April...our growing children.

Our life in pictures. What have we been up to during the past month. I could go into a lot of detail, but pictures are way more fun to look at and they are just so stinking cute. I have been trying really hard to make sure that I take pictures of Chloe. I don't want to get through this stage and realize that I have not take any pictures. We have hundreds of Jack, but it is definetly more difficult to remember, the more children you have. So here are several pictures of my cute girl and some of her milestones.

She started eating real food. She is only eat oatmeal for the time being, but she is starting to show more interest in what we are eating. She really is not a big eater so she has taken her time with this stage of life.

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!! I am sick month old. Crazy Daddy...what are you doing?

 

Oh and yes I am starting to crawl. I just love getting into brother's toys. THey are way more fun than my own. It is fun to able to get to where I want to go.

 

All this activity wears me out. I am sleeping through the night in my big crib. Okay, so mommy puts lots of blankets to keep me warm and I am sleeping on my tummy, but that is not mommy's fault. She always puts me on my back, but my tummy is much more comfortable.

Then we have Jack. After his second birthday in February, something clicked and he is all boy. NOtice him drumming. That is a very common occurance in our house. Also, he loves dirt, trucks, cars, food and balls. He is a super active boy and can entertain a crowd. I wonder where he gets that from? ANyway, he brings so much joy to our lives and we love each day with new adventures.

 

Our little Easter bunny. We had a great time celebrating Easter with friends and family. We had a big egg hunt outside and ended up getting soak from the rain. Jack was not ready to go inside. ALso, in the weeks since Easter he has managed to find 5 Easter eggs in my parents yard while he is playing out there. I guess we did not count the eggs very well.

 

Asleep again. With all the activity in our house she does not need a bed to fall asleep, the swing will do just fine.

Jack had a great time dying Easter eggs. He was pretty up set when we were all done and there were no more eggs to dye.

Crawling again.

 

 

We also got to get away this past weekend. We were able to travel to Windsor, CA and stay in a condo up there. We had a great time relaxing, swimming, playing outside, shopping and sight seeing. IT was so nice to get away and not really have any responsibilities. I loved it. Jack loved the pool. Chloe loved the pool as well and Charlie just loved being with his family.

 

At the end of the day Jack is pretty worn out and it is not unusual for us to find him asleep as if he did not even make it to lying down. What a cute kid.

This is Life

I keep thinking I should blog. It as been such a long time and I am really not keeping up. I was so good about blogging about Jack every single month, but I just barely remember that Chloe is another month older. The time has just flown by. Sometimes I wish that life would just slow down and I could just soak in the moments. Maybe that is some fo the reason I have not blogged very consistently, I am trying to soak up those moments. I absolutely love being a mother and I love both of my children dearly. Yes, it may mean days where I don't shower, or don't have a real meal. It may even mean melt downs and messes, but at the end of the day when I look into my children's faces and see their beautiful smiles, or when they give me big hugs or when everythin is right ith the world when mom walks in the door....those are the moments that make everything else worth it. I am often amazed at the love that I feel for my children. It is much more than I would have imagined possible. It is a gift.

It seems like all I do lately is focus on how difficult my life is and how it does not go the  way that I have expected it to. I really don't want to live in that place. God has been teaching me so much through friends, devotionals and even trials. I am reminded that I have a blessed life and outside the difficulties of this life I can stand firm on a very real hope. A hope that there is a purpose to each day and there is something bigger than my small little problems. What a good reminder. When I think of eternity it is great to remember the things that are important in this life. A professor in college once told me that the only thing in this life that matter are the relationships. I love that. I often have to remind myself of this so that each day I can focus on those relationships that God has blessed me with and the relationships that are to come my way.  I long to pass this on to my children. I want them to live with an eternal perspective and always put the needs of others above themselves. This is so contrary to our culture, but it is exactly what God has asked of us. I long for them to know these things. I know that the best way to teach them these things is by putting them into practice in my own life. It is more difficult than I imagined, but I pray that the love of Christ will shine through my actions so my children will be impacted.

Okay, I am not even sure what tangent I ended up on, but I guess sometimes it is good to just sit down and release emotions.

