Zonked Out!

Today is Dawson's 4th Birthday! Can't believe that he is already 4 years old. Seems like yesterday that we were at the hospital. I remember that I was due on Christmas day, but my doctor was kind enough to induce me the week before. Good thing, since he weighed 8 lbs 9oz! Can't imagine how big he would've been if I had gone another week.
We've had fun celebrating the past few days. Last night we got together with the "Blaich" side (my mom's side of the family) to celebrate Daws' birthday as well as Christmas. The kids had a lot of fun. And today we took him out to eat at his favorite restaurant, Chapala. We were so excited to surprise him with the Chapala birthday serenade...BUT, we didn't even think that our shy little boy might not appreciate it as much as we thought. Poor guy. Started crying he was so shocked and embarrassed. One of the waiters thought it would be funny to put a spoonful of ice cream on Dawson's nose for fun...not so fun for Daws :(. He quickly cheered up when Daddy put ice cream on his nose too! We finished the day off by spending three hours at Zonkers and the mall. Yes THREE hours. The boys probably would've stayed even longer, but Josh and I were zonked out.
I have to share a few things that happened to us today to remind us of the "Christmas spirit." First, when we were cashing in our tickets at Zonkers, a man came up to us and gave the boys all of his tickets. The boys were so excited to have an extra 100 tickets to spend! Then, as we were walking past Guest Services at the mall, the woman working motioned Josh to her desk and gave him a FREE $50 Visa gift card to spend at any store in the mall. She said that the mall had some secret santas this year and they were giving gift cards away to people at random. It was so great for the boys to see such kind and giving people today! It's my hope that they will be the people showing such kindness to others in the future!

Here are some pics from Dawson's birthday celebrations. Happy Birthday Daws! We love you!!


Dawson was "zonked-out" too by the end of the day!

The firetruck exhibit at the mall.

He's not so happy about this one...

Showing me his new legos.

This is one of the gifts that Aunt Joy and Alida sent Dawson. So funny! Now he can build things just like Daddy!

Christmas Pics

Hibernation has begun!

It's cold outside and we just had the first snow of the year. Unfortunately, we've also had the first round of the stomach flu too :(. Dawson was up all night getting sick, poor guy. He's such a trooper though, didn't even cry once. I've spent the day cleaning carpets and sanitizing the house. Not that I really mind being stuck inside on such a cold day, but this is day #2 of being inside, and I'm starting to get cabin fever. Maybe we'll be able to venture out tomorrow pending all is well.

Christmas is quickly approaching. It seems like once Halloween is here, the time until Christmas flies by! We're having a pretty laid back Christmas this year. We'll be staying in KC since we traveled for Thanksgiving. The boys are getting excited for Santa to visit. Although Josh and I have already had to pull-out the "Santa card" a few times. You know...when they misbehave and you tell them the "Santa is watching" sentence. Yes, I admit to using this phrase a time or too before the big day actually arrives :). Of course, the boys' Christmas list is full of plenty of toys, and more toys, and even more toys. Transformers, bakugans, star wars toys...boy stuff! At least we will finally be seeing some girly gifts too this year! Even though Emerson won't have any memory of them. The years to come will be so much fun for "Santa!"

Josh and Masen have plans to go sledding this afternoon. Masen was very excited to see the snow this morning, but very disappointed to hear that he still had to go to school. Josh has a kid-free day as his school is closed for the day. Unfortunately, he still has to report when there is a snow day. But I think he enjoys the quiet school every once in a while.

As for me, well, I'm still in my pjs and plan on staying that way the rest of the day! No sense in getting dressed when you aren't leaving the house. Hope everyone is staying warm!

My many blessings!!

