To me Christmas is about Love, the love of God for us, the love he wants us to experience and share with each other. For me Christmas is not just one day, it is whatever day we are together as a family, and today I am not with my family. I sent my husband and son to Topeka to be with my Bartel family there, but I have to work. I think once I am at work I will enjoy taking care of my patients on Christmas day, what an amazing Christmas present for them, a new family member to share their love with. Right now though I am just a little bit on the melancholy side.
This year I haven't really felt like I can get into the Christmas spirit yet. We didn't decorate our house because we are still in the middle of remodeling and painting and everything is a mess. Today though while I wait to go to work I am putting on some of my favorite Christmas music, all on tapes from my childhood! I have Emmy Lou Harris, John Denver and the Muppet's, and Mannheim Steamroller. Hearing this music that we listened to when I was a child reminds me of so many fun traditions. I love the 12 days of Christmas song with the Muppet's when each time around Miss Piggy gets more wild! We used to watch the Muppet Christmas Carol on VHS too! Emmy Lou was always my favorite with her beautiful long hair. I am amazed at how good the quality of these old tapes still is!
Yesterday Luke and I watched the Christmas Carol (not the Muppet one, the Ralphie one). I used to hate that movie, but Ben and Becca loved it and so I grew to love it because of them I think. Greg didn't grow up with it and he hates it!
My sister and her husband don't get to come home until the middle of January and my brother and his wife are spending Christmas this year in Canada too, so we won't really celebrate with the Bartels or my family until they are here. The Regiers will have Christmas on the 27th and then we will be heading to Indiana to celebrate with Greg's family. I think by then I will definitely be more in the Christmas spirit. Just sitting here writing about Christmas and listening to music has already got me feeling more like Christmas.
Well, I need to get ready for work. Lots of love and Merry Christmas, especially to those of you far away from family!
~Laura
Friday, December 25, 2009
Fun with Great Grandma and Papa Regier
I have mentioned before that I try to take Luke to see my grandparents and alternate weeks, but so far I have been really bad about remembering to bring my camera to my Regier grandparent's house and this last time I actually remembered. These pics are from the 16th of December.
Grandma always has some little cookies or friendship bread for Luke to eat as a snack and usually some juice or tea too (Luke loves hot tea). After our snack Luke wanted to play and look at Grandma's pretty things.
Luke also had fun rolling old medical tape containers on the floor with Grandma and I.
Here they are digging to pour the foundation.
Luke was very interested in everything!
After looking at the construction sight Grandpa showed us some of his tractors and one of his cars. He has four tractors and two cars.
This was a big treat for Luke, and Me too!
Luke wanted to help Papa work on the tractor. Papa even started it for him for a little bit and he wasn't scared at all, he loved it! One of Papa's cars I remember him working on when I was little and once in a while in the summer time he would drive it over to our house and take us for rides! I thought it was funny that the back doors opened in the opposite direction.
.........................................................
Grandma always has some little cookies or friendship bread for Luke to eat as a snack and usually some juice or tea too (Luke loves hot tea). After our snack Luke wanted to play and look at Grandma's pretty things.
Luke also had fun rolling old medical tape containers on the floor with Grandma and I.
Papa Regier came home before we left and took Luke and I out to see the work that he was getting done outside.
Grandpa is building a new shed to house his antique cars and tractors that he has rebuilt. At least one of the tractors that he has rebuilt he actually used, he said it was his first tractor!
Here they are digging to pour the foundation.
Luke was very interested in everything!
After looking at the construction sight Grandpa showed us some of his tractors and one of his cars. He has four tractors and two cars.
This was a big treat for Luke, and Me too!
Luke wanted to help Papa work on the tractor. Papa even started it for him for a little bit and he wasn't scared at all, he loved it! One of Papa's cars I remember him working on when I was little and once in a while in the summer time he would drive it over to our house and take us for rides! I thought it was funny that the back doors opened in the opposite direction..........................................................
