My Original Self

Growing Up

2012-01-18T14:02:00.008-07:00

Yesterday I looked up and suddenly Josiah looked...tall. He and I had been playing a game with his alphabet flashcards, and when he stood up it was as if I was looking at him for the first time in a year, like a distant relative who lives far away and wants to pinch his formerly-chubby cheeks and give him the look-how-much-you've-grown and the-last-time-I-saw-you-you-were-this-big speeches.

But seriously. I think I may have gasped. And I almost started crying (which is a big shock to all of us, I'm sure).

This is my child who, six months ago, was weighed and measured and charted in the 10th percentile for his age. I have counted on him being small forever, but my picky eater is now beginning to ask for seconds (sometimes) and taking solid two- or three-hour naps (most days), which logically equals a growth spurt. For the last six months we have had to roll his 4T pants so they fit, but suddenly we don't have to anymore. And every night he says, "Daddy, let's wrestle. I ate protein today!"

He's growing!

To that realization I say both hooray! and boo!

Or perhaps he's been growing all along and it was just my perspective that changed yesterday because I knew I was about to register him for Kindergarten.

Which I did this morning.

Be still my heart.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T10:01:00.004-07:00

Christmas Break... or Bust

2011-12-22T09:00:00.006-07:00

Oh, Christmas Break. The prospect of having Lucy out of school for 18 wonderful days had me thinking up all kinds of activities to make memories, celebrate the season, and avoid hearing the words, "Mom, I'm bored."

To be fair, she rarely ever says that, but I wanted to make this a super special time for all three of our kids, so I came up with some grand ideas for making Lucy's Christmas break extra special and memorable this year: outings and museums and bounce houses, baking and shopping and lots of time with friends. There are so many fun and festive (and free) things to do this time of year, and I planned for us to do it all!

Or maybe just most of it.

Enter the stomach virus.

First it took Adam down on Thursday night. Then Josiah on Saturday. John was next on Sunday, followed closely (albeit less severely) by yours truly on Monday. We thought Lucy made it through unscathed, but last night proved us wrong.

Pardon my soapbox here, but my good friends know that I don't mess with a stomach bug. I know that the virus is strong and stubborn and can live on inanimate objects (think faucet handles, remote controls, and action figures) for up to two weeks. Yes, TWO WEEKS. And before making contact with other human beings, one should be free of ANY symptoms (including the follow-up fever) for AT LEAST 24 hours. So we are on Day Seven of our self-imposed seclusion, only appearing in public in the fresh air of the great outdoors.

You can thank me later.

And so this morning I was reflecting on what I believed to be a total bust of a break.

No museums. No playdates. No hosting friends. Baking has been less than appealing. And the thought of a bounce house was positively nauseating. Josiah even missed out on singing "Away in a Manger" with his Sunday School class in front of our church.

But I have to tell you that not once have I heard complaints of boredom. The kids have been playing well together, agreeing on what movies to watch (and there have been many), keeping busy with making crafts and Christmas presents for our extended family, and spending lots of time reading and asking to be read to. And I often hear the countdown to the day after Christmas when we will get to see Grandma and Grandpa in Indiana. Love that.

We've also been able to have some Christmas fun in between episodes of illness, too.

Before this all started, Lucy and I got all dressed up and had a girls' night out last week to see The Nutcracker (her first time).

And we took a horse-drawn-carriage ride down our hometown's Main Street, all lit up with Christmas lights.

We bundled up to take a walk through some special lights displays in the falling snow...

...and even got to pet a couple of real reindeer! (Their tags said "Dasher" and "Dancer" -- the only red noses were our own.)
And today, as the snow continues to fall (12 inches and counting!), we can look forward to what we know will indeed be a very White Christmas.

But whether or not we are healthy or sick, whether our Christmas Day is white or brown, we still have so many reasons in this season of celebrating the birth of our Savior and King to rejoice and be thankful.

(Not the least of which are Clorox and Lysol.)

And we've gotten to spend LOTS of time together.

Let It Snow

2011-11-30T21:47:00.005-07:00

We've been enjoying a beautiful Fall this year with lots of outside playtime and sunshine. As we head into December and anticipate a different kind of fall--that of the temperature and perhaps some snow--I had to give some space to share a few photos from our first big snow day earlier this month. School was cancelled, Daddy built a sled ramp, and we consumed large amounts of hot chocolate throughout the day. I'm already looking forward to more days like this!

Three Treats

2011-10-31T16:25:00.002-06:00

An Historic Decade

2011-09-10T07:50:00.010-06:00

Most people remember a great deal about where they were and what was going on in their life when the events of September 11, 2001 occurred.

Some people also recall what happened in their lives on the day before: the last day of "life as we knew it."

I do, too, because September 10, 2001 was a milestone birthday for my dad.

On that particular birthday of his, I remember having a busy day at work because I planned to leave early. John and I had just taken a 'second job' as ushers/crowd control for the Denver Broncos. We were cheap labor, but we got to be in the brand new Invesco Field at Mile High for the very first game ever, which happened to be against the rival Raiders.

All day I reminded myself to call my dad. (He lives 1,100 miles away, and I'm notoriously bad for getting cards in the mail, so it would be my only birthday greeting to him.)

I remember rushing out of work, quickly changing clothes at home, and hopping in the truck to head downtown. Before we had even hit the highway, I was singing "Happy Birthday" to my dad over the phone. We chatted for a while, then arrived downtown and assumed our duties in the seats of the north end zone.

The game went late, and the next morning John and I both overslept, which meant we were still at home to watch the events across our nation unfold.

Today, as we mark a decade since the day before the events of 9/11, we also celebrate another milestone decade of my dad's life. Since that day, so much has changed in our nation, our lives, our family. Among other things, my dad has taken a mission trip to Rwanda, touched innumerable lives through his small businesses, survived a head-on car crash and a second heart surgery, celebrated 47 years of marriage to my mom, and become a Grandfather five times!

It's been quite a decade, Dad. As you begin a new one, we pray that the next one will be just as exciting and blessed, but maybe just a little less 'eventful'! Happy Birthday!

Oddly Familiar

2011-09-02T15:19:00.006-06:00

While keeping cool in our backyard baby pool, I had this sudden feeling of deja vu...

...like something was strangely familiar from our trip to the zoo last month...

Is it just me, or do you see some similarities, too?

Roadtrip Recap

2011-08-29T19:02:00.013-06:00

Holy smokes! I know that school started a few weeks ago, but for the last month my mantra has been, "Summer is not over, summer is not over, summer is not over..."

I thought I had all kinds of time to post the photos from our Grand Excursion this summer. And here I am staring September square in the face.

So, without any additional procrastination and delay, here are a few of the many highlights of our summer road trip, from Colorado to New York and everything in between...

First Stop: Somewhere in Kansas. This was the first time our kids shared a bed, and because they are both very active sleepers, it was so fun to see the various positions they ended up in. We thought we could use this someday to prove they really do love each other:

Second Stop: After spending a few days with my parents, John and I left the kids with Grandma and Grandpa and spent four (count them, FOUR) nights away as guests at this amazing home.

We were there with the leadership team and spouses from John's office and had a very refreshing time there together. While we weren't eating the most delicious meals or delving into how our personalities operate under stress, we spent free time in the backyard:

It was heavenly...

We also got to swing by our alma mater, Taylor University! Though it was a very brief detour, we enjoyed a quick drive around the one-mile campus loop. Naturally, we had to stop at Ivanhoe's for a shake, too.

After rescuing my parents from our children, we spent a few more days with them as the stars in the universe aligned. Okay, not really, but it almost felt like it when we got to see the Jones family and the Dillons, who all just happened to be passing through town on the same day!

We absolutely treasure these times with our dearest of friends...

We also got some cousin time. It was a treat to celebrate my youngest niece's first birthday with our whole family! And we spent as much time together on our days there as we could.

We love to visit my brother when he is on shift at the fire station. The kids get to sit in the engines and hold the nozzles and watch their Uncle slide down the fire pole. My mom especially loved this shot of all five of her grandkids sitting on the bumper of the ladder truck.

