Diaper duty

Did you ever wonder what would happen if a disposable diaper went through your washer?  Unfortunately I found out today.  Let's just say it does not make for a happy or efficient laundry day.  I am not sure how many times I am going to have to wash that load to get that gel stuff out of the washer and the clothes.  That's what I get for grabbing a bunch of clothes out of the basket and going right to the washer rather than going through them individually.  I was in a hurry this morning!  So much for saving time & getting the laundry done early today.

On a positive note, at least it wasn't a poopy diaper!

God is working in me through...Laney

 

I should have known from the very moment I found out I was pregnant with Laney that God was helping me with strength and courage.  Looking back, it's no doubt that's what He was thinking of when He gifted her into my life. 

We were living in Arizona at the time, in a 1970's-ish RV camper that we moved a few different places throughout that winter.  I was working overnights at a large veterinary hospital and Jason was working by day, as much as he could, doing farrier work.  A.J. was 6 months old at the time and, as you can imagine, caring for a baby during the day after working a 10pm to 7am shift was not a simple task.  It's even worse in a gooseneck camper mind you!  Let's just say that there were a few times when I was very lucky that he didn't fall all the way down the steps that went up to our bed in the neck of the camper.

I can't tell you how tired I was those days, but it started getting even worse.  Everything at work started smelling really bad and soon I started feeling sick.  "Hmmm, I felt like this when I was pregnant with A.J...I can't be, can I?" 

Enter my opportunity to be strong. 

Ever try to work (because you really need the money) when all you feel like doing is sleeping and puking?  Not a good combination in an emergency vet hospital.  Many a nights that I puked while getting ready for work, on the way to work, at work, and during work.  Then top that off with trying to sleep and care for a now crawling baby so your hubby can go out to try to find work as well.  I look back and figure that if I could make it through those circumstances, I could muster up the strength to get through most anything.

The courage comes in a little later.  As the seasons changed, so did our living arrangements.  We had traveled down south during the past 2 winters and went back up to our home in MN in the summer months.  (Horseshoers don't make money in the winter in MN, hence the need to travel to find work.)  So that summer, Jason was given the opportunity to shoe at Canterbury Downs, a horse-racing facility.  That job turned up connections that lined us up with the chance to do the same thing down south during the winter months.  We were excited that it might work for us both to do our jobs in Arizona that winter since my vet tech job was still available to me when we went back.  Unfortunately, he was not able to get many shoeing jobs there and we took the advice of another friend to try our luck in Texas. 

With $200 to our name, a truck with our bare essentials packed, a 1 year-old baby and one on the way in about a month, we took our chances and mustered up the courage to venture somewhere uncharted and without a clue of what to expect.  Our first 2 weeks were really tough.  We could only afford to pay for a hotel room one night at a time and would hope that Jason would find enough work to pay for us to stay there another night.  This went on for about a week.  He was finally able to get enough work so that we could stay in an extended stay hotel which was much more beneficial from a financial standpoint and the fact that the rooms had a stove so we could actually cook meals.  During that time, I must say that my main concern was that A.J. had all of his needs met.  I could get by with not eating much (even though I was 8 months pregnant), and as long as he was OK, I felt we were going to be alright for the time being.

A friendship, given by the grace of God to us, helped us get on our feet from that point on.  Jason's friend, Gary, had arrived in El Paso and loaned us money to put a deposit down on an apartment.  We made plans for our belongings to get hauled from MN to TX so we could make it a home down there.  With nothing but an air mattress and a TV on the living room floor and a pack-n-play for AJ, we made our apartment a home, and we were SO grateful!  We finally had a permanent place to live and feel safe. 

