Miracles Happen...

Long Overdue Explanation

2011-10-22T19:01:00.001-07:00

For anyone who may possibly be checking my blog, I felt like I should give you a brief explanation to my lack of posts lately. It's not that I've run short on time (though that happens often), but I've really been considering the purpose of my blog. I don't want it to just be something that highlights all the fun things our family is doing. Sometimes that can be discouraging as I personally often measure myself (yes, fear of man...live in the Gospel more, Tiff) by others and the amazing things they are doing with their kids. So for now, I've put the blog "away" until I figure out it's real purpose. Thanks for understanding!!!

All Tucked In!

2011-08-07T11:52:00.000-07:00

Apparently Caleb didn't think the "tucking in" job I did was good enough! He was sound asleep!

Twice is a Charm!

2011-08-05T19:03:00.000-07:00

How can a child less than 3 years old have already gotten stitches twice? That, my friends, is Caleb. Last Saturday night, our fun Chick-fil-a meal with friends was interrupted by the screams and blood-covered face of our middle son. Being our second time doing the "stitches thing," we immediately knew we were headed to the ER. Jeremy took Caleb took the bathroom (and yes, I busted in the men's after them!), stopped the bleeding, and we left. Thankfully our friends, David and Hannah, were with us. They watched Stephen and Jonathan as we checked Caleb in at Wake Med Children's Emergency Room (our first trip to this hospital).

Soon after, Jeremy took them home and Caleb and I waited to be called back. Our awesome neighbor Celeste stayed with Stephen and Jonathan while Jeremy drove back to the hospital.

As terrible as Caleb looked, he was a champ. Seriously, he bounced all over that waiting room like nothing was wrong. Of course, when they put him in the "hug thing," "taco wrap," "straight jacket,"--whatever you choose to call it, he became hysterical. I could only see his little face as he screamed, "Mommy, get me down. It hurts." And at that moment, I think it was hurting me more than him.

After 4 stitches and Tylenol with codeine, life was good! He ate a popsicle, watched TV, and declared to me and the nurses that he didn't want to leave. We did have a good experience there, I must admit.

One of the "God things" about all this was that the girl working Saturday night to "calm and distract the kids" was an Institute girl from last summer who served with Jeremy and Summit Kids. She knew who we were as soon as she saw our name on the check-in list. Lauren took great care of us, brought Caleb blocks, toys, and books, and even gave him a special teddy bear with a bandaid over his eye when we left (appropriately named Boo-Boo). I was so thankful to have Lauren there with me!

So, there you have it...2 sets of stitches later, and the boys are still going strong. The phrase I keep asking myself since then and every day..."Is this normal???????".

9 Years

2011-07-26T18:55:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Jeremy and I celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary. Stephen and Caleb stayed with some friends of ours in Winston, and Jonathan stayed with my parents. We stayed at a nice place in Blowing Rock Thursday-Saturday. It was so fun having some time with just the 2 of us. I sure do love that guy!

PS-Sorry about the random picture sizes. We used Jeremy's phone and apparently I didn't download them right.=)

"People watching" on Main Street in Blowing Rock

Me and Mildred (the bear) at Grandfather Mountain

Jeremy being silly (The boys thought it was a real bear when we sent this pic to them!)

Fireworks at a local resort Friday night...we watched them from our sunroom

Grandfather Mountain

We hiked up to the bridge on a route that took us under it.

What was he thinking?

Almost at the top!

Lunch at Daniel Boone Inn

Chalk-Time!

2011-07-26T18:45:00.000-07:00

It was so cool this morning (seriously?) that the boys and I decided to put our new sidewalk chalk to good use. Notice all the body outlines I did! They loved this (til they realized how hot it was!).

Oh Caleb...

2011-07-20T19:11:00.000-07:00

What a funny blessing Caleb is to our family! He keeps us laughing and on our toes. Here are a couple quick stories from the past few days worth noting:

-He lost his blankie today. Yep, we looked for nearly 3 hours and never found it. The boys even skipped their naps, because Caleb can't sleep without it. Finally, Jeremy found it in the washing machine. I guess Caleb thought it was dirty!

-Tonight Caleb pulled a stuffed dinosaur out of a "Goodwill bag" I had in the van. We were on our way to church to pick up Jeremy. Caleb asked me why we were taking the dinosaur to church (uhm...we were taking him to Goodwill). I didn't respond. He then said, "Is it because he needs to be saved?" Again, I didn't respond!

-This morning Caleb told me Happy Anniversary (it's our 9 year today!) and that he had a special gift for me. I asked him what it was, and he proudly said "a stick." He immediately followed that up with, "Mommy, do you know what a stick is?" Of course I do, we've got 3 little boys in this house!

-Stephen and Caleb watched our wedding video today. I snuck outside to call Jeremy. Caleb busted through the front door nearly in tears saying, "They threw rocks at Daddy and killed him." What? After some explaining, I understood that he saw our friends throwing flower petals at us as we left for our Honeymoon and assumed they were rocks. Poor Daddy!

Okay, I lied...all those actually happened TODAY! One from yesterday would be Caleb's sweet prayer:

"Dear Jesus, Thank you for dying on the cross and buying me dinosaurs. Thank you for my fingers and my fingernails and help me not to bite them anymore. Amen."

And the picture above, yep, that was him today, riding his scooter to the library, complete with a water gun and swim goggles!

Thank You, Lord, for our funny little guy!=)

Caleb Goes to the Movies

2011-07-12T18:39:00.000-07:00

Today Caleb went to his first movie, "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything." The theatre does $1 movies for kids during the summer, but of course the money we spent on popcorn and drinks costs a little more than that! Stephen sat with some of his buddies and acted like an old pro at that kind of thing! Caleb drank drinks, ate, watched the movie some, and played on my phone a little also. Jonathan bounced around everywhere and finally got in the carrier to take a power nap. It was a great experience, and I'm excited that Caleb can possibly start going on Daddy dates to the movies now!=)

Triangle Kids Camp

2011-07-12T18:29:00.000-07:00

Like last year, Stephen and I were blessed to go with Jeremy and lots of kids/leaders from the Summit to camp for a few days. I LOVE this time! Camp was great this year, and it's always fun to interact with the kids. Some of them, honestly, I think I see once a year...at camp. It's crazy! The leaders were awesome this year, and Jeremy (and the Summit) is so blessed to have them serving our families.

The best part of camp for me, though, is the time I get with Stephen. Caleb and Jonathan stay with my parents (I missed them terribly), but Stephen gets to go with the big kids. He stays in a room with me and Jeremy, and he and I hang out constantly. We even sleep in a single bed together! I know he'll be old enough to actually go to camp soon, and I'll miss this time special time we share. It was a fun week for all of us!

Gate-Time

2011-07-12T18:25:00.000-07:00

Guess who figured out how to climb the steps yesterday??? The gates gonna have to go back up!

Mini-Nightmare

2011-07-01T14:01:00.000-07:00

After blogging about the beach, I must admit that I don't really like it that much. The grimy sand and sticky feeling...yuck! If it weren't for our boys, Jeremy and I would probably go to the beach but never actually set foot in the sand or go in the ocean. We're just not "beach people."

So when Jonathan got fussy last week and wanted to nap, there was only 1 thing to do...put him in the dreadful baby carrier. First, it kills my back (he's 10 months old for goodness sake). Second, he was wet and sandy. Third, it was blistering hot out there.

Did he go to sleep? Of course. And did I survive this "mini-nightmare" of mine? Yes, and everyone was happy and had a great, sandy time! But don't let my fake smile fool you!=)

Give Them Grace

2011-07-01T11:05:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading Elyse Fitzpatrick's book Give Them Grace, and it was awesome. Jeremy keeps asking me if I like it more than Gospel-Powered Parenting, and I just can't decide. They're both so good, so Gospel-centered, and so challenging. Give Them Grace made me very aware of how often we parent our boys under the law and not grace. It also relieved some of the pressure I put on myself to be a "good Mom" by reminding me that God is really the one in control of the boys' futures. All of that said, here are some of my favorite quotes (and I'm limiting it...there were S0 many!):

"What percentage of your time is spent in declaring the rules and what percentage in reciting the Story?"

"Everything that isn't Gospel is law."

"If not rooted in gratitude for God's love for us in Christ, morality is deadlier to the soul than immorality."

"You cannot raise good kids, because you are not a good parent."

"When we're quietly resting in grace, we'll have grace to give our children, too. When we're freed from the ultimate responsibility of being their savior, we'll find our parenting burden becoming easy and light."

"We have far too high a view of our ability to shape our children and far too low a view of God's love and trustworthiness."

"Parenting with grace isn't another set of rules for you to follow. It's a story that you're to rejoice in. Share the story with your children. Show them the Savior. Show them Jesus. Dazzle them with his love."

"Our children, both the 'bad' ones and the 'good' ones, need to hear his message of entreaty. 'My arms are open to you; all that is mine is yours. Come and delight in my generous mercy'."

"We hinder our children from coming to him when we inadvertently teach them that the good news is meant for good people."

That's where I'll stop, because I feel like I'm not doing the book justice by pulling out quotes here and there. The ones above came from the first 4 chapters, and there are 10 chapters in the book! It was so good that I even highlighted in the foreword and introduction.

GET IT! It will challenge and relieve you at the same time!

New Scooter

2011-06-30T17:45:00.000-07:00

Our little man was thrilled last night when his Daddy came home from work with a new scooter! Stephen had been waiting weeks for this! His got stolen the other week from the library, and although he handled it well (and it gave us a great opportunity to talk about the Gospel), he definitely missed it. Daddy was a big hero when Stephen first saw his new one. He rode in the parking lot last night until it was nearly too dark to see. Score for Daddy!

Third...

2011-06-30T17:42:00.000-07:00

Jonathan fell asleep in his carseat sucking a dum-dum while we were at the beach...proving again...he's the third!=)

Family Beach Trip!

2011-06-29T19:13:00.000-07:00

Last week we took a family trip to the beach. It was wonderful having several days with just the 5 of us. I admit, though, that it wasn't relaxing by any means. Did I expect it to be with 3 little boys? Not really, but it was lots of fun. I keep telling myself that I'll miss these crazy "vacations" in the future when Jeremy and I are left looking at each other in an empty, quiet beach house.=) I'll explain the fun things we filled our week with below (oh, and I forgot my camera, so these pictures are courtesy of Jeremy's phone!):

Our family taking a picture of ourselves

Me and the boys at Southpoint

Stephen took this pic of me and Jeremy

The boys playing putt-putt

The aquarium at Fort Fisher (we went twice using our zoo membership to get in free!)

Candy store at Holden Beach

Riding the ferry over to the aquarium

Caleb "belly surfing"

Jonathan ate lots of sand (Gross)!

Stephen had so much fun (we especially enjoyed our day on the beach with Chad, Dawn, and their boys!)

Jonathan trying on hats (poor thing...we do whatever to him!)

Jeremy and Jonathan the day we stopped at the Battleship

The Antics of Caleb

2011-06-21T18:38:00.000-07:00

Our 2 year old is at it again! These are his latest endeavors the past 2 days:

Caleb got into the stamp drawer today and had a great time. All was well until he started stamping his legs, arms, etc. It got even better when he decided to use the red ink pad as a stamp and do even more artwork on his little feet! This picture doesn't do it justice!

Here's the way Caleb went to bed the other night...no shirt on and shorts on his head. After a while, though, I heard the cry for Mommy to come and put his shirt on!

Where does this little boy get these ideas? Who knows; I'm just convinced that everyone needs a Caleb!=)

KidsWeek

2011-06-17T19:29:00.000-07:00

What a fun, tiring week for everyone in this house! KidsWeek (VBS-Summit style!) has been going on, and we've had a GREAT time! I'll hit some highlights below (since I'm going to bed...exhausted!).

Tonight's conclusion with lots of blow-up fun!

Caleb's attempt at the dunk tank!

Slides!

