The DuRoss Clan: Derek, Hope, Selah, Judah & Mercy

Home Update - FINALLY!!!

2011-06-28T19:12:00.000-07:00

So, I finally am getting around to posting some updated pictures of our house!!! When I look at these pictures I am amazed at how much has gotten done in such a short period of time. If it wasn't for the help from all our amazing friends and family - it wouldn't have been possible - we love ya all!!! The other thing that strikes me as I look at these pictures is God's hand in it all. If it wasn't for Him and Him alone - we wouldn't be in this amazing home. It gives me goose bumps as I remember how clearly He showed Himself through every last detail of our home sale and purchase - up to us signing our new home exactly 9 years to the day of our first home. He has given us more in this home than we ever could have imagined and it makes me laugh inside to think of the other homes I was saddened to have lost along the 2 1/2 year wait. He has once again reminded me that He does know best and I need to just trust in Him for He is so faithful. I think the best thing about being in our new home is the true sense of "home at last". We feel such peace and contentment being here together as a family. There is something to be said about having to wait a long time for something - because with that comes such joy when the end has come and you see what He has delivered. We LOVE our house, the good, the bad and the ugly and LOVE working on a home once again. It is fun to want to do something to your house and I feel like we have missed that desire for so long. So, without further ramblings - here is the updated version of our home and there will be more photos to come as our projects here are endless!!!

The Living Room

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The Dining Room

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The Kitchen

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The Master Bathroom

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The Family Room

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Our Man is "4" and more....

2011-05-31T11:20:00.000-07:00

Yes, Yes....I know it has been forever and a day since I have blogged - but the house has been keeping us MORE than busy and we love it. And, nope - there are no updated pictures on this blog, but very soon I promise!!! Today I just had to get my bootie in gear and get these pics up of our Big Man who turned "4" yesterday! He has been making progress in leaps and bounds and there are days I think "can he stop chatting just for a second" and then I laugh inside knowing this is what we have been waiting so long to hear. He is full of expressing himself these days and mostly it is all good. He has adjusted to our new house like a true champ and his new school just as well (to the surprise of all his doctors and teachers, but not to our Lord - who knows him best)!! He still has the most amazing smile - I can't help but think he will win over his future bride with it one day! He is our joy, our funny man, our tender hearted spirit and our lover of all things outdoors. Happy Birthday Sweet Boy - We Love You!!!

As for our girls...Mercy is like Judah and LOVES the outdoors - really, she just loves life in general and I am soaking every single minute up of these toddler days. Don't get me started that she is our last - the tears won't stop!! She is chatting up a storm herself and has even learned how to sing "Happy Birthday To You". She is attached to my hip and is a true "Mama's Girl" - but honestly, she is my last and I wouldn't want it any other way!! With that being said though - one of the greatest joys I get each day is when Derek pulls in and she goes screaming for her daddy, it is the most precious thing ever!

And last, but not least is our Selah Anne!! Her progress in school this year is just scary...she is reading and writing unbelievably. Her favorite thing to do is read her bible to us and go over a list of questions to see if we "understood" what she just read!! She keeps us on our toes alright. The other day I was blown away by the math sheet she came home with and that it was done all by herself. Here is a shot of her at her school play - thanks Nana and Papa for sharing in her big day. Kindergarten graduation is this week and that is another topic that will turn the water works on. So, for now I will leave it at that and hope to blog soon about her graduation and our home! Love ya all.

Selah's Ski Lesson #2

2011-01-17T06:04:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, Selah took her second ski lesson at Alpine Valley in Chesterland. Judah accompanied me to watch Selah in action as she hit the slopes. The winds were whipping out of the north at around 30 mph (hence, a bit of camera shake). Yes, it was frigid and the three of us were ready for a warm-up. From Alpine, we headed west on Mayfield road for a bite and a bit of indoor playground fun.

Ski Lesson #2 from Derek DuRoss on Vimeo.

Finally, Alpine Valley 'Resort' made national news Saturday when skiers had to be plucked from the the Quad ski lift. I guess we left just in time, although, I would have enjoyed documenting the action on my video camera!

Below is a video of this story. Here is the link to the actual write-up: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41095299

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

2010 - Full of Family, Full of Friends, Full of Deep Deep Love

2011-01-04T07:14:00.000-08:00

Well, 2010 has come and gone. Where do the years go? Hope and I often wish we could just freeze moments in time. Yet we all know that is not to be...we get older, our kiddos get bigger, and life moves ever so fast. That being said, Hope and I take comfort in knowing that our faithful and sovereign Lord has each and every moment of our lives, perfectly planned and in His loving hands.

So as we move into 2011, here is a look back at the year that was 2010: Another wondeful year filled with the many blessings of family and friends and lots and lots of love. For our family, we thank the Lord for always providing and lay all of our plans for 2011 at His feet.

We love you all so much and thank each one of you for making 2010 such a special year.

Love,

Derek, Hope, Selah, Judah, and Mercy

Our Family - 2010 Review in Pictures from Derek DuRoss on Vimeo.

Happy Birthday Sweet Girl

2010-10-03T05:22:00.000-07:00

When I think of Mercy's 1st year of life - it is filled with many emotions. It is a bit hard to not look back over the last year and see the impact cancer has had on our lives. Mom DuRoss was diagnosed with Sarcoma a few months before Mercy was born and has gone through radiation and 2 surgeries in this first year of her life. Heather was diagnosed exactly one week after Mercy was born with Non Hotchin's Lymphoma and under went chemotherapy during her first year of life. What most people would look at as a devistating year, I honestly only see blessing upon blessing the Lord has graced us with. He gave us a child whose name has lived up to more than I ever would have imagined. She is a daughter who not only brings joy to my heart, but walked the chemo hall with me at every visit bringing smiles to the patients and care giver's day. She slept in her NeNe's arms while she was being treated and brought peace to her soul. She has snuggled up with Nana and Papa after returning from Boston and mom's treatments there. Our sweet girl has experienced so much in her first year of life and I am thankful that the Lord gave her to me at just the moment I would need such sweet love from a baby. What a gentle way the Lord choose to guide me through this year - how could you look back and not just be thankful for His love over us all?? I love you Mercy Lynn DuRoss - you have a tender loving soul, you bring a smile to my everyday, you have a presence of contentment and yet we already see your passion for life. Mostly as I look over this past year I realize even more that I am just crazy over you!!

Happy Birthday Sweet Girl - Happy Birthday!

Our Big Man is "3"!!!

2010-06-11T04:59:00.000-07:00

Our Favorite Things About Judah:

His face - it tells it all!!

His tender heart towards his sisters

How he plays pretend "night-night" and lays all his animals to bed, turns the fan on, sings them each a song and kisses them goodnight!

How he will follow Selah to the moon and back

How he is CRAZY over his "baby" aka..Mercy

His quirky sense of humor

His need for lots of drinks throughout the day

His eyes - they simply draw you in!

Even though he is "3" ~ he still wants to cuddle mommy all day long!

How a day spent outside working with daddy is like winning the lottery!

That he is our son and we are blest to have him in our lives, teaching us everyday and loving us with his amazing heart.

Growin Up!!!

2010-05-24T12:40:00.000-07:00

Selah's first "Big-Girl" birthday party at Cut N Curls!

She is moving up... Kindergarten here we come!

Mercy brightens everyday (almost 8 months old)

Bath time in the Kitchen sink!!

Judah's dog (ok...Morgan's ~ but half the day Lola is ALL Judah's!!)

Be still my heart ~ our big man will be turning 3!!

2010-04-28T19:23:00.001-07:00

LIFE!!

2010-02-24T12:14:00.000-08:00

OK ~ so I may be saying "LIFE" a lot lately!! But, what I have realized is though I may say it to release my emotions during difficult times, I also say it to express my true love for family and the crazy moments that can only be shared by living life together!! This month has brought some GREAT milestones and I can't help but thank the Lord that we are at this point in our lives right now. We just finished Heather's very last chemo treatment this week ~ can I hear a big whoooohoooo!!! It has been a long journey and one I feel overwhelmed to have been able to share with my sis. I am proud of her spirit, her devotion to pointing all things towards her Saviour, her will to press through the hard days, her kindness even in the midst of the storm and for her commitment to shower love to those she loves ~ I love ya sis! It was with tears in my eyes that I got to see her ring the bell for her very last treatment and do a dance in my heart that this season is past and a new season is ahead!

Another BIG milestone this month was Selah turning "5" ~ yes, it is true, she is all grown up! She was snuggled up in my lap the other night and I thought to myself "when did the day come that she was too big to pick up" and "who is this child that is reading a book to me" and "how does she draw pictures better than her own mom". I just love her so much and want time to slow down a bit to soak it all in. She is a joy to be around, she has an amazing heart, a gentle soul and most of all ~ she is my baby even if she is 5!!

So, I don't know if this qualifies for a milestone or not ~ but Judah got his very first mohawk this month and I could just eat him up!!! I mean really, should we start swatting all the girls away now from our door??? He has grown up so much this month. We're proud of all the work he has been doing with Help Me Grow for speech therapy and can't believe the progress he is making. I feel like our little man is coming out of his shell with people other than us now and I love it!! Give him a tad bit of attention and he will not only melt your heart, but make you laugh at his humor and light up your day with his smile!

And last but certainly not least is our almost 5 month old girl. She on the other hand is making more progress than I can stand. I guess it is too much to ask her to stay my sweet little infant forever ~ since this month she too reached a milestone and rolled over for the first time. Agggghhhh, make it stop!! With the other two I couldn't wait for all these big milestones, but with her, our very last, it just makes me sad!! She brings me such joy it's hard to explain ~ she is laid back, content, happy, loving and her smile too can light up an entire room! I guess I will just have to capture it all in while I can and remind her that even as she grows, she will always be my baby.

