halloween. Grannie and Grandpa came in for the festivities but for some reason, we did not get any pictures with them. Boo!

The boys wanted to carve pumpkins so we obliged. Last year, we used a kits with designs, but this year, they wanted to design their own. Each one has its own personality---which to me, matches the kids personality. It is kind-of funny to see that.

The boys wanted to be the characters from their favorite video game---Super Mario Brothers. Gage is the mushroom guy, Gavin is Luigi and Grayson is Mario. I was not planning on dressing up, but when they asked me, "Mommy will you be the princess so we can rescue you?" How do you turn that down? So I order and adult size princess peach costume that turned out to be pretty large on me---actually making me look much heavier than I would have liked, but I love my boys and I was their princess for one night (no matter how big the costume made me look---satin and all.)

We had to get Daddy in on the fun. The boys actually requested for him to be Browser---the dragon, but we could not find that costume---so he ended up being the flying question mark. Our family costume's were a success. The kids enjoyed it so much.

Our neighborhood has an annual cul-de-sac Halloween party and here are most of the kids. So fun! :)

Cry Joy

2010-10-18T08:35:00.003-05:00

I wrote this last week, but finally got around to posting. I hope you enjoy. :)

This morning started like most mornings---I hit the ground running. I got up, made coffee, checked email & facebook (priorities people!), made breakfast for the kids, picked out clothes, helped get the kids dressed, fixed their hair, made sure back packs were in order, took Gavin to school, came back home, packed the little boys lunch, got their shoes on, finally got myself dressed, took them to school, came back home, loaded the dish washer, loaded the washing machine, picked up the house from the morning, and FINALLY sat down to do my quiet time. To say that my morning routine is busy is an understatement---it is non-stop, especially when Billy is out of town. This morning, I felt God calling me to spend time with him, but I kept saying, “let me do one more thing, then I will sit down.” This went on for at least an hour before finally sitting down and my sweet precious God knew exactly what I needed to hear this morning.

October 13, 2010 “Jesus Calling” devotional by Sarah Young“

TAKE TIME TO BE STILL in my presence. The more hassled you feel, the more you need this sacred space of communion with Me. Breathe slowly and deeply. Relax in My holy Presence while My Face shines upon you. This is how you receive My Peace, which I always proffer to you.

Imagine the pain I feel when My children tie themselves up in anxious knots, ignoring my gift of Peace. I died a criminal’s death to secure this blessing for you. Receive it gratefully; hide it in your heart. My Peace is an inner treasure, growing within you as you trust in Me. Therefore, circumstances cannot touch it. Be still, enjoying Peace in My Presence.

Numbers 6:24-26
“The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face shin upon you and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”

Psalm 46:10
“Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.

As you can imagine, reading these words resonated deep in my soul. So much that tears rolled down my face as I read them…tears from a beautiful place. Tears of joy. God was meeting me right where I needed this morning and it was amazing. What is even more precious about our God--- is when I looked up Psalm 46:10 (even though I already knew the verse), He brought me a little further down the page. I will share the verse in a moment, but before I do, I want to tell you a sweet story about Gavin last night.

I was putting him to bed, doing our normal nightly routine…prayers and talking about our day. I love this time of day with him because he shares more with me right before bed than any other time of day. Anyway, we finished our time together and he reminded me that he needed some Vaseline for his dry lips. We have been putting that on his lips for over a week. I ran down stairs and grabbed it and brought it back up stairs. I opened it up and scooped a nice amount of Vaseline on my finger and proceeded to put it on his lips. I have been doing this for over a week and never once--- was I silly about the application, but for some reason last night, I decided to run my finger back and forth on his lips really fast. If you have ever done that to your lips, you know that it makes a silly sound. And if you live in a house full of boys, you know that they love silly sounds. Love. Silly. Sounds. Gavin started to laugh so loud and deep that it brought tears to my eyes. It was a soul-filled belly laugh; you know those laughs that are good for the soul. I was laughing and he was laughing. We honestly could not stop laughing. It was one of those precious moments as a parent that you never want to forget. I love to laugh and even more, I love to laugh with my children. In the midst of all this laughter, Gavin said something that stuck with me, he said, “I am laughing so hard, I am going to cry joy!” I don’t think I have ever heard my child use the word joy. The definition of joy is the expression of a wonderful emotion. He hit the nail on the head. He was experiencing a wonderful emotion that could only be expressed by the word joy. As I left his room, I came down stairs and wrote down on a post-it the words, “I am going to cry joy.” I knew it was something that I wanted to journal to share with Gavin later. It was just so sweet that he knew that you could cry and it could be from a happy place. He is growing up indeed.

Ok, so back to my morning, my tears this morning were tears of joy. They were brought on from a place of so much love for My Heavenly Father and the wisdom (as little as I can have at my age) of knowing how much He loves me. He is always meeting me where I am with unconditional love. I found a great definition of biblical joy on the internet at www.bibletools.org

Biblical joy is inseparable from our relationship with God and springs from our knowledge and understanding of the purpose of life and the hope of living with God for eternity when there will be joy evermore. If God is actually present in our lives, the joy He experiences can begin in us (Psalm 16:11). Joy is the sign that life has found its purpose, its reason for being! This, too, is a revelation of God, for no one can come to Him and find the purpose of life unless He, by His Spirit, calls him and reveals it (John 6:44; I Corinthians 2:10).

My joy was flowing deep within my soul this morning. It is a joy that only he can provide. It is not something we can have on our own. I think He gives us glimpses of it in laughter, just like I experienced with Gavin last night, but the sense of purpose behind my tears this morning was so much more. More than words can ever describe.

Ready for the icing? And the whole reason for writing this story this morning? As I read down further in Psalms after reading, “be still!” My eyes focused on three words “cries of joy”. Remember I wrote that on a post-it last night?! I went back and read the whole verse,

Psalm 47:1 – Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.”

I have no doubt that God knew that I was going to make the connection this morning about Him and the joy only He can provide. He laid it all out for me. He just wants us to be so connected to Him that we cry tears of joy. I write this today to share apart of me and my relationship with God. His joy resides deep in my soul and it can in yours too. I am not saying I have all of this perfected, far from it really. I am just on a journey and have quickly realized that our only hindrance is our self. When is the last time you have stopped and let God be God? 30 minutes ago, a day, a week, a year, 10 years, never? Wherever you are right now, just be still. Ask the God of the universe to meet you right where you are and ask Him to show you what joy really means. He just might surprise you.

Blessings sweet friends – Tanni :)

Fall Baseball

2010-10-14T22:12:00.003-05:00

We are in the middle of Gavin's second season of competitive baseball. He seems to be liking it. This year, it is coach-pitch so that has been a little bit of a challenge for Gavin, but he definitely has come so far from last year when he would stand in the outfield and look at the sky. This season, he is leading the cheers from the dugout when they are batting. How did he get so old? Only 6 months ago, he was missing his two front teeth. Time keeps passing us by...but we intentionally try to take it all in as it comes.

Gavin and Kaden---his life long friend. They have known each other since very early in their life---I think the playdates started at 4 months old. I have pictures to prove it. It is fun to see them enjoying a sport together.

Kaden was batting and hit his very first hit (ever) at the game this evening. This is a picture of him and the coach as he made it to home plate. We were all so proud of him. Way to go Kaden! :)

Dreaming of February

2010-09-15T13:18:00.005-05:00

I don't know about you, but I am officially over the heat. It is mid September and still super hot here in Houston. Last night, I was shuffling through pictures of winter months---longing to wear long sleeves---when I came across these precious little pictures. The boys were playing outside in their "dress-up" clothes. I have no clue where Gage was during these shots, but Gavin and Grayson were having a blast riding their John-Deere and jumping on the trampoline.

Things that make me smile about these pictures:

1 - they are dressed up

2 - that the dress-up clothes are way too small---gavin has on a size 2 superman costume

3 - Grayson has no shoes on and it is clearly cold outside---it is February for goodness sake!

4 - that the dress-up clothes are put on over their pajamas---notice Gavin's yellow sponge bob jammies and also his black baseball socks with Crocs, how could that not make you smile? :)

5 - they have made toys out of the gumballs that fall from the trees in the winter

6 - they are having so much fun being together

Thanks boys for a sweet reminder of cool winter days!

PK4 - Here we come...

2010-09-03T08:36:00.004-05:00

Wednesday was Gage & Grayson's first day of pre-school. The are in the 4 year old class called the bears. Gavin was a bear at this school when he was 4, so the room is familiar. They were super excited to start, but really...they just can't wait to be at school with Gavin. Mommy, on the other hand, can WAIT! We are going to try to have the best year ever.

