The Charleblog

The Chaise Lounge

2012-01-22T15:00:00.000-08:00

Today we sold our chaise lounge. And I cried.

It had been sitting in our upstair living area (a space we don't use for "living" much) for the last two years, mostly unused, so we figured it was probably time to sell it and get it out of the way. I wasn't at all sentimental about it until it actually sold, and JP told me over the phone that the guy had just come and taken it away.

All of the sudden I felt like I was in the middle of one of those sappy video montages. I remembered the day JP and I picked it out at Ashley Furniture on impulse -- JP laid on it and sighed, "Oooooo, we have to get this." We tested it to make sure it was big enough for us to both snuggle on.

I remembered it being Jelani's seat of choice when he would come hang out at our house in Brooklyn Park. He would sit down, take of his sock and shoes, lay back and let the dogs lick his feet. So gross, right? But it's such a funny memory.

I remembered a 2-year-old Rae asking us every night if she could sleep on the "big chair" when we had it in our room at our Dayton house. We usually obliged, then we've transfer her to her own room when we went to bed. But sometimes we'd leave her there all night and she'd climb into bed with us in the morning. (Side note: Do you remember how cute Rae was at two? Click here.)

I remembered Christmas 2010, when the girls turned it into Santa's sleigh, piling it high with toys wrapped in blankets and putting their stick horses out front as reindeer. Rae started calling me "Wife" because she was Santa and I was Mrs. Clause. :)

Is it normal to get this emotional over one piece of furniture?

Fare thee well, chaise lounge. I hope your new owners treat you well.

Rae's First Lost Tooth

2012-01-19T12:44:00.000-08:00

I wasn't too surprised when Rae came downstairs this morning with a small, white tooth in her hand saying, "Mom, look what I found in my mouth!" I had been expecting that first tooth to wiggle loose ever since her small accident that messed up her two top, front teeth a couple weeks ago.

I was surprised, however, when she smiled for me and I realized the disconnected tooth had come from her completely unaffected bottom set! I guess my baby girl is getting big no matter how I look at it!

I love this picture. Eyes and hair puffy from just waking up, yet her face has a certain subtle pride and excitement on it, like she knows this makes her "big."

I'm not going to start the whole tooth fairy thing. Call me a joy-kill if you'd like. :) Don't do Santa Clause or the Easter Bunny either (I know, right? What kind of boring nazi parents are we?). I have nothing against those who do, we just never did it growing up, so it has never been important to me. In fact, I remember telling my mom I was going to put my tooth under my pillow anyhow ("just in case") and waking up to find...nothing. :) Haha!

But I AM curious to know...do you do the Tooth Fairy/Santa/Easter Bunny thing at your house? Why or why not?

Ruby's Video

2012-01-18T23:04:00.000-08:00

I can't get Ruby's video to load. :(

I had a similar problem with Rosie's First Year video that I finally finished.

Come on, Blogger!!!

Little Ninja Warriors

2012-01-18T21:42:00.000-08:00

The cold has finally hit us here in this frozen tundra we call home, which means many more hours spent indoors with three wiggly kids. Many people have been complaining about the lack of snow and unusually warm temperatures we have had, but not me. I knew all too well that as soon as winter hit, we'd all be shocked back into Minnesota winter reality and remember exactly what it was that makes us beg for spring each year.

So before the arctic blast hit home, we soaked in every minute outside that we could. One of Rae's new favorite shows to watch with Daddy is Ninja Warrior. No, I didn't say American Ninja Warrior -- just Ninja Warrior. As in the Japanese version with subtitles that she can't read. But she doesn't care. Since we had just soaked in an episode before heading outside to soak in the 50 degree weather, we decided to set up our own obstacle course. The girls loved it, and they got great exercise in the process. They must have run this course more than a dozen times each.

Just one more way to get creative outdoors!

(Apparently Blogger isn't letting me load Ruby's video as well. Maybe I'll try it in a separate post.)

Now that it really is cold outside, the real challenge is to get more creative indoors. Sometimes that means sacrificing my sanity to let my children do things like this:

That is a wolf den (duh). It started as a spider web, then morphed into a wolf den with the addition of every clean kitchen towel in the drawer and every pillow or semi-large toy they could use as a "wall" for the den.

I like to think I'm a good mom for letting them get creative and do that. But don't think for a second that they didn't fold every one of those towels, put every single toy away, and untangle the web entirely by themselves. That's just part of the deal. :)

Other indoor winter activities have included fashion shows, building forts, baking, making crafts, painting, board games, making more trips to the library, extra reading, and embracing our church mom's group get-togethers and AWANA.

How are you letting your kids get creative this winter? Leave a comment...I'm always looking for new ideas!

The Greatest Gift of All

2012-01-07T14:22:00.001-08:00

I couldn't bear for this photo to get buried at the bottom of that behemoth of a post. It's worthy of it's own blog entry.

The greatest gift of all this Christmas?

Well, obviously Jesus is the greatest gift of all, but He's the only one who could have given us this (click the image to make it larger):

Congratulations, Joe & Becky!!! :) We are so excited!!! (Due August 2012)

***(Please note: Becky gave me permission to post this on the blog, but please DO NOT SEND THEM ANY PUBLIC FACEBOOK CONGRATULATIONS as they don't want it floating around Facebook yet.)***

Christmas 2011

2012-01-07T12:07:00.000-08:00

Rae is gone with Ava & G today, Ruby and Rosie just went down for their naps, and JP is working in his shop. I think this is finally the moment I'll have time to tackle the monster Christmas blog!

I hope and pray your holidays were blessed, relaxing, and healthy. Ours was blessed indeed, relatively restful, but not healthy. Still, we thank God for sparing us from the dreaded flu bug that has been making its way around social circles, as well as RSV.

Our Christmas celebrations began the weekend before Christmas as usual. Each year we spend that weekend with JP's dad & step-mom (Grampies & Gammy) so that the actual holiday is not quite so hectic. It's a trade-off to be sure, since we haven't seen them on Christmas Eve or Day in years, but the return is more time spent together. That's why we consider it a good trade.

Gammy had so many activities planned that we didn't even get to fit them all in. We started out with baking brownie cupcakes for Jesus' birthday party. Ruby was cracking me up, as usual. Check out her pan:

Later that evening, the kids all participated in a scavenger hunt. Seven little presents, numbered one through seven, were hidden around the house. Each child searched until they found a gift, but weren't allowed to open it yet. After all the gifts had been located, Grampies began to read the Christmas story. When he called out their number, they got to open their present and place the little figurines inside on a nativity set. Ruby was excited that she found the baby Jesus.

Grampies reading the story

Ruby with the baby Jesus

The last box contained something special -- it was said to hold what Jesus wanted for Christmas. The kids could hardly wait to find out what was inside. When Grampies opened the box, they discovered a mirror. What Jesus wanted for Christmas...was them! It was a sweet way to make the Christmas story come alive and remind the children just why Jesus came to earth.

Other activities included a Bible trivia game in which a correct answer earned each child a shot at "fishing" behind the counter (with a string on a stick) for a present, decorating personalized "coffee" mugs, and making Christmas cookies. Rosie especially liked the sprinkles.

One of Florie's creations

Another special part of the weekend was spending so much time with Nana, JP's grandmother. This was the first Christmas since Papa passed away last January, so it was bittersweet for all of us.

On Christmas Eve, we drove down to JP's mom & step-dad's home (G & Bompa) for our annual Christmas Eve brunch with them and JP's sister's family. G & Bompa always put together the most delicious brunch you've ever tasted, and I always end up eating until I can't possibly eat another bite.

Rosie is fully concentrated on her gift!

G & Bompa had a very, very big surprise for us this year. In addition to loading us up with good food, countless toys, overwhelming gifts and their precious tradition of personalized Christmas tree ornaments, they knocked our socks off with another amazing gift. Need a hint?

Those Disney princess ornaments are symbolic. The real gift was an all expense paid trip to DISNEY WORLD this spring! I guess Jiminy Cricket was right -- dreams really do come true!

Most of you know that G's mom, Grandma Dellas, passed away this summer as well. G told me that one of Gram's only regrets in life was that she didn't travel more; take her family to see the world, and make memories along the way. With the years passing as quickly as they are and the children growing so rapidly, they decided there's no time to waste -- we need to make memories now, while we can. This trip will certainly be a family memory we won't ever forget.

The Bottolene Family with the Disney Poster G made for the kids to remind them of the trip.

The celebration was meant to continue the next day at JP's uncle's house, but two of our children woke up sick on Christmas Day, and despite our efforts to pull things together, we failed to make it there. We're thankful for the beautiful time we had together on Christmas Eve, though, and for G & Bompa's memory-filled day.

G & Bompa with all six grandkids

One of Bompa's gifts was to finally have a photo with his grandbabies, and it turned out so cute!

On Christmas Eve night, we decided to stay home and do a small gift exchange with the kids, which is something we've never done before. We knew they would be receiving plenty of amazing gifts, but we had a couple small, special things we wanted to surprise them with. First up: something they had been requesting for months since they first saw the TV infomercial. Gyro Bowls!

According to the infomercial, the gyro bowl is supposed to prevent spills by remaining upright no matter which way you tip it. I did my research, and every single review I read said these things were pieces of junk and didn't work for squat. I knew the looks on their faces would be well worth whatever money we spent on them, and I was right. The girls thought it was the most amazing gift ever.

Almost immediately, Rae jumped to her feet and started giving us the whole pitch. "Dad! Do you know what the best part is? It's DISHWASHER SAFE for Mom! And look! It has a stay-fresh lid! And if you have nuts and bolts and stuff in your workshop you need to organize, you can use this! And Mom can take it into the office and use it to hold push pins and paper clips and stuff. You can take it wherever you go, however you get there!" Hilarious. She was only slightly dismayed when she tried dropping the bowl on the ground (like in the commercial) and her cheerios spilled everywhere.

JP and I weren't supposed to get each other gifts, but I couldn't resist when I found this sign for him at Cabela's a few months back. He hung it out on his workshop that same night.

Like I said before, Christmas Day started rough. Both Rosie and Ruby woke up sick, and Ruby was especially whiney. Still determined to go to our next celebration, I bathed the kids, got them dressed, did their hair, and cooked a potluck dish. Things kept getting worse and JP and I started getting really frustrated at each other and at the kids. The tension was high and Ruby was begging to take a nap, so we decided to let her rest and just arrive late. By the time she woke up, it would have been a two hour drive for an hour or less at the celebration, so we ended up staying home.

My side of the family celebrated the day after Christmas this year because my sister and her family were in Wisconsin for Christmas Day. My Dad's birthday also happens to be the day after Christmas, so we had reason to continue to celebrate anyhow! Mom prepared traditional Swedish potato sausage (one of my FAVORITE Christmas traditions) along with a huge and amazing spread for brunch. When my whole family is together, there are 12 adults and 11 kids under the age of six. All participants must be able to deal with high levels of noise, distinguish which diapers various smells are coming from, and carry on a conversation with someone across the room amid numerous distractions. If you can do all of those things, you'll have more fun than you ever thought possible. If you can't, you'll need to keep the aspirin handy! :)

I kid, but truly, it was a wonderful time. My brother Micah and his family were in town from their new home in Kentucky. Little Jeremiah had grown so much since I last saw him that I started crying when I saw him for the first time. It was a bittersweet reminder of how quickly they grow and how much we miss being so far away.

The kids all had so much fun playing together (with the exception of Ruby, who was still so miserable). At one point most of us went for a walk down by the creek. The kids threw sticks over the bridge, and Micah...well, he threw a Special Forces sized stick.

Nate and his girlfriend, Jenny.

My beautiful sister-in-law, Becky.

Rosie helping "walk" the dog.

Miserable Ruby trying to enjoy her giant horse.

While the kids were napping, the adults played the dice game. Rolling doubles means you get to pick a mystery gift out of the center of the circle. Once they are opened you play a second round, except this time doubles means you get to steal someone else's gift. It's funny...nobody seemed to want to steal Joe's winnings, but Nate was willing to model it for us. ;)

That was pretty...umm..."special," but perhaps the most special moment was when Mom sat us all down to read the Christmas story. She bought a beautiful book that was voice recordable and had Mee-Maw record her voice reading the book when she was last in Memphis. It certainly brought tears to all of our eyes and warmed our hearts.

Christmas is always a special time of year, but every year I'm reminded more and more of how blessed we are to have a Savior who made himself like us and suffered through this world along side of us, then defeated death so we can be with Him forever. No other false god has ever done that, or ever could. These song lyrics sum it all up:

How many kings step down from their thrones? How many lords have abandoned their homes? How many greats have become the least for me? And how many gods have poured out their hearts to romance a world that is torn all apart? How many fathers gave up their sons for me?

Only One did that for me.

Want to see more pictures? Click on these links.

Hyster Christmas

Charlebois Christmas

Harpel Christmas

Not Me! Monday

2012-01-02T21:04:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure if I'm planning to jump back on the "Not Me! Monday" bandwagon again, but today had too many good ones, I couldn't resist.

Today, Rae was not walking around with a blanket over her head. She certainly did not trip on JP's water jug and even if she had, she would never have fallen and busted her two front so badly that they went fleeing in opposite directions. One tooth would never have jolted forward while the other jumped backward, leaving her perfect, straight little teeth jagged and her already full lips bleeding and swollen.

If any of that had happened I wouldn't have wasted a trip to the only dentist open the Monday after New Years only for them to tell me there's nothing they would recommend doing except wait for the baby teeth to fall out and her permanent teeth to grow in.

Seeing her crooked little teeth wouldn't give me horrible flashbacks to my days before braces, when my two front teeth looked eerily similar to hers. I wouldn't cringe thinking of how I used to try to only smile with my mouth closed for fear of revealing them.

Thankfully, my darling, sweet girl doesn't care about such vanities, and is just as smiley as ever, even at her first ever dentist visit. :)

Overshadowed by all of this wouldn't be our dog, Gideon. On the final hunt of the season, he didn't corner a porcupine; and he certainly did not bite it, only to be punished with quills to his nose, tongue and mouth. Dumb dog.

Ok, so I guess that was only two stories.

