The Schneider Family

Child labor?

2012-02-10T05:33:00.001-08:00

This kid loves to help out around the house!

This one is gross I know.....He snuck upstairs, got the brush from under the cupboard and was scrubbing away when I found him!

PS...after I finished writing this I found him plunging the toilet! (Disgusting!!)

2012-01-22T08:15:00.000-08:00

I've been teaching Corinne piano lessons for several months now and it's been a lot of fun! She loves practicing and is always asking for more lessons. I had a recital for all of my students last night and Corinne performed too. She did really well and had a lot of fun!

Christmas season highlights....

2011-12-29T18:01:00.001-08:00

Over the past month we....

visited Santa for the first time ever...(not sure the boys ever want to go back!)

Put up the tree...

Spent Christmas eve with my family... (first time all five kids have been home in 12 years!!)

Got a huge doll house...

And most importantly talked about Jesus each and every day, remembering why we get to celebrate this magical time of year. I LOVE December!

2011-12-29T17:43:00.001-08:00

Corinne really wanted to get her hair cut a few weeks ago. She said she was sick of the "bird nest" that she woke up with each day. I loved her long hair- but she definitely needed some cut off to make it look healthy again.

Before....

During....

After!We love our pretty little girl! :)

Homeschool

2011-12-01T20:08:00.001-08:00

We're having lots of fun in school these days! Here are a few pictures.

Doing school with the kids is my favorite part of the day! It's so fun to see them interact and even more fun to see them actually learning!

Happy Birthday Cal!

2011-11-19T12:48:00.001-08:00

Who? Me?

Wow! That was fast! How did a year go by already?

Here's what I'm up to....

*Walking (only five steps so far!)

*lots of babbling. I can say mama, dada and danger. I hear those words a lot!

*eating...everything is sight!

*two naps a day and 12 hours at night).

*lots and lots and lots of playing! (I'm pretty popular with my brother an sister!)

*lots of kisses and cuddles from mommy and daddy. I think they kinda like me!

Metra ride

2011-11-11T18:34:00.001-08:00

Glen had the day off today, so we decided to take the kids on a train ride! They were so excited!
We got off at the Wheaton stop, had brunch at Egglectic and then got back on. So fun!

Grandpa and Grandma came along too. Grandpa LOVES trains and can tell you everything you need to know!

Our little conductor!

We sat in the first car so the kids could look out the window as we went. Caleb could have sat there all day.

Caleb waiting his turn while Corinne looked out.

It was so sunny that the pictures didn't turn out very well- but thought I'd share anyway!

Here's on of Caleb and Corinne getting to see inside the engineer's room. He even let Caleb blow the horn. Now how many people can say they have pulled the horn on a Metra Train! That's pretty cool.

Fun at the park!

2011-10-08T19:34:00.001-07:00

We're loving the indian summer and have been walking to the neighborhood park a lot lately!

Always ready for a photo!

Caleb is our little acrobat!

Cal thinks he's pretty big these days and tries to keep up with Corinne and Caleb.

10 months

2011-10-01T11:56:00.001-07:00

And into everything!

Cal gets himself stuck under the table almost every day.

I'm pretty sure he can climb the stairs faster than anyone in the house!

He loves to help with the dishwasher and always goes straight for the knives!

Cal crawls in record speed to get to the fridge the minute it's open!

And of course he thinks laundry is pretty cool too!

Cal's into lots of trouble these days but we love his curiosity!

The BIG birthday boy!

2011-09-23T19:05:00.001-07:00

We have two birthday boys in our house today!

At 32 Glen is...

•an amazing daddy
•an awesome hubby
•an incredibly hard worker
•a blessing in our lives!

Happy birthday Glen!

Birthday Boy!

2011-09-23T16:58:00.001-07:00

Caleb is 3 today!!! What a blessing (and adventure) it has been to have Caleb in our lives!
Caleb keeps us on our toes with his curiosity and mischief, but has a heart of gold and is impossible not to love to pieces!

At 3 Caleb...

•loves his brother and sister so much and never gets tired of playing with them.

•thinks it's pretty fun to dress up in his sister's dress up clothes and can be spotted several times a week in princess gowns and tutus. Needless to say he will be getting BOY dress up clothes for
his birthday.

•loves doing school with Corinne and I at home and is eager to learn new things!

•knows all his letters and can write his name pretty well, although we're still working on the letter B!

•loves music, climbing on EVERYTHING, playing sports, reading books, dancing, and pretty much anything we do with him!

•has had asthma since 6 months but hasn't had too much trouble lately. We're praying for a good fall and winter.

•has a cute raspy little (actually he's pretty loud) voice and loves to talk. He uses some pretty fancy words sometimes too. Last night he said "Mom, we're absolutely going to watch Dora!"

•can hardly go out in public without someone commenting on his hair. God has given him some pretty cute
blond curls!

Happy birthday to our big 3 year old!

9 months!

2011-08-27T13:30:00.001-07:00

Cal is 9 months old and has been doing LOTS of crawling, standing and cruising! He loves to explore the house and thinks he's pretty cool with his new mobility.

