Rockin and a'Rollin

So major flashbacks to being back in junior high and going to the roller skating rink in Columbus Grove. We took the kids rollerskating today!! It was an adventure to say the least. When we were asked to go roller skating i was a bit skeptical to the fact that our kids have NEVER been on skates... so can they do it and have fun? But an excuse to get the kids out during the winter and get some of that pent up energy out.... I was sold!! When we got there it was a task to get all the kids skates on and ours before they took off and wiped out on the floor!! At first we had them in real skates and they just kind of slipped and slid around the floor... it was a pain in the back literally. Then someone put on the slip over the shoes skates on their daughter and that sounded like a much better idea. (why didn't we think of that first???) Then the kids were off on their own and not wanting to hang on to Mommy and Daddy's hands for dear life. It made the whole experience so much more fun.
The kids really had a blast... they even played the hokey pokey and Rosetta participated in the limbo!!

Aren't the skates awesome!!! What fun you can have with some lace up skates and some good music!!!

This weekend also was X's 3rd basketball game. They played a really good team who were really tall and knew how to play. (apparently this team has practices during the week!! ) Our 3/4 year old team only had 1 practice (WHO knew it got this serious at age 4!!!)

He did do much better at going up and down the court and dribbling. Hopefully it will be warm enough this week to get out and dribble in the garage again!

Me and the girls also had a fun time cooking this week. Daddy has been working a little later hours, so we had to find something that mommy and the kids like doing (not play-doh ... too messy .... or hungry hungry hippos... too loud!!) So cooking sounded like a happy medium.

So this pretty much sums up how we all feel tonight... EXHAUSTED. TO bad it is sunday night and another week is upon us. Monday starts tomorrow way too early and we have a busy week with haircuts, meetings, late nights at work(daddy), and school. Can't believe January is gone already!!! Where does the time fly?

Savor the moments.

Letter to My Son

So I have been getting some scrapbooking done on the kids books. I have only taken like a million pictures in the last 6 months.. so there are definately enough pictures to scrapbook. I have been bouncing between all three of the scrapbooks doing the pages that come easily and skipping the ones i am not just ready to do yet. I am also working on 3 small albums for each child on their birth family. I have together all the pictures the family has given me and all the information that we have accumulated to tell a fraction of the story of their past. But at least they will have some information when they have questions, or if there is an assignment at school and they chose to talk about their birth family .... we have some history.

But tonight I was working on X's album and the 2nd page i have saved in each album to write a letter to each one on our first initial meeting and what we thought of each other and our hope and dreams for them. (something i was definitely putting off because of the difficult factor in capturing this moment for each of them -- & trying to have each letter not be a stock letter with just their name inserted!) I have had the paper and embellishments layed out for weeks.... but none of the letters have been written (minor detail) UNTIL tonight. I wrote my letter to my son. It all was sparked last night as Nate was getting out his bible to read ..which unfortunately we had to dust off.. and a card fell out. The card was from his graduation and was from his parents. Now, I know i keep alot of sentimental things and probley keep way to many cards and imperfect pictures and "Stuff" that you are never going to look at again.... BUT once in a great moon you open an old letter or look at an old picture and are reminded of a special moment and the pride in your parents or the love that was shared between two people or a bad hair-do phase. Those moments are priceless.

I was going through old boxes last year (condensing and organizing, of course!!) and came across the letters both my parents wrote to me on my confirmation day. They still make me cry. Or a box of old notes that i have kept from Nate... i love the one right before he proposed that he was throwing me off the track of marriage. (clever boy!!) So thinking of that and coming across a letter written awhile ago, I decided to write my first letter to my children to be read later in life. It was really hard to put down in to words what you feel, but i hope someday when he reads this he will know that instant connection i felt with him and how I felt in a second that God knew all along that this is what was meant to be. So for all you who are reading this and have children.... write them a letter telling them what they mean to you at this moment or if you are brave enough call them and tell them how proud you are of them. It means the world!!

Here is the letter to my son (the first hopefully of many) so he will never forget that he is loved.

