October 2009

October has been a big month for us, that is why we have 3 postings! The month started out with Kris and Tonya's 6th anniversary. We celebrated about 10 days early because there was rain and Kris could get off in time to take Tonya out for dinner. At 36 weeks pregnant, it was a little hard to pack in a great meal, but we still enjoyed our time together eating at a nice restaurant in Paducah and going for a walk in the mall.














Josiah is growing up too quickly. Not only is he taking seriously his quickly approaching new responsibilites as being a big brother again, he is also wanting to get ready by himself! He is combing his own hair down, brushes his own teeth, and gets himself dressed with a little fashion advice from Mommy about what is appropriate to wear each day :-)

Since life is fixing to be really busy soon, Tonya took time the last couple weeks before baby arrived to spend special time with Josiah and Micah. We went to a railroad museum in the area and they boys loved it! They got to watch several large model train sets, and met Thomas the train :-)

The railroad museum is run by retired conducters and engineers who love to talk about their work. This is an old control panel from a train that Josiah got to operate.

Micah loved climbing all over the control panel more than operating it, but did like following the model trains around as the men showed them to us.

Josiah loves getting his picture taken!

Another night earlier this month we took the boys to "Ya Ya's Island", and play place for young children. Josiah is admiring the aquarium with small sharks and sea stars.

Micah loves to climb and slide, so wore himself out on the indoor playground!

Tonya couldn't get on the inflatable equipment being very pregnant, but Kris joined in all the fun while she took pictures.

This was Josiah's favorite place to play: a huge slide at the end of a rope ladder!

Our Sunday School class threw Tonya a baby shower this month as well. We didn't need much since this is our third boy, but diapers and other baby necesities were generously given to help us keep the nursery stocked!

Tonya opening gifts, with the help of a couple of our classmates' daughters!

A picture of those who threw the shower for us. Many couldn't make it because of illness in the family or fall break activities, but we had a great time!

Kris' mom was also able to attend, making the shower more special.

The boys were as excited about seeing the baby gifts as they were about getting their own presents! Here is the "loot" from the shower. Now all we need is a baby!

Nathanael Elliot is born!

The day has finally come! Tonya didn't go into labor on her own, so we made it to the scheduled c-section date: October 23. We left for the hospital at 7:00 full of anticipation and anxiety, ready to meet our new little man!

Here is Kris ready to go into the OR to be with Tonya.

The surgery went smoother than with the other boys, with no complications. When Nathanael was pulled out, Kris' first reaction was "Wow, he has a head full of hair!". Tonya saw him and was amazed at how tiny he was! His chord was wrapped around his neck twice, so while he was getting untangled he cried loudly, letting us know he was very healthy! Apgar scores were 9 and 9, the best of all of our boys!

Nathanael getting checked out in the nursery. He weighed 7 lb 1 oz, and is 22 inches long! His hands and feet are big and bony, and he definately has his daddy's thin legs! He is the smallest and longest of all of our boys, destined to be a basketball player!

We chose the name Nathanael because of its meaning "A gift of God" and its Biblical significance in John 1. His middle name is Elliot after Jim Elliot, a missionary to the Indians of Equador, who was martyred bringing the Gospel to them.

Nathanael Elliot's first days

Nathanael's first week has been an exciting and exhausting one! Here is Kris with all the boys together, watching TV before bedtime.

This is the first picture of Nathanael with his eyes opened!

Josiah's first picture with his baby brother. He was so proud to get to hold him and his face shows it all!

The first picture of our family of 5! Micah was pretty unsure about this little baby mommy showed him, but after we got home he really warmed up to him and doesn't seem jealous.

"Grammy" Dixon holding Nathanael for the first time.

Cousin Kinzie holding Nathanael. He calls him "Josiah's baby"!

Aunt Leah holding Nathanael in the hospital.

Kris' Gran and Grandad Dixon with Nathanael.

Kris' Dad and Gran Dixon. Nathanael's "Big Daddy" as he likes to be called, doesn't feel comfortable holding his grandchildren when they are this small, but will be sure to give him lots of rides in the tractor and combine when he gets bigger!

Nathanael at one day old, looking around in his "box". At one day he was already turning his head to Kris and Tonya's voices when we were nearby. He is very alert for a newborn!

Nathanael loves to cuddle and be rolled up in a little ball. He is so small he can fit in one arm!

Josiah holding his new baby brother. He fits the role perfectly!

Nathanael taking a nap on Daddy's chest.

A first picture of his little gassy grins he often gives!