Josh and I have so much to be thankful for this year. Our three beautiful children, our home, our health, Josh's job, our supportive extended family and friends, and many, many more blessings!! I can't help but get sappy this time of year. I love the holiday season,. Getting together with family, and sharing and making the many wonderful family traditions together. We're heading to Josh's youngest sister's house this weekend in Hoxie, KS. His parents and all of his sibilings (and their spouses and children) will be there too. This will be the first year that we are in Hoxie - we're usually at Josh's parents in Esbon...but we'll be carrying on the traditional "bonfire" with all of the kids. Then the countdown is on until Dawson's 4th birthday on the 19th and Christmas. Soon to be followed my Masen's 7th birthday on Jan. 15th. So many celebrations and so much fun!! I hear that Santa has already been busy :). Hope everyone has been good this year and is blessed this holiday season!

Here are some pics of our three blessings....

Dawson had his first Thanksgiving program this year at preschool. He was such a cute turkey!


The boys were so excited to get to feed Emerson a bottle! Here they are looking like proud big brothers :).

Notice the lack of smile :(. Emery really doesn't like her hat, but she looks so cute in it!! Can't believe she will be 3 months old tomorrow.

Awww....peace and quiet!

Again...peace and quiet doesn't come often around here, and right at this moment I hear nothing but the buzz of the fridge :). Of course, hearing my children's voices everyday reminds me of my great blessings, but everyone needs a little peace and quiet sometimes, right???

We've had a great few weeks here at the Kindler household. Can't believe that Thanksgiving is only 3 weeks away! The kids had a great time on Halloween. I think the sugar-high lasted for several days, and we will be eating Halloween candy until at least Easter. The boys were both Optimus Prime and Emerson was a pumpkin. She had a really cute pumpkin outfit, but screamed when I put her in it, so as you can see below, we resorted to the "pumpkin bib" instead. The boys both had parties at their schools and then we went to Aunt Molly and Uncle Damon's on Halloween night.

We have been enjoying the beautiful weather these past few weeks too! We love going to the park and know that we need to take advantage of it now because soon it will be too cold to be outside. Here are some pics from our "Fall" adventures thus far. Enjoy!


Masen, Dawson and their cousin, Taylor at the park.

The boys loved playing in the leaves...they even loved helping Daddy rake them up this year too :).

Our little pumpkin is getting big! She's such a happy girl!!

Optimus #1 and Optimus #2

Emerson is 2 months old!!

Emerson turned 2-months old on the 25th. Here are some pics. As you can see she is really smiling! She has a smile that is contagious and so cute. She also is starting to laugh some too. We'll try to post a video of her laugh soon. Here's our little ballerina :).

Time has flown by....again!!

Wow! I can't believe that it is almost November! Time just seems to go by so quickly these days. Can't believe that Emery is already 2 months old. Just had her check-up today and she is doing great. The doctor eased my mind with regards to her feeding, weight, etc. She is now 9 lbs 3.2 oz and 21 inches long. Still on the "smaller" side, but she is staying right on the growth curve, which is good news. I think she's going to be petitie like mommy. Unfortunately, she had to get 4 shots today, which she didn't like at all. Her little whimper made me cry too :(. It's never fun to take them to get shots, and of course, it always seems like I am the one to take them - how does Josh get out of it?!?

Life is good for the Kindlers! The boys are still loving school and Awana. Both have Halloween parties on Friday and of course, they are both dressing as Optimus Prime this year. Emerson will be a little pumpkin. We'll make sure to post more pics of the costumes next week. Masen only has 4 more weeks of eye therapy (he has completed 21 weeks already). His vision seems to be improving, so we are glad. He doesn't like the homework or patching part of eye therapy, but we are so proud of him for working so hard! He had a GREAT report from his teacher during conferences. In fact...to brag a little...she said that he is a "star student" and he is doing so well academically that she is now sending home 2nd grade homework for him to complete each week. He has really picked up on reading and is reading everything and anything in front of him, which is so neat to see. Dawson is really picking up on his preschool skills too. He comes home everyday with a new art project, which he (and we) are so proud of! He loves going to school, which especially makes Josh so happy as an educator.