My Son…
You are an amazing little boy! The first time I looked into your face I fell in love with your handsome smile and that laugh that is simply contagious. I remember the first day you came into our lives like it was yesterday. You were momma’s little guy. You were very upset and just sat in my lap and for the first time I comforted you and you comforted me. Daddy and I had tried so long to have a family and little did we know God had a plan. We were meant to be together. You came into our home so quickly that neither one of us had time to get to know one another, but when you crawled in my arms on that swing and we could feel each other’s heartbeats… I knew you were my son.
That first night in your “new” home you didn’t know quite what to think. We had a room all ready for you (the boy’s room) but you didn’t want to leave your sisters. You were and have always been their protector. My love for you is more profound, than I would have ever imagined. Therefore it is my solemn vow that I will love you, guide you and protect you for the rest of your life. I plan never to miss a day that I don’t say I Love You.

Your father and I are so lucky to have you in our lives and hope that you become the man you are meant to be. We are amazed to see you grow up, to see you laugh at jokes, to sing a song, and to grow taller and taller each day. You bring so much joy into our lives for everything you do. And we can’t wait to see you do so much more… like your first day of school, your first field trip, your first baseball game, your first date, and your first kiss. We can’t wait to help you with your homework and to applaud you at your first school play. To see you grow up right before our eyes and to guide and teach you all that we know. We will try to nurture you the best we can and show you how to have a relationship with God. My heart fills with pride just knowing that someday you will grow into a fine young man. And to know you are my son.

I love you.
Mommy

Time is made up of captured moments. The things shared and the moments spent together become gifts that the heart never forgets.

author unknown

Happy Birthday Uncle Scott!!!

It is hard to believe you are only 21 this year like me!! heehee... I hope Beth and Lincoln make what is left of your big day special!!

Also, we have just found out that Vicki, a woman who i have blogged about before -who was an essential part of putting the children in our home, well her birthday is tommorrow. I just wanted her to know how much her influence in our children's lives and her hands in this adoption have changed our lives. And she has made Nate and I's dreams of becoming parents (to the three most wonderful children in the world) come true..... and we only hope that your birthday wishes this year come true too!!

Happy Birthday To You 2!!!

Picture Day

Okay so trying to think of things to do in the home while we have all this yucky, cold, wet, weather. We have been stuck in the house for awhile now.... so today i decided to have a photo day today. I got them all dressed up in outfits ready for valentine's day, and the result...... ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE!! Check out this handsome devil.... doesn't he just melt your heart. He is going to be a ladies man!!!

AND i don't think this girl can get a better smile!!!

And I caught R telling her teddy bear a secret... and I love the photo i captured!! Just picture perfect!!!

These are just a few teasers... more pictures to come. Hope you enjoy....

Children are life's little treasures.

Post edits

Sorry for all the additional blog emails you have been getting (nate let me know!) I have been trying to go through and take the children's names out of all blog posts. We are trying to be a little bit more cautious on where our children's names are out there and not hand out too much information.

Sorry for the updates on my editing that you may be getting it is necessary to censor how much information is shared through this thing the internet.... once it is out there you can't take it back!
;-)

Snow days OR more like it......Ice Days

This past week we had another wonderful mother nature event..... ice and more ice. It started last Saturday as Freezing Fog -- actually that is what they called it.... then it started to warm up and i was hopeful that spring was coming early and then the ICE CAME... It rained and then froze. This is what it looked like!Everything was a Popsicle... even the grass... look closely that is our grass!!!

It is like jack frost froze everything with a coating of ice..... and when it melted and fell off the trees it sounded musical.

SO because of this ice.... R had 2 MORE days of NO school. That is, let's count them, 4 days already since she started school January 4th. CRAZY.

So we have had to do ALOT of indoor activities.... like blocks...

Daddy played with the kids and made some fun things out of the blocks.... the kids have been very imaginative with the blocks lately making microphones to sing Alvin and Chipmunk songs, guns (UGH.. it has started already the making of guns and making gun noises), screwdrivers, etc. You name it they can build it!

X and Daddy deciding what to make..... maybe another engineer in the making?? I don't know, if X isn't the next Dancing Singing Rockstar... then he can have this to fall back on!! heehee

we also made marshmallow snowmen. Fun Messy project.... but the kids LOVED it!

