New year, new fun!

My wee ones! McKenna loves being the big sister and Lila is unsure of this little sister status:)

        So it is a new year and my little girlies are growing! McKenna is two and she is the busiest little thing I know.  I consider myself a friendly outgoing person who enjoys conversation but my oldest child puts me to shame! She wakes up talking and goes to bed talking. The only time she is quiet is when she is sleeping, however, she has been known to talk in her sleep.... And yell in her sleep, and sometimes kick walls. The big booger as I have come to call her has learned so many new tricks some good and some I would rather she forget. Lately she has been strategizing on how to prolong the act of going to bed. Her newest tactic has been : momma (after her story and after prayer) yes McKenna, hmmmmmm let me see, McKenna,  oh I forgot I missin somethin, I respond with okay what are you missing? Well, then we go through a list of items that are usually already on her bed until she can think of something to request that I would have to go get.  At this point I am explaining why she can't sleep with her ceramic hippo bank, her brush, or Lila. Jeff is much better at cutting her off and informing her that she has to stop. I'm not so good at that and part of it is that I admire her creativity! It's entertaining to me to see what she can come with! But I am trying to be better at setting limits on what she could possibly be missin:) Besides her constant chatter she also goes non-stop unless she is watching one of her "me tv's " my McKenna does not like to be still. A point that she drove home in December when she was upfront at church with the others kids listening to the children's story and promptly fell off the stage into the pastor's guitar. No real damage was done except maybe to her pride and my nerves.  Everyday is an adventure here and I'm thankful, we may be busy, tired and sometimes feel stretched beyond limits but we are never bored! McKenna is growing up so fast and though there are days when I think if I hear"hold me mama hold me mama, hold me mamma," one more time I may explode I try to remember that there will come a day when she won't want me to hold her, and then there will be a day when I can't hold her. Jeff tries to remember this too after he has changed all the batteries in the pile of toys McKenna has collected for him to fix. In her mind daddy fixes everything, he is her fixer. One day she will start to fix things for herself, so I know these, while sometimes frustrating, are precious days with our toddler.
         Now Lila or little booger is such a mess! She is another mover and shaker! Will I ever have a laid back, take it easy child?! Little bit is in a "mommy is my whole world" phase so this can get a little tiring at times but sometimes it secretly pleases me that she wants me and only me! Lila is also one of the happiest babies I have ever met! She always has a smile for people and doesn't mind hugs kisses and squeezes! Her laugh is so contagious and the way she lights up when McKenna comes into the room melts my mother's heart. I love that she loves her sister and for the most part the love is returned. Lila is officially crawling now and just today gave herself a bloody lip when she crawled into the dining room bench. But she didn't cry about it and until I saw blood on her face I was unaware that there was a problem. Mother of the year I know. Little booger also likes to be in on the action, if McKenna and Jeff are wrestling anywhere near her she lets them know if she is feeling left out and now that she can crawl she physically lets them know that she wants in on the fun. By the way some of you may know this but Lila is my sleeper:) that's right this little girl likes her sleep and can I get an amen?! She goes to bed at 8 when McKenna does and does not usually wake up till 8 or 9! Now moms I know comments like this used to drive me crazy when I had McKenna but I feel that since I have one who likes to wake up at the crack of dawn, I have earned some celebration rights  with my sleeper baby! So hang in there, there is hope for you and yours as well. Oh yeah and Lila is also in the I'm starting to figure out what I want stage so if you don't give it to me I am going to reduce you and myself to tears. Good times let me tell you, a few of her dislikes: the changing table, being put on the floor or in any toy (she prefers to be held of course), and my favorite, absolute hatred for taking any type of medicine. Which brings me to the next thing about Lila, she has some allergy issues. This kid has broken out into a patchy rash all over her trunk front and back. After a couple of visits to her doctor, switching all her baby food, and losing countless hours of sleep, pondering all the possible allergy connections, all we know is that it is an allergy probably something she is eating and medicine does make it go away, if you can get it in her. So right now her rash is gone but the search continues for the cause.
         Not much new with me except that I have been exploring the recipe world and actually plan to share some amazing things that have I been cooking up in my kitchen. But please don't sit on the edge of your seat we all know I'm about as consistent at blogging as winter is in MS! So hopefully I will be sharing soon! Until next time here are some pics of my crazy girls!

