OUC Half Marathon

I ran a 5K in August. It was the Celebration of Running 5K and kicks off the annual race season in our area. In the race packet was a "You've done a 5K, why not do a Half Marathon" flyer. It even had a training schedule. Jared saw it and decided he was going to do it. Over the next 13 weeks, he started training. I have to say that this was a commitment for both of us. It meant he was gone from home more than he already is, which was a sacrifice for me. It meant that he was working his body pretty hard, which was a sacrifice for him.

All his hard work paid off yesterday when he ran the race. We were so proud of him so of course we had to show our support. The race started and finished at beautiful Lake Eola downtown. 13.1 miles is a long way to run and that meant the course went right by our neighborhood. After a hurried breakfast, the children and I went to the end of the street to cheer Jared on at the 4 mile mark.

 The weather was beautiful, but after the first hour of running it was apparent that although it was December, humidity would show up and make the runners miserable. Jared was a little disappointed in his time. I am sure he would have shaved at least 5 minutes off if it had been a cooler, drier day.

 After cheering him at the end of the street, we loaded into the van, navigated crazy traffic, and found the finish line. We had time to walk around Lake Eola and enjoy the Christmas decorations and music. Then we found a spot on the curb to cheer Jared to the finish line. We even had time to take a selfie.

 Almost there! Jared told me later that he was so tired but knew we'd be at the finish line so he kept running. He didn't want the children to see him walking. Grayson was disappointed Jared didn't win the race. He was actually almost an hour behind the top female runner. The winner of the whole she-bang finished at just over an hour! Can you imagine running 13.1 miles in an hour?! That is pretty amazing. For his first race, I thought he did great! He finished in 2 hours and 14 minutes. Go, Jared, go!

Family shot with our half-marathon man. Grayson did say he was impressed with the medal. And so was I. That thing weighed at least 5 pounds. 

Bedtime Blessings

I am a blessed woman! I am blessed for many reasons, but last night I was feeling especially blessed that my husband is home every night and puts the children to bed. I have many friends and family members who do not have this blessing in their lives due to husband's work schedules, school schedules, military schedules, etc. There was a time when Jared was often not home at bedtime back when he was a full time employee and a full time student. Maybe that is why I can really appreciate this blessing for what it is.

After a long, hard day of growing a baby and raising four children, I was laying on the couch. I could hear Jared's baritone from the bedroom reading a story and the chatter of little voices. Even though I was exhausted, I had to get up and take a picture of this sweet moment. I love that this is the norm for my children. Not only does it bless my life to have a husband who is willing to give me a small power nap. It blesses the lives of each of our little ones. These are memories I hope they carry with them throughout their lives: that they had a dad who was there and read to them and talked to them about their day and tickled them and snuggled them and loves them. I'm weepy and extremely grateful every time I think about it. 

Baby Wars

Since Miriam's "birth" day,  Jared and I have been engaged in what he has affectionately dubbed "The Baby Wars." Going into my fourth pregnancy, we had both silently determined that this would in fact be our last child. It was a bonus that we got a girl after three boys. It was even more of a bonus that we had been blessed with four healthy, happy children. Quit while you're ahead, right?

Well, as I was laboring in the hospital with Miriam, a voice clear as it was in the room simply said, "This isn't the last time you'll do this." I did tear up, but decided I was a little busy and just pushed the counsel aside. Over the next several months, I continued to feel uneasiness with the decision to be done having children. I voiced my concerns and shared my experience with Jared. I really think he thought I was kidding. He is happy with what we have and didn't want to go through it all over again. Honestly, I didn't really want to do it all over again either. Being pregnant is hard and painful and tiring. Not to mention feeding another Krause! Some days it feels like all I do is cook and clean. Jared, especially, was ready to move on with our lives. Being done with the baby stage is so tempting.

But, the impressions to have another wouldn't leave me alone. Therefore, I wouldn't leave poor Jared alone. We prayed, we fasted, we counseled together, we even argued! I hated that part. It was the first time in the ten plus years we've known each other that we were not on the same page. Heck, we weren't even in the same book. It was frustrating and heartbreaking and hard. I prayed to  do it Jared's way and just be done, but I knew that wasn't right. I wanted Jared to come around in his own time, but I also was afraid that maybe I was misreading the Holy Ghost. It truly was an internal, spiritual struggle for me.