Girl's Night Out

2010-01-24T14:24:00.000-08:00

"When you ask God for a gift, be thankful if He sends, not diamonds, pearls or riches, but the love of real true friends" Helen Steiner Rice

RELAXATION!! That is all I can say about our girl's night out this month! Courtney organized the perfect night out for all us girlies at a nail salon in Chagrin. We brought the appetizers, wine and dessert and literally sat back to soak up every minute of our fabulous pedicures. Our toes are happy ~ ohhhhh yes, they are happy and pretty cute if I do say so myself.

And, on that topic ~ Selah is always asking if she can come with me to "Girl's Night" and I am always saying "NOOOOO"!! I love her and all, but sometimes I just need a night to get caught up on all the scoop with my own girlies! But, on this particular night ~ Selah had the great privilege of joining the fun. Morgan turned 14 and got to invite 2 of her best buddies (Codi & Sarah) to join Heather & I for a night of pottery and yummy food. In the end, she asked if Kayla and Selah could join us as well ~ so for once, my answer to Selah's question got to be "YESSSSSS"! What a treat it was to see Selah make her own pottery creation ~ a cute little kitty. I loved watching Morgan with her own friends and realizing just how grown up my sweet niece has become. I am proud of her beyond words ~ she has such a tender and giving heart and has become quite the chef in her house. I love ya Morgan!!! Thanks for letting Selah and I be part of your big night out.

Better Late Then Never!!

2010-01-17T21:00:00.000-08:00

OK ~ Yes, I am waaaaay behing on blogging, but at least I am getting to it ~ right??? So, our Christmas started off early this year with a fun-filled trip from Uncle Chip & Aunt Audrey. We strolled the Village, ate at the YT, had Wii competitions, made yummy meals together, watched "concerts" on the fireplace, and even bowled with the kids for the first time. The kiddos soaked up EVERY single minute with them they could and were left literally in tears the morning they left. Thanks Chip & Audzz for always making such leaps and bounds to get here and spend time with us ~ we love ya and miss ya like crazy!!

Our next Christmas event was with the wild Austin clan on Christmas Eve. What an answer to all of our prayers that Heather was feeling fabulous, so she could enjoy every moment with the family! I think the best part of being all together is hearing the noise that penetrates through the whole house with kiddos galore. I love sitting back and watching their imaginations at work and their love for one another shine through. Thanks too to Morgan, Logan & Kayla for getting down to the younger cousin's level and making it always crazy fun for them ~ we love you guys!

And last, but never least was our DuRoss Christmas at home just the five of us! I love saying that ~ the five of us!! Poor Mercy, we love ya sweetie, but since you are too young to realize whether "Santa" came or not ~ he didn't for you this year!!! I love setting traditions with the kids and this year we decided to let them open one present each on Christmas Eve, which was new pj's to wear for the morning. They actually did a great job sleeping in before coming to our room to start the festivities. There really is such joy in giving and watching their bright eyes and open mouths as they get just what they were wanting. I am thankful they realize it is more than just presents and are really beginning to understand the true meaning of Christmas. I love my family and treasure all these moments with them.

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2009

December Update

2009-12-13T17:59:00.000-08:00

One might say this is an interesting picture choice for a December Update ~ but I just had to put in this photo of our two pumpkins and their pumpkin creations this year. I am wondering where October and November went and couldn't let it slide by without posting this shot!

One may think that I am going back into the archived pictures once again for this next photo ~ but I am not, we are just having unusually warm weather this winter. I know I should be frustrated that we aren't getting hit with blizzard after blizzard since I am the wife of a man supported by Mr. Heater ~ but I am still just a girl who LOVES warm weather, so I am not complaining!! This new ride was a very sweet gift from a generous friend whose children had outgrown it ~ our children have been smiles ever since!

Our baby girl is already 10 weeks old and I literally wish I could freeze time. The other day Derek teased me and said "she doesn't even look like an infant anymore" ~ say it isn't true. Not only is she the most content, happy and loving baby ~ but she is our last and I feel the need to capture every single second I can with her. I mean really, look at her ~ not too hard to just stare for hours and soak her in!!!

Last but not least ~ our tree is up, the house is decorated and we are ready to simply and joyously enjoy family this Christmas!! Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas until I post again!

Miss Molly's Tea Room

2009-11-19T10:13:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday we headed down to Medina for our 1st Annual Mother/Daughter Tea Room day at Miss Molly's. There is something that simply melts your heart while watching your 4 year old pour her own china tea pot (full of lemondade) and sip out of a very tiny tea cup. The weather was amazing ~ so we were able to tour the town's charming stores and soak in the gorgeous day. I am thankful for so many things this year ~ mostly family and the support and love I recieve from each of them. It was a huge blessing that Heather was feeling great on Saturday and I just have to say how proud I am of my big sis!! I feel like I am walking through this with her and yet realize that it is her getting the chemo treatments, it is her feeling sick and exhausted, it is her loosing her beautiful hair and it is her that each day chooses to surrender to the Lord and make the very best of the day she has been given. God was merciful to give us a wonderful day and I will always treasure this day!!

"You don't choose your family ~ they are God's gift to you, as you are to them" Desmond Tutu

Mercy Lynn DuRoss

2009-11-01T08:51:00.001-08:00

I can hardly believe our sweet baby girl is already one month old ~ where has the time gone! Sorry to have taken so very long to post pictures, life has been a bit crazed to say the least. So, lets go back to that memorable day on October 1st when Mercy Lynn DuRoss brought tears of joy to our eyes. That morning I woke up and realized very quickly that "today was the day"! It really was a picture perfect labor and delivery ~ and for our last child, I was so thankful for a wonderful birthing experience. I labored a bit throughout the day at home, stopped in at the Hairnook to have my hair braided (yes, in labor I still cared about my hair!), got to the hospital and within 3 hours she was born ~ in only 4 pushes. I have to say the moment they said she was a girl, my heart just melted and I fell deeply in love with her just like our other two.

We were beyond thrilled and blest to have my mom, Heather and Joanie in the delivery room with us for the big event!

I remember thinking throughout the day that it seemed so odd to be going into labor 9 days early and for it to be moving along as quickly and easily as it did ~ it took only one week to realize why the Lord had been so merciful to us that day. It was exactly one week after Mercy was born that we were given the very sad news that Heather (my big sis) has Non-Hotchkins Lymphoma. Although our world seems to have been turned upside down with this sadness ~ I do know this, that the Lord gave us this time to be filled with joy in our new baby and He is not at all surprised by the timing of all these events. He is sovereign, He has a plan and purpose, and He will love us through this storm of life. There is a song that I cling to that simply states my core belief "I believe, He is the Christ, Son of the Living God" ~ and in that statement I place my every hope.

As we look into our little girl's eyes ~ we feel our family complete!

Seriously ~ could there be two more handsome men in my life???

As we brought Mercy home from the hospital ~ we couldn't stop laughing at just how much she reminds us of Selah. If you could see this same shot of Selah when she was born, it is scary how identical they look!

Selah and Judah have been amazing with their little sister. Each night wanting to take turns holding her, kissing her, helping out with bath time and for some reason ~ getting really excited when it's time to change her "poops"!!

So Mercy Lynn ~ Happy 1 Month Birthday, we love you!!

Reflections on Summer 2009

2009-09-09T16:00:00.000-07:00

There are times I think about our summer and realize it certainly has not been the "normal" summer and it almost feels like the summer that never was. But, then I look at all our pictures and realize that even through the storms of life ~ we have been blessed with beauty, friends and family that we love. As I think about our end to summer ~ I am thankful that we're entering a new "season" in our lives which will bring two wonderful events, a new life to cuddle up and love and Mom and Dad DuRoss back home with us. Here are some pictures to share in the joys over the past few months.

So ~ how can you have joy without friends and food I ask you?? To me, IMPOSSIBLE! Here are some shots from our "girls get-away" to Lake Milton. God has been so good to give us friends that are able to walk through life with us and just enjoy life's simple pleasures!

How can you have summer without extreme croquet ~ and how can you have this summer without the new and very much beloved hand-engraved croquet set??? To the men, IMPOSSIBLE! So thankfully they were given amazing weather to play as many "rounds" as they desire, wives who let them play for hours at every family gathering, and good times trying to beat the other!

Another great week that we didn't post pictures of yet was in July when Chris, Erika & Finn came to visit us from Utah. I ask again, how can you have a DuRoss family gathering without heading to Chautauqua for some boating time? To all of us ~ IMPOSSIBLE! Although the week was filled with the sadness of mom's diagnosis, it was also filled with lots of love, fishing off the dock w/ lessons from Papa, and lots of laughter watching the cousins play, play play. And yes, this picture had to be blogged to prove even Uncle Chris joined in the play time!!!

Last, but certainly not least ~ is our end of the summer pictures from Geauga Lake Waterpark. Do I need to ask how you have a summer without spending the sunny days catching waves at the wave pool, dancing with Snoopy and the Gang and riding the wild slides? To the "Austin" cousins ~ IMPOSSIBLE! It was amazing to see how brave Selah has become this year, literally throwing herself under the waves and to watch our little man trying to keep up with all his big cousins. Good times for sure!!

What I am able to reflect upon now is really quite simple ~ our God is good, faithful and truly a constant through it all. "Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God" Psalm 90:1-2

Boston "Love"

2009-08-25T13:19:00.000-07:00

Our time in Boston was short ~ but ohhhhh so sweet! It meant everything to get to visit Mom & Dad DuRoss while they're there for 5 weeks during her radiation treatments. We were able to experience their life from mom's radiation appointment and the huge machine, to the crazy beach tides that go out almost 1/2 mile, to where their laundry room is, to where they make chicken salad at night, to just how uncomfortable their couches are (seriously, feel sorry for them people), to city tours that should have thrown me into labor!!! Here are some photos to highlight our time with them.

