Christmas Time at the Norman's

Both the boys absolutely love Christmas. They get so excited every morning to see the Christmas lights. They love reading our Christmas stories. And one of their favorite things to do is take off all the ornaments and put them back on. 

I love pictures of little ones in front of the Christmas tree. I've been taking these pictures every year since Curtis was born. The boys have so much fun every time they get free reign in the room with the Christmas tree. It's fun to capture a little of that joy.

Curtis' Birthday Party

Last week we celebrated Curtis' birthday party. I love that his birthday falls around Halloween so the kids get to wear their Halloween costumes, such a great built in theme :) We had a lot of fun celebrating our sweet boy!

Curtis enjoying his cupcake batter after helping me make his cupcakes

 Curtis loved being The Flash

 Judah loves being T-rex

 Jeremiah is one of Curtis' favorite people. It's a lot of fun watching them play together.

 This is one of Judah's favorite places

 Alice is one of Curtis' other favorite people :)

 Curtis got some Curious George books and immediately started reading them. 

 Curtis got a little sad, this is what made him happy.

 We realized Curtis is definitely ready for a toy gun, he had so much fun playing with Jeremiah's

 A sweet group picture, The closest to them looking, it's kind of hard with 5 kids.

 The one good picture where we were all looking

 The real life picture

Judah is 18 Months

Judah turned 18 months last week. And since last week was so crazy, I'm just now getting a chance to write about him.

Judah is my crazy, wild, fun-loving, loud, always moving child. He climbs on everything, although I finally don't have to constantly monitor him at the table, unless he's trying to get to the flowers or whatever is on the table. He speaks at 2 volumes, loud and screaming. He runs everywhere he goes, which usually ends in a face plant, but he bounces back pretty quickly from it. He seems to eat most of the day, pretty content when he's walking around with some type of food in his hand. He loves trucks and balls and dirt. He loves his big brother and rarely laughs as loud as when his brother is making him laugh. Baxter is his best friend, and puts up with a lot from him. He gets incredibly excited every time Isaac walks in the room. He is such a joy and I love that he is part of our family! It's been a lot of fun to see him come into his personality.

Curtis Turns 3!!

My biggest little turned 3 years old today. This kid is such a joy in our house. He laughs all the time, most of the time at himself. He likes to eat his food pretending to be a tiger or an elephant or a dog. He is fascinated with animals, and loves dogs. He loves preschool and going to see Mrs. Rhonda. He loves his friends and asks to go see them every day. He loves cars and balls and dirt. But he's cautious and tells Baby (Judah) to be careful. He's compassionate and kind, loves to cuddle or comfort when someone's sad. He has a servant's heart, always wanting to help, whether it's with cooking, feeding Baxter, cleaning the dishwasher, or even picking up his toys. He loves his Daddy  and looks so forward to when he can see him every day. One of his most favorite things to do is make his little brother laugh and no one can bring laughter out of Judah like Curtis can. He has a big personality, with big opinions and is not easily swayed form those opinions. While that can be frustrating as he's learning how to deal with that, it's my prayer that God redeems that into a man who is not easily swayed, a man who stands up for what he believes, a man who refuses to back down when he's fighting for what is right. I am so thankful that God made me his Mama and I'm looking forward to what this next year brings.

Fall Update

So, it's been a long time. This fall has been a crazy time in the Norman household. We've had lots of changing and lots of growing up in the past 3 months.

 The biggest thing that's caused tons of little changes is me going back to work. Almost 3 months now, I went from being a nurse volunteer 3hours a week at The Keim Center to a nurse manager 3 days a week. It has been a wonderful, crazy, sometimes heartbreaking and busy journey for me and our family, but these past few months have been wonderful. I love my job, and am so incredibly thankful for it. It's been my hardest 3 months there, with patients who have sad stories, hard lives and my heart just breaks for them. I take them home with me every night, praying for them and their unborn babies as I drive home, as I do my charting (often at night after the boys go to bed), as I look at their baby's pictures one more time, and as I go to bed. Most of these women are incredible, showing me what strength is, caring for children, going to school, working, most of them doing it single. Many of their stories are heartbreaking and I feel honored to get the hear them, that they would trust me enough. The hardest part has been the amount of women seeking an abortion in the last 3 months. Almost every day I'm there, I explain the procedure to someone, and pray that God uses the ultrasound and the information to change their minds. Sometimes they do, and that's why I keep going back, because seeing God work in these women's live to save their babies and spare their hearts is worth all the stress, all the sadness and all the craziness.

