Saturday, November 22

Music of the Season

Well, I've been a bit silent around our blog lately and possibly for good reason...possibly not. I've had some very up days and surprisingly very down days lately. This has kind of taken me by surprise during a pregnancy that I've expected to be full of glow and bliss. The hormones and emotions that are so common during pregnancy are hitting me harder than they did with my other pregnancies. Not to mention more anxiety. But God has been good and is walking through these days with me and showing me how to deal with the sometimes sleepless nights and the somewhat down days.
With Thanksgiving approaching next week (my most favorite time of the year...probably even my fave holiday!) I have had so much to focus on with a thankful heart. For the past month, our women's Bible study at church has also been about Prayer and Praise. We are reading through each Psalm, writing down attributes of God and noting how He turns the negative things into positive praise and focus on His sovereignty. It's been a great exercise to keep my mind on God's truth and off the lies that sneak in when I'm down or anxious.
With much to look forward to this week and over the next month, I am also getting so excited to pull out the Christmas music and start playing it non-stop! I usually restrain myself until after Thanksgiving, but Walmart and certain other stores I frequent have left me at their mercy to listen against my will! I do feel for those poor employees that have to hear to it for 2 months straight! Thankfully, I get to CHOOSE which songs I listen to!
Brent and I are big Casting Crowns fans and bought their Christmas CD several weeks ago. Can't wait to pop that one in and wear it out. I'm also checking out Mandisa's songs on iTunes and reading how great her new release is. Saw that Harry Connick Jr. has a new Christmas CD out...it's only $7.99 on iTunes...maybe there's a reason it's so cheap. We've all had fun with "When My Heart Finds Christmas" and the boys love a few of the songs on that one.
So what do YOU know? What's worth picking up to listen to these days and what's worth leaving for Walmart to put their employees over the edge this time of year?

Sunday, October 12

Taking in some Tunes

Last week, we were blessed by our friends, Stef & Sandi, when they invited us to The United Tour...Steven Curtis Chapman & Michael W. Smith on stage together sharing their music! They have never performed together on tour, so that was pretty cool to be there on the opening night.

Being long time fans of both artists, Brent & I agreed that Steven Curtis Chapman still has the most impact on us. This is partly because of his family's amazing story of hope and how they are boldly choosing faith in God during a tragic event in their lives. He shared why he believes that God is still calling him to sing and tour...he wasn't sure he'd be able to continue that career after the loss of his youngest daughter. We and countless others are so thankful that Steven and his family are still sensing God's plan in their lives. They have been a HUGE blessing to so many already!

The 2 artists are also bringing their older sons on tour with them to play back up guitar & keyboard. It was neat to see the duos displaying their musical ability!

It was a blessing to hang out with Stef & Sandi, especially in the midst of his fierce battle with cancer. Please keep praying for Stef, as he's in the middle of radiation treatments and much pain right now. Thanks Stef & Sandi, for making it a fun night and blessing us, even in the midst of your trials right now!

Thursday, September 25

Free Download!

So there's finally a new song on the playlist over there. Thanks to this site, I got a free download and I'm liking it! I've heard a lot of Lincoln Brewster, mostly on our local radio station, but I haven't "picked up" on him yet. But I am liking this song...Today is the Day. Get this song free (and a new one every week) when you have an account with them.

Taken straight from Psalm 118:24 -
"This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it."

Learned this one young, but it's so true that no matter what our day holds, we can trust that God made it for a reason and we can be glad! What a great song to hear each morning...especially the ones when we're dragging. I probably won't be doing any jumping around to it as I get ready though...can you envision that with my growing belly?

"And I won't worry about tomorrow, I'm trusting in what you say...today is the day."

Monday, September 22

Birthday Boy

Little Brudder just celebrated his 4th Birthday! Seems unreal...he's such a big kiddo now. And we're gonna keep him for a while longer. Especially if he keeps being so sweet and fun!

We had some fun making big of his day as a family!
Big Brudder gave him his present the minute he woke up. He was pretty excited for his Brudder.

Opened presents & cards on dad & mom's bed in the morning.
Had lunch at Friday's and was treated to a BIG birthday sundae!
Was scared to death by the servers while they sang to him. Every single server came out from behind him to clap & sing. It was super loud! Nearly made him cry...but when they walked away, he recovered well by diving into the sundae!
(I think the big man sitting behind us was going to cry too! He had to cover his ears, because he was just as scared when the commotion started. Kinda funny)

We're so blessed by this boy...God has definitely made someone special in Little Brudder. We hope he never forgets it!


Uninvited project

A new project was dropped onto Brent's plate after the storm. Our awesome Bradford pear tree that gave us so much great shade needed to come down after some wind damage. This thing was so tiny when we moved in 9 years ago.1999...little tree on the left side of the house

These trees are known for getting really big and full. Also known for splitting easily.
2008...after Brent had already cut 1/2 of it away

I am mourning the loss. Couldn't plant much under this tree because it took all the light, but it was best thing for reducing the electric bill in the summer. We can already tell a BIG difference on these 85 degree days. I dread next summer!

Attempting to see the positive...
1) We have a new house. Okay, at least a house that can be seen from the street now.
While it was on the market last year, it was kind of funny to see the listed picture. You thought we were selling a garage with a bedroom above it.


2)We also have firewood...holler if you need some bonfire wood.

3) Brent is now a pro at running a chainsaw. He didn't lose any of his limbs, thank God.

Any ideas of things to plant in FULL sun?

Tuesday, September 16

After the storm...

We've had an exciting weekend and now things have somewhat calmed down. Our crazy effects from hurricane Ike have put some things into perspective for me.

We had finally purchased a stove, after shopping around for a day or two. Took our business to a smaller appliance store here in town, b/c we heard they have great service. They price matched also, so we wanted to give them the business, rather than to the monster chain stores.
However, when I heard it would still be another 4-5 days before they delivered our stove, I had a meltdown. I reconsidered taking our business to a chain that could deliver when I wanted it. Total wake-up call of how much I am a part of the "me" society that we're plagued by. At least I could say I was trying to look out for the good of my family and our eating habits. But I still wanted the stove when I wanted it.

Then Sunday came and the storm rolled in. We've never had a storm like that...75 mph winds...no rain...just crazy winds. We woke up from our naps that afternoon to part of our maple tree down in the backyard. The power went out right when I woke up and we spent a lot of time outside wondering how long the winds could keep blowing. Enjoyed dinner out with our friends and realized that even if I had my stove when I wanted it, it would be in vain at this point. Sources were telling us the power would be out for up to 7 days.

Went to the store to get "D" batteries for our flashlights...along with everyone else in town. There were NONE on the shelves. I even knew the hidden spots for batteries in the store...they were cleaned out. I spotted a set on a random shelf and snatched them so fast...I thought I needed to run in case someone mugged me for the batteries. It was a pretty crazy place.

