He's Home!

This past semester my brother, Jason, has been studying at St. Andrew's in Scotland. We've really missed him, and it has been hard on me having him gone and missing the entire first month of Samantha's life. We didn't think we'd see him until August of next year, but tonight mom called. She played it off well until a few seconds into the conversation she quickly handed the phone off to Dad, saying she... Well, she never said why she was handing off the phone.

I thought it was pretty funny she was handing off the phone because SHE was the one who called ME. If she knew she couldn't talk, why not wait a few more minutes before calling. But it's not like I didn't want to talk to my dad, so it wasn't a big deal. Except...the one she handed the phone off to wasn't my dad. It was my brother. Home. Completely surprised the socks off us all. Mom said when she saw him her heart stopped. Jason and I both agreed it was a good thing it restarted.

What a great Christmas present!
(Picture of Jason and Kaylee)

Sam's Newborn Photo Shoot

This past week, we did a little photo shoot of Samantha. A friend, and local awesome photographer, Misty, loves to take pictures of babies, so when she offered to come take some pictures, I was happy to do so! She has done family pictures of us before, and she is so wonderful to work with. I'd say she was here at least 2.5 hours, gently working with Sam who didn't so much like having her clothes off!

Looking at these pictures has inspired me to take some more myself, although I know they'll be nowhere near Misty's. Anyway, take a glance at her blog to see some of the great shots she got of our sweet Sam.

http://meditationsongod.blogspot.com/

(Sorry, the inserting a link won't actually insert...)

Maga's Pearl

I tried to start this post all catchy, storybook style, but after too long sitting with an almost blank page, I decided I'm too sleep deprived to be witty. That's just the way things are these days.
Last week while in the hospital, Mom brought the bigger kids to visit their sister. While they are so in love with Sam, being in a small hospital room brings out the crazies. It was to the point in the visit that things were wrapping up and they were getting ready to be on their way to get some much needed supper. Mom was holding Logan, who somehow…yes somehow broke her necklace. The chain was no big deal, but there was a small pearl she had attached to the necklace that went missing.
They started searching the floor for the missing pearl, and didn't come up with anything. No one had heard anything drop, so Mom went into the bathroom and discovered it was lodged in her clothes…for a second. After the discovery, however, said pearl quickly fell into the drain, never to be seen again. An over-tired and overwhelmed Kaylee broke down. She was so absolutely devastated that her Maga lost her pearl…even though she had NOTHING to do with the loss. She cried…and cried…and cried. (Which made her tired, emotional Mom cry as well.)
Maga's reaction made me cry even more…a sweet picture of pure love and lesson of the non-importance of stuff. Maga pulled Kaylee close and explained to her that it was just a pearl and her true pearls were (mostly) in the room around her. She told her she loved her and the rest of us more than any pearl and that Jesus gives us pearls and blessings all the time.
It instantly reminded me of a friend whose daughter broke one of her mom's dishes. She quickly became afraid and devastated...fearing the consequences of not being careful enough. Instead of even a frown or a harsh word, this grandmother grabbed a plate and smashed it on the ground to show her granddaughter that her love for her far outweighed any plate or dish.
It is times like these that help remind me of what is really important. Far too often, I get so caught up in the day-to-day stuff that I forget to realize the bigger lessons at hand.

Meet Sweet Samantha Faith

I think my blogging time is going to be limited by needing to feed *someone*, but I wanted to post a quick picture to let everyone see our new dark-haired beauty. Finally, after two blonds, we got our dark-haired baby. :) (Not that we don't LOVE our blonds, of course.)

Samantha Faith, born 11/18 at 5:11 pm, 9lbs 1.6 oz and 20" long...

I'll write more later, but am so overjoyed to be holding Sam and getting to know her. Kaylee is head over heels in love with her, and Logan is starting to want to look at her more and is quite cute with her.

GLOW Fest

This year was the first year we took the kids to our church GLOW fest. They had a great time, and even though I was pretty worn out when we were done, it was admittedly worth the time. They played games, bounced in big bouncer things, got some candy, and enjoyed time with Mimi and some great friends. Unfortunately, Adam had to work...

Logan didn't really love the hood/face to his lion costume, but when we were in the van and looked back, it was so funny. He also, at some point, realized he had a "friend" beside him.

Pumpkin Patch

This year, we were late getting to the pumpkin patch. It started out being just too hot when they first opened, and I didn't want the pumpkins to rot. Then...I decided I just had to have my bale of straw before I could get my pumpkins, which took Adam a while to be able to get. So, finally, we got the straw and went out to the patch. Fortunately, there were still plenty of pumpkins, and we were the only people there, so no crowds to deal with.

If I don't post a few pictures now, it very likely won't happen, so here they are:

Say What?

Yes, it is quite possible the world just stopped rotating for a second...I'm actually going to post two days in a row. Maybe, just maybe, I'll get back into the swing of things because heaven knows I really do want to. I figured while I'm doing some transcription work, I'd upload a few recent pictures...just because I've seriously been lacking in the picture department, and that's a lot of the fun.

Kaylee and her best friend, Anna:


A few pictures from Logan's Second Birthday:

Almost Here

I have started to write several different blog posts in the past few days, only to be interrupted by multiple things and I've never finished one. Big surprise, huh? We're on the final countdown. Samantha will be here the 18th, unless she decides to come sooner. For the longest time, I wanted her to come earlier, but now I have everything pretty much planned, so I'm good with the 18th. (Which, of course, most likely means she'll come early…haha) We were so fortunate to have the same midwife deliver both the other kids, and if everything goes as planned, we'll have her for the last.
We have been busy with Kaylee's preschool, frequent doctor appointments, work, church activities and home group, trying to keep up with the house and the laundry and all, oh, and moving Logan to a big-boy bed. That's right, in the middle of all this, he decided he would start climbing out of bed during his nap the other day. Adam had just laid him down, when he went flying down the hall saying, "He's out!" Sure enough, he opened the door, and out walked Logan, pleased as punch. We were able to watch how he was getting out, and determined his method was less than safe...ahem. Most likely, we could have held off and kept him in the crib, but the risk wasn't worth it. We already had a bed waiting, thanks to one of Adam's coworkers whose youngest decided he didn't want his fire truck bed anymore, so it wasn't worth the potential injury to wait being as the bed was ready.
We had originally thought about waiting until Christmas to transition him…or after, really, but you would have thought it was Christmas. He turned into a human siren for the rest of the afternoon. Kaylee was thrilled to play in the bed with him, and also announced she'd sleep with him so he wouldn't be scared.
Funny boy…he is scared to get out of bed when it is dark, but not necessarily scared to be there. Also funny boy…he didn't even try to get out of the crib at my mom's house for his nap today. It's funny…really, really funny. It's such a relief that he is doing well at night (well, so far), but I'm a bit worried about naptimes here at home. I am so not ready to have a newborn and a 2-year-old who needs a nap, but won't. At least I'll have Adam here for the first while to help out.
Sunday, they had a small baby shower, and it was so much fun. We had some sweet friends and family gathered together for some yummy snacks and time together. I can't even say how incredibly blessed we were by the generous gifts we received. I know not everyone gets a shower for beyond the first or second child, but my mom and MIL didn't want to skip Sam, so they decided to put something together for a few close friends and family who lived really close. (We didn't invite family from far away because I didn't want anyone to feel any pressure to make the drive…not because I don't love them all!) Kaylee was excited to help open the presents for her sister, and it was fun to watch her and her best friend, Anna, help grab the bags and look at all the goodies.
We have some busy days in the next week, so as much as I'd like to think I'll post again, most likely the next post will include some cute pictures and a new baby!

