Musings Of Mom Girl

Stepping Out Of The Cave

2009-05-22T00:44:00.000-07:00

NOTE: If you haven't read "Living In A Cave In Antartica" below, scroll down and start there first! :)

If we lived in a cave in Antartica, and God asked me to step out of that cave in faith, what would I say??

“God, I can’t – it’s COLD out there!”

“What if my jacket isn’t warm enough?”

Or would I run outside into the snow, eager to embrace the cold, frolic with the penguins, and leave footprints in the ice as I walk with the Lord?

I’d like to think I’d be the latter, but truthfully, most days I feel like a little of both.

Our house is most likely selling (nothing is for sure, especially in THIS market, until the dotted line has been signed), and we are looking at moving to Oklahoma this summer.

So what about jobs?

Good question.

A few months ago, I found out about an online job opportunity through some very dear friends of mine. With their help (and recommendations), I have found myself going thru not one, but TWO different interviews with this wonderful company.

I hesitate to say very much about this. Although both interviews have been absolutely wonderful experiences for me, I don’t know, and won’t know, for a little while longer if I will be offered a position at this company or not.

I will tell you this – I could work fully from home, and utilize many odd hours (such as early at morning or late at night) to get some of the work done. I can also do the work from anywhere – making it a great job to have in Oklahoma.

It would be, in short….a blessing. I feel as though the position I have been interviewed for is perfect for me – a perfect fit with my talents and personality.

I have prayed my way through every step of this, and have experienced such wonderful peace about God’s plan and provision. As a matter of fact, just last night, as I was doing some of my Bible reading, a verse in Proverbs caught my heart.

Proverbs 19:21 – “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” (ESV)

God’s purpose will stand – no matter what. That means that even if I face the disappointment of not being accepted for this job, that God knows.

I want to glorify Him. I truly do. I want Him to take my heart, my hands, and my life. I want to be a Godly wife, and a Godly mother.

God is also moving to possibly have our daughter K-Bug attend a very special Kindergarten called Veritas. It is a part-time private Christian school and part-time homeschool situation. Again, perfect for our family. A spot is held for her there, even though I do not currently know if that is where she will be this fall.

My dear hubby, for his part, is also walking by faith – and flying by faith – out to Oklahoma the first week of June. His father has decided to take some time off and go with him, a true father-son trip. No matter what happens, both men are excited to have this time together!

My hubby’s resume’ is prepared and he will be looking for both ministry positions and possible contracts for re-starting his own music business in Oklahoma (just like what he does here right now).

For now, we wait, we prepare to the best of our ability, and we pray and stay rooted in Scripture as much as we possibly can!

So, there you have it, as much as can possibly be told in a nutshell, what is going on for the Smith family.

The day-to-day dealings with all of these BIG decisions can make our days seem almost chaotic at times. We have tried to keep things even keel for the kids as much as for ourselves, but we believe that God has asked us to step forth out of the cave and see what He has for us.

With jackets on (and maybe a good set of snow skis) we grasp the hand of the Father, and say one word.

“Yes”

Living In A Cave In Antartica

2009-05-22T00:37:00.000-07:00

One of my closest friends growing up had a saying that she would call upon any time a random piece of information used to catch me off guard. With a huge smile on her face, she would always ask, “Where have you been? Living in a cave in Antartica?”

Well, this desert is about as far from Antartica as you can get, but I have indeed been “leaking” small amounts of news that have caught everyone, including me, a little bit off guard.

To my amazing friends credit, if all I had told you was that I WAS living in a cave in Antactica, you would have responded with something like, “We will pray that you keep warm!” and then asked me “WHAT in the WORLD are you doing in Antartica??”

I have given out small pieces of information, mostly thru Facebook, in the last few weeks. I have told you that we put our house on the market, I have told you that we have an active offer on the house (which we’ve accepted), and just a few days ago, I asked for prayer for a job interview (which happened yesterday).

And in the most loving ways possible, you responded with, “We will pray for you, but WHAT in the WORLD are you talking about?”

I apologize right now for doing that to you, my dear friends. It isn’t really very fair to ask you for prayers about which I have been willing to share little.

It’s not that I don’t want to share, it’s more about waiting to see what it is that I really have to share. So much is unknown right now.

No matter though – it’s time for the box to be opened, and to spill out the jumbled contents inside. God is making ALL things beautiful, weaving every part of the jumbled into something that will bring Him glory.

It isn’t any secret that for the last several years, my husband and I have talked, prayed, and talked some more about making a move out of Phoenix. It is not an easy or flippant decision, I assure you. My husband’s family is all local, and my parents have lived next door for almost the past two years – all in all, an awesome situation. My parents have wanted to move out-of-state for a while themselves (they rent the house next door), but have waited here to see what we were going to do – they didn’t want to be far from their beloved grandchildren. 

A few years ago, we visited my sister and her husband in Norman, Oklahoma and fell in love with the place. My sis and her hubby had asked us to consider moving there, so we got a realtor to show us around during that first trip. While there, we found “it” – THE house – our “dream house”. We came back all fired up to try and make a sudden move.

But God had other plans.

Some of our dearest friends had asked us to help them start a church plant, and eagerly awaited our return from Oklahoma to see what we would decide. On our knees before the Lord, my hubby and I both felt that the Lord told us “not yet”. We believed He was leading us to start this church plant, and so we said “No” to Oklahoma and “Yes” to obedience.

Many of you know about all that has followed. It has been almost two years of growth in the Lord – challenging at times (especially for me), but full of so much joy in our obedience. I got pregnant and we were blessed to add J-Boy to the family. The friendships I have here are so deep and so amazing – women that are my sisters in Christ – now and forever.

During that time, my sis and her hubby have moved away from Oklahoma. After a year in South Carolina, they are back in the East Texas area, living in Dallas.

But that call to Norman, Oklahoma has remained in our hearts, and over the last few months, we begin to hear the Lord prompting us to move forward in obedience to Him.

This time the move just might involve moving vans and a brand new state.

Soo….April Fools Day found our house on the market (gulp), and a little over a month later, we had an active offer (double gulp).

We’ve gone thru mountains of paperwork, a home inspection, and yesterday – the appraiser. If all continues to go well, our close date will be June 19th.

Less than a month away….

Where will we live?

I – don’t – know – exactly

There is talk of putting all we can in storage and gutting it out for a month over at my parent’s house – saving as much money as we can.

There is talk of us moving to Norman by August……August???

What about jobs, you ask?? Well, that brings me to the next part of this whirlwind. Read on..

Let's Go Fly A Kite (& Feed Fish)

2009-04-14T16:29:00.000-07:00

The first weekend in April found our family looking at sunny skies, windy weather, and a brand-new kite. What to do??

How about a kite festival at the Japanese Friendship Garden?

Some of you know of my dear hubby's love of the Japanese culture. He recently acquired a membership to this small, Japanese garden, located in the downtown Phoenix area. It has become a special place for him to go and spend time with the Lord.

As a "member", he gets updates via e-mail about the various going-ons at the garden. That's how we found out about this small kite festival - celebrated in Japan as Children's Day. We loaded up the kiddos and enjoyed a wonderfully windy day together!

The girlies were immediately drawn to the large, blue tubs of koi fish that were being sold at the festival. Fish of all shapes, sizes, and colors swam in the long row of tubs.

The girlies (and J-Boy) also all had the chance to take to the stage to play a real Japanese taiko drum!! A troupe of young boys performed for everyone too.

Then it was kite time! For a few dollars, the girlies made a small kite (to go with the one that we had already brought with us). Then it was up, up, and away!!

After a little bit of kite-flying fun, we headed over to the garden to feed the large koi fish that live in the pond at the garden. The girls loved how close they could get to the fish and how BIG they opened up their mouths to devour the food!
J-Boy loved the fish too - except he was interested in trying to swim with them - hence the reason he is not in the pictures.

Here are some pictures of the garden - it is a lovely and peaceful place.

Our family was truly blessed to spend this windy day out enjoying God's creation!

House For Sale

2009-04-14T14:42:00.000-07:00

Dreams

Faith

And…..a house…..

For those of you who know me, you know that one of my greatest desires in the last few years has been to abandon Phoenix like a rat from a burning ship (and on a hot, summer day in Arizona, you really do feel like you’re burning…)

Abandon to where, you might ask?? That’s another blog post.

And yet, whenever I would approach my dear hubby about this “burning” desire, he wasn’t ready to take the leap.

So I’ve waited….and prayed….and waited....and whined…and prayed some more

True confession: some of the praying was actually whining too….you know…”But God, this is what I WANT….waaahh”

And then – it happened. One night in March, while my dear hubby and I were praying together, he looked at me and said, “Ok, let’s do it.”

A few weeks later, we listed our house on April 1st - April Fools Day.

I know, God has a sense of humor… :)

So, here it is – our house on the market

Quite possibly the worst market that Arizona has seen in my lifetime.

We’ve had one…count it…one person come to look at our house since we put it on the market just a little over a week ago. Our realtor has not given us much hope to expect many more at this point.

And yet, as I hit my knees in prayer, and approach my heavenly Father with the “Why didn’t you give both me AND my hubby peace about this before now??” question….I am filled with a strange reassurance.

Reassurance that HIS way is always best, that HIS timing is worth the wait, and that HE, and HE alone, will work things out together for the “good of those who love Him”.

So I wait…and pray….and wait some more….

J-Boy Is One!!

2009-04-08T21:42:00.000-07:00

J-Boy is understandably older (funny how kids do that). He had his first birthday at the end of February. Well….kind-of anyway. Being a leap year kiddo, he didn’t have his actual “date” of birth on the calendar.

We celebrated with a small first birthday party at a local park. He had started to pull up on things and decided to take some of his first “real” steps the day of the party.

He also had a good time eating…i.e. smearing… his own version of dump truck cake (chocolate soy pudding with animal crackers crumbled on top). Mmmmmmm……

He still doesn’t have a lot of hair (seems to be a pattern with my kids), but I sometimes spike what little he does have –so he’s still stylin! I love that boy’s punkin head…

He has since learned how to run everywhere on his chubby legs, and I spend most of my days running after him. He is into EVERYTHING!! For example, about a week ago, I found him in our bathroom. He had managed to somehow get the Listerine bottle out and take off the child safety cap. Thankfully, he had decided to NOT drink the liquid, but was delightedly shaking it and causing large amounts of minty freshness to rain down on his clothes, his stuffed animal, and a pile of clean laundry.

He has started to say a few words – “Dad-dee!!”, “Dogg-ie!” (he loves my parents dog), and his favorite “WOW! He points and uses sign language as well. Despite this cuteness, he doesn’t always get what he wants (isn’t life so unfair?) and he uses his newly developed sense of attitude to tell the world what he thinks about that.

He is a solid chunk, who would rather be outside playing in the rocks, dirt, water, and mud than just about anything else. He would also rather play with his sister’s toys or his Daddy’s guitar than any of his own age-appropriate toddler toys. He tries to play in the trashcan, the cat water, and the toilet on a near-constant basis, and has to be watched constantly when he is awake and moving.

He is...a whirlwind. And he whirls each of my days in a most wonderful way! Here are few pics of him for you to enjoy...

Playing on the computer (a used laptop that Daddy lets his sisters play with) He loves ANYTHING with buttons!

My little sweetheart!!

And...the whirlwind in motion!

Cooking Up Christmas Fun

2009-01-02T10:56:00.000-08:00

We did do lots of fun things during the Christmas season. One of those things was making Gingerbread cookies! One of my best memories growing up was making lots of Gingerbread men every year to give out to family and friends.
So, of course, I asked my Mom if we could all do it as a family this year.
Miss K-Bug LOVES to cook, so she was super excited about the day. Lorelin had fun, but I think she was ready to quit waaay before her sister was.
We put J-Boy down for a nap and got started making Gingerbread. We sure did make a lot of cookies!
Thanks Mom!

K-Bug put the flour on her nose because she had seen it in a book somewhere. She wanted to keep it on there the whole time! Too cute!

Mmmm....yummy...well, not yet..BUT

Soon enough we had lots of yummy gingerbread men. Lorelin DID like the eating part!!!

Merry POST Christmas!

2008-12-28T15:09:00.000-08:00

Ahhh….Christmas…..that blessedly busy season.

Can I make a confession??

I really DO like Christmas (honest, Scott, I do!!) ……….buuut

I am always glad when it’s over.

I am one of those people that is ready, ready, ready to take down the tree and lights the day after Christmas is over, and secretly get annoyed if I hear Christmas carols playing at church or on the radio after Christmas Day.

Sorry…I know that sounds really grinchy of me….

I do like Christmas…I do….and this year it was more fun than ever with three children under the age of five. K-Bug, by the way, says that she wishes it could be Christmas “EVERY DAY always, always always!!”

Sorry I haven’t been blogging much. I think I will make more consistent blogging one of my New Year’s resolutions (right behind reading the Bible thru in a year and getting in the best shape of my life…but more about that later)

Anyway, I hope you enjoy some of these cute Christmas pictures and a recap of the true Christmas fun we were able to have!!  Merry Post Christmas everyone!!!

And on to Valentines Day!!!!!!!!!

Miss Kertchoo

2008-12-07T21:25:00.000-08:00

Last night was one of the first FULL nights of good sleep I feel that I've gotten in weeks!
Next to K-Bug's sinus infection (and ensuing drama), we've also had a bout of croup with Miss Lorelin (she's fine now...but still on some temporary medicine to help her breathe at night), and a round of stomach flu with my hubby (he's OK today...but the last few days have been rough).
My throat has been slightly soar, and J-Boy has had some sniffles, but thankfully nothing else (I've been putting special baby acidophilus in his food, and giving him some special organic probiotic oatmeal).

Oh yeah...and I think I'm having PMS.

I had my breakdown yesterday - lots of boo-hooing and generally feeling sorry for myself since the last few weeks have been a little rough. I called my Mom and told her "I need my Mommy". She came and got all three kids for at least half an hour so that I could take a shower and change my clothes.

Today I slowly feel my sanity returning. In an effort to be light-hearted about the "sickies" that we've experienced these last few weeks, I wrote this poem last night...enjoy!

Me, You, And Miss Kertchoo

We’ve all heard of the Easter Bunny
And the Tooth Fairy too
But little know about the one
Simply known as Miss Kertchoo
She keeps Kleenex in her purse
And her wand is full of bluckies
That make little children everywhere
Green and gooey with the yuckies
Each cold season she awakes
From a long summer’s nap
She takes her germs and infections
And gives her hands a clap
As she giggles with delight about all the sickies she will spread
On each little boy and girl as they are lying in their bed
And who pays the price for Miss Kertchoo – her mischief and her fun?
It’s the parents – the parents I tell you – each and every one
We’ll wake like zombies to the tone of our children whining
“Mom, I can’t sleep. I don’t feel good.”
Their voices will bring
An end to our sleep
Our peace
Our sanity
And what I want to know is why no-one did tell me
About the stress and strain that these germs can cause
And yet I am SO thankful
This is because
I know that these bodies are just temporary
And sometimes germs infect
But ONE DAY our Heavenly Father
Will give us bodies that are oh-so-
PERFECT!!!

So, Miss Kertchoo, how do you do, with your wand of yuckies?
I will use the power of Tylenol (and prayer) to beat back the bluckies!!

So there!!

P.S. Lord, I am still one tired Mommy, so health visited upon our family very soon would be GREAT!!!

Thanksgiving Adventure

2008-11-28T21:09:00.000-08:00

The holiday season has roared down upon us again, and we spent a wonderful day-after Thanksgiving putting up our Christmas tree and decorations (I practically just supervised while the girlies put up all the ornaments and decorations). They LOVED making the house “look SO pretty!” as K-Bug said over and over.

I spent some early morning hours shopping with my Mom (we were insane enough to venture out to Wal-Mart), and the rest of my day was spent cleaning the house. I even squeaked in a nap…..ahhh!!

So, now, here I am, sitting at the end of my day – tired and unbelievably thankful for all that I am blessed with.

God gave our family an extra special reminder about how blessed we are and how HE is always in control this past week. Last Sunday morning, as we were getting ready to go to church, K-Bug started to complain of a scratchy throat. I didn’t think much about until I felt her head and she was burning up with fever.

Poor girl! Later that day, Miss Lorelin started in with her own fever, and we all spent a very long night nursing fevers and not getting much sleep.

On Monday afternoon, my dear hubby took both girls into our pediatrician where it was discovered that K-Bug had a sinus infection and ear infection BOTH (how do these things come on so suddenly?!), while Miss Lorelin was deemed a viral infection.
We started K-Bug on her antibiotics and spent ANOTHER long night of being awake, this time largely due to K-Bug’s nasal passages being virtually swollen shut and her not being able to breathe. We gave her Vick’s vapor rub, put the Vaporizer right in front of her bed, and finally ended up with both her and I on the couch, with me holding her upright most of the night.

By Tuesday, although the fevers were all gone (and Miss Lorelin was acting like she felt significantly better), Miss K-Bug was wiped out from the complete lack of good rest and sleep.

On Tuesday night, we all braced ourselves for another looong night, and sure enough, K-Bug began to sound very much like a eighteen wheeler on steroids as she nodded off, only to wake up crying as her body tried to catch a good breathe. Around 11:00 p.m. my dear hubby and I finally nodded off as K-Bug headed off to bed. At midnight, I woke up and went to check on K-Bug.

I found her with the same VERY noisy breathing, but she also seemed to be tossing, turning, and even thrashing on her bed. I picked her up and moved her to the couch, where I noticed that drool was coming profusely from her mouth and bubbles of spit were popping up. I tried to wake K-Bug to get her to breathe from her mouth, but I COULD NOT WAKE HER UP. No matter what I tried, either. No response.

I went and woke up my dear hubby, and after he had tried unsuccessfully to rouse K-Bug for a few minutes, he asked me to call 911. She had a complete lack of muscle response - she felt completely limp like a noodle in our arms.

