Category Archives: family

nella’s 2nd birthday party!

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We celebrated our sweet Nellbells’ birthday two whole months ago already… but I think I’ll likely be playing catch-up on here forever, so here it is! We had her party a little later than we usually would, since that was the only weekend Grandma Debbie could come up. It was a simple little celebration, but our girl definitely felt loved and cherished, which is all that matters.

She had no idea that the entire day would be full of festivities just for her. Daddy and I picked up three mylar balloons for her that morning, and she was instantly happy when we came home and surprised her with them.She liked hiding in them……and most of all, bouncing on them! Unfortunately, bouncing on your balloons does make them deflate faster! I made her a simple cake, with no particular theme this time. Roses on the top and sprinkles on the sides!She started to catch on that this day was just for celebrating her and how precious she is to our family. She was even a good sport for some pictures, which is not an easy feat for any two-year-old! My sweet sweet angel. We sang to her, and she sat there so calmly while she waited for us to finish. She had no idea she was supposed to blow out the candle!Daddy helped her the first time! Then, she surprised us by doing it all on her own! I still can’t believe she’s big enough to do things like this. Mmmm, chocolate!Nella dug right into her cake! She made a huge mess and really enjoyed herself.She definitely ate more cake than either of her sisters did at their second birthday parties.Grandma Debbie was the only guest for this party (everyone had just been here a couple of weeks prior, so I knew we wouldn’t have many visitors this time)! She enjoyed some Evie snuggles.After cake, Nella was actually excited to open her presents!Grandma gave her a small Mickey Mouse and a couple of outfits! My Mom and I went in together on a nice doll stroller for her (I’m done with all the $10 ones that break after a couple of months)…. Daddy put it all together, but Nella cried because she wanted to sit in it herself (I guess it looks too much like our real stroller)! She’s since figured it out and really enjoys it, but that first day was rough!We love you so much, Nellie Bellie. These two years with you have already gone by so fast, and you might not be a baby anymore, but you’ll forever be our Sunshine Girl. Happy 2nd birthday sweetie!

eve’s blessing day

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Our sweet Eve received her baby blessing at church on September 23rd.

Several members of our extended family came into town, and the love and support we felt from them was immeasurable. At times, the love that comes with family ties seems almost tangible, and as we stood, surrounded by many of the people we love most in this world, that is exactly what we experienced. I know just how much each of my daughters is cherished by our families, as well as our God. There is no shortage of love here, that’s for certain.

As always, I couldn’t narrow down the photos from this special day, so there are a lot. Really though, who can have too many cute baby photos?That little tongue!She just looked so excited here!
Grandma Gina made her dress, headband, and booties. They were so perfect, and I’m grateful for her talents and ability to make these precious gifts for her grandchildren. It was fun for me, too, because I got to choose exactly how I wanted each piece of the dress to look. Evie’s blanket was made by me.
Those slightly-ruffled sleeves on chubby baby arms… melt my heart.Her little profile! Even the back of the dress was beautiful!Someone was very sleepy by the time I finished her photos… I’m so so grateful for all these amazing people.Of course, we had to get silly for one of these group pictures.She has some amazing grandmothers to look to as examples. We had everyone come back to the house for some lunch (homemade sub sandwiches) before they all had to drive several hours home. We had a full house, and so were our hearts. It truly was one of the best Sundays.I love you, Eve!

five on friday (07/27)

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What’s this? A Five on Friday post?! I haven’t written one since Eve was born! I’ve been trying to keep up with only the most essential tasks these days, so blogging has taken a bit of a back seat to real life, but I’m back, for today at least, and that feels good. This is going to be one giant catch-up post, so I might end up with more than five things…

ONE. Michael was given official paternity leave this time around, and so we enjoyed a full 2.5 weeks of having him home with us. It was really amazing to have that time to bond as a new family of 6 (!!!), and also to have the extra help while I recovered from delivery. I’m so grateful that he could take care of the older girls while I only had to tend to the baby. Those early weeks of just baby snuggles were blissful. He’s back to work, now, although he has been taking it slow in the mornings and going in a little later than usual.