Two weeks before our stuff arrived, Laney came blazing into our world.  I say blazing because my labor went so quickly that Jason almost missed her delivery when he went to park the truck.  I had no more than sat on the bed and they hooked me up to all the gadgets and were soon throwing the drape over me & said "It's time to push". 
"Huh?!?  I just got here!", I nervously thought.  I cried to Jason when I realized I wouldn't be getting any pain meds, but 3 pushes later (with awesome coaching from my hubby) our little girl arrived and all was well.  We brought her home and didn't even have a crib for her.  Luckily, newborns don't take up much space and don't move around much, so we used the little changing table from A.J.'s pack-n-play for her bed on the floor next to us.  I don't recall any other feelings other than great joy and thanksgiving for having a place for our family to live other than icky hotel rooms.  (That might be why to this day I still don't get really excited about staying in them...it reminds me of how close we were to being homeless.)  It's one thing to go through that when you're young and on your own, and it's another when you are responsible for little ones who depend on you for everything. 

So can I say that the experiences we had back then brought me to a greater understanding of strength and courage?  ABSOLUTELY!  But, it's even in looking back on those times that I can recognize God's love for us and that He was always there providing for us.  We struggled, but we were never without what we really needed at the time.  In that courage, we ventured to a place that Jason was able to make enough money in 3 months than he had in almost the entire year before that.  I also found myself drawn even more deeply into my Catholic faith when we found a beautiful church to baptize Laney in.  It's in looking back that I see God's plan, and am grateful for every moment and experience, for it was in those moments that I was drawn into a deeper relationship with the Lord.

Happy Birthday, Noah!

I realized when putting together Noah's 1 year baby book that I never took pictures of him eating and destroying his first birthday cake.  In my defense, a year ago he wouldn't have eaten it anyways and wouldn't have liked touching it either.  He still doesn't like getting messy.  He insisted on eating this cupcake with a utensil.  He was actually more interested in the candle and getting us to light it over and over so he could continually blow it out.  I think Daddy (or as Noah calls him, "Ma Ma"), ate most of the cupcake while Noah mastered his candle-extinguishing and delighting in the smoke that arose from it. 

 

(He calls me "Mom" in case you're wondering...)

 

 

Happy 2nd birthday, sweet baby boy!



God is working in me through...A.J.

 

I think that anyone who has children can say that their life definitely changed with the arrival of their first one.  No matter how much you think you are prepared for everything that might come your way, one cannot simply envision or imagine how much one little life can impact your own so much.  Or in our case, FIVE, but for now, we'll focus on the first one...A.J.

I would have to say that when I reflect on what has changed in me since the first child, the word that comes to mind is "independence".  Now before I make you believe that I gained independence, I want to clarify that independence is actually what I had to let go of. 

So let's go back to before I met Jason & actually to when I was in high school.  From the time I could drive, I had a job away from home.  I earned money that paid for most of my own clothes and gas for getting around.  School came fairly easy to me and so I also was active in extra-curricular activities.  I kept up with my chores around the house so I rarely needed to be told what to do.  I was by no means, a "goodie two shoes" (whatever that means), but I didn't like conflict, or being told what to do, so I did what was expected of me so I could go about my day without having to answer to much of anyone.  When I was deciding on what I wanted to do with my future, I didn't need much consult.  I knew I wanted to go to NDSU and I wanted to do something with animals.  Luckily for me, they had a Pre-Vet and Veterinary Technology program.  I applied there and nowhere else.  That was my plan.  I had a notion that I would get married someday at a certain age, after I had finished college & was working, have a family and everything would be the way I wanted it.  Boy did I have lots to learn!

Now before you think that I told you this to toot my own horn, my intention is to show you that my independence was actually an obstacle.  For so long, I had depended on nobody but myself to make my life operate the way I wanted it to.  I had become completely self-sufficient.  I worked through college to pay my own way (at one point I had 3 jobs!).  So when Jason & I started dating, I still prided myself that I could take care of myself and didn't need anyone to support me...even when I struggled.

Fast forward into our marriage a few years.  We were living our lives as newly graduated people do.  Finally out of school, with no homework, just work to do, making the big bucks.  Being the adventurer that he was, Jason pursued a dream to ride in the rodeo, which gave us great experiences. 