Dialing 911 for what was the first time in my life (and I’d be fine if it was my last) will go down as one of the scariest moments of my life to date. I sounded much calmer on the phone than I felt, as I relayed the situation to the dispatcher and gave him all of the necessary information.

With MUCH relief, my hubby was finally able to successfully rouse a very congested and scared K-Bug by putting some water on her face, and we all waited the final few minutes out front as the paramedics pulled up.

Coming inside the house, the paramedics took a blood pressure (it was fine) and a blood oxygen level (it was also fine – 98%) on K-Bug, who by this time was shaking with fright, while seeming very dazed at the same time.

The paramedics gave us the recommendation that we take K-Bug directly on to an Urgent Care to be checked out, but also gave us their full OK for us to drive her ourselves. My brave and amazing hubby took K-Bug on to the pediatric urgent care (called Good Night Pediatrics)

Once there, however, the doctors sent him and K-Bug on to Phoenix Children’s Hospital, stating that our description indicated that there could have been a possible seizure.

According to my dear hubby, the nurses and doctors at Phoenix Children's all treated K-Bug like a little princess, and the attending ER doc was very calm and reassuring that K-Bug’s current seemed normal and healthy, despite the fact that she also felt that a seizure might have occurred.

The ER doctor gave K-Bug an oral steroid to open up her nose, and K-Bug and my dear hubby arrived home around 5:30 a.m., where K-Bug proceeded to sleep straight (and breathing easy, thanks to the steroid…thank you Lord!!) through for five hours.
My dear hubby slept for an hour and then got up to work his morning shift of work.

In talking our pediatrician the next day, she felt that several things could have happened:

1.K-Bug could have had a reaction to the medicine that she was taking, as it was a brand-new antibiotic for her.
2.K-Bug could have been made drowsy by the prescribed Claritan she was taking, and that made it very difficult for us to rouse her OR
3.Her nose could have been blocked to the point that she didn’t receive air for a short time, causing her body to react with a seizure.

So, long story made shorter, her pediatrician
1.Switched her to an antibiotic that she has had before (with no side effects!) and took her off of the Claritin.
2.Will be scheduling K-Bug to get an EEG just so that we know whether or not she had a seizure or was simply in a state of very deep sleep brought about by her complete exhaustion

K-Bug has slept in our bed for the last two nights, as we have wanted to keep her a little closer than normal. Kaelyn is doing MUCH better – sleeping through the night, doing well on her new antibiotics, and being her sweet, cheerful self.

Tonight she is back in her own room and own bed, and I am thankful beyond words for the sparkling eyes of my little girl.

We spent Thanksgiving largely at home, sleeping and recovering. (we spent about two hours at my parents eating lunch too).

I have cherished every sound of her sweet voice, laughed at all of her silly jokes, and soaked in every song that she has showered us with in the last day or two.

My children are so precious, so incredibly precious to me.

I am thankful…..so incredibly thankful.

Catching Up..Pt 4 - The Women's Retreat

2008-11-19T21:57:00.000-08:00

Every year, one of my very best friends, Christy, and myself head up to the North Phoenix Women's Retreat. We both attended North Phoenix Baptist Church in our high school and college days, and Christy's Mom and Dad are still active members there. When her Mom invited us to the very first Women's Retreat FIVE YEARS AGO :), we were both new Mommies in need of a break from our babies (her son was seven months and K-Bug was just five months old).

It was at that first retreat that we laughed, cried, and experienced God in new ways together.

Now, five retreats later, I've got my three kiddos and Christy is expecting her third baby next March.Awwww....I think she looks so beautiful with her baby belly! :)

We tease each other because there has only been one year that at least one of us wasn't pregant at the retreat. (we've both decided we're done with pregnancy and babies:)

Truly, this retreat is a special and sacred time for me and my friend. There are SO many highlights at the retreat. One of our favorites is the Saturday night party! Each year, the retreat team for North Phoenix Baptist puts together a HUGE theme party for the second night of the retreat. There are ALWAYS outrageous costumes, games, music, and more.

It's a blast! :) They have done fun themes like a Fifties Party, A Western Hoedown, and last year, a Princess Party!

This year they decided to do something a little bit different and put together a talent show. The theme of the retreat was "God's Precious Jewels" - so they decided to do a Saturday Night "Sparkle Show"

When they first announced the talent show, my friend Christy called me and said, "I KNOW what we are doing for the talent show! Have you seen Evolution of Dance on You Tube??"

Yes, people, WE did the entire evolution of dance. And yes, my friend Christy was almost six months pregnant while we did it. We rehearsed pretty hard for about a week, and when the time came we were ready.....

We ended up being the last act of the night, and yes, WE-ROCKED-THE-HOUSE! (and had a BLAST doing it!!!)

Who said that Baptists don't dance???

I have some video of us doing the dance, so maybe I'll get brave and post it on my blog so everyone can see...

Here is Christy and I posing with the lady who was the Emcee for the night's talent show events.

And here is Christy and I just posing for the camera with all of our "sparkly bling" on...I am pointing to her preg-o belly!

Catching Up..Pt 3 - The Chili Party

2008-11-19T13:20:00.000-08:00

Every year, on Halloween Day, our family has had the privelage of attending a Chili Party hosted by one of my best friend's mother. :) She is so generous to include us in this family event (thanks Jan!) Fred and Jan have a BIG backyard, and lots of toys for the kiddos to play with. After a big dinner of homemade chili and other fixins', the kids decorate their own treat bags and walk through the neighborhood collecting candy from all of Fred and Jan's neighbors.
The entire block participates in their own family/friend party events at their houses, and most of the neighbors wait out in front of their houses with big bowls of candy. This year we took
ONE PINK PIG, ONE FANCY-NANCY BUTTERFLY, AND ONE EYEORE....:) Our camera was really, really low on batteries, so these are the few pictures that we got before our camera completely died..

It was a very wonderful and even relaxing night. ALl the children that have come to this even the last few years are growing up, and this year they played mostly among themselves, giving us adults a chance to sit and visit with each other.

Catching Up..Pt 2 - The Farm

2008-11-19T12:51:00.000-08:00

Every year since our K-Bug was just a baby, our family has traveled to the "farm in the city" - Tolmachoff Farms - for their annual Pumpkin Days. K-Bug is now old enough to ask to go the farm, and so she asked, and asked, and asked again...
It's always a lot of fun!!

Here is our little pumpkin, sitting with the pumpkins (and trying to eat the grass on the gound!)

They have a BIG corn pit for the kiddos to play in at the farm. It's filled with a ton of dried corn kernels....can you imagine how much pop corn that would be?? :)

It was SUPER hard to get all three kids to pose together, but we did get this adorable shot of our two sweet girlies posing with the pumpkins (it was a little less wiggly then their baby brother).

A new addition to the farm this year was a hand-built duck run. It was a row of long wooden tracks that received water from old-fashioned pumps. Tiny plastic ducks were placed inside the track, and you could "race" your duck against others beside you. We all spent a lot of time racing our ducks up and down the tracks.

My dear hubby's duck beat everyone else's every time...but that hardly seems fair, huh?? :)

Catching Up..Pt 1 - The Zoo

2008-11-19T12:17:00.000-08:00

Part of enjoying the super nice weather here in Arizona right now is getting outdoors to those venues that are really too hot to be at during the summer. We had a few months left on our membership card at The Phoenix Zoo, so we made an effort to go as often as possible in the last two months (our membership JUST expired...bummer! :( And although it was a good deal, we've decided to not renew given the very real possiblity that we might move before we could fully use it.
Anyway....here are some pictures from one of our trips.

This is as close as I EVER, EVER want to be to an alligator!

(alligators are one of my biggest monster-fears. When I have nightmares, they usually involve giant alligators eating people)

Here are the girls riding some exotic animals..on the merry-go-round, of course!

The zoo has a big farm (yup, we city folks have to go the zoo to see a real farm!) and the girls were perfecting their riding skills on these wooden horses!

Here is proof that Daddy was there, taking pictures most of the day. He snapped this shot of himself and K-Bug being silly!

It's ONLY been a month...:)

2008-11-19T11:51:00.000-08:00

I mean, in the grand scheme of things...what's a month?

Thirty days, seven hundred twenty hours, and um.... a LOT of minutes.... :)

AND... a lot of the Smith family that I haven't been able to share with all of you!

Have you ever fallen so behind on balancing your finances?? AND….. because you are so tired that particular night, you decide that “catching up” is going to be a lot of work and decide to go have a bowl of ice cream and read a good book instead??

Yup, I really, really don’t like having to play the “catch-up” game. It’s so much nicer, I think, when I’ve just been nice and consistent all along.

And, although I could throw out a lot of really good and very valid excuses about why I haven’t blogged lately….such as…

1. The weather is SO nice in Arizona right now (although still a little too warm for my tastes). Still, we are outside every chance we get. We still do not have a backyard put in at our home, so getting outside sometimes requires packing up the ol’ family and traveling to our nearest park or biking trail. I’ll have some pictures of our outdoor adventures coming soon! 
2. If my son is awake, he is pretty much my full-time employer. My job, you ask?? It would be to watch him EVERY SINGLE SECOND to make sure that he is not trying to destroy something in the house or trying to hurt himself by playing with things that are NOT toys (cords that plug into the wall, brushes, cat food, etc). He is a speed crawler, and LOVES to explore!!
3. I have SOO tired in the evenings, and my time during the day that is truly and really my own is SUPER limited (for example, my son just started crying…he is supposed to be sleeping)
4. My schedule is full and blessed.

STILL………….I LOVE my friend’s blogs…they give me a window into their hearts and minds even though they might be far away or not in a place where I can directly connect with them

And so, although I’ll be honest and say sometimes I’m un-sure that my little ol’ blog matters so much to anyone, I think in a way it does matter to me. So, I’m back….and like so many other things in my life that are truly important, I’ll be striving for some more consistency.

3-2-1 - We Have Lift Off!!

2008-10-23T16:09:00.001-07:00

Yup, J-Boy has successfully lifted off of his bum and is now crawling!!

It started out as a slow crawl, but he gets faster every day, and yes, he is now trying to get into everything!

I mean, why play with your toys when you can crawl over and chew on your sister’s shoe??

He is the earliest crawler out of all three of our kiddos, so I’m not sure what this means for walking….

I do know that if that boy is awake, he is on the go, and so is Mom!

I Will Make Them Read This Post Out-Loud…

2008-10-23T16:09:00.000-07:00

When they are teenagers, K-Bug and Lorelin will undoubtedly have their sisterly “moments” when they would rather not be the bestest of friends.

It is at this time that I will pull out this post and have them read “OUT-LOUD” (oh yes, I will!!) to each other their words of sweetness and kindness recorded here for all of time and history.

At nighttime, after we have said our evening prayers, we go around the girls bedroom and each say what we are thankful for.

Here is what Lorelin said the other night – “I’m thankful for my sister K-Bug. She is my very best friend and I love her!”

K-Bug sweetly acquiesced to that comment with “I know.” (hee, hee)

However, then she got out of her bed, went over to Lorelin’s bed, and pulled her sissy into a great big hug and said, “You’re my best friend too Lorelin.”

AWWWWWW……….it was so awesome!!!

And so, yes, my dear sweet daughters, I deeply pray that you will ALWAYS be the best of friends. And when you are not, I will make sure you read these words out loud to each other.

P.S. Other sweet things they have said they are thankful for –
K-Bug – “I am thankful for my Daddy playing with me. He is so fun!”
Lorelin – “I am thankful for hugging my Mommy!”
K-Bug – “I am thankful for dancing and cats”
Lorelin – “I am thankful for my Grandad and playing in his car.”

J-Boy - Seventh Month Update

2008-10-14T23:08:00.000-07:00

Seeing as how I have completely skipped over his six month update (and how time still marches on), I just wanted to give everyone the update on our not-so-little boy.

At his six month appointment, J-Boy weighed in at 19 pounds, which my pediatrician told me that that is the weight of the average eleventh month old that she sees.

“He’s a big boy!” she told me in her wonderful, lilting Nigerian accent.

He is indeed a big, happy boy. He is not yet crawling on his own, but will get up on his hands and knees and rock back and forth. He will also scoot himself backwards halfway across the room, which ends up with his being VERY frustrated that he is getting farther away from his toys (or the cat, or a book, or whatever) instead of getting closer.

He now has two pearlie white chompers on his bottom gum, and can use said chompers to gnaw and chew on his favorite snack – Puffs! Fruit puffs, veggie puffs – any kind will do – as long as he can keep them going in his mouth!

What is it about boys and food anyway?? :)

J-Boy has also started to use his little lips and mouth for various sounds like “Ma, Ma, Ma”, “Da,Da, Da” – he also likes to make couging noises (which always make me check to make sure he’s not actually choking), and guttural sounds in his throat that make him sound like a dinosaur.

What is it about boys and dinosaurs anyway?? :)

Speaking of dinosaurs, his favorite security item for sleeping is a big, stuffed alligator. He reaches for it when you lay him in his crib. Here he is all cuddled up to Mr. Alligator……

Awwwww……I just want to eat him up, he's SOOO cute!!!!!!!!!!!

Here are a few other seven month shots:
J-BOY IN THE TUB (don't worry - both of us parents were very close by)

WHY WON'T THIS HORSE GO ANYWHERE?? (at the Phoenix Zoo)

HANGING OUT WITH GRANDAD (he can hold his upper body straight just like you see in this pic for a looong time..so strong!)

Surrender

2008-10-14T23:00:00.000-07:00

I’m always at a vulnerable place when I’m sick (aren’t we all?)

I tend to cry more easily, and I actually have some amount of time to be “on my back” and think and pray about life.

So what did God show me in three days of illness and no food?? (last Friday was the first day that I was able to eat three square meals…it was pure WONDERFUL-NESS!!!)

He showed me some things that I’ve been holding on to, clinging to even – trying to make them fufill me.

And through all of my reading and praying, He spoke a beautiful and wonderful word to my heart.

“Surrender”

“OK, Lord”

Make The Yuckies Stop

2008-10-14T22:39:00.000-07:00

So this entire past week has felt like a wash. About halfway through my morning at work on Tuesday (I teach music at a preschool one day a week), I started feeling sick to my stomach and having REALLY horrible stomach cramps.

I managed to make it through my morning and headed home to take a nap when the kiddos went down. By the time I woke up though, it was sure and certain that this was a virus that was not going to go anywhere.

My hubby spent the rest of the evening earning his “I’m-a-saint-of-a-husband-and-father” merit badge as he simultaneously took care of the kids AND me. I spent a lot of time becoming very familiar with all of the porclein in the bathroom. To cap off the evening, Lorelin started to run a mild fever and complain of yup… a tummy ache.

By the next morning, I was still in the grips of yuckiness, although now I had to also deal with my sick child (who had diarrhea all day and then threw up all evening), and my well children too (who I really wanted to stay that way).

Again, my husband was so incredible and pitched in and helped out however he could… thanks honey….I TRULY don’t know what I would have done without you. Thanks also to my parents, who helped with the healthy children when and where they could (and also made a late night trip to CVS pharmacy for Pedialtye!)

At one point on Wednesday evening, right after Miss Lorelin had thrown up what seemed to be everything she-ever-ate, and was dry heaving in the bathroom, she looked at me with the most pitiful face and said those words that would twist any Mommy’s heart –

“You’re de Mom…..”

“Yes, I’m the Mom, sweetie”

“Make the yuckies stop!”

Sweet peaches, how I WANTED to make the yuckies stop right then and there, but mother and daughter limped through the evening together.

Thankfully, we are all on the well-and-good list today, although a little drained from our bodies dealing with illness.

New Finds...

2008-10-10T23:11:00.000-07:00

Hey there...I love it when my friends share new products or things they love with me. So, I just wanted to share a new blog that I found that I love! :) Simple Mom may sound like SuperMom, but I'm sure she has her own share of prayer requests!
She doesn't share a lot on her public site, but I think that she and her husband are somehow involved with missions in a country that she can't mention openly.

Anyhoo...her site is fabulous and has tons of great information and organizationanal ideas! Check it out...

A Date For Tonight....

2008-10-10T09:29:00.000-07:00

Tonight my dear hubby is going out with his Mom, sister, and aunts to a Neil Diamond concert (his Mom bought him the ticket as a gift). :) She actually offered to let me go too, but I'm not even really that familiar with Neil Diamond or his music, so I opted to stay home and be with the kiddos. :)
I am praying for a quiet night, kiddos that go to bed on time, and a nice, long stretch of time in which to blog my heart out.
Lots of silly, serious, and fun stuff to share! :)

The Great Debate Of '08

2008-10-02T20:10:00.000-07:00

Ok, ok….so I have completely resisted posting about politics, even though I am a self-avowed conservative political talk-show junkie…..

My favorites are Dennis Prager, Laura Ingraham, and Hugh Hewitt (for those of you who aren’t altogether political, Dennis Prager is a GREAT listen…he talks about everything in life)

This year though, I am……weary…..

Weary I think partly due to the fact that I have three children under the age of five (which leaves me with a LOT less energy to devote to politics), but also weary of the media circus that has surrounded this current election.

For the record, I am a HUGE Sarah Palin fan.

I think that the attacks against her and her family have been vile and insidious. Not that I think that Barak Obama’s family deserves any smears either, but I am mildly disgusted by the almost “worship” of Barak as a person.

I have had to handle ALL of my politics this year in small chunks…here a little…there a little….

I voted originally for Mit Romney (after a lot of debate within myself), and McCain was far and away my LAST choice. But, as I mentioned above, I truly respect Sarah Palin and feel I can vote for McCain/Palin if only because she is on the ticket (I’m sure many echo my sentiments).

There is so much more I could say in detail about what I think and feel politically. I have voted proudly since the time I was eighteen, and can see myself getting more involved in the realm of politics (especially in the defense of life) in my older years.

