You are invited......

to join me at our new blog.....
It's All About 3 Boys!!!

http://about3boys.blogspot.com/


(I hope to figure out how to make this blog automatically redirect to the new one.  Until then, reset your bookmarks! :) )

It's Time for a New Start

We have not been a family of 4 in, well, a little over 9 months.  However, the Kimball Family of 4 blog has lived on.  I was not sure what I wanted to change the name to.  I was really just stumped on several issues.  Several blogs I read use nicknames for their kids to keep it anonymous.  Anyone can stumble onto this blog and see the kids and figure out generally where we live and with our last name out there, I started wondering if I should worry.
So, I am going to use nicknames.  If you know the boys, it will be super easy to figure out which I am talking about.
The oldest will be called BigBoy.
Middle child will be Curly.  (We call him "Boogie" in real life, but I didn't know if I could handle their nicknames all starting with the same letter.  Too close to real life! :) ha!)
The Babe will be BooBear. (We called his Baby Boo when I was pregnant, so this has become one of his real life nicknames!)

Update on all 3 boys

Mason:  escavator (escalator)

Mom (Nana) and I took Miles and Max to the pediatrician's office today for their well checks.
Since what you really want to know is stats:
Miles:
ht: 38 1/8" (70%)
wt: 35.2lb (77%)

Max:
ht: 29" (75%)
wt: 20lb 5 oz (50%)
head: 45.6 (55%)

Max remains the smallest of the 3 boys.  Mason was 21 lbs at 9 months and Miles was just shy of 21 lbs.
Both boys received 1 shot today (didn't know that Miles would be getting one! Oops!) and Max had blood drawn (just a little toe prick).

I am not sure if Miles is claustrophobic or hyperactive, but something happens to him in that little exam room.  He turns into a crazy animal!  Seriously.  He was everywhere - up, down, on the table, under the table, under the chair, on the floor.  Thankfully, he did not try to escape out the door this time. (Yes, that has happened before!) 

Miles just got up from his nap and is running a fever.  I am not sure if it is from the vaccine or something else.  I am READY for a dull moment around here!!!

More updates later this week.  Big changes are coming................

Project life - week 24

I have missed a few weeks of updating Project Life, but I have been keeping pics in my files and continue on with this album.  I love it!!


Sunday, June 13 - Oh, those eyes!  And those chubby cheeks!  And the two little teeth!  Be still my heart!

Monday, June 14 - Miles has suddenly taken off in the pool.  He just got in one day and figured out how to swim and not sink.

Tuesday, June 15 - Mason got his practice lure stuck in the tree.  Somehow, when I was trying to help him get it out, I got his fishing pole stuck in the tree.  Oops!

Wednesday, June 16 -Nana's retirement party at SMU was held today.  After 15 years there, she is retiring.  I am excited for Nana to get more time with her grandkids.

Thursday, June 17 - Loving that little bald head while I can.  Max loves to sit in the grass and feel it.

Friday, June 18 - We met Keely, Dylan and Jude at the park to play and have a picnic.  The kids were so hot and tired when we left but had (as always) so much fun together!

Saturday, June 19 - Play hard.  Sleep harder!  Miles was fast asleep at 6:10PM.  We put him to bed a little later and he slept until 8AM!  (Look at that curl going down his forehead.  It will not lay any other way!)

This and that

I feel like so much is going on around here but yet I am coming up blank when I sit down to type.
Writer's block?  Maybe.
Well, that and the fact that every time I sit down to type, I am interrupted.  One of the 4 boys in this house always needs something.
Right now, Max just woke from his nap and wants up.  (He started crying just as I typed "writer's block".) 
Miles just came in from outside, needs help in the potty and left the door to the garage open.
The pantry is standing open (I need to close it so the light will turn off).
Eric just found a mess the boys made in the living room.

Must go for now....

Because he is just too cute

9 months old

It is so true that with each child you have, the time goes by more and more quickly!
I feel like Maddox just joined our family about a week ago.  I have no idea where 9 months has gone.
He is so sweet and just fits in.  He loves his brothers more than words can describe and I can only imagine the trouble they will all get in together!

Sweet Max,
You have been cruising for several weeks and I have caught him standing on his own (holding something in his hands, so he doesn't realize he is standing on his own)! 
You wear size 9mo clothes, but still fit into quite a few 6 month shirts.  Your fat feet are size 4.
You love bath time and cry when I get you out.

You got tubes in your ears 2 weeks ago (June 3rd) and are still pulling on your right ear.  Praying that this will end your run of sickness forever.
You are an awesome sleeper and know when I take you into your room and turn on the white noise machine - you start chewing on your thumb and making fussy noises.  You rarely cry more than a few minutes, and almost always put yourself right to sleep.
You are all over the house and love to look outside.
You are not a huge fan of the stroller but enjoy the BabyBj0rn and the backpack carrier we took to Colorado. 

You hate to lay down for a clean diaper or to change clothes.
You also hate your car seat (probably something to do with having to lay down in it and staring at the back of the seat.  I wouldn't be thrilled either!
You love people and love to be talked to!