Up until this point, I would say that we pretty much did what we wanted and got what we expected.  If we didn't, we weren't afraid to go on to greener pastures.  So at some point, we "decided" that it was time to start on our family.  We had the home, a dog, and our jobs...as the saying goes, "First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes baby in a baby carriage."  Right?  Well, that was MY plan, but God had something else in mind.  Little did I know that it would be difficult to conceive a child.  We had tried so hard for so many years NOT to get pregnant & now we couldn't, (at least on the timeline that I had envisioned.)  It actually took us almost a year.  During that time, we had made the decision to leave our home and try out our luck, where else than Checotah, Oklahoma, "the Steer Wrestling Capital of the World!"  Don't get me wrong, I fought leaving the safety net of my job, but I was also pretty sure that I would be able to get work wherever we went. 

Here's where God threw me and my independence for a whirl. What started out on the ride down to Checotah as feeling emotional, hypersensitive to odors, and queasy, turned out that it was due to me being pregnant.  Two weeks after I had put in my notice at work, I finally became pregnant.  Great timing, God!!  So, needless to say, that queasiness turned into, all-day, everyday morning sickness.  So bad that it kept me from finding a job.  (Anyone who has been around me during those first few months of my pregnancies knows that I don't get far from a puke bucket.)

So here we are, 1000 miles from home and family, little, if any, work to make money, quickly building up debt, living in a camper in a friends' yard and sicker than I've ever been before.  Let's just say it was my "rock bottom" moment that many people talk about.  I felt hopeless.  I remember confessing to Jason, "We've got nothing right now but God."  And it was with that humility that God revealed His love and faithfulness to me.  Moment by moment, He would speak to my hardened heart through others and it was the beginning of my dependence on Him.  As I said before, Jason taught me trust, and now that trust was spilling into being able to look to God for guidance...something that was very unfamiliar to me.

Now when that little baby boy was born, nothing could prepare me for how I was going to feel about him.  Not only did I feel so responsible for caring for him, I struggled with figuring out how to do everything as a stay-at-home mom.  I never thought I would be at home full-time, but it was something that I eventually let into my heart.  He took so much of my time and attention, that I realized that I actually needed someone to help me or I would go crazy.  I also learned that everything I thought I needed to do & get done might not get my attention & that I would have to be OK with that.  This little colicky boy needed so much from me & if I didn't learn to let others help me, then I wasn't going to be able to go for long before I was burned out.  At one point I remember Jason coming home from work & asked me how our day was going.  I started crying and just said, "I just want someone to hold ME while I cry."  That little bundle was breaking down my walls and teaching me that it's OK to not have all the answers, all the energy, all the ambition or whatever else I thought I needed to take care of a family. 

So what has become a repeating motto of "Let Go, Let God", I am finding things in me that need work, things that need healing, and most of all, things in me that need help not only from those around me, but more importantly, from Jesus who knows first and foremost what we all need to be the best version of ourselves.  I am, by no means, even close to where I should be, but in reflecting on what I've learned so far, I can certainly see His love at work in this broken person who is just trying to do her best to give Him the glory, and it's through the gifts of those around me that I'm continually growing in Him.

God is working in me through...Jason

I met Jason during my junior year of college.  I was at a point in my life that I had given up on the idea of any man being in my life to fulfill what I thought I needed.  I had recently broken off a long relationship, and reflecting back, I realize that God was leading me through that process.  He had other plans for me.  So, newly single, I began to embrace who I was and actually began to feel comfortable about myself in my own skin.  Maybe that's what attracted Jason.