Charles Street has fun shops, yummy restaurants and mainly wasn't too far for me (big and preggers to walk to)!

George Washington statue at the most beautiful park right in the city. It made us keep asking ~ why doesn't Cleveland look like this???

I begrudgingly place this photo in here (but Audzzz did ask to see my belly ~ so here ya go)!!

Can't ya just feel the love between them ~ this is a pond in the middle of the beautiful park I was mentioning above.

The architecture is so beautiful in Boston ~ it was easy to love the city for its old world charm and yet hate the city for keeping Mom and Dad away from us.

Derek couldn't leave without getting a shot of the historic (or so I am told) Fenway Park.

I couldn't leave without getting a shot of 7-Eleven ~ the store I grew up with as a child in PA.

Photos from our relaxing day at Boston's finest beach! If you closed your eyes and imagined large waves hitting the beach ~ you could almost believe we were in North Carolina on summer vacation.

I think the best part of the trip was just "being" with Mom and Dad and realizing that no matter where they are ~ we are right there with them in our hearts! We miss you like crazy already and are counting down the days until you return HOME to us.

Reel Time

2009-06-29T06:05:00.000-07:00

Our men became fishermen on Saturday when they headed out on Lake Erie for a manly excursion of charter boat fishing. What I was able to gather from my hubby's beaming face and all the "sea" stories ~ the day was perfection from start to finish!

(Derek, Mark, Dad, Logan, Dave & Gordy)

From generation to generation ~ I love this picture of Logan with Grandpa! Makes me realize that it won't be too long before our little Judah will be out there hanging with the big boys.

Logan claimed the first fish of the day ~ way to go buddy!

I hear the steelhead were especially fiesty and Gordy got to capture this guy as he flung himself out of the cooler.
Derek reeled in his own beauty!

The "elderly" men getting their much needed rest!!!

Great catch Dave ~ life is good!

Couldn't resist adding this picture ~ is our boy handsome or what?? And, he's the only true fisherman of the day wearing proper hat attire!

Love ya Pops ~ glad you enjoyed your big day!

1st Chautauqua Trip - 2009

2009-06-25T09:26:00.000-07:00

Our first weekend to Chautauqua of the year was filled with good times even though it rained the entire first day and we had no power for hours!! Nana came through with many books and board games to keep the kiddos captivated. Papa created an "outing" to Home Depot where the mowers were a huge hit and then lunch at the Westfield diner! Thankfully the clouds rolled back on Sunday and we had a great ride on the boat with our two little sailors on board. Both getting their own chance to be "CAPTAIN OF THE SHIP!!! Ahhhhhhh, you know summer is in full swing once you hit the comfort of the cottage, peace and our new love ~ Blokus!!

My "John Deere" Man

2009-06-08T11:17:00.000-07:00

We got the deal of a LIFETIME with our latest addition to the family! They were asking $75 ~ Derek offered them $50 and then we spent $25 on a new battery to get this baby running like new. I am not sure whose toy this machine really is ~ Selah's, Judah's or Derek's!!! What I do know is that all three of them are just as excited as the next to hear that motor cranking. The only disappointment is our yard is pretty small and mowing goes just TOO quickly now ~ or so I am told!!!

Happy Birthday Judah

2009-05-30T18:19:00.000-07:00

Ok, so maybe it is my pregnancy hormones getting the best of me lately ~ but I could cry just sitting here realizing that our big boy is 2 years old today! I couldn't imagine a day without my sweet man stealing my heart and bringing all of us such joy. One of Judah's best qualities to date is his never ceasing patience. Bless his little heart ~ he will wait on you for anything as long as he knows it is coming!!! I love that he is such a boy ~ we all know how much he loves anything that is a RIDE and he goes bonkers when he sees daddy's car pull in the driveway for his wrestling time ~ yet he has the sweetness to do absolutely anything that makes his sister happy; playing dressing up, putting her baby dolls "night-night", and giving you kisses all day long. What can I say ~ he is the 2nd man that has ever stolen my heart, I love you sweet Judah!

Preschool Graduation

2009-05-20T06:07:00.001-07:00

Selah and Miss Ellen (aka....Teacher of the Year!!!)Judah's so proud of his big sister!

Selah and Mag's (aka...Maggie ~ school mate and friend)

So I think this post will tell you all the things I did "NOT" do on Selah's last day of school (or possibly I may have)! I most certainly did not start crying the moment the older class came out in their graduation caps...Nope, not me! I would never start crying when Selah was up singing her songs to Jesus...Nope, not me! I definitely did not start crying when attempting to thank Miss Ellen for the most amazing year with our daughter...Nope, not me! And, I was not that parent in the hallway having to be consoled by all the other mom's (who were crying too) that this is only preschool and we have many "graduations" ahead of us...Nope, not me! Selah sweetheart, mommy and daddy are so proud of you this year for all you have learned ~ to raise your hand in class, to share with others, to write your full name with upper and lower case letters, for all your beautiful art projects, and most importantly for your tender heart towards Jesus our King!

On a little side note (the below is written mostly for you Western DuRoss's):
Last week I asked Selah to hand me a box to throw in the garbage. She said "mommy, we have to recycle this box, see it has a recycle sign on it". I asked "Selah, where did you learn that" she said "Blues Clues mommy"!!! Well, I was amazed and then took the box and proceeded to ashamedly place it in the garbage, she again said "mommy, that doesn't belong in the garbage we have to take that somewhere for them to reuse". Ok, ok, ok ~ so Blues Clues has finally gotten the best of me!!! Any great ideas for helping us "learn" to recycle, feel free to share!! Love ya all.

Easter 2009

2009-04-19T16:50:00.000-07:00

Easter brought many fun activities for our kiddos this year. The morning started with church ~ Selah is learning more than I can believe sometimes! Then we had the "Austin" clan over to our house for a wild egg hunt for the little kids and an intense scavenger hunt for the older Petrie kids. Uncle Derek went all out this year with clues like "On the inside sometimes I glow, but in the winter I just collect snow" (answer: our grill), "Monday through Saturday in one place do I stay, but on Sunday to the street I make my way" (answer: garbage can)! Anyhoo ~ you get the gist, we had fun with it!

Stumped anyone????The fun didn't end there ~ we headed over to Mom and Dad DuRoss's for a night with Gammy, Uncle Steve & Aunt Pat. Selah got quite the treat as Nana surprised her with her own intense scavenger egg hunt. She had Selah running all through the house with her clues finding the next egg and as usual ~ Judah just followed right after her. They were spoiled at the end with yummy easter egg baskets in the "hidden closet" at Nana's ~ for those that don't know where it is, you will have to ask Selah! To sum it all up ~ we had a great family day!!! Thanks everyone for making such special memories for our babes!

The Difference A Day Can Make!!

2009-04-06T17:12:00.001-07:00

Here's the scoop ~ the picture above was taken today and the shots below were taken yesterday. Yup, we live in OHIO!!! Thankfully we took full advantage of the amazing weather yesterday with the Petrie clan and headed out for a bike riding adventure at Bear Town Lakes, dinner at Yours Truly, play-time at Chagrin Falls park and last but certainly not least, ice cream at the Popcorn Shop! We were astonished at how steady Selah was on her bike this year and braking quite well down the hills. Not long before we try no training wheels! Judah thought he was on his own "ride" (just the stroller really), but he kept shouting with thrill "ride-ride"!!! It was a great day and even though the winter storm has crept back in today ~ it was a great reminder that spring/summer is so very close!!!

Kayla kept Selah busy reading while she wrote chalk messages all down the bike trails!

Logan checking out what fish were in the pond ~ he's becoming quite the man!

Judah's week!

2009-03-29T10:58:00.001-07:00

So our little man gave us quite the scare this week ~ with our first (of many I am sure) trips to the ER. Somehow he found the strength to pull down our old 30-40 lb. tv right onto himself. I turned around to see him trapped from chest to feet underneath it! After calling the doctors office, they sent us into the ER to make sure there was no internal bleeding or cracked ribs. God was watching over our boy and thankfully all was well. The very next day we headed out for our weekly playgroup at the park (loving the beautiful spring weather) ~ only to have him flip over half way down the slide and get the nice scrapes you see on his nose. Seriously, how much can one mama take in a week!

p.s. These pictures are taken with our new camera ~ Nikon L100!!!

Spring Fever!

2009-03-14T11:56:00.000-07:00

Seriously ~ it has been WAY to long since I blogged last. So, I thought I would recap the past month or two and catch everyone up on our lives! Selah turned 4!!!! I know everyone says the same thing, but truly "where has the time gone". She is practically a grown-up already! Her days mostly consist of preschool (obsession with everything about Miss Ellen ~ her teacher), reading, and telling us either stories or singing us a song through0ut the day. Literally ~ she even sings most of her prayers!!! The funny thing is the other day she was singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star in the car and everytime, right before she would say "Star" ~ Judah shocked me and he said it for her!! Really sweet and amazing, because he ISN'T an "on-demand" talker ~ I mean, the boy knows many words, but if you ask him to say it, you can forget him doing it (hmmmmm, where would that stubborn streak come from???? ~ ok, yes, it is the Austin blood in him!!!).

As for Judah ~ besides the fact that he is holding out on us with his chatting, he actually can be quite the talker, just on his terms! His latest saying is "night-night" ~ and he giggles tremendously over this one, not sure why! Besides the cranky spout here or there with teething ~ he is just such a happy little guy. He LOVES trying on shoes, boots, heels ~ whatever he can get his little hands on. We just bought him his first pair of crocks and he was beside himself! Mostly ~ he just loves imitating his big sister, Derek got the best video last week and if I can figure out how to post it, I will.

My favorite thing about the two of them is their love for one another. Don't get me wrong ~ there are times it can be a love/hate relationship ~ but there is something so amazing about watching how they're growing in their bond to each other. Judah would follow Selah to the moon and back if he could ~ and nothing makes me want to cry more than sitting back and thanking God for the both of them.