Random...or something

Being as it's nearly impossible to organize my thoughts into anything…organized, here are some random things…by number, in no particular order.
1. I have approximately 3-4 weeks left to be pregnant…ever. I'm trying to relish these days, as I know I'll long for them again, but frankly, this one has been the hardest, and I'm ready to see my little one on the outside and have *somewhat* of a body back to take care of the others. Or at least be able to put my socks on without getting winded. Either one.
2. Speaking of the "others," they are more than gracious about my condition. Kaylee has asked more than once to sit on my lap while Logan was already on it, and been denied that option. I just can't do it. She seems to understand and handles it like a very big girl. (I do make time to hold just her, but just don't like the idea of saying no…) She also finds great joy bringing me shoes when we're leaving the house and then fastening their buckles.
3. Logan has decided to start opening doors. Including the front door. (Which is most often locked…) However, the time it wasn't locked, he quickly made it to the front stoop. Nice. Really nice. Mental note…always lock front screen…always.
4. Kaylee continues to absolutely love her preschool. I love it, too. She really is getting the full preschool experience, but on a smaller scale as far as the number of kids who attend. I honestly feel she would never do near the crafts anywhere else, which is one of her favorite things to do in the world. She goes around trying to spell things, making letter sounds, etc. Awesome!
5. My brother is studying at Saint Andrews in Scotland, and we all miss him, but I'm so excited he has this opportunity and I'm praying he makes the most of it. I enjoy when he posts pictures. That campus is absolutely beautiful. I wish my laptop had a camera so we could skype when Samantha comes…that's probably the hardest thing to think about him being gone. She will be close to a year before he comes back.
6. I had an encounter with a mouse in my room the other day…it was nearly more than I could handle. Adam was not home and told me I couldn't shoot the thing. (Although I'm really not sure why…) After spending the night on the couch upstairs, I won the battle with the help of some duck sauce, and there is no more mouse in the house. (Update…a possible family member attempted to put me into labor on another night Adam was at work. It too lost the battle to duck sauce, although at first I had no idea what the noise was in the other room, and grabbed a stick when I ran in.) I would personally like to have had both of these events on camera. I'd be a big Funniest Home Videos winner for sure.
7. I have more tasks and projects around the house than I can keep up with. I'm trying to work as much as I possibly can before Samantha comes as well. There are not enough hours in the day to get it all done…not even close. However, I just keep going and that's all I can do. At least my days before this little one comes are full and not spent idly waiting!
Well, though thousands of thoughts are swimming through my head, that's it for now.

Baby Update...of sorts

(Sorry about the font...I can't publish my posts my regular way...always something, you know...)

In about 2 months, I'll be giving you a more exciting baby update…you know, one including real baby pictures. But for now…
~Samantha moves frequently enough that I know she is okay, but not nearly as much as either of the other kids did. Not sure what that might mean about her personality.
~Based on the ultrasound the other day, Sam and Logan have the same nose.
~I am very uncomfortable and more than ready to have this baby.
~Based on the ultrasound (again) Sam is on the bigger side…this scares me.
I keep trying not to rush this and savor every moment, but this becomes increasingly hard when I'm so increasingly uncomfortable. I spent the better part of the first 20 weeks being very sick. This was made worse by feeling like a slacker mom with my other kids, and not feeling I was there for anyone… At the end of the day, I had nothing left for my ever-loving husband, and that broke my heart.
Now, I'm not so sick, but have become pummeled by bad heartburn…I mean, a glass of water could give me heartburn. My back hurts. I'm tired. I feel like a giant, huge, waddling creature. I often find myself wearing Adam's shorts to bed…they're just more comfortable. I sort of wish I could get away with wearing them all the time…okay, more than sort of.
At the same time…I'm in love. So in love with this little girl growing inside me. I don't get tired of feeling her move, even if it makes me uncomfortable. I know that in such a short time, I'll have to share her. I also sort of don't like that idea…okay, more than sort of. I love listening to Kaylee talk about her sister being in my belly, and then making up stories of when she was in my belly. I'm sort of in between wanting to freeze time, knowing she is our last, and wanting to speed up time…I can't wait to meet her.
I keep thinking of something my dad used to always tell me. "It will be here before you know it." "It" could refer to anything…but it was always his way of reminding me to calm down, relax, and know it will be here before I know it. And you know what? Dad was always right.
I think back to a few weeks before our vacation to the beach. We were all so ready to go. AND…the day came, we packed up, spent a great week at the beach, and it's over. Done. Just like that. Looking into the future from that time, September seemed a long way away. Now…it's almost over. In a few short days, we'll be celebrating Logan's SECOND birthday! (Talk about time flying…)
So while two months seems like eternity now, I know it will be here before I know it. As hard as it is, I'm trying to slow down. Calm down. Take a deep breath. And wait. Enjoy the movements of Sam inside, and the times I have with just Kaylee and Logan (outside). Soon, our lives will forever change even more than they are forever changed now.

Big Day

Today was a big day for our little Kaylee…her first day of preschool. Where has the time gone, I ask you? (I have pictures to post, but haven't taken them off my camera…to tired tonight.)

The decision to send her to preschool has been one long evolving. Without all the details, we had actually decided not to send her this year. Although our church has an excellent preschool program, we decided to wait until next year to have her go…mainly with Samantha coming this fall, we thought it would just be too much.