With me going back to work, the boys are in daycare. It's been so fun for me to see them grow and flourish in an environment other than our home, where they are loved and cared for. They have friends that they look forward to seeing, they get to play, their learning letters and numbers, and The Pledge of Allegiance. Judah is learning he can be without me for a while and Curtis, my little extroverted introvert, loves seeing all his friends and asks to go to Mrs. Rhonda's every single day. I am so thankful we found such a wonderful place for them to be. 

With me at work, and the boys at daycare, Isaac has been awesome and really stepped in when I need help. On the days I work, he picks the boys up, cooks dinner and begins feeding them. He gets up early some days so he can spend time with the boys and me before I go to work. He helps out around the house with dishes and cleaning. I've been in awe these past few months with how easy he's making the transition for us.

The boys are growing so much! Judah is almost 18 months, and we call him Mr. Piggy, among other things because he seems to eat all the time. He runs everywhere he goes. He loves "wrestling" with Curtis. He loves throwing balls. And just learned how to go down the big slide by himself. He's speaking several words, but when he doesn't speak, he definitely gets his point across with screeching and yelling. He's my climber and so I'm constantly chasing him around making sure that he doesn't climb on things where he can die, but also standing behind him so he thinks he's being independent, but again, also not gonna die. He still nurses, although we're trying to ween. He still doesn't sleep through the night most of the time. I'm pretty sure the 2 correlate. Maybe once he weens, he'll sleep through the night. 

Curtis just seems like such a little boy now, not a toddler. This week, we made strides in potty training and he's had several dry days, which I'm so thankful for. I'm ready to stop buying pull ups. We can understand most of what he says now, and he repeats everything, which has been pretty cute. He says things that we assume he hears at daycare like "Silly rabbit" that just come out of no where cause he's never heard us say it. He loves watching Ninjago and talks about those characters all the time. He is a fun boy to be around, most days, very sweet, loving and affectionate, so we're having to teach him not everyone wants affection all the time. Teaching boundaries is hard, but we're working on the fist bump and high five to be before hugging. He loves his brother, loves "wrestling" with him, loves cuddling with him, and talks to him all the time, usually bossing him around, but sometimes not :). 

All in all, while it's been a challenging 3 months, it's been a wonderful growing season. Here's pictures from Colorado, and our pumpkin patch visit:

Curtis had so much fun with all the outdoor stuff. He loved learning how to hit the ball

 Every time Curtis tried something, Judah had to try it too

 Curtis' day was made when Nonno let him play with the tractor

 Judah loved our hike

 This was one of the only times Curtis wasn't fussing or having to rode Isaac's shoulders. He wasn't a fan. Hopefully that'll change.

 This happened a lot

 Playing football after my birthday dinner

 The closest I could get of them both at the pumpkin patch

 Curtis loves goats

 This is what happens when we paint

Good-byes and New Beginnings

This week has been an incredibly hard and sad week. It's hard to put in to words all the different feelings and emotions I've had. As I mentioned in my last blog, my Aunt Bec Bec passed away last Sunday. She was a wonderful woman, who spent her last day leaving her wonderful legacy of serving her family, canning veggies for them to have for the next year. And that was her, giving everything she had, living a life of sacrifice. I mentioned in my last blog she was the Navy wife I strive to be, and if I am half as good a wife and devoted mother as she was, I will feel accomplished and hope I can make her proud.