Came home and part of our tree out front had fallen on the house. Thankfully extremely minor damage, but we have to sacrifice our shade-bearing tree. So sad about that. Our friends with a small t.v. told us there was no school on Monday. We've never had school cancel for power outages! Brent woke up early Monday to beat the rush and buy a generator. Monster chain stores had none...we had already sent them south for the hurricane recovery. There were 2 for rent. Brent got one and we split it with the neighbors. Powered up the basics... fridge, freezers, T.V. & of course, the Wii. Just the basics, ma'am, just the basics.

Friend came over to cut down the small part of tree that landed on the front of our house. He'll come back to help take out the rest later.
Boys played & played & played with neighbor buddies.
I had a dr. appt. and they still had power! We'll find out whether the baby has indoor or outdoor plumbing in 3 weeks!! Can't wait.
Power came back on 24 hours after it went out. We are so thankful, but kept praying for many around us that still didn't/don't have power.
School cancelled again today. Tomorrow everyone goes back.

Boy, I realized my reasons for meltdown don't pale in comparison to what some people are experiencing down south. We had the tiniest glimpse of what life is like with no power. Add flooding, scarce food & nowhere to call home to that. Wow. We'll keep praying for them for sure. They have a real reason for meltdowns...hopefully they're all stronger than me in the face of those circumstances though!

Monday, September 8

We chucked it out.

You sure wouldn't think that it would be such a tough decision about throwing out food and going out to eat. But that was a hard call for us. Not to mention I was tired and ready to get everyone to bed...a time when making wise choices becomes difficult for everyone in the house...most of all for me!

So we chucked all the food out. And we've done a little shopping for a stove. But that's not a quick process either, when you've never had to make that decision for yourselves! We know we're switching to gas and we'll have to put in a gas line for the stove. That probably means we'll be forking out for fast food several more days...ugh.

Shopping for major appliances goes like this for me...I need a stove, but I'm having more fun looking at refrigerators. We've replaced all of our appliances except for the fridge and we know that's coming soon. Not to mention, they have a much wider selection to choose from. But I need a stove...I am such a decisive & focused person!

Maybe we'll have a home cooked meal by the end of this week...if we're lucky! If I were as disciplined as my friend, Haylee, over at HaybeeBaby, our family would be well fed on raw foods. I've been intrigued by her new food choices...she's made it a long process to change over, but I can tell she loves it! She's amazingly creative too, so enjoy all that she creates and concocts in her "spare" time!

Thursday, September 4

What would you do?

We came home from soccer practice tonight to indulge in a meal that I had prepared earlier today. I left it in the oven on 200 to finish cooking and joked that I'd probably burn the house down. When we all returned with rumbling bellies, I opened the oven and felt no heat. The heating element/coil/not-sure-what-you-call it had burned out. I felt the dish and it was still hot, but noticed a type of film all over the oven. It sort of looked like there was a fire in the oven. I also noticed the clock was not working any longer...either the oven was completely dead or the breaker was tripped.

I called our knowledgeable neighbors to see what was most likely going on. She confirmed that the coil had burned out and that usually trips the breaker. She also said we shouldn't eat our meal, because of the possible contamination by fumes.

Normally, I invite any excuse to go eat out. However, I was craving this roast & it was too close to bedtime to think about going out. I also don't have a whole lot for back up in the house...that sounds appealing to this pregnant lady anyhow! So I didn't like the idea of throwing out a delicious (and expensive) roast. We considered that the lid was on and seemed to have protected the food. There was a film on the outside of the dish and it's lid, yet none on the inside rim of the dish.

Why is this such a tough decision for me this time around? I've done it before, but usually because I botched it up or burned it.

What would you do...would you risk it or chuck it out?


(We did end up loading up in the van and heading to the boys' absolute favorite place...Mickey D's. But I'll save the food, until I know for sure whether I'll be poisoning my family!)

Wednesday, August 27

New clothes for new life

Just wanted to post an opportunity to share some spare change and buy some new uniforms for some precious children in the Dominican Republic.

Several months ago I posted about God opening doors for us to come alongside Makarios International by sponsoring a child. We have been blessed to support & pray for "our girl" and hear updates, not only about what she's learning and how she's excelling in school, but also about how the other children are being impacted by God's work at Makarios.

At the beginning of this school year, just like we do here in the States, Makarios has costs for new uniforms for those growing kiddos, among other starting expenses. Consider whether you could help any of these kids through this ministry.

Don't quote me on this, but I believe that $10 will help to cover the costs of a new uniform for each child.

You can simply send a donation to the address listed on the bottom of their homepage. If you have any more questions about sponsoring a child or about the ministry, their people are so caring and helpful...I'll send you one of their email addresses. And while you're checking out their homepage, dive a little deeper to learn more about their passion to reach the Haitians & Dominicans there! It's pretty amazing...God is doing a great work!

Monday, August 25

Love this computer

Brent did a work on this computer...after we took it to the Geek Squad and they told us what to do. But he did the work and now I can log in to my favorite stuff again! I'm pretty excited about a faster computer back in action. Let's see if it actually makes an impact on my blogging frequency. I was ready to send it back and jump to mac...but we're not ready for that price increase quite yet!

In other news...our hermit crabs are still alive, after 2 days. In fact, they both moved to a new "home" the day that we brought them to OUR home! After our day at COSI, the boys found a new shell for them from a random collection here at home. They put them in the crab's containers, we left for a couple hours to run some errands & we returned to find original shells were empty. The boys were so thrilled! Just wish we could have witnessed their moving skills! Little Brudder's actually moved again that night while we slept, after we had offered him yet another shell from the collection. What fascinating creatures!

The boys and their new pets - "Crabby" & "Hermit"
Wow, we exude creativity!

Feeling a bit more energy these days. Felt quite productive today, which hasn't really been the case for quite some time. Now that I have this computer back at my disposal though, the productivity around the house may decrease again. I can still play that pregnancy card, I think. Brent may be on to me soon though! :-)

Saturday, August 23

Catching up!

It's been quite a month full of wrapping up summer vacation! My mom came for her annual Longaberger Bee and stayed with us. It's always fun to have her out here for a few days. She's usually back and forth from downtown Columbus, where her meetings are and then to the Longaberger Homestead, for her big shopping & basket-making day. We did a little shopping while she was here and she also watched the boys for us while we had a date night!

We turned around and drove her back to Iowa with us when we took our annual trip to visit our families. A week at the Bower's and a week at the Bailey's...we kept going, but also had some nice "down" days too. More on that trip later...but no promises with the way I'm blogging lately.

Back to Ohio for a week of catching up before Brent went back to teach and Big Brudder went off to school for his first time!! We were all very excited for school to start and see what this new world holds for all of us. Our school system does a staggered start where 1/3 of the class begins on Tuesday, 1/3 on Weds. & 1/3 on Thurs. Then they all return to bombard the teacher on Friday! I think the 2nd day was harder for me to let him go than the first.

Little Brudder starts pre-K next week and we are looking forward to his first experience there also. We think it will go well, but you never can tell, so we just keep praying.

