Last weekend, our friend Michelle came out and took pictures of the kids in their natural habitat. She followed them around as they played on the swing set, hung upside down on the monkey bars and climbed trees. I had her take a few pictures in the wagon that Uncle Tellius gave them the Christmas before he passed away, and we also went to the yard of an old family friend to take advantage of her beautiful flowers.
I finally bought the CD and copyright to the pictures, so I wanted to post some of them. The problem I'm having now is deciding which ones I want to print and frame! I gave up trying to decide for the family, and had them pick their favorites. Now all I have to do is order the prints!
Showing posts with label pictures. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pictures. Show all posts
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Happy New Year!
Although we promised ourselves that we would start getting up early in preparation for going back to the real world of work and school, Trevor and I slept until we woke up this morning. Granted, we stayed up until the unheard of hour of 11:15 pm (we're seriously hard-core party animals), but we still needed to make an effort to get up.
Anyway, as we were sitting in the living room, sipping coffee and trying to wake up, Trevor made a most unusual request.
"How about we get out of the house with the kids and take a road trip?"
The silence was a bit deafening, due to the fact the day I had planned out in my head was the polar opposite of a road trip. Mine was more along the lines of laying on the couch and watching movies, never getting out of my flannel pajamas and perhaps getting in a game or two of Cadoo with Nathan. However, Trevor very seldom wants to just "get out of the house" so we were galvanized into action by his excitement about driving down towards Galveston.
I should mention a small detail here....this was a 90 mile trip one way. Yes folks, 90 miles with two children and the promise of a beach somewhere along the way. We went south through the boon docks of southeast Texas, and ended up on High Island. We ate lunch at a local dive restaurant, and got ready for the trip on the Bolivar ferry.
We ended up waiting about 40 minutes for the ferry, but it was worth the wait to see Nathan and Grace get so excited. We got out of the Tahoe, and went up to the observation deck with the bag of crackers we brought to feed to the seagulls. We were told that we had to go to the back of the ferry on the bottom deck to feed the birds, so we made our way back down to enjoy the aerial acrobatics of the gulls. Nathan just loved throwing the crackers into the flock and Trevor even had a gull take one directly from his hand. I took several pictures of the birds to try to show how close the gulls were to our heads. I could have literally reached up and touched them.
After the ferry ride (and a melt-down on Gracie's part because we had to get back in the Tahoe), we went on to Stuart beach in Galveston. Nathan lamented that he had not brought his swimming suit, and no amount of logic could convince him that the water was too cold. Gracie wanted to build a sand castle like Curious George, but I wasn't about to let them get covered in sand. I foresee a trip to the beach this summer!
After a pit stop at McDonalds, we decided to make our way back home and ended up going back to the mainland by way of the Lynchburg ferry. The road to the ferry also goes right past the San Jacinto Monument and the Battleship Texas. We promised Nathan and Grace that we would come back in the spring to tour them both. The kids got really excited about riding on another ferry, but were disappointed by the small size. The Bolivar ferry held about 60 cars, and this one only held about 12-15.
As Trevor and I evaluated the "fun factor" of the impromptu trip, we decided that the kids were still a little too young for this sort of outing. They would have had a better time if we had had a drive with a specific destination in mind, an opportunity to stay and enjoy said destination and then a trip home. Although we had a good time, we could see ways that it would have been better. Maybe next year.
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Sunday, December 30, 2007
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Monday, August 27, 2007
Friday, August 24, 2007
Thursday, August 23, 2007
A Few of My Favorites
Here are few of my favorite pictures from our trip. There will be more to follow, but I wanted to get something up today...
We told Gracie to give her cousin Benjamin a hug, and this was the first attempt. I'm glad I caught the expression because it was priceless!
We must have taken 50 shots between us to get one good picture of the 3 cousins together...
That's right. This is my daughter being hurled 8 feet in the air by her Uncle Patrick. It was her first time in a regular swimming pool, and the child was fearless!!!
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Random Pics
This is how Nathan and Trevor would spend most evenings if I would let them!
