our 3 kids.

No Reservations Needed.

I love my anniversary.
Every year, for the past 8 years, Chris and I have made it a priority to celebrate another year of marriage by doing something special together. We've gone on trips, we've snuck away to a near-by hotel by the water, we've had romantic meals, etc. This year, we knew that it would be different. With Elijah only being a week old, we just planned on staying home and celebrating the big 10 next year. We had both parents selflessly volunteer to take the kids so we could go to dinner, but we knew that we would be watching the clock so that I could be back in time to feed the baby... not really conducive for a romantic evening out.

I decided to make a romantic dinner in. I bought our favorite steaks, paired it with some of our favorite sides and even had Chris' favorite dessert on hand. In my head it seemed like the perfect evening with my husband... unfortunately, the others in our house were not informed of the goal of the night. As soon as we sat down, Elijah needed to eat and Zoey felt she needed some special attention (Isaac was at church with his grandparents). As I fed Elijah at the table, trying to cut my steak with one hand, and Zoey was climbing Chris' neck, we both looked at each other and smiled... this is definitely what a celebration of 9 years looks like... and honestly, I don't think either of us would have had it any other way. Maybe we will sneak away to a more private dinner in a couple of weeks... one where we don't have to do the dishes afterward.Special thanks to Matt and Nina who surprised us with some of my favorite Gloria Jeans coffee to drink with our cheesecake (it arrived at the perfect time!) Here is what the note inside said....
"Welcome to your new wonderful world, Elijah! We sent mommy some decaf coffee so that you will still sleep for her some nights, but she also get some regular coffee for those nights that you keep her awake just because you want to be with her. We love you!"

9 years.

Today I've been married to this man for 9 years. That's 9 years of waking up next to him. 9 years of sharing a pot of coffee each morning. 9 years wrestling for the remote. 9 years of winks, kisses and laughs and 9 years of together. I had a youth ask me recently what it is really like to be married to Chris Bunk. My answer: "it is a blast!" Every day is an adventure!

It's amazing that after 8 years of dating and 9 years of marriage, I still get butterflies when my cell phone rings and he's on the other end. God has given me the ultimate gift... a man who loves me unconditionally and makes me know HIM more. Here's to many more years with my favorite man!

Meeting for the 1st time...

This is one of my favorite pictures from the day Elijah was born. After the baby was checked out and I was all set, Chris went to get the kids. I am so glad my mom was there to take this picture because their faces say it all. Chris was SO excited to bring the kids back to meet the new baby. Isaac couldn't believe it was actually happening and was practically skipping in to see him. Zoey, well, she was very hesitant. It was all a little much for her, especially the fact that I was in bed and had an IV in my hand. It was a special moment for me and I am so glad it is documented. Thanks mom!

the last day of our 1st week

Well, today is the last day of our 1st week with our lil' man and time is flying! His feedings have been great. His sleeping has been better than expected. His digestive track is very healthy and he only cries when he is hungry or needs a diaper change. I LOVE NEWBORNS! I actually got sad today realizing that this phase won't last forever... in fact, it won't last long at all. I love his newborn smell and even his newborn cry and can't imagine that going away.The kids are doing great with him. They are constantly asking to hold him and are always concerned when he cries or fusses. The first thing both of them say when they wake up is "where is Elijah?" My most favorite thing right now is when Zoey asked to "hold him" because she says it with this thick southern accent. Hilarious! I would definitely give this week an A+ and we are now ready to head into week #2!

a thousand generations

someone still wants to be the baby...

day 5

Well, we made it to day 5 and I woke up with a smile on my face. I knew 3 kids would be a lot (there were plenty of women who made sure I was aware), but I wasn't prepared for all the dynamics that come along with adding the 3rd child. Yes, the number of children is difficult, but for me, the ages and personalities are what make it very "interesting." I have a pre-school boy who is struggling with the balance of the older brother role and the I'm still only 4 mentality. My daughter's motherly instincts kicked in immediately... that is, until she realized my motherly instincts weren't making her the center of attention anymore. Then there is Elijah.... sweet, innocent Elijah... who has no idea the kind of family he was born into. Poor guy.I've had a couple of "moments" (so glad I can still blame the hormones at this point), but for the most part, the days have been filled with love, laughs and kisses. Chris and I even had the guts to talk about our next one... daring, I know.

Beyond Measure.

Today my heart is full. I am still trying to take in the fact that the Lord has blessed our family with 3 wonderful children. Right now there is so much emotion, so much love and so much vision inside of me, but it is too much to put into words. I'm glad I am able to say it all with one glance to my husband. We are blessed beyond measure.

Elijah Christopher

Elijah Christopher Bunk
Arrived on September 21st at 2:43pm
7lb 15oz and 19.25 inches long
It was one of the most peaceful, fun days I've ever had. This little boy does everything right and I am counting my blessings. Let the cuddling begin!

what did i do this morning?