Then last week (or something like that) we were invited to send her to a home school preschool. My long-time friend, Jenny decided to purchase a curriculum and home school her daughter, Marie, and wanted a few other kids to join in. This arrangement fit our schedule much better in a number of different ways. It's close to Mom's house, so Logan and I can take the girls to preschool and then go there. He can play and I can take my work, not get too far behind, and not have to do as much driving. It's only 2 days a week instead of 3, which also makes it much easier to do this year.

So today was the first day! We told Kaylee about it this weekend, and she seemed mildly excited, which I found odd. I figured she wouldn't be able to contain herself. However, by yesterday she was much more excited. We set her clothes last night, and we were all ready early this morning. Logan was "ready, ready, ready," and kept saying preschool…poor little man thought he was going, too. Once we got to Mom's house, he didn't seem to mind at all that he didn't stay at Jenny's.

Evidently, Kaylee did a good job during her first day. …until it was time to go home. I honestly expected this, but tried to talk to her about it before in hopes of avoiding it. Jenny said after they sang the goodbye song, Kaylee got upset, started crying, and went and sat on the steps by herself. Jenny thought she was missing me, and the song made her want to go home. Well, that would be the case for most children, but I don't have "most children." You see, when Kaylee goes somewhere and has fun, she really dislikes the idea of going home. 'Twas the case today. She threw a big fit, cried, and tried her hardest to be able to stay at Jenny's. It was a long while (long while as in we were home before), but she finally calmed down.

I know a large factor in her breakdown is the fact that she is very tired by that point, and has a hard time dealing with being tired. I explained to her that she would be able to go back, but it was time to go home. I tried distracting her with other thoughts, but nothing calms that girl when she is in a state like that. While I can deal with it mentally, it's getting physically a lot harder to manage her when she is limp or somewhat putting up a struggle. I'm hoping this doesn't continue to last too long, as I was exhausted by the time I got her in the van. I've tried several other methods, but am open to suggestions if anyone has encountered this before.

 

In other news…I'm also sadly realizing how fast Logan is growing up. I guess since he has stayed a little more baby-ish longer than Kaylee did, I've gotten used to it (and yes, like it). But tonight I put him in the booster seat and he fed himself almost his entire dinner…a plate of scrambled eggs with cheese melted in. (Which also happens to be what he requested, and I think he wanted to help make.)

He hardly made a mess, and sat nicely while eating all his food. He even thanked me when he was done. It's not that he hasn't fed himself before, but he usually starts eating, gets full, tosses some onto the floor, forgets what he is doing, plays a little. I mean, tonight he was like a little boy. He was so happy with himself and so proud of himself, I could only be about half-sad.

(And no, this time I did not let him help me make it. We often involve the kids in cooking when we can and when it's safe, but tonight I was just too tired to let him cook. Not to mention Kaylee wanted pancakes and not eggs, so I was making two different things…I'm not usually a short-order cook, but I offered options, and each kid picked a different option tonight.)

 

 

 

Pictures

It's been way too long since I've shared any pictures...here are a few, in no particular order. I would write more, but spent too much time trying to convince a certain Miss Someone that it really was time to be in bed.

Logan

Logan…Logan…what to say about the little Bubba. I love listening to him talk. He is always learning new words, and repeating words he hears. I love to hear him say, "Oh man," when something falls or doesn't go the way he thought it would. In addition, he has started to say, "Gosh," because his big sister has used the word a few times (like when Logan was offloading the contents of his high-chair tray at dinner one night).

Tractors and Thomas the Train keep him occupied for hours on end. While occasionally he gets into trouble when he is quiet, more often than not, it just means he is in his room playing with his toys, which is a huge change from how his sister was/is. I never would have let Kaylee play in her room without being checked on every few minutes when she was this age, but with Logan I know I can. We keep doors closed where he isn't allowed, thus pretty much just leaving his room and sometimes Kaylee's room open territory.

In Kaylee's defense, she didn't have an older sibling to check on her, and I ask her to check on Logan quite frequently…so helpful!

Poor Logan is going through a time where he wants to be bigger than he is. He sees Kaylee doing things, and sometimes he just can't do them, and it's frustrating for him. Even though he doesn't talk a ton, he gets his point across most of the time, but when we don't understand, it's even more frustrating. I remember Kaylee going through a frustrating stage, and although I don't want to rush him growing up, it will be nice when he can communicate his feelings better so I can avoid getting hit in the head by metal tractors help him through his struggles calmly.

Oh, but let's talk about a time when he was quiet and not so good, just yesterday in fact. Based on a few past events, I'm normally acutely aware of closing my laptop any time I get up from it, unless it's in my room and the door is closed. Yesterday, I thought this was the case. Evidently, it wasn't…or Logan somehow managed to open the door.

Either way, Adam needed me to look at something, so I left my work for a minute. During that minute, Logan decided to take over my work, managing to type off 40 keys off my keyboard. Upon my discovery, he was still rapidly engrossed in his work, fingers flying as fast as he could. Who only knows what would have become of my poor computer had I not decided to check on him when I did. It took me a long time to get it put back together, but in the end, I only have to buy three new keys, fortunately all ones I don't use often. Thus, my computer is still in service!

I love the way Logan runs to me with his arms stretched out to give me a huge hug when he hasn't seen me for a while, and sometimes even when he has. He sometimes just climbs up in my lap, puts his head on my shoulder, and cuddles. Now let me tell you, no matter what I'm doing, it all stops for that. He has also developed a new name for me…Mon-ey. He still says Mama, but if he's trying to say Mommy, it comes out Mon-ey (not money…). Love it.

Kaylee

Well, the little girl isn't so little anymore. Every day I see new traits developing in her that remind me of that. She regularly asks deep questions, sometimes to the point that I really don't know how to answer. Tonight, while we were reading The Jesus Storybook Bible, there was mention of someone dying. She then asked me how you die. Normally, I do try to answer her questions, but this is one I decided not to explain right before bed. She has been told some about death, but as surface as I can keep it for a three-year-old, although she does have comprehension beyond that age.

One day she (thankfully) answered her own question about another topic. I had taken a break from work and Adam and I were playing with the kids, as I walked back into the room to work again, I heard her asking Adam, "Daddy, how did the baby get in mommy's tummy?" To which she promptly replied, "I think God put it there." End of story. Whew. (Although I would have liked to have seen Adam's face when she asked the question!)