Gracie was so proud of this drawing...she asked me to take a picture of her!
I love, love, love, this picture of Gracie at the piano. She has a gift for music and I can't wait to see it develop as she gets older. She can match any pitch and she sings spot on.
I did say that these pictures were random. This one was from the 4th of July when we were in Louisiana. Gracie came to the dinner table with chocolate on her hand and she said, "I made a hole!" A hand shaped hole in the sheet cake, that is!
This was taken one Sunday morning before church. Gracie loves this dress and wants to spin around every time that she wears it.
I love catching the kids sitting with Trevor when I have the camera close by. He's actually asleep.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Split Personality
I think Grace has a split personality. I have never seen a child go from "I'm completely content and happy with my life" to "My life is over and I never get my way" so quickly. The transformation generally happens when she is perfectly happy with one parent, and then the other parent comes home. It's almost as though a switch is being flipped in her brain that causes her to freak out. 
Kaben is spending the night with Nathan tonight. I didn't tell Nathan about it so that he would be surprised
when he saw Kaben, and I wasn't disappointed. I picked Kaben up from his sitter first, and then went to get Nathan and Grace. Nathan was so absorbed in his video game that he didn't see us come in the house, and Kaben took the opportunity to hide behind a chair. When the kids saw me, they came running for hugs and sugar and I gladly obliged. Meanwhile, Kaben sneaked up behind Nathan and tapped him on the shoulder. I wish I had a picture of the look on Nathan's face! It was priceless!
It's truly a blessing, and when I hear horror stories from my friends about getting their kids to sleep I feel (and I am a little ashamed to admit this) a bit smug. Then I remember Gracie's split personality and I am brought down a couple of notches. She may go to sleep on command, but she can make you want to beg for a sharp stick to the eardrum just to stop the sound of the whining sometimes.
She goes from sunshiny and happy to dark and whiny before you can say dissociative identity disorder. It doesn't matter if you give in to her every whim or deny her even the basic comforts, she whines and cries. It's absolutely amazing how she turns it on and off. We are trying to figure out what it is that makes her do it, because we don't allow her to play us against each other. Neither one of us behaves differently regarding discipline when we are together or alone, so that can't be it either. We are at a bit of a loss, and all we can do is suffer through it and not give in to her shenanigans.
Kaben is spending the night with Nathan tonight. I didn't tell Nathan about it so that he would be surprised
when he saw Kaben, and I wasn't disappointed. I picked Kaben up from his sitter first, and then went to get Nathan and Grace. Nathan was so absorbed in his video game that he didn't see us come in the house, and Kaben took the opportunity to hide behind a chair. When the kids saw me, they came running for hugs and sugar and I gladly obliged. Meanwhile, Kaben sneaked up behind Nathan and tapped him on the shoulder. I wish I had a picture of the look on Nathan's face! It was priceless!So, the boys have played outside and now we are in post-dinner computer game mode. Gracie is watching Curious George in the playroom and I have a few minutes to catch my breath before the evening bath-bedtime dance begins. It's in the middle of this dance that I truly appreciate how well my kids get ready for bed and then stay there. We don't have to fight them to go to sleep. They say their prayers, we turn out the lights and that's it.
It's truly a blessing, and when I hear horror stories from my friends about getting their kids to sleep I feel (and I am a little ashamed to admit this) a bit smug. Then I remember Gracie's split personality and I am brought down a couple of notches. She may go to sleep on command, but she can make you want to beg for a sharp stick to the eardrum just to stop the sound of the whining sometimes.
Friday, June 15, 2007
Short and Sweet
I am going to keep this one short and sweet today. Trevor is home!!!!! I would love to sit here and stare at this computer screen, but I actually have better things to do tonight. Nathan and Gracie are so excited to have him back and I am enjoying just sitting here being near him.
I will get back into the swing of things with my blog tomorrow, but for tonight I am going to spend my time with my husband.
I will get back into the swing of things with my blog tomorrow, but for tonight I am going to spend my time with my husband.