He has 2 top teeth now, babbles a ton, eats a ton, and FINALLY slept through the night last night! (yeah...let's hope it wasn't a fluke!)

He's starting to tell us what he likes and doesn't like and is developing quite a little personality. We love him to pieces!

Cal's Baptism

2011-08-14T12:11:00.001-07:00

While we were in ND this summer, Calvin was baptized at the Camp of the Cross. This is the same place where Glen and I got married and where Corinne and Caleb were baptized.

The lake water was very high this year so Pastor Janis suggested baptizing Cal in the lake. We thought it was a great idea!

Glen's sister Gretchen and husband John Samuel are Cal's Godparents,but it was a bit of a hike for them to travel from SC to ND so aunt Laura and uncle Matt stood in for them! (they are Corinne's Godparents)

It was such a beautiful day to worship outside!

Cal and Pastor Janis got along well!

It was so nice to spend time with my grandparents.

They look good with kids!! (hint hint...) :)

A shoulder ride from Nana, Papa and Uncle Ross.

Cousin Cuteness

2011-08-03T20:04:00.001-07:00

10 years ago, my best friend married Glen's twin brother (we met at the wedding!) and now look what we've gotten ourselves into! : )

Caleb really does belong to us...but they look good with 3 boys don't they?

Are we done yet?

My sister Maddie is so talented and did a GREAT job on these photos!

8 months old!

2011-07-26T13:36:00.001-07:00

What a month Cal has had! In the past few weeks Cal has started clapping, waving, signing "all done" and "more", crawling (just barley), pulling up on furniture, and even initiated a game of "peek-a-boo" today. His only real word so far is Dada but he makes lots of sounds! Cal's loving all his new tricks and is happy to show them off for anyone who is interested.

We're still working on getting Cal to sleep 12 hours at night, but we know it will happen eventually.
Cal is such a blessing to our family!

The many sounds of Cal

2011-07-13T20:16:00.001-07:00

Michigan with the Wilson's

2011-06-26T18:05:00.001-07:00

We just got back from our yearly visit to Michigan with the Wilson family and had a blast. We rented a house in the Hagar Shore area and definitely could have stayed a few more days!

Here are the kids waiting to ride on the carousal at Silver Beach in St. Joe's. As you can see, the kids finally outnumber the adults!

Here is the suit our son insisted on wearing while he played in the yard (at 8am...WAY before beach time!).

Of course the beach was the biggest hit of the trip! The kids played in the sand for hours!

Blake and Cal (only six months apart) got along quite well! (except when Blake used Cal's head to try and escape the play pen!) They will be great friends some day!

Too sunny for this little girl!

We spent a couple afternoons in the adorable town of St. Joes's and enjoyed lots of great food! (and many treats!)

On our way out of town we stopped for some spray park fun!
We're had so much fun and can't wait to plan next year's visit to Michigan!

2011-06-24T12:25:00.001-07:00

Corinne has taken 3 sessions of ballet and had her first dance recital a couple weeks ago. She LOVED getting dressed up and going on stage.

Corinne and her good friend Sydney.

Corinne had quite a fan club in the audience, including her cousin Jack.

We're going to take the summer off but will definitely be signing up for more ballet in the fall.

7 months!

2011-06-20T06:15:00.001-07:00

Cal is 7 months already! He's been such a busy little guy learning to do all kinds of new things. He loves to roll all over the place and is even starting to get into crawling position. He's still a joyful little guy (hoping that never changes!) and giggles and smiles most of the day!

Corinne and Caleb LOVE playing with Cal and love to invite him into their forts.

Our little broccoli face! He looks like this a lot lately. No hands required for this guy!

6 months

2011-05-24T19:07:00.001-07:00

Our happy little guy is 6 months old! He's changing so much every day and has recently started sitting up, eating solids and riding in a "big boy" car seat!
Calvin is finally on the charts weighing in at 21.6 lbs. We couldn't imagine having a more joyful little guy and feel so blessed!

Caleb on his tricycle

2011-05-22T07:17:00.000-07:00

Graduation

2011-05-14T12:40:00.001-07:00

This past year Corinne went to preschool two days a week at Oswego High School. The program is led by a HS teacher but most of the instruction is from HS students. Corinne loved going to school two days a week and had a graduation ceremony last week to wrap up the year. We plan on homeschooling the kids (Corinne and I do school at home in the afternoons now) but are sending them to the HS program for a year just because it's so fun for them!

Caleb loves going to play at Corinne's school and is going to attend next year.

Corinne is her "class shirt"

Corinne's class and teachers. The HS students WAY outnumber the preschoolers!

Here is Corinne with two of get teachers.

Not a very good shot- but the best we could do!

Corinne and her preschool friend Clare.

The little Mermaid

2011-05-07T17:59:00.001-07:00

Corinne LOVES The Little Mermaid so when a few of my piano students told me they were in the play, we had to go!!
She went with her good friend Sydney and had a blast! I think one of her favorites things about going was meeting the cast after the show.

She wore her Ariel costume to the play.

Waiting for the show to begin.

They were so excited
To meet Ariel...

And a little shy around prince Eric!

Ursula was much friendlier off stage than on!