As for me ~ I am now 10 weeks pregnant and still a bit in awe that we're going down this road again (one last time!!!!). I have been really nauseous this round, which I wasn't with the other two ~ but hopefully that will pass in the next couple weeks. Our due date for those that don't know is October 10th ~ so we're really excited to have the summer with just the two, before our world turns upside down once again! We have lots of names twirling around in our heads ~ but feel free to give any suggestions!!

Ok ~ that is about it for now, I will try and be more dedicated to keeping all those we love updated in the future. And, no I didn't leave Derek out ~ he has just been super swamped with work and anything besides that is him being the most AMAZING "family-man" that I know. He is a testimony every day of demonstrating a true servant's heart and reminds me why I am so blest to have him as my hubby.

Love ya all.

Christmas 2008

2008-12-30T13:02:00.000-08:00

Before I start our Christmas photo celebration ~ I couldn't resist posting these two shots from our time w/ the Western DuRoss clan over Turkey Day. Chip and Audz already made a great post from our time together, but these were two adorable shots I had to put on here! Finn ~ we miss you buddy and the kiddos do too! And to all those Western Clan DuRoss's ~ we miss you too and hope you had a great time with your family over Christmas!

Below is a shot of our sweet Selah as she just discovered that Santa really did come to our house this year and ate all the cookies and milk she left out. Even Rudolf enjoyed the yummy carrots she remembered to put out for him! This was an awesome year with both our kids ~ Selah was REALLY into the idea of Santa and all those fun tales we told her, but even more than that ~ there was never a doubt in our minds that she completely understood what Christmas was truly about and the great sacrifice that Christ gave to each of us as a humble child coming to this earth. If that doesn't bring a parent joy, I don't know what does! As for Judah ~ he may not get the meaning yet, but he certainly did get the idea of ripping open presents!!!

Selah got a baker's outfit from Mommy for Christmas this year. I love our time in the kitchen together and now she is all set to dig right in there with me!

We spent our Christmas Eve over at NeNe Heather's home. As the years go on, I just love the traditions we're establishing for our children to not only count on but come to love as much as I do. This year Heather and I did a CRAZY amount of baking cookies and even made Grandma Hoy's marshmallow log roll. What's so special to me about making this, is that Heather was the one w/ the sweet memory of my Grandma making these many many years ago ~ but it wasn't until we actually cut into it that my memories came flooding back and even now it makes me want to cry.

Uncle Gordy, Alexa & Selah

Is my man cute or what???

The three amigos "Leah, Kayla & Selah" ~ yes the beat red faces are from playing non-stop!

On Christmas Day we got to spend the whole day over at Nana & Papa's which the kiddos couldn't wait to do. Little did Selah know that they had quite the Christmas surprise waiting for her! This picture isn't Nana sneaking her some spoonfuls of Cool Whip (although she does that plenty!!!), but one of the hidden clues for the scavenger hunt she went on to find her AMAZING dollhouse!!! Our girl has quite the imagination ~ so I can't wait to watch and listen to her through the many years she is going to love this special gift.

We were also excited to spend this Christmas with not only Nana, Papa & Gammy ~ but Susan, Stephanie too! My only regret is there wasn't more time to spend with you two. I am hoping for next year though and Dave can come along too! Selah loved getting to put on her "performances" for you guys ~ hopefully next year Judah will join in on the fun!

Halloween & more...

2008-11-10T10:30:00.001-08:00

There have been some changes this year that I must say have been fun! Morgan and Kayla are being home schooled, and as much as I was scared I wouldn't get enough sister time (selfish, I know) ~ I think we may actually see each other even more, if that is possible! Plus, I get the added bonus of sharing our days w/ my adorable nieces. Selah doesn't quite understand why we don't just live with them!!!! And another change this summer/fall is Nana & Papa's home being under MAJOR construction! So, with that comes the bonus of meals at our house w/ them! Again, Selah can't quite understand why this project isn't done yet (neither can Mom & Dad DuRoss!!!).

There are LOTS of changes with our "little man" these days too! Let me try and remember them all. We have retired our high chair and he now sits in a big boy chair next to Selah. Seriously ~that just melts my heart! He can evidently undress himself completely ~ Derek caught this great shot!! He is a pro on our stairs down to the basement. And, he is talking up a storm and probably growing weary of us saying "Judah, say........". But it's so much fun and he loves the applause! I think his most recent list (and don't be offended if you aren't on it, he is adding daily) is DaDa, MaMa, Lela (Selah), KeKe (Kitty), Ora (Dora ~ yes, he has an older sister), Nana, Baba (Sippy Cup), Eat, Shoes, Ball, More, Done, UhhhOhhhh, Nice (yes, he hears me saying "be nice to your sister all day long") ~ I am sure there are more, but that is all that comes to mind!! We are just treasuring every minute with our man and our sweet Selah. As much as they can get at each other, they love up on each other just as much. After dinner has really become their special time ~ now they head off to the basement and get into all sorts of "trouble"!!

And last, but not least, are the Halloween shots. We went to the Chesterland Fire Dept. all dressed up with the Congdons. They got to go through the rescue house and even climb out the window of the mini-me house, check out the inside of an ambulace and even "drive" a fire truck ~ what more could you ask for???

Grant, Judah, Alec & Selah

The Basement...

2008-10-25T16:38:00.000-07:00

Well ~ this basement has been quite the project, but I am very happy to say it's DONE! First in August we spent a great deal of $$$ to get it completely water-proofed and then last month we started having it finished! It was so much fun to see it go from what it was to what it is now ~ here are some shots of what has now become a beloved addition to our home! It will either help us sell our house (yup, for those that don't know it went on the market on Monday) or it will help us stay sane for the time! It goes without saying that it's Selah & Judah's favorite "hang-out" place. It's so sweet ~ every night after dinner they usually go off and have their own time just playing w/ each other! Now you know just where to find them ~ downstairs!!

September Update

2008-10-05T09:58:00.000-07:00

So, here is a sample of our September!
While the kiddos missed their Nana & Papa while they were in Idaho ~ they were VERY excited to have the use of Papa's car and his handy-dandy headphones. Little did ya know, Papa!

The next shot is of Selah & her friend Andrew. This was her very first play-date at our house. I picked them both up from preschool and they got to spend the whole day making "forts" in our "woods" and getting into all sorts of fun things ~ our girl is getting so grown up!

Next came a day at Eagle Creek Gardens for some pumpkin fun w/ the Kaselak's. Kinder Music showed up for the kids to beat on the drums and shake a thing or two, they all got to go on pony-rides ~ even our man, Judah, he was slick on that horsey! And ofcourse, we got to go through the fields on a nice crisp fall day for a hay-ride. Thanks Shasta, Scot, Harrison & Hugh!

And last, but certainly not least was our seemingly annual event at Fun-Time Inflatables w/ the Congdons. It was funny to see how just a little time can change so much. Judah was in full boy mode and couldn't wait to join in on all the action. Last time we were there he was around 11 months old and just watching ~ now he was part of the CRAZINESS! Alec just turned 2 years old ~ he's getting so big (that's him riding the slide with Selah). Happy Birthday Alec!

Labor Day & First Day of Preschool

2008-09-10T05:11:00.001-07:00

Labor Day Weekend was filled with yet another round or should I say the final round (hip hip horray!!) of the men's extreme croquet at the Austin household. Uncle Richard & Aunt Judy came in to observe this crazy festivity ~ and she still can't figure out why the girls don't play!! Well, we like to let our boys think they are better than us ~ or we really just like eating all the appetizers and desserts while they're off being manly!!! The shot of Kayla is a collection of all the apples picked from Grandma's apple tree ~ the deers will be well fed this Fall.

Our girl started preschool yesterday and was more than excited to leave me! She said she learned about a mole going to school, played w/ babie dolls, play-dough & hung w/ her friends (big scoop from one kiddo). She was even sent home a homework project ~ too cute. She had to decorate a stick figure that will hang in her classroom throughout the year. The theme was "Friends", how do you think she did????

North Carolina

2008-08-25T16:40:00.000-07:00

So, to recap our trip ~ it was a great time spent with family, chasing kiddos, yummy food and mostly just some good quality time all around. Selah took to the beach immediately ~ the ocean although was another story! Her first attempt braving the water landed her in Papa's arms w/ an ocean wave that conquered them both! Thankfully that didn't keep her out of the water too long ~ Uncle Chris won her over the next day and she loved it. Judah on the other hand, needed no time at all, nor did he think he needed anyone's help going into the ocean! What can I say, our boy has a VERY adventurous spirit!!! We got our excersise chasing him down ~ that is for sure!!! It was SOOOOOO much fun to watch Selah and Judah hanging with their cousin, Finn (photo is of him in purple bucket!). They literally would share food with each other and follow the other one all around. I couldn't help put the shot in of my two handsome men in their bath towels! Judah's face was so precious when he realized he was a big boy just like his daddy!!! And the last shot pretty much says it all ~ where are we going next!!!! Oh yeah, one more thing, just so we don't forget ~ yes, there are sting rays that make their appearance right in the waves with ya!!! Learned that one from personal experience as one headed right for Nana & I!!!! I say it's time to vacation at the lakes in Michigan!!

New doooo!

2008-08-06T14:04:00.001-07:00

Fine, so it was a "little" long ~ and as Lydia (my friend, the hair dresser) so harshly stated "it looks like a mullet". Well, that was all she had to say for Judah to get his first professional haircut!! He sat so still for her and even enjoyed his favorite pass-time ~ chatting on the phone (how manly!!!). It was sad to see his long hair get trimmed down, but hopefully we won't have to cut those blond locks again anytime soon!!! Daddy says he has to "live" thru his son's hair now.

