Happy 3rd Birthday Joshua

Today 3yrs. ago I was in the hospital in labor with a very precious bundle who was trying to make his appearance 4weeks early. It was a huge huge snow storm. It took us a little while to get to the hospital earlier in the morning. Mom & Dad had a 4-1/2 hr. drive and because of the snow they were 15min. late. Joshua Aiden Dewhurst made his appearance in this world at 2:38pm. He weighed 5lbs 14.8oz and was 19in. long. He was having problems breathing so after I held him for a few minutes they rushed him to the nursery to be put on a oxygen hood, IV's, heart monitors, etc. It was 2days before I could hold him or even nurse him. He came through everything and started gaining weight. He has been healthy ever since then. He has been a wonderful child except for the terrible two's and the pooping training which we are still trying to conquer, but I'm not sure if it will ever be done! :-) He is very active and very smart and very funny. We love him so much and thank God for giving him to us. This picture here below was taken in the hospital. He looks so tiny.
Here he is. A little man who is very ornery today.

Joshua, I hope that you have a happy birthday. Mommy loves you very very much.

A little bit of our life

I don't have any pictures to post, but I thought that I would post about what's been going on in our life. Chris has obviously started back to school for the quarter. We are very excited when the next 11weeks are up because then he will be home for supper and the rest of the evening from now on. His schedule has always been he leaves about 8am and gets home about 10pm. He will be done with his bachelor's degree in November. YAY!!!!!!! He does start his masters in the summer and he is doing that online with Wright University. That should be completed by the summer of 2011. I am very excited for this to be almost done.
Madelyn has started back to school for the semester. She was very excited to return so she could see her friends. She is doing very well and loves her school. You never know what she is going to say. Last night I was putting her to bed and she told me, "Mommy I want you really bad. My heart is breaking and breaking so bad that it can't stand up." :-) I love her so much.
Joshua is just ornery. No other word for him. He can be quite the pistol the majority of the day. We are having a huge issue of trying to get him poop trained. We have been on this for a few months and he refuses to poop in the toilet. We have done everything. Bought prizes, given candy, spanked, sat in time out, grounded him from going outside. Nothing is working. Any suggestions?? He does not pee his pants even sleeps in his bed all night with no pull up. Doesn't even where pull up during the day. So yep, I am cleaning poop from underwear every day. He is such a sweet boy and definitely mommy's little boy.
I am very happy being a stay at home mom and enjoying my job. I thank the Lord for giving me this job so I could stay home with my kids.
We are doing great and we are trying to live life to it's fullest.

Sleigh riding

This week has been very fun with all the snow and no school. The kids have gone out alot and enjoyed it very much. Madelyn I think is ready to go back to school. I asked her the other day if she thought she was going to be able to go to school next week. She said, "I sure hope so." I thought I would throw in this picture of them. I thought it was really cute and I definitely love both of their smiles.
Christmas outfits that mom & dad got them.

Sleigh riding with their cousin Lincoln.

Madelyn & Aunt Shannon going down the hill together.

They went farther than they planned to go. They thought they were going to go in the creek, but stopped before they got there. It was very funny.

Madelyn & Lincoln climbing the hill.

2010 Thoughts

As I start the new year, my thoughts go back a long ways. I think of all the things that we have accomplished, the hard times that we have been through, the good things we have experienced this year. Then my mind goes back for the past 6yrs of everything that we have enjoyed, things that have come into our lives and gone out. I thank God so much for what He has given me. His strength in all the bad times, the wonderful moments throughout my life for the past 6yrs. I thank him for a wonderful husband, who understands my thoughts and needs. Who loves me for who I am and loves his children with everything he has. I thank the Lord for my kids that He has given me. They are so precious and bring such joy to our lives. I cannot wait for the next year and everything that it holds. I want to make sure that I savor every joyful, funny, growing, quiet moments that come my way. That I will hold onto God's unchanging hand through all the tough and trying moments that I may experience. I want to be a better mother to my children, a better wife to my husband, a better pastor's wife to my church and a better friend to all of my friends.
Well, enough of my rambling. I was looking back through my pictures on the computer and wanted to post two pictures of my kids that were taken in May of 2007. Madelyn would have been 1month shy of turning 2 and Joshua would have been 4mo. old.
I love this picture of Joshua talking to his grandma Becky. It is very priceless.