Baby Daukas Hair

Our kids have very similar features, especially when they are babies. The cute button nose, big blue eyes, full lips and what has affectionately been called "crazy daukas hair" by people at church. Today wasn't a great hair day for Rylee. I think it' so cute though that I've refused (a.k.a. haven't had time) to fix it. Double click the picture to get a better view.

"Keep the bourbon away from the child dude"

Going to the grocery store is rarely uneventful. Today was no exception. I usually roll in disheveled, praying I don't run into anyone. It's a good day if my kids hair has been brushed, let alone mine. Today wasn't a good day, not only that, but Trevor is in serious need of a haircut. To keep in step with Rylee's schedule, grocery days usually happen early. We begin our trip with Rylee dangling in the baby bjorn, Trevor in the front seat of the cart and Taylor trying her best to keep up with mommy. Halfway through the trip I notice that rylee has stolen my list and is now eating it. Little pieces of paper are coming out of her mouth. Later on we take an unfortunate turn down an ailse that has Thomas the Train cups and Trevor, of course, spots them a mile away. He begins shouting "TRAINS, TRAINS. PHULEESE THOMAS THE TRAIN". Now normally I'd say no and break out the pacifier to try to muffle his screams. But the tantrums began an ailse earlier when he spotted crackers. He is onto my pacifier trick and threw it on the ground. So now I'm weighing out the lesser of two evils. Dirty pacifier vs. spending ten bucks on Thomas the Train cups. Thankfully we were about done so I said no, wiped the pacifier with a wipe and went really fast to the checkout lane. The fun doesn't stop there... I'm about finished unloading all the items from the cart and I look up to see the bagger putting my bags into a different cart. I nicely ask if he wouldn't mind putting them in my cart because I am unable to move my son without undoing my daughter and can't push two carts out. He just looks at me and starts moving the bags. I am swiping my card and notice that Trevor is eating a green onion. The bagger has put the bag of green onions next to Trevor. I move the bag, go back to the paying option, and again another bag next to Trevor. This time it's a bottle of bourbon I bought for a recipe I am making this week. ( just thought I should clarify). Before I could say anything the guy at the check out stand looks at the bagger and says " Keep the bourbon away from the child dude". I hand him the bag and say "thanks dude".
Oh how I await the day when Fry's offers up grocery delivery!

We have a roller!

That's right, Rylee finally figured out how to roll from her back to her stomach today. It's something she's been so close to doing all week. Yesterday she discovered her feet and she loves them. She sucks on her toes and grabs them and squeals. It's so cute. The new discovery I think helped her finally figure out how to roll. She grabed her feet and held on as she rolled to the side and the rest is history :-) Three kids and it's still so exciting to watch your baby roll over for the first time!! Now she'll know how to get back over in the middle of the night. For the past month she has been waking herself up by rolling from her stomach to her back and gets mad that she can't get back over to her stomach.

Bears Are Going To The Super Bowl!

This year I have been intentionally getting more into football because it is something my husband LOVES. He knows I do better if I can get into a team so of course I adopted his favorite team "DA Bears". Little did I or he know that this would be there year they would go all the way to the super bowl. It's been 21 years since they've made it that far! It was an exciting day. Trevor, in keeping with tradition, sported his bears jersey again today. We are trying to get him into football but the conversation went something like this. "Trevor, say GO BEARS." Trevor would reply " Trains". Trevor say "HUT,HUT" Trevor again "Train track". Oh well he has plenty of time to grow into loving football like his daddy.

Rylee Five Month photos

Sweet Rylee turns five months today. If you are wondering why she is wearing a diaper in all of these photo's it's because poor girl throws up all day long. I can go though five to six outfits for her a day, including my own set of clothes. This makes every day laundry day :-) The dr. tells me this is normal but I have a hard time seeing how throwing up your food four to five times after every meal is normal. But even while throwing up she is still the sweetest thing. She just waits for someone to talk to her or smile at her and then she breaks out with the cutest smiles and squeals. She isn't rolling everywhere like Trevor was at this age yet. But her stomach and head mucles are very strong. She's close to sitting up and when on her stomach she can bring her legs up under her and push up. She is a stomach sleeper and at night I put her on one side of the crib and by morning she's pushed herself up to the top of the crib and oftentimes turned around. I'm bracing myself for change in the coming months.

