my baby is growing up

I realized the other day that our baby, Gid, is much closer to 2 than he is to 1. And with that realization came a certain degree of sadness. He, like the other boys, is growing up so fast. We've tried to relish every moment (mostly) and enjoy them each in the stage & age they are in, but the time still seems to fly by. I feel like just yesterday I was bringing him home from the hospital, and now, he is ready to potty train (every bodily function is referred to as: poopy), speak in understandable sentences, and do everything possible by himself. I miss that little baby, but I am also so grateful for this cute little boy.

Exactly

my own Indiana Jones

Yesterday Jonah & Gideon had a Fall Costume Party at the Mothers Day Out where they go. Jonah, was insistent that he wanted to be Indiana Jones. In order to insure the authenticity of his outfit it was crucial for us to dress him while constantly consulting a coloring book of Indiana that he has. He is a little obsessed. His outfit did turn out rather well. He got lots of compliments, and the best part is, that we had everything he needed. With a house full of boys, is in any wonder that we had things like: a whip, a gun with holster, a hat, a bag for "gems", and lots of khaki clothes! He looked great and had a blast!

play time

The boys are "peacefully" playing outside, as I sit and type and watch them interact. Like always they are making up fighting, killing, defending games. Games in which each participant needs a weapon. I hear them say things like, "Caleb, pretend that we have to protect the castle from evil predators." and, "What are you doing master?" Gid tries to join in, but he is tolerated more than he is included. They are having fun pretending, and I am having fun watching them play.

life in the new house

Well we have moved in and its been a tedious process trying to get settled. For me, settled means every box is unpacked, there are curtains on the windows, pictures on the walls and everyone is happy! We are so very close. In the mean time we have been immensely enjoying the house and our friends and family. Here are a few photos of how we have spent our time since moving in.


Caleb lost his first tooth!


Swimming in the pool with Aidan!

Playing backyard golf with Daddy, in our flat and big backyard!

Gid wanted to join in too. He brought me what he thought was the appropriate golfing attire.



We have been having so much fun in our new house and yard. It is perfect for us!

dry humor

I've heard of kids climbing into the dryer before, but I've never seen it... until today! After I got the laundry out of the dryer, I apparently left the door open, because when I went to change the laundry from the washer to the dryer, Jonah had closed Gid inside it. Jonah said that Gid had climbed up into it. Jonah would knock on the dryer door, and then open it up and say, "Hello," and make Gid laugh hysterically.

boys will be boys

I overheard the boys laughing hysterically. When I asked what they were laughing about they said they were just talking. "About what?" I asked. To which they replied, "puke & throw up!"

reuions

There have been many reunions since we've been back. Reuniting with family, old friends, older friends, and even acquaintances. The one common thread is that each person who I tell, "No, we aren't just visiting. We have moved here!," has had the same reaction: excited joy! Everyone here seems to be so happy that we have moved back. At first it struck me as kind of odd. Even people I didn't know that well seemed to be really happy for us, but then I realized why.

For us, coming back to Augusta was like coming home. Mike and I both went to college here, we're married here, had 2 of our children here, made numerous friends here, and my mom's entire family (all 33 of them) and all my brothers and sisters live here. Most people that know us, know my family as well, and I think their joy for us is over us coming back to all of that. Whatever the reason, it has been so nice to get such warm responses from everyone when they learn we have returned.

mine

In the quiet of the early morning, before anyone else is awake, Jonah gets up and comes to snuggle in my lap. We sit here silently. It is so peaceful and brushing his head with a kiss I realize that this little boy is mine. Mine to love, mine to hold, mine to raise up in the way that he should go. And I feel privileged for the opportunity. Today, I pray I realize what a gift all my children are.

slip of the holy tongue?

Caleb to me at the pool: "Mom, Sol said that you can get an Air Head for a quater at the confession stand."

week 3 begins

I'm here sitting in our "transitional apartment," as I like to call it, finally posting something. The boys are lost in a land of Star Wars toys, and Gid is enjoying a bit of breaky. So much has happened since we arrived in Augusta that it is hard to know where to begin. We have moved, then moved again, house hunted, registered Caleb for school and soccer, shopped for and purchased uniforms, swam, visited old friends, swam some more, celebrated birthdays, started a new job, and have eaten out way, way too much! It has been an experience that none of us will ever forget. Throughout the entire process of basically starting over here, there has been so much peace, and it is easy to see God's hand in this decision.
As we start our 3rd week here, we have begun to adopt a saying of Padre Pio: "Pray, hope, and don't worry!" I'm learning everyday how much God loves our family. He has brought us here, and he will take care of us.

what we left behind

Well...we are here. We made the first wave of our move to Augusta this week, and let me tell you it has been crazy. We've gotten Caleb registered for school, Mike started working, and we celebrated our good friend Cathleen's 30th birthday. But it's not over yet. Tomorrow we are going to look at houses and then on Sunday we celebrate our bro-in-law Tony and our niece Kailyn's birthday. It is a whirlwind. And as we are enjoying all of these wonderful times and new experiences we are missing what we left in Birmingham.
The biggest reason for our move to AL, 11 months ago, was because of family. Mike's sister Moe & her husband Joe and their 3 wonderful children live there. And not only them, but Joe's whole family too, who we dearly love. We have made so many great memories with them and will miss them dearly. While clearing out my camera I came across some photos from the 4th of July weekend that we all spent together.

Hamster Dance

Rosie introduced us to this song, and the boys love it! Although it does make them a little crazy!

a look back on our time with Rosie

We had so much fun with Rosie when she was here. Here are a few photos of some of our times together. Enjoy!

We of course did not let Rosie smoke a cigar, but she did join Mike on the deck while he grilled out and enjoyed his cigar.

One of Rosie's colorful breakfast creations: French Toast. As you can see, it was fit for a king. King Peter of Narnia, that is!