One-eye Gage---this is his signature look... :)

Now the other eye...

Sweet brothers!

I Heart Faces – Beach Fun

2010-08-24T19:23:00.003-05:00

“Beach Fun” is the photo challenge theme this week at I Heart Faces. I have not entered a contest in awhile, but could not pass up the beach fun since we just got back from the beach a few weeks ago.

The boys were buried in the sand all the way up to their necks. They thought it was so funny they could not stop laughing. It was one of those moments you will remember forever. I am glad I captured their laughter.

If you want to see this image larger, just click on it. :)

If you want to see more beach fun, stop by I Heart Faces.

Wish me luck! And I promise to post more from our vacation soon.

First Day of 1st Grade

2010-08-24T17:00:00.004-05:00

It seems like yesterday that I was posting about Gavin's first day of Kindergarten and here I am posting about his first day of 1st Grade!!!

How did this happen?

Gavin holding up one finger for 1st grade. He was eating his breakfast...per his request---blue eggs and bacon. I have no idea why he wanted blue eggs and I know what you are thinking----they look green. Well, I guess I did not put enough of the blue food coloring, but that did not matter to him. :)

I took a picture of his feet on the first morning of school last year. He has officially grown.

Gavin and Daddy

Gavin---a little scared and a little excited for his new adventures at school.

Gavin with his apple for his teacher. He was getting "embarrassed" that I was taking his picture while people were looking. And so it begins....

After the embarrassment, he took off and walked fast in front of me.

He was still cool enough to walk with his daddy and brothers.

Then he ditched us all....he knew where he was going.

At last, he arrived at his classroom and with a little persuasion, he let me take one last picture. Love you Gavin---one day would will be glad I took all these pictures.

Gavin loves his teacher already. After picking him up from school, I asked him what his favorite part was----he said, "everything". Last year it was lunch. :)

The next time I post about the first day of elementary school---Gage and Grayson will be included. Only a year from now....it will go fast.

Growing Boys

2010-08-17T09:48:00.003-05:00

It has been several months since the boys turned 6 & 4 so we are well past their wellness visits. I typically don't like to go during the season of their birthday's because the doctors office is a germ fest. Anyway---we FINALLY went in for check-ups. They do adjust their ages on the growth charts to reflect years and months so Gavin's growth would be like 6 years and 5 months.

I have NEVER taken all they boys to a visit at the same time. This visit was a milestone for sure. They all did really well. Prior to this visit, the thoughts of bringing them all would create images in my head of monkey's caged in a very small cage swinging from wall to wall. Their energy can get overwhelming at times. You get the picture. I made sure Billy was available to help out--mainly because 2/3 of the boys had to get shots.

I prepared Gage & Grayson a couple of days before their visit that they were getting shots. We prayed about it, talked about it and they did extremely well. Grayson cried for less then 45 seconds and Gage was a little more upset but got it together before we left the office. He is definitely the more sensitive one---of the two, really of all of the boys. I finally felt at peace to give the MMR. I have always had anxiety going into the shots and this time---not so much. Praise God!

These boys are growing like weeds...

Gavin

weight:52 1/2lbs (74%)

height: 48 1/2 in (88%)

Gage

weight: 40lbs (60%)

height: 42 1/2 in (75%)

Grayson

weight: 37 1/2lbs (50%)

height: 41 1/2 in (55%)

We are gearing up for school starting next week. I am also traveling to Odessa for my grandparents 60th wedding annviersary on saturday. Grayson is going with me alone and we are flying. Should be fun. Hope to post pictures from our vacation soon. Our summer has been loads of fun.

Seasons of Lasts

2010-08-15T16:11:00.006-05:00

I have been blessed over the past 6 months to read The Redemption Series by Karen Kingsbury with Gary Smalley. There are 5 books in this series and I have loved every single one of them. Did I mention that I do not read all that often? Yes, they are THAT engaging. Life changing, I tell you! It is such a beautiful story about family, love, loss, legacy and of course God is smack-dab in the middle of it all. Amazing!

Beyond me just recommending that you go out right now and buy these books if you have not read them, I wanted to share something with you that touched my heart so much----I cry every time I read it. The tears come from a place deep in my soul. A longing to hold on to every moment as it was my last. It encourages me to be present in my life and enjoy everything life brings me.

What I want to share is a poem from book #4 Rejoice. The poem is on page 209. I share the page number because when I read this page of the book, Billy and I were away in San Antonio for a kids free weekend. As I laid by the pool and read these words, I started to sob---not just a little bit--it was the big ugly cry that you would never want to happen in public---yes, that was me. I will own it. Thank goodness for sunglasses. :) As you can imagine, Billy was quite shocked that I was a ball of mush because he rarely sees that side of me. I tried to explain, but decided I could never do the poem justice so I just read it to him. I barley made it through 1/2 of the poem and I still can't keep it together, but he gets the point. Emotions stir inside of him too, but being the man he is, he does not show this outwardly. Anyway, there was a point here...oh, yeah, the page number. As we sat there having a moment, reflecting on how precious life really is....we both take note of the page number for some reason and realize that it is also our room number in the hotel. Yes, it was---Room 209 at the Westin. It was a sweet little gift from God to us.

Ok, I know you are sitting on the edge of your seats ready to hear this poem. But before, I share, I want to give you a little bit of background.

The mother in this book is writing a poem to her son that is getting married the next day. She is reflecting on the difference between when her daughters got married versus her son. There is a difference. Sad---but true. You know I have 3 son's right---hence the tears.

Ok---here you go, make sure to grab yourself some tissues especially if you are a mother of boys.

Long ago you came to me, a miracle of firsts
First smiles and teeth and baby steps, a sunbeam on the burst.
But one day you will move away and leave to me your past,
And I will be left thinking of a lifetime of your lasts.

The last time that I held a bottle to your baby lips…
Last time that I lifted you and held you on my hip…
Last time when you had a binky stuck inside your mouth…
The last time that you crawled across the floors of this
old house.

Last time when you ran to me, still small enough to hold,
Last time when you said you’d marry me when you grew old.
Precious, simple moments and bright flashes from the past,
Would I have held you longer... if I’d known they were the last?

Your lst few hours of Kindergarten, last days of first grade…
Last at bat in Little League, last colored paper made.
Last time when you wore your beat-up Green Bay Packers
cap.

Last time that you caught a frog in that old backyard pond…
Last time when you ran barefoot across our fresh-cut lawn.
Silly scattered images to represent your past.
Would I have taken pictures…if I’d known they were your last?

The last dark night you slipped in bed and slept between us two,
When last I read to you of God or Horton Hears a Who!
Last time that I smelled your hair and prayed after your shower…
Last time that we held devotions in the evening hours.

The last time you were M.J. in our games of give and go…
Last time that you made an angel in the melting snow.
I never even said good-bye to yesterdays long passed.
Would I have marked the moments …if I’d know they were the last?

Last piano lesson and last soccer goal you kicked…
The last few weeks of middle school, last flowers that you picked.
Last time that you needed me for rides from here to there…
The last time that you spent the night with that old tattered bear.

Last time that I helped you with a math or spelling test,
Last time when I shouted that your room was still a mess.
Time and life moved quicker, taking pieces of your past.
Would I have stretched the moments….if I’d known they were the last?

The last time that you needed help with details of the dance…
Last time that you asked me for advice about romance.
Last time that you talked to me about your hopes and dreams.
Last time that you wore a jersey for your high school
team.

I watched you grow and never noticed seasons as they passed.
I wish I could’ve frozen time, to hold on to your lasts.
For come tomorrow morning life will never be the same.
You’ll pledge forever to your girl, and she will take your name.

And I will watch you, knowing God has blessed you with this day.
I never would have wanted, son, to somehow make you stay.
They say a son’s a son until he takes for him a wife.
You’re grown-up now, it’s time to go and start your brand new life.

One last hug, one last good-bye, one quick and hurried kiss…
One last time to understand just how much you’ll be missed.
I’ll watch you leave and think how quickly childhood sped past.
Would I have held you longer…if I’d known it was your
last?

