2011 in a few words

2011 has been a year of high-highs and low-lows...

August 12 marked the high-high for us.

Joel Thorne entered our world.

October 26 marked the low-low.

Pancho Duran Senior exited our world.

We are so thankful he entered the heavenly realm with His Savior

and Lord where we will see him again.

As we leave 2011 and look into 2012, we are prompted

to reflect on God's faithfulness.

From the high-highs to the low-lows

He has remained faithful.

Thank You, God, for Your faithfulness

through it all.

We look forward to experiencing You again in 2012.

Happy NYE!

We are going to celebrate NYE

(New Year's Eve)

as a family of 5 this evening.

Well, we are going to start at 1:00 so that we can

end a few hours before midnight

since the kids won't do that well staying up till 12:00.

Actually, they would probably do better than Pancho and I!

I found several ideas on pinterest of fun things to

do with your kids and Pancho and I decided to

implement some of them, hoping they will

become long-standing NYE traditions around here.

We have a colored lunch bag for every hour from 1:00 PM to 10:00 PM.

Inside each lunch sack we have included an activity.

Here are our 2011 end-of-the-year festivities:

1:00 Decorate the entryway between the dining room and living room with streamers and balloons

2:00 Play with your toys in "snow" (we will make the snow!)

3:00 Let's play BINGO

4:00 Let's play with marshmallow shooters

5:00 You are invited to dinner with Papa and Mama at Noodles and Co.

6:00 NYE interview (at Noodles)

7:00 Put on your pajamas and we are going to watch a DVD with popcorn

8:00 Intermission snack (Kit Kats -- their favorite snack)

9:00 Dance party and LEGO fun

10:00 Glow bracelets for bedtime and tomorrow morning we

will welcome in the new year with a special 2012 breakfast!

I hope to take pictures throughout the festivities, but alas, with

three kids and all the fun we will be having, I am not

holding my breath on that one!

Happy NYE to you and yours!

See you next year!

4 Month Comparison

Here they are at 4 months...

Any thoughts?

Just for fun, here are their weights at 4 months:

Katrina 10 pounds

Samuel 15 pounds

Joel 15 pounds



Milestones

We have hit some milestones in the Duran home during December...

December 23rd marked the day Katrina lost her first tooth!

She has had a lower center tooth loose for about 2 weeks.

Friday evening, at the Gehring family Christmas celebration,

at the dining room table no less, Katrina's tooth simply fell out.

She was wiggling it a bit, but not enough to make it hurt,

and it fell onto the table!

It was so special that it happened with family gathered round.

Samuel has accomplished TWO milestones recently.

He gave up his chupi in November and December 2011

marks the month Samuel was potty-trained.

We are so thankful he is making big boy choices!

And Joel-ito (as we endearingly call our littlest guy)

has begun to eat rice cereal.

He has had it a few times and is getting used to

the idea of swallowing solids.

He seems to enjoy it.

Katrina loved feeding him on Christmas Eve!

The kids are growing up and we are doing our best

to capitalize on these moments and special memories.

Feliz Navidad

... de los Duran

Stickers

While doing school today Katrina was

earning many stickers for her hard work.

At one point we were working on onset and rime.

For those of you out there not sure what that is,

it's basically the first sound of a word and then the

rest of the word.

She is working on figuring out words when I

say the first sound and the rest and she is also

working on breaking down words that I give her.

So, as she was doing an excellent job she simply said,

"Mama, if I keep doing good you will have to put

a sticker on my face."

I busted out laughing.

It makes complete sense, doesn't it?

Tell Me Another One, Grandpa

Last night my dad came to eat dinner with us

while my mom enjoyed a night out with some friends.

After dinner Samuel got up into Grandpa's lap

and began asking for stories.

If you know my dad at all, you know he is

an incredible story teller.

In fact, he used to entertain my brothers and I

all the way to and from our family's up-north cabin

(a 2 hour ride) nearly every week.

So, he was prepared for story telling.

What he was not prepared for was the type of stories

Samuel was requesting.

You see, my dad has thousands

 (I am almost serious about the number being in the thousands)

about hunting and fishing.

But Samuel was requesting stories about

snow blowers and lawn mowers.

Well, being the superb grandpa that he is,

my dad figured out how to make many of his stories

into snow blower or lawn mower stories.

He didn't change the stories, he simply started them a little

earlier than he normally would.

For example...

"One time, Sam, I mowed the grass and then our family

went away for the day.

When we got home our neighbors came running over, all

excited. While we were gone our dog caught a snake in our

yard and killed it!"

Samuel was absolutely enthralled with Grandpa's stories.

Look at how intently he was watching my dad.

Isn't that adorable?

And like I already mentioned, he is such a great grandpa

that he said the next day,

"I'm starting to think about more snow blower and lawn

mower stories for the next time Sam asks me for one."

Thanks, Dad!

For such a time as this

For years and years I have dreamed of these days.

As a young girl all I ever wanted to be

was a wife and a mama.

I loved pretend play and I would play

hour after hour that I was a wife and a mama.