Dr. Christenson delivered Nathanael and was very attentive to Tonya throughout the pregnancy. He has been a blessing to us!

Time to go home! Josiah wore this same outfit, but it fit him a little better!

Getting ready to take baby home.

Micah and "Baby Nate" as he calls him. They stared at eachother for minutes!

Kris' mom is helping out with the older boys during the day, but gets to steal a few minutes of cuddling with Nathanael when she can!

The boys got to recieve a "big brother" gift when we came home. Kris' aunt and uncle offered us a gator that their grandchildren had outgrown, so we decided to let them have it when Nathanael came home so they felt special too. Josiah is a great driver, and Micah gladly sits in the passenger seat!

Nathanael at three days old, in his swing. He sleeps here during the day in the living room so everyone can watch him. He sleeps very well during the day, waking up every 2-3 hours to eat, but at night it's a different story! He has gas, despite taking Mylicon, so gets rocked and comforted until he's so tired he falls asleep between 2 and 4 am. Fortunately he sleeps for several hours in the morning so Tonya can sleep too!

September 2009

September has been a month for exhaustion! Corn harvest began in the second week, but was halted in the last week due to rain. The boys have had their fill of outdoor time, as it has been beautiful weather, and rainy days are full of energy and indoor activities. Josiah was asked to pick up his toys in the toy room in order for Mommy to vaccuum, but he didn't exactly pick them up...he moved them out to the kitchen instead!

We love brownies! The boys often help Tonya bake. Micah's favorite word is "Watch!" when Tonya breaks out the recipe and ingredients. Josiah has to be involved in stirring, slicing, peeling, and of course, tasting when it is a dessert!

Micah is already learning to share with his little brother! He wanted the baby to have some of his apple, so placed it on Tonya's tummy.

Tonya's good friend from seminary, Linda Sue, came to visit us for a weekend. She is home from overseas for several months, and spoke at our church while she was here. The boys took to her immediately like they had known her all their lives!

One of Linda Sue's gifts to the boys were Daytona Beach t-shirts from her home town.

Josiah had to give "Sue Sue" a lesson on harvesting corn, showing her how the combine works.

Going on her first combine ride, Linda Sue is ready for adventure!

We took "Sue Sue" to Columbus State Park on the Mississippi River while she visited. The boys hadn't been in well over a year, so really enjoyed running around and playing on everything they found.

Tonya and the boys overlooking the river. It's a little hard to hold on to them with a big belly!

Micah enjoying watching the barges go by.

The boys loved climbing on the cannons in the park

Josiah really wanted to fire this cannon!

Trying to climb up an anchor that was used to hold a chain to stop boats from going down the river during the Civil War.

Of course a trip to the park isn't complete without playing on the playground!

Micah is learning to pose for pictures now, after a phase of camera shyness. He is using more 2 word phrases now, and loves to help around the house.

Josiah is doing his new favorite puzzle on the island. It's a great quiet activity that both boys get into!

Tonya is now less than a month until baby's arrival. The c-section is scheduled for October 23rd. but he could come a week or two earlier than that if he wanted to. Either way, we are ready! Our next post will be Dixon boy #3's birth!

August 2009

August has been an unusually cool, yet busy month! While all the activity has been going on, baby Dixon has been growing in leaps and bounds. Tonya is 29 weeks in this picture, and beginning to feel really weighed down! Growing pains, sore legs, back pain, headaches, and trouble sleeping top the list, but at least he is healthy and we only lack less than two months until his arrival!

Tonya's parents came for a short visit this month and we had a great time together. We went to the county fair one night and the boys loved this ferris wheel! They also were crazy about a kid's roller coaster- looks like they'll take after their adventurous parents!

Josiah and Grandpa on the merry go round

Micah with Kris on the merry go round

Tonya's parents brought Micah's birthday presents with them. One was a soccar goal and ball, since Micah loves to play with balls. Josiah obviously enjoys it too!

"Whoa!"- opening presents from Grandma and Grandpa

We went to a local indoor pool one day with the boys, since Tonya can't normally go since handling two toddlers in the water is tough! Josiah can now swim several feet with swimmies on and both can jump to us from the side of the pool and hold their breathe under water! Looks like Josiah will get swimming lessons next year!

Micah is getting ready to jump to Grandma

Micah and Grandma having a big time!

Micah with Grandpa. He was quite the stinker, getting in Grandpa's lap when it was time to go to bed, and asking to be rocked :-).

Josiah and Micah not only enjoyed Grandma and Grandpa's visit, they also enjoyed their shoes!