Once we had outworn our welcome in Indiana we loaded up the van and proceeded to the Adirondacks in upstate New York to see John's parents. Nana and Papa live close to Camp of the Woods with its perfect little stretch of beach. Of the ten days we spent with them, eight of those included beach time!

Adam's first exposure to so much sand was a big adjustment for him. This photo pretty much sums up how he felt about The Beach for the first six days:

I love that face -- it makes me want to laugh and cry at the same time!

But we made sure he had a nice little spot on the blanket under the umbrella, with minimal sand and a few toys.

It actually made my time far more relaxing than I thought it would be! I didn't have to chase him anywhere for the first time in months!

Put him on pretty much anything that was relatively sand-free and he was happy.

But one day toward the end of the week something inside him switched and he got brave and wanted to play with the sand...

...then he ventured out to walk on the sand...
(Look at those chubby little piggies!)

...and then he wanted to touch the water...

...and eventually the sand made it into his mouth, of course. That's my beach boy!

Swim lessons earlier in the summer helped give Josiah confidence in the water at the lake. He loved every minute on that beach and jumped and played and splashed and smiled until we dragged him out and dried him off.

Lucy built sand castles, went kayaking with Nana and Papa, practiced her new swimming skills, collected shells and rocks, made new friends, and nearly cried every day when we had to leave.

I don't blame her. Do you?

She also got to scramble up the camp's massive climbing wall -- THREE times!

John's folks took us on a couple short hikes to see some beautiful waterfalls.

(I know the next photo looks posed, but I was contemplating being at eye level with the rushing water--it was gorgeous and powerful. And I'm surprisingly pleased that my husband actually took some photos of me for a change!)

A friend of my in-laws took us on a lovely pontoon boat (a.k.a. Party Barge) ride around a peaceful neighboring lake.

Besides all this, we had a bonfire and roasted marshmallows for s'mores, met up with old friends, heard some gifted and godly speakers, ate mammoth cinnamon rolls, read and played board games, went antiquing, watched sea planes land, played miniature golf, and ate ice cream every day that we were on the beach. Yes, every day.

And never once watched TV or checked email.

*sigh*

Once our time in New York was up, we headed back to Indiana to catch our breath. Lucy got to fulfill a long-time dream (something she came up with about two weeks prior) to have a lemonade stand. Grandma made it extra-ordinary. And she earned about $8 in the hour they were out there!

Once we knew the kids were ready to numb their bottoms for another 18 hours, we loaded up for the last time and headed west toward home. Starting out at 4 a.m. brought us back to the Rockies in time to be welcomed home by this beautiful sight:

One minivan with car-top carrier, two adults, three kids, 24 days away from home, a total of 71 hours in the van, and 4,015 miles traveled across eight states.

It was indeed an unforgettable trip.

Another First

2011-08-02T13:07:00.005-06:00

Today is Lucy's first day of Second Grade.

She looks impossibly grown up in this picture. *sigh*

But she asked me to walk her in to the classroom.

And gave me kisses in front of her friends.

Lots of kisses.

And a big bear hug around my neck, squeezing so hard I almost cried. (I said almost.)

And then she blew me a kiss from her desk and did the hand sign for "I love you."

Yup, still my 'little' girl.

Counting to Four

2011-07-28T07:53:00.006-06:00

We had a fun day of celebration earlier this week as Josiah turned FOUR years old. Since we had his 'official' party with my family in Indiana a few weeks ago, we chose to spend his actual birthday at the zoo.
Besides the fact that we sought shade whenever possible due to the melting heat of the sun, the kids and I had a fabulous time!

It was a special day for all of them, but I was particularly focused on making it special for Joey. I let him choose our direction, said yes to most of his requests, and splurged on some things I usually would not. Like the carousel.

True to his careful nature, his favorite exhibits were all the ones he could get close to behind the safety of the glass: the gorillas, the polar bears, and of course the lions.

And it wasn't hard to say yes to the Dippin' Dots in that heat.

It has been fun for me to reflect on this year in Joey's life and think about the way he's growing up and how I've been privileged to watch him develop right before my eyes...

I love how he often notices details and will compliment me on something small like my earrings or my choice of shoes. He was the first to notice when I rearranged the wall art in our living room, and more than once he has leaned in to whisper to me that he thinks I look pretty. (He's a keeper!)

He loves to wrestle with Daddy (and his baby brother) but it's never a complete match until it ends with some snuggle time.

His giggle is contagious and he loves to make us laugh. I'm never sure who laughs harder when he's being tickled.

Music speaks to his heart, and I will often find him playing by himself while singing whatever little song he has on his mind--sometimes one we haven't listened to in weeks--and his sweet voice is music to my ears. It often brings to mind this verse: "From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise." Psalm 8:2

He has surprised me by way of frustration as he has resisted my desire to teach him to identify the letters of the alphabet, yet when asked what a particular letter is, he's correct most of the time. Stinker.

And though he is by nature shy and timid, I've enjoyed watching him recently as he independently introduces himself to a new friend and asks their name, and as he has bravely conquered the two-story twisty slide at our town playground without my prompting. Big steps for my little guy.

He may be in the lowest percentiles for his size, but his heart and personality make up for it in a big way. I'm so pleased to celebrate the completion of his fourth year, and I'm looking forward with great anticipation for what this next year will bring.

National Geographic is knocking at my door

2011-06-18T08:18:00.008-06:00

I have been spending way too much time staring out my windows this week. Since I have virtually filled up our camera's memory card with photos of The Twins, my husband insisted I post an update.

After five days they are still here!

Mama Deer has become quite bold and domesticated as she has practically taken up residence in our backyards and the green belt in between. She hops on over regularly to lick, sniff, and nurse the babes, then returns to a safe distance to watch them.

(Pardon the quality of these photos. I took them through the slats of our deck and from the shadows through our side window.)

Admit it, you would be glued to your window, too, if this little creature were laying just a few feet away.

We named them, of course. Shadow and Sunny are easy to tell apart by the markings on their heads. The above photo is Shadow, who is more adventurous and is therefore easier to photograph than Sunny, who ironically prefers to stay hidden.

Yes, I'm a totally smitten dork.

I have loved deer since I was a kid, growing up in a house that backed up to a forest preserve. We used to put salt blocks in our yard to attract the deer, then watch them silently appear at dusk -- sleek, strong, and graceful. I try to emphasize to my kids how special this is -- that most people never get this close to any deer, and most people never get to see a real live fawn, let alone two of them. They don't seem to be quite as appreciative of the opportunity as I am.

However, my animal-lover Lucy did use her own money to make this purchase at Michael's this week:

And that's not all. Look what's happening in one of the trees in our yard:
It has been a long-time dream of mine to be a writer and photographer for National Geographic. This week I'm livin' it, baby.

Twins!

2011-06-13T14:42:00.005-06:00

My friend over at On The Run has been following the hatching of four tiny little eggs in a nest that appeared in the hanging flower basket on her front porch. Not to try to out-do her, by any means, but you've just got to see what happened in our next-door neighbor's backyard this morning...

I know! Okay, so Nicole is watching four baby birds, and there are only two of these darlings.

But there are two!

And aren't they precious?! They were wobbly and wet when I first saw them, but both have been gaining strength and fluff as the day goes on.

Mama has been staying close.

I'm sure the fenced-in yard complete with an organic garden smorgasbord looked like a safe place to birth these sweet creatures, but they are way too small to jump back to the wild side. Our neighbor's daughter assured us that they have their side gate propped open, but whether or not the deer are bright enough to figure out where it is remains to be seen.

It was at least comforting to me when I saw that Mama had hopped back over to nurse her babes.

She's been back and forth several times, and sniffs their little noses through the slats in the fence before seeking shade and nourishment from other neighbors' yards. It's very sweet, though I'm sure she's frightened to pieces to be in civilization in broad daylight.

I can't guarantee that I'll keep you posted daily (you've got me there, Nicole), but I just had to share the sweet beauty of these twin fawns.