Speaking of...Josh is applying for a Lead Principal position in the DeSoto district for next year. He actually has an interview on Monday and he is really excited about the possibility of opening his own (brand new) Elementary school. He is eager to move up in the education field, but knows that it will happen when it's meant to happen.

As for me, well, I continue to keep busy! In fact, I get excited when we actually have an entire day at home. This doesn't happen very often. Always and adventure for us waiting for us somewhere :).

Here are some pics from our first family shoot as a "family of 5." Enjoy!

A quiet house...

It's been a long time since we've had a quiet house...and this weekend Josh and I have had one, thanks to Grandma and Papa Kindler. The boys went to visit their cousin, Owen, in Hoxie with them this weekend. Masen didn't have school yesterday, so it worked out well to meet Papa in Manhattan yesterday to drop them off. The boys were SUPER excited to spend time with Grandma and Papa and to see Owen at the same time! We've never been to Owen's house before, so they were really excited to see where he lives. Josh and I have enjoyed our "quiet" house and spending some time with just Emerson, too. We went on an hour walk last evening and rented movies. Today we've just been lounging around the house, watching the KU football game and talking. We're planning on going to dinner tonight and Nini and Pops (Jen's parents) are going to babysit Emerson for a few hours. It's been almost four years since the time that we only had one child to entertain. Kinda forgot how easy it is to parent one at a time...of course, we wouldn't trade our life and family of five for anything in the world though!!

Can't believe that Fall is already here. Seems like September flew by so fast! We've been busy, as usual. The boys have both earned their first Awana awards of the year. Masen was recognized as the 'student of the month' in his class! He also lost his 3rd tooth last Sunday. He decided to pull it out at church :). Below is a pick of his new smile. Emerson is already changing! Her little cheeks are getting chubby again and she is finally starting to sleep a little longer at night (about a 5 hour stretch). She had her 1 month check-up and is doing great! We are still doing daily stretches for the lump on her neck and are happy to see that it's getting smaller. Can't believe that she is almost 7 weeks old already!! The boys are still lovin' their little sis. They give her lots and lots and lots of kisses and like to sing and dance for her too. Everyday Dawson says, "mommy, she's so boo-tiful!" Melts my heart. Masen calls her "my girl" and is always protecting her. They're going to be great, protective, brothers in the future....I just feel sorry for the guys that are going to try to date her :).

Here are some pics of the past few weeks. We've enjoyed our time together and with our family. Hope everyone has a blessed week!!

Great Grams and Emerson.


Great G-G and Emerson -- her first great-grandaughter.

"Little girl in Big chair." I just love this pic! She looks TINY!!

Dawson made these elephant ears at preschool and wore them for about a week straight. Such a cute elephant!!

Here's Masen's toothless grin....perfect timing for Halloween -- he makes a cute Jack-o-lantern!!

Dawson is the kid that loves to put his hands in his pockets. He's done this since he was about 2 years old. I caught him sleeping with his hands in his pockets this week, so of course, I had to take a pic!!

What's been happening with the Kindler's...

Whew!! What a whirlwind these past 3 weeks have been at the Kindler house. Hard to believe that little Emerson was born 3 weeks ago today! She is doing great. Sleeping, eating, sleeping, eating more...what else can you expect? Sure, some nights have been kind of rough, especially when she had her days and nights confused :(. BUT, we are managing and are truly loving our family of 5!! Masen and Dawson have taken good care of their "little sis." She gets plenty of kisses and silly faces made at her too. I can only imagine how much fun the future is going to be for us. Unfortunately, we've been to the doctor's office 5 times in the past 3 weeks. Emerson had weight checks (and she's up to 7 lbs. 6.9 oz, which means she's eating well) and unfortunately, we had to make an emergency visit on Sunday because she's developed a quarter size lump on the side of her neck. We were reassured by the doctor and told that it is a hematoma (sp?) on her muscle - probably caused by her neck being strained when she was born. We're doing daily stretches to stretch the muscle out and were told that the lump should disappear in a few weeks on its own. It was quite a scare for us, but we know that God answer's prayers and we are thankful that it wasn't sometime more serious! It doesn't seem to bother her at all, which is a blessing too. We also had to take Masen in for a strep culture last week (which was negative). Dawson, Masen and Josh all had a yucky virus with a sore throat and fever for a few days. Poor Masen had it the worst, but all are well now. We are thankful that Mommy and Emerson didn't catch the bug.
Dawson started his first year of preschool at Happy House and is loving it!! He's going three mornings/week, which gives me and Emerson some time to spend together. Masen is still enjoying 1st grade and both of the boys started Awana last week too. Life is busy, but enjoyable. Trying to get back into our routine and missing Daddy now that he's back at work. Josh and I are so grateful for everyones thoughts and prayers over the past few weeks! We have such an amazing family and group of friends and are truly blessed!! Here are some pics captured this past week. Mommy has had fun dressing Emerson up in her cute little outfits and bows :). More to come next time....