Today we had some fun as a family and went to a COSI Hermit Crab workshop for the boys. (COSI is the kids' science center here in town. It was rated #1 in the US by Parents Magazine recently! A good friend of ours is director of membership there, so we just had to get a membership. :-) It's a treat to go whenever we have a chance!)

Back to today...the boys have been fascinated by ocean and water animals for quite some time. After our pet fish bit the dust, they started their request for hermit crabs. So this seemed like a perfect introduction to the creepy, crawly creatures. I signed them up ASAP when we learned about it!. A cool surprise was that each kid in the workshop was going to be taking home a pet crab after the class! The class was wonderful and had a great mix to keep them occupied. It was well worth the investment!

We had some lunch there and checked out the outdoor exhibits before catching the Extreme Screen movie. "Fly Me to the Moon" is now showing there in museum length (45 min...just perfect for their ages) and it's in 3D!! I don't know if all their movies are shown like that, but this was a neat one for the boys. Their first 3D movie, so we weren't sure if they'd keep the glasses on. If you didn't, it wasn't near as cool to watch. Kind of blurry and annoying, actually. It was very funny to see all the kids in the theatre reaching out to grab for the flies and other objects in the movie! The movie got poor reviews for the full-length movie, but we thought it was perfect for kids that are our boys' age! We say "Go see it!" if you're even considering it!

Sunday, July 20

Cute & funny

These boys of ours are such blessings and have kept us having fun and laughing this summer for sure. I had this goal of posting more frequently this month, but I guess life takes over sometimes. And then a computer goes nuts and won't let you login to your fave accounts. We still have a dinosaur computer to work off, but I don't dare try to upload pics/videos with it. I'd be here til next week. Therefore, no pics with this post. (I love to include pics...because I just love pics!)

Brent has spent much time with the boys lately. It's been so spoiling and has allowed me to have some shopping time and a chance to get things done that just need to get done. I had a doctor appt. last week and ran several errands that day too. Later that night, we were all driving in the van and our little guy piped up out of the blue,

"Hey Mom, how was your dr. appt.?" I didn't realize that he even knew what I was doing today.

"Great! Thanks for asking! I really like my new doctor." He melts my heart sometimes. My boy that is...not really my new doctor.

"What was your doctor's name?" He really wanted to keep chatting about this.

"Dr. Raymond is his name and he loves Jesus! That means a lot to us!" I said.

"Oh. I know a doctor and his name is Dr. Bob!" (The boys love their pediatrician.)

"You're right and he loves Jesus too! That's really special that both our doctors love Jesus."

"Yeah. And I love Jesus too! I will love Him for 100 days!"

Apparently that's a long time for a guy his age. He just makes us smile!

Then today, I asked the boys to help me clean up a bit. I was assigning them a task and the big brudder said,
"It would be great if I got to make all the rules around here."

"Oh really? What one rule would you make first?" I asked.

"You would be the one to do all the work around here." I guess that's his idea of a rule.

"Great. Then what would that make you?" (I was thinking he would answer "A spoiled brat" as that's what we tell them they'll be if they always get exactly what they want.)


"A dad."

Wow, how did he make the coorelation?? The one who does little work ends up being the dad? Hmmm....very interesting! Ha! Obviously, based on Brent's awesome involvement lately, he's not deducing that from our household. Not sure who else he's been watching though! :-)

Thursday, July 3

"New" friend in the blogosphere

As of late, several friends have started blogging and I'm so excited to hear from them! It's really cool that even when you know someone personally, you can get to know them even more through a blog and how they write. God had made people with so much depth...He's made so many sides to each person.

Enjoy the writings of a sweet friend, Heather, and what God's doing in her life and her family's life right now. She's always been one to keep ears open for God's voice. It sounds like He's speaking in His "loud voice" to them right now. :-) And they're following one step at a time. Her husband's been blogging for quite some time now and now he's got her connected! It's quite contagious, so be careful...you may be the next one to sign on!

Tuesday, July 1

Creation Education

We're going to rewind a couple of weeks back to our VBS week...

Operation Space: A Close Encounter with God's Word

...an excellent week and one of the most memorable each year for our family. Each year the curriculum is written around the truths of Creation Science and how God & His word relate to and fuel our lives today.

This year we focused on....SPACE (you guessed it) and the amazing way that God created our planet to be the perfect & only known place to display His glory in His own image - humans!

Our boys LOVED it and were so thrilled to start a new day & arrive at VBS each morning. We usually struggle during our busy weeks. So it was "somethin" that they didn't whine & throw fits when we had to get out the door in the am. Clearly the hand of God helping out in our daily lives and drawing our boys to love what they were learning about Him!


During the week, our good friend mentioned her son has been listening to a set of CD's called "The Jonathan Park Series." I wondered if they would be more appropriate for older kids, but we picked up a set at the VBS bookstore anyhow. Well...BOTH boys are HOOKED on them!

They ask to hear them in the van, no matter the length of the trip & as they go to bed at night. This 4-CD set is packed full of 12 episodes of adventure. While these made-for-radio dramas are classified as fiction, they are based on actual places & scientific discoveries. Brent and I have really enjoyed listening along and have learned a lot ourselves!

If you're looking for come good ear-candy for a road trip, we suggest Jonathan Park to keep the whole family in tune & learning more about defending our faith in God & His creation!

(Note some new sites that "grow me" in the sidebar!)

Thursday, June 26

Not by the hair on my chinny-chin-chin

No, we aren't growing facial hair already...if it weren't so bloody, it might look a little hairy though. We had our first encounter with sutures the other day. Poor guy took a good fall (with the help of his brother) and did a chin-plant. He had just finished up his 2nd day of swim lessons and was warming up in his towel. Therefore, he had no arms to catch himself. I can still hear the sound of him meeting the pavement. But we're thankful that his mouth didn't catch the fall. Brent and I were both expecting to see teeth laying on the cement after we picked him up. Thank you Lord!

Unfortunately, one of our little buddies just had stitches in his head a few days earlier, but it helped us know a little about what to expect. And unfortunately, this means he didn't finish swim lessons. Keeping us away from the pool is not an easy task. Hopefully we'll be making a splash next Monday, if all heals well. Til then, we amuse ourselves and fake it!
Even "Turdee" needs to protect his eyes from chlorine! (We are very literal in naming our pets in this house. One would hope that we could at least annunciate this one a bit better!)

Wednesday, June 25

"Donate" a recipe!

This post is coming from a girl who doesn't really enjoy cooking, but realizes it's a necessity b/c I have a family. My husband is quite possibly THE most finicky eater in the world (can I get an "Amen?" But he's growing by leaps and bounds in the "expanding your palette arena") So...finding a GREAT meal to make has not been easy for almost 9 years of marriage. I also realize that if we want to socialize, I have to be able to provide an appetizer/goody-of-some-sort now and then at a get-together. Baking...not my forte nor a strong interest.