Texas

Here a few pictures from our weekend in Texas. We flew out on Thursday the 7th. It started out a little stressful. I did not know how difficult it could be to travel with two little kids. I am sure that was the last plan trip for quite a while, especially now that we will have to start paying for Jack. Anyway, we arrived at the same time as my sister and her family. We were going to be spending the weekend with them in a guest house. It was so much fun because we got to spend some quality time together. The kids got to play a lot and there was a great big yard for Jack to run around in. He loved it.

The first night we met up with the family and went over to Erin's parents house for Texas BBQ. It was so good. I really enjoyed meeting Erin's family. They are super sweet and I know they are perfect for Alan.

Jack was very intrigued by Moriah. What a cutie.

At the house we were staying at we got to see horses, play on a playground, and even play shuffleboard in the barn. Friday and Saturday morning we just hung out at the house and let the kids play, sleep and relax.

Friday, Kristen and I were able to go to the bridesmaid luncheon. It was fun to get to know Erin's friends and to feel honored that Erin wanted us to be a part of her weekend. I am so excited to have a new sister. However Friday night we ended up with a crazy adventure. So, a little background. Before we left we discovered that both kids had an ear infection. Jack also had Brionciolitis (have no idea how to spell that). HE was on a breathing treatment the day before we left. We were really worried about traveling with the kids, but with much prayer, the flight was perfect and by the time we got to Texas Jack was doing great. The problem was by Friday afternoon Chloe had barely eaten and she was weezing. We were concerned because she is so young, so the only place to take her was the ER. They ran a few tests because they were concerned about RSV. Luckily that was ruled out and they determined that she was only congested. Now she is doing fabulously and she had healed completely. It was a little scary and Charlie missed the rehearsal, but by Saturday we had nothing to worry about.

Here is how we looked pretty much all weekend. Packed in, but truly thankful that we had a suburban to borrow.

Saturday was wonderful, the wedding was beautiful. I have pictures to come. We enjoyed a great weekend with Chris and Kristen. The times we have with them are few and far between but it makes those times much more special. There were many funny adventures and we will always be able to look back with laughter on our weekend together. Sunday morning we said our goodbyes till next time. Love you guys.

Flu Season

Do you ever feel like no matter what you can't get ahead in life? This past six weeks has really been challenging. Since the middle of January we have been dealing with sickness in our family. It seems that we have had several different illnesses go through our house, and it is beginning to take its toll. I am exhausted. I just long for a normal week where we can go to church, work and our other activities. The weather has been so nice and I wish that we were well enough to just go enjoy a day at the park with some friends. I know this is part of life and every different family goes through seasons like this at different times. I am not trying to get pity or make my situation sound any worse than all the other people dealing with sickness, but I am tired. When seasons like this come in life I start to feel seperated from community. That is really difficult for me and I long for something to change. I know that God grows me through these times and I am learning to find my strength in Him. HE gives me just what I need to make it through each day and He is helping me to see the blessings within the trials. For one thing, God has protected me from the sickness so that I am strong enough to take care of my family. That has been a huge relief in all of this. Also, after a crazy four months of not much rest, we are getting a lot of family time. We have been able to put Chloe on a schedule and Jack has thoroughly enjoyed being home, just playing with his toys. Those are moments I will cherish. Charlie and I have even had some quality time to enjoy at home date nights while the kids are asleep. Yes, we are uncomfortable and have a little cabin fever, but I will enjoy these days when they come. I guess all I really long for is the sickness to be gone. I don't need my busy schedule back, but when you can't do things because your sick, it makes you want to do anything so much more. SO, to all of you who have been dealing with sickness in your house, I am sorry and I hope that your family will soon recover as well. But I also hope that you are able to enjoy some reast with your family in the mean time.

Jack is 2

I know this post is aboout Jack's birthday, but I had to start with a picture of my sweet little girl. She is now 4 months old and rolling over. She has such an amazing personality. She is so smily and sweet. She iss a pretty easy baby. She is sleeping hrough the night. I am so blessed. She eats wonderfully. Chloe loves her brother and loves to  watch him.