Corinne with Claire, one of my students.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Easter

2011-04-27T19:13:00.001-07:00

Glen and my dad planned a scuba diving trip not knowing it was Easter weekend so the kids and I hung out at my mom's house on Saturday and stayed the night.

Caleb found his basket on Easter morning and immediately dove into the candy!

The bunny even brought Cal a basket!

They had so much fun searching for their baskets!

We spent Easter day at grandpa and grandma Schneider's house which was fun. The sun even came out for a bit!

Corinne sporting her Easter dress ( and the lovely pants I made her put on to play outside!)

5 months

2011-04-27T18:38:00.001-07:00

Cal is 5 months and we are having so much fun with our little ( but actually big) guy! He's so easy to have around and smiles and laughs at anything and everything.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Caleb singing

2011-04-16T12:05:00.000-07:00

Here is Caleb singing with his raspy little voice. We have always thought it was cute and something he would outgrow- but the rasp is definitely not going anywhere! We have an appointment with an ENT on Monday so I'm anxious to see what he says.

Variations on Twinkle Twinkle

2011-04-16T11:52:00.000-07:00

Corinne loves to sing and change songs to make them her own!

Getting crafty....

2011-03-27T19:21:00.001-07:00

Or trying anyway.... It's a little wild (I proably should have read the instructions a little better) but it kind of looks like a tutu doesn't it? I love the idea of being a crafty person, but still have some work to do!

Fun outside!

2011-03-27T19:08:00.000-07:00

We've had a glimpse of spring these past few weeks and have loved going outside to play!

Cal is 4 months!

2011-03-27T18:54:00.000-07:00

Every day is such a joy with our little guy! He is so happy and easy going all the time! He is almost 20 lbs, and is still off the charts. Cal LOVES to sing and just discovered his toes. He's also really social and will stare into your eyes for as long as you'll let him. We love him so much!

More pics...

2011-02-25T08:53:00.000-08:00

I've been taking lots of photos lately (LOVE my new iphone) but can't seem to find the time to post them! Here are a few recent photos...

Our little mermaid...

Caleb has been working hard on learning to spell his name!

Our happy little guy!

Caleb and Corinne both LOVED the snow that the big storm brought! Cal and I stayed inside the warm house.

Happy Birthday Corinne

2011-02-25T07:50:00.000-08:00

Corinne is 4 today! She had a friend birthday party last weekend, is going to her favorite restaurant for dinner tonight (Red Robin) and is having a family birthday party tomorrow! We love our little girl so much and feel so blessed to be her mom and dad!

At 4 Corinne....

*is so imaginative playing all day long using her imagination. I love ease dropping on the conversations she has with her dolls and imaginary friends.

*Loves to learn! She's been reading books on her own now for several months and loves to sit at the table write. I'm doing a homeschool preschool curriculum and she loves it and is learning so much!

*Has a bit of an obsession with The Little Mermaid. She has named her pillow Prince Eric and loves to include "him" in all of her imaginary play. I'm not sure what to make of that....: )

*Has such a good heart. She is so kind to everyone (with the exception of Caleb sometimes....we're working on that...) and loves to make new friends.

*is all girl. She loves dressing up, having her hair done, shopping, going to ballet, doing crafts.....I love it!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CORINNE!!

3 months

2011-02-25T07:11:00.001-08:00

Calvin is already 3 months old! He's such a mellow little (well not exactly little) guy and we feel so blessed. At 3 months Cal....

* is very social and loves to smile and laugh at everyone who will pay attention to him. He spends a lot of time observing his crazy brother and sister and is hopefully only picking up their best habits. : )

*sleeps almost 10-12 hours at night without interruption (I hope I didn't just jinx myself!) and takes a lot of little naps during the day.

*wears cloth diapers. We love them and really wish we would have used them with Corinne and Caleb, but better late than never!

*weighs 19lbs! He's wearing 6-12 months clothing already. We love all his little rolls!

*Uses a pacifier to go to sleep. Corinne and Caleb never took them but it actually kind of nice. When it's nap time, we swaddle him, give him his pacifier and lay in bed!

2 Months!

2011-01-25T12:48:00.000-08:00

Calvin is 2 months already! That went by fast! He's such an easy guy to have around and we love him to pieces! We went to his Doctor appointment today and have some stats to report.

Head size: 17 inches (98th percentile)

Length: 25.5 inches (99th percentile)

Weight: 16lbs 8 ounces (100 + percentile!)

So, needless to say, he's eating well (but not more often than Corinne or Caleb did).

When Corinne was 2 months she weighed 13lbs 10 ounces, and Caleb weighed 15lbs 3 ounces.

We think our chunky money is so cute!

ABC's

2011-01-21T10:51:00.000-08:00

Corinne loves to help teach Caleb his letters. Hopefully Calvin is picking up on some of it too! : )

Schneider Family Highlights - 2010

2010-12-24T10:46:00.001-08:00

Click here to view this photo book larger

My boys

2010-12-13T16:27:00.000-08:00

sibling love

2010-12-12T13:06:00.000-08:00

We've loved every moment with Calvin these past few weeks (except for a few of the middle of the night moments!) : ) Corinne and Caleb love their brother so much!