I hope that these words mean something to you as they touched me so deeply. Over the rest of the weekend, Billy and I discussed this topic more. Just about being present and knowing that moments may leave us as quickly as they find us. We came home from the weekend refreshed and full of gratitude for our life and family. As you can imagine, our kids were extremely exhausted from being at the grandparents all weekend so we decided to put them to bed early. I took the little ones and Billy took Gavin. I finished with the twins way before Billy did and came downstairs. At least 30 minutes passed and finally Billy surfaced from Gavin's room. He was visibly tear-filled and begins to share with me what he just experienced. He was doing his similar nightly routine. He sits in Gavin's pottery barn kid chair and Gavin sits in his lap. They discuss the day's details and sing a song. Gavin proceeds to lay his head on Billy's shoulder and he falls asleep in his arms. This NEVER happens. It did not even happen very much when he was a baby. He can't stand to miss a moment. But on this particular night, he laid in the arms of his father and fell fast asleep. He is 6 1/2 years old. Recalling the discussions from the weekend about our kids "lasts", Billy realized that this was quite possibly the last time he would ever hold Gavin in his arms as he fell asleep. It was an emotionally joyful gift from our ever-present loving God and a moment in Billy's life, as a father, that he will never forget.

Monkey's

2010-07-27T14:24:00.004-05:00

I have always called the boys my 3 little monkey's. They really are similar....really they are...

See the resemblance?

I took this picture in June while doing a little photo shoot for Billy for Father's Day. We have never discussed imitating the monkey's pictured above. I guess it just comes natural! :)

Toy Story

2010-07-25T21:58:00.005-05:00

So-- if you have been on facebook, you would know that I have been cleaning the playroom in our house. I might have mentioned to the boys that we were going to dump all the toys out of the binds and go through them one by one. Gavin---being the leader that he is---took it upon himself to start the project without me. This was the result...

a HUGE pile of toys in the middle of the playroom. This was not EXACTLY what I meant when I said that we would dump them all out and go through them one by one. However, I can completely understand why Gavin thought that was what I meant.

Two days and many, many toys later, we finished our project. Let me correct myself---I finished the project. The boys were willing and able when the dumping was happening, but notsomuch---with the cleanup. :)

I think I removed 4-5 boxes of toys to sell/give away---remember that we have 3 kids---toys are coming out of our ears!!!

The good thing about going through the toys/sorting is that it makes the kids rediscover what they have.

This afternoon after church, Gavin decide that he wanted to have a sale. He initially wanted to do this outside in our front yard, but I convinced him that inside would be better. I offered myself as a customer and told him to set everything up like a store and I would come in and buy some things.

Shamefully, I am about to admit something I am not too proud of, but it is---what it is. We drive thru---somewhere, at least "onceish" a week to get food. GASP! I know---I am a bad mother. :) During my sorting, I made a basket of "toys from fast food" because Gavin likes to collect them. I was astonished that after several years of frequenting the drive thru's (x3 kids)--that we would end up with an ENTIRE basket of toys. SHAMEFUL--I tell you! :)

The upside is that Gavin rediscovered all of the fast food toys and placed them up for sale. There were even some "non" drive thru toys. He displayed them nicely. It was a proud moment for Momma :) I know the suspense is killing you---so here he is with his imaginary store---he created all on his own.

Customer #1 - Gage

Customer #2 - Grayson

The selection....

Displayed all nice...

Gage purchased a sheriff badge for $.25

Grayson purchased a bouncy ball for $.25

These drive thru toys are just happy to finally have a purpose in the Gerwick house.

Finally---the biggest rivals---Chick-filet vs. McDonalds---the winner depends on the judge---Mommy or the kids?

Happy Day!

2010-07-19T09:51:00.003-05:00

The kids had a blast shooting off fireworks for the 4th. I plan to add some more pictures, but for now here is one. The Lewis family has visited us the past several years on the 4th. I think it is a tradition. The kids have so much fun together and so do the adults. Looking forward to many years to come.

Gavin, Gage, Kyla, Ethan & Grayson

Little Things

2010-06-29T11:09:00.002-05:00

As I laid in bed this morning, I noticed some little hand prints on our bedroom television. Honestly, I could not count how many times I have said---"Don't touch the TV, or get your hands off the TV." Seeing these little hand prints might at times ruffle my feathers. This particular morning, however, I started to enjoy the significance of those little hands prints and not the fact that I have to clean them off---once again!

Maybe it is because I have been home a couple of days without my children. Yup---it is probably that. :)

Maybe it is because I could lay in bed past 6:30 am without someone telling me that they are hungry or need help with something, or that their bed was wet for the balgillionth time. Yup--probably that too.

Or maybe it was because, this morning when I woke up, I decided that I was going to appreciate my life and where I am right now. I really do "try" to appreciate the daily "grid" of life. Sometimes I am successful and sometimes notsomuch.

But, today---TODAY, I am looking at these little hands and realizing that they will only be that small for a short time. They will only want to reach out and touch something on the TV that they love so much---probably Dora--for a tiny part of their life. And they may only want to hang out in my bedroom and watch Noggin for a short season. Before I know it, those little hands will be big hands and will be moving on from my bedroom.

Today, I chose to look beyond the mess, and see the life that is happening right in front of me. And today, I chose to take a deep breathe and enjoy all the details of my wild and crazy adventures of being mommy because before I know it---I will just be MOM.

Quick Catch-Up

2010-06-21T20:30:00.006-05:00

Honestly---I don't even know where to start. Life is one big whirlwind at our house and at times---I barely keep up with the kids so my blogging time has fallen. I am hoping that I can gain some blogging momentum over the summer and get back on track. We shall see?! Here is a quick catch up of what has been going on....not everything, but at least a glimpse. :)

Our BIG boy turned 6.

Silly boys on Billy's 39th birthday---you don't even know how hard it is to get them to look at the camera all at the same time. I am sure it is no indication of their energy level----HA! Probably so----they are super busy. :) At least you can see their personalities shining through.

This one----I am still a little shocked about. Gage & Grayson turned 4. Man they are growing up so fast. LOVE THEM!

Gavin completed a season of competitive t-ball. His schedule consisted of 2 games a week along with a practice. The schedule combined with a traveling husband lent itself to a wild and crazy momma. We managed to have a great time in the process.

Gavin started his first season of competitive swim in mid April. If I am being honest, I was not sure about swimming AT ALL. Billy and I never swam and had never thought about putting our boys into this sport. SURPRISINGLY---our whole family has enjoyed spending so much time together on Saturday mornings. We are all there supporting Gavin and our team. Gavin LOVES it and it is a great energy drainer. Win-win if you ask me.

6& Under Boys

Hopefully this has caught you up a bit. We are enjoying our summer so much. I am sure much more fun to come. :)

Only God

2010-03-30T10:45:00.002-05:00

Took this picture yesterday and the boys were perfectly wrapped in the light. I could have not done that if I tried. So sweet. Thank you God for my sweet gift in this picture and thank you for my precious boys...that I will teach everyday to love you.

John 3:21
But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.

To make the picture larger, click on it.

Giddy Up!

2010-03-19T15:33:00.003-05:00

The Friday before school let out for spring break, Gavin had western day along with a hoedown with all the Kindergarten classes. Here are a couple of pictures from the morning. More to come from the hoedown.

Gavin's School Party

2010-02-14T20:58:00.003-06:00

Gage's School Party

2010-02-14T20:43:00.003-06:00

Grayson's School Party

2010-02-14T20:23:00.003-06:00

So Excited...

2010-02-09T14:33:00.004-06:00

Since I became a blogger, I have been known to enter a few contests...BUT, I have NEVER won until today! YEAH! I am so excited about this win because it is Beth Moore's new book. And if you know me, you know that I HEART Beth Moore. She is an amazing bible teacher. I almost bought the book yesterday, but decided to wait. I guess it was just meant for me to read. :) Thanks to Angie Smith from Bring The Rain for graciously giving away several copies.

Little Things

2010-01-30T13:51:00.004-06:00

I would say that this car has been around the block a few times. I know I am going to blink and the cars will be gone so I wanted to share. This is my house right now. :)

I Heart Faces - Texture

2010-01-26T17:07:00.003-06:00

This week's contest at iheartfaces was texture. There are so many good entries. Stop by their website and check them out.

Many of you know the face in this picture as Grant. Grant is 3 and he lives across the street from me. About 6 months ago, he was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. As of now, there is no treatment/cure for this disease and is ultimately fatal. He is walking around right now as a normal little boy, but over time his muscles will start to deteriorate. Grant's parents are making it their life's mission to raise awareness about this horrible disease. They have started a foundation called Save Our Boy (www.saveourboy.org). Please help them raise awareness by reading their story. Thank you.

I Heart Faces – We Are Family

2010-01-19T20:32:00.005-06:00

I could not pass up the opportunity to enter the "we are family" contest at iheartfaces. Not only do I love this family pictured, I love what this picture says. :) Click on the photo if you want to see it larger.

