Gosse Posse

Asher's Birthday

2009-07-07T13:52:00.009-04:00

Here are a handful of pictures from Asher's Birthday party (just a lttle late). We enjoyed having you all over. Thanks for celebrating with us!

PINATA TIME!!

Check this out- Look at where Nathan started swinging and where he ended. I didn't know pinatas were supposed to move back while you're swinging ;)

winner for most unique gift!

Some Funnies

2009-04-25T22:10:00.002-04:00

1) I had been resting on my bed when Josiah and Ansher ran into my room and crawled up close to me with their huge blankies over their heads. I giggled a little at Josiah then he giggled back. That made me laugh more which made him laugh more... we did this back and forth for a while then he sighs and says- with a serious face-, "I wonder what we're laughing about..."
I thought it was pretty cute...

2) Today Josiah was on my lap and he asks me "Mom, did God make everything?"
"Yes"
"How did He make us?"
"Well..."
"You know what I think? I think He grabbed some eyeballs out of a drawer then some eyelashes out of the other drawer then an arm out of the other one. Then he started our engines and put us in our families..."

3) The boys helped me with laundry today. You may or may not know that they have a somewhat unhealthy attachment to the homemade tassle blankies that Aunt Shauna made for them when they were babies... Anyway, they very reluctantly allowed me to take the blankies after I promised that I would give them back after they smelled better! They followed me down to the washer and cried when I put them in the water.
When it was time to put the load in the dryer, they ran downstairs with me and insisted on placing their blankies into the dryer themselves. They lovingly talked to their blankies...
"It's okay, 'Firefly,' you're going in the dryer. I love you. Mommy's not going to hurt you. I will wait for you..."
"It's okay, 'Baseball,' you need to go in there. I will hold you in my bed when you're done."

4) So, tonight Michael and I both tucked the boys into bed, told stories to them and snuggled for a while. Honestly, I was ready to get out of there and just spend sometime with Michael because he's been out of town for a week.
As I was getting up to leave the room, they both insisted that I cuddle with them a little longer. I don't even remember exactly what I said... something like, "It's time for bed now. You have each other and Jesus is with you."
Asher pops up and angrily says, "Mom, Jesus isn't real!! I want you to come in here!"

drama in the gossenauer home

2009-04-11T15:31:00.004-04:00

Part I:

Recently Elijah wandered into the living room and started pushing buttons on the radio (the radio is hooked up to 2 speakers). He turned the volume knob all the way up then pushed the power button. So all of a sudden there was the voice of some random man talking (really loud) through the stereo. All three boys started screaming and crying hysterically and it took me probably 15 minutes to calm them down.

Since that day Asher and Josiah will not go ANYWHERE in the house alone. They have to have a "buddy" to go with them everywhere (yes, even to go potty) because they are afraid of "the man talking in the living room." They won't go within 10 feet of a room that doesn't have the lights on.
So I guess we have been catapulted into a new phase of toddler fear that we weren't expecting...

Part II:

Today, Michael was talking to the boys about Jesus, asking them questions to see how much they understood about Him. With a little prodding, Josiah was able to answer some basic questions about who Jesus is, why He is important, and how He helps us. Asher listened intently until he suddenly said that he hoped when Jesus came in our door He wouldn’t be scared of “the man” on the radio. Michael told him that it was ok because Jesus wasn’t coming to our house, but He wanted to live in our hearts. Then Asher replied that he thought Jesus was going to knock on our door so He could come to our house. He then began singing *Jesus is knocking at your door, Jesus is knocking at your door, Oh, Children, why don’t you answer, Jesus is knocking at your door.* Then, with a laugh, Michael explained that it wasn’t the door to our house that He was knocking on but the door to our hearts, so He could live with us, forgive our sins, and help us.

Birthday Fun

2009-03-31T22:25:00.011-04:00

first on the birthday agenda: SILLY STRING!!

I snuck up on the boys in the living room before Josiah opened a few presents and sprayed them like crazy. First they screamed for about 5 seconds then ran toward me wanting a turn. It was a hit!

We had a little bowling party for Josiah the next day. He invited 3 of his buddies (and Asher)- They made it through one game after an hour and a half. They all did a great job.

ahh, the cookie cake... it's a brilliant idea. I'm pretty sure Josiah liked it, too.

I was really happy that a few of the Dad's stayed to keep Michael company. Krista stayed so I got to hang out with a friend, too!

Here's Meredith with her "power roll." You can see how her ball got some serious air time. It must be mentioned that she only used the ramp a few times, then we had to let her loose! There's Oliver with a running approach. He was the only one who landed a strike that morning! Nathan was so powerful he had to stop himself from flying down the lane. And of course, there's Asher testing the limits ("I know mom and dad said not to walk on that part, but how slippery could it really be...").

and the final results... Josiah didn't win, but he was a pretty good sport about it (I think cake and presents helped...)