Here is his new dooooo ~ along w/ sister and a rare shot of mommy!! It seems when you have kids you just stop documenting your own life (via pictures that is anyways!).

CHAUTAQUA "Sea Legs"

2008-07-27T13:22:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went to Chautauqua w/ the Petrie Family!! What is there to say, but it was a BLAST! As fun-packed as it was, it was equally just as relaxing. Derek and I felt privileged to have that quality time with our oldest nieces/nephew and honestly to see them grow before our very eyes. Both Logan and Morgan conquered the raging waters and succeeded in knee boarding ~ it nearly brought tears to our eyes to see them NEVER give up!!! Kayla also had her "first" water experience and braved a wild tube ride w/ me ~ thanks for sharing that experience with me sweetie! The kids just loved being outdoors and Logan truly can't figure out why the DuRoss's have any other home but Chautauqua (really, why would you live anywhere else???). As sweet as that is, we're glad they live right here ~ only 10 minutes away (most of the time!!!). Selah soaked in every second w/ the "cousins" and came up with more imaginative games than I can even remember, gotta love that. As for Judah, our boy has his "sea legs" on and loved every minute/hours we spent on the boat!!! Thanks Petrie's for the wonderful memories ~ lets do a redo soon!

July Fun

2008-07-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

Selah was invited by her friend, Emma, to come join her for a princess gymnastics class at the Little Gym. How can you resist that?? She did awesome on the balance beams and fit right into the class routine. Seriously, could she look any cuter??

Bear town Lakes was our adventure on Sunday. We went over w/ Ne-Ne Heather & Uncle David for bike rides and fishing. It was the first time Selah had officially taken her new trycle out (thanks Grandma & Grandpa Austin)! She was AMAZING. She just took right to it and went through the whole bike path all on her own. She even hung on for dear life when going down a hill a bit too fast!!! You go girl. Even Judah got in on the action ~ at first in the stroller and then thanks to Uncle David, he got his own bike ride!! Here is a shot of Morgan and Logan fishing ~ they're quite gifted in the art of casting I must say! Kayla was sweet enough to share her fishing pole w/ Selah so Derek could give her a fishing lesson of her own. Our girl has PATIENCE ~ she really hung in there for the fish, but they just didn't bite this time!

4th Of July

2008-07-06T17:05:00.000-07:00

Our weekend was filled w/ some fun activities. I was in the Aurora 4th of July parade for RE/MAX ~ my job was to drive a white convertible through the crowds of screaming kids begging for candy & beaded necklaces! Daddy brought Selah and Judah to watch their mama in the parade ~ thanks for helping him out NeNe Heather. Morgan also got to join in the festivities ~ she rode in the car w/ me and threw out the beads!

Then we went over to Grandma & Grandpa Austin's for our family gathering. I would post pictures ~ but in all honesty if you scroll down to the Memorial Day shots, they look exactly the same!!! No kidding! Slip-n-slide, 4-wheeler rides and "extreme" croquet for the men (still doesn't sound manly!).

As for the kiddos ~ Judah had a belated 1 year doctor appointment and he is truly quite the peanut. He only fell into the 3rd percent in weight (18 lbs 11 ounces) ~ what can I say, I bear petite children. His latest "things" to do are talk on the phone all day long, he always seems to be calling daddy (on his pretend phone that is), open and shut every door ~ ALL DAY LONG, and wrestling with his big Sis!

Selah's phrase for the summer is "are we going to the water park today?" She is swimming like a little fish, braving the raging water slides and body surfing in the wave pool (look out Outer Banks ~ here she comes)! Her other new thing ~ which is especially exciting for mommy, is she is determined to have all her toys picked up before daddy gets home each day!! Yeah, now we're talking!!! Gotta love that girly.

A Day In The Life Of Selah & Judah

2008-06-29T06:43:00.000-07:00

Summer fun has begun ~ we're loving our backyard this year and more importantly, the kiddos are loving our backyard! The yard is filled with a mini-pool/picnic table, water/sand table, riding toys and a mini slide ~ what more could any child ask for!

CHAUTAQUA = Relaxation! I always seem to forget just how peaceful it is in Chautauqua, it's like time just stands still. We went up w/ Mom & Dad DuRoss and the kids last weekend ~ it was awesome to see Selah & Judah soak up all the attention from their Nana & Papa and really nice for us when the kiddos went down for the night to soak up all our time w/ them too ~ we love you guys!

We had our playgroup over for a splish-splash day at our house ~ which really consisted of all the kids taking their shirts off and getting really wet! Gotta love this age of innocence!

Two weeks ago Selah went to her very first VBS (Vacation Bible School) program out at my friend Jen's church. I was amazed at how much she took in from the program ~ she really learned so much from the bible that week. She had a little "performance" at the end ~ which was sooooo adorable, here is a little clip to share (sorry it is a little dark).

This past week ~ we had VBS at our church and I got to teach the 2 year old classroom, while Nana & Morgan got to be in Selah's classroom and teach her all about the Lord. She learned that Jesus helped a blind man see, and he healed a leper, she learned that he rose again and saved us! What a blessing to have her heart turning to Him at such a young age.

Here is a fun shot of our fabulous duo. Seriously ~ how could we have stopped at just one, when there is such joy in watching the two of them play all day long together (sorry Judah, it was Selah's idea for the dress-up)!!!

Uncle Chip & Aunt Audz

2008-06-06T20:11:00.001-07:00

Picture of Papa winning the Artist of the day. We all did our own take on drawing shapes and Selah was the judge for best picture. Sad to say, mama didn't win ~ she really loved Papa's the best!

Everyone had their turn at trying on the ears! Don't know how well they really worked, but it was fun to see!

This is the big tree fort we got to got through and even Nana braved the SCARY snake slide ~ way to go Nana!

Uncle Chip won Judah's heart over ~ no surprise there though!!
Can you tell why we love them so and are holding out hope that they will become part of the Eastern DuRoss clan once again! Please come back to us!!!!

Happy Birthday Judah!!!

2008-06-02T11:20:00.001-07:00

OK ~ so I very shamefully haven't posted anything in quite some time! For those that don't know, I have a new job working for a real estate agent. I am so excited about this opportunity and LOVE the work ~ but it keeps me very busy (since I do almost all of it from home!!!). Excuses, excuses ~ I know!!

The past couple weeks have been crammed with all sorts of fun things ~ so I will start from Judah's birthday (ofcourse he has to come first) and then go back a bit!

Our "little man" turned one year's old on Friday ~ we can't believe how fast the time has gone. He still seems like such a babe in our eyes, but he trys to remind us each day that he is a BIG boy (he walks/runs, chats up a storm, claps for himself, brings me lots of books to read, climbs any stairs he can manage before I catch him, etc...)! We threw him a BIG birthday bash Saturday night over at NeNe Heather & Uncle David's home. Besides 10 minutes of rain ~ the night was perfect. And the biggest hit of the night for all the kiddos (and there were tons of them!) was the bouncy house, even daddy & mommy got in for their own turns! Judah's biggest hit of the night was his many rides on the 4-wheeler, he is hooked!!!! Literally would scream when the ride was done ~ looks like he will be spending plenty of time w/ Uncle David out in the woods some day!

Memorial Day weekend was filled with lots of fun activities! We went Friday night to the St. Anslem's fair w/ Brett & Jen (and kids too) ~ and Selah shocked us all. Her fear of rides has disappeared ~ she wanted to go on EVERY ride. But as you will see from the picture below, she passed her fear right onto her little brother! Don't worry, it just took him a bit to get over the fear of the huge lurching beast (ferris wheel)!!!

Our next round of activities was the Blossom Time parade w/ Nana & Papa on Sunday. It was a crazy long parade which Selah thought was all about the candy! Gotta love Chagrin for putting on the best of the best ~ the kids loved dancing to the music!

Then came the end of Memorial Day with our traditional Austin gathering. The day was filled w/ croquet matches for all the men (just doesn't sound very manly, does it???), slip-n-slide rounds for the kiddos, and sled rides on the 4-wheelers. That is where Judah discovered his love for the vrmmmm, vrmmmm as he calls it!

And last but certainly not least was our weekend before all those activities ~ with Chip & Audz. The kiddos loved their special time w/ you, especially at the zoo ~ what troopers you are. We are treasuring up all our time w/ you to last until the next time. Thank you for making such great efforts to come visit us in the midst of your big move to Portland. We love ya! I would post all the pictures ~ except I need Derek to come home and see why they are on Picasa but I can't upload them. Rhhhh, computers. Will get them on here soon!!!!

Our Mommy (by Selah and Judah)

2008-05-10T05:44:00.001-07:00

Daddy says this is mommy's day weekend. I guess that is why mommy is still sleeping. Daddy is taking care of us this morning...He does a good job and tries his hardest but we still prefer mommy. Judah can't talk but he says he agrees. We love our mommy so much and thank Jesus for her everyday. Our mommy does all these things for us everyday and never complains:

*Hugs and Kisses us
*Feeds us - Patiently (whatever we will eat; I can be picky like my Papa)
*Says many times during the day: "I love you!"
*Reads us Books
*Makes up Special Stories (I like the princess ones!)
*Plays with Messy Playdough
*Helps us go Potty (Judah still has diapers)
*Picks up our Toys all over the House
*Sings us Songs
*Plays Candyland, Chutes and Ladders, and I Spy
*Tickles us
*Cuddle us
*Gives us Vitamins So We Stay Healthy
*Brushes Teeth (I have lots of teeth now...Judah only has 4 or 5)
*Give us Baths (or a shower if I want)
*Does my Hair (sometimes it hurts but I like the way it looks after)
*Gets us Dressed
*Washes our Clothes
*Lets us mess up the Couch (we love our forts!)
*Lets us Watch Shows (if I stay in my bed at night)
*Cleans our Rooms
*Makes my bed nice and cozy with all my Stuffed Animals
*Takes me to play with all my friends (Hi Grant!)
*Takes us To Parks
*Takes me to Preschool
*Loves us Unconditionally (daddy says that means she will love us always and forever)

I think you can now see just how special our mommy is. She has been especially caring to us even after she hurt her leg running...Again, never complaining.