Mr. Quackers

2010-01-19T19:50:00.003-06:00

Meet Mr. Quackers. He is a duck that travels home with every child in Gage & Grayson 3-year old pre-school class. We have had the pleasure of having Mr. Quackers 2 weeks in a row. Once for Gage and once for Grayson. They love that little duck. :)

Sweetness!

2010-01-12T19:33:00.000-06:00

Out with the old...

2009-12-21T22:51:00.002-06:00

Gavin was super excited when his front tooth fell out this morning. It was just in time for our Santa pictures (soon to come). He looks so old with his front tooth gone. On the upside, this front tooth was the one that he chipped when he was 18 months old...when falling on the tile in our kitchen. Glad that it will no longer be chipped.

Gavin thought the tooth fairy should bring $10....what? I had to have a talk with the tooth fairy to make sure she did not leave too much. It was decided that $5 and a tooth brush would be sufficient. :) Merry Christmas!

Preschool Thanksgiving Feast

2009-11-27T15:52:00.006-06:00

Hopefully I am back from my blogging break. :) Here are some cute pictures of Gage & Grayson's Thanksgiving feast. Gage was thankful for his cookies and his Buzz Lightyear and Grayson was thankful for his cookies. :)

Bubbly

2009-10-12T14:02:00.000-05:00

This boy and his personality are bubbly! :)

Caught You!

2009-10-05T14:35:00.002-05:00

The boys were too quiet so I went upstairs to see what was going on....

BOYS! You are suppose to play inside the house!

Their response to me....it is more fun on the roof! :)

Catch Up

2009-10-04T13:48:00.006-05:00

Life has been super busy lately. Unfortunately my priority to the blog has gone down a bit. I am hoping to get back on track soon. In the mean time, I thought I would share a few things going on with us.

Billy took a new job a couple of months ago. This was a HUGE prayer answered in our house. He is working for someone who he worked for prior to his last job. The timing was perfect and he was excited to make the transition. We have all been adjusting since this new job requires ALOT more travel than his last one. We are all pretty well adjusted now, but it is still a challenge to be a single parent several days a week.

Gavin is loving Kindergarten. He has already had some interest in the girls. I try not to encourage it too much, but it is pretty funny. Not long after school started, Gavin would come home and asked me to make sure and fix his hair a certain way because a "specific girl" likes it that way. Funny! :) He has homework every week and it is getting a bit easier. It is a struggle to get him to write because he wants it to be perfect....so he erases ALOT! I am starting to convince him that it is OK, that it is not perfect....it is just good to get the practice.

Gage & Grayson are having a blast in their preschool. They love going Tuesday, Wed & Thursday. I think they would freely go everyday if I would let them. They want to be just like big brother Gavin. They are still doing speech. It is on Friday's. They are both progressing in the speech very well. Grayson just needs to work on clarity at this point. Gage is still working on the tension sound that he makes with his tongue. The speech pathologist says that his larynx is tense. So, probably lots more therapy for Gage. However, our new insurance does not cover speech so we are looking into some more options. Hopefully the school district will come through AND we can still do some private therapy.

I am loving the bible study that I am doing. God is amazing and I love growing closer to Him everyday. Billy and I are also doing a couple's study on the book Crazy Love. We are only through Chapter 4, but it is helping us take a very raw look at living a Christian life. Humbling, for sure.

We are all excited for the fall season. The boys are already playing in their Halloween costumes, maybe I will preview them before the holiday! It is too cute to see them playing so much.....such a difference from last year.

Blessings to all!

Tanni

Update on Grant

2009-09-25T09:58:00.004-05:00

Many of you remember the story of little Grant, who is my across the street neighbor & the same age the twins. I wanted to send an update and ask that you go and read Grant's article and their blog (www.saveourboy.blogspot.com) . If you are interested, please become a follower, so that we can all encourage this family during their journey. Then, please share with your friends. They have started a foundation and are raising money to fund research to hopefully find a cure. This weekend, specifically, college football is bringing light to this fatal disease.

Please join in and make a difference.

Stepping Out

2009-09-13T20:37:00.003-05:00

Well, I have been saying for more than a year, that God was pulling me to lead a bible study. BUT, if you know me, you would know that I get a little anxious about formally leading anything. Honestly, I can talk any one's ear off, but if I know I have to, then my nerves take control. We all know that God has a sense of humor and He knew that I was reluctant to take my own step of faith so He used a little peer pressure! :)

My dear friend and neighbor, Marcie did bible study with me last fall at Woodlands Church...even though she is a member of WoodsEdge. We had a great time together and I told her that I would join her, at her church, for the next study. She suggested that we lead one from her house.

Co-lead.

How could I say no? I mean, she is one of my BFF's. :)

So here I am, co-leading a bible with a dear friend and a very BIG God. I am letting go of my anxieties and letting God take control.

So....with all that said,

if you are interested in joining us, please feel free.

We are meeting this Thursday at 9:30 at Marcie's house. There is childcare provided from WoodsEdge....which is very close to her house. If you are interested in more details, please e-mail me or leave a comment and I will get you more information.

Here is the fabulous study we are doing. It is AWESOME! I did it a couple of years ago and I loved it. I am excited to do it again.

Oh, and if you were wondering, I am still a happy a member of Woodlands Church. :)

Little Things

2009-09-11T09:20:00.003-05:00

I recently read a blog post about capturing the little things in photos. Really, that is why I started the blog. I love to write about the little things so that years from now, I will be able to look back and read the story's that I might have forgotten. Well, I also love the concept of capturing the little things in pictures so here is my first official post. If I was really creative, I would come up with a cool name and have everyone join me in taking a picture of little things weekly or even monthly....but I am not that creative, so I will come back to that. Let me know if you are interested and I will work on a name...or let my creative husband come up with one. :) And we can share our little things together!

A little back ground on this picture, I spent the entire afternoon cleaning my house and I had just gotten the boys down for a nap. As I am coming down the stairs, I notice Buzz Light Year all alone in the floor. I had only picked him up, 20 other times, but he managed to stay out. That is my life right now, and I fully embrace it. :)

Silly Faces of Kyla

2009-09-11T09:02:00.002-05:00

If you can not tell from the pictures, Kyla has a pretty fun personality. I am not sure which parent she gets that from, because, personally I think they are both great. :)

Good times....

2009-09-09T20:24:00.004-05:00

Over this long labor day weekend, our dear friends, the Lewis family came to visit. We had a great time just hanging out and letting the kids play. The weekend was really laid back. I did not even bring my camera out until the night before they were leaving. These shots were really on the fly (mostly in pj's), but I think turned out pretty good. More to come on our dance party 2009---aka--let the kids dance and we all make a circle around them. It was a big hit at the Gerwick house.

Little Ethan---Love this boy! :)

Five Amigos

I am a little worried about this one!? Very sweet! :)

My sweet friend, Kathy and her little ones, Kyla & Ethan. Love the personality Ethan!

BFF's

And then there were two...

2009-09-02T10:57:00.009-05:00

Gage & Grayson have been anxiously awaiting for their preschool to start. And it finally did, yesterday. These sweet little boys are ready to get out into the world and explore it more and more. They are growing up so fast. I have a hard time not calling them "the babies". They are officially little boys now and if I would let them, they would go right to kindergarten with Gavin.

The process of getting to preschool last year was chaotic, to say the least. Three kids, three backpacks, two nap sacks...one mommy...you get the picture.

This year is completely different. There actually seems to be enough of me....which is an awesome feeling. I have two hands and two kids (who are wearing their backpacks). The process of getting into the school is pretty seamless. Balanced.

As I walked the boys through the halls to their classroom, I was reminded of how challenging some of my days were last year getting them to school. It made me really appreciate where we are now. Last year, after dropping them off, I would take a deep breathe and think "I made it!" In the moment, just thinking that I made it to the classroom. This year, after dropping them off, I took a deep breathe and thought "I made it!" I made it through last year and the craziness of 3 kids in preschool at the same time. Wow, what a year can bring.

Dear older self---never, never forget how challenging it is to have small children. Always be empathetic to the mothers going through it. Even though it is such a short time, it can be a very trying time. :)

And even though I still have small children, life is much, much easier now.

Here are a few pictures of the boys on their first day of preschool.

Thank you Mia & Papa for our cool light up shoes. Gavin has a pair too. :)

I told Gage to show me some teeth and this is what I got. I guess I should have clarified that I wanted to see front teeth.

Now, that is what I am talking about.

Big Boys!

3 year old -requirement before playing in the classroom--must wash hands.

Life has changed as we know it...