Fun Stuff

2009-03-31T22:03:00.006-04:00

Ok, so the boys loooooove Star Wars. The first pic is Josiah posing with his newest addition to his star wars lego collection- the "walker." You can see he's saying, "Star Wars!!" with much enthusiasm.
The second picture is Asher (for those of you who don't know him very well, this is a huge smile for Asher). He was so proud of the 8-headed Star wars guy he made. I think he even got an R2 D2 head on there...

I am proud to admit that I have enrolled my boys into a gymnastics class. Oh, in case you can't tell which ones are mine, they are the only ones NOT wearing pink leotards... ha ha

They actually love the class! They listen fairly well, and they are pretty coordinated. I hope this video works!

A few more words from the Wise...

2009-02-23T19:01:00.002-05:00

I've been meaning to write a few more things down that the boys have said, so here it goes...

"Can we have Tator Tops for lunch, mom?"- Asher

Josiah has a children's Bible that we've been reading from lately, and he's really taken an interest in all the miracles that Jesus did. He came up to me yesterday with a tiny little ball and said, "Mom, watch me do this Magical." He proceeds by doing a fancy little trick of hiding the ball in his clothes. I think he was doing his own little "miracle."

"Mom, is Goliath in the New Department or the Old?"- Josiah

Halloween

2008-11-01T11:25:00.006-05:00

The boys were very proud of their costumes! Asher dressed up as a pirate and Josiah was Dare Devil (or "Strong Man" as he calls it...)

Elijah was extremely pleased with his apple costume...

These are pictures from a party that the boys went to. They bobbed for apples for the first time, hit a pinata, and played "Pin the Nose on the Pumpkin." They had a blast!
Here are my two scavengers looking for leftovers... surprised?? I think they ate about 10 apples between the two of them...

This was ALL BUSINESS! Josiah and Asher smacked that thing harder than I've ever seen them smack anything. Cameron, the 4 year old host of the party, broke it open on the third round of shots. Our boys were really disappointed!!

Fall Fun

2008-11-01T10:31:00.010-05:00

The boys have had a lot of fun this past month with great weather and fun outings with their buddies. Last week the boys invited Oliver over to our house to get ready for Crazy Hair Night at Awana Cubbies. The red spray paint was a hit...

I love this picture of Asher! The boys have been fascinated with climbing trees this summer and this is a picture of him when he climbed a tree in our front yard by himself.

Lauren, Mindy and I rounded up the kids and took them to a local Pumpkin Patch last week. We made sure they started out with a hearty picnic lunch on the driveway before we left.

We got to drive golf carts to get out to the pumpkin patch. We managed to stuff 3 moms, 6 toddlers, and 1 baby into 2 carts! I think that was the highlight of the trip!!

Lori, Lauren, & Mindy (nice job taking that shot, Josiah!)

Just my size... Ezra Timberlake Peek-a-Boo

Hayride

2008-10-26T16:39:00.004-05:00

These are pictures we took this past weekend. We went on a Hayride out at Shawnee Mission Park with some of our friends and their kids and had a great night. A big tractor pulled all 25 of us around the park for about an hour then we stopped for roasted hot dogs and smores.

Oliver and Josiah couldn't help themselves from doing anything they could think of to make each other laugh.

I was glad it was cold enough to snuggle!!!!

This is Lauren and I sipping apple cider and keeping warm by the campfire.

Elijah's Dedication

2008-10-26T15:38:00.003-05:00

Here are some pictures from Elijah's dedication at church. He did really well up there through all the talking and the prayer. Josiah and Asher did a good job, too. Josiah clung on to my leg the entire time (most if the time his face was buried in my legs) and Asher was hamming it up big time. At one point he bent over, looked through his legs and raised his arms in the air.

The passage we chose was Habukkuk 3:18,19. "I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be be joyful in God my Savior. God the Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, He enables me to go on the heights."

"Elijah" means "God is the Lord" in Hebrew

We liked this verse because we want him to know his strength and joy come from the Lord...no matter where his life takes him, he can trust that God is with him, helping him and guiding him.

anyway, here are some pics...

The woman in the picture is Pat Croasmun, the director of Children's Ministry at church. She knows Elijah pretty well, which was special to us (:

More Quotables

2008-10-26T15:28:00.002-05:00

"God, thank you for me not to jump on the beds and not to jump on mommy when she's in the bed that way. Help me not to say poop."
-Josiah

"Remember you said when mommies and daddies get married they can see each other's bodies?" (Josiah)

"Yes..." (mom)

"Well, mommies can't show little boys their feet." (Josiah)

"Are we eating beans?" (Asher)

"Yes" (mom)

"I don't like beans." (Asher)

"In this house sometimes we eat things that aren't our favorite." (mom)

"Well, I don't like this house." (Asher)

"God, help me not to touch the poo poo when I go potty and get my hands in it and wash myself off. Help me to not break my lizard's tail and bite off his head. Help me not push people over and push them and leave them on the ground."
-Asher

Quotables

2008-07-22T15:06:00.003-04:00

No pictures today, folks. just some corny things the boys have said lately.

