9 Year Old Love

Today, Aidan told me that he loves me more than a Wii, an X-Box, a Playstation 3, a Nintendo DSi and a Nintendo 3Ds all put together.

That is high praise from a 9 year old boy.

Well, Aidan, I love you more than shoes and purses, more than Pinterest and facebook,  more than a new haircut and fresh highlights.  I love you more than the perfect mascara and the just right shade of lipstick.  I love you more than Paula Deen and Pioneer Woman all put together.  I love you more than distressed furniture and mod podge.  I love you more than scrapbook paper, colorful fabric and burlap.  I love you more than a good book and a hot cup of coffee.  You are one of my very favorite blessings and I love you bunches!

Love, love, LOVE this sweet boy!

Christmas 2011

I can't believe Christmas has come and gone already!  Time flies.  We had a great Christmas.  Aidan got a basketball goal, and lots of baseball equipment.  Aidan's gifts are starting to double as gifts for Mark too, because they both enjoy the same things now.  That's the thing with boys...you get to a certain age, and the interests stay the same...they just get more expensive.  Ella got horses, and a Little People zoo.  She loves anmials of all kinds.  In fact, she has a basket full of baby dolls and all their accessories in her room that she never plays with.  She will, however, use the baby bottles and her strollers for her animals. 

Ella also got lots of play doh.  She got the play doh pizza factory, the play doh ice cream shop and 4 canisters of play doh in her stocking.  That came to about 12 brand new cans of play doh...all different, beautiful colors.  Less than 24 hours after Christmas, she had 12 brand new cans of brown play doh...which is why playing with play doh with children stresses me out.  They always want to mix the colors...which would be fine if you could UN-mix the colors, but you can't.  And that stresses me out.  I try to remind myself that play doh is only 50 cents a can, and if it doesn't bother them, it shouldn't bother me, but it does.  It's one of my "things."

Aidan got several new wii games for Christmas.  One of his favorite things to do over Christmas break is stay in his pajamas and play his new wii games.  But, unfortunately, our wii broke 2 days before Christmas, and he hasn't been able to play at all.  He's been a little mopey about that, and I can't say that I blame him.  Many of his gifts were games, or skylanders.  Now, he won't be able to enjoy them until the wii is fixed, and I'm not sure when that will be.

I got a kindle from my hubby for Christmas.  I was skeptical when the kindles first came out, but I have to say, I love it.  I love being able to get books instantly...and inexpensively.  And, I love having them all in one place.  I also love that Mark knew I would love it because he understands and supports my insatiable reading habit. 

Mark got a coffee maker that he's been wanting for a couple of years.  It's the kind that has no carafe...you just put your cup up to it and out comes the coffee.  Mark says it's like having free coffee.  I hope he's not disappointed when he realizes you still have to buy coffee to go in it.  Mark makes me a yummy cup of coffee every morning (almost) and I will hardly drink coffee anymore unless he makes it for me.  He really does spoil me quite a bit.

Miss Anna Kate got a baby gym from Santa.  She was completely oblivious. 

We had a great Christmas.  This best part about Christmas for me, is having the whole family home for 2 weeks.  It always goes too fast.  I love having Aidan home all day.  As much as it pains me that he is growing up so fast, I have to say, I really like the kid he's becomig.  It's such a nice feeling when you realize you not only love your kids, but you genuinely like them too.  He's got a great sense of humor and he's very thoughtful and considerate (most of the time).  He has a variety of interests...from video games to science to sports, and he loves to read like me.  He's turning into a well rounded, pretty cool kid and I like hanging out with him.  I hate that I can already feel the return to school day looming in the near future.  Bummer.  How long until Spring Break?

Finally, I just want to say how grateful I am for Christmas...not only the gifts and Santa, and the festive decorations and the time with my family...but just for Christmas.  God has used several events in the lives of people around us lately to make me realize that without Christmas, we would have no hope.  Because of Christmas, we are full of hope!  And if that's not reason enough to wrap our entire house in lights, feast for days and spend a small fortune showering those around us with gifts, I don't know what is!  I hope everyone had a joyful Christmas.

Anna Kate

Due to the busyness of having 3 children and the sleep deprivation caused by a newborn, I have yet to write anything about Miss Anna Kate.  I have to say, I was a little anxious about how a new baby would affect the family dynamic.  We have a pretty good thing going over here...sweet, well-behaved (mostly)kids...both potty trained and fairly independent, and going back to Newborn square one made me a little nervous. I worried about how Ella, who is used to having my undivided attention all day, would do with a baby.  I worried that Aidan, being the oldest, would feel like he was getting the short end of the stick, attention wise.   But, as usual, my worries were unfounded.  Everything has gone beautifully.  Anna is a sweet, cuddly baby, and Aidan and Ella are head over heels for her. 

So, here's the story of little Anna's birth:

Monday, the 21st, I woke up at 5:00 not feeling very well.  There was nothing specific wrong; I just didn't feel right.  But, I didn't think much of it, because I had been having contractions off and on for almost 3 weeks.  So, while I was hopeful that this was "it," I didn't get too excited.  I couldn't get back to sleep, so I cleaned the house instead.  We had a doctor appointment that morning.  I was hoping she would say something like, "YOU cannot be pregnant one minute longer!  Go immediately to the hospital and have your baby right now!"  But, she didn't say that.  She said what she always says...it could be any day!  She offered to schedule an induction for me, but I told her I would think about it.  I was already dilated 2 cm., and really wanted to go into labor on my own like I had with the other two.  She wanted to do a sonogram to check my fluid levels and the baby's size.  While we were in the waiting room, I started having contractions.  But, this had happened before, so I didn't get too excited.

While we were at our appointment, my brother and his wife were at the hospital having a C-section that would deliver their little girl, Harper.  After our appointment, we had lunch at McAlister's Deli, and I continued to have contractions, about every 6 minutes apart.

We then went to the hospital to meet little Harper.  She was born at 12:12 that day.  She was pink and perfect.  We were so excited...and even MORE anxious to have OUR baby!  I had contractions the whole time we were at the hospital, but on the drive home, they stopped.  I wasn't having contractions anymore, but was having a constant ache in my back and abdomen.  When I got home, I took a nap. 

When I woke up, around 6:00, I was having fairly strong contractions every 7-8 minutes apart.  I was still skeptical, because of all the false alarms over the previous couple of weeks.  I had some soup and put the kids to bed.  By 9:00, I was having contractions every 5 minutes and was starting think it might be the real deal.  Around 11, I called the doctor.  Her nurse called back and said something to the effect of, "This is your 3rd baby?  And you're having contractions every 5 minutes?  Don't your labors go really fast?  You need to go to the hospital NOW!"

So, we woke the kids up...not an easy task.  Ella was a little unnerved by the whole thing and cried quite a bit.  Aidan didn't know what was going on at first, and I couldn't get him to wake up.  But, once he finally got awake, he was very excited.  We took them to my parents' house and went to the hospital.  We got there around midnight.  My labor was fairly uneventful.  I decided to get the epidural from the beginning.  With Aidan and Ella, I waited until the very end, but with Ella, I almost didn't make it in time.  I started feeling the urge to push while the epidural was going in...so, I decided not to risk waiting this time.  This time, they had trouble getting the epidural in.  I'm not sure what was happening, but some part of the epidural wasn't working right and they had to try several times.  I was getting pretty nervous about the whole thing.  I hate epidurals almost as much as labor...not a fan of having a needle and catheter put into my spine.  But, they finally got it working and all was well.  Anna was born at 5:44 am on Tuesday morning.  She would have been born earlier, but we had to wait for the doctor.