Do you see any pennies? Nope, Stephen got them out to help the boys win the penny war!

Welcome Home

2011-06-17T19:23:00.000-07:00

We have the best neighbors! Seriously! The Bloomfield family is such a blessing to us. We didn't know when we moved in that our neighbors would be Summit members, with 2 kids, who are also planning to homeschool like ourselves! We love them!

The past month this family has been in Kenya, and we have missed them terribly. So, Wednesday, before they came back, we made signs for them and hung in them in their living room. We're looking forward to playing with them lots again very soon!!!

So Tired!

2011-06-12T19:55:00.000-07:00

Yuck on the blurry Iphone picture. Anyhoo, here are Stephen and Caleb after a long, fun Saturday that ended with lunch with some special friends. All 3 boys fell asleep on the way home. We were crammed in Jeremy's car, which made their ability to sleep even more surprising! Fun, busy, summer days!

Now this is tired!

2011-06-08T19:07:00.000-07:00

Now that Jonathan is mobile, when I put him down in his crib he immediately sits back up and looks at me. He gets super frustrated if I try to put his pacey in his mouth, so I either hand it to him or lay it beside him for him to handle himself. Today he fell asleep sitting up, and I slipped in and took this picture. Grant it, the nap only lasted about 45 minutes. I can only imagine how his back must have felt!

Dirt Eater

2011-06-05T18:13:00.000-07:00

Yes, Jonathan ate dirt the other day. And yes, it was immediately after he ate dog food. And yes again, I took a picture before I cleaned him up! That's all!=)

A Little Too Late...Or Not?

2011-06-04T17:04:00.000-07:00

Okay,here's a really honest post, and one I'm attempting not to dramatize. Here goes:

Last week I got a baby magazine in the mail, and it contained the article pictured above. I read it, and as you can see, soon after tore it out, crumpled it up, and threw it away. Here what the article said:

"In a recent policy statement, the American Academy of Pediatrics advises parents to keep toddlers' car seats rear-facing until age 2 or until they reach the car seat's rear-facing heart or weight limit. Previously, the AAP cited 1 year and 20 pounds as the minimum for flipping the seat, at which time many parents would switch from an infant seat to a convertible car seat.

A 2007 study in the journal Injury Prevention found that children under age 2 are 75 percent less likely to die or to be severely injured in a crash if they are facing the rear. 'A rear-facing child safety seat does a better job of supporting the head, neck, and spine of infants and toddlers in a crash because it distributes the force of the collision over the entire body,' says Dennis Durbin MD, a pediatric emergency physician, co-scientific director of the Center for Injury Research and Prevention at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and lead author of the AAP's policy statement."

Ughhh...now do you understand why I threw this article away? In the midst of my faith that God had a purpose in our wreck and even in Stephen's injuries, there's still that lingering thought of "what if" that sneaks back into my mind when I read things like this.

Could it have been prevented? I don't know. That starts the whole debate of God's sovereignty, and it's tough to go there. I do know, though, that whatever questions and what if's I may have, I'm grateful just to have our little man with us. He is such a blessing!

Faith Begins at Home

2011-06-03T19:19:00.000-07:00

I just finished Mark Holmen's book Faith Begins at Home. It was super basic and a good review of lots of things I've already read about and learned. Regardless, it was a good refresher and an easy read. The 2 things that stood out most were:

1-Asking someone to pray specifically for one of our children as a prayer warrior in their life. I love this idea! It encouraged parents to select a couple or a person and keep them updated weekly or monthly with specific prayer requests for one of your kids. We're definitely gonna do this!

2-What is third place in your family's life? One is usually home life, and two is usually work. But what takes third place? Is it sports, school, etc? The book challenged readers to make sure the church has that place as it partners with us in raising our children.

So...Faith Begins at Home was a good "starting point" book for those who are new to the "family as your primary ministry" idea and a good review for those who are presently in this season.=)

Now on to Give Them Grace...I'm so excited!!!

A Fun Lunch

2011-05-29T19:03:00.000-07:00

After church today we had a hankering for Mellow Mushroom. When we got downtown, though, we quickly realized the ACC baseball tournament was going on at the DBAP, and parking was crazy. We ended up parking near the Tobacco Road restaurant (or whatever it's called) and decided to eat there instead. They sat us outside (duh, we have 3 kids), and it was so nice. There were fans on, "misters" blowing, and the boys were easily entertained. We watched the game while we ate and made a somewhat unexpected memory.=) When we got home, though, everyone was tired, and we all laid down for over 2 hours. Tonight we went to the pool to conclude our fun Sunday. We are blessed to live in a city with so many fun things to do!

Riding Horses

2011-05-29T13:54:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we went to graduation at UGCS. On Saturday morning, Jeremy's parents took us to the home of a family in their church who has horses, goats, etc. The boys loved it. They learned so many different things, and we all had a great time. It definitely brought back memories of my own childhood...love it!

Learning how to clean their hooves before riding

Caleb's first ride

Stephen "parking" the horse=)

Feeding the goats

A quick ride around the farm

Jonathan + Cake!

2011-05-25T12:41:00.000-07:00

No words needed...He loved it!

When Cousins Come!!!

2011-05-25T12:38:00.000-07:00

Yep, we had 6 boys at this house last weekend when Jeremy's brother and his wife, along with their 3 boys, came to visit. We had the BEST time! Chad and Dawn, we miss you tons! Can't wait to hang out again very, very soon!!!!

(Jonathan was too little to face the craziness!!)

Shepherding a Child's Heart...easy review!

2011-05-25T12:37:00.001-07:00

This is a long time coming, but I finally finished Shepherding a Child's Heart. I've listened to some of it via CD and even watched parts via DVD, but until now, I never took the time to actually sit down and read it. Boy, was I missing out!

Basically, the book is awesome...kinda like everyone has always said it was. I'm in agreement. It's a must! Most of the book is highlighted but my absolute favorite part was:

"You must regard parenting as one of your most important tasks while you have children at home. This is your calling. You must raise your children in the fear and admonition of the Lord. You cannot do so without investing yourself in a life of sensitive communication in which you help them understand life and God's world. There is nothing more important. You have only a brief season of life to invest yourself in this task. You have only one opportunity to do it. You cannot go back and do it over.

You live in a culture in which there are opportunities for you to do things unheard of in history. You are presented daily with scores of options for investing your life's energies and creativity. There is more than you could ever do. You must, therefore, prioritize.

Parenting is your primary calling. Parenting will mean that you can't do all the things that you could otherwise do. It will affect your golf handicap. It may mean your home does not look like a picture from Better Homes and Gardens. It will impact your career and ascent on the corporate ladder. It will alter the kind of friendships you will be available to pursue. It will influence the kind of ministry you are able to pursue. It will modify the amount of time you have for bowling, hunting, television, or how many book you read. It will mean that you can't develop every interest that comes along. The costs are high.

How can you measure the cost against the benefits? I have spent time with broken parents. I have seen the drawn faces of parents who have known the heartbreak of seeing their children fleeing a home in which they had not been understood or engaged by their parents. I have also known the joy of hearing children who have been biblically engaged by their parents say, 'Dad, I am amazed at how thoroughly I have been prepared for life. I will always be grateful for what you and Mom have given me.' What price tag can a parent place on that?

God calls you to invest yourself in this way with your children. This kind of communication is not just beneficial, it is mandated! It is the path of blessing because it is the path of obedience. Is this kind of communication expensive? Yes! But the benefits far exceed the cost."

Read it, Read it, Read it!!!!

Pillow-Boy

2011-05-17T12:37:00.000-07:00

About 75% of today, Caleb has been walking around in his pillow. All you can see are his little feet, and he keeps running into things. Stephen and I have been laughing our heads off. He calls for me and then heads the opposite direction. Who knows what his little 2 year old mind is thinking? I know there are some days when I'd like to live in a pillow, though!=)

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T19:01:00.000-07:00

Here's what Mother's Day looked like for us:

A rose from my little baseball player at Saturday's game

Strolling the Streets of Southpoint tonight while waiting for our table to be ready

Yummy outside dinner at Cheesecake Factory

My favorite cheesecake for dessert (When our waitress put the plate down, Jonathan immediately grabbed a handful...he's his Mommy's boy!)

Sweetest moment was probably when Jeremy asked Stephen what he wanted to thank Mommy for on Mother's Day, and he answered "For having babies for me to play with!." Ha! He then followed it up tonight by telling me he'd like to have about 100 brothers/ sisters! Whoa! That would be a crazy, happy mother's day!

Attempts at Consistency

2011-05-07T18:11:00.000-07:00

I try to "stick to my guns" with Stephen and Caleb, but sometimes it can be so hard.

The other night before Family Worship Caleb insisted on swinging in Jonathan's baby swing. It was about time to leave, so I told him I needed to get ready and couldn't push him right then. We had been outside for nearly an hour, so he had plenty of time to have made this request earlier. Anyways, Stephen came to his aid and volunteered to push Caleb if I would put him in the swing. I agreed but only after telling Caleb multiple times that I was not getting him out until it was time to leave.

After awhile of swinging, I heard Stephen come upstairs and get something and take it back outside. Later I went out there and found Caleb contentedly playing with his Thomas computer game while he sat helplessly in the swing. It was so cute. At least he and Stephen improvised, and I was able to keep my word.=)

Mobile

2011-05-07T18:08:00.000-07:00

Yep, Jonathan is 8 months old and beginning to crawl. It's more like an army crawl, where he drags his back legs, but he's already getting into things. I'm finding him in random places (like under my computer chair). Things are getting even more interesting around this house!=)

The Strong-Willed Child

2011-05-06T18:48:00.000-07:00

For years I have avoided reading Dr. Dobson's book The Strong-Willed Child. I've read most everything else he has out on parenting but this one got shoved aside. Maybe it was an attempt to convince myself that I never would and definitely don't already have a child that would be characterized by such a phrase. Just the title of the book intimidates me. Yes, my boys are sinners but "strong-willed"-No way!

Until...well, let's just not name which of our 3 pushed me over the edge and forced me to read this book. I guess I always thought a "strong-willed child" would be a terror. That is not the case for ours...he's just ultra hard-headed. I should have figured this out when the child quit eating at 8 months because I gave him a new bottle. 3 days passed before I realized why the standoff was happening, gave him his old bottle back, and he began eating happily again. I should have also realized it when he did the same thing with his sippy cup. He would not even consider drinking from anything but that old blue cup until one morning I accidentally drove to church with it on the roof, and we never saw it again. Oh, and what about that raggedy blanket (did I just give my child's identity away?). Yuck is all I can say about the stench that used to come from that thing! And now, my most obvious clue that God has blessed us with a strong-willed child is that instead of blatantly telling us "no" when he doesn't get his way, he's now chosen to add "never." Ughh...do you understand now why I read this book?

Anyhoo, my review would be that The Strong-Willed Child was an easy read and very helpful for me to read in this season of parenting. It was so much like Dare to Discipline that I honestly don't feel like I gained a lot of new knowledge. Regardless, there were some good ideas, and I was encouraged that we're not alone in this sometimes tough calling of parenting. My favorite part was the excerpt below:

"Ultimately, the key to competent parenthood is in being able to get behind the eyes of your child, seeing what he sees and feeling what he feels. When he is lonely, he needs your company. When he is defiant, he needs your help in controlling his impulses. When he is afraid, he needs the security of your embrace. When he is curious, he needs your patient instruction. When he is happy, he needs to share his laughter and joy with those he loves.
Thus the parent who intuitively comprehends his child's feelings is in a position to respond appropriately and meet the needs that are apparent. And at this point, raising healthy children becomes a highly developed art, requiring the greatest wisdom, patience, devotion, and love that God has given to us. The Apostle Paul called the Christian life a "reasonable service." We parents would do well to apply that same standard to the behavior of our children."

