Life with the Temm's

Karson Faith Temm

2011-07-27T14:30:00.000-04:00

We're due November 3 with our 2nd little girl! We've decided after much talk with Jaxson that our baby girl's name is Karson Faith. Jaxson wanted "Jaxson Temm 2" but we thought maybe Karson would want her own identity. :)

She is moving around quite a bit. Jaxson wants to feel her move, but the timing hasn't been right for him to feel her strong enough yet. There will be plenty of time when she's bigger and he can see her movements better. He's so excited and proud. He says, "Karson loves kisses" and then he'll kiss my belly and "tickle, tickle" as he moves his fingers across my belly like a spider.

Even before Mike and I were married, I always thought for some reason I'd have 3 boys. And Mike pointed out to me the other night that we are going to have 3 "sons": Jaxson, Madison, and Karson! Ha!! Interesting, huh?? I was amused by his realization and we had a good laugh. So true, so true! Not at all what I'd pictured, but still true. Life is not always as it seems.

Vacation 2011

2011-07-24T12:19:00.000-04:00

We decided this year to go back to the beach! After hoping that SC would be closer to drive than it was last year, I was only a little surprised to see on Google maps that the distance hadn't changed. Bummer! We didn't want to drive 13+ hours so we talked about Michigan again. After all, we did have such a great time last year in Traverse City. But we didn't need to drive that far either so I started looking at Holland and some of the "Beach Towns" on the West coast of Michigan. We decided there was plenty to do in Saugatuck so I began the planning process. We decided on a budget and I was off to the races. I love planning and researching and reading about all the fun things to see and the yummy food to eat. So I started the list of "options" for us to have once we arrived.

We checked in to the Holiday Inn Express in Holland. After all, it had a pool and the all important hot continental breakfast. In my research I saw that CIY was doing their 3rd week there in Holland, only a couple minutes from the hotel. So we messaged a couple friends there and made plans to go the next afternoon. We picked up some pizza at Sluggo's Pizzeria and headed to the beautiful Holland State Park beach. We ate a pizza on a nearby picnic table and did our best to keep Jaxson focused on eating before playing in the sand. We got his trucks and sand toys out of the van and headed to the water. Yeah, the water was a little chilly, but the beach was soft and white. Jaxson ran in and out of the water and loved it. He played in the sand with his toys and built a sand castle and then dug a hole with Mike. I loved watching them play and laugh together. This was the beginning of a very relaxing vacation!! We got some much needed sleep and then decided to head to Saugatuck in the morning for the Dune Rides!

We were all entertained by this experience and Jaxson was so excited. Jaxson laughed and talked to the driver responding to his questions and listening to every word. It was great! We ate lunch at Crane's Pie Pantry and headed to the next "must visit" on our list...Oval Beach. It was nice, but honestly, more rocky in the water than Holland. There were more people and the beach was pretty much the same type sand. Jaxson again played and played and played in the wet sand with his toys. We walked around in the water to cool off and then back to the toys and tractors on the beach. Again, he was so happy and full of just pure fun. We went to the hotel for a quick nap before going to see our CIY friends. It was more than great to catch up with so many of them. It was a SUPER late night, as a matter of fact, we felt like awful parents as we were drinvg around at 9:30 trying to find some dinner. Jaxson was a trooper and didn't seem to mind that it was an hour past his bedtime, I was not so patient. But at last, we picked up some Carino's and headed to the hotel.

Saturday morning we went back to Saugatuck for the "Star of Saugatuck" boat ride. Jaxson wasn't quite so entertained with this 1 1/2 hour experience, but it was educational and fun to see the beautiful condos and vacation homes. We had some sandwiches for lunch before heading to the beach again for the afternoon. We decided to try Tunnel Beach which turned out being our favorite. It was free and it had a big sand dune to run up and over on the way to the water. The sand was nice and inside the water wasn't rocky. It was like the Holland State Park beach. We stopped for an early dessert at Dairy Dayz where Mike decided that my 2 scoops of ice cream was better than what he got even though it was melting faster than I could eat it. Jaxson had already fallen asleep only 5 minutes from the beach. We went back to the hotel to get ready for dinner and that evening we enjoyed some dinner at the 8th St. Grille in Holland. We went swimming at the hotel before heading to bed.

Sunday morning we decided the beach sounded like fun again. I know, it was a rough vacation, I told you!! We grabbed a bagel at Panera and then headed to Tunnel Beach again for another day of playing in the sand and water. We ate sandwiches at the hotel and then rested for part of the afternoon. Jaxson enjoyed watching "the race cars" on TV and was cracking us up with his intense focus and concern for the cars. We swam one more time in the pool. We ate Panera for dinner on our way to the beach for one last jump in the water and sand castle to be built. It started raining so our last beach adventure was cut a bit short. Jaxson was sad leaving the beach that day and didn't understand why the rain was preventing us to play longer. The storm came in that evening.

Monday morning we woke up to the wind/rain storm. Mike got soaked getting the cooler out the van so we could get everything packed to head home. We ate breakfast, quickly got the van loaded and headed out of town. The rain was pummeling the van and the wind was blowing leaves across the road. We were thankful the rain held off until now, but what a bummer for those wanting to enjoy the beach today. We had one more stop to make and as we headed off the highway to Crane's Pie Pastry, there were trees in the road and stop lights out. We made it around the debris and as the rain continued to come down hard we pulled into the parking lot. The building was dark, but there were cars in the parking lot. I was greeted by 2 of the waitresses concerned that I wasn't going to get the breakfast I wanted, but thankfully the donuts were fresh and had just got done moments before the power went out. The blueberry strudel was in the freezer. So when they realized I wasn't leaving with out these danishes, they got their flash lights and began gathering my order! I explained how thankful I was because we were heading home and just had to get these donuts for my friend. They for some reason weren't quite so entertained. But deep down I knew Summer would've been extremely sad had I returned home without these delicious "must haves". I paid for the order, thanked them again and went out the van smiling from ear to ear. The timing was perfect and I was trilled. We headed back down the road around debris and back to the highway. We drove in the rain a couple more hours, Jaxson watched another movie and we talked about this great vacation in Michigan!!