In the end, Jared asked me in a very heartfelt way if I was 100% sure this was the right path for our family. I told him I could not deny it and that I was 100% sure. He agreed to have another baby and move forward with my faith. I felt honored with his trust and hope that I do not disappoint him. So, without further ado, a new little Krause will join our family in April of 2015.

The Shed

With the help of my parents and Jared's parents, I bought Jared a shed for his birthday in March and it just went up last weekend. It kind of turned into a thing, but in the end it is up and I am so happy.  Jared didn't want something permanent, but I had to have that mower and other outdoor-dirty-lawn-man things out of my laundry room. So, he accused me that it was more a present for me. Well, when you're married sometimes your spouse's gifts benefit you as well. So, I guess that is partially true. But, sheds are man gifts. So, it was HIS gift. In the end, he put it up with help from his dad and the boys. The boys mostly played with the box and leftover wood from the base Jared built. They got pretty creative with their materials and had a grand old time. They built a house, a balance beam, skateboards, and a rollercoaster. The rollercoaster was the best! They even raised their hands in the air and screamed like they were on a steep drop. Love when they use their imaginations.

Soccer!

I am not only a soccer mom, I am a soccer wife. Jared has been playing in an adult league since January. The children were anxious to see him play, so we finally headed out to watch a game. Ethan was a little disappointed that they didn't have uniforms, but all in all we were impressed with their skills.

Jared defending the goal.

Miriam clapping for Daddy.

Landon's turn to say cheese.

 



Seriously, she is so cute. She clapped for about ten minutes. Then she wanted to get down and get on the field. All three boys and I did our best and we kept her off the field.

Ethan took this one. It was a beautiful night to enjoy some soccer. As fun as it's been for Jared, I'm ready for this season to be over. I have missed having him home to help with dinner and bedtime. I know I'm spoiled and many women do that by themselves all the time. But the two days a week I am alone at night (Thursdays he's gone to with church volunteer responsibilities) are kind of awful. I smile and tell him to do it because I know he needs something that is just his. I am supportive, but it has been hard. I just miss him. So, in two more weeks, we get our main man back on Wednesdays and I am so glad!

Spring Break, Part Two (Updated 3/31)

After our five days in St. Augustine, we returned home to Orlando. We spent the next few days hanging out at home, exploring local fun, and celebrating the birthdays of two of our favorite people: Jared and Lyla!

Tuesday night we enjoyed Jared's annual Black Forest Cake and sang "Happy Birthday" and watched "Frozen." On his actual birthday, I made breakfast burritos and Jared enjoyed them very much.

 

To celebrate Lyla, we spent the day with the Gillespie's and Gigi. We started early at Pappy's Strawberry Patch in Oviedo. This was really awesome. The children had a blast picking their own strawberries. We ended up with 20 pounds total. I took 10 home to freeze and make jam. (Stay tuned for a post on my jam.)

 

Update: We froze half of our berries and used the rest to make our very own jam. I have to tell you I was so proud of us! I used my new water bath canner and took my first foray into this domestic arena. Folks, I was successful. The jam was delicious and all my jars sealed nice and tight. I think picking, cooking, and canning our own strawberries is a new Krause Haus tradition.

 

 

 Jam and Bread!

 

Fathers

I love the men in my life.  I have an amazing husband.  A fantastic dad.  A great father-in-law.  And my granddaddy was also awesome.  Happy Father's Day to my terrific men and to all of yours. 
I tried to make this Father's Day a little extra special for Jared.  We delivered lunch earlier in the week.  This morning we made breakfast in bed and cards.  Here are the boys helping Mommy.  We had pancakes with fruit, biscuits and gravy, and eggs.  Jared also got a new pair of shorts that he's been needing for awhile now.  I let him sleep in, even though 7:15 is still pretty early.  One day, he'll be able to sleep in until at least 8.  At Church, Ethan sang with the Primary (well, he stood there at least) and Grayson made Jared a tie to wear in his nursery class.  Overall, it was a pretty sweet day. 

