Several times throughout my day, I think to myself, "This is blog-worthy material." or "I am totally going to blog about this one..." However, the day goes marching on and several brain cells die at the hands of my motherly duties. :) I just get caught up in the activity of our daily life and I simply can't remember what has happened during the day when I finally have time to blog. It's really such a shame, our home is full of so many side-splitting funny moments, sweet brotherly-love situations, and the craziness that 4 little boys can bring about just by "being" who they are.
So, I am trying to get better at remembering...and then blogging.. and then uploading pictures (I confessed to a friend that I currently have 746 pics on the camera just waiting to be uploaded). Be patient with me, friends. :)
Tomorrow is sure to be a day chock-full of moments to be shared on blog. I am going to take all 4 boys to the library for story hour. Rumor has it that a firetruck and the firehouse dog are making an appearance. This is an annual library event, and last year Sam nearly had a coronary when he saw the "dog" - a fireman in a dalmation costume. Tomorrow should be an eventful one. Pray that Luke doesn't bite the dog, run away, climb the truck, etc... and that the babies don't meltdown simultaneously. These are my biggest fears when I am out alone with the boys. :)
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Attn: There is a FIVE year old in the house!
Our oldest son, Sam, celebrated his 5th birthday today. What a joy it has been, from start to finish. Speaking of the "start" of the day - it came at 5:30 am. Sam is a boy who really enjoys a celebration...and the thought of gifts, cake, birthday wishes, the potential of a package arriving in the mail for him - it was simply too much. He couldn't stay in bed a minute more. He was full of questions, as usual. Brad found Sam looking at himself this morning, deep in thought. Then he asked, "Do I look the same, Dad? Am I bigger? Does my voice sound the same?" This kid is simply too cute!
We celebrated the day in a million little ways - opened gifts from us first thing this morning, breakfast out with Daddy, his favorite candy for dessert following lunch -Kit Kat bar, we watched the old school Alvin & The Chipmunks cartoon movie during our afternoon quiet time, we enjoyed the meal that Sam chose ( cheeseburgers, mashed potatoes, and broccoli), sang "happy birthday" and blew out the candles on a cupcake, and then went to the park. whew....what a fun-filled day!
We've invited a few of Sam's friends over for a small party on Saturday afternoon (can't begin to describe how this confused our boy - another story for another post) at our house. He is excited - and so are we!
We've invited a few of Sam's friends over for a small party on Saturday afternoon (can't begin to describe how this confused our boy - another story for another post) at our house. He is excited - and so are we!
Monday, September 15, 2008
Frenzied Family Life
Our family life is full, to say the least. The busyness created by loving, playing with, caring for, and providing for our little men is enough to fill the days ( and nights, for that matter). In addition to that - Brad is one busy man. He teaches full-time, teaches 2 overload classes, is taking a full load of classes in his PhD program, is a research assistant for one of his professors, and is a seasonal employee at a boat dealership. whew....just listing his jobs makes me tired. :) But, I love that he knows what matters most...his role as "daddy" to our boys and husband to me. He really "gets" it and I'm so grateful. Brad does his best to be as "available" as possible. However, his plate is fairly full during the daytime hours. Managing our "family schedule" becomes a chore that I don't like. Between scheduling doctor's appointments for the 4 boys and myself, playdates with friends, babysitters for different events, homeschooling Sam, Bible Study, and our family/friends who are planning to visit us...it's a juggling act. :) That doesn't include those "special" events - weddings, birthday parties, baby dedication for the twins, etc... ugh. It can be a little overwhelming if I allow it to be. These days, I am doing my best to remember that I don't have to carry it all - God cares about even the smallest details of my life. My mundane, "groundhog day" like life. God has been faithful to remind me that while my life seems like a repeat of changing diapers, doing laundry, buying groceries, cooking meals, reading books, playing with kids, cleaning up toys, cleaning up messes, changing clothes, feeding children, etc... it really is so much more. In caring for my boys and Brad, I am loving them with a selfless love that is of God - it has to be...I am too selfish to do it alone. In changing diapers, bathing kids, preparing meals, dispensing kisses and hugs - I am showing my kids that they are valuable and precious. They are worth all of my best efforts and time. My actions (when I get it right, with God's help) are literally "writing" the good news of God's love on the hearts of my little boys. So yes, this life we are living is nutty - but, so worth it. God is loving us, providing for us, blessing us, and showing us that being in the center of His will is the best place to be - in spite of the frenzy! :)
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
6 Months
The days are going by so quickly that I am afraid that it will all be a blur just a short time from now. I am smart enough to recognize that these are some of the sweetest days of my life...and I at least want to have a written record of the sweetness. I need to be more diligent in blogging. Finding time is the biggest issue - and the energy to upload photos. Why does uploading them seem like such an overwhelming chore to me? :)
The "little bits" are 6 months old now...hardly seems possible. The baby boys are incredibly cute and healthy. Caleb is 15 lbs. 9 oz. and Matthew is a whopping 17 lbs. Wowza - they have come a long way from their birth weights of 6 lbs. 3 oz. and 6 lbs. 1 oz. respectively. They are smiling, laughing, cooing, rolling, pooping like pros, eating solids, teething, drooling, and sleeping well. Caleb is even beginning to "scoot" across the floor a bit.