Lessons found in our pain!

2011-06-16T08:25:00.012-04:00

Music always speaks to me. I love music and KLOVE is on all the time in the car unless Jaxson requests his toddler tunes. :)
These lyrics are from Laura Story's "Blessings". The entire song resonates in my heart and at times starts the tears, but here is the chorus:
'Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if the thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

It's tough to think that Madison's death is somehow good, but I think that's the hard truth. That's the truth that comforts when the pain gets too hard to bear. That's the truth that sometimes forces more tears and more questions. But that's the truth. Truth isn't always easy to accept, but it's impossible to deny. God is molding and shaping our lives. He is using us to encourage and support each other.

The "baby doctor" was sharing with Mike and I at our last appointment about "your innocence is gone". Those were thoughts I hadn't put into words and hearing those words brought up a well of pain in my heart that in turn started the flood gate of tears. It's been a while since I just let the tears flow. Most days I feel good and at peace with our circumstances. There is the occasional teary eyes when Jaxson talks about missing his sister and still asks very sweet questions about her. But I haven't really felt like I needed to sit and cry. Until at the "baby doctor" of all places. But she's really great and super supportive. I guess it just felt safe to me?

I've started reading "Room of Marvels". It's a book we received from friends the February after Madison passed away. So far it kind of feels like "The Shack" but I'm still in the beginning of the story so we'll see. The part I read yesterday kind of eluded to the fact that God doesn't allow things to happen for us, things in this life happen for Him and for His purposes. He sees the big picture, the eternal picture. We see only what effects our little piece of our world. And when we feel like God isn't listening and we don't get what we want, we question God's love and God's attention "to me". Like a 2-year-old that needs our attention and help now, we throw a temper tantrum explaining to God over and over in case He's not hearing us. But that's truly not the case. God does hear the cries of our hearts and does care. He has the eternal in mind, our eternal in mind. As the author of the book says, if it's not this situation, it will be something else that could pull you away from God. At some point, you're not going to get what you want...so what do you do then??

Summertime!

2011-06-16T08:02:00.004-04:00

Summer is in full swing. Jaxson and I spend many hours out in the backyard swinging, playing in the sandbox, laying in the hammock and eating popsicles. We have pool access and will definitely be enjoying that as the weather heats up. It hasn't been warm enough yet to have very many water gun fights, but he always asks. Sometimes he gets the hose out, too and then we pretty much end up soaked! Jaxson is such a sweet happy boy. When we need to take a break from being outside, he loves playing with his trains and watching Thomas or Curious George.

He has lots of energy. He's going through a stage of, "I'm not going to talk to you" when he doesn't get his way. I hope it's a quick stage because it just annoys me. He snaps out of it in 2.5 seconds, but it's the heart of the attitude that bothers me.

He's so extremely excited about the baby. He can't wait to feel her kick and he always lifts my shirt to give her a kiss. He'll oftentimes lay on my belly while we're sitting on the couch. He can't get close enough to her. It will be fun when she can kick him in those moments because his eyes will light up!! He has agreed on the name for the newest baby Temm so that will likely be revealed soon. We're still looking at our options and want to make sure it feels right, though.

He told daddy that "since Madison isn't here right now, the baby can sleep in the nursery." Jaxson still asks about Madison and misses her. They're usually quick conversations, but very important for him to try and communicate his pain and confusion. Most often he asks when we're going to see Madison again. That's a tough one because on some days, the sooner the better. Jesus can't come back soon enough, but on other days the hope of seeing her again and knowing that this life is a moment compared to eternity...forever and ever...I want to enjoy the moments for today and watch Jaxson and Baby Girl grow up. I want to grow old with Mike and have grandkids, etc, etc. So it just depends on the day, but most of the time knowing we'll be in heaven someday to be reunited with her is enough. That may need to be a different post. God is healing and teaching me so definitely need to share that later!

The past year...

2010-03-31T16:42:00.010-04:00

It's been a while since we have updated our blog. Now, I must admit this is a bit hard. In our past blogs we typically share fun life experiences as we watch Jaxson grow.But so much has happened in 2009 that I can't even begin to update you. Hopefully you hear from us and see pictures on facebook and on our web album so you've been kept up to date!

This blog is dedicated to our baby girl Madison Joy Temm (December 25, 2009 - January 30, 2010)! We love her and miss her everyday. She was our gift born at 5:32 a.m. on Christmas.

She was perfect and her brother was so extremely proud. We captured some very special moments in pictures, some with Jaxson, her extremely proud brother that gave her lots of kisses on her tiny nose, some with daddy, one particularly with her sleeping on his chest while he was taking a nap on the couch, and some with me as we watched Jaxson entertain us. We had 5 short weeks to spend with our precious baby, to love her, pray for her, hold her, and admire her.

But, January 29 was the day that everything spiraled out of control for her and for us. She suffered a cerebral hemmorage that caused at least two strokes. She was lifeflighted to Riley hospital where the "what if's" became a reality. After the first 2 catscans, it was very clear to the neurosurgeon that Madison would never be the same. We prayed for a miracle. We prayed for a "redo", that God would take this all away so we could return home as a complete and whole family, but we didn't get that miracle. We said goodbye to our baby girl on Saturday, January 30. She is in the arms of Jesus today and she's perfect. "She'll just have heaven before we do." We long for the day to see her and hold her again.

We've been surrounded by family and friends. So many have been praying for us and with us through this devastating, life changing situation. Madison's short life has made an enormous impact on us, our family, our church family, small group family, and friends! With the help of Hendricks Regional Hospital, Riley Hospital and IOPO, we were able to donate her heart to a 3-month-old little boy in Colorado. We pray for that family that Jesus would be the center of their lives. We pray that the Spirit of the Lord is in that tiny little baby. We may not ever know the reason for this happening to us and that's OK. This world is not our own.

"In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world," John 16:33.

Jaxson Plays Music....

2009-02-27T19:45:00.003-05:00

Grandpa Temm gave Jaxson a harmonica and he is learning how to play it.....