Jared is a great dad and he really loves our family.  A few weeks ago we were just all sitting together and he said to me that he was so happy with our little family and our life together.  You know what?  I'm happy too.

I wanted to share a couple of things about my Granddaddy today as well.  His name was Edward William Pomar, Jr. and he served in the Army during WWII and then made a career in the railroad.  He married my sweet Nana, Grace Elizabeth Andreu, and they had 6 children together (4 boys and 2 girls).  My mom is their youngest child.  Granddaddy loved his family and worked hard to provide for them all of his life.  His and Nana's is a true love story and they adored one another for all of their lives.  Granddaddy loved baseball, buying things off of infomercials, traveling, collecting novelty hats (he and Nana had ones that read "Old Fart" and "Old Fart's Wife), and John Wayne.  A portrait of John Wayne actually hung in their dining room for a long time.   
I have fond memories of staying the night at Nana and Granddaddy's house as a child and staying up late to watch Hee Haw and The Smothers Brothers.  He would fall asleep and snore soooooooooo loud.  Granddaddy died 16 years ago on a rainy day in April.  I miss him very much and look forward to giving him a big hug up in heaven one day.  I am proud to be his granddaughter. 
Here is a photo of him hanging out at a Flagler College baseball game.  (I believe he became a devout fan the year my cousin, David, started playing ball there on a scholarship.  He remained a fan long after David no longer was on the team.)

7 years

By the end of the month, Jared and I will have celebrated 7 years of marriage.  It is extremely hard to believe that 7 years have passed.  I love him more than I did on the day we wed that is for sure.  The thing that really gets me is all of the things we've done in 7 years.  No wonder I look so much older than I did on the day we got married. 
I remember our wedding day so vividly.  It was amazing.  Of course something went wrong, because something always goes wrong.  It was minimal and we moved on.  My favorite memories are the quiet moments we stole as we walked around the temple grounds taking photos, walking out of the temple to see our wonderful friends and family waiting for us, having so many dear friends travel from across the country to be with us, and dancing up a storm at the reception.
The last 7 years haven't always been sunshine and lollipops, but they've been wonderful nonetheless.  I am married to my best friend for reals.  We have three beautiful children and a crazy dog.  Life is simple and sweet.
In honor of Gina, I thought I'd do a list of 7 things to do for a happy marriage (seeing as I've been married 7 years and am actually a marriage counselor professionally).  Be aware, most of these things will be common sense.
1. Be nice to each other.  It amazes me that people are more cordial to the people they do not know rather than the people they have pledged to spend their lives (and sometimes, eternities) with.
2. Stop being selfish.  Seriously, the failure to have compassion, respect, or charity in a marriage is going to kill it.  It will bleed to death.  So, just stop it.
3. Laugh together.  We laugh together and at each other everyday.  Life is hard and I'd rather laugh than cry. Pity parties really shouldn't exceed 15 minutes a day.
4. Go to bed angry if you're tired.  Being tired makes everything worse, especially anger.  Go to bed, freshen up, and come back to it as two rational human beings.
5. In the words of John Gottman, "enhance your love maps."  Do you still know each other?  Really know each other, like hopes and dreams, insecurities, etc.  If you have to pretend you've just met and remember what it was like to fall in love in the first place.
6. Nurture each other.  Ladies, be your husband's biggest fan.  Take his side.  Put him first.  Fellas, let your wife vent even if she is a little irrational.  Hug her tight.  Tell her it will be okay.  And, even though they die, bring her flowers occassionally. Develop true intimacy in every area of your life.
7. Get away at least once a year.  Husbands, if you take the intiative on this one, your wives will enjoy themselves so much more.  I don't care if it is just one night and half a day.  No kids and have fun.

Jared and the Big 3-0

My man, Jared, is turning 30 this week.  I love this guys so much. In celebration of his 30th birthday, here are 30 fun and random facts about my dear hubbabaloo.