Josiah
Mommy, where did you get Elijah? From the doctor???

Wouldn't it be really fun to jump really high on the "bounce-o-leen" today?

after my first attempt at doing some preschool activities with josiah at home i asked him if he wanted to do some more. his answer was "well i thought and i thought in the whole wide world, and my answer is NO!"

I was cleaning up in the kitchen and all 3 boys were in the living room. Josiah whines, "Mooom, Elijah's scratching me." I didn't answer right away and he yells out "He does everything whatever he wants!!!"

Asher
he had just finished going potty... he says "MOM! I need to say you something!" he grabs his bottom, pulls his butt cheeks apart and walks over to the bathroom scale. he sits down on it (without underwear on). then he says, "Sometimes when I have diarrhea I don't need to throw up."

Family Picture

2008-07-09T15:17:00.004-04:00

This is the latest Gossenauer family photo from this past weekend.

Kind of goofy, but it works!!

Happy Birthday, Elijah!

2008-07-07T21:45:00.008-04:00

These pictures were taken on the 4th of July. We spent the afternoon with our friends, Drew and Lauren Timberlake and their two boys, Oliver and Ezra. Lauren's parents have a pool, so we got to swim with them and the rest of their family. This is the 2nd year in a row we've done this- we may just have to start a tradition!!

I wish we would have taken pictures of the boys in the water. They are getting so brave. Asher and Josiah jump off the sides into our arms and go all the way under. They have come a long way! Even Elijah loves to splash and put his face in the water.

Later that evening we headed to Drew's parents' house and set off our own fireworks. Michael had fun with Drew and his brothers setting off all sorts of fun firecrackers from the driveway.

Both of the boys loved the ones you throw on the ground and they snap. You can Josiah in action

On the 5th (Elijah's actual birthday), we had the Wiebe's over for a birthday party at our house. I made a gluten free cake with cream cheese frosting (which I'm pretty sure he thoroughly enjoyed). He wasn't too interested in opening gifts, but he had fun with all of his best buddies.

Asher was having so much hamming it up with Chris, I had to take some pictures of them.

BRANSON, MO

2008-06-07T17:27:00.006-04:00

Well, we did it! We went on a family vacation- AND SURVIVED!

Christy, these are for YOU!

The pictures I took are from the most fun outings (in my opinion). We took a ride on a "Duck," which is a military vehicle that rides on the road and in the WATER! I guess they were used to transport men and equipment from large ships back to land. Pretty cool. They even let you drive if you want to. Josiah, Asher, and I got a turn at the wheel while we were in the water.

Michael thought it would be fun to rent a boat so we got a pontoon boat and took it out on Table Rock Lake for a couple hours. IT WAS A BLAST!

Michael took this shot of the woods one morning while he was out fishing.

Elijah!

2007-12-14T15:44:00.000-05:00

Sorry it's been so long- here are some recent pictures of Elijah.
We were pretty excited to try out the "Johhny Jumper" and the "Excersaucer." He seems like such a big boy now!! He's grabbing at EVERYTHING, and he wants to stick it all in his mouth. He smiles at anyone who will talk to him- what a sweetheart we have!!

I had to include a picture with his daddy's new "do"...

Costume Fun!!

2007-11-01T14:30:00.000-05:00

Here are some pics of the boys in their costumes: a Honey Bear, Eeyore, and a Chili Pepper

Incidently, the same day I got their costumes, I also got them snow boots. I had to bribe them to put on their costumes by telling them they could wear their boots, too.

They were totally checking themselves out in the mirror. I'm sure they thought they looked pretty good!!

On the afternoon of the 31st, we took them to Michael's office and showed them off. A few of the guys didn't have candy so they gave Asher a plastic car (a woody!!) and Josiah got this rubbery frisbee with a flashing light inside.

That night we got some free ice cream at Sonic then we headed to an inside carnival at a nearby church. It was a pretty fun day!

Apple Days continued...

2007-11-01T14:09:00.000-05:00

Here are a couple more pics from Apple Days out at Ft. Riley, KS.

Here we are celebrating Michael's 20th birthday... just kidding. He turned 29 this year!! Shauna made a cake, brought it in with candles lit and all the kids blew them out as he was taking a deep breath in. It was classic.

This is the helicopter. I know next to nothing nothing about military vehicles and such so I can't tell you the name of this thing or what it does. It had the capability for parachuting, though. it was very cool inside!

Here's Josiah peeking out of a tank. Minutes later Asher and Josiah broke out into a fist fight- LITERALLY- and I took this picture of Michael. He actually had to crawl up on top of the tank to remove Asher because the officer (in the picture) couldn't get them to stop swinging... nice, huh?

