Daddy-Daughter Dance

It was a happening week at Our Savior Lutheran School this past week. Have we mentioned how much we love that place? And not just for the field trips! Mali had her first date on Friday night with the guy that will set the tone for all of the other dates in her life. They danced the night away (until 8: 15 pm or so) in the school gym. Appetizers were served and she came home with a Barbie door prize. My favorite part of the day was Mali telling Jonathan at breakfast "DON'T be late for the dance tonight". I wonder where she gets that from?

In the interest of fairness, Brinnly also had a special night at home with Mommy, Aunt Amanda and Maddy after the babies of both families went to bed. And next year Brinnly intends to be front and center on that dance floor too.

Amalia and the Fire Station

9 Months Old!

Here she is at 3 quarters of a year old dressed in her Winnie-the-Pooh jammies. Our Honey Bear is as busy as ever. She plays hard with baskets of toys and can maneuver anywhere around the house. Still no teeth but she impresses us daily with how much food she can pack away. She's thinking about moving up from the army-crawl to the all-fours version. And she's going on vacation to Texas soon so maybe her first word will be with a southern accent!

Mali wanted to make sure everyone knows that THIS is usally where you can find Pooh.



Speaking of Mali, just for comparison's sake, here's what she looked like at 9 months. I think those two look the most alike of the three.

R-E-D Red

At their insistence, my girls are all dressed in varying degrees of red this morning. Why, you ask? To match the fire engines that we'll see at Mali's school field trip today. This from the kid who wore an orange shirt, blue pants, red socks, and pink hair bow to school on Tuesday.

...to Celebrate Grandpa Gregg, of course!

It was his 60th! At his request, we made a family pilgramage to Cabela's last weekend. The kids had a blast checking out the REAL stuffed animals, the telescopes, the camping gear, and the yummy restaurant. Mali did note that for her birthday she was NOT going to choose a "far away store" but rather, "lots of presents".

Thanks to some special baby-sitters (Grandma Deni & Aunt Amber) the Shunkwiler-Ward-almost Wissing adults got to have a dinner on their own to as part of the festivities. Wheatberry Restaurant in Buchanan was impressive and we look forward to going back. And nothing says "We Love you Grandpa) like an ice cream cake. De-lish!

Why is Carrigan in camouflage?

Happy Easter-Zoo-Birthday to Grandma Deni!

We celebrated Jonathan's mom's birthday in the traditonal way--a trip to the zoo, of course! The girls loved making masks with her to show off their favorite animals.
We won't give away any secrets, but let's just say that Mali is now on the look-out for any speed limit signs that are show Grandma Deni's new age.
(Brinn is always quick to point out that she's not a scary lion. Just a loud roaring one)


And here's an Easter family shot since we always celebrate the two holidays together in some way--and she she's a big fan of spring. Hope this year is full of blessings for her!

Easter Blessings

He is risen! He is risen indeed!

Eight Months Old

She rolls all over the house and waves hello when she's in the right mood. This month she really developed a preference for bananas, finely diced grapes, watermelon, and sweet breads. On the double, of course! Thankfully, she's gone back to taking the occasional bottle when she's away from her mama and handles separations like that in stride. Now if we could only get her to be quiet in church...

Little girls with hats and guitars

Our little girl with an Irish name had her unofficial "coming-out" party of sorts on St. Patrick's Day. Her three-and-a-half (!) hour nap that day put her in great shape to dance the evening away at the local Casino Club. It was also our little friend Eliana's third birthday and all of the kids were excited to celebrate with music and green cupcakes. Their chicken-dance skills have now been refined to be on display for summer weddings!

Remembering Uncle Ron

We lost a dear member of our family this month. Jonathan's great-uncle Ron passed away and Jonathan traveled to Seattle last weekend for his funeral. Although he lived a good distance away from us, he was always intentional and generous with keeping in touch. We wish our daughters could have known him and his lovely wife, Aunt Sarah. From his example, we learned to the importance of character, the special relationships of siblings, and devotion to the University of Michigan.

(the following is an excerpt from the obituary that appeared in the Seattle Times)