2009-09-02T10:22:00.009-05:00

Weeks before Gavin's first day of school, my anxieties started to creep in. Will he like his teacher? Will he get in trouble---often? Will he make friends? Will he see God in the public school? After many prayers, my soul calmed down and I began to get excited for Gavin.

Kindergarten is a big deal, you know?

With Billy about to leave town for the week and Grannie visiting, we anticipated his first day. I sat my alarm (for the 1st time in a REALLY long time) so that I would awake before the kids. Gavin was not so keen on me getting up before him so he made sure to get up earlier. :)

We picked out his clothes the night before and he got dressed as soon as he woke up. As I got up, my emotions were running high, but I was able to keep it together.

Gavin minus 2 teeth on his 1st day of Kindergarten. Notice his backpack--he put it on the moment he woke up and did not want to take it off. Finally after several suggestions, he took it off for breakfast.

Already tired of me taking pictures....and already tired...he had been up for a couple of hours at this point.

Brothers were really excited for Gavin's first day.

Breakfast

A green backpack was his only request to start Kindergarten. He did not care about clothes, he just wanted a green backpack.

Again, with the pictures mom?!

Walking up to the school and really excited.

Looking for his classroom.

He would only take a picture with Dad if the dinosaur could be in the picture. In case you were wondering, we do NOT have this dinosaur at home.

He also allowed me to take a picture with him as long as the little figurine could be in it too.

Gavin had a great first day and first week of school.

When I picked him up, after his first day, I asked him what his favorite part of the day was....he said..."lunch". That will probably never change. :)

He has made so many friends and everyday he comes home, I hear a new name. One really cool thing about one of his friends in his class, is that he has known her since he was born. It is Lily Claire, who use to live across the street from us when we live in Harper's Landing. They moved into our neighborhood a couple of months ago and surprisingly she was in his class. He is super happy about having her in his class and I am glad he has someone familiar to talk to.

Much thanks to Grannie for coming to visit/help me out this first week of school. We could not have done it without you. :)

Can't Quite Touch

2009-09-02T10:04:00.003-05:00

I love this picture of Gavin's feet on the first day of Kindergarten. It represents where he is in life.....he is growing up and going off to school, but he can't quite touch. You are growing up little G, but not fully there....so please listen to your Momma and "SLOW DOWN!" I am doing my best to enjoy this time because I know how fast time passes. So for now, I am loving this little size 12 shoe and the feet that go in it....if only for a few months!

More to come on his first day of school. :)

The Little Things

2009-08-26T11:12:00.002-05:00

I was planning on entering another contest at I heart faces, but let's face it, this week has been a little busy. However, I did take this picture and worked on editing it last night after the contest deadline. I still wanted to post because I love how it came out.

The contest theme was nostalgia. I think this picture represents a longing to be a kid again and have someone read to you. Also, it makes me long for the time that I can be the Grannie....reading to her grandchild.

A Kindergarten Prayer

2009-08-23T17:23:00.006-05:00

My very sweet friend, Darla, sent me this prayer a couple of weeks ago. Our boys are entering Kindergarten this year and we are both filled with many of the same anxieties and excitement. Her prayer for our boys was very heartfelt and relevant to anyone of us sending our children into the world, regardless of the grade they are entering. Please join me in lifting up Gavin and Nate as they embark on their new journey of Kindergarten. Also, if you want me to pray for your little one (or older one) starting school tomorrow, please leave me a comment and I will prayer for them.

Thank you Darla for your sweet words.

God, please slow our paces and help us to enjoy the moments of this new adventure - school. Watch over Gavin and Nate while they are away from us 5 days a week.

Guide their paths right now into the classroom - designed by You - with the teachers and classmates that are a perfect fit.

Be with us, their mommies, give us Godly wisdom that surpasses worldly information, suggestions, research, well meaning advice and even our best intentions......... You be in charge of their lives and raise them up, Lord.

Protect their every step.

Help us not to get in the way, but to be your hands and feet and to love them like only You can.

Pick us up when we make mistakes and help us to learn from them.

Encourage and refresh us daily.

Praise be to You, alone, for these precious boys!

Amen

Dress Up

2009-08-22T15:40:00.002-05:00

I am not sure if any of you know how HOT it is here in Texas, but it is so hot, if you are not swimming, you stay inside. Staying inside creates a challenge when you have 3 very active boys ALWAYS needing something to do.

On this particular, very hot Texas day, the boys chose to play dress up. There is nothing wrong with a little dress up, right? They do have some boy clothes on....dad's shirts. All the boys participated in the dress up, but for some reason Gage did not make the photo shoot.

He's A Climber

2009-08-22T15:15:00.002-05:00

My sister called me the other day and while I was on the phone with her I gave Grayson a cough drop...because he ask for one....and you will pretty much give them (the kids) anything they want (while you are on the phone) to keep them quiet. Did I just say that?

Anyway, after I finished my call with my sister, I came around the corner and this is what I see.

He moved the stool from the bathroom into the kitchen for some help. Although, I am not sure how much help it was...I guess enough to get on the counter. :)

Grayson was helping himself to another cough drop.

Oh, Grayson, my sweet little boy....you are always getting into things, but I still love you! And you make me laugh all the time. :)

Time-Out Antic's

2009-08-21T19:48:00.005-05:00

Punishment must not be too bad in our house, because here is Gavin, after being sent to time out.

I was in the other room bathing the little boys and I come around the corner and see this....

G, you are a character...and by the way , I think you will be a pretty good athlete.

Now, get back to time out! :)

If you look closely, you can see the corner.....that is where he is suppose to be.

Go Away Stye!

2009-08-19T20:51:00.003-05:00

Billy and I went away for a few days without the kids (more to come on that) and this is what we come home to. Gage had a severe case of a stye in his eye. He has actually had 3 over the last 3 months, but this one was the worst one, by far. We took him to the doctor on Monday morning and he was prescribed some antibiotics. He is much better now, but still wanted to post. He is really a trooper. :)

Week 32 - “Bubbles” Photo Challenge!

2009-08-18T20:13:00.004-05:00

I am entering another contest with I ♥ Faces. I love, love, love this blog. It is a fun place to learn and showcase your work. This week, my entry is a sweet picture of Grayson. I have several that I will post later, but for now, I will leave you with this one.

Jump on over to their blog if you want to learn more.

http://iheartfaces.blogspot.com

Asleep at the stairs

2009-08-07T13:53:00.003-05:00

The other night, Billy and I went to check on the kids before going to bed and this is what we find.

Grayson

Snuck out of his room again and then fell asleep where he was.

We laughed, and then got a little worried about what would have happened if we did not see him and he rolled down the stairs!? Well, I am glad that did not happen.

I guess I will continue checking on them before I go to bed for awhile---maybe until they move out? :)

My Day at FOTW - Potty Style

2009-08-04T16:31:00.007-05:00

I am so behind on blogging so my best solution is to start with what is happening right now, and go back as time allows.

Today, we spent the morning at our church, Woodlands Church. They had a preschool fun day at the fountains. I decided to take the boys by myself and brave the crowds. If you know my boys, this is a huge task especially since they are all now using the potty. Someone always has to go to the bathroom and when you are by yourself, it creates somewhat of a challenge. Thankfully, my dear friend, Darla and her son Nate, joined us. It was nice to have an extra set of eyes and another person to stand watch as I take the boys to the potty. All in all it was a fun day, but don't stop reading and just look at the pictures because I have another funny story to share.

Lots of people and little children under the age of 5.

The boys watching kids church and the water, of course.

Sweet boys!

Little feet.

Nate & Gage were dancing to the music and singing about reading their B-I-B-L-E

While the boys were dancing and singing, Gavin decided he had to go to the bathroom. This would not normally be an issue, especially since I had Darla to assist in this situation. BUT, Gavin did not tell me he had to go to the bathroom, he just took it upon himself to find the nearest bush, YES BUSH (see photo) and pee on it. Well folks, we all know that Gavin never ceases to amaze us with his bathroom behavior.

If you are a frequent reader of my blog, I have a couple of other stories where he has relieved himself in inappropriate places. On the playground & Off the banister

I am laughing and crying as I write this. Honestly, I was not too surprised that he did this, not that he does this often, but because he is always doing random things. I tried not to be too embarrassed. I asked him what he was thinking and his response was, "No one was looking." WRONG answer!

Gavin spent the next five minutes in time out, while I looked around to see who might have seen anything. I did not see anyone laughing, but if you are reading this and you DID see Gavin relieve himself in the church plaza, please accept my apologies.

Gavin, while I love that you always keep me laughing, can you please stop relieving yourself in inappropriate places?

And I was so worried about the little boys having an accident!