Corinne loves to say her prayers with Calvin every night

precious kisses!

Some male bonding time!

Calvin's first REAL bath!

Calvin Daniel Schneider

2010-11-23T06:36:00.001-08:00

We are SO excited to welcome Calvin Daniel Schneider to our family! He was born on Friday November 19th at 1:42 PM weighing 8 lbs 14 oz and 22 in inches long. The birth experience was great- and the quickest of the three! (2 pushes and he was out!). We are cherishing every moment with the little guy and feel so blessed to have him! Corinne and Caleb already love him so much. Having them meet their brother was such an awesome moment!

Aquarium

2010-11-18T05:34:00.000-08:00

My sisters were both in town this past week, so we thought it would be a great time to bring the kids to the aquarium. We had so much fun!

We saw an awesome dolphin show. Corinne couldn't take her eyes off the show to take a picture with aunt Maddie!

Aunt Laura and Caleb watching the dolphins jump out of the water.

We were looking at a bright yellow frog.

The kids loved sitting on the ledges of all the aquariums. It was hard to pull them away!

There were some really neat hands on activities too!

Corinne the penguin!

What a blessing

2010-11-18T05:22:00.000-08:00

We are so blessed to have two (and a half!) beautiful children! As I lay in bed this morning thinking about the arrival of our new baby, I heard both Corinne and Caleb get out of bed. (Caleb finally figured out how to crawl out of his crib last week!). Instead of running into get me up as they usually do, Corinne called Caleb into her room. For a half hour they read stories to each other, laughed and talked. I love that they love being together so much and can't wait for our new baby to experience all the love they have to offer!

Caleb's Birthday

2010-10-23T13:27:00.000-07:00

Caleb turned two last month! He's such a big boy and we love him so much.

(The crazy sounding toddler in the background would be Corinne....I swear she really can sing...she must of been feeling a little crazy that day!)

Caleb

2010-10-06T18:06:00.000-07:00

Caleb, you just turned 2 last week and are such a sweet little boy. Your blond curly hair makes you look angelic, but of course that's not always the case!

You love your blankie(s)- you have about 6- and you call them your Bs. You HAVE to have one to sleep and usually snuggle with it for a while every morning when you wake up and after your nap. We're glad you have so many blankets because there always seems to be a clean one around.

You are so active, climbing, jumping off things, playing, but you also love your sleep. Most days go you to bed at 7:30pm and sleep until 6:30am. You take a nap every day for almost 3 hours! Thee are many days when we have to wake you up!

You adore your sister and go along with all the activities she plans for you. You love to kiss my belly and say "baby come out" but I'm not sure if you really know what you're in for. You always make me pick you up when you see me holding other kids, so I'm sure there will be a little jealousy!

You are always talking and can speak quite clearly in pretty sophisticated sentences! I think it's because Corinne is constantly talking and teaching you new words.

You love to be naked and many times we find you completely naked in your crib either fast asleep or just waking from your nap. We've had to change your sheets MANY times because you pee on them after stripping off your clothes. You want so badly to be potty trained and go on the toilet a lot- but mommy is not good about consistently putting you on the toilet- so we have a lot of accidents! Potty training is hard work!!

You bring so much joy to our days and we thank God every day for such a special blessing!!

OK...I give in!

2010-10-05T20:16:00.000-07:00

I love to spend time reading my friend's blogs (and blogs of people I don't even know!). I always think it's interesting to read about other families and the milestones their children meet as they grow older. As I learn about all these milestones (again...on some kids I don't even know!) I often think, why don't I write about our children and their milestones???? Then I usually get distracted and find something else to do.

Now that we're about to meet our third child, I think it's time I start documenting some of our daily adventures as well as special days. I have a feeling the days will start to blur together with 3 children three years and younger! I know I'll be glad to have more than just my memory to rely on during the times I feel like reflecting on how our children have grown.

So- He goes my first attempt at summing up our children.....

Corinne- at 3 years and 8 months you amaze me every day. We have been through SO much with you which is part of the reason I have a special bond with you that will never be replicated with anyone in the world!

You have such a kind heart (with the exception of bullying your brother every now and then), and make friends very easily. You love to go to new places and usually end up with a friend within the first few minutes of being there. You also love playing with your brother and have taught him so much. Some of my favorite times in the day are when I see you and Caleb playing hide and go seek, or playing house, kitchen, giving Doctor exams, reading together, riding the power wheels or whatever it is you're doing together. You guys truly love being together.

You're a very bright girls and LOVE learning. You go to the high school early childhood preschool program twice a week right now and think it's really fun. But because you love learning so much (and I think your school program is more about socializing) we're doing a home school preschool curriculum too. Every day you ask when we're going to do school together and you say it's you're favorite time of they day. I really love teaching you and you're such a good student.

You're already reading, writing and so much more.

You're so excited to meet your new baby brother or sister and love to kiss my belly and feel him/her move each day. When we sing the months song each day, you always get excited to sing November because you know that's when the baby is coming. You're going to be such a great big sister.

I could go on and on....we love you SOOO much and can't imagine a better gift from God!!