Lucy's Garden Party

2011-05-31T12:25:00.001-06:00

As our 'baby' girl turned seven this month, we invited a dozen of her dear friends to come and have a party in The Garden.

For our loved ones who could not be here to witness the energy and chaos in person, here's my version of a recap:

As the girls arrived, they made beaded necklaces with flowers, letters, and pony beads.
After they had all arrived and finished adorning themselves with beads, we played a couple of organized games in the backyard -- Lucy's choices were Toss The Ladybugs In The Buckets (these trusty plastic bowls were purchased for her first birthday party and have been used innumerable times since!), and Flower Flower Bee (which was an adaptation of Duck Duck Goose, but the chaser got to wear a "bee" headband).
A bouquet of lollipops was avaliable to pass out as prizes.
The girls then came inside and got to decorate a flower pot.
I opted for stickers and gems instead of paints, glues, and other messy things I would have to clean up. I know, I'm such a stick in the mud. But hey, at least I go with the garden theme! I must say that after watching 12 girls reaching over each other at the table, I didn't miss the mess at all!

They seemed quite focused on their masterpieces.
Lucy helped put each girl's pot in their take-home bag, which also had a flower-shaped lollipop, a bag of potting soil, and a bag of wildflower seeds to plant after they got home. (Here you can also see my pricey party decor, which consisted of construction paper flowers cut free-hand with green curling ribbon stems.)
While they decorated, they came over and made a guess as to how many 'bugs' were in this jar. The winner took home the large jar (she got it exactly right!) and the next closest guess got to take the small jar home.
This might have been a little overboard for seven-year-olds, but I wrapped the forks and spoons in green napkins and ribbon to look like flowers and leaves. Can't say that they noticed, but it was a fun touch for me.
(And you may be noticing quite a bit of this green curling ribbon in the decorations and on pretty much everything else. I've had this spool of ribbon since Josiah's first birthday party, and it never seems to end. It's a requirement now in our house that green MUST be incorporated into the party theme. This year I used a ton of it, and yet the spool goes on...)

For lunch the girls ate bunny grahams, fruit salad, and sandwiches cut into flower and butterfly shapes. One sandwich was cream cheese and strawberry jelly on wheat bread, the other was peanut butter and blackberry jelly on white bread.
We had them stand around our deck table under the sun shade to eat.
And then they came back inside to sing "Happy Birthday" to Lucy and have dessert: Dirty Pudding.

Each cup of chocolate pudding and crushed Oreos had gummy worms and a plastic flower. Lucy's also had a butterfly. And a candle, of course.

It got a great reaction from a room full of girls -- lots of gasping and "eeewwwwww!" But they all gobbled it up!
Then it was time for Spin The Bottle. To see whose gift Lucy would open, of course. At least that's how we play.
And I've never been more grateful for The Albatross -- our backyard swingset. In between activities, this is what they all kept asking to do.
Three things made this party possible without too much drama or loss of sanity: 1) The weather was glorious, making outside playtime possible and enjoyable! 2) Both our boys napped through the whole thing. Poor Joey woke up asking when the party was going to start. But it allowed us to focus on Lucy and the girls the whole time, which was a treat for her. And we saved him some dirt pudding, which made all forgiven. 3) The help of my dear husband and his parents -- Nana and Papa were sandwich-making, plate-serving, picture-taking, dirt-bagging, gift-recording stars, and I am so grateful they were in town to help!

What a lot of silly girls! What a lot of fun! Happy Birthday, dear Lucy!

A White Wedding...in May!

2011-05-27T13:24:00.009-06:00

Last weekend we had the beautiful privilege to witness and participate in a family wedding in the amazing setting of Estes Park, Colorado. With our kids being little, it's not often that we make the two-hour trip from our home to this historic town on the edge of Rocky Mountain National Park, so it felt a little bit like a vacation to us, too. Staying in a cabin on the rushing Fall River, sitting by the fireplace while we watched the snow come down...

Yes, I said snow. In May. It's the Rocky Mountains, people. Anything can happen.

Needless to say, rehearsal was a bit wet and cold. The bride and groom said if there was any chance at all of having the wedding outside, then we would rehearse outside. Even if it the rain mixed with snow plastered us all, and large clumps of snow falling from the towering evergreens made the entire bridal party duck and cower at times.

Let's just say rehearsal was brief.

And then we went shopping for longjohns to wear under our dresses.

We were amazed and pleased when we woke up the next morning to blue skies and sunshine! We didn't hold our breath since the ceremony was at 4 o'clock, but we were hopeful -- and grateful that the existing snow was melting and quickly evaporating!

While the boys napped, I went with Lucy to have her hair done.
She looked so precious, but way too grown-up with this up-do. She loved every minute of the process.

Fast-forward a few hours... the weather held! By 4 p.m. it was cold but dry. And I was on pins and needles wondering how (or what) my older two kids would do as the Ring Bearer and the Flower Girl.

Then the moment came. Daddy was on one end of the walk, getting them started and reminding them to smile, and I waited on the other end with the camera.
Can I just say that they did incredibly well! I was pleased to the point of tears as I watched my daughter (just a few days before her seventh birthday) and my son (who is typically a silly and stubborn three-and-a-half-year-old) do exactly as they had been practicing. Not to mention that they both looked so precious!

As I watched them from the end of their walk, I was kicking myself that I had left our video camera up by my seat. I only got still shots, but my heart will always remember Josiah watching Lucy drop the rose petals, glancing at her, and glancing behind as if he were wondering if she should really be doing that, or if maybe he should be picking them up for her.
I guess it was one of the few things we didn't prepare him for. But he continued to walk with her as he should, and he got some giggles out of the crowd, too. And it was so cute how Lucy would look at him and smile and just shake her head a little, as if to say, "Silly boy..."

Joey also seemed to be a bit concerned about the very large horse that was walking up the path behind them, pulling a carriage with the bride on board. Again, not enough prepping. Or perhaps it wouldn't have helped anyway. (I think even I would have been a bit concerned about an animal that large following me, too!)
In spite of many distractions, they continued on and finished well.

One of my favorite moments, which I happened to capture with the lens, was when the bride stepped from the carriage and into view, accompanied by her parents, and I could see Joey lean in and mouth the word, "Wow..."
He was right. She looked radiant in the sunshine!

They stood with the bridal party until the opening prayer when I waved them over and wrapped them in blankets for the remainder of the ceremony.

Though Lucy and Joey had the official rights to be dressed to the nines, I can't leave out this little gem:
Adam wasn't real happy with being restrained from practicing his new skill of walking, but some snacks and his taggie blanket helped during the ceremony. He did look sharp in his vest and clip-on tie, and he definitely enjoyed the wide open spaces at the indoor reception.

In case anyone mistakenly believes my kids were so well-behaved because of proper parenting, let's just say that Joey got his reward in the form of affirmation...and Twizzlers.
What a beautiful day! What a beautiful way to celebrate the start of a marriage! What a blessing to have our little family participate in such a special way! And, if I do say so myself, what beautiful, wonderful, amazing children I have! I fell in love with them all over again and feel such a distinct and undeserving honor to be the one they call mother.

Baby Steps

2011-05-14T07:54:00.003-06:00

Did you know that giraffes begin walking within minutes of birth, and run within 24 hours? It only took our youngest 14 months, but the day has finally come: our little man is mobile and upright! You have to admire Adam's determination and the squeals of joy that something so simple produces...

(Please excuse my shrill voice. I should have just kept quiet, but I was pretty excited, too!)

And like the giraffe, I have a distinct feeling that running is not going to be too far in his future...

Spring is here?

2011-04-30T15:21:00.010-06:00

Did you think that I was going to turn an entire page on the calendar without a blog post? Yeah, I did too. But since it's the last day of April, I thought I'd at least share a few Spring-like photos from last weekend.

Since we woke up this morning to an inch of fresh snowfall covering the ground, I'm not so sure that I'm willing to let myself be hopeful that Spring has actually arrived. However, since we typically have snow on Easter here in Colorado, I was delighted that the weather last weekend was much nicer than we anticipated. (It's the first year ever that my nearly-seven-year-old daughter has not worn white tights and a white sweater with her Easter dress!)