Another version of french toast. This one she made with french bread. Quite delicious. Some mornings Rosie would get up before me and start making breakfast for us. She was so thoughtful!

When my Grandparents came to get Rosie, my Grandmother became a wee bit obsessed with Majong on our laptop. Everyone wanted a piece of the fun, and was quick to offer her their advice.

We played a lot of dominoes that same weekend. In the end it came down to Mike and my Grandfather. I think Mike won, but we all had a super fun time!

days of peaceful chaos

These past few days have been marathon days. We start early in the morning working on one thing or another for the house, and really don't stop until dinner...and sometimes keep working after that! I have to admit that I got a little crazy. It seems that whenever I have a task to complete, I have a hard time thinking of anything else, or doing anything else. In this case, I made a list everyday of what I needed to accomplish, and I HAD to cross off everything on the list by the end of the day. Needless to say, Mike does not work this way.... at all. But, only through the grace of God, we have been able to work as a team throughout this whole process. Mike ended up taking a day off work to get us ready to go, which was a huge blessing. What was even more amazing was that without even seeing my list, he helped me to cross things off of it.

As we go through these days, amid all of the hecticness, there is a certain peace and calm too. I know that it is all due to the hundreds of prayers being said each day for us. And I am blessed. I am amazed at how much we have gotten done, and how quickly we have accomplished it. And I have been truly blessed my husband. He is a wonderful man that really knows me better than I know myself. He has been the steady voice of reason through everything, and I have never felt closer to him. God always has a way of "turning all things to good for those who love him."

neighbors and friends

Every place that we have ever lived, we have never had the privilege of having good neighbors. That is not to say that the people we lived beside weren't great people, we just never really got to know them. Usually they were much older than us and tended to keep to themselves.

So we were happily surprised when a couple weeks after we moved here, our neighbors came over to introduce themselves bearing cookies and flowers. We were even more elated when we realized that not only were they our age, but they also had a six year old son. And even though Mike (our neighbor) looked very much like a "hippie" he was in fact pretty normal. (ha, ha) That first night when we met the Robinsons a seed was planted. Since that night we have grown closer and closer with their entire family.

Mike and Mike have had the opportunity to build their friendship too through building gates, playing tennis, and taking the boys to play soccer. They have similar interest and it has been wonderful for my Mike to have a dad just through the gate that he can hang out with.

Sam, their son, is like a rock star in our house. The boys are constantly wanting to play with him. Each of them has a devout love for all things Star Wars, and they just really enjoy spending time together. Whether it be watching Davy Crockett, playing Wii, or killing Darth Vader. Caleb and Jonah have both dubbed Sam as "my best friend."

Tricia is one of the most wonderful woman I have ever met. She is trustworthy, fun, always ready to laugh, laid back, and she genuinely listens. I have loved getting to know her and building our friendship. I know that it will be a lasting friendship that we will have for many years to come.

We could not have asked for better neighbors than the Robinsons. That seed that was planted that first night has been watered, and is already producing beautiful flowers. Over the years I see it turning into an amazing garden. Filled with wonderful memories, laughter and maybe a few tears. And even though we were only here for a short time, God blessed us by giving us the perfect neighbors.

the gate the Mikes put in, joining our yard to theirs

the dentisit

The bigger boys had a routine dentist appointment yesterday and I was a bit nervous. I know that they are good, well-behaved boys, but you just never know when someone will suffer a meltdown. Turns out, I had nothing to worry about. They were excellent.
It was such a wonderful experience. (How often can you say that about a dentist visit?!) The boys were extremely well behaved, even Gideon. Every person on the staff smiled when they saw us coming and kept saying how cute and good they were. One lady, Bessie, even stole Gideon away for awhile to show him to another hygienist. Even when they were being a little rowdy ("quietly" racing down the hallway), the office ladies were commenting on how well behaved they were.
As a parent, this was something that I needed. What a great affirmation of our parenting! It was so nice to have our children act exactly like I wanted them to, the moment that I wanted them to.

a post long overdue

Wow, it has been so long since I've posted anything. And I have good reason... just hear me out. As you know, Rosie stayed 3 weeks with us, culminating in my Grandparents and brother Jonathan picking her up. We had a wonderful, relaxing weekend including LOTS of domino playing, swimming, Mahjong (Grams is the champ!), and of course eating. I had such a wonderful time, and it was nice to end Rosie's visit with a bang!

The Friday when they arrived, Mike received a phone call from someone he used to work for in GA offering him a position in my home town. When I first heard about the offer I was shocked and immediately thought, "no." I was so overwhelmed. I feel so comfortable here in this house, in this city, that I didn't really want to give all that up. But what happened over the next few days changed my mind. Not only did we have everyone we knew praying for us to make a Godly decision, but Mike and I spent hours upon hours talking through the pros & cons of moving. Finally we came to the joint conclusion that we needed to move! (Even as I write this, I'm overcome with how huge this decision was!)

So here we go again. We have moved 5 times since we have been married (not counting the 2 times we moved within the same city), and it is getting really old. One of our hopes in moving this time, is that it will be our last. The good thing about moving so much though, is that we are pros at it. We know exactly what we need to do in order to get the house "sale ready", and I now know that as I go through closets, drawers, and attics, if there is stuff in there that we haven't used since we moved here...throw it out. We have become very streamlined in what we keep.