The Christmas posts are still coming. I'm going to need a good chunk of time to sit down and record it all. You can view some pictures here and here and here and here. :)

Christmas Preview :)

2011-12-27T23:26:00.000-08:00

Makena - Christmas Photos

2011-12-20T12:57:00.000-08:00

We had a very wonderful early Christmas celebration with the Charlebois side of the family this past weekend. Unfortunately, I haven't uploaded or edited my photos from our time with them yet, so that post will have to wait. I love Christmas time. I love getting Christmas cards in the mail. I love wrapping gifts. I love that even the secular radio stations play songs about Jesus. I love seasonal baking and candy making (even if I did burn the caramels this year). And even though this time of year is always very slow for work and things can get tight, I count it as a blessing that we get to have JP home with us more than usual.

I recently had the very fun privilege of doing some Christmas photos of my high school friend's daughter, little Makena. You may remember that I photographed Makena over the summer when she turned two. She was as spunky as ever, and we had a lot of fun trying to catch her on camera before she zipped away to the other side of the room!

So far, SIX of the 27 Christmas cards I have received were made with photos I took over the course of the past year. I can't begin to describe how FUN and REWARDING it has been! Thanks to all of my "guinea pig" friends!!! :)

Family Tree

2011-12-08T12:40:00.000-08:00

This cute picture that Rae drew of our family around the Christmas tree melts my heart.

Christmas Crafts

2011-12-06T20:45:00.000-08:00

The girls and I have had a lot of fun doing various Christmas/winter crafts this year. My favorite so far is this cardboard Christmas tree they painted and decorated (Idea from Disney's Family Fun Magazine.).

Once upon a time, when we had two incomes and no kids, I valued classy, color-coordinated, Macy's-holiday-display-worthy decorations. These days, the more haphazard they turn out, the more endearing they are to me.

The Wood Pile

2011-12-06T19:49:00.000-08:00

For the past three or four days, the entire family has been working on getting a nice, big wood pile stacked up before the first big snow hits the ground. JP has a wood burning stove in his workshop, and he uses it during the cold winter months when he has to work from home, fix cars, etc. We have a number of downed trees on our property, so we used the tractor to pull them out, then JP bucked them with the chainsaw. The girls and I drove the golf cart around with a trailer on the back, filling it with smaller logs and timber. Once JP got the bigger trees bucked, the girls and I stacked the logs into piles.

It was hard, hard work -- the kind of work that leaves you exhausted at the end of the day -- which is why JP and I were so surprised by our up-and-coming lumberjack, Rae.

This girl was seriously unbelievable. She worked her little 4-year-old butt of all day long, picking up full-sized logs, NOT just the little ones, loading them into the trailer, unloading them and stacking them higher than her head..neatly! (She probably stacked 55% of the logs in that front pile she's sitting on in these pictures by herself. Plus more in the stacks behind her.) She gathered timber, swept up the scraps of bark and other kindling and loaded it all into buckets.

She worked straight through her nap, and when Ruby (who had napped) was too tired to keep going and went to bed, Rae stayed up working and working and working until after 10:00 pm. When all the work was done and she had swept the patio clean, she begged us to keep going though we tried to convince her we probably had enough wood for now.

She kept going on and on about how outdoor work was so much fun, and the next day she pleaded to go find more logs to stack. JP and I told her she should consider being a lumberjack as a career, and she was intrigued. Could there really be a job where you got to cut down trees and stack them up...and get paid to do it?!!?

Perhaps the best part of all was watching JP and Rae work together. They definitely bonded even more over this experience. JP talked to her about the verses in Ecclesiastes:

"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor:
If either of them falls down, one can help the other up." Ecc 4:9-10

We talked about having a hard work ethic, building character, and how the Bible tells us to look at the ant, who stores up and prepares for winter. We talked about the importance of every job and how every job has to be done diligently, not just the fun ones.

I was so impressed with our hard-working peanut, and I pray that this was an experience she'll retain in her mind and spirit for a long time. I know I will.

Peterson Family

2011-12-04T22:54:00.000-08:00

I got to take photos of my sister Amber's family yesterday. We met at the Elm Creek Park Chalet and had fun watching the skiers glide by as we attempted to get all four kids to look and smile at the same time. Or maybe just look. :)

...and my favorite of the day:

Tree & Quotes from Rae

2011-12-04T22:34:00.000-08:00

Today we cut down our Christmas tree from a local tree farm owned by a family in our church. The experience was so much fun, especially for the kids. The tree smells wonderful, and I love pulling each of the ornaments out of the box for the first time each year. Each one holds a special memory.

I was really impressed with what a difference one year has made in the girls' decorating skills. Last year all of the ornaments were huddled in one section around the bottom of the tree. This year, they pulled out the step stool from the bathroom to reach higher places, or asked me to place it where they wanted it (if it was out of their reach). We watched The Grinch and sang "Oh Christmas Tree," then sat back and soaked in the beauty.

____________________________________

Rae at bedtime: "Mom, may I please have a sip of ice water?"

Me: "Didn't you just have a sip of water when you brushed your teeth?"

Rae: "No, those were gulps."

____________________________________

Rae (eating an apple): "It's amazing how just by eating an apple, you can turn it into a core."

____________________________________

Rae to Gammy: "My poop stinks."

Gammy: "That's ok, everybody's poop stinks."

Rae: "Not my mom's."

Ladybugs, Deer and the Digital Age

2011-11-26T21:31:00.000-08:00

It's been animal month in the Charlebois home, starting with the long-awaited and highly-anticipated ladybug cake-making day. Our friend Etta had promised Ruby a ladybug cake for her birthday back in September. Being an avid hunter, September was a busy time for Etta, so we finally got around to doing it now.

The ladybug was looking really cute...

...and then we let Ruby do the sprinkles. :)

___________________________________________

The other day I realized the girls had been playing in their room quietly for a suspiciously long time. When I went to check on them this is what I found.

Every single stuffed animal was tucked neatly into bed, the lights were out, and the fan was on for "white noise."

Then I looked down at my feet and realized they had dumped every toy out of their cubby boxes in order to create those beds for said animals. :)

Yes, they did clean this mess up themselves. They are actually pretty good at that. :)

___________________________________________

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving celebrating with the Charlebois clan. Thanksgiving really is my favorite holiday, I think. As quoted from Blue Bloods (the TV show) the other day, "There's no gifts, no pressure, just family and good food." The girls made super cute turkey crafts using their hand and foot prints. Ruby had help with hers, but Rae did hers all by herself, even the cutting.

___________________________________________

JP did finally get a deer on the second-to-the-last day of the rifle hunting season. You may not believe this, but Rae was very, very excited to be a part of the butchering process. I promise you, I chose the mildest of the photos to post here tonight. :)

Rae got to hold and use a real knife for the first time. She was very cautious about it, and did very well. Just look at her face when she finished her first cut!

Etta came over again yesterday and today to help us prepare all of the cuts, and now our freezers are full of lean, fresh, hard-earned venison.

___________________________________________

Yesterday I walked out of the bedroom and found this scene in front of me:

JP had set them up this way while I was folding laundry. I guess we are living in the digital age.

Today Ruby was playing Tic-Tac-Toe on my iPhone, but it was set to a 2-person game, which means she was both "x's" and "o's." Every time she won (which, clearly, was every game), she would scream and laugh, "I WON! I WON!" It was hilarious.

___________________________________________

Rosie is so big right now, and she knows it. In fact, she thinks she's as big as Rae and Ruby and should be able to do everything they do. Like her biggest sister, she loves to climb on anything and stand triumphantly on top with a huge, chubby grin on her face. She is talking a lot more, too, and communicating her needs very well with words like, cup, num-num, up, all done, night- night and outside. She can fetch me her shoes and hat when she wants to go out and looooooves to read. The other night she kept bringing me a square cardboard coaster and pleading, "Book, book!" She's sneaky and stubborn and unbearably cute, and I love her to pieces. :)

___________________________________________

I'm so excited for Christmas this year, especially for the surprises we have planned for the girls. We are not huge on buying gifts, but this year there are a number of small things we've found and picked up for them, and I just can't wait to see their faces. I'm hoping to get Christmas decorations up tomorrow after church, and hopefully we'll get our tree soon.

Today Ruby turned to Rae and randomly asked, "Rae, do you still love me?" Rae's response melted my heart: "You don't ever have to ask that. I'll always love you." These girls are the sweetest things ever.

Specializing

2011-11-22T12:54:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking more and more about which direction I'd like to take my photography. I've had a little taste of everything now -- weddings, families, children, newborns, seniors, events -- and while they are all fun in their own way, some I enjoy more than others. And even though I feel like it's supposed to be the epitome of having reached full photographer status, weddings are coming up at the bottom of the list for me.

Ah, weddings. Weddings are fun, but quite stressful for me. I really don't have the equipment I need to do a wedding properly. Ideally I would have a backup camera. If my wimpy little Canon Rebel crapped out on me during their wedding day, it's not like I can reschedule another shoot. The whole day would be lost. I also need better lighting equipment, better quality lenses with a wider range of focal lengths, and more/bigger memory cards. I also have to find an all-day (or most-day) babysitter every time, and every nap time and evening is filled with editing for at least a month.

What's more enjoyable to me are short, active photo shoots with families & children that only take a few days to edit. And I LOVE newborn photography. Newborns are perfect. They are so tiny and sweet. You can't go wrong with them! I would love to specialize in newborn photography. All I need is this. And this. And maybe a couple of these. *sigh* Will I ever get there?

It would be fun to set up a little studio in our house, especially for newborns and winter-time photography. My friend Dena and her kids Zion and Jelani Jr. came to our house last week and we set up a fake little backdrop. It didn't work great, but I got a couple decent shots.

Hopefully you all don't get sick of me talking about photography so much. I don't want to come off as self-consumed, but it is on my mind quite a bit. Stay tuned for a post about the girls soon. :)

Family Photos

2011-11-09T08:04:00.000-08:00

Our family photos are up on an online gallery for 60 days. You can view them by following the instructions below:

www.karenfederphotography.com

Click "Enter Site"

Click "Proofing"

Password: Charlebois1111

This & That

2011-11-08T14:55:00.001-08:00

Today was one of those hair-in-a-pony-tail-because-I'm-feeling-frumpy kind of days. I felt chubby and gross as I pulled my dry-on-the-bottom, greasy-on-the-top hair back out of my face, revealing what to me were impossible pores and puffy eyes. No amount of makeup would help today. I flipped of the bathroom and walked out into the living room when Ruby said, "Mom, you look like Cinderella with your hair like that."

Sometimes they know just what to say to make things better. :)

Not much is new around here. JP was gone all weekend for deer rifle season opener. He didn't get anything, though. The girls and I had a busy weekend while he was gone, including my third wedding gig and another family photo shoot. The wedding was...ok. I left feeling a little discouraged, and I'm not super happy with the pictures. That said, I don't think the couple was looking for anything super artsy or creative; just traditional photos, which is what they are getting. The lighting situation was very challenging for me, and I'm just not set up for that. I'm thinking about stepping away from wedding gigs for now until I get more of the equipment I would need to do the job properly.

The girls are all doing great. Rae is so smart and helpful. I've been doing some pre-school stuff with her, which she loves. She and Ruby are both in AWANA at our church, and Rae is excelling in it. She has made lots of friends at our new church and loves getting to go to her "class." We've been at Cross Pointe Church in Cambridge for about a year now, and it's been such a blessing. It has made living way out here so much better.

Ruby is in a strange phase right now where she eats paper all the time. I'll find bills with a bite taken out of the corner, cardboard books with the bindings chewed off, and at dinner she'll have her food right in front of her, yet she'll be eating the napkin! She says it tastes good. I'm at a loss.

Rosie is going to give me gray hairs before I even turn 30. She is a handful and a half. She's a very happy and smiley baby, but she's constantly getting into things she's not supposed to touch, like the dog water bowl, the remote controls, or daddy's deodorant. She has also recently learned how to climb up the dining room chairs, and the other day I found her standing in the middle of the dining room table. The poor thing has countless bonks and bruises from falling off of things, stumbling or getting knocked over.

I know it's late, but we did carve pumpkins again this year. The girls were so excited. Rosie was already in bed by the time we finished, but you can see how giddy Rae & Ruby were.

I'm slowly preparing myself for the long, cold winter months in Princeton. The dark evenings are already getting to me. I've made a lot of new friends out here since last winter, so I'm hoping I won't feel so cooped up and isolated this time around. I really do love it more and more out here every day.

I'll leave you with some funny quotes from the girls. :)

Me: "You're one smart cookie!"

Rae: "I am NOT a cookie, and cookies are NOT smart."

_________________________________________

Ruby: "Mom, is that your wedding dress?"

Me: "Yep."

Ruby: "And is that Dad's wedding dress?"

Rae: "Ruby! Only the brides wear wedding dresses! Not the bucks!"

________________________________________

Me: "Little pig, little pig, let me in!"

Ruby: "No, no, no, chin, chin, chin, NO!"

Busy, busy!

2011-11-03T21:09:00.000-07:00

I've been super busy with photography lately! Everybody wants family pictures for Christmas, it seems. Here are some more examples of what I've been doing. Practice makes perfect, right? I'm far from perfect, but I love practicing!

The Lind Family

The LaRowe Family

Baby Carson - 2 weeks

Baby Asher -- 1 month

I have my third wedding on Saturday and another family shoot on Sunday. Wish me luck!

Family Photos: Sneak Peek

2011-11-03T20:47:00.000-07:00

Last week I was able to get on the other side of the camera with my sweet family for a photo shoot. The lovely and talented Karen Feder posted a sneak peek on her blog. You can check it out by clicking here. I can't wait to see the rest!

Family Hayride

2011-10-23T21:04:00.000-07:00

Today we thoroughly enjoyed our second annual family hayride at Hayrides, Inc. in Rogers. Last year, we went after dark. This year we were smart and went just as the sun was setting over the scenic farm land.

We had so much fun, especially the kids. At first, just sitting the hay and enjoying the ride was enough to keep the smiles plastered on their faces; but when they discovered they could jump off the back, throw hay at each other and jump out from "hiding places" behind trees to "scare" us, they were in heaven.

After the ride, we ate chili and hot dogs around a fire and watched the last of the sun slip below the horizon. So much fun. I love fall, and I love my family.

You can view more pictures by clicking here.

Fall Activities

2011-10-22T12:36:00.000-07:00

I love fall. It is by far my favorite time of year. Here are a few photos from some of our fall activities lately.