To sum up, I would say this: to those out there who are also weary of this season of politics, even for those who might HATE politics…don’t lose heart.

God is still in control, even when the rest of the world thinks the sky is falling, and no matter how dark this world may be, we as Christians can stand for what God’s word says is right and true, in whatever way He calls us to do that.

Thank you, Lord, for being the God over all….my heart finds rest in You

Is This For REALS?? :)

2008-09-24T21:09:00.000-07:00

A friend of my hubby sent this to him a few days ago, and we love it! :) Words can't express - you just have to experience it for yourself...so go ahead...

My favorite part?

"ZAP!"

I'm Still Here....I've Just Been....

2008-09-18T21:28:00.000-07:00

1. Changing LOTS of poopy diapers - J-Boy is a very healthy eater - and pooper!! :) I'm glad his system works so well, but I am very busy keeping his pants clean.
2. Feeding Children - If I'm not feeding my girlies breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snacks, I am feeding J-Boy a bottle or baby food. I have a new appreciation for not only what my own Mom did over the years, but also those Mommies who have even more mouths to feed at one time than I do. Go Moms!
3. Getting Back Outside - Slowly, but surely, the weather is changing here. That means we've started to get back outside in the mornings to let the girlies ride their tricyles (and K-Bug has a new/used bicylce with training wheels) and going for walks in the evenings after dinner. J-Boy LOVES to be outside in his stroller - it really helps when he is being fussy in the evenings. In a few weeks, the girlies, J-Boy and I will all start to go the park on at least a weekly basis to spend some extended time outdoors with friends. I am SOO thankful! I feel like we all deserve a T-shirt or other memento that says "We survived ANOTHER Phoenix summer!"
4. Holding/Rocking A Teething Baby - J-Boy's FIRST tooth finally popped thru the gum on the bottom, and he doesn't seem to be too thrilled about it! He's got another on the way, and the poor kiddo has been uncomfortable and a little a fussy. I do have some great natural teething tablets (thanks Coral!)as well as cold teething rings...they do help some. :) In the meantime, we hope for the teethies to come quickly...
5. Fighting Headaches & Dealing with Allergies....The headaches have been mine. I've had a few in the last week or so. They are a combination of sinus pain and migraine throbbing. YUCK!! The allergies I've had to deal with haven't been my own - my dear hubbies allergies have flared on him in the last few weeks as well - poor guy!!! He's been absolutley miserable - sneezing until his eyes are puffy and his nose is swollen. He hasn't really had to deal with serious allergies for at least a few years, so this spell of ickies caught him totally off-guard.
6. Starting the girlies in a dance/gmynastics class - My generous mom-in-law gave us a gift to help the girlies get started in a dance/gymnastics class that meets once a week. At this point, it's only four weeks long. After that time, we should be able to determine if we will continue with this combined gym and dance class or just switch to gymnastics. We had our first class this week, and both K-Bug and Lorelin had a LOT of fun! I took the camera, but the pictures were really lousy...Sorry :(
7. Playing with my parent's new puppy... TODAY my parents picked up their new puppy - a seven week old female chocolate labrador that they named Moxy (it means "smart") She is a TOTAL cutie, and the girls just LOVED playing with her....and she loved playing with them. They wore each other out - my girlies are fast asleep, and I know that Moxy is probably sleeping away on her new special doggie pillow. It will be lots of fun for the girls (and the rest of us) to watch this puppy grow - and my parents are the ones who get to feed and clean up after it! We all win!
8. Signing Up For The Gym...yup, I did it. I signed up for a gym that will open in just a few weeks. It's called Fitness Works. For $25 a month, I get access to the gym as well as free reign to choose from over 80 different aerobics classes. I haven't really told a lot of people about this, because I know that the proof is when I start going to the gym, but I am READY!!!
9. Sleeping & Reading.... I do try to get some sleep at night, although I continue to be a night owl, and I've been trying to keep up with my Bible reading, as well as a few other books. I've also been trying to pray each night with my dear hubby....

Well, that's a little bit of what's going on for us Smiths....I pray that all is going well with YOU!

Look Ma - No Hands!!

2008-09-09T21:18:00.000-07:00

I haven't gotten around to writing J-Boy's six month update yet, but here is our BIG boy proudly showing off his newest accomplishment! SITTING UP!!
He's been sitting up for a few weeks now, but he's always needed his hands propped in front of him, and if he tried to turn his head or shift his weight, he'd fall over like a tiny sack of taters'. :)
But not anymore.....
LOOK AT ME!!

He's even gotten to the point that he can "correct" himself when he gets off-balance. He can also lean over to grab things and then pull himself back up.
Sometimes he still falls....

Then he smiles a cute smile for the camera about 20 seconds before he starts scooting around on the floor like a mad-man on a mission. A crawling mission that is! This boy is bound and determined to go places - I wouldn't be surprised if he starts crawling very soon. Then it's watch out world - and Mommy too!
When he's not sitting around looking cute, J-Boy can be found in his exer-saucer twirling, jumping, and chewing away. :)

Go, big boy, go!!!

Our Trip - Unpacked

2008-09-03T13:10:00.000-07:00

I was reading back over my posts about our trip. They are a snapshot of what happened - a verbal scrapbook, with a few pictures put in. However, I didn't really elaborate on many thoughts or feelings about the trip.So, in a what I hope to be a shorter post, I'll share a little of my true heart.

Here is what I remember about -

THE PAST: When we went to Norman to visit in 2007, my dear hubby and I both fell in love with this charming town. The college-feel, the friendly people, the weather (yes, even the tornadoes!), and the land.
Both my hubby and I can recall a very vivid moment that we had inside the Oklahoma City airport from that first visit. We were sitting and reflecting on that first visit getting ready to fly back to Phoenix. We both looked out over the expanse of land and sky there in the giant windows of the airport, and together prayed that God would show us whether or not He wanted us to move to Norman. We came home from that first trip, and through MUCH prayer, believed that God told us "Not yet". We both believed that He wanted us to accept the offer to help our friends as they started a new church plant. So, we said, "Not now" to Norman, and "Yes" to God and our friends.
As it turns out, my sis and her dear hubby decided to move away from Norman. I decided that God must have changed His answer to a "No", and in my heart silently bid a farewell to Oklahoma.

Here is what I know about -

THE PRESENT: Fast foward to today. The church plant will celebrate the anniversary of our first service in just two short weeks. My dear hubby has led worship for this great little church, and I have grown incredible amounts in my own faith as it relates to obedience to Christ. My parents have been "waiting" around the Phoenix area, hoping that we might want to move with them....somwhere close to them so that they can continue to have their special, close relationships with their grandkids. My parents have been looking at the East Texas area, most espcially because my Meemaw (and other family) are there - and my Meemaw may need assistance as she gets older. However, my dear hubby had never been to East Texas, and I hadn't been in at least ten years. So, we planned a trip that would double as a vacation and scouting mission to see if East Texas is a place we'd consider moving to. The plane tickets were bought, and we sat down with a map of Texas. However, as we kept talking and praying, God seemed to bring Norman back to our minds and hearts. "That's silly.." we told ourselves. However, again and again both my hubby and myself felt it laid on our hearts that we were to return there.
Many a night we prayed, "Lord, what in the world are we supposed to do once we get there? Drive around? Jump up and down? Say 'Hey-howdy-hey' to Joe Brown?" (okay, so maybe our prayers didn't all rhyme quite like that... :)
So one night we just said, "Yes". And even though we still had NO idea what to do when we got to Norman, we both had immediate peace that we were being obedient.
We worked Norman into the plan, called my sis and her hubby to help us find a place to stay, and mapped out our route from Dallas on up to Oklahoma.
If you want to read (or re-read about) what we actually did there in Oklahoma - head back to Day 1 or Day 2 of the trip. Our time in Okalahoma was very God-centered. We both wanted to stay, although we knew that we needed to head to our visits in Texas. And driving dwon from Oklahoma to Texas, both my hubby and I believed that God just might be up to something in Norman, Oklahoma that involved us.We returned from the trip, and sat down one evening for a candid conversation with my parents. They surprised ME by saying that they still thought that Norman was a wonderful place, and they were still thinking of moving there themselves.
Hmm....

What I am praying about -

THE FUTURE: So where does that leave us? I don't like saying this, but I still don't altogther know. It hasn't been easy to think about leaving Phoenix. In many ways I am very comfortable here - I have the best friends of my life, and my hubby's family are all around. The housing market stinks in Phoenix right now, and selling our house (not to mention making any kind of profit) seems rather unlikely. My sis and her hubby are not wanting to make a return to Norman for many reasons, and although she is supportive of whatever we decide, she's dissapointed (as am I) that we might not be a close together in miles as we would have wanted (although I AM praying about Austin, just like I said I would!)
Most of my hubby's family are upset of the thought of us leaving, and many of my friends can't understand anyone's draw to a place that regularly hosts tornadoes.

I can only tell you this - it would be by God, for God, and about God if we moved.

My job is to commit myself into God's hands, and to draw near to Him.

We are activley asking God about what's next for the Smiths, and praying about a possible move within the next year.

God knows what the future holds.

So, for now, that's enough for me.

Our Trip - Part 3, Days 3 &4

2008-09-03T10:18:00.000-07:00

I'm just now finishing the write-up about our Texas/Oklahoma trip…if you stuck with me and made it this far in my rather lengthy posts then you are either my true friend, you like words as much as I do, or you’re feeling obligated to read because you’re related to me. ;)

Anyway, I’ll roll together days three and four. We spent most of Saturday visiting with my Meemaw.Here she is sititng on her beautiful patio with her "porch dress", as she called it, and her doggie Tinkerbell.

We visited a little in the morning and then went out driving.We ended up stopping at this tourist attraction that was the home of the WORLD’S LARGEST CEDAR ROCKING CHAIR. No kidding…they have the Guiness World Record plaque to prove it. It IS a big chair….I think it’s 25 feet high.

Here I am, sitting in a smaller, but still LARGE version of the same chair. I felt like such a little kid sitting in this chair.

There was a beautiful furniture store/gift shop, a BBQ restaurant, and a real working blacksmith on the property.

The furniture was made of cedar, of course, and was very beautiful. The first thing you see inside the store is this large handcrafted table that costs oh…only $10,000.

We didn’t even breathe on that table…..

My Meemaw ended up buying J-Boy a cute cowboy Teddy bear and she bought the girlies some pink fuzzy slippers that look like cowboy boots…they are SO super cute! We ate at the Smokehouse BBQ – it was out of this world good!

We went back to my Meemaw’s house and rested some before packing our bags up and saying our Goodbyes to her.

The most confusing drive of the entire trip was the one from my Meemaw’s house back to the rental car facility at the airport. We had Google Maps version of the step-by-step directions, and I am so thankful that they were all accurate! The airport in Dallas is super spread out and getting to the airport was a maze of exits and turn-offs.

We dropped off our rental car and my Uncle Petey (not really my uncle, but my godfather) came and picked us up. Ahhh!!! We could relax and let someone else take the wheel!

Once back at my godparents BEAUTIFUL home (they just completely remodeled the inside of their home and it is stunning!), we unloaded our suitcases and enjoyed a short rain-storm that blew cool winds and poured buckets of water on their already green backyard.

My Godparents spoiled us rotten – they took us to the most AMAZING Mexican food restaurant for dinner. They make homemade guacamole to your specifications right at your table…..cool, huh?

After dinner, we went back to their house, sat down and has us a good ol’ fashioned visit. We talked for the next few hours about everything under the sun – our children, our trip, what God was doing in our lives, good books, etc.

It was such a blessed time – one that, in reflection, really blessed my hubby and I immensely. It’s always good to have someone who’s gone before you speak truth and perspective into your current circumstances.

We slept well, and awoke the next morning to attend church. The pastor at their church has been preaching since I was a child, and it was so wonderful to hear him preach that morning.

After church, we went out for some pizza,where we asked a teen girl outside to snap our picture.

Then we were on to the airport. We made it to our gate with LOTS of time, and crowded into our seats with a full flight.

The ride back to Phoenix was a bit bumpy, and my hubby had a very painful stuffed eardrum, but we did make it safely, for which we are thankful. :0 As we disembarked from the plane, I turned to my hubby and told him how much I had enjoyed our time together.

With that, we turned the corner out of security, and into the waiting arms of my parents and children, who had come to greet us at the airport.

There were lots of big hugs and smiles, and lots of exclamations from K-Bug saying, “You came back! MY Mommy is back! MY Daddy is back!”

It was good to be with our children again.

Vote, Vote, Vote!

2008-08-28T13:32:00.001-07:00

And I'm not talking about the upcoming election. This Reece's Rainbow ministry has just really been on my heart. Please visit their website, check out their ministry, and then PLEASE vote to help them win money for their Adoption Grant Project!

Our Trip, - Part 2, Day 2

2008-08-27T22:38:00.000-07:00

One would think in a house of nine children that bedtime would be chaos. This is not true of the Presley family. Now while there was still a good deal of kids being kids, bedtime moved in waves, with the younger children going first (the oldest child is sixteen and the youngest is seventeen months). There was also someone assigned to kitchen duty who was cleaning up the dinner remains. The next morning (Friday) moved in waves as well – the younger kids woke up first, ate breakfast and started on their schoolwork (they are home-schooled). The older kids slept in, but then followed the same routine.

It was delightful to spend time with all of the children. We had a great time asking them about their hobbies, their favorite subject in school, and what they had been doing over the summer. They brought out drawings to show us, books to share, and performed their favorite tricks for us on the trampoline.

We would have loved to spend more time with the family, but we didn’t want to interrupt their school day, and also wanted to spend more time out and about in Norman.

Funny thing was, we weren’t exactly sure what that meant.

Although we had a set appointment with the realtor on Thursday, we hadn’t really planned anything concrete for the next morning. So, Friday morning found us on our knees together as a couple, asking God to literally guide our steps.

We decided to start with a cup of coffee for my dear hubby at Starbucks (he was starting to have withdrawals without his usual morning cup). We had thought to ask my sister the night before about where the closest Starbucks was, and we managed to find it without many problems.

It was, of course, over-run with college students, and as my hubby ordered his grande black coffee, I sat and watched all the different types of students as they came in for their morning cup-o-Joe (do you Starbucks workers ever call it that, Nickle-Pickle?)

With phone book in hand (the realtor had given us an extra one from his office), we looked at a few different churches and places of interest.

Before we had taken the trip, my dear hubby and I had looked at a few different churches that had advertised a need for a worship pastor. It turns out that one of the main ones we had looked at was only a block or two away, so we offered a quick prayer and headed over. We weren’t sure what to expect, with Friday being a day off for many ministers and office staff in Norman. To our surprise, we did find a very sweet secretary who offered to show us the church. She then spent time chatting and visiting with us about our trip to Norman. She asked for a resume’ and we sheepishly went to get the only thing we had. We had brought an incomplete resume’ with us, meaning only to spend some of our drive time with a pencil in hand, updating it in order to make changes once we returned to Phoenix. We gave it to her, and left with the words that we would pray about sending an updated resume’.

We then set off to try and find one of mine and my dear hubby’s old college ministry leaders that we discovered was working as a college pastor at one of Norman’s Baptist churches. Jeff Jimmerson was the director of the Baptist Student Union at Grand Canyon University when my dear hubby attended there, and he was also involved in the North Phoenix Baptist college ministry, where I was involved in my earliest college years.

We stumbled around a little before the church literally found us, and upon entering the building we were VERY surprised to find that Jeff had just arrived at his office (again, very rare for a Friday). He was also VERY surprised to see us, and after hugs and handshakes all around, we sat down to a great visit with this solid man of God. It was so incredible to hear his heart for the college ministry there in Norman, and we shared our hearts about how we felt drawn back to Norman, our own passion for working with students, and my dear hubby’s giftedness with worship. We ended our time together with Jeff’s praying with us and over us.

I will unpack that moment a little more in a later post – it was one of the most special parts of the trip for me.

With an exchange of e-mails, we filled our car with gas, our tummies with food, and headed down the road to Texas.

Here are a few pictures that we took while we were “on the road” (literally). ;) Just more countryside...

We made it safely to my Meemaw’s house around 6:00 p.m. that evening and enjoyed a home-cooked meal of roast, potatoes, gravy, squash, fried okra, jello salad, rolls, and more!
(If that sounds like a lot of food…it was.…..I ate WAY too much!) Here I am helping to fry the okra (under my Meemaw's watchful eye..:)

My Uncle John and his friend were also able to join us for dinner, and after a night of visiting, we headed to bed.

Ding Dong! The Microwave is Dead..

2008-08-27T13:17:00.000-07:00

I read my friend Brandie's blog today and as she was talking about the death of her beloved crockpot, it reminded me of our own appliance issues....

The last few weeks, our microwave has had some "scary" moments of trying to fry itself and the contents inside with some supercharged surges of power.

In a moment where I thought the microwave was SURELY going to go up in smoke, we decided it was time to throw the eight year old microwave out.

We surprised ourselves by deciding NOT to get a new one just yet. One of our goals for 2008 has been to s-l-o-w d-o-w-n, and we thought that, besides possibly being healthier, that not having a microwave might force us to think of alternative and somewhat slower methods of meal preparation.

It's only been a couple of days, but I truly am surprised that we have adapted and overcome in most areas of cooking.

Just because the microwave is gone though, doesn't mean that I don't still enjoy modern convenience. I might need to invest in a bottle warmer now that I am having to heat up most of J-Boy's water for bottles on the stove. I think the bottle warmer would be easier and use less energy.

Also, we'd like to have a new toaster oven, as our old one is definitely on it's last leg, and having the smaller oven would, again, use less energy.

Right now, I'm enjoying the counter space and the slower pace with which I find myself moving around the kitchen.

Who knows...maybe the microwave is gone for good???

