My Heart is Smiling

2016

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Mon, 04 Jan 2016 04:20:00 +0000

Hi, Blog. Welcome 2016.

I'm so happy to be back in front of my computer posting photos and doing my favorite thing in the world. Sharing pics of my babies and reflecting on happy times. I am so blessed. Period. Even my new massive external hard drive can't possibly contain the size of this mama's gratitude after enjoying a beautiful Christmas holiday and two birthday celebrations with this family of mine over the past two weeks. I love them. I treasure them. I thank God for them.

My goal in 2016 is to spend more time right here on the blog preserving these mommy moments. Didn't do such a good job of it in 2015. Not a single blog post. But as as my boys would say, "It's not my fault . . . " Which is true for me this time. It is my MAC's fault. I won't go into details, but let's just say this will be the very last apple desktop computer that I purchase. I am a PC girl. No use trying to pretend that I'm not.

We welcomed Baby Tate in November, 2014. Being a family of six made 2015 a busy year, but an amazing year. We watched our littlest one learn to sit up, crawl and walk AND we are reminded daily of how magnetic the staircase is. But best of all, we watched our three oldest boys, become big brothers (again) and tenderly love on their little baby brother. They adore him and I couldn't be prouder of my team of boys.

I have many photos to publish and hope to catch up with those soon. In the meantime, I pray that 2016 brings joy and happiness to our family and friends. Every day, it is my hope that we allow God's love to shine through us in all that we do.

Tate Jason Niebruegge - 4 months (above and below)

Tate Jason Niebruegge - 9 months (above)

Drew Daniel Niebruegge - 8 years old and 3rd grade (above)

Evan David Niebruegge - 5 years old and kindergarten (above)

Owen Robert Niebruegge - 7 years old and 2nd grade (above and below)

Tate Jason Niebruegge - 1 year old (above and below)

We're Expecting . . .

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Mon, 23 Jun 2014 02:23:00 +0000

In case our announcement on 4.20.14 didn't catch your attention (see link here), we are excited to announce that our family will be growing by one this November. We are so blessed to welcome a little one this fall and my favorite part is sharing the anticipation with our boys. Although nine (ten) months is an eternity before they will get to meet their new little brother or sister, the thrill that a new sibling is busy growing in mommy's tummy is exhilarating. They are my sweet gentlemen. They are kind and sweet to the baby - they talk to the baby and are always full of hugs. It is a joy that the boys are old enough to realize what is going on and appreciate the gift of life. Thank you God for this wonderful privilege of parenthood.

We told the boys the good news on Easter Weekend. We wrote a letter to Drew, Owen and Evan from Jesus letting them know that they would get the chance to be big brothers this November. Drew read the letter out loud to his brothers in his sweet 1st grade reader voice. This session was videotaped and is one of my most precious possessions (refer to this link for the video).

I am 19 weeks pregnant now and looking forward to relief from the nausea and fatigue which have not yet subsided with the passage of the first trimester. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it will be soon. Fortunately, I married well and dear husband picks up my slack (well, he does most of the time). And although the baby is likely no more than one pound at this point, it appears that my body already knows what to do (since it is the 4th time) and has gone immediately to full-blown 40 weeks mode because (I feel like) it looks as though I'm ready to deliver tomorrow! It is hard to believe how quickly I am showing. No question that I am pregnant at this point. Evan puts it best when he says to complete strangers, "Do you know why my mommy has such a fat belly???? It is because she has a baby in there!" Thanks, Buddy.

Consistent with our previous pregnancies, we will not find out the gender in advance of our delivery. I look forward to the moment when I hear Dan's voice telling me that we just delivered our 4th sweet little boy or I see a smile grow on his face that I've never seen before telling me that he will be a father of a little girl for the very first time. Either way, we are grateful for this blessing and pray for a healthy little Niebruegge baby.

The Rippelmeyer Family - Family Photo Session

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Mon, 23 Jun 2014 01:28:00 +0000

Family photo session for my sister Karen, her husband "TJ" and their two beautiful little girls. We caught the spring tulips in beautiful bloom. Enjoy!

A big thanks for to my little helper, Evan for entertaining Harper and keeping smiles on the girls' faces!

Favorite Blog Post

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Mon, 21 Apr 2014 03:59:00 +0000

It has been awhile since I posted on my blog. Hopefully, these family photos make up for it. Enjoy!

Click on the link to enjoy the photos: Niebruegge Family Photos

Just a hint: It is best to allow the video to fully load before viewing it in order to avoid interruptions.

Joy to the World!

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Mon, 03 Feb 2014 04:12:00 +0000

Merry Christmas 2013! Preparing for Christmas is my favorite time of year. Especially with kids. The Christmas programs themselves serve as my favorite Christmas gifts.

Each year, the school commences the Christmas season with an all-school mass and nativity. The Christmas nativity at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic School is just beautiful. No other words are necessary.

The first grade class performs the Nativity each year. I was able to help them get ready in the morning for their big debut.

So proud of my cross-eyed sheep.

The Kindergarten class sang beautiful songs with the preschool classes.

This video is beautiful. It is one of the longer videos that I have ever posted on my blog and it may take some time to load, but this song is just gorgeous and when you're watching your little babies participate in a Christmas program this lovely, the tears just can't help but to fall. I will treasure this video forever.

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One of my favorite jobs is to serve as a room mother for classroom parties. This role has become more challenging now that we have two children in school. I can't be in two places at the same time and thus, I have to make a choice between the classrooms for each party. I selected Drew's classroom for the Christmas party so that we may also celebrate his birthday party at the same time.

