2014 North Storm U10

Preston just finished Fall season of North Storm soccer. Spent the day in Grand Rapids for his last 2 games and they won both! They finished first in their division!!!!! Looking forward to another great season in the Spring!! Great job P Dog! So proud of you! 

Isabelle

Ok so I have to go way back now since I'm so behind!!! This is a glimpse of my 12 year old's birthday way back in Feb!!! Isabelle just had her first year at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and loved it. Perfect choice for her. She is still figure skating all year and loving golf in the summer. I love Isabelle for her passion for animals, science, other cultures, faith, kindness, non judgemental attitude, etc. She always looks at things from a Mr. Wares: I sent reminders regarding pictures and fees to everyone's emails. Please take a minute to check at your earliest convenience. Thanks, Andyperspective that I wish I could more often! I also love that I can ask Isabelle pretty much anything about ANYTHING and she knows the answer. Definitely has her daddy's brains. We love you, Isabelle!!!! Thank you for helping us see all the positives in life!!!!!!! ❤️

Happy Valentines Day!!!

With Valentines Day falling on a Friday this year, it worked out perfectly to take the kids out for a special treat. We picked them up from school and took them out to Pizza Hut for dinner.  Oliver had several coupons for personal pan pizzas that he had earned at school for reading that he wanted to use. After dinner, Scott took them to see The Lego Movie. They loved it. Walter and I came home to prepare for his party. Yikes. I'm feeling relieved the weekend is over!! 

Pumpkin Muffins with Walter

In the midst of making 8 doz pumpkin and chocolate chip muffins for various kid snacks, activities, friends, etc, Walter needed his pumpkin treat too! Here's to a pumpkin and banana wafer. I think I'll stick with the muffins myself...

Happy Halloween!

This was probably the quickest Halloween ever in terms of trick or treating. It poured rain and we made it for about a half hour. Walter cried and we had to run down Sixth street as he screamed in the stroller to seek shelter at the Cueters! We literally stripped kids down with all costumes soaked. Definitely a Halloween to remember! It actually cut down on all the candy the kids got so that's a positive! As far as what the kids were, Isabelle was Big Bird, Amelia was Elmo, Preston was a football player, Oliver was Spider Man, Elijah was Michealangelo and Walter was Elmo's goldfish. The girls actually dressed up with their friends who were Cookie Monster and Oscar the Grouch. 

Six Months Old

I cannot believe how fast time flies. Walter is doing all the things a "baby" does now, not an infant. The day he was born is still so fresh. His kitty cat cry that all the nurses chuckled over, the adorable dimpled chin that visitors immediately pinned as "daddy's", his perfect toes that the second one always sits on top of the other, his black hair that would be perfect in bows, his long fingers that are perfect for piano and his beautiful, baby doll face with the cheeks that you want to bite. The photographer nicknamed him "nugget" and he is the perfect one. He's the sweetest, happiest, easiest little nugget a mommy could ask for. He's now eating big boy food, almost sitting in his own, grabbing everything, LOVES his jumping toy, ALWAYS holds his feet no matter what position he's in,is always laughing, gargling, yelling da da da, and my favorite is when he wakes up in the morning and has to lay is head on my arm or pull his daddy's arm hair to get our attention. We love you to the moon and back and then some little Wally. You are a true blessing and gift from God. Happy Six Month Birthday!

Baseball

Spring sports has me completely frazzled and running in 17 different directions daily. The boys decided to try T ball and coach pitch this year and love it (I was secretly hoping they wouldn't). I must say they are pretty good little players for it being their first time. Oliver is on the Bats team and Preston is on the River Cats. Oliver wears purple and Preston wears red. Oliver would not wear his Under Armour because it was not purple. I'm surprised he didn't insist on wearing his purple converse as well instead of his cleats. :) 

Baptism

Walter was baptized on Saturday, May 11, 2013, along with his cousins, Tess and Cash. It was a beautiful celebration with family and his God parents, Mark and Carrine!! I think he is our first baby to cry at his baptism but as soon as he felt that cold water he quieted probably from shock!