Our Trip - Part 1, Day 1

2008-08-26T11:37:00.000-07:00

We set sail for our trip to Texas/Oklahoma this past Thursday at the o-so-lovely hour of 4:30 a.m. My Mom came over to start her time with the kiddos, and after kissing all of their sweet, sleeping heads (and choking back a tear, I admit), we left the house with my Dad driving us to the airport.

We quickly rushed through security, and found our gate to await what I had thought was a 6:00 a.m. departure. Looking again at our boarding passes, I found out that it was 6:45 a.m. I DON’T know how I had been wrong about our departure time for all of these weeks, but at least we were early instead of late for our flight. 

The flight to Texas was smooth and wonderful. Our plane wasn’t even half full, and I got to sit by the window (my favorite!). I watched as Phoenix became nothing more than a sprawl of houses, swimming pools, and desert sand below me as we lifted off and away.
For much of the flight, we flew above fluffy white clouds that stretched in every direction like a sea of cotton balls.

Two hours later, we touched down in a world of lakes, trees, and GREEN grass as we entered the Dallas/Forth Worth airport. We easily departed the plan and boarded a shuttle bus that would take us to the rental car facility. Our first clue that we really WEREN’T in Phoenix anymore happened when the shuttle bus doors opened and our bus driver greeted us with a loud “HEY! How are ya’ll doing today? ”

Arriving at the rental car facility, we confirmed our reservation and picked out our “compact economy” car from a line of cars available. We decided on a spiffy Chevy Cobalt with a spoiler on the back…..I know, I know….we are SUCH rebels!
Within minutes, we were loaded and on the road to Norman, Oklahoma.

The three hour drive from Dallas to Norman was in-a-word……FABULOUS!!

The day was sunny and the world was green, green, green!!! Once we were out of the city of Dallas, we sped down the interstate past acres of trees, ponds, rivers, cows, and horses.

My dear hubby and I talked and laughed the entire way like two best friends (that are also parents) who understand the gift of being able to have an uninterrupted conversation.

We arrived in Norman around 3:30 p.m. My brother-in-law’s family still lives in Norman (even though my sister and brother-in-law do not) and they graciously offered to let us stay the night in their home. We checked in with them first and said “Hello!” to all NINE…yup…NINE of their kiddos….more about that later, and then headed out to keep our 4:00 p.m. appointment with the realtor.

Some of you know that a little over a year ago, my dear hubby and I came up to Norman, Oklahoma with the intention of seeing if it was a place were we wanted to move and live. My sis and her hubby were living there, and during our visit with them, we also spent time with a realtor looking at houses.

This was the same realtor from over a year and a half ago, only this time we just stayed in his office and visited with him about current real estate markets (in Norman and in Phoenix) and talked about Norman in general. The realtor is a great guy – very supportive and easy to talk to. After visiting with him for about an hour, we left in search of some food for our tummies.

The last time we were in Norman, we ate at this GREAT Mexican food restaurant that my sister and her hubby took us to. We couldn’t remember the name, but we could remember their phone number, so we called them and asked how to get there. Turns out we were right around the corner from it (not that anything is really too far away in Norman).

It’s called Tarahumara’s ( know…say that five times fast, huh??). They have an excellently large menu, are ALWAYS, always busy, and make their food fast, fresh, and with large portions. They give you fresh tortillas and a special cheese sauce along with the chips and salsa that are oh-so-good!

We asked a nice lady outside to take our picture. Unfortunately, it turned out a little blurry, but here it is.

After dinner, we took the time to just drive around Norman, mostly on the outskirts of town. The weather was around a calm 80 degrees, and as the sun went down, we drove and absorbed all of the wonderful countryside that we could. At one point, we pulled over and took these pictures.

We headed back to the Presley family house for a relaxing night of watching the Olympics, visiting with the kiddos, and falling into bed exhausted.
Tomorrow I’ll post more about the amazing Presley family and tell you all about the second day of our trip! Stay tuned!

Leaving On A Jet Plane......

2008-08-20T14:03:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow morning, my dear hubby and I will board a plane at 6:00 a.m. in the morning (which means we roll out from our driveway at above 4:30 a.m.)

We will be flying into Dallas, Texas and then renting a car and driving up to Norman, Oklahoma.. My sis and her hubby don’t live in Oklahoma anymore (they currently call South Carolina home), but my brother in-law’s family were kind enough to let us stay with them.

We’ll then drive back down to Texas to stay one night with my Meemaw in Weatherford, and then one MORE night in Dallas with my Godparents.

My parents are staying here at home to watch ALL of our kiddos (with some help from my dear hubby’s Mom as well). I must admit, I am already missing my baby boy, and I’m not even gone yet. My girlies will handle it a little better, I think, but I am going to miss all of them so much!

Does this trip have deeper implications for my hubby and I than just “time away” together?

Absolutely.

Do I know exactly what they are yet?

Nope.

I’ll hopefully have something to tell when we get back.

I’ve been super busy getting ready to go. Although I don’t count myself among the super organized, here is a list of things we’ve been doing to get ready to go.

TO-DO BEFORE WE GO –

5.Get Medical RELEASE FORMS for Kiddos
6.Get CHANGE (for tolls)
7.Get CASH (to use during trip)
8.Call in PRESCRIPTION to Safeway
5.Get ROAMING MINUTES added to our phones
6.Call Brandon – ask how to get to Mexican Food Restaurant
7.SHOP at Grocery Store
Sprouts –
Fruit
Veggies
Yogurt tubes
Cereal
Mac N’ Cheese
Ham
Fresh N’ Easy –
Lunch Packs
Pickles
Granola Bars
PB Pretzels
8.PACK
-Stacy –
white pants/ black shirt (wth pattern)
khaki capris/ black shirt
black kapris/pink shirt
long black skirt/shirt
bathing suit??  underthings 
toiletries
medicine/vitamins
books/maps

Monday Moments - Everyday Life

2008-08-18T14:48:00.001-07:00

I LOVE to smile at everyday life....like those moments when I dial a number wrong for a third-time-in-a-row (thankfully the young man who answered each time was patient in telling me, "There's STILL no Kathy at this number" .
I also love to hang out and laugh with my hubby - his off-the-cuff one-liners make me laugh ALL the time (his sense of humor was one of the first things I noticed about him...well, that and all of his totally shredding talent on the guitar! hee,hee!) Here is an example of one of our conversations that makes me laugh - he had an extra day off from work today, and this morning we were laying in bed when the alarm (and all the kids) went off shortly after 7:00 a.m.

Me: OK, who's going to get up, you or me?
Him: I vote both of us.
Me: No, I think since I got up with J-Boy at 3:00 a.m. and again to change his diaper at 6:00 a.m. that you should be kind and let me lay here.
Him: Well, since it's my day off (he's smiling wickedly at me at this point), I think poor Daddy should get to sleep in
Me: What about poor Mommy?
Him: Poor Mommy is rich in Christ....
Me: {SMACK} - that was the sound of me hitting him with a pillow

Just to let you know, he was kind and let me sleep an extra 20 minutes or so.

Life with preschoolers is also an adventure. Sometimes you have to remind yourself of the funny moments when you're cleaning up pee-pee accidents or being spit up on 10 times a day, but God definitely gives us unforgettable moments of humor with our precious little people.

K-Bug has a favorite library book right now called "Double Pink". I personally find the story to be rather odd, but she of course loves all of the bright pink artwork.
She has taken to saying she's "double-hungry" or "double-tired"...you get the idea. Last week at swim lessons we were talking about her swim coaches, and she asked if her Coach Adam (a nice young man in his late teens) was young or old. I told her he was older than she was, but younger than Mommy or Daddy.
She replied with, "Wow, that means Daddy is DOUBLE-OLD!!!!"
Some days he just might feel that way.... :)

My last moment comes from Miss Lorelin. The other day the subject of Christmas came up, and as we were talking about what happens at Christmas, etc. I asked her, "What would you like at Merry Christmas time?"
I expected her to talk about a fireman costume (she wants one SO badly after wearing one around at friend's house) or a Barbie doll.
Instead, she looked at me, and with a very serious expression in her blue eyes, said the most obvious three-year old answer -

"Presents"

Of course, Mom! :)

Well, I hear my son fussing, so I'm going to wrap-up for now. Blessings and Merry Monday to everyone!

LIAR...LIAR....PANTS ON FIRE!!

2008-08-18T14:44:00.000-07:00

Yup, that's me....:(

The road to you-know-where is paved with good intentions, and truly I've had every intention of getting to my blog and updating everyone with the always thrilling moments in the Smith family. :)

So, no more broken promises. Just lots o' blog posts - coming your way.

I'm Back!

2008-08-12T17:39:00.000-07:00

I'm back and I'm blogging!

Check in often as I'll be posting a LOT over the next few days to try and get caught up!

The Olmypic Dream

2008-08-12T16:58:00.000-07:00

I LOVE the Olmypics! I meant to do a big ol’ post about why I love the Olympics, how I’ve always loved the Olympics, and how inspiring the games and the atheletes always are to me BEFORE the games started, BUT alas I did not, and the here the games are, in full swing.

We watched the Opening Ceremony, something I wasn’t sure I wanted to do, due to the fact that I have issues with the IOC’s decision to let China host. Still, my hubby and K-Bug both wanted to see, so we popped popcorn and watched the first hour as a family. For anyone who saw the Opening Ceremony, you have to admit that it was VERY impressive! It was artistically beautiful, and extremely unique in its presentation.

And, just like my Sisterchick Jen, I have stayed up late each night rooting for the USA.

U-S-A! U-S-A!

I love watching Michael Phelps, and I really appreciate that he’s just a real person (with some extraordinary talent) with a BIG dream. And the 4x100 relay that Michael was a part of had me screaming at the TV for the Americans to beat the French.

And then we did!!! (by a mere fraction of a second) It was AWESOME!!

My hubby and I both stayed up late last night (really Jen, you should call me and we can compare notes over the phone) to watch the American Men Gymnastics team compete for a medal in the Team Finals. I really think they had a shot at silver, but they had two team members who almost killed their chances completely with some really horrible pommel horse routines (not that I could even sit on a pommel horse without losing my balance...) I was bummed out for them before the last guy came in and did an INCREDIBLE routine, which secured the team with a bronze medal.

Since they weren’t favored to win a medal at all, it was really great to watch them celebrate!

Although those have been some of the highlights for me, I have pretty much loved every second of every sport I’ve watched (I’m a bit of a sports fan anyway).

I think every person on the planet can relate with having a dream. Watching these people who have sacrificed so much, and are giving their all - not only for themselves, but their country - is deeply inspiring.

And then watching a dream come true for those individuals.

That…is incredible.

And I love that it’s people of ALL ages. There is a gymnast on the Women’s German team who is thirty-three! That’s right! Thirty-three! Thirty-three isn’t old, but for gymnastics it’s almost unheard of.Dara Torres, on the Women’s Swim Team, is forty-one.

And, probably my favorite, is Laura Wilkenson, on the Women’s Diving Team. I watched her win a gold in the 2000 games, and I’ve never forgotten how exciting that was. She has the sweetest smile, and the greatest attitude. Here she is, thirty years old, at her third Olympics, diving with woman who are half her age.

And she’s smiling and loving every minute of it.

All I’ve got to say is – YOU GO GIRL!!!

The Olmypics always make me ask myself what my dreams are.

What are yours?

Beating Back The Sickies...

2008-07-30T12:52:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't blogged much lately. Last week we were busy at Vacation Bible School, and this week we've been trying to beat back a case of mild sickies.

I went to Urgent Care last night after about 48 hours of having a SUPER sore throat, stiff neck, swollen glands, and a headache. They tested for strep throat (which is what I thought it was), but it turned out just to be a viral infection which will have to run it's course on its own. I am sore today, but doing alright with my Tylenol and Orange Juice. I have not had a fever, so I've been able to function reasonably well as a Mommy (thank you Lord!).

J-Boy has had diarrhea for almost a full week. He's been happy as a clam, with NO fever or vomiting (again, thank you Lord!). However, he's had a nasty diaper rash and lots of Pedialyte to make up for his lost nutrients.

Lorelin had her three-year well check yesterday morning, so they let us bring J-Boy in at the same time. My pedatrician gave me a special diarrhea forumla which has definitely helped to slow down the "flow"...so to speak.....and he does seem to feeling better overall.

Lorelin had a great three-year well check, and was a champ at the doctor's office, calmly and sweetly complying with all that the doctor and nurses asked.

Well, that's about it....I am going to go and lay down for nap, since the rest of my crew is either sleeping or on their way there.

I'll post more summer snapshots soon.....

Take Me Out To The Ballgame - Part 2

2008-07-22T16:49:00.000-07:00

Here's a short video (sorry, it's not the best quality) of the girlies as they root on the Diamondbacks. This was late in the night...around the 10th inning, I think. We were tired, but they were moving and grooving. K-Bug knew that our team was the "Red Team" with the red hats, so she made up the little red team cheer all by herself.

GO RED TEAM!!!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Take Me Out To The Ballgame - Part 1

2008-07-22T16:42:00.000-07:00

This past Friday, we took our girlies to their very first professional baseball game. I had a found a "Family Fridays" ticket package that included a seat, a hot dog & soda, and a free pass to the zoo all for $15 apiece. PLUS, it was advertised that there were fireworks after the game - that's all I needed to know....

My father-in-law loves the Diamondbacks, so he bought tickets as well and brought his grandson (our nephew) along.

My Mom came over and watched J-Boy for the evening, so we were all set to go with just the four of us.

We left our house around 5:00 p.m. in order to beat traffic, and ended up with an altogether easy commute and an immediate parking space (yeah!).The girls were fascinated by all of the BIG buildings in the down-town Phoenix area, and even more fascinated by the LARGE stadium that we were getting to go inside!!
I asked a nice man to take our picture outside of the stadium as we were getting ready to go in.

We headed up two very large escalators and finally made our way up the third level where we found our seats (yuppers, we were in the cheap seats, but I didn't really mind.)We had a great view of the field!

After four trips to the bathroom, and one small hike for ice cream, I was starting to wonder if the game was as good an idea as I first thought. The girls were getting tired and a little bored, and around the fourth inning I just wasn't sure that we were going to make it through (especially us parents! :)

Then,around the 5th or 6th inning, both girls caught their second wind. From that point foward, they clapped, they cheered, and they danced! :)

FINALLY.....in the 11th inning....the tied score was broken by a home run from the opposing team -sorry Diamondbacks :( BUT we were happy because finally we saw

FIREWORKS!!!!

K-Bug must have danced during the entire fireworks performance. She loved it!! Lorelin was a little more subdued, but when asked aferward she said that she liked it as well. :)

We arrived home at midnight, and got into bed around 12:30 p.m. Not surprisingly, the girles slept until almost 9:00 p.m. the next morning.

Monday Moments....Things That Gurgle & Flush

2008-07-21T13:26:00.000-07:00

Or don’t flush, such as the case may be…(hee,hee)

Maybe our water is just really hard, or maybe our toilet handles are just wimpy, or….. maybe we flush too hard. Whatever the case may be, we have broken two toilet handles in the span of just a few weeks. This has rendered our potties un-flushable by the normal method of pushing the outside handle.

Instead, you have to lift the back of the lid off the commode, and then reach inside to manually pull the lever that releases the water flow.

We have yet to go to Ace’s Hardware/Lowes/Home Depot for new potty handles, so in the last week, there has been a lot of “alternative flushing methods”

Not a big deal, UNLESS you happen to have your mother-in-law and her mother coming over on a Saturday morning for an extended visit.

This was the case this past weekend, and we didn’t remember until about an hour beforehand that our potties were still broken and our guests might need to use the bathroom. And then….well…..how would we ask them to flush?

My hubby went into big-time MacGyver mode, asking for some rubber bands and duct tape. I went into the bathroom a few minutes later to find that he was trying to jerry-rig a temporary handle made up of two used choptsticks held together by the rubber bands, and glued to the inside of the potty with lots of duct tape.

I lost it. I had to hang onto the bathroom sink (being careful not to break anything off of it! ) on account of my laughter.

I wish I had taken pictures, and I wish even more that his invention had worked.

Alas, the chopsticks wouldn’t hold, and we ended up explaining everything to our family members. My mother-in-law assured us she had experience in “alternative flushing methods” and made it in and out of the bathroom just fine.

I’ve heard of people dropping their cell phones in the toilet, but this past week I landed our phone in a rather uncommon swimming pool.

I was diving for the phone one morning this past week, when it slipped out of my hands and fell over the back of the kitchen counter. I wish I could say that this is an infrequent event, but the truth of the matter is that the phone takes regular spills off the counter, usually bouncing on the floor or landing in a pile of dry cat food. We had had several close calls with the cat’s water dish, but thankfully it always seemed to “just miss” taking a swim.

Well, on this particular morning, my hubby had moved the cat’s water to the opposite side of their food dish, thinking that if the phone fell, it would have a better chance of missing the water dish.

Turns out he was WRONG.

Instead, as the phone slipped like butter from my grasp, still sounding-off from the incoming call, I heard a sudden “SPLASH” and then a gurgled ring as the phone continued, even in it’s suddenly submerged state.

I was a big dummy, and picked up the phone to answer it (I know, I know….it was a blonde moment). My hubby was the one on the phone and he immediately asked me why the phone was making a loud buzzing sound in his ear.

I quickly recounted the phone’s “dip in the pool” and he advised me to immediately hang up, and take out the battery pack to let the phone dry.

I gingerly slid out the phone’s contents, and am happy to report that once dry, the phone made a miraculous recovery.

Also, we’ve found a new, safer home for the kitchen’s phone.

Although at the point, you might be wondering about water safety at the Smith household, I assure you that any visits to our abode (which oddly rhymes with commode) will be clean and dry……I just hope you don’t have to use the bathroom…….Just kidding!!!

We are getting it fixed this week…

Feel free to come over and flush the toilets just for fun if you’d like…..