I’d say we’ve been doing really well on our own- the day feels full and life is busy, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. On our first “official” day without Daddy, Nella ended up with an upset stomach and threw up for an hour and a half… I felt just awful for her, but the fact that we had such chaos as soon as we were on our own was almost laughable. Almost.TWO. We’ve had a lot of fun with grandparents this past month! Grandma Gina selflessly came up to stay with us while we awaited Eve’s arrival. We tried to have some fun outings (since Eve took a little more time than we all expected), and one of those days, we went to the mall to play at the indoor playground.This little bunny is always Kaya’s favorite!Nella is getting a little too good at climbing…This week, Grandma and Grandpa were able to come back for a day visit! Of course, there had to be a family date to Sweet Frog (Kaya and Kaelyn’s current favorite place). I stayed home with Eve, but Michael brought some back for me (covered in Nutella)!Grandma Debbie also came up for a few days this past weekend! We enjoyed her homemade spaghetti sauce, some long walks, and time at the playground!And a million baby cuddles, of course.THREE. With all of Michael’s time off, he tried to get some projects done around the house. The tasks have ranged from small things like hanging photos and new ceiling fans, to ripping up the entire attic floor so we could have some guys come and seal it (that way, we’ll hopefully lose less heat/AC and be a little more energy efficient).

We were able to borrow a laser level to help with our photo gallery, which made things so much easier!Ta-da! I still need another large frame on the end for a photo of Eve, but I’m really happy with how this turned out. (And I took this before Michael replaced the ceiling fan!)My brother-in-law, Jeff, custom-made the wooden Virginia sign for me. I love it! I also got those watercolor printables from this Etsy shop.Michael has installed three ceiling fans so far. I really love how much brighter the rooms seem with these white fans and light fixtures. We have a few more to replace before the whole house is done, but these little things add up fast, so we’re just doing a little at a time.FOUR. We’ve been blessed with great neighbors and a wonderful church family who have brought us meals and gifts for the baby these past couple of weeks. We are so so grateful for everyone’s generosity.

Kaya and Kaelyn have been pretty big helpers, too. They’ve been holding Eve, soothing her when she’s sad, and have even helped out with chores. Kaya is actually getting really good at mopping!Kaelyn is great at vacuuming the stairs!FIVE. The girls are great at coming up with their own games and ideas, which is really useful since we’ve been at home a whole lot lately. Kaya has been building blanket forts, which provide hours of entertainment for everyone.Even Nella likes hanging out in the fort!We’ve been playing on the deck (and practicing spelling, which both Kaya and Kaelyn think is a lot of fun)…… and spinning around and around in the office chair. We have plenty of entertainment around here!SIX. (Whoops, I knew I’d have more than five things!) Kaya and Kaelyn have been making so much beautiful art lately that I just had to share some here. I love how nearly everything Kaya does incorporates rainbows:“Our Family During the Daytime”:Kaelyn always draws me and her together. In this one, we were taking a walk! I love the giant hearts.And because there was just not enough baby sweetness in this post… Those chubby cheeks and pouty lips get me every time.Happy Friday!

Linking up here, here, and here today!

five favorites (07/02)

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Whew! Although I thought maybe we’d have a busy week because we’d have a baby… The littlest lady is still comfy-cozy in there, so we’ve been filling up our time with a lot of other fun activities. Here are my favorites from this past week and weekend!