And may I add that an even more important key to parenthood is realizing that we can't possibly do this on our own. We, and our kids, need God's grace. It is He alone who can change their lives. Pray! Pray! Pray!=)

More importantly, though, God taught me another huge lesson through this book that I was not expecting (or really asking for!). I'll be transparent and say that Jeremy and I have a good marriage, but let's be real, we're both sinful humans, and we have our moments. So during one of these "moments," I was being headstrong and had determined in my mind not to give in, say sorry, etc. I think I really just needed a good fight (And yes, women, let's admit that sometimes we need a quick fuss with our men...Who knows why!). As I stood there, deciding how I could stand strong and not give in (Jeremy was right in all he said, of course), I looked down and saw this book, The Strong-Willed Child, laying in the floor. It was at that moment that I buckled. I gave in. Who is the strong-willed child in this house? Is it the little boy who tests me almost every moment of every day? Or is it me?

God is so patient with me. How often I fall into the strong-willed category when I want my way and nothing else. And how often is God merciful to me? What a loving God we serve. And how blessed I am to have the gift of parenting a strong-willed child. He will teach me more about God's love and grace than anything else in my life. And as I learn how to parent him, I'm learning how much God loves me, His own strong-willed child!

Maybe I Shouldn't???

2011-05-02T18:47:00.000-07:00

Not sure if I should post these pictures or not, but here goes anyways...

Last week we received a big package on our doorstep from our previous lawyer in Winston. Yes, I knew it was coming, and yes, we wanted it back instead of them throwing it away. But yes, I still got emotional when I saw it.

The pictures below are of Stephen's carseat from our wreck in 2007. Sigh...she's doing another "wreck post." Sorry! I just thought it would be encouraging for all of you to see again how God truly works miracles.

Stephen was only 16 months old when we had our wreck, so this carseat was brand spankin' new. If you look closely (or not so closely), you can see the huge gaping hole in it. The suddenness of our car hitting Jade's jolted Stephen's body so much that it literally tore the frame and broke the plastic in two.

I get almost sick to my stomach when I imagine our little guy sitting there, lifeless, in that seat, while his Daddy and I were totally helpless to help him. Jeremy already has strict orders to get it our of my sight, into the attic or something, very soon.=) This is only the second time we've ever seen it, so you can imagine the emotions it brings back.

Anyways, all of those sentiments to say that you are looking at a miracle. Should the carseat have torn like that? Who knows. They're not tested at speeds like that when they're marketed. Should Stephen have survived the trauma of all this? Most people say no, and I think the carseat is a testament to that. God truly works miracles. Some of them we can see like these pictures show us, but some of them we can't. Thank You, Father, for reminders of your grace. You have given us a miracle!

Snow Camp Fun!

2011-05-02T18:35:00.000-07:00

4-wheeler time!

Feeding the baby goats at my cousin's house

Jonathan still getting the feeding himself thing down!

Last week Jeremy was at a conference in Georgia, so the boys and I headed to my parents' house for a few days. For those of you who don't know, I grew up in the country (cows, tractors, etc.). I love where we live in Durham, but I definitely miss the open fields and quietness I had growing up. Jeremy knows that one day he may be moving me back to my roots!=)

We missed Daddy tons, but we had a great time! The boys loved being crazy, carefree boys!

Thank You Summit Internet!

2011-04-23T15:56:00.000-07:00

You are about to read multiple, new blog posts I just did. And thanks to the internet at the Summit, it only took me about 15 minutes! Wow! That's how long it would have taken me to do one at home. So, a shout out to the Summit for another blessing you sent my way! We may have to upgrade at home! Enjoy!

My Happy Boy!

2011-04-23T15:52:00.000-07:00

Have I ever told you how much I love this little guy?? Oh my word...What a blessing!!=)

The Golden Egg

2011-04-23T15:48:00.000-07:00

Today our neighborhood had an Easter egg hunt followed by lunch. And guess who found the golden egg??? Yep, Stephen, and he was super excited to get the "big Easter basket" he had been eyeing! Caleb had some fun too! Now, how will I ever get them to share that big ball?=)

Easter Fun!

2011-04-23T15:44:00.000-07:00

The other day the boys and I did some fun Easter stuff. We had bunny rabbit jelly pitas for breakfast and later dyed eggs. It was simple fun! I've tried to use the "Resurrection Eggs" we have with the boys, but they play with them all year, and I'm missing several pieces. Plus, the novelty is gone. Maybe I should put them up? Hmmm...think not-I'll leave them out with the nativity that's still in Stephen's room. It's worth thinking about all year!=)

Goodbye Training Wheels!

2011-04-23T15:39:00.000-07:00

Today Stephen noticed our neighbor's son outside in the library parking lot riding his bike. Stephen then noticed that Josiah, a few months younger than himself, no longer had training wheels on his bike. His very next words to Jeremy were, "I want to try that." So, they did!

Jeremy took the training wheels off, steadied Stephen for a little while, and then let him go. And to our surprise (and even his own), he did it! Wow! My little boy really is growing up!

50 First Dates...Not Really!

2011-04-11T19:14:00.000-07:00

Sung these words at church Saturday night:

"You stay the same through the ages.
Your love never changes.
There may be pain in the night,
But joy comes in the morning.
And when the oceans rage,
I don't have to be afraid.
Because I know that you love me;
Your love never changes.
You make all things work together for my good."

Let me admit that I often struggle with songs like these. I feel like we sing empty words and don't realize what we're really declaring to the Lord. Often I find myself mute, really thinking through the words and discerning if I can sing them with an honest, pure heart. Maybe I'm overthinking this, but it's true.

My "toughest song" has been and still is the "Blessed Be Your Name" one. I can still barely utter the phrase, "You give and take away; my heart will choose to say; Lord, blessed be Your name." Really? If He takes it all away will I really choose to say "Bless the Lord's name."

Some of you are thinking that yes, I'd do this, I did it in 2007 when we had our wreck. And yes, by God's grace I did, but I think in reality I still question what my response would be if it all happened again-if God rocked my world and took away everything I hold dear. I just don't know. I pray He would give me the grace to respond in blessing to Him again but really, who can be sure? I know the right answer, and I can easily sing it in church, but do I really mean it? Really??

Anyways, all of this crazy, blow your mind thinking led me to make a list. Yes, 50 things to be exact, that God did in my life in August 2007 that I can look back on and say, "You make all things work together for my good." I think I've known these things all along, but it was freeing to finally write them all down. And I didn't set out to make most of them "spiritual." Seriously, that just kind of happened.

So, for those of you who are still reading this entirely too long and drawn out blog post, I'll begin my list. And for those of you who make it through all 50, God bless your hearts! This is a lot of stuff:=)

1-Deeper relationship with Christ
2-Saw true miracles
3-Witnessed the power of prayer
4-Realized He's all I need
5-Saw His working in intricate details
6-Understood bigger purposes/big picture
7-Overwhelming peace
8-Forgiving love
9-"Preciousness" of life
10-Each day he's ordained
11-Celebrate!
12-Health is a blessing; don't take it for granted
13-He's always there
14-True joy is found in him
15-We can represent him without a word
16-His word is powerful
17-Every day is ordained
18-Extended family is priceless
19-Sacrificial love
20-Humility
21-Grief process
22-Silence is often best
23-Friendship rocks
24-His strength is perfect
25-Be real
26-Life can stink, but he's faithful
27-Love of church family
28-Patience
29-Our children aren't ours-God has a plan
30-How to laugh (look for it!)
31-Life keeps moving
32-Hurting people are everywhere
33-Money is a tool
34-Letting go
35-Perseverance
36-Look for opportunities to share him
37-Rest
38-Thinking before speaking
39-Always say I love you
40-He provides
41-Music is powerful
42-God knows/sees everything
43-He understands a deeper pain than mine
44-Drs/nurses are called by God and need our prayer
45-Don't take for granted the little things
46-God wants to use our kids now
47-Adoption
48-He sees way down the road
49-Heaven is sweet
50-Quietness of soul

There they are...some of them are so random and could probably use an explanation, but I think you get the point...through one huge, life changing event, God taught me things that could have taken a lifetime. Really? What a blessing in disguise. Is my heart learning to say "You give and take away, Lord, blessed be your name" even as I write this? Hmmm???

Anyways, to reward anyone who labored through this entire post, here are some practical, somewhat embarrassing things I also learned=):

How to use a:
-Sliding board
-Wheelchair
-Walker
-Bed pan
-Portable potty thing
How to load a handicap van (yep, on the little lift thing!)
How to get around with only my left hand, including:
-Drying my hair
-Putting in my contacts
-Eating
-Etc, Etc, Etc
How x-rays, MRI's, etc. work
The different bones and how they can be broken
The way kids' necks and eyes are made
How "fun" physical therapy is (Ha!)...How heavy a can of corn can feel!
How to strap on the "cast protection" bath thingies
How to not take a bath for weeks
How to let others bathe you, wipe you (is that too much info???), etc.
Pretty much, how to be a baby again...totally reliant on others!

And if you'd like, I can demonstrate for you how to move around the room on your butt, using only your left hand for support and not putting any weight on either leg. It's pretty awesome! Ha!

So, there you have it. God really does have a plan...and that plan, no matter how tough, offers us the greatest gift of all, Himself and His love!

A Praying Life

2011-04-03T15:19:00.001-07:00

This is another book review that I've been wanting to write. Many of you will probably skip right over this entry, because there are no cutesie pictures of the boys, but that's okay.=) I just wanted to share what I've been learning.

Throughout college, I would have considered myself a "decent pray-er." I kept a prayer journal daily and prayed for others pretty consistently (like there's a way to measure this!). Somewhere in between then and now, life happened. I feel like my prayer life kinda hit a wall.

I can't pinpoint how or when this occurred, but it definitely did. Recently, I'd sit on the exercise bike in the morning and try my best to produce a semi-focused prayer that lasted at least 5 minutes. Soon my mind would drift off, and I'd be overwhelmed with all I needed to get done that day. Sometimes I'd get bored praying over the same things and then feel guilty if I thought I might have forgotten something or someone. My prayer life, to say the least, was nearly non-existent.

A month or so ago, something led me to a study guide I had on my bookshelf about prayer. As I began to work through it, Jeremy brought home A Praying Life by Paul Miller. I decided to work through both, but very soon, Paul Miller's book drew me in, and the study guide was put on hold.

I learned so much from A Praying Life. It was simple yet challenging. Things in my "prayer life" are far from perfect now, but it is back in existence. Here are some of my favorite quotes...Hope you're encouraged:

"Oddly enough, many people struggle to learn how to pray because they are focusing on praying, not on God. In prayer, focusing on the conversation is like trying to drive while looking at the windshield instead of through it."

"Because it is uncomfortable to feel our unbelief, to come face-to-face with our cynicism, we dull our souls with the narcotic of activity."

"Learning to pray doesn't offer us a less busy life; it offers us a less busy heart. In the midst of outer busyness, we can develop an inner quiet. Because we are less hectic on the inside, we have a greater capacity to love."

"Don't try to get your prayers right; just tell God where you are and what's on your mind."

"The point of the gospel is that we are incapable of beginning with God and his kingdom. Many Christians pray mechanically for God and his kingdom (for missionaries, the church, and so on), but all the while their lives are wrapped up in their own kingdoms. You can't add God's kingdom as an overlay to your own."

"We look at the inadequacy of our praying and give up, thinking something is wrong with us. God looks at the adequacy of his Son and delights in our sloppy, meandering prayers."

"How would you love someone without prayer?"

"We don't need a praying life because that is our duty. That would wear thin quickly. We need time to be with our Father every day because every day our hearts and the hearts of those around us are overgrown with weeks. We need to reflect on our lives and engage God with the condition of our souls and the souls he has entrusted to our care or put in our paths."

And with that...I must go to bed. There are so many other amazing thoughts in this book. I'm excited and challenged about prayer and it's impact on my life and the lives of those I love!

2 Rings!!

2011-03-28T19:11:00.000-07:00

This is too precious for me not to post...

