Time flies

So I really am trying to keep up with this Blog thing, at least trying to keep some pics up every once in awhile so that all you out there that aren't blessed with our presence everyday can see what is happening with the Dennstaedt's! Its been almost a month since Halloween pictures were posted...so I will try to catch everyone up a bit.

Little Joyful is 4 months old. Time flies so fast. She is just the most precious, peaceful little 'Joy' to have around. She like and unlike her sister in so many ways. They do look somewhat similar. Joy Loves to sleep and can sleep through anything. Unlike her sister! Joy smiles and plays on her own. Unlike her sister! Joy loves to be held and lay her head on your shouder (mommy's anyway) Unlike her sister! Rose was a busy baby, always on the move, Joy is much more content and peaceful. She is just perfect. Rose was too, at the time :) I just never knew how much better it could possibly get! She is sleeping ok, waking up once a night. At her 4 month appt she weighed in at a whopping 13lbs 12 oz. 50% on all counts! She is a peanut. Unlike her sister! :)

Rose is one busy busy 2 year old. She runs constantly and I wish she could share some energy with her mommy everyday! She is speaking in paragraphs. She often looks at me and says "Im going to get something real quick, Ill be right back" hmmm sounds like someone else in this family! Always on the move, and 'real quick'! Lets just say she might look everything like her daddy but she sure acts more like her mommy! She loves to play with her friends, is obsessed with horses, loves daddy time, and playing with her sister. I need to keep a journal of our everyday adventures, they might not be adventures to you...but to us everyday if full of fun!

Happy Halloween

Rose is 2!!!

Little Rose is 2...I cant believe how fast time goes by. She got a new big bed and has done great with it! We went to the PA farm show complex for the 4-H horse show. How appropriate! Here are some shots of us celebrating this past weekend as a little happy family! God is so good, so faithful, and we honor him for the Joys in our lives!

My girls

Since I am truly blessed I couldn't resist... :) There is something so amazing about sisters. I have 4 of them and they are, to me, the most wonderful people and best friends anyone could ever ask for. They are so unique and so beautiful. We have been there in the thick and thin to get each other to where we are today, and I couldn't thank god enough for the sisters he gave me. (Ill have to talk about my amazing brothers in another post)
Seeing my little girls starting to act as sisters, Rose loving Joy and always looking out for her...its so awesome. They will be best friends. God makes each family special and unique, and I thank him for giving us Rose and for Giving us Joy, but also I thank him for giving Rose a sister! :)

Fall in PA

We love the fall. Its our most favorite time of the year. There are lots of things that happen in the fall that make us appreciate this season. Wedding anniversary, Fall sports at Messiah, wearing sweatshirts, pumpkin patches, homecoming, brisk cool air with open windows, and the list could go on. This fall is a little different. It really crept up on me more than I thought. Last time I slept through the night without a worry in the world was in July...and now its close to November! Having a newborn adds craziness to your life and having someone you love and care about with cancer changes your life. Needless to say Ive been on my knees more in the past few months than I ever have before. I am burdened so many days with prayer for so many who need it. Friends whos families are hurting, Friends experiencing the loss of a baby or the anticipation of one, praying for my dad constantly, my siblings and my mom, the list goes on...
This week at our church I learned something that I will hold on to forever. We are truly blessed. I mean how can we think of ourselves as blessed in these difficult situations? But we are. God sent his blessings down on us so that we can spread them to others and help them see his Love and grace for us! WOW! I am blessed, in so many ways. We often think of blessings as only the good things in life...those are just the easy and obvious things we see. Just sitting here right now in my kitchen looking at my 2 little blessings...God is amazing. But I was astounded to hear how he gives us things and circumstances so that we might use them to shine his light. Just a beautiful thing, another beautiful thing about living life with a faith in Christ. Something I knew in my heart but needed to hear again to be refreshed. Sometimes when life is crazy and going fast, we forget to stop and see the little things and appreciate, despite of our circumstances, the life we have set to live ahead of us!
Psalm 67-May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations...
Here are some fall photos of the Dennstaedt bunch....

Big sister

Rose loves all the baby things being constantly pulled out for her little sister! The scary thing is she used to fit in these! They grow sooo fast!

3 months old!

I cannot believe 3 months have gone by. Life is a whirlwind. Our days right now are filled with bible study, MOPS, lunch with friends, Coaching lax, weekend fall events, Messiah soccer games, and loving being together as a family! Little Joyful is a whopping 12lbs 4 oz. So we are no longer worried about her weight or her boycotts of eating for hours at a time! She seems to be content and getting all she needs. She is still a tiny peanut compared to her sister. We are loving every minute of our family of 4!

Another visit home

We were able to go back to St.Louis for a visit. Just me and the girls, thank you Daddy! It was such a special time to be home with my parents and sisters. My dad had just got out of the hospital and was starting his radiation and chemo the day after we left. It was a good week of distraction for him! God has been amazing through all this, we see him all over it! Please continue to pray for my daddy! We had a wonderful visit, playing with Grandaddy and BAMA and really doing nothing else! I look forward to going back again...

Here are some pics of our visit!

She would try and fit 10 if she could

Little Rosebud loves her "PAPI'S" She was trying to fit as many in her mouth as she could. "look mom papi in rose mouth" Direct quote as she stuffs herself full!

She is a two month old peanut

So it looks like our little "Joyful" will not follow in the same footsteps as her sister. A visit to the doctor today for her 2 month appointment made this clear. At 2 months Rose was 13.9 lbs and in the 98th percentile in all categories. Little Joy was tipping the scales today at 11 lbs and in the 50th percentile in all categories. She has not been eating that well and that is a little concerning to the doc, but we will check her progress at 3 months to make sure she is still a little sprouting bean! This little one pretty much sleeps through the night, and so you would think she is hungry during the day... Pray she gets more of an appetite and make some significant growing progress in the next month!

Rose loves horses

You wonder why?
Ever since my sister Lesley was little she loved horses. She still loves them. It is something really beautiful to see my sister with all her horses. There is a way she interacts with them that really shows how much they mean to her. Little Rose is starting to love them just the same. Every time we go to Grandaddy's farm she sees and rides the horses! And when we visit in St.Louis Lesley takes Rose with her to feed the horses she takes care of. It is always a highlight of little Rosie's day. So you wonder why she loves horses...that is why. I think she will be like Lesley as she grows older. After all they are both my babies so why wouldnt Rose be like Les? :)

A wonderful weekend in St. Louis

We spent Labor day with my family in St. Louis. It was a special time for us all to be together! Rose and Joy were a big hit and lightened the mood and brought happiness and smiles all around!

The girls with Grandaddy and BAMMA

The Cho Cho Train ride


Joy meets her Uncle Jack

Rose is such a good big sister

Joyful and her BAMMA


There's nothing better than a pop-pop with her Grandaddy

Grandaddy has been saving "silver" for his grandbabies since my sister Lesley was little. Rose loved her "silver"

Uncle Justin and Aunt Tara

Rose gets tortured by her aunts :)

Joy loves her BAMMA

A trip to the Zoo to see the ELE-FAN-ANT