archie is two

these are ten of the things we love about you:  1. the exuberant greeting you give to whoever enters the room 2. your shiny, golden hair and how it sticks up in the cutest way 3. the remarkable volume at which you call for mom or dad 4. you love getting bowls out of the drawer for "nacks" 5. the way you say "come on" and drag us by the hand when you want us to follow you 6. how you fold your hands and say "amen!" when we pray 7. the low grunts you make when...

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things jack says

jack is so funny and makes us laugh on a regular basis. we don't have as many words and phrases to translate these days, but there are a lot more one liners and hilarious conversations. dictionary entries: twisty rolls = tootsie rolls [which he collects for gaga dubs] book snacks = ritz, wheat thins & cashews ["i want circle crackers, square crackers, and nuts shaped like a phone."] spicy drink = starry/sprite/7up spicy nuts = honey roasted peanuts bird church =...

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that homeschool life

when we started this whole hybrid homeschool situation i was not quite sure what it would end up looking like in our day to day, but we've found a great rhythm and are loving the setup we have right now. jack goes to 'school school' at fellowship church homeschool academy twice a week on monday and wednesday. he was a little apprehensive as the first day of school approached, but jumped right in and is loving it. it took a few weeks for him to get to know the kids in his class, but now we get stories...

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things archie says

having archie around is a delight. he loves to laugh, has a great smile, and is generally content with whatever we have going on. he's also quick on his feet and loves to rearrange things around the house, so he keeps us on our toes. he still needs a translator to communicate with anyone outside our family, but these are some of his most common words so far:biiiiiite! = please give me some of your food ball ball = this one is obvious, but it's how jack said it too pi pi = a mini orange...

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memories of salem

after more than 130 years salem church held its final service. though it hasn't been my church home in decades, it still feels significant as so much of my history is connected to to this place. it was home from birth to my teens. it's the church my mom grew up in, and where my parents met and were married. my grandparents attended here. my uncle. my great aunt and uncle. cousins and second cousins. it's also where i found a chosen family. bonus parents. best friends. people who are still near and...

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the bunny who lost his carrot

so one day a bunny had a carrot, but then the wind came and blew it away! and then the bunny dug all under the ground but he still couldn't find the carrot and then he went to bed sadly because he had never found his favorite carrot. but when the rabbit woke up he looked under his pillow and he found his carrot!!! the endby jack marshall d...

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life with archie

archie celebrated his mini golden birthday when he turned seventeen months on april 17th, so to mark the occasion here are a few of the fun things we are loving about archie right now: whenever we tell him its time to eat he excitedly toddles over to his high chair and waits to be picked uphis face lights up when he smiles and he has the best laugh [and he's always getting complimented on both]he loves to dance and it's hilarious to watch him spring into action with his elbows up and his signature...

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jack is five

these are ten of the things we love about you:  1. you are unusually skilled at puzzles and have earned your title of puzzle savant 2. we know the bonus hugs you give us every night are mostly an excuse to come out of your room, but we love them anyway 3. you are learning lots of new games and becoming quite a good game player 4. you have such a genuine love for archie and are a caring big brother [and he adores you right back!] 5. your stories and pretend play are...

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anniversary number eleven

i'm certain neither of us saw this coming, but we celebrated our eleventh anniversary up north in minnesota. last year my friend julie and i stumbled upon competitive puzzling and we were both excited about the idea of competing at the largest jigsaw puzzle competition in the county at the st. paul winter carnival. it happened to coincide with our anniversary weekend, so we decided to make it a family road trip adventure.the highlight of the weekend was obviously puzzles. i enjoyed the many...

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memories of my dad

it's odd to consider how long it has been since my dad passed away. twenty years feels like a lifetime ago. my life is so different than it was then, and the place i now call home is not a place my dad ever knew. that feels strange. my kids won't get to meet him, but i hope that one day they want to know about him. my dad wasn't perfect, but despite his faults i never doubted that he loved me and was proud of me. he was convinced i had mounds of potential and could grow up to be anything i wanted...

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