So that is why I haven't posted in so long, I have been sorting, cleaning, organizing, trashing, good-willing, and just flat out being exhausted. Please keep us in your prayers over the next weeks, and months. Pray that our house will sell... quickly, and that God will bless our moving and our family. Thank you in advance... God will be faithful!

a night with Jonah

Caleb was exhausted yesterday and ended up putting himself to bed even before dinner. This meant that Mike and I got to spend a lot of good time with Jonah. Sometimes I feel like he gets stuck in the middle, literally screaming for our attention (he is a very LOUD child). Not as big as Caleb, but not a toddler with demanding needs like Gideon. Anyway, it was great!
Jonah and I have similar personalities in that we like order and routine. So we had a very structured night. He cleared the table, putting things exactly where they go, and then he and Mike gave Bowden a much needed bath on the deck. I looked up from washing the dishes at one point and saw such a wonderful look of contentment on his face. He was so proud to be Daddy's helper with this job. Then it was bath, book, and bed. And even though our routine is simple and uncomplicated, it was a beautiful night. I love it when God gives us glimpses into the minds of our children, while simultaneously expanding our heart a little more with love for them.

a good time

This past week has been peacefully chaotic. This was Rosie's last week with us, so we tried to cram in all the things that we wanted to do, but hadn't yet done with her. Some of the highlights: she had another art lesson with Tricia, she learned how to do a flip turn in the pool, she got a pretty deep gash on her foot by stepping on a nail, and she even babysat for our neighbors! But...the week is not over yet. My grandparents came to visit us yesterday along with my youngest brother Jonathan (he is 10). They are going to stay a few days and then take Rosie back home with them. We are really going to miss her. Yesterday, Gid woke up from his nap and kept saying, "Ro-Ro, Ro-Ro?"
While my grandparents are here we plan on doing a lot of relaxing, making a trip to Hobby Lobby, going to the pool, watching old movies, and eating good food! My grandparents are so cool. They might be older in age, but they are so very young in spirit. Last night we played Family Feud, and it was so much fun. Everyone participated, even Jonah. Although he would give answers like, "A,B" and "it's luggage Dad!" Which didn't really make any sense, but it did make it loads of fun. Well, this post is exceedingly long and rambling, so I will end it with this final note: I love my family!

painting with Rosie

. Today I have a guest blogger. Rosie went over to my neighbor and good friend, Tricia's house for an art lesson. Here is her experience in her own words:

Today, like Sarah said I went over to Tricia's house for an art lesson. First I picked out one of Tricia's paintings that I wanted to learn how to do. Then we got right to work. I sketched my painting with chalk and then started to paint. I started mod pauging the skirt and then painting the face. Next Tricia said to start doing the umbrella. Just then Sarah came over to see our progress and gave me the idea of doing the checkered pattern on the umbrella. After that we did the background and then the hair(which by the way is the same color as mine). Before long it was time for the final touches like, painting the sides of the canvas and writing my name in the corner. In 4 hours I had created a masterpiece...my masterpiece, and here it is!

My 3 Sons

Here is each boy doing something they love...

Caleb loves spending time with Mike doing anything, but especially playing golf. Since Caleb got his own set of clubs for his 6th Birthday, they have been playing a little Par 3 course up the road from us. It is wonderful Father & Son time!

Jonah is our little Jedi. He is out of his mind for anything Star Wars. In this picture he is showing a gem, while wielding his light saber. Jonah makes me laugh. He is always up for a good time and is incredibly sweet to both of his brothers, but especially Caleb. He always makes sure that Caleb never gets left out or forgotten.

And last, but not least is Gideon. Gideon is very musical. He loves to make music, he loves to listen to music, and he loves to dance to music. I love watching him dance. He squats down to the floor and bounces up and down, while holding his hands at his sides, fist balled up. He really is the cutest little thing!

I love my 3 sons. I'm so glad that God blessed us with all boys. Not only do we get them, but they in turn have each other. They have each other to fight with, pretend with, play with, laugh with, and sometimes even cry with. They bring so much joy to each other, and they are my joy as well.

not for the weak stomached

Conversation that would never take place if we had girls:

Me: Sam, do you want a wipe for that cut, instead of licking the blood off of your hand?

Sam: I like licking my blood.

Caleb: Yeah, blood tastes really good.

Jonah: Mom, I'm licking my blood right now, and it really does taste good!

my own little Randy!

Gid has lately taken to getting into the cabinet under the sink. It used to house bleach, sponges, and other cleaning aids, but when he started showing a particular interest in this little cubby, I cleared everything out except the trash bags. Here he is, enjoying some alone time.

p.s. Daddy is not coming home to "kill Ralphie"

brothers and friends

Caleb has been attending a soccer camp this week at a local university. We have been carpooling to and from the camp with Sam, our 6 year old neighbor and both Caleb and Jonah's best friend. Yesterday, on the way home from camp, the boys were discussing a training drill that they do every morning which involves passing the soccer ball. The conversation went something like this:

Sam: "I don't like passing....its so boring."

Caleb: "I have to admit, passing does get a little boring, but I can see were they are going with it. My passing is getting a lot better! You have to practice so that you can get better."

Jonah: "Yeah, you have to practice so that you can get better."

Sam: "Jonah, Caleb just said that exact same thing."

Caleb: "Sam, he copies me...because he loves me."

the week...a look back

So much and yet so little has been happening the past few days that finding the time to post has been almost impossible. As I mentioned previously, Rosie is staying with us for a bit, and we have been trying to show her our life here. We have taken her on our weekly trip to the library where we were entertained by a "silly singer." (part of our summer reading program) We went hiking at The Preserve, and there has been plenty of swimming thrown in. Mixed in with all of that we have been having daily reading time, xbox show downs, and errand running. We have had a marvelous time.

On top of all of the wonderful things we have been up to this week, we also had a small mishap. Jonah was playing with a bar stool, when it accidentally fell over and unto his big toe. His toe immediately turned a blackish purple color and swelled up. The night that followed was maybe one of the worst he or I experienced. He was in a tremendous amount of pain, and was only able to sleep for a few minutes at a time, off and on. He is doing much better now, after a trip to the doctor for some antibiotics and pain medicine. And we are trying to resume life as normal around here....