Thanks Papa and Grandma! We love you!
so far behind!!!! (Merry Christmas!)
December has lots of birthdays and lots of celebrations for us. Greg birthday is on the 17th and all he wanted was to play board games all day long, so on the 12th that is exactly what we did. I reserved the church and we invited our Sunday School class and all the family in the area. Everything started off around 9:30 am and we ended at 9:30 pm.
ALL our games!!!
Several people got in some knitting too!
Of course Grandpa always has the final hurrah!
ALL our games!!!
Several people got in some knitting too!
On December 6 we celebrated three birthdays, my Dad's on December 4, My brother's on December 10, and Greg's on December 17. Mom and Dad hosted and Andrea's Mom Ingrid and sister Sonia were there from Canada. Mom made two soups, baked potato and white chili, both delicious!
Luke had a bad cold that day and during supper he sneezed and snot came out all the way down to his belly button! Then he kinda gaged on it and threw-up all over himself so we had to take off all his clothes for the rest of the meal, so gross! Once he was done eating (he ate really well after all that) he started making the rounds and warmed up to Sonia!
Of course Grandpa always has the final hurrah!
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Sunday, December 13, 2009
TMI
OK, so this may be TMI for some of you but I had to share it anyway.
Today, the 12th, Luke went both potty and poopy in the toilet for the first time! He has got potty in the toilet before but we really haven't worked on that in a long time so it has been quite a while since he last did it. Tonight when I was getting him ready for his bath I had the potty chair seat attached to the regular toilet seat and I asked him if he wanted to go potty and he said yes! I didn't really expect him to do anything but I helped him get settled so that he wouldn't spray everything and I turned around to get the bath water going and before I even got there I heard him start to tinkle! I was very impressed.
After his bath I was getting ready to get him out of the tub and I noticed that he looked like he was starting to strain so I asked him if he needed to go poopy and wanted to sit on the potty chair and he said yes again! I really didn't think he would actually go while sitting there, he has never even attempted to go poop on the toilet before and I have heard that usually getting kids to go poop in the toilet is the hardest part of potty training but he sat there very determinedly and had a really big BM in the toilet. After a couple of seconds I noticed he was shivering so I got an extra towel to wrap around him and he loved that! Every time I heard another little plop in the toilet I asked him if he was going poopy some more and he always said yes and then I praised him to high heaven. Oh the things we parents get excited about! He was so proud of himself! When he was half way through he pointed down the hall so I asked if he wanted Daddy to come up and he smiled really big and nodded so I called Greg up and he very proudly showed Greg that he was sitting on the potty chair! It was too cute!
You know it is never safe to read the blog of a nurse or a parent and here you have both in one!
Today, the 12th, Luke went both potty and poopy in the toilet for the first time! He has got potty in the toilet before but we really haven't worked on that in a long time so it has been quite a while since he last did it. Tonight when I was getting him ready for his bath I had the potty chair seat attached to the regular toilet seat and I asked him if he wanted to go potty and he said yes! I didn't really expect him to do anything but I helped him get settled so that he wouldn't spray everything and I turned around to get the bath water going and before I even got there I heard him start to tinkle! I was very impressed.
After his bath I was getting ready to get him out of the tub and I noticed that he looked like he was starting to strain so I asked him if he needed to go poopy and wanted to sit on the potty chair and he said yes again! I really didn't think he would actually go while sitting there, he has never even attempted to go poop on the toilet before and I have heard that usually getting kids to go poop in the toilet is the hardest part of potty training but he sat there very determinedly and had a really big BM in the toilet. After a couple of seconds I noticed he was shivering so I got an extra towel to wrap around him and he loved that! Every time I heard another little plop in the toilet I asked him if he was going poopy some more and he always said yes and then I praised him to high heaven. Oh the things we parents get excited about! He was so proud of himself! When he was half way through he pointed down the hall so I asked if he wanted Daddy to come up and he smiled really big and nodded so I called Greg up and he very proudly showed Greg that he was sitting on the potty chair! It was too cute!
