Beauty Queen, and Prison Chow

 

 

the weather today did not disappoint

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yesterday's Spring Rain

 

Supposed to be in the mid 80's today, a great way to start the summer!

Last day of school fun!

In honor of the last day of school, the kids took a walk to the ponds... and look what they found! Is this serioulsy the cutest turtle you have ever seen?
I love it here. This is the perfect place for our kids. Right here in Iowa. Who knew?
 
 
 
 

 

That's my girl!

Gotta love a girl, who, when, on her way home from the bus stop, stops to pick up a snake to show her brother!
 
Micah was so excited that Emily thought of him ... he kept saying, "She KNEW I would love him Mom!"
 

after much research, it has been determined that said snake is a northern brown snake.
protected in iowa. please don't report us. :)

Awards Day means ... only one day left!

 
 
 

our one, puny, itty bitty rhody

 
in honor of my friend janece, i give you our rhododendron.

the past few days...

Our new friend George, is feeling quite at home, and left a surprise for the boys yesterday.
 
I don't know why I love seeing this kid sleep, but I do.
 
Have I ever showed you my favorite freckle on Brody? It is right on the bottom of his foot! He has had it since the day he was born.
 
Tonight we had baseball in Davenport. Micah came running over to the bleachers and said,
"MOM! COME LOOK! I MADE THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA!!!"
 

full.

that is the only way to describe the weekend. lots of baseball, lots of cleaning, lots of mowing, lots of kids.

this picture cracks me up. it's brody levitating. i accidentally had the camera set on the action setting, and caught him in mid jump.
 
and this is the 8U team watching our boys play ball.
 

Runner Up

"Smitty" as he is called by the boys, giving a pep talk before a game.
 
They took second place. And while we all wish it was first, the bigger picture is that, for the weekend, they scored 37 runs, and only gave up 9. Not bad.
 

(and yes, he likes his pants short)

spring rain

 
 

brody...

this was the actual moment when i told brody that very soon, his new friends, zeke and kora would be here.
he just sat there with this little smile... i think he wants to marry kora.
 

Micah's last day of preschool!

He was a bit somber about it, kind of surprising.
 
 

No Regret

I sometimes wake in the early morning & listen to the soft breathing of my children & I think to myself, this is one thing I will never regret & I carry that quiet with me all day long.
-- story people

They're coming home! Zeke and Kora Landers are coming home!

Thank you so much for all of your prayers and well wishes... they received word this morning that they have their visas, and they will most likely travel to Sierra Leone, West Africa, to pick up their beautiful children next week!

random exploration of the heart

warning: this is about to get personal.
do you ever have those times where you just feel stuck? like life just keeps on going around you, and you keep plugging along doing the same old thing you always do, wanting more, but feeling like there is no getting out of where you are? that's where i am. like the path you have chosen for your life, maybe isn't where you wish you were all the time? now, please don't take that the wrong way. i love my family, and love staying home, and love my husband, and love my five beautiful children, and wouldn't change this path i have taken for anything. not anything. but, i can't help but feeling like if i was alone, i would be gone in a heart beat. i would be in africa working with orphans, i would be in haiti, feeding the hungry. i would be somewhere making a difference. not stuck. i guess the upside is, this is probably the first time in my life i have felt like there are things i want that i cannot have. i have been very blessed, always taken care of, and loved... oh how i have been loved. it's just the realization that i am where i am, and right now, no matter what i do, i feel like it will never change. the life of a stay at home mom, i guess. but in my heart, i know i could be more. in my heart, the balance of contentment and fulfillment isn't so one sided. in my heart, there is room, there is room for more.

and more baseball

tonight, we were in viola, illinois. don't know where that is? neither does anyone else. and for the record, it's the middle of nowhere.
 
 

new friend, and an old friend

we have a new friend, his name is george (pronounced: hor-hey). he lives in the cracks where the garage meets the sidewalk. brody loves him. micah says he's okay. i am hoping he is feasting on all sorts of little creatures near the house.
 
and, an old friend made a glorious appearing last night. i did absolutely nothing to touch up the color of this photo.
 

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."
-Mark Twain

and again...

i am asking you, if you pray, pray hard.
 
the unthinkable, unimaginable is possible. they are supposed to hear from africa by the end of the week.
 
i cannot begin to imagine the agony in waiting for news if some stranger will allow you to have your kids.
 
these babies belong here. with their family. in iowa. not in africa. just pray.
 

Tonight's festivities...

How old are you Brody?
 
