The Newborns

Remember this post? Here are the results!

Culley Jo was born five days after Wyatt and was a full two pounds lighter! She still looks so tiny next to him, but she's actually a little longer. His adorable chubby cheeks and double chin make him look a lot bigger!

Roadtrips & Reunions

Wyatt went on his first roadtrip over Memorial Day weekend. It's a trip our family has been looking forward to for quite awhile. Saturday morning we packed up the truck and headed north to the little town of Comstock, Nebraska, population 110. When you map Comstock on Google, you have to zoom in really close to see that any roads go to it. But it's a place dear to Randy's family's hearts because Grandpa and Grandma Lenstrom live there and have made such an impact for God's kingdom on that community. And this weekend the entire family gathered for the first time in 19 years to celebrate Grandma and Grandpa's 60th wedding anniversary.

Wyatt met his great grandparents for the first time and posed for this picture with them on Sunday morning. My jaw about dropped when Grandma told me she was wearing her wedding dress to church! You'd never know that dress had been packed in a cedar chest for 60 years. I wish I had a copy of their wedding picture...she was wearing the same heart-shaped locket and everything.

After family pictures we all went down to the Baptist church for the morning service. Grandpa and Grandma got up and introduced all 34 of us. Then Grandpa told with a thick voice of how God has blessed the family and preserved each of us. All weekend long he gave the glory to God over and over for their marriage and for the family - all of whom are believers and who get along so very well. We are blessed with an amazing legacy!

Saturday afternoon we loaded up trucks and gators and went out to explore the old family farms. One farm once belonged to Grandpa's uncles and Grandma taught school at the little one room school house just down the road. The barn is at the sheep farm where Grandpa worked.


Wyatt also got to meet his cousin Justin and Uncle Ryan and Aunt Nanci this weekend. They live in Phoenix and surprised Grandma and Grandpa for the celebration. Justin is a wonderful cousin for Wyatt. He shared his cars and can't wait to play with him. We promised that when they come at Christmas, he'll be able to make Wyatt smile and laugh and that Wyatt will be much more active then.

Sunday afternoon we went to Kansas City to spend Monday with Ryan and Nanci and Justin at Jennifer and Brian's house. The boys helped Brian build their deck and the girls hung out inside out of the rain. We treasure those times when all of us can be together since it only happens once or twice a year.

Wyatt did a great job with all the traveling - we logged close to 17 hours in the car from Saturday to Tuesday. He did have his first diaper blowout (or as my brother says "butt-losion") on our second stop Saturday. Up his back, down his leg. He only got a little on his carseat, amazingly enough. I think that day he went through 4 outfits...good thing I practically brought his entire wardrobe!!!

Four Happy Years

Today marks four years since our first date. El Potrillo Mexican restaurant and bowling. Three of the longest, most fun games of bowling...although I don't think either one of us cared about the game. I'm pretty sure Randy won. All I know is that he was a great first date! The week before on a Thursday night we left our twentysomethings Bible study at the same time. It was pouring rain outside, and we paused on the covered porch outside our associate pastor's house before making a run for it. And right before I went for it, he went for it and asked me out. Ahhh, the question I'd been waiting for. :-) We meet for our young marrieds small group at that pastor's house now, and everytime it rains when we leave that memory runs through my mind.

He picked me up at my little house on 18th Street, gift in hand. The gift? A box of the yummiest chocolate chip cookies, still warm I think. "Anyone can bring flowers," he said, "I brought cookies." Those are now referred to as "first date cookies." Thankfully, he still makes them often.

So that's how we started! And four years later we have the sweetest little baby ever!

Our good friend Tressa is a photographer and gave us the gift of a free photo session four days after Wyatt was born. Check out her site for the results - tressaweberphoto.com. Go to the featured section and click Regehr.

More Firsts

Of course on Sunday we celebrated Wyatt's first holiday and my first Mother's Day. We got pictures, but not with my camera so we'll have to wait on those. "Wyatt" colored me a picture and wrote a sweet note. "He" also gave me a gift card for "fun clothes only" - in other words, non-work clothes that fit. :-) I think his dad had something to do with all of that. I'm waiting to use that gift card for a few more weeks. Many clothes fit surprisingly well, but we have a ways to go. I did spot my ab muscles last week though. That was exciting.


