9-Months!

November, the month of Thanksgiving, is a totally appropriate time to express how incredibly full of gratitude we are that we were given the gift of becoming parents. The past 9-months have truly been a blessing, full of happiness and joy. Though we are thankful each and every day, for our son, this month we are especially reflective on what a gift from God he is :)

We're off to Elgin, ND this afternoon to go hunting with the Koepplin's! Both Steve and I have "Any Antler" tags and look forward to bringing in "the BIG ONE." And, Grady is looking forward to spending some quality time with Gavin A. and Grama Nancy! Good luck, hunters!

8-Months!

We are blessed each and every moment of the day - Our baby boy is healthy and happy and growing at a rapid pace. As he's gotten older, we're seeing so much more of his personality. Grady is a laid-back, energetic little guy and though we enjoy his new-found mobility he's hard to keep up with! This holiday season is going to be great fun - it's been awhile since we've had a little one around and I know we're all going to enjoy the excitement that being little, and new to everything, brings!

*Milestones met this month - We now have TWO teeth (bottom) and we're actively standing up to walk along the couches and anything we can lean against. We're also creating mass chaos in the kitchen going through mom's cupboards!

7-Months!

It's official, we have a CRAWLER. We started out "army-crawling" and, once we realized that being mobile was fun, there was no going back! Grady can now get from point A to point B, and then C, D, E, F, G and Z before mom and dad know it. Everything is now considered a toy and owies are now common place. Not a day goes by that he isn't getting into something he shouldn't at Mandy's (daycare) or trying to get behind mom's couch where the cat toys are kept. Our little munchkin keeps us busy and, truthfully, we love it! This weekend we are off to Minot for the "Run or Dye" Color 5k event. We will be spending the weekend with great-grama and grampa Bernsdorf and grama and grampa Nohr - Grady will be enjoying all the attention and cuddles while mom and dad get to enjoy one night away (pre-race-night dinner/drinks) with friends.We so enjoy these weekends together with family and friends. It's nice to have the opportunity to unwind from the busy week with the people that we love!

6-Months!

Our little "bookworm" is turning 6-months tomorrow (Aug 8th)! Grady is growing SO fast and is totally intrigued by his surroundings. He enjoys rolling (and yes,) CRAWLING across the floor to get into mom's things, play with dad's computer cords, etc. What a little monkey! Everyone tells us we are spoiled with such a pleasant, laid-back and handsome little man... and we agree :) He is truly a blessing - making every day a new adventure and giving us a multitude of reasons to praise God!

Dad has been busy this summer as a volunteer coach with the legion baseball team. He greatly enjoyed the opportunity to get to know the kids and practice his coaching skills. Grady and I attended numerous games and he loved all the attention he got from the fans. He was snuggled by player's moms and dads, played with and entertained by player's siblings, and took countless naps in his stroller while donning his best baseball attire. Grady loved being outside (though in the shade) breathing the fresh air and catching glimpses of butterflies and other new-to-him creatures. It was a great summer for baseball!

This spring, my great-grandmother LC passed away. She was fortunate to live a long and full-of-love life but, we will all miss her dearly. At the end of July, the family gathered together at Mouse River Park, ND to celebrate her life and her memory and to scatter her ashes over the original homestead near the Canadian border.  It was a beautiful day to celebrate a beautiful woman!

I have absolutely enjoyed my summer at home with Grady. I was fortunate enough to get to observe him experiencing and learning so many new things and reaching new milestones. School starts in mere days and though I am getting eager to get back to the "grind" I know I will miss enjoying my morning coffee with his smiling little face beaming up at me. Grady will be heading back to daycare and call me crazy, but I think he's excited? Each time I ask him, "Grady... are you excited to see Mandy (our daycare provider)?" he responds with a huge, toothless grin and a little squeal! Hopefully, she's just as excited!?

As I head back to work, I am making a promise that I will be better about updating our blog. I didn't open my computer very often this summer... too busy enjoying it :) But, with lesson planning and material research, etc I will be glued to this screen for the next 9-months so I will have plenty of time to keep up with all of you! Enjoy these last days of summer.... May God Bless You!

5-Months!

This cute little behind is 5-months old this July! He's rolling everywhere and is truthfully not far from crawling. We are trying to enjoy these days as we know that soon he will be impossible to catch!

Happy Independence Day!

I can't believe it's already the the 4th of July! And, I might mention, I am just as in awe that it is already my 10-year high school reunion?! We headed back to Stanley for the holiday weekend and had a terrific time catching up with classmates, enjoyed the parade, spent a great deal of time with the family and soaked up the sunshine. I ended up losing my voice, which is evidence of HOW much catching up I truly did, which of course made Stephen happy.... he finally got the opportunity to speak his own mind without interruption (Haha)! Grady was snuggled and cuddled to his heart's content and definitely enjoyed his first Independence Day!

And may we not forget the true reason for the celebration...

4-Months!

The beginning of summer was a wet one and we didn't get much of an opportunity to go outdoors. Grady decided that if it continued to rain he would "sail away" to find himself some sunshine. Luckily, the rain clouds finally made their way elsewhere and this little boy was happy to finally spend some time outside!