 She was perfect right from the start.  This was by far, my longest labor...Aidan was only 6 hours, and Ella was around 3 hours...but my water had broken with both of them, so I'm guessing that's why they went so fast.  My brother made arrangements with the nurses to have us put in the room right next door to him and his family.  Anna and Harper got to spend some good quality cousin time together in the nursery.  I am hoping they will be very close, since they were born only a few hours apart.  Plus, Harper is going to need some girls in her life, since she has 2 rambunctious brothers!

We feel very blessed to have 3, healthy, beautiful children.  The Lord has been very good to us.  We now spend our days fighting over who gets to hold Anna next and acting like complete morons because everyone wants to be the first to make her smile...so far, she has only teased us with a grin here or there.

I apologize for the long post...I hope it all makes sense.  My brain has been feeling a little like mashed potatoes lately!

Anna Kate

November 22

7lb. 11 oz  20 3/4 in. long

Big Blue Eyes and Big Squishy Cheeks :)

Things I've Heard Lately, the Ella Edition

I've got a post coming about our new, sweet Anna Kate, but first, I wanted to share a few gems from Ella...before I forget them.

While watching Little Red Riding Hood: " I had a grandma when I was a little girl.  She was sick.  Then she died."  (both of her grandmothers, as well as 2 great grandmothers are alive and well)

While playing with a toy dinosaur:  "The time for dinosaurs to be friends with potatoes is over."

"I have decided to write a note to Santa and to God to bring me peace on earth and a dog toy."

"Mommy, we go together like nuts and carrots."

When first introduced to the baby: 
    ME:  "Her name is Anna Kate."
    Ella:  "I know and I love her."

While stalling at bedtime:  "Daddy broke my heart, and I can't marry Aidan, so I guess I'm not a big girl after all."

Every morning as soon as she wakes up:  "Can I open my Christmas presents now?"

The Return of "Things I've Heard Lately"

It's been awhile since I've done a "things I've heard lately" post.  But first, a baby update...I am 37 weeks and 5 days...only 2 weeks, 2 days to go!  Or less...at my last appointment, the doctor said things had started progressing and it could be any day...or I could still go up to my due date.  I really hate the not knowing...but it was the kick in the rear I needed to finally get the kids' and my bags packed.  Now, I'm trying my best to enjoy our last few newborn free days, but it's hard to relax when labor and delivery is looming in the future.  I've been feeling pretty crampy the last couple of days, asd was hoping the full moon would push me over the edge, but no such luck.  Maybe the baby will be born today...11/11/11 would be a great birthday!  We'll just have to wait and see, I guess.  She'll come when she's good and ready.

So, here are just a few things I've heard lately around my house:

Ella:  "I'm what they call, 'gifted.'"  (this was said to a friend that was over one night...not sure where she got this from)

Aidan:  "Mommy, what kind of spider is this?"
Me:  "I don't know.  Maybe a wolf spider?"
Aidan:  "No, look at his butt.  I know wolf spider butt, and that's not it."

Ella:  "I can't wait until the baby is here.  I'm going to share that horse, and that horse, and my pillow pet.  And I'm NOT going to put her in the oven.  I don't think she would like that."

Ella:  "I have a little sadness inside me."
Me:  "Why, what's wrong?"
Ella:  "I want Aidan to come home."

That's all for today!  Hopefully, my next post will be to announce the arrival of our new baby girl!

A Few Things

Just sharing some randomness today...too tired for much else!

I am almost 36 weeks pregnant.  In fact, the baby is due exactly 1 month from today.  It seems so far away...until I start thinking about all that I need to do, and then it seems really close.

The pregnancy seems to have hit especially hard this week.  I've felt a major slow down.  My back and my hips hurt, I have constant heartburn, and I can't sleep.  I'm short of breath most of the time.  Two little feet poking into your lungs will do that to you.  I hate that I feel so bad at this time of year.  The weather is so pretty, and there are so many fun fall things to do, but I'm having trouble finding the energy.  We haven't decorated for Halloween, and I never got around to planning our annual pumpkin carving party, so I guess those are things we're going to skip this year.  I didn't mean to skip them, it just kind of happened by default.  I'm glad I have understanding kids. 

Speaking of my kids, I am watching them play with hot wheels in the kitchen floor right now.  We let Aidan stay home from school today.  Mark had already taken the day off because he had some things he needed to do today.  We let Aidan stay up to watch the Rangers try to win the World Series last night.  We had no idea it would go into the 11th inning and last until midnight.  He was so tired.  Many times I looked over and thought the responsible thing would be to make him go to bed.  But he was wrapped in a blanket, snuggled up next to his daddy and they were high-fiving and cheering and groaning together...and I thought, some things are more important.  So, we all slept in this morning.  Aidan and Mark went to get donuts together this morning.  I noticed that Aidan just walks differently when he's with his daddy.  He carries himself differently.  I am so glad they have each other.  Boys need their dads, no doubt about it.  I said a little prayer this morning for all the boys growing up without one...there are far too many.

So, right now Aidan and Ella are playing hot wheels together on the floor, and Ella has been laughing big belly laughs all morning.  Though I feel a little twinge of guilt about not making Aidan go to school today, as I'm watching this scene I have to think again, some things are more important.  Sometimes, you just need a day to reconnect, to rest, to just play.  I know I was very grateful to sleep in this morning and have my husband bring me donuts and coffee.  He is such a good man, and I'm so thankful for him.

Ella is cracking me up (as usual) this morning.  She is wearing the new black dress shoes that my mom bought her with her play clothes.  As much as she hates all things girly...dresses, skirts, etc....the girl has inherited her mother's serious love of shoes.  She clapped her hands and jumped up and down when I showed her the 2 new pairs of shoes from Nana.  She's been wearing them ever since.  She wore them with her pajamas last night.  I had to talk her into taking them off to get into bed.  So, she carefully took them off, buckled them and put them right beside her bed.  Then, she put them on first thing this morning.  Aidan tried to get her to put on socks and slide around the kitchen floor with him earlier, but she refused to take off her shoes.  She said, "but I love my shoes."

I love that both of the kids are excited about their new sister.  They both love to talk to my belly.  Aidan discovered that if he put his face next to my belly and made a high pitched squeaking noise the baby would kick his hand.  Ella can't wait to read her a story and give her a bottle (that'll be a little tricky at first since I'll be nursing, but I'm sure we can work something out!).

We are all really bummed about missing our Arkansas Thanksgiving this year.  In fact, I need to find the energy in the next few days to make Frozen Salad for the boys.  They both love it, and I don't think Aidan will accept that it is Thanksgiving without it.  I'm planning to make it and freeze it until Thanksgiving.  It should be an interesting holiday this year with my sister in-law and I both due to have our babies that week.  We may be having Hospital Turkey this year (oh I hope not!!). 

Well, I guess that's all for now...if you think of us this week, pray for rest and energy!  One month to go!!

The Gift of Loneliness

I'm not exactly sure when I first felt it.  I know it's only been recently that I've been able to give it a name.  I know this feeling has been with me as long as I can remember...even as a young child.  It has never been overwhelming, or even really a depressing thing, and I would hate for anyone to feel sorry for me because of it.  As far back as my memory can reach, I've had this sense that I don't quite fit in, I don't quite belong, that I'm often misunderstood...that there's no one else that sees things in exactly the same way that I see them.  This feeling that no one else perceives things in exactly the way that I do or experiences things the way I do.  It's a melancholy feeling...like a sadness, but not a deep sadness that prevents me from enjoying and loving my life...just a sense that I can't really describe.  The best word I can use to label it is loneliness. Have you ever felt that?  Even when you're surrounded by dear friends and loving, supportive family?  An aching or a longing that you can't explain?  I have this feeling that there is so much more to my mind, my heart, my soul than any person could ever fully know.  That feeling can make me feel awfully alone sometimes. 