Trip to Ft. Riley

2007-10-21T21:51:00.000-04:00

Here are a few pictures from our recent trip to Ft. Riley. I took the boys out there to visit their cousins while Michael was in Colorado. They had so much fun together!

The family picture was taken at "Apple Days" at Ft. Riley. It was pretty cool. Their were tanks out for the kids to go inside and a big helicopter that we walked through.

Colorado Trip

2007-08-31T16:50:00.000-04:00

Yes, it's true! I'm blogging again (the second time in 2 days- woo hoo) I can't stop now...

Ok, so I went to Colorado and had a fabulous time. The weather was incredible and I got to see most of my favorite people all in in one trip.

Here's Eli and Grandpa Marty. He got to meet both Grammy and Grandpa Marty for the first time!

Elijah is sooo strong- Here he is working on his push-ups for Grammy and grandpa! Steady... Steady...

I love this picture of Elijah and Grandma Jackie. It's one of the only pictures I have where she's not giving him lots and lots of kisses on his face!

One of the highlights of my trip was seeing my Grandma Elsie. Mom, Christy, Michelle and I packed up the cars and drove out to Glenwood Springs to visit her for one night. It was great catching up with her and having her meet Eli for the first time. Jake and Justin came along, too, so they entertained us by crawling around and playing in the living room.

This is my adorable nephew, Justin. Yes- that's number 4 of the Claycamp baby clan (That's a brave mom, if you asked me. Way to go, Christy!!)

Baby Elijah

2007-08-30T18:30:00.000-04:00

Ok, so I've been a horrible Blogger, I admit it!! Here are some really cute pictures to make up for it!

Michael was playing around with some black and white film- he's getting pretty good, considering how difficult it is to capture 2 toddlers and a newborn...

I LOVE MY BOYS!!!

I promise to do more soon! Keep an eye out for pictures from our trip to Colorado!

FIRST FISH!!

2007-06-25T23:14:00.000-04:00

Here are two pictures from Josiah's first fishing outing with Daddy. Michael bought Josiah a Lightening McQueen fishing pole last week and was very eager to take him out to fish. He ended up taking both of the boys to South Lake Park, right here in town, for a few hours.

Josiah caught a fish on the first cast!!

Apparently Michael had to work with him a little to get these pictures because while Josiah was holding onto the line, the fish started wiggling and he freaked out. Josiah threw down the pole and backed away, saying "You fish with Asher now, Daddy!!"

Sign 'em up for Soccer because it's Official!

2007-06-16T17:04:00.000-04:00

Yep, you got it! As of Saturday, June 16, we are proud owners of a 2003 Mazda MPV!

THAT'S A MINI VAN, FOLKS!!!!!

I know, you probably didn't think we'd do it (well, maybe you did, I don't know). I didn't think we'd actually do it, but we didn't have many other favorable options. Only last week, Michael snuck down to the garage and tried strapping in 2 carseats and an infant carrier seat in the back seat of the Subaru. Apparently it was such a tight fit that he couldn't get the car doors closed.
The next day he went at looked at a minivan. I was pretty surprised at how quickly we found this one. If you know Michael, you know he's been researching this purchase for quite some time, in every imaginable source. He knew how much we could spend, and he was ready to haggle- and he sure did! I'm grateful because we got a great deal on a great car. And now I'm not as nervous to go into labor, knowing that our WHOLE family can drive home in one car!

A Birthday Tribute to Diane- One of My Favorite People in the Whole World!

2007-06-14T22:17:00.000-04:00

In honor of Diane Wiebe, I'm devoting this entire blog entry to her! I want everyone to know how wonderful I think she is and how thankful I am that she was born that 18th day of June in 1980... Happy Birthday, silly girl!

How do I love Thee, Diane? Let me Count the Ways- with a TOP TEN LIST!!!

1. Diane is an incredibly unique gift from God! She is my dear friend, my sister in Christ, and a fellow soldier in the trenches of motherhood!
What a fabulous family!!

Ooh, look at those hotties!

I loved having a prego buddy and then going through the new baby phase with Diane. We ate french fries, complained about nausea, nursed our babies and the rest is history...

2. Diane loves games... Talking Tango (?), Carcassonne, Cranium, Sharades... I've seen her gently coerce many a guest into playing some sort of organized fun when she's entertaining. She's such a good sport, too, she'll even play my generic version of Balderdash (and she doesn't get mad when I can't get read a single definition without laughing so hard I cry and pee my pants).

Ooh, look at those poker faces. Sometimes game nights can a little intense... It's a good thing we can have a nice glass of wine and drink it through a twizzler!

3. Diane is THE queen of picture-taking... I've never noticed anyone's camera begin to physically attach itself to the flesh of a person, but I'm pretty that thing has become her extra limb. She's taken more pictures in the 3 years I've known her than I've taken my 30 years of living (and I'm darn thankful, because I know that any major event in my life is covered if Diane knows about it).