 
 
 

three candles were a piece of cake to blow out
 
can you guess who didn't come out to join us for cake and ice cream? okay, to be fair, she came out while we sang happy birthday, and then disappeared again.
 

yum
 
trying out the new bat before bed!
 

Pray for Jody. Things are getting a bit scary on the adoption front.

Happy Birthday Brody!

 
Today my youngest son turns 3 years old. Again, time has gone by so fast. He came into this world almost three weeks early, weighing in at just over 6 pounds. Once again, we were late getting to the hospital, and the staff was waiting for us when we got there. This time we got checked in before they broke my water, knowing my history! Once the bracelets were on, my midwife, Laura, broke my water, and said, "Okay, just let us know when you are ready." I said okay, and EVERYONE in the room proceeded to turn their backs on me to have a conversation, or get things ready. I remember saying, "HE'S HERE!!!" and even Steve didn't see his little head being born. No one but me saw him come into this world. It was quite magical. My midwife didn't even have her gloves on, when she checked him out for the first time... and remarked that it was good that we were friends already. Brody was very colicky, super fussy, and kind of a pain for about 6 weeks of his life.... and well, to be honest, he is still kind of that way, but we love him! He is hysterical when he talks to you, he says the funniest things. He is proving to be a lot like Isaiah when it comes to sports. He is VERY competitive, and most things having to do with a ball come naturally for him. He is my biggest helper when it is pick up time, and he always puts things right where they belong. I am looking forward with great anticipation to the little man he will become. But for now, for always, I guess, he will be our baby! We love you little man! Happy birthday!

A Rebel?

Last night, someone called me a rebel. Me? A rebel?
 
I like to think of myself more as a free thinker, someone who doesn't take everything at face value, but searches for the truth.
 
No, there is no way I am a rebel. Pot stirrer, maybe... but rebel?
 





Well, maybe just a little rebel.

 

camp out update:

Every one stayed ALL night in the tents... Brody came in around 6:30am, and every one else followed about an hour later. Good times were had by all! And currently three of the five of mine are sound asleep!

friday night baseball

 

flaming feet

 
this is my favorite picture of the night. i took it without a flash, by firelight. it exposed for approximately ten seconds. the movement of brody's feet, and my camera produced a cool effect that makes his feet look like they are on fire.

Saturday night camp out

Robin, Steve, and I set up a total of three tents between our yards. For 7 kids. Yep, both the little boys are asleep in the tent right now.
 
And you can't have a camp out without a fire and s'mores!
 

how easy.

so, last night i was at a baseball game (duh), and someone hurt my feelings. i don't know why i let it bug me, but i did. it was stupid really, they just sort of snapped at me, and it wasn't really even mean, never the less, it stung. and he knew it. and then something happened that is a rarity in today's society. he looked at me, and said, "I'm sorry." how easy was that?! i have thought about it quite a bit since last night, repeated the words over in my head, and the impact they had on my heart. hearing the words. it doesn't happen much anymore. so often people are only interested in being right, or they save their i'm sorry for the cyber world, or the phone. there is something VERY powerful about looking someone in the eye, and saying, i'm sorry. seriously. how easy.

Story of the day

WEIGHT
This only weighs a lot if you've forgotten to do the stuff you wanted to do all along.
-- story people
(quite fitting, given the weight on my heart lately.)

"When a poor person dies of hunger, it has not happened because God did not take care of him or her. It has happened because neither you nor I wanted to give that person what he or she needed. We have refused to be instruments of love in the hands of God to give the poor a piece of bread, to offer them a dress with which to ward off the cold. It has happened because we did not recognize Christ when, once more, he appeared under the guise of pain, indentified with a man numb from the cold, dying of hunger, when he came in a lonely human being, in a lost child in search of a home."

- Mother Teresa

what has been seen, cannot be unseen

 
the reality of that weighs heavy on my heart. i cannot pretend i do not know, haven't heard, don't see, because i have. and it doesn't matter that i know my life would be a whole lot easier if i hadn't seen, i have. and when i close my eyes, the faces and places that come to my mind don't let me forget.
africa.
i have seen you, and you cannot be unseen.
now, if someone could please explain to me how to make my other half see, i would really appreciate it.

sugar filled day

When it rains, it pours, as they say. Micah came home with a note last week, saying that because he has a summer birthday, they would celebrate his birthday at school, on Friday, May 16th. With his sister's having birthdays on the 12th and 13th, and his little brother having one this coming Monday, I am about done with cupcakes. BUT, I let the boys both help make them, and Micah decided he wanted cars on top for his school friends.
 