Hopefully that preface served it's purpose to prove that I am not a great cook, yet even I contributed to my friend's work over at It's me...jen. Jen is collecting recipes to publish and send out to anyone that would like to contribute. What a great way to gain some fresh ideas for the kitchen. Who can't use a tried & true recipe every once in a while?

(Brent would like to ask that all recipes omit any cream cheese, cream sauces, tomatoes, green veggies, mushrooms...yada, yada, yada. But if any of the aforementioned ingredients won't be detected...go for it!)

Friday, June 13

Videos...

Alrighty, this was easier than I thought it would be. Had to post a couple of great videos of the boys. I included them in the slide shows earlier, but I guess they don't play fully when you watch the slide show. They just appear as a picture. Lots to learn here! :-) I've been trying to figure out how to rotate a video.


I did too much talking on this video and didn't even let him answer my questions...poor lil guy. Mommy needs to shut her mouth while videoing.




Our little TKD master! It was so fun to watch all the kids break their board.

Back Home

We've kept super busy this week with Vacation Bible School and Safety Town for Braden. So busy that we haven't paid much attention to the news. Several people asked us this morning if our families were affected by the floods in Iowa. We were so ashamed to say that we hadn't heard about it yet.

It's not looking good right now. I did call my mom and thankfully my parents & grandparents don't have a lot of water in their house yet. We'll check in on Brent's parents soon too.

After looking online, there are so many people affected by the flooding there. The rivers are cresting above flood level. Many cities with any type of river running through them are trying to build up their levies. 83 out of the 99 counties have been declared disaster areas. They keep referring back to the floods of 1993 (which I do remember being devastating for many) and this year is much worse.
Pray for those people if you think of it, because this becomes your life when you are in the midst of it. Pray for their safety and especially for the farmers. They had a very rough spring trying to get their crops planted in the fields. I can't imagine where this puts them.

More on VBS later...

Tuesday, May 27

Let's see how this goes.

I've wanted to post a bunch of pics for a while, so I'm attempting to post a couple of slideshows today! There are a couple of movie clips included in the slide show, but now my challenge is to figure out the best way to post an individual movie...any suggestions? (Blogger movie vs. some other app?)

Braden took TaeKwon Do Jr. this past winter/spring and really enjoyed it. He and his buddy did well, as they were the youngest in their class! The class was offered at a church in town. Three high school students taught the class and did a fine job keeping these guys on track. The coolest thing about the class, in addition to teaching them skills, discipline & respect...they focused on worshiping God and doing their best for Him. Very well done!



This weekend, we ushered in the summer season and we are so happy that it's nearly here! Right as we were "closing up shop" at our garage sale, my parents drove up. They had JUST arrived after their drive from Iowa for a visit. They have impeccable timing...this is rare in our family, but we'll take it when we can get it! :-)

We are so thankful for them & the memories we get to make with them. They are nature lovers and help to foster our boys' love for the great outdoors. I'm telling you what, my mom can find the details in nature and point them out like no other. I love it. My dad just "loves a little fresh air." Apparently, we don't have that in our house! lol! It was so fun to explore with them at the parks we visited.

After shopping a bit at a nursery with my mom, we went fishing at a metro park, hiked at Hocking Hills, then had a cookout with some neighbors. Now I'm fighting a bit of a sinus infection, which usually happens after we go, go, go. But it was well worth all the running and late nights to have quality time with our family.

Wednesday, May 21

Comfortable

Man, I'm terrible at this blogging thing lately. We actually have had quite a bit going on and we're really loving the life that Spring brings. This past week, on top of normal routine, we enjoyed a 5K, golfed a round & sang our hearts out for Jesus! :-) Braden sang in Life School Musical, the children's musical at church that they've been working on for about 4 months now. All the kids did an awesome job and the women that directed did a phenomenal job also. They always do! The musical was about a girl reluctantly moving to a new school and learning that the key to life is Jesus, not the comforts of the places she keeps moving to. Pics to follow...we have video but I have yet to tackle that on the blogosphere.

This isn't too exciting, but we've been cleaning & organizing machines in our garage & basement. We are trying to purge our place of clutter and stuff that we have WAY too much of. I long for a more simple way of life...without clinging to the things we think we "need" to have. We tend have a crazy mentality that having things makes our lives easier/better. That is such a bunch of hooey (Love that word from my sister's dialect). We are trying to teach our boys how to live thank-FULLY without HAVING so much. I think this will be a life-long process, unless we relocate to the jungle and leave it all behind. ('Til God moves us there, that won't be happening!) We'll just keep being thankful to live in a country where we CAN but don't HAVE to have these things.

Not entirely related, but making me think about our efforts and "does this really matter right now," I love This post. It's a great reminder of seeking what God's wanting to do in our lives...even in the details of our not very exciting activities. Are we hearing Him in whatever we're doing? Hmmmm......

Friday, May 9

His Grace is Enough

A couple of weeks ago, we were all taking Braden to school and a favorite song came on called "Your Grace is Enough." Generally, the kids are dominating the music choice in the van, but today, Brent and I had a voice! Amazing!
I ran in a friend's house to drop something off and Brent and Brooks had a nice little conversation about "Your Grace is Enough." Brent usually sings loud enough so that the rest of us don't have to be heard. The boys think that because he sings it that loud, it must be his favorite song. So the guys were discussing whether this was in fact one of Brent's favorites. They both agreed that it could be a favorite. :-)
Later that day, the kids and I were at the zoo. They were starting to get a little tired and they usually kind of slip into their own zone. As we were walking by each animal home, I kept hearing Brooks singing. Finally I said, "Watcha singing there, Brooks?"

"I shingin' my favrit song. Your graaaaace is enough....your graaaaaace is enough....your graaaaaace is enough....your graaaaaace is enough....." and he just kept singing it.

I loved knowing that he is listening and something is sticking. Our prayer is that he will always remember that God's grace is enough for him. It's so easy to get caught up in what we think works to give us significance/purpose in life. I am the first to get all that confused & jumbled. But after a while, it's so clear that my idea of what works, isn't working so well. It's so obvious that there's got to be One Single Source out there to define our worth and what we're about...can't be ourselves, as that is all so relative.

Thank you God for giving us worth through your grace...your undeserved love toward us. Help us to rest in your grace that is enough!

Monday, May 5

Story of Audrey Caroline

The story of Audrey Caroline Smith is not one that will die any too soon. It's clear that Audrey's family trusts in God's purpose for her story. (Thank you to Jenny for passing this along to me! I feel compelled to pass it along, b/c it's so moving.)

This couple, Angie & Todd Smith (from the group Selah) have been walking a dark path for several months, but they testify that they have not been alone or abandoned by the same God that walked with us through our loss. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE how Angie & Todd talk in the first video about God redeeming the loss of Audrey. That is His business....redeeming losses.

The first video is an interview that was used by a pastor in the Nashville area during the series he was preaching. (It's about 25 minutes long) The second is one that Angie posted on her blog. When you have some time, sit down to watch & read and bring a box of tissues.


