Grandma Seifert

This past week was a difficult one for us. We spent last weekend in Chicago with Kreg's oldest brother Kent. We had a great time with Kent, which included a trip to Ikea for me, Kreg finally purchasing his birthday present (a wireless ear piece for his phone. note: his birthday was in July), a visit with another one of Kreg's brother's (Kristopher), a nap, and a trip downtown Chicago to visit my beautiful and most lovely college roommate Miss Heather. It was a great Saturday. However, upon arriving back at Kent's house after our downtown Chicago excursion we got a phone call that Grandma Seifert (Kreg's mom's mom) had peacefully passed away in her sleep that day. We were all shaken and not expecting such news.

Yes, she was almost 91 years old but when we went to Pennsylvania and visited her , just last month, her worst problem seemed to be the annoying arthritis she had in her hip. (God has our days numbered, doesn't He.) She was a lovely woman and I am glad I got to know her. I am so so very thankful we took a trip east this summer...and so recently too. God is good. I will always cherish the pictures I have of Grandma holding my children, especially the pictures of her with Makayla, her great granddaugther. And she LOVED holding Makayla. She would just sit and giggle the whole time.

I can still hear the giggle. God's timing is just perfect. A week before she passed she got to hold her other two great grandchildren, as Kreg's brother Kevin and Jessica took a trip out to see them. And grandma was feeling so good they even took her to church for the first time in years. How awesome that the Sunday before she was face to face with Jesus she got to worship with the body of Christ one more time. Gives me chills just thinking about it.

So Wednesday night my mom arrived to stay with our kids and Kreg and I and two of his brothers left for eastern Pennsylvania at 9:40pm. (His other brothers and wives were a few hours ahead of us) We drove through the night, arriving at 8:15am and tired as we were on Thursday it was a joy that we could be there. We wouldn't have had it any other way. Kreg's mom said how humbled grandma would have been to have all of her grandchildren there to celebrate her life. And as hard as it was to say goodbye to grandma it was definitely a celebration as well. Because she is in the presence of Jesus. And she lived her life for the Lord. At her funeral so many described her as a prayer warrior. When she would tell her grandson's she was praying for them they knew she truly was. She had a list and everyday (ever since Kreg's mom Darlene could remember) she would go before the Father in prayer each morning and pray, pray, and pray. What an example she was to all of us. We will all miss her but thankfully we live with hope and assurance. Hope that we will see her again in Heaven and assurance that we know she is with the Lord now. Thank you God for the peace of eternal life.
This is a picture of Grandpa and Grandma taken just last week. Grandma is holding my nephew James. What breaks our hearts is how much Grandpa is missing his wife of 62 years. You can just see the love in his eyes for his lovely bride.

We got back from Pennsylvania early last evening. And for just a moment I have to brag about my mother. It was hard for me to leave Makayla, seeing as I had only ever been away from her for 4 hrs or so. But knowing my kiddos were with my mom was the best reassurance I could have. When we returned last night the kids were fed, bathed, and ready for bed. Dinner was in the crock pot. Fruit in the frig. And an apple pie on the stove!! The house was clean and picked up. And even my bathroom rug was washed and clean! There were some new clothes for the kids for this fall and even a new toy for each of them. What a mother I have! When I called her and told her we needed to go to Pennsylvania and didn't think the kids could do a 48 trip like that there was no hesitation on her end to keep our kids. And she was even willing to take two days out of her busy schedule and stay up here at our house. Yes I definitely think I needed to brag just a little.

It won't be long now...

Nope, it won't be long until this little one is crawling. Not only is she pushing herself up, she is scooting backwards. The poor thing gets so frustrated when the toys are right in front of her and she moves farther away.

Some people say "uh oh you're gonna be in for it when they start crawling." I disagree. I loved it when Aiden started crawling because he could entertain himself for a while, with no help from mommy. And Makayla will be much happier when she can crawl. Not only will the toys no longer get farther away from her when she moves but she will be able to crawl over to her brother...and bug him! (something I can tell she desperately wants to do)

Finally.....

Finally...Aiden, Makayla, and I are over the colds we came down with LAST monday. Way too long to be battling a cold.
Finally...Makayla went down for her afternoon nap today with no tears. For some reason this week she decided she no longer wanted to nap so all week I have listened to her scream and pretty much had no breaks since several days I didn't get her to sleep until Aiden woke up. But I've been working with her, using a bit of tough love and a few new ideas I tried today, and "ta-da" both kids asleep right now and no tears....FINALLY!
And Finally...I am getting around to posting again. Its been a long couple of weeks. We've had some fun times the past couple weeks but we were battling some pretty nasty colds and with Makayla's whole nap issues we've had some rough days. Thus I have not felt like posting (to be honest) and have had no time.

So let me see if I can catch you all up on the past couple weeks:
Last Tuesday Aiden got to go for his first airplane ride. Kreg's family has a small 4 seater airplane. So Kreg, his dad, and Aiden flew over to Decator, Illinois for the Farm Progress Show. Aiden loved it! So here he is in the backseat of the plane with Kreg's dad, Tim, and then checking out the cow with HUGE horns, the mini combine, and by the end of the day out cold!