The Christmas party theme this year: The Polar Express. I adore this book and movie.

In order to bring the book alive, we made a hot chocolate bar with yummy goodies to add on top (marshmallows, chocolate chips, chocolate covered pretzels, candy canes and whip cream) all wrapped up with a fancy straw.

Since the kids on the Polar Express are all wearing their pajamas, we had to replicate that element too. Hello Old Navy slippers! Everyone got a pair of cozy slippers to put on while we drank hot chocolate and read our story.

Then to wrap up the day, we wrote our letters to Santa.

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We enjoyed a Christmas concert at SPPCS early in December. Enjoy the video!

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We had a joyful Christmas. Full of hugs for Grandpa.

Our family was also a bit 'under the weather' for Christmas. First time that our entire family was sick at the same time. Urg. I had bronchitis and the boys tested positive for influenza (despite the flu shot). We suspect that Dan had the flu too. Everyone has long-since recovered, but not so much fun at our house for a few days.

Evan got his very own Nintendo 3DS. He was thrilled.

And I'll leave you with one of my favorite pictures each year . . . the aftermath of it all. Months of contemplation and thoughtful Christmas shopping all distributed wildly across the house. Wrapping paper everywhere, batteries strewn all over the place, electronic toys half opened (because inevitably something else will distract the boys as they move from gift to gift). Drives Dan crazy to let the chaos resonate one more minute than necessary, but I like to drink my coffee and slowly count these amazing blessings one by one. What is the hurry?

Seven

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Tue, 07 Jan 2014 04:54:00 +0000

December is a glorious month for us. Full of Christmas joy and two children to celebrate birthdays. Add a husband's birthday celebration in there and you have a crazy household. And a crazy mom! But the truth is that I wouldn't trade one minute of it and I thank God every day for the privilege of this amazing life.

On 12.26.06, God blessed me and Dan with the birth of our first child. On 12.26.13, that little baby turned seven.

SEVEN!

A lot changes occur when you turn seven. You don't have to go to the doctor every year for that "well-baby" check-up. You are no longer considered a young child by the airlines (no more early boarding for those traveling with "young" children . . . . that is reserved for those under seven). Before you are seven, many of the clothes you wear have a toddler "T" that follows all the sizes. No more "T" to soften the blow of "this-kid's-getting-big." We now shop for "boys medium."

Seven amazing years have passed by since God made me a mother of this precious little boy. My has he grown. And so have we.

Drew was born at 6:50 pm on 12.26.06. Like clockwork, on his birthday each year, I subconsciously take note of the clock. I feel anxious and aware that something big is about to occur and I recall that the anniversary of God's amazing gift of motherhood is about to occur. I can't miss 6:50. I take note of this precious minute every year and cannot do anything else until I pause to recognize the sacredness that is this very minute.

So let's see . . . . what does a seven-year-old-boy like to do? Let me take this opportunity to document and preserve the wonder ( . . . . and fear, angst, frustation, and deep, deep LOVE) that accompanies raising a seven-year-old-boy.

Drew is busy. He's been a busy little man for as long as I can remember. This bus-i-ness is good; sometimes. Other times, it gets him into trouble. He is very excitable and literally you can see the energy seeping out of him through this trademark gesture of his (imagine both hands directly in front of his mouth shaking quickly with eyes wide open telling you that this boy is excited . . . or having a nervous breakdown, but thus far, luckily, it has just been excitement).

Drew is very smart. He is quick to pick up new concepts and his intuition amazes me. Drew loves to draw. He also loves to build legos. And the kid can drive you crazy fighting with his brothers, but it is incredible how much his younger brothers look up to him (in their eyes, Drew is capable of anything). Drew is very loyal to his friends, wants to watch way too much TV, is crazy about video games and wants nothing to do with vegetables. Drew has recently demonstrated impressive goalie skills on his indoor soccer team, is a crazy picky eater, gets up super early every morning (no matter when he goes to bed), thinks that brushing his teeth is totally optional, has a very kind heart and I believe is destined to be a leader. He loves his family and I'm proud to say that I know that he loves his mama.

For Drew's seventh birthday, we were all set to invite his class to play laser tag, when I casually mentioned that a new lego store had just opened up at one of the St. Louis malls. Drew's eyes grew huge. I want to do that for my birthday instead! I immediately called the Lego Store and learned that they don't have birthday parties (seriously?????!!!!). What a bummer! I told Drew that while we couldn't have a party there, we could take a small group of his friends and "go shopping" for legos and have dinner at the mall food court for his birthday. He loved it and was drawn to idea of having such a "grown up" evening with his closest friends. After our soccer game, we headed to the mall. We arranged for Owen and Evan to have other plans so Dan and I could have our sole focus on Drew and his friends.

Since Drew enjoys drawing so much, the theme of his birthday this year was art. He received many art supplies, art classes from Grandma Patti and an art desk from Mommy and Daddy. He asked Grandma Darlene for his own quilt and as expected (for a Grandma with a heart of gold), she delivered. Drew snuggles with it every night.

In seven years, this boy has changed my world. He has made me a better person and one that considers my every action because I know that a smart little observant boy is always watching. And I want to make him glowingly proud; just as I am of him.

Happy birthday my angel. I love you more than words can say.

