operation christmas child shoeboxes

Well, I am finally getting over being sick! It has been a pretty exhausting week but I am glad that I am on the upswing.

The other day we officially began the Christmas season with our tradition of the kids putting together shoeboxes for operation christmas child. The girls enjoyed picking out small toys from the store to add to their boxes. They both made a picture to put in their shoebox and packed them all by themselves. We love this tradition as it helps to open their eyes to the needs of others and that it is so much more rewarding to give to others than to receive.

Here they are with all their prizes laid out and ready to pack.And here they are with their packed boxes. They are looking forward to taking them to church on Sunday.

Tomorrow morning Grace will have her first soccer game of the season!!! We are so excited to see her play and Erik is thrilled to be the coach (though Grace keeps insisting that I should be the coach instead- sorry Erik, I thought you had a few more years before you became embarrassing).

This evening was one of the moments that I love being a parent. After an especially trying day we put the girls to bed. The house was quiet and then these are the precious whispered words I hear coming out of the girls' bedroom:

Grace: "Lena! Lena!"

Lena: "What?"

Grace: "I love you!"

Lena: "I love you too!"

This definitely put a smile on my face and brought joy to my heart!

Well, hopefully you all have a great weekend! I am looking forward to a soccer game in the morning!!!

Baby dedication

Last week proved to be a busy but enjoyable one for us. On Thursday Erik was able to take Lena to do a diaper study in Cincinnati- the best part is that they paid him $75 to kroger!!!

Friday night we enjoyed going out to dinner at Larosa's with our friends the Wells. It was nice to get out and spend time with good friends!

I thought this picture was so funny. All the kids were playing together!

Sunday was a very exciting day for us as it was baby dedication at our church. We were so blessed to have my family there to support us as we dedicated Micah to God. It is such an amazing responsibility and privilege to raise our children to Love God and to desire to follow Him in everything we do.

Here's a picture of us on stage while Pastor Rob was offering us words of encouragement. I was SO relieved that the girls were well behaved on stage!!!

After service we all went to lunch and then came back to our house for Pinapple Upside Down Cheesecake!! It was so good! I guess there are a few perks to working where I do! :)

So, I think this picture actually turned out pretty good! The funny part is that I took this picture using the timer on my camera!

Grace absolutely loves her baby brother! We tried to get a picture with all 3 kids but Lena would have nothing to do with it!

Sunday night we went with my fam to a corn maze. The girls thought it was fun for about half an hour and then I took them to play on the playground. We enjoyed a great day spending time together with my fam and celebrating Micah being dedicated.

This morning Grace is at school and Lena is enjoying some extra attention. I am battling a bad cold, so hopefully I will be over it soon!

Fall Fun

Not much has happened since the last time I posted. Erik is still looking for a job, and I am still trying to work as much as I can.

Here is a picture of the kids when we went to Young's Dairy a couple weeks ago.

My soccer season ended and now we are excited because Grace starts her indoor season this weekend! She is so excited to play soccer again, and I have to admit that it thrills me to see her play!

Micah is getting bigger everyday. He truly is a sweet natured little boy. I absolutely love that when I come to get him in the morning that he gives me the biggest smile and is so excited for me to pick him up!

Lena is becoming more and more grown up. She is talking so much now and is becoming very independent.

As always we seem to be constantly busy. Last week we had a blast at several Harvest parties and then trick-or-treating on Saturday. This year Lena was Alice in Wonderland, Grace was Jessie from toy Story2 and Micah wore a teddy bear snowsuit that my brother David wore as a baby.

Grace loved her Jessie costume, you can't tell from this pic, but she even had red hair!

Lena looked like a doll in her costume. She told everyone she was princess alice. So cute!

Here's me and the kids on Halloween. The girls had a blast walking around with daddy while Micah and I handed out candy.

Saturday night after trick-or-treat we went with my Dad and Josiah to Chipotle to score free burritos for dressing like a burrito. It was hilarious! My mom found emergency blankets that we wrapped ourselves up in. Though we did look ridiculous we had fun and it definitely made the free burritos taste that much better. :)

Mot much else is going on here. I have been blessed to find some great grocery deals lately. The other day at kroger my bill went from $90 down to $15!! The bagger kept watching the price drop as the lady scanned my coupons and he was so impressed that he said, "this is like watching the ball drop on New Years Eve!" It cracked me up!

Hope you enjoyed the pictures of my precious kids

Update

If you haven't noticed, I have been a little absent in the blogging department over the last month. That said, it has been a very trying and exhausting month for us. Four weeks ago Erik lost his job. As a result, the past month has been an extremely difficult one as we seek God's guidance and provision for our family. Though it has been a time of complete helplessness we are not without hope. God has put so many fellow believers in our path. We have been blessed beyond any measure and are so thankful that though there is so much uncertainty at this time, we are constantly reassured that God is still God and that He ultimately is in control. Please pray that Erik finds a job soon. We have seen God do amazing things, and we know He will continue to provide for us. Please also pray that we will keep our eyes of Him at this time. It is so hard to see the master plan when we are in the middle of it.

Please also be in continued prayer for my dad. He is still undergoing treatment every week. So far it has been pretty hard on him. Pray that the chemo and antibody drug are effective and pray for my dad's continued healing and strength.