Then over Labor Day weekend we went down to my parents house to visit with my grandparents, visiting us all the way from Washington State. It was so good to see my grandparents again. I miss them and really wish they lived closer. We played some great games of Yatzee (my first time actually), sat around and watched the kids play, and ate lots of really good food (thanks again Mom!). Saturday we also took a little mini trip down to Brown County, IN where Kreg's family and close family friends were vacationing for the weekend. It was nice that it worked out for us to be both places over the weekend.
So here's a few pics:
Me and my baby girl

A Family photo

My Grandparents with Aiden and Makayla, and their cousins Luke and Rachel. Obviously the kids were not excited about this picture. Look closely and you'll see Makayla is trying to squirm her way out of grandpa's arms.

And Four Generations


Over the past two weeks Makayla has also finally mastered the art of sitting up by herself. She LOVES to sit up and play with her brother now. I also noticed today that her first tooth is breaking through. I know what you're thinking...duh Stacey maybe that's why she hasn't been napping well. And you're right. It very well may be (I really did not think she was getting any teeth yet). But I also think she's just been starting to explore her independence and see how far mommy will let her push the envelope. i.e. She's starting to throw little fits if she has a toy taken away from her or we don't let her put something in her mouth. I do not think it will be long until she is crawling either. Just this week she figured out how to scoot backwards and today I saw her push up on her knees for the first time. She really really wants to be mobile so we'll see what happens over the next few weeks.

And Aiden continues to amaze me with his vocabulary. He understands so much. Its fun to talk with him. He has turned into quite the movie buff lately. If I'd let him I fear he would sit in front of the tv all day (don't worry I don't). He is very into counting things and his new thing is bargaining. He doesn't quite understand how it works but we're ok with that. For example, we say "Aiden you need to eat 1 more strawberry and then you can be done with dinner." And he will reply "No three, I only want to eat three." OK Aiden have it your way. Three it is. :) He's at a fun age. He also loves to play baseball right now. I'm invisioning T-ball in just a few short years. And of course any day Aiden gets to help daddy on the farm is a fantastic day in his eyes. We are just a couple weeks out from harvest so Aiden will really get his fill of tractors then.
I think that should pretty much catch you up. Below are a few random pics of the kiddos. The first one is Aiden and Kreg in front of the sprayer and water truck.

One of Makayla's favorite pass times is eating her feet. (Lori this picture is for you.) It is often a race when we are feeding her food to see if we can get the spoon in her mouth before all 5 toes get in.

And lastly a cute picture of my kids together. This is Makayla's "straight line smile." I love this smile. I can hardly get enough of it.


Sorry for such a long post. Hope you enjoyed it. I will try and do better at updating more often.

Corn Days

All you ever wanted to know about Salsbery Corn Day (a couple weeks late): (I know you are jumping with excitement)

Every year we have corn day, in which we shuck, cook, cut, and freeze about 600 ears of corn for Kreg's parents, siblings/their families, and ourselves. And for several weeks in the summer we eat all the sweet corn we want/can cram in our mouths before the short season is over. Kreg and I joke all the time that there is really only about a few hours in which the sweet corn is actually perfect to eat. Let me put it this way...since I'm married to a farmer, I'm not aloud to buy sweet corn from the store because "it's terrible." I learned that lesson the first summer we were married! I'm not complaining, I just didn't know. I always tell Kreg with all the butter and salt I put on my corn I have a hard time tasting anything else but butter and salt! Oh but it is quite the delicious combo of butter and salt, let me tell ya!

This year we had 2 corn days. We split it in half for several reasons...1. not quite as long of a day 2. we wanted to freeze some of another variety of corn that wasn't ready yet 3. so other family members could join us for corn day. Unfortunately I only have pictures of the first corn day, thanks to my father-in-law. But I think that will satisfy your corn day curiosities.

First the guys shuck it in the back of one of the farm trucks. I don't like this job because they often have to cut out worms (which is why we make this a boy job). Even Aiden was a part of the fun.


Then we boil it in a huge pot on the grill and sit in the garage at a picnic table to cut, cut, cut, and bag it up. This is typically where the ladies work. Although the last couple of years we've all helped each other and occasionly switched up the jobs a bit because of kids that need attention, and a dwendling number of helpers. You see you can't always predict when the corn is going to be ready. So sometimes we have corn day on a week day (because we can't wait. Its in its prime and won't be nearly as good a few days later) and its not possible for peeps to get off work and make the trek home. The hard work is all worth it though! I love pulling out a bag of corn in the winter for supper. Not only is it yummy, but soooo easy to just pop it in the microwave!

And just in case you were wondering, we made sure Makayla didn't feel left out.


I think she thought she was funny! :)

Baby Girl

Awwwww....just look at that sweet little smile. I just love that smile!
Update: (For those inquiring minds who want to know) Makayla is doing much much better as far as the dirty diapers go. What seems to work best for her is an organic brown rice cereal with probiotics, made by Happy Bellies, mixed with pear juice. This seems to have corrected her "little poop problem."
I think in this picture she's saying, "Thank you mommy, I have such a happy tummy now."