1.  He is funny. I know that people who don't know him well may think I'm making this up.  He is very reserved in situations with individuals he doesn't know very well.  At home, he is always making us laugh with his silliness.

  2.  I love how excited he gets about Christmas and Disney World and World Cup Soccer.  He is like a little kid, for reals.

3. He makes me feel like a million bucks.  He is always complimenting me and I never get tired of it.

4. Jared is a wonderful dad.  He truly loves his children and tells me at least three times a week how jealous he is that I get to stay home and he has to go to work.

5. I love his germ phobia.  It means my house is always cleaner than it would be if I were the judge and I rarely have to clean the bathrooms (my least favorite chore).

6. Watching him around his dear friends, Gordon and Cooper, is like getting in a time machine and it's awesome.

7. It is amazing that he has sat through the entire series of Alias, Buffy, and Angel with me.  That's love my friends.

8. I am so grateful that we share the same goals in life.  The journey is sometimes difficult, but with him by my side I know that I can do anything.

9. He has the ability to talk me down and I can get detoured to "Crazytown" pretty easily.  He's my person.

10. Jared is definitely my second chance in life.

11. The man can eat, but somehow maintains his slenderness.  When we were first married, he sweetly said after a few weeks, "Honey, you need to cook more food for dinner."  Scary imagining our grocery bill when the boys share his appetite.  Who am I kidding?  Ethan can already eat more than me.

 12. I love that he is so responsible.  He never missed a class while in college, unless we were having a baby.  Even now, he has to be on his deathbed to miss work. 

13. He is so supportive of me and is always looking out for me. 

14. I love Jared's real laugh.  It comes from the gut and is one of my favorite sounds.

15. Our mutual love of fantasy novels.  We are such nerds.  You know you're jealous.

16. Those blue eyes of his still melt my heart even after 8 years. 

17. He has super scary feet, but he tries everyday to make them less scary.  I really appreciate that.

18. Jared looks good in a suit, y'all.  I'm talking double-take good.

19. He is such a trooper.  He currently cuts the hair for every member of our family, including the dog.

20. I think his love of the "ber" months is so cute. 

21. Coming home to Jared folding laundry or straightening up is the norm and not the exception.  He is really my partner in every aspect of the word.

22. One of my favorite things has always been working beside Jared.  It brings me so much joy to accomplish something with him.

23. I love Jared's ability to help me figure myself out.  You know when you feel something, but can't find the right words.  His patience and genuine interest are a gift to me.

24. Have you seen his jaw?  He's like a superhero.

25. It physically pains Jared to spend money.  He is so frugal and I am so grateful because it helps us live within a budget and provide for our family.

26. He really takes time to teach the boys things even though it means the job takes much longer.  They love helping their daddy.

27. I love that Jared is a spiritual leader in our home.  He's not perfect, but he strives to do good continually and I love him for that.

28. Seeing nuances of Jared in my children is one of my favorite things ever.

29. Up until last year, we were students.  It made for an interesting existence and I will be forever grateful to Jared for all the sacrifices he made for me and the boys.  That he puts us first always is pretty amazing, especially since selfishness is prevalent in today's world.

30. Jared loves to snuggle.  Any of his friends will tell you that this goes way back (Ahem, Gordon).  I love it.  We snuggle as a family every morning before rolling out of bed and it is the best.

Chilling with Landon (2 weeks) and watching some NBA.

 

I love this picture of us.  It was taken at my graduation a week after we were married.  We're so young and pretty here.

Candid wedding shot.  So happy together.

Goofing off with Ethan (2 years).  It is always fun around here, that's for sure. 

Hiking in Utah with Grayson (6 months).

Jared's birthday last year.  He is holding Magic Tickets.  Best gift ever.

Our latest family photo taken in January at Disney World. 

Congrats to Jared

 Well, the search is over.  Jared landed a job that he is really excited about this week.  He will begin working for L-3 Communications Mobile Vision Division in Maitland, FL on July 18.  We couldn't be more proud of him.  To show our love and support, we decided to surprise him when he came home.  We broke out the paints and smocks and the boys helped create quite the masterpiece.  It is still hanging up on the wall in the dining room. 