Evan turns four.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Tue, 07 Jan 2014 03:52:00 +0000

Our littlest man turned four on December 30th. Four years ago we spent New Year's Eve (2009) in the hospital after the arrival of our third precious baby boy and were so blessed to take a sweet (little) 9 pound 5 ounce healthy infant home from the hospital in the winter cold. Today, this is the same little guy that digs his heels in and holds his own against two (much bigger) older brothers. What Evan lacks in strength, he makes up for in sheer attitude and bossiness. At four years old, Evan has an overwhelming amount of energy, has a full appetite and is a "skinny-mini." Evan may talk a big game, but deep down, he thinks that his older brothers are amazing. They can do anything. Evan has told me that Drew and Owen are 'big' so they can beat up anyone they want. Apparently, that is the hallmark of 'getting big.' You can beat up whomever you like.

We celebrated Evan's fourth birthday at the Waterloo Fire Department. No, the Waterloo Fire Department is not in the birthday party business and no, we are not such connected people that limits don't exist for our kids' birthday celebrations (Dan may disagree with that statement based on the level of party planning . . . . ), but in our household, when you turn four, you get to have your first "friend party." Please note that we're not just talking family birthday parties anymore; we're talking real friends convening at a chosen location to celebrate YOU! And furthermore, when your birthday is in December and your mom loves to plan parties and secretly feels terribly sorry that your December birthday may be subject to the risk "holiday overshadowing," you win. You win big. You party firefighter style.

Happy birthday to my little firefighter. I love you so very much.

God gave me the greatest gift of all picking me to be your Mommy. You and your brothers (and Daddy, of course) are the greatest gifts I could ever receive.

Enjoy the party!

Christmas Nostalgia

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Thu, 02 Jan 2014 04:20:00 +0000

Christmas 2013 just passed us by and another round of birthdays are in the bag. We now have a 7-year old in our household (as of 12.26) and our little baby is now four years old (as of 12.30). Although our family was sick most of this Christmas season (first time in the history of this Niebruegge family that all members of the household got sick at the same time . . . ), I managed to capture many Christmas photo memories and will be assembling them on the blog pages that follow over the coming weeks. But as I was scanning through my images this evening, I came across a nice little surprise. I found a blog post from Christmas 2011 that I never posted. Photos from two years ago that were never posted! That is like God sneaking in a last minute Christmas present to me to enjoy my babies when they were two years younger! In the world of Lauren, this is an amazing gift! Enjoy this time capsule! I sure have!

In this walk down memory lane, Drew is turning 5, Owen is 3 and Evan is turning 2 (and you will notice that Dan is celebrating his 34th birthday!)

I think that the reason that I took this photo is that I'm thrilled to see "Lauren Niebruegge Photography" in print. I really want to be a photographer when I grow up.

Good night my sweet angels.

Welcome 2014!

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Thu, 02 Jan 2014 03:43:00 +0000

I'm not ready to emerge from the holiday cocoon just yet, but the eating, drinking, playing, movie watching and birthday party rockin' must come to an end. It was a peaceful and blessed Christmas.

Thanks to my mom and dad for the beautiful nativity scene that graced our front lawn this Christmas season. I love it.

Today I'm hopeful and grateful as we welcome 2014 and all of the new experiences that it will hold for our family. I'm so thankful for our family and our cozy home.

Happy New Year, Friends! Abundant blessings in 2014!

Enjoy a happy dance from our four-year-old!

Things that I am loving right now

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Mon, 16 Sep 2013 00:53:00 +0000

The passage of time continues to baffle me. Summer 2013 is already over. As we get into new school routines, soccer games and all of the things that make life busy and full, I'm enjoying reflecting on our summer. We had a good one.

Today is the childhood that my kids will remember.

Things that I am loving right now:

The Monroe County Fair.

Family time at the pool.

I am in love with these boys. Thank you God for each of them.

Fall soccer season (with Coach Dan).

Personal fact to share (note that this will mortify my husband that I am publishing this on my blog for all to read):

I think that Dan is incredibly attractive when he is coaching little league soccer. I'll stop there.

Fun with cousins (no matter what we are doing, everything is more fun with cousins).

Thank you God for these memories. My heart is overflowing with gratitude and love.

1st Day of School

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Sun, 15 Sep 2013 23:04:00 +0000

On 8.19.13, we had three significant beginnings. Drew started 1st grade, Owen started Kindergarten and Evan started pre-school (he was officially in the "teddy bear" classroom at Creative Kids.) It was a big day.

I was definitely emotional facing the reality that our 2nd little baby was already old enough for school. This meant that he was no longer a little baby. I have a hard time accepting these things. Time goes by way too fast which makes milestones like these bittersweet. I'm so proud of these boys, but sad that they are growing up way too quickly.

In an effort to keep up with the personalities of my little ones, I decided to interview them. I would interview them on the first day of school each year to monitor how their likes and dislikes have changed.

In case it is difficult to read, here are their answers:

Drew loves: Skylanders and legos
When I grow up, I want to be: A policeman
I think that my parents are: Awesome

Owen loves: Everything except girl stuff
When I grow up, I want to be: A pirate
I think that my parents are: Sometimes mean and sometimes cool

Evan loves: Skylanders
When I grow up, I want to be: A Fireman
I think that my parents are: Mean

Drew was happy to be starting 1st grade. I think that he missed his friends over the long summer and was happy to get back into his routine. Drew is a good student. Smart and diligent with his work, but struggles to be good all of the time. We're working on that.

I'm so proud of my Owen. Since he has watched Drew progress through Kindergarten, he was as comfortable as he could be. I could hardly sense any apprehension and just pure excitement to begin going to school all by himself. In fact, he begged me to let him ride the bus. I told him that I would prefer to take him to school every day.

"But Mommy . . . lots of other kids ride the bus! And if you won't let me ride the bus, then you have to drop me off in front of school and you don't get to walk me into school everyday like you did for Drew."