Of course today is Father's Day! And Mike is currently spending the afternoon of this day with Caleb at the golf course. He is busy doing exactly what he wants to do...playing golf with his son!

Rosie

We are back from our world traveling, and while I have many wonderful stories about our vacation I'm more occupied with thinking about getting settled back in to our life here at home. After returning from Jamaica we picked up the boys from my parents, as well as my 13 year old sister Rosie. She is going to spend a few weeks out of the summer with us. Having her here has been so wonderful. She has such a joy for life and is always making up songs and dancing around the house. She brings so much life to our house... and it was pretty lively already. There is never a dull moment around here.

On Sunday we went swimming at the Knights, and while Mike watched golf, Rosie got the boys ready to swim. When I asked Mike why he wasn't helping he said he didn't need to because Rosie was taking care of it. He then went on to say that we should either hire a nanny or keep Rosie here until she was 18 years old. Rosie is so quick to do whatever I ask her of her from vacuuming to reading with the boys to changing a poopy diaper. I'm really looking forward to to enjoying each and every day that we get to spend with Rosie!

(p.s. As I write this post, Rosie is busily choreographing a routine to a song that she made up with the boys. Lots of fun!)

Jamaica

Mike and I are in Jamaica this week. Kind of a second honeymoon for us, and we have had some very interesting experiences here. There is a lot to tell, but today I will share just one experience that we have had. Yesterday we went on a very interesting excursion. We hired a taxi to take us to Negril. It is a place that has 7 miles of the prettiest beaches in the world. However, the enjoyment of the beaches comes at a cost. The drive was an hour and a half of extremely fast, reckless, and curvy driving. The drivers here get very close to one another and passing in this country feels like a death wish. I felt like we were being held hostage in this van being dragged through a poverty ridden country.

And although the beach was beautiful, you couldn't walk 2 steps without someone asking if you wanted some pot or drugs. Once we left the beach (we stayed for less than 45 mins!) we headed to this place called Rick's Cafe. They had cliff divers here. These guys were amazing. They climbed up this really old, dead looking tree and then back flipped, front flipped or just dove into the water some 100 ft. below them. It was heart stopping. Our trip home was a bit worse because it was mostly in the dark! We were so happy to be back at the hotel! We immediately got in the hot tub and tired to shake off the experience. Our upcoming excursions are much closer and should prove to be much more fun!

The experience was one I will never forget. It was so very interesting to see how these people lived. Houses made out of concrete bricks or metal siding, so many people loitering everywhere, and seemingly no regard for other motorist when driving. It really makes me grateful for what we have: a beautiful house, wonderful friends and family, and street laws that are obeyed. More from Jamaica later...

a golden day

Today was a golden day. We have them every so often. They are those days when it seems like everything comes together and we end up having a fabulous day. It started off with the boys sleeping in. (This should have been a flashing light to me that this day would be good, because they never sleep in.) Today they slept until 9 o'clock!! Once everyone was finally awake, I made us a big breakfast of biscuits, sausage, and eggs. Everyone ate heartily and then we made a mad dash to get ready for church. Church was relatively peaceful, considering that they didn't have nursery this week and Gid was with us during the service. Then we changed into our suits and went swimming at the Knight's pool. The pool was perfect. The boys played, Mike and I relaxed for a while and then got in too and played with them. It was so wonderful.

The rest of the afternoon/evening was spent in watching Phil win one, yard work, bath time, dinner, running, and reading. It was such a golden day. I love when we get days like this. Lazy type days, that are really anything but lazy. On days like this it seems like we all just relax and enjoy one another and whatever activity we are doing. I'm so thankful for this golden day... we all really needed it!

prayer

I have been reading this book series lately in which one or more of the characters struggles with issues of faith. At first I would skim over the areas that talked about what it means to have a personal relationship with Christ, assuming that I already had one and I didn't need to read about it. But then, on the latest book I read, I decided not to skim. Instead, I choose to really read it and try to grow from the authors perspective of faith.

As I read I had an overwhelming sense of inadequacy. It did not make me doubt my belief in God or my relationship with Jesus. I know what I believe. I know that Jesus is the son of God, the savior of the world. But it challenged me. The message in the book was: "What are you doing with your faith?" This is where I got convicted. How was I putting my faith into action on a daily basis?

It is not enough for me to go to church on Sunday and call myself a Christian. There must be more to it than that. And as I searched and struggled with trying to understand why this book could effect me so deeply, I started to pray. And for me, that was the answer: prayer.

This book convicted me because my every day prayer life was not nearly what it needed to be. For me to stay connected to Christ, not just on Sundays, but every minute of every day, I have to commit to prayer. I have to commit to do my very best to turn everything I do into a prayer. There is a scripture verse that says, "pray without ceasing." This is my new goal. To make every thing I do throughout my day a prayer.

I may never achieve this. But I will try. And I am hopeful. I am hopeful that Christ will take my efforts and turn them into something beautiful for him. That is, after all, or goal here on earth. To glorify God.

taking it easy

Yesterday, after much anticipation, Mike finally put up his hammock. He has been talking about putting a hammock up in the backyard for awhile now, and yesterday he finally made it happen. The boys were so cute, waiting for Daddy to finish securing the hammock. When he was sure it was safe he put the boys in. They loved it.

And then it was Daddy's turn to relax. Here is a picture of Mike enjoying the fruits of his labor. It was a bit of a process getting the hammock securely fashioned. At first it was too low, then too low again, then it wasn't secure enough (I was the one to figure this out, and I have the bruises to prove it!), but then finally it was ready. Mike was so patient the entire time. He just kept moving it up, tightening, never getting discouraged. I can not say that I would have had that same attitude. In fact, when I fell, I was so upset and hurt that I told Mike, "Just forget it!" But he didn't and now we have a peaceful hammock in our yard. His persistence and patience were a good lesson for me to watch. Like many things in life when we persevere, the rewards are always worth the effort.

swim sessions

Various phrases uttered while swimming today:

"I'm going to die...!," said while hanging by fingertips onto the side of the pool.

