Days With the Duerksens

I was a little bummed out that we didn't go to Camp Mennoscah with our church this weekend. However, today I was able to find blessings in the little things: Chelan and I made applesauce -- 13 quarts! I think we have about 30 quarts now. Cambry loved waking up in her new "cold weather pajamas" I made coffee for the first time since last spring and this little girl smiled!!

Here are a few quotes from Cambry concerning Delaney: "Is she a boy? Because she has boy hair!" "It's nice to have a baby, isn't it, Mom?" "Mom, when I grow up, I want to be a baby holder!"

About 7 years ago when we were expecting Caiden, Chelan lovingly designed and built this beautiful crib! Caiden and Cambry were able to sleep in it from the get-go. Delaney on the other hand? She's spending her nights in the carseat in our living room! We do have a cradle, but staying upright seems to be the key with her. This time around, we have a 2nd floor, and we decided that she should stay downstairs until it cools off a bit. Today, at 5 weeks old, she took a 2 1/2 hour nap in the crib. Yeah!! Every time I have put one of the kids down in the crib to sleep, I remember how blessed we are to have a loving husband and dad. A dad who would spend hours crafting a crib (or anything for that matter) for his kids!

This little lady is already 4 weeks old! 12 months will go by in no time at this rate! How is she at 4 weeks? Well, she's turned into quite a spitter -- I would compare her to our first baby. Many of you know how bad that was! Other than that, she still sleeps a lot and we're still waiting for that first smile (when she's awake)!

Despite a rather hot and dry summer, this field of beans seems to be doing rather well. Chelan took Caiden out there on Sunday to show him how tall the beans are! We're looking forward to harvest time soon!

Many of you know that we have had chickens for a number of years. Earlier this summer, raccoons ransacked our chicken barn (a rather old barn) and got rid of our entire flock! In July, we repaired some places in the barn, ordered new chicks, and have enjoyed watching 27 of them grow. Just this weekend, we noticed that this flock also seemed to be losing members. Sure enough, we set the trap on Saturday evening and on Sunday, this unfortunate raccoon was caught! We've been trying to figure out how they get in -- it's quite a mystery! This morning, Chelan reported that another 5 chicks were missing (we forgot to set the trap last night). The interesting thing is, those pesky raccoons are actually opening the door to the pen where the chicks are! We can't believe it -- and we definitely have to figure out a way to keep our remaining 17 chicks alive!

A few Sundays ago, we had a special part in the service for Delaney. Today, it was Caiden's turn. When kids get to 1st grade, it is a tradition in our church to give them their own Bible and a bag to carry it in. They are then expected to bring it to Sunday School each Sunday. It was fun to see them up there looking at their new Bibles!