Growing Boys

2009-07-28T10:00:00.004-05:00

Ok....so I am a little late to posting this, but still want to since the blog is documenting the boys life. We took them all in for their annual wellness visits in June.

Here are their stats:

Gavin:
weight - 47lbs (80%)
height - 47inches (>95%)

Gage:
weight - 36lbs (88%)
height - 39 1/2 inches (90%)

Grayson:
weight - 33lbs (50%)
height - 38 inches (50%)

There is no lack of growth in this house. I am a little scared of when they are in high school, I might have to get a job to feed them. The other morning for breakfast, they each had 3 waffles, 4 pieces of turkey sausage and a couple of glasses of OJ.

What will that equate to when they are 14 & 16?

I am scared, I tell you!

SCARED! :)

Best Buddies

2009-07-25T21:49:00.010-05:00

A few weeks ago, Gavin had is first sleep over (or sleep away). He spent the night at his life long friends house, Nate. Gavin and Nate have known each other since the first few months of their birth. Their birthdays are only 4 days apart and throughout their first 5 years, they have shared many memories together. It was fun for me to go down memory lane with these boys. I hope you enjoy watching them grow as much as I did.

I can not believe they will start Kindergarten in a month! :) :(

Nate & Gavin - June 2009

Nate & Gavin prior to 6 months (Caden is in there too)

We love our binkies!

With our Dad's at the beach.

Chillin in the backyard

Sharing our 2nd birthday - we are cool like that!

Wondering what these two babies are suppose to do?

Astronaut & Race Car driver---we like to drive anything we can get our hands on!

Excited for Santa to come!

Sharing our 3rd birthday (same party)

We are in disguise.

Look at the water, NO---you look at the water! :)

Could we be Woody (technically a cowboy with vampire teeth) & Buzz Lightyear?

We love dinosaurs!

We love Jesus!

We love Lily Claire & silly faces.

Caden, Gavin & Nate

More Cousin Fun

2009-07-25T21:45:00.001-05:00

Gage, Molly, Gavin, Grayson, Madison, Emily

Little Miss Molly

2009-07-25T21:34:00.002-05:00

This is what you get to do when you have girls stay at your house. Molly was a willing model and I felt right at home fixing someone's hair.

Isn't she so pretty? Love you Molly! :)

Hiking in the Heat

2009-07-22T13:48:00.004-05:00

My 3 nieces came to stay with us a few weeks ago. We had a great time and we all enjoyed having some girls in the house besides me. :) These pictures were taken at the nature preserve off Flintridge & Gosling. You can hike all through the woods on trails. I highly recommend going. It is free and lots of fun. I would wait until it gets a little cooler, though. :)

They paired off 2 by 2, which was really helpful for me.

Gavin & Molly

Gage & Emily

Molly found a worm.

Grayson was really checking out the worm.

Maidson pretended to eat it.

Molly

Grayson & Emily

Gavin & Molly

Madison & Gage

I ♥ Faces - Feet Week

2009-07-20T13:53:00.002-05:00

For those of you who read my blog regularly, you saw this picture on my last post, however it was not edited yet. My favorite photography blog, I ♥ Faces, is having a contest featuring feet. I could not pass on showing these little toes. If you want to see some more feeties, stop by their blog. http://iheartfaces.blogspot.com/

Give me a Z!

2009-07-16T21:18:00.006-05:00

My dear friend, Ashley, allowed me to take pictures of her sweet new baby boy, Zane. He is not quite 4 weeks old. Can't you just eat him up? Well, I can and if you were wondering if it gave me baby fever, the answer is yes. Not so much for Billy, though! :)

Anyway---this was my first attempt at taking someones pictures other than my family. Honestly, I was a little nervous, but I figured I would at least get one good shot out of 300+ pictures. Here are a few of my favorites. They were all shot in my living room in natural light.

Let's hear it for the boys!

2009-07-13T15:17:00.003-05:00

Here are some more pictures of when the Lewis family visited. The boys were all ready to go swimming. :)

Grayson & Ethan

Happy Birthday Papa!

2009-07-10T10:10:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday to you!

Happy Birthday dear Papa!

Happy Birthday to you!

Nemo in training

2009-07-08T20:12:00.006-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, the boys all took swim lessons. We found a woman (Miss Teena) who teaches out of her backyard. She requires you to drop the kids off for 30 minutes and asks you to leave while the lessons are going on. The lessons are 1 on 1. She hires young girls to help her out in the pool. This was a great concept for me since the boys tend to seek/ fight for my attention. We had the best experience ever! I highly recommend her and if you want her information, just let me know. After 2 weeks of lessons, Gavin is completely swimming. Gage & Grayson know how to jump in, hold their breath and come to the top of the water. Our pool experience since the lessons has been really enjoyable...so much that we would love a pool in our backyard...too bad the budget does not allow for that at the moment. Maybe in the next couple of years. :)

Thank you Miss Teena for such an awesome experience. The boys still talk about you and ask when we are coming back to your house. :)

4th of July Fun

2009-07-07T15:31:00.008-05:00

Our dear friends, the Lewis family, came to visit us over 4th of July weekend. We had a great time and an action packed weekend. This is a requirement when you have 5 kids ages 5, 4, 3, 3, 3. We ate lots of food, took Gavin & Ethan to the movie, swam, played video games, went to church, went to Incredible Pizza, and of course watched fireworks. I said it was action packed. We already miss the Lewis family and can not wait to see them again. :)

Gage, Ethan, & Grayson

Little feet

Sweet hands!

Gavin was REALLY excited about the fireworks.

Kathy & Ethan

Kyla with her sparkler.

Grayson trying to decide if he loved or hated the fireworks.

We saw some nice fireworks, thanks to our neighbors.

Ethan was a little unsure about something burning in his hand.

Classic!

Kyla & Gavin had a great visit. They are really good friends and always look forward to seeing each other.

Gage is a Big Boy!

2009-07-07T14:55:00.003-05:00

My little Gage is growing up. I have been potty training ---for what seems like forever. He has finally had a light bulb moment. Technically the light bulb moment happened a few weeks ago and I am just now getting around to blog about it. Let's all say a cheer for Gage!

Mommy is so proud of you Gage!

Gage also likes to help me out around the house with this awesome battery operated sweeper. If you don't have one of these, buy one and let your kids start sweeping for you. It is one less crumb to clean up. I am trying to teach him early. :)

Big boy undies!

Going Under the Knife (or fairy dust)

2009-07-01T21:45:00.003-05:00

Monday was a monumental day at our house. We decided, after 5 years, to have Gavin's hemangioma surgically removed from his neck. This "birthmark" appeared after Gavin was born...at about 3 weeks. It is basically a noncancerous tumor of blood vessels that typically goes away, on its own, by the age of 5. We waited patiently to see if this birthmark would go away on its own, but clearly there was not much change. With Kindergarten approaching, we chose to meet with a pediatric dermatologist to get her thoughts on the birthmark. She told us because it was so dense---it might loose color by the age of 10, but there would still be substance in the area. She recommended surgery.

Did we have to do surgery, no, but we elected to take the recommendation of the doctor and remove it. Let's be honest, we all know that kids are mean and every child that meets Gavin asks him what is on his neck. Several months ago, we were at the park and some kids did not want to play with Gavin because he had something weird on his neck. As a parent, you want to protect your kids as much as you can. So as scary as surgery sounded, we wanted to protect him from school reticule.

Pre-operation,
We were all a little scared. Gavin had grown quite attached to his birthmark and if I am being honest, he did not really have a problem with it. He did not want to part with it. I guess the thought of having something taken off your body might create some anxiety. I completely understand. Billy chose to tell Gavin that the doctors would remove the birthmark with some type of fairy dust, not a knife. This comforted Gavin and I am glad that it did. He was scared going into the surgery, but he came out a warrior. :)

Post-operation
All my worries were gone. Gavin was such a trooper. He recovered quickly and pretty much came home from the hospital normal. I was worried that the anesthesia would cause nausea, but not for him. He had one dose of Tylenol for pain and nothing else. We have not seen the incision yet, because it is covered with a small bandage (which we were instructed to not touch at all). I am excited to see what it looks like. Our biggest challenge post op is that he can not swim for an entire week. :)

The funnest part of this experience is that Gavin now wants to be a doctor. He came home from the hospital with some pajamas/doctor clothes, the balloon that he inhaled the gas from, and an oxygen mask. He has worn the doctor clothes for 3 days strait and is inquiring about anything doctor related...even how much money they make. I told him if he wanted to be a doctor, it should be because he wanted to help people, not because of the money. He finally agreed that was a good thing.