4. Diane is FUN!!! I just love being around this girl- what can I say???

5. Diane has an incredible gift of hospitality... She was the second person I met here in Kansas City (after she called me and asked if she, Chris and Jonah could come over and meet us. we still have the plant she gave us that day...)
She has shown me what it looks like to open up my life and my home to other people. She welcomed me to Kansas, then to the church we love so much, then she introduced me to (pretty much) everyone that I know now.
If you've ever heard of people having 7 degrees of separation- well, when you know Diane, it's like there are only 2 degrees of separation because the girl knows EVERYONE!!!!

This is a picture we took with the Teradas. We met their family at Chris and Diane's house, shortly after Ken, Adrienne, and Isaac moved here from Oregon. She invited them over so they could meet some other people in the area- now our families are great friends! Go, Diane, Go! You are the Networking Master!

6. Diane has one of the most contagious laughs I've ever heard! I can't help but smile (or laugh with her) when her natural joy just bubbles right up.

7. Diane is a bit of an organizational nerd... She always has multiple to-do lists going on (most of them are typed). I've never met anyone who has a master list of all her other lists (which are all organized on her computer in some fancy layout)

8. Diane is a graphic design whiz... She has the ability to make a bunch of words look really, really good on a piece of paper. She also puts me to shame with how quickly she can arrange and whip out a two-page scrapbook layout (she can finish a whole album before I'm done with a page).

9. Diane loves food as much as I do... talking about when we get to eat next, who has the best waffle fries (Back Yard Burger), the best chocolate sprinkles (Sheridans), the best cheap coffee drink (Quick Trip), the best dessert (the "Chocolate Bag" at McCormick & Schmicks or that chocolate mousse brownie thing at that nice restaurant) Now I'm too hungry to concentrate...

10. Diane is playful, spontaneous, and energetic... She has shown me how fun it is to really play with my kids and to laugh with them (not to mention how to laugh at myself-- A LOT!) She has taught me that it is perfectly acceptable to routinely break into song, dance, even chant- all for the sake of sanity and fun. My favorites: "Crank those Crankies out," "The Birdies are Sleeping,"and "The Bang Bubble."

Talk about spontaneous- this picture was taken at a Royal's baseball game that Diane insisted we go to because it was cold, we have toddlers, and we never do anything like this (because it's crazy). Did we go? YES! Did we love it? YES!!!!!!

I LOVE YOU, DIANE!!

From China with Love

2007-06-05T17:18:00.001-04:00

Yes! We finally got it, the long awaited care package from Chris and Diane... Okay, so maybe Michael and I are the only ones who knew it was coming- that's alright; we're sharing with everyone else anyway because it was too fun to keep a secret.
The boys were ecstatic about the "split pants" outfits they received because all the kids in China wear these. (They're pants with an open crotch section) You never have to take them to a bathroom, just have 'em squat right where they are and you're in business- or they're in business, I should say... Michael and I were seriously thinking that these little wonders could potty train Josiah AND Asher in like a week! Even Baby Goss received a split pants set of his own. What a treat!

We were delighted to find yummy treats all the way from the streets of a true Chinese market. Michael was so eager to eat, he started gnawing on those chicken feet before taking the wrapper off. Mmmmm-Mmmm!

We couldn't leave out the infamous "Fashion Socks," either! They're all the rage in China (women and men, I need to add) Even Michael found a delightful pair that fit comfortably on his feet. They are quite the surprise, I do have to say. We put them on thinking it would be fun to take a picture of how silly we looked, then we realized we both had been wearing them the whole night- with dinner guests to see them! They are pretty cool!

Chris and Diane- you're the BEST!!

Deanna Rose Farmstead

2007-05-24T23:50:00.001-04:00

As part of Asher's birthday weekend, Shauna and I took the kids to the Deanna Rose Farmstead, a wonderful outdoor adventure for little people- and it's totally free!! They fed goats, walked with butterflies, and saw all sorts of other animals.

It was a gorgeous day that started out cool then warmed up enough to play in the water. After all that splashing around, the boys pants were sopping wet all the way up to their thighs- I don't think they noticed...

It Rained and Poured for 40 Daysies, Daysies...

2007-05-24T23:29:00.000-04:00

So, most of you know a little bit about the flooding that happened here in Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. Michael has been working like crazy these past couple weeks out on the river, surveying the damage. He took many pictures of the devastation, and I wanted to share just a few.

The first one, taken May 15, is a trailer washed into a bridge on the Nodaway River, north of St. Joseph, MO. The water is still about 9 ft above normal after already dropping about 8ft.

The second one, taken May 7, is in Rulo, NE. The water is about 18ft higher than normal (this was taken at the highest the water reached here and about 1 hour before the levee directly across the river broke and lowered the water level about a foot and a half.) If you look closely, you can see the very top of a pick-up truck next to the house on the right and a man paddling around his house in a little boat.