"I'm not that cold," said while lips were turning an eggplant shade of purple.

"Promise you won't let go of me ever again," said after I tried to get boy to swim on his own.

school's out

Caleb's last day of school was today, which means that he is done with Kindergarten and I now am the parent of a 1st grader. I can really not believe it! It feels like such a short time ago that he was Gideon's age; toddling around the house, taking naps, smiling his squinty smile, and being little. He is little no more and as I think about the young boy that he is I realize that all those people that said, "Enjoy it, they grow up so fast," were right.

It is easy for me to get so caught up in the day to day living of laundry, dishes, straightening, and other things to do that I sometimes forget to just enjoy my life; enjoy my children. I don't want to get so busy crossing things off of my "to do list" that I don't make time for the things that are really important.

With that in mind, I have come up with a game plan for the summer. There will be structure, because there would be chaos without it, but it will be fun. I want us to go to the library, to swim, to play outside, to do chores, to have family prayers, but mostly, I want us to be a family. I am really looking forward to this summer. I'm looking forward to a break from the crazy schedule of the school year. And I am really looking forward to spending some really great quality time with my boys!

if it was...

After being told countless times that eating dinner is NOT a race, Jonah says to Caleb last night: "I know this isn't a race, but if it was... I would be winning!"

Daddy's little boy

Mike took the day off of work to recover from our recent trip and just for some much needed R&R. I left him home with Gideon this morning when I went running, and then again this afternoon while I ran errands and got Caleb from school. Gideon has always been a Daddy fan, but today, he morphed from just a fan to Daddy's biggest fan. When Mike left to run an errand of his own Gid followed him to the garage and then stood crying for 2 solid minutes until he realized he wasn't coming back. As soon as Mike returned home, Gideon ran up to him and hugged him huge! He then preceded to follow him all around the house (even into the bathroom!). Everywhere Mike went, Gideon followed. This continued all afternoon, and it was beautiful to watch. Mike never got frustrated or annoyed with him, but just really soaked it up. We sat out on the deck watching him watching his Daddy and trying to be like him.

Right here in front of us was the awesomeness of our responsibilities as parents. Children imitate what they see. Not only as toddlers, but as boys, young men, and to an extent even as adults. Already Gideon is following the example of his Daddy. My Dad used to tell us, "Do as I say, not as I do." And even though we want our children to listen to us, they also see what we do and that speaks volumes. Right now, Mike's actions are louder to Gideon than his words. And as I sat and watched him today with his Daddy I was so grateful for them both. Grateful that my husband is such a wonderful father to our children. Having that perfect balance of discipline and fun. And grateful for this little boy who will very soon not be so little. Everything is a discovery to him and I am so joyful watching him grow.

family love

Today is Mother's Day and we had the wonderful chance to spend the weekend with my Mom. Sadly, it has been a few years since we had the chance to spend Mothers Day with my own mother, so it is so nice to be here. However, along with it being Mothers Day today, my brother graduated from college yesterday, and Mike's birthday is tomorrow. Needless to say it has been and will continue to be a very busy and hectic weekend. But like most things in our life it will also be wonderful.

I come from a family of 7 children, and 2 of my brothers and 1 sister still live at home. My other sisters and their families live very close and my recently graduated brother is in the process of moving to Chile to teach for 6 months. That means that whenever we all get together you can absolutely expect 2 things: there will be food, and we will be loud. And even though we are made up of many different personalities and tolerances, and we may have the occasional disagreement we all love each other.

That is the key I think: love. Love compels us to do things we really would rather not do. Love gives us the ability to sacrifice our own personal desires and let someone else choose instead. Love, if we let it, can allow us to overlook the negative and appreciate the positive. If we choose it, love for our family can turn any event we have into a beautiful expression of our unique blending of personalities and of course into a party!

time with dad

The boys comments to Mike after eating at a burger joint:

Caleb: "That was awesome, totally awesome."

Jonah: "60,000 awesome."

....I think they liked it!

Gideon

Gideon is at such a special age. He is in the imitating stage of toddler hood. If you make a sound or give something a name he will do his best to make the same sound. Of course, in his mind he is saying exactly what we have just said, but we hear something a bit different. He also tries to do everything we are doing. When Mike is in the shower, he hikes his chubby little leg up and tries to join his daddy. When the boys jump off the edge of part of our yard and into a pile of leaves, he wants to jump too. He picks up the remote control and plays Lego Star Wars with his brothers. He thinks he is much older than his 15 months, and I love him for it.

I love when he folds his hands and prays before eating. I love how he points to the door and says, "ouh-sigh." I love how he pushes the wet clothes into the dryer and then closes it up when he is done. I love how he starts bouncing and bobbing whenever there is music. I love how he cuddles in bed with Mike & I while saying, "ahh" in a high pitched grunt. And I love how he laughs just because we are laughing and he wants to be a part of the fun. He is the sweetest baby and I thank God for my personal ray of sunshine.

Family

This past weekend was so jam packed for us. We hit the ground running on Friday night and didn't stop until Sunday night. Dinner with the Knights and Grandma, yard work, family soccer, running with a good friend (twice!), Mike playing tennis, lunch at Johnny Rockets (50's style dinner-boys favorite!), yard work, playing in the hose, spending time on the deck, church, watching movies, Lego Star Wars, birthday shopping, yard work, and playing outside. Needless to say we didn't have a lot of down time.

As I reflect back over the weekend I realize what a blessing our busyness was. Yes, our weekend was hectic, but it was a happy chaos. It was a weekend with a purpose and a lot was accomplished. But the biggest accomplishment to me was the amount of time we spent together as a family.