This week we said good-bye to her. I packed up the boys early Wednesday morning to start the 7 hour (with no stops) turn 9ish hours drive to Greenville, SC. Isaac had to work, so it was just me and the boys. Let me tell ya, travelling by myself with a 2 year old and 1 year old, that's an adventure. All things considered, they did very well on the trip. We stopped at our favorite rest stop to eat and let Curtis play in the "woods" and hit trees with sticks, one of his favorite pass times. Curtis was my little helper with Judah the whole time. He's the stroller pusher and he knows that's his job. We stopped a few more times and finally reached our hotel around 5:30. The hotel's advertising was pretty deceitful. We thought we were getting a pretty decent suite, with 2 rooms so the boys wouldn't have to sleep in the same room. That wasn't the case. The room itself wasn't horrible, other than the fact that it wasn't a suite. We were on the 3rd floor with no elevator which made for unloading and loading the car interesting. I was saved the whole time by my parents, though, who were wonderful. Dad helped unload the car. They both helped with the boys. Curtis loves his time with Papa and Yaya and rode with them the whole time. They would keep him in their room so I could put Judah to sleep and then bring him over. They helped with meal times and kept them entertained for me. I couldn't have done the trip without them and am so thankful for all they did. We went to see Uncle Chuck that night and got to spend time with him the next night at Cracker Barrel. Curtis even learned how to say Uncle Chuck and was excited when we'd see him. 

Aunt Bec Bec didn't want a service. I don't think she wanted anyone to be sad, because she knew she would be in Heaven. So there was a meal, friends and family gathered and talked for a few hours, sharing memories and getting re-acquainted. It was nice to see my cousin Becca, I don't think I'd seen her since she was in high school. I got to meet the nurses from Aunt Bec Bec's infusion center, which was nice, people who'd worked so closely with her for such a long time. It was good to be with family and to celebrate her life. My only wish is that my boys would have gotten a chance to really get to know her, but I pray they will one day get to see her in Heaven.

The trip back was easier, and ended on a good note after all the sadness. God knew I just needed some time catching up with my best friends. We stopped in Charlotte to break up the trip and had lunch with my friend Becky and her boys. I hadn't seen Becky since Curtis' baby shower so our catching up was long overdue. But like it always is with good friends, it felt like we hadn't skipped a beat. I'm so thankful for my time with her and thankful for the break for my boys, b/c they slept almost all the way to Raleigh where we stayed the night with Jess. Again, so thankful for this break from driving and a night to catch up, kid free, with my best friend. Sometimes, I think God had Jess move to Raleigh just because he knew I would need a friend who loved closer than 6 hours away. Jess is a friend that I never have to be formal with, I never have to be put together. She's seen me at my worst and best and loves me anyway. It's always such a joy to spend time with her.

This morning, we packed up and finally headed home. Curtis didn't nap at all. Judah slept most of the way. It stormed the last half of the drive, but we made it and are now home and am looking forward to spending the night with my husband in our own bed.

The title talks about new beginnings. I think the timing of my new beginning is perfect.

Most of my friends know I have volunteered at my local Crisis Pregnancy Center for 4 years now. I went through ultrasound training 2 years ago, in the hopes of eventually bringing me on staff. The plan was to do it after my maternity leave with Judah, but Judah just wasn't going to have it so it obviously wasn't God's timing. Well, the time has finally arrived. I officially start as a Nurse Manager at the Keim Center this week!!! It's been a long time coming and as my boss hashtagged to me in a text this week #thelordstiming. I am so excited to step up and fight for life. Yes, I've been doing it for 4 years, but it will be different in this new role and much more involved. If you think about it over the next few weeks, pray for me. Satan loves to try and stop God's work and I've already seen it with several challenges meant to discourage me from this position, but to me, that just means I am right where I'm suppose to be. Pray God will help me settle in to this new role. Pray as he brings me very challenging patients. Pray I will be bold when counselling these women though such difficult circumstances. Pray I would have no fear of man in what I'm doing. And pray for the women who are so struggling that they come to us for answers, that we would help them not only see that they can do this, but point them to Jesus in the process because that is what it is all about.

The reason the timing for this is so perfect, Aunt Bec Bec loved the work I did at the CPC. She asked about it all the time. She always donated to our walks and when I'd ask for extra donations from family during the year. She and "Granny Carolyn" crocheted hats to donate. She loved babies and loved life. She would have loved that I'm starting this new job.

Here's few pictures from our trip:

So incredibly excited!!

 Curtis loves his Yaya, cuddling with her watching Dinosaur Trains

 Judah was so exhausted and didn't want to wake up from his nap

 Curtis is calling Papa (I had to unplug the phone)

 I'm not much for selfies, but when I see this pretty lady for the first time in 3 years, I think that is a perfect excuse for one

 Watching Peppa Pig with Papa

My early riser, playing on the porch so we didn't wake anyone else up

 Everything is considered food

 Future best friends

 At our first stop, getting some time not being in the car