The third one, taken May 8, is a riverside park in Parkville, MO. The water is about 20ft higher than normal.

Happy Birthday Asher!

2007-05-21T17:00:00.000-04:00

On the actual day of Asher's birthday, we headed out to Antioch Park for the annual Turkey Creek Festival. The whole park was blocked off and filled with all sorts of fun things for every age!

Here a handful: Train Ride, Petting Zoo, Pony Rides, Jumping Castles, Pedal Boats, Vendors, Face Painting, and Charicature Drawings.

The kids stopped by to visit a very friendly clown who made them some balloon shapes and animals. I think we made it home with two after the others had popped completely (or lost a limb somehow).

One of Asher's presents was a striped t-shirt from his uncle Martin. This is the same shirt he got Josiah for his birthday and the same shirt he bought Andrew- so we had to make them wear the shirt on the same day! Ahhh, don't you love matching children?!?

I think the kids enjoyed the food, too. Ellie and Andrew found the cotton candy and we found the funnel cakes (I really should say I searched for the funnel cakes and shared them with my family...) Messy, but delicious!!

One of my favorite moments of the afternoon was when the boys had a charicature drawing made of them. It was just so darn cute!

We had a great afternoon, but man- were we wiped out! I guess that's how a birthday is supposed to be right?

BASEBALL!

2007-05-14T16:47:00.000-04:00

(I just added this picture of Michael- he was there, too...)

At the last minute, Michael and I were offered 4 free tickets to a Sunday afternoon Royal's Baseball game. It was raining when we left church, but we bundled up the kids, grabbed an umbrella and lots of snacks and headed for the stadium. I couldn't believe that we actually did it! Two Toddlers. During Naptime. In the rain. I know we must be changing (or going totally nuts) because we are never that free-spirited.

I'm so glad we did it because it was such a blast and the boys did great. They watched a little bit of baseball, made friends with some kids around us. They even got a stuffed koala bear when they came in, which they can take to the Kansas City Zoo and get in for free! We also got free kids meals from Bob Evans restaurant. We gotta do this more often...

Birthday

2007-05-13T19:52:00.000-04:00

These are some pictures taken at a birthday get together/BBQ at Drew and Lauren Timberlake's. Paul Spears and I were both celebrating our 30th birthdays this week, so we thought it was a good excuse to hang out. It was a rather rainy evening for grilling, but Drew was determined to cook the all-natural hot dogs and brats he'd bought.

Haley Spears, Me, Lauren, and Ezra in his infamous sling (he's nestled in that sling most of the time, so we have to be fast to get a look at his sweet face!!)

Drew, Paul Spears, Michael. This was taken just before they polished off the whole package of "chorizo dogs" that they ate. They were pretty darn spicy- I think they were very proud of themselves!

Instead of a birthday cake, Lauren made cupcakes, and we each decorated and frosted our own. Josiah was totally into this. He's got two kinds of frosting, and he's toppping it off with sprinkles! Yummmmy!

This is a picture of Oliver Timberlake and Josiah during one of their calm, gentle moments with each other. They slowed down enough for us to take a picture of them, then they were off again!

New haircut!

2007-05-13T18:59:00.000-04:00

So this is a picture of me with my new haircut. It was a little birthday treat for myself! I was hoping to put it next to a picture of Michael. I guess I thought was ironic that I chopped my hair and he hasn't cut his in months! He will not let me take a picture of him, so I don't have a picture to show you. Sorry. You'll have to remain in suspense (I will tell you that it's getting all curly by his ears and the back tickles his neck) Weird...

Answer to Latest Engineering Joke

2007-04-27T21:09:00.000-04:00

Ok, so I know you've being dying to know the punch line to Michael's latest joke.

Here's the recap:

How do you know if someone is an Introverted engineer or an Extraverted engineer?

Answer:

If he's an Extraverted engineer, he looks at YOUR shoes while he's talking!!

Home Improvements

2007-04-26T15:08:00.000-04:00

We have been busy as bees here at the Gossenauer hive, I mean, house, and I thought you might enjoy seeing some of the newest changes.

The first massive project that I undertook was sewing curtains for three different rooms in our house. It wasn't enough to use fabric alone; I decided I needed to attach black-out fabric onto them, too. I pulled out my beautiful antique Singer and went to work. I think it took me about 3-4 weeks to finish them. They definitely have what I call "personality," but I am so proud of them!
This is a picture of the set I made for Asher and Josiah's bedroom. The guest room now has cream colored curtains and our bedroom has beige with tiny brown flowers (those are yet to be hung, so no pictures yet!!)

Another lovely addition (that has been long overdue) was buying new curtains for the living room. We've had black-out fabric hanging over the three living room windows for months and finally we found some affordable curtains with lining to keep it warm in the winter and cool in the summer. They're pretty basic, but the color adds so much "life" to the room.

