Annika the Graduate!

Annika, my oldest niece, graduates from homeschool.
Congrats, Annika! Love you!

Big brother

Elijah has this amazing ability to draw

smiles out of people...especially his baby sister!

Baby Shower!

My wonderful church family threw a baby shower for Analise - a complete surprise to me, being she is my fourth baby! But what a fun night we had; such a blessing! Thank you all!

My Mom and sister-in-law Beth
(look how big Analise looks!)

I love this one of my mom and Analise!

Elianna took great delight in opening gifts with me.

Growing up

The "BIG" kids in our family:

Elianna (4) & Elijah (3)

Ben and I were driving into town last night
and from the backseat of our suburban, we hear two
sweet little voices start singing in unison:

I love you Lord

And I lift my voice

To worship You

O my soul, Rejoice

Take joy my King

In what You hear

May it be a sweet, sweet sound

In Your ear.

(yes, it was sweet to our ears...made both of us tear up!)

Introducing...

Our Fourth Blessing from God

Analise Noelle Caron

8 lbs 11 oz ~ 20 inches long

September 4, 2010

(photo by Erica Berge)

Liam's Dedication

This past Sunday, we dedicated Liam Allen Caron to the Lord.
What a precious time!

Our wonderful church leaders and parents gather around to pray for
Liam, his future, and wisdom for Ben and I as his parents.
I love what my Dad said in his prayer, "Children are a blessing from God's hand..."

My sister Melanie, my mom, and I sang a song to
Liam called "Your Whole Life Long"....here are the lyrics:

I pray the Lord will hold you close and keep you through the night,
That you will wake up smiling in the early morning light,
That He will always comfort you and make you brave and strong,
I pray that you will follow Him your whole life long.

I pray that you will grow up to be wise and good and true,
I pray that you will please the Lord in everything you do,
I pray that you will hear His voice and learn to sing His song,
I pray that you will follow Him your whole life long.

I pray that you will follow Him,
I pray that you will follow Him,
I pray that you will follow Him your whole life long.

I pray the Lord will bless you with His presence every day,
I pray he will protect you every step along the way,
Help you love what's right and lead you far away from wrong,
I pray that you will follow Him your whole life long.

My mom and Liam

Our great support team... (a.k.a. FAMILY!)

Melanie and I with our beautiful niece, Katey.
(notice my big tummy...only a few weeks away from my due date!)

Elianna and Grandma Caron

Liam trying to pull it together after the big day!

Elianna holding her sweet cousin Mariah - so adorable!

Auntie Melanie and Elijah...just love the joy in these two faces!

It's been a huge blessing to have my sister Melanie, David & Mariah home from Ireland for the past 5 weeks. Tomorrow will be our last day with them; I'll try not to cry the entire day...so hard to say goodbye to your very best friend in the world. P.S. A future trip to Ireland this spring is in the planning....(!!!!)

My Parents

Happy 41st Anniversary, Mom & Dad!

It's hard to express in words the admiration I have for you. You have been a tremendous encouragement to me through the years as I've observed your commitment to Jesus Christ, His Word and your marriage to one another. I consider your counsel to be wise, for I know you have traveled long and hard journeys; sometimes not by your own desires, but out of obedience and love for God. Your faithfulness has shaped so much of who I am today. Thank you for giving me a model of genuine LOVE! May God continue to use you to impact lives - as you have done mine.

Liam Report

~ Liam ~
I especially love how this boy cuddles; he's so loveable.
Rocking him at nap time and in the evenings are so precious;
I know this stage doesn't last forever.

Each day Liam wears an eye patch for a few hours to strengthen his weak eye. After several days of practice, he finally is used to it and doesn't rip it off in the first five minutes! He'll wear the patch for several months, then we go back for another evaluation to see how he's doing. Step-by-step!

Through a life built upon prayer, we learn to transfer our burdens onto Christ's capable shoulders — and when He carries our burdens, we are free to run and not grow weary; to walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40)

Our new Suburban!

Ah-ha, we found it—the new Caron family hauler!!

What do you think of our new suburban? I'm lovin' it!

With a budget in mind and a small chunk of change in the bank (we like to pay cash for our vehicles if possible) we hit Craig's List for several weeks trying to find a good deal....and although it took longer than we anticipated, guess what? Our patience paid off - and God blessed us with more than what we were looking for - at an unbelievable price! We are thankful!

During this time of searching for a suburban to buy, I have to say a big "THANK YOU" to my parents for lending us their conversion van during the weeks we were without a second vehicle. I don't know what we would have done without it! We all loving nicknamed the van "Lazarus." Cuz it just won't die. It's old. It's like the Energizer bunny. No kidding, this van has been all over creation and was The Berge Family's primary source of transportation during our music ministry days. We traveled everywhere in it. It is kind of nostalgic and maybe, just maybe, we'll shed a tear the day it bites the dust. But for now, no worries, it runs like a champ and the kids thought it was awesome - it was like a house on wheels. :)

So why didn't we buy a fuel-friendly mini-van? I know this question is burning in many of your minds. Well, the answer is actually very simple. For one, this GIANT gene pool of a family is a far cry from normal. Have you seen the size of some of us? :) And think about it - four years of marriage and going on four kids....technically we've already outgrown a mini-van. So why not just go for the plunge and buy the 12 passenger van while we were at it? Well, funny, the thought of having more kids isn't half as terrifying as driving a 12 passenger van.... Oops, now I've revealed too much. Moving on...