Smith Family Story from Matthew Singleton on Vimeo.

Friday, May 2

Bugs!


We have some new pets around the house these days. The boys are raising ants! :-) They received an ant farm for Christmas, so we sent away for the ants. A few days ago, we received our ants in the mail. They came in a little test tube. I think 12 of them were alive, but some didn't make it through the tumultuous trip in the mail.
It actually is really fun to watch them make their tunnels or whatever you call ant homes. We've feed them hamburger meat & banana so far. What a trip! Thanks to my brother's family for the gift...it's a great idea! My SIL is always finding great ideas for the kiddos...she's so creative and is great at fostering kids' love for creation and thinking outside the box.

Wednesday, April 30

"Adopting" a child

The week of my D&C, so many friends and family came around us and supported us. The ladies from my Moms2Moms table were so gracious and generously gave Brent and me tickets to a Casting Crowns concert and a gift certificate to dinner. Two of my friends even volunteered to babysit the boys for us! They had the night planned out for us and greatly blessed us with a little time together during the rough week.

At the concert, the bands shared the opportunity to support kids in need through World Vision. We have listened to many presentations about supporting kids during several concerts. The church I grew up in encouraged the youth to serve outside the box and commit to supporting kids through Compassion International. Our local radio station supports Mission of Mercy.

Opportunities abound with so many organizations to support. However, I have never sensed God moving us toward any of these ministries, as awesome as they are. Somewhat because I felt "we didn't have the resources" and also because I didn't want to do it, just to say we did it.

So to make this about God... and not about something we are doing...He spoke to our hearts about "adopting" a child. For the first time, we see our role in making a difference and teaching our boys about this bigger world around us. We may not have a 3rd child of our own, but we can adopt one from another part of the world! We are so excited about this opportunity.

It just so happened at the same time God was moving our hearts toward supporting a child, an organization called Makarios International was encouraging people to support the children within their ministry. This amazing ministry in the Dominican Republic was founded by a friend from college. (Check out their site & information...you'll be moved!) So I contacted her and mentioned that we are feeling God's prompting us to make something good of our loss. I hadn't explained many of the details, but we were touched when Sharla responded and assigned us a GIRL to support. Coincidence? I think not! God so perfectly plans out the smallest details. And although we aren't surprised, we are thrilled that He cares so much about us to show Himself in these ways. He allows us to be a part of His plan in the life of someone we have not yet met.

Monday, April 28

More closure

Several weeks ago, we received a little more closure about the cause of our miscarriage. This has brought some healing and God is good for giving it to us. I haven't taken the time to post about it, but I have more to share...so I thought I'd explain what we heard. We originally didn't expect to receive any answers about "why" the baby didn't live. I asked the dr. during our 2nd ultrasound/2nd opinion about having testing done on the baby, after it was confirmed that the baby was not living and a D&C was necessary. She kind of discouraged us and said there was "really only one genetic disorder that could be determined from the blood testing." That seemed strange to me, b/c genetics determine so much about a human...it contains the majority of our makeup. I didn't understand her explanation, but I'm no medical professional.

A 3rd doctor from my practice performed the D&C. Dr. Sodor was much more compassionate than the other drs. and actually considered my request for testing, without shooting me down. She started to hem-haw around about it. "We won't get able to get the results back for about 4 weeks, near the time of your post-op appointment."
"We want it done," I said, as gently as possible. Funny what happens when you get a little adamant! (Not generally in my nature, unless Brent is involved. :-)

4 weeks later, I had my post-op appt. I actually forgot to ask about the results. The next day, we were checking in at the airport and received a call. The test results came in that day and they had some findings. Kind of nerve wracking, so I asked if she could call back after we were finished checking in. I was a bit anxious to hear the details.

When Dr. Sodor called back, she was so kind and explained that the baby had a chromosomal disorder called Turner Syndrome. (Read here for more about Turner Syndrome.) It's a disorder that affects only females, yet most miscarry at some point during gestation. Our baby was a girl!!! Several people had suggested that we name the baby, but we just couldn't without knowing the sex of the baby. We still have not chosen to name the baby, but feel like these results offered a little more healing.

According to statistics, our baby was spared a rough life, had she survived a live birth. God's plan is so amazing and we continue to praise Him for being in control.

Sunday, April 20

Back in action

We've been out of the blogging world for a while lately and all for great reasons. Spring is here and we are back in action!!
Thanks for all your prayers and concerns about getting home after the Skybus ordeal. Amtrak helped us out immensely. The thought of renting a car entered my mind for a short while, but I didn't realize they have one-way rentals, so I passed over the idea. Better to have someone else doing the driving, than myself...I think.
My nerves really worked me over as we waited in the Milwaukee station. I asked my SIL to pray for us when she dropped us off there. I felt like I was going to be surrounded by weirdos on the train. I called my friend who had done this before for reassurance about our safety. I also envisioned having to identify people after they committed some crime against my boys and me. So I used my camera phone and took pictures of a few people in the waiting area, just in case. Yes, I have to admit, I was the biggest freak on the train. I was giving them all something to worry about, I'm sure!
The boys did a great job riding the train. On a passenger car to Chicago, the first lurch out of the station was exciting. After that, the boys were all about their Leapster and watching videos on my iPod for the next hour. They weren't as enthralled as we expected.
Once we got off the train in Chicago to hop our train bound for Cleveland, the "adventure" began. I was really nervous about making that connection. As we left the passenger car, a man was waiting on a little transportation cart-type thing. I asked him where our train was and he said it was quite a walk. So we boarded his cart with our carry-on bags and experienced the boys' favorite part of the entire trip! This little cart whipped in and out on the narrow walkway between the trains. He was honking at people to get out of the way and making the boys laugh with every move. The driver said that most boys rarely want to get off his cart, b/c it's so much more fun than the train. Let's just say, I'm glad that he wasn't operating the train, however!
The attendants on the trains were very helpful and we were led to our assigned sleeper car. It was the size of a small walk-in closet, but the boys transformed into monkeys and found ways to move in that thing that amazed me. Suddenly they had urges to go potty about 4 times in a row, just so they could use the cool toilet and sink in our car.

Brooks is standing above the toilet and the bunk bed is to the right of his head. The "pink" sink pulled down out of the wall and then drained when you pushed it back into the wall. Funky stuff.
"When does this train leave?"
This is the sleeper and the 2 chairs turned into a bed for Brooks and me.