Friday, June 8, 2007
Home Sick Part II
I thought that Nathan was on the mend when his fever broke yesterday and he felt like getting out of bed. He ate a ham and cheese sandwich for supper and seemed more like himself. I dosed him with ibuprofen before going to bed to make sure he was comfortable.
He woke me up at 2 am with words that shot through my heart like a bolt of lightening, "I'm hot and my stomach hurts." If you recall, vomiting is a symptom of viral encephalitis and I was warned by his doctor to keep an eye out for it. I threw the covers back in a more than slight panic and asked him to repeat what he had said. As he was about to comply, he let out a burp that would make any audience of 6-10 year old boys cheer and then said, "Wait, no. I feel better." I nearly laughed out loud in relief and then went about the business of taking his temperature and dosing him.
I looked at the read-out in horror....106.2 degrees. 106.2 degrees? 106.2 DEGREES!
I felt like Chekhov when he realized he was on the Botany Bay. (If you are not a Trekkie, just carry on smartly and don't worry about the reference) I quickly gave him his medicine and gave him ice packs for his neck, armpits and groin. I stayed up with him until he fell asleep and checked him after 40 minutes to make sure that he was cooling off before I went back to bed.
So, here we are at home again, waiting for the fever to break. He has a follow-up appointment at 2:30 pm with Dr. Gilley, so we'll see what she says. Hopefully she will reconfirm her original diagnosis of a viral infection and we won't need any additional tests that require needles. Nathan starts freaking out at the mention of blood or shots and he gets himself so worked up that he is hard to control when it's time to administer whatever is prescribed.
As a side note, I went outside this morning as I was talking to Mama on the phone and saw how beautiful my bougainvillea was. I bought two hanging baskets when we put the deck cover in and they didn't seem to be doing very well. I thought maybe I was doing something wrong, but I just kept watering them and giving them sun. When I really looked at them today, I realized that every vine was heavy with healthy blooms. I took some pictures of them and included them below.
He woke me up at 2 am with words that shot through my heart like a bolt of lightening, "I'm hot and my stomach hurts." If you recall, vomiting is a symptom of viral encephalitis and I was warned by his doctor to keep an eye out for it. I threw the covers back in a more than slight panic and asked him to repeat what he had said. As he was about to comply, he let out a burp that would make any audience of 6-10 year old boys cheer and then said, "Wait, no. I feel better." I nearly laughed out loud in relief and then went about the business of taking his temperature and dosing him.
I looked at the read-out in horror....106.2 degrees. 106.2 degrees? 106.2 DEGREES!
I felt like Chekhov when he realized he was on the Botany Bay. (If you are not a Trekkie, just carry on smartly and don't worry about the reference) I quickly gave him his medicine and gave him ice packs for his neck, armpits and groin. I stayed up with him until he fell asleep and checked him after 40 minutes to make sure that he was cooling off before I went back to bed.So, here we are at home again, waiting for the fever to break. He has a follow-up appointment at 2:30 pm with Dr. Gilley, so we'll see what she says. Hopefully she will reconfirm her original diagnosis of a viral infection and we won't need any additional tests that require needles. Nathan starts freaking out at the mention of blood or shots and he gets himself so worked up that he is hard to control when it's time to administer whatever is prescribed.
As a side note, I went outside this morning as I was talking to Mama on the phone and saw how beautiful my bougainvillea was. I bought two hanging baskets when we put the deck cover in and they didn't seem to be doing very well. I thought maybe I was doing something wrong, but I just kept watering them and giving them sun. When I really looked at them today, I realized that every vine was heavy with healthy blooms. I took some pictures of them and included them below.
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UPDATE:
We went to the MD today as planned and she was concerned about the fact that Nathan's fever had not gone away. She ordered more blood work and a chest x-ray and so we went to the hospital to have it taken. Nathan was not entirely thrilled with the radiology department, but I was impressed as our wait from registration to exam completion was only about 30 minutes.