Lately, God has been teaching me that he put that place in my heart...that melancholy void.  He put it there, because it is what drew me to Him in the first place.  And, it is what keeps me turning back to Him again and again.  Because, he does know.  He knows every layer, every facet of my being.  He has been with me...even when I was hidden in my mother's womb.  He knew what I would become.  He knew how I would rebel and sin and mess up.  He was there for every sad and hurtful moment.  He felt with me what I was feeling.  He knew how it impacted me.  When it's hard for me...He gets it.  He was also there for every joyful moment.  He was there every time a dream was achieved and for every longing fulfilled.  And he got that too...not just what it means to everyone else, but what it means specifically for me.  He gets it.  He gets me...fully.  Nothing is hidden, there are no secrets, and He loves me.  Really, really loves me.  Even more, he delights in me.  And he joyfully gives me the desires of my heart...the real desires, not just Dollar Store junk I think I want, but beautiful invaluable treasures that I don't even realize I want...because he knows me. 

So, that feeling that's been with me?  I'm thankful for it.  It has kept my heart tethered to the only One that can ease it.  And, when the feeling gets to be too much?  I know I've strayed too far.  It's time to go back..to the One who has  adored me...to the One I am learning to adore more and more each day. I'm so grateful for a love like His.  Who can even fathom it? 

O God, you are my God,

earnestly I seek you;

my soul thirsts for you,

my body longs for you,

in a dry and weary land

where there is no water.

I have seen you in the sanctuary

and beheld your power and your glory.

Because your love is better than life,

my lips will glorify you.

I will praise you as long as I live,

and in your name I will lift up my hands.

My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods;

with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

Psalm 63: 1-5

Cleaning Closets

I have less than 6 weeks to go before the big day!  Nesting has kicked in full force.  Yesterday, I cleaned out the linen closet.  I also cleaned out the closet that Ella and the baby will share.  Actually, this is the 3rd time I've rearranged that closet.  I think I finally have it the way I want it!  Recently, I've also reorganized all of my kitchen cabinets.  Up next, is my closet and drawers, the coat closet and the utility room shelves.  Wow, that makes me tired just to think about it...but I am compelled to do it.  Pregnancy makes you do crazy things!

What I hate about organizing closets is everything gets a whole lot messier before it gets better.  I hate that I can work all day on something, but when you look around, it looks like I've done nothing.  For me, the best way to clean a closet is to drag everything out of it.  Then, I put back only what is necessary and figure out what to do with the rest.

I've been gearing up for some spiritual closet cleaning too.  Eight months of pregnancy has a way of knocking you off track.  It's easy to think about only yourself when you don't feel well.  It's easy to skip being in the Word and prayer.  Somewhere between the 4 months of nausea, lower back aches, sleepless nights and the total lack of energy, I've lost focus on some of the more important disciplines...devoting time to God's word, prayer, focusing on things more eternal.  It's easy to justify.  With a very small amount of energy, it's tempting to go into survival mode...just do the things that absolutely have to be done...the laundry, the dishes, the kids.  When exhaustion rears it's head, it's easy to waste hours unengaged...on activities that don't really require anything from me.  But that leaves my mind feeling cluttered and out of sorts...much like the closets I've been cleaning.  And thinking about adding those things that really matter back into my life just makes me tired.  When should I do it?  Get up early?  Stay up late?  I'm much too exhausted for that.  My "closet" is too cluttered to shove one more thing in there.  It makes me feel frustrated, and tired.

So, what's the answer?  I guess, I'll drag everything out.  I'll take a hard look at everything and ask the hard questions.  Do I need this during this season of my life,or should I toss it?  Should this have a prominent place or maybe a much smaller one?  Can this go in someone else's closet for a while?  Then, I'll put back only the things I need...time with God, precious time and energy devoted to my children and husband, more serving...less complaining, less media, more being actively engaged...less shutting everything out...less TV, more sleep...fewer negative words, more encouraging words.  I'll choose prayer over Facebook, and engaging with my kids over Pinterest (ouch!).  I'll go to bed early instead of watching one more TV show.  I'll take better care of myself so I can take better care of my family.  When energy and time are low, it's important that I choose to do only what is most needed.  Just like when arranging Ella's tiny closet...only the essentials can stay.  There's no room for anything else.

What I hate about closet cleaning is how messy the process can be.  But, what I love about closet cleaning is how much better you feel when it's done.  Less exhaustion, less anxiety, less feeling overwhelmed.  I love opening a clean, well-organized closet.   No more opening the closet, trying not to really look at it, shoving something in and slamming the door before it all comes crashing down.  I can breathe a little easier and feel a little lighter. 

So, between now and when the baby arrives, I'll not only be cleaning physical closets, but the closets of my heart and my mind as well.  Because when a closet contains only what is important, only what truly matters, then you can more fully enjoy it and utilize it.

I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back.
^15-16So let's keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision—you'll see it yet! Now that we're on the right track, let's stay on it.   Philippians 3:14-16 (The Message)

Rambling from the Pregnant Cat Lady

I'm writing this from the only comfortable spot I can find anymore...my arm chair in my living room.  I can put my feet up, and it has 2 arms that I can use to propel myself into a standing position should the need arise.  I am almost 34 weeks pregnant.  I have 6 weeks and 2 days to go...not that I am keeping track.  I am thinking my next blog post could be titled, "1001 Ways to Get Things off the Floor without Bending Over."  I've had to get quite creative in the last couple of weeks.  I haven't gained much weight with this pregnancy.  I really haven't had much of an appetite.  The baby has grown just fine, which is good.  But over the past week, that all changed.  All the sudden, I am ravenous all the time.  Not just a little hungry, but STARVING.  I eat, and 5 minutes later my stomach is growling again. I wake up hungry in the middle of the night.  I have a feeling I'm going to start packing on the pounds.

This morning, at 7:30, three of Aidan's friends from school showed up at our house unexpectedly.  They decided to hang out here until it was time to go to school.  They also decided to raid our refrigerator.  I realized that in the not too distant future, these boys will all be teenagers with EVEN bigger appetites.  I'm going to have to keep a LOT more food on hand.  Our little eating machine, has grown 4 inches so far this year!  Yikes.  That growth was fueld by many bowls of cereal, many tubes of yogurt and about a million peanut butter sandwiches.  He'll also eat as much taco casserole and salmon patties as you'll give him.  He's 8.  Heaven help us when he's a teenager. 

While Aidan's friends were here this morning, one of them asked me if I had a job.  When I said no he said, "so what do you do, just stay here and take care of that cat all day?"  Yep, that's what I do...take care of the cat...all day, every day.  It's a full time job.

I think the baby's name is probably Anna Kate.  But, I haven't decided that to the point that I'm ready to do anything permanent...like put it on her registry, or put it in her room anywhere. 

In other random news, Mark and I have been doing some serious talking about becoming goat farmers.  I'll give you a minute to stop laughing.


Better?  Seriously though...wouldn't it be cool to move your family to the country, buy some goats and chickens and live a simpler life.  I know it would be hard work, but hard physical labor makes you feel so much better than hard mental/emotional labor.  We're thinking about it...you only live once, right?  We've also talked about having a farm and hosting summer camps for kids that would like to experience life on a farm for a while in the summer.  We found out after we were already married that we both had a dream to run a camp for kids.  We don't even know where to begin, but we're talking about it...looking into it, talking to some people that have done it.  You never know where God might lead.

Well, that's all I have for today.  Thanks for stopping by to read this...I don't have much to say lately.  I've been pretty preoccupied with baby stuff, house selling stuff, etc.  But, I'm glad I got to check in and say hi.

