Dedication

On June 3, 2012 both of our kids were part of a dedication at Red Rocks Church, where we've been attending since we left Calvary last fall. Red Rocks has been such a blessing for our family the last several months, fitting the needs we have in this season of our life. After Gilby being on staff at a church for 7 years, it has been nice to be able to take a back seat in a larger church with a solid foundation that fits ours. 

They also have a great children's program, so when the opportunity came up for our kids to participate in the dedication, we knew it was the right time at the right place. It is our prayer that our children grow up knowing the love of Jesus, and this dedication ceremony was a symbol of that commitment. My parents were able to come to pray over our family, and knowing the support we have of our extended families makes this journey that much better. Both kids were thrilled to get their own little bible with their name printed on the front. Myles has had a unique draw to bibles for several months now. He used to often bring his bible with him in the car and sometimes to school. During almost all visits to my parent's house he can be found leafing through one of their bibles. Bible "biba" was also one of his early word approximations in what is still a very short list of words he can say. Our sweet boy understands so much more than he can express.

Parenthood is serious stuff, but sometimes I can forget the gravity of it all amidst changing diapers, rushing out the door, and managing little people who tend to always be at my feet, but moments like this dedication remind me of the tremendous honor it is to be raising our precious little ones.

The Gilbert Family Blog

Welcome to the new Gilbert Family Blog! I’ve recently, with Gilby’s help, been making our old blog into hardcover books, and it has made me realize how thankful I am for the memories that are now documented for our family to look back on. Last September I stopped blogging for no specific reason, but more a combination of factors. I didn’t feel like I had a focus in writing and my posts were becoming so sporadic. Our family also just got really busy, and blogging was not a priority. But, I am going to attempt again, mostly with the intention of documenting memories, but also to keep friends and family updated on our lives.

So, to start, I thought I’d do an overall recap of the big things that have happened over the last 9 months…

September 2011: The Dirty 30! Yep, I turned 30 last September and celebrated this milestone at home with my precious family and a fancy dinner out with my hubby.

 The Step Up for Down Syndrome walk was also in September, our 4^th year already.

But, the big change last September was with Gilby’s job. After 7 years as Youth Director at Calvary Church we felt that his time there needed to come to a close. He phased out over the month while also furiously job searching as we had made the decision without a new position for him to move into. It was a big leap of faith, but Gilby has such a solid, confident faith in the decisions he knows God is calling us to. Me? Not so much. I’m better at worrying. Thankfully he is there to balance me, encourage me, and remind me of the big picture. By the end of the month he had accepted a position with Apple Retail, which was such a perfect fit for his skill set, knowledge of all things Apple, and passion for working with people.

October 2011: We spent most of October adjusting to our new schedule. Gilby worked a lot of evenings and every Saturday, and I often found myself overwhelmed with the dinner/bath/bedtime routine with two rambunctious little ones, neither of whom was sleeping well at the time. The kids started a couple afternoons a week at a new daycare (our first time with out-of-home care) but otherwise we balanced our schedules so that they were primarily with us. We also enjoyed a fun visit from Aunt Siri and cousin Raum in October including a trip to the pumpkin patch and a few days in the mountains.

November 2011: Other than spending weekends on house projects and a quiet Thanksgiving with my parents, nothing very big happened in November.

December 2011: Christmas was even quieter than Thanksgiving with it just being our family of four. We celebrated with my parents before they left town, but Christmas Eve and Day it was just us. Gilby had to work on Christmas Eve, but we still made it to church and had a nice dinner. Christmas Day was relaxing with presents in the morning, a trip to the park to go sledding in the gorgeous weather we had, Skyping with family, and a yummy meal. Myles also had another sleep study in December (his fourth), which led us to finally make the decision to have his tonsils and adenoids removed in the spring.

January 2012: In January we made an unexpected trip to Iowa for Gilby's Grandpa Gilbert's funeral. He was a great man who was loved by many, as evidenced by the fact that all five of his children, their spouses, all 15 grandkids and spouses, and most of his 29 great-grandchildren made it to Fort Dodge, IA for his funeral. It was a nice celebration of his life and good to see so much family. We were lucky to also meet our newest niece at only a few days old. Myles was immediately smitten. At the end of the week, we spent a day in Cedar Falls visiting with the Haugen grandparents and Uncle Danny.

Later in January, Danny and Nel as well as Siri and Raum made a trip to Colorado. We had so much fun seeing everybody! 

February 2012:  On the 25^th we found out I am pregnant with Baby Gilbert #3!! We were admittedly a little shocked, but very excited!

March 2012: Gilby started a new job as Program Coordinator for Mile High Down Syndrome Association! He had been approached by the Executive Director several months earlier asking if he was interested in the new position that was to start sometime after the New Year. We went back and forth with our decision knowing that he was happy with what he was doing with Apple and that there was potential for growth with such a large organization, but also knowing he would enjoy the position with MHDSA and feel great working for an organization we respect and with a population we are passionate about. MHDSA could also offer a steadier schedule with few night and weekend commitments, which would allow us so much more family time. We decided that MHDSA was a better fit and Gilby is very much enjoying his position. This change came at such a perfect time as I spent the first trimester of my pregnancy nauseous and overwhelmingly fatigued almost all of the time. It was such a blessing to be home together more often. 

April 2012: Myles had surgery to remove his tonsils and adenoids, and have ear tubes put in. The actual surgery went fine, but recovery was a really, really tough 10 or so days. After two nights in the hospital, he was discharged to home, but in so much pain for the next week. I stayed home with him and it was one of the toughest weeks I have had as his mom, heart surgery included. He teetered on the edge of dehydration for awhile, but we didn’t have to return to the hospital. Now that he is a couple of months out from surgery I can say we have seen positive changes in his sleep, his eating, and even some in his speech. His recovery made such a lasting impression on Sydney that she will often tell us that Myles’ throat hurts, her throat hurts, and that they need ice packs for their necks. It’s cute. 

In April we also put our house up for sale. We had spent much of the winter and spring on house projects, finishing our kitchen remodel, updating two bathrooms, painting lots, and tending to odds and ends. We’re really happy with the results and get great feedback on the interior from potential buyers, but unfortunately no offers as of yet. We are hoping to move southeast of Denver to shorten our commutes and buy a house that will better accommodate our growing family.  
May 2012: In May we were able to get outside a lot more with some gorgeous spring weather. We, as a family, also had a lot of illnesses in May, but thankfully everyone is healthy now. Myles finished his school year and we're happy for the summer break!