Anyway, Dr. Gilley called me on my cell as we were nearing home and told me that the x-ray was negative for pneumonia, but that she wanted me to go ahead and start Nathan on a heavy-duty antibiotic since the cause of the fever was still unknown. So, we'll wait and see what happens tonight and tomorrow morning. Hopefully the antibiotic will kick in and he will be feeling better in the morning. Either way, I was instructed to call the MD first thing Monday morning to give her an update.
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Is Trevor Really in China?
As I was driving home last night I received a phone call from Kenneth inviting me and the kids over for dinner. I had made chicken and dumplings the night before so I wouldn't have to cook Monday, but quickly revised my plans in favor of grilled chicken with friends.
When we arrived at 5:30 pm, Kellye was still on her way home from work, so I sampled the veggies on the stove and chatted with Kenneth for a little while. Nathan was a little upset that Kaben wasn't home yet, but that soon changed and the boys went directly to Kaben's room to play video games.
At this point, I have to say that Gracie did not want to play with Kate....she wanted to play with Kaben. He is so good with little kids, and Gracie adores him. When I told her we were going to Kaben and Kate's house for dinner, all she could say was "We're going to Kaben's house?!" He is so gentle and sweet with her (and Kate) and I never worry about her when Kaban is around. He is careful to not be too rough and always seems to be aware of her whereabouts. This is in stark contrast to her own brother who frequently plows into her small body without a backwards look.
Dinner was great as it always is when I don't have to cook. It was nice to have adult company since I am missing my adult at home. It was equally as nice to spend time with good friends. We didn't stay long because I needed to get the kids home, bathed and ready for bed at 8 pm.
Once the kids were down, I sat down at the computer to check email and surf for a bit before it was time for me to hit the sack. Trevor nudged me on the instant messenger and we chatted for a little while before I went to bed. I informed him that I had never actually seen him board a plane for China and accused him of holing up in Houston in a five star hotel living on room service. He did not deny the charge, so I am still pondering that theory. Maybe I can escape with him for a few days.
Anyway, I ended my Monday curled up with a big, fat book reading myself to sleep in bed. It's probably one of my favorite things to do. The only thing that would have made it better is if it had been raining, but we can't have everything! All in all it was a good day and I was thankful once again for friends who care and for the simple things in my life that make me so content.
When we arrived at 5:30 pm, Kellye was still on her way home from work, so I sampled the veggies on the stove and chatted with Kenneth for a little while. Nathan was a little upset that Kaben wasn't home yet, but that soon changed and the boys went directly to Kaben's room to play video games.
At this point, I have to say that Gracie did not want to play with Kate....she wanted to play with Kaben. He is so good with little kids, and Gracie adores him. When I told her we were going to Kaben and Kate's house for dinner, all she could say was "We're going to Kaben's house?!" He is so gentle and sweet with her (and Kate) and I never worry about her when Kaban is around. He is careful to not be too rough and always seems to be aware of her whereabouts. This is in stark contrast to her own brother who frequently plows into her small body without a backwards look.Dinner was great as it always is when I don't have to cook. It was nice to have adult company since I am missing my adult at home. It was equally as nice to spend time with good friends. We didn't stay long because I needed to get the kids home, bathed and ready for bed at 8 pm.
Once the kids were down, I sat down at the computer to check email and surf for a bit before it was time for me to hit the sack. Trevor nudged me on the instant messenger and we chatted for a little while before I went to bed. I informed him that I had never actually seen him board a plane for China and accused him of holing up in Houston in a five star hotel living on room service. He did not deny the charge, so I am still pondering that theory. Maybe I can escape with him for a few days.
Anyway, I ended my Monday curled up with a big, fat book reading myself to sleep in bed. It's probably one of my favorite things to do. The only thing that would have made it better is if it had been raining, but we can't have everything! All in all it was a good day and I was thankful once again for friends who care and for the simple things in my life that make me so content.
Saturday, June 2, 2007
The Birthday Party
Gracie's birthday party was today and we had a great time. I am exhausted now, but it was worth the effort. We had 7 kids and 10 adults which was a perfect ratio as far as I was concerned!