Finally! Emerson had her eyes open for awhile so mommy got the camera out to capture the moment :).

Learning to pose at an early age - 2 weeks old!

Such grown-up boys!!

Thumbs-up for school! And check out Josh's timing with the school bus in the background too.

Dawson poses in front of Happy House on his first day. He was so excited and had his backpack packed for 2 weeks BEFORE he even started! He even wore it around the house on most days too.

Emerson Lin Kindler has arrived!!!

What a week it's been for us! Emerson Lin Kindler finally arrived on August 25th. She weighed 7 lbs 4.8 oz and was 18 3/4 in long. She is so beautiful and such a blessing to us! Of course, her big brothers are so proud of her and are really enjoying their little sis. They love holding her and want to be by her side constantly. Josh and I are trying to adjust to the "no sleep" stage once again. We forgot how rough it is to be up every 2 hours at night, but it's well worth it. Emerson is eating well and has enjoyed all of her visitors. Josh's entire family was able to come up this past weekend, which was fun. And many of Jen's family got to visit her in the hospital and at home. Here are some pics taken during Emerson's first week of life. Yes - maybe I'm going a little "camera happy," but it's so much fun to dress her up and try to pose her :). Of course, she sleeps through most of it or is wanting nothing to do with the pictures and is screaming...I guess she'll get use to it one day. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. God has truly blessed us with our amazing children and family!!

Emerson with her Gerber Daisy headband...mommy made one of these in every color :). So cute!


Big Brother Dawson loves cuddling with his sis!

Proud "biggest" brother Masen enjoying time with Emerson.

Our family of "5" is complete!

Welcome to the world Emerson Lin!!

3 more sleeps!!

We're all counting 'sleeps' here at the Kindler household....3 more until we get to meet our daughter! I'm getting restless, not sleeping at night (but took some really good naps this week with Daws). Dawson and I have been killin' time this week - shopping and hitting garage sales. Everyone I know that was due the end of August has already had their babies :(. Oh well, I'm just glad to know that there's an end in sight.

Masen had a great 1st full-week of school this week. He was exhausted every day, but is really liking it. He already got a taste of his teacher "being mad at the class." He said she yelled at them and made them all put their heads down on their desks. But he claims that he was doing what he was supposed to be doing and not the one causing problems :). He at least ate half of his lunch every day, so that made me feel better. He thinks it's really cool that he gets to go to PE and Music classes every other day! Of course, if you ask him what his favorite part has been thus far - he'll tell you recess. I was a little nervous one day when he told me that he already had to sit at the "quiet table." BUT he later explained that it was because a little girl was trying to cheat off of him during a test....geez...can't believe that some kids already are trying to cheat in 1st grade!!

Josh had a good week of school too...I think he has only had a few students in his office thus far, but he's a little nervous for the 8th grade bunch this year - they may keep him busy! He'll get to take off almost 2 weeks when we have the baby, which will be so nice!! Of course, we'll be busy shuttling the boys to and from school and eye therapy and taking the baby to doctor appointments, so not much of a vacation. I will be glad for the help though! Gotta get used to changing diapers again....Dawson's been potty trained for a year now, so it's been a while.