She asks questions wondering where God is, if He will ever leave her, and if He loves her when she is naughty. One night when she was at my in-laws, she definitely threw Penny for a loop with all of her questions.

I love seeing her mind develop as the depth of her questions deepens, as does her understanding. One thing I have done is to try to always answer her questions honestly, even if it takes more time or is annoying (as 1,000 why's can tend to be).

Kaylee spices up my life like I never would have imagined possible. She challenges me, sometimes to the point I could scream, and then she can turn around and make me melt in the same minute.

Checking In

During the day when my energy is at its highest, I have all kinds of ideas for blog posts, including pictures and everything. However, my list of things to do during the day is so long, I don't have time to actually sit down and blog, thus leaving it until later. Once later comes, I rarely feel like writing. It's actually disappointing because I feel like I am going to forget so much from this time because I haven't written it down. Then again, I have to remind myself that there are only so many hours in a day, and so much I can do.

I have been busy sorting through all our baby clothes from both kids. I have no idea how long it actually took, but I'm pretty much done. I have more than 10 boxes of clothes that Logan has outgrown. They're not all huge boxes, but it's still a lot of clothes. These are all clothes we'll either try to sell or give away. I would love to be able to just give everything away, but I feel I need to sell at least some to have money to buy his fall clothes.

One of the first boxes I came across to sort was slightly bigger clothes. THEN I opened a box of his newborn clothes, and it hit me. I started crying, a mix of emotions that I won't have another baby boy to wear them and that my baby boy is growing up. Thankfully, I was all alone with no one to, ahem, laugh at me.

Then I have boxes of clothes ready for Samantha. I painstakingly looked at each and every label, making sure I had everything in the proper box. While doing this, I learning something…of sorts. Either Logan was a much neater eater, or we got better at making sure to use stain out. Kaylee had clothes left and right that were stained, and Logan, not so much. ??

It was actually really fun to sort through these clothes as I remembered certain outfits and thought about what Sam might look like wearing the clothes her big sister wore.

At one point I explained to Kaylee that Sam was going to get her old clothes. She got very quiet, which is not normal for her at all. Although I'm not totally sure what she was thinking, I explained to her that she would keep her own clothes and Sam would only get the ones that were too little for her anymore. I assured her she would continue getting clothes that fit her, and then when she was too big, those clothes would also go to Sam. I don't know, but I wonder if in that little head of hers she was either picturing us getting rid of her, or making her give the clothes on her back to her sister. Either way, once she learned that was not the case, she was so happy to make piles of clothes and shoes that didn't fit anymore.

I was getting ready to give updates on the kids, but I think I'll just do separate posts for that…for the sake of simplicity (or something).

An Encounter with Jesus

A few weeks ago, Kaylee was in Walmart with Adam's parents. All throughout the store, she kept running into people she claimed she knew. She went up to a little girl, and was hugging her. Apparently she thought we were at that girl's house the day before. (We weren't.) I have a feeling it took Penny twice as long to get her shopping done because Kaylee apparently knew everyone in the store, and also needed everything in the store.

Finally, at one point, Kaylee started talking to an older gentleman who had white hair and a white beard. Penny asked her, "Kaylee, do you know him?" Her response, "It's okay that I talk to him." Penny, "Why?" Kaylee, "Because he is Jesus."

It's Becoming a Trend…

…that I am constantly so far behind in blogging. Truth be told, I think about it often, but seriously lack the energy to put anything together. I take so few pictures anymore that Adam thinks I don't even like my camera anymore, which is far from the truth. Hopefully, now that I have reached (beyond) the 20 week mark, I'll be sick less and have more energy…at least for a while until I get too big to move. ;) (I will say that I have continued to read everyone else's blogs, so I'm still caught up.)

A few weeks ago, we went down to Myrtle Beach for the week. It was a great vacation. The kids weren't sick the entire time like they were last year, which (clearly) made a world of difference. Last year Logan still wasn't walking, so he was super easy to contain. We'd dig him a small hole, and there he'd stay. This year…well, watch out ladies, the flirt is on the move. For the most part, both kids were fairly afraid of the ocean itself, so we dug holes and filled them with water and played there. We built and smashed a lot of silly sandcastles, played in the pool almost every day, went to the aquarium, and rode the carousel several times (perhaps Kaylee's favorite).

I took a few pictures…gasp…and will post once they are downloaded.

***

 

You know, with Sam on her way, I've been really thinking a lot about parenting, places I do well, and places I fall short, and well…the unknown. I hadn't really thought about it a whole lot until the other day, but I started thinking about how each of the kids will react to their new sister. I sort of feel I have a better grasp on how Kaylee will react, being as she has been through it before and can communicate her excitement already.

Logan, however, is a concern. Yes, I am concerned that his out of control arm is going to hurl a metal tractor at her face, but more than that (or rather, in addition to that) I wonder how he will feel. He really seems more sensitive about some things than Kaylee was. If she gets to do something and he doesn't, he knows it and lets us know as well. When he was born, Kaylee basically ignored him and did her own thing. We made an effort to involve her in stuff and stay very interested in her, and it seems to have worked.

And it's not that I don't plan to try some of the same things, but I have to wonder what will work with him. I'm not worried about it…we'll take it how it rolls and deal with it, but it is something I've thought of from time to time…

 

***

 

This post is so disjointed, I feel inclined to stop and try to get it together better for the next one. I hope to blog more frequently from now on. I have contemplated dropping it and not even having to think about it, but honestly, I really enjoy it. I know that one day, when I figure out how to print this and all, I won't regret the time I've taken to do it. (Although I'm sure I'll question my sanity.)

 

 

Quick Update

Since it is a holiday weekend, work is delayed, so I figured I'd better at least update something on the blog… No promises on the quality.

We're in the week before vacation, trying to get the house all cleaned, lists made, things purchased and bought, and keeping up with the normal, everyday things. We're going back to the beach, as next year we won't be able to go…at least not for our full vacation (maybe a long weekend if we get really itchy for the beach). Kaylee just cannot wait to go, and I must admit Adam and I are as excited or more.

We are so fortunate to get to spend a lot of time together as a family. The kids aren't old enough to be into all kinds of activities, but it's still nice to get away and do things we don't do all the time. Adam spent hours and hours online searching for the best deal on places to stay, and his hard work paid off. Last year we had a really nice place, fairly far from the beach front, one bedroom, living room, full kitchen, and balcony overlooking, well…nothing much. Don't get me wrong, it was a nice resort. It was guarded 24 hours a day, and you had to show proper tags to get in. It was close to the places we like to go. It had a large section of beach that pretty much only people who stayed there used. Lots of pools (we got in one once).