Mama was in town for the party and I was so glad to have her here this morning as I was trying to finish cleaning and decorating. We made the cake last night, but we did pretty much everything else today. There was a banana pudding to make, balloons to blow up with the helium tank and drinks to put on ice just to name a few. Between the two of us, we worked from the time we got up until the party started at 2 pm.
The kids played outside for a while and then we had cake and opened presents. Gracie was so polite...she said thank you to each person as she opened the gift. Well, I say she was polite. She started thanking people because Kaben leaned over and whispered etiquette instructions in her ear. Kellye and I thought it was pretty funny.
After the presents were opened and the cake was eaten, we moved on to the pin the tail on the donkey. Except instead of a donkey it was Curious George holding an ice cream cone and instead of a tail it was candy sprinkles for the ice cream. So I guess that means it wasn't pin the tail on the donkey at all, but the kids still had a good time. Gracie's friend Nate got the closest and so he received a Curious George coloring book as a prize. (Nathan actually put the topping exactly on the cone, but I think there might have been a little peeking going on.)
After that, we went outside beat the pinata to smithereens which the kids really loved. There is something about having permission to destroy an object with no retaliation or punishment. It's a situation where you are rewarded for being destructive and what kid doesn't get into that!? After the little ones had their turns, we let Nathan and Kaben got to town so that the candy would actually end up on the ground.
After the candy and toys were collected and tucked away in goodie bags, the party quickly disintegrated. It was pretty hot and the kids were getting tired and a little cranky. We tried to get a picture of all of the kids together, but Nick (Trevor's nephew) refused to sit with the other kids. He pitched a screaming fit, but Charly got him to sit long enough for me to snap a picture without any adults in it. I included it in the scrapbook below, and you'll notice that the other kids are completely disinterested in the whole situation. Oh well...we tried!
All in all it was a good time and I'm so glad that everyone was able to come. I really missed Trevor, but I know that he will enjoy seeing the pictures and videos. So now I have almost an entire year before I have to plan another birthday party and that just thrills me to death!
Mama was in town for the party and I was so glad to have her here this morning as I was trying to finish cleaning and decorating. We made the cake last night, but we did pretty much everything else today. There was a banana pudding to make, balloons to blow up with the helium tank and drinks to put on ice just to name a few. Between the two of us, we worked from the time we got up until the party started at 2 pm.
The kids played outside for a while and then we had cake and opened presents. Gracie was so polite...she said thank you to each person as she opened the gift. Well, I say she was polite. She started thanking people because Kaben leaned over and whispered etiquette instructions in her ear. Kellye and I thought it was pretty funny.
After the presents were opened and the cake was eaten, we moved on to the pin the tail on the donkey. Except instead of a donkey it was Curious George holding an ice cream cone and instead of a tail it was candy sprinkles for the ice cream. So I guess that means it wasn't pin the tail on the donkey at all, but the kids still had a good time. Gracie's friend Nate got the closest and so he received a Curious George coloring book as a prize. (Nathan actually put the topping exactly on the cone, but I think there might have been a little peeking going on.)
After that, we went outside beat the pinata to smithereens which the kids really loved. There is something about having permission to destroy an object with no retaliation or punishment. It's a situation where you are rewarded for being destructive and what kid doesn't get into that!? After the little ones had their turns, we let Nathan and Kaben got to town so that the candy would actually end up on the ground.
After the candy and toys were collected and tucked away in goodie bags, the party quickly disintegrated. It was pretty hot and the kids were getting tired and a little cranky. We tried to get a picture of all of the kids together, but Nick (Trevor's nephew) refused to sit with the other kids. He pitched a screaming fit, but Charly got him to sit long enough for me to snap a picture without any adults in it. I included it in the scrapbook below, and you'll notice that the other kids are completely disinterested in the whole situation. Oh well...we tried!
All in all it was a good time and I'm so glad that everyone was able to come. I really missed Trevor, but I know that he will enjoy seeing the pictures and videos. So now I have almost an entire year before I have to plan another birthday party and that just thrills me to death!
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Friday, June 1, 2007
The Baby is Three!
