The Friday Five: St. Louis

Hannah and I are having a blast here in St. Louis. She is certainly enjoying the extra attention and new scenery. We got some great steals at a garage sale last weekend and two giant Little People sets from a seller on CraigsList for $25 total. These bargains have been entertaining her when we're not on the go.

St. Louis is a fabulous destination for a family vacation. There are countless activities to take your children (of all ages) to and some of them are even FREE! Here are the Deibels' favorites:

5. Cardinals Baseball Games

(Lauren and I treated my dad to a game for Father's Day)

4. The Butterfly House

3. Grant's Farm
(We haven't made it here yet because of the rain...maybe Saturday?)

2. Magic House

1. St. Louis Zoo

(FREE admission! We also found free parking for a little bit further of a walk.)

There are just so many fun things to do in St. Louis that I can't list them all here. Other locations we love to visit are the Arch, Botanical Gardens, Science Center, and Imo's Pizza (Kara's favorite!!!).

The Friday Five: Traditions

I have been thinking about family traditions lately and wondering what Hannah will remember about her childhood as she grows older. Both of our families had a few traditions growing up that we'd like to continue, and we agree that we should be more intentional about doing things together as a family to create wonderful memories. Here are the ones that we have started or plan to begin this year:

1. Design and make an annual Christmas Ornaments as a family (Coddington Tradition)

2. Eat off of a special plate on your birthday (Deibel Tradition)

3. Pancake Breakfast by daddy on Saturday mornings (Caleb's idea and I LOVE it!!! He even managed to do this for us while he was taking graduate courses!)

4. Pizza Night on Saturday (fondue, casseroles, order out, grilled, etc.)

5. Goal: Pray together intentionally (not just for our meal) and have family devotions

April Update

Caleb enjoys taking Hannah to the Home Depot Kids' Project Days the first Saturday of every month. I went along last time and it was so cute to see them working together. Notice Hannah's precision :) She can also hammer without looking! Hahaha...daddy's gunna get it one of these times when Hannah's not paying attention!

The Friday Five

We have some beautiful flowers blooming in our yard right now!  Here are my favorites:

5.  Bluebells?











4.  Tulips











3.  Rhododendrons











2.  Daffodils

1.  Bleeding Heart

When the Rain Comes

This blog is about to take a much more personal turn.

I stroll the baby isles at Target longing for the day when I can buy binkies and burp cloths and diapers, yes-even diapers, again. Every time I go downstairs to do laundry (which is often) I walk by our "baby storage."  I wonder if I will be able to use these beloved items again.  I want to know the scent of baby skin and stroke my newborn's head again.  I want to hear the first giggle and watch the first steps.  We've been trying for almost a year for a second child and it is just not happening.  I often wonder what God wants for our family.  And then today...I finally cried.

Then, there are the people who make casual comments about how it must be time for Hannah to have a little sister or brother.  I know they mean no harm by it and it is a very common thing to say, especially when they probably imagine we want another child.  I usually respond by saying, "We're trying" and then get a blank stare.  No one knows what to say and I don't even know what I want to hear.  I think that is why most people don't ask me about it.  It has become a very lonely journey.

One of the worst times is at church when I go to pick Hannah up from nursery. Everyone else – and it is everyone else – has at least a number two, and I feel like such an outsider. They swap stories about the trials of having more than one child and my heart aches.   I suppress my sadness and try to offer a sympathetic ear.

Please don't think that I am not grateful for the beautiful, sweet, healthy, fun daughter that God has already gifted us.  I hope this blog attests to how much I absolutely adore Hannah.  It's just that I don't feel like my family is complete.  I have a hole in my heart that longs for another child.

We don't know what the Lord's plan is, yet we remain hopeful.  I will be visiting the doctor next month to try to figure out what may be going on.  We pray that the Lord reveals His plan for our family and helps us to grow more dependent on Him.  If you feel led, please pray for us during this difficult journey.

When the Rain Comes (click here)

The Friday Five: TV Shows

Kara:
1.  Lost
2.  The Office
3.  Everybody Loves Raymond
4.  Anything on HGTV
5.  Dirty Jobs

Hannah:
1.  Dora and Diego
2.  WonderPets
3.  Thomas
4.  Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
5.  Veggie Tales

Caleb:
1.  Lost
2.  The Office
3.  Parks and Recreation
4.  Anything on Discovery
5.  Anything on Fox News

The Friday Five: Favorite Springtime Activities

1.  Playing on the playground

2.  Drawing notes and pictures for daddy on the driveway with sidewalk chalk














3.  Bike rides

4.  Picnics at the park

5.  Picking up sticks (including the neighbors' yards when ours runs out)