He's Here!

Dusten Matthew

7/7/17

2:02AM

8 lbs, 7.6 oz

20.5"

Welcomed home by his 3 big sisters!

(Two of which surprised us with a stomach bug!)

Everyone is well now and we are counting

our blessings!!

We're Still Here!

We are still here, I just haven't made the effort to post on the blog in quite a long time!

Eloise finished up first grade (second grade, here we come!)...

and Dinah finished up pre-K.  Not sure if we'll move on to Kindergarten

or not yet.  We may just focus on learning to read this year as we adjust 

to having a new baby!

Speaking of new baby... he/she is due any day.  

We are impatiently waiting!

Today we are headed to a 4th of July parade!

Hope you have a wonderful, safe holiday with your friends

and family!

Birthdays!

Dinah and Eloise had birthdays this month!

The 4 year old! 

The 6 year old!

Each year I write the girls a letter on their birthday.

I also do it at random times throughout the year... but

I make sure to do it on their birthdays.

I tell them a little about themselves, silly things

they have said or done, their favorites, and about

their special day.  Since I got a polaroid instamax

camera for my birthday this year, I took a little

picture of the birthday girl, put it in the envelope

with my letter and sealed it up.  I put their names on

the outside and then stick it in their memory box.

Recently, I had to go out and buy BIGGER memory

boxes!  I went through the old ones and shed many

tears at the memories of pictures, special baby items, 

drawings, little notes and ultrasound pictures.  

There were many sealed envelopes (from me!) in

the boxes.  My hope is that one day when they are

older (out of school or even older than that), they 

will open those boxes and appreciate the memories

and, especially, the words that I have written just

for them.  We never know what circumstances we

may find ourselves in.  If something happens to

me - young or old - I want my girls to remember

the good (and bad)... and how much I love them.

I know you don't need notes and trinkets to express

your love.  We can show love to each other every

day - but I'm quite the sentimental type and I

hope my girls appreciate the time I've taken to 

write things down for them.

I've even started a Memory Box for the new baby

(due in July!).  So far it only contains ultrasound

pictures, but I plan to start adding to it with a letter

or two before baby is born. 

My mom's mother passed away unexpectedly 

from a brain aneurism when my mom was only about 6

years old.  She has a spiral bound steno notebook

(from the early 1960's) that has her mother's 

words and handwriting in it.  It's a journal of sorts that

tells little bits and pieces of her life with her husband

and 3 kids.  What a special thing to have so many

years later!  It may seem silly - but I treasure that

book!  I will never know my grandmother here on

earth, but I have a glimpse into who she was and

the joys she shared.

Do you (did you) keep a memory box for your

child/ren?