ONE. We’ve had a few visitors this week! The girls were really looking forward to having both grandmas here, and they were counting down the days until their arrival. Grandma Debbie was able to spend the weekend with us for Kaelyn’s birthday party, and Grandma Gina has been here all week, waiting for baby!My mom cooked up a huge batch of homemade chicken nuggets for us to enjoy (instead of our usual fallbacks of sandwiches and cereal) because I haven’t been able to cook for most of this pregnancy, so we enjoyed those for a few days. She also spent a lot of time coloring with the girls and helped clean a bit.My Mom-in-law and I have cleaned/nested just about everywhere else in the house this week (so now it’s time for the baby to come, right?)! It’s been so nice not to be alone during the day, too. Not carrying Nella all around is also a big plus!Grandpa Skip came up just for this past weekend! Kaya and Kaelyn were so excited to see him. They snuggled a lot and watched some “Shaun the Sheep” together, which is something they look forward to doing every time they see Grandpa!Nella took a while to warm up to him this time, so I don’t have any snuggly pictures of them together, but I do have one of him wearing her hat… Who couldn’t love this goofy guy?TWO. Kaya had her first-ever piano lesson from Grandma! She wrote out all the notes to “Once There Was a Snowman” so Kaya could practice something fun that she recognizes. She’s not reading music yet, but I am impressed with how quickly she’s memorizing songs and picking up on everything.She practiced hard all week long so she could surprise Grandpa Skip when he arrived!
Of course, the little sisters like to have a turn, too.THREE. We took Kaelyn out for her special birthday dinner this week (not-so-coincidentally on the same day that Red Robin was handing out free milkshakes)! She was the happiest girl in the world when the waiters sang to her and she got her birthday sundae at the end. This is a genuine-Kaelyn smile!We might be the silliest people in Red Robin any time we go…Kaya hopped from one side of the table to the other to be in both pictures. Yay!FOUR. Kaya’s been saving her allowance from helping out around the house, and we told her that once she paid tithing at church, she could spend some of it on something she wanted. It took her a while to be willing to pay her tithing, but she finally made her own decision to do it last weekend.

She’s been asking for her own camera for a really long time, so I found a deal on this little Canon Powershot for her for $29. It’s definitely a decent starter camera! She’s been bringing it just about everywhere, making videos, and trying to take the sharpest photos she can. It’s been really cool to see life from her point of view, and it’s also fun to have another little photographer around.“Let’s take a picture of each other taking a picture!” It was all her idea.FIVE. It’s been hot outside, so Michael picked up a little sprinkler to surprise the girls with on Saturday night. They liked running through it for a few minutes, but ultimately, they really wanted to play with the kiddie pool and the slide.

And yeah, I’m married to a total goofball (but I love it)! They always make the funniest faces once they hit the water!Nella really wanted a turn, so Grandma helped her out. She kept saying “WHOA!” anytime someone splashed!These little girls with big smiles… melting my heart.Simple evenings are my favorites. I never wanted to go inside.

Happy Monday!

monument avenue 10k (2018)

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I can’t believe this was a whole month ago already… it actually feels like a lot longer than that! We put another Monument Avenue in the books, and this might have just been my favorite one yet.

We drove down to stay with my parents on Friday night, and I woke up at 4:30 am on race morning. We didn’t need to leave home until around 7 am, but I’m always a little too excited to sleep before a race, so I got up and started getting things ready. I was less nervous than I usually am for these types of events, but I definitely still had some pre-race jitters.

Kaya had been talking about “running a kid race” for months, so I had signed her up for the Virginia529 Kids Run, which started about an hour and twenty minutes before my wave. We drove into Richmond, pinned our bibs on, loaded the two littlest girls in the stroller, and hustled from the parking garage to the start line.

At the last possible moment, we decided to register Michael as a “companion runner” for Kaya, since there were so many more people than I had even imagined, and I didn’t feel comfortable sending her out on her own (despite the security measures they have in place). I’m so glad they did this together.

I wasn’t sure how long it would take her to finish, but Kaya shocked us all by running the mile in about 13 minutes, which I think is really great for a 5.5-year old! The look of pure joy (and the hug she gave her dad) as she crossed the finish line was so memorable and sweet. Her excitement was contagious, and actually brought me to tears because of how much joy and pride I felt seeing my baby want to do something that I love doing. I also love knowing that she likes running because she knows it keeps her body healthy and strong.She smiled all day long! Did I mention how proud I am?She now has her medal hanging from her bunk bed!We had three of the four grandparents at the race this year! My mom had never been before, so she rode down with us, but seeing my in-laws was a complete surprise. They met up with us right before Kaya started, and I am so grateful for all the support and love these three (plus my Dad, who stayed home to watch the dogs), give us.I had enough time before my wave started to sunscreen up, use the bathroom, put on my pregnancy support belt and find Lelia! Do you see us in the starting corral?We started off in a slower wave, because when we signed up (back in December), we had predicted that by this point in my pregnancy, I wouldn’t be moving so fast. Surprisingly, I haven’t been as slow as I thought I’d be, so we ended up passing a lot of people, but we really got into a great rhythm.