So, the reason we (ok....mostly me) avoid mini-vans is not because I think we're too cool to drive a mini-van. This mom of four has little time to think about looking cool. Thus, the reasons I love suburbans are pretty obvious: (1) the long legged 6'8" man of the house and mini just don't mix. (2) I LOVE 4-wheel drive. If you're going to live in a state that is snow, slush and ice infested 8-9 months out of the year, it's a big must in my book. (3) The best feature....have you seen the trunk space in a suburban? It's beautiful! My double stroller, baby carrier, diaper bag, groceries, extra diapers & wipes, toys, books, you name it—there's room for it all! (4) My Hubby can use it to pull the boat to any lake he wishes. So there is really only one thing left to say...

SOLD!

Lasting rewards...

"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,
the fruit of the womb a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth.
Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them!
He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate."
Psalm 127:3-5

We LITERALLY believe what God has spoken!

Three sweet babies + one due 9/2010 = 4 under 4!!

It is with great joy that we announce...we are expecting another sweet baby! We are all very excited! This new little one is due at the beginning of September - right between Elianna's 4th birthday and Elijah's 3rd birthday. As for Liam, he turns the big "1" next month, which seems unthinkable....didn't I just give birth to him? Ok, well, yeah, actually I did! :) You might be thinking something like I thought when I found out I was pregnant: "Duggers, here we come." (ha, ha!)

Yes, it's wild, it's crazy, and it's busy. But it is also SO very rewarding! It makes me smile.

There is no greater call on my life than that of being a mom. If God is handing me the opportunity to give life once again, I do not wish to turn something so rewarding away for selfish reasons. I'm on board—for whatever God wills, He always, without question, provides!

Fun with Eliza

Our dear friend Eliza (whom my kids adore....as do I!) came over one day before Christmas to teach a violin lesson and brought with her a craft for the kids too! Using felt, ribbons, buttons, and more, she helped them make an ornament for our Christmas tree. They LOVED it and still ask to do the craft again and again.

Here Elijah is picking out his favorite ribbon.

Elijah's finished ornaments - how cute is that?!

Eliza teaching a violin lesson!
What a fun day; thank you Eliza!!

Christmas Program

~Glory to God in the Highest~
Ella & Elijah's very FIRST Christmas Program!

An amazing production of the greatest story ever told.

Ella, Elijah and all their little friends were sheep - much to their delight!

Watch a short video clip of their performance of
Joy to the World!
(and uh, pardon the shaky video - I was holding Liam with one hand and holding
the camera in the other and had to cut the video short due to Liam's loudness.... :)

Guilty

The guilty boy I found when I came back into the kitchen...

Liam's Eye Surgery

"Peace I leave with you;
My peace I give to you."
—Jesus

Today marks the day of Liam's successful eye surgery! We praise God that everything went so well; thank you so much for praying. We felt a tremendous peace - so much so, that the nurse even commented on it! That is the Lord's doing, and we praise Him. He heard the prayers of our dear friends and family. Our sincere appreciation to each of you for your thoughtfulness, prayers, cards, and emails letting us know you were remembering Liam. You upheld us - thank you so much. We could feel the power of prayer at work.

A special thanks to my parents for caring for Elianna and Elijah while we were away, and to Ben's parents & family for the meals and amazing support. Much love to you all!

Here is little Liam, at the Children's Hospital waiting to see the doctor.
We arrived around 6:15 AM

He looks pretty proud of his stylish little hospital pjs!
All ready for surgery.

Out of surgery - a hungry and sleepy boy!
The last feeding Liam could have was at 2:30 AM. He didn't eat or drink again until after the surgery at 9:30 AM - what a trooper!

A very tired boy after all was said and done. The 4 hour ride home went smooth - Liam slept most of the way. We are amazed at the outcome and are thankful Liam is recovering here at home!

Love this boy.

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort.."
II Cor. 1:3-4

Liam's eye surgery

Liam has esotropia in both eyes (cross-eyed). His upcoming surgery is called Bimedial Rectus Recession, and is scheduled for this fall. My mother's heart worries, but I know God is working out what is best for Liam, so I'm resting that HE is in control and leading & directing us. If you think of him, please pray for Liam in the coming days as his surgery approaches. Love you all!

The Blessing of Friends

Go over to Tim's 2 Girls blog and see the fun we had yesterday with friends!! (Thanks, Eliza!)

A boy in training...

A New Life!

A warm congratulations to my sister Melanie & her
husband David on the birth of their precious baby girl:

mariah grace
9lbs. 8 oz. :: 09/09/09

Welcome to the family, sweet one; you are adored!
We are anxious to meet you!

Biking

On a family bike ride - love this time of year!

Family Fun at the Pioneer Farmers Show!

Every third weekend in August, for as long as I can remember, my Grandpa Berge would set-up all his inventions, mostly hot-air engines, at the Lake Region Pioneer Farmers annual show. It has become a tradition to many of us in my family to attend this event; not only because of Grandpa's influence there, but because it holds and creates so many fun family memories.

Elijah was so very proud of his pop;
he carried it like it was his baby!



Train Rides!