Little Munchkin loved eating the supplies... maybe that is why she only made 1 1/2 snowmen and not 3... because mysteriously her marshmallows disappeared! They had chocolate chips, sprinkles, licorice, icing and candies to use their imaginations to make snowmen!

Here are our finished projects.... so good aren't they... nothing pretty. BUT i will let you know this took up a hour and 1/2. Priceless to a mother who is stuck in the house due to icy road conditions!!!!

We also swept out the garage and put the basketball hoop up just so they could get out even more energy. Wonderful i do say!!!

And the best part of the weekend.... saturday mommy got to get out of the house to scrapbook... AND mommy and daddy got a babysitter and we went out to dinner and a going away party.

We will miss Russ and Jody, so it was great to go and hang out with them for one of the last times here in Ottumwa. And of course R wanted to wear mommy's awesome shoes. Going out is so rare now with the children and i am NOT one of those mom's who pick up their kids from school in their heels... so R fell in love with my heels i wore last night. So cute... she also wanted to put makeup on... OH NO!!

So it has been a VERY LONG week... we are hoping for no snow or ice days this week. I think R would be happier too! She does not like when her school gets cancelled. :-( Hope everyone else had a great week... will keep you posted on more.

X's Basketball Game

Click here to view this video

This is his attempt at a basket... we are going to be working on dribbling!! I have also posted 2 other videos of the game on our shutterfly site.

Just go to www.theschulteclan.shutterfly.com

Enjoy.. you know we did!!!

If you're too busy to laugh..... you're too busy!!!

Okay i cannot believe it is the 17th of January!! how is it the middle of January already!! Please someone tell me where time goes?!?

This week has been a good one. Let's summarize: birthday dinner and celebration for my wonderful husband, a three day week for our princess (which means two days with all the kids at home!), sunny days and warmer temperatures (which means we finally could play outside and take down Christmas lights!!!), a three day weekend out of town (YEAH), first basketball game for X, and time with good friends.
Daddy's white chocolate raspberry cake... YUM!!!Decorating daddy's birthday sign
But seeing that it is a new year... and new year's resolutions were made... i have attempted to get a few things done. My First New Year's resolution was to get more organized in life! Now some of you may be a little bit skeptical of ME getting more organized... but it can be done. I started by printing of a week list of things i would like to get done each day like.... sundays are bath and hair day for kids..... Wednesday is computer time for the kids (where i will allow them to start playing games on the computer....... Mondays are grocery day.... sunday night is time to set a dinner planner on meals i will prepare during the week... so on.

So Wednesday i wanted the kids to play with the computer ( we installed a new game Aunt Kathy got us for Christmas .... Mickey Mouse) while the kids were playing in mommy and daddy's room, i decided to clean out the closet so i could supervise the kids while getting something accomplished. But it is not some small cleaning attempt.... I mean taking everything... i mean everything out of the closet, wipe down walls, sweep every inch of the floor and put all the clothes back which have been organized and folded neatly. BIG TASK...... but sooooo worth it.

The kids helped me clean the closet out... they helped me take the "stuff" out of the closet. We made a game out of the shoes... i put them in a big pile on the floor and made them find matches... a Wonderful learning experience. When we had about half of the "stuff" out Rosetta comes into the room and sees the mess and points her finger at me and tells me "Daddy is going to be mad at you!" (little did i know she would be a little right... when daddy had a long day and couldn't go to bed until the clothes were put back in the closet and off the bed. heehee)
Now the closet isn't quite done... Nate's side is taking a little longer... of course UGH. BUT i will post after pictures soon. My shirts are even hung up in ROY G. BIV style!!!! love it!!!

This Saturday was X's first basketball game.... i was a proud momma!!!

Look at our little guy. I will post the videos from the game soon. The ball they practiced with last weekend was smaller so he had to shoot with a much heavier ball this week. (we need to have him start lifting weights soon :-) There are a few of the kids that understand basketball and many of the kids... including X ... have no clue what is going on. We will be working on dribbling and shooting this week hopefully in the garage. We picked up a basketball to use in his new basketball hoop from G'pa and G'ma B. More daddy and X bonding time to come!!!