The kid's Grandma Maria, and Papa sent them a chocolate fountain for their birthday's. SO, I decided to put it together and give it a go after school today. It was waiting for them when they got home, and I have to say, that it is pretty hard to have a bad afternoon if there is a chocolate fountain involved.
 
 
It was a HUGE hit!
 

 
Still praying, wishing, and waiting for news from Africa... please keep Jody and her family in your prayers.

two of these things do not belong...

 
So, this is what I found on the top shelf of the garage refrigerator this evening... Pretty sure I did not put the fuzzy animals in there. Pretty sure.

I guess they weren't really napping

 

 
 
 
 

while the little guys were napping...

 
 
 
 

 
Sometimes my day just sucks because my friend's day sucks. Today is one of those days. I feel like I can't get anything done, I am short with the kids, and seem to have no time. Praying for news tomorrow...

tonight's festivities...

Well, tonight Emily had riding lessons, and wanted dinner at the Chart House, and dessert at Dairy Queen. Who are we to deny the birthday girl here fare?
 
Her riding buddy, gave her this beautiful framed picture of them and the horses.
 

a little afternoon hail to remind us who's in charge

 

This morning

We let Emily open her gift from Steve and I this morning. I knew she would want to show it off on her actual birthday. A while back, she told me she wanted a "purity" ring. When I asked her what she meant by that, she said, it was a reminder, of a promise she was making to wait until she was married to have sex. YIKES. She is only 12! So, when discussing this with Steve, we came to the conclusion, that you can't really not get the ring. Uh, no honey, we don't think that's a good idea just doesn't fly. So, we spent a good part of our time off this weekend searching jewelry stores for the perfect ring for our beautiful girl. We decided on the emerald, as it is her birthstone. And judging from her face, I think we did good. :)
 
 
 
 

Last night's festivities...

 
 
 
 

Happy Birthday Emily!

 
It was 12 years ago to day that our dear little Emily came in to this world screaming! My first baby. We were so young, and so sure we would do something wrong. My regular midwife appointment showed that Emily wasn't quite ready to come out yet, according to her... and this was ten days after she was due. So, I went in for an ultrasound, and she had eaten up all of the fluid that surrounded her, so they wanted her out soon. We went home to pack, and head back to the hospital. It is a very strange feeling to know your baby WILL be born in the next 24 hours. When we got to the hospital, it was SO busy, that they didn't have a room for me, so we were pushed back a couple of hours... more waiting. I started having a few contractions, I thought, just from the stress. We finally got a room, and they gave me some nice gel insert to try and get things started. This was 4pm, they were going to come back at 6pm to start the pitocin drip. Emily must have heard all this, because by 4:45pm, I was in labor. Steve and my Mom were there, and I remember my Mom telling me that I would have a baby by midnight. It was then that I told her to shut up, she had no idea what she was talking about. Emily was born shortly after 8pm. Emily did not make it easy on me... she had her cord wrapped around her little neck two times, and it had a true knot right in the middle of it. To make things worse, she was face up, adding a ridiculous amount of back pain to the mix. Before she was even born, she was screaming. Seriously. The minute her mouth was born, screaming at the top of her lungs. Every one in the delivery room was laughing and saying they had never seen that before. Clearly they had never met anyone like Emily. She has the strongest will of anyone I have ever met. Emily has such an acute sense of right and wrong, and fights against all injustice. She was my most independent baby. She taught herself how to ride her bike without training wheels on her 4Th birthday. She is responsible, and kind, and loves quietly. Of all our children, I never worry about her, or who she will become, or about her getting mixed up with the wrong crowd, she is much too smart for all of that. Happy Birthday Emily! We love you!

Happy Birthday Hannah!

 
It was eight years ago today that our sweet little Hannah was born. It was the Friday before Mother's Day, and Steve was home. He decided to go with me to my regularly scheduled Midwife appointment. We dropped Emily and Isaiah off at my Mom's and headed there. When we arrived, the midwife asked if I had been having any contractions, and I said that I had, since morning, so she decided to put the monitor on. She seemed surprised when there were actual contractions on the monitor. She asked if I wanted her to "check" me, and I said sure. The look on her face, when she did, was one of complete shock. I was already at 7 cm. and hadn't even complained of the pain or contractions. Well, they told me I needed to get to the hospital ASAP. Steve didn't buy it, and we made a stop at the post office on the way there. I called my good friend who was going to attend the birth, and she was on the road to meet us at the hospital. When we got there, they were ready for us... waiting in the lobby, in fact. I put the gown on, jumped into bed, and she was born 20 minutes after our arrival, only one push. We weren't even checked in yet! By far the easiest delivery I have had. She followed that by being the best baby on the planet. So smiley, and she was very shy. NOTHING like her big sister and brother. She continues to be our easiest kid. She is not picky about stuff, or clothes, or where she sleeps, or when she sleeps, or when she wakes up. She just goes with the flow. We love this little girl something fierce. Happy Birthday Hannah! May this be your best year yet!