This kid is tough.

And of course, I was glowing with pride watching my "little bits" (Evan) officially begin preschool. I am so proud of my little man and how sweet he was on his first day of preschool. I think that he was a bit nervous that Drew and Owen were no longer at Creative Kids with him, but he did just fine managing alone. I just want to hug him over and over and over . . .

This is my favorite spot to wave to Evan everyday. The window at Creative Kids is such a great spot to jumpstart the day. We make funny faces at each other and blow kisses. Did I mention that I love this boy?

And here we go . . . Owen is at Kindergarten, it is about time for Mom and Dad to leave, and Mom is doing her best to keep those tears in (after all, I'm technically "experienced" at this . . . tears are for "1st timers;" certainly not for me . . . .)

Well, I lost the battle and tears started flowing when I left Owen at his desk. How could he possibly be old enough for kindergarten?

I am so proud of my little man. This is Owen's sweet little face walking out of his 1st day of Kindergarten. My heart is Smiling. I don't think it could smile any bigger.

Owen Gets Ready for Kindergarten

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Sun, 15 Sep 2013 22:27:00 +0000

On 8.19.13, our 2nd little baby started kindergarten. Similar to what I did with Drew when he started kindergarten last year, I took off work to enjoy some special one-on-one time together for a few days leading up to the first day of kindergarten (check out Drew's kindergarten adventures here).

All summer, Owen deliberated on where he would go for his "special days." It was a very hard decision. Initially, Owen simply wanted to repeat Drew's selections (Raging Rivers Water Park on the first day followed by the Magic House on the 2nd day). Since Owen tends to follow Drew pretty religiously, we encouraged Owen to develop his own choices. He settled on Six Flags for day#1 and Magic House for day#2. After learning (at the last minute) that Six Flags was already closed for the summer (Mommy really dropped the ball on that one . . .), Owen selected "Sky Zone" (indoor trampoline park) as his day#1 alternative. And although these days were meant to be special one-on-one time, Owen has a very generous heart and the thought of leaving his brothers behind was too painful to bear; as such, everyone was invited.

On day #1 of our "special days," Drew, Owen, Evan and I headed off to Sky Zone.

After Sky Zone, we headed to a movie. Time to see "Planes!" We had a great day together.

On day#2, we all headed to the Magic House. One of our favorite St. Louis destinations.

Don't worry President Obama. Evan Niebruegge has got America under control (straight from the Oval Office . . . )

. . . . and here is Evan's Vice-President!

The beanstalk is definitely an all-time favorite. It is a race to the top every time!

Who says that only girls like to play "house?" These boys love to play grocery store . . . .

and construction site too!

Sky Zone! from Lauren Niebruegge on Vimeo.

And after our busy "special days," we're off to Owen's Kindergarten Open House!

Maternity Session - Waiting for Niece #6

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Sun, 08 Sep 2013 03:48:00 +0000

Dan and I have six beautiful nieces (and zero nephews, by the way). Niece number six will be on her way in a few short weeks and I was happy to memorialize these last few weeks of pregnancy for my sister Karen with a maternity session this morning at Bee Tree Park in St. Louis. Very soon Harper will become a big sister and Karen and TJ's sweet little family will transform from three into four. I'm thrilled to meet this sweet little bundle of joy! Check out Karen's maternity session with Harper here!

Congratulations to your GROWING family! All the best! I can't wait to meet her!

Family Photo Session - Bee Tree Park, St. Louis

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Sun, 08 Sep 2013 03:18:00 +0000

Hello my dear blog. I have missed you dearly. I'm coming at you tonight with an impromptu photo session that "piggybacked" off of a maternity session that I did this morning for my sister. It has been so long since I have taken the time to invest a few hours with my camera and my computer and I have thoroughly enjoyed it today. My babies continue to grow which makes these moments ever so important to capture and preserve.

Our family is such a blessing. Although I've said it many times before, I can hardly believe that God picked me to be Drew, Owen and Evan's Mommy. It is a job that I treasure whole-heartedly.

These boys know me well enough to know that I want smiles for the camera. But what I usually get is just plain silly. Our boys are very good at silly. Just ask their teachers.

My sweetheart Evan was all smiles for me today. He can really turn it on when he wants to.

This one below makes my heart smile. I just love this boy. No more words are necessary.

This one below is significant. The reason for the significance is that Owen has declared Evan to be his "worst enemy ever." Recently, he asked me if we could trade Evan in for another baby. Despite their differences, Owen and Evan briefly reconciled and are showing love for each other in the photo below. Yes - even enemies hug sometimes.

And now for my Owen (aka "Owie, Owie Bear, O-dog, O"). My kindergartener. He actually announced to us this week that he has a ~~girlfriend~~ fiancé! Her name is Megan and since she wanted to marry him, he said "Okay - I want to marry you too." So it is a done deal. Owen is engaged. Congratulations to Owen and Megan who know true love at five years old.

You Are My Sunshine.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Tue, 06 Aug 2013 01:23:00 +0000

So I was giving Evan a bath the other night and I started singing. And then he started singing with me. And now we have a song we sing together on an impromptu basis.

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But when I try to ask Evan to sing with me, he gets a little crazy! Impromptu is really our thing . . .

.

Good Times.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Mon, 06 May 2013 03:46:00 +0000

Hi blog. I miss you. It has been a long time. Can't really believe it. Busy season at work during the winter months, indoor soccer and t-ball and life with 3 kids has kept me away, but the good news is that I never stop taking pictures. And even better news: I never stop taking mental notes about the loveliness of life that I want to capture, document and share on my blog. So while not always timely, I'm certain that this space will get caught up eventually.