The other passengers peeked out of their sleepers and were so friendly and accepting. I suppose we provided the entertainment for them as we waited to depart. Most of them were professionals and shared their stories about where they were bound. I felt very comfortable after meeting a couple of them.
I still had apprehensions about how the sleeping arrangements would work out. Around 10 pm we left the station. The bunk bed had been pulled down from the ceiling and the bottom bed was made. The boys settled in and fell asleep quickly. I sat and watched out the window and talked on the phone with my mom. (extra reassurance needed from her too) Finally I squeezed myself on the "bed" next to Brooks and drifted in and out of sleep. It wasn't quality sleep by any means, as I felt every move of the train. I startled awake any time there was a loud bump on the tracks. At some points, the train seemed to float back and forth and I felt like we were going to crash. This is when I wished I were in control and driving! :-)
The train rolled into Cleveland around 6 am. The attendant woke me up and I woke the boys up out of their surprisingly deep sleep. So glad they had more faith in that train ride than I did...they slept like rocks! Our gracious friend, Angie, picked us up at the station at 6:30 am. and taxied us back to Columbus.
All in all...it was a great alternative to paying $1,500 to fly home. Will I ride a sleeper car again? Most likely not. Unless it's the size of a small country and has pillow top mattresses.

Artwork Idea

Thanks for all the ideas you shared with us to minimize the pain in throwing away "artwork" of the boys! Here is one more idea that is awesome, especially for older kids that are really into keeping their own calendar. What a cool way to show off their masterpieces for the entire year!
Create a calendar with the pictures that they've made! Take a look here to see how you can make one with snap.fish. I'm sure there are other programs to make one...this is where the idea came from.

Saturday, April 5

Skybust

Update: ALL ABOARD!!!! We have a solution to our problem...thanks to Amtrak! Thankfully I have boys that LOVE trains and LOVE adventure. We board in Milwaukee (1.5 hrs. from here), travel to Chicago & have a 1 hour break in Union Station. Then, we'll board a new train bound for Cleveland. The 2nd leg of our trip travels 8 hours through the night, so I booked a "Bedroom" cabin for us to sleep. Brent is planning to pick us up in Cleveland at 6:22 a.m. on Monday. The Amtrak assoc. was so helpful in booking this for me and it costs less than what our refund will be from Skybus. I am el Cheapo...and even tho time is money, I still don't want to shell out more greenage than is necessary to return home. A friend of mine travelled with her son on Amtrak through the night and had a great experience. I'm banking on experience here! :-)

Have you ever had a cheap getaway turn into the most expensive "vacation" you've ever taken? I'm in a pickle right now, b/c I decided to take a quick getaway with the boys using a "great" new airline called Skybus. Or as my friend Karen mistakenly thought it was called, "Skybust." (I think you may have the gift of prophecy!! lol)
We flew up to Wisconsin on an inexpensive flight to visit Karen & my SIL & my nieces. We paid less than $300 for round trip flights. The problem is, Skybust buckled before they could fulfill my return flight...today. "Houston, we have a problem!" Skybus is not arranging other flights for their customers. Their website says we should call our credit card company to request a full refund. They've never had a CS number to call, b/c they wanted to reduce costs to keep fares low.
Thanks to my friend Andrea for letting me know about the airline's sudden decision to close before I return to Columbus. Now I'm on a mission to figure out the cheapest way back to Ohio. This can not turn into the most expensive getaway! Having Brent pick me up just doesn't seem like a wise option. He's helping run a big basketball tournament in Hilliard this weekend, so that doesn't really work. We're looking online for a return flight - cheapest one flies out of Chicago (3 hours from here) to Dayton, but that will still cost $500. Amtrak can take us within 2 hours of our home (Cinci) and that is the very cheapest option. I think that would actually be kind of fun & the boys would love it...for the first hour of the 10 hour trip!
Please pray that we find a reasonable option to get home. Thankfully, we don't HAVE to be back in Ohio til Tuesday. I really feel for all the travelers that will have to get home at any cost...but I feel even more for those that don't know yet that Skybus has ceased operations. They'll have a surprise awaiting them at the airport for their return.

Saturday, March 29

He's a Keeper.

Lately I've become kind of sneaky around the boys, but I'm feeling a twinge of guilt for it. They both love to craft, play play-doh, use stickers...all that stuff.
But more-so, Braden LOVES to draw. He draws, cuts and creates all sorts of pictures. He likes to hang them in different places, hide them in his bed or in his toys...wherever. (He's always been one to keep even the smallest "precious" toy in the most secure place.) He's definitely a "keeper."
However, there's a point when I finally get tired of them lying around or looking at them on the walls/mirrors. We started asking him to pick out a few of them to keep and we'd have to throw some away. He knows that we just can't keep EVERYTHING! But asking him to part with them didn't work so well. He didn't want to get rid of any of them, regardless of whether he remembered them!
So the sneakiness sets in...
I have to "discard" them as best I can without him knowing. I try to keep the ones that seem important, but once in a while he's found the others in the trash. I can't lie, but I do try to act surprised to see them in the trash, so I don't hurt his feelings. Thankfully, he's not good at using the recycle bin yet. :-)
We want to foster his love for creating, but I'm tired of finding the remains everywhere...and I'm tired of feeling guilty for throwing away his "precious" work. I don't mind getting rid of things. (We're starting to do that with toys too, as they take over so rapidly!!!) But I could use a little help in figuring out the best way to do it, with the least opposition! Anyone been there and have some suggestions?

Thursday, March 27

Spots

Brent has had some spots appear on his face within the last couple of years. I'm sure it's just age, but we wanted to rule out any skin cancer possibilities, b/c they kind of looked like sunspots. He willingly let me schedule him an appointment with the dermatologist. Wow...that was amazing. I didn't have to argue with him over it. Men just love going to the dentist & doctor don't they? I think Brent has softened to the idea over the past years. He seems to have gotten over the fear of them...until today.

When I scheduled the appointment, I clearly stated that the spots were on his FACE. When he came home today, I asked him how it went.

"Did YOU schedule me for a full-body check?!?"

Ha, ha, ha!!!!! That was so funny. When the P.A. came in and handed him the paper robe, he said "I just need you to look at my face."

"You SHOULD do this once a year," she responded.

I don't think he cared what he SHOULD or SHOULDN'T do at that point. Thankfully, he knew he SHOULDN'T run out of the office at that moment. He endured it and the spots are enlarged oil glands. Phew!

We'll see if I get fired from my scheduling duties though!

Wednesday, March 26

I'm the biggest loser

Things have been up and down for me, emotionally, for the last few weeks. The hormone & other physical changes haven't been horrible, but slowed me down. We got away for a few days and it was a very refreshing break.

I had kind of a humbling experience while we were gone though...
We dyed eggs before Easter and Brent helped me measure out the water. I asked him to fill each mug with 1/2 cup water and I measured the vinegar and put the tablets in. After a while, we wanted more dye, so I filled one more mug with the mix. My mug had much less mix in it than all the others. We realized that Brent had measured 1/2 pint of water, rather than 1/2 cup. Oops! No biggie...but I had to make fun of him for sure!

Well, Brooks has been on amoxicillan for a few days. Instructions: 1 tsp twice a day for 10 days. Today, I realized we were running out of medicine. I also realized that I have been giving him 2 tsp. twice a day...for about 3 days. Oops!!! That made Brent feel much better about his measuring mistake and humbled me (and scared me for a minute) for sure!