Love,
The Pregnant Cat Lady

Bracelets

Tonight, Aidan decided to make each of us a bracelet.  He made them out of strips of paper and tape.  He wrote a message for us on our bracelets.  This is what they say:

Mommy:  You rock!

Ella:  Sometimes you're annoying, but I like you.

Daddy:  I love you.

Aidan:  Aidan rules and everyone else drools.

Nana:  You are the best nana a boy could have.

and perhaps my favorite,

Pawpaw:  If you weren't in our family, we'd all be dead.

34 Things I Know:

1.  A little appreciation goes a long way.  We're all trying to figure out what in the world we're doing and if we're doing it right, so when someone notices, it makes a huge difference.  It works for everyone...bosses, friends, family, children and especially husbands.

2.  Take grumpy children and place them in water...any kind of water...bathtubs, swimming pools, sprinklers.  Works every time.  (Don't hold them under or anything, just let them play and relax.)

3.  If my kids are in a stage of being grumpy, whiny, clingy, or just down right mean, it usually means I am not spending enough one on one time with them...schedule a date immediately.

4.  If I am in a stage of being grumpy, whiny, clingy or just down right mean, it usually means I am not spending enough time with my Father...schedule a date immediately.

5. You should not buy off-brand graham crackers, Grape Nuts, or dishwashing detergent.

6. Bad boys are overrated.  You know that "mysterious" quality that makes a boy seem so "bad" to begin with??  It's selfishness.  There, mystery solved.  Move on to someone more deserving of you.

7.  Oxi-Clean will get out old milk stains that you didn't know were in your baby's clothes, until after you have stored them in the attic for 4 years.  Yep, it gets out 4 year old milk stains.  Love that stuff.

8.  Kids like cartoons with obnoxious songs.  Accept it.

9.  One of the best things you can do to help your kids in school?  Read to them...a lot...from the time they are old enough to sit in your lap.  Trust me...it works.

10.  Comparing what you have with what others have is a sure way to be miserable.

11.  Being thankful for every blessing you have been given is a sure way to find joy.

12. Use things, love people...not the other way around.

13.  If your mother says something that infuriates you, she's probably right, and you probably already know that.

14. Being rebellious is not always a bad thing.  Jesus was rebellious.  Rebel against injustice and low standards.

15. Honesty is amazingly refreshing.

16. The world measures success by how much money or attention something gains.  But, real success is measured by how many people something affects in a positive way.

17. Kids like toys that allow them to use their imagination.  These are usually the most inexpensive toys.  If a toy does everything for the child (you know, the expensive ones) they will play with it exactly 3 times, become bored with it and bury it in their closet...but then swear it is their most favorite toy ever in the whole world if you try to get rid of it.  Save your money...and your closet space.

18. Kids just want to make you happy.  If they find that nothing makes you happy, when they are teenagers they will switch to just trying to make you miserable.  Hey, some emotion is better than no emotion, right?

19.  As bad as it sounds, it is good for people to experience some disappointment and pain.  It is good for people to struggle.  Anyone that tries to always protect you from all negative experience and emotion does so to your detriment.

20.  The world could use more people of real courage.

21.  I am blessed with lots of people that love me and that I love in return.  My parents, my husband, my kids...but as much as I love them, there is only ONE that has been there, every moment...seen every tear cried in secret, laughed along with me, protected me when I didn't even know I needed it, blessed me beyond measure, had a plan for me...a plan to give me abundant life, heard every thought (even the bad ones), known every insecurity and where it came from...and loved me with an everlasting love in spite of all of it...and THAT is the person that has my whole heart and all of my devotion.

22.  I am responsible for my own happiness.  Whenever I start looking to someone else or something else to make me happy (or blaming them for my unhappiness), I'm the one with a problem, not them.

23.  God is good.  All the time.  I can never be more fair or loving than He is.  If I start to think I am, I need to get a new perspective.

24.  We take ourselves too seriously.

25.  We don't take God seriously enough.

26.  If your kids aren't paying enough attention to you, act like you're trying to talk on the phone.  You will become the center of their world.

27.  Be predictable when disciplining your children and unpredictable while having fun with them.

28. It takes two to argue.  If you're right, you'll still be right even if you don't argue.

29.  You can live on a lot less money than you think you can.

30.  Not having everything you want leads to a lot of self-reliance and ingenuity.  If I had a lot of money, I never would have known that Mark can fix a water heater and leaky pipes, and I can fix an ice maker and get 4 year old stains out of baby clothes.

31.  Always pay cash up front.  Always.  Debt is bad.  I'll say it again, debt is bad.  If God hasn't provided the means for you to buy it without going into debt, you probably don't need it.

32. Your day will go better if you make your bed as soon as you wake up.  It just does.

33. One load of laundry each day...no more, no less.  Wash it, dry it, put it away...resist the urge to do more.  It will change your life.

34. The last 34 years have been full of God's blessings and provision.  He has never let me down...not once.  It's always been an adventure, and I can't wait to see what's next!  Happy birthday to me.  :)

Me, 34 years ago!

Obnoxious

I overheard this conversation between Aidan and Ella the other day:

Aidan:  "Ella, everyone is obnoxious sometimes."  (he was, no doubt, trying to justify his own obnoxiousness!)

Ella:  "No they're not."

Aidan:  "Yes they are.  Everyone is obnoxious sometimes.  Everyone."

Ella:  "No they're not."

Aidan:  "Yes they are."

Ella:  "God is not obnoxious.  He only loves us and helps us."

For once, Aidan had nothing to say.  :)

What's in a Name?

I am 29 1/2 weeks pregnant...at this stage, every little bit counts.  That means we only have 10 1/2 weeks to go, and the baby still doesn't have a name.  I would really like to start referring to the baby with a name.  So, I am posting a poll on the blog where you can vote on your favorite name out of our top choices.  I can't promise that we'll use the winner, but it would be nice to gets some input from other people.  Let me give you a little background first.

The name needs to sound good with Aidan and Ella.  I also place a high importance on the meaning of names.  I don't know why, but it's important to me.  Aidan means fire, and Ella means torch.  Mark and I like the name Anna, because we feel it has a lot of family significance.  The baby's grandmothers are Anita (a form of Ann) and Nanci (which shares the same root as Anna).  All three names mean gracious.  Mark had a great-grandmother named Anna, and I had a really sweet aunt named Ann.  So, there's lots of family tie in with this name.  The downside?  Aidan hates it.

Our next choice is Kate.  We like the name Kate.  Aidan and Ella both want to name the baby Kate.  But, for some reason we hesitate to give the baby a one syllable first name.  Probably because we're so used to 2 syllables with Aidan and Ella, it just seems awkward.  Although, Mark is a one syllable name, and that seems to have worked out fine!  We like Kate, but not Catherine.  We've considered spelling it with a C, just to be different, and because my great grandmother's maiden name was Cates.  Kate or Cate means pure.

One of our middle name choices is Sophia.  It means wise.  I love this name.  Mark likes it too, but thinks it falls on the "fancy" side and he prefers "cute" over "fancy."

So, that's where we are in the baby naming process.  We can't seem to commit to any of these choices.  It's hard because I loved Ella's name from the beginning.  This time I can't find something that I am as committed to as I was to her name.  So, please look in the right margin and cast your vote...the more votes the better.  Anyone can vote.  If you vote for one of the options with "Kate" please leave me a comment saying if you would spell it with a K or a C.  If you have a great name option that we haven't thought of, we'd love to hear that too.

**Also...I added a new feature on the blog.  You can now follow by email.  Click on that option on the right if you'd like to get emails when I update the blog!  Thanks!