Right now, I have the luxury of sorting through hundreds of images from a snow day back in January, Valentine's Day, Easter, all 3 kids' birthday parties and a Disney vacation! Holy Moly! Not sure how timely these images will be reviewed/edited/blogged (let's hope for 2013), but I'm not worried about it. Rather than feel overwhelmed about catching up on stuff that I couldn't get to during the winter months, I'm pleased to blog about our weekend right now. Our glorious relaxing rainy weekend.

I don't have much to say tonight except that I'm deeply grateful for everything. For my husband. For my 3 amazing children. For my faith. For our incredibly blessed and privileged life.

This is one of my favorite pics of my Evan bear. He is growing into such a big boy. He gets into a lot of trouble, so it is a good thing that God made him so cute.

Since it was a rainy weekend, we did indoor stuff. We took the boys to a movie on Saturday afternoon, went to bed early on Saturday night and Dan took the boys to the driving range after Church on Sunday afternoon. Although it rained a lot this weekend, we did manage to get outside for some exercise. Evan got a chance to drive his Francesco car outside that he got for Christmas . . . .

And Drew got the opportunity to ride his 'big boy' bike that he got for Christmas. Drew was nervous, but after 3 times around the block, he got the hang of it. Not quite ready for Mom and Dad to let go of the bike though . . .

My Drew bear is an artist. He loves to draw and spends most of his free time asking to draw. I love that he draws because it is a direct outlet into the sweet thoughts of a kindergartner. What was Drew thinking of on this particular day? Well, he was giving life to his dream of being the lead singer of the band that he created, "Electric Fist" with other members of his kindergarten class. Apparently, he is compensated very well in this role as evidenced by the bags of money that are thrown at the band's feet . . .

Drew has made a family portrait below; however, he was mad at Owen so he left Owen out. Instead, Drew remembered to include a few others that are near and dear to our family's heart. "Yoshi" - the infamous dinosaur type thing from Mario Brothers that the boys are crazy about (I don't know what 'species' Yoshi actually is, but he is crazy popular at our house); "Ducky Momo" - Evan's beloved self-named duck gifted to him by Grandma Patti; and "Pot Belly Bear" - Mommy's bear from when she was a baby for which the boys have since adopted and fell in love with.

As the school year winds down, Drew is nearing his final days of kindergarten (gasp!) and Owen is getting dangerously close to starting kindergarten (double gasp!) I've so very much enjoyed this year of kindergarten and the progress Drew has made with reading and writing. Check out Drew's independent writing below. He is describing the parts of a flower. In case you can't tell, he has identified, the "petal," the "stem," the "leaf" and the "root."

One of the highlights of the kindergarten year was the kindergarten play. Just excellent. Beautifully done. A glowing proud mama, I was (sometimes, I talk like Yoda).

Drew's role in the play was "Little Boy Blue." Upon this assignment, I was went to work attempting to acquire the appropriate attire only to find that "Little Boy Blue" must be the least popular nursery rhyme in America. No costumes existed; in fact, there wasn't even much information returned upon a google search about him (in fact, I quickly learned that "Little Boy Blue" was actually a rich and greedy individual and not necessarily a model of love and virtue, but I digress . . . . ).

My frustration evolved into procrastination and then into desperation and I found myself the weekend before the play on a shopping trip in Chicago with my Mom, Sister, Sister-in-Law, Aunt and Cousins. Who would have thought that I could walk out of the Zara store on Michigan Avenue with an appropriate outfit for "Little Boy Blue?" Well, check it out (the banana was purchased at Schnuck's in Waterloo):

The class performance was superb. The kindergarten class is amazing. I loved it! You can enjoy bits of the play in the movie clips below!

And I will leave you this evening with a FAV pic of mine. This is my Owie bear with the love of his life; his cousin Greta. He seriously loves Greta (of course, I do too). They are the best of buddies. They were in the audience cheering for Drew. I adore this picture.

Drew is a movie-star from

Drew is a Movie-Star Part II from

Pay it Forward

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 04:30:00 +0000

The Lord is close to the broken hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18).

Our hearts are heavy as we send loving thoughts and prayers to the families in Newtown, Connecticut. It is heartbreaking and inconceivable to absorb the evil of this tragedy. My mind and heart have been with the parents of the poor young children whose lives were cut far too short on December 14th and are left grieving the loss of their sweet babies. Despite all of the well wishes in the world, the parents are left with despair, grief and a void that must somehow be overcome. I can hardly believe that a month has passed. I am praying so hard that the parents and friends/family of the victims are somehow able to find peace.

In order to create hope in the midst of horrible tragedy, Drew's school has put forth a challenge. In light of the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School, journalist Ann Curry has proposed to spread 26 Acts of Kindness, one act for each of the 26 victims killed at the school. Drew's school is encouraging all families to participate in this challenge.

What is the best way to fight evil? Do good. In honor of those sweet little children and devoted school staff, our family can absolutely step up and honor those precious 26 lives. As Robbie Parker (father of one of the victims) wrote:

"Remember these beautiful children; keep them close to our hearts. Do not let their bright shining faces become extinguished. Let us do everything in our power to ensure their light will continue to shine brighter and brighter in all we do to remember them."

In order to contribute, we have thought through things that the boys can do, what mommy and daddy can do, and what we can all do together as a family. We're not done yet, but here is our plan.