Next entry...Caleb...

Family photos

2010-09-27T08:07:00.000-07:00

My sister Maddie took some awesome photos for our family when we were at the lake this summer. I loved so many of them that I couldn't just post a few!

North Dakota

2010-08-21T12:09:00.000-07:00

We went to North Dakota for two weeks in July and had so much fun! We're so grateful that my parents let us stay with them in their lake house for so long! We did SO many things while we were there. Much of our time was spent having fun on the lake.

Corinne loved driving the boat.

Corinne's first smores...and of course she loved it!
I loved mine too!
Caleb and Corinne got to watch Daddy and Papa scuba dive.
Corinne had a blast playing dress up with my cousin Carleigh's daughter Brielle. We're so sad they live so far away.
We got to spend a little time with my Grandma Johnson which was fun!
We also got to spend lots of time with Grandpa and Grandma Great.
Corinne loved helping learn how to make my grandma's famous cinnamon twists.

YUM!
Jennifer, Todd, Blake and James came to visit us in North Dakota. We had so much fun!

Todd was a pro a knee boarding!
And of course Jennifer and I were great at tubing!
We can't wait to go back again next year!

Michigan

2010-07-21T11:16:00.000-07:00

We've been on vacation for a week now and are having a great time! We started in Michigan where we had a great time with our good friends Jennifer and Todd and their little guys James and Blake. The weather was great and of course the company even better!

Relay For Life

2010-06-30T19:19:00.001-07:00

Relay for life was last weekend and we had such a great time! We had a fantastic team that together raised over $4500 in just two weeks, making us the number 4 team out of 66! We are SO grateful to all of the people who donated money to a cause so close to our hearts. Our local event raised over $100,000! Now let's hope and pray all that money can help find a cure!
I proudly walked the survivor lap with Corinne

Daddy and Caleb cheered us on!

Corinne was very proud of the luminaries with her name on them.

We camped out (Corinne too!) until 3am when a storm arrived. We quickly packed up and got home just before the rain hit. Regardless of the weather, we enjoyed our time remembering those who lost their lives to cancer and having hope for those currently battling.

Caleb's playtime

2010-06-06T18:05:00.000-07:00

Keeping Caleb entertained these days is not easy! He's not that interested in toys- except for dumping them out of their containers! One of his favorite things to play with is his play kitchen- and even more than that- the real kitchen!

Working in the yard

2010-04-29T07:56:00.000-07:00

I've been TERRIBLE about updating our blog lately! Honestly I think it's because I'm so busy chasing Corinne and especially Caleb that taking pictures is the last thing on my mind. Hopefully I'll get a little more skilled at this!

The weather has been so nice this spring that we have spent as much time as possible outside. Last weekend we worked on the yard quite a bit.

Caleb trying to help edge. Someday we'll LOVE his help!

Corinne takes responsibility for watering all the flowers. She's such a great helper!

We built raised bed gardens this year. It will be so nice having fresh veggies in our backyard!

Corinne's Birthday Party!

2010-03-05T12:09:00.001-08:00

Here are a few photos from Corinne's birthday party a few weeks ago.

Corinne loved the spotlight!

Nana and her friend made this awesome backpack cake. Corinne's party was ALL Dora!

Glen made a delicious brunch! These quiches were yummy!

The kids all made backpacks and went on a Dora scavenger hunt. They filled their backpacks with prizes along the way.

Corinne got a snow white outfit for her birthday. She was so excited about the high heels!

Everyone helped open presents.

Corinne was so excited to get a big girl bike. She still needs some help riding it!

It was such a fun day!

Happy 3rd Birthday Corinne!

2010-03-01T07:28:00.000-08:00

We had Corinne's birthday party yesterday. I'll post lots of pics later, but here is a little preview!

St. Louis

2010-01-31T20:08:00.001-08:00

We went to St. Louise to meet up with our good friend Jennifer and Todd (and James) a couple weekends ago. It was a short- but really fun trip! One of the highlights was the children's museum. I think we could have spent the whole day there!

There was a really neat construction area where the kids could play with construction materials.

This 3 story slide was a hit! Caleb goes down every slide on his tummy!

The kid sized grocery store was so cute.

Not sure if Caleb realized the food was fake!

Corinne loved working on this car. Not sure if the kid under the car is having much fun!

Corinne and Caleb have never been swimming in a pool before and had so much fun.

Jennifer and baby Wilson # 2 (on the way) stayed pool side!

Hospital

2010-01-23T15:13:00.001-08:00

Corinne had surgery on Jan. 4th and stayed at the hospital for 5 days. We are praising God for protecting Corinne through the surgery and for guiding the surgeon in getting all of the cancer out of her body. The hospital stay was a little rough until Corinne's pain was managed, but once that happened, I think she may have actually enjoyed herself a bit!

Here is Corinne on day 5 of the hospital stay. She finally got to have a shower which she loved!

After not eating for 3 days, Corinne LOVED having a Popsicle!

Nana and Papa brought Caleb for a visit. They were so happy to see each other!

Once she was feeling well enough to sit up, we did a lot of art projects.