He found me on a night that I recall as having wanting-nothing-to-do-with-finding-a-soul-mate kind of night, let alone even drawing the attention of any guys.  I made sure of that by wearing one of my favorite "don't look at my body" shirts...an oversized USA hockey jersey.  Thinking back, I don't even think there was any way he could see much more than my face from where he said he was when he spotted me and where I was sitting.  I never saw him coming and when I heard a voice ask me to dance, I had decided already that it was going to be a "no", but as I looked toward the direction of the voice, I saw a smiling face under that cowboy hat that I couldn't give that answer to.  Needless to say, we had a great night dancing around the floor.  At the end of the night, we said goodbye and went our separate ways.  Now as much fun as I had, remember I had no desire to get into another relationship, so I didn't think much about him.  (I think his side of the story is different, but you'll have to ask him about that.)

A week or two later, I ran into him again & we picked up where we left off.  Except this time, he wasn't going to let me get away without getting my number.  We laugh about this part, because the whole night up until that point he thought my name was "Leah", and when I wrote it down he realized he was a little off.  What can I say?  It was really loud in there!

So right from the start, Jason was different that anyone I had met before.  Usually when I was in a situation that I felt comfortable enough with someone to give them my contact information, I assumed that I would get a call sometime soon.  One day...two days...one week...two weeks.  At that point, I had given up the idea of getting a call.  Then, he finally did & we set up a date.  Not only was it one of the most interesting dates I had ever been on, we connected right from the start.  Every moment we had together, he was proving to me what real love was about and what I had been missing.  I would say that after a month of dating, I knew that he was someone I loved enough to marry. 

God had such a bigger plan for me.  He knew how much I needed a husband with a strong family.  He knew I needed someone would never give me a reason to doubt how he felt about me.  Someone that I could trust wouldn't cheat on me or leave me.  A man who tells me I'm beautiful even when I don't look it & some days can even try to convince me of it.  (If beauty comes from the inside, for the most part I don't feel beautiful most days and so this one was, and still is, a big hurdle for me.)  Someone I could share everything with, even the crappy stuff, and he would still love me unconditionally.  A man with dreams big enough for the both of us and courageous to guide me along when I was afraid to jump, but gentle enough to understand that many of the things we've done scared the crap out of me. 

For the most part, God knew I needed a man that could help me learn how to trust, and that trust has led me back to God and to trust Him in my life and with my life.  When we got married, I must admit that my focus was not on God being in our marriage.  I thought that all I needed was a good man.  I needed someone that would guide me through a journey of faith that I had taken for granted.  But this was an unfair job to put on my husband.  No one person can satisfy the hunger for Infinite Love, except the Savior, but it is through my love for Jason and his love for me that has led me to the trust of allowing the Lord to love me so I can love others more fully in return.

So for a picture...unfortunately when we met, digital cameras were not available, so when you took a picture, you had to hope that you captured the moment that you were looking for.  So, I found 2 pictures that were probably the first I had taken of Jason.  The first was blurry, but captured the essence of the "man in the cowboy hat" that I was drawn to from the start.  The other was this one...

God is working in me through...

This is my new favorite piece of artwork...

 

It's referred to as the "Polish Madonna" or as I refer to it, "Mary doing the laundry."  I have often struggled with the thought of looking to Mary for help and guidance for this often-impatient, usually-struggling-daily mother of 5.  I mean, let's be honest, she was Full of Grace and Jesus was perfect, what could be hard about that??

 

But God has a bigger and better plan for me...

 

He has been drawing me closer to the Blessed Mother and showing me the gentle, loving patience that I so desire to give my children and those around me.  I have come to realize even more everyday that He is working on me and in me, through the people He brings to my life, namely, the kids.  I have come to realize that each of them has been an answer to a prayer, for myself, to grow closer to Him.  So, I thought I would share individually what each child has taught me, or what I should say, is what God is teaching me through my life with them.

 

But first, I want to share about what this painting means to me.

 

For so long, I have struggled with figuring out how to pray in my daily life.  I've tried so many things, and I usually allow myself to get distracted by the daily duties of being a SAHM (stay-at-home mom).  Honestly, the best prayer time I generally have is when I'm out of my house and in the silence of the church or retreat place, away from all that is "work".  Makes sense, doesn't it?  

