Song of the Week

We decided to add a new function to our blog, a song of the week.  We love music and thought this would be fun.  If you don't want to listen to the music as you peruse our blog, just scroll all the way to the bottom of the page and click the pause button on the player.  Enjoy and have a great weekend!  

Simple Pleasures...

The boys were cracking me up this morning making each other laugh and giggle while they sat and enjoyed suckers. Who knew a simple piece of candy could totally make a little guys day?

Our Weekend

Here are a bunch of pic's of the weekend. Grandma and Grandpa Kelly came to visit us and we had a great time! We kept very busy with going to the Zoo, Chuck E. Cheese, the park, Falls park, church, and out to dinner one night. Though it's always sad to see Grandparents leave to head home, lately it has been very hard on Marcus. He is getting to the age where he not only understands the distance of where we are in comparison to family, but he also understands time a little better...we talked a l0t today after they left about it being ok to be sad and that it's ok to cry. We told him we would be moving closer to Grandparents in just two months, but to a 3 yr old two months probably seems like an eternity.

A Few Funnies...

I thought these pic's were kind of cute...I was cleaning up the kitchen after breakfast and came into the living room to see Marcus sitting on the couch with his bike helmet on... I guess you can never be too careful watching an episode of Caillou!

Yesterday morning I was in the bathroom getting ready. Marcus came in and gave me a little purple hair clip. He told me, "MOM, nook at what I found under my kitchen set. It nooks nike a nittle dirls hair cripper." (It was just so cute how he didn't know what it was called, and how he can't say "L" words or the word "girl" very clearly yet) We decided it must be either Meghan or Kaitlyn's since they are the only little girls who have ever visited here. So girls, we'll send that home with Grandma and Grandpa Kelly this weekend.

Speaking of speech not being clear...the twins still don't say too much. Well, Carson every once in a while will try a word or two. The one thing we figured out this week that Carson says is "Dole". This means, Cole. He says it whenever his brother is not in close proximity to him, he'll get up and start looking for him and yell Dole!Dole!! Cole is keeping his lips sealed...except for this lisp like thing he uses after all jibber jabber. We're not sure what that is all about. We're not real concerned yet with the lack of speech. It helps to make them seem more like our babies still too.

Signs of Summer

Cole
Cole resting after church
Carson resting
Marcus being funny

The boys with Grandma Ballew
The boys singing and counting with Grandma Ballew
Cole
Carson
Marcus

One thing that is becoming very clear is that summer is here! Friday was the last day of school for the kids here in Sioux Falls...even though we had plenty of snow, they didn't take any snow days so they actually get out before June! Now there is an abundance of kids playing in the neighborhood, the trees are blooming so beautiful, the parks are full of families, and the boys are in shorts everyday and want to be barefooted most of the time. This week we got a call from our Landlady wanting to know if it would be ok for people to call us and ask questions about the property...she said lots of people are looking for rentals for next year and she wanted to know if we have our move date scheduled yet. WOW...yes, moving time will be here before we know it! We rented the moving truck and everything is set for Aug 9. Now it's time to get my brain in gear and start to prepare for that a little. ALL of these things tell me it's time for summer! Yeah!!! A couple of the pictures above are from last weekend when we were in KC with my parents, and the rest are just of the boys goofing off this morning when we got back from church. Have a happy Sunday!

Please Pray

Tonight we received a call about a friend and classmate of Levi's.  His 8 month old baby boy died today at daycare.  Details are unknown at this time.  Our hearts are breaking for this sweet family, and we would like for you to join us in praying for the Edwards family.  

Maven Gregory Ballew

Maven and his Daddy

Our nephew Maven Gregory Ballew was born yesterday (May 7) at 3:00. He is 6 lbs 12 oz and was 20 inches long. He has a little bit of light colored hair, and actually reminds me A LOT of Greg (my brother) when he was born. He is absolutely adorable! We made it in town last night around 9:30 and got to go up to the hospital this morning to see them. Marcus was talking a big game about being able to hold him and was all excited. Well the time came for him to hold the baby and he wasn't really into it...then all the way down the hall as we were leaving, "but MOM, I didn't even get to hold him!" (typical 3 yr old indecisiveness) Greg and Alexis looked great, had a good night and are looking forward to getting him home. I absolutely loved holding him...really, I didn't want to give him back! Maven is a precious gift to us all!