McKenna loves to show her little sister affection, of course I think Lila sometimes feels like it is affliction:)

Our MS snow day! McKenna lost a snowball fight with her daddy, but she didn't seem to mind!

My crazy, zany, gorgeous McKenna!

So super confident, she had the present thing all figured out!

This girl cracks me up all the time!

Beautiful Lila! Such a happy baby! She can make anybody smile!

And then there were FOUR!

McKenna wanted to hold her all by herself.  The child cried every time someone else held "her baby"!

        So it hasn't quite been a year since I blogged! At least I have an excellent excuse, and her name is Lila Sommers Troyer.  Lila joined our family on July 2nd around 12:27 pm after about 5 short hours of labor, weighing in at 8pds 9oz and life has gotten busier but also sweeter.  McKenna is loving being a big sister most of the time and now refers to Lila as either baby, my baby, baby Lila, or occasionally booger.  The last one is completely our fault but it makes us laugh like crazy to hear McKenna call her that! Our little Lila is named after her Memaw's (Jeff's mom) maiden name which is Sommers. The name Lila is one that Jeff and I have liked for a while but we were questioning it up until the end. But when I saw all that dark hair on her head when she was born I knew Lila was the right name, (her name means dark-haired beauty and God's free will).  
       Now becoming a mom of two definitely has its challenges, some days I feel like I have accomplished a lot just by getting everyone dressed and fed! But there are also those moments where McKenna will ask to hold her baby sister and you see the love she already has for her and all seems right with world. The other night I was starting dinner, Lila was slightly fussy so Jeff was dealing with her while McKenna was busy coloring, well things couldn't stay that smooth for long.  Soon Lila had slightly escalated in her fussiness, McKenna had tripped and now had a boo boo that was unable to be consoled easily, Jeff got a phone call, and I was burning dinner.  As I was rocking the fussy baby and holding the toddler in my lap at the same time watching my husband trying to hear what someone was saying on the phone, and getting whiffs from the kitchen that the chicken was done ten minutes ago, I just had to smile.  It can get crazy in an instant and it is easy to get crazy with it, but in that moment God gave me peace amidst my chaos.  I got a glimpse in that moment, that you know what? Dinner is replaceable even if we have sandwiches, my family really won't care.  What does matter is that my toddler knows that she is important to me and no matter how small the boo boo is it deserves the time it takes for a kiss. It is important that my two month old be comforted even if all she really wants to know is that she is not alone in this crazy place. Those things matter and I am thankful that in that moment God helped me see that.  Left to my own devices in that situation, there could have been frustration that would have left me feeling defeated and my family upset.  So I am thankful for crazy moments where the good Lord helps me learn more about Him and His love for us.  
   LILA:  Lila is now a big 13 pds and growing more everyday!  She is trying to roll over and holds her head up like a champ!  I'm constantly amazed at how different she can be from McKenna and yet how similar she can appear to her at the same time!  Lila has big blue eyes like her sister but her jet black hair is all her own.  Little Lila loves balloons, she will watch them so close and she seems to get tickled by McKenna too.  She will just giggle and giggle when McKenna comes up to her and goes awwww sweet baby awwww!  Our newest munchkin brings so much delight and awe into our lives, we are so thankful for her.
   McKenna:  McKenna is now 2 years old!! I don't know what happened, one minute I'm holding my little booger and in the next minute she is running around talking about 90 miles an hour!  McKenna loves stickers, toodles, and animals of all kinds!  She loves to sing and even tries to in church.  Booger loves to swim, though she calls it "Kick, Kick, Paddle, Paddle"  and at our last beach trip she took the ocean by storm!  I can't believe how much she has grown, and what a little character she is becoming.  She is so much fun to watch and she is definitely forming her own opinions on things now.  We are working on "losing" the passy right now.  She only gets it at nap times and bed time, but that doesn't stop her from asking for it and searching the house to see if she can find it! McKenna has such a steadfast way about her, if she makes up her mind and commits to something then you will have a hard time convincing her to change her path! 
    Both our girls are growing up so fast and changing so much everyday.  I am truly blessed in that I get to be home with my girls and see all of their firsts.  I'm so thankful for them and my awesome husband  who takes such good care of all us.  Hopefully I will write another post before next September!!

