Kade
Cole hammin' it up.
Running around the tramp, tackling, and pile up. No wonder they've fallen off.
What can I say about this? Yes, I stood by and took a picture
instead of stopping this insanity. How do boys just naturally think of this stuff?
Monday, September 29, 2008
No broken bones...yet
We are indebted to some good friends who gave us this trampoline a couple years ago. The boys spend hours on here. And to my amazement, we've had no broken bones....yet. :)
Kade
Cole hammin' it up.
Running around the tramp, tackling, and pile up. No wonder they've fallen off.
What can I say about this? Yes, I stood by and took a picture
instead of stopping this insanity. How do boys just naturally think of this stuff?
Kade
Cole hammin' it up.
Running around the tramp, tackling, and pile up. No wonder they've fallen off.
What can I say about this? Yes, I stood by and took a picture
instead of stopping this insanity. How do boys just naturally think of this stuff?
Fun with friends
Our potluck group, 7 couples, went to Starved Rock on Sunday. It went way to fast but was so great. We hiked, we laughed, we ate, we philosophized (lovers leap...almost posted the video) :) we hashed....fun times. So thankful for all of you! C and A we missed you! 
Friday, September 19, 2008
Cubs Game
Bart and I got to go to a Cubs game this week. Very fun. GM sponsored a sales contest for several dealerships and gave away tickets to one of the rooftops at Wrigley. I'm not a huge baseball fan but if you've read my last couple posts, you know I was ready to get away. :) And, I'll never pass on a date opportunity. 
I had to post this pic because it's so Bart. They had a free meal on the rooftop before and during the meal. Basically you could eat however much you wanted, whenever you wanted. They had steaks, salmon, brats, chicken, hamburgers, you get the idea. So we filled our plates (for the first time) and then went to the top to watch the game. On the way up Bart noticed the next rooftop over was serving pizza. Oh he loves pizza. He squeezed through the bushes and gate between the rooftops and bummed a plate of pizza off them. The perfect ending to a perfect night. :) Even though the Cubbies lost.
I had to post this pic because it's so Bart. They had a free meal on the rooftop before and during the meal. Basically you could eat however much you wanted, whenever you wanted. They had steaks, salmon, brats, chicken, hamburgers, you get the idea. So we filled our plates (for the first time) and then went to the top to watch the game. On the way up Bart noticed the next rooftop over was serving pizza. Oh he loves pizza. He squeezed through the bushes and gate between the rooftops and bummed a plate of pizza off them. The perfect ending to a perfect night. :) Even though the Cubbies lost.
Great story
A man came home from work and found his three children outside, still in their pajamas, playing in the mud, with empty food boxes and wrappers strewn all around the front yard.
The door of his wife's car was open, as was the front door to the house and there was no sign of the dog. Proceeding into the entry, he found an even bigger mess. A lamp had been knocked over, and the throw rug was wadded against one wall. In the front room the TV was loudly blaring a cartoon channel, and the family room was strewn with toys and various items of clothing.
In the kitchen, dishes filled the sink, breakfast food was spilled on the counter, the fridge door was open wide, dog food was spilled on the floor, a broken glass lay under the table, and a small pile of sand was spread by the back door. He quickly headed up the stairs, stepping over toys and more piles of clothes, looking for his wife. He was worried she might be ill, or that something serious had happened. He was met with a small trickle of water as it made its way out the bathroom door. As he peered inside he found wet towels, scummy soap and more toys strewn over the floor. Miles of toilet paper lay in a heap and toothpaste had been smeared over the mirror and walls.
As he rushed to the bedroom, he found his wife still curled up in the bed in her pajamas, reading a novel. She looked up at him, smiled, and asked how his day went. He looked at her bewildered and asked, 'What happened here today?'She again smiled and answered, 'You know every day when you come home from work and you ask me what in the world I do all day? ''Yes," was his incredulous reply. She answered, 'Well, today I didn't do it.'
