welcome home!

Stout Kids- Fall 2008 (Gma Stout made the girls' outfits)

Mason Samuel- 15 months

Morgan May- 5 1/2 years (Pre-Kdgn)

Madison Rae- 7 years (2nd grade)

It has been about 6 months or so since I have posted a blog and so here goes.....

The pictures above are from Target. I had them taken last month instead of buying their school pics....it was a much cheaper option to go to Target and I believe I received better quality photos! :)



I cannot believe it is October! last weekend we did some winterizing around the house and some yard work. It was a beautiful 70 degree Saturday. Tim and his dad did most of the outdoor work, while I made two soups and did some cleaning inside.



Here is an update on the kiddos....



Madison is doing well in school and so far no troubles (still reviewing from last year) and we are working on math facts on tues, wed & thursdays after school. I have taught her some touch math to help, but now we are working with some of the larger facts (I.e 7+9, 8+9, etc...) and those are taking a little bit more work. I try to help her start with the double and count on from there, what fact does she know that might be a neighbor and help her (I.e... 9+6 is 15 so 9+7=16) and then we are working on rote memory. Everyday Madison comes home from school, grabs a quick snack, uses the bathroom and is back outside riding her bike and playing with the neighbor kiddos! She is sooooo SOCIAL! She loves reading chapter books like Junie B. Jones, Little House on the Prairie, the American Girl Series, and anything about animals.

Morgan seems to be enjoy the Pre-kindergarten program at G-view ...she is still sad b/c a majority of her friends are in kdgn and she misses them and she is working on making new friends. So far academics seem to be okay, but conferences are in a month so we'll know more then....please pray for wisdom there. Morgan asks constantly to only go 1/2 day to school or stay home b/c hmmmm.?????I am not sure why, but once she gets to school she does okay! Tim says she bounds right into the room. Is she bored? Is she too tired and do we need to scale back a bit? Hmmm...all things we are discussing. Morgan's asthma is flaring up a bit these days with harvest time and other things in the air....we have been trying to do one or two treatments a day...to help with this. Also last week she had ANOTHER ear infection sooo after the first of the year (after the new flex plan restarts!) we may see the ear doctor! Other than that, she is still very into horses, music (always giving mini-concerts to a sold-out crowd in her bedroom in front of her mirror...so cute), hanging out with her sister, learning to do "fix-it" jobs with Grandpa Stout and Daddy.


Mason is moving like a mad man. He cut his fourth molar a few weeks ago and now we are working on his eye teeth. Overall he has 12 teeth. He is sleeping 8-9 hours at night before waking up to nurse nad then he nurses late afternoon and at bedtime. He eat eats anything and everything minus citrus and PB. He love black beans and rice, chicken nuggets, cheese, green beans (whole ones) and we have started introducing a spoon and spork to him! He chatters like CRAZY, but Still no Momma! However, he says: truck, blanket, shoes, juice (aka milk), woof-woof, stop, thanks, plz, sissie, dada, granpa, eyes, nose, & ears. He signs "more" now! mason is quite the little ham...everywhere we go he gets attention...random strangers look at those eyelashes and MELT! So cute.

Overall, Tim and I are doing well. Work is slow for Timmy, but this month has some good momentum so far and we are praying for GOAL like no other. Things are getting pretty tight and we are scaling it way back...no eating out, using as little gas as possible (however, gas is below $2.35 a gallon now...HOORAY!) We are rejoicing that subbing is picking up a bit...I had 3 1/2 days in the last two weeks and maybe more to come! It's just nice right now to help PAY the bills. We need even more to be able to get ahead on the G-view bill or I may be homeschooling or sending our kids to public school next year...that's a bit of a fear for me....but GOD knows our needs and he will give me the strength for whatever option is BEST at the time! I just have to trust and take each day and then let HIM take care of the future!



Okay- the laundry folding awaits! Toodles to all!

details!

....I am busy balancing my new schedule. I am in Ankeny 2-3 days a week to babysit for friend's kids....I work from about 9-2:30 and then head back to home and pick up the girls and do the Mommy thing here!

Also, we have been very busy with our college kids....2 weeks ago we were in Chicago for Moody Founder's week. We enjoyed seeing some sights and hearing Tony Evans and Josh McDowell speak! and last week we had a Valentine's Day dinner at our home. It has been a BLAST to get to know them and serve them. Riding the El/ Easting at Portillo's

Tim comparing himself to Michael Jordan

Tim has had a busy week this week too....after work he has had something almost every night...Monday he was home, tuesday he went to the Drake b-ball game, last night he had college leadership meeting 9he got home about 7:30, put the girls to bed and left and was home about 10...but I was OUT!), and tonight we have Ethos (the college ministry mtg) @ church. THe kids are missing him quite a bit, but we have a few fun things planned for the weekend...we might take them to RECESS tomorrow afternoon after Tim's done with work! Saturday Tim and I have eye appts in the morning and then we head to Gma & Gpa Stout's for a while to hang out and then Tim has a b-ball game at 4:00 and then home,,,,Masona nd I may skip theb-ball game just come home and get some laundry done....if I don't get much done today!