Tonight, while snuggling with Stephen before he fell asleep, I told him I couldn't believe he was about to turn 5. Seriously, where has the time gone? Anyways, that statement led to us counting our 5 fingers and then from there to what our different fingers are called.

When I told Stephen the "ring finger" is called that because that's the finger Daddys and Mommys wear their rings on, he then asked me if I thought he'd ever get married. I was a little at a loss for words, since just thinking about him turning 5 had almost made me tear up. But I managed to answer that we'd pray God would give him a special girl one day.

After that, though, he thought for a moment and then said, "Well, Mommy, you can just wear 2 rings if I marry you." Aww...what a sweet, little guy!

At this point I was holding back the Mommy emotion as best I could. I can only pray he will love me and Jeremy this much as he gets older and undoubtedly, disagreement comes. I also pray we will show him God's love each day by the way we love each other, him, and his brothers. This is a love that will never fail or disappoint.

God has blessed us with compassionate Stephen, and I pray He uses this love as the years go by.

Goat Time

2011-03-23T13:09:00.000-07:00

So careful with the babies...

Exact words "I got one...all by myself!"

We had dinner last week with a great family from our church. They had 3 baby goats, and our boys loved chasing them around. Notice the boys' personalities showing so clearly again!

Baby Lessons

2011-03-18T18:35:00.000-07:00

Having children teaches me so much! There's the range of sacrifice, to unconditional love, to patience, and on and on and on. Today I learned another one of those lessons from our precious, 6 month old Jonathan.

I was giving him his afternoon bottle like normal but for some reason the formula wouldn't come out. Being a hungry, little guy this did not set very well. With every shake and twist of the bottle, Jonathan got madder and madder. Finally, I decided to switch bottles and see if that would help. During that process, though, he LOST it! Seriously, he was crying and crying, and I was getting flustered. My exact words to Jeremy during this mild chaos were, "Doesn't he trust me by now? I know what he needs."

Oh my word...as soon as those words left my lips, I felt the Holy Spirit say, "How many times do I say that about you?" How many times does my life show a lack of trust? Don't I trust God "knows what I need?" Don't I "trust him by now?" Unbelievable...a lesson I still desperately need to learn.

The new bottle worked for Jonathan, and he was happy as could be! Me, on the other hand, I've still got a ways to go.

(And yes, I let Jonathan suck on the faucet during sink baths...til he gags himself, that is!!)

Revolutionary Parenting

2011-03-13T12:41:00.000-07:00

One of my "goals" for 2011 was to read more. Thus far this year I've read (and notice the wide range of topics!):
-When Helping Hurts
-Shift
-Turn up the Heat
-The End of Overeating
-Food, Inc.

The last book I finished was George Barna's Revolutionary Parenting. I'm blessed to have a husband who has lots of great parenting/family books!=) Revolutionary Parenting would be a must read on my list. Nope, not as good as Gospel-Powered Parenting, but still very good.

On that note, I offer the disclaimer, that it isn't very Gospel centered, but the points it emphasizes can easily be filtered through that lens. I learned so much!

There were a couple nights after reading where I said to Jeremy, "This is making me so mad!". I meant that in a good, challenging way. This book really pushed me in areas I didn't even know were weaknesses...not really "fun reading" but thought-provoking that's for sure (all that said, I still finished it in less than a week.).

To hopefully motive you to read it, I'll list some of my favorite quotes. I would guess nearly half the book is highlighted! It was sooooo good!

Here go some of my favorites:

"God is the absolute judge of how well our children are doing, that His standards examine the character and faith of our young people, and His ways are often not facilitated by many of the activities we promote or endorse, regardless of our ignorance or good intentions."

"How much more important is it for us to ensure that we, as parents, become the ultimate coaches for our children as they develop into mature human beings? There is no dimension more important than their spiritual nature."

"You cannot hope to raise a spiritual champion unless YOU love God with all your heart, mind, strength, and soul."

"Child rearing is the art of handling the unexpected without losing sight of the ultimate goal."

"Great parents recognize that from the moment a child leaves the womb until the time he or she leaves the home, they must tirelessly guard and shape the mind, heart, and soul of their child."

"In countless cases, it has seemed as if children's development is being rushed to satisfy some ambiguous goal, robbing them of the delights of childhood in an effort to usher them into the responsibilities of adulthood prematurely. We hurry to get them there, then wonder why they seem discontent or unfulfilled. Sometimes we inadvertently 'fast-track' personal development, eliminating the joy of growing at the pace God ordained for the person."

I'll stop there...I probably should have also mentioned that the book is based on a study done with the parents of kids who are "spiritual champions" (that phrase is defined in the book) and also a study done with these kids.

It's a must read...get it!!!!!=)

My Hero!!

2011-03-08T18:03:00.000-08:00

I already knew that my husband rocks, but today proved it hands-down! Here's how it went:

Caleb's not been feeling well for a couple days now. Finally, after a day of no eating, constant coughing, and a fever, I called the Dr. They could get me in at 3:15, but it was already 2:45. Both Stephen and Jonathan were asleep. I called Jeremy, and he volunteered to come home or meet me at the Dr.'s office to help out. During our conversation, Jonathan woke up, so I decided I could swing it myself. I told Jeremy not to worry about it...that we'd be fine.

I woke Stephen up, and we rushed out the door. Caleb was crying nearly the whole time. When we got there, I unstrapped them and tried to coax Caleb out of the van door. He was crying and insisting he was "not sick." I was holding Jonathan this whole time. Caleb then started asking me to carry him. Clearly, I could not with Jonathan in my arms and my baby carrier out of reach. Caleb, with big tears on his cheeks, finally said, "Can Stephen carry me?" Feeling utter sympathy, I grabbed him and attempted to waddle my way across the parking lot with a baby on each hip, diaper bag, and a 4 year old dodging cars!=)

And then...I saw him! Yep, Jeremy had ignored all my "I'll be okay" comments and came to the Dr. anyways. He immediately took Jonathan, and I could give Caleb the attention he needed. Jeremy also fed Jonathan while I went back with Caleb. Yes, he was my hero! I most likely would have lost one of the boys if Jeremy had not shown up!=)

Now, all is well. Caleb has a "cold," that I'm not convinced is really a cold, but the Dr. did give him a cough medicine to use at night. And I am realizing how awesome of a husband and Daddy God has blessed me with! I love you Jeremy (and you're welcome for me posting the goofiest picture I could find)!=)

Little League Begins

2011-03-05T19:11:00.000-08:00

Stephen started Little League this past Thursday. He's only played soccer since his last year of t-ball when he was 3. We're curious to see how he'll do with this "new sport."

On Thursday, though, he missed his nap. Notice who was more excited about going to practice! Stephen did great, but not before a short snooze on the way there. And yes, we all went...that's how we roll!=)

3-2-1-Let It Rip!!

2011-03-05T18:57:00.000-08:00

This week Stephen was excited to find out that the library was hosting a Beyblades tournament on Saturday. For those of you without boys, Beyblades are these spinning, little tops that you battle others with in battle domes. You count down, 3-2-1-Let It Rip, release your Beyblade, and battle it out til someone's stops spinning, and a winner is determined! I never realized til today how serious this is for so many little boys. There are all different kinds of Beyblades with different names, and different "spinning abilities." It's CRAZY! Stephen and I were overwhelmed!

The tournament ended up being a free for all, and Stephen entered it kinda timidly, which would be expected since he was one of the youngest there. I was proud of how much more social he's become as I watched him eventually end up battling with the bigger boys. He actually ended up leaving with a new Beyblade that he had traded with someone!

We had a fun time, and I think there will be more Beyblades purchased in the future!

Here's where Stephen started his Beyblade battles...on the sidelines with a little guy his own age:

Here's where he ended:

Outside!!!!!

2011-03-05T18:46:00.001-08:00

We are loving the occasional warm days God has blessed us with lately. The boys have spent so much time playing outside. This year, more than last, I've appreciated our fenced in backyard and playground. Stephen and Caleb will play out there together forever! Sometimes they're shooting each other with sticks they've found while at others they're on a pirate ship on the rough seas (ie-the glider swing!). They also love looking through the fence and spotting bugs, etc. that are just out of their reach. I'm reminded on these days how blessed I am to have active little boys. I can hardly fathom having 3 of them playing out there next year!=)

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

2011-03-05T18:40:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday we celebrated Dr. Seuss' birthday! We walked to the library and read a special book with the librarian. While there, we also colored a Dr. Seuss' picture and got special stickers. At home, we made Dr. Seuss hats, read Dr. Seuss books, made cupcakes for his birthday, and watched a Dr. Seuss movie! It was a fun, silly day!

Surrounded by Boys!

2011-02-21T18:22:00.000-08:00

I'm just posting this picture to say, "I love my boys!" What a blessing to be the Mommy of 3 little, crazy boys! Wow!

Yearly Check-up

2011-02-21T18:12:00.000-08:00

I avoid keeping many "wreck" pictures around the house, so please forgive me if I've posted this pic of Stephen on here before. This was taken a couple weeks after he had his neck brace off in 2007. Every year since then (and for many years to come), he has to have x-rays to make sure the metal, etc. in his neck is still in place.

Thankfully, this year, his neurosurgeon, Dr. Couture, allowed us to have the x-rays done at Duke and then mailed to him for review. Jeremy and I took Stephen last Thursday, and he did great! We always cherish the opportunity we have to explain this to him, and he's always full of questions. This year the big thing he told us was that the only part of "being in the hospital" he remembered, was jumping from Mommy's bed to Daddy's. Of course, this took place right after we came home and were sleeping in separate beds in our living room, but it's all one big memory for him. We're so thankful that he remembers the good things when his mind could be full of so many negative ones.

He did great for his x-rays and sat as still as a 4 year old possibly can! The technician was shocked that he had metal in his neck. We forget sometimes too.=) She also told us a story of a little boy who had the same neck injury as a baby, and now, as a 3 year old, has never been able to walk. It reminded us how blessed we are as I remember Dr. Couture telling us that before surgery Stephen had some delayed movement in the right side of his body, and there may be some paralysis. Praise the Lord we avoided all of this and have an active, little miracle boy on our hands!

We celebrated "good x-rays" with Arby's curly fries that evening! Stephen, sweet boy, thank you for reminding me of miracles!

The Road to Emmaus

2011-02-13T14:07:00.000-08:00

Last night at church the boys learned about the Road to Emmaus. This morning at church they got a reinforcement of the same lesson. So, as is our usual routine, this morning during breakfast, I went over it again with them! Stephen did a maze I had found online, and then the boys created a "road to Emmaus" out of icing, butterscotch chips, and a marshmallow! They also took some sneak bites of this sweet food for "breakfast dessert!" I then retold the story using the Toy Story aliens and Woody. Yes, I admit, Woody represented Jesus, but it was the best I could do! I wasn't trying to be irreverent, but it worked for the moment!=) I'm praying the boys are continuing to learn how much Jesus loves us! What an honor for Jeremy and I to partner with the Summit in the raising of our boys!

A "New Museum"

2011-02-13T13:55:00.000-08:00

As much as we love the Museum of Life and Science in Durham, we decided to try out the NC Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh on Friday. The boys had a great time, especially seeing the dinosaurs. They were also pretty amazed at the snakes (which I absolutely hate!!). We ended our visit with nachos and cheese along with a hotdog from a "food stand" on the street. Yes, this goes against my healthy eating initiative, but it sure was fun!=) We are blessed to live in an area with so many great things to do (and I'm blessed to have a husband who has Fridays off!!).=)

Dino-Reading

2011-02-09T19:16:00.000-08:00

Lately the boys have become fascinated with dinosaurs, so I've incorporated some of it into Stephen's school! Today the boys looked for "dinosaur bones" (broken dog bones) in "dirt" (bird seed) in our garage. We made it "educational" by putting the bones together to make words. I had written various letters on them, and Stephen sounded them out to figure out the words. They then measured and poured bird seed everywhere. This activity could have entertained them for hours, and it was so simple!