Merry Monday everyone!!

Comfy In My Own Skin

2008-07-14T22:24:00.000-07:00

How much do you like yourself? How do you feel about who God has created you to be?

I have been having some great conversations with some very good friend about htis very topic. We have been talking about who we are, underneath even the Mommy, wife, sister, daughter, friend, etc. roles that we fill.

Number one - we are daughters of Christ.

Now, I believe that as we understand that God created us, with every part of our personality intact from the day we were conceived, and that we also understand that “nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:39 NLT) Only then we can start to take those steps in accepting ourselves and relaxing in our own skin.

But we live in an imperfect world. And for those of us who sometimes care too deeply about pleasing others, and for those of us who care too much what others think {guilty as charged: I am talking about myself here}, we have to constantly come back to pleasing God first, and leaving others, with their thoughts, feelings, etc in His hands.

It’s not as easy as it sounds….

I have a funny example of this from last Sunday night. My Mom and I had run up to the local Safeway grocery store so that I could get, among other things, a can of formula and some bottle liners.

Right before I left the house, Lorelin came running up to me with a large, plastic tiara in her hand. “Here, Mommy, this is for you!” she said. “You can wear it!”

“To the store?” I asked. “Yes” she said. “Bye!”

Now, when it comes to funky clothes, funny hats, or sparkly tiaras, I am willing to wear them anywhere, anytime, and truly, I don’t care what anyone thinks. So, I stuck the tiara on my head and off we went.

We had gotten most of our grocery items, and were just about to hit the check-out line when we stopped short at the card isle. The racks were full of those new “Cards With Sound” and I just LOVE those things!! My Mom does too, and we can spend a good 10-15 minutes on that aisle alone, listening to the cards, singing along to the songs we know, and dancing to the really groovy ones.

So, there we were – singing, dancing, and laughing when a woman started down the aisle toward the cards we were looking at. She stopped her cart behind ours and proceeded to fix us with “the look”, you know…..

“ I-think-that-you-are-being-rather-loud-and-crazy” look . She then silently started looking at cards.

I decided the best approach was the direct one. “Don’t you just love these cards?” I asked. “They are so much fun!”

“Mmmm, yes…..” she replied, with a frown. My Mom and I picked up this very large musical card that vibrates in your hand with its intensity and volume.

“Here, feel this!” my Mom said, shoving the card into the lady’s hand.

Poor thing! She looked like the card (or we) might bite, and pursing her lips, quickly touched the card and then jerked her hand away.

“Have a good night!” I called, as we finished getting our cards and walked down the aisle.

“Mmm…hmm….” I heard her mumble as I turned to go.

It was about that time that I thought about the tiara on my head, and the fact that my Mom and I probably did descend on this poor lady like a couple of nuts in our effort to be friendly.

This is a funny example, because as I was pondering what this woman thought of me, I fully realized that it didn’t matter. I didn’t know her….and she didn’t know me (she was probably glad of that fact…)

However, it’s so much tougher when it’s someone you DO know, and someone that DOES know you. If it had been a friend of mine who had responded the way that lady did, I probably would have spent the rest of the evening wondering if I had done something wrong, etc.

I am thankful that I am learning to become secure in Christ, and comfortable in who God created me to be.

Day by day…..

Merry Monday!

2008-07-14T22:23:00.000-07:00

Hello!

I am coming off of a very busy weekend (which I will blog and post pictures of soon!), so I haven't had time to write a Monday Moment for today.

Maybe tomorrow....

Four Month Update: J-Boy

2008-07-09T14:03:00.000-07:00

Well, I took J-Boy to his four month check-up this past Monday (although this Friday he will be 4 ½ months old).

He weighed in at a hefty 16 lbs, 10 oz, and although he still has the big pounds, the pediatrician commented on his activity (kicking his legs, etc) and noted that he had dropped some in “percentile points” from his last visit.

She suggested an increase in calories, and based on his current weight and size, she gave the recommendation to start him on rice cereal. This will be a gradual introduction, giving him as many as two weeks of rice cereal before introducing oatmeal a week after, barley the week after that, and then finally starting him on a first fruit or veggie when he is almost six months old.

Ahh…the world of solid foods (and solid food poopies)……here we come!

The pediatrician also commented on how strong J-Boy is. He pulls to stand readily easily, and strains to sit up when laid on his back. He loves to put his fingers into his mouth, and has been quite happy with the recent discovery of his feet and toes.

He is sleeping quite well through the night, and will easily go to sleep around 8:00 p.m., before waking around 5:00 a.m. for a bottle. He returns to bed immediately, and sleeps for a few more hours before awaking in a happy, talkative mood.

Thank you Lord, for a baby who is easy-going and sleeps WELL!!!!!!!!!!!!! {Lorelin was colicky and neither she or I slept well for at least a year}

J-boy is very drooly right now, and although he chews on his hands and fists, I don’t see any evidence of that legendary “first tooth”.

J-boy loves to coo and he LOVES to be talked to. His sisters love to hold him, kiss his head, and can always make him smile and laugh. He also loves to splash and kick his legs in the bath, resulting in one happy baby and one wet Mommy (okay, okay…so I’m happy too)

We are so thankful for the healthy start to J-boy’s first four months. He is our joy and we love watching him grow!

Here are a few snapshots of J-boy and I together. I should have some more “formal shots” coming soon!

Don't Look At The TV!

2008-07-09T13:48:00.000-07:00

J-Boy is absolutely mesmerized by the bright colors and constant motion to be found on TV. And while we are not opposed to his getting sneak peeks of the flashy screen, we are big believers in not having our children (and most especially babies) particpate in large amounts of viewing at one time.
Soooo, we had the TV on because we were watching the Olympic trials, and J-Boy kept trying to turn his head to stare at the screen. He was sitting in his Bumbo, so I turned him all the way around to face me.
That is when he propped his arm up on the back of the Bumbo, and turned his body completely all the way around so that he could still see the TV.

That stinker!

We couldn't resist sharing a laugh and grabbing this video before we moved him again.

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Back To Blogging....

2008-07-09T13:44:00.000-07:00

I know, I know....everyone has been going thru withdrawals without the ol' Smith blogs to entertain you! :)

However, I am happy to report that it is a good blogging week, and it is my personal goal to blog at least once every day.

And, all kidding aside, it is always my joy (and usually cathartic for me as well) to share with you tibits of Smithlets. (ha! I just made that up)

Somtimes I am so strange.....

Family Gathering

2008-07-02T12:42:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday afternoon, we had a family gathering at my sister-in-law's house. We celebrated my in-laws fifteenth wedding anniversary (congratulations Jen & Eric!!!) and also my husband's birthday (which was yesterday)
Here is a picture of all of us together:

This is Brian's grandfather Ron, and Ron's energetic wife Bobbi! We were so happy that they could be there!

Everyone ooed and cooed over J-Boy (how could you not??) and we all enjoyed cake and ice cream. Fun times!!

Summer Fun: Gymsters

2008-07-02T10:24:00.000-07:00

We have been having some summer fun with the Gymsters program. It's a activity-based program that keeps the kids moviong, as well as teaching them sign language and the "scientific" names for their body parts. My girlies have had a great time with Teacher Lonnie and Gymsters!!

Would you like a little cheese with that whine??

2008-07-01T12:54:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid, I remember my Mom saying the above rejoinder whenever I started to whine. Well, I do like cheese...but I'd rather just whine.....

It's been one of those days...

Lorelin has been in trouble more often than she's been out of it. So many fits!!

K-Bug bit her sister's finger, and got in big-time trouble for that. She said she was pretending to be a "mean kitty-kat".... but biting is still OFF-LIMITS

J-Boy has been fussy and not taking good naps.

And it's one of those days that I just feel like I don't look good, and even more, I definitely don't feel very up.

I feel lonely, even though I know I have loads of fabulous friends and a wonderful loving family.

Maybe I should check my calendar...is this just PMS??

I had a good week last week, and an interesting weekend....so...I'm not sure what's up.

I'm going to pour myself a glass of sparkling lime water (a special drink my friend Nickle-Pickle has helped me to appreciate) and read a few chapters of my Bible...

I promise to post a few more positive things tonight...

Monday Moments...a day late

2008-06-24T10:18:00.000-07:00

I thought of this moment the other day when, in a hurry, I drove down the street with one of J-boy’s baby t-shirts on my windshield (I had put it there so that I could remember to stick it in a bag of give-away clothes that were in the van).

I didn’t see the t-shirt until it flew off past my window and fell down into the street.

This isn’t the first time that items belonging to me have flown into the road….

I was a teenager getting ready for a trip with my youth group to Six Flags in Texas.
Now I know that this may be hard to believe, :) but when I was a teenager, I was a bit, um…scatterbrained. I had packed for the trip, but had forgotten to pack some last essentials.

Being in a hurry, I threw several toiletries, an alarm clock, and my Bible (can’t forget that!) into my pillowcase – which also contained my pillow.

I was one of the last youth to arrive and my youth minister threw my stuff into the back of his pickup truck. He stuck my pillow, full of my stuff, underneath a bungee cord that was holding down some luggage.

We headed off. I was riding in the pick-up with my youth minister, and the guy that I currently had a crush on. Looking back…it’s a possibility that I might have been, oh-I-don’t-know…. a little bit distracted with trying to impress the guy rather than noticing that my pillow was starting to wave like a flag in the wind.

We got onto the interstate and picked up speed. It was at this point that ALL of the passengers in the truck noticed that my pillow was waving wildly out of the back of the truck, barely hanging on to the bungee cord.

“I’ll pull over” my youth minister said. But no sooner were the word out of his mouth than the entire pillow and its contents launched onto the interstate.

My youth minister did pull over and almost like slow motion in a movie, we watched as a large semi-truck thundered past. Unable to stop, swerve, or slow down, it hit my pillow with full force, exploding the contents onto the road.
My deodorant, a bottle of hairspray, a completely demolished alarm clock, and my Bible bounced, rolled, and flapped wildly about.

Many of the items had bounced to the side of the road, and my friends quickly gathered up the items while I tried not to die of embarrassment. My youth minister made a quick dash out and picked up my pillow, pillowcase, and Bible.

Most of the items were destroyed beyond use, but I used that Bible, smashed and covered in tire tracks, for many, many years following.

God often used that Bible to remind me that His word is timeless and (even when run over) can never really be destroyed.

Happily, I recovered from the embarrassment and went on to have a wonderful time on trip. And, while I didn’t get the guy (maybe he didn’t like girls that put deodorant in their pillowcases), I did eventually get an amazing hubby who loves me in my scatterbrained moments and laughs at my stories.

I hope I gave you a laugh today too.

A Promise Is A Promise..

2008-06-23T22:53:00.000-07:00

I promised my friend Tracy that I would blog tonight. I have a funny Monday Moment to share, and an even deeper (gasp!) post of what's been on my heart lately. But tonight...tonight I am going to bed.
I DID post though, just as I promised. :)
More to come tomorrow....

I promise...

"It's Toilet Paper!"

2008-06-18T12:42:00.000-07:00

This morning we were reading our Bible Stories for devotion time, and we came to the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead.
I was reading along when Lorelin stopped me and said, "Wow, Mom, he's wearing a lot of toilet paper!"
I tried to tell her that it was like long blankets, but she said, "No, Mom, it's toilet paper!" :) Oh, so funny!!

BTW, the picture above is just one I found on Google Images. The actual picure in our book was quite nice. I use "The Bible In Pictures For Little Eyes" for my Bible stories - I really like it!

WARNING: Kute Kiddo Overload!

2008-06-18T09:01:00.000-07:00

Just kidding! I've been a little behind in my posting, so I'm catching up today with multiple posts about all three of my kiddos. Make sure you check out the little guy in his Bumbo toward the bottom of the page.
Oh, and there is also an oh-so-lovely picture of tofu....you have to see that! Ha!
And I STILL have to blog about Father's Day, and books, and the story about the Blue Flash...and now I'm talking to myself...
Anyway, enjoy!

My Terrific Three Year Old

2008-06-17T22:35:00.000-07:00

My sweet Lorelin turned three years old last week! Here is a note I wrote to her on her birthday.

To my sweet, sweet Lorelin…you are three years old today. You were born with only ONE hour of labor, and you hurled yourself at the world in less then three pushes. You’ve been embracing the world head-on ever since! Let me tell you a little bit about yourself at three years old.
You have bright, sparkling eyes that pop open with the early morning light. Your little blonde head is usually the first thing I see as you state, “I’m awake now. The sun’s up!!”
Your little spirit is like sunshine as well. You speak the love language of hugs, kisses, and snuggles. Several times a day, you find the ones you love and tell them so – “I love you so much Daddy!”
You have a very strong will, and sometimes when Mommy asks you do something you tell me very directly - “I don’t fink I want to do that”. After some direct discussion (and sometimes immediate discipline) you will often obey with a cheerful spirit.
You have an amazing sense of humor, and you make all of us laugh with your silly antics and sayings….like when you handed Mommy her panties one day and said, “Here is your pull-up Mommy!” You LOVE to talk to your baby brother, and he loves to smile and laugh at you too.
Your favorite thing to do is to imagine with your older sister. She is your best friend. You are always being a cat, or a cow, or a baby…anything the two of you can dream up.
You are sometimes shy in public, and easily frightened of new circumstances or new places. However, you are already learning at this early age that Jesus helps us to be brave and will always be with you, wherever you go. Don’t ever forget that, precious one.
It is your Daddy’s and my prayer that you will come to know Jesus as not only Savior, but also Lord early in your life. May your heart ever be yielded to His will for you, and you may you always be overcome with His abundant love.
God has a great plan for your adventuresome spirit, and we can’t wait to see what that is! Happy Birthday, sweetie!

Here are some pictures of Miss Lorelin loving life!

My Fabulous Four Year Old

2008-06-17T22:32:00.000-07:00

I'm a little-bit behind, because my K-Bug turned 4 years old waay back in April, but I wrote a letter to her on that day, which I am just posting now. A very belated Happy Birthday K-Bug!

To my beautiful K-Bug. Mommy is writing you a note today, and even though you can’t read yet, I hope that one day you’ll look back at this and see how much joy you brought your Mommy and Daddy as you turned from three to four years old. You are such an articulate and precious little girl. You wake up in the morning with a smile on your face (“Good morning Mommy! I had a good sleep!”) and greet the day with words abounding. You love to express yourself through your words while you sing, while you imagine, and while you play. You have a soft and sensitive spirit, and are often easily corrected and immediately sorry when disciplined with just a stern glance or gentle warning (not ALL the time, but most of the time). You glow when people give you words of praise and affirmation, and you in turn love to encourage others with your words (“Good job Daddy! You play the guitar SO well!”) Your sister is your constant companion and best friend, as I pray she will be your entire life. You also love to tickle your new little brother’s belly and kiss his soft baby head. You tend to lean toward the dramatic side (sorry kiddo, you come from a long line of dramatic women), and are easily brought to tears over broken toys or “hurt feelings” when you don’t get your way. Even at this age, though, you are learning that “Jesus helps me find my happy heart”. You love to read your Bible stories and do devotions, and singing Bible songs is absolutely your favorite past-time right now. I love to see you love the Lord, and it your Daddy and my prayer that you will know and love Jesus your whole life long. God has a plan for your soft heart, my beautiful little lady, and we are so excited to see what it is! Happy Birthday!

Here a few pictures of K-Bug doing what she likes best!

My BIG Boy And His Bumbo

2008-06-17T22:29:00.000-07:00

My son is one strong kid (the pediatrician comments on this every-time we go in), and he loves to be in a sitting position. Although he isn't quite old enough to sit up on his own, he does enjoy using his Bumbo (a soft seat made to support babies in learning to sit up), so he can see what's going on.. a big THANK YOU to J-Boy's friend Dane in letting him use the Bumbo....Dane doesn't need it anymore becuase he has better things to do - like walking!!! :)
Here is a few pictures of Mr J-Boy enjoying his seat. Here is J-Boy's "Thoughtful" look. If you look closely, you can see the dimples that he gets right above his eyebrows.

And here is his "Sunshine Smile" look. It still melts my heart!

Adventures In Tofu...

2008-06-17T17:39:00.000-07:00

I really do love adventure. Before I was married, I spent my teenage years doing things like white-water rafting in Colorado, back-packing in Wyoming, rock-climbing in Arizona, and spending time on missions in Russia.

So, I REALLY do like new and and exciting things…..

But cell-phones and tofu are not among them.

My dear hubby has a dream of one day spending some extended time doing missions work in Japan. To try in my own small way to adapt to this possibility, and given the many, many health factors of tofu, I decided to buy some during my last shopping trip and give it the ol’ college try.

I really enjoy the Annie’s Chinese noodle bowls and thought I would chop up some tofu to go in the soup.

I mean, how bad could it be?

I also decided to get a tofu that had a little bit of flavor added to it. I think this one had some garlic and pepper spices. I took it out, chopped it up, and warmed it up in a frying pan on the stove.

I was instantly put-off by the texture and look of the tofu – it looked like giant blocks of wet cat food.

Don't you think???

However, I proceeded to chop it up and dutifully ate a few bites. It was…….interesting.
While the taste wasn’t completely off-putting, for some reason I couldn’t get past the way it felt in my mouth.

Very rubbery….

Tofu is BIG in Japan – so big, in fact, that Japanese TV commercials regularly market it to children in the shapes of their favorite cartoon characters.

Maybe I’d like my tofu better in the shape of a Pok-e-mon too……for now, I think I’ll go back to just my plain, old noodle bowls.

If trying tofu is a new taste adventure, shopping for a new cell phone is an adventure in patience and choices.

That’s why I’ve decided that, when it comes to cell phones, old is better than new.

I lost my cell-phone almost two months ago, and although we dutifully searched the lost and found at several grocery stores, it never turned up.