Mommy: Judah and I love you soooooooooo much. Happy mommy's day weekend!!!

BTW...These are pictures daddy took of Judah and me this morning.

Backyard Play

2008-04-27T16:33:00.000-07:00

This weekend was another beautiful one! Derek got to mow the backyard, which meant playtime for the kiddos. We love our backyard, it is a great safe haven for the kids to get all their energy out.

p.s. The picture of Selah picking flowers is for you Aunt Audz ~ HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! She wants to give them to you ~ but we'll just "pretend" that you got them!!!

Future Rock Climbers??

2008-04-23T15:30:00.000-07:00

Selah & Grant

Alec

Judah

This weekend we went w/ the Congdon's (Brett, Jen, Grant & Alec) to Red Robin for some yummy burgers (I have discovered my new favorite, the Avacado Burger served protein style "lettuce as the bun" ~ YUMMY) and to Fun Time Inflattables. We couldn't stop laughing the whole time we were there! The following video shows Selah and Grant climbing the wall to go down the slide. But, when they did this for the first time, the look on their faces was priceless ~ complete HORROR filled eyes! Too bad we don't have that on video, but it is great to see they overcame their fears and had a blast! As much as we were excited for the two older buddies (Selah & Grant) to play ~ Alec and Judah had fun of their own! They loved the bouncy house and mini slides and just trying to keep up with the older two. Judah by the way is now walking like a champ ~ today he walked through our entire kitchen and 1/2 way through the living room!

A Hiking We Will Go (and a Walking!)

2008-04-10T06:09:00.000-07:00

ANSEL'S CAVE

As Selah tells me EVERYDAY, "Spring Is Here"! We had amazing weather this weekend and decided to head over to West Woods for a little hike with the two kids (Chip & Audz do you remember taking Selah here?). Selah loved riding on daddy's back and hearing all our "nature lessons"! It was refreshing to just be outside and enjoy some quality family time ~ we even ended the event with a picnic at the park, which was loved by all.

Our other BIG news of the week is that Judah has taken his first steps! Last week he began standing on his own for a bit and then we were shocked last night when he took 4 steps for Derek! He is following right after his big sis! Enjoy the video!

Selah's Showtime

2008-03-27T09:04:00.000-07:00

As promised, here is Selah putting on one of her many perfomances ~ this one on our living room chair (any stage will do!!). And, if you listen carefully at the end, you will hear Judah saying bye-bye after Selah. Enjoy!

Scrambling for Eggs

2008-03-23T17:44:00.000-07:00

It was another great Easter this year. Derek and I went all out on our annual Easter egg treasure hunt! The little girls (Selah & Leah) went crazy searching all over NeNe Heather's basement for their hidden eggs and baskets. The older kids (Morgan, Logan & Kayla) were sent on a WILD treasure hunt throughout the house having to follow our clues to lead them to their next eggs and the ultimate prize of the baskets! Lets say this year Uncle Derek & Auntie came through and we had ALL the kiddos stumped ~ no going easy on ya! I LOVE these memories and traditions we're creating each year, you kids are the best!

Another milestone in the DuRoss house ~ Selah is sleeping in a "big girl" bed (thanks Nana & Papa for loaning us the twin bed from Chautauqua). It was another tearful moment as parents, we need to slow this process down ~ our hearts can only take so much! For those wondering, she was already sleeping the last year in a toddler bed, but moving her up to the twin bed really seems sooooo big!!!

Grins 'n' Giggles

2008-03-18T14:48:00.000-07:00

To keep you updated on our kiddos ~ here is a recap of the past week or so. Selah is beside herself on Monday's, because that is her "school-day". It seems forever ago she was shedding tears over my parting ~ now I am begging for one kiss before she runs off to be with her friends! Her imagination literally blows us away everyday. This picture below is of a picnic she made for her and I on our kitchen floor ~ thankfully she remembered the ice cream! Her other BIG thing in the last week (besides pooping on the potty!), is that she thinks any fireplace is her stage! She starts off by announcing that the "show is about to begin everyone" and ends with many bows and curtsy's! We will try to take a video this weekend to let you all in on the action ~ she is quite the actress!

Selah w/her Valentine's Day gift from daddy (a doggy she named "Jazzy" in memory of the sweetest dog ever!)

Our little man is now 9 1/2 months old and just had his check-up today. He weighed in at only 16 1/2 lbs. The doctor said it's normal for them to stay slim and trim when they are sooooo mobile! His latest big news is that he started waving and saying "ba-ba" (a.k.a. bye-bye) this past week! NeNe Heather was leaving our house and as she closed the door he did it ~ we could hardly believe it, but after our excitement, he has been doing it non-stop! And, his top two teeth are working their way on down!

As for Derek and I ~ we have become inspired by those Western Clan DuRoss's that are taking on race after race!!!! So, we enlisted the help of an amazing trainer (Mom DuRoss) and are planning on running the 5K Blossom Race over Memorial Day. Any and all tips would help! While it may seem like a small race, it's our first ever ~ so we're pretty pumped. More details to come!

Winter Wonderland

2008-03-09T16:30:00.001-07:00

Derek took this shot of our back deck

Even though we started out the week with 60 degree weather ~ we finished it with a true Ohio bang (BLIZZARD CONDITIONS)! It was a wild week in the DuRoss household, we lost power on Wednesday for 24 hours due to an ice storm (thanks Grandma/Grandpa Austin for letting us and the Petrie's take over your home). Then we lost power again for the evening last night due to our huge snow storm. Good times, good times! Actually ~ I forgot how peaceful a home can be just lit by candlelight. We had many fun rounds of "I Spy" with Selah ~ her favorite!

Yesterday we just enjoyed being safe inside and watching the snow keep on a comin' ~ but have no fear, the kids still had their fun. We pulled out the tunnel and they went crazy in it (even Noel joined in the fun)!

But, we couldn't let our (hopefully) last big storm go by with out reaping the benefits of what it brought our way. So, today we headed to NeNe Heather & Uncle David's house for some sled rides on the 4-wheelers. I love that when you get on a 4-wheeler, your youthful heart just comes screaming out!!! Thanks for all the laughs my sweet Morgan, Logan & Kayla (and NeNe & Uncle David too)!

Hope pulling Morgan & Selah

Logan & Kayla

Morgan & Selah

Dave getting ready to throw Derek off!

Selah watching the snow ball fights from a safe distance!

When is Mommy coming back???

2008-03-01T11:14:00.000-08:00

Mommy is getting a well-deserved break and is away for the weekend, scrapbooking with her sister Heather. You guessed it...that means it is all Daddy all the time for about 2 days. I don't know how you do it Mommy! However, I did manage to find a little time to put some video clips together. Enjoy!

Babbling Babes

2008-02-26T17:00:00.000-08:00

Today was Selah & Nana day ~ so I took Judah on an adventure of his own. We went over to my girlfriend Jody's house, to have a mini playdate with her twins (Jack & Kate). Here are a couple pictures to capture the fun they had together. Judah is a crawling maniac and even more obsessed with furniture walking ~ it amazes me how stable he is. So far no bumps and bruises, but something tells me there will be an ER trip at some point with this boy. Especially since last night we caught him standing on Selah's chair in the attempt to get up on her piano!!! As you can see in the close up picture below, his tooth has fully emerged and the other one is poking through now as well. His other obsession is blueberries ~ he can't eat enough of them! Thankfully they were on sale at Costco's, so I just cut them in half and away he goes!

(Jack, Kate & Judah)

(Kate & Judah crawling & sharing cherrios)

(Judah & Jack hanging out by the jumper)

(Judah showing off his big tooth)

Here are a couple fun shots of Selah playing dress-up. It is now a daily occurence for her to go get dressed up and come out only to ask "Mommy/Daddy, how I look!!!". She is LOVING her preschool and yesterday told me she learned how to concentrate as she rubbed her head and tummy at the same time (thanks Miss Margaret)!

The Days Of Our Lives

2008-02-05T17:49:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the world Alexa Lorelei Austin. She graced our presence on Sunday, January 27th. Now Gordy & Jennifer get to join the rest of us with two kiddos or more! It always amazes me when holding a newborn that my children could possibly have been that small, but only 8 months ago ~ Judah was just this size (a tissue please!!!).

Judah is keeping us on our toes ~ not only is he crawling ALL over the house, but Derek discovered on Saturday that he can now pull himself up on furniture, like his crib! He is so proud of himself everytime he accomplishes his goal ~ which pretty much includes crawling everywhere mommy goes and standing up on anything/everything that will stay sturdy long enough for him to pull up. Gotta love that boy! FYI ~ his tooth finally popped through, I will post a picture when it comes up a bit more!

And last, but certainly not least is our funny story of the week. I almost didn't put this picture on here ~ but how could I resist? To give a little background, Selah has been a weeee bit curious about me nursing ever since Judah was born. So, being "good" parents and all we just told her that was mommy's chest and that's where Judah gets his milk! Well, on Sunday Selah was drawing a stick figure of me and for the first time drew two small circles and said those were my "chesties"! We both just about fell over in laughter! We thought later, hmmmmm, will she say that to anyone else but us. Well, at Nana's today she answered that question for us by drawing this picture of Rosie from the show Caillou ~ these are the parent moments that are a bit embarassing, yet still a treasure to remember! If you ask me, she is quite talented too (even though I might be a bit prejudice)!

Happy Birthday Selah!

2008-01-28T11:32:00.000-08:00

Ok, it's very hard for Derek and I to wrap our heads around the fact that we have a three year old daughter! Seriously, where has the time gone? As parents, ofcourse it's natural to think your child is the cutest, smartest, sweetest ~ but Selah REALLY is all those things!!! We can't imagine life without her and can't wait to see what new adventures she will take us on next.