Ava has been playing soccer, and we finally made it to one of her games. She was so cute, but I think she wanted to be playing with her cousins on the sidelines even more than she wanted to be playing soccer. :)

Yesterday, JP's mom treated us to a day at the Nathes 101 Market in Otsego. If you've never been there, it's a great place to check out. They have lots of fun fall activities, like a corn pit for $1, giant bouncy balloon (free with food shelf donation), rubber duck races (free), animal train ($2) and a really great petting zoo ($2). There is also a corn maze which we will tackle someday when the kids are a little older. :) Relatively cheap and definitely fun!

Unfortunately, right after holding the baby bunnies, my right eye erupted in a painful allergic reaction. We had to leave early so I could go to the eye doctor. It's doing much better now, but it was really terrible when it happened. I've never reacted to anything like that before.

Tomorrow night we're going on a hayride with my family. I'll try to post photos soon!

Rock the Shot Contest: Kids + Fall

2011-10-11T20:01:00.000-07:00

I'm entering a contest to win some photography stuff through a website called www.rocktheshotforum.com. The theme is Kids + Fall, and I just happened to take this picture of little Asher Knoblauch at 1 month old last week. He's so sweet!

I'm actually hoping to win second place, since the second place prize interests me more than the first place prize. It's a gift certificate to Pretty Presets for Lightroom, which (as its name suggests) sells presets to use for editing photos in Adobe Lightroom, which is what I use.

You can check out Rock the Shot by clicking the button below.

Wish me luck! :)

The Name

2011-10-09T11:15:00.000-07:00

I sat on the couch with my laptop staring at the list I had created, the soft blue light illuminating my face in the dark room. I could feel the contemplative look on my face causing my brows to furrow and had to intentionally tell my facial muscles to relax. "This shouldn't be that hard," I thought. My phone rang.

"Hi honey, I'm finally on my way home." JP had worked a long day.

"Ok," I said without even processing what he had said. My mind was elsewhere. "Do you think that Audra Charlebois Photography is ok? I mean, I know my name is long and hard to pronounce, but it seems to be the most obvious choice."

"No, people are going to butcher it."

"Yeah, you're right. Well, do you like Tentmaker Photography?"

"Uh...it's ok, but I don't love it. I like the concept behind it, but it doesn't sound very artsy."

There was a pause in the conversation, and then JP continued.

"I want you to know that I'm proud of you for all the photography stuff. It's cool that you've found something that you like that can help provide for the family, but still keep us first, like the Proverbs 31 woman."

Another pause, then something went off in my head.

"Hey! What about 31 Photography?"

"Yes. That's it! I love it."

And that's the story about how we decided on the name...

So...what do you think? :)

(Logo design by Zandrah Kurland. THANKS, Z!!!)

Photography Lately

2011-10-06T21:51:00.000-07:00

Here are a few things I've been up to in the photography world lately.

Baby Asher:

Beckstrom 50-year Anniversary & Extended Family:

Nicholas Senior Portraits:

Kelly & Marc:

I have three more photo shoots this week and a wedding next month. Good grief, who would have ever thought all this would be happening????!!!

Just Leave Me Alone

2011-10-06T21:16:00.001-07:00

I've been having one of those "Can't everyone just leave me alone?" kind of days. Ok, one of those weeks. My patience is thin, thin, thin, and I have to check myself 50 times a day to get my heart back into the right place.

Imagine you are a carpenter, and every day you go to work and build something. It may be grand, it may be small, but every day you do your best. Then, at the end of each day, someone comes in to your workshop with a sledgehammer and completely destroys whatever you just made. You have nothing left except the knowledge that you did build something -- you ARE making something, and you are refining your craft, even if there is not much to show for it. That's how I feel most days.

I'm currently attempting to read a book (you know, with all my spare time) called Shepherding a Child's Heart by Ted Tripp. It's really, really good, but I'm getting more out of it that applies to myself than to my children. The whole book is about addressing the heart motives behind ones behavior instead of just fixing the behavior. Now, every time I'm getting frustrated, losing my temper, and wondering why I can't just lock myself in the bathroom, I'm trying to force myself to look at my heart instead of the circumstances. Am I mad because there's glitter all over the table or because I'm selfish and don't want to be inconvenienced?

The truth is, being a mom is really, really hard. IT'S. SO HARD! It's wonderful and I love it and I'd never want to be doing anything else, but it's hard. The hard part is not getting up early, cooking meals, cleaning, changing dirty diapers, etc. The hard part is putting aside my personal preferences, my "right" to a cup of hot coffee, a clean house, my desire for tranquility, my selfishness, my impatience. The hard part is forgetting about any sort of physical proof that I'm doing my job and just focusing on my family's hearts. And the hardest part is addressing my own heart first.

I love my job. I'm not trying to complain. Usually one night away will be all the refreshment I need to jump right back in with the right attitude. Unfortunately, those breaks are few and far between, and I think maybe I'm due for one. :)

Papa's Burial

2011-10-06T13:09:00.001-07:00

Last weekend, we loaded up the car and made a weekend trip to Nisswa, MN (near Brainerd). Our mission was bittersweet -- laying Papa's ashes to rest. You may recall that JP's grandpa passed away last January. The family waited until now to bring Papa to his final resting place on the family plot in Nisswa, the town they called home for so many years.

The day was beautiful, and the ceremony was extremely touching -- Papa would have loved it. As many of us as could be there showed up (I think we were only missing three people). We all took turns sharing thoughts and memories about Papa, simultaneously dabbing our eyes and smiling at the memory of the man he will always be in our hearts.

In addition to the box which held Papa's remains -- fittingly embellished with the image of a fisherman -- we also buried a tackle box which we filled with notes to Papa, pictures, and small items that reminded us of who Papa was.

A pumpkin, because Papa used to paint small pumpkins for the grandkids each fall. A small minnow bucket and a bobber, because he loved fishing. A piece of diamond willow, because Papa used to make fancy walking sticks and other art pieces out of the beautiful, knotty wood. A pack of Certs, because he never left home without them.

The great-grandchildren threw rocks and seashells into the hole, representing the intensely special family memories of their days spent together on Long Lake.

After singing a couple of Papa's favorite hymns and saying the Lord's Prayer, we placed Papa in the ground and said goodbye...for now. We'll see him again.

This is the family Papa gave to us, and the one I'm so proud to be a part of.

After the service, the whole family headed into downtown Nisswa for window shopping and ice cream cones. The fun was just getting started, because from there we all piled into the Comfort Suites in Baxter, MN, complete with a big, indoor water park. I'm not sure who had more fun, the kids or the adults! I didn't get any pictures there because JP thought the humidity in the water park might wreck my camera. :) You can just imagine the crowd in the picture above storming the hotel lobby for a pizza dinner; it was fun.

I'm continually blessed to have married in to such wonderful families on both JP's mom's and dad's sides. You hear so many stories about horrible in-laws and awkward family gatherings, but when we get together, it's like we've all come home, no matter where we are. Thank you, Papa, for the legacy you've left here for us, and for teaching us the importance of a family that loves each other. We miss you, but I know you were with us last weekend having the "best time ever."

Ruby's 3rd Birthday!

2011-10-06T12:21:00.000-07:00

I am quite behind on my blogging yet again, so I'm going to try to go on a little spree today and get a bunch done. Starting with -- RUBY'S THIRD BIRTHDAY! Aww, my sweet little cowgirl is three!

We started with a mini-celebration at my parent's house. Mee-Maw (my grandmother, Ruby's namesake) was still in town and got to be a part of the festivities, which was extra special. There was a definite theme that centered around Ruby's love for horses. She received a horse dress, horse pajamas, and LOTS of horse toys. It couldn't have been more fitting, and she hasn't stopped playing with all of those horses since the day she got them.

Brave Mee-Maw even attempted a photo with all of the great-grandkids present (we were missing Anna & Jeremiah).

And here's one of her with my girls.

This one cracks me up!

On the actual day of her birthday, Ruby wore the purple princess dress that my Mee-Maw made for me for my third birthday and which Rae also wore for her third birthday. We had cake at home & planted the trees that Joe & Becky handed out as party favors for their wedding.

The celebrating isn't over, either, because when our friend Etta gets back from a trip she's on, she's going to help Ruby bake a ladybug cake, which she has been requesting for weeks. You may remember that Etta helped Rae make a flower cake for her birthday this year.

Happy birthday, Ruby Ann! You are such a sweet, loving, helpful, happy little girl, and Mama and Daddy couldn't be any prouder of you. We love you!

Joe & Becky's Wedding

2011-09-26T19:18:00.000-07:00

It could not have been more beautiful. The air was crisp and cool, but not too cold. The leaves were just beginning to slip into their autumn colors, leaving just enough green to make the wooded outdoor setting feel lush and fresh. The sun was beginning it's decline, shining its golden rays through the stretching branches of the trees. And there -- as if a scene straight out of Robin Hood -- my brother pledged his love and devotion to his fair maiden, and she in return.

Everything went perfectly. Becky and her mom thought of everything. They didn't miss a single detail, and the result was a beautiful, smoothly-flowing day that focused more on the love and friendships shared than last-minute loose ends.

The theme of their wedding day was "Rooted in Love." It all centered around the legacy of love and faithfulness established by generations before them and rooting themselves in Jesus as they begin their life as husband and wife. A giant, branching tree was the emblem of the day. We first saw it on the invitations, then noticed it echoed on the programs, table cards, and even the favors -- tree seedlings for everyone to take home, plant and watch grow over the years.

Becky is a country girl, sporting cowgirl boots under her wedding dress, and all of her bridesmaids wore boots, too.

My two little cuties, the flower girls, wore boots too. They were so cute, and did their job so well! Becky had them drop fall leaves along the path instead of flowers.

The girls' dresses were hand-made by a friend of one of the bridesmaids. The back was as cute as the front with decorative buttons from top to bottom. Having a 4-year-old with the most amazing ringlets ever makes up-dos a breeze.

I missed a lot of photographic details throughout the day because I was chasing the kids around making sure they were in the right place at the right time and NOT getting dirty. I was also singing in the wedding, so for instance I missed getting a photo of the kiss because I was still behind the piano. I also COMPLETELY FAILED at getting a family photo while we were all dressed up and primped so nicely! I could cry I'm so sad about it!

I can't WAIT to see their professional pictures. They hired an amazing photographer named Sara Tafoya, a friend of Joe's who offered to do the wedding for free if they'd just fly her in.

Here are a few more that I got. You can see them all by clicking here.

The wedding party

Israel

My goofball husband and sweet Rosie

We found out Ruby had strep throat the morning before the wedding! We got her on antibiotics right away and she wasn't contagious by wedding time. She was feeling pretty awful, but stayed sweet and did her job so well!

Becky and her mom did all of the flowers and decorations by themselves.

Becky and her cute bridesmaids just before the ceremony

Last minute primping

Giving of the bride

Reception decorations

First dance

Joe & Becky!

2011-09-22T08:03:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it! My brother Joe and his beautiful fiance Becky are getting married in just TWO DAYS! The weather is supposed to be perfect for their outdoor, country-themed wedding. The girls are so excited to wear their cowgirl boots with their new flower girl dresses, and I can't wait to see the whole thing come together.

We celebrated Becky at a horseback riding bridal shower this past Sunday. The day was cool and crisp, and perfectly overcast for taking pictures! Becky's maid of honor did such a beautiful job setting up a perfect "Becky" day. My bum was sore for a couple days afterwards, but it was so worth it!

Tonight is the rehearsal and dinner, and Saturday is the big day. Please be praying that all of the last-minute details come together smoothly, and for safety for everyone traveling. My Mee-Maw made it in safely last night from Memphis, TN. I haven't seen her since February of 2010!

Johnye Rose is 1!

2011-09-12T19:01:00.001-07:00

At this time last year, I was holding my tiny, newborn baby girl in my arms. It just takes one moment for someone like that to change your life forever, and I can't imagine life without my sweet little Rosie girl.

Happy birthday, Johnye Rose! We love you forever.

Rae's Outfits

2011-09-08T23:02:00.001-07:00

Rae went on a dress-up spree the other day. She was being so cute and so funny, putting on outfits and then coming out to play with Ruby, I had to start snapping shots!

Photos of the girls

2011-09-08T22:29:00.000-07:00

Quotes from Rae

2011-09-08T22:15:00.000-07:00

"Do you ever get that feeling that your mouth is a tunnel and your food is a train going into it? I get that almost every time I eat."

____________________________________________________

JP to me: "You look so hot."
Rae to me: "Yeah, you look sweaty."

___________________________________________________

Rae (out of the blue): "Mom, has there ever been a show like Veggietales?

Me: "There's never, ever, ever, ever, EVER been a show like Veggietales.

UPDATE!

2011-09-08T21:14:00.000-07:00

Wow, where do I begin? I haven't posted in what seems like a long, long time. The only times I have to blog are during naps and at night, but when I do photo shoots I have to use those times to edit. Blogging ends up getting pushed to the back burner.

Today I finally had time to edit some of my OWN photos, like this one.

Those have to be the most adorable little girls ever. I can't believe God gave me the cutest kids in the world! Out of all the kids on the entire earth, He picked mine to be the cutest. Unbelievable. ;)

You would not believe how much these precious girls are growing and changing every day. Rae is so big. JP and I both get misty-eyed just looking at her because she's officially out of the "little girl" stage and into the "big girl" stage. She's out of her car seat and into a booster seat now, and she's very independent when it comes to getting dressed, hygiene, and even feeding herself. She never wears a pull-up anymore, even at night, and we've started a simple pre-school routine at home. It's like child's play to her. She's very smart and very eager. This picture is blurry, but I love it. :)

Ruby will turn three on the 29th. Her favorite game to play right now is "Otis the puppy." At least three times a day she'll come up to me and say, "Mom, I want to be a puppy named Otis." I'll say, "Ok, Otis," and off she'll go. She'll stay in character for hours, even all day. She loves to play with Rae, but she's also very individual in her tastes and preferences. She is very cuddly and often wants to be held to connect with me, even if just for a second.

Rosie turns one in just three days!!! I can't believe it! I haven't even started on her video yet. I cannot imagine life without Rosie. She is such a hoot! She's the sweetest stinker I've ever known. She walks all of the time now and loves to explore. She enjoys playing with her big sisters and wrestling with the dogs. She's experimenting with words more and more, and her communication skills are getting much better. As of today, she is also in a forward-facing car seat (three days early -- don't turn me in).

JP is doing great. Hunting season starts later this month, so we're trying to soak up as much of JP as we can now. :) Business has been good as well, which always makes life easier. JP has been having these procedures done on his back called radio ablations. Basically they burn the nerve endings in his back so he can't feel the pain anymore. His last ablation is on Monday, and we're praying this will be the thing he needs to get relief from his back pain once and for all. Please pray with us!

