Friday, November 28, 2008

JAMES AND ALYSSA, FIVE YEARS....
























"Today, I promise, to give myself to you, to be suited perfectly to you in everything, to honor you, follow you, esteem you, and serve you as serving the Lord. I will love you now and forever, for richer or poorer, for better or worse, in sickness and in health, til Jesus takes us home. I Alyssa Rose, take you, James Eric, to be my husband, and me, to be your wife......."

Dear, dear James(;
We have loved,
we have struggled,
we have fought,
we have made up,
we have changed,
we have grown,
we have failed,
we have forgiven,
and we have overcome.
We have laughed,
we have kissed,
we have cried,
and we have held on through the dark valleys.

You have loved me when I have been unlovable,
you have stood by my side when I didn't deserve your faithfulness,
you have taught me what no other teacher in my life has,
you have seen me in a way that no one ever has,
you know my flaws, and you chose to love me anyway,
you taught me how to work,
how to not be afraid,
how to be strong,
how to not be afriad of spiders,
how to not be afraid of the dark,
you taught me how to cook,
how to ride on a motorcycle and how to camp.
You have made me a better woman than the little girl I was when I met you.
You have taught me how to fight and overcome
by your example of never giving up.
You held my hand when I was in surgery,
you held each of our children before I did,
and prayed over them.
You have taught me how to see behind the visible,
how to discern what is really happening in a situation.
You have taught me how to be wise with our household,
how to drive a car better,
and how to make our boys strong.
You are the only man who has never abandoned me,
you are the only friend who has always been there,
even if life becomes unbearable,
we bear it together.
You have poured out your heart to me,
day after day,
you have shared your dreams with me,
and helped me see the true meaning of love.

You are an amazing reflection of Christ's love to me,
you are the most caring, fun and special father,
the hardest worker,
the smartest and most discerning man I know,
and with the biggest heart in the world.
God is truly forming you and making you after His own image,
and I know beyond the shadow of a doubt,
as Jason Ma prophesied,
"That God will make you whole,
and that He will send to you to all nations,
to tell of His glory."
You are becoming more and more like Him every day,
and I am so proud of you.

I love you now a thousand times more than i did the day we met.....





























I love you a thousand times more than the day we got engaged...










































I love you a thousand times more than the day we got married.........

I love you James Eric Knoblauch,
and I thank my sweet and faithful God for you every minute of every day-
you are my hero!
Happy FIVE YEAR ANNIVERSARY(:


Your Girl















































































Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Isaac Goes to the Dentist!

Our little birthday boy, Isaac James, went to the dentist for the first time yesterday, and it was quite the affair! I had been putting off taking him for over a year and I decided that onn his fourth bday, it was just getting ridiculous that we hadn't had his teeth checked yet, so I made the apt. Isaac was adamant that he did not want to go, because the dentist in the movie "Finding Nemo" was always drilling on someone's teeth and then they would scream. What an observant kid! I never would have even thought of that! After much explanation, I finally convinced Isaac that they were just going to "count" his teeth. He still didn't want to go, but on we went. I was a little concerned that when we got there, he was going to make a big fuss, but lo and behold, he was very brave! He climbed right up into the big dentist's chair and proudly said, "I'll go first so Bubby won't be scared!" And he did a great job, even when they were taking x-rays of his teeth. My my, he's getting to be such a big boy. Bubby, on the other hand, seemed calm right up until it was his turn, and then he began kicking and screaming and I had to hold him in the chair. Let's just suffice it to say, his check lasted all of sixty seconds! But afterwards, I got him to sit in the chair and take a pretty cute picture.





Wednesday, November 12, 2008

We're Back!

Hi Friends and Family!
We have been back from Florida now for almost three weeks and are finally settling back into our daily routine. I haven't been posting much since we got back because we have been really focusing on getting our house and kids back into the swing of things! Out family trip to Florida was great, such a good and much needed break for James and a really exciting adventure for the kids. We had a great time with my parents and had many fun outings, also swimming in the pool and the ocean. While in Florida, James read a phenomenal book, "The Shack", which was recommended by our pastor, Bruce. I read it shortly after coming back home, and it has really touched both James and I in our walks with the Lord, and challenged our relationship with God. I would encourage all of you to read it!
This past weekend, James went deer hunting with his Mom, new step Dad and brother, Aaron. James did get a deer, and we were all really proud!
Today is Isaac's 4th Birthday and we celebrated as a family last night with a birthday dinner and a homemade hot fudge birthday cake. Isaac blew out his candles and was very excited! We also had a fun bday breakfast this morning and a trip to "Sharks Are" at Mall of America with mom and the kids today. Isaac and Bubby are really looking forward to having all of you over on November 23rd to our home! Here are some pictures