Our nephew is about to be born!

My brother and his wife Alexis are expecting their first child at any time...literally.  This morning Greg called me from the hospital and said Alexis is doing well.  She was having some real back pain, as she has a bad back anyway, and was sick to her stomach but was looking forward to the epidural. I just talked to her a few minutes ago after she had the epidural, she sounded very relaxed and comfortable, and was trying to get some rest before the delivery begins.  She was dilated to a 5 so hopefully it won't be too much longer before baby Maven makes his way into the world.  Please join us in praying for Alexis and the baby today, and for the whole family as they adjust to being a family of 3.  Greg sounded very excited but also very tired...they had been up all night, and to the hospital a few times since yesterday.  This time they are staying! :)  Every time a baby is born we are reminded of the miracle of birth, and thank God for this amazing gift.  We can't wait to welcome baby Maven into the Ballew family!

CRASH and BURN

Today has been a rough day for the little guys, it seemed like every 5 minutes someone was getting hurt. We were outside playing and Cole (a.k.a. BURN) tripped and skidded across the concrete on his forehead...pictured above. Then Carson (a.k.a. CRASH) was running through the house and tripped and smacked his head right on the corner of a door facing...also pictured above but actually looks better in the pic than in real life. It looks like the size of half an egg sticking out of his face. Some ice, a few tears, and lots of hugs/kisses later and they were off and running again like nothing had happened. They seriously look like we beat them! I just want to cry for them when they get hurt.

Clinicals, Parks, Kites, and Hikes...

Man down...

Cole
Carson The Kelly kids
The Hikers
Meghan helping Marcus
Carson and Papa walking through the woods
Sweet Ryan enjoying a swing

Anxious for the hike...not really, they don't know what a hike is...
Hanging out with Papa

Throwing leaves
Carson being goofy

Flying Kites in the yard
Cole giving Ryan the ride of his life I'm sure...

The twins with Papa Kelly
Marcus trying to fly a kite

Cole focused on the task at hand
Carson posing for me
Sweet Kaitlyn
Cute baby Ryan
Sweet Meghan

Marcus and the girls
Cole
Carson upside down with Aunt Deann
Carson
Ryan

Meghans birthday party
Party time
The twins just before a meltdown...story of our life these days! :)

We got back to South Dakota last night after a week of being in Kirksville for clinical rotations. Levi really enjoyed the week in surgery and was even able to run several cases from start to finish on his own (with supervision of course). I think he's really looking forward to getting this summer semester over with so that he can move on to clinical rotations full time starting in August. Summer semester starts tomorrow, I can't believe how fast time is going by.

While in Kirksville we stayed with Levi's parents and visited David, Deann, and family a lot. It was a great time for all the kids to get to play together and enjoy spending time together. We celebrated Meghan's 7th birthday while we were there, went to a couple parks, flew kites, and took all the kids on a hike a the lake. Levi and I also were able to view our duplex that we will be renting starting in August, AND meet our new neighbors who are really nice people and also have two little boys (one is a year older than Marcus and the other is a month older than the twins). They actually knew we were coming in town and had us over to meet them and visit, made us cookies, and really welcomed us. Their kindness was/is a real blessing to us. He is a med student and she stays home with their two boys...kind of neat that we are all sort of in the same situation. (in MANY ways) While we were there Cole fell down the stairs (a few steps...it's not conclusive if he was pushed or pulled down...but we know he didn't just fall), we were almost hit with a light sabor several times, and Cole was walking through their family room eating chips that he just helped himself to off of their kitchen table...It's nice to know how similar their household of boys is to ours, and that no one thought a thing about any of the chaos going on while we were trying to visit...I guess you could say this is just "normal" for us, and "normal" for them...and in a way, it was refreshing. It is funny how when Levi and I feel worn down by the kids and school as much as we think we can take, then start to think,"now who thought this whole grad school with three little boys would be a good thing" thought creeps into our minds...God shows us something that again reminds us that we are right where he wants us to be and that He is faithful to see us through and give us strength for each day. THAT in a nutshell is the biggest thing I got out of this week, renewed assurance that we are following God's plan for our lives. Where we are, and where we are going, He is there, and He is ALL over it.

Well, here are a LOT of pic's of our week...enjoy!