I have been doing well, but also have a prayer request. Today I had an ultrasound on my neck to check out some nodules we located in my thyroid when I had strep a couple weeks ago. It's fairly common and not usually anything to be concerned about. The tech told me my thyroid looks bumpy and irregular, but not ugly like cancer. The radiologist will take a look at the images and decide whether or not we need to do a biopsy. I'm not worried, but it is a little weird to even be thinking about these things.

More photos to come....

6 Years

2011-08-19T07:13:00.000-07:00

Looks like we made it

Look how far we've come, my baby

We mighta took the long way

We knew we'd get there someday

They said, "I bet they'll never make it."

But just look at us holding on

We're still together, still going strong

Ain't nothing better

We beat the odds together

I'm glad we didn't listen

Look at what we would be missing

They said, "I bet they'll never make it."

But just look at us holding on
We're still together, still going strong

You're still the one I run to
The one that I belong to
You're still the one I want for life
You're still the one that I love
The only one I dream of
You're still the one I kiss goodnight

You're still the one

Learning Light

2011-08-18T13:48:00.001-07:00

I'm trying to venture out of my comfort zone and start shooting (my camera, not guns) in full manual mode. Up until now I've shot in aperture priority, which means I control the aperture (depth of field), but the camera takes care of figuring out what shutter speed to use. Sometimes this works great, but often, if the lighting is funny or off in some way, I'll end up with photos that are too dark or over-exposed.

Shooting in manual mode gives me more control over my exposure, and I know I need to learn it. But it's kind of HARD!

Here is an example of how I'm trying to teach myself. A carnation.

Side note: Here's a little something about me -- I don't like carnations. I think they are probably one of the ugliest flowers available. They seem cheap to me. Like in high school when you could buy your significant other a carnation on Valentines Day...? Really? That's how you want to show them you care? Lame.

But that's just me. And it has nothing to do with this blog post.

Back to my photography lessons. I set up my ugly carnation that I got for free at the Mille Lacs County State Fair and took a shot.

Whoa! Waaaaaaaay too dark! So I slowed down my shutter speed a bit and tried again.

Still too dark. Next I slowed down the shutter speed even more dramatically AND I bumped up the ISO, which controls how sensitive the camera's sensor will be to light. That produced this result.

Not bad! Just one more tweak in Lightroom, and voila! A very nice picture of a very ugly flower.

Next, I zoomed out for a full-length picture. All of the sudden more light was hitting the sensor and therefore, the photo was over-exposed.

I sped the shutter speed back up and fixed the problem.

I'm a believer that light is the #1 factor in creating a good photo. It will take some time for me to get used to which shutter speeds are appropriate for certain lighting situations, but I'm sure (I hope) that eventually (with plenty of practice) it will start to come naturally. :)

Rosie Stats

2011-08-15T21:49:00.000-07:00

I am so far behind on posting Rosie's stats. Here she is, 11 months old, and I still haven't documented her 6 and 9 month measurements & weights. As many of you know, I don't "do" baby books, so this blog is the official record of my children's growth and development!

At her 6 months checkup, Johnye Rose was a whopping 16 pounds, 11 ounces (only 48th percentile) and 26 1/2 inches long (59th percentile).

At 9 months she was up to 20 pounds (67th percentile) and 28 1/2 inches long (65th percentile).

She hasn't really gotten any better at walking yet. Her max is right around five steps before she falls. She does definitely choose walking over crawling when point B is close by.

Rosie has also started communicating a lot more, and even "says" a few words. I say that loosely, since I may be the only one in the world who could recognize her sounds as actual words.

Nevertheless, she says the words hi, mama, dada, all done, please, "cheese" for the camera, and uh-oh rather clearly. She also says Peekabo, although it's more the intonation that she copies than the actual sounds.

She makes every day brighter, fuller and stickier. I LOVE YOU, ROSIE!

I Heart Faces -- "Beautiful Eyes"

2011-08-15T15:04:00.001-07:00

I normally don't enter these contests (although I probably should as a way to challenge myself in the photography world), but this one was easy. The theme was "beautiful eyes," and I had just finished a shoot for my friend Kim where I snagged this shot of her second-to-youngest, Carla.

Those eyelashes just reach to the heavens! What a doll face! I had told here there were monkeys in my camera, and she was trying to see them: "Monkeeeeey? Monkeeeeey?" lol

You can check out more "beautiful eyes" entries at I Heart Faces blog. Just click the button below.

Forgetful

2011-08-09T19:21:00.000-07:00

Today I was almost an hour late to a play date with a very patient and forgiving friend. It's not that I was running behind; I simply forgot about the play date altogether and wouldn't have shown up at all if not for her phone call. I happened to be in the car with my kids already, so we simply scratched our other plans and headed straight to Elm Creek Park...you know, where we were supposed to be.

I wish I could laugh and roll my eyes at this isolated incident of forgetfulness, but alas, it's becoming more common than I'd care to admit. In fact, I've been having such a problem with concentrating, focusing, and remembering things that it's been a daily prayer point. I've also started researching different vitamins and/or supplements that can help in this area.

It's driving JP nuts. We will have full conversations that I can't recall the very next day. He will ask me to do things and I will fail to follow through because I have no memory of him asking in the first place. If JP is trying to talk to me and the TV is on or the children are in the room, I'll have to look him directly in the eyes and focus all of my attention on what he is saying if I want to comprehend it. Sometimes, even though I'm looking straight at him, he'll finish a sentence and upon seeing the glazed look in my eye ask, "You have no idea what I just said, do you?" And he's right.

It's also driving me nuts. Yesterday I failed to put diapers & wipes in my diaper bag, and when Rosie exploded at PetSmart, I could do nothing but rush the kids back into the car and flee to Target where I could buy some. If I'm focused on doing the dishes and Rae asks me a question, I'll have to ask her to repeat it, sometimes multiple times. I can't multi-task to save my life anymore, and I feel like a ditz.

I've looked into what things might cause these symptoms. Most of the medical websites suggest depression, stress, or pregnancy as common reasons for losing focus. I am currently none of these (besides the regular stress of being a mother of three! But in general, I'm not stressed.). I'm not having any other accompanying symptoms, like headaches.

I've also looked into natural supplements to help keep my brain sharp. Most of them are fatty acids & vitamin E, ginkgo biloba, stuff like that. My friend also suggested playing some memory games to strengthen that part of my brain.

I'm at a loss right now. I know God has given me a sound mind. Perhaps I'm just lacking discipline in my life right now. Maybe I'm more stressed than I think I am. Whatever the case may be, I ask that you all keep me in your prayers, too! I want to be the sharp, thoughtful woman I'm meant to be.

Ramblings

2011-08-06T22:19:00.000-07:00

Not a lot has been happening out here in Princeton lately. We've been inside a lot escaping the heat, and when we do go outside, water is usually involved. We found a nice little beach not too far from our house; it's small, never crowded, and the water is extremely clear.

We were there just this morning, and I had a very scary mom moment. I was sitting at a picnic table on shore with Rae and Rosie while Ruby swam in about waist-deep water with her friend Ethan, who is five. I was keeping an eye on her, but had looked away to get the baby a banana. When I looked back, I saw Ruby under the water with her little arms and legs flailing above the surface. I all but dropped the baby and sprinted to her side. After I picked her up, it took a couple seconds for her to cough and catch her breath again. Her lips were the palest white, and we just held each other for the longest time. It happened so fast, and that's just the thing -- it only takes a second. You get so used to looking up and seeing that everything is fine; then the one time comes that you look up and everything is not fine, and it's horrifying.

I didn't mean for this blog post to get so solemn so quickly. My apologies! Ruby is just fine.

In other news:

My friend Zandrah has been helping me come up with a good logo for my photography stuff. Choosing a logo is hard! The final product is so permanent; I really want to make sure that I love it, without driving Zandrah crazy with my nit-pickiness.

The countdown is on to my brother Joseph's wedding! The big day is September 24th, and his fiance Becky is full-tilt-boogie into wedding planning & preparations. Rae and Ruby are flower girls, and we met with the seamstress who is making their dresses this week for measurements. I have to find them little cowgirl boots to wear with their dresses. I have a bid in on a pair for Ruby on Ebay, and so far I haven't been able to find a good deal for Rae anywhere. Time to start hitting up the Goodwill stores!

I'm also going to get to take some official engagement pictures for Joe & Becky, which I'm super excited about, and they've asked me to sing in the wedding, which is such an honor.

I really need to get to bed. Love to all...

Rosie's First Steps

2011-07-29T22:17:00.000-07:00

Of course, Rosie chose the one night I slipped away for a Norwex party to take her FIRST STEPS at only 10 months old! I was sad to miss it, but thankful JP got to see it (he missed the other girls' first steps). She had taken one step before, but never three in a row.

Thankfully, JP handed Rae the iPhone to record...lol!

Operation: Clean My House - UPDATE

2011-07-25T21:28:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more before and after photos as "Operation: Clean My House" continues. It really is very hard for me to post these photos. I'm far too prideful to easiliy admit to the way my house looks on a normal day. But I FEEL SO FREE having this clutter and dust out of my way, I just want to tell the word!

Mail Center before

Mail Center After

Bedroom 1 Before

Bedroom 1 After (the ugly thing along the left wall is a desk we need to assemble)

Bedroom 2 Before

Bedroom 2 After

Grandma Dellas

2011-07-25T20:57:00.000-07:00

This week, our family lost a very special and beloved matriarch. JP's maternal grandma, Della Mae Bowar, went to be with Jesus and the love of her life, Chip. (Those of you who have been reading the blog for a while may remember the letters I used to post that Chip wrote to his family during his time in the military.)

Grandma Dellas meeting newborn Rosie

Click here for a link to her obit.

Grandma Dellas, as we called her, was one of the dearest women you'll ever meet. She carried herself with such class and grace, and she was extremely witty. Even after suffering congestive heart failure, she found a way to smile and crack jokes.

JP and I had a chance to visit her in the hospital shortly after her heart failure, and I took the girls to see her once while she was in hospice care. We treasure those special moments with her.

I'm continually amazed and blessed to be a part of a family with so many living grandparents. It's hard to see them go, but I'm so thankful to have married into the legacy these dear grandparents are leaving behind.

Rest in peace, Gram, and we'll see you again.

Quotes from Rae + Rosie Cuteness

2011-07-22T22:28:00.001-07:00

Rae has been on a roll again lately. Again, apologies to those of you who have heard these already from my facebook posts.

Rae: "Mom, your outfit is swanky!"

Me: "Do you even know what that means?"

Rae: "It's Spanish for 'nice outfit.'"

______________________________________________

Rae: "Dad, can we watch a show before bed?"

Dad: "I don't know, it's already past your bed time. We'll have to ask Mom."

Rae: "Dad, who runs the show around here? You, or mom!?"

______________________________________________

Me to Rae: "If you could meet anyone who ever lived, who would it be?"

Rae: "Ava."

Me: "No, I mean someone you've never met before, like Jesus or Laura Ingalls."

Rae: "Moooom! I've already MET Jesus! We know each other!"

Me: "Amen, Sista!"

______________________________________________

And here is your Rosie fix for the night. :)

Makena

2011-07-22T22:24:00.000-07:00

I just finished editing photos from this shoot today. Makena is turning 2 on the 30th. Most of the shots I got were blurs of her running past the camera! She was so fast and always moving! But we did catch a few super sweet photos.

Operation: Clean My House

2011-07-22T22:02:00.000-07:00

I do not claim to be a very good housekeeper.

In fact, when JP first went to talk to my dad about marrying me, my dad warned him.

"She won't clean," he said. "She doesn't know how."

When JP first told me this, I was quite offended. Of course I knew how to clean! I had been doing chores my whole life! Vacuuming, dusting, mopping, laundry, dishes, bathrooms, you name it, we had to do it all!

It didn't take me too long (maybe 2 years?) to figure out that I really wasn't that good at keeping my house clean and tidy. Our house is full of clutter, and while I do enough cleaning for it not to be gross, don't look too closely or you may notice the cobweb in the corner or the dust all over the bookshelf.

Now, I'm on a mission to deep clean and de-clutter every room of my house. Each available day I have, I'll pick one room and tackle it. Starting with the kitchen.

This is the kitchen before (sorry, it's a little dark, I didn't edit it at all). Don't judge.

And this is the kitchen after. Ta da!

Ah, that feels better! I can breathe again! I've also done the downstairs living area since this post, but didn't get pictures. That area is even harder to keep un-cluttered because it's where JP dumps all his junk.

Next up is the master bedroom (it's REALLY bad, but at least it's hidden), followed by the upstairs living area, then the bathrooms, the kids' rooms, and the laundry room.

Now if only I could believe that it could really last....

Name Update

2011-07-09T14:27:00.000-07:00

Thanks for all of your input on choosing a name! I'm serious, I really appreciate the input people have been giving. And although there is still one day left on the poll, I have made my decision on a name.

But guess what -- I'm not going to tell you yet! BWAHAHAHA! I know, evil, right? I'm working with a friend to design a logo, and when I have it, I'll do a big fancy reveal.

I will tell you this: it's none of the names mentioned here OR in any of the comments. It's something JP and I came up with together in one of our conversations. I like it. JP loves it. You might hate it. That's okay with me. :)

Here is a peek at another shoot I had this week.

That's Sam (or did you pick up on that already?).

This is his big sister, Alison, and her pony, Diamond.

Alison is only six years old and races ponies competitively. She is Rae and Ruby's new superstar. They came with me to the photo shoot and were enraptured with Alison and Diamond. They even got their own pony rides.

___________________________________

On the home front:

We are all doing well. We are enjoying the summer and doing our best to be outside as much as possible.

Rosie is so big, and she's cruising around the house, walking along the furniture, and getting into everything. She has definitely entered the "clingy" stage where she wants to be with Mommy all the time. She whines when I leave the room or hand her to someone else, but for the most part, she is a happy baby. We've started calling her "Ducky" or "Ducka-ducka" because one of the babbling sounds she makes sounds like "ducka-ducka."

My brother Micah and his family are in town for a few weeks before they are stationed at Ft. Campbell, KY. We got to spend all day with them on Tuesday, and tomorrow (Sunday) we're heading to Taylor's Falls with my side of the family.