Our dear friends invited us, along with about twenty others, to join their family for Easter brunch. They not only opened their home to us, but also their backyard, for an egg hunt.

Their yard is full of budding trees and blooming flowers, and their lawn is already a beautiful lush green carpet of grass. I enjoyed watching Adam's first real exposure to this new texture.

But I'm pretty sure he didn't enjoy it as much as we enjoyed watching his bewilderment. He kind of had a "get me off this stuff" look on his face, and wouldn't crawl because that meant he had to actually touch it. *gasp*

And then of course we made our usual attempt at getting all three kids in one holiday photo.

Aren't they sweet?

And...we're done.

Adam's 1st Birthday Top Ten

2011-03-15T09:29:00.007-06:00

Adam, you are One Year Old today!

It feels impossible that this happened one whole year ago. *sigh* There are so many things I want to remember forever about you in this very moment. Most of them I can only treasure in my heart, but even now as I watch you climb on top of the coffee table with that mischievous look in your eye and a grin on your dimpled face, here are just a few notable things I’d like to record…

A Top Ten list for Turning ONE:

TEN tiny fingers that each fit perfectly up your nose…

NINE seconds for you to speed-crawl from the farthest corner of the house as soon as you hear the dishwasher open…

EIGHT times (at least) each day you enthusiastically empty a kitchen drawer, cabinet, or pantry shelf onto the floor…

SEVEN teeth in your joyfully uneven grin…

SIX is the age of your adoring sister who you love to snuggle and giggle with…

FIVE words you know in sign language, and each one of them relates to food and eating…

FOUR pairs of lips and arms await you each night for good-night hugs and kisses…

THREE is the age of your 'big' brother (though he only weighs a few pounds more), who loves to play with you, teach you, and try to ride you like a horse when you are crawling…

TWO chubby cheeks that just don’t ever seem to get enough kisses, though Mommy and Daddy will continue to try…

ONE whole year--which has gone by far too fast--you have been in our lives, making our family an even more joy-filled place, and we can't imagine it without you…

Happy Birthday, baby boy! We love you so much!

Great Delight

2011-02-16T20:11:00.002-07:00

Parenting three young children has been an eye-opener in my faith in God. I am often astounded at how God can love me in spite of my short-comings and disobedience, yet I know the strength of my love for my own offspring in the same circumstances, and it gives me a glimpse into the heart of God: his unconditional love, his forgiveness, his mercy and grace.

Yesterday, a verse I memorized from the Bible when I was a teenager came back to me in a brand new way as I rocked with my nearly-one-year-old baby and sang to him, soaking in his sweet smile as we snuggled.

"The Lord your God is with you...

He will take great delight in you,

he will quiet you with his love,

he will rejoice over you with singing."

Zephaniah 3:17

What a beautiful picture of love that is! These words could have been written about me and my baby boy in that moment, and I am so grateful for that perspective. But today I am newly astounded that this is a picture God's love for me.

It was a Very Crafty Christmas

2011-01-07T10:43:00.004-07:00

Now that all our Christmas gifts have been delivered and distributed, it's safe to post some pictures. With a tight budget and a few creative ideas, we chose to hand-make many of the gifts we gave to our family this year, including our kids.

I use the word we loosely, as I think you know who did the crafting here. But John was supportive and appreciative and admired both the finished product and, let's be honest, the savings.

For my nieces, I made matching t-shirts with their initials, using some cute fabric and the genius of Wonder Under.
I loved these pink and red ladybugs!

And not to leave my sisters-in-law out of the personalization, they all got hand-painted tote bags. I used fabric paint, a sponge brush, and paper doilies for this craft, but I have to give props to Women's Day magazine for the idea.

My favorite project was for the babies in our family. Every baby loves tags, but 'Taggie' blankets are so pricey, so I winged it to make my own. These 18-inch square blankies are silky on one side and fuzzy on the other, with lots of tags. They aren't perfect, but they are certainly made with love and are each one-of-a-kind. My 6-month-old niece got this chocolate and pink one:
And Adam got chocolate and cream. With monkeys!
(It instantly became his favorite -- hooray!)

Adam also got a fleece tie blanket to match the ones I've made for both my other kids as babies. Lucy's is pink with leopard print, Josiah's is blue with black and white paw prints, so it seemed appropriate to make Adam's green with brown and cream zebra print. So cozy!

Lucy also got a fleecey gift. This was probably my easiest project. I made matching shawls for her and her American Girl doll. Scissor-cut fringe and zig-zag edge-stitching made them look nicely finished.

And a few of our gifts were what I wouldn't necessarily consider "hand-made," but they did require some assembly, so I'm including them, too.

We loved that this frame says "Papa" because that is what the kids call one of their grandpas.

Both Grandma and Nana got "brag bags." This one is Nana's, as our kids are her only grandchildren, but Grandma's included my two nieces, too. (How perfect that this bag had five frames for that reason!)

And one of my favorite ideas this Christmas has been a BIG hit in the house: Josiah's Bean Box. An under-bed storage box filled with Costco's 25 lb. bag of dried pinto beans and some pint-sized construction vehicles have made for hours of post-Christmas fun! It's like an indoor sandbox for the cold weather, minus the messiness of the sand, of course.

I had lots of fun this year coming up with ideas, creating them, and watching others enjoy them. For me, the real bonus to making gifts is the time I put into them, not only as a creative outlet, but also that I spend those moments thinking about the person who will receive the gift and getting to pray for them as I put it together.

Christmas Cuties

2010-12-25T22:04:00.006-07:00

In spite of Joey making faces every time I lifted the camera, and breaking a sweat from chasing down a crawling Adam in between each shot, I'd say the obligatory holiday photo shoot went pretty well.

You be the judge...

Get Your Craft On

2010-12-22T21:52:00.010-07:00

Another day of Christmas break, another Christmas craft! At the risk of this sounding like a cooking and crafting blog, I thought it would be fun to share what Lucy and I did today. That is, in between eating Christmas cookies and watching Christmas movies. Naturally.

I found this idea in a magazine a few weeks ago and cut the page out for just such a time as this. It turned out to be super easy, very fun, not messy (which is one of mommy's requirements for in-home crafting with two little boys at our feet), and far more pretty than I imagined.

Here is what we used:
Sculpey oven-bake clay, Mod Podge Sparkle glue, and some red satin ribbon. We also needed waxed paper, a flat-bottomed glass, a plastic drinking straw, and a sponge brush (though I'm sure any paint brush would have worked just fine).

I had Lucy collect some textured objects from around the house. She came back with a beaded bracelet, an acorn top, a sea shell, and the top of a teapot.

I cut a few slices of clay, we rolled them into little balls, then flattened them between waxed paper with the glass until they were about a quarter of an inch thick. The fun part was adding patterns by lightly pressing the textured objects into the clay. The final step was using a drinking straw to punch a little hole for the ribbon.

Then we baked them according to the clay package directions and allowed them to cool before Lucy coated them with sparkles.
I know, she either looks asleep or bored out of her mind in this photo, but trust me, Little Miss Santa was having lots of fun. Who doesn't have fun with sparkles?

Once they dried, we strung them with ribbon and hung them on our tree.
I love how imperfect they are. What I see instead of perfection are little images of a six-year-old's creativity, and a fun afternoon of making Christmas-time memories.

Christmas Cookies

2010-12-20T10:05:00.006-07:00

One of the many things on Lucy's to-do list for her two week break from school is to "help Mommy make Christmas cookies." We got started today with one of daddy's favorites: Holly Cookies.

I love this recipe both for its simplicity and how festive they look. The bonus is that both my older kids can help, and they love how yummy they are!

Joey helped to separate the red and green M&Ms.

Lucy helped stir A LOT of green food coloring into the melted marshmallows.

She also helped decorate the 'holly' with the 'red berries.'

WARNING: Green teeth and tongues create lots of Christmas giggles!