 

Well, about a month ago, I started at "retreat" at home, (I read a book), and it helped me to think about one little thing each day, throughout the day, and it was great!  But guess what?  I finished the book & struggled to find a "routine" of prayer again. 

 

Thank goodness for spiritual direction!  This is where the painting comes in.  As I shared my monthly thoughts with Father Craig, he started talking about this picture he saw at his last retreat about Mary hanging the laundry with Jesus at her side.  I just knew I had to see it as he explained it.

 

Here is what seems like a simple picture of a lady hanging up clothes.  But as you look at the little one sitting on the ground, you notice the little "glow" around His head, (often as Jesus, angels & saints are depicted.)  Then, notice that He's playing with something...is it a stick?  No, it's a Cross.  (Even in His infancy, Christ is contemplating the crucifixion.  OK, I'm just making that up...I really don't know if that's what it means.)  So back to Mary, (and this is where it hits me), even in her daily chores, Mary's gaze, her attention, is on Jesus.  It is in everything she does for Him and her family, she does so for the Kingdom of God.  Her daily activities become her prayer, her offering, her sacrifice, her love...all for the glory of God.  And so must I!  Only I don't have to try to do it on my own, as I have been so stubbornly doing.  No, I can bring it to the Blessed Mother, and she will teach me, guide me, love me the way any good mother would do for her children.  And if I fall, she's there to pick me up and dust me off, take me by the hand and lead me to the Father. 

 

So, why Mary?  Why not go directly to the Lord?  Well, I still can, but there are times I don't have the words, the focus, or even the right idea of what I need at that time.  Mary takes my feeble offering, coats it in sugar and good stuff, puts it on a fancy platter and offers it to the King.  Jesus didn't deny his mother.  Scripture reveals that to us.  At the wedding in Cana, after she told Him the wine was gone, He told her it wasn't His time yet, but it was at her request ultimately that the water was made into wine.  (John 2:1-5) 

 

So how is God working in me through the Blessed Mother?  He is revealing His love for me.  He is revealing my love for my family.  He is revealing my purpose, His plan for me.  He is showing me the love of a Mother.  The love I desire to give to others.  The example I want to follow.  The work I'm here to do, no matter how simple...all while keeping my gaze on the Lord.





Farewell, old friend

This week we had to make the difficult decision to euthanize our 25 year-old horse, "Pistol", after having him for 13 years.  He was Jason's hazing horse for rodeo and for the past 10 years or so, has pretty much been an 1100 pound pet.  After having him examined due to continued weight loss, the diagnosis was clear that it was only a matter of time & with cold weather coming, we didn't feel it would be fair to have him struggle through another winter. 

In his prime, he was the other half of a beautiful team of gray horses that we hauled up and down the road for Jason's steer wrestling career... (he'd get upset if I said it was a hobby.)  Here is one of our favorite pictures of them in action.  Pistol is the one on the left, Jason is in the dirt tackling a 500-pound steer, and the other horse, Smoke, we owned and sold fortunately before he ran out of youth.



 

Here's Jason in 2003 with baby AJ & "the boys".

  That's how much we trusted those horses!

 

 

Here are more pictures of Ian, Jason  and Pistol this summer.

 

 



Unfiltered

Most kids tend to be brutally honest and Ian had 2 conversations the other day that show the way he thinks and how the filter between the brain and the mouth has not yet developed.

Ian:  Jeanne, how old are you?
Jeanne: I'm 60.
Ian:  Is that older than the mountains?

Next conversation:
Ian was sitting on Grandpa Jim's lap going through a bag of parade candy that consisted mostly of Frooties and Tootsie Rolls.  He came across a larger Tootsie Roll and said, "Hey, Grandpa!  This one's fat like you!"

As harsh as those conversations sound written out, they were quite hilarious at the time.  We all had a great laugh as we cherished this cute age and the innocent way they take in all of their information and process it...and then blurt it out.  But honestly, how can this face not make your day completely light up?  Here he is on his first day of preschool.  (Of course we can't have pictures without little brother in them!)