I don't know what I was thinking in giving him that much. I will say I haven't been working with a full brain though. Don't try that at home...I'll be using much more caution in dosing my kids next time!

Friday, March 7

Another message

Real quick explanation: (Actually I never say anything quickly. :-) I don't have email addys for a few people that I know keep up with our lives on here, so I haven't been able to explain about the last few posts. God has sent another message that His plans are different for this time in our lives, and He took His/our baby to Heaven. We learned of this last Friday during an ultrasound. After a second ultrasound/opinion, it was clear that our baby's life on Earth had ceased. We are all claiming God's promises and believe that we'll meet that child in Heaven someday.

I feel led to be very open about this loss, as I feel this is how God will allow us to heal. Because we have been able to share our immense need for people's prayers, we have felt so loved, comforted and carried by the Spirit during this time.

The Next Message:
After the D&C procedure on Tuesday, I was wheeled out of the hospital by a volunteer. The last 2 times I was wheeled out, I carried a baby in my arms and it was pure joy. This time, they were obviously empty. We passed the gift shop and I glanced in the window to see some Willow Tree figurines lined up. "I would love to have one of those to take home with me," I thought as we passed by. Since the man was obviously on a mission to get me to the van, I decided to look for one at another gift shop someday. Things moved too fast to mention that thought to anyone else.

On Wednesday, a sweet friend called and said she was coming over to drop some things off. She has shared this same experience, but above that, has been here for Brent and me for years! (She was instrumental in hooking Brent and me up!) When she left, I was pulling the food out of the bag and felt some tissue paper in the bag also. As I grabbed it, I immediately knew what was wrapped up in the tissue. I started crying and unwrapped it to find a Willow Tree figurine. It is called "Angel's Embrace."

I actually couldn't have picked it out myself. We have a true visual of the hope of Heaven that we have and as I've said before, we're holding tightly to that hope.

Another message of love from straight from God...through the amazing kindness of a friend.

Tuesday, March 4

Rest

Today went so much better than expected..other than the drive to the hospital.
Late start + Rain + rush hour + Brent's overly-cautious driving = Grrrrrr!
The dr. asked me what kind of allergic reaction occurs when I have a certain drug.
"It makes her mean!" Brent said.
"So then, we should give her some?" the dr. laughed.
"Actually, morning traffic already did that trick." I said.
All in all the experience was so smooth and very uneventful. Thanks to lots of prayers being answered.
I believe it's a pretty minor surgery, but I was a little anxious about anesthesia. That wore off perfectly and I felt so rested when I woke up. I told the nurse that women really don't need massages, we just need a good amount of sedation every now and then. Works for me!
Brent assumed the caretaker role for the boys and I went straight to bed once we got home. I woke up rested (and hungry) and a sweet friend from church stopped over 10 minutes later with my favorite...chicken and noodles, veggies and Boston creme pie. She needs to market her food for sure! Oh nevermind, then her price would be too high for us!(She fed us many times while Brent and I were in the singles group at church...awesome to be served by her still today.)
Able to watch an Ellen rerun this afternoon...she's not my favorite as far as values, but I'm on the fence with Oprah right now. Anywho...Ellen seems to showcase talent of young people often and this girl warmed my heart today. I'll figure out how to add videos soon, but for now...check out Emily Bear. She's a child prodigy and will amaze you and steal your heart too.

Peace

The last few days, I've found myself singing a song taught "to the kids" when I was a counselor at Camp Forest Springs, in Wisconsin. That was nearly 15 years ago but it stuck for me! John & Diane Windle are a neat couple that are offering their talent & lives to share God's word through music at this camp and around the world! The song in my head is straight from the Bible. But it wouldn't still be there, were it not for their creativity. I can't imagine the number of kids that have God's word tucked in their hearts still today because of their fun songs.

The song: (no sound clips for you...sorry!)
"Peace I leave with you;
my peace I give you.
I do not give to you as the world gives.
Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."
John 14:27

Jesus gave this promise to His disciples before He died and left this world physically. But Jesus is actually here, being our peace and what I can cling to today. He gives a unique and unexplainable peace...the world we live in is not going to offer it. So I'm claiming His promise today.
A cliche saying...God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good. Today, I'm believing it.
Thanks John & Diane for helping me hide that verse in my heart!

Thursday, February 28

What's in a name?

Of course, names are on our brain lately...names for a baby...boy or girl. That was after we did some talking about adding a sibling to the family.

Braden's original thoughts about a baby: Not interested. "Babies chew on things and they will eat my Legos." This is going to go over really well.

Brooks' original thoughts about a baby: Whatever...he's excited or else he doesn't get it and will be dethroned once it gets here.

So we talked about how God planned this and knows even better than Daddy & Mommy how they will be excellent big brothers. Baby won't move for about 6 months...Legos will be safe until then. A little more peace for the big brother.
Next, we convinced them that they will play a big role in teaching the baby many things...they each could choose something right now.
Braden: He'll read to the baby.
Brooks: He'll teach the baby how to surf. That's crucial.

Now, name picking. Of course, we tried to come up with "B" names for a boy...possibly even more "Br" names. Tough. Mommy & Daddy have our girl name picked out...same one from our last pregnancies. (I told them I really like "Dori," my favorite character from Finding Nemo. lol)

Braden's thoughts: "If it's a boy, I want to name him An-THON-y!" He likes to annunciate that and it's a name of a new friend at school. No girl names...he didn't want a sister during discussion.

Brooks' thoughts: "If it's a boy, I want to name him Cody and Lani if it's a girl!" Those are the stars in his favorite kids' movie, Surf's Up. Can you tell there's a theme here? He prefers a sister. Again...don't know that he understands what's going to hit him if he gets his wishes.

Other names in the running...Billy-Bob-Joe; Katora (that's from my niece); Skyler (that's the name of another niece). Those probably won't make it to the final round.

Any ideas...we're happy to hear them! Early in the game...yes, but I usually can't make decisions to save my life, so we're starting now!

Wednesday, February 27

Sendin' a message!

A few years back, Brent's team had a really loud fan in the stands. He was there regularly and sounded a lot like Dick Vitale. (sp?) He made his presence known by yelling "Sendin' a message!!!!" when Darby had a good play or a great basket. You couldn't help but smile and laugh at his boldness.

Well, this story is a fun one about God sendin' us a message. One about His love for us and His desire to make Himself clearly known in our lives.

When Brent and I got married we talked about having 2 or 4 kiddos. After #2 actually came along though, I was willing to reconsider my desire for 4! It was a tough transition. We realized that I had more anxiety that needed to be addressed before even thinking about expanding the family further.

But God didn't remove the desire for more children from my heart...maybe from Brent's, but not from mine. LOL. I have always loved children and played "Mommy" since I can remember. I understood, however, that didn't mean I was made to have many of my own. I did think about this desire daily, especially when looking at other families and wondering how they do it. This comparing issue was a part of my anxiety that God was asking me to give up. (Still working on that by the way!) I was becoming more and more content that God may have a plan for us to be complete as a family of 4. Nonetheless, I still needed to give the ideas to Him each time they popped into my head.