You wave bye-bye and say something that sounds a bit like "bye".
You lean in when I say "kisses" and sometimes turn your lips to me to give a kiss back.
You are such a precious addition to our family and I LOVE LOVE LOVE you!

Estes Park, CO

(Warning.... lots and lots of pictures below!!!) :)
Like I said in the last post, we went to Estes Park, CO last week and stayed at the YMCA of the Rockies.  It was a Family Camp with our church.  It was an amazing trip.  We were able to be together as a family, meet so many new friends and grow in our understanding of God's word.  We had about an hour each morning (except Wed - family day) when our pastor taught on Philippians.  It was great and I took pages of notes each and every day. The boys all had classes during that time.  The kid's teachers were awesome and really used their time to love on our boys.  They spent some fun time at the playground each day, hearing Bible stories, learning a memory verse, singing songs, doing crafts, and just being kids!
I have not done my Project Life post in a few weeks (um.... last photo is 5/27), but plan to catch up on that soon!  I may just copy and past from here....
Saturday, June 5 - We left our house at 5:45AM and hoped to put the boys in the car and drive a few hours while they slept.  Mason woke up at 5am as we were finishing packing the car.  Miles and Max were excited to be up and did not go back to sleep either.  Oops!  We drove all day.  Stopped at McD's for breakfast, Dairy Queen for lunch (and actually saw another couple from our church there but didn't know it at the time!), and ended in Raton, NM for dinner and sleep!

The boys really needed to get out and throw a few rocks after a full day in the car!

Poor Maxer just needed a nap!

Sunday, June 6 - Happy Birthday Daddy!!!  We started with coffee from Star*bucks. We knew we only had a few hours to EP, but couldn't check-in until 5PM, so we started north and made a detour to see the Royal Gorge.  Beautiful canyon and scenery.  Really scary bridge!!!  Especially since cars can drive across at the same time people are walking across.

This pic just cracks me up!!

We could have walked back across, but the boys really wanted to ride the tram.   Talk about pushing Mommy to her limits!

We rode an inclined train to the bottom of the canyon to get a closer look at the river and the train tracks.

Looking up at the bridge we walked across earlier.  I did NOT feel better about taking the boys across it!! But look at that sky - this pic does not even do it justice!

We made it to EP around 6pm. We had dinner, the boys had a little time with their class and we had our first evening service.
Monday, June 7 - Friday, June 11 -
We ate, had class, napped, hiked, rode horses, climbed rocks, looked for wildlife, and thoroughly enjoyed our first (of many) vacation as a family of 5!!!  Yeah, that about sums up our days!  It was great family time though!

Yes, I am hiking in a skirt.  I had no idea we were going to find a trail to go down.  And, I hold firm that only a mom of 3 boys would attempt it!  :)

Wednesday was family day.  We hiked up to Gem Lake with a large group.  It was about 1.9 miles each way.   Amazing views, fun times and a challenge for everyone in our little group, for sure!  But so worth the energy!

Beautiful Gem Lake.  Notice the person climbing up the rock wall.  CRAZY!!  So pretty though.  And COLD! 

Miles decided he did not want to get his clothes wet.  So thoughtful, don't you think????

We ended the day as a group at the big slide in town.  The boys all enjoyed going down - including Max!  He had a trip down with mommy and daddy.  (That is Daddy, Max and Mason on the red slides.)

It was a wonderful trip.  The boys did so well during the long drive.  We drove straight through on the way home so we could sleep in our own beds Saturday night.  It was a 15-hour drive, but so worth it to all be in different rooms!!!  We are already looking forward to next year's trip!!!

Catching up

We are back in Texas.  We had a wonderful trip to Estes Park, CO for the last week and are trying to get caught up on laundry and sleep!!!  We are also getting the boys back into a normal schedule of 8pm bedtimes rather than 10pm and later! :)  (Miles is still up at 9:30pm.)

So, I will be back on tomorrow to post pics and recap our week.  Until then, here is a teaser.....

My 4 boys at the Royal Gorge

Miles enjoying Gem Lake.  It was a 1.9 mile hike up the mountain up to this lake.

Beautiful pic of storms rolling in at the Continental Divide.

My sweet boys!!!  In town (Estes Park) on Friday.

Growing up

I knew it would happen.
I also knew it was coming.
I saw it in small doses.
I was in denial though.  I thought if I ignored it, it might not really happen.

This boy......

He is growing up.
Every day, I see a little more big boy and a little less preschooler.

He would rather play guns than cars.
He prefers legos over trains.
He corrects me on the names of certain animals.
He is an amazing big brother.

He handles the added responsibility of having 2 little sets of eyes watching him with grace.
Yes, we have hard days.  But, they really are becoming more like hard moments in the midst of great days. 
I am looking forward to him starting kindergarten in the Fall.  But, I am cherishing every moment of our last days together. 
Well, cherishing and trying to keep from being sad about my oldest turning into a boy.

He is growing up.