I really haven’t missed having a cell phone (except for those moments when I’m traveling alone somewhere in the car with all of my kiddos), and actually tried to talk my dear hubby into getting one of those pay-as-you-go phones from Wal-Mart.

We would have just gotten a new phone from our provider, but in order to get a cheap or free phone we would have to sign a two-year service agreement, something we don’t really want to do.

So, while digging through his desk one day, my hubby found an old…

And I do repeat OLD…

cell-phone. He took it down to the provider’s store, and now my number is effectively switched over to this beauty…

The numbers have completely rubbed off of the key pad, and the sides are being held together by several pieces of Scotch tape. It doesn’t really do anything other than make phone calls (no internet, no music, etc)

Aren’t we impossibly cheap?? I love it!!!!!!!!!

I can’t wait for all of the adventures in my future - the ones that I try to plan, and the ones that I never plan but God dreams up for me.

Even if those new adventures include tofu…..

I Have A Good Reason....

2008-06-10T15:34:00.000-07:00

For not blogging lately. And here it is:

My hubby.

Really. It’s true. He has been a TOTAL computer hog these past few weeks.:) \Of course he HAS had a good reason, which I can now reveal to all of you.

A few weeks ago, my husband started audtioning to be the new lead singer of a band in San Diego. For most of you who know us, you also know that my hubby has been in bands for all of our married life (and many, many years before). Music has always been his passion and his ministry.

This past year my hubby felt that God asked him to step down from his current band, and he has been “band-less” for a little over twelve months.

It has been a difficult time for him as he has wondered if he would ever be in an active band again. Then, as he was perusing a website one night, he happened upon a post on the page of one of his all-time favorite drummers. It seemed that this particular drummer’s band was searching for a new singer and were holding open auditions.

My husband sent him some MP3 samples via e-mail, and so-started the wild ride that has been our past few weeks. The band sent my hubby some samples of their music that they have recorded for their new album. My hubby recorded his lyrics/vocal lines through a elaborate pedal and computer set-up that he rigged, then sent back his vocals recorded over their music (hence the reason that I haven’t had any long moments at the computer for blogging).

It has been so positive these past few weeks. My hubby has poured his heart and soul into this work, and the feedback from the band members was all good. They told him he was one of the top few guys they were still considering.

Then, last night, around 8:00 p.m. they called to tell him that they have found other people that they are “more interested” in working with. It was disappointing news, to say the least.

We prayed together when this opportunity presented itself, and we both believed that God gave us the “go ahead” to enter into this audition process whole-heartedly.

We don’t fully understand God’s purpose in all of this, although we are confident He has one. Being in this band would have been a dream-come-true for my hubby.

We do know this: "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." - Romans 8:28(NLT)

My hubby has handled all of this with a lot of maturity, but he is still dealing with feelings of dissapointment. Please pray for that...

Back To My Roots

2008-06-04T13:30:00.000-07:00

When I was young, I was a platinum blonde. Especially in the summer, when the sun would turn my hair almost white. :) As I've gotten older, my hair has naturally turned into a what I call a "dirty-dishwater" blonde. After three children, it has turned a progressivley darker brown. I've dyed it a few different shades over the years, but decided a few weeks ago to go for a tight light-blonde weave in my otherwise brown hair.My friend Elena is a salon rep (she sells products to salons),and about a month ago she offered to do my color for a discounted cost. I gratefully accepted.
Here is what my hair looked like before:

And here is what it looks like now:

What do you think? :)

Birthday Blessings

2008-06-04T13:19:00.000-07:00

Sunday, May 25th, I turned 29 years old, “teetering” as my mom-in-law so gracefully said, on the edge of 30.

I have many friends who are turning 30 this year, and appropriately so, they are having bigger-than-normal birthday celebrations. Also, Dane, the cutest-one-year old in the world, was having his first birthday party.

Due to celebrating birthdays for these special people….and also due to the fact that having any type of party where I am the focus is uncomfortable for me…..except for a surprise party…maybe because that way I have no expectations…hmm, do you think I have party issues? …. anyway, I just decided that I would keep my birthday totally low-key, not really bring any attention or mention to it, and just enjoy quietly turning 29.

God, however, had plans to bless my birthday socks off!

It started with a lovely vase of flowers that my mom-in-law sent to my house. Nothing like getting flowers delivered to your door. Here they are, over a week later, and still looking beautiful! Thank you Susan!!

The actual day of my birthday I spent at birthday parties for two other people. At Dane’s one-year old birthday party, my friend Nickle-Pickle made two different cakes, and after everyone sang and cheered for Dane, she turned around and made me blow out candles in the other cake while everyone sang for me. There were several people there that didn’t know me from anyone, and it was very sweet, and also funny, to hear them sing to me as well. “Happy Birthday dear Sherry…I mean Stacy…..” hee,hee

My friends at the party also showered me with presents – a book, cards, scrap-booking supplies, and a date for a pedicure!

Later that night, my friend Jess and I surprised our friend Christy with a special ladies night out for her 30th birthday. Most of the ladies in attendance are our mutual friends, and again, I was blessed with surprise gifts – pajamas, books, candles, and a CD. Even though it wasn’t my party at all.

My friend Christy and I did blow out the candle together and shared a dessert of chocolate mousse! Yum!

My own parents gave me a new pair of rollerblades (so I can get my almost 30 year old body back in shape), and I received some more lovely flowers and a pair of movie coupons from my dear hubby and sweet children.

It really was a very special birthday!

Still Here..

2008-05-28T13:00:00.000-07:00

Hello All,

I'm still here. I plan to put my fingers to the keyboard very soon so that I can:
1. Post new pictures of the kiddos
2. Talk about my birthday
3. Post some summer salad recipes

And more!!

Remembering Maria...

2008-05-22T14:40:00.000-07:00

My husband often teases me that for someone with a music degree from college, I sure listen to a lot of talk radio...

It's true. There are a lot of Christian and conservative political talk shows that I like.

However, music plays a deep part in my life - both in creating it myself and in listening to it played.

And perhaps no other singer/songwriter has affected me the way Steven Curtis Chapman has. Everything from his lyrics, to his music, and even the way he has lived an amazing family life in a very public eye, has impacted my Christian walk in some way.

This morning I learned the very tragic news that the youngest of the Chapman's adopted daugthers was killed yesterday as she was accidentally run over in the family's driveway. The death of Maria Chapman came just ten days after her fifth birthday, and just hours after the annoucement of the Chapman's oldest daugther's engagement.

This is an amazing family, and I am shedding tears even as I write. I can't imagine their current pain. You can visit Steven's website, see a blog set up in Maria's memory, and send your own condolances by visiting Steven's website.

a hundred and WHAT???

2008-05-19T14:56:00.000-07:00

It is supposed to be a record-breaking 110 degrees today. I haven’t been brave enough to venture outside to find out….I rather like my air conditioning.

Unlike my friend Jules, who’s been trying to wear her tank tops and flip-flops since January, I am NOT a friend of scorching HOT weather....I actually really love the cold...sweaters, jeans, jackets, hot chocolate...:)

And to my friend Jess moving to Oregon, my friend Tracy moving to Chicago, and my dear friends the Heine’s living in Virginia…..you are NOT allowed to rub it in…

Oh well...I will choose to focus on the good things that searing heat can bring. Like my Bird of Paradise in my front yard – they bloom a beautiful orange and yellow at the first hint of triple digit weather ( Wow…amazing that God made a plant that blooms because of such heat)

And, a BIG plus is that the oven-like conditions will kill all of the germs that have made my kids sick these past few weeks.

Fry, germs, fry……

Sick Of Being Sick

2008-05-19T09:17:00.000-07:00

On Friday night, Lorlein started running a fever. Thinking it was most likely an ear infection, I took her to the Urgent Care near our house. Nope….no ear infection. Then Saturday night she sounded off like a big croupy seal. She had J-boy’s croup. And what a case she has. Saturday night found us with about 3-4 hours asleep for both her and I.
Her breathing was pretty ragged all day yesterday, so in the evening I took her to the pediatric urgent care. They gave her a prescription for some oral steroids to help her airways stay open.
She had a better night last night, but woke up at 5:30 a.m this morning with her yucky cough and a low-grade fever (which she has run off and on the last few days)
Croup is a virus – it has to run its course. Which means, for now, that I also have no choice except to deal with it and to pray.
Lorelin is a high-need kind of girl when she is sick. She doesn’t sleep and she follows me around the house EVERYWHERE (even into the bathroom). She’s never been a big TV kid (thankfully, except for when she’s sick) and while she easily gets bored lying on the couch, she doesn’t want to play with her toys either.
I canceled plans with my friend Jess on Friday night, and canceled a group date on Saturday night too. I reached a breaking point last night as I looked around at all that still needed to be done in the house. My hubby found me on the couch, crying my eyes out. He wisely and very sweetly sent me immediately to bed while he stayed up to clean the kitchen, do the dishes, finish washing/drying the laundry, and deal with Joshua’s late-night feed.
That, my bloggity friends, is true love in action.
After almost two weeks of sprained ankles and sick kiddos, I am feeling emotionally and physically exhausted.
I am ready to have a healthy family again.

Puddle Ducks

2008-05-13T19:34:00.000-07:00

Last week the girlies watched an episode of Curious George (only the coolest cartoon out there!)where he filled a swimming pool to entice some ducks swimming in a large puddle to stay and play.

Immediately after the episode, Lorelin asked for her own bowl of water so that she could play "puddle ducks" I set her up in the kitchen with a tupperware container and a towel. We also found about 6 rubber duckies that we had as bath toys. Soon enough, though, her sissy wanted in on the fun, and the duckies invited all of thier other friends to come and take a dip.

Swim, everyone, swim!

BIG Croupy Boy....

2008-05-13T14:10:00.000-07:00

Hello All....

I have so many blog posts that I'd like to do...I'm definitely feeling a little behind...just a quick update on J-boy - we'll move from today and go backwards

TODAY - J-Boy is recovering from his first illness - a lovely bout of croup. He had had a VERY mild runny nose the past few days - almost completely clear stuff too, no yellow yuckies. So I was surprised to hear him wake up Sunday night with the very distinctive croupy cough. I surprised myself, as well, by not completley freaking out. This is my fifth (maybe even sixth?) time to deal with croup though...I guess my children must be prone to it. I knew what to listen and look for, all of the danger signs (he didn't have any) and how best to give him some relief. It was still a long night though, and I have slept the past two nights on the floor in his room, just to be close in case he needs me.
My dear hubby took him to the pediatrician yesterday, where they gave him a steroid shot in his chubby little leg. He had a good night last night, breathing well overall, and sleeping soundly.

SUNDAY - We dedicated J-Boy in the very first baby dedication held by our tiny little church. It was a geat way to celebrate Mother's Day with our new little guy! {It also made me think of when we dedicated our girls at Compass...miss you Scott! Hope your Mother's Day service in your new church was awesome too!} My brother and sis-in-law were also visiting from South Carolina, so having them there for the dedication and to visit was extra special!

THURSDAY - This past Thursday J-Boy went for his two month checkup. At ten weeks old, he is such a BIG BOY! :) Our pediatrician kept saying, "He's just sooo big! " He weighed in at 13 lbs, 10.5 oz. - at the 90% for his weight for his age group. He was at the 70% for his height and the 60% for his head size (he has such a cute little noggin..)

Speaking of J-Boy, I hear him fussing, although he should be napping...guess I'll sign off for now...

Oh, just a side-note about my dear hubby's ankle. Although it is very badly bruised, it is not broken, and he is up and moving, albeit very slowly.

A Glass Of Iced Tea & A Hot Shower...

2008-05-08T21:36:00.000-07:00

That’s all I want, and it doesn’t even matter what order. I am exhausted!

Yesterday afternoon my dear hubby called me on his way home from his kung-fu workout (as he normally does) with the greeting, “I um….kind-of hurt myself.”

“What did you do?” I asked. He often comes home with rug burns on his arms, or an occasional black eye (they do some heavy-duty sparring and ground maneuvering in class),so I thought it was probably something along those lines.

“I sprained my ankle and I can’t walk very well….well…hardly at all…and it’s swelling a lot. Do we have any ibuprofen?”

So, I grabbed the ice pack, a couple of ibuprofen, and some pillows to ready myself for his arrival.

Sure enough, he hobbled in, barely able to walk. Poor guy! He was extra super bummed, since last night also happened to be our girlies preschool birthday party. We held it at a facility with lots of those big inflatable bouncie and alas,Daddy was unable to hop or bounce at all.

He looked on last night with his ankle propped (and iced) as the rest of us played. This morning the ankle seemed better – less swollen, not as much pain (he said). He played it safe by staying home from his morning shift at work, but went to work a short afternoon shift.

Unfortunately, the ankle is super swollen tonight. We are still watching it, icing it, propping it, and praying that is indeed just a sprain.

But, in the meantime, as you can imagine, I am the primary hands and feet for everyone in the household. I am truly not complaining, instead, this has made me VERY thankful for how much my dear hubby normally helps me with the kiddos and the house.

Dear Lord, please quickly heal my hubby’s ankle, and give me the strength to be the hands and feet for our family in the meantime.

Now…for that glass of iced tea…

Pretty, Pretty Princesses....

2008-05-06T20:44:00.000-07:00

AND A HANDSOME PRINCE!!

I Hate....

2008-05-06T15:22:00.000-07:00

PMS. My hormones are such fussy things, and once-a-month they kick into overdrive. I become moody, weepy, and grumpy. I get cramps and backaches and headaches.

I did NOT miss my PMS while I was pregnant. Of course, I had that nausea thing going on and the gestational diabetes, but still……

My PMS has always been a struggle for me. I’ve tried many different courses of action over the years. I have even gone as far to visit a homeopathic nurse practioner, who gave me some kind of natural hormone balancer that looked like thick molasses. You were supposed to place it under your tongue and keep it there for at least ten minutes while it slowly absorbed.

It was very goopy and glucky and it tasted yucky.

I’ve read books, tried exercise, rubbed yam (yup, like the sweet potato) cream on my arm, and taken large amounts of primrose oil.

Finally, a little over a year ago, I stumbled onto a natural supplement called Premcal
It is a blend of vitamins found to be effective in reducing PMS symptoms. I was definitely wary, but the price was right, and there did seem to be some genuine testimonials on the website.

So, I ordered a bottle and started taking it. It took about a month of the vitamins being in my system for me to see a difference, but then – Wow! – the difference was amazing! (I feel like such a cheesy infomercial saying it like that, but it’s true)

I was estatic to find something that truly helped me to manage my PMS, instead of feeling like it was managing me. However, nine months of pregnancy and a forgetful brain…. my first two bouts of PMS after the birth of Joshua have been real bears.

So, it’s back to the Premcal. I am hoping that next month will find me in a happier state of mind, even if it is “that time of month”.

WARNING: Busy Week Ahead!

2008-05-06T15:08:00.000-07:00

Good Tuesday all! After a rather relaxed weekend of doing laundry and playing Pretty Pretty Princess, it’s a full week and full steam ahead.
Last-night I enjoyed dinner out with a good friend of mine who will be moving in a few weeks….sniff,sniff…while sad, we had such a wonderful time together.
Tonight I will be heading to Entrees Made Easy to put together 12 wonderful meals to help feed our family for the next month. HOORAY!! These pre-assembled meals are such a blessing to our family while baby J-boy is still so young. A big plus is that my friend Tracy has agreed to come and help keep me company while I am there!! Two friends in two nights - my social spirit is feeling very sparkly!
My sis-in-law will be visiting from South Carolina this week - she’ll be arriving on Wednesday. We are doing a birthday party for our girlies and their preschool friends this Wednesday night (with family parties to follow. Thursday is J-Boy's two month check-up (although he'll actually be ten weeks old We'll round out the weekend by celebrating Mother’s Day with a visit from my brother and a baby dedication for J-boy.

Caught In The Act

2008-04-29T14:52:00.000-07:00

Here is our J-boy, caught in the act of smiling for one of the very first times. There is some debate as to whether he was smiling at my dear hubby (who does seem to get the biggest grins from him) or whether he was all excited about his yellow sunshine toy, but either way, his smile lights up our hearts!

A Girl And Her Goggles

2008-04-29T14:47:00.000-07:00

Last week at swim lesssons, Lorelin hit a major milestone. She floated on her back all by herself for the fist time!! She has been working on floating for months, but just couldn't seem to get completly relaxed in the water. Last week the swim teacher had the idea of trying goggles to prevent the water from getting in her eyes. Sure enough, they did the trick. Lorelin got her very first ribbon at her swim schol and was SOO excited!!!! She spent the entire next day "playing" swim lessons. I dug out a pair of goggles that we had in the bottom of our swim stuff, and she instantly adored them. She hasn't taken them off since. Here she is wearing them the first day I found them.

She has since worn them to meals, in the van (I won't let her take them in somewhere for fear they would get lost), in the bathtub, and ALL around the house. Here she is feeding J-boy on the couch yesterday - fully equipped, of course, with her swim goggles.

Who knows, they might come in handy when he spits up!
Anyway, at first, the goggles were just part of her imaginary play as she "swam" around the house puffing out her cheeks to hold her breath while she moved her arms. However, yesterday, Lorelin discovered that the goggles could double as a mask as she donned a pink sparkly cape and became, in her words - SUPER LORE-LIN!!!!

Now she could fly in the air AND swim under the water. Very impressive, huh?
This morning she stuck a straw in the band on one side of her head and stuck the tip in her mouth. It was her "snorkel" she said, as she pretended to dive under water to discover new fish.
I LOVE this little person and her goggles too!

Monday Moments

2008-04-28T09:20:00.000-07:00

I love my K-Bug's imagination. She can spend hours pretending with her playsets or stuffed animals. And, as any preschooler does, she likes to give her characters made-up names to relate to each other with. However, these are not your average, run-of-the-mill names like "Karen" or "Ariel" or any of the other people names that you can think of.
These names are made up of a preschool language all their own.
And they crack me up! So, for the sake of sharing with you (and for my own remembrance) I got out a bucket of beanie babies the other day and asked K-Bug about the various names for each of the animals. Here she is posing with some of the animals.