The final, and most noteworthy improvement was landscaping in the front yard. I'll call it "Project Front Yard: Phase I." The reason I call it that is because we have many aspirations for our little hilly wonderland, but we can only do it in very small pieces. You can see the "Before" and "After" pictures we took.

Oh, and when I say "we" I do mean Michael. I took off for Manhatten, KS with the boys and left him alone with the house for a few days.
He amazes me with his knack for all kinds of handiwork. He shocked several of ours neighbors when he mentioned that he'd never done anything like this before. (notice those serious knee-pads he's wearing, courtesy of Martin and the Unites States Army).
I have to mention the fact that Michael was extremely sore for several days after this project. He told me that he lifted about 2 1/2 tons in three days- what a stud!!

Latest Engineer Joke...

2007-04-24T23:38:00.000-04:00

Michael just told me a pretty good one...

How do you know whether someone is an introverted engineer or an extraverted engineer?

Think about it and I'll tell you the answer soon.

Mastering the Straw!

2007-04-17T23:18:00.000-04:00

I took this picture of the boys the other morning and thought it was pretty cute. They love to copy each other... What you may not notice right away is that Asher is drinking out of a sippy cup that has a straw. A couple weeks ago Michael let him experiment a little with one of Josiah's cups with a straw and he's gradually gotten the hang of it! This is huge for Asher because, as you know, he was born without the ability to move his top lip. Watching him suck his beverage through a straw is one of those things that only his parents could truly enjoy- It really is rather loud and impolite sounding, but he's doing it! We couldn't be more proud!

28 weeks and Counting...

2007-04-17T23:08:00.000-04:00

This is a not-so-flattering picture of me and my belly (I think I'm about 28 weeks). I'm actually feeling great- no more nausea, yippee! Unfortunately, I have begun the "back pain phase" of my pregnancy. I've been seeing a chiropractor- yes, Michael approved- and it is actually helping a whole lot. Little "Bubba" (of course we don't have a name yet, are you kidding?) moves around a whole lot these days. He's not so interested in the smooth, fluid movements, though. He pretty much sticks to jabs, kicks, and punches. I've never done Tae Bo, but I imagine he's doing something similar to that in my tummy. He and I have a 3:00 am alert time every morning- we both wake up and move around a whole lot together. I suppose we're both just trying to get comfortable...

Gossenauer Family Easter

2007-04-16T21:46:00.000-04:00

Here we are on Easter Sunday (sorry about that hideous glare!) Ok, technically it was Easter Saturday, but you can't tell the difference! We dressed up and went to the evening service at our church- which was no ordinary Easter service. First we sat down with a dozen or so other families in one of the classrooms and ate pizza and carrot sticks. Then we decorated "Easter centerpieces." (7 wooden eggs with corresponding verses for the 7 days of the passion week, hanging on curly wires that were stuck into a plaster base) Good luck visualizing that one. You can just see it for yourself when you come visit!!

After we ate, we shuffled into the sanctuary for the actual service. Asher threw a little kink into the evening by having a nasty cold. For the first time since he was really young, Michael and I sat outside the sanctuary in the "reserved for mothers and babies" section and tried our best to listen while keeping him occupied. We ended up taking shifts, letting him walk down the halls and climb the stairs until the service was over. We were wiped out when we got home!!

These are pictures of the boys hard at work with their Easter eggs. It was surprising how well they both did decorating such fragile objects. Look at that concentration!

My big project was making an Easter cake with Josiah. I really wanted him to understand what we were celebrating, so I used an idea from a MOPS magazine and taught him about Jesus while we baked.

You can see his red lips- he was tasting the batter of our red velvet cake mix (the red illustrates Jesus' death on the cross for our sins) It didn't seem that weird until I starting asking him questions about the cake we were making, like "Josiah, what color is the cake?" "Blood," he answers...

Here's the finished product. You can see the frosting is white, showing we are made clean, white as snow by His forgiveness (you may notice the rainbow chips stuck in there, too- no significance, I just really like that kind of frosting!!)
The pretzels are for the crown of thorns that Jesus wore. The little red circles are skittles, for the nails in his hands and feet.
It was a lot of work to make the cake and tell each part of the story, but it was totally worth it. I think it's officially become a tradition!

Baby Cramer has arrived!

2007-04-10T16:25:00.000-04:00

Last night we visited Malachi Salem Cramer, the first baby of our dear friends, Steve and Emily. It was a little wild holding a newborn that weighed almost 9 lbs! Way to go, Em!