Holly Cookies

1 stick butter
10 oz. marshmallows
1 1/2 t. green food coloring
4 cups corn flakes
red M&Ms

Melt butter and marshmallows over low heat. Add green food coloring and stir until blended. Add corn flakes; stir until well-coated. Scoop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper. Decorate with 2-3 M&Ms. Allow to cool completely before storing. Enjoy!
(Makes about 3 dozen cookies.)

My Little Ninja

2010-12-15T14:37:00.007-07:00

I love this age. I say that so many times in the first year, but truly, nine-month-olds are So. Much. Fun.

For the last nine months Adam has been a constant source of joy (and entertainment) for our whole family. I find myself thinking, "I never want to forget [fill in the blank] about Adam at this age!"

Like how he rolls his tongue around inside his mouth and sucks on it, as if he is a connoisseur of fine food, when there is no food in sight...
How he plays peek-a-boo in his car seat when he's feeling shy by turning his head as far as he can to one side so that only one eye is exposed...
How he was the only one of my three kids to not cry when we all got the flu shot...
How I freak out when his brother sits on him or steam rolls him, though it only makes him belly-laugh...
How he opens his mouth well in advance of a spoonful of food being anywhere near...
How he spits Cheerios out, letting them dribble down and collect on his chin like a beard...
How he waves with a twist of his wrist anytime he hears someone say the word 'hi' or 'bye' or 'goodnight'...
How he lets out a staccato squeal of joy when he gets something in his hand that he's excited about, and how he proudly holds it up high for all to see...
How his whole body wiggles when he's happy...
How he flaps his arms to try to join his siblings when they jump up and down...
How he bounces to any kind of music...
How he claps so gently...
How he growls with his mouth wide open, like the old 'wazzup' commercials...
How he splashes in the bathtub, in total seriousness, as if it were his job...
How he tries to grab the bar of his car seat with his feet, like a monkey...
And how he just started a proper crawl, but he still gets around quite well with his super ninja roll, in which he purposefully lays down to roll wherever he wants to go, then sits back up...

Just today, crawling became his primary source of mobilization, which sadly means that the ninja roll will most likely become a thing of memory sooner than later. And so will most of the things I listed above, in time.

Most of these I cannot capture anywhere but in my heart and memory. But this one thing I can. And so, for nostalgia's sake, I present to you Adam's ninja roll.

(Yes, I call it a ninja roll. What would you call it?)

Brothers

2010-11-30T20:38:00.004-07:00

Baby Food

2010-11-24T08:53:00.003-07:00

He eats! Adam eats baby food! Now that he is eight months old, I feel like it's safe to truly believe and declare it.

If you knew my other two kids as babies, you understand that I approached Adam's six-month mark with a bit of fear and cynicism. Let's just say I don't have the greatest track record with babies and solid food.

The day that Lucy turned six months old, I happily pulled out the carefully-selected organic rice cereal, mixed perfectly proportioned amounts of cereal and breastmilk, and used the perfect little bowl and rubber-covered spoons.

She shuddered and spit it out.

But I was undeterred. I tried again the next day. And the next. And the next. I tried with water instead of breastmilk. I tried different thicknesses. I tried it warm, and I tried it cold. And when I decided to move on to try something different, she was already clamming up at the sight of the spoon. But I was sure that my homemade baby food that I had steamed and put through the baby food mill and carefully and lovingly proportioned and frozen in ice cube trays would be much more appealing.

She shuddered and spit that out, too.

This was our routine for the next three and a half months. That's right. Lucy didn't actually swallow any food until she was nine and a half months old, and then it was straight to table food that she could feed herself. Ugh. It was a long road.

Josiah, on the other hand, was quite happy to give food a try. But his body clearly wasn't ready for it. He ate the food, but then he threw it all up. All of it. Every time. I could set my clock by his body's reaction: exactly two hours after eating, he would begin to throw up. We explored allergies and illnesses, but in the end it left our pediatricians stumped and I gave it a rest for a while, trying again every few weeks. When he was just older than nine months, he finally started keeping everything down, as long as it was not "baby food." Phew!

So, this fall, when Adam turned six months old, I wrestled with even attempting "the dreaded baby food thing" until he was closer to his first birthday. I passed his half-year mark without having purchased a single item of baby food, and the rubber-covered spoons were still packed away.

But at six-and-a-half months old, sitting on the most beautiful beach in Hawaii, I took my first bite of a sweet Hawaiian banana and saw that Adam was watching my every move. I knew I had to let him try it.

I almost didn't get my finger back!

He ate it. Eagerly. And wiggled and bounced happily between each bite.

Since then, he has happily eaten and kept down a whole variety of foods: pumpkin, pears, squash, peas, prunes, apples, bananas, peaches, green beans, and his favorite, sweet potatoes.

This is a first for me: a baby who eats baby food. Who knew?

With my third baby, I'm feeling like a first-time mom. I'm loving the joy of this "new" discovery and wondering what he'll think of Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow...

Each Day

2010-11-18T14:51:00.006-07:00

Parenting. It's a super hard job. If you've got kids, you know what I'm talking about. I love my children like I never thought was possible, and I consider them to be the most amazing gifts from God. Being a parent is a huge privilege--to think that God has entrusted me with these precious lives to shape and care for! Yet sometimes I get bogged down in the daily tasks of caring for them, or discouraged in the responsibility of disciplining them.

There are times when it can be hard to live each day with purpose and not just try to survive!

Kind of like this week has been for me. Hmm.

I was encouraged today to discover this little bit of wisdom on parenting, and I'm challenged to give it a go. If you have little ones (or even not-so-little ones) in your care, I encourage you to do the same:

EACH DAY, I will:

Consider my role as parent as a significant God-appointed responsibility.
Ask God's direction regarding my child at night and in the morning.
Use the Bible as my main resource book in parenting.
List at least one new blessing God has given me as a parent.

Each day. Not just once in a while. Not just when my son stubbornly refuses to eat his favorite dinner. Not just when I have to remind me daughter for the 18th time to get in the car or she'll be late for school. Not just when my baby is up in the middle of the night for the third time in three hours. And not just when they all climb into my lap for a sweet snuggle. Not just when I see them sharing without being asked. Not just when I hear them singing a song of praise when they think no one is listening.

I have a feeling that some days this is going to be joyfully easy, and others will take some serious deep-breath taking and on-my-knees praying. But I look forward to how it will change my perspective for the better on the hard days, and give me even more reason to rejoice and give glory to God on the good ones.

Ten Ten Ten

2010-11-02T20:30:00.006-06:00

Ah, Hawaii… Beaches, sunsets, and glowing lava flows. Coconut mochas, chocolate covered macadamia nuts, Kona coffee, and tropical fruit. Waves, snorkels, and boogie boards. Sunscreen, swimsuits, and geckos.

The photos and the stories will come in time. But there is one particular story I have been eager to share before all the others.

(It’s a long one, so make yourself comfortable.)

On Sunday, October 10 (that’s right, it was 10/10/10) we all went to church on the shoreline in Kona at Living Stones Church. It is an old, beautiful, little church built of black lava stone and shaded by tropical trees that have been twisted and blown by the ocean wind so that they only grow in one direction, pointed away from the shore. Because the church building itself is small, they have speakers and screens set up outside the back door, along with rows of folding chairs in the shade.

When it was time for church to start, we chose to sit outside under the shade of a gorgeous, huge monkey pod tree, with our back to the sea wall, listening to the crashing waves and singing worship songs to the Creator of it all. They had the best “cry room” I have ever used, which was no room at all, but just a small patch of grass at the edge of the ocean where I stood with Adam when he got too fussy to sit with me. (Effective, too, as he was instantly mesmerized by the sound and sight of the water’s edge.)

The worship was powerful. The teaching was right on. The ability to be out in God’s creation while soaking in His presence was refreshing. And being with my family and our dear friends was wonderful.

Then came the end of the church service. But God was not done with me yet that morning.

At the end of his teaching, the associate pastor announced that they would be doing a baptism down at the beach following the service.

My heart pounded at the open invitation.

You see, I have considered myself a follower of Christ for my whole life. I grew up going to church every Sunday, I have gone to Christian schools, been a missionary in Africa, studied the Bible in depth, led worship, served in community outreach, taught Sunday School for children, and I am married to a leader in our church.

