Stay Like this Four-eb-er.

The old adage is true that time goes by faster as you get older.  The truth of it is that I'm not even 30 and I'm already wishing it would slow down.  My baby boy turned 4 today.  I pick him up almost every morning and tell him that I want him to stay little "forever." Then he asks,  "Why do you want me to stay little "for-eb-er?"  Of course, he wants to get big and strong.  Then I say, "Someday you will be so big and strong that you will pick me up." Then he will wrap his arms around me and try to lift.  I know I will have a major meltdown the day my feet come off the ground.  So I sit here at my computer getting all sappy and emotional because,  Josiah is... 4.  I'm loving (almost) every minute of him right now.  He's so imaginative, talkative, inquisitive, and talkative.  

Today it was all about him.  I let him plan his day out.  They aren't quite in order and I didn't get us starting the day out at dunkin donuts per his request. There was no party today, but the events just kept coming.  I'll share a few pictures from the day.

His new Star Wars Mini-fig shirt.

The wall of legos 

Build your own mini fig station

He looks at every box carefully taking in all the details.

Lillian, well... I don't know.

Train ride around the mall.

They don't come much cuter.

 We went to Jungle Club (the gym) in the morning.  He loves the skeleton pirate costume.

We went to see Rio (angry birds) in the evening with daddy.

When we first walked in he got scared, screamed and ran out.  

I had to wait with him until the commercials were over. 

 A few pictures with mom cheered him up.

 Opening his dirtbike, bmx, skateboard set with ramps from Aunt Kandy and Uncle Todd.

Lillian holding a tiny 3 day old kitten. 

             Grammy came in town for Jojo's birthday and made an AWESOME cake.  It had a Star Wars Spaceship on it.  All he could do was stare at it for the first 45 minutes of being there.
(This was Sunday night)
 

Kaylenn's 9th birthday was on the 1st

Cutie Cora Crawling around at the party.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOSIAH!!!

Love, mommy

Happy Easter

  I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter Sunday.  We started the day out with early church.  A miracle from the Lord.  Then made the family rounds.  I asked Josiah why we celebrate Easter and He started out saying," Because Jesus died on the Cross and went up to the sky."  The babysitter asked him yesterday about Easter his reply," The Easter bunny brings me candy!"

This picture deserves a post of its own.  They need to quit coming in our bed.  One good night of sleep would be a dream.

 Lillian finding her basket behind the curtain.

 Josiah's was hidden in the play room.

 Grammy with the Grandkids.  

note:  Grant's older brother, Zach and his wife, Catherine are expecting in September!  Can't wait to have a Kissel cousin.

 Jojo can do anything to his baby sister and she loves it.  

 The hunt is on...

 Lillian is into money right now.  I really need to get her a piggy bank.

 I know, she's adorable.

Coloring eggs at June Bug's. 

Those are my cousin's girls: Alyssa, Lexi, and Maddy

Fun with Daddy

Lately the weekends have been a lot of fun.  The one thing they have had in common is that Daddy has been home.  I love that the kids are getting older and we can go enjoy bigger kid things as a family.  I can tell the years to come are only going to get funner.

Cora's Dedication

I can't believe we have already had Cora's dedication ceremony. Since Grant and I have pretty much decided that our family is complete there have been many bitter-sweet moments.  This was a big one for me.  The dedication ceremony at our church is something that has meant so much to me and I feel is a very special moment for us as parents.  Our church does such a beautiful evening ceremony for our dedications.  It's a time that Grant and I really come together as parents and profess that "Yes, we want to raise and direct our child in the way of the Lord." It's one thing to think it and another to stand up in front of our family and friends and put ourselves out there to be held accountable for the way we raise our children.  It almost feels like a "right of passage" into parenthood.  Anyway, I'm looking forward to seeing my beautiful little girl to prayerfully someday turn into a beautiful woman of God. 

She is such a happy little girl now!