Walter Theodore

On February 13, at 2:42 am, we welcomed little Walter into our family. He decided to wait a bit longer than any of the others, which made mom a little nervous, but he finally decided he would brave this crazy family and join us!!!! Our plan all along was to have our friend and midwife, Jan, deliver little man. However, she had to be in Kalkaska Wednesdays and Fridays, so so we were very strategic about encouraging things along! When I went into the office on Tuesday I was 3 cm. Jan was hopeful that I would go in that night as long as she could make it to K by 10:00 the next am. My contractions (which I have the entire pregnancy) continued the rest of the day/night but were somewhat irregular. Jan and I texted back and forth until about 11 when I told her I was going to bed. Well that lasted about an hour. The pain got worse and I could not rest. Things were still irregular but Scott encouraged me to just go to the triage to get checked. So we texted Jan and met her in OB about 1 am. My sister Sarah and mom met us there as well. Isabelle and Amelia also joined us. Once to triage, the nurse initially thought I had not made much progress but Jan then checked and realized that I was about 5-6 cm and got me into a tub room. I labored in the room on the birth ball for a while and then decided to try the tub. Almost immediately after being in the tub, my water broke and I was ready to push! In a mad scramble to get staff in there and me back in the bed (Munson does not love water births at this point :)), he came out just a few minutes later. It was fast and furious and I had no epidural, which I never have with any of them. It makes it so nice because I feel so great after and don't have to wait for that stuff to wear off. Little Teddy (we all call him something different, either Walter, Wally or Teddy) landed on his Mommy's chest at 2:42 am with the cutest, squeakiest cry ever!!!! He is just stunning and his hair is out of control!!!! We are so blessed to have had Jan there, the girls, my mom and sister, as well as all of the wonderful nurses! I could not have asked for a better birth!! Jan came back that night and had Slabtown Burger with us. Yum!!! So appreciative of her willingness to deliver even though she was not on call. And also thankful to Dr. John Gorman for doing Teddy's checks and procedure for us! Thank God for wonderful friends!!!!

Random Acts of Kindness

On our final shopping trip two days ago, we visited the Dollar Store for gift boxes. Ahead of us in line was a young mom and her two little girls. As she went to pay, she realized that the ten dollar bill that she thought was in her wallet was gone. She then tried her credit card and that was declined. Embarrassed, she said "I'll just put a few things back." It was then that the man behind her handed money to the cashier to pay for her things. She initially protested, but he insisted. She was ever so gracious as she pleaded for his address to pay him back. But he quickly said "Merry Christmas" and disappeared out the door. That man was my husband. And that's what Christmas is about. That's what I love about him. That's what I love about my children as they learn from these acts. It reminds me of my father, when I was young and still today. I hope that woman and her two sweet little girls have very Merry Christmas.

Orphanage

One of the things we chose to do this Christmas was to support some children in an orphanage in Mexico. A woman who was in our adoption group decided to take her family to Mexico and spend Christmas in an orphanage there. The building is cold and children sleep on cement slab. Many do not have warm pajamas or socks. So Scott and I took our kids shopping and picked out warm, fleece pajamas with fleece socks, toothbrushes and books. All essential items for a fun and warm bedtime. It was so neat watching even our little boys try to decide which color pajamas and which socks these girls might like. Our girls that we bought for happened to be young teenagers. I love that our kids "get" that many kids don't have the little things that ours take for granted. They need these gentle reminders in the society in which we live. To listen to their conversations amongst one another about what else they would love to give these girls. Melts my heart.

If I Were President...

Just a little follow up from the last post, this is a letter Preston wrote a few weeks ago stating what he would do if he were president.