God, My Helper

We are in a season of life that feels like I am in constant need of help. Rylee appears to be losing her third nap which has made dinner hour chaotic and Trevor has been waking at 5:00am tired and cranky not wanting to go back to bed. It feels like I begin my days tired and desperate and end them tired and desperate and everything in between is a fight for faith. I read this entry a few days ago and my soul has been feasting on it ever since.

This morning let us hear the Lord Jesus speak to each one of us:" I will help you." "it is but a small thing for Me, your God, to help you. Consider what I have done already. What! No help you? Why, I bought you with My blood. What! Not help you? I have died for you; and if I have done the greater, will I not do the less? Help you! It is the least thing I will ever do for you; I have done more, and will do more. Before the world began I chose you. I made the covenant for you. I laid aside My glory and became a man for you, I gave up My life for you; and if I did all this, I will surely help you now. In helping you, I am giving you what I have bought for you already. If you had need of a thousand times as much help, I would give it to you; you require little compared with what I am ready to give. It is much for you to need, but it is nothing for me to bestore. Help you? Fear not! If there were an ant at the door of your granary asking for help, it would not ruin you to give him a handful of your wheat; and you are nothing but a tiny insect at the door of My all sufficency. I will help you" O my soul, is this not enough? Do you need more strength than the omnipotence of the united Trinity? Do you want more wisdom than exists in the Father, more love than displays itself in the Son, or more power than is manifest in the influences of the Spirit? Bring here your empy pitcher! Surely this well will fill it. Hurry, gather up your wants, and bring them here- your emptiness, your woes, your need. Behold, this river of God is full for you supply; what else can you desire? Go forth, my soul, in this your might. The Eternal God is your helper!

Morning and Evening Spurgeon; January 16th

I love how gospel centered these words are. If Christ has died for me how can he not help me in such smaller matters of my day to day life.
What an amazing truth and thought. The Eternal God is MY helper!

Go Bears

What a great game that was!

Exciting News

We just found out that my brother and his wife Danae will be having their first child in September! I am so excited for this baby! This will be my first time being an Aunt on the Jones side. Actually this will be the first official "jones" baby. They had some real experience watching our kids this past weekend and did an outstanding job. When we got home Chris and I commented on what wonderful parents they will make someday.... we just didn't know then that the someday was right around the corner :-)

Random Musings

Last night concluded my birthday celebration. Due to the singles retreat Chris and I didn't celebrate last week. My birth "day" didn't go uncelebrated though. In addition to having us over for a dinner celebration last Sunday , my mom took me out to lunch on my birthday. We had a great lunch with no kids. Which is a rarity. I never totally understood the desire to "celebrate" on my actual birthday until becoming a mom. I now can see that even if we picked a different day to recognize one of our kids birthday. It still wouldn't change the fact that however many years ago on that day I went into labor and gave birth to that precious child. So I appreciate you mom and your calls and desire to see me on January 3rd throughout the years! For my
birthday my parents gave me a massage certificate. I'm really excited to cash that in! Last night Chris and I went and had a steak dinner at the Keg. Did you know that if you get on their mailing list they send you a free steak and lobster meal card for your birthday month. This is the second time Chris and I have gone for my birthday. It's an amazing deal and outstanding food! I love their steak and they bring out this tasty butter dip to compliment the lobster. It's enough food that we end up sharing the meal. So when it's all said and done we get a $40
meal for whatever our drinks cost. Afterwards we went to Gainey ranch,see last post. We sat and listened to live music and drank coffee. In keeping with tradition, I opened up my gifts there. One being a Leeland CD . I have really enjoyed it. They have a song called Beautiful Lord that is
great. They are more of an alternative band with a slight pop sound. Another CD that I have been listening to a lot that I keep meaning to post about is the new West
Coast Revival album. I like their west coast sound. And if
you think you've heard them because of the fuse
cd that was out recently, their new album is much different. The song called House of the Lord is one of my daughter and I's favorite. They were recently interviewed for the New
Attitude website. Chris also gave me another coffee press. The Dustin's kindly got us this gift before they left town in November. But the other day when I was cleaning it out I reached to turn the sink off and it crashed and broke. I was devastated! As this has been my favorite way to drink coffee. Chris was kind enough to replace it. Did you know drinking coffee from a french press reduces the acid? Works great for a coffee loving person like me with chronic heartburn!
OK I think this concludes my random musings!