But I had never been baptized.

I have witnessed countless baptisms, including my husband’s. Every time it comes up, I find myself listing reasons why this would not be a good time, and convincing myself that maybe I will do it next time, or if I could just be a little more prepared... But if I am completely honest, the longer I have waited, the more it has become an issue of my own pride. I mean, what would people think of me? Would they think I was a new Christian when I’ve already done all this ‘good stuff’ with my life? Would I have to prove to people that this wasn’t a new concept to me, but just that I’ve done a really good job at procrastinating?

On this Sunday in Hawaii, as much as I wanted to resist yet again, I knew this was a perfect opportunity to finally respond in obedience.

I believe that my eternity in God’s presence has already been secured, and there is nothing that I can “add” to His grace and mercy. But I also believe that baptism is a symbol of obedience to Jesus and a way to follow the example he gave us (in Mark 1:9 or Luke 3:21 when he was baptized by John the Baptist), and it’s an outward expression of love for him.

And I knew that for years I had been disobedient.

My heart was there, but the practical and rational side of me was still putting up a fight. I felt like I was having a discussion with God out there on the shoreline. For every reason I could try to come up with, I could virtually hear God telling me that this was the time to finally say yes to the opportunity to obey. It started with a line I had used on my children just the day before.

Delayed obedience is disobedience.

And then before I could even think the words “not this time,” I could tell He was already one step ahead of my thoughts.

So, what is your excuse this time?

“Well, I’m in Hawaii, far from my church and my friends and my pastor…”

You’re not doing it for them. You’re doing it for Me.

“I’m wearing a dress.”

The pastor just said he forgot his swimsuit and he’ll be out in the water in his jeans.

“What will I do with the kids?”

Your husband is here, and so am I. Do you think I’m not powerful enough to have them behave for a few minutes? And speaking of your kids, what will you tell them when one day they ask to be baptized and want to hear your story?

“I will do it then. We’ll get baptized together.”

Delayed obedience is disobedience.

“Ouch.”

It’s time. Today is the day.

“But I don’t want to make everyone change their plans.”

Then I found out that Brian, our friend who had completed the Ironman the day before, had just told the pastor that he wanted to be baptized.

We were all heading down to the beach anyway.

All my excuses were gone. Only my pride stood in the way.

We got down to the beach and John grabbed the pastor before he got to the water’s edge. I was able to introduce myself, give him a brief version of my story, and for the first time ever I admitted out loud that my pride has kept me from this step of obedience. He joyfully agreed to baptize me.

I passed Adam off to John, took off my flip-flops, and waded into the crystal clear Pacific water wearing my bright coral Sunday dress.

After watching a few others go before me, I wanted to make sure that if I was going to do this, I wanted to do it all the way. No dry spots. Full immersion. As the two pastors spoke a blessing over me and tipped me back, I leaned my head back nice and far and I felt the warm salty ocean water completely wash over me.

“That's what baptism into the life of Jesus means. When we are lowered into the water, it is like the burial of Jesus; when we are raised up out of the water, it is like the resurrection of Jesus.”

(Romans 6:4, The Message)

A symbol and a declaration of what God has already done in me: He has given me life in Christ!

It’s not always easy, but it feels so good to be on the right side of obedience.

Truly, it could not have been a more beautiful spot to have the memory of this event. Sharing the opportunity and the day with our friend Brian made it even sweeter.

And the icing on the cake was the appearance of a massive, graceful sea turtle (the only one I saw during our whole stay in Hawaii) that swam up into the shallow water where we stood and lingered there a while.

I didn’t need to have a huge audience or the presence of everyone who is important in my life. I didn’t have to give a big speech about who I am and why I had waited so long. I didn’t need to make any more excuses. All I needed was to follow Jesus example and obey.

And it ended up being one of the highlights of my ten days in Hawaii.

Tooth on the Looth

2010-10-29T13:19:00.004-06:00

The other night at dinner, Lucy was playing with her loose front tooth, wiggling it with her tongue and making silly faces. It was giving me the heebie-jeebies to watch, but I couldn't resist a still shot of my giggling girl.

Fast forward to lunch yesterday, and she tells me that when she bit into her pumpkin muffin, her tooth did something odd (which I won't type out because it's sure to make you shudder like I did when she told me) and she had to go to the school nurse.

Last night after dinner John offered to pull it, but she wasn't ready.

But by this morning, the tooth was ready. And out it came in a bite of breakfast!

She's happy. And lisping. And I'm so thankful that something is finally making this growing girl look younger for a change!

I'm going to cherish these toothless days...

(Or should I say, 'toothleth daythe'?)

I'm Cheap

2010-10-22T10:40:00.006-06:00

In a continuing effort to get in the fall spirit, I did some brief research on corn mazes and pumpkin patches to visit during my daughter’s second week of Fall Break. I say brief because I realized quickly that they all charge admission, which is somewhere in the vicinity of $15 per person, which is far more than I’m willing to pay for an hour of organized nature, which my children may or may not appreciate.

Which is to say, I’m cheap.

I know the kids would have a great time, and it would probably be worth it, but I just can’t make myself fork over that kind of cash!

Fortunately, we live in a really great small town, and there are plenty of things to hold the kids’ interest that are totally FREE.

Earlier this week we took a stroll along our historic Main Street, starting at the hay maze. I sat with my baby boy while we watched his siblings play.

Then we admired (and f-f-feared) the huge inflatable decorations.

The local farmer’s market had an incredible selection of massive pumpkins that we browsed and, yes, hugged.

And then we went to Walmart and the kids helped me pick out a couple of pumpkins to take home. For $2.50 each. That’s more like it!

And the greatest part is that they loved it all so much, we went back to the hay maze again the next day.

I love me some free Fall entertainment!

How do you celebrate the change of seasons without spending too much?

Aloha!

2010-10-19T19:35:00.006-06:00

My family and I just returned from a delightful trip to Hawaii! I never dared to dream that I'd get to visit our 50th state, but when the opportunity arose, we blissfully accepted it as a precious gift.

We were able to witness and support one of our very best friends in his chance-of-a-lifetime spot in the IRONMAN World Championship triathlon, piggy-backing on his and his family's adventure in Kona on the Big Island. And though I would be mistaken to use the word "relaxing" to describe our days there, it was definitely refreshing and a truly wonderful time for our family of five to spend together and with some of our dearest of friends.

I hope to share more specific stories in the days to come, but for now I am trying to remind myself that I love Fall and embrace the changing season, when in fact I'd prefer to still be basking in the warmth of that tropical paradise...

Recent Favs

2010-10-05T17:49:00.002-06:00

Just a few of my favorite photos of my baby boy from these last few weeks...

Yes, that is his tongue trying to wrap itself around his foot. Yum.

He looooooves bath time! Don't you wish you could fold your leg so your foot is in your armpit, too?

This is my view when he is settled on my lap. I love this perspective of my babies but have never quite captured it like this before.

And for this one, I have no words.

One Little Word

2010-10-04T17:29:00.008-06:00

We all know that words can be a powerful thing. They have the ability to encourage or destroy, to construct or offend, to heal or hurt.

Recently I came to the realization that I use the word “okay” far too often.

Like, I'm not saying I was, like, a Valley Girl or something, okay?

No, I'm talking about using it in instructing my children.

This one little seemingly harmless word doesn’t necessarily fall into any of the categories I just mentioned, but I discovered it was having a very negative effect on my parenting and my attitude. When I would tell one of my children to do something (or to not do something), and I ended my statement with “Okay?”, what I was doing was giving them the perfectly acceptable opportunity to reply with “No.”

I was asking the question, after all.

That was certainly not my intention! It was driving me crazy that my kids were thinking I was giving them the option to obey. What I really wanted was to know if they understood what I was asking them.

Light bulb!

I have been making a great effort now to remove it from my vocabulary and replaced it with this phrase:

“Do you understand?”

I know, it's several more syllables when I already feel like I talk myself in circles, but it's been worth the extra breath!