Corinne had lots of visitors- including her Aunt Amy and cousin Jack. They brought her some fun gifts including nail polish. She LOVED getting her toes painted. (she's sitting in a wagon)

Here she is resting after the surgery.

Here is Corinne right before surgery. I went in with her for the sedation so I had to put on this beautiful outfit!

Fun in the snow!

2009-12-31T11:38:00.000-08:00

First thing....we are thanking God for the tests results he gave last week- showing Corinne's tumor is localized. She is schedule to have surgery at 12:3o on Monday to remove the tumor. Please pray for her safety during her surgery. Please pray for a fast recovery for Corinne. And please pray that the tumor NEVER comes back. THANK YOU!

After recieivng the great rest results, we were able to enjoy Christmas and even had some fun in the snow!

We need prayers!

2009-12-18T12:03:00.001-08:00

I'm sure many of you already know this- but our daughter Corinne was diagnosed with nueroblastoma (a childhood cancer) when she was 15 months old. We were blessed in that it was not aggressive, had not spread, and was able to be removed. She has had a year and a half of clear scans, until her visit to the Dr. last Wed. Corinne's oncologist was shocked to report that her cancer has started to grow back. We are devistated that Corinne will have to go through all of this AGAIN. But- we know we need to trust in the Lord and believe fully that he can heal Corinne.

"Mark 11: 23“I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. 24Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

Corinne has to go through many different tests next week to make sure the cancer has not spread. We are asking you to please pray that the tumor is the only sign of cancer in her body and that it can be easily removed and will never come back. Please pray for Corinne's protection during all that she will go through during the next few week, and for her complete healing.

A few pics

2009-12-04T20:35:00.000-08:00

I haven't been very good about updating lately. The holidays have taken over already! Here are a few recent pics....

Caleb loves his books...especially if there is anything in the book that he can rip out!

After we put Corinne to bed one night, we later found her painting her fingernails. That incident kicked off phase two of childproofing!

The Schneider family working so nicely in the kitchen on Thanksgiving.

This is actually more what it was like.

Thank you Sharon!

2009-11-06T19:28:00.000-08:00

Sharon from Good, True and Beautiful was SO kind to create a header for our blog. Thank you Sharon!!! Check out Sharon's blog for some fun reading and great money saving tips!

Halloween

2009-11-01T07:18:00.001-08:00

We had a fun Halloween yesterday! Glen and Corinne carved pumpkins in the morning.

They carved a "happy" pumpkin and a "scary" pumpkin. This is Corinne making her "happy" face.

Here is our little cowgirl and our little tiger.

Corinne LOVED the candy of course, but Caleb wasn't allowed to eat any. Maybe next year!

We went trick-or-treating for about an hour...it was COLD!

Corinne cousins Jack and Graham went trick-or-treating with us.

Jack was a scary dragon, and Graham was a cute little Pea!

1st Drum lesson

2009-10-18T12:27:00.000-07:00

Caleb had his first drum lesson today. I think we have some work to do!

Fall fun!

2009-09-28T20:09:00.001-07:00

My friend Kristine is starting up a photography business and asked if she could take some pictures of the kids to help advertise. We had lots of fun taking the pics, especially Corinne with her giant lolli-pop! I think that was the highlight of her week!

I think Kristine did a GREAT job!

Happy Birthday to the Schneider boys!

2009-09-23T20:14:00.001-07:00

Caleb turned one year old today, and Glen turned 30! Corinne and I are so lucky to have such awesome boys in our lives! SO hard to believe that one year ago today we were blessed with our precious baby boy! He is such a gift from God- and every day we continue to enjoy watching him grow. He's a happy little guy, full of energy, and SO much fun to be around! We had Caleb's birthday party on Sunday and he had a great time!

Caleb had lots of family at his birthday party and had a great time! Here is everyone waiting for some cake!

Caleb ate every bit of his cake!

One of Caleb's favorite things to do is play on the slide. He loves going down backwards because he can do it all by himself!

Caleb got many new FUN toys!

Corinne had a great time too!

Trip to the fair

2009-09-14T11:46:00.001-07:00

I took the kids to the fair on Friday with some friends. Corinne got to go on lots of rides and enjoyed most of them! : ) When I asked her which ride was her favorite, she said the "couch ride" I think this is the one she meant!

This one was a little scary for Corinne. Her friend Caeden loved it!

Poor Caleb was stuck watching!

Fun at the park

2009-09-13T18:56:00.000-07:00

Corinne and Caleb have been enjoying the awesome weather and have spent lots of time at the park lately with their friends!

One of the parks that we went to last week is also a small zoo so the kids had fun looking for the animals.

So much fun!

The states

2009-08-31T18:09:00.001-07:00

We bought Corinne a USA puzzle about 6 months ago and she has loved everything to do with states ever since! She loves USA songs, has collected different related puzzles, and see the different state shapes in everything, including her food! The other day she pointed out that her turkey burger looked like South Carolina and actually it really did! It's weird....I know.....but that's what Corinne has been up to lately! : )

11 months!