 Ethan loves to paint.  He was quite creative.  Grayson hadn't painted before, but quickly decided he liked it.  He also gave it a taste test, which wasn't a huge surprise to me.  The kid still puts everything in his mouth. 
We love you, Jared!

Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to Jared!  He is an amazing dad and husband.  We are so fortunate to have him, even if he peels his gross feet in bed.  We made him a one-of-a-kind tie for Father's Day.  We had to speak in church that day and he wore it anyway because he loves us. Here he is with the boys.

Photo update

Jared is growing a beard as a true Magic fan should! It is actually starting to look pretty good. This would have taken my dad or brother a week to grow. I think this is week 3 or 4 for Jared. Actually looks pretty good.

Go Magic! Game 1 tonight. Not looking so good right now. And, this just in, they lost: (

Gave the boys buzz cuts this week. I planned on real haircuts, but got frustrated and just buzzed it off. They are so hot when we play outside, so it is good in the long run. I wish I had a video from the shearing, but the after pictures will have to do. It was pretty funny. I cut Ethan's hair first and then started on Grayson. While cutting Grayson, Ethan decided to strip down to nothing. He then began running around the backyard. Once Grayson was finished, I realized they were both so dirty and covered in hair that the quickest way to remedy that would be to hose them off. So, I got Grayson naked and got out the hose. Jared came home about this time and wanted to know why his children were running around the yard naked. Good times! Yogurt fun!

Pool fun! Snuggle fun!

A few things

First off, a big thank you to Aunt Myndie for making a new blog header for me. One of these days I may learn to do it myself, until then she is my go-to girl.

Just wanted to post a few things that have been happening lately. I'll do so by family member.

Jared--Interviewed twice with an exciting company called CSN Online Retailers in Boston. We were getting pretty excited about the job and the possiblity of doing something adventurous, but he was not offered the position. Kind of a bummer, but it also means we don't have to live so far from our families. The job search continues and I am becoming rather impatient. We also went to the Orlando Magic game last week against the Milwaulkee Bucks (thanks to a b-day gift to Jared from my parental units). It was awesome! The new Amway Arena is amazing and apparently it is very "Green." I am also very green because I am a cloth diapering mom now. (More on that later.) Jared is participating in "Fear the Beard" with the Orlando Magic. He is a true fan and will be sporting a beard as long as the Magic are in the playoffs. Go Magic! (I need to get a photo of his beard, I might have to surprise him because he is avoiding cameras.)

Andrea--Cloth diapering is my new favorite thing. Surprisingly, I don't even mind the poop! Hahaha. I love my GDiapers because they are so easy to clean and take on the go. I have also come to love BumGenius for other reasons, mostly in the ease of putting them on. In all, I love how Grayson looks in them and how I feel about cutting down on the garbage we produce with two babies in diapers. Landon received a lot of diapers as gifts from my wonderful friends. Once those run out, he will be switching over as well. I also returned to work last week. So far, so good. Loving working with LDS FS again. Missed professional interaction while doing private practice. So, this is gonna be great. Plus I get to do adoptive home studies now which has been sooooooooo much fun.

Ethan--He is a crack up. Just a few cute things he's doing lately. He runs through the house to find me after his bath in his birthday suit singing, "Naked boy, naked boy. I'm a naked, naked boy!" It is cute, but sometimes disturbing dependent upon the dance moves he does with it. He has also been asking me when he can go to work. I told him that he could when he grew up. Now he keeps telling me that he's going to grow up. And I keep telling him that he better do that slowly. I love him! We have been working on teaching Ethan to pray. For a long time he was only comfortable praying if he repeated what we said. Now, he is asking to do it himself. Tonight, while blessing the food, he thanked Heavenly Father for the table, forks, knives, among other things. I also asked him to speak up because his Poppa K has a hard time hearing, and he said, "No, we pray quiet!" Ha, he's a smart one.