Toys For Tots

Each year, GTACS teams up with Traverse City Fire Department and the State Theater to raise toys for children in need. Both Holy Angels and Immaculate Conception walked downtown and sang Christmas carols as they carried their toys to donate. Their toy was their "admission" to the movies. The state theater staff worked from 6 am to make popcorn for all the children as well as drinks for each. The fire department staff waited with Santa as the kids loaded their truck with gifts. As the kids filled the entire auditorium, the children prayed for all of the kids who would now have something to open at Christmas. Toys for Tots were actually short on toys this year, but after our schools filled the truck, the staff was pretty certain we made up for what was lacking. We are so proud to be a part of a school system and community who generously donate for causes like this. Not to mention the values we are teaching our children. At least once a month, our kids bring either goods or money to school for various causes around the community. It is so refreshing when dinner conversation revolves around who they can donate their piggy bank money to and how old they have to be to go on a mission trip. Thank you GTACS, TCFD and Traverse City State Theater!

National Adoption Day

In celebration of National Adoption Day, Elijah, Isabelle, Mimi, Abuela, Papu and myself attended a luncheon which was also the retirement party of Judge Stowe. Judge Stowe was a significant part of our journey to adopt Eli. It is not often that an adoption is expedited except for special circumstances. However, at our initial hearing at 21 days post birth, Judge Stowe witnessed our family, along with the Menchaca family, sitting together in the courtroom taking turns holding Eli. It was then that he announced to our case worker that it is very rare that he experiences such a "true" open adoption situation. We were just that. He agreed to the petition to finalize our adoption three years ago on National Adoption Day. It would have normally been about another four months of waiting. There is not a day that goes by that we are not thankful for the selfless, most priceless gift we were ever given. Mimi chose life and made a sacrifice of which is unimaginable for most of us. So, here is Eli, three years later. Pretty soon he will know and understand everything. But, for now, he was just happy to have balloons and a cupcake!

Halloween 2012

I think Ninjas may have been the most common costume this year and we had three of them! In addition to the sword fighting boys, we had Belle as a ghost princess and Amelia as Cat Woman. Cueter's invited us to their house on Sixth Street which is great fun, as we each bring a dish to pass, as well as some candy to donate to their over 2,000 pieces of candy they go through that night!!!! And, let me just say that it's so crazy on Sixth Street that there were lines down people's sidewalks and Scott and I had to create a system to keep all kids in check. One of us at the line and the other corralling kids before going on to the next house. Not to mention, the extras we picked up along the way! And Tessie! But it's such a social event for the adults too! If you haven't seen someone in a while, you will probably see them there!!! Everybody knows everybody!!!! My fav part: Mary's delicious homemade Mac n cheese and Natalie's exquisite chili!!! I missed out on the pigs in a blanket but oh well. It made for a poor night sleep but it tasted good! Kids had a blast and it was wonderful to see so many great friends and their children. Looking forward to next year! Thanks, John and Mary!!!

All Saints Day

The morning after Halloween consisted of getting kids up 45 min earlier than usual in order to get one Saint Lucy ready for her 8:15 Mass and presentation and one super cute P Dog ready in his shirt and tie to do a petition at the 9:30 Mass at St. Francis. Preston was chosen as one of about 7-8 kids in his school to be a speaker at the high school/elementary school mass. It was a very full house and we are so proud of him! Thank goodness we have all these aunts and grand parents in town to split up and support the kiddos! I went to Amelia's beautiful mass along with Aunt Kate, Mimi and Scott. They were able to go to her classroom after and watch her speech while I went to St Francis church to watch Preston do his petition with Aunt Sarah, Tess, Isabelle and Papu! It was a very nice celebration and many of the children wore crowns to represent various Saints and their lives and sacrifices we celebrate. Each day I'm ever so grateful that our children are part of such an amazing community of children and families in this school system. I cannot be more proud of them and the spiritual growth they've made. Lately our conversations have revolved around their desires to go on a mission trip to help the less fortunate and also to work in a shelter or soup kitchen over the holidays. It couldn't get much better than that. Thanks to our family who got up early to support them! It means the world.