I'm loving my new van! I think my favorite feature so far is the remote operated dual sliding doors. It's amazing. No more struggling to get the doors closed with a baby in one arm and groceries in the other!

Ok, baby's crying. Gotta run.

Poll: I Need a Name

2011-07-03T19:17:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about making some business cards to give my photography "clients" (I don't even like calling them that because it sounds so professional), and possibly incorporating. I'm starting to get more paying clients, and they've been referring me to others. I feel like maybe it's time to make things a bit more official.

But I have just one problem -- I can't figure out a good name to call my "business." I'm now turning to you, my faithful and hopefully honest readers, for help.

I've set up a poll on the left side of this page with some name options. Below, I'm going to explain the pros and cons I see to each name. Considering these, please vote on your favorite. If none of them seem great to you, please say so and tell me why in the comments! I need you to be honest here, people!

I'M ALSO OPEN TO SUGGESTIONS, so if you have a good idea for a name, please leave it in the comments section or click "email me" on the left and send it to me in an email!

Here are the options I've been considering, in no particular order

OPTION ONE -- Audra Charlebois Photography

I know, stunning, right? All kidding aside, this is a very common and straight forward name for a photography business. I know several photographers who simply use their name, and it works very well.

My only hang-up is that my name is sort of complicated. "Audra" often gets confused with "Audrey" or "Andrea," and NOBODY can pronounce or correctly spell my last name.

Nevertheless, I like my name. I think it sounds pretty; I just wonder if it would be too complicated.

OPTION TWO -- Audra C. Photography

Whoa! We're switching it up a bit now! :)

A good solution to my complicated last name is just to abbreviate it. I like this and also like the way it sounds when you speak it; but alas, I stole the idea from a photography friend and hero of mine. The fabulous Jacki Vaughan has a business called Jacki V. Photography. Jacki goes to my in-laws church; we are friends and have many mutual friends. "Audra C. Photography" seems a little copycat to me, even though I like it.

OPTION THREE -- Tentmaker Photography

Where did that one come from, and what does it have to do with photography?

Glad you asked! In the New Testament, the apostle Paul had two gigs. His first/main gig was his call to bring the gospel to the Gentiles. This was his ministry and his life. However, Paul also had a side gig. He was a tent maker. He used this job to supplement his income and help provide the funds he needed to facilitate his higher calling (gig #1).

As a wife and mother, this is the way I feel about Photography. My main gig, or ministry, is to my family -- my husband and three daughters. They come first on my list of responsibilities. Photography would come only after those responsibilities have been met.

I like this name because it's a reminder to me of where my heart and focus will always be, even though I love photography. It's also a conversation starter with clients, and a way to open the door to talking about Jesus.

The down side to this name is that it doesn't sound very...photography-ish?

OPTION FOUR -- Fake It Photography

This isn't really an option. It's an inside joke, and those who understand it will laugh along with me! :)

Please weigh in, both in the poll and in the comments section! I'll keep the poll open for a week. And again, please be HONEST!

Update

2011-06-30T21:38:00.000-07:00

It seems I just don't have the time to sit down and put my thoughts on paper (er, screen?) anymore. We've been having such a fun summer! The girls are a blast, and we're at a nice stage where they can go longer without falling apart (and the baby is still small enough to fall asleep in her car seat or stroller), so we can fill our days with even more activities than in years past.

We've been trying to spend a lot of time outside. I'm taking my first swing at a flower garden this year, which is going surprisingly well so far! Our veggies are still in paper cups, waiting to be transplanted. Last year they never did get transplanted, and I'm fearful these poor seedlings may meet the same fate.

Little Rosie is not so little anymore! At nine months, she's already starting to stand on her own for a few seconds before falling to her butt. She's walking all along the furniture, and I have a feeling she'll be our earliest walker (Rae walked at 10 months, so we'll see!). She has two little teeth on the bottom that are so cute, and is all about "real" food; she's so over the baby food & breast milk thing! "Please Mom, that's for infants!"

I am aspiring to take nine month photos of her SOON and get them on here!

Speaking of photos, I've had a few more amazing photography opportunities. I photographed another wedding June 11th and just finished editing all of the photos. Once the couple has had a chance to see them, I will hopefully post some here, too.

I also got to take some newborn & children photos. This is Olivia.

You can view more of her photos by clicking here.

And these are the Perreault Children, Aidan, Ellix & Aurora.

More of their photos here.

In other big news, we're getting a new van! My current van has been breaking down on me over and over and over again. My dad was planning to get a new van already, so he offered us his old one -- for free! When I say "old," I mean a 2002 Chrysler Town & Country...that still has that new car smell! It's gorgeous, and he's kept it in immaculate condition. We are so extremely blessed, and I can't wait to pick it up tomorrow!

I'm too tired to even think straight right now, so I'm going to stop now. But I will get some more photos of MY beautiful children up soon. xo

Mystery Cave Camping Trip

2011-06-19T20:17:00.000-07:00

The first weekend in June, we headed south with our friends, the Knoblauchs, for our first camping trip of 2011. We had reservations at Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park, just south of Rochester, MN. The weather forecast was perfect, and while we were all excited for a weekend of fun, nobody had any idea just how eventful the trip would be!

When we got to the campsite, the first thing I noticed was that Rae's shoes were missing. Her ONLY pair of shoes. It didn't take long to realize that the shoes had probably fallen out of the car when we stopped on the side of the rod for her to go potty. We put her in socks and sent her on her way. Then I realized that MY shoes were also missing. Thankfully, they were not my only pair! We later found my shoes at the ranger station -- they had fallen out when we stopped to check in.

Once we got out of the car in into footwear, we found that the Knoblauchs (who had beat us there) were having car problems. Their security mechanism had somehow been triggered, and the key would not turn to start the car. James and JP spent most of Saturday morning rigging the car up so that it could start until James could fix it properly at home.

The campsites were lovely, and there were hardly any mosquitoes. Perhaps the best part about the site was a huge, fallen tree directly behind it. Rae is part monkey, and she was in climbing heaven!

Rae loves to climb, and she's good at it!

Our friend, Ezra

All of the kids spent the majority of the time at the campsite playing on that tree. However, what the park lacked in mosquitoes, it made up for in biting flies. Being in the woods, the kids were attacked the worst, and all of them had big, bloody bites all over their heads and necks. Even sweet little Rosie had bites (but she kept on smiling!).

This happy camper even cut her first tooth during our trip!

After the guys fixed the car, we decided to head to the Mystery Cave. We hadn't gone far when JP had to slam on the brakes as two deer jumped out of the tall grass and onto the road, just a couple feet in front of our car. We were almost relieved until we saw what happened next.

One of the deer, in its panicky effort to make it across the road, made a giant leap. At the height of its jump, the deer smashed directly into the windshield of an oncoming vehicle. The windshield crumbled, tires squealed, and with huge pits in our stomach, we pulled over as quickly as we could. We thought for sure the passengers of the car would be severely injured, if not dead.

JP snapped this photo on his phone

Thank God, besides some minor cuts and scratches, neither the couple in the front seat nor their two young children and dog in the back were hurt. The deer had landed in the wife's lap! She literally had to slide out from underneath it to get out of the car! We were thankful to be there as "first responders" with a big water jug and first aid kit on hand to help however we could.

After that adventure, we continued on our way to the cave, but we had to stop in town to get some more ice for the coolers. Since the suspected site of the lost shoes was near there, we went on a shoe hunt as well. And can you believe it -- we found those darn shoes right on the side of the road, just like we had thought!

I didn't get any pictures inside the cave, but it was cool (and cold -- 48 degrees!) and the kids loved it! This was actually the second time we had been in the cave; we camped there once before with my family when Rae was just a baby.

On Sunday, we visited a historic town called Forestville. It's a restored village from the late 1800's that is now operated by the Minnesota Historical Society. Many of the original buildings are still in tact and available for tours, and the guides are all dressed in character as actual people who lived there in 1899. We did take the tour, but the kids favorite part was exploring the old barn and chasing the chickens in the hen house.

The kids meet a costumed guide -- "oh my, your ankles are showing!"

The Knoblauch family in front of the old barn

Rae in the barn

Checking out the chickens

I love this photo! Ruby on her horse, watching in wonder as the real horses go by.

Cute baby!

We headed home after visiting Forestville, and by the time we reached the edge of the park, the girls had already collapsed with exhaustion from the fun and eventful weekend. Camping with three kids plus dogs isn't necessarily relaxing, but it sure is fun!

Just Let Them

2011-05-31T21:22:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, you just have to let them jump in mud puddles with their clothes on. Then you might have to let them take off their clothes and jump around some more. Just let them.

Prairie Land

2011-05-31T20:56:00.000-07:00

Today, we visited a lush, green prairie. The tall grasses swayed in the wind and buzzed with busy insects.

Actually, it was just our back yard, which hasn't been mowed once this year.

You see, our mower has been broken. It needed a new belt and an oil change.

This is easy work for JP, but he's been working 16+ hour days -- every day -- for the last month. He finally had some time to work on it this past weekend, but just as he was finishing, he threw out his back and had to stop.

So until he can finish it up and we can mow, we will continue to live in our little house on the prairie. Don't judge.

Garage Sale

2011-05-28T21:44:00.000-07:00

This weekend, I held my very first garage sale. It's something I've been wanting to do for a long time. I had done a lot of mental preparation and took my time getting things organized and ready to do so that I wouldn't feel so overwhelmed. And it definitely paid off!

When I mentioned it to my neighbor Judy, she offered to help, as did my friend Crystal and her husband. We chose Memorial Day weekend, hoping to bank on the weekend travelers along Hwy 95. Despite the weather man's grim forecast, we ended up with three glorious days in a row!

I had lots of fun watching all of the different people who came to look and buy. It was interesting to see people's choices, what they found valuable, and what they passed up (seriously, nobody wanted that crock pot?) I had a couple friends come by just to hang out as well, which was very fun and helpful.

See that scooter on the right side of the photo? That belonged to my neighbor Dan. He had it on craigslist but figured he'd set it out anyhow. On day three, someone asked for a test drive and came back with a big smile on his face. He ended up buying the scooter, our big ticket item!

In the end, I got rid of a bunch of stuff that had been cluttering up my home, made a couple hundred bucks, and got a great tan. I think I will leave things set up in my garage and open up shop again in a couple weekends when Princeton has it's big community sale. It can't hurt!

Homeschooling, Part 2

2011-05-24T20:47:00.001-07:00

I bet you thought I was never going to get to Part 2, did you? Well, here I go. My thoughts are a jumble tonight, however, so there's no guarantee any of this will make sense.

As I mentioned before, we attended the MACHE annual conference in Duluth last month. One of the key attractions of the conference is the very large and very overwhelming curriculum fair. Imagine a very large conference center room flooded with every type of homeschool parent you can think of -- from the "be free earth mama" to the buttoned up, bearded Amish father -- packed with booth after booth of options on how to homeschool your children. Imagine all of the books! Shelves and shelves of books everywhere you turn! How are you supposed to pick the best ones for you and your child?!!?

Can you tell I was feeling a little inundated?

I had done my homework before attending the conference. I had heard there were too many options available to look at them all, so I took the time beforehand to try to figure out my teaching style, identify Rae's learning style, and narrow down my options to 3-4 curriculum to get my hands on. I felt prepared and confident. But once I got there, I was sucked in by all of the amazing options, many of which I had never even heard of before. By the end of the weekend, I was feeling more unsure about what I'm going to do with Rae in the fall than when I started.

Then it hit me -- this is supposed to be fun. I was feeling all of this pressure to pick a curriculum, do a bunch of research, and have a plan ready to go. I was stressing over whether I should do a preschool or kindergarten curriculum, whether it should be 4 or 5 days a week, and what math program I should use. But as I attended the sessions, almost all of the speakers were repeating the same thing: stop stressing and have fun. If you're not enjoying this, your kid probably isn't either! It defeats the whole purpose if your children end up hating school. The goal is to develop Biblical character traits and a love of learning.

Rae just turned four in February. There is no reason to jump into some big, official curriculum right away. We may sample a little from here and there and see what works well for us; but mostly we are just going to practice getting into the habit of doing school a couple days per week. It will be fun stuff -- not stressful. We'll turn over rocks and talk about bugs. We'll read stories from around the world, then find them on the map. We'll make patterns with marshmallows, then add them all up before we eat them. It will be fun, and hopefully, Rae will love to learn.

So, with that said, my "plan" for this fall is to...
1.) Get in the habit of setting aside time for school 3-4 days per week.
2.) Practice some reading & handwriting, but not push it
3.) Do lots of reading out loud with the girls, especially classic childrens' stories & the Bible
4.) Have fun!

When Rae is five, we will start kindergarten. She is "past" preschool (colors, shapes, letter recognition, etc.), but I don't want to turn her off to school by jumping right into kindergarten at age 4.

And just for you curious ones out there, here are some of the curriculum I've been looking into for once we DO get going.
-Heart of Dakota
-Sonlight
-5 in a Row
-KONOS
-Math-U-See
-A Reason for Handwriting
-Spell to Write & Read
-Charlotte Mason approach

Here are some photos from a day at the park last week!

Rae & Rosie

2011-05-14T11:19:00.000-07:00

Their relationship...

...is so...

...unique.

They love each other so much.

Easter 2011

2011-05-11T19:43:00.000-07:00

I don't have the time or the energy to recount all that happened on Easter weekend, but suffice to say it involved another car malfunction and missing out on two out of three celebrations with family.

Let's skip the details and just look at pictures today, shall we? :)

Vinnie's loot

Matching dresses courtesy of Auntie Lisa

On the hunt
Rosie & Gammy
Cutest ever!

Quotes from Rae

2011-04-29T21:21:00.000-07:00

Dad to Rae: "It's kind of chilly out, don't you want your hat on?"
Rae: "Not really. My hair is so beautiful when it blows in the wind."
_____________________________

We were reading the Bible passage, "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in me bears much fruit." I asked the girls what it meant for us to bear fruit, and then explained it to them. While we were still talking, Rae excused herself to go to the bathroom.

Moments later she burst back into the room with her pants at her knees and yelled, "Hey, Mom! Our pee is like the juice from the fruit we bear!"
_____________________________

Me: "Rae, will you please go tell Ruby to stop yelling and come talk to me."
Rae (up the steps): "RUUUUBYYYY! MOM SAYS STOP YELLING!!!!!"
_____________________________

I was on the floor folding laundry when Rae walked in.
Rae: "Hmm, lets see. How long have you been doing laundry?"