Ron was a remarkable man and will be missed by family and many friends and neighbors. He is preceded in death by his beloved wife Sarah, and parents Roy and Esther. He is survived by daughters Monica, of Redmond, WA, and Valerie of Seattle; sisters Dena Ward and Grace Park of Michigan, three sisters-in-law and many nieces and nephews. Ron led an active life full of highs and lows. He was born and raised in Niles , MI. Ron's father died when Ron was 10 years old, which forged a very close relationship between Ron and his mother. Ron was high school class president and played on the basketball team. He joined the Army in 1950 and with the GI Bill attended the University of Michigan, where he earned a degree in journalism. He wrote for the Ann Arbor News and for Businessweek magazine, and then worked for Michigan Congressman Marvin Esch in Washington , D.C. , where he met Sarah and married in 1972. He raised his daughters in Ann Arbor, MI before the family moved to Monroe, WA., in 1992. Ron retired from his job as a railroad lobbyist in 1989 after a near-fatal closed-head injury. He filled his retirement with Kiwanis club, local charities, faith and family. He was a lifelong lover of Michigan football, history, and classic movies. He was a devoted supporter of many charities, particularly those addressing poverty. Ron faced the challenges in his life with courage and grace, and a heart full of love. He spoke of his daughters to everyone, and after his wife's death he never removed his wedding ring. He prayed daily, never asking for anything for himself, always thanking God for his many blessings

Seven Months Old

Carrigan is moving right through this first year. She's a big fan of rolling around now and is really into playing with the big girls' Little People sets. She's also quite the pro at peek-a-boo. She eats anything we put in front of her and has been known to shriek for more. Still sleeping well. Overall, she's loud and silly and a lot like two other little girls I know.

Best Buds

If you happen to stop by our house, please make sure you greet our new friends, "Hata", and "Hoshish". (Yes, I know those names are quite diverse-sounding. I'm doing the best I can to guess on the correct spelling). Hata and Hoshish appeared several weeks ago and appear to be semi-permanent figures. At least they are to Brinnly, who is the only one who actually "sees" them and therefore reports on all of their actions. So far we have learned:

1) Hata is a girl and Hoshish is a boy.

2) They usually wear red shirts.

3) They enjoy visiting Texas which is why they were not here one day last week.

4) They can be quite sensitiive. I mentioned the other day that it was such a good day. No time-outs, whining or anything of that sort. Brinnly was quite to remind me that Hata had had a pretty rough day and was crying quite a bit. Poor Hata.

Brinnly-Bug, you never cease to make us laugh!

Our Cupids

Koch Family Vacation, January 2010

Happy 62nd Anniversary Grandma Dee & Papa!

Guess who owns Trader Joe's?

One of the things we miss most about Pittsburgh is our dear Trader Joe's. I'm not a fan of the traditional grocery stores (especially Giant Eagle and Meijer's) and find them nearly impossible with little kids. So I've been frequenting another small store lately--initially only for price reasons, but their produce is really, really good. Check out this article to see why it's seeming so familiar. I gues I'm no longer a grocery snob! What's next, Hardings owning Whole Foods?

Well, he did have long hair

Mali, looking at her church offering envelopes: "Mommy, who is this in the picture?"

Kaethe: "Jesus"

Mali: "Oh, I thought it was Rapunzel".

Five for February....

1) We are over a month into the New Year so thought we'd report on our 2010 resolutions. The most successful thus far? Both of us waking up at 5:30 (yikes!) on weekdays to take turns going to the YMCA. Painful? Yes, it is, but the kids get up around 6, and it is so much more pleasant to have a few minutes to ourselves before facing the day with them.

2) Our other big resolution was to start a side business this year. More details on that to follow. Now that both of those goals are out in public, please feel to hold us accountable to them.

3) Carrigan had her 6-month check-up visit yesterday and is as healthy as ever. She's at 15 lbs, 10 oz. and 23 inches. With a little sleep-training help, she's back to sleeping through the night and can't get enough of any table food we put in front of her. And she's starting to notice when Brinnly steals her Cheerios.

4) Now that the girls get so excited for holidays of any sort, I wish we lived within driving distance of Puxatony, PA again. Too bad we never made it there when we were that close.

5) The girls have been starting the mornings by dancing around a disco ball in a dark kitchen wearing princess dress-up clothes. I need to take some video to capture this particular stage in life and to play at their weddings.

A very special half-birthday present for Carrigan...

Daniel Edward Kurth was born yesterday, making him exactly six months younger than Carrigan. He was 6 lbs. 11 oz., 19″ long, and perfectly healthy, although there were many concerns about him throughout Karianne's pregnancy. We are so happy for Team Kurth!
In future news, Carrigan and Daniel, along with Brinnly & Jonah Kurth, will be married in a double wedding around the year 2035. Most likely at First Trinity Lutheran Church, in Pittsburgh, PA. Their older sisters, Amalia, & Kaeta will be co-matrons of honor. Pierogis will be served. Formal invitation to follow.

Six months old

All right...who stole our newborn and replaced her with THIS huge child?
Check out those cheeks! It must be from all that spinach she's been eating. And carrots. And applesauce. And sweet potatoes. I could go on. She's at a fun age of interacting even more with her sisters and dancing to music. So far, she can only roll from tummy to back, but she's working on mastering the other way too. Crawling will be here before we know it!