Resolution

I was very excited last week when I found out that I had won a signed copy of the new book The Resolution for Men.  This book was written as a companion to the new movie, Courageous.  We got the book last night, and it is meant for men, but I couldn't resist taking a peak (I did win it, after all!).  I have not read the whole thing yet, but my initial reaction is that I wish every man that is important to me would read this book.  I think it would encourage them and give them a renewed sense of purpose.  The introduction describes the book as "an unapologetic call for men to live courageously for their faith and for their families."  What I love about what I've read so far is that it emphasizes the importance of fathers.  Our culture has been de-emphasizing that importance for a long time.  Have you watched a kids' TV show lately?  All of the fathers are morons.  I think men will be encouraged to see that, guess what...you are vitally important to the health and well-being of your children.  Even children that grow up with strong, godly mothers, will suffer if there is not a strong presence of their father.  That is not to take away from the importance of mothers, it just shows that maybe God knew what he was doing when he designed the family to have a mother AND a father.  According to the book, kids that grow up without their fathers are 20 times more likely to go to prison!  Girls that grow up without their dad are less secure and more likely to be sexually active as a teenager...often having more babies that don't have dads.  It's a vicious cycle.  Can you imagine the potential revolution in our culture if dads would step back up and take on the roles that were always meant to be theirs in the first place??  There is so much good stuff in this book, I could never detail it all here.  But, what I love is that is encouraging and challenging, with lots of practical things dads can do to take back their leadership role.  It is not a beat down to read, it doesn't leave you feeling discouraged or overwhelmed.

What has me more excited is there is also a Resolution for Women.  It is written by Priscilla Shirer (which is who I won the book from).  She is starting a book study on her blog at the end of this week.  I will be grabbing a copy as soon as I can so I can participate.  Her blog is linked on mine if you want to check it out.  I am excited to read the book.

And, if you need further proof of my rampant, uncontrollable ADD, the reason I was going to post today was to share this verse (which I read in the Resolution book last night):

 If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you shall help me, but if the sons of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will come to help you.  Be strong, and let us show ourselves courageous for the sake of our people and for the cities of our God; and may the Lord do what is good in His sight.  (2 Samuel 10:11-12).


I just loved this verse.  It wasn't a very familiar one to me.  I love the sense of teamwork and the call to be strong and courageous.  There is so much at stake these days, Christians need to work together and be courageous...for our communities and for our families.  Anyway, it spoke to me, and I thought it might speak to you too.

Have a great week...and let me know if you check out either of the books I mentioned...I would love to hear your take on them.

The Fear of the Lord

If my children learn one thing from me, I hope they learn to fear the Lord.  I don't want them to be afraid of Him, but to revere Him...to realize his great and awesome power, to know He holds their very lives in His hands, to be in awe of His goodness.  And this is why:

The fear of the Lord:

is the beginning of knowledge (Proverbs 1:7)

adds length to life (Proverbs 10:27)

is a fountain of life and turns a man from the snares of death (Proverbs 14:27)

teaches a man wisdom (proverbs 15:33)

leads to life...a contented life, untouched by trouble (Proverbs 19:23)

brings wealth and honor and life (proverbs 22:4)

is a sure foundation for your times
    a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge (Isaiah 33:6)

a help and a shield (Psalm 115:11)



People who fear the Lord:

are delivered by the angel of the Lord (Psalm 34:7)

lack nothing (Psalm 34:9)

have the eyes of the Lord upon them, are delivered from death and kept alive in famine (Psalm 33:18-19)

are the confidants of the Lord (Psalm 25:14)

are guarded, lifted up, protected, never alone in trouble, delivered and honored by God, blessed with long life and salvation (Psalm 91:11-16)

have the Lord's love and righteousness with them and with their children's children (Psalm 103:17)

are blessed (Psalm 112:1)

have no fear of bad news and a secure heart, will triumph over their foes (Psalm 112:7 & 8)

have their desires fulfilled and are saved (Psalm 145:19)

are delighted in by the Lord (Psalm 147:11)



What beautiful promises the Lord has for those that fear him!  I pray my children are counted among those that fear the Lord.

I Hope:

Dear Aidan, Ella and New Lovely Baby that is yet to be named,

I hope that you grow up to be very happy...and not the "I have a great career/family/clothes/toys/house" kind of happy that you see on TV.  But the kind of happy that is not dependent on circumstances, and certainly not dependent on material things.  I hope you have that deep, peaceful joy that you sense in some people...a quiet spirit that draws people to you and to Christ.  I hope you have the kind of happiness that comes from knowing, without doubt, that no matter what hand life deals, you are resting in the arms of your creator.

"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.  I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do everything through him who gives me strength."  Philippians 4:12-13


I hope that you love people.  Really, really love people.  Nothing would make me more proud of you than to see you devote your lives to loving each other, and to loving other people.  It is why we are here.  As you get older you will see that people spend their lives searching for happiness and fulfillment.  They are constantly running to and fro trying to make themselves feel good.  It is all in vain.  I will tell you a secret, my sweet babies, you will never, ever feel as fulfilled as you will when you are showing love to others.

"A new command I give you:  Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."  Luke 13:34-35


I hope that you will be totally sold out for Christ.  I hope you follow hard after him.  What adventures you will have!  He is never boring!  When following Him, there is always a miracle, or a surprise just around the corner.  Everything else you work to obtain in this life will pass away.  It will wind up in a dump some day or a garage sale.  What you do for Christ will last for an eternity.  There is nothing sweeter than to know God and to be known by Him.  Sometimes, he will ask you to do hard things...things the world won't understand...things you won't understand.  Follow Him.  You will be so glad you did.  Don't live the way our culture tells you to live.  Choose the path less taken!  You won't be sorry.

"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.  What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.  I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith."  Philippians 3:7-9


I hope that you won't believe the lies the world tells you...the ones that say you have to look a certain way or be a certain way, or have certain things to be acceptable.  I pray that you live for an audience of one.  God is the only person you have to please...not your friends, not me, not your dad...only Him.  Be men and women after God's heart.  That is how I hope you measure your success.

"The Lord does not look at the things man looks at.  Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."  1 Samuel 16:7


Finally, I hope that some day you will be listening to a sermon, or singing a worship song, or reading your Bible and you will come across a loving attribute of God that speaks to your heart.  And I hope that you will think to yourselves, "yeah, I get that.  I understand that kind of love because that is how my mom and dad loved us."  I hope we have been good examples to you of loving parents, so that you will always be able to grasp the character of God.  I know we haven't been perfect, like God, but I hope we've given you a good start into knowing your Heavenly Father who loves you.

And one last thought:

"Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again:  Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all.  The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.  Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice.  And the God of peace will be with you."  Philippians 4:4-9


Love,
Mommy

A Love Letter

I know I don't tell you this enough, but I truly love you.  In fact, I don't think I could exist without you.  My life would be miserable if I didn't get to be with you every day.  I love the way you keep your cool when things start to get heated.  I love that you work all day and all night and never complain.  Thank you for always being there for me.  I know times have been hard lately.  I know that many of your friends and colleagues have given up and quit on their families.  But not you.  No matter how bad things get, I can always count on you.  You make our home a place that we love to be.  I thank God for you every day.  You are the best air conditioner a girl could ask for.  Thanks for all you do.  Hang in there...fall is right around the corner!

Love,
Jessica

For Your Amusement

Do you ever read people's facebook posts or blogs and think, "wow, what a great mom."  Or, "they really have it all together."  Or, "where do they find the time?"  That will not be how you feel after you read this post.  Please feel free to laugh at me about what I'm going to tell you...I've been laughing about it since it happened!  This is real life from the trenches!  Ha!