MeMe and Memaw with the newest little lady!

We just love this little girl!

Wide eyed and ready to take on the world!

I hope they always hold each other this close.

McKenna and her cowboy boots that we have to wear all the time:)

      

And we continue....

So it has been forever since I have blogged! I thought I should catch this site up on all of the happenings in the Troyer household over the past few months, and there have been a lot!  First off as most of you know we are expecting our 2nd child in July and we are so excited.  We have been talking to McKenna about her little sibling but I'm pretty sure she is still in the dark for the most part.  She likes babies for the most part, so we are hoping for the best, and praying for a "smooth as possible" transition for her. We will just have to see how it goes.  We found out in Feb. that our baby is a little girl, well we actually got an 80% probability that it is a girl.  So I'm not planning too much yet, just in case:)  We had a little gender reveal party with our family and it was so much fun.  Our baker surprised us with an 80% cake. It was 80% pink and 20% blue!  We were all surprised and a little confused by the cake at first but Jeff soon explained it to us. He was the first to figure it out of course.  Anyway I am excited at the possibility of Mckenna having a little sister:)
      McKenna herself is growing and growing! She is 33 pounds of cuteness and 32.5 in. tall according to her last well baby check-up.  Booger's vocabulary grows everyday as she tries to say everything that she hears, and she is growing increasingly better at expressing her opinion on everything that matters to her.  McKenna loves to "sing" and when she is just walking around trying to decide what to play with she is usually "singing" to herself.  Her favorite cartoon is still Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on Disney of course she calls it Toodles because she can say that word and the little computerized mouse head named Toodles on the show seems to be her favorite character, go figure.  It is hard to tell what her favorite foods are because she eats most things.  She loves fruit of all kinds and noodles the best I think, but I am thankful that I don't have a really picky eater. She does have a favorite snack, which are fruit smiles from Wal-Mart.  They are her absolute favorite and we hear, "Nack?" quite often throughout the day.  While McKenna continues to grow and delight us with all of her new accomplishments she has also developed the ability to stomp her feet and throw a fit.  It is  not so delightful for anyone, and the number of times she attempts these fits is decreasing as she learns that no good can come from those actions.  The booger has a Barbie Jeep and she can actually drive it! As soon as she learned that pushing the pedal makes it go we can't stop her! I think she would drive all around the lake if the car would go that far!  Our little girl prefers the outdoors any day and always wants to go bye bye in her words:) We are looking forward to this summer with her and how much fun she is going to have at the pool.  I am including some pictures from our gender reveal party and Easter, it is crazy how much McKenna has grown!