Blasted this as loud as I could!
Here we go!

family of four... adding one more

It's a little strange to think that we are adding another little life to this craziness in a couple of days. I do have to say that I am SO READY to hold a newborn again and stroke his cheek without him swatting me away. The kids are SO EXCITED, that I had to be reminded by my mom (during another kiddie meltdown) that they are still aware of the amount of change coming and I need to be patient with their transition to all of it. Soon Isaac won't be daddy's only boy, and Zoey won't be the baby... things that will probably take some getting used to. The fun part will come when I see them kick into "brother" and "sister" mode and defend their baby brother to the death. Just another piece of the puzzle God has blessed us with!

and in all things... session 21

Things I am thankful for on September 18th, 2010...

1. James 1:17
   
2. My Propoline Lip Balm (my FAVORITE and I just ran out!)
   
3. Open windows and a cool breeze
   
4. Coffee at nighttime
   
5. God's strength even when I am weak
   
6. Pedicures
   
7. "I love you"s from my kids
   
8. Pumpkin Candles
   
9. Seeing my kids worship
   
10. Only 3 more days and I will be the mom of 3!
    

picture perfect.

Today the kids got really excited about the baby coming. Isaac even brought me the fridge calendar to count how many days until he gets here. (He also had to put an X on each of the days that are already done. Probably not a big deal to most, but the Xs are all crooked and different sizes... so stressful for this mom, but at least he had fun.) It was Isaac's idea to make the baby a special craft to welcome him and I loved the idea. We headed up to Michaels and decided on picture frames that we could put up in his room (They also needed special masks they could play with themselves). The kids were so cute and were so excited to see them when they were done.

and... it's back to bLuE!

Well, we are finally finished getting the kids rooms ready for the new baby. The pictures aren't very good because I couldn't get a good angle, but you get the idea. Zoey is moving into Isaac's room until our baby boy is old enough to move in with Isaac. She is pretty excited, but was a little sad when we told her the crib wasn't her bed anymore. She did great in the big bed last night and didn't get up without me coming in. Major props to my husband for making a loft bed for the new car bed to fit. We have tons of space and storage which makes me happy, and Isaac is up in the air, which makes him happy.

We are also ready for a little man to arrive! Chris put up panels of wood to cover up Zoey's pink argyle design (you can see that here) with the plan to take it back down when we move Zoey back into her girly room. I'm a little BLUED-OUT, that's for sure, but am so excited to have a nursery back... makes me want to cuddle a baby! One week from today!!!

who says our house is too small for more kids?

We have the perfect solution!

3 GeNeRaTiOnS

I have 3 generations here that are DIY-ers. Just listening to their conversations would crack you up. Isaac is so excited to be helping construct his new bunk bed. Pics to follow!

Aunt April will be SO proud!

Her 1st liberty! (kind-of)

success!

Me: "Isaac, I love you so much."
Isaac: "I know, mom."

PreSchool

Wednesday was Isaac's first day of 4-year-old Pre-School... and he loved it! We heard all about the Bible stories he learned, the cookies they baked, the friends he made... but he was mostly excited that they measured all the kids to see how tall they were. All I can think it "TIME IS FLYING BY!"

Laboring on Labor Day Weekend

It's amazing to me how much Isaac loves to work with his dad. He actually gets upset if he sees daddy is doing a project around the house and didn't ask him to help. Chris got the boy he always wanted... and good thing too, because there is plenty to do before this next
baby boy arrives!

Plan B

"To poke a wood fire is more solid enjoyment
than almost anything else in the world."
-Charles Dudley Warner-We were a little bummed tonight that we weren't taking our annual Labor Day camping trip, so Chris set us up with a campfire in our backyard to enjoy the beautiful autumn weather! Smelling the campfire on my clothes is one of my favorite smells of fall!

ARTical Chairs

Today started out rough. All of us needed something to take our minds off of the long day ahead of us, and since my brain can barely compute what day of the week it is, I knew I wasn't going to be very creative. I went in the closet downstairs and found a roll of thick paper Chris brought home from one of his jobs. I grabbed some stickers, markers, crayons and paint and we were well on our way. We set the chairs up around the table and played ARTical Chairs. Everyone would paint and color and then when I yelled "Switch" we would move to a different chair and start working from there. At first, Isaac had a hard time allowing us to being creative with the art he had just made, but after awhile he totally got into it and loved how everyone added to everyone's else's pictures. It turned out to be a very fun morning... even if both kids needed a bath afterwards!

...and shoulders, and arms...

... and shoulders, and arms from lori bunk on Vimeo.

She definitely screams for ice cream!

It's a little overdue, but I did want to post some pictures from Zoey's 2nd birthday party. We had so much fun swimming, eating ice cream and hanging with family. Major props to Aunt Nina for getting Zoey to keep a pony in her hair the whole day!