Our Second Month with Kai

We just love having a little girl in our family! Kai adds so much sweetness into our lives. The boys are constantly saying, "Mom, Kai is such a cutie." I could snuggle with her all day and look forward to fixing her up really cute. Lee has already developed a "soft spot" for her and loves to give her kisses (see video below).

Kai is such a girl already. She loves massages with lotion, getting bathed, going shopping with me, and looking at her closet filled with clothes. I'm not joking about the last one! Every time I take her up to get a new outfit... I'll open up the closet and her face lites up with delight! It is so cute!

Here are some pictures of our second month with Kai...

Our little doll baby. Nice and clean after a bath from Baba.

Myah, Sophie, Halle, and Ian came for a visit.


A sweet picture of Halle and Kai.

The kids had a picnic outside!

Adorable Ian meeting Kai for the first time. Could it be love at first sight?

Kai is trying to roll over already!

Aunt Amos admiring her God Daughter

This is my Aunt Jayne meeting Kai for the first time.

Grandma Phyllis "Caroline" Keyser Elkins holding her namesake, Kai Caroline, for the first time.

My mom and I were getting ready for our garage sale and Kai slept peacefully in a basket full of clothes.

Sweet face

Smiling at Mommy

My Kaiser Buns

Looking so big in jeans!

Krue giving his sister some kisses.

The Blythes took Kai over to their house for little while one evening and Lauren enjoyed holding her. Lauren has such a motherly instinct already!

Kisses from Daddy

Krue's First Day of Kindergarten

Today was Krue's first day of Kindergarten at JR Watson Elementary. He was pretty excited when he left this morning... and "just a little nervous". Krue is going to school all day on Mondays & Wednesdays and in the mornings on Fridays. He has Mrs. Pfister (who is an awesome teacher!) and is in the same class as his best friend, Lauren. Krue is the most excited about his Lightning McQueen lunch box and Grave Digger backpack. He is worried that he can't tie his own shoes yet or pump his legs while he swings :) I keep reassuring him that he will learn soon if he keeps practicing.

Krue models his Grave Digger backpack.

Posing with Kai and Kiefer (Kiefer cried before Krue left this morning).

Krue and Lauren ready to go!

Best Friends Forever

Mommy and her Kruser

Heading into school (without Mommy... sniff sniff)

This was a very strange feeling to see Krue and Lauren walk into the school on their own... knowing that they would have to figure out where to go by themselves. They are getting so big!

Kruser The Bruiser

Krue started football this year. He wasn't too sure what to think about it at first... but after a couple of practices he is getting more and more excited. Lee is his coach so that has been nice. Krue has been having fun wearing the pads and practicing tackling other boys... but Lee thinks Krue is going to be great at offense because he doesn't like to be tackled himself :) Here are some cute pictures of our little bruiser...

Kiefer's Buddy Graham... and His Imaginary Brothers!

Kiefer is a riot at the age of 3 1/2. We get the biggest kick out of him! Kiefer has so much fun with is best buddy, Graham Blythe. This is how we find them most of the time... with these backpacks on and tools, ready to fix cars, tractors, and anything else they can come up with. They take their job pretty seriously! How cute are they?

Kiefer also has the biggest imagination at this age! He talks about his two imaginary brothers all of the time. Their names are "Jam" and "Boojoe". They live in Ft. Wayne in Kiefer's "big new house". Jam is a "big guy" and is "21 years old". Boojoe is a "little guy" and is "22 years old".

What a crack up! We love your spunk and active little mind, Kiefer. Keep it up!

Get Me The Heck Out of Here... I Lit the Field On Fire!

I try to take the kids down to see my parents in Bluffton every other Tuesday. This past Tuesday turned out to be quite an adventure (to say the least!) As I was rounding the curve in Murray, about a mile away from my parent's house, I looked above the woods ahead of me and saw a huge cloud of black smoke! "Wow", I thought... "something big is on fire!" At that moment I got a call on my cell phone. It was my mom. This is how the conversation went:

Erin: "Hello"
Mom: "Erin! Are you almost here?"
Erin: "Yes. Why?"
Mom: "Get me the heck out of here... I lit the field on fire! Pick me up in front of the house."
Erin: "What happened!?"
Mom: "I called the fire department and they are on their way. I'll tell you about it when you get here. Just get me out of here... I'm so embarrassed!"

As I turned down 250 North (Mom and Dad's road) I saw what she was talking about (I don't know how you could miss it!) The wheat stubble in the field across the road from their house was quickly burning... it had spread about 20 feet when I first saw it. I swung into their driveway, picked mom up, and we parked on SR 116 to make sure the fire department showed up... then we took off to Bummies.

Mom explained to me that she was trying to lite a brush pile and the wind caught the fire and moved it into the wheat field. Luckily the wheat had just been cut down and moved out... so no damage to the crops. It started spreading like crazy immediately and that is when she called the fire department.

After Bummies we went back to the house to see the damage... we all gasped! The fire department was gone by this time... but the entire field had been burned. We had been really worried that the woods beside the field would catch on fire. Luckily they got it out before this happened... but some of the trees did get scorched.

This made the front page of the Bluffton News Banner! I guess 5 different fire departments had to be called in to get the fire out. Mom felt sooo embarrassed. (Dad can't give her too hard of a time because he has done this himself and had to call the fire department :) ... although the fire did not spread as far when he did it.)

Here's the kicker... the brush pile that she was trying to burn in the first place never even caught on fire. It was the only thing still standing after the fire was put out. Geesh!

Check out the pictures. The brown is where the field was burning:

Thank goodness the wind was blowing north and not south! Mom and Dad's house is directly south of the field.

Don't worry, we still love you Mom!

Kai's First Friend

Kai already has a friend! Her name is Ellie and she is the daughter of my good friend, Hayley. Ellie was born only 3 days before Kai! She lives in Delaware but was visiting her family in Indiana and came over to meet Kai. Here are some pictures of their first visit...

Ellie and Kai ~ check out the size difference for being so close in age!

Playing on the floor together :)

Me, Kai, Ellie, and Hayley

Which Brother Do I Look Like The Most?

We have had mixed opinions on who Kai resembles most... Krue or Kiefer. Who do you think she looks the most like at this age?

All pictures are posted in this order ~ Krue then Kiefer (top), Kai (bottom)

More Vistors and Cuddling!

Baba came up and helped me with Kai and the boys for several days.

Mamaw loves holding Kai! She came up with mom a couple of times to help out and held Kai while we got stuff done. How nice!

Grandma Nagel (Carol ~ one of the grandma's Kai "Caroline" was named after) and the Carsten family (plus one Dorman and a friend) came up to visit Kai. What a fun crew... 9 people in all!

Sweet Kai with Grandma Nagel & Aunt Amy admiring her.

Aunt Abby came for a visit and brought Krue and Kiefer fun toys!

Grandma and Grandpa Kruse came for a visit at the lake and to see Kai for the first time.