Peace that surpasses understanding

   I have heard this verse before, but it has really hit home this last month.  The verse reads, "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus". Phill. 4:7  I am clinging to this verse and also praying it over a family that is very near to losing one of their own to cancer.  Shannon Reynolds Smith was my RA for a year while I was at Bryan and then one summer we were roommates while we worked at Bryan.  I learned recently that she is nearing the end of her battle with cancer.  Shannon is young, a wife, a daughter and a mother to a precious little boy.  In April Shannon's family lost her mother to cancer and now her life is ending.  There is no understanding in my heart. So I am praying for peace that surpasses understanding.
     This past week has been tough for the Troyer family.  My husband's grandfather recently passed away and the legacy he has left behind is such an amazing testimony of God's faithfulness.  I did not have the opportunity to know him for very long, but I knew him well enough to know that when he saw Jesus he was greeted by the words," Well done my good and faithful servant".  Grandpa Troyer has touched so many lives in so many ways; I think of how he has impacted my life.  If it were not for Grandpa Troyer being obedient to the calling of the Lord, I would probably not be married to Jeff. You see Andy set an example of following God no matter the cost, I believe this example is what enabled his children to listen closely to the voice of God and his will in their lives. In 1972 God called my father-in-law to the state of MS, this would take him and his wife a long way away from their families.  But my father-in-law was obedient despite the sacrifice required.  I believe there were many blessings bestowed upon his family for his obedience, but one that was given to me was the privilege of marrying his oldest son Jeff.  God's plan is so intricate and beautiful, even if there is hurt and pain involved sometimes.  When Grandpa Troyer left the Amish church following God's leading he set in to motion events that would change my life for the better and for that I will be eternally grateful. 

  These are things that I must cling to when I can find no understanding in my heart. God's plan is so much greater than my own, my own life is evidence to that fact. 


Pics of McKenna with her Great Grandparents before Aunt Lisa's wedding in Ohio.

McKenna loves to put her hands in your mouth!!

Saying hello

Becoming friends

Love them all

This makes my heart smile.

Booger, beach, birthday and first time mom freak-out

  It has been a while since I have written, but we sure have been busy.  McKenna has officially turned one! She has now said goodbye to her baby days and hello to toddlerhood.  Booger is now running circles around us and she took those skills to the beach on our vacation in September.  I wish you all could have seen her, she loved it! She was fearless when it came to the water and the waves.  Part of me wishes she had a little more fear, just for safety, but it was great to see that she has an adventurous side that is hard to daunt. The salt did not seem to bother her as she ran into the water and splashed around. We had such a good time just watching her as she explored her new world.  We were there for a few days and when we got back we prepared for McKenna's first birthday party! It was an owl-themed party, Look Hooos One, and it was so much fun to decorate and plan.  We had it at McKenna's Memaw and Baw Baw's house and i think McKenna had a blast. Booger was so blessed by family and friends and she really loved her cake!  I have plenty of pictures I will be posting of this event!  Well now that you are caught up on the past few weeks I have to post about my latest scare with the booger.  Last Friday I took McKenna to the doctor because she had been running a fever of about 102 since Thursday, and while I could get it down I couldn't get it to break.  Knowing how prone to strep she is (four times before she was 1) I decided to take her to the doctor the next day.  Well we found out that day that she did not have strep but a virus, which meant fluids, rest (how do you get a super active toddler to rest I ask you?!) and motrin for the fever. So Saturday came and we just spent the day at home pumping fluids and giving motrin for the fever which was decreasing.  By Saturday night Mckenna was feeling much better and her fever was down to about 100.  On Sunday we decided to take Mckenna to her cousins' rodeo since she was doing much better.  She made a little friend there as you will see by the pictures and had a great time looking at the horseys! Well that brings us to Monday, the day i decided to do my grocery shopping and take McKenna with me since her fever had broken and she was feeling so much better.  So there we were at Kroger going up and down the aisles just taking our time, when McKenna starts to get really fussy, this is really unlike her, especially in the grocery store because she normally likes the whole experience. Well the next thing I know, booger is scratching her head, pulling her hair and crying uncontrollably.  As soon as I pick her up I notice a rash on her face and on her scalp.  So trying not to show how scared I was I quickly push my cart to checkout, pay for the groceries I got and rush to the car.  I call her doctor and they tell me just to bring her on to the office. So we get there and as soon as the doctor sees her he says, Roseola.  Which come to find out is a virus that has a high fever, when the fever breaks a rash will form.  Good to know.  So we got some medicine for the itching and are now good as new.  Thank Goodness. Oh the things I am learning as McKenna's mommy!  
       Oh and in other news the munchkin now says Hot!, points to herself when you ask where is McKenna?, and she really understands the word Go.  As a warning if you are near McKenna and happen to say the word go or ask her if she wants to go, you need to be prepared that she will run to the door in anticipation of getting to go.  If this does not happen she will usually be reduced to tears and get quite upset. 