So that was our plan...when we thought, stressed, worried about our family's future, we prayed.

Our prayer: God, please give us total peace & contentment that our family is complete with 2 wonderful boys or give us a very clear sign that we should have more kids.

His answer: He gave us a very clear sign. As a friend put it, God overrode our birth control method. I'll spare you the details, but when it happened, it was a very audible sign...very audible, I will stress. You can read between the lines. Don't want to put thoughts in your head. (especially for our family :-)) But this is not about Brent and me... it is about God and how much He desired to answer our prayer and make Himself known in a very special (and humorous) way.

I knew immediately that we had just received our answer. Brent was confused as to why I was laughing and crying at the same time. "That was our sign!" I explained why I knew at that moment we were going to be expecting. It wasn't so much that I'm "in tune" with my body...just that God sent such a clear message...there was no question.

We are so thankful for this blessing and an answer to our questions about our family's future. It will always serve as a reminder of how God wants us to ask Him for anything and everything, no matter how specific. "Ask and it shall be given"...we asked for a message and God sent it!

Saturday, February 16

Classy

Last night Brent and I were able to celebrate Valentine's Day with some friends, which we looked forward to for quite a while. We spent it in a classier part of town, at Easton. We were hesitant to leave the kids, as one of them wasn't feeling 100%. We prayed he'd be fine for the sitter and all worked out well on that end.

Unfortunately the night got to me though, after all was said and done. I left my mark of class on the sidewalk outside Easton. I guess we had a little too much fun...passers-by were thinking I just couldn't handle all the "fun." Little did they know, there were no drinks involved. More likely a little life inside this belly o' mine was not agreeing with too much fun with friends.

The "wave" came over me while I was talking to a friend in the middle of the mall. I told her I wasn't feeling good and needed to get going. I didn't want to interrupt Brent's conversation with the guys, but I also didn't want to make a scene right then and there. So we headed to the van and barely made it out the doors of the mall. That's so classy...what a welcoming entrance it would be for the rest of the visitors.

Pretty sure it was coincidental that our boy and I were both feeling lousy last night. Maybe a little low-class laziness will help us all today!

Friday, February 15

Cabin fever

Since I haven't posted in forever, I thought I'd put a few out there...in case I don't post 'til March.

We are definitely suffering from cabin fever. Plenty of indicators...

























Mommy did not pose...for everyone's benefit. I also don't want to be admitted based on evidence on this blog.

We would seriously be happy with more snow, and tho I may regret saying this, we're jealous of the abundance of snow our family received in Iowa & Wisconsin. They have had numerous snow days and they're still enjoying the mounds of snow there. The boys love sledding, but we just don't have enough to keep them occupied on the "slopes."


Looking on the brighter side...the boys are honing their skills on the Wii. (Is that a brighter side? Nintendo claims it's healthy...nice try!) I can't stand video games...but these, I've developed a strong liking for. Super Mario Galaxy...that's a favorite these days. It has even topped Brent's rock star obsession of Guitar Hero. Thank you Mario!

We welcomed a snow day on Tuesday and made it out to a local sledding hill. Our friends joined us with their adorable 2 year old. It was his first round of sledding and he seems to be a pro now. We had the rare treat of warming ourselves by the fire and having lunch at Panera afterward. Gotta love a break from the norm.

The upside to having little snow this year was a winter hike the boys convinced us to take on a Sunday afternoon. There is a great "trail" in the city that is perfect for the boys. We would call it a gorge, as the river/creek runs below the trail. This day happened to be a little rainy, but it didn't hinder the adventurous spirits!

We can say there ARE plenty of things to keep us busy around here. However, staving off the viruses is our goal in NOT partaking in all of them. Spring or at least spring break will be so welcome in this house...or perhaps we'll just settle for a little bit more snow. I know...I just went and said it. No hate mail please! :-)

Logic...lacking it

We have determined that one of our boys really lacks logic at this stage in life. Don't know when you really determine if someone has the gift or not, but we're gonna have to say "no" right now. These are a few statements that you would hear come from this guy's mouth, ever so confidently.

"I'm going outside, because I'm going to go outside!" (With his hand in the air to explain, in case you didn't understand)

"I'm so cold, b/c it's so cold!"

The other night, he didn't want to eat the sandwich that he claimed he wanted. After one bite, "I'm done with this."

"You said you wanted it, so you need to eat 3 more bites." (The bites are calculated by their age...that's great logic right? )

He put on his best mad face...(he's got a mean one) and said

"I'm SELFISH!"
Huh? How's that fit in? Where did that come from? I busted up laughing and he had a hard time keeping his mad face without cracking a smile, making me laugh all the more.

He did agree (unwillingly) with our bites logic... after a few minutes of laughing!

Sunday, January 13

love face.book

Yes, I have become a junkie...i am enjoying face.book a lot. My cousin and a good college friend got me hooked on it. I thought I was too old and too low-techie for it. But apparently, the majority of users are from my generation. I guess we need some way to try and stay young.

Most recently a sweet friend from h.s. contacted me and asked to be my friend, again. (Yes, you have to request a friendship with someone, before you're allowed to communicate with them.) I was so excited to reconnect with her and would accept a request for her friendship anytime! :-)

Another friend from h.s. and I also connected and I am really excited about that! She has a blog of her own and I've bookmarked it (Jill Anderson). She's quite active in this blogging community and I know I can learn a lot from her! Most exciting is her faith in Jesus...pretty cool to connect years later (15 this year!) and have a deeper basis for friendship this time around!

Tonsows in my froat.

We're 11 days out from surgery and we hope we can say that we have recovered well from a tonsilectomy & adenoidectomy. (Don't even spell check that!) For as much as we prepared him for it, he was not ready for it to happen that morning! I don't think there's anyway to fully prepare a 3 year old for surgery. But the surgery center did an awesome job and we felt so comfortable with the situation.

God's timing was good, as our friend's little girl had just had the same surgery, at the same office about a month earlier. She really helped me prepare and know what to expect. So thankful for her!

We're also thankful for everyone's prayers, meals, phone calls & words of encouragement. Several friends invited Braden over and took him to and from preschool. It was nice for him to be loved on a little extra too!

During Christmas, we had a late night and my SIL asked him, "Brooks, you look really tired, do you feel okay?"
In his nasally, stuffy voice he responded "No, I hab tonsows in my froat!" :-)

YES HE DID...and they were massive and slowing him down a lot!

He had quite the attitude while suffering through with majorly enlarged tonsils. So we asked the dr. to take out the grumpies during the procedure too. It became evident during recovery at home that they had not been removed. Once Brooks was back to normal, but still copping attitude, Brent and I threatened to take him back and have the tonsils put back in!! We think he's feeling a little freedom to express himself now in these terrible 3's!

All in all, it was pretty minor and it slowed us down for several days, but we couldn't have had a much more smooth experience!