You may notice he got a little distracted when Janese's phone rang.... the boy loves music what can I say.

Christmas time!

2008-12-31T11:50:00.004-05:00

Mike, Jaxson and I got to spend Christmas day at home together. We had all been fighting the flu so it was a nice quiet day at home. Jaxson was very excited when he came around the corner Christmas morning to see all the gifts under the tree. He walked over with the widest smile on his face and picked up one of the gifts. He turned around showing us and set it down. He grabbed another one as if to say, "Are these for me?" He picked up one of his own and tried to open it only to be interested for a moment with the wrapping paper and then he was off to find his other toys but...when daddy finished unwrapping it and showed him what it was...daddy couldn't get them out of the package quick enough...it was his hot wheel cars!! We should've waited to open those until later because the gift wrapping was done...he had the cars and that's all that mattered. We finally convinced him to open a couple more gifts before eating our Christmas breakfast. It was none other than the traditional Farr family sausage balls, and overnight rolls! After breakfast, we finished opening up gifts. It took Jaxson a couple hours, but hey, we had all day and he didn't care. He opened up his police car that made lots of fun noise AND he could push it through the kitchen and down the hall. Of course, he didn't care too much for the clothes, but he did also like his Thomas the Train book that made train noises.

We're at grandma and grandpa Temm's this week. They have laminate floor through most of the house so the cars go really far. Jaxson also enjoys pushing the shopping cart around and collecting toys in the basket. Grandma, Grandpa and Uncle Andrew were sick with the flu yesterday so Mike, Nicole, Jaxson and I had to stay on the opposite side of the house. We ran errands and then went to Aunt Kathy's for the Becker Christmas. Jaxson got more toys and enjoyed playing with the semi-truck on the floor. He followed the cat around petting him and touching his tail. The cat was very patient and Jaxson was gentle, just smiling and talking.

Thankfully everyone is feeling better today. Yesterday, it was killing grandma not to be able to play with Jaxson. He was playing peek-a-boo on the other side of the gate and was talking to her wanting so bad to play. I'm sure when he wakes from his nap he'll be ready to play with the fire station, the nativity set or the blocks. There are always plenty of toys at grandma's to play with...and of course he got more hot wheels from Uncle Andrew so he has been playing with them, too.

Endangered?

2008-12-13T13:37:00.001-05:00

We were driving home today when I noticed several Canadian geese at a pond near our house. I decided to stop and take Jaxson to see them. When we got out and started to walk toward the pond I noticed just how many there were..... hundreds!

I don't know about now but I know when I was growing up they were on the endangered species list. Since we have moved to Indiana I can guarantee they should be taken off that list because they are everywhere! The pond they are on in these pictures seems to be a goose magnet or something. Last January or Feburary we had 100 mph striaight line winds hit the pond and send the geese sailing into peoples houses literally goose missles, one of the craziest things I have ever seen.

Anyway we walked over to the pond to see some of the geese. I was a little nervous about letting Jaxson down 1 because of the pond and 2 because I have seen some nasty mean geese, so I held him most of the time. I don't think he knew what to think. He has seen geese here and there before but mostly at the church and never this many. It was kind of funny because as Jaxson and I walked up, the geese started going into the pond which you can see is mostly frozen so they kept sliding all over the place as they started to walk on the ice.

This last picture is of Jaxson and I. Janese thinks it is so cute that we match. Grandma Temm got this coat for Jaxson for Christmas but since it was so cold she sent it to us early. He also has matching bibs, boots, hat and gloves. He is ready for some snow!

COME ON! BABY WANTS A WHITE CHRISTMAS! (ok so does daddy)

Little Dog

2008-11-08T13:21:00.003-05:00

Jaxson was a little dog for Halloween, he loves his costume! This picture was actually taken several days after Halloween but Jaxson didn't care he got to be a dog again.

We didn't really take Jaxson trick or treating (we didn't want him to have all the candy) but we did have a couple friends and their kids come over for a couple hours. Jaxson wore his costume most of the time he would shake his head back and forth so his ears would go in front of his face. It was quite funny! One of the little kids we had over is a girl who is 5 days younger than Jaxson, she kept following him around trying to give him a hug.... Jaxson apparently had enough of this when he turned and shoved her with both hands. Jaxson had to get in trouble for pushing but I honestly thought it was kind of funny. He must have been thinking "girl you're smothering me get off!" and the only way he knew to express it was turn and shove!
We tried to get him to bark but when he was asked he would smile and shake his head no. He has been talking (trying anyway) a lot lately. Janese said she heard him talking up a storm the other day when he was supposed to be taking a nap so she peaked in on him. She said he was standing up in his crib talking and pointing his finger at his animals on his sheets, when he saw Janese she asked him if he was talking to his animals, he of course denied it. I wish all the time that I knew what he was thinking.

Getting Big

2008-11-01T20:53:00.004-04:00

It seems like Jaxson has been turning in to a big boy really fast lately. He has been running around like crazy, he loves to climb on things go up and down stairs anything and everything that he thinks a big boy should do.

Looking for a Pumpkin

2008-10-18T21:49:00.003-04:00

We took Jaxson to look for a pumpkin today......... WOW the boy goes everywhere! We went with cousin Caleb and Grandma and Grandpa Farr. Jaxson loved it, I don't think he got the fact that he was supposed to be looking for a pumpkin to take home but none the less he loved walking around the pumpkin patch. He also loved the hay ride to and from the field. When we were waiting for an empty ride back Jaxson took off after the full wagon. I think he would have walked all the way back to the front of the place.

This is what we saw most of the time we were there..... Jaxson walking away to go play somewhere.... I don't know what he was looking for. Who knows maybe he was looking for the perfect pumpkin and was willing to do some walking for it.

Jaxson is trying to figure out what this big green thing is that is in his way.....

He's ONE!

2008-09-26T12:28:00.002-04:00

Jaxson had a good time at his little birthday party. This is him after eating all of his cake! It took him a minute or two but once I showed him it was ok to eat he was very excited about it.