On July 17, 2007 we learned we were doubly blessed. I went to the OB for a routine check at approximately 10 weeks gestation. After signing in at the desk, I chose a magazine and settled in for a little reading time while I waited. I hadn't even turned a page when my name was called. The ultrasound tech ushered me into the dimly lit room for the first peak at God's newest gift to us. She quickly found the baby and then let me hear the heartbeat. I cried. Something about hearing a tiny little person's heart beating so strongly gets me everytime. :) She used her keyboard to type in the words "the baby" to appear on the printed version of this image. I was excited to be able to share this with Brad and the boys. I knew Sam would be intrigued by this shadowy black and white image that was to be his brother or sister. After printing the pic, she moved the "wand" around a little more on my belly...after a long pause, I heard the words, "Oh no!" My mind was immediately filled with a thousand horrible thoughts. Thankfully, she followed the comment quickly with the words, "there are two." In my wacked out state of mind, I asked, "Two what?" The technician politely explained that there were two babies. I began to laugh like a nervous school girl...and between the laughing and crying I managed to ask if she was kidding (at least 10 times). As I began to gather my emotions, I asked if she was possibly mistaken...afterall, I have a pair of ovaries - could she have misidentified a body part? She sweetly reassured me that she was certain...and my ovaries didn't have heartbeats. :) I was in total disbelief. It had never occurred to me that I would possibly be pregnant with twins - not even for an instant.
I immediately called Brad(he was at home with Sam and Luke). He handled the news with grace and a good laugh. He is such a good guy...he saved the fear until I got home. :) He gave me a hug and a smile that seemed to say, "This is a good thing...we will be okay." Then, he immediately began making plans to deal with this 'double blessing.' He said something like - " I am quitting school, resigning my teaching position, and we are moving back to Indiana to be near our family. We need help." And people think he is the calm one....hehe. :) I remember sweet Sam saying, "So, I hear you have two babies in your belly, Mom."
So, here we are just over one year has passed. We have survived an uncomfortable (but very healthy) pregnancy, switching docs mid-pregnancy, a c-section, the flu just 2 weeks after the babies were born, buying a new house and moving just 3 weeks after the twins arrived, colds, runny noses, doctors appointments, ups and downs....and many sleepless nights. :) In the midst of all of that madness, Brad has managed to sell many boats, teach many students greek, read many bedtime stories, change many diapers, and take a few doctoral level classes. whew. I am tired just thinking about it! :) But, the end result is a very, very good life with 4 precious little boys...and a very good man. It's crazy, but my life is sweet.
The "little bits" are 6 months old now...hardly seems possible. The baby boys are incredibly cute and healthy. Caleb is 15 lbs. 9 oz. and Matthew is a whopping 17 lbs. Wowza - they have come a long way from their birth weights of 6 lbs. 3 oz. and 6 lbs. 1 oz. respectively. They are smiling, laughing, cooing, rolling, pooping like pros, eating solids, teething, drooling, and sleeping well. Caleb is even beginning to "scoot" across the floor a bit.
