The Anticipation is Thrilling me!

Today, Stephan and I are going to haul out the Christmas decorations and set up the tree. This will be Noah's third Christmas and Witten's first. It's kinda weird that Witten is experiencing his first Christmas at almost one year of age. I don't know why, but maybe because whenever you think "baby's first Christmas" you think of a tiny new baby. Or maybe that's just me.  Either way, I'm super excited about prepping the place for the advent season. I do love Christmas!
 Anyways,
Since before Thanksgiving last week, my boys have been in recovery mode. Noah was worse off than Witten so he has a longer road to recovery, but I can see definite improvement in both of them, gradual as it may be.
  So what do you do with children who are sick enough to require staying home but well enough to feel perfectly fine? You get creative. And you stick cheese puff snacks to them.

Groucho Marx

Charlie Chaplain

    I'm hoping and praying that we will find time this week to have our family pictures taken. I won't be torn apart if it doesn't happen, but I would very much like to send out a cute Christmas card to all of our friends and family. You know, before Christmas.

And now, a verse about how I feel towards God right now:

1 Chronicles 16:29

  "Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
    bring an offering and come before him.
Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness."

What a big 'ole God I serve. He does indeed deserve glory and offerings and praise and worship. 
Be blessed, readers! 

Give up that thanks, y'all

Today, whew, what a day.
This Thanksgiving was the first after a heavy loss in the family and it also happened to be the "in-law" year, meaning that there was no horde of family to offer emotional support should it be needed. However, God was and is gracious, and there were very few tears shed in memory of Grandma and her green jello "salad" thing that was missing from our Thanksgiving buffet this year. And even though only two of my mother's siblings and their families came over this year, we still had a group of 15 people to celebrate Thanksgiving with.
   The food was great, the laughs and good times were aplenty, and we even took our second annual post-meal family walk, this time with one Frisbee as opposed to two footballs. (It was just as dangerous. Last year Hannah got pelted in the butt by Brian. This year my mom took a hit to that sweet spot right between the shoulder blades, courtesy of Stephan.)  It was a joyous event, indeed.
   However, I have noticed something.
 It is harder to completely kick back, cut lose, relax and enjoy events such as these when you have young children. Especially young children who are still under the weather thanks to allergies compounded by a heinous cold. Both of my boys were good and all, but neither got an afternoon nap and Noah's horrible cough wore him down to the point of sad misery by the end of the day. But even then, Noah claimed he didn't want to leave Bebe and Papa's. Ain't no party like a givin' thanks party 'cause a givin' thanks party don't stop. *COUGH!*
   Both boys were so exhausted that they were asleep the instant the car started moving. We didn't even bother changing them into p.j.s or brushing any teeth, we just tucked them in bed and prayed for Noah's poor throat. Now, I sit in awe of all that I have to give thanks for. And, of how tired I am. But I couldn't go to sleep until I showed y'all a really cute picture:

We love fall!

Be blessed, dear readers. Live a life of gratitude. It's so much nicer that way.

Shake it Skinny

Search Youtube for "Tiffany Rothe" and you shall see what I'm about to do.

Yesterday, my family and I drove out to the farm to see Oupa and Ouma. Paul and Erin were there with Ashton and Julia. Sias, that wonderful man that he is, made ribs. Not just ribs, my friends, but riiiiiiibs!

Oh no, we've reached the "baby mine" scene in Dumbo again. Noah is trying to make me cry, it seems, requesting this movie. Mothers, love your precious babies and don't let others tear them down with mean words and cruel actions!! Gosh, this movie is so deep!

Anyways, the Du Toit clan, minus Werner, Jerushah, and their little newbie, feasted on incredible food, watched stinking football, and explored the farm. After the unbeatable meal, while Paul and Stephan were watching a nail-biter of a Cowboys' game, I went outside to see Oupa wrestling with three very happy toddlers. It was a cheerful sight indeed. That old farmer held his own for over an hour as a four year old and two two-year olds tackled him, climbed on him, jumped on him, and rode him like a horsey. I got a video of a little bit of it and I'll try to remember to get it on here eventually.
  It was a sweet time, even after all the wrestling was done and the soreness was already starting to set into Oupa's muscles and bones, because as we watched the children play, I would hear Marlene say something along the lines of, "It's like seeing my sons as babies again!" Sias would sporadically bemoan his wish to be 30 again so as to better keep up with his active grand kids. Most wonderful of all was how much love was surrounding the whole event: Sias and Marlene loving their grandchildren, their grandchildren loving their Ouma and Oupa, me loving those ribs, and Stephan and Paul loving the Cowboys after they managed to pull off a win. . . it was wonderful.
    Now, to work out. Then, to look forward with great anticipation to Thanksgiving.

I am thankful for God's graciousness. I look at my life and I see so much to be thankful for. My husband loves me, my sons are healthy, my friends are wonderful, my family is fantastic, and, best of all, my hope and future are secure in Jesus. That's just a snippet of what I'm thankful for this Thanksgiving.
 
I hope you all are blessed this Thanksgiving, dear readers!
      

Lots o' Tots

I love my friends. I Love my friends' babies. I love that my friends' babies are my babies' friends.

Snugglin' on the hammock with four of the sweetest kids I know.