Birthday Blast

2007-03-28T00:10:00.000-04:00

We splurged for Josiah's birthday and bought him a 7' by 7' inflatable "Mega Bouncer." Michael took it out of the box (for the first time) about 15 minutes before his party. Luckily, it worked just fine. We waited until all of his guests arrived then turned it on- IN THE LIVING ROOM!
Other than being loud, it was actually not as chaotic as we thought it would be. We allowed 3-4 kids in at a time, and Michael had a timer so that they each jumped the same amount of time. It was all very organized, if I do say so myself.

In case you can't tell from the picture, only the oldest boys in our playgroup were invited to this party: Oliver, Nathan, Will, Josh, and Kaleb.
(Ellie and Andrew were the exception because their family- and Ellie can hold her own!!)
Baby Ezra came along, too, but he was too sleepy to do any jumping (:

All three of my boys enjoyed the confetti cupcakes I made. Josiah had a great idea for getting hyper really fast:- Lick off frosting, Hand cupcake to adult, Repeat. If you look closely you can see the frosting residue on Asher's mouth, as well as the cupcake liner in Michael's hand. They were pretty tasty...

This is a picture of me and my nephew, Jake. One of the highlights from the party- and one of THE BEST surprises of my life- was having him be a part of Josiah's special day. About 1/2 hour before the party started, the doorbell rang. I was frantically running around, so when I heard the door I panicked. Michael nonchalantly says, "Hmm, it's early." I open the door and My sister, Michelle, is standing there on the porch with Jake. I was in total shock so I just said, "What are you doing?" "We're here for the party," she says...

Well, to make a long story short, she drove to Kansas City the night before with a friend from Topeka, then flew back to Colorado the next day. I was sooo thrilled that she was able to meet some of the moms (and boys) from our playgroup. We took her to church the next morning, too, so she met all of our wonderful friends from Veritas (our Adult Sunday School Class). After church the two of us were able to escape for a few hours for some sister time- of course I took her to the Plaza! We ate lunch on the patio, basked in the sun, and chatted about life. Ahhhhh
What a perfect conclusion to a perfect weekend!

Well, we can't talk about the party without mentioning some of the fun presents Josiah received. Can you say, "CARS????" I guess this movie is pretty popular among our group of boys because he sure got a lot of them. I feel good knowing that I'm learning all the important characters in this heartwarming story. It was a little embarrassing when we were playing and Josiah corrected me for calling one of the cars by the wrong name. All I could remember was that there were two Italian cars, so I just decided they were Mario and Luigi... (For the record, I do know now that his name is Guido!)

Grandma Jackie sent a very cool floor puzzle that Josiah is working hard on. We just have to clear out the whole living room to provide enough space to get the whole truck together!

Another hit was the Farm Play-Do set from Grammy and Grandpa Marty. As you can see from the picture, both boys were concentrating very hard to get all the pieces out to play. I'm amazed that even Asher's attention is held for over 20 minutes playing with this set!

Catching Up with Cousins...

2007-03-27T23:55:00.000-04:00

Shauna, Ellie and Andrew came out to visit just before Josiah's birthday, and the boys had so much fun with them!

On Friday afternoon we packed them up in the mini-van and headed to the Kansas City Zoo.
They had to show their cousins our new favorite treat- the train ride! What a hit...

A Visit from Grandma Janice and Grandad

2007-03-27T23:44:00.000-04:00

Asher and Josiah just loved having Grandma and Grandad here! Jan and Janice stayed with us for a few days during their "Kansas Family Tour." (March 16)

Play Group

2007-03-21T15:42:00.000-04:00

In a desperate attempt to enjoy the first decent day of weather, our playgroup met on a Wednesday morning at Antioch Park (Thursday's forecast had rain...)
2 moms joined us for the first time with their first babies (boys, of course!!) Please welcome Ian and Charlie!!!

Some highlights from our morning at the park:

Oliver ran away and climbed up on the stone ledge (the one with the POND right below it) and did a little high wire trapeze walking. No, he did not fall in, thanks to an incredibly fast walking Lauren...

The boys were feeding the geese (a bag of granola, courtesy of Josh) . This was not thrilling enough so they decided to dump it on the ground first, then throw it at them. When the excitement of this method faded, they turned their attention to a helpless and hungry Asher, who ate the granola out of their hands (the hands that just picked up the granola from the ground). Probably had a little goose poop mixed in there, too.

TOOL TIME!!

These are a couple pictures of Josiah working with Daddy. You might not believe it, but Josiah actually loosened the screws on the door all by himself. I wonder if he has "The Knack?!?!"

Arizona Trip 2007

2007-02-25T22:48:00.000-05:00

These are a few fun pics from our recent trip to Arizona.

Highlights:
I got to see my nephew, Justin, being born.
I hung out with my sisters.
I actually got to lay outside in the sun- in January!!
All the nieces and nephews had a whole week to run, bounce, and play together!

Manchild Number Three

2007-02-18T11:09:00.000-05:00

Here he is!! Isn't he cute?

a baby!

2007-02-09T17:43:00.000-05:00

look....our cuddly little baby.