Thankfully we got to spend the day with both sets of grandparents as well as Aunt Jess and Caleb, and Uncle Andrew. Jaxson got way to many toys (yes they all make noise) but he loves them all. Janese said the other day he had them all spread around the living room so he could make the rounds and play with all of them.
He has really started to develop his personality, he loves to wrestle with me when I get home and he loves for Janese and I to chase him around the house. The funniest part about chasing him is he will run into a corner and then turn around and charge with a huge smile and a little laugh.
He has also started to obviously miss Janese or I when we are gone for a while. The other day she brought him to the church and as soon as they walked into the room he saw me and wanted me to hold him. There were a bunch of ladies trying to talk to him and play with him but he wanted nothing to do with them, he was with his daddy and that was all that mattered.

Here's some more pictures from his Birthday Party

watch this...

2008-09-11T22:34:00.001-04:00

I didn't mean to do this but it sure was funny!

mmm.... mmm... mmm...

2008-09-07T21:07:00.006-04:00

Well as you can see Jaxson likes to eat..... no you don't understand he really LIKES TO EAT! Janese was just in Kansas with the rest of the cousins and I think Jaxson may eat more than all of them...... maybe not Tucker but I am pretty sure he could give him a run for his money.
Jaxson has started to eat more of the same things as mommy and daddy. Just like everything else, with eating Janese and I were a little concerned about how he might like this or that but I don't think Janese has found a food that he doesn't like. Below he is eating lasagna, he really seems to like pasta with meat.... just like daddy!

Perfecting walking and more!!

2008-08-16T22:34:00.004-04:00

Jaxson is walking...everywhere...all over the house, across the lobby at church, wherever he can get his little feet on the ground, he's walking!! It's so cute. Sometime he walks pretty fast and looks like he's going to run, but I'm pretty sure it's his way of avoiding the fall!! He hasn't had too many hard falls, mostly, he just slows down and sits, but sometimes he trips on a toy or something and stops, drops, and rolls!! :)

His favorite things right now are playing peek-a-boo, crawling or running across the room waiting for mommy and daddy to chase him, or playing in the Tupperware or utensils in the kitchen. He has many toys all over the living room floor, but those are only there when he needs a break from the kitchen "toys". Lately at nap/bedtime, he pulls the blanket over his head and just laughs, waiting for me to say, "where is Jaxson?"

Oh, his other favorite thing to do is EAT!! He eats and eats!! :) You'd think he weighed 40 lbs, but he's just barely tipping the scale at 20...on a "heavy" day. He's so extremely active he must just work it all off. He's eating mostly fruits and vegetables and once in a while some chicken and beef but it's just crazy how much the little guy can hold. His belly does pop out quite a bit, but it's more visible without a shirt on.

He's a happy little boy. Always laughing or smiling and playing. As you probably know, he loves to be outside. He's going to a new babysitter on Monday afternoon. Denise had been watching him so I could go to my meetings, but her son is starting school so she'll be working in the office. The new sitter is not far from the church and she has 2 kids a little older than Jaxson. They have a fenced in backyard with toys so Jaxson will love it. He'll get to meet some new friends and be outside with toys...what more could a little boy want. :)

growing up

2008-08-09T21:15:00.002-04:00

Well our little boy is growing up he has started walking. He is still working on perfecting it but has a good start. Janese and I are a little scared about how this new development will change our lives. He is SO fast, and loves to get into things.

Janese has been adding some new things to Jaxson's diet, tonight he ate some green bean casserole and he loved it! He still only has two teeth but it doesn't slow him down he loves to eat!

Jaxson has also started trying to memic us. He sometimes will start to say "ni ni ni ni" when Janese or I tell him "night night".

What has been happening??

2008-08-09T11:59:00.010-04:00

We have been working on some projects around the house...painted cabinets, got laminate in the kitchen and hallway, and got new carpet in the bedrooms. It's been done for a little while now, but we wanted to show you the update:

Before:

After:

Jaxson had to take his nap on mommy and daddy's bed in the living room while the carpet was being laid. He slept great and didn't seem to be disturbed by the loud drills (putting the transitions pieces in) and the nail guns, etc. It was VERY loud and I don't know how he slept through it all.

Aunt Nicole flew home from Africa and was here for a couple days. She's in the states for 3 weeks. Grandma and Grandpa Temm came and stayed for a couple days and then the 3 of them went to St. Louis. It was lots of fun to have them here. We went to the White River State Park and walked around the canal. Jaxson, as you all know, loves to be outside, so it was an enjoyable afternoon. Friday we went the state fair for a little bit to see the animals and walk around. It was a beautiful day. A couple weeks ago we went the County Fair to also see the animals. It was fun to be outside and fun for him to see all the animals. He's not always sure what to do with the big animals, but he likes when we make the animal sounds or better yet, when the animals "talk" to him. Yesterday, the sheep and the pigs were making noises and Jaxson was talking back.

We have so much fun with our little boy. It's so cute when he starts looking for Mike if I tell him "Daddy will be home in a little bit" or "we're going to see daddy."

Jaxson, of course, does something cute everyday, but this morning, we were playing on the floor in the living room. Jaxson had wandered over to get some toys and he was rubbing his eyes. I said, "are you tired and ready for your nap? Come here if you're ready for your nap." He crawled right over to me. I gave him a big hug and then we walked to his bedroom and I laid him down in his crib.

Vacation's

2008-06-17T21:32:00.002-04:00

Well it has been a while we have been busy trying to relax..... We went to STL for Memorial Day weekend. We stayed with Grandma and Grandpa Temm. Jaxson got to experience the Temm family picnic. As always it rained! Thankfully it stopped raining and we got to take Jaxson to the park.... he got to swing and slide down a big boy slide.... He loves to play outside.... you can see pictures from this vacation here. Then we went to KS to spend some time with Grandma and Grandpa Farr the 2nd week of June. Jaxson got to go swimming, ride a horse (well sit on one), ride a 4-wheeler and play with his cousins Taylor and Tucker. Jaxson was cutting some more teeth (we hope) and didn't feel very well most the time we were there but from what we could tell he really liked the pool, and was very intrigued by the horses. You can see some pictures from this trip here.