Lelia and I are great running partners- we just match each other so well as far as pace and stride. Look how synced up we are here! This race was a little extra special, because at Christmastime, I told Lelia we were pregnant by saying that we’d have another “Monument baby” (Nella and Bryce both did this in utero!), and she was instantly willing to run with me. I was super grateful to have her as a buddy/bodyguard.I knew the miles with Lelia would just fly right on by, and they did! It was a gorgeous day, but a little warmer than I’m used to running as of late, so I definitely appreciated all the water stops, and Lelia pouring the rest of her drink down my back at one point. I started to feel tired around halfway through, but I honestly couldn’t believe the splits we were getting, so I didn’t want to slow down. We finished with an official time of 59:52, which put us at a 9:38 min/mile average. My goal going into this was an average pace between 10-10:15, so I was ecstatic!Sweaty hugs all around! We did it! I think I cry every time I see the finish line in a race.Finishers with our “Monument babies”! I can’t believe two years ago I ran this with Nella in my belly, last year Lelia did it with Bryce, and now our newest princess has done it, too. I hope they’ll all look back on these pictures one day and think it’s as cool as I do.27-week bump!When Lelia did this last year at 30 weeks pregnant, she had said she wished she had a sign on her back so that people wouldn’t get too close (this is a busy race, and some people are absolutely crazy when trying to pass you)! I printed out this little sign, laminated it, and brought it to wear on race day. I was so glad I did, because I felt like I had a little extra security with this on.Another one done!Of course, there had to be donuts afterward! We headed to “The Treat Shop” in Richmond for these.And because Kaelyn was at the race, but didn’t want to be in any pictures, here’s one of how she eats a donut. Frosting first!Adorable even when she’s a total mess…I’m so thankful for all the family time we got to have that weekend, as well as the love and support I feel from all of them. Completing a race wouldn’t mean half as much to me without having family waiting at the finish (or running alongside me)! This is it as far as racing goes until after the baby comes, but I’m already looking forward to a postpartum comeback!

easter 2018

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A month later, and I’m finally blogging about Easter! We kept it super simple this year, partly because of how nauseous I’ve still been, and partly because I really wanted to keep Easter focused on Christ.

We put together our own little Easter egg hunt on Saturday. I usually try to support community events and go to the town egg hunt, but it was a little chilly that morning, and I thought that our kids might have more fun if we just did one in the backyard. The weather turned out to be absolutely beautiful by mid-afternoon.Egg hunting is serious business!We filled 61 (mostly miniature) eggs, each with just a few jelly beans, Cadbury eggs, or marshmallows. We dutifully counted at the end to be sure none were forgotten.Kaya and Kaelyn were so excited, and had the best time gathering them all up. I scattered most of the eggs in the grass instead of actually finding hiding places, because I didn’t want it to be too difficult for them. Turns out, they were so much better at spotting the eggs than I expected, so I think I’ll have to make it harder next year!Each girl had one “special” egg with a baby Calico Critter in it. They were completely shocked when they opened these! A hedgehog for Kaya, and a puppy for Kaelyn.I just love these genuine smiles.Our littlest bunny napped all through the egg hunt, so when she woke up, I just had to take a few photos of her with the silly ears on.Cutest Easter bunny! Seriously. She makes my heart burst. My little marshmallow fanatic wasted no time finding out that there were some hidden inside the eggs…Michael’s parents had come up to stay with us for the weekend, so on Sunday morning, Mom Irwin made cinnamon rolls! Mmmmmm.Nella and Dad cuddled up on the couch……while the older girls got busy making their Peeps birdhouses. We did these a couple years ago, and they always ask to do them again. There is so much sugar involved in this process… but they love it so much, so I think we might do this forever now.I think the houses become more elaborate every year! Ta-da! Kaelyn even made a folding door on hers! We had a wonderful time visiting with family (don’t let Kaya’s face fool you here), relaxing, and listening to General Conference. This is what dream weekends are made of!

five on friday (03/09)

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I feel like it’s been a year since I’ve gotten on the computer to write anything but a baby update… so I have a lot of pictures! Let’s see if I can keep this down to just five things (I’m guessing not…)!