Sunday Wyatt also lost his umbilical cord stump to reveal his very cute belly button, so last night he got to have his first real bath. Despite the look on his face in the picture, I think he really did enjoy bathtime. I know Mom and Dad did! It's much easier than the spongebath!

Hanging Out to Dry

Growing up we always had a clothesline, and I always took for granted the fresh scent of line dried clothes. Randy and I have talked about putting one up for the last several years, but didn't know where to put it. Now that I'm home (and have more laundry), Randy figured out a solution - a removable line. It connects to the post on our pergola and a tree. My only complaint? It's too short. I can get a full load of Wyatt's laundry hung up, but only about a half load of our laundry.

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Tomorrow marks Wyatt's 2nd week and my first Mother's Day. Randy's grandma sent a poem last week, and I have it posted above his changing table as a constant reminder.

To a First-time Mother

Relax, my dear. Your little elf
Is just an amateur himself.
So if your hands, so newly filled
With tasks, seem somewhat less then skilled.
Relax, I say. This little pinkling
Doesn't have the slightest inkling
That you are new to baby lore -
He never had a mom before!

Here is the tail end of a smile...we'll get one of those on camera soon. It's harder to catch when they don't smile on demand!

Wyatt's first trip to the garden center (okay, his second trip - first with the camera).

Wyatt & Wind

Wyatt weighed in at 8lbs. 0.5 oz. on Monday. He's still slightly under where they'd like to see him so he'll be weighed again tomorrow. He helped in the garden today...at least he supervised in his sleep. It's been rainy all week so we're enjoying the sunshine today.

Here are a couple of links to coverage of the Siemens announcement...
KSN News
KAKE News
Energy Current

The Big One

So I've never said much about my job. I work in economic development for the local Chamber of Commerce. It's something I never thought I'd get into, but God placed me there for over 3 1/2 years, and it was quite the journey. With Wyatt's arrival I'm finished with my full time job, but they've been gracious to let me work part time from home after maternity leave. I'm thankful for the opportunity to keep my fingers in things there AND more importantly, be at home with my son.

Statistics say that 80% of new jobs created in a community are located at existing businesses. In a community of our size (about 45,000), I think that rate is more like 90%. The majority of the projects we've worked on over the past few years have been local companies expanding their presence.

But members of the community always want to see "the big one" landed. The 1,000 new job manufacturing facility or the new data center. However, the number of new location decisions is extremely small making the business very competitive. Most times a community is eliminated through online searches before it ever knew it was a consideration.

Today, however, Siemens Wind Energy announced our equivalent of "the big one" for our community with their plans to build a $30 million dollar nacelle plant, creating at least 400 jobs and the potential for more to come. Wall Street Journal announced it today. So did Forbes.

It's a project we worked incredibly hard to win over the last year. I could write a book on this one. The main topic would be all the times God intervened on our behalf to accomplish tasks that seemed insurmountable. And He allowed me to stay just long enough that I felt like I had "finished" it before Wyatt arrived. There is still much work to be done; we just change the focus from winning to executing now.

Wyatt's One Week

It's hard to believe that Wyatt is a week old today. Randy and I, normally scheduled and in a great routine, are completely confused about days and times. Today felt sort of normal and sort of like a Sunday. Randy went to church and then we had dinner at my parents followed by Wyatt's first walk in the stroller. Randy is home for one more week, and then we'll get to a new kind of normal.

My brother and family came down from Minnesota this week to meet Wyatt, and it's been so good to see them and to introduce Wyatt to his whole family...at least on the Yoder side. At the end of the month he'll meet his aunt, uncle, and cousin from Phoenix.

Wyatt with his grandpa and cousin Jack.


Wyatt got to spend time with all of his cousins this weekend. Here he is with Jack, Macie, Kaitlin, and Ella. The next time they're all together there will be another new cousin in the picture! We're excited for Nuggey to get here in July...to bad he/she lives in MN with Jack and Ella. I'm sure Nuggey and Wyatt would be good buddies.

Like I said, Wyatt got his first walk with Mom & Dad today. It finally quit raining and was warm enough to take him out. I'm so glad he's a spring baby so we can enjoy the summer together on plenty of walks.

Tomorrow morning we take him in to be weighed. On Thursday he was down to 7 lbs. 14 oz, meaning he had lost 10% of his birth weight, the maximum a newborn should lose. Since Thursday he's definitely figured out this eating and pooping thing, and I think I can see him grow.

And one more just because he's SO cute! And awake...I gotta run.