On July 17, 2007 we learned we were doubly blessed. I went to the OB for a routine check at approximately 10 weeks gestation. After signing in at the desk, I chose a magazine and settled in for a little reading time while I waited. I hadn't even turned a page when my name was called. The ultrasound tech ushered me into the dimly lit room for the first peak at God's newest gift to us. She quickly found the baby and then let me hear the heartbeat. I cried. Something about hearing a tiny little person's heart beating so strongly gets me everytime. :) She used her keyboard to type in the words "the baby" to appear on the printed version of this image. I was excited to be able to share this with Brad and the boys. I knew Sam would be intrigued by this shadowy black and white image that was to be his brother or sister. After printing the pic, she moved the "wand" around a little more on my belly...after a long pause, I heard the words, "Oh no!" My mind was immediately filled with a thousand horrible thoughts. Thankfully, she followed the comment quickly with the words, "there are two." In my wacked out state of mind, I asked, "Two what?" The technician politely explained that there were two babies. I began to laugh like a nervous school girl...and between the laughing and crying I managed to ask if she was kidding (at least 10 times). As I began to gather my emotions, I asked if she was possibly mistaken...afterall, I have a pair of ovaries - could she have misidentified a body part? She sweetly reassured me that she was certain...and my ovaries didn't have heartbeats. :) I was in total disbelief. It had never occurred to me that I would possibly be pregnant with twins - not even for an instant.
I immediately called Brad(he was at home with Sam and Luke). He handled the news with grace and a good laugh. He is such a good guy...he saved the fear until I got home. :) He gave me a hug and a smile that seemed to say, "This is a good thing...we will be okay." Then, he immediately began making plans to deal with this 'double blessing.' He said something like - " I am quitting school, resigning my teaching position, and we are moving back to Indiana to be near our family. We need help." And people think he is the calm one....hehe. :) I remember sweet Sam saying, "So, I hear you have two babies in your belly, Mom."
So, here we are just over one year has passed. We have survived an uncomfortable (but very healthy) pregnancy, switching docs mid-pregnancy, a c-section, the flu just 2 weeks after the babies were born, buying a new house and moving just 3 weeks after the twins arrived, colds, runny noses, doctors appointments, ups and downs....and many sleepless nights. :) In the midst of all of that madness, Brad has managed to sell many boats, teach many students greek, read many bedtime stories, change many diapers, and take a few doctoral level classes. whew. I am tired just thinking about it! :) But, the end result is a very, very good life with 4 precious little boys...and a very good man. It's crazy, but my life is sweet.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Family Fun
My brother and his family spent a few days with us last week. My boys adore Uncle Jeff and Aunt Laura and their 4 kids: Morgan (17), Zack (8), Grace (6), and Lillee (3). The kids rode bikes, played trains, pretended to "cook" many meals, ran around inside and out, played hide and seek, and had some serious fun. Can you imagine the fun with one teenager and 7 kids age 8 and younger all under one roof? :) We had a blast and my boys fell into bed each night from exhaustion! Woot!
Morgan celebrated her 17th birthday with us - so fun! We had a little party, complete with cake, candles, and ice cream. She is a lovely young lady and we all love her a bunch. Hard to believe that she is 17 already. She is not your average teenager ( well, she is attached to her cell phone at all times, she never leave home without her music, sleeps late, never cleans her room, and she must check her e-mail daily) - she is super cool. She plays with my kids and even makes time for her not-so-hip Aunt Tina from time to time. Wow! Love ya, girl!
I'll add some of the pics from our family fest later today.
Morgan celebrated her 17th birthday with us - so fun! We had a little party, complete with cake, candles, and ice cream. She is a lovely young lady and we all love her a bunch. Hard to believe that she is 17 already. She is not your average teenager ( well, she is attached to her cell phone at all times, she never leave home without her music, sleeps late, never cleans her room, and she must check her e-mail daily) - she is super cool. She plays with my kids and even makes time for her not-so-hip Aunt Tina from time to time. Wow! Love ya, girl!
I'll add some of the pics from our family fest later today.
Friday, July 4, 2008
Summer Fun & Camp Jamie
The pace of daily life around here is fast to say the least. There are daily things to be done: making beds, cleaning the kitchen, doing laundry, changing diapers, cooking, etc... If I neglect these things for too long - it gets out of control and I get overwhelmed. The mountain of laundry and overflowing sink full of dishes make me want to run and hide. I struggle with finding balance between daily responsibilities and fun! I don't want my boys to remember the "spotless home" of their childhood (ha! fat chance!) - I want them to remember me playing with them...not just cleaning things and running errands. So, I am making time and creating energy for playing each day - and it's been rewarding! We've been tickling, wrestling, chasing one another around the house and baking treats together. It's hard work to have fun - but, so worth it!