ONE- VISITORS. We’ve had some visitors these past couple of weeks! Lelia and Baby Bryce made their first-ever trip (since he was born) out here to see us! I know it’s not easy to make a longer drive with a baby (and sleep away from home), so I definitely appreciate all the effort it took them to get out here.Lelia and I enjoyed a run (our first one together in over a year!), some cookie bars, and just hanging out chatting. Kaya and Kaelyn enjoyed kissing and hugging all over Bryce every chance they got. I just love these sweet sweet cousins! I enjoyed some Baby Bryce cuddles, too!It was also especially fun to see Bryce in person because he reminds me a lot of Kaelyn as a baby. I feel like they look like they could be siblings, really.Who couldn’t love nose-chomping kisses?The following weekend, Grandma Debbie came up for a visit! The girls loved snuggling, playing endless tic-tac-toe games, and drawing love notes for her.

TWO- MICHAEL. I feel like my guy really deserves his own post, but he’ll have to settle for just one section of this one. He’s always so busy working hard for us, lifting us up when we’re down, and just being there in general.

I can’t help thinking that we keep adding little princesses to our family because he’s the best “girl dad” there’s ever been. I’m not sure how Little Girl #4 is going to fit on his lap, but I know he’ll find a way.He spent part of February at home sick with a cold. I was sad to see him not feeling well, but the girls loved having him home for a few days. Thankfully, no one else caught what he had!Don’t worry, he’s still working on his baby bump…

THREE- KANGAROO KIDS. This is the highlight of the week for my little girls. Even Nella is really getting into it! She crawls all over the mats, climbs on everything, and wants to do everything her sisters do. The teachers brought the ball pit out especially for her, but of course, everyone else loved it just as much.She also had her first ride on the parachute! Kaya and Kaelyn were so excited to share this with her, and held her hand to keep her safe.

FOUR- SCOUT. Spring came to town for about two weeks (before winter rolled right back in)… and it rained forever and the pollen count was very high, so naturally, my dog looked like this (yes, again):At least we’ve seen a consistent pattern of this happening in relation to the weather, so after some eyedrops and Benadryl (and a few days without rain), she’s been looking better.  Poor poor puppy. I like seeing her back to her normal self!

FIVE- HOUSE. We’ve been talking about it for probably a year, but finally made the decision to go ahead and get rid of the little fireplace that was here when we moved in. We had a guy come and remove the gas line, so now all that’s left is fixing the wall and replacing the carpet where it was.I’m really excited to have this corner open, since that gives us more options for arranging the furniture.SIX- TREATS. I know, I went past five, but I had to end this on a sweet note! We’ve been doing a little more baking around here and even delivered some treats to friends. (Yes, that is a blue dog!)We’ve also enjoyed some of the best local donuts. Mmmm!Happy Friday!!!

 

teerlink family christmas party (2017)

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This is it… the LAST of the Christmas posts! I am so relieved to be mostly caught up on here. Phew!

We headed up to Michael’s cousin Jenny’s house for the annual Teerlink Christmas Party two days before the new year. Grandma Gina and Grandpa Skip had come to visit us for a day just before this, so we all headed up there at the same time. The girls were happy to continue our visit for a few extra hours.My very favorite part of this entire tradition is doing the nativity play. They’ve been doing it this same way for decades, with a narrated storyline, actors in costume, and group singing throughout.I typically get kind of emotional watching this, and I might have teared up when I saw my shepherd and little lambs come out onto the floor. They absolutely love participating in the play. The whole cast.I just love these people so much!And these people!! So grateful I could have some time with Lelia, Jeff, and Bryce!Four generations! Grandpa spent some time handing out Christmas cards, bearing his testimony, and announcing some items that Grandma Teerlink had designated to go to certain grandchildren. In those tender moments, I know we all were missing her and wishing she could physically be there, too.
We just had to get one of Grandpa and the two littlest! (Nella had a little cold this day, and she was so tired that she wasn’t really excited about photos.)Each of the kids opened one present at the end of the night. Can you guess what ours were by now? Yup… Calico Critters! Nella gave the best gift of all… hugs to her sister.And that wraps up our entire Christmas season! Until next year!!!

