Happy Birthday Jude!

I just wanted to post real quick and say Happy Birthday to my mother-in law! I hope you have a wonderful day filled with lots of love and all your favorite things.

I'm thankful for you, Happy Birthday!
Keri

Love

Love is patient. Love is kind. I think those two short sentences can really change us in so many ways. Our words, our actions, our thoughts, feelings....God has brought those two sentences to me recently (1 Cor 13) and they have really helped me. Sometimes it can be hard to know how to handle a certain situation, what to say, what not to say, what to do, what not to do....and I just feel like no matter what we are always to be patient and kind with others. That is love. If we can learn to apply that in our lives it really is amazing how much it changes things.

It's so cool when you apply the Word in your life and realize how much it changes you. You know what I mean? Like just by reminding myself of that verse lately it has helped me in situations that I would otherwise act differently. I don't know if I'm making any sense but I just think if we all learned to apply 1 Corinthians 13 in our lives, God would be glorified immensely in our lives and we would have so much freedom and love in our hearts because of it.

It's so easy to be negative. As humans it is just easier to see and point out the negative in things, in people rather than the positive. "Oh, this weather stinks. It's been raining all day." Instead of, "Thank you God for this rain that we totally couldn't survive without and NEED." Do you ever think about that? I mean we need the rain!! If it didn't rain for an entire summer we would all be praying for rain! I don't know, maybe I am in my own little world here in my thinking but God has just been showing and teaching me things lately that are so simple and yet I am just now getting it. To see the good, the positive in simple things like rainy days. I'm not perfect. This does not mean I will never complain about rain again in my lifetime, it's just that we wake up every morning and make choices. Choices to love or not love. Complain or be thankful. You know what I mean?

Anyways, it's just a challenge....to you and to me....to be patient and kind in the big things and small things in life (traffic, long lines at the grocery stores, those are some of the small things). We are to love others more than we love ourselves. Wow, that is a real challenge wouldn't you say? After all, it's easy to love ourselves....not always so easy to love others...especially ones that hurt us.

On a family note, we are doing wonderful. Ethan is a joy as always and I am falling more in love with little miss Gracelyn everyday. This morning when I went to get her I started smiling and saying good morning to her and she gave me the biggest and happiest smile. I just melted. Nothing like a big smile from my sweet girl first thing in the morning. She's a doll! She has slept through the night the last 4 nights! She's always been a good sleeper and really has only woken up once in the night time since bringing her home but she has slept 9-10 hours the past 4 nights. I feed her right before we go to bed and that does the trick! She is a real blessing to our family and Ethan is so precious with her. Always rubbing her head, giving her kisses and her pacifier when she starts to fuss....and all without us telling him to do those things. He's going to be one amazing big brother! I'm pretty sure she won't have a boyfriend until she's well in her 20's if Ethan has anything to say about it, ha! He seems quite protective of her.

Well, it's been a busy couple of days. I'm working on a project for a friend's baby shower and it sure is coming along cute. I will have to post a picture of it once I give it to her just in case she happens to read my blog...I don't think she does but ya never know:) Today I am making dinner for a different friend who just had her 4th baby on Sunday and then we have date night tonight with about 5-7 of our other young married couple friends. We are going out to dinner and then hanging out for a bit afterwards, I'm looking forward to it! Four of us couples had baby girls within the last few months so I am thinking a ridiculously cute picture will be posted tomorrow :)

Hope all is well with everyone.

Learning to love,
Keri

6 weeks

Our sweet baby girl is 6 weeks old today. She is really starting to change...she's getting chubby and loves smiling and trying to talk back to us when we talk to her. It's pretty adorable.

We had a fun weekend. My aunt and uncle who live in Milan hosted our summer Petke reunion and it was so fun and so nice to see everyone again. They have acreage so there was plenty of room for Ethan to run although we weren't able to visit with many people due to us chasing him around and keeping him out of trouble and danger :) Gracelyn received a ton of gifts from different family members so it was really fun to open gifts for her and ewww and awww over all the cute and girly clothes she got.