Cooking & Crafts

2011-02-09T19:03:00.000-08:00

Glowstick arrows (You make my heart glow) & Dinosaur Hearts (You're Dino-Mite)...Cheesy but cute!

Making old fashioned boxed brownies with Daddy!

Homemade Valentine's Strudels

The bigger the mess, the better!

Homemade cinnamon rolls!

We've had some fun lately trying out some new recipes. They haven't been the healthiest choices, but they've been pretty "natural." We're still learning but are having fun in the process! We've also been working on Valentine's crafts for our "friends." Good times...

They Grow Too Fast!

2011-02-09T18:56:00.000-08:00

Recently, Stephen has been the oldest kid at different playgroups, etc. we've been to. I'm not sure how that makes me feel! Will he really be 5 in April? My little boy is growing up way too fast!

Not Ready to Be "Big"

2011-02-09T18:41:00.000-08:00

This face was caused by this...

Which eventually led back to this...

...Still the baby!=)

Mickey...It's in his blood!=)

2011-02-09T18:38:00.000-08:00

Yeppers, Caleb's got his Mommy's heart! We found him snuggling with Mickey the other night. Just today Jeremy said we need to go back...Seriously, it's been 2 whole months...way too long!=)

Small Group Launch!!

2011-02-01T19:29:00.000-08:00

Tonight we "launched" our small group at our house. It was exciting to partner with the Clark and Castillo families! We're super sad to be leaving the small group we love, but also confidently hopeful of all God has in store. We ended tonight with 16 adults and 14 kids! Wow! We know God will form our group as He intends, and we're so excited just to be a part of it!

Oh, and the boys had a great time preparing for everyone's arrival today. Caleb kept asking "When are my friends coming?" They made signs and hung them by the front door. This is a "family affair" for us, and I love that the boys are beginning to understand community!

God...The SuperHero

2011-01-31T20:36:00.000-08:00

In our "prayer calendar" tonight Stephen asked me to write down that he's thankful for "God and the battle in Heaven." I didn't really know what he meant and after some prompting realized that in his innocent, little mind, God is almost like a superhero who is battling evil like a Transformer.

He definitely has a long way to go in his theology, but at least He's getting that God is a "good guy" who takes care of us. I'll take it!=)

Save...

2011-01-26T18:01:00.000-08:00

Jeremy and I started Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University on Monday. I've read his stuff before, and we've been incorporating his financial principles for several years now. It's exciting to go through the class, though, and I feel like we've already learned some stuff we didn't know about.

Today Caleb and I took the time to empty out our piggy bank and see what was in there. It wasn't much (grant it, the boys' personal jars are much more full than ours!), but Caleb had a great time looking at all the coins. He's enjoyed his day without Stephen, although he's asked about him a million times!

Hoping we can establish some wise financial principles now to pass on to our boys!

Caleb's Big Boy Bed!

2011-01-22T11:35:00.000-08:00

This is where Caleb's supposed to sleep!

This is where we found him last night!

Monkey Joe's!

2011-01-21T18:03:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Groupon our family enjoyed Monkey Joe's today for the first time! The boys had a blast, and so did me and Jeremy! We passed Jonathan back and forth, so we could both bounce and slide with the boys! It was a great family day for all of us!

Does He Remember?

2011-01-20T18:13:00.001-08:00

August 2007

Unique thing that happened with Stephen today...

This afternoon my Mom, Grandma, and I took the boys to the Museum of Life and Science where we have a membership. While we were upstairs, they began to do a seat belt/crash test safety demonstration. I've seen this exhibit lots but never when someone was actually running it. It's basically a mini version of crash test dummies you see on TV. They put the little guy in a booster seat, strap him in a "car," and pull it up a mini-hill. On the count of 3, the seat flies down the hill and suddenly stops. It really is a neat demonstration to kids of how important wearing a seat beat is. You can't help but catch your breath when the little guy is unstrapped and bangs against the front of the "car" when it stops.

Anyhoo, since we'd never seen this in action before, Stephen and I walked over there. We went to the front and watched the lady strap the crash tummy in and motorize him up the hill. Everyone counted down, and he zoomed by us ending in a semi-loud crash.

As soon as it was over Stephen immediately turned to me and said, "I don't want to see that again." I was like okay, and we went to look at other things nearby. A couple minutes later, they began the demonstration again, and Stephen nearly panicked. He came to me again and said, "Where can I go, so I don't have to hear that again?" I immediately took him in the bathroom, and we shut the door til the crash was over.

Every time a new demonstration was done, I had to rush him to the bathroom or cover his ears. He was truly distraught over the whole thing. There was almost fear in his eyes. I asked him why he didn't like it, and he just said he didn't. I don't know what that means.

I write all this to say that I wonder if Stephen has memories of our car wreck back in 2007. He was only 16 months old at the time, but today definitely triggered something in him I have never seen before. Admittedly, seeing that little boy crash in that exhibit today made me sick to my stomach and brought tears to my eyes. Those sounds brought memories back to me, but I never dreamed my little 4 year old would have the same feelings.

Who knows what Stephen remembers and what today was all about for him. All I can do now is pray that he knows how much Daddy and Mommy love him and trust that he is beginning to understand God has a plan for everything, even the things in life that just don't seem fair. And today, more than 3 years later, I say thank you Father all over again. You did a miracle in our lives...we will never be the same!

Big Brother Caleb!

2011-01-19T19:08:00.000-08:00

It's kinda sad when your 2 year old doesn't seem like the baby anymore. Where has the time gone? How is he even old enough to feed another baby? Crazy!!! I guess in this Mama's eyes, no matter how big they get, they'll always be my babies!=)

A Sick Week

2011-01-16T18:46:00.000-08:00

Before the sick bug hit our house...

...Everyone was so happy!=)

I question if we will ever be healthy again after the week we've had. Really? I started feeling yucky on Monday and found out Wednesday I had an ear infection. Who gets ear infections at this age? Wednesday afternoon Jonathan spiked a 103.2 fever, and we immediately took him to the pediatrician. His flu test came back positive (which begs to question if that's what I had too??). On Thursday, Stephen had a dental procedure done where he was sedated. He did well, and we're glad that's over. On Friday morning Caleb started running a fever, and although we took him to the Dr., we're not sure what's going on.

Mama stayed with us almost all week and now she's home sick. Jeremy and Stephen are the only ones who have somehow avoided this. It's been crazy!!

Everyone seems better today, though, and I'm hopeful we're on the mend. These type weeks make me so thankful for the health I take for granted!

Why We Attend Saturday Nights!

2011-01-09T18:48:00.000-08:00

There are lots of reasons why our family chooses to attend the Summit's Saturday night service, including the following:

-We love it!
-It's Jeremy's only chance since he's teaching all day on Sundays.
-There's a smaller crowd feel (well, at least it used to feel that way!).
-I don't worry that the boys have been there for a long time on Sunday mornings. It's 2 totally different days, experiences, teachers, and groups of kids for them.
-We usually go out as a family for dinner afterwards to "end" our weekend.
-Chick-fil-a is open!!!!
-And lots more...

One of the most important reasons for me, though, is the reinforcement of the Gospel that Stephen and Caleb get. Here's how we've taken advantage of going to church on two consecutive days with the boys hearing the same lesson both times:

...Saturday night they hear a story/do a craft about a story from God's Word. I already know what they're gonna learn, because I get the awesome Summit Kids' e-mail my amazing husband sends out!=) We can even intro it before they get there, so their minds are on that topic already!
...We talk about what they learned on the way to dinner after the service (usually Chick-fil-a!).
...That night I think of a craft that goes along with the story for us to talk about at breakfast on Sunday morning. I focus on making sure it somehow points to Jesus and the Gospel.
...The next morning (mind you, we don't have to rush out at 9:00 since we attended the night before) during breakfast we talk about what they learned and reinforce it with the zany (and very simple) activity I planned!
...Since I serve during the 11:00 service, we get to church around 10:30 (okay, not always---remember, I'm doing this on Sundays by myself with 3 kids since Jeremy has to be there so early!), and the boys get to hear the Bible story again with a new teacher and set of kids.
...Wonderful for us!!!---That way I feel like I'm doing the teaching, and the church is backing me up double each weekend! It's been great, and I'm praying it's making a difference in Stephen and Caleb's lives!

Above are some pictures of what we did this morning during breakfast. This weekend's story was about the One Lost Sheep, so we made marshmallow sheep on peanut butter plates while we ate our pancakes. We even sang the old song "The Lord is my Shepherd, I'll walk with Him always..." and giggled ourselves silly til we got in the van!

I truly love this schedule we've got. It's not always pretty (ie-I am stressed about half the time when I get there on Sundays!!) but nonetheless, the boys are learning, and I'm blessed to be a part of it!!

Cramming In!

2011-01-05T18:03:00.000-08:00

This morning we had to leave, and I knew it was time for Jonathan to eat. So, what should I do??? Make Stephen and Caleb be even later for the playdate that they were so excited about? Listen to Jonathan scream the whole 20+ minutes there? Neither!!

Instead, I moved Jonathan's carseat to the back of the van between Stephen and Caleb. I fixed a bottle and put it in Stephen's cup holder. And on the way to our playdate, Stephen fed Jonathan, and everyone was happy!

The boys were super excited that Jonathan was back there! In fact, after noticing the 2 empty captain's chairs, Stephen asked me if I was gonna have another baby! Ha!=) I have joked with Jeremy about wanting to fill our entire 7 passenger van up (counting the 2 of us of course!). I guess we'll see...but don't get your hopes up!=)

Learning At Home

2011-01-03T18:47:00.000-08:00

First off, I would not consider myself "homeschooling" Stephen just yet. True, we do "school type things" at least 3 times a week for around an hour or so. I've already learned that my little man bores easily and is a very kinesthetic learning. We do everything from throwing footballs at numbers taped on the wall to hide and seek with Dolche words we're working to memorize.

All of that said, though, we're taking things easy this year realizing that next year is the big K-5, and then I'll have some decisions to make!

Anyhoo, today we finished out our morning time by doing some writing in front of the fireplace. Both Jonathan and Caleb were still asleep, so we had a quiet house to ourselves. We even had some Pandora Classical music playing in the background.

These moments are the ones I cherish with Stephen. I sure love that little guy!

Growing up too fast...

2011-01-03T18:28:00.000-08:00

Seriously, is Jonathan already 4 months old? I can hardly believe it! Waiting those 9 months for him (and not knowing if he was a boy or girl) seem like a breeze now that he's been with us for awhile!

Today he had his first tastes of baby food. The more he ate it, the better he seemed to enjoy it! By the end, he was smiling (but still turning up his nose a little!). Caleb actually ate more of it than Jonathan! He and Stephen were super excited to see their baby brother in his high chair.

I think over the next few days I'll have a little eater on my hands!=)

2005-2010...Maybe 2011 will break the cycle!

2010-12-31T18:56:00.000-08:00

This is worth a short post on New Year's Eve...

I was thinking tonight of big events this past year and of course, Jonathan's birth came to mind. I then began to think about Stephen and Caleb as babies and realized something kinda crazy...I've been pregnant every year since 2005!!! What???

Here's the breakdown:

2005-Pregnant with Stephen
2006-Stephen was born (April)
2007-Wreck (Miscarriage of precious little one)
2008-Pregnant with Caleb/Caleb was born (October)
2009-Pregnant with Jonathan
2010-Jonathan was born (August)

And there you have it...6 years full of bellies, babies, and blessings!

Oh, and for the record, we are not planning on continuing the trend!!!=)

Happy New Years!

Christmas in Pics!

2010-12-30T19:34:00.000-08:00

Here's the short, picture-edition of our Christmas:

Snacks for Santa on Christmas Eve

Reading a Christmas book before bed (notice my Jonathan-slobber shoulders!)

Stephen & Caleb with their cousin Ava at my Maw-Maw's house

Caleb forcing Jonathan to take a present

Me and Jeremy bundled up to walk from my parents' house to Maw-Maw's late one night

Opening the last doors on our Christmas calendar with Daddy

Christmas Eve pj's (a family tradition)

Our 3 boys with my Dad, Maw-Maw, and brother (Brian) watching a movie (praise Jesus I was handsfree for a moment!!)