Grayson--Continues to be our little sweetheart. He has started delving into the world of misbehavior and we have had to get on him. He is so cute because he has to give us a hug after he is chastised to make sure we still love him or something. He still isn't talking, but also gives hugs to show his thanks. It cracks us up when we put food on his tray and he leans in for a hug with his head. Jared also taught him to give zerberts (some call them raspberries). It is hilarious! He is quite proficient at it and would love to get you if you'll let him.

Landon--At 2 months old, he is our big baby boy! I took him for his 2 month a week ago and he weighed in at 14 lbs 8 oz! What! He nearly doubled his birth weight. He is over 23 inches long and is bigger than both his brothers at this age by at least 3-4 lbs. Going to have to break out the 6 month clothing within the next week or so. He was also diagnosed with acid reflux and the baby Zantac they prescribed is wonderful. He is so much more content. Landon has also started smiling. I will catch it on camera soon and share. That dimple is worthy of a heart melt. Well, a few things turned into a lot of things.

Overall, we are blessed and happy to be a family. Still praying for a job so that we can move out on our own again. Please add us to your prayer lists and if you know of anyone in IT, Jared is looking for Jr. Systems Admn or Jr. Database Admn or End User positions. I would be happy to send you his resume.

Jared's Birthday

Jared turned 29 yesterday. When asked how it felt to be 29, he said that he'd felt 29 for awhile, so not really any different. I'm not really sure what that means, but must have something to do with having a wife and three kids. I must say that I love my hubabaloo very much. He is my favorite and I am so happy and proud to be his wife. We celebrated Krause and Hesson style, which means we had two yummy desserts. Sabra made black forest cake and Tony made a cheesecake (Jared's all-time fav). Jared even got some Magic tickets and we are going to enjoy that gift together next week. It should be so awesome to be in the new Amway Arena.

Black Forest Cake

Toffee Cheesecake and Magic Tickets!

My niece, Lyla, shares her birthday with Uncle Jared and she turned 2. She is seriously hilarious. I love her curly little head and her sweet little voice. Since I have no boys, she is my window to the world of little girls and I am so happy and proud to be her aunt. As is now a tradition, I made Lyla's birthday cake. Untraditionally, we didn't get to eat it. See pictures to find out why.

Beautiful Butterfly

Butterfly Murder as performed by Grayson. He pulled the whole cake right off the counter. So naughty, but still so cute.

The "Ber" Months

Jared has been in such a good mood lately because we officially entered what he calls the "Ber" Months in September. Now that October is here, I am getting on board with his excitement because the weather is cooling off. So much to look forward to in our little family in the "Ber" Months. We start with Ethan's b-day at the end of the month, Halloween, Grayson's B-day, Thanksgiving, new nephew should arrive in early December, and then Christmas! We are also hoping to add finalization of our short-sale to that list. Just ready for that to be over with already.

Sorry that I don't have new pics for you. Unfortunately, I broke my camera while trying to take a picture of a praying mantis. He got irked by my intrusion and jumped on my face! I freaked out and dropped the camera and it is no longer able to focus to take a picture. Bummer, dude!

I will be trying to upload video soon, though. Grayson started walking a few weeks ago and has gotten pretty good at it. He is soooooo cute and proud of himself.

Happy Birthday, Jason!

March/April are full of birthdays on the Krause side of the family. We've celebrated Kalia's 2nd, Norb's 63rd, Jared's 26th, and now, Jason's 34th! (Valerie's 31st is in two weeks!) Happy Birthday, Jason. You are the best big brother ever! We will totally miss seeing you when you and Myndie move. But, we'll have to talk regularly and knowing me, I will drag Jared up there for a visit. I love to go! : )

My Golden Boy!

Happy 26th Birthday to Jared! It is his Golden Birthday. He turned 26 on the 26th: )

I love you Jared with all I've got. I am so blessed to have found you and that I have the privilege of sharing this life and the eternities with you. You light up my life and get me through the toughest of days. I love you! Here are some photos that show the many reasons I love you!

You take me on fun dates! You are so crazy! Yes, that is my bra on his head! You're a great daddy and an awesome husband! I am so proud of you!

You're creative and handsome even as a Simpson's character! You are handy around the house! You love music and sing great! (Even if it is Creed: )