If these weren't enough cute pictures you can look at these, we took them in STL.

In the midst of all of this we have been doing some work around the house... we got a back patio, did some landscaping in the front of the house, painted our cabinets in the kitchen, and are installing laminate in the entry way, kitchen, and hall. So as you can tell we have had a busy month.

It's HERE!

2008-05-04T14:40:00.003-04:00

Well you can't see it because apparently Jaxson thinks it is a secret. But he has his 1st tooth coming through. It has just barley broken through but he is finally cutting teeth. Janese and I were beginning to wonder how long he was going to wait. As soon as we can get a good picture of it we will be sure to put one up so you can see it.

fun outdoors

2008-04-27T19:31:00.001-04:00

Jaxson LOVES to be outside! Janese and I took him for a walk at the Canal downtown on Friday. It is such a beautiful place to go and walk in the spring. We got Jaxson out for some photo shoots a couple times along the way. We let him sit in the flowers off of a tree he thought his was hot stuff as you can see. He did try to eat them (ofcourse) everything goes in his mouth but still no teeth.

check out our webalbum with some more pics of our walk.

growing boy

2008-04-18T21:33:00.002-04:00

Jaxson has been growing a lot it seems like lately. As you have seen, he started to eat real food and he started to army crawl...two huge things. It's finally warm enough to take Jaxson for walks outside and man does he love to go around the neighborhood. Today as we were walking we came across two ducks, once he noticed them he was extremely intrigued by them, but as we got closer, the ducks flew away. Jaxson couldn't understand where the ducks went, he kept looking back and forth for them, it was really cute. He has also started to really play hard in the bath tub, so much so that he doesn't want to get cleaned off because that takes away from his play time. We put him in there sitting up and it seems within moments he has gotten on his belly and "swims" around like a little fish. Well the water is only 2" deep or so but he sure does love to move around and chase his toys.... (one is a duck funny huh?). He also LOVES to splash with his hands and feet the entire time he is in the water. Janese and I can't wait to take him to a pool this summer and see what he thinks about that.

army crawling fool

2008-04-12T19:08:00.002-04:00

Well I think Jaxson has perfected the "army crawl"..... watch this!

At the end his reward for chasing the cup across the room was a drink of water out of a "big boy cup".

new things for Jaxson

2008-03-30T21:31:00.004-04:00

Jaxson has had a busy last week or so. Last Tuesday Janese started feeding him some real food (fresh carrots)..... watch the video.

He ate carrots for a couple days and did great. He ate like a pro it took him a minute or two to get the gum it, swallow it, get more pattern down but once he got it you can't stop him. After carrots we switched to sweet potato's for a couple days and now today peas. Jaxson has been doing great with his new foods he LOVES to EAT! Peas for a couple more days then we go to my favorites fruits.

He has also been working on this..... MUST WATCH!

We don't know how much longer it will be before he gets it down but he REALLY wants to crawl. He has been going to the nursery at church and watches all the "big kids" crawl around. It is funny to see envy in a 6 month old.

what's new?

2008-03-16T18:31:00.003-04:00

Well not much.... Janese and I are crazy busy at the church getting ready for Easter. This next week will be a long one for both of us. Janese is working on volunteer recruitment and training... as you can imagine it takes a couple hundred volunteers to pull off weekend services and Easter we need even more. I have a huge task in front of me as well. We are doing 2 of our 6 services in our gym it is a double court so we can seat about 1200, the task is not to make it look and feel like a gym so we are pulling out all the stops for production in there and covering every wall with a curtain to help with the looks and the sound. We will see how it goes... I am sure we will have some pictures in a week or so. We also have family coming in town this week.

Jaxson is doing well he is for the most part a happy boy. He has started to further develop an attitude and man can he turn it on. He has also been working on a tooth we think so he has been grouchy from that and he has been waking up in the middle of the night for some reason. I am convinced that he knows how busy mom and dad are and wants to get some quality time in sometime.... :)

Well that is about all.... here is a new picture of Jaxson.

Look At Me!

2008-02-27T20:29:00.002-05:00

What's Jaxson doing?

2008-02-08T18:20:00.000-05:00

Jaxson is changing and growing so fast! He's rolling over and putting everything in his mouth. He's reaching for our drinks and watching us eat. He doesn't miss much, always alert and looking around. We suspect he will be crawling soon, but we'll see. He pulls his legs underneath himself and holds himself up. When he's standing in our lap, we have to hold him tight because when he starts turning around or leaning to one side, it's a workout, he's very strong! We love his smiles and his talking. It takes so much work for him to get the sounds out, he moves his lips and his eyebrowns a lot...he has so much to say.

He spends Sunday mornings with me at church, I'll probably take him to the nursery soon, but so many people look forward to seeing him and I like having him with me. He goes to work with me on Mondays, too, so by Monday evening, he's pretty tired. It's a huge blessing for me to take him with me.

During the rest of the week, we have a lot of fun at home singing, napping, and playing with toys. Jaxson enjoys playing on his stomach and chewing his toys. Once in a while he lays beside me on the couch while I work, but I try to only work while he's sleeping. The days go by EXTREMELY fast. He's already almost 5 months old. Every stage is so much fun.

Over a month ago he started rolling over in his crib from his stomach to his back. He'd wake himself up from his nap or once in a while he'd roll over in the middle of the night. So, I of course, tried to videotape him in his crib and then playing on the floor hoping he'd roll over, but he never would. Finally a few weeks ago, I did catch it on tape! So now I'll have to start videotaping him so I can capture his first crawl!

He loves his daddy so much. Right now he's laying on the couch playing with Mike, talking and smiling. He gets fussy late in the afternoons with me sometimes and then gives Mike a HUGE smile when he gets home from work and immediately wants to go to him. He needs his daddy time! I love watching them interact. Mike can definitely get Jaxson to laugh out loud more often than me! He's giggling right now with Mike tickling him! I love my boys!

Mike does a great job keeping our web album updated so check there to see how much Jaxson is growing! http://picasaweb.google.com/mike.temm/

Why are you crying!?