Thanks to everyone for your prayers. This surgery was minor on the scale, but it was still scary to have your little boy go through general anesthesia and be cut---with fairy dust! ;)

Cousins

2009-06-23T14:14:00.002-05:00

My nieces -Madison, Emily & Molly- are in town visiting with us. We are really enjoying having them here. I will post more later, but for now, here is a cute picture from our "hike" yesterday.

Happy Grandpa day!

2009-06-21T11:24:00.003-05:00

We miss you Grandpa!

Happy Father's Day!

2009-06-21T10:23:00.005-05:00

I may be a little bias, but I think that my boys have the best father ever! We love him so much. Happy Father's Day Billy. I hope you enjoy this little video. Love you! :)

Faces of Grayson

2009-06-18T11:17:00.002-05:00

This is one, of many, faces of Grayson. He is so expressive in his little face. I am sure he gets that from me because I have always been told that "my emotions were written all over my face." Good or bad? I am not sure, but cute, none the less. :)

Where's Gavin?

2009-06-16T16:04:00.003-05:00

Gavin and the little boys decided to make the side of my bed a pit of pillows. They gathered pillows from everywhere in the house. I went in to check on Gavin this afternoon (while Gage & Grayson were napping) and I could not find him. Then---he popped out from underneath all the pillows. Fun times! :)

A year's gone by...

2009-06-13T13:28:00.006-05:00

I can not believe that it has been a year since I have started blogging. Honestly, I was sceptical on whether or not I had enough time to do it, but soon realized that making time to blog was a blessing...to me and to my family.

Prior to blogging, life was passing me by and I was not writing anything down or printing any pictures of my family. Let's face it, I was a little busy. I had great intentions going back and doing baby books, but it was just not happening. This blogged has allowed me to journal about our life....the big things and the little things. As this year has gone by, I have realized that capturing the little things is the coolest part of blogging. I would soon forget conversations that I have had if I was not writing them down on the blog. To me, the little things are what really matter and I am excited to capture them for my boys.

Top Ten Things I Love About My Blog

10. the comments, of course!

9. the community of other bloggers

8. when Gavin asks me, "are you going to put this on the blog mom?"

7. letting the boys sit in my lap and look/read our blog and also other families

6. the outlet it has been for me

5. the cool backgrounds

4. i love the music on my blog (obviously)

3. it is a place where I can "keep it real"

2. i connected with my new small group through blogging

1. it is a place where I can share my love for Christ

Thank you for reading! :)

Sweet Brothers!

2009-06-09T15:52:00.003-05:00

Summer is in full swing at the Gerwick household. Here are a couple of pictures of the boys playing outside after swimming. It has only taken three years, a countless amount of pictures, and some creativity to get all three boys to look at the camera at the same time. Yipee! :)

We have been pretty busy this week with the boys out of school. They all started swim lessons and gymnastics on Monday. Gavin is also doing vacation bible school this week and is finishing his t-ball season on Saturday. Busy. That sums up our life at the moment. We are having a blast and also realizing that life is starting to seem more managable with three kids. Who knows, we may take a few road trips this summer. :)

Silhouettes - Take 2

2009-05-27T17:09:00.002-05:00

If you saw my post yesterday about silhouettes, I was on a mission to try the technique---intentionally. I surprised myself quite a bit. It is super easy to do and it is a neat way to change up your picture skills. I heart faces has a great tutorial on it if you want to read more...check out their blog off my blog list.

Grayson is holding Gavin's hand...very sweet. Check out Grayson's eyelashes. The only thing missing from this picture is Gage.

Tell me what you think?

Week 20 - Photo Challenge “Silhouettes”

2009-05-26T15:02:00.003-05:00

I am entering another contest at I ♥ Faces. This weeks theme is silhouettes. There are some really cool pictures so drop by and check them out.

http://iheartfaces.blogspot.com/

I took this picture several months ago at Old MacDonald's Farm. Grayson was walking in a tunnel and I stuck my camera in and got this is what I got. I love the silhouette concept. I am on a mission to get some more cool picture of silhouettes. Have a great day! :)

Sneaky Boy!

2009-05-25T21:48:00.002-05:00

A few nights ago, I went upstairs to tuck in the kids after they had been asleep for awhile and this is what I find. Grayson, asleep, on the floor outside of his bedroom. I guess he snuck out and watched television with us (looking down over the banister) until he fell asleep. Silly boy! :)

Mother's Day

2009-05-23T08:51:00.006-05:00

My boys were all super sweet to their Momma on Mother's Day. The only thing I really wanted was to sleep in a bit and Billy took charge in that area. Not only did I get to sleep in, but I also had a special breakfast prepared for me. We spent the day at our neighborhood pool and the boys had a blast. We had a great day and I felt appreciated as a mother. Thanks for making my day special boys! I am honored to be your mother. :)

My sweet mother's day card.

Gavin

Gage with some leftover Cheetos on his face! :)

Grayson also sporting the Cheeto look.

Priceless!

2009-05-22T09:13:00.002-05:00

Last weekend our dear friends the Lewis family visited and we had a great time. I have tons of pictures, but wanted to go ahead and share this one.

Gavin & Kyla

Burroughs Park - May 2009

Gavin is Moving On

2009-05-20T15:26:00.005-05:00

Well, today was Gavin's last day of preschool.....forever! Crazy, I know! If I said I was not a little choked up, I would be lying. Today has been a little emotional. I know that I am going to be a basket case in August when he starts Kindergarten. :) Gavin has attended Kids of the Kingdom (KOK) preschool for 3 years and Gage and Grayson just finished their first year. We have loved this little school and will continue to love it....just now, without Gavin going there. SOB!

Last week, KOK hosted an open house along with a small program for the Pre-K4 kids.

We visited Gavin's classroom and he had a surprise for us.

His sweet little hand and a flower. Now, look a little closer at the hand behind his, it is Lily Claire's hand print. Lily Claire use to live across the street from us in Harper's Landing and her family is in the process of moving close to us again. YEAH! Gavin and Lily Claire will attend the same elementary school. Pretty cool for Gavin since he has know Lily Claire since birth.

Gavin's whole bear class.

Daddy & Gage. We also visited the bunny class aka Gage & Grayson's classroom. They hand made us some cool hand prints too.

Here are all my boys. I really tried to get a good picture, but it was not happening. At least I got a couple of smiles.

Grayson and Mommy

Brothers anxiously awaiting Gavin to come out and do his presentation.

Gavin waving as he walks by.

Gavin and his whole bear class.

Gavin after his "graduation". He received a Jesus necklace & a bible to take home.

Gavin has also been a little sad today. I know he will miss his school friends, but will soon make some new ones as he embarks on his journey to elementary school.

Week 19 - Blurb Photo Book Contest Entries (Amateurs/Beginners)

2009-05-19T16:57:00.002-05:00

I follow this fun photography blog that has weekly contests. Since I am interested in growing more in photography and I am also working on my second Blurb book, I thought it might be fun to enter. This blog is a great tool and I am excited to be apart of the contest.

Hop on over and check them out. I know many of you that read my blog, also love taking pictures. http://iheartfaces.blogspot.com

I picked this cute picture of Gavin for the entry. I love this picture because it captures a great smile, along with some missing teeth. To me, this picture makes him look so old...ultimately saying good bye to his toddler/preschool years and hello to his adolescence. Ironically, tomorrow is his last day of preschool and then he is off to Kindergarten. I have already shed some tears! :)

I am submitting this photo into the www.iheartfaces.com Blurb Book photo contest. I am granting I ♥ Faces permission to use my photo in a printed version of a book for commercial use and possibly advertising of a photo book on both the Blurb and I ♥ Faces web sites.

Happy Birthday Grannie!

2009-05-18T21:57:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday Grannie/Mom/Ann! We love you and hope to see you soon! :)

Love,

Billy, Tanni, Gavin, Gage & Grayson

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-09T13:59:00.004-05:00

Daddy and Boys sneaking on the blog to wish Mom a Happy Mother's Day!

I think we finally got the message across.....

T-Ball

2009-05-07T20:53:00.004-05:00

Well, it's that time again. Gavin is playing t-ball with the YMCA. We decided to stay in the less competitive league for one more year. We figured that we will have several years of more intense t-ball/baseball so we are savoring are free time, for now. :)

Spectators....eating breakfast in a baggie and really wanting to play. I think Gage can out hit some of the 5 year olds on Gavin's team. He definitely has a sport gene. :)

What you don't know can't hurt you...