On Sunday, as we were on our way out the door Caleb said, "Lets hit the road for Family soccer." I love that he called Family soccer. It made me realize that these habits we are establishing now: eating dinner together, working together, playing together, being a family, are so important. We are giving our children the beautiful foundation of family. They are learning to trust, to look out for, and to love one another. I love that we had such a busy weekend filled with just being family.

a common question in our home

"Mom, where's my light saber?"

simple living

There is this blog I read every morning written by a mother of 6 and the wife of a farmer. It is a beautiful site, and I find myself wanting to pack up our "life in the city" and try to live off the land. How great would that be? Our boys helping their daddy work the fields, fixing fences, and taking care of livestock. I imagine it in a Little House on the Prairie/Anne of Green Gables mixed up way and my heart soars. I think it is the simplicity of that way of life that is so attractive to me. Raising animals, raising children, keeping house, caring for your loved ones and that's it. No reality TV that must be watched. No drugs in school to worry about. Just simple living.

In a way we try to live simply now, here. But it seems like it would be easier to block out "the element," as Mike calls it, if we were removed from it. I don't want my children to live in a bubble, but I do want them to grow up with strong moral convictions, an unshakable faith, and a clear sense of self. I feel confident that we are doing our best everyday to instill in them those characteristics, but I can't help longing for a simpler world. The best we can do is to make our life as simple as possible. Living, but leaving out as much of "the element" as possible.

give me the good stuff

When Mike walked in the door this evening, I had our dinner already in the oven. "Are you cooking bacon?" he asked. I told him that while it indeed was part of a pig, it was tenderloin, and not bacon. He said, "No, I think mommy's cooking bacon." Caleb, standing still while I put a band-aid on his finger said, "No, but I wish she would." Which brings me to a question I have long since pondered: what is it with men and bacon?

Growing up, my mom could never make enough bacon. Even if she cooked 2 lbs, the scene at the breakfast table would inevitably end up the same way. The bacon plate would start out piled high, and by the middle of the meal my mom was quickly scooping up the last remaining pieces of bacon for my dad (she always made sure that he got the last pieces).

Today in our house bacon is just as revered. I feel like I can never make enough. So what is this phenomenon? Are men born with an innate love of crispy swine? Or is this behaviour learned? Do fathers pass on to their sons the manliness of loving bacon? I don't know why men are such fanatics about bacon, but I do know that I will continue to make bacon for the men in my life... and plenty of it.

family phrases

I've noticed lately that there are certain words and phrases that are unique to our family dictionary. Words that you would not find in Webster's dictionary. For example, the word ninky-pumper. This is a noun and it means a person who is acting in a very silly manner. Caleb is a ninky-pumper when he forgets to put underwear on under his clothes. Jonah is a ninky-pumper when he runs around yelling "like a girl." Parents are not often, if ever ninky-pumpers.
We also have a couple of phrases we like. Chill your monkey means calm down, relax, be patient. And the phrase cork your noodle means to be quiet, to stop speaking, to hush.

I'm not exactly sure how theses phrases came into existence, but I think they were initially used as alternatives to words and phrases we did not what to use around the kids. Words like stupid and shut-up. How they came into existence doesn't matter. I'm just glad that they did because I really enjoy using them. And they are catchy. My nephews have incorporated them into their own vocabularies. Who knows... you might use them one day yourself.

There are more phrases which I will share at a later time. Feel free to share your own!

little works of art

As I sit poised to type, Gid is playing with toys while Jonah is trying his best to not get frustrated at his younger brother for not playing the way he wants to play. Jonah sets all the toys up in a line, and they each have a purpose in his game, in his mind. Gid likes to pick up one toy at a time, make a noise with it and then dispose of it and move on to the next toy. It is interesting and wonderful to watch them play and I think about what implications their playing today has on their future.

I see Jonah's neat & orderly personality in the way he plays. And even though Gid is still very young, I see his personality coming out too. As they play with their toys, each learning to tolerate the other, what sort of foundation are they laying? Jonah is coming to realize that not everything can be his way, and that caring for his brother means that he has to sometimes defer. At the same time Gid is learning that playing together means you can't "steal" your brothers toys, and that when someone is upset with you they might show it by raising their voice.

As I watch them play, I realize that our little family is a reflection of life. Everything we do here in our home has an implication for them later in life. Chores teach them responsibility, punishments teach them consequences, doing activities as a family teach them the importance of enjoying life. Everything, everything, everything we do here has an impact on their future; on the men they become, on the type of students, athletes, friends, employees, husbands, and fathers they become.

This is an awesome responsibility that we as parents have been given. We are given these precious children as a bit of clay and God asks us to mold them into something wonderful for him. It is our job to create out of our children works of art. This task seems impossible and in fact I know that without the help and grace of God it is impossible. As I look at my children today, I will ask God for grace. The grace for Mike and I to mold them into the wonderful and beautiful works of art that they can be. For eyes to see the strengths not only the flaws, ears to listen without judgement, hands to help not to hurt, and words to encourage and not condemn.

And God will answer. His grace is always sufficent.

in laws

We all have them... we all love them..... most of the time.  Yes, I'm talking about my in-laws. My brother in law Joe, has been faithfully reading my blog, and giving me lots of guff about never mentioning him in any of my post.  So here is my shout out to him. 

Joe, I love you, but you can be a little bit annoying.  You are extremely persistent, which is a blessing...most of the time. Thank you for being so generous all of the time.  And for being really fun to hang out with, when you aren't too busy going to bed early, messing on the computer, or just doing whatever you want to do.  

This blog is for you. Enjoy it because it will probably be your last.

every new day

Every New Day
"When I was young, the smallest trick of light,

Could catch my eye,

Then life was new and every new day,I thought that I could fly.