2009-08-29T12:59:00.000-07:00

SO hard to believe that our little guy is going to be 1 year old soon! He's been very busy lately growing teeth, trying to walk, climbing EVERYTHING, trying to say words and playing lots! He's such a happy little guy and we're having so much fun watching him grow!

First Hike

2009-08-09T12:15:00.000-07:00

We took the kids for a picnic and hike a couple weeks ago and had a great time! We hope to do it more often, especially with fall approaching! Glen and are reading a book right now called "Last Child in the Woods" by Richard Louv and it has inspired us to find more creative ways to bring the kids outside (besides the usual park outings).

Picnicking with a 10 month old is messy, but fun!

There was a cute little lake called Silver Springs lake that was really beautiful and BLUE!

Caleb was happy to "stroll" the entire hike.

Looking at bugs.

Splash Park

2009-08-03T20:27:00.000-07:00

We LOVE going to this splash park by Grandma and Grandpa's house!

North Dakota

2009-07-25T14:06:00.001-07:00

OK..after spending 5 days in Michigan, a ride on the S.S. Badger and a REALLY long car ride, we made it to our final destination, North Dakota! (Do you think it's taking me long enough to Blog about our vacation!?). We spent almost 2 weeks there and did a lot!! Here are some of the highlights...

We were so happy that we got to spend a lot of time with family, including my grandparents.

This is the back of my parents lake house. Not sure why we didn't take a picture from the front!!

Corinne got to go on a golf cart ride every day and loved it!

Caleb was baptized at the "Camp of the Cross" while we were there. Corinne was baptized there two years ago, and Glen and I got married there 6 ears ago. We love the lake!

We watched fireworks over the lake on the 4th.

My mom hung out with the kids one day so Glen and I and Ross and my dad could go Kayaking on the Missouri rive (think Lewis and Clark!) It was really fun!

Glen took this picture to document that I was cooking. But really all I was doing was cutting up veggies. Does that count?

Corinne slept in my parent's room in a pack and play- but on this morning, she took over their bed!

Nana giving Caleb a bath.

We spent almost every afternoon out on the water!

We had a great vacation!!

S.S. Badger

2009-07-15T06:48:00.000-07:00

After spending time in Lexington Michigan, we headed to Ludington Michigan to get on the "S.S. Badger Boat" (as Corinne called it) for a trip across lake Michigan. Since we were traveling to ND, we thought it would be easier, and more fun to go across the lake instead of around. We got on the boat at 8pm and didn't arrive in Wisconsin until around midnight. The boat was HUGE and had lots to keep us entertained including a playroom, cafe, bar, observation decks, museum, gift shop and more. We got a room so that the kids could sleep a bit too.

We passed this lighthouse as we left the port.

There was a man playing bagpipes on the roof of the boat.

We just left the port in this picture. The big ship in the picture is almost the same as the one we were riding on.

The ship had MANY cars on it, as well as semis and charter buses.

This is a semi backing onto the boat before we left the port.

Corinne had a great time on the boat and calls every boat she see now the "S.S. Badger Boat"

Michigan

2009-07-12T04:40:00.000-07:00

We spent five days in Michigan with our Friends Jennifer and Todd and their little guy James at the end of June and had a GREAT time!

Here we are sitting in front of the cottage where we stayed.

We went to the beach every day and the kids loved it!

Throwing rocks was a hit with James and Corinne.

Caleb enjoyed the beach- especially eating the sand. Yuck!

The kids all had a great time playing together! James and Caleb had lots of time to play together because they both woke up between 5:30 and 6am every day! Gone are the days of sleeping in on vacation!! :)

Relay For Life

2009-06-15T06:21:00.000-07:00

For the second year, Corinne took part in Relay For Life in order to raise money for the American Cancer Society. She was able to raise quite a bit this year! The evening began with a small ceremony, and then the survivors got to walk the first lap. Corinne was the smallest survivor last year, and was again this year. We thank God that she is a survivor and that we can take part in this event!

This was the survivor lap.

She walked several laps around the track.

Each year the survivors get to make a hand print on a banner.

Once it got dark, the track became lined with luminaries to honor those who have passed, those who are fighting their battle with cancer, and those who have won the battle.

All Done!

2009-06-12T19:36:00.000-07:00

Caleb learned how to say "all done" today using sign language. We've been showing him how to do it for months, and today he finally decided to join in the fun! Warning: We are all very excited in this video!

New sleeping arrangments

2009-06-12T12:56:00.000-07:00

This was Corinne's last night in her crib. We often have to pry books out of her hands while she sleeps!

Here is the new home for Corinne's crib. Caleb's old crib went to Grandma's house.

And here is Corinne's new "Big Girl" bed! We bought it second hand and then Glen refinished it to make it match her other furniture. She loves it!

When we put her down for her first nap in her "big girl bed" we listened to her play in her room for almost 3 hours before we went up and intervened. This is what we found....

Potty and dancing....

2009-06-07T11:47:00.000-07:00

What do these two things have in common? Nothing.....but they both happened a lot at our house this week! We've been testing the potty training waters for quite some time now with Corinne, but up until now she has never really acted interested. This past week, she decided on her own that she would use the "big girl potty" all the time and has been so great about running to the bathroom (or wherever the potty is at the time) when she has to go! Such a big girl!! One out of diapers....one to go!