Then we were off to the Quad Cities for a night! We stopped for lunch to see our friends (the newlyweds) kara and scott and bryan (a soon to be first time daddy!!). We haven't seen them in awhile so it was great to catch up and share some good food at BW3's (our favorite place!!! We also got to see our dear friends the Boekhoff's. They have three kids and lived across the street until October! Our kids love them and miss them soo much. The kids were in heaven playing and spending time with their best buds. They also had a slumber party... in October the boekhoff's were the first babysitters for our children overnight!! When the kids were put down for bed... and i use the words put down... because they did not obviously go to sleep anytime soon.. the adults got to have adult time. We got to chit chat without kid interruptions and drink a little wine/beer and play some sequence.

Now it is sunday night and we are home. It feels good!!! i have my pjs on and nate and I are watching a movie and enjoying it!! The kids are all exhausted from so much excitement... we did not hear a peep out of them tonight. The best part out of all of this... our weekend isn't over!!! Daddy is home from work tomorrow for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Now that is another thing that has a whole new meaning for us this year. I tried to explain to the kids this week who Martin Luther King Jr. was but they don't quite comprehend it yet. It is a day to celebrate one of the world's greatest civil rights leaders. He is amazing for what he did against the struggles of racial segregation and equality among everyone.

My favorite part of MLK's "I have a dream" speech is this:
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

This is our hope. This is the faith with which I return to the South. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring."

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day to you!!!

Nate Birthday -- dancing

Click here to view this video

Here is the video of the kids dancing on nate's birthday.....this is the first dance of like 15.... the kids were not as exhausted as nate and i from watching!! ;-)

25 weeks.... almost 6 months!!!

So today, our angels have been placed in our home for exactly 25 weeks... 175 days!!!!

I thought i would mark this occassion by asking them a few questions... just to see their answers!! :-)

Little Princess’s Q & A

1. What is something mama always says to you? I love you

2. What makes mama happy? if I don’t lie

3. What makes mama sad? If I lie

4. How does your mama make you laugh? if I laugh she laughs

6. How old is your mama? 21 (yes i am!!! ;-)

7. How tall is your mama? Very tall

8. What is her favorite thing to do? Make cookies with me

9. What does your mama do when you're not around? Go to the grocery store

14. What is your mama's favorite food? cookies

15. What makes mama proud of you? we go poopy and pee

16. What do you and your mama do together? play games like......veggietales

17. How are you and your mama the same? have hair like you ... and we comb it

18. What is your favorite book? goldilocks and the 3 bears

19. What is your favorite number? 1...... um....actually 4

20. What is your favorite color? orange

21. What is your favorite food? egg in a hole

22. What is your favorite movie? Hannah Montana

23. Who is your best friend? Haden and Laney

Little Prince’s Q & A (an insight into a 4 year old’s mind!!!)

1. What makes mama happy? when I dance

2. How old is your mama? I don’t know

3. How tall is your mama? really big

4. What is her favorite thing to do? play with us

5. What does your daddy do when you're not around? work

6. What is your daddy really good at? making jello

7. What is your daddy not very good at? Pancake cookies? i think he is referrring to the pizelle disaster :-)

8. What does your daddy do for his job? work @ John Deere

9. What is your daddy's favorite food? jello

10. What makes daddy proud of you? For going poopy

11. What do you and your daddy do together? I take showers

12. How are you and your daddy the same? We are boys!!!!

13. What is your favorite book? spiderman, daddy reads it good!!

14. What is your favorite number? 4

15. What is your favorite color? blue

16. What is your favorite food? Mac & cheese

17. What is your favorite movie? Toy Story

18. Who is your best friend? Zack


Little Munchkin's Q & A

1. What is something mama always says to you? I lub u

2. What makes mama happy? When I say I lub u

3. How old is your mama? 3

4. How tall is your mama? big

5. What is her favorite thing to do? Push the vacuum cleaner (she is right i do like to see all the dirt go into the vacumm)

6. What is your mama really good at? Letting me play

7. What is your mama's favorite food? Fruit salad

8. What makes mama proud of you? Going poopy YEAH!

9. What do you and your mama do together? Eat at the tv…. (she means we have picnics downstairs and watch a movie – when it is just the two of us)