And now, all these years later,

I am just that.

Earlier this week I was thinking and praying

and with the Lord's help I realized that my dreams,

my deepest desires, have become my reality.

And I was challenged to seize these days.

For such a time as this I was created.

For such a time as this I was designed.

For such a time as this I was destined.

What a gift.

An incredible gift.

Lord Jesus,

Thank You that for such a time as this I was designed.

Help me, Jesus, to savor these moments as they slip by

all too quickly.

Help me to see as trophies, as a dear discipler shared this week,

the piles of toys on the living room floor

and dishes next to the sink because I am investing

in the three biggest miracles of my life:

Katrina, Samuel and Joel.

Remind me to sow seeds of Your truth and Your love into their

lives on a daily basis, Lord.

Amen.

Hands

If all the fathers in the world held out their hand in friendship,

your's is the one I'd hold.

We are going to be facilitating a Sunday School

beginning this Sunday.

We are going to go through the Dr. Dobson DVD series

Bringing Up Boys.

We love our boys.

Both of us do.

(And of course we love Katrina too!)

I am convinced that the Lord gave us two boys,

our two boys, Samuel and Joel,

because Pancho is the best papa for these

two miracles.

As I see Pancho interacting with

Samuel and Joel I give praise to our Lord

that He chose Pancho for me and for Katrina.

I give special praise during these days that we are

 thinking about raising boys

 that He chose him for

Samuel and Joel.

Tu eres el mejor papa para nuestros hijos, Pancho.

Tu has aprendido de tu papa y mejor aun de tu Papa celestial.

Le doy gracias a Dios que tu quieres criar a tus hijos

en los caminos del Senor.

Te amo mas que nunca.

Vivid Memories

I read a quote recently...

"The most vivid memories of Christmases past are usually not

of gifts given or received, ... but of the cherished little habits

of the home."

Friday morning we were on a mission.

A mission to get our tree.

We serached the internet for local cut-your-own

tree farms as we have not found one that we totally love as of yet.

This year we may have found that one.

We found a place called Highland Trees and set the GPS to take us there.

We arrived and were offered a ride to the "cutting area"

on the tractor's wagon, a luxury since we had

three small children in tow.

The big kids had a blast tromping through the woods,

looking for the perfect tree.

We decided on a blue spruce and Pancho and Samuel

used their saws to cut it down.

(Samuel took his saw too, of course!)

Katrina joined them under the tree right before they

worked their way through the trunk.

Pancho dragged the tree back to the road and we

waited for the wagon to pick us up.

Joel woke up in the meantime and was ready to eat.

That's the great thing about being the third born, you get to

eat a bottle out in the woods while the rest of your family searches

for a tree!

(on a side note, I simply love the way I am SO much more

relaxed with Joel than I was with Katrina and even

with Samuel!)

The wagon picked us up and we went to get the tree "baled."

Then we headed inside to sip on some hot cider.

It was a great time outside. Shortly after we arrived home we worked on

"trimming the tree."

The kids took full responsiblity to hang the ornaments

and we did everything we could to leave them where they
chose to put them.

Thankfully, they gave us a few to hang too, so there are some up a

bit higher than 3 feet!

We all had a wonderful time and it is our desire

that these memories are etched into our hearts

and minds for years and years to come.

Another Comparison

Still thinking he looks like Katrina?

Or Samuel?

Or like himself?

They definitely look like siblings;

that is my conclusion each time I put the

pictures together like this.

3 Months and Growing Daily

Joel Thorne

3 months

Going to Get Papa

We went to Chicago to pick up Papa from the airport.
We decided to celebrate God's faithfulness toward
all of us while we were apart to spend the night in a hotel.
The kids were thrilled with the idea and the ride down
was filled with "Are we there yet?" and "How much longer?"

Katrina and Samuel hit the pool quickly before we headed
over to O'Hare to get Panchito.

Panchito's flight was supposed to arrive at 10:00 PM.
We arrived at the international "gate" at 10:15 an
checked the arrival screen.
His flight supposedly had arrived at 10:10 so we
were VERY excited to see him soon.
I found it odd that he had not called my cell phone...
Soon we realized his flight had not arrived and we have
yet to discover the reason the screen showed it arriving.
He eventually walked through those doors at 12:15 AM.
It was an incredible reunion.

We went back to the hotel and went to bed quite quickly.

Early Friday morning we had breakfast and
then Panchito and the kids hit the pool one more time.

We are so thankful to have our Papa back.

It was a tough two weeks but God had a

good purpose in it.

My other dad

A little over one year ago I wrote this post.
Today I am writing to let you all know
that this dear man has gone to be with his Lord and Savior.
Although I have only known him a little over eleven
years, I definitely feel like a daughter.
From the moment I stepped foot into their home
he treated me as a daughter, a true-blood daughter.
I was his "gringa-girl."

Pancho, my Pancho, is in Venezuela right now.

He is doing what he can to help his mom and sisters

adjust to this tremendous loss.

He will be home in 9 sleeps.

It feels like he has been gone for a lot longer than 5 sleeps.

