Call to Prayer

Hi everyone…I have an urgent request. I'm nearly sick on behalf of a good friend whose water broke this morning. She is only 25-weeks pregnant. Please pray for her that they will be able to keep the baby inside longer and that the life of her precious daughter will be spared. Thanks!

Water, Water Everywhere

Last year for Christmas, we crammed everything into one day, and it pretty much wore us all out. This year we did our family celebration in the morning when Adam got home from work, and then went to his parents for the afternoon. Saturday, we spent the afternoon at my parents. This method seemed to be much easier on the kids than trying to go everywhere in one day…and eat all that food. ;)

I'll do an actual Christmas post once I download the pictures…we had a blast. However, when we came home Saturday, we had a most unexpected visitor…3"of water covering the entire basement. If I hadn't been too tired, I would have considered launching fish to let Kaylee get some indoor use of her fishing pole. Instead, I pretty much cried. Then pulled it together. The dogs were huddled together in their crate to avoid getting wet. They were thankful to be released from the basement pool.

We then called in the troops. Adam's parents were the first to arrive. I had already put Logan to bed, but Kaylee was overtired and was refusing bed. Fortunately Penny was there to step in to take care of her because I was in no frame of mind to deal with that.

My dad and brother were the next to arrive with blocks to lift things up on, fans and extension cords. I gave Adam a new Shop-Vac for Christmas, but wasn't really planning on him needing to use it the following day. I mean it would have been fine if he wanted to clean out the car, but a flood in the basement? Really? After running the vacuum for forever, talking to a professional, Adam and I decided we would rip up all of our new extremely wet carpet and just trash it. We didn't want to pay a fortune on professional dehumidifiers and fans only to find the carpet still smelled and we would need to replace it anyway.

A while later Megan and Justin showed up to finish helping. Megan cleaned upstairs…washing dishes, putting away toys and sweeping the floor.

We've been through this before. We know how it goes. When Kaylee was a few months old, our kitchen had to be entirely replaced due to water damage. I was without a fully functional kitchen for three months. Fortunately, this time being in the basement, we can go on and close the door as we progress in the clean up. The carpet was the biggest loss, so it could have been much worse. It's going to be a headache to deal with, but it's going to work out.

I had it on my list to really work in the basement, cleaning and organizing, but I hadn't really intended to clean under the carpet and buy new carpet. ;)

Funny Bubba

Wow…someone hold me back. It's been a while since I've posted this much. I suppose it has something to do with being caught up on work and most of the housework. Okay, not all of the housework, but enough… Well, not really enough, but…

Logan continues to crack us up. It is such a joy to see his little personality blossom before our eyes.

Random Logan things…

Just now, I caught him walking around, stopping short of certain objects, knocking his head on said object, turning, scowling, walking to next object and repeating.

Yesterday, as I was making cookies, he walked up to me saying, "Mamma, mamma, mamma." I stopped and bent down to pick him up. He hugged me, then proceeded to lavish on me several slobbery kisses. So sweet. Then he grabbed my face and wouldn't let go. That's my boy.

Lately, Logan has been going into rooms by himself and closing the door behind him. This keeps me on my feet, going room to room, opening doors, relocating him and whatnot. I went back to find him in Kaylee's room, having flipped a clothes basket upside down and he was standing on it messing with her CD player. Don't say the Boy can't get to what he wants to get!

The Boy also has rhythm. He can be found listening to music, swaying his shoulders and hips. It's pretty much the funniest thing ever.

Pictures

Here are a few random pictures…just because.

Before You Know It

While growing up, my dad used the phrase, "It will be here before you know it," all the time. He would say this when referring to a day or event that we were eagerly anticipating. As children, anything we were waiting for seemed eons away, even if it was Christmas Eve and Christmas we were waiting for. I remember countless nights, lying in bed literally bouncing with excitement. It never seemed it would get here soon enough. When we got older, my brother and I would play games and do anything we could late into the evening because we were too excited to sleep. It will be here before you know it.

Going into the holiday season, my heart keeps going back to that phrase. It will be here before you know it. And although being an adult with children of my own changed the responsibilities of preparing for Christmas, I still can't wait. But as I reflect on this past year, the Lord has been using the wisdom in Dad's phrase toward other aspects of my life.

There are so many things swirling around in my head and my heart that I can only start to grasp.