Stephen and his Wii racecar

We took an unexpected trip to Chad and Dawn's for a night. The boys (all 6 of them!) had fun making sugar cookies!

Building with Keva blocks

All the grandkids on Jeremy's side of the family (notice there's only 1 girl!)

Sweet Jonathan fell asleep on the couch one afternoon snuggled up in a Christmas blanket!

Fun all around on Christmas morning!

We had a great time together as a family as well as spending time with our extended families! I'm so thankful for Christmas and the gift of a Savior we have to celebrate!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-22T20:17:00.000-08:00

What's Christmas without the Chick-fil-a Cow???

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

Reminded of Miracles

2010-12-21T18:01:00.000-08:00

If you've ever wondered why I originally "titled" this blog Miracles Happen, it goes back to the amazing miracles God performed in our family's life in August 2007.

Since most of you know our story, I'll skip sharing it this time (let me know if you have know idea what I'm talking about...), and focus on the miracle reminder I got tonight.

The boys have thoroughly enjoyed having the bounce house out the past couple weeks and are coming up with new tricks each day! Tonight I noticed Stephen's new skill of doing hand stands again the net sides. I did my best to capture the picture above.

This may not seem like a big deal for most kids, but when I remember that our little man's neck is supported by a metal plate, 7 screws, and 1 of his ribs, I am in awe again at the miracle God has performed in his life. We were so close to losing him, and that fear was closely followed by a fear of partial paralysis after his neck surgery.

After seeing how stiff Stephen's neck was when he got his brace off and watching him struggle with physical therapy, I now rejoice in his healing! Dr. Coutier, his neurosurgeon, would be surprised at his progress I'm sure. There's no doubt he's surpassed the 50% neck movement they predicted he'd have.

And tonight, as I watched him fearlessly bounce and bend this way and that, I was in awe all over again. Our God does miracles every day...I choose not to miss them!

Nearly a Year...

2010-12-19T20:51:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve will mark the 1 year anniversary of my Paw-Paw's homegoing. This time last year, he was in the hospital, and we were wondering what lay ahead. I was in the midst of spending as much time as possible with him and praying for God's peace and will to transpire in his life.

There are so many things I could write about Paw-Paw. You can read my deepest thoughts about him in a post I did last February. The link is:

http://tiffanylovesherboys.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2009-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&updated-max=2010-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=50

Tonight Jeremy and I were talking about last year's Christmas, and 2 things came to mind that mark last year as memorable. The first was Paw-Paw's death on Christmas Eve, and the mixed emotion of sadness and joy that all of us felt. The other was the shock of finding out were expecting our precious Jonathan.

It still amazes me that last year as I wept for the loss of one life, God was intricately creating a new one deep inside me. I felt the outer pain of loss while God knew the inner joy He was making.

My sweetest memory of the end of Paw-Paw's life was the last smile he gave me as he lays only days away from death. His eyes seemed to look right through mine as he smiled the most innocent, "I love you" smile you can imagine. Even now, I'm brought to tears as I remember that smile that lit up his entire face before he left this world.

And now, I have the sweet, innocent smile of Jonathan each morning. He looks at me with those big blue eyes, and I feel true love to the core. I get giddy inside and laugh outloud when I see those sweet lips turn up.

Who would have thought this time last year that the Lord would have given and taken away in such an amazing way? His plans are perfect, and I'll cherish every smile.

A Brief Disney Recap!

2010-12-19T20:29:00.001-08:00

Here it is...my Disney post! I could do multiple posts on our exciting trip the other week, and load over 200 pictures on here, but I will refrain. There are so many fun things we did and funny stories I would love to tell, but again, it would take entirely too long. I will say, though, that we had an amazing time, and it was a perfect Christmas present from my parents! Thanks Mom and Dad!!!!

I also must say that our plans worked out very well! We did have to move at somewhat slower pace than usual because of having the 2 extremes of my nearly 80 year old Grandma, and our 3 month old little Jonathan! It was fun, though, all around, and I'll hit some of the highlights below...

My favorite memories were:
-Riding rides with Jeremy & Stephen at Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party late one night
-Eating with the whole family at Rainforest Cafe
-Seeing how my Grandma was so amazed at everything Disney and getting her on some roller coasters...she'd never done anything like this before
-Laughing at how stunned Mama was when she got off Test Track (it's really not that bad!)
-Seeing all the beautiful Christmas decorations (my favorite was the light show at Hollywood Studios)
-Watching the boys play in the nightly "snowfall" in the small town of Celebration, Florida
-And so much more........

I also enjoyed the ride back home with the boys. I know that sounds crazy, but I had so many surprise toys and fun things in the car to do that it became another memory for us. I realize that this is just a season and before I know it, they'll be driving and not wanting to ride with Mom and Dad anymore! Those 9 hours ended up more precious than I could have planned for.

We had a great trip! It's always good to be home but truly, there's no place more magical than Disney!

The Many Hats of Caleb!

2010-12-19T20:20:00.000-08:00

Have I ever mentioned how free spirited Caleb is??? Oh my word! Back in the summer he went through a spell of wearing a bike helmet everywhere we went. I rarely noticed he had it on until I caught a stranger looking at us oddly! After many, many weeks of helmet-wear, I weaned Caleb off it by hiding it in the garage. He hasn't asked for it in months, and I finally know what our son looks like without it on!=)

Saturday night, though, Caleb had been playing upstairs and came down wearing a "new hat." It's a cotton conductor's hat that goes with a Thomas Halloween costume Stephen wore a couple years ago. We laughed hysterically when he came downstairs with it on, but then laughed even more when he fell asleep with it on that night in his crib!

Although he hasn't worn it any today, I'm wondering if it's his new "helmet!" I really don't know where he comes up with these things, but it sure makes us laugh!=)

...Complete with a chocolate face!

Busy, Busy Saturday

2010-12-19T20:05:00.000-08:00

(Stephen's in the blue coat, bending down and grabbing candy!)

Being a homebody myself, leaving our house on Saturday at 8:45 in the morning and not returning til 8:45 that night equals a hugely busy (rarely happens) day for our family! We've gotten into a kinda "late morning slump," where Caleb rarely wiggles til 9:30 in the morning, and we don't get downstairs to breakfast til after 10. I know, it might sound like we're lazy, but these cold days have caused the boys and I to kind of hibernate. I'm so blessed to have these quiet, do nothing days at home!

Saturday, though, was super fun despite being gone so much! We started off our day at the Bahama Christmas parade with some great Summit families. The family who hosted everyone had a delicious spread for us to enjoy. The parade was fun, and I don't know that I've ever seen that much candy being thrown out! The boys loved it!

After the parade, Jeremy went to speak at a Habitat for Humanity ceremony while the boys and I went to the Franks' house for lunch. Stephen and Caleb had a great time with the other kids that were there and again, the food was delicious!

Right before we planned to leave, it started snowing like crazy. Stephen and Caleb begged to go outside with the other boys, so we ended up staying a little longer than planned. They sledded, threw snowballs, and even had snow cream!

Afterwards, we drove to Graham where we had Christmas with my Mom's side of the family. It was nice seeing some cousins that we rarely get to see any other time of the year.

I realize during Christmas more than ever how blessed I am to have amazing friends and family!

Oh What Fun It Is To Ride...

2010-12-19T19:55:00.000-08:00

A family tradition we started last year is taking a sleigh ride in Brier Creek. Despite the cold, we bundled up, headed to Jumpin' Johnny's for dinner (we LOVE that place!!), and enjoyed a fun ride through the shopping center. Stephen waved at the cars that drove by, and Caleb was in awe that a "horsie" was pulling us. The lady "driving" the sleigh suggested we sing Jingle Bells, and the boys joined right in. It was another precious memory for us this Christmas!

Christmas Snacks/Crafts Begin...

2010-12-16T11:31:00.000-08:00

I love making things with the boys that go along with the holidays/seasons we are in. This year we haven't done much since we were at Disney last week.

We have, however, gotten a start the past couple days with frosted Christmas trees and a Gingerbread train. I sometimes doubt the messes are worth the fun, but the boys really enjoy it. In fact, I think the more messier it is, the more fun they have! Caleb especially likes tasting every thing we make! Can't wait to try some new "recipes" this coming week!

When the Weather Outside is Frightful...

2010-12-16T10:19:00.000-08:00

It's way too cold to go outside and not enough snow to enjoy (or even look at for that matter), so we pulled out last year's Christmas present...the inflatable bouncer! The boys have enjoyed it more this morning than last year now that Caleb's older. I only fear that one of them will eventually end up with a bloody nose or something. I guess that's boys!=)

A Lap Full...

2010-12-15T20:04:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we visited Santa at Southpoint Mall after having Christmas pictures made. Amazing how he looked totally different on the Santa Train!=) The boys did good talking to him, and no one cried…seriously, that’s a big deal!=) Stephen asked Santa for things that I’ve never even heard of and definitely haven't bought. It looks like I’ve still got shopping to do!

Santa Train Surprise!

2010-12-15T19:48:00.000-08:00

...Not mad, just shocked still!=)

First off, I'm postponing my Disney post, because I tend to be a discouraged perfectionist when it comes to blogging, and I fear I won't do the post justice. Plus, I've got over 200 pictures and don't know where to start with choosing just the right ones to put on here.

So until I get adequate time to devote to that post, I'll skip ahead to the fun we had tonight on the Museum of Life and Science's Santa Train. A friend of ours (Thanks Melissa!!) gave us tickets, and we were super excited! We didn't tell the boys til we got there, which made things even more fun!

I will admit and agree with most other people I've talked to, that to us, the Santa Train probably isn't worth the expensive price they charge. It was fun, though, and something I'm happy we were able to share together as a family! The boys really enjoyed it with that sweet sparkle in their eyes!

PS-Can you find Jonathan in these pictures????????

Disney Bound!!!!!

2010-11-30T19:06:00.000-08:00

Before...

Now...

We’re only 3 days away from…Disney! We started our countdown at 100 days and thought December 3 would never come. After Family Worship on Friday night, we’ll load up the van (with my parents...my Grandma-who's never been and my brother and his wife are taking the train) and gear up for our 10+ hour drive to Disney. I must admit that I HATE driving to Florida and swore to myself I’d never do it again, but this time it was the most money-conscious option for our family. I’ve read lots of information online about survival strategies in case the boys don’t sleep but am praying for a somewhat peaceful trip.

As mentioned before, I’m an obsessive Disney planner. Yes, I buy the books, read the blogs, and now Jeremy loads the apps on his phone. I just can’t see spending that much money on a trip and not making the most of it, so we plan!

Every day is mapped out for our family while knowing that flexibility is a must with 3 little ones. Our first stop (Saturday morning around 7:00) will be for breakfast at the big McDonalds in Orlando. We then plan on being at Magic Kingdom at 8:30 (it opens at 9:00) and rushing to Dumbo with all the other crazies! We’ve got lunch with Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, etc. at 11:45 and will hopefully check into our room after that for some much needed rest.

I’ve copied one of our planned out days below just so you can get a good laugh at how seriously I take this!=) Unfortunately, the map portion of our plan wouldn't post, but you get the idea. Every day is mapped out just the same, so we know what we’re doing.

This will probably be my last post til we return since there still seems like so much to do. We can’t wait to see that sparkle in the boys’ eyes again! I’ll be sure to post pictures when we get back! Yay!!!!!

Saturday, December 4-Magic Kingdom

1-Entrance-Arrive 8:30
2-Ride Dumbo (24 people behind)
3-Ride Winnie the Pooh
4-Ride Peter Pan
5-Ride Cinderella’s Carousel
6-Ride It’s a Small World
7-Ride Snow White
8-See Pooh’s Playful Spot
9-Move It, Shake It Party-11:00
10-Crystal Palace-11:45 (401910426049)
11-Ride Buzz Lightyear
12-See Laugh Floor Comedy
13-Ride Tomorrowland Transit Authority
14-Check-in at resort (mile marker 4,5); Dinner off property
*Get party tickets (JUDL8653930)
(include Speedway, Teacups, Astro Orbiters before lunch if time)

Mickey Mouse Cupcakes!!!...Disney, Here We Come!