Last Tuesday, we decided that it was time to mix it up a little. We arranged for Miss Phyllis (babysitter extrordinaire) to come over to care for Caleb and Matthew while we headed out on a "family date" with the big boys. We put on our suits, grabbed out towels, packed some snacks and juice boxes...and then we were finally ready to go to the local pool for some fun! The water temperature was FRIGID!! We couldn't get Sam into the water and we couldn't manage to keep Luke out of it. Sam allowed me to carry him around a bit - but nothing other than his feet got wet. Luke, on the other hand, was a wild man! His body was quivering with excitement when we arrived...and shivering from low body temperature when we left! :) He had a blast and didn't want to leave. We're making plans to go again soon. Brad and I feel like it's important to create some "big boy" time for Sam and Luke - and they LOVE it! My only regret? I didn't take the camera!! ugh.
Sam and Luke have been enjoying "Camp Jamie" for the past couple of weeks. No, we haven't shipped them off to summer camp - they are a bit young for that! I have not found a way to get all 4 of the boys outside to play with great success. By the time I get babies loaded into the stroller, sunscreen applied, shoes/sandals on, and everyone outside - a baby is fussy or sleepy, Sam has to potty, etc... Luke is only 2 and still fairly unpredictable - certainly can't be left unattended outside (our yard isn't fenced in). So, if one of us needs to come inside - we ALL have to come inside. It's labor intensive, to say the least. The boys need to be outside enjoying the sunsine, fresh air, riding bikes, and playing baseball. I prayed like mad, asking God to help me be creative and to provide the help I needed in order to meet each boy's need. God has provided and I am learning to think "creatively" and "let go" a bit. That's how "Camp Jamie" was born. Jamie is an amazing 13 year old boy who lives next door to us...he loves Jesus, loves his family, and he loves playing with my "big boys." We've hired Jamie to play outside with Sam and Luke twice a week. "Camp Jamie" is a huge success! Sam and Luke LOVE Jamie - and jump and squeal with delight when they see him coming to our door! God is so good to meet my need!
So, I am learning to "let go" a little - and allow God to bring some other folks along to help me from time to time. My boys will be richer for it and I will too. God is so good.
Last Tuesday, we decided that it was time to mix it up a little. We arranged for Miss Phyllis (babysitter extrordinaire) to come over to care for Caleb and Matthew while we headed out on a "family date" with the big boys. We put on our suits, grabbed out towels, packed some snacks and juice boxes...and then we were finally ready to go to the local pool for some fun! The water temperature was FRIGID!! We couldn't get Sam into the water and we couldn't manage to keep Luke out of it. Sam allowed me to carry him around a bit - but nothing other than his feet got wet. Luke, on the other hand, was a wild man! His body was quivering with excitement when we arrived...and shivering from low body temperature when we left! :) He had a blast and didn't want to leave. We're making plans to go again soon. Brad and I feel like it's important to create some "big boy" time for Sam and Luke - and they LOVE it! My only regret? I didn't take the camera!! ugh.
Sam and Luke have been enjoying "Camp Jamie" for the past couple of weeks. No, we haven't shipped them off to summer camp - they are a bit young for that! I have not found a way to get all 4 of the boys outside to play with great success. By the time I get babies loaded into the stroller, sunscreen applied, shoes/sandals on, and everyone outside - a baby is fussy or sleepy, Sam has to potty, etc... Luke is only 2 and still fairly unpredictable - certainly can't be left unattended outside (our yard isn't fenced in). So, if one of us needs to come inside - we ALL have to come inside. It's labor intensive, to say the least. The boys need to be outside enjoying the sunsine, fresh air, riding bikes, and playing baseball. I prayed like mad, asking God to help me be creative and to provide the help I needed in order to meet each boy's need. God has provided and I am learning to think "creatively" and "let go" a bit. That's how "Camp Jamie" was born. Jamie is an amazing 13 year old boy who lives next door to us...he loves Jesus, loves his family, and he loves playing with my "big boys." We've hired Jamie to play outside with Sam and Luke twice a week. "Camp Jamie" is a huge success! Sam and Luke LOVE Jamie - and jump and squeal with delight when they see him coming to our door! God is so good to meet my need!
So, I am learning to "let go" a little - and allow God to bring some other folks along to help me from time to time. My boys will be richer for it and I will too. God is so good.
Friday, June 13, 2008
A Work in Progress
While Luke napped this afternoon, Sam and I were chatting. While I nursed Matthew, we pretended that we were superheroes and we were saving people from "super bad villians." After we had saved enough people...he moved to the toy basket and found our "baby doll" (another story for another post!) and bottle. He began to feed his baby and talk to me about being a daddy. I told him that I hoped his baby was as sweet as Caleb & Matthew...without a moment of hesitation, he responded with, "They are a work in progress." Then he just grinned. What a kid!
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