Find JOY in the JOURNEY

Our lives have been busy and full of fun, love and a little chaos too.

Here is a little catch up on the Bernards.

GRIFFIN

Griffin is my sweetheart and my helper. He is 5 and in kindergarten, he loves school and learning. He is so good to do his homework, and I have seen him many times trying to teach Gavin how to write his name. I am a room mother/helper and I enjoy going and helping out with the school parties and activities.

He definitely has the older sibling roll. He helps Gavin and Karalyn a lot, but sometimes he is bossy with them and wants things his way. He his very neat and keeps his room pretty clean. He has come home from school before and said "mom, the house looks so nice and clean, you did a good job"

We learned a few months back that he was severely anemic. He got really sick one day and we took him to the doctor, they said his iron levels for his age should be between 70-80 and after taking his blood we learned his was 9. He takes iron twice a day and his levels are slowly coming up.

Griffin always wants to help dad, or play with dad. He has said many times "I can't wait to be a dad" and "when am I going to be a dad"

His interests are always changing and he is starting to like sports and wants to learn each of them. He has also discovered the Wii and when he is extra good he gets to play.

We learned that it's not just girls who cut their hair... one day while I was at work, Bry decided to cut/buzz Gavin's hair. He was doing it downstairs in the kitchen when he heard another set of buzz clippers and the sound of hair cutting... he ran upstairs to see this. Griffin had decided to buzz his own hair. When Bry sent me a picture at work I just cried and thought we were going to have to buzz him bald.

I took this picture when I got home. It sure was a buzz right down the middle, but he actually has enough hair that we can cover it up. Neither Bry or I could buzz his hair off. We would have had to literally buzz him like Gavin for it to all be the same length. So instead.. he is a 5 year old with a comb over... lol!

GAVIN

What can I say about Gavin... he is a handful!! He is always on the go go go.

He is now 3 and goes to preschool 2 days a week and is SO smart. He has already passed off most everything he needs to for the year. He asks me if he can do homework with Griffin and so I give him papers to do too.

As you can tell.. he is monkey. He climbs the walls and doorways with no problem. He is pretty proud of himself too. Gavin is ALL boy. He likes to get dirty and play with trucks and has all the sound effects to boot. My personal favorite is the noise he makes when he is "transforming" his transformers and trucks. He has a awesome imagination and could play alone for hours.

He can be giving you some sweet eyes and a hug one minute and be screeching loud having a fit the next. You never know if it's safe to take Gavin to the store.

He is such a character. He always says funny things. "I love your heart mom" is one of my new favorites.

Gavin was trying to wear some cowboy boots that were 2 sizes too small one day. He kept saying that his feet hurt, but he wanted to wear them so bad. I found some new ones at Wal-mart in his size and also in Griffin's size. I was not sure if Griffin would want some. When I told them I had a surprise for them they got all excited, and opened them up. They wore these boots 24/7... even to bed... I LOVE this picture of them posing for me in their boots!!

I love love having my 2 boys and they are the best of friends!!!

KARALYN

My beautiful princess.

I can't believe how fun it is to have a girl. Clothes, bows, and boots oh my!!

This little girl is 19 months now and FULL of personality. I was told girls have a whole new "attitude" from boys and now I have learned that myself. She not only has learned "no" but "no way" She gets this wrinkled up nose when she is upset, and when her feelings get hurt, she will cover her eyes and run away. It is just the CUTEST THING EVER!! It's fun to have a mini me. The boys are totally daddy's boys and want to be just like him and do what he does so and it's been SO fun to have a little girl who wants to do what I do.

She likes to be with me in the bathroom when I am doing my make-up and hair and pretends to do hers.

She says tons of words. Mulk (milk) and cheese (when smiling for the camera) are 2 of my favorites. She has seemed to grow up the fastest. She has been getting her own diaper, picking up toys or throwing things I ask her to away in garbage for a long time now.

She is a big girl and don't try and treat her like a baby. Just after she turned 1, she would no longer sit in her highchair or let me feed her. She wants to do everything by herself.

I recently got my desk and some of my own junk out of her room and made it 100% her room. She knows it's HER room now and plays in there all the time with all her girly toys.

I am still learning to do her hair. I still have a lot to learn, but I can at least do 2 or 3 different styles.

She loves nursery and is very outgoing and friendly.

Love you miss moo!!

BABY #4

Our new arrival will be here shortly (just 4 weeks)

It is fun not knowing the sex of our baby this time. I swear it's a boy.

Every time I have asked Kara if she is getting a baby sister she says "yes" and when I ask if she is getting a baby brother she says "no"???

The boys have changed their minds a few times, when I was first pregnant and I asked them they would say "a baby brother, we already have a baby sister" but most recently when I ask they always say sister.

We will see???

It's also been different to have a baby due in February. All 3 of my other babies were do in June/July so February seems SO much faster for some reason.

I am getting my "before baby comes" list done and am just EXCITED to have an itty bitty baby again!!