2008-01-12T13:37:00.000-05:00

That is the question Janese and I were asking a little over a week ago when we were driving home from church on Saturday night. Jaxson had been doing great in the car just as content as can be for about two weeks. Then that night as we were driving home he started screaming (mad), we have kind of learned his hungry cry, and his scared cry, and his mad cry is completely different! We just figured he was mad that he was in his car seat, I put my hand back there and he held on to my finger and stopped crying. I thought he just wanted to be close to his daddy. But as you can see his little hat had slid down and covered his eyes. The poor little boy couldn't see anything and only found comfort when we was able to know someone was there with him. We of course didn't realize this until we got home and found him like this..... While we both felt awful about it we couldn't help but take a picture.

Babies for Christmas

2007-12-30T18:19:00.000-05:00

We had a great Christmas with Grandma and Grandpa Farr. It was a much different than years past; in years past we spent lots of time playing cards, this year we spent lots of time wiping off little faces and changing diapers.

This is a picture of Jaxson (3m), Taylor (5m), and Caleb (5m) in their Christmas outfit.

Jaxson was a great little traveler we left Sunday after church and drove to my parents in STL stayed the night there then got up the next morning after Jaxson ate and drove to Janese's parents in KS, all together it was about a 9 hour drive. On our way back we split the trip the same way so we finally got back on Friday evening. When we got home Janese sat on the couch with Jaxson who appeared to be excited to be home. It was very funny because he sat on her lap looking around the room talking to everything; the tree, the tv, the lamp, the ceiling fan, his swing anything that he could find to talk to about his trip. We are so lucky to have such a great little boy.

Fighting Sleep

2007-11-16T18:29:00.000-05:00

Jaxson is 8 weeks old today it seems like just yesterday we were bringing our little boy home. He is almost 24" and 13.5lbs, our little boy is starting to get big.

One of the many things that I just don't understand is why in the world baby's fight sleep. I would fight to get some sleep some times; oh to be able to take a nap everyday. Around week 2 Jaxson started to fight the sleep really hard, neither Janese nor I are sure why but he sure can get mad when it is time to go to bed. I don't know if he thinks he is going to miss something or what. Sometimes he even falls asleep and will wake back up screaming. Almost like he forgot that he wasn't going to go to sleep. This picture just seemed to represent Jaxson and his attempt to fight sleep so well, he fights it with all he has both fist swinging.

a fathers love

2007-10-16T22:44:00.000-04:00

Well our little man is 25 days old.
It has been an incredible experience so far being a Dad. I tell Janese all the time "I love him so much" I just can't get over how much a father can love his son. I was talking to Janese the other day about the great love that I have for Jaxson and how I just want to take care of him and protect him and want to provide the best for him and then it hit me. God wanted all of those things and more for his son but He gave Him as a sacrifice for our sins....... WOW! I have grown up hearing that story over and over and over; then being in ministry have told that story over and over and over and now having a son of my own it means something totally new.

Jaxson Daddy loves you!

Pictures of Jaxson

2007-10-06T10:26:00.000-04:00

We just wanted to give you a link to some pictures we have in one of our web albums.

http://picasaweb.google.com/mike.temm/Jaxson

2 weeks old

2007-10-05T16:46:00.000-04:00

It has been a busy 2 weeks for the Temm household. Jaxson is 2 weeks old today and he has already met both sets of grandparents, Aunt Jess, Uncle Jonathon and Cousin Caleb, and Aunt Nicole. Grandma and Grandpa Temm came right away.

They were here when we got back from the birth center and stayed through Wednesday morning. Then Grandma and Grandpa Farr came Wednesday night and stayed until Sunday afternoon. Jess, Jonathon, and Caleb all came on Thursday and stayed until Saturday night.

Now Aunt Nicole is here to visit until Sunday afternoon.

It has been lots of fun to have all the company, the nice thing is that since we have a newborn we don't even have to entertain, Jaxson takes care of that for us. We also don't even have to worry about keeping a clean house. Actually if it is messy then they clean it for us. This seems to be working really well!

Relaxin' Jaxson

2007-09-23T16:58:00.000-04:00

We found that he really likes to lay all spread out. We think it is really funny and cute since most babies like to be swaddled up all nice and tight.

He's Here!

2007-09-21T20:43:00.000-04:00

Little Jaxson decided to come this morning at 10:04. He weighs 9 lbs 10 1/2 oz and is 21 1/2 inches long. Mom and baby are both doing great!

We will update you all soon. We need to get some sleep.... or try! :)

Just waiting...39 weeks yesterday!!

2007-09-02T15:01:00.000-04:00

Revelation Revealed

2007-09-02T14:40:00.000-04:00

Here are some pictures of what Mike and the production team at the church have been doing. He and Jason worked TONS of hours the week before getting this set ready. It is a 12-week series so thankfully everyone will be able to enjoy it for a few weeks. Like I've said before, Mike is loving his job and enjoys the challenge and opportunity to create stage sets. And let me just say, he does a phenomenal job!! It's been great to be beside him and not only see the finished project, but to get to hear his ideas. I get a glimpse of what he sees before the final product is revealed. This particular week you see pictured, was the first week of the series and they did a "reveal drop" during the first song. It was a breath-taker. Getting to see it all happen live at a couple of the services made me more proud of Mike and all of his hard work. Really, it's something you'd have to see for yourself, I can't put it into words. In the other pictures, you can see that the screen and truss moved down while the "Revelation Revealed" moved up. Again, a very cool worship experience that added so much to the morning. It was exciting to see everything fall into place after the team had worked so hard!

Baby Taylor

2007-09-01T18:18:00.000-04:00

Here are some pictures of Jay and Sheila's little girl. She's adorable and we can't wait to meet her!

Here is new mommy, Sheila, holding Taylor with Grandpa holding Caleb and Tucker in the middle!

Here is new daddy, Jay, holding Taylor.

Our nephews...

2007-08-15T22:26:00.001-04:00

We will add pictures of Taylor as we get them, but here are some updated pictures of our nephews, Tucker and Caleb!! They're so cute!!