But we are trusting God to help all of us

get through this incredibly difficult time.

Pancho Sr. was an incredible man of God.

He will be dearly missed.

In fact, he is already dearly missed.

Yet, we are sure that he is enjoying

being home with his Savior.

Lord,

Thank You for KNOWING the plans You

have for us. (Jeremiah 29:11)

You had a plan for Pancho Sr.

and it was part of Your plan that his time

on earth with us ended last week.

Help us trust You and Your perfect timing.

Thank You for showing us in the little things

already that it is Your PERFECT timing.

You are SO gracious in SO many ways.

Please help Pancho, my Pancho, to know how

to best minister to his family now and

thank You for the provision for this

unexpected trip.

We love you, Lord Jesus, and look

forward to the day when we too will see You

face-to-face.

What a day of rejoicing that WILL be!

Amen.

11 weeks

Joel Thorne

11 weeks

(and he is NOT a night owl... Praise the Lord!)

Late Nights

For those of you who did not know,

Panchito is in Venezuela right now.

His dad went to be with our Lord

on Wednesday and he traveled to

be with his mom and sisters for two weeks.

Since he has been gone, the nights

have been the toughest.

Especially for the kids.

We have a very strong bedtime routine

consisting of telling stories in

our bed with flashlights, praying, nightlights, etc.

Because the nights have been so difficult

the kids have been staying up later than usual.

My mom found them matching pajamas and

the theme is very fitting:

"Night Owls."

We love our little "night owls"
more than ever and can't wait for our
"Buho" to return.

Double Date

Before Panchito left for Venezuela
some dear friends invited him and Katrina
out on a double date.
So, Tuesday evening Katrina got all
dolled up and waited for Ellie and her dad
to come and get her and Panchito.

They had a wonderful time together.
It was very timely for Katrina and Panchito as
she was very sad about him being gone for
2 weeks in Venezuela with his family.
They went to the mall and got their nails painted,
had dinner, played in the play area, looked around
at Claire's and enjoyed a slushie.
Thanks, Ben and Ellie, for a great idea and a
SUPER fun time.
And thanks, Megan and Josie, for spending some time with
Samuel, Joel and me at the house!

The Chupi Brothers

Survey says...

Who do you think Joel looks like?

Joel Thorne -- 2 months

Cast Removal -- Part 2

Samuel got his cast off.
For good!
It was a long 4+ weeks but God healed his
little leg and he is doing well.

Duck-Duck-Goose

apple dumpling, anyone?

Apple Orchard 2011

Today we had the privilege of going on
our second field trip with the RVA.
We went to Helene's Hilltop Orchard in Merrill.
God blessed us with an absolutely gorgeous day
for this field trip!
Katrina and Samuel invited a friend to join them
on this field trip
(and I got to invite a friend too! --
Megan, Ellie and Josie, we had the BEST time with you girls!).

We started our rotations (eat lunch/play, wagon ride and pick apples)
eating lunch and playing.
No pictures were taken during the wagon ride
because Joel had to eat a bottle and I am not
that talented!

Picking apples is Katrina's favorite fall activity,
hands down.
She was so amped up this morning before we left that
I wasn't sure I even wanted to go!
Samuel looked for all the smallest apples still on the trees
and then enjoyed a large, juicy Cortland.
(he is going to be famous for that scowl --
trust me, he had a great time, he just doesn't like to pose for pictures)

Or maybe I should say he doesn't like to pose for pictures
without Josie! (upper right photo)
It was a SUPER fun time.

Joel was along, but only got his picture taken
once we were loaded back in the van
since I carried him in a front carrier the entire
field trip.
He did a great job on his first trip to the orchard!

Joel Thorne -- 7 weeks

From 1 to 6 in a flash

Joel Thorne

1 to 6 weeks

Children are a gift from the Lord

September 2011

Katrina 5 1/2

Samuel 2 1/2

Joel 6 weeks

Cast Removal

Wednesday marked the day when
Samuel went back for his 2-week check
for his broken leg.
They cut the cast off, which
he thoroughly enjoyed, by the way, and
took an x-ray.

Unfortunately he needed another cast
put on.
More unfortunate news, I had to help put
the cast on so I could not get any pictures!
This new cast, however, is a boot cast.
He can walk on it.

Any guesses as to what he did
taking his first steps with the boot cast
(the next day, mind you as he was quite
apprehensive walking on his foot)?

If you know him at all, you guessed correctly!

Joel Thorne 5 weeks + a few days

This picture is worth ...

a million words, I think.

Photo Shoot

Our good friend Dan came this week to
take some pictures.
Samuel was in a cranky mood, as you can clearly see in this first one!

Pancho Sr. and Pancho Jr.

Samuel was a tiny bit more content outside in his wheelchair.

But, then it was time for another
picture and he put his scowl back on!

First "party of 5" shot outside of the hospital!

Pancho and Emelys

Thanks, Dan, for the pictures!
And thanks to your whole family for
the delicious dinner. We all really enjoyed it
and the time we got to spend with you.