So a couple days before Chloe turned 4months. Jack turned 2. Crazy how fast time flies. We decided to have a toy story theme party. He loves toy story. It was  a whirlwind of a weekend between vacations and sicknesses, but the kids had a good time.

We had each room of my parents house set up as fun things. We had a photo booth. Beaaaan bag  toss  and we played complete Mr. Potato Head. It was kind of like pin the tail on the donkey.

Jack loved opening all his gifts and playing with his new toys.  

He loved his cake. It took a few tries to blow out the candles. But the other kids made sure he knew what to do.

 I had so much fun making Jack's cake. It was everything I hoped it would be.

Here are a few decorations that Charlie helped me to put up for the party. I have to say that my parents house looked pretty cool.

Jack had a wonderful party and we had a great time celebrating the life of our little boy. I absolutely love the fact that God has blessed us with such an amazing little boy. He is all boy and everything two. Yes, we are experiecing a few tough moments as he tries to exert his independence. Those are trying times, but we are just pushing through and enjoying the sweetness of our little boy. He has quite the personality. He can entertain a crowd and always has a smile. Being around people is his very favorite thing. He loves food, rocks, dirt, cars, laughing and friends. He is so very musical, veggietales is his favorite. He asks to listen to veggietales by dancing. He is also such a wonderful big brother. He still has his moments of jealousy, but he also shows her so much love. He gives her hugs and kisses all the time. Jack also wants to copy his dad in everyway possible. I will often find him sitting in the same position as Charlie. He loves his dad. We just moved him to his toddler bed. Overall, it has been a super smooth transition.

I love you my little boy. You are a precious gift and I love watching you grow. You have brought so much joy to our lives and I know that with each day will come many more memories. You are such a blessing. May God draw you closer and closer to him each day and may you learn to love him with your whole heart.

This is life

As if life could not get any more crazy...it did. This last month has been really fun at times, but really trying in other ways. We had a lot planned this last month with a trip to Las Vegas to see family, Jack's 2nd birthday and my brother's wedding. WHich we traveled to Texas to attend. It seemed like this month would be super fun and the highlights of our year. Yes, they were fun, but we also spent the last month fighting off one sickness after another. I am exhausted and just can't imagine facing one more thing. Today, a day when I should be able to celebrate the love that Charlie and I have, I am at home trying to tend to a sick family. Sometimes I get so frustrated when things do not go as they are suppose to. I wanted to thoroughly enjoy each of the things we had planned and they all seemed to be tainted with this horrible bout of sickness. Yesterday I literally hit my wall. I felt completely broken. I have so say that I am thankful for God as my strength and for family that has encouraged me along the way. I honestly don't know how I would have gotten through. At this current moment I feel rested and at peace. I am quietly watching Jack play with his birthday toys, which we just opened (two weeks after his party). Charlie is sleeping and Chloe is playing on the ground next to me. I am starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel and I have been able to look back and see the blessings I have received over the last few weeks. Our trip to Las Vegas was restful and allowed us some quality time with Charlie's family. Jack's birthday was a major success and it was so fun to watch him and celebrate his life. He has brought so much joy into our lives. I can't imagine life without him. Our trip to Texas brought some much needed time with my sister's family. We do not get to see them very often and we actually got to stay with them at a guest house for the weekend. Also, my brother's wedding was incredibly beautiful and very fun. I had a moment during the reception where I was able to reflect and realize how much fun I was having. I have also welcomed a new sister into my life. Erin, I am so thankful that God gave you to my brother. You two are perfect for each other and I look forward to growing in our relationship together.  I also got two watch a movie with my Valentine today. That is very uncommon, since usually he is at work. Now we have several months of just being home and getting into a regular routine. I never thought I would look forward to those days, but I think they will be refreshing and much needed for our family. I will shortly be sharing our adventures and adding pictures, but I thought I would just journal for the time being. I have gone through so many emotions the last few weeks, now I can honestly say that I have on the mends and looking forward to some much needed rest. God has carried me through this season of life. I know he is still carrying me because we are not totally in the clear yet. I am learning that this is my life and God will walk me through each day. Tuesday I read a devotional that was extremely encouraging. It was talking about how we often pray in faith for God to take away our problems, but we don't always pray for  the faith to endure each day as we face the trials. I needed that reminder and I have been trying to focus and asking GOd for strength each day and having teh faith that he will give the strength for as long as the trial will endure. It is not easy but I am trying to learn what it is that God is teaching me at this stage in my life. I am living life as a parent and I have so much to learn. Thank you for those who have been praying for my family and who have encouraged me and supported me during this time.