Then she whips out a tape measure and pulls it out to about three feet.
Rae: "Wow, you've been doing laundry for a while!"

Homeschooling, Part 1

2011-04-17T19:49:00.000-07:00

A couple of weekends ago, JP and I attended our first homeschooling conference in preparation for starting Rae's schooling in the fall. The annual conference is hosted by an organization called the Minnesota Association of Christian Home Educators, or MACHE. Since it was our first time attending and all of our children are under the age of five, we had the added bonus of being able to attend for free.

The conference was awesome. There was an overwhelming amount of information, resources, training, and support to be gleaned everywhere you turned. I was able to get my hands on different curriculum I had been researching online and physically flip through the pages to see if each one was a good fit for our family; plus, I was introduced to brand new ones I had never even heard of before. But perhaps most encouraging of all was just seeing the thousands of people who are doing exactly what we are doing -- choosing to educate their own children from home.

Choosing to homeschool can be fairly intimidating. Even having been an "A's and B's" type of student all the way through high school and then having earned a 4-year college degree from a respected University, I still struggle with the question, "Am I adequate for this job? Do I want to be responsible for the education of my children? I don't even remember basic science! I'm horrible at math! How can I do this??" And yet we still believe this is what's best for our children. It was encouraging to meet other families taking the same intimidating step of faith and know that we are not alone on this journey.

Homeschooling is not for everyone. Heck, homeschooling might not even be for us! I don't know. I haven't tried it yet. We don't think we are better or more righteous because we've chosen to homeschool. But JP and I have a number of reasons why we do want to give home education a try. I'd like to list some of those reasons here not only for you all to know where we are coming from, but also for myself and for our kids, so that on the days I'm feeling discouraged, overwhelmed or inadequate, I can look back and remind myself of why I started along this road to begin with.

Then in a later post, I hope to go into more about the conference itself, what I learned, and some of the curriculum options I'm considering.

I want to stress one thing that people tend to assume about homeschooling families. Just because we are home educating does not mean we are anti public school. In fact, if when our children get older they want to go to public school, and if we feel confident in their spiritual maturity, we will let them go. It will be their first mission field! High school is not too young to be a light on a hill.

Without further adieu, here they are:

Our Reasons for Homeschooling

1. I Want to Be With My Children

I am constantly reminded how fortunate I am to be able to stay home with my kids. I know there are a lot of women who wish they could, but simply cannot. I do not take it for granted, and I want to make the most of it. It would feel weird to me to send them away all day while I stayed home. I want to be with them! I want to be the one who sees the light bulb turn on in their eyes when they understand a new concept for the first time. I want to be the one to help them through their struggles and rejoice with them when they overcome them. I want to be the one to answer their questions, and if I don't know the answers, I want to be the one to show them where and how to find them. I want to learn with them and talk with them all day long about the things that matter most in life.

Deuteronomy 6:6-9: These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates.

2. Personalized Education

Everyone would agree that smaller classroom sizes benefit the children in those classrooms because each child gets more time & personalized attention from the teacher. Home education gives parents the opportunity to teach each child individually and personalize the education for that specific child. And who else knows that child better than her mom and dad?

3. Time

With homeschooling, we can be efficient and flexible with our time. If something or some event comes up that would normally fall during a school day, we can rearrange our schedule to accommodate it. We can do school four days a week instead of five, then leave the fifth day open for extracurricular activities, field trips, co-ops, or even just running errands. If something comes up and JP needs me to drop everything and attend to something concerning the business, I can do that and not worry. Once the kids are older, they can have their schoolwork done by lunch time and use the rest of their day to work a job, practice a hobby or skill, or get involved in something they care about.

We have a friend who was homeschooled. At the age of 16, he used his free time to start up a small lawn mowing business. He would finish his school work early, then head out to earn money. Now, in his late twenties, he is the owner of a very successful, full-blown landscaping company, working for high-end clients and providing jobs for people during tough economic times. That's awesome. It's amazing what you can do with a little free time!

4. Family

We want to homeschool to build a strong bond as a family. We want our kids to look at each other as friends, playmates, and pillars of support in their lives. We believe that shared family experiences will enrich their lives and bring us closer together than if we spent our days apart from each other and only came together for dinner before dispersing again. We hope that by keeping our family tight-knit now, our children will one day choose to include us in their lives as adults.

5. Character

It's listed as #5, but this is actually the single most important reason JP and I have decided to homeschool our children.

JP and I both believe school is about much, much more than academics. Have you ever seen the show Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader? That show is proof that every child who ever asked their teacher, "When am I going to use this in life," was right. Much of the trivia you learn at a young age is not going to be vital to your success as an adult. The most important lessons we want our children to learn are those of character.

With so many different sets of values represented in one community (traditional classroom), it's hard to expect the values you esteem will be taught.

Here is a bold statement, but one that we hold to: If our children earn only C's and D's, barely graduate, never get into college, and work at McDonalds for the rest of their lives, but they do their best, are honest, hardworking, responsible, attentive, fair, faithful, compassionate, industrious, diligent, forgiving, humble, helpful, self-controlled, and obedient (just to name a few), and if they love the Lord with all their hearts, souls, minds, and strengths, then we will feel that we have accomplished what we set out to do as parents and home educators.

That said, we believe that if our children possess these traits, they will excel academically and in life.

What about private school?
Glad you asked. I and all of my siblings went to a private Christian school K-12 and we all loved it. But even though they did teach us Jesus and the Bible, private school was not where we learned good character; we learned that at home from our parents. In fact, any of the trouble we did get into as kids happened not at home, but at private Christian school.

At the risk of sounding arrogant, we feel that we can do a better job of teaching godly character to our children not because we're so smart or so godly, but because God appointed us specifically to do the job.

Aren't you worried about socialization?
No, I'm not. It is true, there are a handful of really socially awkward homeschool kids out there. Most of them are from my generation. But homeschooling today is not at all what it was when we were growing up.

I am amazed at how large the homeschool community is in our state, and the opportunities for involvement are astounding. There are tons of co-ops (homeschool families/groups getting together for things like science experiments, outings, field days, etc.) and outlets for extracurricular activities in group settings. There are homeschool sports leagues, or you can choose to have your child participate in the local public school's athletic program. There are musical outlets, like choirs and bands in which to play. Not to mention the socialization that goes on at church, AWANA, play dates with friends, and of course with their siblings!

I am a very social person, remember? I will wither away if I have to stay inside my house for the next 20+ years teaching my kids. We WILL be out in the world socializing and discovering. I am confident my children are not going to be socially lacking.

Aren't you concerned about over-sheltering your kids?
No, I'm not. JP and I fully intend to first teach our children from a Christian worldview; but as they grow, we also intend to verse them in other worldviews and philosophies and have them compare them to the Word of God. We don't want them to just "swallow and follow." We want them to think critically and be able to give an account for what they believe (I Peter 3:15). We want to hold them responsible for their own personal relationships with Jesus and questions about faith, not just depend on us for the right answers.

We are not going to shelter them from the evil in this world. We are going to teach them to face it head on and take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ (2 Cor 10:5).

There are so many other reasons I could have included as sub-points under these main ones, but when it all comes down to it, our top three reasons for homeschooling are right here:

Like I said before, I don't think homeschool is for everyone, nor do I think homeschooling makes a family better than any family who chooses not to. I really appreciated my educational experience, as did JP. If a parent's heart isn't ready to take on home education, I'm convinced things could end up worse than if they had just gone to public school.

Here is the bottom line: We feel we can do a better job teaching our kids the things we feel are most important. God entrusted them to us and has placed certain values on our hearts, and we feel it's our responsibility to teach them those values ourselves on a daily basis.

As always, I'm interested to hear your thoughts and questions in the comments. How did you choose your children's school? Do you homeschool? What were your reasons? Do you think homeschooling is a bad idea? Why/Why not?

Cole & Deb's Wedding

2011-04-10T13:23:00.000-07:00

What do you get when the couple the nicest, most humble, genuine, selfless, Jesus-loving man you've ever met with the sweetest, most encouraging, genuine, faithful, God-fearing woman you've ever met? The Holy Spirit drops in on your wedding like a BOMBSHELL and lives are forever impacted. That was the wedding of Mr. & Mrs. Cole & Deb Ries!

These guys are amazing. They each knew they were going to marry each other more than four years before they ever said anything to each other or anybody else. She was in law school, he was finishing his degree, looking for a job, and eventually started working a new position an hour away in St. Cloud. They just kept their little (BIG) promises tucked in their hearts and waited for God's perfect timing to set things in motion. They shared their first kiss at the altar, and the moment was so powerful and sweet I couldn't decide whether to cheer or cry, so you know...I just did both.

Here are some pictures from their beautiful day:

Both the cake and floral arrangements were done by friends who consider themselves "amateurs." I beg to differ!

Beautiful bridesmaids and even more beautiful friends, Sarah & Christine.

Rock candy bar...so cute!

The kids especially loved it!

Congratulations, Cole & Deb. You've been a blessing to us and so many others. We can't wait to see what awesome and powerful things God has in store for you.

Calamities

2011-04-10T12:33:00.000-07:00

I almost don't have the energy to write this post. The last three weeks have been mentally trying and emotionally exhausting. But praise God, we are on the upswing now!

On the 16th of March, our well pump went out and had to be replaced (as well as our pressure tank). Three days later, our furnace went out. We called a repair man who said it was toast and needed to be replaced as well. We didn't have the funds for that, so we set up space heaters and thanked God for the warmer weather and sunshine.

Next, the spring thaw reeked havoc on our yard, and JP's van got stuck in the giant mud hole formerly known as our yard. We called out a tow truck (thank God for AAA), but the tow truck also got stuck. A second tow truck had to come out and rescue both of the mud-locked vehicles. This is what our yard looked like afterward.

JP has to be able to get his truck back to his workshop to access his tools, so we bit the bullet and purchased as much gravel as we could afford to lay down. It wasn't much and barely made a dent. We'e spent the last two weeks raking goopy, smelly mud and doing anything we can to clear away some of the mess and speed up the drying process.

Next, my car broke down the day before the rehearsal for our friends' wedding, in which I was singing. With JP's van stranded in his shop and my car out of commission, we had to rent a car to get me down to the rehearsal. That night, JP and his friend James were up until 2:30 am fixing my car so we would have it for the wedding the next day. They got it *mostly* fixed, but JP needed to go get a part in the morning to finish it off, then put it back together in time for the wedding. I took the rental down to the wedding (since I had to be there early for a sound check) as JP hurried to get my van fixed. He ran out of time and ended up having to drive his now un-stranded van. BUT, along the way, his van also broke down. The last I spoke with him before the prelude began, he was going to try to turn around, get my van put together and make it in time for the kiss (remember, we live an hour away from everything). When I called him after the ceremony, he was still under the car, dirty and frustrated. He missed the entire wedding of one of his dearest friends.

Somewhere in the midst of all of these calamities, Rae put the icing on the cake by taking a pink, permanent marker to our house -- walls, doors, windows, piano, bed, printer, toys, couches and the kicker, my wedding dress. Yes. Pink, permanent marker on my wedding dress. I wasn't home at the time (JP was on duty), and it's a good thing I wasn't or I probably would have freaked. As it was, I had time to calm down before I got home and, aside from a few tears, remained relatively calm. I took it to the cleaner and have yet to pick it up to see how it turned out.

Well then, let's think positively, shall we?!? We now have a new well pump & pressure tank! Awesome! And after three weeks of space heaters, we also now have a new high efficiency furnace, which should save us money on fuel costs! Great! (Although I cringe to think of our next electric bill!) JP (& James) fixed both of our vehicles and they're now running better than ever after full tune-ups! The mud is almost dry, and the dry cleaner sounded positive about getting the marker out of my dress. Plus, our friends had an awesome wedding, which I was very thankful to attend and be a part of, even though we are sad JP missed it.

All's well that ends well, right?

"OK, Lord! That's enough! We get it. You're in control. We depend on You for every breath we take. Shall we accept the good from you an not also the bad? No way. Now please, can that be enough for now? Thanks."

Who Told You?

2011-03-27T13:19:00.000-07:00

The other day, I had the rare opportunity to go out for coffee with a friend. This is big stuff in mommy world. You know, one of those events where you take all of the diapers out of your diaper bag and pretend it's a purse? Yes. That big.

But this blog isn't about how *exciting* it is to get in and out of the car without having to buckle/unbuckle anybody.

My friend shared something with me that impacted me, so I thought I'd pass it along to encourage you today. She was telling me about a person in her life who is a Christian, but has battled depression for a long, long time. My friend has been trying to be more active in speaking faith into this person's life, and one of the things she said went something like this:

When Adam and Eve fell in Genesis, they hid from God in shame because of their nakedness. One of the first things God said to them was, "Who told you you were naked?" So I'm asking you: "Who told you you were depressed?"

The obvious answer is "the devil told me." God didn't tell this woman she was depressed. The devil told her and she believed him.

Immediately, I knew this truth resonated with me. Who told me I was frustrated? Who told me I was angry? Who told me I wasn't beautiful enough? Who told me I wasn't doing a good job as a wife and mom? It certainly wasn't God. It wasn't anybody in my life. It was the devil lying to me, and I chose to believe him. But I'm gonna tell him to shut up from now on. ;)

Happy Birthday, Gideon!

2011-03-27T13:07:00.000-07:00

March 24th was Gideon's first birthday. What a difference a year makes.

Gideon Then...

...and now!

Rosie -- 6 months

2011-03-20T21:12:00.000-07:00

Our sweet little Johnye Rose is six months old! She is *almost* sitting up on her own now. She can do it for a while if she has pillows around her for support, or if I'm sitting nearby to catch her if she starts to tip over.

Rosie has become very vocal recently. She's constantly singing, squealing, or verbalizing in some way, regardless of whether or not she's gumming and gooing some poor toy to death, which is her other favorite pastime.

She continues to be joyful and smiley, and I thank the Lord for three easy babies in a row.

Here are some photos I took of her the other day, and a link to even more for your viewing enjoyment.

After taking and uploading the photos, I realized they were all really "noisy," which is photography lingo for grainy looking. After consulting with one of my professional heroes (who also happens to attend my in-laws church), we figured out that I had the ISO set WAY too high on my camear. Don't know what ISO is? Neither did I. See, this is how I learn! Now I know, and now I can take better pictures! Hooray for learning from our mistakes.