Saki-It To Me

Our last trip to Fargo had us visiting a Hibachi restaurant for the first time.  The kids (well, the adults too) had a blast watching the chefs flip the food on the hot griddle in front of us, do tricks, make us laugh, as well as have "saki" squirted into their mouths.  (The adults got saki, the kids got soda, but they liked it anyway.)  They tried sushi for the first time & liked it.

At the end of our fabulous & filling meal, we were treated to a birthday song & fireworks for our nephew, Tyson's, birthday.  He also got to wear a Chinese dragon head during the light show.

 

 

Laney already has it planned that we're going there on her birthday...

The pictures on the wall are of birthday guests.  The whole room is covered in them!

 

Thank you, Noah!

Yesterday was the day that 21 month-old Noah saved me from complete embarrassment. 

We were all getting ready for church and it started to get to that time that everyone was running around needing something and distracting me from finishing getting ready myself.  I was in the process of picking out shoes.  You know...putting on 2 different shoes and looking in the mirror sideways or standing on one foot to decide which one looks better.  So usually, the shoes are very different in how they feel on my feet, and yesterday they were not.  So in the middle of my deciding, I was distracted by ponytail making and clothing choices and a late sleeper.  Just as we were about to leave, Noah was playing around in the entryway & was pointing at and standing in one of my "trial" shoes, which made me realize that I was still wearing 2 different shoes.  As I laughed at how funny I looked and how cute it was that he showed me, I couldn't help but feel really relieved that I didn't walk into church with 2 different shoes on. 

Hereditary

I have proof that there are more things that are passed on to your children than just looks and health-related issues.  Apparently sleeping habits and positions are also included. 

(They even make the same snoring noises when they snooze!)

No wonder they got the nicknames "Slump" & "Lil Slump".

 

 

Also note the "gift" of being able to sleep with an awake child in your lap.

Heeere fishy, fishy, fishy!

On our down time this summer, we were able to take some opportunities to go fishing with the kids, and there's not much that can keep boys away from worms, water, boats, and slimy wriggling critters on hooks.  Here are some pictures of their best catches.

 

 The Sunnies were quite huge on Aunt Rita's & Uncle Drew's lake...

along with the bugs & appetites of the mosquitos!

 

 



AJ was pretty excited about his first Bass catch

 

Not only were the Sunnies big, they were beautiful colors!

 

Ian & cousin RJ - I don't know if they caught it,

but they wanted a picture with it.

 

Wally the Walleye made for yummy fish fry!

 

The fishies were biting like crazy!  My cousin Dylan

was busy keeping up with hooks.

 

The good news...this boat is great for fishing & fun.

The bad news...we almost sunk when the plug came out while skiing.

Even worse news...the body of the boat cracked by the motor & can't be used until fixed.

Anyone know how to fix a fiberglass boat??

 

What I learned this summer...

1.  I still enjoy fishing, waterskiing, gardening and doing the things I did as a kid, and even more so now because I have the privilege of teaching our kids.

2.  After reading a book entitled, "Raising a Spirited Child", turns out I'M actually the more spirited one!  At least now I can explain why I react the way I do & how to use that in a positive way toward my family.

3.  Our kids are growing up really fast & are spending more time with friends.  Activities must be chosen carefully to attempt avoiding words such as:  "boring", "unfair", and "can't I do ______ instead?"

4.  Ian is going to miss having older siblings, and Daddy especially, around everyday.  Preschool comes at a good time!

5.  It took 2 months to get the kids to finally sleep in & now I have to try to get them back on a "school schedule" and getting up at 7am again.

6.  The bugs are bigger in Northern MN & the mosquitos are VERY hungry up at Knight Lake!

7.  When the kids pack their suitcases for vacation, they can't blame me for their outfits chosen or things they forgot that were on their list of things to pack.