Singin' In The Rain

2010-11-23T18:33:00.000-08:00

Today we all have an extra reason to sing in the rain!...I got my knee brace off and for the first time in 3 years can walk without the fear of pain! Yay!!!!! The Dr. told us this afternoon that they tried more than 5 "screwdrivers" to take the screw out of my knee last Monday. He said they thought they had run out of options and didn't know what to do til one finally fit in the screw head perfectly! He (and I) were excited!

So when I got home, it started to rain a little, and we took advantage of it. The boys and I grabbed our umbrellas for a little wet fun! Stephen and I even played a little soccer! Can I say Yay!!!!! again for another sweet closure!!=)

Me and Dory!

2010-11-22T17:53:00.000-08:00

I often joke about having short-term memory loss like Dory. I can literally forget where I put something and have no idea where to even start looking. In a blink, the memory is gone, and most of the time, we never find the thing I lost. Tonight, though, all joking aside, I believe my short-term memory loss was confirmed!

Jeremy and I went to BJ's to get some stuff and between the self-checkout aisle and customer service, I lost our receipt. I didn't even make it to the exit where they check what you bought before you leave. Seriously, this was like 5 steps...max!

When the lady asked us for it, I immediately knew I had forgotten where I put it, and there was no chance of me remembering...ever! There was an awkward 10 seconds or so where both she and Jeremy looked at me like I'd lost my mind. We had only walked by one trashcan, and I didn't even have a diaper bag or purse that I could have mindlessly dropped it. At this moment, I still have no idea where I put it!

As I look back on the moment (and yes, I can remember all of it!), I know my mind was racing with lots of other things, so I acted in autopilot. For example, Jonathan had just peed on me, Caleb was anxious to climb out of the buggy, and Stephen was carelessly riding on the front. Plus, it was past supper time, and in the busyness of the day, I had totally forgotten to eat lunch (Did I just say "forgot" again?). So, in my defense, my mind was on other things.

I also wondered tonight what has happened to my brain. Some say it's pregnancy...some say it's 3 young kids....others say it's all the anesthesia I've had in me. Who knows? Where did the valedictorian (does the fact that I just googled that word to make sure it's spelled right mean anything??) and the college student who finished her 4 year degree in 2.5 years go? I don't know...I doubt I'll ever find her again...I think she's been lost too, in the everyday joys of being a Mommy. I wouldn't trade my mindless, brain oozing out my ears life for anything.

One look at Caleb's sweet face, and you'll know why...Just hope I don't forget him somewhere!

Hold 'Em Tight

2010-11-21T17:49:00.001-08:00

Some nights it hits me like a brick wall, and tonight was one of them. I never "impromptu blog," so who knows what this will turn out like.

Caleb's been asleep for over an hour and just woke up screaming. I went into his room and picked up a sobbing little boy out of his crib. As I held him tight, I could feel how tense his body was. A couple minutes later, I felt him relax and feel safe in my arms.

While holding him in that dark room, my mind went back to Stephen 3 years ago. How many times did I watch our baby fight and struggle in pain? How long did I hold my breath til he relaxed and felt safe? How many more times did I cry, wanting desperately to be that person holding him but knowing I was physically unable?

Tonight, as I go to bed, I'm reminded to hold them tight. I'm comforted to remember that when I can't, their Heavenly Father can. Tomorrow, I'll love them big. I don't want to let a moment pass.

We won't forget and are better for it...

This is normal for me!

2010-11-16T14:25:00.001-08:00

Yes, I'm usually a once every month or 2 blogger. No excuses...it's the way I roll!=) As I lay here on the bed right now with a hugely bandaged knee, I can think of no good excuse for me not to blog. Yesterday I had a screw out of my knee and have not left this bed since last night. Besides, I can't walk on my own, so there's nowhere else to go!=) That being said, here's what we've been up to lately:

Parent Commissioning for Jonathan was last Saturday. We enjoyed having brunch with our families, and I especially loved that the Summit Kids' staff took care of everything, so Jeremy could sit with our family!

Stephen's end of the year soccer party was at Chick-fil-a this year! He had a great time with all his friends, and Caleb loved the cow!=)

Jonathan is really growing up. I can hardly believe he's 11 weeks old. He's such a happy baby and sleeps between 8-10 hours each night. The boys are adjusting, and Stephen is a huge help. He takes pride in helping me by feeding Jonathan and holding him when I need an extra hand. I'm so overwhelmed by love for these little boys!

We have done so many fall (Halloween/Thanksgiving) crafts I can barely keep up with all the pictures. The boys love this kind of thing, and Jeremy often gets a laugh out of what we come up with!=) The other night Jeremy even got involved by roasting marshmallows on the grill! You'll also see how Stephen works so hard on his crafts while Caleb is totally free-spirited. The best example is the picture of Stephen's cute "apple turkey," and Caleb eating his apple with toothpicks all in it (he took the "turkey pieces" off).

Caleb also had his second birthday complete with a trip to the Pumpkin Patch and also to the zoo. It was so nice having our families together for some fun!

...And there's so much more I should put but the Tylenol Codeine is calling me to sleep!=)

Meticulous Caleb!

2010-09-23T19:26:00.000-07:00

While Caleb is my carefree child, he can also be very meticulous. It's hard for my boys not to be like this when they're with their OCD mother every day!=) You'll see what I mean in the pictures below!

On Wednesdays, we go to Kindermusik at a preschool down the road from us. Caleb attends from 10:30-11:15. Afterwards, we all eat a picnic lunch outside on the school's playground. From 12:00-1:00 Stephen attends Kindermusik by himself while Caleb and I play outside or read books (Jonathan chills in his carrier). This week, Caleb was obsessed with the dump trucks and tractors. He was so proud of how he'd lined them all up!

I love this hour with my "baby Caleb." It's hard to see him as an older brother now and not my youngest. Time really does fly!=)

17 Hours Old!

2010-09-17T17:54:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to say that the picture of Jonathan in his Daddy's hand was taken at the hospital when he was only 17 hours old! I am super in love with this little boy!=)

Our Night with the Durham Bulls!!

2010-09-17T10:43:00.001-07:00

Last night we decided on somewhat of a whim to go see the Durham Bulls play. Stephen had been asking to go all summer, but it was just too hot! Last night was a championship game and possibly their last if they didn't win. All tickets were $10, and hotdogs and popcorn was only $1. The game started at 7 and at around 6, as we were loading up the car with 2 fussy little boys (not Stephen...he was super excited!), Jeremy and I both looked at each other and said, "Should we even try this?". It was too late, though, because Stephen was bouncing everywhere ready to go!

We headed out, all 5 of us piled into the Kia. The reason, by the way, that we all crammed into the Kia was because we had heard that Kia owners got a special, free parking place. It was worth a try (convenience is more important than money right now!).=)

When we got there, the parking attendant saw our Kia and immediately directed us to a special parking place. It was literally right in front of the ballpark! Yay!!! We got the stroller and all 3 boys out and headed to the field. Our seats were good but not convenient for our stroller, so we moved to another section of the ballpark where I could sit right beside Jonathan who was sleeping in the stroller. Jeremy, Stephen, and Caleb sat in front of us.

We enjoyed the game and some yummy popcorn, hotdog, and a funnel cake (not good for my weight loss efforts!). One of the Bulls' players even threw Stephen a ball, which he will not let out of his sight! Caleb got a little bored halfway through, so we read books I had brought along. Jeremy also took them to play on the playground at around the 5th inning, and Jonathan took a bottle and slept. Stephen and Caleb both gave Wool E Bull high fives and danced around to all the "ballpark music."

The weather was absolutely perfect, and believe it or not, we stayed til the 9th inning and got to see the Bulls win. We didn't get home til after 10, and the boys were pooped. Stephen and Caleb both went right to sleep, and Jonathan stayed asleep in his carseat til almost 2 this morning. It was his best night yet! Besides one night feeding and an early morning one, we slept in til 10:00 this morning! It was wonderful! I'm so glad Jeremy is home today to help out!

So, yes, we did the crazy thing and took 2 little boys, along with a 2 and a half week old baby to a baseball game last night. And yes, we stayed til the very end! But...it was worth it! That's one thing Jeremy and I have learned. You only live once...make it count!=)

Stephen...so proud of his baseball!

Super excited!

Jonathan slept through most of the game...he was oblivious!

Stephen was wide-eyed (like it was his first time)!!

Caleb (before he got bored!) =)

Both the boys when we got there

Love it!=)

Thank God for Little Boys

2010-09-13T18:25:00.000-07:00

I love my little boys! Seriously, I am so blessed to have 3 of them! I can't imagine life any differently. Playing outside in the sunshine today reminded me of the precious of gift of Mommyhood! As crazy as it gets at times, it's worth it in the end! I love it!=)

Some More Pics of the Little Guy!

2010-09-09T18:10:00.000-07:00

I snagged some of my Mom's pictures off facebook tonight to put on my blog! Jonathan is 10 days old now and really growing. It's amazing how much they change in so short a period of time. He's still eating about every 3 or 3 and a half hours. At night, though, he takes his bottle and goes right back to sleep. I'm usually only up maybe 20 minutes or so at a time. We're "loosely" doing Babywise like we did with Stephen and Caleb. They're both great sleepers, and I credit the ideas in the book for most of that. Admittedly, I feel like Jonathan is being a little more spoiled by me, though. I'm not completely sure why. Anyhoo, we're all doing great...just adjusting to life outnumbered by our kids! Love it!=)

Hospital Pictures Have Come A Long Way!!!

2010-09-03T11:17:00.000-07:00

Check out the address below to see Jonathan's hospital pictures. He was only 17 hours old when they came into our room and took these. It was an easy experience, and we had to limit what we bought! The collage at the end is our birth announcement! Hope this works!=)

http://www.photoreflect.com/scripts/prsm.dll?eventthumbs?event=1VRL000N

Jonathan Seth Pollard is Here!!!!!!!!!!

2010-09-01T15:25:00.000-07:00

So, yes, the baby is here, and it was another precious, little boy! I'm pretty relieved...I can't imagine having a girl. I don't think I'm cut out for it!=) Jonathan Seth Pollard was born on August 30 at 5:58pm. He was 20.25 inches long and weighed 8lbs. 5 oz. He's got dark hair, chubby cheeks, and has little Asian-looking eyes! He reminds me so much of Stephen when he was born! Jeremy and I are in love all over again!

We came home today and are adjusting to life with a newborn before Stephen and Caleb come back home tomorrow. They've been staying with my parents, and I'm looking forward to having them back with us. They did come see Jonathan late Monday night. Stephen was all about it and "held" him several times. Caleb took one quick look then thought it would be more fun to explore my hospital room! He's pretty much oblivious (right now!) to there being a new baby in our family!

I'll give you a synopsis of Jonathan's arrival for those of you who like "birth stories!"...

After my "sent home" adventure last week, I was determined not to EVER have that happen again. Jeremy knew I was gonna wait til the last minute, and boy did we ever! On Sunday night, after taking the boys swimming, we all headed to bed. Around midnight, though, I began having somewhat intense contractions. They kept waking me up but were never consistent enough to time. I never even woke Jeremy up. Monday morning, though, after getting up, they began to come more often and stronger. Jeremy had already planned on taking the day off, so after showering, I went downstairs to fix everyone breakfast. About halfway down the steps, I doubled over with a super strong contraction. Walking around was definitely making things worse.