Makayla is also very close to sitting up on her own. (And please note she actually has a bow in her hair! Her hair is really starting to grow in. She is sporting a bow made by my friend Jess. Thanks Jess! I believe you can buy them on www.etsy.com)

However, a few seconds later, over she goes. Uh Oh!


I thought they both looked cute after church on Sunday so I attempted to get a picture of them together. hmmmmm....that was difficult. This is as good as it got.

Vacation!

No, we didn't drop off the face off the earth, we just went on vacation! Last Tuesday we packed up the mini-van, woke the kids early and spead off for our 12 1/2 hr trip to Pennsylvania to Kreg's grandparents house. Grandpa and Grandma Seifert had not seen Aiden since he was 6 months old and therefore had never met Makayla. I must say the car ride went better than I had expected. Each of the kids had their moments but thats to be expected and the moments didn't seem to last too long. For some reason my kids don't sleep much in the car so thats one of the reasons for my pre-travel concern. Aiden only slept 30 mins the entire day! But we made it there and it was fun to see where Kreg spent every other Christmas for many years. And where he visited in the summers. I got to meet his extended family on his mom's side too and I enjoyed finally putting faces with names. Of course the part that brought me the most joy was seeing the smile on his grandma's face when she watching Aiden play and holding Makayla. His grandparents are both in their 90s so I'm glad we were able to give them that interaction with their great-grandchildren.

After a few days in Pennsylvania we went up to Rochester, New York to visit a good friend I went to high school with and her husband. Many of you know them...Sherwin and Julie Damdar! Oh we had a blast up there. They just recently moved into a very cute 3 bedroom home so there was plenty of room for all of us (and the loot that goes only with a 2 1/2 yr old and a 6 month old). They were fantastic hosts too! We ate some amazingly yummy meals (Sherwin is quite a cook and I must add that Julie makes a mean french toast). They showed us all over Rochester, including a trip to the public market Saturday morning and the Museum of Play, Saturday afternoon. The market was like nothing I had ever seen before. It was downtown and PACKED with people. You could buy pretty much anything there from fruits and veggies, to ground beef, pastries, bread, nick nacks, or cooking utensils. Personally we came home with a bag of cherries and some apples. The Museum of Play is just as it sounds. Aiden LOVED it. It has all kinds of different "exhibits" for kids to interact and play with. There was a street just like the one seen on Seseame Street, an airplane Aiden could sit in, a train we rode on, a carrousel, a fun house, tractors to play with, and balls to throw, etc. Aiden's favorite part however was the kids grocery store. They have a mini grocery set up complete with miniture wire carts, rows and aisles of real food containers (now empty of course), a bakery with fake bread, and check out lanes where the kids can be the buyer or the cashier. They can actually swipe their items (each with a real bar code) and get a printed receipt when finished. Its the coolest thing.
Ok so time for pics:
Aiden thought it was great that grandma Seifert had an electric chair that went up and down the stairs. I think this picture explains itself!

Grandma Seifert, Darlene (my mother-in-law), Makayla, and Me!

The kids with their great-grandparents.

Grandpa and Grandma Seifert live in a small town in the Pocono Mountains, called Newfoundland. One morning we ate at the local diner, Spanky's. And the morning we left we went to the General Store. At the General Store they have 1 or 2 cent candy. Kids can climb up on a little ladder and pick out what they want. So thats what we're doing in this picture. Aiden was picking out his candy.

On to New York!
The following 4 pics are Aiden at the play grocery store at the Museum. Here he is being my cashier.

Shopping for some crackers.

He decided he needed to buy some fruits and veggies.

And this time he decided to let another little girl check him out with his groceries.

A little train ride.

Sherwin and Aiden on the carrousel.

Sherwin, Julie, and Aiden in the fun house. It was one of those houses tilted on its side so when you walk in you feel totally dizzy.

A family pick in the garden outside the museum.

And us on the front porch of Sherwin and Julie's home before starting the long trek home Monday morning. Makayla was eating Aiden's little bag of cheerios.

Baby Girl

My poor baby girl is having some pooping issues. Help please! I need suggestions. She's been on solid food for about a month now. She doesn't eat a ton but we are building a small variety of foods. However, from the start she has been constipated. I stopped giving her banana's and I hardly give her much cereal at all. And I added plums and prunes to her diet. But nothing seems to be helping. What do I do?? With Aiden the prunes did the trick. I'm stuck and I feel terrible for her. All she can get out are little pebbles. I am willing to try anything. ????????

On a more pleasant note below is a picture of Makayla with us at Mason and Danielle's wedding this past weekend. Aiden got to stay with Aunt Mindy and play with Luke. I believe this was Makayla's first wedding. She did great too, especially for only getting a brief 30 min nap at the reception. If Aiden had been in this picture I might have accomplished my quest for a fantastic family picture. I love the pic but the quest lives on.