christmas day (2017)

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We spent Christmas day with my side of the family! Ever since Kaya was one year old, we’ve actually tried to stay home on Christmas morning, just with our immediate family. However, based on my parents’ work schedules and when Karl was able to drive down, celebrating with them on Christmas day worked out best for everyone.

Nella woke up at 5:30 am (extremely early for her- she’s usually my latest sleeper), so she just wasn’t into the whole process that is Christmas morning. She was crying so loudly when she woke that I was sure she was going to wake everyone else in the house up- so we headed downstairs to watch the news with my dad, which surprisingly, calmed her down.Kaya and Kaelyn were up at 6 am, but had to wait to open presents until everyone was washed up and ready for the day. That just meant we had time to take a few cute pictures!My dad built this stocking hanger… but with so many stockings now (this doesn’t even include the dogs’), it actually collapsed under all the weight. I see some Paw Patrol puppies peeking out! Stockings are always first, and these girls couldn’t wait to dig into them. Grandpa and Grandma played Santa and Mrs. Claus this year!Some Traveling Wilburys CDs for Grandpa!My mom had started making a crocheted blanket a few years ago, but didn’t finish. I ended up taking her unused yarn home, and then Michael’s mom took it from there, made this gorgeous blanket for her, and wrapped it up for Christmas. Everyone couldn’t stop talking about how perfectly stitched it was, and I just love how it was a special gift from one of our moms to the other.We gave my mom this little hand-painted watering can to add to her snowman collection! I always love looking at the local craft fairs for something homemade for her gift.Michael got a new backpack! It’s about time, since his old one was literally duct-taped together and not holding up so well.Calico Critters for Kaecakes!Chubby Puppies!And Paw Patrol, of course!And then we had Calico Critters……MORE Calico Critters……and another Paw Patrol movie!Nella received her very own baby doll, but by this point, she had already been awake for about 5 hours, and wasn’t too interested.Uncle Karl and Kaitlyn brought her a unicorn!Karl and Kaitlyn got some nice things for their new house, including this doormat… it’s a house divided!Kaitlyn probably owns every item ever made that has to do with The Nightmare Before Christmas. We gave her a mug this year!After all the gifts, we all did some relaxing (and of course everyone wants all the Nella snuggles they can get).My mom makes the turkey, and my dad carves it. Every single year.Dinner! I think this was the best turkey my mom has ever made, and Kaya would agree, because she ate a ton of it! I say it all the time, but I really miss having these two living closer! We have such a good time hanging out; it’s just always really short-lived.The girls liked watching one of their new DVDs with Uncle Karl!We also spent a little time with my aunts, although I apparently took no pictures of that, nor of the dessert this year. We made a last-minute decision to drive home on Christmas night (everyone sleeps better in their own beds), and ended up leaving around 9 pm. It’s always a little sad to go, but we still had our own little Christmas celebration at home to look forward to.

christmas eve cookies with grandma debbie

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All these posts about cookies might make it seem like all we do is bake at Christmas time (which is almost true), but this is the last one that’s solely focused on sweets!

Of course, you have to make cookies when you go to Grandma’s house! Grandma loves her little helpers. They always want to help roll the dough, but it’s still difficult with how little they are.Buddy really wanted some for himself…No gingerbread cookies for dogs!If he wasn’t begging for a cookie, he was stealing kisses.The next night, on Christmas Eve, when Karl and Kaitlyn arrived, we started decorating them!Everyone looks so serious about getting this done, except for Karl! Nella played with spoons the entire time.Ta-da! Quite the conglomeration of cookies.