Thank you to everyone for your thoughts and prayers. We'll be sure to post some pics of the baby (and her big brothers) as soon as we can!

Goodbye summer...hello school!

Well....summer is officially over for us. Masen started 1st grade yesterday and is already lovin' it! He had his first "full" day today and said that it went so fast, he didn't even have time to miss me and Daws. I'll admit, I was a little nervous about today. At least nervous that he wouldn't eat the lunch that I packed him, or that he would be overwhelmed. BUT - he did great! Two of his friends from his Kindergarten class are in his class this year, which helped. He woke up with a tummy ache both days and had me walk him to his class both mornings, but I think he's gonna do just fine. He really likes his teacher, Miss Evans, and REALLY likes having recess every day :). I just can't believe that his a 1st grader already. My how time flys! Here are some pics of his (second) day of school - I can't believe that I forgot to take my camera on his first day....blame it on the baby!

1st grade....here I come!

School is cool!!

Daws is all ready for preschool too....although he won't start until the 31st. He already has his backpack full of his school supplies and he refuses to take it off when we're at home :). So cute!

3 weeks to go...

I'm excited to announce that our daughter will be born on Tuesday, August 25th (if not sooner). I talked to my doctor yesterday and asked her if she would be willing to induce me on my due date - which is actually the 26th...This is my Grandma Karen's birthday and I thought that it would be really neat to give her a birthday buddy. Unfortunately, my doctor doesn't work on Wednesdays-- and I'd really like her to make it to the delivery. So - she has agreed to induce me on the 25th instead, which means that there is an end in sight for me!! Not that I haven't enjoyed my pregnancy, but we are pretty anxious to meet our daughter/sister. We finally agreed on a name, although Josh is insisting that we keep it a surprise until she arrives :).

Now I just got to get movin' on the long list of things that I have to do to prepare. The boys are getting really excited. In fact, when Dawson was watching her move in my belly the other day, he said that he thinks "she wants to come out." Both of the boys have also agreed to feed her and change her diapers too!! What big helpers they will be for Josh and I. We are truly blessed to have our wonderful children and thank everyone for your love, support, and prayers - as always!! We'll be sure to post pics of the big event.

Fun week for the Kindlers

What a week we had at the Kindler household! We are so sad that Daddy's summer break is coming to an end (he has to go back to work on Wednesday). We've enjoyed our family time this summer and have made many great memories.

We started this week by going to Deanna Rose Farm for our cousin, Kai's, 4th birthday party. The kids had a lot of fun. They even bottle fed the baby goats for the first time. Then we saw the movie Ice Age 3 and went swimming. The boys had another "boys only" fishing trip with Daddy, Pops and Uncle Zach too. AND Mommy actually got the whole day to herself :). Finally, we went to Crown Center with Zach, Sara, Taylor and Carter. We ate lunch at Fritz', went to Kaleidescope and played in the water fountains. Here are some pics of our fun week. Summer is winding down, and soon it will be school time (and baby time) for us. Sometimes I wish summer would last the whole year!!

Masen and Dawson with their cousins, Cierra and Dakota at Deanna Rose


Dawson with the birthday boy, Kai, and another friend.

The boys were a little frightened by how hungry the baby goats were :).

Taylor and Daws drying out after playing in the water fountains at Crown Center.

Dawson and Masen in the fountains - they had so much fun!!

Masen "making a splash"

Dawson and Taylor --boys will be boys...Dawson and Masen liked "sitting" on the spouts more than anything as pictured here. Taylor enjoyed playing in the sand and mud puddles more than anything.

Eating lunch at Fritz with the train engineers.

The famous "BIG" catch of the day....Zach and Josh are still fighting over who gets to take credit for this one. Apparently it was Josh's pole, but Zach reeled it in. Pretty impressive though!