I'm sure you've all seen this. It's circulated around email for quite a while, but I received it just today again and thought it was fitting. Just to clarify...Bart does not ask me what I've done all day. :) He's very supportive. I love this though because if you think about all this, think about how much this mom is reacting to little situations that arise. That's me. (I like to think I'm proactive most days...having an agenda, getting things done. :) ) But, having little kids at home is about reacting a lot of the time, and if that's all I get done, that's fine. I didn't use to be this way. But, being outnumbered by my boys has helped....and the "wisdom" that I've gained with mothering. :)
Anyway, what spurred this all on, Cole's been sick again. He was just in the hospital 3 1/2 weeks ago. He got his first cold and sure enough came down with bad wheezing and coughing. I spent yesterday afternoon in the Dr.'s office (trying to stay out of the hospital). I got him up every 3 hrs. round the clock for two different breathing treatments. He's also on an oral steroid again. But, this morning we had another checkup and all that paid off. He is improving slowly.
With sick kids and little ones at home you just can't set your expectations too high. I find that if I don't expect to get all of the laundry done in one day or don't expect to scrub my floors and mow the lawn or whatever, my day is less stressful. Just take care of the kids. That's what matters anyway. Take the time to read them a book, even if it means not getting the dishwasher unloaded before supper. Now I need to go take my own advice because I have two crying at my feet. :)
The door of his wife's car was open, as was the front door to the house and there was no sign of the dog. Proceeding into the entry, he found an even bigger mess. A lamp had been knocked over, and the throw rug was wadded against one wall. In the front room the TV was loudly blaring a cartoon channel, and the family room was strewn with toys and various items of clothing.
In the kitchen, dishes filled the sink, breakfast food was spilled on the counter, the fridge door was open wide, dog food was spilled on the floor, a broken glass lay under the table, and a small pile of sand was spread by the back door. He quickly headed up the stairs, stepping over toys and more piles of clothes, looking for his wife. He was worried she might be ill, or that something serious had happened. He was met with a small trickle of water as it made its way out the bathroom door. As he peered inside he found wet towels, scummy soap and more toys strewn over the floor. Miles of toilet paper lay in a heap and toothpaste had been smeared over the mirror and walls.
As he rushed to the bedroom, he found his wife still curled up in the bed in her pajamas, reading a novel. She looked up at him, smiled, and asked how his day went. He looked at her bewildered and asked, 'What happened here today?'She again smiled and answered, 'You know every day when you come home from work and you ask me what in the world I do all day? ''Yes," was his incredulous reply. She answered, 'Well, today I didn't do it.'
I'm sure you've all seen this. It's circulated around email for quite a while, but I received it just today again and thought it was fitting. Just to clarify...Bart does not ask me what I've done all day. :) He's very supportive. I love this though because if you think about all this, think about how much this mom is reacting to little situations that arise. That's me. (I like to think I'm proactive most days...having an agenda, getting things done. :) ) But, having little kids at home is about reacting a lot of the time, and if that's all I get done, that's fine. I didn't use to be this way. But, being outnumbered by my boys has helped....and the "wisdom" that I've gained with mothering. :)
Anyway, what spurred this all on, Cole's been sick again. He was just in the hospital 3 1/2 weeks ago. He got his first cold and sure enough came down with bad wheezing and coughing. I spent yesterday afternoon in the Dr.'s office (trying to stay out of the hospital). I got him up every 3 hrs. round the clock for two different breathing treatments. He's also on an oral steroid again. But, this morning we had another checkup and all that paid off. He is improving slowly.
With sick kids and little ones at home you just can't set your expectations too high. I find that if I don't expect to get all of the laundry done in one day or don't expect to scrub my floors and mow the lawn or whatever, my day is less stressful. Just take care of the kids. That's what matters anyway. Take the time to read them a book, even if it means not getting the dishwasher unloaded before supper. Now I need to go take my own advice because I have two crying at my feet. :)
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Not all days are easy...who am I kidding, most aren't!
Okay, so today was one of those days. It was hard being a nice mommy (and I wasn't at times), my kids were driving me crazy. I wasn't in a very good mood when Bart came home either. Maybe it's the weather. This rainy/cooler weather is really reminding me of winter and I don't like it. I don't like being stuck inside the house all day every day. Maybe it's my lack of a good nights rest. I've been staying up too late, and Cole gets up too early. Maybe it's the stress of getting everything done. I have said before that I do like the school schedule but with it comes more responsibility and more things to "do". Maybe it's this waiting game with the adoption. Life was so "exciting" for a while with lots to do. Weekly/monthly I could check things off my to do list and feel like I was really accomplishing sutff. Now, we're just waiting.