Last week I offered to help Aidan's teacher put together some folders for her class.  She said she would leave all the materials for me in her rolling cart in the office.  So, Friday morning, I picked up the rolling cart from Aidan's school, brought it home and assembled all the folders.  That afternoon, I was ready to take the cart and the folders back to school, but the kids were exhausted, and were quietly watching a movie on the couch.  Plus, it was 150 degrees outside, roughly.  Since the school is at the end of our street and all I had to do was drop the cart off in the office, I told the kids they could stay here.  It was going to be less than 5 minutes.  So, I gave Aidan my cell phone number and cautioned him to not answer the phone or the door, NO MATTER WHAT.  So, I locked all the doors, rolled the cart out to the van and prepared to put it in the back.  Then, I realized I had left my keys inside.  Locked my keys inside.  So, I went to the door and started knocking.  No one answered.  I tried calling on my cell phone.  Again, no answer.  What obedient children I have!  I kept knocking, and was about to give up and go around to the back door so they could see me (if they weren't hiding!), when I hear this little voice say, "who is it?"  Aidan had looked out the window and realized our van was still in the driveway.  He was so scared when he opened the door.  He had tried to call me on my cell phone but couldn't get through, because I was trying to call him at the same time.  I felt really bad for him, and frustrated with myself.  But, it gets better.

So, I got my keys, and told the kids to REALLY not go to the door this time.  I was flustered and in a hurry, and I think it was now 175 degrees outside.  I quickly jumped in my car, trying not to fry my legs on the hot seat, threw it into reverse and backed up.  Then my heart fell into my stomach as I heard, "Bam!" followed by "Crunch."  I had left the rolling cart behind the van.  I had flattened the rolling cart...the rolling cart that belongs to Aidan's teacher!  It was completely flat in the driveway and one of the wheels was broken off.  Ugh.  I tried to fix it, but it was beyond repair.  All of my aspirations to be Room Mom of the Year died with that rolling cart.

So, my quick 5 minute trip to the school turned into quite the fiasco.  It seems to be a talent of mine!  Can anyone else relate?

Power Not Fear

School is back in session!  I miss my boys.  :(  I feel so blessed that our whole family gets to be together for the summer.  I know most families don't have that luxury.  It is such a great time for our family.  I especially love how Aidan and Ella get to bond more with their daddy, and how closely bonded they became over the summer.  They were thick as thieves, playing in their bedrooms every day.  Some days they were campers and hikers, some days they were orphans (living in a closet), some days Ella was the mommy and Aidan was the baby...they built a fort almost every day.  I love that they are making sweet memories that will bind them together throughout their lives.  I got really sad last week thinking about Aidan going back to school.  It just seems so odd for him to be somewhere else all day long.  He's my helper, and I miss him when he's not here.  Ella misses him too.  She cried when we dropped him off yesterday.  And for most of the day she kept saying, "I want him back."  Me too!  I know we'll get used to it, but it seems pretty awful to get used to someone not being here.  I'm missing Mark too.  I am so blessed to have the kind of husband that takes great care of me.  He kept things running smoothly at the house and helped me keep it "show ready" all summer...not an easy task when we're all here ALL day.  Mostly, I just miss having a grown up to talk to!

As I was processing all of these "going back to school" emotions last week, God laid something on my heart that has really changed the way I think about sending Aidan back to school.  I wanted to share it with you, maybe it will give you some insight too.  See, we had trouble with Aidan at the beginning of summer. He was getting a little bit of a smart mouth on him, and not always obeying the first time.  It was nothing terrible, but more than we were willing to accept from an 8 year old for sure!  But, as the summer progressed, he matured so much.  He turned back into the sweet, loving boy we adore.  He started helping out more without being asked.  He started treating his sister kindly and really having fun with her.  I feared that when school started again, we would lose all the progress we made over the summer.  I've also been discouraged lately about all the influences in the world that we have to protect him from...tv, movies, music...they all seem geared at making kids grow up too fast.  I was really struggling with this and fearful about it.  I was feeling overwhelmed.

Then God started speaking.  Isn't it funny how when God starts speaking all those feelings of being overwhelmed and afraid, just fade?  It started when I read a quote online somewhere (I will try to find who said it...but it escapes me at the moment).  It said, "I don't want my kids to just survive the world.  I want them to change it."  God whispered to my heart when I read that quote.  I spend a lot of time thinking about how to help my kids survive this world...watch out for this, don't do this, do this...and not nearly enough time teaching them how to change it.  And when I really started thinking about it, I realized that most Christians are not aware of the power we have available to us.  Why would we ever be worried about anything?  God really started dealing with me on this idea.  Protecting our kids and warning them about potential pitfalls is important.  After all, we have an enemy that prowls around like a lion, seeking someone to devour(1 Peter 5:8).  They need to realize that.  But we need to also teach them that this shouldn't make them feel afraid.  Because while the Bible does talk about what we need to watch out for, it spends a lot more time talking about what we should be doing...how we should be using God's power that lives inside us to change this world.  When I read my Bible, there are warnings there about what to be careful about, but there are also verses like this:

"For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.  The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world.  On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.  We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."  2 Cor. 10:3-5


and this one:
"Pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.  That power is like the working of his mighty strength."  Ephesians 1:18-19


and one of my favorites:
For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline." 2 Timothy 1:7


I don't know a lot of Christians that live like they have a spirit of power.  I think the world has beat it out of us sometimes.  I want my kids to be different.  Because the other thing that God revealed to me was that if I teach them about that power...teach them how to tap into it...they'll be hooked.  And all that other stuff...the inappropriate music, the tv shows, the friends that try to lead them astray...they won't want anything to do with it.  Once you've felt just a little bit of that power...the power of really loving someone, the power of making a difference for someone, the power of overcoming fear and insecurity...you don't ever want to walk away from it.  I want my kids to be so busy doing what God has for them, that they have no time for anything this world may have to offer.  Then, they will be fulfilled.  Then, they will change the world.

"You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world."  1 John 4:4

Do You Remember?

Do you remember this day?  It was exactly 6 months ago...it was 13 degrees...almost a full 100 degrees cooler than today!  What a difference 6 months can make!  Remember that.

Things I Wish I'd Known

I'll start this off by confessing that I am a liar.  I said my next post would have Colorado pictures...but this one does not.  Sorry...maybe tomorrow?

I'm not sure if it's because I'm about to have my 3rd child, or because of my quickly approaching birthday, but lately, I've been thinking about things I wish I had known 15 years ago.  I've kind of been compiling a mental list...some serious, some funny.  So, I thought I'd share my list, one at a time (about one post a week, if all goes as planned) on the blog.  What I'd really love is for everyone reading this to share something they wished they had known when they were younger too...if you'd like to share (and PLEASE do!!), please leave the thing you would like to go back in time and tell your younger self in the comments.  I think it will be fun to read everyone's advice.  Anyone and everyone is welcome to comment.  And who knows, we might just help out a young whipper-snapper somewhere with all of our wisdom.  :)

So here's my first installment of "Things I Wish I'd Known:"

1.  You do not have to accomplish EVERYthing you ever want to accomplish in your 20s.  Slow down and enjoy being young and relatively free to do as you wish.  It is not necessary to get a career, marriage, children and a house before you are 25 years old.  Wait for God's timing and don't try to force it or make it happen.  Just enjoy the ride.  You can never go back to this time, so enjoy it as long as it lasts.

So, what about you?  What do you wish you had known 15 (or 20, or 30, etc) years ago?