I wrote down the names, and had a mini-photo shoot with some of the Beanie Babies. We had a great time! I wanted to share just a few with you now:
This is GOBBER - the Brown Bear

This is SPAT - the bat (I like how that just rolls off of the tongue, don't you?)

This is BARRALAH (she prounounced it BAR-E-LAH) the Elephant....

To be continued....

Songs From The Dishwasher

2008-04-24T14:19:00.000-07:00

Have you ever seen the Three Amigos where they go and find the singing bush? That movie is one of my favorite-est movies EVER!!!

And that part entirely cracks me up….

Anyway, not that it really has anything to do with what I’m about to blog about except the thought of a singing dishwasher made me think of the singing bush and well….

Such is my mind. It’s like a busy intersection of fun.

Soooo….I was whining yesterday to God about well, all sorts of things really. My dear hubby and I have been talking about selling our house (and moving to who knows where, we just know for now we’re running out of room), and we can’t seem to agree on some of the details about if we should sell, when we should sell, yada, yada, yada….

I was probably whining about other things too, but I can’t remember what. What I do remember is that whilst I was having this little grip-session to God, that I was in the kitchen cleaning up after everyone had already gone to bed.

I had just turned on the dishwasher and it was whirring away with a rhythmic

Ka-chunka-chik, Ka-chunka-chik, Ka-chunk-chik

And, all of a sudden, a song entered my head perfectly in time with the rhythm of the dishwasher.

“Rejoice in the Lord always, and I again I say rejoice. Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice. Re-jo-ice! Re-jo-ice! And again I say rejoice!”

Now, the reason that this particular song popped in my head has everything to do with the fact that we have a new Wee Sing Bible Songs CD in the van which my girls absolutely adore right now. And, while I think that these particular recordings of these Bible songs are done in a somewhat corny way, I do love the fact that my girlies are learning new Bible songs and LOVING it.

Anyway, let’s just say that I’ve been listening to the CD a lot…..and, at that moment, God used the truth of this little Bible song to pierce me right to the heart.

This song is taken directly from Scripture, where Paul says in Philippians 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say, Rejoice!” To rejoice means to be exceedingly glad, and always, well, that doesn’t leave a lot of room for interpretation, does it? It means to do it all the time.

God is always big enough to throw whatever we have at Him, and he wants to know and hear our hearts, even if we are whining, but I believe that He desires to have us rejoice in Him, even when things are tough, and we don’t understand why things aren’t going exactly the way we thought they would or should.

It is definitely a reoccurring theme in my own heart and life that I don’t want to be one who constantly complains – to others or to God. Although there are times when it’s tough, I truly want to rejoice in Him.

Lord, you know my heart, and where it needs improvement. Come to me in this place in my life and fill my heart with rejoicing. Amen.

Do You Like It?

2008-04-21T14:01:00.000-07:00

My very, very talented friend Tracy created my new blog page for me. It reminds me of one of her beautiful scrapbook pages that she creates – only this one is on my blog for everyone to see. Tracy has also recently started putting her graphic design services at an Etsy shop under the name of

I am SOO proud of my Sistechick! Tell your friends (and business associates too) to head on over to Yellow Dog Creative and check it out!

Feeling Better....

2008-04-21T13:53:00.000-07:00

I am SOO glad that it’s Monday! It feels like a fresh start to a new week. Our past week was taken up largely with illness. Lorelin’s illness spanned a couple of days, and our carpet was largely worse for the wear. My ever-generous Mom offered to get our carpets cleaned the same day that she has hers done (this past Thursday), so once again, we have clean and happy carpet.The last time our carpet cleaner had seen me was the morning before I gave birth to Joshua, so he thought is was really fun to see how big our baby was already!
My dear hubby participated in the March For Babies with Team “Great” Dane on Saturday morning. He had such a great time! A big thank you to all who supported us and our friends the Robinsons in the March. Head over to Nicole’s blog to see some pictures and hear her take on day.
We spent Saturday afternoon at the park flying the girls new kite (Lorelin had gotten it as a get-well gift), and enjoying what’s left of Phoenix’s mild spring weather.

Sunday morning was church, and then home for looong naps on Sunday afternoon. We eneded the weekend with a barbeque dinner with my parents.
I am looking forward to a much more “normal” week…
Oh, and here's a picture of Mister J-boy at seven weeks old wearing his o-so-cute organic outfit from his Aunt A and Uncle B!! He's so stylin!

Sleep Is....

2008-04-14T14:45:00.000-07:00

So highly overrated…I mean, I only got about a half- hour last night, and pssshhh….I…feel…fine…

Well…Ok…so maybe I really feel like something the dog buried in the backyard and then the cat dragged in, but really, at least I’m still upright, breathing, and tryping too (albeit with a few typos…)

I was washing bottles last night at 11:30 p.m. to get ready for a night of feeding J-boy when Miss Lorelin walked into the kitchen. I was tempted to be aggravated at her because she had had already a rough time getting settled into bed that night until I took a good look at her.

She was COVERED in um….yucky spit-uppey stuff…..from head to toe.

Poor thing! I immediately threw her in the bathtub and got her some fresh PJs. Her head felt a tiny bit warm, but she seemed otherwise happy-go-lucky after her adventure. I pulled my dear hubby out of bed after I saw the mess that was the bedroom carpet and her entire bed.

Unfortunately for all for all of us, the night was just getting started. Poor Miss Lorelin spent the next four hours heaving her poor little guts out every 10 to 20 minutes. She would, of course, beg for drinks in-between. Even small sips of water came instantly back up. About this time, the “tiny bit warm” on her head turned into a fever, complete with chills.

At 3:30 a.m., after about the 15th round, we decided to take her into Good Night Pediatrics for some relief. I called my Mom, who graciously threw on a pair of jeans and accompanied Miss Lorelin and I down to the urgent care.

Turns out that she has a rather nasty ear infection, which the doctors think caused the vomiting. The doctor said that sometimes the pain and equilibrium problems caused by an ear infection can set off nausea and vomiting.
He gave her some ear drops there in the office to help numb the pain, and wrote a prescription for some antibiotics. We set off to our local 24 hr Walgreens to fill the script, and then finally home around 5:30 a.m. where I fell into bed for a full half-hour before being woken up by a feverish Lorelin, a hungry Joshua and then a cheerful little Girl-Bug (who reports that she slept “great!”)

The good news is that we haven’t seen any more yuckies making a return visit today. Lorelin has been stuffing Pedialyte Pops down her mouth at an amazing rate, and after a three and a half hour nap this afternoon, she is still running a slight fever and looking a little wrung-out, but is doing altogether better.

I have managed to catch a few small snoozies here and there, and will be praying for a MUCH quieter night tonight – for all of us….

Top Ten Thursday

2008-04-10T14:56:00.000-07:00

You Might Be The Mother Of A Preschooler If…

1.Your three year old throws up on your feet, and you are not COMPLETELY grossed out (however if it was anyone else’s throw-up, I would gag and throw-up too)
2.You cherish your time on the potty because it means that you get to be alone for three minutes (unless your child sticks her fingers under the door while asking, "Mommy, what are you doing in there?)
3.You can spend an entire day wiping bottoms and noses and STILL not be completely grossed out (notice I said completely….snotty noses still get to me)
4.You find yourself eating macaroni and cheese and dino nuggets for lunch too
5.You can carry on a normal phone conversation while changing a baby, preparing lunch, and finding your two-year old’s lost dolly
6.Your idea of a shopping spree is going to Walgreen’s for some carpet cleaner while your husband watches the kids (did you know they have some cee-ute clothes at Walgreens? Seriously…)
7.You find yourself lying in bed at night with the latest Veggie Tales song floating through your head (or whatever cartoon your preschooler likes)
8.The only kind of band-aids you own have cartoon characters on them
9.The Sunday morning sermon is one of the few quiet hours you have in the week – and you end up falling asleep… (which I will admit to perhaps nodding off once or twice when my babies were all young….sorry Scott!)

ANNND…NUMBER TEN…You Might Be The Mother Of A Preschooler IF

10. Your arms are full, but your heart is even fuller of little hands giving BIG hugs and LOTS of love!

Hanging Out.....

2008-04-08T14:16:00.000-07:00

Here is Mister J-boy at almost six weeks old. You have to love the chubby cheeks and oh-so-squeezable leggers...:)

Mugs & Magnets

2008-04-07T14:46:00.000-07:00

Prologue: I just want to say a big thank you to everyone who prayed for my family during my Grandma’s illness. After several weeks in hospice care, she graduated to heaven to be with Jesus three weeks after the birth of J-boy. I was not able to go and attend the funeral, but both my brother and sister and their spouses were able to come and be with my Mom and Dad, which was a big comfort to them. My parents were gone for about a week, and came home with boxes of stuff from my Grandma’s house. The contents of those boxes are what inspired this next post.

Of all the thoughts that my Mommy brain can think at the end of a day, right now I am thinking about magnets. Refrigerator magnets, to be exact. And not just any refrigerator magnets.
These are the magnets that occupied the space on my Grandma’s refrigerator. After viewing pictures of my Grandma’s house that my Mom had taken on her first trip down to Texas, I was flooded with a host of memories about my Grandma’s kitchen.
When my Mom asked me what I might like to have of my Grandma’s to help remember her by, I asked for only three things:
1.One of her quilts
2.A plaque that she had hanging in her kitchen AND
3.Her refrigerator magnets.
If I’d been thinking, I would have asked her to bring home her mugs as well, but more about that in a minute.
As it was, yesterday I found myself with a bucket full of my Grandma’s refrigerator magnets. Many of them had been hanging in her kitchen since my early childhood.
It was then, looking through these magnets,that a few tears finally fell as I allowed myself the time and space to fully realize that I won’t see my Grandma again on this side of heaven. Such memories…
The kitchen was the very heart of my Grandma’s home, and baking for us grandkids was one of the ways she loved on us. I remember a well-stocked cookie jar, lots of juice, and even little Dixie cups with pictures on them that she would buy for us kids whenever we came to visit.
And the magnets, I remember them SO well. Quirky magnets, silly magnets, pretty magnets.
I also remember mugs of various sizes and shapes. Although these are not as vivid in my mind, I know that she had several mugs that she loved to use over and over again.
As I was putting the magnets on my fridge, I realized that I have a similar love for mugs and magnets. It is the first thing I look for on a vacation – I have mugs and magnets from Sea World, Disneyland, different states I’ve visited, and different events I’ve been to. I especially cherish mugs and magnets given to me by my family and friends (my birthday is in May….hint, hint)
My fridge DOES look a little cluttered, but my magnets tell a story of the quirky person I am……
Just like my Grandma

Random Thoughts From My Baby Brain

2008-04-01T16:22:00.000-07:00

I’ve probably started four or five different posts, only to be sidetracked by a crying baby, a toddler who needs me to help her go potty, or to listen to my preschooler’s drama about a broken toy. I truly miss blogging (so please hang in there with me – I’ll be back) but I also miss sleeping thru the night and having a clean (ok, well, cleaner) house, both of which I don’t expect to happen again anytime in the super near future.
I’ve also discovered that I’m more of a multi-taker than I thought. Trying to make dinner, entertain and/or discipline my girlies, and rock the baby to sleep is like trying to tap dance with china plates on my head – doable but tricky.

Who knew I was so skilled at dancing?

Speaking of dancing, I’ve been dancing everywhere since discovering my new ease of movement without a nine month pregnant belly. The other night in the kitchen, I whirled and twirled my way to the music on the radio (with no audience besides my Heavenly Father) – thanking the Lord for the return of a body that can move, jump, bend, and DANCE!

Don’t think I’m whining though – I wouldn’t trade these wonderful days for the world. Soon I’ll turn around, and my tiny baby will be a big boy. I know, because my baby girls keep trying to grow up on me.

I’ll be the first to admit that the first three months of a baby’s life are tough in so many ways. And while I will be glad to have a baby that sleeps more at night and smiles and coos throughout the day, I will enjoy cuddling my tiny baby right now – I will hold him close and kiss his soft downy head and pray for his future.

The laundry will still be there tomorrow....

Monday Moments...

2008-03-24T13:55:00.000-07:00

We gave J-boy his bath last night a little later than his usual time. Apparently a little TOO late. He was in the water for all of one minute before he drifted off into sleep right there in the water. Talk about your relaxing baths! :) Good thing Mommy and Daddy are there to keep watch (and take pictures...hee,hee!)

He only cried a little when I took him out too...within minutes, he was clean, dry, swaddled and off to dreamland for the night!

Family Update

2008-03-24T13:47:00.000-07:00

So sorry I haven’t posted…life around here is busy, busy, busy…..here is an update on our cute family-o-five (note: this post is a little dated – I wrote it last week, but I decided to go ahead and print it anyway.. enjoy!)

J-Boy – He had his post-circumcision check-up today. Our pediatrician declared that he “looked good” (she was talking about her circumcision job) – so good in fact, that she joked that we ought to take a picture and frame it – she cracks me up! (Our pediatrician is originally from Nigeria, so if you can imagine her saying all of this with her big smile and thick accent, you can get an idea of why I thought it was so funny).
J-Boy will be three weeks tomorrow, and today at his appointment he weighed in at 9 lbs 8.oz. WOW! This big boy already has those adorable “rolls” on his thighs, and super chubby cheekers that I just want to kiss all the time (so I do!). His weight definitely tells the story that this boy likes to eat! As a matter of fact, being hungry is the only time that he ever really screams…the rest of the time he’s a pretty mellow-fellow. J-Boy is really giving us great nights right now – up only a few times to eat and then usually right back to sleep. He’s a true cuddler, and although getting used to a newborn again has been a BIG adjustment, we love every part of our precious boy. Here’s a picture of him with his big ol’ eyes open – taking in the world one day at a time.

Lorelin – She is almost fully potty-trained – hooray! I would have posted a lot more about this, except that she has really done it all herself (I’m sure that having her sissy to watch helped a lot). We weren’t going to try to potty train her for a while still, since we knew we had a newborn coming, but one day she decided she wanted to wear panties and go pee-pee in the potty, and that was pretty much that. She had a few poo-poo accidents right after J-Boy came home from the hospital, which perplexed us a little bit, until she made the comment while we were cleaning her up that “I’m being changed just like baby Joshua.” After that, her Daddy took her for some one-on-one special time to go and get ice cream at Leaps (a locally-owned custard shop), and reaffirmed that she was still our special girl – expect now she got to be a big sister too. (the picture below of Lorelin and Daddy right before their “date”) A few days later, Lorelin started showing a lot more interest in her baby brother, and now spends her days playing “This Little Piggy” with his toes, giving him cuddles and hugs, and asking for time to hold him on the couch.

K-Bug – K-Bug is constantly amazing me with her desire to learn (she wants to learn all of her sounds for her letters), and I delight in her very vivid imagination. She is content to spend her days creating and singing her own songs, or trying to engage her sister in playing “cow” or “horse” or “puppy” or a zoo of other animals. She loves to use hats, boots, jewelry, and dress-up clothes in all of her pretend play. Here is a picture of one of her very own hats that she created herself – it’s two buckets put together.

She took very quickly to her role as oldest sister to two younger siblings. She loves to sit beside J-boy and read him stories. She also loves to sing him songs, hold him in her lap, and give him lots of kisses on his “soft head”. She still leans toward the dramatic – she told me the other day after her “time-out” discipline that “My very happy heart has run away!” Don’t worry…she found it again a few minutes later!

Us – We are busy and tired, but doing well. I’ll post more about myself and my dear hubby in a later post. :

Monday Moments

2008-03-24T13:44:00.000-07:00

My Boys....

2008-03-12T14:13:00.000-07:00

These are my boys....and they both just melt my heart!

Happy Anniversary!

2008-03-12T14:11:00.000-07:00

Yesterday marked eight wonderful years that I've been married to the love of my life. Although there have been anniversaries where I've been pregnant (and of course we've had children too) , this is a first for us with having a newborn. Needless to say, we didn't really get to go out and do anyhing just quite yet (we loved the pizza though - thanks Brand!) However, my dear hubby did surprise me about a week ago with these beautiful roses - "one for each beautiful baby you've given me" - he said. Of course I cried my little post-partum eyes out.

The night before our anniversary I was up after one of J-boy's feeds, and I wrote him this poem. For my dear hubby...I love you and happy anniversary!

Most days I am a MomGirl – a very busy Mommy of three
But tonight I am thinking back to a time when it was just you and just me…

Of a white wedding dress, and a perfect spring day,
And a man and a woman speaking vows
Of a man and a wife, starting a new life,
Christened by wedding night “wows”

Of an apartment so sweet, all 650 sqaure feet
Dinners shared by candlelight
Of working the day thru, and coming home with you
Of “cuddling” in bed together all night

How we’ve grown, how we’ve changed
Our lives rearranged – now we have three children all still quite small
Now it’s diapers and wipes, sibling rivalry and fights
But I still have the best life of all

A husband I adore, every day more and more
As we maneuver the rapids called life
Blessed by God above, I couldn’t be more in love
And happier to be called your wife

HAPPY EIGHTH ANNIVERSARY!!!!