26 Acts of Kindness

1.) Give hugs randomly - DREW, OWEN and EVAN
2.) Give one brand new Christmas toy to charity - DREW, OWEN and EVAN
3.) Bring cookies to surprise Grandma Markus with a visit - DREW, OWEN and EVAN
4.) Light a candle at church to pray for the grieving families - ENTIRE FAMILY
5.) Add an extra offering envelope at church on Sunday - MOM and DAD
6.) Cover the restaurant bill for the car behind us in the drive-through - MOM and DAD
7.) Place a deposit at Ahne's bakery to cover the purchases of the next few buyers - MOM and DAD
8.) Plan a surprise visit to Grandma's Kloepper's house - ENTIRE FAMILY
9.) Surprise Grandpa Dave with some family time and fun exercise - ENTIRE FAMILY
10.) Write a letter to a good friend (no email, no text but 100% handwritten) - MOM
11.) Give staple food items to local food pantry - ENTIRE FAMILY
12.) Smile at everyone - DREW, OWEN and EVAN
13.) Adopt 3 children for Christmas Angels - DREW, OWEN and EVAN
14.) Say a family prayer for the 26 victims - ENTIRE FAMILY
15.) Say, "I'm sorry" to brothers - DREW, OWEN and EVAN
16.) Rekindle a lost friendship - MOM and DAD
17.) Volunteer in a leadership capacity for a church/school event - MOM and DAD
18.) Give away toys to contribute to the Kids Rummage Sale at SPPCS - ENTIRE FAMILY
19.) Do a nice thing for someone at work completely anonomously - MOM and DAD
20.) When negative words are about to be spoken, replace with positive words - ENTIRE FAMILY
21.) Verbally tell friends how much you appreciate them - ENTIRE FAMILY
22.) When the kids ask to play (esp with things that make a mess) - say "Yes!" - MOM and DAD
23.) Drive the speed limit and be friendly on the road - MOM and DAD
24.) Be the friend that you would like to have; which means SHOW UP! - MOM and DAD
25.) Turn anger into joy at frustrating moments - ENTIRE FAMILY
26.) Say "I love you" every moment that it enters your mind and never once take for granted the amazing privilege of parenthood that God has bestowed upon us - MOM and DAD

Although we are not done (and these tasks may take us some time), here are a few images of our efforts thus far:

#6.) One car behind us in the line at McDonald's was pleasantly surprised to learn that their bill = $0.

#7.) Maliyah Phillips helped to showcase our sign for free Ahne's doughnuts!

#5.) Add an extra offering envelope at church on Sunday . . .

Many of our acts will be private, but they will be real. They will serve as tangible evidence that despite evil and horror in the world, generosity, love and kindness will prevail. God - please bless the precious 26 lives that were lost on December 14th. They will not be forgotten.

Christmas 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 03:01:00 +0000

Merry Christmas, my sweet angels. What a heavenly Christmas. There really aren't words for how much I enjoyed our Christmas together this year. The Christmas season, particularly in light of tragedy endured in other parts of our country, begged me to hug on my babies and love on them so much that there was no other focus in our lives. Our family is the only things that matters. Period. Thank you God for this gift of family.

Our kids are such a fun age for Christmas. They enjoy all of the traditions, squeal with excitement and believe with all of their little hearts that Santa will know exactly what to deliver to them on Christmas morning. I know that this won't last forever and I want to soak up every minute of it.

The stockings are hung by the chimney with care and now it is time for a long winter's nap . . . .

Of course, our Drew Bear is the early riser and the first one down the stairs to report on his findings! Santa was here!

Let's go wake up everyone else!

My morning coffee and the magic of Christmas. This is definitely my happy place.

The boys gifted us with thoughtful and heartfelt homemade gifts from school. I adore these.

This one is from Drew (in case you couldn't read his gift tag:)

A handmade calendar with his handprints for each month! So creative and thoughtful! Dan and I will fight over who gets to take it to work. I'll win.

Our "little bits" (a.k.a Evan) is generally up to no good, but is so unbelievably cute that he gets by with a lot (he is sooooo lucky that he has this compensating trait). "Evan - what are you doing climbing in the refrigerator?"

When we weren't preparing for our two birthday parties (or playing Super Mario Brothers on the Wii), this is how we spent the week of Christmas. Snuggled up in the living room. LOVE IT!

Grandma Patti has beautifully decorated Christmas trees. She always does. The boys hit another jackpot at Grandma Patti and Grandpa Dave's house. Our house is going to implode.

Drew has declared himself as the "Lego King." Between Christmas and his birthday, he was the lucky recipient of A LOT of legos. A LOT. Immediately after Drew has the legos unwrapped, he wants to put them together. And his attention to detail on these legos is amazing. He will sit at the table and focus on the assembly without moving until the entire set is complete. Not sure where he gets this skill from . . . . check out his handiwork from the past week.

May the miracle of Christmas bring you happiness and joy!

Waiting for Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 04:43:00 +0000

We are sooo fortunate to have a direct line to the North Pole. Every year, as long as the boys are on the "nice" list (which can be very iffy this close to Christmas), we are blessed with a personal visit from Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus themselves. And for the first time ever, each of our boys anxiously awaited Santa's arrival and jumped on his lap without fear or hesitation! A BIG thank you to Santa and Mrs. Claus for their generous donation of time and love.

I know what I want for Christmas . . . a clean house! Check out the dirty window in the back - urgh!

Santa comes to our house - 2012! from Lauren Niebruegge on Vimeo.

Owen speaks with Santa - 2012 from Lauren Niebruegge on Vimeo.