BUT THIS YEAR…beach front, balcony overlooking the beach, TWO bedrooms, living room, and full kitchen. (Oh yeah, we had one and a half bathrooms in the last place, and I think we have the same in this one.) I am so excited about not having to walk as far to the beach, and really excited that the kids have a different room. Last year we made it work, but it involved a lot of work.

I'm hoping both of the kids stay healthy as last year they were both pretty much sick all week. We still all managed to have a lot of fun, but it will be so much better if they're not sick!

 

I have started to feel somewhat better on some days. Hallelujah. I'm ready to stop feeling sick all together, but I will take this over what it was.

Kaylee continues to never cease to amaze us with what she says and does. We're working on listening and not whining. I expect this process to be over when she moves out of the house and we can… No, really…it's hard, but she is doing well. We had an absolutely horrible day the other day, and while at the end of that day I was overwhelmed, it made me think of how it could be. Recently, we were at my in-laws house, and Kaylee surprised me by being able to read four entire books all by herself. I know some of it is memorization, but it is still quite remarkable, in my opinion. I need to video her doing this…if she will do it while I video. You know how kids are when you break out the cameras.

Logan…oh Logan. He is so funny. He is learning to say and repeat lots of words. Yesterday I got him saying, "I don't think so," and it is so funny. I have him say it at least 20 times a day (probably more) just to hear it. His favorite things in the world are (other than his taggy and binky) tractors, trains, cars, trucks, and planes. He voluntarily says the word tractor at least 100 times a day. We were trying to get some clothes for the kids at yard sales the other days, and there was a tractor across the street from one of the sales. Adam took him over to see it, and he cried and cried when we didn't take it home. We're talking about a real-life, huge tractor, which I neither have the money or room for. Otherwise, I might be a sucker and buy him one. But probably not.

Oh…and finally, we have other big news….

 

We're….

 

 

Having….

 

 

a….

 

 

GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

I'm a Sucker for Funny

Okay, I know I really need to blog about my actual life, but due to the fact that I have been typing all day (and have had to correct about one typo per word in this sentence), I'm just going to leave you with some bloopers. You've most likely heard them, but they are a compilation of bloopers found in church bulletins. I personally find them absolutely hysterical…probably due to the fact that it's late, it's been one of those days, and I type for a living and could have made one or all of these mistakes myself, although I normally find my own bloopers before I turn in my work, thankfully. Hope you enjoy. Glad to not be standing next to you, should you feel the need to throw rotten veggies. Just sayin…

 

Our next song is "Angels We Have Heard Get High".

Don't let worry kill you -- let the church help.

Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our church and community.

For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs.

Weight Watchers will meet a 7 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church. Please use large double door at the side entrance.

Jean will be leading a weight-management series Wednesday nights. She's used the program herself and has been growing like crazy!

The rosebud on the altar this morning is to announce the birth of David Alan Belzer, the sin of Rev. and Mrs... Julius Belzer.

This afternoon there will be a meeting in the South and North ends of the church. Children will be baptized at both ends.

Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. there will be an ice cream social. All ladies giving milk will please come early.

This being Easter Sunday, we will ask Mrs. Lewis to come forward and lay an egg on the altar.

The service will close with Little Drops of Water. One of the ladies will start quietly and the rest of the congregation will join in.

Next Sunday a special collection will be taken to defray the cost of the new carpet. All those wishing to do something on the carpet should come forward and do so.

The ladies of the church have cast off clothing of every kind. They can be seen in the church basement Saturday.

Thursday night--Potluck supper. Prayer and medication to follow.

Eight new choir robes are currently needed, due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones.

The senior choir invites any member of the congregation who enjoys sinning to join the choir.

At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be "What is Hell?" Come early and listen to our choir practice.

During the absence of our pastor, we enjoyed the rare privilege of hearing a good sermon when A. B. Doe supplied our pulpit.

The Rev. Adams spoke briefly, much to the delight of his audience.

The church is glad to have with us today as our guest minister the Rev. Shirley Green, who has Mrs. Green with him. After the service we request that all remain in the sanctuary for the Hanging of the Greens.

The eighth graders will be presenting Shakespeare's Hamlet" in the church basement on Friday at 7 p.m. The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.

The 1991 Spring Council Retreat will be hell May 10 and 11

Pastor is on vacation. Massages can be given to church secretary.

Please join us as we show our support for Amy and Alan in preparing for the girth of their first child.

Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles and other items to be recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children.

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There is no meaning to the title…just seems you have to have one.

Ahem…

Tonight, I'm truly too tired to write. I feel there is so much going on, yet nothing. Do you know what I'm talking about? However, no matter how little I write, I'd like to try to keep up a bit more as part of the journey with this little one inside causing all, most of, some of, all of, part of tiredness. We're currently somewhere around 12 or 13 weeks…I can't really keep track. I continue to be sick most days, which is really taking a toll.

I feel I'm not being a good mom and a good wife, but I also know I have to grow this one. Adam has been my rock through it all…watching the kids extra, cooking, cleaning, making me hot tea, making sure I sleep in when I can.

Toward the end of today, it was so rough. All I wanted to do was fall into bed, yet I had to feed and take care of the other two. I told Kaylee how tired I was. She understands the baby makes me tired and sick, and she looked at me and said, "Mommy, why don't you lay in your bed? I'll watch Logan for you. I can do it." It was all I could do to keep it together. My sweet little girl, you can sure test my patience, but boy, you're one special little girl.

For the record, as tempting as it was, I didn't take Kaylee up on her offer.

Yes, these days are rough, but that's all they are…days. They'll come and go. Soon enough, this baby will be here. Our lives will be even more changed than they are now. This life is worth any amount of sickness and tiredness. The breaks where I feel well, are a needed and noticed blessing. The times I don't feel well are a reminder that the life inside me is growing, thriving, and being fearfully and wonderfully made. I know that full well.

My camera has been in hibernation recently, but being as the weather is turning warm and beautiful, it needs to wake up. I promise pictures before November. Promise.

Still Alive

I'm still here and alive, but it's been some rough times. I'm not sure if I'm sicker this time than I was when I was pregnant with Kaylee, but it's definitely been harder as I have two kids to chase around…and it's definitely worse than with Logan. Super fortunately, Adam had some time he needed to take off, but due to it being hard to get coverage, his days were sort of random. He had this entire past week off, which was wonderful.