And, as a bonus, here's one Colorado picture.  I love this view.  It makes me feel close to God and at peace.  In my dreams, my "mansion" (which I hope is more like a cottage) in heaven has this view:

"He has made everything beautiful in its time.  He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end."  Ecclesiastes 3:11

Trust

What a whirlwind summer we are having!  For those that don't know, the night (yes, ONE night) before we left for Colorado, we decided to put our house on the market!  We love our house, but we are starting to feel a little claustrophobic. The idea of getting all the baby stuff out of the attic and trying to find space for it makes me want to hyperventilate!  We have found a neighborhood we would like to build in, but we have to sell our house first.  We have covered this in prayer, and God has not really chosen to reveal much of his plan for us at this time.  So, our plan now is to keep it on the market until the baby comes, and if it hasn't sold by then, we'll just stay here.  There are a lot of "ifs" and a lot of unknowns right now...not something my personality handles well!  So everyday, I have to consciously turn it over to God to handle all the details in his timing, not mine.  I know he's teaching us something through this...I can almost feel myself growing and stretching (and not just my pregnant belly either!).  He knows I hate not being in the know!  But, he's been so gracious to give me such sweet verses out of the blue to help settle me down just when I need it.

For instance, the other day I was doing laundry and fretting about if moving was the right idea...is that the right neighborhood, would we like it there, would we miss it here, etc.  When I glanced up, I saw a verse hanging on my bulletin board that said, "I am the Lord your God and I am with you wherever you go."  It brought me such peace to know that it doesn't really matter where I live or what happens in my life, because the God that spoke the universe into existence loves me as his child and never leaves my side.

Then, as I was stressed about the details and the timing of trying to sell one house, build another, all while having a baby...and all the financial details that go along with it...I sat with my Bible in my lap not even sure where to turn and it fell open to Jeremiah.  There, highlighted in my Bible was the verse:  "For I know the plans I have for you says the Lord.  Plans to prosper you and not harm you.  Plans to give you hope and a future."  Okay God...you have this under control.

Sunday, the stress was really creeping in...money is tight, and there are so many unknowns.  The sermon was on trusting God...very timely.  It brought both Mark and I a lot of peace and reminded us again to just take our hands out of it and let God handle the details.  That night, I was reading a magazine article that referred to living life as "the lilies of the field."  It reminded me again..."consider the lilies of the field.  They do not labor or spin.  Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.  If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?"

Okay, God, I get it...we don't have to worry about this or try to make it happen.  We'll just take one step at a time and let you handle the details.  If our house sells, wonderful, we'll get a new house.  If it does not, we'll stay here in the home we love, surrounded by all your blessings.  We'll just cling to you as you work all of this out.  How blessed are we to be your children!

Speaking of God's blessings, (sorry to change gears all of the sudden, but I have some catching up to do!) we had a beautiful and restful time in Colorado.  I'll post some pictures in my next post.  When we got back, we found out that we are going to be blessed with another daughter!  Aidan said he is moving to China.  Ella announced that she is glad it is a girl and no longer hates babies (that's a relief!).  I am 22 weeks pregnant...only 18 to go!  I've been feeling good for the most part.  I am feeling the baby move on a regular basis now, and it makes me feel very honored to be a mother.  What a gift it is to bring life into the world.

I hope everyone reading this is having a great summer.  I'm thinking we should all pray for rain!!  My lawn could stand a good drenching right about now...and it would do wonders for my soul too!

Bye for now,
Jessica

Excuses

Everyone has been asking about the blog...I know, I've been TERRIBLE this summer!  Sigh.  I just can't seem to get it together.

Since everyone loves excuses, here is a list of excuses for why I haven't been blogging regularly:

1.  I'm pregnant.  (18 weeks...almost 1/2 way!!)  I'm pregnant and I can't think a complete thought...putting that thought into writing?  Next to impossible.  I have pregnancy induced dementia.  For example, the other day, the kids and I were driving to the grocery store.  I was NOT thinking about what I was doing, and I missed the turn.  So, I turned the car around.  I immediately started thinking of something else and missed the turn AGAIN!  I would not have even realized it if Aidan hadn't said something.  I've also taken wrong turns on the way to church twice in the last week.  Church is less than 5 minutes from my house.  So, I'll be doing good to finish this post and remember how to get it published correctly.

2.  Both of my kids are home all day every day.  I LOVE having my kids home, but if I don't keep them entertained they will do one of three things:  a) Eat every bit of food in the house  b) Fight   c) Make a gigantic mess.  So, needless to say, I do my best to keep them entertained.

3.  My husband is only working half days.  One might think this would make it EASIER for me to get things done, but no.  I need a routine.  I have my days planned out, and on my schedule, Mark gets home at 4 or 5, not 1:30.  It totally messes me up.

4.  Laundry.  Does this even need an explanation?  Could someone please explain to my children that you can wear the same clothes AFTER you go swimming that you were wearing before?  And, if you want to pretend to be super heroes, you do not have to ACTUALLY change clothes while spinning around.  If God had told Eve that eating that fruit would ultimately lead to load after load of laundry I am SURE she wouldn't have done it.  Fortunately, Mark took up the laundry cause yesterday...he decided he was going to wash every piece of dirty clothing in the house so it would ALL be clean at once.  I just smiled...I didn't bother to explain that this is an impossible task, because our kids won't stop wearing clothes!  He'll figure it out soon enough.  In the meantime, I'll update my blog while he chips away at the laundry.

5. Dishes.  (sigh)

6. Our computer is a dinosaur.  I'm not kidding.  It takes 7 minutes to open one email.  If all goes as planned, we will be getting a new one this summer, thanks to my awesome hard working husband.

7.  We are getting ready for a long trip.  Because of my PID (pregnancy induced dementia) this is really taking up all my mental energy.  I usually have a great system for trip preparation, but I can't seem to concentrate long enough to work on it.  So, I just think about it, walk around the house a few times trying to decide what to do first, and then sit back down.  It is exhausting.

8.  I am trying to keep 2 kids (I guess, 3 now), 2 cats, 1 dog, 1 bird and 1 husband alive.  They must all be fed, groomed and played with regularly.

9.  A realtor is coming to the house on Thursday to discuss the possibility of listing our house.  That means, I feel compelled to clean the whole house...and not just "stuff it all in the closet" clean, but really clean and organize everything...which takes twice as long because of the aforementioned PID.

10.  It's summer...and I'm lazy.

Enough excuses though...I promise to try to do better.  Maybe while on vacation, I'll have more time.  Ha!

In other news...we find out the gender of the baby on July 18th.  Yea!  My morning sickness is almost completely gone, although it still rears its ugly head on occasion.

Please don't hate me, but we will be going to Colorado VERY soon.  Colorado!  The place that boasted a cool 56 degrees last week...on the same day that it was 105 here!  If you need me, I'll be sitting on a deck looking out at a stunning mountain view and reading a good book.  Please don't hate me.  :-)

Sweet Summer Time List

I haven't been blogging much lately because I've been with my sweet babies around the clock, enjoying some summertime fun.  I love summer, and I love having Aidan home.

I've got a few minutes while Aidan complains about putting his laundry away, so I thought I'd make a list of what's been going on around here.

1.  Ella has been coming up with some very creative names for her toy animals lately.  Two of my favorites of late are, "Phantom Button-Head" and "French Apple Princess."

2.  Nothing says summer quite like a beautiful bouquet of wildflowers picked by my sweet boy on a walk one evening.

3.  We're having a big garage sale tomorrow.  I've been feeling claustrophobic lately, especially with the baby coming.  I don't know how we're going to fit.  We're changing the family room into more of a playroom, so we're getting rid of our big, more formal looking furniture.  Someone, please buy it, so I don't have to move it anymore.  

4. Speaking of the baby, we are now 15, almost 16 weeks along.  The morning sickness is pretty much gone, except for an occasional episode when I'm really tired or really hungry.  I go to the doctor on Tuesday for a check up and I'm going to try to sweet talk her into doing the anatomy sonogram BEFORE we go to Colorado instead of after.  So, if I get my way, we should know if the baby is a boy or girl in the next 3 weeks or so.  