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Our year of 2012 was very blessed. We enjoyed family togetherness and experienced some milestone events. We went to Gulf Shores, AL for a beach vacation in May; Drew started Kindergarten in August; and Tony and Amy were married in October (and we were all involved in the wedding). To reflect the happy year, we went with a timeline Christmas card to share all of these happy times.

With all three of the boys attending different schools this year, the volume of "teacher" gifts on our Christmas list is almost overwhelming. I have to share this cute idea that I found on Pinterest; I immediately fell in love with it and was determined to recreate it. It is a package of nail supplies (OPI "Bubble Bath Polish," an emory board, etc.) all packaged up with a label, "For your MistleTOES!" LOVE it! Totally practical, fun and budget friendly for volume purchasing!

Like our two oldest boys, the technology bug has bitten Evan (even at his itty bitty age of only 2). He must keep up with his older brothers and he does so by repeating their behaviors; such as, playing games on mommy's kindle. The crazy thing is that he is actually pretty self-sufficient on it. He knows where his games are saved and plays them independently. I LOVE this picture of my little baby kicking back and relaxing on the couch while reading a good book ( . . . .or playing a good game of monster trucks).

The Elf on the Shelf has been fun this year. Our elf has a fun sense of humor and apparently, enjoys playing with the boys' toys. And he likes sports too. And wine. He fits right in.

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We celebrated Christmas early with Dan's family this year and whoa! did the boys hit the jackpot! They are all still very little (as far as I'm concerned) and they were asking for very BIG things. Owen wanted his "very own kindle" (just like mommy's). Drew wanted a Nintendo 3DS (just like Grady's at school). Evan didn't ask for much but wants to play with whatever his older brothers are enjoying.

When Drew opened his 3DS, he was thrilled! He also got "Star War Legos" and the kid could have jumped to the moon. He has declared himself as the "Lego King."

And Owie's dreams were granted as well when he opened up his very own kindle! Holy Moly this kid is only 4 years old and has his very own kindle! I LOVE when his dimples show so distinctively when he smiles . . .

. . . .Unfortunately, Owen's happiness was short-lived once Drew opened the "Star Wars" legos. He was so upset that Drew got "Star Wars" legos and he did not, he decided to spend the ENTIRE day pouting and crying about it. Dan and I were in shock. We could have never anticipated that Owen would respond so poorly to such a generous gift. He actually asked Grandma Darlene, "How come you get Drew all of the cool toys?????" WHAT?????? We had a LONG talk with Mr. Owen later that day. And fast forward to the present time, said kindle has since been returned for a black 3DS. If Drew has a 3DS, then Owen must have one as well. Owen said, "I never really wanted a kindle, Mommy. I was just tricking you."

The family gold mine of electronics that we left with that afternoon. For someone that is not "into" video games (yours truly), it is so fun to play Super Mario Brothers again on the Wii U! Dan bought us 4 controllers so that we can all play together at the same time! We all really enjoy it. A BIG thanks to Grandma Darlene and Grandpa Bob!

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A Fun time with Cousins

Our cousins are so much fun and we love when they come over. This time, when they came over, they got to spend the night! For the first time! We loved it, so we must do it again!

Against Dan's will, I declared it to be "Everyone Paint in the Kitchen Night." Dan doesn't much like it when things get messy or even threaten to be messy. I'm not sure why 5 kids (aged 5 and under) all painting together in our kitchen bothers him . . . .

After painting was over, we got into our jammies and hopped in the van on a search for the most vibrant Christmas lights in town.

We had to place a large order of hot chocolate first!

And since Evan is two (only for a few more days), we must deal with the daily ritual of Evan's displeasure with something (note that I will actually miss his statement, "Mamma, I not like you anymore,"when he grows out of his terrible twos (since I hear it quite often)).

Goodnight to all!

Christmas at School

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 06:01:00 +0000

As parents, we have graduated from our first born's adorable preschool Christmas programs and are now in the BIG time kindergarten programs! At real school. I feel so mature. I can't speak for Dan, but I felt like a very "real" parent and very "motherly" sitting in the audience watching my baby who was surrounded by elementary school aged children and even junior high kids getting ready for their debut. The mother sitting next to me asked me what grade my child was in. "Kindergarten," I said beaming with pride. "He is our oldest." . . . . His name is Drew. . . . And I love him . . . . and I'm so incredibly proud of him. . . . and I'm so happy to be here. And . . . Oh, I should stop talking? They are starting the program now? . . . .

And - wow - what a flashback. Here is our Drew bear singing his little heart out in the SPPCS gym. The same place where where Dan and I both performed our Christmas programs in grade school. The same place that we played sports, participated in school assemblies, where mommy played in the band (be quiet, Dan) and basically, where we grew up. This place definitely warms my heart.

Notice Drew's "steep" casts. These were his last round of casts and really stretched his legs thoroughly. He could hardly stand straight!

SPPCS Kindergarten Program - 2012 from Lauren Niebruegge on Vimeo.

This is one of Drew's best buds (below) whose name is also Drew. He is such a sweet little boy and has been such a good friend to our Drew. Since Drew Niebruegge has had his casts on, he was not able to participate in PE and recess (or anything fun that a 5-year-old boy would like to do). Drew D. was right by his side at school and our Drew never complained of being lonely or being left out. Thank goodness for strong friendships!

For Drew's classroom Christmas party, I sought inspiration from my all-time favorite blog (www.kellehampton.com) and we created a classroom kitchen where every student was a chef! And the recipe? Well, we created reindeer food of course! Every student needed their own apron . . . .