LIfe in the Cazin home has been crazy. There are times I wish I could say that not much has been going on and we have just been spending time with the family. However, that is not the case. It seems like since Chloe was born we have been non stop. Luckily it has been a fall and winter full of very fun things and lots for time with extended family. I really do love those times. We started with a visit from my sister, then my brother and his soon to be wife. Not long after that Charlie's mom came for a  week visit and soon we were celebrating Christmas with my side of the family. Just last week we were in Las Vegas visiting Charlie's family. Next week we leave for Texas to celebrate Erin and Alan Getting married. Between all the visits we have kept up with football games, birthdays, church activities, the growth of both our children and other weekly activities that seem to creep in. I am so thankful for the next few quiet days at home to prepare Jack's second birthday(can you believe it) and to get us ready for our little trip to Texas(which we are super excited about). We are really looking forward to this celebration for Alan. We also get to spend the weekend with Chris and Kristen and little Moriah. It should be a blast.

 

So, here are a few pictures from the last few weeks. You can see how much our children are growing. I can't believe how fast is flies by. I am trying so desperately so soak up every moment and to remember that the little things will soon be gone. 

 

 Sunday afternoon we usually spend at my parent's house watching football. Jack has a great time playing with Hannah and Elijah.

 Now Chloe even has a new little friend. Elizabeth and Chloe are only 1 month apart and they are starting to notice each other. I am really excited to watch them grow together and to see how close their friendship will be.

 

 A couple weeks ago we traveled to Las Vegas to visit with some of Charlie's family. Last time we were there Jack was only 4 months old. Oh how he has grown. We had a great time with the family and relaxing. It was nice to step away from the business and get to just enjoy each other. It has been a while since we enjoyed quality family time without a lot of interuptions.

 Our sweet  little girl is all smiles. She is laughing and cooing. She is even trying to role over. What a precious little girl. What amazes me is that she is so much smaller than Jack was. I guess that is a good thing since she is a girl.

 Aunt Cheryl and Uncle Doug introduced Jack to this great play place for toddlers. He loved it. The room is just filled with tons of toys. All the toys that are too big for your house, but are super cool. He wore himself out by playing with everything. He is quite the social butterfly. He wanted to play with all the kids. I just love my son so much. He has the best personality.

 He also got to meet his little cousins. Charlie's cousin has two boys that are on either side of Jack. So sitting at the table one night we had a 2yr old, 1yr old, 11 mo. and 4mo. They are going to have a blast as they get older.

 The Cazin Men. Four generations. Chloe is the first great granddaughter born into the family.

Shaun got married this past summer, so we were very excited to meet his wife and we absolutely love her. Jack loved Shaun and Shirley. He continuously flirted with SHirley. It was incredibly cute.

 ANother quick little story about our trip. Aunt CHeryl and Uncle DOug have three dogs. Two of which are golden retrievers. Jack is not use to dogs, especially when they are as big as he is. The first day they came running down the stairs and nearly scared Jack to death. As the week went on he really got pretty comfortable with them. By the last day he was playing with them in the back yard. He also gave their little dog plenty of kisses. It was so fun to watch him adjust to the dogs. I know Charlie was super proud because he is super excited for the day when we will have a dog of our own. We will see...

Now we are home and have finally gotten over the colds that everyone, except me caught. I realized it is a lot of work to take care of a sick husband and two sick children. I am so thankful that we are all healthy now, just in time to travel again.

I thought I would leave you with a picture of my beautiful little girl. She is such a joy. I love her so much and I am so thankful that God has blessed us with her. I feel like there are times when she gets lost in the shuffle with all the new things that Jack is doing, but don't worry we are stll taking pictures and trying to enjoy her new little mile stones. What a sweetie. She is already three and a half months old. Where the time goes, I will never know.