My mom and dad totally surprised us from returning from their "radiation vacation" just to come to Cora's dedication.  Josiah was playing in his playroom (at 8:30 in the morning) when he just said "weewa."  I walked around the corner and there they were!  Thank you so much and I love you!

G-Grandma "June Bug" and Grandpa Webb

G-Grandma Lillian

G-Aunt Kandy

Notice Cora pulling Lillian's hair.  Ha, sisters!

Lillian and her papaw

G-Grandma Star and Don were there, but somehow managed to escape the paparazzi.

Father, We lift Cora up to You.  We pray that she may follow You in all Your ways.  That she may be a light unto the world.  That her tiny hands will one day grow up to serve others and serve You. Lord, we pray that her heart will give the love that You have placed in her to all of the nations, that her feet will walk wherever You lead her, that her eyes will see where You are needed, and that her lips will speak nothing but Your words.  Please watch over her.  Lead, guide and direct us as her parents so that we may lead her in Your ways.  All of this we pray in Jesus' name, amen

Random pictures

It's raining cats and dogs so I thought I'd put up some recent photos.  I think I'm actually just avoiding the giant mountain of laundry on my bed behind me....again.

 Josiah fell asleep on Grant.  Probably been about 2 years since that's happened!

Grant really was that excited to cuddle a sleeping Jojo.

This is what I often look like when I go out with the kids.  Yes, I usually get a lot of "looks" and well-meaning comments.

Emily and I went downtown for St. Patti's day parade.  It was fun.  The Canal was SO green.  It was one of the first nice days we've had.  It was a really great day.

Most of you probably have seen these on Facebook.  I wanted to archive them here though.  So someday when we look back Josiah will see what a cool mom he had ;)

 Grant was all business in the range.  

Yes Sir! Sergeant Kissel!

(he really wasn't that bad)

Thanks Jess, for taking the photo that makes me look like an official bad azz!

Yummy!

Cora has been getting really excited about us eating lately.  I've given her bananas in one of those mesh bags.  Which she loves.  So the other night we had time to give her a try with cereal.  She loved it and did a really good job.  At first she was getting mad at Grant because she couldn't get it fast enough and then I had to mix another bowl while he was scraping out the first.  

Cora loves, LOVES her daddy!!!

I can't believe how quickly she is growing.  She is now 5 months old!

Terrible twos

Lillian has been having a "few meltdowns" lately.  My Lord.  There are some of you that are lucky enough to never have had to experience this murder to your ears.  She has the LOUDEST. cry. ever... The day she was born and I heard her cry I didn't think, "what a cute newborn baby cry." No, she sounds like a freaking firetruck.  Then when you add her stubbornness with the fits it almost a nuclear distaster.  She now just goes into her room on her own and shuts the door (most of the time).  It helps keep the peace (or as much as a solid door can) between us all.  

Now after all of that look at this happy face. 

 Not that she doesn't deserve a post all of her own for the first 3 months of her crying.  

 As for an update on Miss Cora.  We were at Riley two days last week to get her breathing checked out.  She sounds really rattly when she breathes and it concerned my doctor. So she just wanted to get it looked at so things could be ruled out.  The first day she had a chest X-ray and a barium swallow.  Both of which turned up normal.  I took her back the next day for an bronchial scope.  In the pictures it showed a lot of redness and inflammation from the back of her throat to the opening of her lungs.   So it looks as if her GERD is creating enough irritation and swelling so that when she breathes it sounds funny.  The good news is that this is nothing but good news.  I just need to make sure I give her her medicine more often.  

I loved this picture.

It captures their exact personalities.  Josiah with his coat and boots on. (He only likes weather that is 73 degrees, partly sunny, and with no wind.)  Lillian tough as nails sitting on a metal tractor bare butt.  It wasn't warm enough to be naked, but it was cold enough for a snowsuit either.  

 We had a nice surprise visit from Granny K.

 Lillian dressed in her Sunday best.  She loves to wear dresses.  She calls them her "twinkle twinkles" or her "ballerinas." 

Denim and pearls

They are definitely two peas in a pod.  Where one goes the other follows.