Pics of her latest adventures:

Did not really like her hat!

She makes this face, thanks to her daddy

Too Cute!

Ready to ride the horses!

Her first little cowboy friend!

He liked her a lot!

They had a lot of fun!

Podgie (to those who remember)

      I once knew a little boy who might have been the most stubborn, aggravating, and frustrating little boy in the world.  He was also the most loyal, steadfast, and generous kid you could ever run into.  These contradicting qualities could drive you crazy one minute and endear you to him forever the next.  This little boy terrorized his big sister often, bless her heart.  He had a way of getting under her skin and pushing her to her limits.  Most siblings go through periods of squabbling but these two could put most brother/sister teams to shame.  Their "high-spirited" activity was notorious and could make any babysitter shake in her boots.  And yet you couldn't find two more loyally devoted siblings.  That little boy would would do anything for his sister, and did on many an occasion.  One time they were playing with knives, (yes knives and yes they knew better but those marble handled Cutco creations just called to them), and the sister of course, had an accident.  She sliced open the skin between her thumb and finger.  It was a mess, blood was everywhere, and now there was the possibility of getting into some big time trouble.  But this pair was not discouraged, they quickly cleaned up the mess bandaged the hand then ran down to the barn to concoct a story that had to do with an old nail and a hay loft.  The little brother was concerned because the wound looked pretty bad but he had his sister's back and would go along with it.  So they told their lie and escaped the trouble they were dreading.  Don't worry the story doesn't end there, they learned their lesson.  The hand was taking some time to heal and the parents got to thinking that if the nail was old and rusty then there should be a TETANUS shot.  The pair had not taken this into consideration.  So off the kiddos went to the Emergency room with their grandmother so that the sister could get her shot and the hand looked at.  No one likes shots and the dear girl was no different, but she sat there bravely and decided that there was no going back.  The poor brother though was almost in tears as he sat beside her and whispered to her "tell the truth, just tell the truth!!".  But that secret they kept between them until they were both in their twenties! But those knives were never played with again. 
            These kids knew what it meant to stick together and that lesson came in handy throughout their growing up years.  Their parents divorced when they were young and just going through all of that brought them closer.  I think of that little boy now and how much he was there for his big sister.  He was there every Christmas Eve when they were little, camping out in her room listening to old Christmas records and talking about their dreams. He was there for all the games and events she was in, he rarely missed one.  He was there the day she graduated from high school, he helped move her to college, he was there for her first broken heart offering words of comfort and a shoulder to cry on. He was there when she was too sick to drive home, he came and got her.  He was there when she took a step of independence and went away for a summer he helped her pack her bags, he was there when she graduated college, and also there when she moved away he again helped her move.  He was there when she worried about making rent, he loaned her the money, just in case.  He was there when she got her first "real" job, he helped her celebrate.  He was there when she brought, "the one" home and gave his approval.  He was there when she said her vows, and a little over a year later he was there the night his first niece came into the world, ready to take his turn to hold her.  He was always there.
           Now that little boy is a man, and a good one at that.  He has decided to dedicate his life to defending our country and our people.  He has become a soldier.  I believe this career choice makes sense for him, in a way he has always been a soldier, defending and protecting those that needed it, those he loves, while living his life the best way he knows how.  He at this moment is on his way to South Korea for a year, a whole year. 
       