The kids are good...still fighting some colds. Morgan's preschool teacher was diagnosed with Influenza A yesterday and so I am watching that VERY CAREFULLY!

Mason is a chatterbox, "daddadadadddadada, daddy!" ARGH! Everytime he starts that I say. " MAMAMAMAMAMMAMA!!!!" He loves to play with his toys and chat away to himself and sometimes I put a mirrr in front of him and he will then chatter more loudly and rapidly! SO CUTE! He is still nursing every 4 hours and eating 3 little meals a day.

Madison is doing very well in school! She is still working on her facts, but we are just continuing to press on! She is very sociable and very compassionate! She is always concerned about her friends who are sick or hurting!

Morgan is anxiously awaiting the arrival of her glasses...They should be here in the next few days! She has about 20/80 vision and stigmatisms in both eyes...basically she sees completely blurry...poor thing, bless her heart! We took her to the eye doctor b/c school had done a vision screening...thank the LOrd! We were planning on taking her for her first visit before Kindergarten anyway! This may explain a lot about Morgan's personailty! She handled getting glasses great! Her only request was that they would be BARBIE glasses! and so they are a turquoisey-blue colored frame, she looks adorable and they totally bring out the blue in her eyes! Praise the Lord for our tax return and our FLEX account to cover the cost of her lenses and frames! It will interesting to teach her about caring for them...Tim and I plan to chat about that tomorrow so we have a plan of attack and a special place for her to put them at night when she goes to bed! I think she will do well, and her new glasses toatlly fit her SPUNKY personality!

Okay- now to brag on the hubby! He is GROWING so fast! J/k! He is doing well at work...he just got a 6% raise...PRAISE THE LORD! and yesterday his district manager pulled him aside and told him that in the next few months he will be on the "fast-trac" to becoming a branch manager b/c they know he will be GREAT at it! So in the next few months, when an area branch manager is out of town for 5 days, Tim will go in and be the acting manager. This will be tough b/c hew could be anywhere in Iowa...for 5 whole days! Oh well, maybe we will just live in Mmm and Dad Stout's basement for part of the time or maybe it will be summer and we can head to MN to see my family! Extra hands is the key! Anyway...I am SOOOOOO excited to see Tim's hard work paying off....and he is an amazing man...confident, bold and focused these days....it is soooo neat to see him have success in providing for our family! God is really bringing him along...and it is wonderful to see!

Well- now that this is a book, and it's time to get back to mommyhood!

updated family pics....

Madison's Baptism...Tim was able to participate in the event...it was very awesome...and they wore matching Hawkeye t's......Tim's doing

The girls in the hats and scarves made by Gma Stout

Madison, Mason and Morgan in their new PJs on Christmas Morning 2007

My parents came to spend Christmas with us and Morgan was not happy about picstures before presents.

Mason and his favorite toys, his toes!

way tooo long!!!!!!!!

I know this post is long overdue, but here goes.....

Thanksgiving: Went to MN to see the Shogren family. We stayed with Phil, Heather, Zak and their soon-to-arrive (in may) little lady. Amanda, Dan, Dheaven, Mom and Dad Shogren and all of us played games, hung out, ate a ton...yummy soupd and lasagna, breads, etc....

CHRISTMAS: We stayed in Iowa. Went to Christmas Eve service at Grace Church and came back to our home and got ready for Santa. Christmas morning we opened presents. The girls got Barbie's, High School Musical 2 Dolls, coloring books and crayons & pjs. Mason got Pjs, socks, a few new toys and sippy cups and bowls. After that we headed to gma nad Gpa Stout's in Ankeny nad opened presents. Morgan got a horse stable, Madison got a veterinarian kit, and Mason got some new little toys, Also Mom STout crocheted hats and scarves for the girls....awesome! We ate dinner and then Dan and Amy came up with Kylie and she opeened her presents...she was a little interested in presents, but what can you say, she is not even 2 yet!

NEW YEAR: We had the coolege kids over for the night. We had appetizer and desserts. We played Guitar Hero, Presidents/ Vice President (couch game) and chatted until the ball dropped. The girls stayed the night at Gma and Gpa Stout's house...they love going there.