5. We have been swimming almost every day this week.  In fact, I think one day we went 4 times in less than 24 hours.  Ella LOVES swimming this year.  Which is nice, because she's been kind of difficult to take swimming in the past.  Hopefully, we can get her some swimming lessons this summer.  

6.  It's hot.  Very, very hot.  And, it's only June.  July and August aren't looking so good.  I don't think I'll come back from Colorado until October.  Do you think my in-laws would mind?  Pregnancy + 100 degree temps= a very miserable mommy.

7.  It looks like our next crop of peaches will be ready before our vacation.  That's good news, because last year, someone picked them clean while we were gone.  I haven't gotten over it yet.

8.  In addition to Colorado, we're also going to the beach this year.  I am super excited about that.  If we can work it out, we're going to try to get in a trip to Sea World also.  Did I mention that I LOVE summer?

9.  Oh, and we have been playing with Legos this summer.  Okay, not so much "we" as Aidan...and his friends.  These are some pictures that we took of their creations the other night.  They are hoping we can get them published in the Lego magazine.

10.  We're trying to find lots of free and "cool" things to do this summer.  The Saginaw Library is doing their reading program again.  If you sign up, you get a free pass to the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History.  And, if you read 5 books, you get a free circus ticket.  Plus, you can go watch their story book theater every Wednesday, if you can stand all the rude parents that sit in the back and talk so that no one can hear.  Our school district is serving free lunch, regardless of income, to all kids under 18 all summer...so if you're really desperate to get out of the house...there's always that.  The movie theater is showing $1 movies on Tuesday and Wednesday at 10 am.  What are you doing this summer that is free or cheap??

Three Year Olds and Logic

Sometimes, if I'm desperate, I try to use logic on my 3 year old.  It never works.

Ella has had this problem lately that has Mark and I at our wits' end.  She is refusing to wear a pull-up at night, and she is not consistently dry through the night yet.  We make her put the pull-up on, but sometime in the night, she takes it off.  We're not sure if she's doing this while asleep or awake.  It is a fight every night just to get her to put one on.  She says they itch.  We've tried everything we can think of to get her to put one on and keep it on through the night.  We've had very little success.

So, last night, I thought I would appeal to reason.  If I could just use the right words...say the right thing, she would understand the need for her pull up and happily wear one, right?  Hmmm...not so much.

As she was getting dressed and throwing a fit about wearing a pull up (and after a long time out) I said, "Ella, I need you to be mommy's big helper.  When you don't wear your pull-up I have to wash the sheets, and dry the sheets and put them back on your bed and that's a lot of work for mommy.  So, don't you want to be a big helper and wear your pull-up for mommy?"

"I do!  I do want to be your big helper mommy.  I will help you."

"You will?  You're going to wear your pull up and be my big helper?"

"No.  I'll put the sheets in the washing machine for you, like a big girl."

Ugh.  Thank goodness she's cute.

My Big Helper

This Boy

I'll start by saying that I should be cleaning my kitchen right now.  But, I cleaned it yesterday...yesterday when I was running fever, and had a sore throat, and nauseous...I cleaned it anyway.  And today?  Well, today it is a disaster already.  Someone must be messing it up in the middle of the night.  Maybe one night when I'm up for the 300th time to use the restroom, I'll catch who's doing it.

But, enough complaining...the real reason for this post is to brag on this boy:

This boy, is now a Bear Cub in cub scouts.  How is that possible?  Wasn't it last week that I was buying that tiger cub uniform?  He has learned so much from cub scouts, and worked so hard on all of his achievements.  You can't see them in this picture, but he has 4 silver arrow points and one gold arrow point for doing electives on his own from his wolf cub handbook.  He also earned the Texas Badge and the Leave No Trace Badge this year.  We are so proud of him.

This boy, LOVES field day.  He won the first round of the 50 yard dash.  He ran his little heart out, and gave it all he had.  He never slowed down to look back like he did in 1st grade.  He just ran, and I was so proud of him for trying so hard.

This boy, is a 3rd grader now (as of tomorrow).  Wasn't it just a minute ago that I wrote this post about 

Aidan starting 1st grade?  He grew so much in 2nd grade.  Doing his best started to matter to him.  We went from having to study spelling words every night, to never having to study them, because he would memorize them on his own at school.  He started doing his best to write neatly.  He has stopped trying to read fast, and started reading with expression.  (He asks me many times while he's reading, "am I reading with expression?)  He's aced everything that's come his way.  He points out waxing crescent moons and cumulonimbus clouds.  He does double digit multiplication...in his head.  He received a trophy for being a star student...only 2 are awarded per class.  He also made A honor roll and received a good citizenship award.  He's learned so much, and we are so proud of him.  

I love this boy, and I can't believe how fast he's growing.  Each little milestone is a mix of joy and agony for me.  I am so happy for how he is growing and all that he is getting to experience...and aching inside because it is all going so fast.  This boy is my pride and joy.  I love him to pieces.  What a blessing he has been to his mommy.  This boy is one of the best gifts I've ever received (and quite possibly a huge part of the reason why I have to now go clean the kitchen, again!)

I love you Aidan!  Congratulations on another great year!

Love,

Mommy

Memorial Day

I've been doing a little research this weekend on the origins of Memorial Day.  It seems that no one really celebrates the true meaning of the holiday anymore (we seem to do that a lot).  So, I thought I'd find out just how this holiday got started.

It seems that it all started after the Civil War.  Several different cities and states claim to have started the tradition, so no one really knows for sure.  But, people would honor the fallen soldiers of the Civil War by decorating their graves with flags or flowers.  In May of 1868, General John A. Logan, declared Memorial Day an official holiday in which the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery would be decorated.  New York was the first state to officially recognize the holiday, and all the northern states followed.  The confederate states held out, each choosing their own days to honor their fallen soldiers.  Then, after World War I, the holiday was expanded to include fallen soldiers of all wars, not just the Civil War, and all the Southern states finally got on board.  As of 1971, it is now celebrated in all states on the last Monday of May.

In 1915, Moina Michael (my cousin...see mom, I listen, sometimes!) wrote a poem (in response to "In Flanders Fields") that linked the red poppy to the remembrance of those fallen in battle.  She then came up with the idea to wear red poppies on Memorial Day.  The idea spread all over the world.  The United States honored her with her own postage stamp for her role in helping people to remember our fallen soldiers.

Honoring the dead by placing flowers on their graves used to be common, and it was a pretty big deal.  Now, I don't know a single person that does this on Memorial Day.  Mostly, we have bar b ques, go to the lake, or have a swimming party.  Few, myself included, take the time to really consider what the holiday is about.  Did you know that to combat this, in 2000, Congress created the "National Moment of Remembrance?"  I guess they thought if we couldn't set aside a whole day, maybe we could at least take a moment.  The idea is that at 3:00 pm, everyone will take a moment to in some way acknowledge the sacrifices that have been made for us.

I think I'll observe at least that moment with my family today.  And, I'll take some time to talk to my kids about the true meaning of the holiday.  Maybe next year, I'll plan in advance and do something special to honor our fallen soldiers.  At the very least, while you're enjoying time with family and friends today, take the time to think about the families all over the country that are celebrating today without someone that they dearly love.  There are mothers getting their kids ready for a Memorial Day celebration all by themselves, because their husbands are gone.  There are other mothers, whose children will not come home today for the family cook out.  There are children celebrating without fathers and mothers.  May we all take a little time today to think about why we can celebrate without the fear of being attacked.  We live in relative peace and without fear because of the sacrifices of our military families.  Make sure you tell your kids!

Happy Memorial Day!  Thank you to all the service members that put their lives on the line for us...and to their sweet families that give up so much for their service.