On a more upbeat note, the kids are doing great. Grace started preschool last month and is having a blast. We did take her for her 1st eye appointment this week and are thankful that she has perfect vision. This had been a concern of ours as I needed glasses at her age.

Here is a picture of Grace on her first day of school and a picture of all 3 kids that day.

Lena is growing up so much lately. Her speech has taken off in the last month, and she can now say just about anything. Here is a picture of her at Dsiney on Ice! We were thrilled to be able to get free tickets!

And last but not least is our little man, Micah! He is such an amazing little boy. I am definitely enjoying him. So far he is our happiest baby. He is content most of the time and brings such joy to us. At his 2 month appointment he was 14lb 6 oz and 24 1/2 in long! He has started smiling and cooing at us- which is so rewarding!

I am to the point of exhaustion. I have been trying to work as much as possible since Erik lost his job, at the same time I am coaching soccer at DC. I have really enjoyed coaching, but will be relieved when the season is over at the end of next week. That way I will be able to focus on working more and keeping up with things at home.

I had been avoiding posting until now because if I don't put it in words, then it really isn't happening- right? Well, that being said, I had better get ready for work. Hope you are all well and that you enjoyed the pics of the kiddos.

I have come to the somber realization that I am the mother of a preschooler. Tomorrow I will take Grace to preschool open house. It is hard to believe that she is four years old and ready to leave her mommy. I suppose I shouldn't be that surprised as she has already informed me she can go by herself to check in to sunday school. I am amazed at the amazing young lady Grace is becoming. She is an absolute joy and though I will miss her for the short hours of preschool, I am excited that she will be learning and experiencing new things.
Lena had her cast removed on Friday. She didn't even cry when they were sawing her cast off. The doctor was pleased with how well her break healed. By saturday afternoon she was starting to walk around. She still has a slight limp, but is doing so well getting around. Hopefully this will be the only broken bone in the Buskard household!
Micah is keeping us busy, but I am truly enjoying his personality. For the most part he is a laid back little boy, but he has made it clear that he wants his mommy's undivided attention.
Also, if you could please keep my dad in your prayers. Tomorrow he will start another round of chemo. He will undergo chemo for an unknown period of time during which time he will also be taking a promising drug. Please pray for strength for my dad and also for effectiveness of the treatment.
I am incredibly blessed to be the daughter of an amazing man of God. I know I take for granted the privilege it is to have an earthly father who exemplifies my heavenly Father. Please continue to pray for continued healing and encouragement at this time.

Cute kids and Grocery Blessings!

I have to start this post off with some pictures of my adorable kids I took this morning in the back yard.Grace is looking so grown up! Its hard to believe that in 2 weeks she will start preschool.
Our sweet Lena. She has just one more week in her cast!! She is just now figuring out how to walk with the cast on, so by the time she perfects it, she will have it off! Here's Micah in his awesome soccer outfit that the Orme's gave him! I absolutely love having a little boy around! Though I am severely sleep deprived at the moment- I am loving being a family of 5.All 3 of my kiddos in soccer gear! Oh how kids in soccer gear can melt my heart! I feel that we are adjusting well to being a family of 5. So far there has only been one day where the house was a mess. I feel like that is a major accomplishment!!!

In other news, if I wasn't busy enough, high school soccer is in full swing. I am coaching the JV girls team at DC again this year. It is going to be a little crazy but I love coaching.

We have been blessed with a couple very successful shopping trips this week!!! I was so thrilled I even took pictures. The first picture is of my $15 meijer trip.I was even more thrilled with my trip to kroger's. See if you can guess what everything in the picture cost me...........


.................... and the grand total of my trip to kroger was $7!!!!! Thank you God for your blessings!!

Well, I had better get some things done before heading to soccer practice. We are looking forward to a quiet weekend of family time!! Yay for Erik being home for the weekend!!!

Quick Update

Just a quick update on life around here.
Today my dad went in for the results of his latest PETscan. The three spots that showed up on his last PETscan 3 months ago have continued to get larger. This is definitely not what we were hoping and praying for, but are tying to trust God's direction. From here, my dad will have a biopsy performed on one of the spots and his oncologist hopes to put him on a promising drug along with chemo. Please continue to pray! Pray for God's peace for my dad and my family, pray for continued healing, and please pray for wisdom for the Dr. as they decide what course of treatment would be best.
This week Erik returned to work. It has been a hard week for him at work and a stressful one for me at home. Lena is not handling her cast very well. She has been a wreck almost everyday- and when she gets frustrated the whole world comes to an end. She has yet to put weight on or try to walk with her cast on. We are hoping she will try to start to walk soon.
I am very thankful for our neighbors! Yesterday they took Grace to the park. She definitely needed some time away from the chaos. It was great that she was able to spend time playing with her friend Alli.
Today Grammie and Papa took the girls to a movie. I definitely enjoyed the time with Micah and the girls had a great time enjoying some special attention! Its amazing how quiet the house is with only 1 child home!
This afternoon I took Micah for his 2 week checkup. Our little man has grown quite a bit! He is now 10lb 14 oz and 23 1/4 in long! WOW! It has been such a joy to get to know him! We are all absoutely in love with this newest member of our family!
That's all for now- hopefully I will start updating more regularly now that we are settling into live as 5!