NOW: two weeks ago was a bit rough.....Madison and I had the tummy flu, Tim had a tooth pulled, Morgan's hands were all chapped from all of the handwashing at school....and Mason is/was teething and fighting a cold. This past Wednesday I took the little bubba to the doctor and he hada double ear infection and STREP! Poor kid....he isn't sleeping or eating well....and he loves both of those things! He is really growing...he weighed 19. 12 lbs and was 27.5 inches at this check-up.

Other than all of that mishap...we are doing well... Tim is doing great at work...I am working 2 days a week watching the Boyds' kids up in Ankeny (gets me out of the house). the girls are busy with school. Madison is working on her +/- facts, learning about Jamestown and she loves reading! I cannot keep enough books in stock...thank the Lord for the LIBRARY!
Morgan is getting taller....she is outgrowing all of her pants in the length, but she is toooo skinny to move upa size, even with the adjustable waist! Poor thing. She is going to pre-K 3 days a week, all day. She likes taking her own lunch and playing "homework" when she gets home!

Besides his cold, Mason is teething, he is working on his top two teeth...the bottom two arrived a few days before Christmas. He is a rolling machine and I have to be careful of what's on the floor....he likes playing on his tummy and the rolling to his back to "scooth" to get something that is out his grasp.. Also, for a while each day I set a mirror in front of him (on the floor- he is either next tro it or in his exersaucer) and he jabbers away to his "friend." He's so vain!

Hopefully the pics will post....okay...Ican't that to work right now...so Stout pics will come later when I have more patience!

Pumpkins, Costumes, and FUN!

Last weekend we went to the Pumpkin Farm . The weather was gorgeous: sunny and 70 degrees with a good breeze to keep Tim's allergies at bay! It was our first full day outing as a family of 5 and we had a BLAST! Mason did great and the girls LOVED playing in the sun and hangin' out at the farm. We got to pick out pumpkins, ride a hay ride, play in the corn barn, ride trikes, pet goats, milk a pretend cow, eat sweet caramel apples and popcorn, and just enjoy a gorgeous fall day!

Now we are starting to plan and organize Halloween costumes. Morgan is going to be Snow White (she already has the play dress and so we'll put warm clothes underneath and put a red head band in her hair) and Madison wants to be Cinderella...I am going to try the consignment shops for a pretty dress and then hit Wal-Mart or the $1 store for a crown, gloves, etc.... Mason...I have no clue, maybe I'll find something while we are looking for Madison. Speaking of Mason....he is laughing like crazy these days. He loves it when Morgan & I sing songs ( Wiggles Cd, Christian songs, whatever) and he just laughs the whole time! It's soooo fun! Madison reads to him every night while I make dinner and he loves that too!He is also trying to sit up so we bought him a BUMBO (here a link for a pic.... http://bumboseat.com/ ) , so he can sit and play. He also sits at the dinner table with us now...that's a hoot! THis boy is sooooo interested in food...he stares at us and watches us so intently while we eat. We plan to start cereal or oatmeal next week. Hooray...more of a break for me....up until last week he was still eating every 2 hours, but now we have it stretched to 2 1/2- 3 hours...WA-HOO! He is sleeping about 7-8 hours straight at night (8:30 pm- 3:30-5am) and then he eats and goes back to sleep until about 7:00 am. What a good little man!

those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer....

Okay...the title of this Blog comes from Gilmore Girl Season 3 DVD that I have been watching in the evenings when I get some "down time." and that song "those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer, " is still stuck in my head! :) Can you believe fall starts on Saturday?

Sorry, I haven't posted much lately, I am just busy being a mom and homemaker! Right now Mason is on a growth spurt and learning to go to sleep on his own. Morgan is still adjusting to having a baby brother....we have seen quite a bit of attitude, but we are workin' out the kinks to help her. Madison is enjoying school, although she did say she misses kindergarten. Also, last week she lost her two front teeth...the tooth fairy came and brought her $1 (for both teeth).

PRAISE! We got our new stove last Saturday! $150 and it has all of the same features as my old one! THANK YOU LORD!

Here are a few pics....

Back to School...HOORAY!

Okay, I have to admit that I love schedules, routines and SCHOOL! Madison went back to school, as a first grader, this past Monday and Morgan has started preschool ( M-W-F 8-11). We are back to the routine of school and early bed times! This week the girls and Mason have been alseep by 8:30 p.m. and so Tim and I have enjoyed some quiet evenings together!

We (our whole family) are excited for the football season to start...we love it! We love attending high school games on Friday nights, watching college ball on Saturdays (GO HAWKEYES) and then on Sundays we like cheering on various NFL teams and keeping track of our weekly picks in Tim's trusting notebook!

Here are a few pics from this week....

Madison- First Grade

Morgan- Preschool

Matching Cheetah Backpacks from Gma Shogren

Stout Family Pics (below): our family and then Tim's entire family