. . . .and we created our own chef hats to finish our ensemble. The ingredients for the reindeer food included: oats (the foundation of every reindeer's diet); hot cocoa (Blitzen is so picky! He only eats things that taste like chocolate); red glitter (for some sparkle for the reindeer to see it from the sky); silver glitter (Comet is colorblind - he can't see the red glitter); flying power (secret magic ingredient that makes reindeer fly that looks a bit like white flour); bread crumbs (gluten-free for Comet, of course) and potato chips (but not too many. Dancer gained 7 pounds from chips last Christmas).

Since Drew knows that mommy likes to take a lot of pictures, he knows the drill. He gives me smiles, but then he also gives me weird faces. Here are the many cute (and funny) faces of Drew!

Now it's Owie's turn. Christmas program #2. At Creative Kids Preschool. As us usual, it delivered.

The program commenced with the Pledge of Allegiance.

Rainbow Room at Creative Kids says the Pledge of Allegiance - 2012 from Lauren Niebruegge on Vimeo.

After a few traditional Christmas songs, we were treated to a more modern take on Christmas. "The Gingerbread Man Rap." Nice shades, Owie! This is adorable!

The Gingerbread Man Rap - Creative Kids Christmas Program - 2012 from Lauren Niebruegge on Vimeo.

Super performances, boys! Get excited for Evan to be in the teddy bear classroom at Creative Kids next year!

Hilary + Elex: St. Louis Wedding Photographer

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Sat, 29 Dec 2012 07:31:00 +0000

Congratulations to the happy couple! Hilary and Elex were joined in Holy Matrimony on 11.03.12 and as you may recall from my engagement session with these two (view the engagement session here), LOVE is in the air! After having spent so much time with these two, it is evident that they are deeply in love and eager to spend their lives together.

Hilary and her family are dear friends of our family and it was a privilege to photograph her wedding day. Hilary and Elex: May the Lord bless your marriage abundantly and may the happiness you both feel on your wedding day last you a lifetime!

Please enjoy your wedding photos! Here are just a few of my favs:

Hilary and Elex and family and friends: I hope that you enjoy the wedding video! The music is set to the couple's wedding song and the video is best viewed in full-screen. Enjoy!

Happy and sad

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 04:26:00 +0000

I just spent over an hour online designing a photo album for a Christmas gift. Pretty embellishments and fabulous layouts. Love it. Almost ready to order when another blog catches my eye. Hmmm . . . I'll just take a moment to view this other blog while my photo creation finishes loading. It will just take a moment and I'll be right back.

What??? My photo book is gone? Gasp! I navigated away for one second and the entire thing is GONE???!!! Urgh! I'm not going to cry. I'm just going to take a deep breath and decide that there are much bigger things in the world to worry about. Since it is now too close to Christmas to get this photo book ordered and I'm not about to even consider starting over, I'm going to sleep on it and come up with a better gift in the morning. My photo book wasn't that great anyway . . . . yes it was.

On to happier thoughts:

I heart Christmas. I love our decorations. They bring such warmth and fullness to our home. I wish Christmas decorations stayed up all year.

My Drew bear is such a good artist and he makes me so proud. He won a coloring contest this fall at school. Look at his name on the list. His name looks so good with the 1st grade and 2nd grade winners. I love him.

His pumpkin is pretty good; no bias, right?

Well, with the good must come the bad. And the trying. And the frustrating. And the joy of having little boys who get notes sent home from their kindergarten teachers for talking about "wieners" at school. OMG. I should be mad and put Drew in timeout for this. I should be embarrassed. But I can't stop laughing. Drew said "wieners." And Mrs. Lowe heard him and then she wrote "wieners" in a note to us. Holy moly I live with 4 boys!

Evan sings Jingle Bells (and he knows all the words) . . .

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 02:43:00 +0000

This will get you in the Christmas spirit!

Drew reads to Grandpa Dave

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 02:14:00 +0000

Our kindergartener is learning to read!

Drew reads to Grandpa Dave (November, 2012) from Lauren Niebruegge on Vimeo.

Our Thanksgiving

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 07:05:00 +0000

I love when the boys bring home art projects from school. They are so thoughtful and crafty and I want to keep each and every one of them to enjoy when our boys grow up to be adults so that we can spend time discussing what each were thinking when they created such masterpieces. In particular, I have a few questions about one of Drew's most recent masterpieces. While I LOVE the "Kissing Hand" book and we've read it many times together at home, I'm curious just how my first born son sees me. In his eyes, apparently, I have the biggest boobs in America. Wow. Dan is a very lucky guy.

Our Thanksgiving was great. I feel very happy, rested and full (probably 8 pounds fuller than I was last Wednesday). We hosted Thanksgiving for Dan's side of the family at our house on Thursday afternoon. Check it out - I made my very first turkey:).

And anyone that knows me well, knows that I enjoy a nicely set table. I have a thing for nice dishes. And flatware. And crystal. And chargers. So Thanksgiving was very enjoyable for me. I got to use my Christmas china AND our wedding china.

The little turkeys had their own table . . . far away from the china!

We started a new tradition at the Mathews Family Thanksgiving this year. We rented out a hall (since we're growing to be too big for anyone to host this fabulous event) and we had a table decorating contest. Each family was to decorate a table and a prize would be awarded to the table that earned the most votes. Check out the Stirnaman Family table (i.e. the winning table for 2012!)

We had so much fun! Thanks to all that put it together and many thanks to Aunt Krissi for making our table shine!

I am grateful for so many things. I pray that the spirit of Thanksgiving will remain in our hearts all year long.