Josiah got a big John Deere floor puzzle from Tonya's parents too, and after a couple tries, can do it by himself! He is already doing 60 piece puzzles on his own.

Earlier this month, we had a yard sale to clean out uneeded "stuff" from our move last fall. Kris' mom and sister in law also cleaned out stuff so our driveway pad was filled with things for sale. It is so nice to have an empty garage now! While we sold things, all the kids were running around outside. At one point we played them a movie, but it didn't last long....

July 2009

What a fun July it's been! We got to celebrate the 4th of July in a fun way this year- Chuckie Cheese and fireworks! The boys loved playing on the rides and then we watched fireworks at a local elementary school until bedtime. It was a fun outing!

Micah wanted to ride Clifford first. He just loves doggies!

The boys didn't leave out the playground in Chuckie Cheese either. Up and down the slides they went!

This month the boys got to become new roommates! We got them bunk beds and were amazed at how quickly they adjusted. They love sharing a room and sleep so well, having the same schedules now. Here they are with Kris, reading a book before going to bed.

Micah also got to be promoted from his high chair and is now eating on a bar stool with the rest of us for meals. That takes away time from Tonya, since she can't let him sit for half an hour watching us quietly, since now he has to be reminded to sit back down to finish, since he's very active!

Here is Tonya at 24 weeks. Baby is growing quickly, and she is still feeling the toll he is taking on her back every day. Lots of kicks and squirms can be felt every day, and the boys love talking to him and trying to get him to respond to them!

We have had several dinner guests this month, since Kris is not in the field and is usually around at dinner time to visit with friends. Patrick Lewis, Kris' good friend from college, and his wife Tara, came with their son Lincoln for an afternoon visit while in the area. Lincoln is only a couple weeks younger than Micah, so they had a fun time together.

Micah had a great 2nd Birthday this month. We had 18 of Kris' family members over for a meal and cake on the 18th and had a "big" time! The party theme was dogs since Micah loves dogs right now, and never goes anywhere without his stuffed doggy.

Here are the boys before the party, getting excited on their bunk beds. No jumping guys!

Josiah helped Tonya decorate party favors the day before the party: dog bone cookies!

Here is Micah in his seat of honor with balloons at his party.

Opening presents was fun until he got some really cool presents he didn't want to leave to finish opening what was left!

Our family with Micah's Doggie cake

Kris with his Grandmother Mathis and Gran Dixon

Micah got to go to McDonalds for ice cream on his actual birthday, since he loves eating it so much!

Getting ready to blow out the candles. Let's eat, Daddy!

Blowing candles together- it's a tough job!

Micah out on his bubble blowing lawnmower he got as a birthday gift. He now makes rounds just like Mommy and does a great job!

After cake and ice cream, the kids went outside with the dads and got dirty! Micah came back in briefly to play with balloons. This is so much fun!

On his birthday Micah opened presents from Kris and Tonya. He loved getting his own John Deere fleece blanket that Tonya put together for him

This month was bean and corn harvest in our garden! Josiah loved going to the garden by himself with a bucket and filling it up for Tonya, since her back couldn't handle lots of picking at a time. Here he is with his Grammy picking beans for her to cook for guests.

We went to a pool party thrown by friends in our Sunday School class this month as well. Josiah absolutely loved the water, and learned some basics in swimming! This was Micah's first time in an outdoor pool, and Josiah's first since we lived in Nepal and he was an infant. Micah wasn't as fond of the cool water since it was cloudy and in the 70's that night.

Micah did love playing in the backyard and eating with his friends. Parties are fun!

Before we left, all the kids of the three couples left decided to watch cartoons as we continued to talk into the night.

Look Mommy, more beans! Josiah loves gardening. Next year Tonya's planning on hiring him to do all the work for her!

June 2009

June has been yet another busy month on the farm. Wheat harvest and bean planting are now finished, so we are waiting for the crops to grow. Josiah and Micah are posing with Kris in their safety goggles they use when playing with their tools.
We also found out some special news this month! Baby #3 is a boy! He will arrive in late October as planned, and is healthy and growing well. Tonya has daily back pain which sometimes makes it difficult to do house and yard work, but otherwise is having a healthy pregnancy.

We have made a new discovery in our backyard in the bird house: a nest of baby blue birds! Josiah checks on them every day by standing on a riding toy and peeking inside. Micah has to be picked up to look, but loves watching them.