Anyhow, thank God for photo editing software which salvaged many of these photos. The ones that do look grainy are still kind of cool in that old-school film look sort of way. I can't wait for spring to arrive so we can get back to taking pictures outside.

I love this one of her grabbing her feet -- she does this all the time now. My favorite part is the rolls of fat on her tummy.

The letters she is playing with here are actually bookends made by my Aunt Anita years ago. You may recall Anita passed away about a year ago, so these pieces are very special to me.

And just for fun, I did a couple "behind the scenes" photos to remember these sessions by. Moms never seem to get to be in the photos since we are usually the ones behind the camera. I want to make sure to get in a few so I have them forever.

You can view more photos by clicking here.

Expired

2011-03-15T21:09:00.000-07:00

Tonight I made JP a wonderful dinner of pork chops, baby red potatoes, and a garden salad with ranch and catalina dressings. When JP saw the catalina, he asked if it was "still good" or too old to be eaten. I said I wasn't sure, but it was probably fine -- those things never really go bad, right? :)

He checked the expiration date and it said 2009! Wow! That's gross. So, I went back to the kitchen where I knew there was another bottle of catalina waiting in the fridge door. I pulled it out and checked the date, then nearly threw up a little bit in my mouth.

EXPIRATION DATE: SEPTEMBER 2006!!!!!!!!!!!

Let's put that in perspective, shall we?

In September 2006, I...
...had been married for only one year.
...was 4 months pregnant with my first of three children, probably not even "showing" yet.
...still lived in Brooklyn Park.
...still worked at WCCO-TV.

Somehow, that bottle of Catalina dressing survived two moves and multiple fridge "cleanings" unscathed.

How about you? Do you have any expiration date stories you'd like to share?

Take Me Away From Here

2011-03-08T19:14:00.000-08:00

We needed a break from the white and gray tundra-like landscape, so last Friday we met up with some friends at Como Zoo and Conservatory. It's such a beautiful place, and such a welcomed relief from the cold and monotonous days Minnesota has to offer this time of year.

I'm not sure I had ever actually been to the conservatory during the winter before. It was really nice because there were barely any crowds to compete with. The kids could get right up next to the displays and take their time looking.

The gardens are all stunning, but my favorite is the sunken garden. The room is always bursting with color. There were stargazer lilies as big as your head and roses that looked like they came straight out of Alice in Wonderland. Of course it made a beautiful backdrop for some beautiful subjects...

...whether or not they decide to smile! (see previous post "Quotes from Rae" for a better shot of Rae from the day.)

Perhaps the most amazing part of the day was when we left the gardens and wandered into the zoo area. Como has a new polar bear exhibit, so we headed there first. Right when we got there, one of the polar bears jumped into the water and started doing flips. He would shoot straight up like a rocket, right in front of the window, then place his giant paw on the glass and push off backwards into a back flip. He did this over and over again. It was amazing.

Did I mention how MASSIVE he was? His paw was the size of Ruby's torso.

Rosie enjoyed most of the views from her car seat. This pictures melts my heart on the coldest day.

Hooray for Como! Fun, free and refreshing!

Quotes from Rae

2011-03-08T19:03:00.000-08:00

I'm starting sewing lessons soon, so the girls and I stopped by the fabric section at Wal-Mart the other day to see what options they had for making summer dresses. We were picking out designs we liked and finding a few that were really cute. Finally we came across a brightly colored tie-dyed one, and I asked Rae what she thought of it. Her response was so "Rae."

"No offense, but the choices we have are sophisticated."

HA!

And then a couple minutes later...

"What does sophisticated mean?"

Gotta love that girl!

Natural Toy Giveaway

2011-03-08T13:57:00.000-08:00

The hilarious and very fun blogging mom at Life in a Shoe is hosting a natural toy giveaway. Check it out!

How cute are these Castle Blocks? Or this house?

Click here for the giveaway

Love Each Other

2011-03-07T22:08:00.000-08:00

Ramblings

2011-03-03T19:53:00.000-08:00

We've had an eventful week or two since I last updated. Most notably...

...my car broke down. Thankfully, my parents were headed out of town the day after my car died, so they let me use their van for about 5 days. What a life saver. JP was so busy with work, he wasn't able to even look at the car until a week later, but then was able to fix it pretty easily. We did, however, miss out on a few fun activities, including a long-anticipated trip to the planetarium in St. Cloud. Rae was so sad!

...my brother Micah graduated from Special Forces training (US Army) and received his GREEN BERET! Oh my goodness, we are so proud of him. They found out they will be stationed at Ft. Campbell in Kentucky, but first he's decided to go to Ranger school as well, so they'll be in North Carolina for a few more months yet.

...Ruby got sick AGAIN. I changed her sheets five times between 2-5:00 am on Sunday night and did three loads of laundry in the middle of the night. By Monday night she was back to herself, so I'm grateful it wasn't nearly as bad as last time.

...I've been keeping up with the "30-day Shred!" I'm still trying to do every other day, although I skipped Monday after the middle of the night barf escapades. ;)

A little Rosie Love for YOU!

2011-03-03T19:47:00.001-08:00

Fairy Tales of a Dream

2011-03-03T19:06:00.000-08:00

The other day, Rae told me she would like to write a book. She brought me paper and markers and wanted me to be her scribe and illustrator. She told the story, and I wrote it down and drew pictures.

I wish I had taken more time with it, because by the end I was cracking up. She is just too funny for me! My penmanship is the worst you'll ever see it, and I only passed art class because...how are you going to fail a student in art?

Nevertheless, here it is in all of it's glory: Fairy Tales of a Dream by Rae Charlebois

(*You can click on the images to enlarge them.)

"Once upon a time, there was a beautiful heart. It had golden sparkles on it, and it also had a beautiful, big, red jewel heart that shimmered in the moonlight."

"But one day, a very big planet came to Earth with a space alien on it, rolling over the mountains and over the beautiful flowers, and it floated in big lakes. It made people really sad."

"Then there was a big castle. It was made out of playing cards, and the playing cards had hearts on them. And a very beautiful princess lived in it. She had sparkling earrings, a sparkling dress, and even a sparkling crown."

"The alien jumped on the heart. Then one day, the big planet rolled all the way to the princess' castle. The princess was outside. When she saw the planet coming, she ran inside. It almost broke the princess' earrings."

"The princess sprayed fire right at the planet, and then the planet kept on getting farther and farther away until it could no longer be seen. The heart was broken into one piece, but the castle was saved. THE END!"

I love you, Rae Rae! You make every day bright!

Moon Dough

2011-02-25T12:43:00.000-08:00

Moon Dough.

This is what it looks like on the box:

And this is what it looks like in my kitchen:

This is what Rae requested for Christmas, and she and Ruby both LOVE it.

I, on the other hand, have a love/hate relationship with Moon Dough.

I guess it's the smiles on their faces that make it worth it. Most days. ;)

Upswing

2011-02-18T13:40:00.000-08:00

I'm happy to say that Ruby is on the upswing. She is back to her old self, smiling, laughing, and picking on Rae. She still has mild diarrhea, but not as severe as before, and she's eating and drinking plenty.

Rae, on the other hand, spiked a fever of 101.6 last night. She didn't eat her dinner, either. I gave her some Tylenol and put her to bed. This morning her fever was down to 99.6 and she seems to be feeling better. She has complained of a tummy ache a couple times, but nothing has come of it (puking, diarrhea, etc.).

Rosie is oblivious to it all and as happy as can be! We're still praying the rest of us avoid this nasty bug.

Rosie living the high life

------------------------------------------------------

In other news, I've started Jillian Michael's "30-day Shred." She's the lady from the TV show "The Biggest Loser." I'm probably crazy to announce this, because now I'll have all of you to hold me accountable. That's normally a good thing, but since I've never completed any sort of work-out commitment in my life, it could be a bad thing! It's really going to be more like the "60-day shred" since I'm only holding myself accountable to working out every other day.

My ideal goal is to drop 20 pounds, but I'd be happy with 15. :) Honestly, I don't keep a scale, because I have a history of obsessing over the numbers, so I'm really just going to go off of how I look, how I feel, and how my clothes fit.

I remember after Rae was born, the weight came off so easily. She was born on a Saturday, and on Wednesday I went to church in my regular jeans. I still own those pre-kid jeans. If I can fit into them comfortably, I'll be happy.

----------------------------------------------------

Speaking of weight, Rae & Ruby went in for checkups a couple weeks ago. Rae was 41.2 pounds (87%) and 45" tall (99%). Ruby was 31.2 pounds (82%) and 35" tall (68%). They are growing so quickly.

I got highly irritated when the nurse told me that Rae was "at risk of growing up to be underweight." Funny thing is, last time they told me she was at risk of growing up to be OVERweight! If you ask me, SHE'S FOUR, PEOPLE. She's not at risk for anything yet. It's called a growth spurt. Kids have them. Leave mine alone.

Rae just had a growth spurt. She was in 3T clothes for a very long time, then she zipped right through 4T and is now in 5T. I swear, she only wore 4T for about 2 months. Now Ruby is in 3T and has millions of clothes, and Rae only has a few things that actually fit her!

------------------------------------------------------

Rae just woke up; I'd better get back to being a mom!

Ruby is Sick (Warning: this post contains TMI)

2011-02-14T21:14:00.000-08:00

Poor little Ruby has caught the stomach bug that has been going around. It started Friday with some loose stools, then yesterday (Sunday) she woke up in the morning with puke in her bed.

She puked again before lunch, ate barely anything, then went for a nap around 1:00 pm. I finally went in to wake her up at 6:00 pm! Unfortunately when I got to her room, I noticed that she and her bed were covered in diarrhea.

Into the tub!

Later that day she started small fever. She went to bed early and woke up today clean and dry (whew!). She still had a fever, so I gave her more Tylenol and she basically just sat around all afternoon. She had one scrambled egg for breakfast and didn't want lunch, but nibbled on some crackers. Sadly, she woke up from her nap covered in poo AGAIN. This time it was also in her hair. DON'T ask.

Back into the tub!

We watched Toy Story 2 and sat around some more. I thought we had made it through the day without throwing up, but then she started back up around 6:00 pm.

Please keep her in your prayers, and also pray that nobody else catches it. It really is heartbreaking to see Ruby this miserable and sad. I don't want the other girls to get it, and JP and I simply cannot afford to get sick right now.

Happy Valentines Day from the Charlebois!

2011-02-13T19:24:00.000-08:00

Status Updates

2011-02-05T20:02:00.000-08:00

Audra is...

...working on 2010 bookkeeping so we can file our taxes. This would be easier if we had done any bookwork at all the entire year.

...freezing because we had to open up all the windows today when the smoke detector went off. I had set the oven to "clean" and it got pretty bad. The house still smells.

...taking B Complex vitamins daily. It's supposed to help you deal with stress and winter blues. Cabin fever!!!

...needing spring to come A.S.A.P.

...making reservations to visit a planetarium with the kids.

...researching home school curriculum. We're starting Rae in the fall.

...attending the Minnesota Association of Christian Home Educators conference in Duluth (for the first time) in April.

...cutting back on sugar for myself and especially for the kids. It's easy for me to tell them "no," and harder for me to tell myself!

...hoping the new Cinderella alarm clock I got for the girls will help keep them in their beds (or at least in their room) until the appropriate time in the morning.

...dressing Rosie in 9-12 month clothing!!! She's so LONG she needs the bigger sizes, even if the sleeves end up getting rolled a bit.

...thinking about getting another hair cut, this time with some bangs (not drastic).

...researching weight loss programs. Weight Watchers -- what does $20/month tangibly get me? Fitness Centers -- how on earth can I schedule 3 visits per week to get the insurance compensation with three kids? Curves -- why don't you have child care? Liposuction -- why can't I afford you?

...admitting: Today, February 5th, we finally took down our Christmas tree. It's been undecorated for a long time, just not taken down. Don't judge!

What's on your mind?

My Ruby

2011-02-05T19:57:00.000-08:00

Happy 4th Birthday, Rae!

2011-02-03T20:41:00.000-08:00

Today my baby girl turned FOUR. All I can think about is how wonderful she's made our lives.

We didn't have much planned for the day until our friend Etta asked if she and Rae could do some baking. Rae decided on a flower cake, and it turned out great!

It's hard not to get sappy and cliche on a day like today. I just can't believe how quickly time is flying by. I look at pictures from even just this past summer and she looks like a baby. She's so big, so thoughtful, so smart, and soooo funny. She is helpful and caring and loving.

Happy birthday, sweet Rae Rae. Mommy loves you with her whole heart.

And now, here are Rae's "Fourth Birthday Favorites."

Favorite Color: Pink
Favorite Food: Mac & Cheese
Favorite Drink: Berry juice
Favorite Princess: Cinderella
Favorite Show: (currently) Bubble Guppies
Favorite Book: Princess Bible
Favorite Song: Fruit of the Spirit song
Favorite Treat: Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

Ice Sculptures

2011-02-01T08:05:00.000-08:00

Drawing inspiration from a display we saw outside the Maple Grove Community Center...

...the girls and I decided to make ice sculptures.

We learned about mixing colors, how water freezes ("see, the top is frozen, but if we jiggle it you can see bubbles underneath!"), and how salt will melt ice. They had fun learning!

Plus now we have some beautiful artwork shimmering in the sun outside our window. That was a fun project.

Killing Time

2011-01-27T18:52:00.000-08:00

Hi there. :)

I don't really have much to say right now; I'm just killing time. I put the kids to bed and need to run out to the store in a minute (JP is home, don't freak out), but I always like to wait a few minutes before I leave to make sure they are asleep and not goofing off.

I had a wonderful and much needed dinner out with my mom, my sister, my future sister-in-law Becky and her mom on Monday. My brother Joe & Becky are planning a September wedding, so our "girls night out" focused on the wedding plans and ideas Becky has pulled together so far. Let me just say -- it is going to be absolutely beautiful. They booked this place. Uh. Mae. Zing. Watch the video, it's gorgeous. I wish I had known about this place when we got married. Drat!

I'm very bummed because my parents' church is hosting a big 30-year anniversary conference in March that we won't be able to attend. It's sure to be a big reunion of all of the people whose lives have been touched by the U of M campus ministry God put on my parents' heart 30 years ago. They rented out a resort in Wisconsin with a water park and everything.