I believed in what I hoped for,

And I hoped for things unseen,

I had wings and dreams could soar,

I just don't feel like flying anymore.

When the stars threw down their spears,

Watered Heaven with their tears,

Before words were spoken,

Before eternity.

Dear Father, I need you,

Your strength my heart to mend.

I want to fly higher,

Every new day again.

When I was small,

the furthest I could reach,

Was not so high,

Then I thought the world was so much smaller,

Feeling that I could fly.

Through distant deeps and skies,

Behind infinity,

Below the face of Heaven,

He stoops to create me.

Dear Father, I need you,

Your strength my heart to mend.

I want to fly higher,

Every new day again.

Man versus himself.

Man versus machine.

Man versus the world.

Mankind versus me.

The struggles go on,

The wisdom I lack,

The burdens keep pilling

Up on my back.

So hard to breathe,

To take the next step.

The mountain is high,

I wait in the depths.

Yearning for grace,

And hoping for peace.

Dear God...Increase.

Healing hands of God have mercy on our unclean souls once again.

Jesus Christ, light of the world burning bright within our hearts forever.

Freedom means love without condition,without a beginning or an end.

Here's my heart, let it be forever Your's,

Only You can make every new day seem so new."

This is a song by Five Iron Frenzy, that I have listend to many, many times. As I heard it again today I realized once again how powerful each line, each word is. Read it again. It gives me so much hope. I have countless memories of singing the last two lines as loud as I could with all of my heart, "Here's my heart, let it be FOREVER your's, only YOU can make every new day seem so new!" (Click here to hear the song.)

a good brother

I asked Jonah to take Gid out on the deck while I got dinner going (Mike & Caleb had gone to the driving range). At first I heard laughter and balls being thrown against the house and a truck being pushed around. But then, silence. Oh no! I went to investigate, and this is how I found them. Gid pointing things out to Jonah. And Jonah being the sweet boy that he can sometimes be playing along with jibber jabber talk. What a good brother.

my husband

I love my husband. For me, he is perfect. And there are times when we are going through the day to day stuff of life when I stop and realize what a wonderful man he is.

This past weekend we attended an event at which he was honored for his outstanding performance over the past year. I was so proud of him. Not only for his accomplishments at work, but for the way he carried himself around his peers, how he was genuinely respected by his employees, and how much he makes me laugh.

Maybe the best quality about him though is how comfortable he is in his own skin. The same man that was poised and polished can also mow the grass and grill out burgers for his family. He is such a good dad too. I love how he patiently teaches the boys to play tennis, how he wrestles with them right before bed time, how he can turn any job into a game, and how he's never too busy to kiss and cuddle them.

I am so blessed when God gives me little glimpses into how perfect this man is for me and for our children. I thank God for allowing us to find each other so early in life, so that the rest of our lives can be so full. I love my husband!

I am blessed

After my 4 day absence from blogging, I am happy to be returning. I've spent the past 4 days doing many wonderful things and have accordingly compiled a list of some of my favoriate events during that time:
-spending time outside with my boys
-Gid's hugs & laughter
-feeling beautiful on the arm of my dashing husband
-seeing the passion of my friend displayed in her art show
-overhearing the boys pretend Star Wars with Sam
-eating dinner on the deck
-enjoying day after day of beautiful weather
-having dinner with adults 2 nights in a row
-having wonderful family and the best neighbors
-watching baseball with Mike
As I recall the events of the past few days I realize how incredibly blessed I am. There is so much in my life that I have to be thankful for.

little black dress

I have an occasion this weekend to which I must were a nice dress. Every woman (and for those of us who are married, our husbands too) know how difficult it can be finding "the perfect" dress. I don't really like to shop. I have a shopping threshold. There comes a point when I have reached my limit, and I have no desire or will to try even one more thing on. I am done. I have heard the term marathon shoppers...I am NOT one of them.

So, Mike gave me the whole night to go dress hunting and I felt confident that I would be able to find something. I called my sisters and Mom and asked them to pray for me and then I said a prayer that I would find something quickly and on sale. I had only two criteria: I wanted it to be black, and I wanted it to be timeless. That's all.

The first store I went in was J. Crew. No black dress; no problem. I moved on to Ann Taylor. They had about 3 black dresses. I tried on the first one- no way. I tried on the 2nd one---this was the one!!!! Just for kicks I tried on the 3rd, but it didn't work. I couldn't believe it. I even told the sales women who was helping me, "I'm not sure." She asked me why and I told her that it was just too easy. I mean I'd only been shopping for 30 minutes or less!!! I thought about it long and hard and finally bought it. Still in shock I phoned my sister who gave me the great advice of going to a couple of other stores to be sure this was "the one." I did and it is!

I don't know why I ever doubted. Every time I pray before I shop, God ALWAYS allows me to find exactly what I need. He is so faithful and this was one more example of how much he loves me. He loves me enough to allow me to find a dress that I adore, that I feel pretty in, and that was even on sale: 50% off!!!!

my little blessings

There is something so special and sweet about the moment a child wakes up. Jonah was in our bed this morning and when he heard the alarm go off he asked me if it was time to wake up. I pushed snooze, and told him not quite yet. Then we snuggled down under the covers and he let me hold him and stroke his arm.

And then this morning, when Gid woke up from his nap, he had the sweetest expression on his face. He was so happy to see me, so glad to be awake. He had a little red mark on his cheek from where he had been laying and he reached for me with his pudgy baby hands. I held him and hugged him and kissed him. He rested his head on my shoulder and I felt so blessed to be his mom.

we might be obsessed

We found this video last night after the boys were singing this song loudly at the dinner table. They thought it was the best thing ever.

out of the mouths of babes

Jonah said to me this morning while he was helping me clean the bathrooms, "When I grow up I'm going to clean toilets and be a dad....so is Caleb." Then later, "Girls are different than boys because they have ponytails." If only life could be so simple.