2009-05-05T21:13:00.004-05:00

A couple of days ago, I sent Gavin upstairs to clean up his room. He obediently (which he rarely does) went up stairs and cleaned his room. When I went to check on his progress, his room was surprisingly super clean! I praised him about his successful bedroom cleaning. We talked about his success all night and he was really proud of himself. Later in the evening, after he was in bed, I went in to check on him. As you can see, he was sound asleep.

For some reason (maybe a childhood memory), I was prompted to look under his bed.

Oh boy! To my surprise, this is where all his toys were.

I guess we have never discussed that "putting toys under the bed" was not an appropriate place to put them away. As far as he was concerned, he had done what I asked him to do. The toys seemed pretty happy under his bed, and if I am being honest, I prefer them there versus all over his floor.

The morning after, I praised Gavin again for his super success of cleaning his room. I then addressed the question, "where did you put all of your toys?" He innocently told me, "I put them under the bed Momma." There was no foul play here. He was just doing what he was told. Gotta love you for that little G! :)

For future reference though, we do have several wicker baskets that would also be a nice resting place for your toys.

Sweet Boy!

2009-05-05T10:45:00.001-05:00

Gage

Gratitude

2009-05-03T21:27:00.002-05:00

Thank you all for your prayers and support for the Meermann family. I know that it means alot to them. It is pretty amazing that with a couple of e-mails and a post on facebook...more than 125 hits took place on the blog within the day. Sometimes technology overwhelms me, but in this case it humbles me. It is comforting to know that if prayers are needed in rapid manor, I know how to approach it. Thanks for being prayer warriors. Please keep praying for this family and I will keep you posted when anything else comes up.

Blessings,
Tanni

Close to Home

2009-04-30T09:33:00.007-05:00

Dear Friends,

I come to you today with a heavy burden and an aching heart. Last week, our friends and neighbors (across the street from us), son Grant (age 2) was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. It is a fatal disease and right now there is no cure. This disease slowly attacks the muscular system ultimately taking away Grant's ability to walk, his arm function and more. As you can imagine this is devastating news to this family. I am asking that you will come together with me, as a body of Christ, and pray for this family - The Meermann's - Heinrick, Heather, Dresden (6) & Grant (2).

Dear Heavenly Father,

We come to you right now, grateful for today, as we know there is no guarantee for tomorrow. We pray that every day, we are reminded of how precious life is and that our time on this earth is a gift.

We lift up The Meermann family to you and the journey they are facing. We pray that You will provide them with undeniable peace in this storm.

Lord, use us, as a body of Christ, to come together and reveal Your grace to this family. You are the hope they need to battle this fatal disease.

We pray for their hearts and eyes to be opened to the love of our savior Jesus Christ. We lift up their strength and determination to fight for a cure for this disease.

Lastly, Lord, we pray for baby Grant, may you use his story to impact others. Provide him with a zest for life that is magnetic. Use him to make a difference in the world.

In His Holy Name,

Amen

If you have said this prayer, please leave a comment for this family encouraging them. And then forward this on to your friends and family asking for their prayers. Let's come together to make a difference in this family's life. Thank you for your prayers.

Tanni

P.S.

From the heart of a mother - this e-mail was sent from Heather, last week - My Dear Friends, I have some very sad news to share. As many of you know little Grant was delayed in his speech and has been in speech therapy. We still struggle to understand him, but he has made progress. Last Thursday, one of the ladies evaluating him noticed how defined his calf muscles were. We had always thought he just had nice calf muscles. But the lady seemed overly concerned and asked us to check with our doctor. I...of course...immediately went home and began web searching (calf muscle + language delay) and found that a horrible disease...Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy kept coming up. It is a rare disease and thought it was a long shot...but I just couldn't get it out of my mind... so Heinrich took Grant to the doctor last Friday to have a CK test run. Just to rule it out. The doctor did not seemed overly concerned, but decided to refer us to a pediatric specialist. Even the specialist didn't seem overly concerned and thought his calves were not out of line with his body type. (He has always been a little stocky) He agreed to run the test anyway...just to ease our fears. We got the results late yesterday. Normal levels for kids and adults are around 50-190 U/L. Grant's levels were over 24,000 U/L. I know all indications are leaning towards the worst. I am asking all my friends and family to pray (to whatever God you believe in) for a Miracle. He is my baby. I am so sorry to let everyone know about this through email, but I am so emotionally and physically drained I don't have the energy to call. Please just pray for us (and any other families affected by childhood disease). I will be in touch soon. Love to you all,
Heather Meermann

Where did the time go?

2009-04-26T21:26:00.004-05:00

Looking back three years brings back foggy memories. Going from a family of 3 to 5 shakes you up a bit. It also makes life move so fast that 3 years passes by in a BLINK! It is fun to go down memory lane so I am sure you will see some more posts on birthday's past.

For those of you that don't know, Gage & Grayson were born at 33 weeks and spent 3 weeks in the NICU before coming home with us. They both weighted about 5 pounds at birth which is quite large for their gestation.
First family picture minus Gavin since we were still at the NICU.

My boys!

Gavin was so excited about having two new brothers.

Grayson

Gage, already praying, I wonder what that will mean? :)

Two little monkey's

Can't you just eat them up? Newborns are so much fun....minus the sleep deprivation.

Little Boys Third Birthday

2009-04-26T11:27:00.008-05:00

Well, it is official. Gage & Grayson turned 3 on April 14th. Happy Birthday boys! We had a very small party on Easter Sunday. They were super excited to have a cake and blow out their candles.

Gage

Grayson

Gage & Grayson with their cake, make by me (with a little from Duncan Hines)

Party attenders -- Nate & Gavin (ironically, Nate & Gavin shared their 3rd birthday party together with the same theme)

Easter Egg Hunt

2009-04-25T15:26:00.006-05:00

The boys had a blast hunting Easter Eggs. They are actually obsessed with the eggs and I have decided that I like Easter eggs about as much as I like balloons....they are kind-of my nemesis. Regardless of how many fights broke out over the eggs, we had a successful egg hunt and the plastic eggs are already packed away for next year. :)

Waiting not-so-patiently to go outside.

Gavin is a serious egg hunter!

Gage, you are so close the egg is about to bite you!

Love the face!

No chance of getting Gavin to look at me. I say "say cheese" and Gavin smiles and looks off somewhere else.

Candy eating....in action.

Gavin's loot.

Easter Party at KOK

2009-04-25T15:04:00.004-05:00

Hopefully, I am going to get caught up on blogging. Here are a few pictures from the kids Easter parties at school.

Gavin

Gavin with his PK4 class

Grayson

Gage

Gage & Grayson's 2 year old class. It is hard to get a good picture if you can not tell. :)

More to come!

Where have I been?

2009-04-21T15:01:00.005-05:00

Absent, busy & addicted! Those are the words that would describe my life over the past few weeks. We have had Gavin's birthday, Billy's birthday, Gage & Grayson birthday, Easter, a sick dog (been to vet 3 times), an obsessed mother who has read all FOUR of the Twilight series in a few weeks (more to come on that), no Internet for 4 days (the exact days that I planned to catch up on blogging.) & the same obsessed mother frantically preparing for a garage sale on Saturday (do you really know how much stuff one can accumulate just over a year after moving into a new house?)

WHEW! Just typing all of that makes me dizzy! :)

I hope to catch everyone up with what is going on in our life soon. For now, I am back to sifting through more JUNK to get rid of. Hopefully the preparation will pay off.....$$!

And the winner is....

2009-04-14T09:38:00.002-05:00

LAURA....e-mail me your address! :)

Easter Giveaway

2009-04-10T11:26:00.006-05:00

Today is Good Friday and in honor of our savior Jesus Christ, I want to give away a neat prize. If you have never seen a Clinging Cross, they are pretty cool. It is a palm size cross that remarkable fits perfectly in the palm of your hand. I use mine all the time when I pray, it is a tangible reminder of the love and sacrifice of Jesus. I am a sales rep for Not So Plain Jane. I love being able to share Christ by selling and giving away these crosses.

Here is how to enter the contest.
- Leave a comment telling me why you would like one. It can be for yourself or for someone else. I have found that I almost always know someone who needs one.
- If you read my blog, become a follower so that I know that you are reading and so I can follow your blog if you have one. :)
- Remember that the greatest moment in our history is not Jesus dying on the cross, it is his RESURRECTION.

The contest will end at 12pm on Easter Sunday. I will post the winner soon after. :)

Blessings,
Tanni

Birthday Blog

2009-04-01T15:00:00.002-05:00

Please scroll down to see Gavin's birthday posts. They are before the I ♥ Faces post. :)