Sunday afternoon Aunt Kristy babysit Ethan for the first time at our house while Jeremy, Gracelyn and I went on a little date :) Ethan did great and we had a really nice time getting out and having some time alone together...we don't get that very often these days. We went out to dinner in Northville and then headed to Ann Arbor to see the newest additions to the Big House....it was such a beautiful day and it was so peaceful so we sat in parking lot of the stadium for a bit while Gracelyn ate and just talked and Jeremy walked around to get a closer look at the new additions. Everything is fenced off but you were still able to see what it looked like somewhat. It looks really cool, I like it! It will be fun one day for daddy and Ethan to go to a game together...although it will be a few years before Ethan is really interested (if ever) and could sit through an entire game contently :). As I was sitting there nursing Gracelyn I heard a plane coming and then it got louder and louder and I thought a plane was going to crash...I then looked up and saw the Blue Angels flying over us!! It was really cool. I knew they were around this weekend as I heard friends talking about going to see them but didn't know they were in the Ann Arbor area. I have seen them before do their "show" in Traverse City years back but Jer had never seen them before so it was cool. We just saw them fly over the one time but it was pretty cool. This past week/weekend was the big Art Fair in Ann Arbor but it ended Saturday and we went on Sunday so we didn't get to see anything...maybe next year we will go.

My girlfriend Joanna in in town from Florida so she came over to visit with me yesterday so it was really nice to see her and catch up.

I had my 6 week follow up appt. this week with Jeanne. I am doing just fine and everything is healing as it should so that was good to hear. Thank you Jesus! My mom was supposed to watch the kids for me but she hurt her back (please be praying for her...she is doing better now but was in a lot of pain and was in the hospital for a few hours because of how bad it was) so she ended up having to cancel so I took both kids with me. That was a challenge and I will never do it again, haha! At least not for an appt. for myself, it would have been fine if it was an appt. for the kids but since it was for me it was a little tricky. Ethan is 17 months....enough said :)

Hope all is well with everyone. Stay Blessed!

Keri

Happy Birthday Mom :)

I just wanted to wish my beautiful mom a very happy birthday. I am so thankful that God chose you to be my mom. You have always been a Godly example in my life and I am so thankful for your love and devotion to the Lord and to our family. I love you mom and am looking forward to your birthday celebration tonight:)

My sweet boy is 17 months old today! I can't believe how fast he is growing up and turning into a little person. He seems so much older to us lately. He is always doing something to make us laugh. He's so much fun and has the best personality and I just know he is going to be a talker and say the cutest and funniest things once he really starts talking. Our tv remote acts up a lot and as funny as this sounds if you put the remote under your chin it seems to always work. Jeremy discovered this and we have been doing it for months. Anyhow, the other day Ethan went and grabbed the remote and put it under his chin. We died laughing! It just shows how much they really watch mom and dad and how important it is to be a Godly example to our kids.

My sweet baby girl (I still can't believe I have a daughter!) is 5 weeks old today. She is so beautiful and will be even more beautiful once her baby acne clears up. I mentioned it to the doctor even though I knew it was normal and he said it very likely will last up until she's 6 months old! Ahh, I am going to go crazy. It's from the hormones and is very normal...since I am nursing that is how she is getting the hormones. Anyhow, Gracelyn is starting to smile when we smile and talk to her now, it is so cute! A friend of mine sent me this adorable dress (all the way from Germany!) and I couldn't wait to put it on her. I snapped a couple pics of her yesterday. Isn't she so pretty?