Grandma and Grandpa with the boys...

Our niece is here!!

2007-08-14T20:54:00.001-04:00

Jay and Sheila are the proud parents of baby Taylor Eillen. She was born in Topeka on Monday, July 30 at 5:17 p.m. She weighed 8 pounds and 12 ounces and was 20 1/2 inches long. Mom and baby are doing great. We'll have more pictures as she continues to grow. I don't get to see her until the end of October, but uncle Mike has to wait until probably Christmastime. :( She's going to be changing so much...that's the bummer about being so far apart. But it's going to be an exciting, crazy Christmas at my parents house this year and we're looking forward to hopefully having all the new babies together! Grandma and Grandpa are excited for sure to have all their grandkids and kids home at the same time. Hopefully we can all work our schedules to be there together. Stay tuned for more updates about all the babies... :)

It's been a while!

2007-07-28T15:53:00.000-04:00

Yes, we know it's been a while since we've updated our blog. Let's see, where to begin...We bought a house the end of May and worked on it through June and moved in the end of June. We love it! The second picture is the living room from the kitchen.
We loved the colors of our house in Joplin so much we decided to do pretty much the same thing in this house..with the exception of getting to find new colors for Baby Jaxson's room! :) The nursery is ready for him to arrive. The crib is put up and the clothes are washed and organized in the closet. We had a shower this past weekend at Mike's parents' house and got tons of great stuff, then we had a shower Wednesday night at the church and got more great stuff! Daddy put the swing, stroller, and vibrating seat together so Jaxson has fun toys waiting for him. We have about 6 more weeks to the due date.

Jessica and Jonathon had their baby, Caleb Douglas, born Monday, July 16. Uncle Mike and I were able to go see them Tuesday afternoon. You can see their updates here! Little Caleb is doing great and already changing so fast! He's ready for Jaxson to arrive so they can play
together! :)

At the shower this weekend my parents', Joy, and Tucker were able to stop by on their way home from Indiana after a couple days of visiting the newest addition to our family! Here is a cute picture of grandpa and Tucker playing. Tucker is growing up so fast. He has 8 teeth and loves making noises like rolling his tongue! :)

Some of you have been asking to see my belly so here you go...this is from a couple weeks ago. Jaxson is moving around quite a bit and just last Sunday I felt his hiccups for the first time during church and then daddy felt them later that evening. I haven't felt them since then, but it was kind of an emotional time, I enjoy every punch and kick, it's reassurance that our little boy is growing and will be ready to visit us soon!

That seems to be all at this point. It's crazy it's already the end of July. We've been keeping busy with work and preparing the nursery. We really love it here in Indiana and look forward to the changes that a little baby brings. Hopefully we'll get you updated in a couple more weeks and then definitely will introduce you to Jaxson as soon as he arrives. Mommy and Daddy are very anxious to meet him, too!

stage sets

2007-05-21T22:26:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to leave a few examples of the stage sets we have had at Connection Pointe in the last couple months.

It has been amazing to be able to use the gift's that God has given me to help people worship our Savior.

lots of changes

2007-05-18T21:57:00.000-04:00

Well I know it has been a while since my last post, it seems that the longer I wait to make a post the harder it is. So much has gone on in the last couple months I don't even know where to start......

Big news first.....

IT'S A BOY! Janese and I found out a couple weeks ago that we are having a boy. I am so excited and can't wait to wrestle with my little boy.

Our transition to IN has gone great. Janese and I both really enjoy Connection Pointe we both just seem to fit right in with the rest of the staff. We are preparing to close on our new house in Avon. We will be moving in sometime in June after we do some painting and cleaning. Next on the list will be working a nursery for our little boy who will be joining us in just a few more months.

This summer will be the first in 9 years that I won't be on the road. It is a little sad but I am really looking forward to being able to have "normal" summer you know BBQ, Fireworks, night time walks with Janese and yes even cutting the grass.

Our family is growing!!

2007-03-14T19:22:00.000-04:00

Yep, that's right...we're pregnant! We've known for a little while, but now that we've been to the doctor we are really excited to be able to share the news with all of our family and friends! We got to hear the heartbeat on Monday and found out we're 14 weeks 5 days along. We're due September 8 and we're both extremely excited. Daddy is calling the baby by name! We don't know what we're having, but we do have the names picked out and no, we aren't going to find out! :)
The baby is growing and my stomach is starting to get bigger. We'll have pictures later as the baby continues to grow. Everything with me and the baby are great. I was nauseous mostly in the evenings and sometimes randomly throughout the day, but for the most part I'm past all of that and now can just enjoy the changes.
Not only is our family growing, but Sheila, my sister-in-law is due July 7 with a girl and Jessica, my oldest sister is due the end of July. They're not finding out what they're having either, but we're looking forward to Christmas with all of us together with the new babies. Tucker James will be 1 year old by then and won't know what to do with all the little ones around. It's going to be so exciting! That's all for now...there will be plenty more updates so check back soon!

We're Here!

2007-02-22T19:07:00.000-05:00

Well in case you haven't heard we are here and safe!
We started the moving process on Wednesday January 31, when we left Joplin that afternoon and drove through the snow to STL to stay with my parents for the night. The next morning we got up around 4am and left for IN again driving through the snow. We arrived at the church exactly at 10am when Janese had an interview for a job with the daycare at the church. Thankfully Janese was hired on the spot! We had decided to stay with a couple friends for a couple weeks while we looked for a place of our own, so we got settled in at our friends house. I started work at the church the next Sunday @ 6:30am... boo for early morning! Well later that day the Colts won the Superbowl so they decided to close the church office on Monday in order to let us celebrate properly. The next day was my first day at the office. I did all the normal things, meet the staff, fill out forms, etc. except my day was cut short because of the next snow storm (5"). Thankfully the people up here actually know what a snow plow is and they even use them on all the roads (oh Joplin). Wednesday was a crazy busy day we got some new lighting that had to be setup and programmed before Sunday. Thursday Janese and I got back in the car and drove back to Joplin to load all of our things in a Penske truck and bring it up here. We got back Saturday unloaded in our duplex that we are renting for a couple months. Then we had church on Sunday and work on Monday. Then it happened again... SNOW (11") this storm caused the church and daycare to close for 2 days. So for those of you who are counting in the last 2 weeks the office has been closed 3 1/2 days. Then on Saturday we got another 5" of snow. Then just as the weather forecast calls for things to get back to normal something else. Last Sunday morning I was standing at the tech booth when I heard over the COM "we are going to evacuate the building now!" Apparently there was gas leak in the building, which caused us to have to cancel the rest of the services for the day. So needless to say these last 3 weeks have been a little crazy with over 17" of snow on the ground and a major gas leak at the church on Sunday morning. WOW maybe that is why I am tired.....