 God has wonderfully arranged my life and the lives of those near and dear to my husband and I so that our sons have several children close to them in age to be best friends with. I will never try to claim that it was crafty planning on my part, as if my friends and I made a pact to all get pregnant within a year of each other, because I recognize God's handiwork when I see it.
   Anyways, I just wanted to create a quick post about how wonderful these crazy kids are. And to show you, dear reader, the most precious dinosaur you have and will ever see:

Wittenosaurus Cuteacious

Kinda reminds me of another adorable dino-specimen I had once

Noahsaurus orangenoseus

LOVING THIS FALL WEATHER! I could do without the super-dry hands.

Be blessed, readers!

Colds.

I have lamented before about the horrible annoyance that is the common cold. I feel the need to do it again. I hate colds. You're not technically sick, but you can't be around people for fear of spreading germs, and you don't feel poorly enough to stay in bed all day, but you're not well enough to go about your usual activities with your usual gusto. I've resorted to staying indoors and keeping my house clean. (As clean as I can while still living in it with a toddler and a mobile baby.)
  Also, I'm watching Dumbo for the first time in years and the cruelty displayed by every person and creature towards poor, different little Dumbo makes me so sad and angry. Then they play that song! THAT SONG! 
This song! 
Yeah, even though I sing it almost daily to my children, I cry like a hopeless woman when I watch it in context in that movie.

 Friends, I hope that y'all are enjoying this cold weather. It feels like Thanksgiving out there. Now,  must finish making Thanksgiving plans. *YAY!*

Precious boys

Noah and Witten have a new cousin!

 Big baby Bear was born yesterday morning and he is precious! He is also the current record holder of the Du Toit family, as he came into this world at an impressive 10 lbs 5 oz.

 Stephan was hogging him when we went to meet him last night, and it was heart warming to see Werner and Jerushah so very in love with their baby. When I showed Noah pictures of his new cousin, he seemed minutely interested. Babies aren't really his thing. But I'll tell you what is his thing as of yesterday evening: his new shoes!

 My saintly mother took us shopping at Kohls last night. This was the first time I've let Noah pick out his own shoes. I showed him two pairs of tennis shoes and asked him if he liked them. He said no. Then Bebe saw the Cars shoes with Mater and Lightening McQueen on them and showed them to Noah. His response was an awe-filled "yeeeeeees". And then, we discovered that they light up. Nothing has ever rocked my son's world so hard than this flashing pair of shoes.

He wanted them on as soon as we got home and wore them until bedtime. He pouted mightily when he couldn't wear them to sleep, but was appeased when we allowed him to hold them in his arms. (I went in later to pull them out of his bed.) Needless to say, Noah has been wearing them all day so far. (His first outfit of the day was those shoes and his pj top)

  Friends, readers, this weather is too glorious to waste it being indoors. Noah and I are going to put his new sneakers to good use and then eat lunch. Congratulations to Werner and Jerushah on the birth of sweet baby Bear! I look forward to watching him grow!

Dr. Noah

The other night, as bedtime was fast approaching, I found Noah on tip-toe in the bathroom, trying his hardest to reach the band aids in the medicine cabinet.
  "What's wrong, Noah? Why do you need a band aid?" I asked him, more intrigued than concerned as I had not heard any whining or crying from him, noises that almost exclusively precede the need for a band aid.
  "Daddy has a boo-boo!" Noah responded with deepest concern in his eyes.
  "Oh, all right, we'll get a band aid for Daddy's boo-boo." I said, taking one band aid from the box. I followed him into the living room where Daddy was watching the Cowboys game from the floor. He didn't look hurt. He didn't look at us. I saw no need for a band aid, but I enjoy humoring my son and I doubted one band aid would be missed.
   "Okay, Noah, where's Daddy's boo-boo?" I asked as we hovered over Stephan's head.
   "Right there!" Noah pointed to a blemish on Stephan's forehead. I laughed. Stephan became self conscious, but kindly let Noah and I place a bandage on his pimple and make it all better. Feeling mischievous, I asked Noah if there were any more boo-boos on Daddy. This was the result:

  After administering the needed care for Daddy's boo-boos, Noah saw that his work was good. Father and son then spent the rest of the evening cheering for the Cowboys.

Yes, they are both wearing The Stand shirts.

 Stephan is a very good father. And very handsome. And I Love You Forever still makes me cry when I read it.
  Be blessed, readers!

Farm life

My in-laws are fantastic. I'm so glad to have the in-laws that I have. I thank God that we can have a sweet, loving relationship and that they are such lovely, caring, sweet people.
  These awesome in-laws of mine gladly allowed me to invite the playgroup I'm a part of out to their farm so as to show our kids a fun time. It was a hit! Feild trips such as these wont happen often as there are a lot of tired tots and moms this afternoon, but it was great fun to see the kids run free and be thoroughly entertained by everything from newborn calves and giant horses, to grass and rocks. I managed to remember my camera, (a miracle of God's doing) and was able to snap off a few great pictures of the day.

Ride massive horsey! (don't worry, Oupa's there, he's just hidden by Bud's giant-ness)

Witten checkin' on the new calf. Such a good farm hand.

Hey mom, look! I'm a baby cow!

Ouma and Oupa love their grandsons. I'm so glad!

Bunch of rugged farm-tots watching the goats get milked.

The farm-babies watched from the wagon. SO CUTE!!

 
Now, I look forward to Thanksgiving. So stinking excited! I love thanksgiving. The food, the settings, the smells, the sounds, but most of all, the family time. I love my family.

Be blessed today, readers!