Smiling :)

Gracelyn's Stats

So today was Gracelyn's 1 month check up. She is doing great! She is 22.25 inches long and weighs 9lbs, 8 oz. She's gained exactly 2 lbs since she was born. I checked Ethan's baby book and he was 9lbs, 3 oz at one month and so he gained exactly 2 lbs at his one month check up also...how funny. Anyhow, she is in the 50% tile for weight and 75-90% tile for height...she's tall just like her brother. At least at this age. I'm pretty sure she won't be a giant ;) I guess she has a little head though...doc said she is 10-25% for head circumference so we'll just keep an eye on it and make sure it grows. Those were his words, which for whatever reason strike me funny. Make sure it grows...I just picture this one year old with a newborn sized head, lol! She goes back in another month.

Ethan had one shot today. He did SO great, much better than any of the other times he's had shots. The last time he had shots was 6 months so I was nervous for today...but that is why we decided to just spread them out and do one at a time for the few he has left so it's not too painful for him. He of course cried while he was getting it but recovered very quickly...thanks to mommy's bag of goldfish :)

That's all for now....just wanted to post her stats and thank Jesus that both of our kids are healthy and adorable :)

Keri

One Month Cutie and Corn on the Cob Cutie

Our precious baby girl is one month old today...well, according to the date anyways, she's really 4 weeks and 2 days :) She is doing great, getting chubby and goes for her one month check up tomorrow at the doctor's. She has been a blessing to us and we are growing to love her more and more as each day goes on. Here's a picture of our little peanut.


Ethan is still lots of fun and always doing something to entertain mom and dad and get us laughing. Mommy decided it was time to take away his bottle (he typically gets one before bedtime) and I knew we wouldn't have any trouble taking it away as he didn't grow attached to the bottle the way some kids do. So, last night he had some oatmeal before bed instead of a bottle and it was no big deal. He didn't seem to have a clue. Out of sight out of mind I guess! No more bottle for Ethan, he's growing up!

We gave Ethan some Corn on the Cob at Grandma and Grandpa Petke's the other day and I made some last night....as you can see from the photos below I'm pretty sure he loves it just like his mommy :)

Pray for Kate

I cannot get this little girl off my mind. She is almost 7 years old and her parents just found out on June 29th that she has a brain tumor. Cancer. A beautiful little 6 year old girl has cancer.

I am a mom. I know the love you have for your kids and I cannot imagine either of them going through what this little girl and her parents are going through. On June 29th life completely changed for them...they went from being a happy family of five...watching Kate play and be full of life to finding out she has a massive brain tumor and she can barely speak or eat. Wow.

Jesus, we need a miracle here! You are more than able to heal this little girl and I am believing for it. You parted the red sea, you turned water into wine, you turned a few loaves of bread into many, you healed the sick and you still heal the sick and we know that it is NOT your will for this little girl to die but to live. How do we know that? Because the Word tells us that's how. The DEVIL comes to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10) but Jesus you come to give us LIFE and life more abundantly. The devil wants to steal Kate's life. He wants to destroy her and her family but Jesus you are bigger...you are so much bigger...and we believe right now that her tumor will be gone because it is not from you Jesus and you want this little girl to live abundantly...and she cannot do that with a massive tumor in her brain....you are a miracle maker Jesus...you are our miracle maker and I am believing for Kate's miracle.

I do not know this family personally...but I would sure hope that if this was Ethan or Gracelyn going through this that strangers and people around the world would be praying and believing with me and so I'm asking you to do the same. I have been keeping up with her caring bridge site, http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/mcraekate and you can also if you would like.

Heal this sweet little girl Kate Jesus...I know you healed Seth last week and know you healed Kerith also...and I believe you are healing Kate. Thank you Jesus for being a GOOD God and not a God who puts cancer on people to "teach" them something like some tend to believe....that is such garbage it burns me up!! You love Kate more than her parents do...you love Ethan and Gracelyn more than I do...and I would never give one of them cancer or a sickness to teach them something...just like you don't give your children those things. Thank you Jesus for being our hope...our hope when life around us seems hopeless. I pray you give strength and comfort to the McRae family today God.

Praying for Kate,
Keri