I've been car-less all week. JP's van overheated just as he was leaving for work on Tuesday morning, so he had to transfer all of his tools into my van for the week until he could get time to work on it. He's in the shop right now; he says it's the radiator. He's such a good man to not get discouraged when stuff like this happens. When I met him, all he knew about working on cars was how to change the oil and fix a flat. Now he does all of the car repairs himself, which saves us so much money. He works so hard to provide for us.

I, in exchange, get to have a good attitude about not having a car and being stranded at home. It hasn't been so bad, although we do need groceries. But I hate grocery shopping, so this is working out!

Tomorrow Malachi, Zach and Anna (our nephews and niece) are coming over to hang out here while Missy attends her grandpa's funeral. I feel sorry for her; the pain of losing Papa is still so fresh, it's easy to relate; and I know she wishes Micah was here to go through this with her. He is on a month-long "mock deployment" right now, the last big test before he earns his green beret at the end of February. They have no contact until the "deployment" is over.

Speaking of Micah, could I be any prouder of my big brother? In a month, he'll be a full-blown Special Forces soldier.

I've stopped eating food after 9:00 pm in an effort to shed some more of this post-pregnancy weight. So far I haven't seen much of a difference. I've been doing it for a couple of weeks now. I remember this technique working really well after Ruby was born. God forbid I should actually have to work out to get back into shape.

Here's a couple funny quotes from Rae this week:

"Mom, Ruby doesn't know much things, so can I just tell her what to do?"

and my favorite (said to me while I was folding laundry):
"When I get bigger, I'll do everything and you can do nothing. You can just take a big, long break while I do all my things!"

Think I can get her to sign on the dotted line??!!?? :) hahaha

I'm loving American Idol again this season. I was hesitant about it with the new judges, but the J-Lo/Steven Tyler combo is cracking me up. I do wish S.T. would stop screaming every opportunity he gets, however. I don't know what it is about that show -- we originally started watching just for the bloopers, but then you get sucked in by the people with great stories, great voices, etc.

Well, for not having much to say, I sure filled a page. I should have ended on a deeper note than American Idol. Oh well. I'm off to the store. 'Night!

I am not an introvert

2011-01-21T13:39:00.000-08:00

JP has this thing he loves to tease me about.

When we were first dating and I was in college, I took a communications course in which we studied the Myers Briggs Type Indicator. For those of you who aren't familiar, it's basically a personality type indicator. You can read more about it here.

When we were studying the section on Introversion or Extraversion, my professor explained it this way (roughly):

Introversion is when you draw your energy from within (eg: ideas, being alone, reflection, etc).
Extraversion is when you draw your energy from the outside world (eg: involvement, being with others, talking things out, etc).
It is possible to be a shy extrovert or an outgoing introvert. That part of the personality varies; what matters is from where you draw your energy.

I had never heard of an "outgoing introvert" before, but I liked the sound of it. I don't know, maybe I thought being an introvert meant you were "deeper," maybe even wiser, whereas extraverts were "shallow" and dependent.

So I dubbed myself Audra, the outgoing introvert: I'm outgoing and like to be social, but I draw my energy from being alone, reflecting and contemplating the depths of life. (I know, so poetic, right?)

JP just laughed at me when I told him. He asserted I was 100% extravert and was crazy to think otherwise.

I held my ground on this for a long time, and would even point out things to him to defend my stance. Things like, "See, I've been going and going with all of these social activities and I'm drained. I need to be home or alone to gain back my energy." He would laugh and say, "That doesn't make you an introvert. It just makes you tired and in need of rest."

Maybe he had a point, but I still wanted to be an introvert for some reason.

Fast forward 6+ years. I am a stay-at-home mother of three. I L-O-V-E my job and my life! I'm doing exactly what I always wanted to do since I was in middle school -- be a wife and mom. But one thing is very clear: I am not an introvert.

There! I said it!

It probably became clear to me about 2-3 months after quitting my job and staying home full time. We stay-at-home-moms have a lot of time alone. But not really alone. I constantly have three little bodies attached to my hip. I don't have a moment's privacy while they're awake, not even to change clothes or use the restroom (I can't remember the last time I even attempted to close the bathroom door -- it's pointless).

But even with constant companions, I get to feeling very alone. Alone, because I have very little adult interaction these days. After I get to see or hang out with another adult (it could be a girlfriend, a member of my family, whoever), I find myself counting down the days until the next time I get to be with another adult.

"Ok, today's event is over that means five more days until we go to grandma's house! I just have to make it through five days of Buzz Lightyear and horsey rides, then I can have another face-to-face conversation with an adult."

Pathetic, right? Pathetic extraversion. I need "social." Without it, I become edgy, impatient, crabby, and depressed. *sigh* ...so shallow.

And yet, I don't think I am alone. Because although we are mothers, we are also still women. And women need to feel like women every once in a while. You know, put on some heels and eat a warm dinner without stopping to get play dough out of the carpet.

Honestly, I'm not really pushy or naggy about getting out, but after a couple months of very little social interaction I start getting antsy not to get away from my kids mind you, but to just have an afternoon where I can put on an outfit that I normally wouldn't wear for fear of getting spit up all over it, or drink a full cup of coffee in one sitting without having to put it down and warm it up 4 times because I had to avert World War 3 over a Polly Pocket.

If I could do those things with my kids around, that would be even better! My children bring me immense joy, but it is very, very draining to have six big, blue, beautiful eyes that you just can't say no to, always looking to you to be their source for...everything. Their 24/7 source for entertainment, nourishment, comfort, health, companionship, and any other need you could possibly think of. What an exhausting, beautiful honor.

Anyhow...what was my point? Oh yes, extraversion. JP wins. Today, I am needing to "draw some energy" from the outside world. I've had enough alone time. And it's T-minus 3 days until I get to have a dinner out with my mom and my sisters. ;)

Thanks for listening to the ramblings of a Minnesotan extrovert mom with cabin fever.

Belated Christmas

2011-01-21T13:12:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we finally had our belated Christmas celebrating with JP's Dad's side of the family. It had been postponed due to Papa's passing.

The big event of the weekend was a long-anticipated "Happy Birthday Jesus Tea Party."

The kids had received invitations for the tea party weeks ahead of time and were very excited about it. Gammy & Grampies did a great job with it, too. There were party favors and activities that all centered around being the "King's kids," and at the end all of the girls got matching princess tutus.

Poor Vinnie, can you blame him for not wanting to be in this picture?

Rosie in her tutu.

After the party the dads took the kids sledding.

Fun for all ages! (Uncle Scottie, our brother-in-law)

That night we exchanged gifts, and the kids all received matching aprons, lovingly made by one of Jim & Margie's neighbors. (Rae's hair has never been crazier than in this picture)

After the kids went to bed, the adults feasted on a delicious fondue dinner of chicken, steak & shrimp. We also tried out a new game we had heard about, telepictionary (also known as "eat poop you cat."). If you've never heard of it, look it up. It was tons of fun.

Johnye Rose -- 4 months

2011-01-13T20:59:00.000-08:00

Today little Rosie had her 4-month checkup. She's grown to 15 pounds, 5 ounces (84%) and 25 1/2" long (90%).

When we got home, we celebrated with a photo shoot. :)

She is more fun every day. She giggles, is ticklish, squeals a lot and is very interactive. Her smile can change my mood in one single moment.

Her new favorite thing is to be gently tossed up into the air and caught. She lights up every time she sees one of us, and especially loves interacting with JP.

What would our lives be without her? We love you, Johnye Rose!

Papa

2011-01-08T20:41:00.000-08:00

The last couple of weeks have been sad ones for the Charlebois family. JP's paternal grandfather and our beloved family patriarch, "Papa," passed away on Tuesday.

Last week, we got a call that Papa wasn't doing well. He had been in and out of hospitals lately and had finally taken a turn for the worst. The doctors told the family 24-28 hours. We hurried to his side that night.

Our time with him was bittersweet. We sat with him, held his hands, told him how much we loved him and how proud we are to be a part of his family. We told him how proud we are to carry the Charlebois name, and that we plan to name our firstborn son after him. JP recounted some of his fondest memories of times they spent together, including when Papa taught him how to crack a whip and fillet a fish.

Rae painted a picture for Papa and the Aunts hung it on his wall where he could see it. Rae also sang a few songs to Papa, and he smiled and told her how beautiful it was. We brought Rosie in to him, his youngest great-grandbaby, and he held her tiny hand in his. At one point, Papa even sat up in bed (even though he was in no condition to do so) and JP joked with him, "Are you trying to go to the store for a beer, Papa?" Papa smiled and somehow managed to reply, "Rum and Coke!"

Papa & his bride of 62 years, holding Rosie

Papa was an amazing man, fully devoted to the Lord, his family, and especially his loving bride of 62 years, Nana. Both of my grandfathers died when I was young, and we lived so far away from them that my memories of them are dim at best. So when I married into a family with such a wonderful patriarch, it was easy to take him as my own grandpa. He always treated each and every one of us as his most prized and cherished possessions, because to him, his family was the most beautiful thing he had ever laid eyes on.

He ALWAYS had time to play with his great-grandkids. Look at the smile on Ava's face!

It's hard to imagine what life will be like without Papa. My heart aches to think of a family gathering without him. He always brought his biggest smile and best jokes. But we are so thankful for the hope of eternal life, and that Papa is home with his Savior, free from pain and the suffering of this world.

We love you, Papa, and we'll see you again.

Eleven in Cousin Heaven

2011-01-01T13:37:00.001-08:00

As I mentioned in the last post, my brother Micah and his family have been in town for the holidays. Last week, my sister Amber and sister-in-law Missy loaded up their combined EIGHT children made the trek out to our house for a massive cousin play date! It was the first time all 11 cousins had been together since Christmas 2009.

Enjoy the pictures!

The 8 "big" cousins at lunch time!

Beautiful Anna Malia (Micah's third child -- she turned 2 on the 29th!)
Anna & Missy getting to know Rosie
The boys -- Zach, Malachi & Elijah
Rosie & Chloe -- just happy being together!
Moving outside for some fun in the snow
Naomi was shoveling

Elijah
Missy & Malachi
Amber & Ruthie
Malachi, Ruby & Zach

Christmas 2010

2011-01-01T13:05:00.000-08:00

Merry Belated Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you!

I don't have much time, but I wanted to get this post up today. I have to make it quick!

We had a wonderful Christmas with our families, with more celebrations yet to come. We spent Christmas Eve at G & Bompa's house. G bought all of the girls matching jingle bell head bands. Here are Rae & Ava modeling theirs.

After a yummy brunch, the kids helped decorate the tree, then tore into their gifts. (Actually, they were all very good at taking turns opening.) Rae was very excited to receive not one, not two, but THREE sets of moon dough, a product she's been asking to get for months!

Ruby's favorite was Polly Pockets!

After our celebration over there, we went to my parents' house and stayed the night. It was fun to stay up playing games after the kids went down. My brother Nate got the game "Bang!" and we all learned how to play -- it's a fun game if you've never tried it!

On Christmas Day the whole family came over, which adds up to TEN adults (NOT including Joe's finace Becky and Nate's girlfriend Jenny who both couldn't make it), ELEVEN children under the age of FIVE, and FIVE dogs!!! It was beautiful chaos!

Mom & Dad with their 8 oldest grandkids (while the 3 babies slept)

It was especially wonderful to have my brother Micah and his family here with us again this Christmas. Besides a very quick visit from Missy & baby Jeremiah in August, we hadn't seen any of them since Christmas 2009. It was absolutely awesome for the cousins to be all together and play all day.

Is it time to open presents yet?

Rosie's First Christmas!

After opening gifts, some of the bigger kids went outside to play on the enormous snow piles in my parents' back yard. They played for over two hours without even thinking of the cold.

The hills were so high, they could easily get into the tree. (Malachi pictured)

That's a lot of snow!

Rae got an art easel! (That's what was in the big box)

Ruby got a doll that talks!

We have yet to celebrate with JP's dad's side of the family. We were supposed to get together with them this weekend, but sadly JP's grandpa ("Papa") is nearing the end of this life on earth and will soon be with Jesus. Please pray for the whole Charlebois family as we say goodbye to Papa, who we all love so dearly. I don't know how people who don't have the hope of Jesus & eternal life get through times like these. It's such a comfort to know that the place where he's going is so much better than what he's going through here.

Eye of the Beholder

2010-12-17T15:07:00.000-08:00

When you're a parent of small children...

...the old saying rings even more true.

Beauty...

...really is...

...in the eye of this beholder!

Engaged!

2010-12-16T06:59:00.000-08:00

This past Sunday, my brother Joseph asked his girlfriend Becky to marry him! He had a really sweet plan in place, and I had the very fun honor of hiding and taking pictures of the whole thing!

A few days beforehand, he took me to "the spot." It was a dock on Lake Rebecca, the place where they had made their dating relationship official and where they had their first kiss. The scenery was beautiful.

We rigged up a tarp on another part of a dock that was pulled up on shore in hopes that it would look like the park was covering up some canoes or something. I hid underneath with a little hole to peek out of.

With all of the snow we had on Saturday and the temps in single digits, Joe had a hard time convincing Becky to get out of the apartment and take the dogs for a walk by the lake. They were trudging through over a foot of snow, and as they approached I could hear Becky saying, "Are we there yet?" and "It's so cold."

Once they got to the special dock, they walked to the end and watched the trumpeter swans flying overhead. Then, as they walked back, Joe pointed to something on the dock and told Becky to take a look.

It took her a second, but once it registered, this is what she saw:

When she turned around, Joe was on one knee with the ring. It was so sweet!

And of course, she said "Yes!"

We are so thrilled to have Becky as part of the family. Don't get me wrong, she already was, but it's very fun to officially call her Joe's fiance! We love you both, and we're looking forward to the big day!

Christmas Cards

2010-12-14T11:35:00.000-08:00

We aren't going to be sending out Christmas cards this year, but if we had, this is what you would have received! :)
Merry Christmas to all of you!

Rae's Dream

2010-12-11T14:26:00.000-08:00

Rae: "Last night I had a dream that a Queen came to our house."
Me: "Really, what happened?"
Rae: "I asked you & Daddy where she came from."
Me: "What did we tell you."
Rae: "You didn't answer me. There was fire coming from the sink and I think the Queen put it there."
Me: "That's very strange. Then what happened."
Rae: "She was trying to tell me & my elf** what to do."
Me: "What did you do?"
Rae: "I told her, 'Who made you the boss? You're not my wife** OR my Dad!"

**See previous post!