You know it is never safe to read the blog of a nurse or a parent and here you have both in one!
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
making brownies
Luke and I made brownies last night, he helped with just about everything, unwrapping the butter, holding a bowl for me to put egg shells in, helping pour the ingredients, it was a blast. Of course the best part is when it's all done and you get to lick the beater! I think this was the first time I have let him lick the beater and we stripped him down first and gave him his bath immediately afterwards. (-: He really had fun and I got some great pics! Enjoy!
Yum!
Yum!
Monday, November 30, 2009
Thanksgiving!
We were able to go to both the Bartel and the Regier Thanksgivings this year, amazing! First was the Bartel gathering, all day and almost everyone was there!
Luke had a lot of fun with my cousins and my aunts and uncles, and Annette was able to get him to go play outside with her all by himself, no mommy attached. (-:
Greg got some game playing in at both gatherings, but I only got pics of this one.
Unfortunately I only got one good picture from the Regier get together. It was a really fun afternoon, wonderful food and all the traditions. At the Regier gatherings my grandma always gets out her beautiful plates and goblets (I'll have to take pics at Christmas). Each person gets a verse at their place with their name on it and after we are all sitting we go around and read our verses. Then we sing a hymn that has become the Regier anthem, "Thank the Lord".
Again Luke really enjoyed playing with my cousins. There are a lot of them on the Regier side and they had fun running around with him.It was another no nap day but he made it with out any melt downs either! We went home around 5pm and he fell asleep in the car.
Luke had a lot of fun with my cousins and my aunts and uncles, and Annette was able to get him to go play outside with her all by himself, no mommy attached. (-: 
Greg got some game playing in at both gatherings, but I only got pics of this one.
Unfortunately I only got one good picture from the Regier get together. It was a really fun afternoon, wonderful food and all the traditions. At the Regier gatherings my grandma always gets out her beautiful plates and goblets (I'll have to take pics at Christmas). Each person gets a verse at their place with their name on it and after we are all sitting we go around and read our verses. Then we sing a hymn that has become the Regier anthem, "Thank the Lord".
Again Luke really enjoyed playing with my cousins. There are a lot of them on the Regier side and they had fun running around with him.It was another no nap day but he made it with out any melt downs either! We went home around 5pm and he fell asleep in the car.
Fun at the park!
Today Luke and I went to the play ground at our church, about two blocks from our house. Luke really loves being outside, walking, watching the cars and truck go by, etc. He is also big enough now that he can at least attempt most of the things at the playground so he really loves going there. Today was perfect, beautiful weather and lots of friendly people. On our way over there two semi trucks honked for Luke! Then just across the street from the church there were some construction workers digging and Luke was fascinated by what they were doing so he and I sat down and watched for several minutes.
I think the construction workers enjoyed having a little audience and they smiled and waved at Luke.
After a while Luke was ready to go on to the playground. As you can see below he played on just about everything.
I really had fun watching him play. A few weeks ago I chopped my hair of and I recently realized that I haven't taken any pics of my now much shorter hair, so here are a few I took this afternoon. It wasn't the best hair day, but it wasn't too bad either. I am considering going a little shorter yet, but for now this is nice because it is long enough that I can still tie it back if I want to.
After a long time playing Luke and I headed home, Luke still had energy to run!
I think the construction workers enjoyed having a little audience and they smiled and waved at Luke.
After a while Luke was ready to go on to the playground. As you can see below he played on just about everything.
I really had fun watching him play. A few weeks ago I chopped my hair of and I recently realized that I haven't taken any pics of my now much shorter hair, so here are a few I took this afternoon. It wasn't the best hair day, but it wasn't too bad either. I am considering going a little shorter yet, but for now this is nice because it is long enough that I can still tie it back if I want to.
After a long time playing Luke and I headed home, Luke still had energy to run!
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