Even in temperatures of 100 degrees, our boys love going to play outside. On hot humid days, Tonya can't take the heat, so watches from the sunroom and offers juice on a regular basis! Josiah is playing in the dirt here, one of his favorite outdoor activities. At least it isn't mud anymore! The ground is now dry!

Micah is Josiah's shadow when outdoors. He loves to dig just as much too!

Kris' Grandparents celebrated their 59thth anniversary this month. The entire extended family ate at the family's favorite local restaurant and had cake at their house. These are all of their great-grandchildren.

Here is Tonya with Josiah, Micah, and Kinzie eating cake and ice cream.

Josiah and Micah are always partners in crime. One finds out where the snacks are stashed and secretly shares with the other one. This time they found Tonya's box of cookies while she was on the phone and had eaten quite a few before being caught!

New flowers are growing all the time in our yard. Here by a drainage ditch (where the compound's homes' washers drain out) Tonya has planted many wildflowers to add to some that were already there, and put out our windmill.

Tonya's first rose bushes (in the U.S.) are so much fun to watch bloom, and smell incredible!

In June we also had VBS at our church. Josiah sang with the 3 and 4 year old class on Family night. We didn't know he was going to be doing this in front of hundreds of people, and he wasn't prepared for his first preformance of his life! He cried after seeing Tonya taking this picture and tried to sneak off the stage, but was dragged back by a 4 yr. old!

Tonya was the missions teacher for the elementary classes this year. She loved sharing about different countries, and dressed in an outfit from a different country each day, making the kids guess where it was from. It was such a joy to share her love of missions with so many children who soaked up every lesson!

Behind the kids are some items from different countries Tonya had on display in her room. The kids loved asking what they were and where they were from. They girls are holding prayer cards of missionaries they chose to pray for on the last day of VBS. Many said they would write them so they could get to know their country and how to pray for them better.

Micah is getting ready to turn 2 next month. He is showing more and more personality this spring, but amazes people at his easy going, quiet character when around others.

Our family on Father's Day at church. Tonya got to make Kris a steak lunch before he rushed off to work in the field again for the rest of the day.













Our silly boys, before going to church one Sunday morning.

Josiah decided one morning that he was going to brush Micah's teeth instead of Tonya. He took off the high chair tray, got Micah's toothpaste and tooth brush, and proceded to try to put it in Micah's mouth. Micah yelled "Don't" and shook his head, not letting Josiah do it. I guess there are some things that a big brother isn't supposed to do for you!

May 2009

May has been a month of rain, planting and growing! Because of continuous rains this spring, much of the corn had to be replanted. As for growing, Tonya is experiencing that in a big way! This picture was taken at 17 weeks. Still no weight gain, but baby is doing well and she is feeling better!

Josiah and Micah have enjoyed this time of the year very much! Not only do they get to play outside to their heart's content, but they often got to ride with Kris on the tractor while he was in the field. Here Josiah is going into the track tractor to help Kris replant some corn.

Micah has definately found a new love: sand! He plays in the sand box about half the time he's outside each day. It requires a lot of clean up when he comes in, but is worth it for the time Tonya doesn't have to watch him running all over the yard!

Josiah is VERY curious about his new baby brother or sister. He pats Tonya's tummy every day and talks to "sopapilla" (the nickname we gave him/her). He asks questions like "When you take a shower, does the baby get wet?" and "Does the baby pee pee and poo poo inside you?". He can explain how the umbilical chord works and understands about growth and development very well for his age too!

Micah is our little "stinker". He loves to get into trouble and then gives us a smile as if to say "I'm too cute to punish!" Here he has climbed on top his chair and is balancing with one hand on the wall while holding his beloved "doggie" with the other!

Tonya hosted a Mother's Day breakfast at her house on Mother's Day morning. Kris' grandparents, parents, and brother and sister in-law came to eat with us.

This is what the table looked like on Mother's Day. Tonya loves to host people, it's just not a regular occurence because of Kris' busy schedule.

Micah is falling in love with books, especially those he can sing or make noises to! He loves to copy sounds of animals and expressions characters make, and is always bringing us his favorites to read to him.

I think Micah looks a lot like Kris here! Kris made this type of expression in childhood pictures fairly often!

Josiah has Tonya' childhood smile here! People often tell us that he looks just like her. Here he is helping sweep the kitchen floor, a favorite chore. Micah comes behind with the dust pan to help sweep it up. It's great team work!

We had a Sunday School class cookout after church on the last Sunday of the month. It was so much fun to be around other families like ours and watch our kids play together while eating great food. Tonya is so excited about finally making lasting friendships with women after living in KY for 2 1/2 years!