The Kohlmans

Every month it gets more and more difficult to take Lincoln's picture. He just will not stop moving! Here are some outtakes from his ten month "photo shoot."

Lincoln, Wow. What a month. It seems the last month has been the prime time for some physical and mental development, which has brought its own set of challenges. You are still somewhat attached to Jazzy, but now you get mad if she's in your way. She still tolerates your petting since you're surprisingly gentle with her. It wasn't very clear, but you said "dog" for a while when looking at or for her. It's been a little while since you said it, though. You also say "uh-oh" very clearly. We think we might have heard "ball" once or twice but aren't positive about that one. You're a good eater most of the time. You have started to show definite preferences for certain foods, rejecting things in favor of your favorites - any carbs or fruit. We have had to start getting a little sneaky to get your veggies in! Pasta is another love, especially if it has marinara sauce; you've enjoyed pesto as well. The separation anxie...

On January 9, Lincoln had surgery to open his left tear duct. We were understandably nervous about how the procedure would go, but it ended up being just fine. We weren't sure how he would do with waiting to nurse and eat until after the procedure, but he was just fine. In fact, he was happier in the waiting room than he normally is at home in the mornings. Unfortunately, they called us back to the pre-op area long before they were actually ready for us, and he got very restless while we spent 45 minutes in the small, curtained cubicle. The procedure went really well. The doctor put the probe through the duct and it seemed like everything was clear. But, when he tried to flush it, the solution wouldn't go through. That's when he realized that the membrane at the end of Lincoln's tear duct (in his nose) was blocking the drainage. He had to bend the membrane up out of the way, which is not uncommon with this type of procedure. The most difficult thing for us...

Brad and I both went into the education profession to follow our hearts while we make our living. Hearts for kids... hearts for learning... hearts for books... It's pretty common knowledge that teachers aren't rich. The other benefits, like knowing you make a difference, as cliche as it sounds, more than make up for the money. (And when that's not quite doing it, the Christmas vacation is pretty sweet. ;) We are by no means rich. We are pretty average. And I am thankful for enough. We both work to pay our bills and, to be honest, to have money to enjoy our lifestyle. Our life isn't one of extravagance, but we are comfortable. There are also times we have to fall back on our savings. But, somehow, whatever comes our way financially, we always have enough. Sometimes that means it's just the right amount at the right time. Sometimes that means using our savings. Sometimes that means making sacrifices to build our savings account for the next time. But it ...

I know that there have most definitely been times in life when Sarah, Hannah, Daniel, and I haven't been able to get along. There were probably really long stretches of life when two or more of us have been at odds. But these three lovely people were my first friends. Growing up on the farm means you don't have easy access to playmates other than your siblings. Sure, I was just as apt to spend hours alone with my books or my Barbies, but almost any time I was looking for company, there they were. We spent hours upon hours immersed in our made up games. We would run away from the orphanage, gather cassette tapes to have our own radio station, fill the stock tank with freezing water from the well to "swim" in the summer, mummify babysitters, build forts out of hay bales in the loft. I don't think I could convince them to join me in running away from the orphanage these days, but they are still some of the most important people in my life. They are always wil...

It's become a trend (I don't know where or when or how it started) among some to choose "One Little Word" to focus on during a year. The concept explained a little better here . I've toyed with the idea in past years, but I could never come up with a word that felt right. This year I decided to take the plunge and choose one. 2014 comes with a long to-do list, lofty goals, and many new adventures. I don't want to lose sight of how good I have it around here, so my word is   gratitude . There are a lot of obvious reasons I chose it, and it's probably not a shocking choice. I posted just over a month ago about my intentions to be more intentionally grateful. Here goes.