He went turkey hunting a few mornings, so that was nice for him to get away in the…ahem…quiet and have some time to himself. I'm guessing he treasured and enjoyed that time more than he let on. One afternoon I was able to get out and go to the spa, which was super nice. It had been a while since I went, and I had a gift certificate that Adam gave me for Christmas that I needed to use. 30 minute massage, mani and pedi, and I was hoping to feel good all night. Unfortunately, I got super sick that night, but at least the spa was nice while it lasted.

The kids have been enjoying being able to play outside every day. Adam and Kaylee got new mulch for under their play structure. There were several times this week that I was working and Logan was napping and Adam and Kaylee were off together doing their work. She is generally a good helper and loves to work. I hope that sticks around long into the future. It is kind of funny though…if I just ask her to pick up a toy, it's a tossup if she will listen right away. However, if I tell her I have a job for her, she is usually jumping at the chance to have a job and then asks for more and more. Funny kid.

The other thing I'm working on is ideas and planning for a special jewelry show I'm doing on the 30^th. My sister-in-law works for the Boys and Girl's Club, and they just learned that they have a LOT of money to raise by May 1, or their club will be closed. That means that several people will lose their jobs, including my SIL, and over 100 children will lose the invaluable care given to them.

I'm sure they do more than this, but some of what I know them to do is before school care, after school care, summer care, fieldtrips, healthy snacks, help with homework, supervised and safe play time. As soon as Megan told me what could potentially happen, I offered to do a jewelry show and donate 100% of my profits to the club. We're hoping to get tons of people there and raise a bunch.

It breaks my heart to think of what might happen to some of these kids without the club. Will they turn into latchkey kids? See their grades drop? Miss out on the love and mentorship they get from the workers there who love them? What will this mean for the single moms who depend on the care their kids receive while they work to make ends meet? I'm sure for some of the kids it might not be that big of a deal, but for others, the implications will be huge. To my knowledge, there are no programs anything like this in that area, and childcare is also hard to find… So be praying that through the show and other means, their (large) goal is met. (Oh, and while you're at it, pray that my super-emotional self doesn't cry during the show…) ;)

Big News

Well, I had kind of hoped to come up with some snazzy announcement, but unfortunately, I just don't have the energy to come up with it. So…you can probably guess, we're having another baby! I'm super excited, and at the moment super sick, but I did want to let my bloggie friends know, if you don't already. Once I feel a little better, I'll share a little more. I made one of those little widgets, and man…that's a long time! Oy…better just go one day at a time.

Party, Party, Party

A few days after Kaylee's birthday, we celebrated with our family. I suppose one day word will get to her that most kids get to have other little kids over for their parties, but for now, our kids know nothing of that. But really, they're not missing anything…at least right now. Even as outgoing as our kids are, the gatherings can become overwhelming, so it's been the best thing to keep it to just family, and they have a blast.

This year we decided to order an ice-cream cake…er, let Kaylee order an ice cream cake. She knew exactly what she wanted, so we told them the size we wanted, and let her answer the rest of the questions. She was happy with her cake edged in lots of different colored hearts and sprinkles…just what she wanted.

Logan was excited to be recognized with a few gifts. He could care less that he didn't get as many. I think one of the first ones he opened was the one from Adam's parents which was a car race thing, and he was in love.

Here are a few pictures from the party…maybe more to come…maybe not. ;)

Esther

This past week, we concluded our Esther Bible study by Beth Moore. It was amazing. Simply amazing. I was reflecting this week about the feelings that sometimes follow the conclusion of something like this. It can be overwhelming trying to meld what I've learned with everything currently going on. It's easy to occasionally think about it, but for the most part move on and not thoroughly process what I've learned. I don't like it, but honestly, it's the way it sometimes is.

This time…the tables are going to turn. I'm not going to just move on and not take time to process and apply what I've learned. It's too valuable and to critical to let that happen. So to kind of overview what I hope to process through (and more)…it's hard being a woman. My husband saw that caption on the cover of the book, and sort of laughed saying, "You have it good." Yes, I do have it good. I won't deny that for a single second because it would be a lie if I did. BUT despite the fact that I'm blessed beyond words, it's still hard being a woman.

One thing Beth points out is that no one is as hard on us as we are, and as we are on other women. So until I post again about this, for now I'm going to focus on being more aware of this. Being more aware of how I think of myself and how I think of others, women in particular…envy, distain, jealousy…yeah the list could go on.

God has been revealing so many things to me lately about myself, and to be completely honest, and to restate a theme…the tables have to turn. I have to change. I need to be a better wife, mom, friend, servant, leader… And as much as the ugly side repulses me, I'm so excited because as I listen to the voice of God and move in the direction He is taking me, I'll only be more prepared for such a time as this.

How On Earth…

Did my baby girl get to be three?

It seems like only yesterday I was 10 and dreaming of having a family, and now she is 3. I'm sitting here trying to figure out the words to explain what this little girl means to me. And you know what? There are no words. I can try, but it would only be an attempt. I think back to the time when we very first found out we were pregnant, and shortly after experienced the trauma of losing that baby. If this has happened to you, you know what I'm talking about. God's grace to us, however, was that we quickly got pregnant again, this time with no baby complications.

It's hard to say that I'm glad we lost the first baby, but when I look at my little blue-eyed, blond-haired, spirited little girl, I can't bring myself to say I wish it didn't happen. God allowed us to go through that for reasons only known to Him, and then gave us the miracle of Kaylee. I know it sounds weird, and it's not some mystical weirdo thought, but I can't help but think she got a double portion of personality and spunk…

Kaylee's actual birthday was the 11^th, but I didn't have a spare moment to blog about it. We had a great day all.day.long. Fortunately, Adam was already off and I was able to work out my schedule to not have to work at all on her birthday (well, until after she went to bed…). Kaylee's main birthday present was a princess bed. We had to think smart to figure out a way to get her bed taken down and the new one put up while she was in the house. We involved her with the taking down process. We told her we needed to take down her bed and clean her room. (I told her we needed to clean it really well to remove the half-bottle of baby powder she shot out the night before when she was supposed to be in bed…ahem.)

It was funny how into it she got. She was all about helping take down the bed and put all the screws in a bag, wipe down the walls, and vacuum the floor. Once we were finished with this, I took the kids into our room, and we watched a few cartoons while Adam carried in the bed. Once he had it all set up, he took the kids outside while I put her other gifts on the bed.

