Just as the leaves are flying, so is the time. Jonathan turned two months old on September 24 and continues to change just as rapidly as the weather. Jonathan seems to enjoy “talking” to us more and has informed us that he loves stroller rides, bath time and cuddling up with Mommy and Daddy. Jonathan is no longer the fragile newborn that we brought home in July, but has developed into a bubbly baby who loves exploring the world.
Last weekend, Matt and I took Jonathan to his first pumpkin patch. It happened to be Matt’s first trip to a pumpkin patch as well. Jonathan got to help pick the perfect pumpkins to cut off the vine, took a hay wagon ride, looked at all of the apple trees and saw a mini petting zoo. It was the perfect fall day and the perfect outing for the three of us. Days like that are what I always imagined being a family to be…
At the risk of jinxing us, I think Matt and I are getting the hang of this parenting thing. While we have yet to make it to work two days in a row on time, we are getting a routine figured out. Jonathan usually wakes up between 3:30 – 5:00 for an early morning meal, goes back to sleep and gets up again around 7:00. During that early morning meal, whichever one of us is not rocking Jonathan back to sleep, makes lunches, makes the bottles for the day, packs the diaper bag and picks up the house a little bit. We try to go back to sleep after that, but it doesn’t always work. My life as a night owl has certainly needed to change in order to adapt to the 3 AM wake up calls!
As we celebrate the changes in Jonathan’s life, Matt and I also celebrate the changes and growth in our marriage. October 14 will be our 3 year wedding anniversary. June marked our 6th year of knowing each other, which seems so strange! It seems like only yesterday that Matt came up to Decorah for his nephew’s birthday, when we met up for the first time. Since Jonathan was born, our love for each other has grown, just as our family has. We have learned to rely on each other a lot more and I have found some of my most treasured moments to be when Jonathan is asleep on Matt’s shoulder. It is so neat to me, to see Matt growing into the man and the father that God has always called him to be. He was meant to be a father and has taken on that role with such grace, humor and love.
This weekend is my 5 year class reunion at Luther. Again, it seems like only yesterday that I was a freshman moving into Brandt 222. During the first two days at Luther, I can remember meeting some of the most amazing people. Barry lived in the “penthouse” of Brandt (which just means the top floor of the dorm) and Bridget was friends with my roommate. Now, nine years later, Barry, Bridget and 9 others of us are coming together again, staying in cabins, to celebrate our Homecoming. Barry and I lived together senior year, which seemed to be a year filled with a lot more fun than studying. On Tuesdays, we would float down the Upper Iowa River for “Tubing Taco Tuesdays”, J-Term brought “Drink of the Day” and every weekend seemed to bring a crowd of people to our house. When we left in May of 2004, all of our lives changed forever. Several of us have found the love of our life, three of us now have children and all of us have new stories to share and memories to make. I have no doubt that this weekend, like our college careers, will pass by too quickly.
As Autumn leaves change, so do our lives…
Last weekend, Matt and I took Jonathan to his first pumpkin patch. It happened to be Matt’s first trip to a pumpkin patch as well. Jonathan got to help pick the perfect pumpkins to cut off the vine, took a hay wagon ride, looked at all of the apple trees and saw a mini petting zoo. It was the perfect fall day and the perfect outing for the three of us. Days like that are what I always imagined being a family to be…
At the risk of jinxing us, I think Matt and I are getting the hang of this parenting thing. While we have yet to make it to work two days in a row on time, we are getting a routine figured out. Jonathan usually wakes up between 3:30 – 5:00 for an early morning meal, goes back to sleep and gets up again around 7:00. During that early morning meal, whichever one of us is not rocking Jonathan back to sleep, makes lunches, makes the bottles for the day, packs the diaper bag and picks up the house a little bit. We try to go back to sleep after that, but it doesn’t always work. My life as a night owl has certainly needed to change in order to adapt to the 3 AM wake up calls!
As we celebrate the changes in Jonathan’s life, Matt and I also celebrate the changes and growth in our marriage. October 14 will be our 3 year wedding anniversary. June marked our 6th year of knowing each other, which seems so strange! It seems like only yesterday that Matt came up to Decorah for his nephew’s birthday, when we met up for the first time. Since Jonathan was born, our love for each other has grown, just as our family has. We have learned to rely on each other a lot more and I have found some of my most treasured moments to be when Jonathan is asleep on Matt’s shoulder. It is so neat to me, to see Matt growing into the man and the father that God has always called him to be. He was meant to be a father and has taken on that role with such grace, humor and love.
This weekend is my 5 year class reunion at Luther. Again, it seems like only yesterday that I was a freshman moving into Brandt 222. During the first two days at Luther, I can remember meeting some of the most amazing people. Barry lived in the “penthouse” of Brandt (which just means the top floor of the dorm) and Bridget was friends with my roommate. Now, nine years later, Barry, Bridget and 9 others of us are coming together again, staying in cabins, to celebrate our Homecoming. Barry and I lived together senior year, which seemed to be a year filled with a lot more fun than studying. On Tuesdays, we would float down the Upper Iowa River for “Tubing Taco Tuesdays”, J-Term brought “Drink of the Day” and every weekend seemed to bring a crowd of people to our house. When we left in May of 2004, all of our lives changed forever. Several of us have found the love of our life, three of us now have children and all of us have new stories to share and memories to make. I have no doubt that this weekend, like our college careers, will pass by too quickly.
As Autumn leaves change, so do our lives…