I can't believe that Gracie is three years old today. First Nathan finishes Kindergarten in record time and now the baby is 3. What's next? College? It seems like every time I blink, an entire year has gone by.
Gracie is my wild child. She has a mind of her own and she knows how to use it. Nathan complacently wears what I put on his bed each morning. Gracie always wants something different so I quickly learned to give her an outfit I don't want her to wear first, then she happily puts on the one I had intended all along. Sneaky? Yes. Effective? Definitely!
Gracie can take a fall running at full speed and bounce right back up ready to go again. No tears, no fussing...just ready to play. Being hurt would take far too much time away from getting into everything! She is like the human equivalent to pure energy. She bounces from place to place with an endurance that is superhuman. She likes to tease and to be teased. Her lastest game is wiping off the kisses that we give her. This can go on for 30 minutes if we let it, and she's never the one to stop the game.
Just when you think that you can't take one more game, she gets tired and begins to slow down. This is the Gracie that snuggles close under the covers with you. The one that holds your face in both of her little hands as she sweetly says, "I love you Mommy!". This is the Gracie that melts my heart and makes me feel like the luckiest person in the world because I have had the priviledge of knowing and loving her.
I am so tired right now (it's 10:46 pm) and I am ready to go to bed, so I will leave you with a little photo show to peruse at your leisure. We'll have a party for Gracie tomorrow, but I always like to have a small celebration on the actual birthday. Enjoy!
Gracie is my wild child. She has a mind of her own and she knows how to use it. Nathan complacently wears what I put on his bed each morning. Gracie always wants something different so I quickly learned to give her an outfit I don't want her to wear first, then she happily puts on the one I had intended all along. Sneaky? Yes. Effective? Definitely!
Gracie can take a fall running at full speed and bounce right back up ready to go again. No tears, no fussing...just ready to play. Being hurt would take far too much time away from getting into everything! She is like the human equivalent to pure energy. She bounces from place to place with an endurance that is superhuman. She likes to tease and to be teased. Her lastest game is wiping off the kisses that we give her. This can go on for 30 minutes if we let it, and she's never the one to stop the game.
Just when you think that you can't take one more game, she gets tired and begins to slow down. This is the Gracie that snuggles close under the covers with you. The one that holds your face in both of her little hands as she sweetly says, "I love you Mommy!". This is the Gracie that melts my heart and makes me feel like the luckiest person in the world because I have had the priviledge of knowing and loving her.
I am so tired right now (it's 10:46 pm) and I am ready to go to bed, so I will leave you with a little photo show to peruse at your leisure. We'll have a party for Gracie tomorrow, but I always like to have a small celebration on the actual birthday. Enjoy!
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Monday, May 14, 2007
Blessed
I had such a good day yesterday. Gracie crept into my bedroom at 6:15 am with the intention of getting into bed with me. I was on to her and pretended that I was still asleep to see what she would do. She laid down on the floor next to my bed and quietly talked to herself for a few minutes. When I rolled around to get her attention, she popped up like a jack-in-the-box and slipped between the covers with a sweet little grin.
Nathan met me halfway down the hall as I was stumbling towards the kitchen to tell me happy Mother's day. It was as though he had lain there awake waiting to hear me get up so he could be the first to say it. We had powdered doughnuts and milk for breakfast because it took the least amount of effort on my part, but the kids thought it was a wonderful treat.
Trevor had left my gift and cards on the counter the night before and I opened them with the kids. They chose a Willow Tree box with a family of four carved on the front, and Nathan and Grace both signed my card. Trevor deposited a generous sum of money in my fun account to spend at my leisure. At first I was set on getting a professional Kitchen-Aid stand mixer since the one I have is the base model and starting to show it. Then I started thinking that I might get a new digital camera. I still haven't decided, but either way it will be a good purchase.
I was outside on the deck drinking my coffee when I heard the phone ring. It was Courtney calling to wish me a happy Mother's Day. This is her first one with Jack and I was glad to have a chance to talk to her. I love it that she has a baby now and that we have that in common. We don't agree on everything, but raising kids is one thing that we both see in the same light. I am so glad that she has a great husband and a beautiful baby boy...she deserves good things and I'm glad that her life is so blessed.