He brought them in and we called her back to her room. Her eyes lit up and she kept saying, "Where did you have this? Oh my dear! Where was this? Oh my dear. I can't believe it! I can't believe it! I can't believe it!" But as soon as her little eyes saw a small truck we got for Logan, all attention was off her own gifts and onto giving it to Logan and making sure it was open and getting really excited for him. I had to work hard not to cry as I watched my little, sweet girl selflessly loving on her brother.

She was so incredibly thankful for everything she got, and kept telling us, "Happy birthday to you, too," and thinking that some of her presents were for us. Over and over I had to tell her, "These are yours. They're ALL for you. It's YOUR birthday." The funny thing…she only got a few small gifts because she got a bed, yet she still didn't think they were all for her. There are so many directions my mind would like to go with this thought, but that will be for later.

While she played with some new play-dough, Logan took a nap. Once he was awake, we took her for a fancy meal at Costco…hot dogs and ice cream. Neither kid complained at all. We walked back into the main section of the store to get some salad and ran into our pastor, who was so excited for Kaylee when she told him it was her birthday. He instantly got down to talk to her, and give her a dollar. She was so excited, and it warmed my heart (again). (Let's just say I had a really warm heart all day long.)

We're having a family get together on Sunday at my parents house, and we took her to order the cake. Since she completely knew what she wanted, we told them what size we wanted the cake and let her handle giving the directions of how it is to be decorated. And believe me, if they do it wrong, she will know. (Although I think they should be able to handle lots of colored hearts and sprinkles.)

Then it was time to go to the park and enjoy the b.e.a.u.t.i.f.u.l weather. I'm so thankful that we have so many great parks in this area. The kids absolutely love to play at the park…forget expensive options, the park will do just fine.

The day was finished out by a visit from Mimi, complete with a ladybug craft. By bedtime, Kaylee was so pumped up that it took a while for her to calm down, but finally, our little three-year-old princess was asleep in her bed.

Thank You, God, for the gift of Kaylee and the gift of being her mom. I pray that I make her proud and teach her well. Words cannot express…my love, gratitude, awe and thankfulness, responsibility…

Happy Kids

One of these days, I really will get to posting pictures, but not today. Sorry. We do, however, have two extremely happy children. They have spent all morning and part of last night playing with their new (to them) Thomas The Train table and (mostly) matching trains, a generous gift from their Maga and Babu (my parents).

For as long as I can remember, my dad has a deep fascination, appreciation, and yes, love for trains. The year between junior and senior year of high school, we took a family trip around the country on Amtrak. It was the biggest trip we ever took growing up, and we have sweet memories forever. My parents have a collection of different train videos that they watch together, and on occasion, they drive to nearby train stations just to watch the train come in and leave.

It warms their hearts that Logan, even so young, has developed what seems to be the same fascination and love for trains. He loves his Thaa! (Thomas) and shakes with pure excitement when it comes on TV. I have spent several weeks looking at and for train tables for him, but if you know anything about these things, they are not only loads of fun, but a big investment as well. After lots of looking and posting some want ads, we were able to find one that my parents felt was a reasonable price.

Yesterday, we drove to get it, and for most of the trip back, Logan clutched one or two Thaas. It was pure bliss for my sweet little baby.

I am so thankful for parents who love us so much and are so generous with their resources to bless us. To me, it's more than a table, tracks and some trains, it symbolizes love and generosity in a way hard to explain.

I Still Exist…I Promise

Sorry to anyone who might be wondering where on earth I am. I still exist. I've been having issues with uploading my pictures, and keep thinking I'll wait to post until I can put pictures. In fact, I actually had a whole post done, including pictures, and something didn't work and I scraped the whole thing. So sorry.

And although I haven't blogged for a while and am disgustingly behind, there really hasn't been anything new going on. The kids continue to grow at a rate that I can't keep up with, and of course, I never know what is going to come out of Kaylee's mouth.

The other day Adam was working on the toilet, although it wasn't technically broken. He was putting an energy-saving, condensation-reducing, expensive hunk of foam into the tank, when Kaylee started questioning him.

K: Daddy, what are you doing?

Adam: Working on the potty.

K: Is it broken?

Adam: Well, it's not really broken.

Kaylee: Oh. Is it pretend broken?

 

Logan has also been working on his vocabulary. His favorite words are, "Thaa!" Which means Thomas, but he rarely is able to say the whole word, so Thaa is a good sub when referring to his most favorite train in the world. He has also learned the sign language for more, and says it at the same time, which is absolutely the cutest thing. Of course those are not his only words, but perhaps the cutest at the time. By 17 months, Kaylee was most definitely speaking much more, and it's been kind of fun to watch him develop so differently than she did.

 

As far as everything else goes… Here it is in a nutshell, and I really do hope to get back into the full blogging swing of things. (Although I still have been reading blogs…) Adam and I continue to lead our home group for young married couples, and it is going so well. It has been such a blessing to see relationships develop and strengthen, marriages strengthen, and our own relationship with each other grow.

I'm almost done (sniff, sniff) with Beth Moore's study of Esther, which has been amazing. I've been challenged in new ways. Last night we had our next to last study, and a particular thought has really been sticking out to me. (well, there have been many swirling around in my head, but I'm way too tired to write about more than one) God gives us strength while we are in the midst of battles that God is allowing us to go through. However, when we allow ourselves to dream up fears and situations that are not, in fact, happening, God doesn't necessarily give us strength to get through that. He wants us to be delivered from our fears, not strengthened through them. I hope I'm writing this with some sense of clarity. I'm probably too tired to be writing, but I just can't allow myself another day to go by without blogging.

It is so easy to allow myself to fall prey to the grip of fear, when instead, I should rest in the grip of grace and allow God's strength to be my strength. I'm excited to continue to pray and think through all that God has been showing me through this study and share some here.

All right…I have so much more I'd like to write about, but I'm afraid of what would come out if I continued to type…

Playing Catch-Up

Every time I get busy with work, it seems blogging is the last thing to be done. Well, that and cleaning my house. I have been really blessed to have had several weeks jam-packed with as much work as I could do, and more. It's awesome. There was a time, in the beginning, when there might be a week where I wouldn't have any work, or only a small amount. The person who sends me work very graciously offered me an out, saying she understood if I needed to look elsewhere. And while it didn't make sense (on paper, or in numbers…aka the bank account) I felt complete and total peace, if not a command to stick with it and stick it out.