Choices

I have come to the realization that so much of my attitude depends on the choices I make. When faced with a situation I can choose to get upset or I can choose to just accept. Mike went to play golf this afternoon with some colleagues, and instead of sitting around the house, the boys and I headed off to the zoo.

The weather here was perfect, and we weren't the only ones who had noticed. The zoo was packed out! I almost decided to skip it, but instead I made the choice to go in and just enjoy the time with my boys. I'm so glad I did. We had a fabulous time. I went in with no agenda, no time that we had to leave, no anything. I let Caleb & Jonah decide where to go and how long to stay at each exhibit. It was so peaceful, and I found myself relaxing. Even as I write that last sentence, I can't believe it. The zoo has never been a relaxing place for me. But today it was, and I know that it has everything to do with the choice I made at the beginning of the outing. The choice to
enjoy the time.

I realize now that me taking them to the zoo near the end of the day could have really been a disaster had I not made the choice to enjoy it. I thought of other times when my response has not been a good one because I made the choice to let my anger determine my reaction to a particular situation. I thank God that today he gave me the grace to make the right choice. And that he gave us such a beautiful day together!

boys will be boys

I love to watch my boys be boys. We went to The Preserve yesterday and they had the best time getting wet and dirty. The picked up sticks and made them into light sabers, they crossed stones to get across a river (intentionally "falling" in), and they whooped and hollered. They had a wonderful time, and I had a wonderful time watching them. There are times when I find myself ready to chastise them for being too wild, too loud, or getting too dirty, but then I step back and realize that they are merely exploring the world around them. They are LIVING.

Lately they are very carnal with one another. If boy 1 has something boy 2 wants he just goes and takes it, which in turn makes boy 1 very angry and then they proceed to pull, push, punch, and wrestle each other for the thing. If it gets really violent I'll break the skirmish up, but part of me recognizes their need to work it out. And they usually do- in one way or another.

And yet I still find them snuggled together reading books, or laughing like crazy while they are taking a bath. There behavior can be so dramatically different from one moment to the next. Its is fascinating to watch.

the Preserve

Hiking

We love to be outside. And right down the street from us is the most beautiful place to hike, The Preserve. There are wonderful trails with rocks and logs to climb over, rivers, huge rocks for climbing and even a waterfall. When my brother visited us a couple of weeks ago we took him there and had the best afternoon. He even free climbed! There is something so peaceful and yet invigorating about being outside in nature. And it helped that 2 of the boys favorite guys were there to guide them into doing crazy stuff like climbing onto rocks that Mom thought might be a bit too big for them.

a day in the life

this is a typical grouping in our home:

sippy cups, some type of medicine, and light sabers

the power of RUN

I love to run. I know some people, my husband included, don't really get running. He says that there is no reason to run, unless someone is chasing him. But for me it is therapeutic. I love the feeling of accomplishment when I'm done, I love the changes I see in my body the longer, faster, and more I run. And I love to be outside. So when I skip a day I really feel it.

This past week I skipped 2 days in a row. Sunday we did family things all day, and Monday Jonah was sick so I stayed with him. Needless to stay that by Tuesday afternoon I was really not feeling like myself. I was feeling like a frustrated, tired, and irritable version of me. We were supposed to go play family tennis yesterday, but my wonderful husband, knowing the state I was in let me go for a run, all by myself, instead. Around the last mile, I suddenly realized that all of the junk that I had been feeling the past couple of days was gone.

I felt transformed. I went from being Frankenstein's monster to my real self again. I love running!!

A good nights sleep??

There are many different schools of thought about letting your child/children sleep in the bed with you. Rabbi Shmuley says that the parents bedroom should be like Fort Knox. While a good friend of mine and mother of 5 says that you must ask yourself the question, "Will they be doing this when they are 14?" If the answer is no, then let it be. So what is the correct thing to do?

When Caleb was born I was still finishing up college, so whenever I wasn't studying or in class, he was with me. This included nighttime. However, when Jonah came along Mike and I decided that we would do it differently. From a very young age he slept in his crib. We had a lot of success with this, and even to this day Jonah mostly prefers to sleep in his own bed.

Having shared all of this we now come to our present day situation. Here is a quick snap shot of what I woke up to this morning. (from left to right) Mike barely hanging on the bed, Caleb spread eagle in the middle of the bed with his left foot somehow wrapped around Mikes leg, Jonah clutching his blanket next to me, and finally me. I am pushed all the way to the very edge of the bed.

As I continue to slowly wake up I recall what happened last night. I remember falling asleep just Mike and I, and then around 3am, Jonah coming in complaining about his ear hurting. But I don't remember putting him in the bed. And how in the world did Caleb get in? And not only get in, but why does he get the most space? This is what I woke up to. Questions about the nighttime activity and a sore neck!

Sadly, this is not the first time this has happened. So what do we do now? Is there a remedy for children in the bed? Will they really grow out of this? Do I have to wait 14 years until it happens? I don't know the answers to these questions, but I hope that sometime in the very near future I can wake up one morning with everyone waking in the same place they fell asleep in.

Hair raising

As I mentioned yesterday, I cut the boys hair. Well today, upon closer examination, I realized that Jonah's hair was a bit too "poofy." In order to remedy this problem, I decided to give him his summer cut early. In other words, I buzzed him. The poor child had to sit through not one haircut, but in the end 3 of them. After the first buzzing, Mike made the observation that the sides weren't quite even. So Jonah sat down in the hot seat again. He was really very good...mostly.

When he was done, I held him up to show him how it looked. "I look like Anakin," he proudly said. Of course, everything in someway or another always seems to relate back to Star Wars. I then asked Caleb if he wanted his hair in the Anakin style. His response, "No, no, no, no....no."