busy days and nights

this weekend steve, isaiah, and i took a road trip to des moines, iowa, for a baseball tournament. we stayed all weekend, and the boys played more in the pool, than they played on the field... but they had a great time, and so did i. i love these boys, i love this team, i love these coaches. we are blessed, really blessed, to live this life, the way we live it. and i am so, so honored to be a part of raising little people. sometimes i think mother's day is more of a reminder to us mom's, a reminder of how incredibly blessed we are to be here, where we have food, and shelter, and kids who are respectably healthy. i get it. it is an honor. and i will try not to forget that so much this year.

fun at the pool!

it was our friend's 21st birthday, so the team all sang her happy birthday by the pool!
 
 
 
and this one is rare. one kid, in a hotel bed, by himself. for two whole nights. he said he has never slept so good in a hotel in his life.
 

baseball, baseball, baseball....

 
 
 
 

a happy mother's day it was...

 

the auction is in full swing!

 

freaking out

okay, so we are here in des moines for a baseball tournament. a few of us parents are sitting out by the pool... and i decide to take out the camera and take a few shots of us having a few beers. my battery is dead. and i have no spare. and my charger is plugged in back in muscatine. i don't know what i am going to do without it. i may be making a trip to target in the morning.

M & M's

Micah: How much do you love me Mom?
Me: More than the stars in the sky. How much do you love me?
Micah: I love you so much, that when I grow up, I am going to buy you toothpaste with my own money.

SOLD OUT!

 
As of this morning, the individual Africa Bags, to help bring Zeke and Kora Landers home, are sold out! We finished them up this morning at Cassie's, and Jody sent them off in the mail! Now, if you didn't get one yet, or know of ANYONE who might be remotely interested... we have some good news. We are going to be auctioning off several bags over the next week, on Jody's blog. These bags will be FULL of goodies. All sorts of different things will be in them, starting with a Flip camera! So, even if you know people who don't usually look at the blogs, and think this would be something they would be interested in, please let them know. You can find all the info you need over at Jody's.
And, on a final note, thank you so much to everyone who helped, purchased, prayed, and loves these two little people. They are so close...

 
enough said.

going, going, gone.

this is the last picture we have of isaiah with long hair. he got most of it cut off on sunday afternoon. and no, i don't have a picture of his new do yet, but rest assured, he looks a whole lot older. ugh. where did the time go?
 

micah...

Micah: Mom, wouldn't it be cool if Oswald could climb out of the T.V. and be in our house? You know what I would say to him? I would say, Welcome to the real world!

You can tell a lot about people by their hands.
When it comes to our hands, we have a choice. We can either go through life with them closed: tightfisted, fearful, angry, reluctant, withholding, comparative, and empty.
Or we can go through life with or hands open: generous, expressive, grateful, helping, and full.
The way we hold our hands reveals a lot about our heart.
-- Nancy Ortberg (LOOKINGFORGOD)

Busy Weekend

This was one of those crazy weekends where two kids have games at the same time in different locations. Our solution? Divide and conquer!
Hannah had three soccer games on Saturday, and one on Sunday. They lost three and tied one. She had fun... and NEVER complained about the cold start to the day!
 
So, who exactly is she supposed to listen to?
 
Isaiah had a tournament in Rock Island (WBSA), They won both games on Saturday, and won the first one on Sunday, but lost the second, to the State champions. They ended up with fourth place. This was a really big tournament, and their first playing at the AAA level.
 
Isaiah had a great weekend pitching, with several strike-outs, and NO walks.
 

Anyone can slay a dragon, he told me, but try waking up every morning & loving the world all over again. That's what takes a real hero.


-- Story People

potty talk

It's not going well at our house. Brody will not even entertain the idea of using the toilet. No joke. So today I caught myself having a conversation with him, about all the wonderful things about peeing in the toilet. Seriously. What has my daily life been reduced to, that I would have to say things like, "It is SO cool, boys are REALLY special because they don't even have to sit down to pee! They just whip it out, go, and pull their pants up! It is WAY faster than peeing in your diaper, for real, you can even ask Isaiah."