A friend gave me a book called The Practice of the Presence of God. A quote that speaks to me tonight: "A means for attaining the presence of God is a great faithfulness in the practice of His presence, and in keeping the soul's gaze fixed on God in faith, calmly, humbly, lovingly, without allowing an entrance to anxious cares and disquietude."
Maybe this is it...I forget that in the midst of mothering and just living this life He gave me, to stay in His presence. Then nothing seems "right". I need to practice being in His presence all day, keeping my gaze on Him while carrying out the daily tasks set before me...calmly and lovingly. Another quote that sounds kinda funny but so relates to me at home "Lord of all pots and pans and things...make me a saint by getting meals and washing up the plates!" :) When I stay in God's presence I experience true joy and fulfillment...even when I have kids crying, fighting, and spilling noodles all over my just scrubbed floor!
On the adoption front, I did get to "mark something off my checklist" today. We finally got DCFS approval for our homestudy. Now it is being sent to USCIS. After they approve it, we get our 171 which is an important paper we need to travel. This probably doesn't mean much to a lot of you, but it's one of last things needed to finish up our initial paperwork that we started in back in April.
A friend gave me a book called The Practice of the Presence of God. A quote that speaks to me tonight: "A means for attaining the presence of God is a great faithfulness in the practice of His presence, and in keeping the soul's gaze fixed on God in faith, calmly, humbly, lovingly, without allowing an entrance to anxious cares and disquietude."
Maybe this is it...I forget that in the midst of mothering and just living this life He gave me, to stay in His presence. Then nothing seems "right". I need to practice being in His presence all day, keeping my gaze on Him while carrying out the daily tasks set before me...calmly and lovingly. Another quote that sounds kinda funny but so relates to me at home "Lord of all pots and pans and things...make me a saint by getting meals and washing up the plates!" :) When I stay in God's presence I experience true joy and fulfillment...even when I have kids crying, fighting, and spilling noodles all over my just scrubbed floor!
On the adoption front, I did get to "mark something off my checklist" today. We finally got DCFS approval for our homestudy. Now it is being sent to USCIS. After they approve it, we get our 171 which is an important paper we need to travel. This probably doesn't mean much to a lot of you, but it's one of last things needed to finish up our initial paperwork that we started in back in April.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Labor Day Weekend
Labor day weekend we went "home" to my parents. We had a great family weekend.
My nephew Noah and Cole up early and enjoying some good breakfast.
Playing on the farm.
Our family baseball got interrupted when my dad brought out the gun. Carson was thrilled to shoot a real gun! He's been asking for one for quite a while, but something tells me we should wait. I don't know, 8 yrs. old, probably not quite ready for a gun. What do ya think? :)
Fishing.
Singing and playing guitars for my grandma in the nursing home. She loved it! My dad, niece, and brother in law all play great. The rest of us try to sing. The good thing is most of those in the home can't hear too well anyway. Ha!
I feel so blessed as I record these special family times. God has been so good to our family. We all live relatively close (3 hrs. is relative, right?), we're in good health, we get along, and we have fun together. We're able to worship together, play together, rejoice together, grieve together...etc. I am thankful for these relationships. I can't imagine going through life without the support of family. So, thanks to all my family (both sides!) for loving us and sharing life with us.
My nephew Noah and Cole up early and enjoying some good breakfast.
Playing on the farm.
Our family baseball got interrupted when my dad brought out the gun. Carson was thrilled to shoot a real gun! He's been asking for one for quite a while, but something tells me we should wait. I don't know, 8 yrs. old, probably not quite ready for a gun. What do ya think? :)
Fishing.
Singing and playing guitars for my grandma in the nursing home. She loved it! My dad, niece, and brother in law all play great. The rest of us try to sing. The good thing is most of those in the home can't hear too well anyway. Ha!
I feel so blessed as I record these special family times. God has been so good to our family. We all live relatively close (3 hrs. is relative, right?), we're in good health, we get along, and we have fun together. We're able to worship together, play together, rejoice together, grieve together...etc. I am thankful for these relationships. I can't imagine going through life without the support of family. So, thanks to all my family (both sides!) for loving us and sharing life with us.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)