Halloween!

For Halloween, we did some fun activities. We attended a carnival for our ward and it was a lot of fun.











































We also carved pumpkins.




















Jeremy also got to have a parade at school. All the kids went around the school in their costumes.











Here he is with some soccer friends










Here he is with his principal and his teacher























We then went to the Treehouse to their Enchanted Woods. The boys dressed in their costumes and were told stories by different characters from books.































Alex loves to play with the knights and the castle.













Finally, we went trick or treating.

Jeremy's 6th birthday

For Jeremy's birthday, he wanted a Ben 10 party. So we invited a bunch of friends and did everything Ben 1o. We played musical Ben 10 chairs and decorated cookies to look like Ben 10 omnitrex's. I made him a soccer ball cake because he loves soccer (he finished his second season of soccer a few weeks ago and did great!) On his actual birthday, we blessed Isaac so all of our family sang to him. He said it was his best birthday (he has been saying that every year!)

Jeremy's activities!

Jeremy has had some fun times these past couple of months, especially having his birthday ( I will post another post for that)! This first picture is when Jeremy had his special day at school. I made him a poster to take.









We then went to a birthday party for his friend Cole. Cole's grandma has a pool and we went there when Cole turned 3. So it was fun to do it again.





























We also went to the duck pond with Jeremy's friend Sam. That is when we dropped the camera in the pond.










Jeremy has also lost another tooth. He has lost is two bottom teeth and now one top tooth and the other top tooth is loose.

Our sweet baby Isaac!

Isaac is growing so much! He is getting nice and plump and I just love kissing his fat cheeks. The boys love giving him loves and kisses. At his last checkup, he was 13 pounds and I am sure he's past that now! So here is a look back. Here he is with his brothers about 3 weeks old.

Here he is in some of his Sunday outfits when he's about a month or so old

He has also had a problem with his belly button. He got a hernia in it. It was protruding pretty bad so our pediatrician recommended we go to Primary Children's to have it looked at but the doctor there said it didn't need surgery right now. It is actually shrinking now.

Alex likes to crawl into the portable crib with Isaac. Jeremy did the same thing to Alex

This is Dad and Isaac after bathtime. Isaac is a really happy baby!

Finally, I took this picture when we were driving home from somewhere. It was so cute because all the boys were asleep and the older two boys had their hands on Isaac. It seemed like they were protecting him.

Some catchin up!

So we have our camera back. So bear with me while I put up some pictures from the last little while. The first ones are of when the boys started school. Alex is attending preschool a couple of days a week at Miss Helen's. She is in Ben's parents ward and is just the sweetest lady. Alex loves it. We also participate in a little neighborhood playschool one day a week with about 5 other kids. I take turns doing it with the other moms. Jeremy is in Kindergarten at Majestic Elementary. He really likes it. His teacher is Mrs. Stoker. Her husband was a former bishop of ours. I get to volunteer once a week in his class and it's been fun!

Reflections....

We still don't have a computer and recently we went to Ben's mission reunion and I left our camera at Ben's mission president's house. So I still don't have pictures to post yet. I will have lots to post once I can get it back and have time. But I use this blog as a family journal and I wanted to capture some thoughts I had been having lately. They came to me the other day as I was nursing Isaac and he was under a blanket with just his little feet sticking out. He was a kicking away and it just struck me how cute it was. I really wanted to remember that feeling because it goes away so fast. My days now are being spent at home since I didn't go back to work after the baby and I just seem to be going from one thing to the next. I tend to get so overwhelmed and stressed and hurried and everything else. But there really are some sweet moments.

-Seeing the face of my 2 month old as he watches his mobile above his changing crib and even though it's broke and doesn't turn, he still loves hearing the music and laughs and smiles. Jeremy keeps saying that Isaac is just too happy! I don't think you can be too happy!!

-Watching as my 3 year old Alex goes into preschool and how excited he is when he gets done and to be able to tell me all about his day. And after wondering if he would ever potty train and just 2 sticker charts and he was wearing underwear (he still hasn't mastered the #2 part but we take what we can get!). Watching him play with a doll we borrowed for something I was doing and how he loved playing with it and I realized I may never have a little girl to play with dolls but my boys still like them!

-And my 6 year old Jeremy having a tooth loose for weeks on end and asking me what seemed every hour, "Is it loose enough Mom? " "No son but you will know when it is." And then having his trust to finally pull it out and the look of surprise as it comes right out without hurting (even though that happened with his other 2 teeth. And watching him as we go to school lunch and volunteering at his school and seeing him interact with other kids. I wonder when did he get so tall?!

-So many other things to think about. But most of all, I am thankful to my husband for telling me that he doesn't want me to go back to work and that we will make it somehow. And for the first time in my life, I put my trust in God that he will take care of us so that I can see these sweet kids grow up. I have always tried to control everything but kids make you realize you don't have control of anything! And they depend on you for their whole world and that is a great feeling!

We're still here!

Ever had those times where when one thing breaks, everything seems to? First, Ben had been borrowing a computer from a friend of his because the one we had for almost 7 years wasn't working. Well the one he was borrowing kept crashing so we went and got just a quick fix to our old one. Then the old one crashed and Ben had to send it to San Francisco to have the data recovered that we thought might be lost forever! It had some pictures that I didn't want lost. So now we don't have a computer at all. We have been trying to check our emails at Ben's parents. Then in the middle of all this, we had taken the boys and Jeremy's friend to feed the ducks near our house. Ben saw some muskrats in the water and wanted to take some pictures. As he leaned down to take a close up, Jeremy, who was right next to him, went to throw and piece of bread and hit the camera out of Ben's hand. Down it went into the water! It was deja vu because just last year, Alex threw our camera into a pond. So there it sat in the water. Ben told Jeremy to go and get it (I am sure he didn't want to cut his toe again like last year) and Jeremy was too scared! Then we told Jeremy's friend Sam to. He was too scared too. So in Mom went. Luckily it was just sitting on a rock. We hurried and took the batteries out and rushed it home to a bowl of rice. A few days in the rice and it was saved again!! But I just haven't had time to catch up with the posts. So there's the story for you!!

Family with baby Isaac

Today has been a great day with the family.

Today Isaac is one week old. These pictures were taken by our niece, Katie Fitzgerald in Millville, Utah (Cache County). We came up to Millville for the farewell of our nephew Adam. He is going on a mission to South Carolina.

Introducing Isaac Adrian Gerritsen

Issac was born on Sunday night, August 2nd, 2009. It was a very long labor. We went to the hospital to be induced shortly before 8AM Sunday morning and finally had him at almost 8 that night. The boys were able to be there right after he was born and we all agree Isaac is pretty cute! Grandpa Gerritsen took these pictures for us. With all the excitement, we didn't get pictures right as he was born. He looks a lot like Alex did when he was born but with darker hair. He has been a very good baby and the boys were excited to bring him home today. Thanks for all the calls, texts, presents, visits, etc.. that everyone has given. We feel very loved and speaking for Isaac, he does too!