                  I'm really going to miss my little brother.



          

A Year........wow

   Thats right my little girl will be one in just a couple of weeks and I have no clue how that happened.  I'm not sure how time got away from me; it seems I blinked and there she was walking around chattering to herself.  It is bittersweet I believe, my baby is not so much a baby anymore, she is a toddler, and a full fledged one at that.  I'm so glad that she is growing and becoming who God created her to be, but there is that trickle of sadness as I watch her move at lightening speed through her babyhood.  I want to tell her to slow down, to enjoy this stage a little longer, to let me enjoy this stage a little longer. McKenna is a go-getter, she seldom sits still and is always ready for action. I love these qualities about her, but right now I want her to slow down a little, let me hold her a little longer, let me take full stock of her in all her glory as a baby so I never forget it.  Selfish? Yes, I know, but perhaps other moms out there can relate.  I would never hold her back from growing up, but I will blog how I feel about it:)  Now that I have got all of that out, I  must say I am truly fascinated with McKenna's growing up process.  Well to be honest there are other feelings that go along with the fascination and they would be frustration, happiness, and exasperation.  The girl can make you feel all of these in about a minutes time.  She is a wonder.  I watched the other day as she grabbed one of her play buckets put it on the floor, then preceded to go get one of her books and prop it up on the bucket, while she looked at it! I believe I laughed out loud! She loves books, all books, she is not partial, and magazines count.  One of her daddy's Cabela's magazines suffered dearly at the hands (and mouth) of McKenna before it was rescued only to realize it had to be put to rest in the garbage, it was too far gone.  The booger is still continuing her war with the dishwasher, so far she has not made much headway; she is also currently going through a climbing stage, this so far has not been to her advantage, it just means she has discovered a new level of stuff she is not allowed to have.  It also seems that we have a munchkin who likes to break it down, you turn on any music and she is stomping her foot, and grooving to the beat, it is quite hilarious.  McKenna is also improving her communication skills by raising her voice when she wants something, and if you do not guess right she will go up another octave, this will continue until you get it right or she is reduced to tears because you simply will not cooperate.  We are working on this but she is quite dedicated to the task of educating us all on what it is exactly that she wants.  Oh and I can't forget that her new signal to let us know that she is hungry consists of her climbing her highchair and then hanging on by her fingernails while she yells ma, ma, ma, ma, ma, ma, mama!!! She is oh so talented:)

My days are so busy with my little motorboat McKenna, but I wouldn't have it any other way.  I treasure the times, when she gets a book and backs her little booty up to me so I will read it to her. I love when she laughs out loud and giggles uncontrollably, and on the same note I love that when she is sad or hurt she wants me because she trusts that her mommy will fix it.  The words "childlike faith" have new meaning when you see it in the eyes of your child. 

I feel like this has been an awesome year, McKenna and I have come so far.  We have both grown in different ways and we have grown together.  I remember the stressed out mom with a fussy baby, the mom who was a nervous wreck about what her baby ate and when she ate it and worried constantly.  The mom who had to learn to trust herself and the role that God gave her.  I also remember the fussy baby, the baby who was desperately trying to find her way in the world, the munchkin to first time parents, who slept little and ate a lot.  All I can say is "To God be the glory great things he hath done"


Pics of Booger in her first year:

New to the world!!!

1st Month still a little unsure about this place!

2nd Month Chunky Cheeks!

3rd month and First Christmas!

4th month Eating choc chip cookies with uncle Clint

5th Month She was always calm in the bathtub, loves water:) Started crawling this month!

6th month Loves riding in the car!

7th Month Saying goodbye to Uncle Clint:(

8th month Aunt Lisa's wedding spending time with Grandma and Grandpa Troyer

9 months!! What a mess! Started walking this month!!

10 months and lots of personality!

We haven't put August pics on the computer yet so month 11 will have to wait!! But she has grown and changed so much!!