Saturday was her birthday and we threw her a little family party to celebrate the occasion. She woke up and said she wasn't three until she had her birthday cake (literally didn't want to open the presents we got her until the cake arrived) ~ quite the hoot that one! Here are the pictures so you can share in her birthday fun.

Selah getting her cuddle time w/ Logan (he just got his braces off~good job buddy)

Selah w/ her twin, Morgan (who is practically a teenager)

Selah getting help from her other cousins; Leah & Kayla blowing out the cake!

Our other BIG news is that Selah started preschool today (one day a week for 2 1/2 hours). How much can one mommy take in a week? When I dropped her off ~ it was the dreaded scene of clinging, screaming and sobbing! When I picked her up ~ she didn't even know I came back, she was too busy playing dress-up! She told me in the car ride home that "school was so much fun mommy and can I go back and play again??". I told her that made mommy cry because I was so happy she had fun ~ she was like "mommy, you can't cry ~ I told you I had fun"!!!!

Eight Months Old & Signing

2008-01-24T17:22:00.000-08:00

Yes, that's right ~ Judah has learned his first sign "more"! It wasn't too difficult now that he LOVES his cherrios and always wants more. I started showing him the sign about a week ago and then yesterday we noticed he seemed to be actually doing the sign ~ today there was no doubt!!! You go buddy! This week has been crazy ~ not only has he become quite the crawler, he learned how to sign, started saying "Kha-Kha" for our kitty Noel, and you can see the glimpses of his first tooth begining to work its way up. He's moving on up in the world ~ too fast if you ask me!

Here is the video of him signing ~ enjoy!

On The Prowl

2008-01-17T13:58:00.000-08:00

Well, our peaceful days are OVER! Judah has learned how to crawl! Last week he started "scootching" on his belly across the floor and today he has mastered crawling ~ watch out Noel (our kitty) he is coming for you!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

2007-12-31T12:16:00.000-08:00

Well, as we wrap up another year we are reminded of God's faithfulness in our lives. We are blest this year with our two children who bring more joy than one could imagine and family all over the country that's love we cherish! Here are some pictures from our crazy filled week or so ~ enjoy. Love ya all.

Selah with her two older cousin's Morgan & Logan. We celebrated Christmas over at NeNe's house with the Austin side of the family. The night was filled with wild games of duck-duck-goose and ofcourse football w/ Uncle Gordy.

NeNe is wise beyond her years and bought both Selah and Leah the PERFECT Christmas presents this year. The rest of the evening was spent dressing and undressing in their new "Dora dress-up" clothes!!

Oh yeah Papa, you knew we were gonna post this picture ~ couldn't resist! We had a great time with the DuRoss side over at Nana & Papa's Christmas Eve. Selah relished helping everyone open her and their presents. Something tells me this is the last year that is going to happen with Judah on the prowl!

Here is Selah and Judah Christmas morning at our house. Selah didn't wake up until 9 am to open presents, hehehehehehe, we have to enjoy sleeping in while we still can. Judah loved the paper just as much as the presents ~ but the trucks really were a hit. He's ALL boy.

Last, but certainly not least was daddy and Judah playing along w/ Selah in her dress-up efforts. Judah may not forgive us for the pink headband ~ but that's what being a little brother is all about!!

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

2007-12-17T10:50:00.000-08:00

Our weekend was made complete when we got dumped on Saturday and Sunday w/ lots of snow. Derek & Selah braved the weather (for a short time) and played out in the backyard. She was frigid when she came in ~ but smiling from ear to ear to have her special time with daddy!

We have reached yet another milestone w/ Judah ~ he is able to sit up and play in the bath all on his own! Oh yeah, this makes mommy's job much easier "killing two birds with one stone". And, he tried Cherrios for the first time today ~ he ate them like a champ. Made mommy a weee bit nervous but he loved it!

Last but certainly not least are the videos made for all (especially Uncle Chris)! As Derek promised, they're hyper, hyper, hyper.

Sweet Potatoe Song

2007-12-13T13:29:00.001-08:00

Whatever the veggie/fruit of the day is ~ Selah makes up her own song to sing to Judah. Does she have talent or what????

I'm gonna get hyper!

2007-12-12T17:40:00.001-08:00

Family Man

2007-12-11T12:41:00.000-08:00

Well ~ our car took a plunge this weekend and caused us to take the plunge into "MINI-VAN LAND"!! Yes, we're a true family now ~ and are honestly loving every convenient minute our mini-van (Honda Odyssey) is bringing our way. Here are the lyrics to one of Derek's favorite Andrew Peterson songs. Couldn't help but think about this while driving our van today.

I am a family man
I traded in my mustang for a minivan
This is not what I was headed for when I began
This was not my plan
I am a family man

But everything I had to lose
Came back a thousand times in you
And you fill me up with love
Fill me up with love
And you help me stand
'cause I am a family man

And life is good
That's something I always knew
But I just never understood
If you'd asked me then you know I'd say I never would
Settle down in a neighborhood
I never thought I could

But I don't remember anymore
Who I even was before
You filled me up with love
Filled me up with love
And you help me stand

So come on with the thunder clouds
Let the cold wind rail against us, let the rain come down
We can build a roof above us with the love we've found
We can stand our ground
So let the rain come down

Because love binds up what breaks in two
So keep my heart so close to you
And I'll fill you up with love
Fill you up with love
And I'll help you stand
'Cause I am a family man

I'm saving my vacation time
For Disneyland
This is not what I was headed for when I began
This was not my plan
It's so much better than

Six Months Old!

2007-12-07T07:49:00.000-08:00

Yikers, where is the time going ~ I can't believe Judah is already 6 months old. So, to keep you current on our boy, he is now sitting up all on his own, eating lots of fruits & veggies, and weighs in at 15 lbs. 14 ounces! He is beginning to attack his sister any chance he gets ~ it's only a matter of time before she is gonna have to start running away for safety! Here is a video of him in the jumperoo ~ his very favorite pass time!

Dora The Explorer

2007-12-01T08:58:00.000-08:00

Selah is obsessed with Dora the Explorer (what girl 2 and up isn't??). Being a mommy I was trying to help her overcome a fear she has using Dora as an example! Selah is TERRIFIED of elevators (which she happens to call alligators ~ even scarier right?). Today on Dora The Explorer they had her going up an elevator and I had a "light-bulb" mommy moment! I said "Selah, did you know that Dora loves elevators" and Selah replied "and I love stairs"!!! Alright ~ so she is a weeeeee bit smarter than me!!

What A Bunch Of Turkeys

2007-11-27T13:21:00.000-08:00

So, we skipped the "traditional" Thanksgiving this year and headed off to an indoor waterpark in Columbus for our 1st Austin Family Vacation. Have no fear though, we still made turkeys of ourselves! I am thankful this year for so many things, but most of all my family. Without getting too sappy, Derek and I still want to pinch ourselves that God has been so good and blest us with our two kiddos that fill us everyday with new wonders. It is impossible not to see His hand in our lives through them and are thankful for the fresh view of creation in and through their eyes. Here are a couple pics to share from our crazy fun filled get-away.

Yes, Selah talked about this trip non-stop (literally) until the day finally arrived. Thankfully it lived up to her every expectation. What more could a kid want than a waterpark w/ a lazy river, basketball hoops, slides, a clubhouse that dumps huge buckets of water and even an arcade area ~ oh yeah and family time!!

Judah on the other hand loved the waterpark for entirely different reasons ~ it made him sleep and he got LOTS of quality time on his mama!

Grandpa Austin acted like a 3 year old ~ and we loved every minute of it! Thanks Dad for your youthful heart and making me go down the scary slide w/ ya (sorry for blowing your eardrums).

The only downside to being out of town for Thanksgiving is no leftovers ~ but Selah and I took care of that. She was my little helper yesterday making all the fixins to go with our turkey. As a side note ~ for those that noticed the Dora underwear, our girl has gone 2 days now going pee on the potty! Whooo hooo for us.

For those that were with us and those that weren't ~ we love ya all and can't wait to cherish more family times down the road!

Falling for You!

2007-11-12T14:14:00.000-08:00

Lets see, what is the lastest with our two kiddos??

Well, Judah has a passion for food (just like any good DuRoss/Austin) ~ he now eats rice cereal, oatmeal, avacados, bananas and sweet potatoes. Pretty much anything that comes near his mouth is going in! His other great love is the sippy cup ~ not that he has completely mastered the sucking motion to get the water out, but he tries his darndest any chance he gets.

Selah was daddy's "helper" over the weekend and did her fare share of picking up leaves ~ or more like jumping in them and scattering them all around for daddy to gather once again! She started a church program this Fall called "Little Lambs" and LOVES to sing bible songs and make art projects while mommy goes to bible study. They keep telling me she is the most passionate singer in the group ~ you go girl!

Reading to Noel

2007-11-07T19:01:00.000-08:00

We came in the other night to find Selah reading to Noel (our cat) on the living room chair. With a little help from mama she stayed to listen to Selah's long version of I'm A Big Sister Now!

Dorothy & The Lion

2007-10-31T06:25:00.000-07:00

It was another great party at our friend Jen's house for Halloween this year. Looking at Judah in his Lion's outfit just makes me laugh and Selah played her "Dorothy" role to perfection. I was calling her name before we left the house and she said "Mommy, I am not Selah, I am Dorothy" ~ alrighty then!!! Hope you all enjoy the pictures as much as we do, gotta love these ages.

Happy Birthday Nana!

2007-10-30T07:09:00.000-07:00

Selah anxiously waited all day to celebrate Nana's birthday ~ or was she anxiously waiting to eat the yummy birthday cake???