Freed update

Romans 5:
For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.



The singles retreat was a huge success. Chris said the retreat far exceeded his expectations and I would agree. It was such a blessing to be up there with the singles and to sit under Chris' teaching. I have to admit I love it when my husband preaches. He taught from Romans 5 and 6. Specifically he talked about being free from sin and free from the power of sin to dominate our life. It was such a great reminder that the sin that I constantly battle with really has no power over me. I sometimes feel defeated but it is God who has defeated sin and since I have a union with Christ the battle has been won. Because of all this I can choose to not sin. Praise God for such hope! I was once a slave to unrighteousness but now I am freed up to be a slave to righteousness.

Here are some pictures from the weekend:

This is the journal that everyone got as they arrived. It has part of the freed logo on it.

We awoke friday morning to a snow storm! It was a beautiful sight.


Of course there were plenty of fun and games. We had the second annual care group competition up there. Here is the coveted trophy being presented.

Guess who won? The daukas caregroup! By a landslide too...right guys? Chris was so humble, as he was throughout the entire competition, when he received the trophy.

Here are the winners.

Rylee and Zoe did great up there. It was such a blessing to have so many helpful hands. I was able to eat every meal without a baby in my arms!


Thanks twentyfour:seven for such a great weekend!

Freed

Rylee and I are off tonight to attend Freed. Freed
is the third annual singles winter retreat. We will be joining Chris
and 60 other singles from our church in snowy Prescott AZ. I am really
excited to go and very thankful that my brother and sister in law are
staying with my other two kids. Their service has made my going
possible. Praying for you guys :-) Chris and countless others have been
working hard in preparation for this retreat and I am eager to see andexperience the fruit of it. I will post pictures when we return!

Oh yeah and check out the very cool and newly updated singles website here

Happy Birthday To

Me....

Today is my 28th birthday! It's not just my birthday and really for me it's not my birthday that I like to celebrate. See seven
years ago on my 21st birthday my parents let go of their tradition to do something as a family on my actual birth day and allowed me to celebrate with my boyfriend Chris. I still remember getting all dressed up and ready to go out with him. I remember sitting at Gainey ranch having dinner at the Italian restaurant there. Ordering my first glass of wine, great conversation with Chris. Then after dinner we moved over to the fireplace where he gave me my first gift. A Jars of Clay CD. After that he gave me a book titled Stepping Heavenward. Then we moved over to the Gondola rides and were serenaded by the... gondola man? Ha, I don't know what you call them! Afterwards we moved back to the fireplace where Chris gave me one last gift, or so he lead me to believe . It was a card and inside were Phantom of The Opera tickets. Great tickets too! I remember thanking him for all the gifts and the special night and it was then he informed me he had one more gift, it was more of a spiritual gift he called it. He read from John 13, where Jesus washed the disciples feet. He then,no joke, there a the Hyatt Gainey Ranch, took out washcloth and some water and washed my feet. Afterwards he said he wanted to be a servant leader and husband to me. He then got on one knee and asked me to be his wife! Yes it was the best birthday ever! I was shocked. I remember at one point during the night thinking "Gosh this is amazing all that he is doing he should save this for when he wants to propose." I was not expecting the proposal. After all we had only been dating for six weeks. HAHA, that's a whole other post. But don't worry we were friends for a year prior to the engagement. So thank you honey for giving me the best birthday ever! And every birthday that I get to spend with you now as your wife is a gift from God!