Now, if they answer no, I am given the opportunity to explain again.

If they answer yes, then we have an understanding, and they know that I have the expectation that they will obey.

It’s amazing how eliminating one little word from my vocabulary can bring about such change.

Now, if only I could change the 864 other things about my less-than-perfect parenting, I'll be next in line for Parent of the Year.

Promises fulfilled

2010-10-02T21:04:00.004-06:00

This was the view from my bedroom window at dusk tonight.

Lucy has been begging her daddy to camp in the backyard all summer long. Tonight was the night that it finally came about.

Halfway to One

2010-09-26T13:52:00.005-06:00

My babies have never been big fans of portrait sessions. And by that I mean that they usually scream their purty little heads off until the photographers ask us (not in so many words) to leave. Please. When they turn one, something magically happens and they think that a stranger behind a camera is suddenly a great idea, but until then it’s pretty much hopeless.

My first experience with this was when Lucy was three months old. I ended up bringing her home from the photographer’s studio where she had screamed and fallen asleep, and, after a good nap, I set up my own little photo shoot.

She loved it. Smiled the whole time.

At six months, I tried again. After this failed attempt, I went and bought a white bed sheet to use as a backdrop, seeing that I’d probably be doing this again. (Looking back, I definitely should have gotten a higher thread count or something wrinkle-free. But that is what Photoshop is for, right?)

By no means did the photos that I took compare to the equipment and eye of a professional, but they were good enough for me to send to relatives and put in her baby book.

Nine months came. I don’t think I need to tell you what happened.

Then along came Josiah. His personality was so different, I thought that perhaps I’d have better luck, and that maybe he’d be enamored with his fledgling photography sessions and I’d get some wonderful professional photos of him as a bitty baby.

How foolish of me.

I brought out the white bedsheet several more times that year.

By their first birthday, the photog phobia my children have experienced seems to disappear, but until then I’ve just decided not to even attempt it with my third child.

(And, no, I do not believe that the third time’s a charm, as I hear so often!)

So, since we marked Adam’s half birthday last week while attending his great-grandmother’s funeral, this weekend was my first chance to chisel out some time to bathe, prep, and shoot.

Here are the unedited photos.

I had to start with some diaper shots. Just got to record those rolls!

Michelin Man, you ain't got nothin' on my baby boy!

He seemed to be having fun, though with him rolling so much, having him on our bed was a little precarious, like when he flipped for this shot. (Definitely giving the camera some love here, though, don't you think?)

After I got a few in nothing but the diaper, I thought I should put him in some proper clothing. Of course, as soon as I did, this happened.

Not only did my flash accidentally go off, but do you see something there at the corner of his mouth? That was the tip of the iceberg. He spit up. A lot. On his navy blue outfit.

So I cleaned him up, and he did it again. This baby is not typically a ‘spitter’!

After cleaning him up a second time, uh, you guess what happened again.

Clearly I chose the wrong day for this.

But instead of scrapping it all, I put him on his belly to hide all the wet spots on his clothes and got one last chance at a good one.

Yup, perfection went out the window a looooong time ago. These are good enough for me (and will look even better once I “iron” the white sheet with Photoshop and touch up the drool spots).

They capture his sweet smile. They show off his ample rolls of squishable lovey-ness. They record his crazy-fluffy hair.

And in that sense, they are perfect to me.

Our families will love them. And they’ll be just right for his baby book. Done and done.

Pumpkin Season

2010-09-22T14:09:00.003-06:00

Ahhh, Autumn. I've been catching short glimpses of my favorite season in the past few weeks. Though our days here are still quite warm, the coolness of the early mornings and the crisp breeze in the evenings tells me that change is on the way.

It's almost time for caramel apples, turning leaves, jeans and sweatshirts, corn mazes, spiced apple cider, and flannel sheets.

And it's definitely time to crack this baby open once again.

I looooove everything pumpkin. Pumpkin dip with ginger snaps and apples, pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread with pecans, pumpkin muffins with chocolate chips, pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin soup, pumpkin pancakes with maple syrup.

I could go on, but I don't want to short out my keyboard by drooling too much.

I'm starting to worry about another canned pumpkin shortage this year. My grocery store was either sold out or hiding it when I went to stock up this week. I did pause for a moment by the real pumpkins, but I'm way too busy (read: lazy) to do the whole cooking-a-real-pumpkin thing for my baked goodies. If I reach desperation, it may come to that, but for now I'm grateful for the few extra cans I bought this summer in salivating anticipation.

Pumpkin paradise, here I come!

Pillars

2010-09-21T20:11:00.005-06:00

"By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people."
Exodus 13:21-22

Raise your hand if you get caught up in wondering what in the world you're supposed to be doing with your life. Yeah, that would be pretty much all of us at some time or another. And if you didn't raise your hand, you have either not yet turned ten years old, or you're probably not being completely honest with yourself.

I often put great pressure on myself to figure out right now what I am doing with my life. Sometimes I'm just thinking of this week. Other times I think about the next few years or beyond. Am I doing what I'm supposed to with my time? Am I investing in the people I should be? Am I teaching my children the right things? Am I working hard enough at knowing God better each day?

And what's the plan for the future? Am I heading in the right direction? Should I be taking on more responsibility? Or less? Should I make different friends? Have more babies? Stay at home? Get a job?...

Now imagine yourself as an ancient Israelite. I'm talking about the ones who lived back when Moses was around. The ones who wandered in the desert. God's presence was literally there before them, for all to see. They didn't have to wake up each morning and wonder what direction they should walk. They didn't have to consult someone else to find that information out for them. They just looked up and followed the cloud during the day or the fire during the night. And it was always there.

Don't you wish it were that easy? Sometimes I do. I wonder if the Israelites felt great relief in not having to make those decisions for themselves. No one wondered where or when. The pillar of cloud or fire showed them when and led them where. It could not have been more clear.

Sometimes God still helps us out by making things obvious for us. A friend struggling with the decision of having more children suddenly discovers she is pregnant. I'd say that's a pillar of cloud. Another who wrestles with the decision to leave a difficult job is suddenly downsized. Pillar of fire, don't you think?

But for all those less obvious times, we are not helpless. Thousands of years later, I'm comforted by two things:

First, I am guided by God's Word, the Bible.

"Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."
Psalm 119:105

But unlike the nation of Israel, it has to be my choice to keep it before me each day. And to follow.

Second, I have the Holy Spirit.

"And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever."
John 14:16

Forever. Always there. Just like the pillars, but even better. Personal, comforting, and ever-present.

What are you looking to for guidance as you look into the days ahead?

History

2010-09-18T22:10:00.004-06:00

Shortly after my resolve to post more frequently, we left town on a spontaneous road trip to Chicago. My hubby’s grandmother passed away on Sunday, and we went to be with the rest of his family to celebrate her life. In four days, we spent less than 48 hours at our destination and more than 36 hours in the minivan.

With three kids.

Including a 6-month-old.

And as exhausting as it was, it was so worth it.

It was worth it to be able to share hugs, tears, stories, laughter, and family history. It was a rich time of celebration and reflection on the life of a wise and whimsical woman.

But it was also worth it for these:

We were given stacks of photos of my husband as a baby and child. Neither of us had seen most of these.

Although they did look shockingly familiar.

Let me show you what I mean. Here's is my husband, back in the 70's:

And here is a photo from last month of my sweet baby boy, Adam:

(These are not my best photos of him, but I'm glad now that I have them for comparison sake.)

Okay, let's take one more look at dear hubby as a baby boy:

And Adam again:

The resemblance. Uncanny, wouldn't you say?

They say history repeats itself...

This one's worth at least a thousand words

2010-09-12T13:10:00.004-06:00

Truly, there are so many things that I could say... But I'm going to leave it at this: I am proud to call this man my husband.

Silence

2010-09-10T12:46:00.003-06:00

Yes, yes, I know. It’s been absolutely forever since I last blogged. 4-EVA. And looking back at the year as a whole, my posts have been few and far between. I can assure you that it is not for lack of material! My days have been full of fun and challenges, ups and downs, new experiences and the comfort of routine.