Good Times

2007-10-25T09:12:00.000-07:00

Like any good "man" ~ Judah has taken to his food with determination! The first attempt wasn't appreciated all that much, but now he is loving the rice cereal and wants MORE!!

Each day I stand amazed at how sweet Selah is with Judah ~ she just loves her little brother so much. Here is a shot of them before heading out to the park for a play-date, too cute!

Tuesday's are Selah and Nana day ~ so I decided to take a shot of the fabulous duo before they headed off for Playground World. I am sure Nana thought those days were long behind her, but little did she know that Selah would steal her heart and convince her she "NEEDED" to go meet friends at the playground!

While they were off and about, I stole Grandma Austin for the day to go shopping with our Judah boy. He loved taking in the scenery at the mall ~ gotta take those opportunities while he is still too young to say he doesn't like shopping!

Let The Pureeing Begin

2007-10-18T19:12:00.000-07:00

Ok, so here is the deal. Heather and I are on a mission to get our families healthy ~ even if it means being "sneaky"! Oprah had Jessica Seinfeld on last week w/ her new cookbook "Deliciously Deceptive" and we loved the idea. It is all about making vegetable purees and putting them into your everyday meals. So, we went out and bought the vegetables, got our food processors/steamers out and planned a “Sister Day”! Yes, anyone who knows Derek knows he is quite fearful at the mere mention of veggies in our food ~ so this has been fun watching him inspect everything I make for the hidden purees! But, he has been a true trooper and finding himself having to admit that he loves the dinners. Selah is none the wiser, although she loves almost all veggies, so this is just an added bonus! I will keep you posted how it works for us ~ here are some pictures from the day!

Logan, Kayla, Morgan, Selah & Judah

The swing is down, but the exersaucer is up! Seeing him in the exersaucer brings back the sweetest memories of Selah as a baby. She was just as excited as Judah to see it back in the living room and even climbed under him for some added fun!

She is getting so grown up, it's hard to remember her as my little baby anymore. Her new "thing" is to wear her Dora backpack whenever leaving our house. She is so adorable with it on! She looks like she's headed off to school, thankfully I still have plenty of time with her before that sad day (a mama's heart can only take so much growing up)!

He's a Growing!

2007-10-12T12:19:00.000-07:00

Our boy is 4 1/2 months old and growing like a weed! I thought I would share some fun "facts" about Judah's day to day life for everyone to see how much he is growing up on us.

He, like his sister, has found his two fingers for chomping/sucking on. Amazingly ~ they're the same two fingers that Selah sucks on.

He weighed in at his 4 month check up 14 lbs. 5 ounces and is 25 1/2" long. Can you tell by this picture that he is quickly outgrowing the sink bath tub?

I have been anxiously waiting for cold weather just so I could put this hat on him. We have had ridicuously warm weather this month and everyone that knows me, knows my favorite season is the Fall ~ so I have been waiting for the cooler (not frigid) weather to come our way!

He now LOVES the walker and roams the kitchen while I am cooking. Seriously, this makes him look so grown up that I had to video to share with you all.

Besides that ~ he has finally begun sleeping through the night over the last month! Yeah for mommy!! It is great to goto bed and know I am going to get the rest that I cherish oh so much!

A Fall Fest

2007-10-06T11:48:00.000-07:00

Today we went to Eagle Creek for the annual fall hayride and pumpkin patch extravaganza! Selah loved getting to pick out her pumpkin and Judah's as well. She made sure that hers was a "bigger" pumpkin, since after all she is the big sister.

It was a beautiful day for a hayride through the woods and fields. Selah loved pointing out all the colors on the leaves and Judah, well lets say the bumpy ride put our boy right to sleep!

Go Buckeyes!

2007-09-22T18:09:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures from Alec's 1st birthday party this weekend. In case you didn't notice the theme, it was an Ohio State Buckeyes party. I couldn't resist these pictures of the kiddos with Derek ~ too adorable! By the way, Buckeyes beat Northwestern 58-7!

4 Months Old and the "Singing Girl"

2007-09-20T14:21:00.000-07:00

Our boy has turned 4 months old ~ where has the time gone? He amazes me every day with his sweet spirit, he is just so darn happy! He got a little cold this week (thanks to his big sister who likes to share!) and through the sneezes and snotty nose out came his bright big smile! He has now graduated to rolling from his back to his tummy in just the matter of a day! It was a crazy day watching him roll over that way initially by accident and then it just clicked. Now that is all he wants to do when you put him on his back. Here is a little video to see our big guy in action!

Selah has always been quite the little singer, but lately it seems the songs never end. She discovered her little piano and microphone hidden down in the basement and was beside herself wanting to put on a show for us. When she is all done with a song, she has started to say "Thank-you, Thank-you" when you clap for her! I decided to capture her on video as well to share just a brief glimpse of what our day sounds like! Enjoy!

Labor Day Weekend

2007-09-04T14:18:00.001-07:00

Another fair (Great Geauga County Fair) ~ and our girl has conquered her fears!! With a little encouragement from her big cousin, Morgan, Selah braved out the Merry Go Round ~ way to go sweet girl!! She loved it so much that she cried for more when it was all done!!

We had a nice relaxing Labor Day hanging out in the back of Grandma Austin's yard. The kids picked apples, played in the sand box and chased after balls all day ~ while the men played MANY games of very competitive croquet. Us women, well, we just were lazy and watched everyone enjoy themselves!

Judah is now taking in the scenery in his new Bumbo chair. He loves it ~ pretty funny to see a little 3 month old with his arms over the chair with not a concern in the world!

Laughing!!!

2007-08-27T16:49:00.000-07:00

It is official, Judah is laughing (12 weeks old). Derek wouldn't believe me, so I had to get witnesses and both Morgan and Grandma Austin have also gotten our sweet boy to laugh. Too cute, I thought he could grab my heart with his smiles, but he has captured me even more with his little laugh. Gotta love that boy!

Speaking of Grandma Austin ~ this next shot is all thanks to her. We went over last night for some good ole family time when she "sneakily" passed out jello pops to all the kids! Thanks Grandma, we will make sure to all send you the laundry bill!

Ok ~ can anyone say twins! Had to get a close up of our all "Austin" boy. Hopefully Judah will also get past on Grandpa Austin's head of hair.

Last, but not least ~ our sweet girls Selah and cousin Leah enjoying a night of play time and dress up.

DuRoss Chautauqua Vacation

2007-08-21T09:58:00.000-07:00

Last week we went upto Chautauqua for the week with Derek's family. It was the long awaited trip on Selah's part ~ she has been talking about going up on Papa's boat for a very long time! Thankfully, she loved it just as much as she had talked about it. She was such a brave little girl the whole week and even took a trip on the jet ski with daddy and mommy.

Judah had a great time checking out life in the front carrier and ofcourse spending quality time with his new cousin, Finn!

It was awesome being surrounded by everyone and getting to see Selah relish all the attention from her Aunts & Uncles.

Lake Farm Park

2007-08-07T13:00:00.000-07:00

We headed off bravely to the Lake Farm Park with our "playgroup" for a day of moos, coos and a couple of neighs! Selah had a great time with all her friends getting to "milk" a cow, watch sheep herding and see all the farm animals you can imagine.

To my utter amazement she actually went for a horsie ride and didn't jump off the moment it began to move. We were quite proud of our girl!!!

Even Judah enjoyed taking in the sights, that is for the few minutes he was actually awake.

Selah's Time at the Fair

2007-07-31T07:54:00.000-07:00

Sunday we went with our friends Brett & Jen and their two kids, Grant & Alec to the Solon Home Day Fair. It was the first time that Selah was old enough to "get" the fun that comes from a fair. They had a little gym obstacle course that she absolutely loved and then came the Merry Go Round. For those that know our dear Selah ~she has acquired a fear of any ride that moves or anything that makes "funny" noises as she puts it! So, the picture you see of her and Derek is really a bit fake, since the moment the horse moved ~ she lept into daddy's arms and that was the end of that!!! Thankfully we saved the best for last and she had a blast in the bouncy house with her buddy Grant ~ it made her whole night!

I'm Rolling Over

2007-07-26T09:44:00.000-07:00

Judah decided to surprise us last night when he rolled over from his tummy to back. Derek and I were both amazed since this was much sooner than Selah. At 8 weeks old, he is wanting to get moving already. Mom DuRoss said that Derek rolled over at only 6 weeks, so he is following in his daddy's footsteps!

Our first blog

2007-07-23T05:43:00.000-07:00

Ok ~ so we're finally getting with the ages and posting our first blog site. Here's a quick recap of our lives for those that don't get to see us as much as we would like.

Selah is now 2 1/2 years old and we're loving this stage to death. She is quite the chatter box ~ our quiet car rides have turned into her letting us know about the trees, the cows outside, horsies, hot air balloons, bridges, wanting us to sing along to Veggie Tales, and oh just about anything else you can think to say! Her favorite things to do are go swimming (typically on Tuesdays with Nana) and go to the park, any park! Everyday she wakes up and asks what we're doing today. I can't resist that so I try to make a little adventure out of everyday. She is adorable with Judah and loves telling anyone who will listen that he is her little brother.

Judah is going to be 8 weeks old this week and time is just flying by. He is our little smiler ~ he is very laid back, just like his daddy. He completely melts my heart with his sweet smiles, even at 3 am! Unlike Selah, he loves the swing and his play mats, so that makes my life with two kiddos much easier. He is very predictable ~ you know when he's tired and he definitely lets you know when he is hungry!! He is growing like a weed and last week weighed in at 10 lbs. 7 ounces!

Derek and I are adjusting to life with our little girl and boy. He has been an amazing help to me and even lets me sleep in on the weekends! Selah now prefers daddy giving her a bath since he overflows the tub with bubbles!!

Alrighty ~ that is all for now, but I will do my best to keep this up to date.

Love to you all,

Hope