Neighbors, old and new....

We have been so blessed to live next to the best boys in the world for the past two and a half years. Two weeks ago we were blessed again. We now have the two best girls living next to us on the other side! The kids are thrilled, and can't wait for summer now!

more weekend shots

pretty sure this is not the proper use for soccer shoes and shin guards.

farm boy photo

major air off the swing

another farm boy.

The Big Comfy Couch

Ever seen it? The PBS show called "The Big Comfy Couch"? If you have, you will recognize my son as Major Bedhead. Seriously, he is such a dork. It is a good thing no one can catch him, or he might get beat up or something.

Opening Day

Well, Saturday was opening day at the ballpark. The boys were a little rusty, but came around by the end of the first game. Game two was MUCH better, and they were tired, fed, happy, and sunburned. Hard to ask for more than that on a beautiful weekend in April.
P.S. That is the hottest umpire I have ever seen. Seriously.

M & M's

This morning, like all Friday mornings, Micah was running around the house, trying to find an item to bring for show and tell. We were running a bit behind schedule, so I was buckling Brody in to the car when Micah arrived with his selection.
Micah: Okay Mom, I got it. I'm gonna bring this turtle that the head goes back in on, you know like a peeking turtle when you have to poop.
Me: WHAT? WHERE DID YOU HEAR THAT FROM??
Micah: Dad told me. You know, when you have to poop, but only a little comes out and then goes back in... it's called a peeking turtle.
Me: Micah that is GROSS, and you can't talk about that at preschool.
Micah: (sounding defeated) Okay. But can I at least tell them his name?
Me: Sure, wait, what IS his name?
Micah: Lard Butt.
Me: WHAT? WHERE DID YOU HEAR THAT FROM??
Micah: Isaiah. He said that's his name.
Me: NO. You absolutely cannot tell your friends at preschool that name. You will have to come up with a new name.
Micah: (sounding defeated again) Okay. His name is Micah McDonald's Trailer.
Me: What? Why trailer?
Micah: You know, the place poor people live.
Me: Okay, please don't go into detail about the turtle. Just say it is your toy turtle, okay?
Micah: (still defeated) Okay Mom.

Thoughts this Friday...

Next week I will register Micah for kindergarten. I have done this three times already, yet none has bothered me the way this has. I go back and forth on, is he ready? will the teacher "get" him? can he possibly stop talking long enough to listen?
This morning in the car I heard the tail end of a poem, written by a Dad, who was sending his little girl off on the bus for the very first time, and it hit me. Why it is that this time is so very different.
I am terrified of Micah finding out that not everyone who smiles at him is his friend.
It will undoubtedly change him, and for that, I will never be ready.

life and stuff.

Recently someone was sharing their views on my christian life, and it went something like this: you used to be a really liberal christian, then, when you went to college, and the first few years of your marriage, you were a super conservative christian, and now, you are just a really tolerant christian. This totally bothered me. And here's why:
Pretty much my whole life I have worn clothes. Not news to anyone. Through the years the style of clothing I have worn has changed quite a bit. It changes daily, in fact. It has never really mattered what I have on, as long as I am covered.
I think of Christianity much the same way. It shouldn't really matter whether someone is a liberal, or conservative, a protestant or a Jew, a baptist, or a catholic.
The style in which I choose to "clothe" my relationship is not the issue, but whether I have on the clothes to begin with.

What really goes on in my house.

This afternoon I heard a scream from Brody like never before. He cried out, "You shot me Micah!" In the saddest voice you will ever hear. My heart broke for poor little Brody, who's big brother had broken his little heart by hurting him in such a violent way....
Then I heard a snicker from Micah, "And I'm gonna shoot you again!" he said.
Are you kidding me?
They are now both napping in my bed together, after having to hold hands and tell each other they love one another. :)
Seriously, where do they come up with this stuff?

Heard this today...

Depression is anger without enthusiasm.

So, does that mean I am depressed every evening between the hours of five and nine?

kind of sad

that i only got two responses to my HYSTERICAL april fool's joke. i was cracking up when i wrote it.... apparently i am not as funny as i thought.

BIG NEWS!

Okay, so we have some big, and really, unexpected news. We never thought this could happen, given the surgery Steve had last year. But, here it is....
I'm pregnant.

"Try Our Chicken Chunks"

That is what was posted outside a local burger and soft serve restaurant here in town. I would have taken a picture, but I fear the small town syndrome, someone knows someone who put it up, and now they hate me... so they will remain unseen. But seriously, this is just gross. There is NEVER a time (except when describing chocolate) that you should use the word chunks to talk about a meal. The word actually has the reverse meaning to me, and makes me think of vomit. Sorry, but it's true.
Blowing chunks.
NOT eating them.

Ahh, life indeed.

For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin -- real life.
But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be got through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid.
Then life would begin.
At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life.
- Fr. Alfred D’Souza

For a friend...