Check back soon for more updates....

Snowed in Again

2007-01-15T13:15:00.000-05:00

Well we are going on day 4 that Janese and I have been stuck in the house after the 2nd major winter storm to hit the Joplin area this year. The storm hit Friday afternoon with the majority of the ice (a little over 1") then a 2nd front came through Saturday which brought some more ice and sleet, followed by the last front which came through on Sunday and into today with a little bit of snow and ice. Growing up in the St. Louis area I am used to the city or county actually plowing the streets, however here in Joplin/Webb City we are lucky if they plow the main streets. Which I guess I shouldn't complain to much except when they plow the main streets then they just leave a big pile of snow and ice at the intersections to all the other streets and entrances to any businesses.

In addition to the traffic problems this storm has caused it has left many people without power and heat. One of which was my little brother who is a freshman at Ozark this year. Andrew got a call late Friday night that the dorms were opening early to let the students return from Christmas break. Andrew decided that he had had enough of staying with his big brother and decided to head for the dorms. Great call Andrew, I bet it was fun to stay at the dorms with no electricity!

Passion 07

2007-01-11T22:35:00.000-05:00

WOW! 22,000 people all in one place for one purpose what a cool thing. Janese and I went to Passion 07 this year in Atlanta, GA! Last year there were 18,000 in Nashville and we took over the downtown Nashville area. This year at Passion with such an increase in attendance they had to do a 2nd venue. It worked very well with two venues, they had a satellite feed with the speaker but both venues had live worship. It was such a cool exerience again this year to worship our Savior with so many brothers and sisters. This year Passion had the Do Something Now Campaign. It was an opportunity for everyone to get involved either financially, prayerfully, or vocationally. It's so incredible to not only see and hear, but to be a small part of what God is doing all over the world so that every ear will hear the Gospel and the Good News of Jesus Christ!

Here's the run down with tons more detail on the Do Something Now Campaign page...52 water wells were sponsored in Africa for communities to have fresh water for life, 6 people groups in Indonesia will receive the New Testament in their native language, 20 students through Compassion International were sponsored so they can go to college in Africa, 4,000 bibles were mailed to East Asia with people committing to pray for each person that receives one. Passion is planning to do global conferences the end of this year and next to reach out to those that don't know Jesus, that haven't heard His Word, and that possibly don't even have the Word of God in their language.

"That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:10-12

Baby Tucker

2006-12-30T17:58:00.001-05:00

Since we spent Thanksgiving with my family, we spent Christmas with Mike's (as you can see from his post). We were able to see my dad's side of the family for Thanksgiving, too. We did decide to go home the weekend before Christmas on Sunday and Monday since Jess and Jonathon were home from Indiana. All of us kids were able to be home so we opened gifts after church and carried out the rest of our family Christmas traditions with my personal favorites coffee and sausage balls, and this year instead of playing our usual games of cards, we played a new game that most of us love...Rummikub. Also, we got to see our new nephew again, Tucker James, born November 2. After we opened up our gifts, Jay and Sheila's dog made an announcement with a t-shirt that said, "I'm a big sister 07-07-07." We recently found out that Jessica and Jonathon are also expecting in July around the 27th. Congratulations!!

Christmas with the Temm's

2006-12-28T16:43:00.000-05:00

Janese and I went to my parents house this year for Christmas. Growing up we always celebrated on Christmas Eve with my Dad's family, and Christmas Day with my Mom's family. Now this all seemed normal growing up I guess because that is all I knew. However after spending a much lower key Christmas with Janese's family in 2005 I started thinking about past Temm family celebrations. My mom informed us that we would be celebrating with both sides of the family at their house. Now the last time my parents hosted the Temm family Christmas Eve party, one of my uncles nearly got in a fist fight with my cousins' boyfriend, this brought a quick end to the festive attitude. Now I don't know if Janese was nervous about the first Christmas with the Temm family but I was nervous for her. Thankfully everyone was on their best behavior this year.

We did enjoy a fine game of "rob your neighbor" where you get to steal gifts from other people. Thankfully I was able to get my own gift back and wasn't stuck with the neon orange hammer (thanks Aunt Cindy) or the in-car sandwich maker.

We're moving...to Indiana...

2006-12-23T12:57:00.000-05:00

Our first blog...here we go!! We thought it would be good to keep in touch with our friends and family...and join the 21st Century!!

We are moving to Brownsburg, Indiana sometime in February. Mike got a ministry position at Connection Pointe Christian Church as a Production Specialist working with lights and stage design. I am hoping to get a job also at the church either in the daycare or as an Administrative Assistant.

While it all seems to be happening very fast, we have been praying about it for over a year. We're excited to see where God is leading us. It is sad to be leaving our friends who we have come to know over the last six years, but we are confident that this is where God is calling us.

One of the confirmations we've received was on the day Mike accepted this position at the church, we got an offer on the land...finally...we had been trying to sell it for over a year and the buyer that I had been calling off and on called randomly "out of the blue" and offered to buy it. We're scheduled to close next week!! Praise the Lord!! :)

We are trying to sell our house, so hopefully we can find a buyer before we need to move. It is sad when we think about packing up all our stuff and leaving this place, but hopefully we can find something in Indiana that we like as much. We decided that since we like this house so much we're probably going to paint our new house pretty much the same...it matches our furniture and we've spent a lot of time decorating it just the way we like!