After church, Trevor cooked lunch and we had a relaxing afternoon together. I took a nice long nap and then spent most of the afternoon outside with the kids. We had taken Trevor's mom out Saturday night so we could celebrate with her, leaving Sunday open for our little family to spend some time together. We also felt like Charly didn't need to have a house full of people in light of her recent surgery. It worked out perfectly and we really enjoyed the day together.
Thank you Lord. Thank you for my children and for a husband who loves and appreciates me. Thank you for all those moments together as a family that draw us closer to each other and to You. Thank you for all the blessings in my life.
Nathan met me halfway down the hall as I was stumbling towards the kitchen to tell me happy Mother's day. It was as though he had lain there awake waiting to hear me get up so he could be the first to say it. We had powdered doughnuts and milk for breakfast because it took the least amount of effort on my part, but the kids thought it was a wonderful treat.
Trevor had left my gift and cards on the counter the night before and I opened them with the kids. They chose a Willow Tree box with a family of four carved on the front, and Nathan and Grace both signed my card. Trevor deposited a generous sum of money in my fun account to spend at my leisure. At first I was set on getting a professional Kitchen-Aid stand mixer since the one I have is the base model and starting to show it. Then I started thinking that I might get a new digital camera. I still haven't decided, but either way it will be a good purchase.
I was outside on the deck drinking my coffee when I heard the phone ring. It was Courtney calling to wish me a happy Mother's Day. This is her first one with Jack and I was glad to have a chance to talk to her. I love it that she has a baby now and that we have that in common. We don't agree on everything, but raising kids is one thing that we both see in the same light. I am so glad that she has a great husband and a beautiful baby boy...she deserves good things and I'm glad that her life is so blessed.
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After church, Trevor cooked lunch and we had a relaxing afternoon together. I took a nice long nap and then spent most of the afternoon outside with the kids. We had taken Trevor's mom out Saturday night so we could celebrate with her, leaving Sunday open for our little family to spend some time together. We also felt like Charly didn't need to have a house full of people in light of her recent surgery. It worked out perfectly and we really enjoyed the day together.
Thank you Lord. Thank you for my children and for a husband who loves and appreciates me. Thank you for all those moments together as a family that draw us closer to each other and to You. Thank you for all the blessings in my life.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
The Deepening Twilight
My daydreams of spending the evening out on the deck eating dinner and enjoying the smell of fresh cut grass came true last night. It was the perfect night for lounging and visiting outside. We invited Chris and Ali over for dinner and we spent all of our time in the backyard.
Trevor grilled ribs and chicken and although the fire got away from him and charred the meat, it was still good. We bribed Nate with the promise of a ride on the 4-wheeler to get him to finish his supper. As promised, Trevor pulled the Rincon out of the shed and took the kids on a ride through the woods behind the house. It was no surprise that they rounded the corner of the house with big smiles plastered on their little faces!
The kids spent some time launching air rockets and then Chris and I took them around the yard a time or two in the red wagon that Uncle Tellius gave the kids last Christmas. I wish I had gotten a picture of that because all three of them were crammed into that wagon together...they were all knees and elbows!
As it got darker, I pulled out some glow necklaces and distributed them as evenly as possible. Nathan, Grace and Nate ran back and forth across the yard with their necklaces making arcs of light in the deepening twilight. The adults sat contentedly on the deck taking turns holding Calvin and enjoying the peaceful evening together. Sitting there with our friends I was overcome with nostalgia. I can vividly remember playing outside well after dark on balmy summer nights with Patrick, swatting the mosquitoes but not caring how many times I was bitten because of the fun I was having. Playing hide-and-seek in the dark with Courtney, Allison and Patrick at Granny and Gramps' house while the grown-ups visited inside.
It made me happy that Trevor and I have been blessed in such a way that we can give that sort of life to our children. Society is geared in this day and age to force our kids to grow up long before they should. I want my children to retain their wonder and innocence for as long as possible. I want them to revel in playing outside and using their imagination to entertain themselves. I don't want them to worry about grown-up things yet....I want them to be children. Thank you Lord. Thank you for friends with whom we can make lasting memories and for our children who keep us young at heart.