During breakfast (I couldn't eat), I told Jeremy we probably needed to get Sarah over to keep the boys, so we could head to the hospital. He asked if I'd timed anything yet, and I said no but that I would try. I laid on the couch, and we calculated 7 minutes between contractions (little did we know I had had 2 during that time frame!). I decided we should probably wait awhile. When the next contraction came, though, I immediately changed my mind. I told Jeremy I didn't care what the time was, we HAD to go soon.

Sarah quickly came over, and Jeremy and I headed to Duke. We were in a much bigger hurry this time than early the other morning! When we got there I managed to drag myself to the ER check-in desk. All I could say to the lady there when she asked me why came in was, "We're having a baby."

They quickly took me back in a wheelchair and into a small triage room. It seemed like an eternity before the nurse finally came in to see us. I kept telling Jeremy to see where they were. Seriously, I thought I would die!=) It's amazing how you naturally breathe through contractions without even being told. That was my defense and distraction, along with burying my face into Jeremy, until we were finally seen. The nurse could tell I was in pain and very quickly called a midwife in to check me.

I was totally not surprised when she said, "You waited too long on this one. You're at an 8, 100% effaced, and the baby is at a positive 1 station." My first words were, "When can I have my epidural?"! She said she doubted there was time, but they would see what they could do. Soon after, 2 amazing nurses came in and started my IV's. They were both from the Summit, so I knew we were being well taken care of. They encouraged me to tough it out if possible and go ahead and have the baby; that he/she would probably enter this world in around 30 minutes if I could make it. My wimpy was response, "No way!" I had 0 intentions of being in pain any longer and being "super woman!"

Thankfully they were able to give me the epidural, and I was able to relax some. Better yet, the epidural slowed down labor, and both my parents and Jeremy's parents were able to make it to the hospital. Even better than that, I was able to get 2 doses of the Strep B antibiotic, so Jonathan didn't have to stay longer in the hospital. It all worked out in the end, and I was more comfortable on top of that!=)

After waiting about 4 hours for the antibiotic to be given, Dr. Quinn (yep, that was her name!), came in and broke my water. About 30 minutes later we were pushing and Jonathan Seth entered this world! It was so exciting not knowing if we were having a boy or girl, and especially that moment when the nurse said, "It's a boy!" Jeremy was able to tell our parents in the waiting room that God has blessed them with another grandson!

We are so thankful for this little miracle who's now in our life! Right now he's snuggling with his Daddy, and we're hoping for a good night's sleep!=) Our family is super blessed!

Sleepy boy!

Wide-eyed Jonathan!

Big boy!

Our precious, new son!

God gave us awesome nurses from the Summit!

Jonathan's first picture!

Our amazing Dr.!

Now, a family of 5!=)

The Countdown Has Begun...But Not To A Baby!

2010-08-29T18:29:00.000-07:00

Nope, still no sign of baby #3 showing up, but that's okay!=) What can I do about it anyways? So, our family has started another countdown...Disney!!!!

Heading to Florida has become a yearly tradition for us. We usually go with Jeremy's family or, like 2009, just the 4 of us go. This year, we're taking a trip with my family, and I'm super excited! My parents haven't been since I was in the 7th grade, and my Grandma has never been! It's sure to be a blast!

I know, I know...there are those who wait for their kids to get older before paying this money and taking the trip. I understand, but honestly, kids or no kids, babies or teenagers, Jeremy and I both love it enough to go every year regardless! We are Disney people, and I pride myself in always getting amazing deals. I'm a Disney junkie!=) Plus, seeing the look on our kids' faces, no matter how young they are, is a memory I wouldn't trade for the world even if they don't remember a moment of it! It's totally worth it to us!

So, yes, the countdown has begun again with our wall calendar. The boys pull off a different number each day. We leave December 4th (our first trip around Christmas). We started out 100 days out and are slowly making our way to 1! I've already got the itch and can see the sparkle in the boys' eyes when they look at the countdown every morning! Yay!=)

3 Years Ago Today...And He Still Amazes Me!!!

2010-08-27T10:17:00.000-07:00

First off, I haven't had a baby yet. I feel great (all over again), and the boys and I actually spent the morning at the pool. I love it when people ask, "When are you due?" and see their look of surprise when I say, "Today!" Am I thinking this baby will actually come today? Probably not, but it would be some kind of amazing miracle, huh? We'll see!=)

So, today's the 3 year anniversary of our wreck. Last year I did quite a lengthy post on how I felt and the emotions we were going through. This year has been completely different, though, so I will keep this to a minimum. I feel like I've healed emotionally so much, even since last year. I still remember, of course, and I've been a little teary-eyed some today but not nearly as much as in the past.

I've learned this year that my sufferings cannot begin to compare with the suffering Christ endured for me. How dare I feel sorry for myself? I have a God who understands beyond what I can comprehend. He has healed us more emotionally this year than every before. I'm more than grateful for that!

This morning my devos were right on track. Here's what I read...hope it speaks to you...make sure you read til the end for another "God moment":

Psalm 130:
"From the depths of despair, O Lord, I call for your help. Hear my cry, O Lord. Pay attention to my prayer. Lord, if you kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could ever survive? But you offer forgiveness, that we might learn to fear you. I am counting on the Lord; yes, I am counting on him. I have put my hope in his word. I long for the Lord more than sentries long for the dawn, yes, more than sentries long for the dawn. O Israel,hope in the Lord; for with the Lord there is unfailing love. His redemption overflows. He himself will redeem Israel from every kind of sin."

The study part was as follows (by Rebecca Faber):
-William Eduard died June 1, 1993...
"I was telling Mom today how comforting the friends are who acknowledge the reality of what is happening. That brings a kind of relief from pain...
I value the friends who write in their cards, 'When we heard the news, your eyes filled with tears. We weep for you. There's nothing to say. Except we love you, and we are praying. Hold on to God-surely He will help you through even this.' That's a useful thing to say-that has solidity, comfort.
Their attitude is clear. It shows several important characteristics. First, an attempt to empathize: 'I'm tring to walk in your shoes just now, to imagine it's me, and even thinkng of the possiblity makes me cry out in pain.'
Second, it shows faith. Their statements validate the spiritual world, the unseen, invisible things. Eternity. Life after death. 'Eternal truths have not shifted, even though what you are experiencing is huge, overwhelming, right now. There are absolutes that you can count on: gravity is still gravity. God is still God. He still cares for you. This tragedy does not cancel out the facts: He is able to help, to succor you. We don't know what to do. But God can reach you, so we are praying. In this terrible time, reach out to Jesus, dear one.' These friends lend me words of faith in my darkness. Thoughtful, kind statements of God's character, God's being.
Finally, their words show gentleness. Sensitivity. Sensibility. 'We feel for your in your suffering. We don't have pat answers; we have emotions that vibrate in response to your situation. We are not trying to solve and erase your pain. We haven't discovered a formula to dry up your tears.'...The wise friends say, 'We can't let one more day go by without sending you a note to say this, just this: We really, really care. We are so very sorry this has happened'."

As I read this Scripture and excerpt this morning, my mind immediately went to our family and friends from Union Grove. This is the exact way that you loved on us, and we will forever be grateful. We are so amazed and thankful for the life God has now given us at the Summit, but we will never forget the love you poured out on us in 2007 and before. Thank you for showing us Christ when we could barely see Him ourselves. You truly "loved us like Jesus." Thank you!

And here's an amazing thing that just happened as I was typing this:
I figured that the "William Eduard Faber" referenced at the beginning of the devotional was someone famous whom this particular author was referencing, so I googled his name. It pulled up a set of obituaries, and I scanned down the page to find June 1, 1993. Sure enough, I found the exact name and date, and here's the humbling part. When I compared his birth date to date of death, this little guy was only 18 months old when he passed away; not but 2 months older than our Stephen when we had the wreck. This whole excerpt was written by a mother who had lost her son in some unexpected way. How close I was to being that; to writing this same devotional myself. Wow! Thank You, God, for reminding me how thankful I should be. "This is still the day that You have made!"

Seriously????????????

2010-08-26T04:01:00.001-07:00

Okay, so here's a recap of the week's events so far. As I write, I keep telling myself, "Don't be bitter, Don't be bitter!" I think it may be helping!=)

First off, the baby is due tomorrow, August 27. Yes, I know it's the 3 year anniversary of the wreck, and I could become an out of control bottle of emotions if I let myself. Thankfully, I guess, in a weird way, this week has been crazy, and it has kept my mind off of other things. Nonetheless, it's tomorrow, and I'll be glad when that day is past (although it will be filled with rejoicing!).

So, back to this week: Early Tuesday morning I woke up out of a dead sleep with contractions. I timed them for awhile, and they were around 7 minutes apart. I called the Dr., and he recommended I wait it out since I was only dilated to a 1 at my last appointment. That was totally cool with me. I'd way rather suffer here than in the hospital!=) The next morning, though, I got an appointment at the Dr. They were scheduled to see me on Thursday anyways, so it wasn't a huge deal.

When we went, I was dilated to a 4. The Dr. said she could bet I would go within the next 24 hours. I felt the same way. Jeremy and I came home, and surprisingly, the contractions began to slow down. We even took 3 walks around the neighborhood in hopes that they would pick back up. By bedtime, they were all but gone. My Mom spent the night just in case, and I slept wonderfully. Yesterday (Wednesday), I hardly had any contractions and figured that for some reason this baby had decided not to come. We are still early anyways.

That takes me to this morning. At around 2:00 I woke up again with contractions. This time they were much stronger and 5 minutes apart. I didn't want to risk having this baby at home (Caleb came super fast), plus I have to be treated for Strep B when we arrive at the hospital, so we decided it would be best to go on. Sarah graciously came over to stay with our boys, and Jeremy and I headed to Duke.

Since I'm at home typing this right now, most of you know where this story is going!=) We got there and were taken back to triage for evaluation. The contractions were the same, but I was sure I had progressed some. Well, that was not the case. The monitor showed that I was contracting about every 5 minutes, but I had not progressed any. Because I was not in dire straights (and having problems coping) the Student/Dr. person said I should just go home. Really? She even recommended I take some Tylenol until it passes (and yes, she was a college student who had never had kids!). Honestly, I'd rather be here at home in labor (that's why we didn't go on Tuesday night), but as I type this, I'm still in shock that they sent me home. Honestly, I've felt quite a bit of selfish anger. I'd have loved some pitocin or some walks around the hospital or something!=) Nope!

Right now, my boys are still asleep, and they'll never even know Daddy and Mommy were gone. That's a good thing. The bad part is I've had about 3 hours of sleep and know Jeremy is just as tired as I am as he leaves for work. Yes, it's super frustrating. They kinda make you feel stupid when this sort of thing happens--It's a first for us. I've warned Jeremy now, though, that he may end up delivering this baby at home. I'm just stubborn enough to wait til the very last minute!=)

Seriously, we are all anxious to meet this new little one, and I really thought it would be today. Who knows...it may still be. I'm gonna grab today, though, as another chance to enjoy my boys and trust the Lord's timing is best. Shouldn't I have learned that 3 years ago, though!=) I'll keep everyone posted!

A Week Out Baby Update!

2010-08-19T13:40:00.000-07:00

Today I went back to the Dr. for a check-up. These weekly appointments can get a little monotonous but at this point, it's always exciting to see if I've progressed any. Today was not one of those days! Last week I was dilated to a 1 and 50% effaced...today...the exact same! Yep, the 0 contractions I've pretty much felt this past week have led to 0 progress! Honestly, I feel great; almost like I'm back in the 2nd trimester. Who knows when this baby will come!

The Dr. said they will only let me go 10 days over my due date before they induce. With Stephen being 3 weeks early and Caleb 4 days late, I really don't know what to expect. Yep, it could be today, but it could also be another 2 weeks or more if I go way over! Bottom line, we'll have a baby by September 6!

I'll keep everyone posted on how things are going. I'm just grateful to be feeling good and am enjoying these last little kicks and punches before he or she arrives. And speaking of "he or she," the heart rate was back up a little, so a girl is totally not out of the picture! Nah...I'm counting on boy # 3!=) I'll keep you posted!