For the first couple days, the potty went where Corinne went, but now we've moved it back to the bathroom!

No better time to get some reading done!

Caleb started "dancing" this week.

2009-05-27T19:40:00.000-07:00

Corinne

My sister Maddie is home from school in Colorado where she studied photography. We love having a photographer in the family! She always takes such great photos!

Corinne had fun picking wild flowers at Nana and Papa's house last Sunday.

2009-05-27T12:20:00.000-07:00

8 Months Old

Caleb started crawling a couple weeks ago and is all over the place! He's always been such a mellow little guy, but now I'm starting to wonder if he's going to stay that way.....!

Mother's Day

2009-05-12T19:46:00.000-07:00

Sunday was a great day spent with my family. We went to church in St. Charles and then the guys made everyone a delicious brunch AND dinner! We also spent some time at the park which is always a hit with Corinne and Caleb! I'm so grateful that I get to be the mother to my two beautiful children!

2009-05-07T18:55:00.000-07:00

Baby Graham

Here is the newest addition to the Schneider family! Graham Walter Schneider (Corinne and Caleb's new cousin) was born on April 7th and is a cutie! We spend the morning on Tuesday with Amy, Graham and Jack at the park in front of their house. The kids had a great time and of course Amy and I always have fun too! Corinne and Jack are six months apart, and Caleb and Graham are 7 months apart. It will be so fun to watch them grow up together!

Easter

2009-04-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

Easter in Missouri

We had a wonderful Easter this year with our good friends Jennifer, Todd and James (1 year).We arrived late Thursday evening and stayed until Monday morning. They had a jam packed weekend for us and we all had a great time!

Sunday we went to church in the morning and then enjoyed a variety of Easter activities throughout the day.

Jennifer made a beautiful and delicious bunny cake.

Corinne thought the Easter basket would fit well on Caleb's head!

Glen and Corinne enjoyed making a "bunny house".

Saturday we had breakfast with the Easter Bunny and then the kids got to participate in an Easter Egg hunt. It all took place at a beautiful garden about 30 minutes from Jennifer and Todd's house. It was a great day to be outside. Later that afternoon we went to the Plaza in Kansas City and enjoyed walking around.

The plaza was filled with blue fountains and Easter Bunnies. Corinne liked the fountains the best!

Corinne liked the Easter bunny much more than Santa Clause (not sure why with a face like that!)

Friday we got to see my friend Rachel from Cornell and her adorable little girl Evalana (9 months) as well as her husband Joshua. We went to a farm in the afternoon and enjoyed the beautiful weather.

Corinne got to help feed the baby calves.

Corinne was trying to help all the babies look at the camera.

All the slides at the farm were a big hit!

Glen liked them too!

2009-04-02T20:45:00.000-07:00

Roller
After six months showing no desire to roll, Caleb finally decided he'd give it a try!

(try not to get sick from my unsteady filming!)

2009-03-27T20:06:00.001-07:00

6 Months Old

Wow! Where did the time go? Our little guy is growing up so fast!

He's almost 20 pounds according to his recent Dr. visit stats. He just started eating solids and loves it! We're doing BLW so skipped the purees. He's great at feeding himself and of course always makes a HUGE mess!

He's figured out that he actually doesn't have to hold the food. He'd much rather use his hands to get the next bite ready.

2009-03-21T15:36:00.000-07:00

Sibling love

Caleb is finally to an age where him and Corinne can have fun playing together (in a "toddler/baby" sort of way!). I often hear them from the other room craking each other up which is so fun to hear!

Corinne loves to sing songs with Caleb!

Caleb helps get Corinne up most mornings.

2009-02-28T18:28:00.000-08:00

Happy 2nd Birthday Corinne!

It's hard to believe that it's been two years since we welcomed Corinne into our family. We are so thankful for her. She's such a gift from God! Corinne had her birthday party last Sunday. she had a great time opening presents and spending time with her family. One of the highlights of the party was the roller coaster that Corinne's Grandpa and Grandma gave her. Almost everyone rode it, including Caleb and Grandma! Corinne also loved the butterfly cake her Nana made.

What a difference a year makes! Last year Corinne wasn't too interested in opening presents. This year she couldn't' open them fast enough!

Caleb was quite the spectator!

Blowing out the candle was a challenge, but eating the cake was not!

Yum!

2009-02-09T12:01:00.001-08:00

Corinne loves to make cookies with her Daddy!

They have made them 3 times in the past month....guess who eats them all?

Corinne and Jack

2009-02-07T20:02:00.000-08:00

Corinne has lots of fun with her cousin Jack who is 18 months old.

Our big boy!

2009-02-07T19:43:00.001-08:00

Caleb is already 4 and a half months old! He loves trying to grab everything- and it all goes immediately into his mouth!

Another way to communicate

2009-02-06T12:30:00.000-08:00

Now that we're not using caring bridge as much to communicate with all of you, we thought we would create a blog! We can post pictures and keep you posted on the latest! Here are the latest photos that Maddie took of Corinne and Caleb.