As I was sitting on the deck this morning drinking my coffee and studying the book we are currently using for our small group, Nathan wandered out of the house and sat down next to me on the swing. He asked me how ants know how to dig tunnels (he is fascinated by the ant farm we brought home from our trip). I explained that God made them that way and that he gave them instincts. Ants just dig because that is the way God made them...they can't do anything else and don't want to. I was just starting to pat myself on the back for using the opportunity to teach Nathan something of God's relationship with human beings. I said, "God gave all animals instincts including people, but He gave us something even better. He gave us...."
"Shovels," he interjected, with a look that just screamed "duh!".
I laughed out loud and agreed that God did indeed give us shovels, but more importantly He gave us a brain and the will to make tools to do things. I had to sit back and marvel at the simple way kids see the world around them. For all of my lecturing on God and how He is at work in our lives, Nathan saw the obvious. It was just another lesson in child-rearing....don't complicate things with long lectures and boring exposition. Stick with the basic facts and ideas that a child can grasp. The sometimes complicated theology will come with time and maybe a little easier with a lifetime of little moments like the one I had this morning.
Trevor grilled ribs and chicken and although the fire got away from him and charred the meat, it was still good. We bribed Nate with the promise of a ride on the 4-wheeler to get him to finish his supper. As promised, Trevor pulled the Rincon out of the shed and took the kids on a ride through the woods behind the house. It was no surprise that they rounded the corner of the house with big smiles plastered on their little faces!
The kids spent some time launching air rockets and then Chris and I took them around the yard a time or two in the red wagon that Uncle Tellius gave the kids last Christmas. I wish I had gotten a picture of that because all three of them were crammed into that wagon together...they were all knees and elbows!
As it got darker, I pulled out some glow necklaces and distributed them as evenly as possible. Nathan, Grace and Nate ran back and forth across the yard with their necklaces making arcs of light in the deepening twilight. The adults sat contentedly on the deck taking turns holding Calvin and enjoying the peaceful evening together. Sitting there with our friends I was overcome with nostalgia. I can vividly remember playing outside well after dark on balmy summer nights with Patrick, swatting the mosquitoes but not caring how many times I was bitten because of the fun I was having. Playing hide-and-seek in the dark with Courtney, Allison and Patrick at Granny and Gramps' house while the grown-ups visited inside.
It made me happy that Trevor and I have been blessed in such a way that we can give that sort of life to our children. Society is geared in this day and age to force our kids to grow up long before they should. I want my children to retain their wonder and innocence for as long as possible. I want them to revel in playing outside and using their imagination to entertain themselves. I don't want them to worry about grown-up things yet....I want them to be children. Thank you Lord. Thank you for friends with whom we can make lasting memories and for our children who keep us young at heart.
As I was sitting on the deck this morning drinking my coffee and studying the book we are currently using for our small group, Nathan wandered out of the house and sat down next to me on the swing. He asked me how ants know how to dig tunnels (he is fascinated by the ant farm we brought home from our trip). I explained that God made them that way and that he gave them instincts. Ants just dig because that is the way God made them...they can't do anything else and don't want to. I was just starting to pat myself on the back for using the opportunity to teach Nathan something of God's relationship with human beings. I said, "God gave all animals instincts including people, but He gave us something even better. He gave us...."
"Shovels," he interjected, with a look that just screamed "duh!".
I laughed out loud and agreed that God did indeed give us shovels, but more importantly He gave us a brain and the will to make tools to do things. I had to sit back and marvel at the simple way kids see the world around them. For all of my lecturing on God and how He is at work in our lives, Nathan saw the obvious. It was just another lesson in child-rearing....don't complicate things with long lectures and boring exposition. Stick with the basic facts and ideas that a child can grasp. The sometimes complicated theology will come with time and maybe a little easier with a lifetime of little moments like the one I had this morning.
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