It's True

My workday mornings go so much more smoothly when Steve is around to help us get out of the house.

Like other mornings, he had the kids all buckled up in the car and my lunch bag packed and sitting on the passenger seat right next to my purse.  After hugs and kisses, Steve closed the car door and began to gather his things so he could start his day as well.

That's when J sweetly announced, "I couldn't even ask for a better dad."

"I know, " I replied as I unrolled the window to let the the best dad in the world know what his son just said about him.

Daddy responded with a warm grin and a word of thanks, and we continued to back out of the garage.

"It's true, Mom.  It's true," J added.

And he couldn't be more correct.

That's Absurd!

Just a day into our trip and J was already missing his friends, G & A.

After he mentioned his loneliness more than once, I said, "We should send them a post card."

He looked at me as if I suggested the most absurd thing in the world and replied, "Why? We can just text them instead."

Rise 'n Shine!

It's vacation time!

4:31 in the morning,

and we're ready to hit the road, fully awake or not.



First stop (minus the two previous bathroom breaks)...

 

Here's a hint...

That's right, the tire store!

What trip would be complete without a tire repair?

And whose mother would make them pose for pictures there?

From the looks of E's cyanotic lips, the next stop should be the hospital.

But no worries, that's just the result of artificial dyes and refined sugar.

Suckers make any unexpected stop better.

Candy for breakfast?!?

Now, really, who is their mother?

Again, no worries.  These children had already eaten at least three times from the start of the trip, so technically this was just snack number four.

Besides a phone call to confirm that our vacation buddies would not be joining us as planned, (We missed you, A family!  I've considered downplaying the extent of our fun, but I'd be lying if I said our time away from the daily grind was anything but glorious.  Sorry.  To make up for the disappointment, I'm thinking a moms-only skiing trip will do.) it was smooth sailing to our final, beautiful destination.

Extraordinary

A little over five years ago, I was baby stepping towards Jesus.  I was definitely moving the right direction  but had not quite fallen for Him yet.  I needed a nudge or two or three.  What a patient God is He! 

I guess I needed more than a nudge because I received a blindsiding shove when my colicky baby arrived.  (You can read more about that here.)  This God of mine wasn't about to send me down an unfamiliar path alone though.  He's always sure to give me what I need (especially when I don't even know I need anything), and that's just what he did. 

Since we were lacking in other Jesus believers in our lives at the time, there is no doubt in my mind that God led my nearly nine month pregnant body directly to H's doorstep.  Waa-lah!  And just like that, there was a Jesus lover in my life.

For five years now, I've grown to know H, beautfiul inside and out, and have been blessed to see her in action.  H isn't just an ordinary woman. Nope, God knew that ordinary wasn't going to be enough to help steady my steps. She is extraordinary...a loving, kind, patient, devoted, true, and real believer, wife, mother, caregiver, and friend.  I'm not the only one who has noticed her amazingness either.  J sobbed and sobbed when we said goodbye earlier this week because he knew it would be two weeks before we would see H and her family again.

It's a good thing we were able to take some pictures so we won't forget these beautiful faces during our time apart.  And, yes, both J & E have already asked numerous times if they could catch of glimpse of their beloved buddies.

 H, I was so honored to spend some extra time capturing the beauty of your blessings.  What a true privelege for me!  Whether you know it or not, you've taught me so much about God, marriage, parenting, patience (seems like I never have enough of that!), relationships, life, values, and so much more.  Thanks for every bit of amazing love you give our family.  I value every minute we spend together talking (and talking and talking and talking) about everything.  You're the best!

Surviving

Because it was necessary for their survival when I was pretty sick a few months ago, the kids independently developed their own morning routine which does not involve immediately waking me up when they arise. 

My late night and the rainy weather left me less than ambitious to rise and shine this morning.  As I was drifting in and out of a light sleep, I could hear that the kids were watching television and occasionally one or both of them would climb into bed and snuggle with me for a moment and then go back to doing their thing.

After the third or fourth time of J coming into my room,...

J:  Mom, wake up!  It's 7:39.  I thought you should know that.

Me:  Ok.

J:  Oh, and E is eating marshmallows for breakfast too.

Survival of the fittest.

Early

We were early today. 

Seriously.

Like, seven minutes before a scheduled meeting time.

An occurrence like this is so rare for me and the kids that documentation was necessary.

I was sure that my husband just wouldn't take my word for it, so we needed some photos as evidence.

Plus, I needed to warm up the camera before our friends arrived.

Come on, you two! 

We were early! 

Now that's something to smile about.

She is My Daughter

Since our first real family road trip went so well, we're making plans for another one this summer. 

I started a recent discussion by asking, "So, what are we going to do in the car when we go on our next trip?  It'll be longer than when we went to Oklahoma."

J quickly replied, "It will!  Well, we can read books, play games, and watch movies."

And when I looked at E to find out what she was planning, she responded in a serious tone, "Eat."

It's Summer!

There are movies to see, bikes to ride, walks to walk, concerts to attend, trips to take, friends to visit, parks to explore, plants to water, ice cream to eat, grass (for my husband) to mow, runs to run, pools to splash, and picnics to enjoy.


Add these to all of the usual things we do, and it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that something’s gotta give…like an orderly household, bedtime routines, blogging, and some basic hygiene (some very neglected and downright appalling fingernails were discovered around here earlier this week).

Can’t have it all.

Our ducks may not be in a row, but we’re having fun, disgusting fingernails and all.

She Drives a Hard Bargain

E:  Mommy, can I take a bath with you?

Me:  Probably not tonight, honey.

E:  But I will not pee in there. 

Pedicure

What could make a two-year-old self-declared princess so happy?

Her first pedicure, of course!

They even tossed in a mani for free.

Indulgent, indeed, but E was just glowing with excitement which made this completely worth it.

The camera phone pictures don't do the event much justice, but there will likely be many more photo opportunities because this little gem is hooked. 

 I may have created a pretty-toed monster.

Smitten

Baby F is a man of many expressions.

 I'm in love with each

 and

every

one!

And just when I thought he couldn't possibly get any cuter,

he sealed our love with a wink.

I'm in love with a three-month old!

Smitten.

Absolutely smitten.

Road Trip

Our recent road trip to Oklahoma was more than a dead armadillo and an unfortunate pee incident. Thank God! It would have been a pretty long journey just for that. It wasn’t just about having a (freezing) swimming pool readily accessible or eating pizza in a hotel bed at 10:30 pm either.

It was mostly about squeezing in some quality time with a lovely little family before they head west…way west.

Believe me when I say they are definitely worth all those hours in the car and the multiple bathroom breaks along the way too.

In addition to the nice conversations, delicious food, baby snuggling (and photos…more on that soon!), gracious hosts, and laughs we were able to take in a few of the local attractions.

Some adventurous and hands-on…

 

and really exciting…

others well done and somber…

Although our goodbye was tearful, I couldn’t be more thankful…thankful for life, friends, babies, families, safety, quality time together, happiness, and opportunities. I wish I could say that we’ll be seeing each other again in the Land Down Under, but that’s not exactly feasible right now unless I bank a substantial amount of money on J’s Super Bowl pick (just kidding…kind of). Until then, communication via modern technology will suffice.

Dear friends, I pray for nothing but the best for you all! I am so, so happy for you, and I can’t wait to hear about all of your new adventures. Please be sure to take and send J any pictures of deadly insects or snakes that you may encounter…especially if you stumble upon a taipan. He really loves those. Oh, and any sharks too. That reminds me…we’ll be praying for your safety. Be careful! Sending lots and lots of love your way!