Call it writer’s block, busyness, or the sheer exhaustion of raising three young children, or perhaps it’s been the age-old saying, “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.”

More than that, I believe it’s the perfectionist in me that wants every post to be better and more creative than the one before. But that false expectation has kept me from sharing the fun and the challenges, the ups and downs, the new experiences and the comfort of routine. And it has kept me from my favorite creative outlet—writing!

Well, folks, I want to keep it real. Not everything in life is pretty, and some days are pretty rough in this head (and this house) of mine. And though I do my best to focus on all that is good and beautiful (for there is plenty!), if you keep coming back you might catch glimpses of “bad” and “ugly” along with their sibling “good.” (No, those are not nicknames for my children!) But all of it is a part of the journey that makes up the whole of life.

Okay, now I’m rambling. All this to say, I’m banishing whatever has been keeping me from the keyboard.

I’m back, baby.

School's In

2010-08-05T11:39:00.005-06:00

I'm not sure that anyone besides the grandparents really want to see my daughter squinting into the morning sun on our unfortunately-east-facing front porch, but I simply could not let this day go by without a post.

Today is Lucy's first day of First Grade.

*sigh*

And here she is among the masses of kids and parents creating The Chaos of the first day of school.
From 9 until 4, five days a week, someone else gets to enjoy her smile, her creativity, her silliness, and to help fill her eager mind. As much as I am so grateful for the wonderful opportunity for her to get an education so close to home, I can't help but feel just a little bit sad that this day came way too fast for my liking.

Sum-Sum-Summertime

2010-07-30T13:43:00.008-06:00

Back in May, I was somehow under the misconception that summer break would allow a nice slow pace and all kinds of time to relax and catch up with friends and do whatever in the world we wanted. I was partially right, but "slow pace" will not be a phrase I mistakenly use again when speaking of future summertime fun. And in a word, it has flown by way too fast.

With the start of Lucy's school year just a few days away (you heard me, days), I realized how poorly I've done in blogging this summer. Not that I haven't written several dozen posts in my head, but getting to hash them out on the keyboard has been a different story (see above paragraph).

So, here are a few updates and highlights from our summer...

First, we had to use our friends' idea of making a "summer fun" checklist to make sure we didn't miss out on anything we had talked about doing. We've gotten through most of it (and a few, like "ice cream," numerous times).

Then we got a pool. Uh huh.

But apparently it wasn't big enough for daddy's liking. And when Lucy set up her 'waterslide,' she hit the far wall of the pool and went flying into the grass. So he took it back and got a bigger one. (I use the word bigger quite lightly.)
It made the kids hungry...

...and tired.
Shortly after the start of summer break, Lucy lost her first tooth. But in true Lucy fashion, it is still in her possession. She has a hard time saying goodbye. I have no idea where she gets that from.

We had several visits from family and friends. Grandma came, and Auntie and Uncle Chris, and some of our nearest and dearest friends who still like us (we think) even though we have all known each other since college. Just a year apart and both sporting gaps in their teeth, Lucy and Erikson have been pals from before they can remember.

And Libby was born the day after Josiah. With both of them approaching their 3rd birthday, they may share their smiles and their strawberry-blonde coloring, but nothing else.

Joey learned to help daddy in the yard.

This is his tough guy pose. Is it convincing?
And someone turned "this many."

And dear, sweet, "little" Adam. What has he been up to this summer? Growing. And growing. I love this photo because the perspective makes his chin and cheeks look extra huge. Oh, who am I kidding, they are extra huge.

These ham hock thighs remind me of Joey...that is, Joey at about one year old.
But he is rolling and laughing, cuddly and sweet, and always smiley.

Ah, summertime. You have been very good to us. Too brief, but very good.

Adventures in Nuclear Medicine

2010-06-28T21:38:00.006-06:00

A little over a year and a half ago, we spent some quality time at Children's Hospital with our son, Josiah. So when we returned this morning with our 3-month-old Adam, it was a familiar scene. Just a slightly different cast of characters.

The MAG3 is a procedure performed to observe the function of the kidneys. Both of Adam's kidneys have shown to have an enlarged renal pelvis (the part that collects urine before it is released into the bladder), and his doctor ordered this test to find out why, and also to determine if it's something that will need to be fixed or something he will grow out of.

We did a little research and asked some questions and felt that we were fairly well prepared for what to expect from this day. We knew that he would have a catheter put in place to keep his bladder empty. We knew that he would need an IV to inject the material that would be traced by the scanning equipment through his little body. We knew that he would need to lie "still" for the better part of an hour, if not more. We knew that the staff at Children's is excellent and we could trust them. And we knew that it would be just as hard on John and I to watch as it would be on Adam to be watched.

What I was not prepared for was the sheer intimidation of the machinery when we were escorted into the room. I kind of had something in mind like an ultrasound machine in a little exam room. Maybe a few computer monitors and some wires. And of course a paper-covered table.

But the door opened before us into a room that seemed the size of a gymnasium, and the site of The Machine literally took my breath away, not to mention a wall covered with computers, and a door labeled "DANGER: RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS." Just to think this was necessary to look at the inner workings of my tiny son.

But then I looked around and saw Dumbo and Winnie the Pooh on the walls. And I saw the smiles on the faces of our wonderful technicians. And none of it phased Adam who seemed to be grinning with his whole body at anyone who would come close enough for him to see.

You know, it wasn't fun -- being strapped down for over an hour, the placement of the catheter, the concept of nuclear medicine, and the difficulty of finding a vein for his IV (who knew that baby fat made it so difficult? -- oh, and does my boy have rolls!).

But none of that is what brought me to tears.

It was the kids.

It was the families walking through the lobby, or waiting their turn in admissions along with us. It was the kids with casts and leg braces and wheelchairs. Kids with masks and rolling IVs. Kids with oxygen tubes. Kids who were visibly ill. Kids who clearly were used to this place because of how often they were there.

I remember having these same thoughts and feelings a year and a half ago, but in the distraction of getting Adam there this morning, I had forgotten. And I was not prepared. It broke my heart all over again.

We don't know what tomorrow brings, but we are relieved that this morning is behind us, and as grateful as we are to have a place like Children's Hospital so close to home, we hope and pray that we won't have the necessity to become too familiar with that amazing place.

I hugged all three of my 'babies' a little tighter today.

On why I don't use the phone

2010-06-02T19:28:00.003-06:00

I wish I had my video camera handy tonight. Or at least a witness. But I'll try to paint the picture for you...

John wasn't home yet, and I was working on getting dinner together.

Adam was crying (simply because this is the fussy time of day for my two-and-a-half month old baby).

Josiah was in his own little world, playing with his cars and singing 'Mary Had A Little Lamb' at the top of his lungs.

Lucy decided that this was THE moment she just HAD to explain something to me about the game she was playing on the computer. In a voice loud enough to be heard over both of her brothers.

And I just busted out laughing. How could I help it? This is my life. And I love it. I love my little noise-makers.

But next time you try to call me, realize that this is probably what's happening on the other end. Which is why I most likely will not answer.

Give me a year or three and I'll call you back.

In honor

2010-05-31T16:45:00.003-06:00

In honor of Memorial Day, I wanted to direct you to one of my favorite blogs and this amazing spread of photos that brought me to tears for so many reasons.

Kindergarten: The End

2010-05-25T13:18:00.002-06:00

There she goes. The last time she'll look so tiny walking into her school, carrying a backpack that is half as large as she is. The last time she'll be among the smallest and youngest kids going through those doors.

A whole year of school is behind her. Finished. Accomplished. She's grown so much, and I don't just mean that she's taller.

Today was the end, but really it's just the beginning--of our first summer break! And of realizing and trying to grasp that I have a six year old first grader. *Gulp*

We had a fun morning celebrating with her class, but as she gave her teacher one last hug the tears began to flow. I almost lost it, too, but managed to hold it together and give her a comforting hug. Phew!

From those who have gone before me, I'd love to hear that it gets easier with each year, or at least with each child. But I have a feeling there are very few words of comfort out there for this sentimental mama to hear...