I've thought about the phrase in reference to my children growing up. Life right now seems to be swarming with diapers, binkies, tantrums, snotty noses, diaper rash, and never-ending potty training. I think about the things I'd like to be able to do, but the kids are too young right now. It will be here before you know it. How true that is. It seems like just yesterday I was that kid in my bed, bouncing up and down, waiting to see what was under the tree, and now I have kids myself.

I tend to always be anticipating the next thing. Planning. Getting ready for. Waiting. But not only will all these things be here before I know it, they will be OVER before I know it.

Now I'm not much of one to make New Year's Resolutions, so I'm not going to dub it as such, but this next year I want to focus on treasuring each moment. Don't get me wrong… In no way do I dislike the baby and toddler stage. Quite the contrary. I love it. It's more a general mindset I want to work on. I feel that I'm always waiting for one thing to end and the next to start. If there is something I'm waiting for that is three months away, well…hurry up already. Never mind what might happen in those three months, just get to it.

While I know some of this is the way I'm wired, I also know I can change to a certain extent. So today, the day before Christmas, I want to slow down. Enjoy this day, because tomorrow will be here and be over before I know it. Soon the year will turn over to a new one, filled with experiences and journeys. I can't wait to see what happens, but I will. I will wait and be patient and know today is where I am. I cannot make time go faster or slow down, so I might as well live up every moment.

Nutcracker

So much has been going on, and so little posting about it. Several weeks ago, I took Kaylee to see the Nutcracker. It was danced by the same place I danced with when I was in high school and before. It was fun seeing some things that stayed the same and a lot that has changed. We didn't have very good seats, and Kaylee was having a hard time seeing. So…for the entire second half, I stood at the back and held her. It was much better that she could see, although I think she would have been better to have waited one more year before tackling such a long performance.

My shoulder still hurts from holding her for so long. I injured it several years back when I…ahem…fell off a bridge. I suppose the longevity of holding her stressed it too much, and looking back it wasn't a very smart move. Lesson learned, for sure. Having Kaylee there was a special memory, and I hope to be able to do it for many years to come.

She still talks about it, and does her own little dance moves around the house. I look at her and wonder if she, too, will take up dance and love it as much as I did and still do. I would love to see her do it, but there is no pressure if she doesn't. ;)

 

Where Has Time Gone?

I remember back to being in school, and how the a week before any break would drag on, yet get to the break and it would fly by. Well, I think that life, especially life with kids is like those breaks…time just flies. Cliché, I know, but true. I remember so clearly the day I had Kaylee, and now she is almost 3. Just as clear are the memories of having Logan…and he's 14 months.

Little Man is starting to get the hang of this walking thing. He stands up, gets his balance, and takes off…then gets so excited he has to drop to his knees in laughter and take off crawling at lightning speed. He is so funny.

Lately, Kaylee has been pushing some boundaries and trying out a dose of stubbornness. For the most part, she remains a good, obedient child. Because of that, the times she tries us are really…well, trying. For about a week, I thought we had the potty training thing figured out. Or rather, I thought she had it figured out. She was remembering to tell us before, even sometimes with time to spare and always refusing to have an accident. Then suddenly, nothing. Nada. Never asks to go to the bathroom. Almost constant accidents. I'm sure this is part of the process, but for real…I have more to do with my time than clean the floor and the couch! Yes, that's right…the couch. (once…only once. Thank the Lord.)

I know this phase is just that, a phase. Adam and I just have to figure out how to deal with it…when an accident is just an accident and when it might be more. The training here is as much for us as her. It's our job to learn to deal with her in the appropriate and loving manner, but boy…it sure is easy to fly off the handle.

Yesterday, we put up the tree and ornaments. Both of the kids loved it…Kaylee was a better help than Logan. ;) She carefully placed ornament after ornament on specifically picked branches. Logan in turn, came over, removed a few and tasted a few. We now have a circular gate around the tree for its protection. (You know, after Logan pulled two flowers off an ornament and brought a button to Adam, and then one to me…choking does not equal a good time, in case you're wondering.)

For some crazy reason, we decided to face the madness on Black Friday. The kids spent the night with my parents so Adam and I could get up at an hour that shouldn't be seen, to shop. Sad. Depraved. But true. We actually were able to save a lot of money, making it worth it in the end. We had a list of stores and exact items to be purchased in each store. The stores were listed according to times they opened. We were in line, near the front, at Kohl's before it opened. We still have a few things to get, but were able to accomplish most of our shopping that day.

There are so many blog posts swirling around in my head…hopefully soon I'll be able to get a grasp on them and write them. Stay tuned…