If you judge people, you have no time to love them.
Mother Teresa

Afternoon at the park

We tried to lunch outside, but it proved a bit to windy for the boys, so we resorted to a picnic in the burb!

Old friend tree is still big and strong.

The space shuttle is landing tonight, you know.

And Micah, well, what can you say about Micah?

Blackbird Singing In The Dead Of Night...

Take these broken wings and learn to fly...

SO, it runs in the family!

My Aunt Janet (Zach's Mom) sent me this picture of Zach! She says it must run in the family! Very cool Zach, very cool!

Zach graduates!

Here are some photos of my cousin Zach graduating from basic training! He looks so great! And I have to brag a little bit... He was one of only three people, out of two hundred and ten to recieve a promotion! Amazing, and so proud!

These are my cousins, Zach, the stud Army dude, Luke, who is Isaiah's age, and Rachel, Zach's older sister.

Check it out...

Ever so rarely I do put new items on Etsy... just in case you wanted to know. :)
The link to my site is in my blogroll.
Have a happy day!

Happy Easter to all!

This is as close to perfect as we could get, it started to snow, so we had to quit.

Baskets galore... and we added one more!

Even the birds were confused, didn't know what to do... Snow on Easter... boo hoo hoo.

Random Pictures...

Yet another nap in Mom's bed.

The kid's had a hard time leaving Steve alone after he got home!

The little boys trying on their Easter outfits.

Daddy's Girls

It's True!

The fabulous neighbor comes through again, with this amazing stunt. Apparently this can only be performed on the spring equinox, something to do with the gravitational pull today. Pretty amazing. Hannah and I were the only ones that could do it! Check out Jean's picture!

The key

Today, while I was sitting on the bed, Micah held a green plastic key. All of a sudden, he started poking me with the key. When I asked him what he was doing, he said that he was locking up all my mean words. What mean words, I asked. He said, the one's you use when I am doing things to get in trouble. Oh. At this point he started poking me again. Hey, I thought I was already locked up! No, Mom, now I am turning it the other way. So, what does that do? It makes only beautiful words come out of your mouth. Of course. I should have known.

My blue eyed boy....

Steve's home.

Made it back around 11:30pm last night. So glad. Thinking he is way better looking at 36 than he was at 35.
(p.s. my tattoo loving is wearing off on him, notice the "Miami Ink" shirt!)

A blog I love

Last week I came across a blog, set up by a man named Will. I came across it purely by chance, just hit the next blog button at the top of the page. Will's blog was the third one I came to, the other's not being in english. I began to read, and watch his videos. Will is the younger brother to Dan, of whom the blog is about. Dan has Down Syndrome. Dan is a gift.
Will is an artist, an actor, a singer, and a courageous little brother. He has some physical issues as well, he is missing his large intestine. This has proven to be a gift, as it allowed Will to come home, and begin this documentary on Dan. I want you to meet Dan. I fell in love with him by the end of the first video I watched.
I wrote Will a quick e-mail to tell him how his stories of Dan had touched me. He wrote back and said that he had not yet even shared the blog with the people who already know and love Dan. He said that it was an encouragement to him, to see how Dan's life impacts even those who don't know Dan.
I am not kidding you, you have to read and watch. You will be changed. You will fall in love. You will feel more deeply, cry a little harder, and understand a little more.
Meet Dan.

Reflecting

This morning I was thinking back to when I was in second grade. My parents were recently divorced, which in today's world seems perfectly normal. Back then, it was still not the norm, and I was the only kid I knew, who's parents were divorced. My sister and I used to spend every other weekend with my Dad. He lived in this small apartment behind a store called Fred Meyer. I don't remember a lot about the apartment, but I assume it was only a one bedroom, because I do remember sleeping on the floor or the couch, in the living room. My father was new to bachlorhood, and knew how to cook very few things. I believe we ate pot roast every weekend for a while. He had a glass top table for four. I remember thinking to myself that a glass top table didn't make sense with kids. The reality was, he wasn't with kids. Only for a couple of days every other week. My most vivid memory of those trips to the little apartment, were breakfast. Hostess donut sticks in a box, and a glass (not a cup) of milk. I loved those donut sticks. I remember looking so forward to them. We were allowed to eat them straight out of the box. We were allowed to eat them in front of the t.v. watching cartoons, while my Dad took a shower. It was like we were bachlors too. I always felt so strange, eating those donut sticks, on the floor, wrapped in blankets watching Tom and Jerry. But I liked it. It was my first taste of independence, as odd as that sounds. And to this day, every time I think about those donut sticks, I smile a little smile.

Pineapple

No great insight here, just wish I had one. Juicy, FRESH, sweet, and straight from the islands.

-

And in those moments just before night turns to day.. the only light that could be found, was the cool glow from her computer screen.