8.  Principals really don't have "summer's off".

9.  I should buy stock in band-aids and sunscreen in the summer.

10.  I enjoyed time with my family and our relatives and friends this summer.  I am SO grateful to God for helping me find my way to where He wanted me to be.  I really feel blessed to have so many wonderful things in my life & I am constantly learning how to appreciate it even more and live in the moment and joy of it all.

"I slipped on a bunny"

I came down from bed this morning wearing a neck brace and that of course, doesn't go unnoticed by anyone.  Every once in a while, my body decides that it wants to throw me a curveball and while I'm sleeping, it goes crazy.  I woke up this morning in pain (not completely unusual) but also found it hard to move.  Grr, my neck went "out" again!  So, to keep my muscles from going completely insane until I could get into the chiropractor, I put on the brace.  So when the kids asked me this morning what happened, I said, "I slept on it funny."  With a puzzled look on his face, AJ asks, "What?"  I repeated it & he laughs and says, "Oh, I thought you said you slipped on a bunny!"   I guess that makes sense!  I could say that it would actually make me feel less old and strange about myself if I got hurt by slipping on a bunny rather than getting hurt in my sleep!

Matryoshka!

That's what I was thinking of when I saw the boys pile up on their Daddy.  Well, I wasn't actually thinking of that word in particular, but the concept of it.  You know, those little Russian stacking/nesting dolls?  Well, they're called matryoshka dolls.

 

I just call it descending sizes of cute!

 

Also, for any of you that know Jason's dad, Noah is sporting his best Grandpa Jim smile. (ha,ha!)

Deep thoughts...by Tina Myhre

To start off, I just want to explain that I've been attempting to upload photos to keep up with my blogs, but for some reason, my computer is being grumpy.  Maybe it's on summer vacation, too.  It's not just with the blog, it won't let me do it on my e-mails either, so let's just say I'm not in the best mood with my computer.

Speaking of bad moods...while pondering the past events and conversations/arguments with certain children these last few days, I came up with a "deep thought".

Children are a lot like balloons.

When they are fully inflated and flying high,

they are a source of great joy and smiles.

But when they pop or explode,

everybody's miserable,

and crying,

and blaming everyone,

and crying,

and throwing tantrums,

and crying,

and screaming,

until something either "inflates" them again...

 

...or they fall asleep.

 

Thank God for new days and the power of prayer!

So I know it's been a while...

...here's what we've been up to this past month and a half.

 

 Family get-togethers

 

Enjoying the outdoors & a beautiful spring



 

 

Some much needed R & R

 

 

 "We interrupt this family to bring you baseball season"

 

 

Vacation Bible School...160 kids (preschool & up)...enough said!

Recitals, recitals!

Quality bonding time...

 

Hopefully my next hiatus from the blog won't be quite so long!  I found that my time on the computer is short and often interrupted, so when I get on it, it's more for "work" stuff and the "fun" things get pushed aside for a while.  It's not very easy to type and stuff when holding an active 18 month old either...he's really good at kicking away the keyboard.  (He also still has no interest in weaning, mind you!  Some days it's just easier not to fight it.  It gives me an excuse to sit down and snuggle, too!)

 

 

1998

Fifteen years ago I married my soulmate & I have had one adventure after another since I met him.  Our relationship has taken us through different careers, states and experiences that I would never had ventured to on my own.  I definitely married a dreamer who isn't afraid to jump   We have been blessed so much and have learned many things along the way. 

Happy Anniversary!

 

 

 

Habemus papam!

In case you hadn't heard...we have a new pope.

 Here's a little intro to Pope Francis if you've been in the dark for the past month.

 

 

 

Moisturized!

This morning while I was in the bathroom getting ready, Ian took it upon himself to open up the (very expensive) jar of thick lotion and spread it on his face and hair.  Not to leave out his little brother, he made sure he was well coated as well.  It should be noted that this kind of lotion makes a good hair styling product.  Their hair stayed nice and spikey all day.