Over a year later, I'm still with it. This job is one of the biggest blessings ever. It allows me to stay home with my kids all the time. And while there are times that I can't stop what I'm doing to play or do quite as much as I think I might like to, I'm still there. Adam can pick up extra shifts or do training and we don't have to worry with childcare schedules…something we often wondered about before we decided I would stay home.

Beyond what my job allows me to do as far as staying home and being able to be with my kids, I LOVE the job itself as well. I am constantly learning new things. I find myself laughing, crying, and being challenged on a daily basis. I see what is going on in the Body of Christ all over the country. In fact, there are many churches I almost feel a part of because I hear so many of their sermons. I can anticipate what some of the pastors are going to say, at times.

My boss is incredible, too. She helps me along when I start making mistakes, deals with me when I ask dumb questions early in the morning because I haven't had enough coffee to think clearly. We (respectfully) make fun of things together. We pray for each other, and have developed a friendship…totally via the internet. Her parents do live in the area, although she is across the country, so we hope to one day get to see each other face to face.

*******

Outside of work-land, things have been rough in the area of potty training with Kaylee. For a while there, it seemed like we were home free, virtually done, and then almost overnight it was over. I'm not sure what the malfunction is. And YES I do know that it will come and that each child is different. But despite that fact, it is still a source of daily frustration.

Despite that set-back, she keeps the house moving.all.the.time. You never know what is coming out of her mouth next. Today she told me, "Only three kids…" Only three kids, what? "Only three kids are coming tonight." Well, what three kids are coming? "Maga, Babu and Dylan. Just those three kids." Okay, honey. (Those "three kids" just so happen to be my parents and their dog. For some reason, they are now "three kids.")

We took Logan for his 15-month check up yesterday. Okay, so we were a month late and he is actually 16 months. Oops. The doctor was less than concerned about that, however. He said anytime in that area was fine…not a big deal to be off once he is this old. (Can I just say that it's really nice to go to a place where there is so much confidence in our parental skills and a no-pressure zone? Because it is.) Ahem. I was saying… Logan is still only about in the 20^th percentile for weight (22lbs), which is up from the last time (in both pounds and percentile). He's around the 65^th percentile for height, and his head is in the 75^th percentile. Yes little man, you do look bigger than you are because you have a big head. The doctor put it in a nicer way, "He has a big brain." (or something like that…)

One of his favorite things do to is…DANCE. Bubba has mad moves, let me tell you. His motions start from the shoulders. He gets them going up and down. Then, when he feels ready, the arms get to going. And occasionally, if he's really into it, the head just goes wildly crazy…back and forth as fast as he can. It is most hysterical, really.

He also has a great affinity for cars, trucks, and especially trains. He has one Thomas train that he is very attached to. He will ransack his entire room if you ask him to go find it. (even if it is in the living room…)

Well, folks. Perhaps more info than you wanted, but that's what happens when I blog late at night. I realized a few hours ago that I haven't downloaded Christmas pictures yet… Something about a basement flooding, and having everything packed up, and just getting back to normal…something like that. Many pictures to come soon…

 

 

Two, Please

A while ago, I was explaining to Kaylee that I had decided we would stay home from church today. Here's a general gist of our conversation:

Me: Kaylee, we're going to stay home from church today to make sure the basement doesn't flood again since it is raining a lot and the snow is melting. If it floods again, we don't have money to put more carpet down… Maga and Babu are coming over to our house later, so you'll still be able to play with them.

K: I have money.

Me: I know you have money, sweetie, but not quite enough to buy new carpet. Thanks.

K: (Pulling out imaginary money) Two, please.

Me: (Just happened to be petting the dogs…) Here you go, you asked for two, so here are the dogs. They're yours now. Take care of them. Rub them.

K: Thanks!

 

Several Minutes later:

K: Here you go, Mommy. You can have your dogs back now. Evidentially she opted for a return.

Titles Can Be Overrated

Life seems to be stacking up a pile of unfortunate events around here. I mentioned the flooding… Well, for the sake of a full list, let's back up and recap. Christmas morning our microwave broke. The day after Christmas the basement flooded. We learned the following day the dehumidifier had been broken for a while. We didn't realize it wasn't working because it has been cold and dry, and it's not uncommon for it to not pull a lot of water in weather like this. A few days ago, we realized we no longer had hot
warm
lukewarm water. It was all cold. Being that I didn't know the water heater was about to break, I didn't take a shower first thing. I opted to work while the house was quiet. Later, I had to take a freezing cold shower. Let's just say it was really, really quick, I had to give myself more than one pep talk and danced through the whole thing. When I got out, I was blue.

Today, the internet stopped working and I had to go to mom's all day to work. Kaylee missed her nap and was beyond her breaking point in the evening. Once we got home, the dogs jumped out of the van, breaking the wire that connects the kid's DVD players together, allowing Logan's to work. …oh, and somewhere in there the CD player we got Kaylee for Christmas stopped working… Adam is exchanging it tomorrow.

Yeah…it's been a doozy of a few weeks.

Sunday, our pastor preached on…Are You Serious? Adam and I laughed. Surly he has been following us around. I asked him about that after, and he looked at me with a puzzled expression. Evidently, he hadn't been following us. ;) Now I honestly don't believe that everything that happened was an attack. Things tend to happen. Tend to break. Tend to not work.

However…our reactions can either glorify God, allowing Him to use the circumstances to grow us, teach us, and bless us, or we can allow Satan to nudge in and captivate our thoughts and create disunity. Although I've had my fair share of words and thoughts I'd rather not record…no need for memories there, Thankyouverymuch…we have made a choice to claim God's promises. We are blessed beyond what we can say. Adam and I continually talk about God's faithfulness to us.

Someone bought us a new microwave.

Someone bought us a new dehumidifier.

We found a place to replace the carpet for close to the original cost.

And while we aren't swimming in dough, we are blessed enough to be able to replace the carpet right away.

It would be easy for me to think about all that has happened, and get caught in my own little world of woes. But that would be selfish and wrong.

We have a friend on bed rest in the hospital, fighting to keep her baby in as long as she can.

I read about a family whose little baby just died from complications of a severe virus. He was about 3 months old.

While I could go on and on about stories of people who are struggling and traveling harder roads than my silly problems, that's not the point. The world out there is deeper than the end of my nose, but it's easy to get stuck there, running into walls all the while.

God, that we might see the needs of those around us and reach out to those we can.

I'd love to think that I could change the world. I can't. Sometimes I can't even keep up with my own laundry.

I can, however, change the world for a person or two…