10. What is your favorite movie? madagascar

11. What is your favorite number? 4, 5, 6, 7
,
12. What is your favorite color? purple

13. What is your favorite food? Hot chocolate

14. How is your best friend? grandmas, mommy and daddy AWWWWW so cute!!

isn't is amazing to hear the words out of their mouth?!? It is amazing that 6 months ago we did not know these three wonderful children. We did not know the wonderful smile of our princess and how smart she is. We did not hear the contagious laughter out of our Little Prince and his very talented dance moves. AND we did not have our munchkin's cuddly arms around us!!! Now it is almost 6 months later and we can't imagine our lives without them!!!

Right now they are playing Ring around the Rosey upstairs and playing so nicely. I hope your day is as wonderful and as Exciting as ours is around here!!! Never a dull moment!!!!

...I could not ask for more than this time together, I could not ask for more than this time with you, Every prayer has been answered, Every dream I have's come true, And right here in this moment, Is right where I meant to be, Here with you, Here with me. . . These are the moments, I thank God that I'm alive, These are the moments, I'll remember all my life, I've got all I've waited for, And I could not ask for more. . .

He shoots... He scores!!

It's Sunday and we are having a great morning so far... me and the kids made Daddy a special breakfast for his birthday (since he will be up and at'em earlier than us tomorrow) We made stuffed french toast and sauteed cinnamon apples and pink milk.

Yesterday started our first extracurricular activity for any of the kids. Xavier started basketball!! It was his first practice and next Saturday starts his basketball games for i think 7 weeks!! So Cute. Daddy took Xavier to practice and stayed to watch. Xavier did GREAT!! He was dribbling the ball and even going from hand to hand while dribbling. The only think nate said was that he doesn't have alot of arm strength to get the ball to the hoop so he gets all the way down to the ground to get enough umpff. He does pretty good at layups though if you don't look at the carrying of the ball. ;-)
He is in a group of 3-4 year olds... but he is obviously one of the smaller kids on the team. Nate said he is as small as the smallest 3 year old. But he is quick!!! We are hoping to put Rosetta in tumbling... and next year she will be in dance. We are taking baby steps into activities to see how they do. They are so young so they get stimulated soooo quickly.

Here is our little start dribbling the ball.

So we can't wait till next week to see him actually play in a real game. Yippee!!! I am such an excited mommy and will be cheering on my little boy from the sidelines. I can just see in my future a crazy soccer mom already!!! heehee

Tonight we are going out to our favorite mexican restaurant to celebrate Nate's birthday with some of our friends. Have a wonderfully relaxing Sunday... i know we will!!!

First Snow Day!!!

So R started school on Monday and she didn't even have a full week in before her first Snow Day!! This is what we woke up to this morning. We had an inkling last night that we wouldn't have school... even the teacher's said "see you on friday!" ;-)

So instead of getting everyone ready to brave the weather and husseling around to have breakfast since we have to have lunch at 11:00 am to get R to school on time.....we had a fun breakfast. We looked at the Girl's new cookbook Princess and Frog. We decided to make eggs in a nest and Swamp-water Smoothies!!! Yum Yum!!!Here is the finished product of eggs in a nest. The kids helped me crack the eggs, and cut the holes in the bread and put jelly on the holes!! Then we feasted!!!

After breakfast we colored... the youngest two only wanted to color on the same book. So sweet!!!And now the kids are sleeping... they are taking an earlier nap then i would like but R has a cold and runny nose and asked if she could go to bed right after lunch. SO they are tucked warmly in their beds sleeping. Now the wind is really pickin up and we have gotten more snow... just to put it into perspective, I let the dogs out to go potty before i took a shower and when i came back upstairs 20 minutes later... you could not even tell where their foot prints were in the snow!?!?!

Here is the drift on our back porch.

Well here is to holding up and staying warm today inside..... UGH... i have to go to the dentist later!!! I better bundle up ... but good news Daddy will be home early. Got a pot of Deer Vegetable Soup on the stove (courtesy of Bill and Pam) so hopefully that will warm up our insides later!