A Labor Story

2008-03-10T21:57:00.000-07:00

I love to hear other people’s accounts of how their own little one came into the world. Funny how each birth and can be so alike OR so different in their experience. Mine have all been very different experiences. Here is a snapshot of my experience with J-boy.
3:50 a.m. – Phone rings. I had been moved-up to a 5:00 a.m. induction time, but the hospital was calling me to tell me that they were full and I was being put on a wait list.
4:00 – 6:00 a.m. – Too much adrenaline to go back to sleep. I toss, turn, and pray waiting for the morning light, and finally drift back off to sleep.
7:30 a.m. – The girls wake up and the day starts like any other. My sister-in-law is still on stand-by to come and stay with the girls, but the morning passes without any phone calls from the hospital. My husband decides to go ahead and leaves to work his morning shift.
10:00 a.m. – The carpet cleaner comes and is surprised to find me still at home (I had told him I’d be having a baby). I play with the girls in the kitchen while he cleans all the carpets for me. Cain has been my carpet cleaner for years – he is a small business guy and a Christian too. He tells me he and his wife will be praying for us. He leaves us with clean, happy carpets.
11:30 a.m. – My Mom’s flight back to Phoenix from Texas had arrived earlier that morning, and she is home now. Hooray!! I’m so glad to see my Mom (the girls are too!) God worked it out so she could be present for J-boy’s birth.
Noon – My hubby arrives home, changes his clothes, and I start lunch for our family and my Mom
1:00 p.m. – The phone rings and it’s the hospital telling us to “come as soon as we can.” I go back to the bedroom to tell my hubby that we got the call, and it’s time to go. We’re both a bundle of excitement and nerves. My Mom will stay with the girls until my Mother-in-law can arrive to take over in a few hours.
1:30 p.m. – My dear hubby and I both grab quick showers, I put on my make-up (have to look pretty for my pictures, right? ), and we load the car with the diaper bag, my suitcase, and some pillows.
1:45 p.m. – We check in at OB triage, sign some paperwork, and are sent directly over to labor and delivery. A nice nurse shows us to our room, and proceeds to hook me up to all of my various monitors.

2:45 p.m. – We complete our paperwork, and the nurse starts my IV (ouch! That long needle hurts). She also tells me that I tested positive for the group beta strep, and will need to complete several rounds of antibiotics before the baby is born.
3:00 p.m. – My pitocin drip is finally started and I am also started on the first round of antibiotics. BTW, the penicillin burns like FIRE while it goes into my arm – I hold my arm and pray for it to be quickly over each time I start another round…
3:00 – 8:00 p.m. – I am dialating very slowly. My Mom shows up and my Mom, my hubby, and I all sit around talking. I am having regular contractions, but I am able to breathe and even talk through them. When I ask why it’s going so slow, they tell me that they have had to turn up the pitocin very gradually in order for me to receive all the rounds of antibiotics.
8:00p.m. – My OB comes in to break my water. She informs me that my contractions should become “very painful, very soon” and what-do-you-know……OWWWW! The contractions are suddenly very intense and only two minutes apart. I beg for my hubby’s hand, and try to squeeze his fingers completely off while trying hard not to scream out loud during the actual contractions.
8:00 – 10:00 p.m. – Some of this is a blur for me .I do remember lot of very intense pain.
-The baby’s heartbeat keeps dipping up and down, so I am rolled onto my left side into a rather uncomfortable position. My contractions hurt even worse on my side, but I’m willing do to whatever it takes to keep the baby healthy.
-I beg for an epidural and the anesthesiologist is summoned. He is a very quiet and serious looking man with a very kind bed-side manner. I HATE epidurals (but I hate the pain even more), and I actually bite my pillow while he puts it in – he was very quick and very good though. He stays for a while and my hubby and I get a chance to talk and joke with him a little bit (he had a very dry sense of humor….he was actually quite funny)
-But then something happened that I’ve only heard of happening to others before – the epidural took effect on only one side of my body. So soon I’m back to squeezing fingers and trying not to scream while I’m rolled onto my right side to try to get the epidural to numb that side of my body.
-The epidural finally takes effect on both sides. I breathe a sigh of relief…..

10:05 p.m. – I’ve been pain-free for about ten minutes when I’m checked and told that I am ready to push….so I guess it’s time to go…more nurses show up and get the room ready for a baby
10:15 – My OB shows up and we’re all ready to go. I’m so numb from the epidural that I can’t really feel anything, but I push the way I think I’m supposed to.
10:20 – Three pushes later, my OB informs that the head is out, but that the shoulders are stuck. A look of concern crosses her face, and I worry for the first time that day. She tells me to push once more, and as I do, she applies pressure directly on my abdomen with her body.
10:22 p.m. – Baby J-boy slides out into the world. I was pretty freaked-out, because my first look at him was of a completely purple and blue-faced baby. My OB immediately started saying, “He’s Ok, he’s Ok, he’s just bruised, he’s just bruised…”
10:23 p.m. – I hear his first cries, and I start tearing up too. I just remember saying over and over to myself, “He’s Ok, he’s ok…he’s crying.” I get hugs from my Mom, and kisses from my dear hubby.

10:26 p.m. – They place him in my arms for the first time, and the new adventure begins…

The Number Three

2008-03-08T21:00:00.000-08:00

There’s nothing really so scary about the number three, that is, until the pregnancy test turned positive this last time….I remember all during my pregnancy, when people would ask me which baby this was for me, and I would tell them “My third” one of two things would happen.
#1 – They would tell me how wonderful it was to have three kids – and how wonderful for me that it was two girls and “now you get your boy too! Life will be so much fun!”
#2 – They would tell me something along the lines of, “When that third one came along, it was just SO much harder, things were WAY busier then with two, etc.”
And the response in my brain would go something like this –
#1 – “See, you can totally do this Stacy!” OR
#2 – “What was I thinking? I can’t do this!”
So, here I am. An official Mommy to three wonderful children – all under the age of five.
And how I am coping? Hard to tell, a week into this adventure, but I will tell you a few things I DO know….I’ve already had many moments that were just like the two scenarios above – lots of fun and firsts AND some tears and moments of feeling completely overwhelmed.
I also know that when Joshua came out, I instantly could not imagine our family without him. He is a miracle and I fell instantly in love.
I also know that during my first day alone (more on that in a later post), I could count the minutes I had to myself in VERY small increments, and had the feeling that my time in the months ahead would be consumed with meeting the immediate needs of my young children. So, where I am going with all of this? I’m not sure….
I just know that the adventure ahead has been given to me by my Heavenly Father, and He has promised to be with me every step of the way (even at 1:00 a.m. feedings! - and you my bloggity friends get to come along on the ride!
Thank you Father, for the number three.

BABY JOSHUA IS HERE!

2008-03-03T16:57:00.000-08:00

Joshua Alexander Smith made his entrance into the world on leap year - Friday, February 29th at 10:22 p.m. He weighed in at 8 lbs 7 oz and was 20 inches long.

Yup - this boy is big. I ended up being induced around 3:00 p.m. on Friday, and after a lot of labor, Joshua came with five minutes of pushing. There was a push or two where his shoulders got stuck and my OB informs me we were "this close" to an emergency C-section. Praise God though, one more mighty push and Joshua came out - albeit with a LOT of bruising on his poor little face (they told me he came down really fast and hit his nose/face on my pelvic bone).

We are all home now and Joshua is doing well. The girls are super excited about their baby "brudder" (as Lauren calls him). We are moving slow (and I'm a little sore..) but we are just so thankful for all of God's blessings in getting our son here safely!

We'll send more pictures and updates in the days ahead!

Pregnacny Randomness

2008-02-28T13:36:00.000-08:00

1. My son might be born on leap year. This was slightly distressing for me for about a millisecond before I thought, “That would be really neat!” Thanks for the encouraging comment from Kim about her own leap year baby.  My dear hubby says he knew a few leap year kids when he was in elementary school and he thought it was SOOO cool that they were born on leap year. So, there you go, my son is cool even before he is born! :)
2.My Mom WILL be back in town on Friday morning, so should be around before or after the baby arrives. Yeah! My Dad will stay on with my Grandma, who is not doing well, but continues to hang on.
3.They have moved me to an earlier time on Friday to deliver, but I am not revealing it here, because there is a good possibility that they will push me back again, so we’ll just have to see if little Joshua WILL be a leap year baby or not!
4.My To-Do list is almost done. I actually even have the carpet cleaner coming tomorrow, so besides getting the taxes done (which means ugh…we still have to do them…) I think we got everything completed. Whew! It’s been work!
5.Here are a few pics of Joshua’s room. I still have colored letters to hang on the walls and a blanket and some pictures to hang, so I’ll post it again when the room is REALLY all done, but at least you can get an idea.

6.One more day of being pregnant – I’ve become SO used to this little guy moving inside me at all times of the day and night. I’ve even become used to the size of my belly and how to walk, etc… is it really only ONE more day?
7.I am starting to feel a cross between excitement about his coming and wondering if I can handle it all….I love my girlies SO much and I have struggled even these last few weeks with feeling like I am spending enough time just loving on them. As a matter of fact, I think I am going to finish up this post and go cuddle on the couch with them while we watch Curious George. One of my last times as a Mom of two

COUNTING ON YOUR PRAYERS AND LOVING YOUR SUPPORT!
Stacy

Undeserved

2008-02-28T13:19:00.000-08:00

What can I say? I am aware every day of the fact that I, Stacy, do not deserve the love that is so lavishly poured out on me...

even if I do look really cheesy in this pic...:)

First and foremost, by my Heavenly Father, whose love I cannot ever fully grasp – how wide, how long, and how deep is His love! His love reaches to the heavens. His deep calls to my deep. Everyday I have the chance to drink in new mercies and to live a day that will bring me closer to Him and bring glory to His name.

Secondly, by my family and friends. I have a husband who has loved on me every step of the way of this pregnancy, and two beautiful, fun, and fabulous girlies who bring me joy and delight every day. I believe I have the best friends anyone could ever be blessed with – couples who love my dear hubby and I just the way we are, and girlfriends who care deeply about me. These women encourage me, love me, and pray for me in this journey of life.

SO….that being said, I wanted to say a great big THANK YOU to everyone who has loved us through this pregnancy – it has been a journey - NOTE: it's a rather lengthy post, but I wanted to make sure to include all I could remember.

1.Thank you to everyone who helped to plan, put together, and organize our baby shower on February 17th. It was a VERY fun afternoon, and I LOVED all of the wonderful decorations (especially the cute football field Trace!) and the food. A special thank-you to the ladies (Tracers, Andrea, Jess, Lindsay) who gave up time on their Sunday to show-up early to set-up and decorate and a big thank-you to Lindsay and her husband for helping to organize and provide all of those tables and chairs!! Thank you to Nickle-Pickle for her amazing macaroni and cheese, and everyone else who brought food to share that day. Thank you to all of the families who showed up to support us, and those who supported us even in their absence. It was a perfect baby shower for us, and we were blessed with so many things that we needed.
2.Thank you to my Sisterchicks for SUPER surprising me with an amazing diaper and wipes shower. These chickies brought me sugar-free treats to munch on (thanks girls!) balloons to decorate the house (my girlies have been LOVING the ballons, by the way) and enough diapers and wipies to last us for a while. And even though I was in my pajamas (like I said, I was very surprised) and my house was less than perfect, these ladies still loved on me in such a special way. Thanks to ALL of you for giving up Monday night time with your families to come and surprise me.
3. A BIG Thank-you to Andrea for the use of her highchair and swing for our little guy, and another BIG thank-you to Jen for letting us use your bassinet and other various baby things. Also, to Linds, Jules, and Brand as you have lent me maternity clothes to cover my belly in all of its various sizes.
4.Thank you to all of our doctors, nurses, and specialists who have helped us through nine months of first trimester super-sickness, second/third trimester gestational diabetes, and every other part of this hormonal time. It is safe to say that I truly adore my OB, Dr Mystie Johnson, and her staff has been more than kind to me.
5. Thank you to all of my friends who have encouraged me that I can have this little boy and be OK with being a Mommy to a boy as well as girls.
6. Thank you to the WONDERFUL offers of help - Miss Angela has offered to do everything from painting in my house to watching the girls when I went into labor! You rock Angela!
7.So many others I’m sure I’m not even putting down…my bloggity friends like Tab who have been so encouraging...others who have sent their love and prayers from afar...Carmen, Scott, Margo....and I'm QUITE sure they are more that I am missing.

Tick, Tock...

2008-02-25T13:27:00.000-08:00

Well, they called me this morning with my time for Friday.....

Are you ready for this? 10:00 o clock

P.M. At night....

Craziness! I told the nurse I was going to probably keel over this Friday from the sheer anticipation of having to wait until 10:00 p.m that night.

I understand though. My OB wants to be there to deliver, so it needs to be after office hours and it has to work with the hospital's schedule as well.

AND....I have to call at 9:00 p.m. to make sure that they can still get me in at that time, because the hospital may be too full to take me (LOTS o babies being born I suppose). If the hospital IS too full, then I will be rescheduled for another time this weekend.

With the time being so late, there is very good chance that baby Joshua won't be a leap year baby after all, although I did deliver my last daughter within an hour of being induced, so it's hard to tell...

It's hard to tell, all the way around, exactly what will happen. Thank you ALL for your continued prayers and love. The adrenaline is definitely going and flowing for me, and I am forcing myself to slow down instead of speed up as we get closer.

Today the girls and I dropped off some items at Salvation Army and took the van to be washed and cleaned. Later tonight my dear hubby will install the car seat base and we will do some housecleaning.

I'll get the swing tomorrow and the bassinet sometime this week. I've been washing, scrubbing, and disinfecting everything in sight. (I know my friend Brandie can appreciate this one)

I have my bag packed, the diaper bag packed, and an working on a schedule and grocery shopping for the girls while we're away.

Oh,and sleep, guess I need to schedule that in too. I'll savor my last few days of a full night for a while....

We Have A Date!

2008-02-22T21:55:00.000-08:00

My OB’s first words to me today were “We’re inducing you next week. How does Friday sound?” Although she’s not sure all of the reasons why our son is so big (she seems surprised that the diabetes would be playing a big part, as my blood sugar has been well-controlled by diet), but in any case, she doesn’t want him to have to be cut out via C-section

…and believe me, I don’t either…..

so we will be inducing sometime on Friday, February 29th. It sounds like it will be late afternoon or early evening, but I won’t know an exact time until Monday. I am also dilated to two centimeters already, so if labor happens this week, we will obviously just let it come.

I think I felt a little overwhelmed at first – one week away. Both of my girls were born about a week before their due date, so knowing that I will be induced at 37 weeks feels so early to me.

My parents may or may not be back in town, as they are still in Texas, where my Grandma is still hanging on, although not doing well overall (thank you ALL for your prayers, by the way). But knowing in advance that they will induce on that date gives us the chance to set up some childcare for the girls, and gives my dear hubby a chance to notify his school and our church about taking some time-off.

We have gotten many of the projects on my to-do list crossed off, and we will focus on the essentials this week – packing my suitcase, posting pictures of his nursery on the blog (okay, okay, so that may not be essential, but the room does look cute!), and possibly getting the van and the carpets cleaned.

More importantly, we will pray and ask God to cover us and be with us every step of the way as we prepare for baby Joshua’s arrival. Lord, please give me wisdom, and may our family bring glory to You and Your name, as we prepare to bring this miracle into the world.

We appreciate all of your prayers and support more than you know – everyone from family, to our amazing friends, and to all of my bloggity friends as well.

I will post more once I know an exact time, etc…. the countdown begins now!

Also, my dear hubby has exactly one week to pick a middle name for our son. I think he’s decided on one, but I’m still having fun giving him a hard time and offering bogus
suggestions (I should probably stop though – what if he actually picks Artimus or Leo?...hee,hee)

36 Weeks And Waiting....

2008-02-22T09:17:00.000-08:00

Hello All! Just wanted to give you a 36 week update. I tried to get a picture of my big belly, but was unsuccessful. Trust me, my tummy has continued to grow in size. The OB specialist I saw on Tuesday commented “that really is a big belly for a small lady”. If the OB thinks I’m big, I must be a sight to behold. But I can’t really behold myself sooo…I must rely on other’s comments and reactions.
That’s Ok – I’ve still got my natural cuteness to fall back on….ha,ha,ha….

*Ahem*

Anyway, I went and had a follow-up growth ultrasound at the Arizona Perinatal Care Center, and while our boy had his hands in front of his handsome face the entire time, my dear hubby and I got to see plenty of other body parts, looking healthy and strong. Joshua’s heartbeat is strong, my amniotic fluid is measuring great, and he is in the head down position (this is something I already knew because I can feel it), ready to go.

They measured his size on Tuesday and it turns out by their best estimate, Joshua is weighing in at 8lbs, 5 oz. And this is at 36 weeks!!

So, my brief talk with the OB specialist after the ultrasound revealed three things:
1.My son is big
2.He (the OB specialist) feels they will induce me sometime soon
3.I will talk with my personal OB during my appointment TODAY to figure out when that might be (this is because it took a few days for the results to get from one office to the next)

My blood sugar has been well-controlled by diet, so while my gestational diabetes is playing a part in the baby’s size, he could also just be naturally big.

I have been in pure TORNADO mode for the last week and a half, and I am finally at that point where I feel like if I have to be ready sometime soon, I can be.

There are, of course, a few more things on my list, but if they don’t get done, it will be alright. Except for the bassinet – have to find time this week to grab that from my friend Jen……and maybe the swing too, from my friend Andrea, and get the van cleaned, and the carpet cleaned….etc

I will let everyone know what my OB says at my appointment this afternoon. :)

Prayers Please.....

2008-02-19T16:20:00.000-08:00

Some of you may know that my Dad has been back and forth between Arizona and Texas many times this past year, as he has been helping to care for my Grandma Icie. She is in her late eighties and not in good health. He went two weeks ago to care for her in the hospital with pneumonia. Surprisingly (it was pretty bad according to the doctors) she rallied and recovered, and my Dad made all the arrangements to move her over to a nearby nursing home. I talked with her several times by phone, and although she seemed confused at times in our conversation, she still had her spunk and was optimistic and feeling good overall.
Last night, he received a call that she was back in the hospital, and the nurse on duty told my Dad that she was not expected to make it through the night. She has kidney failure, and her old body is just not going to recover.
My Dad took the first flight out this morning, and thankfully, she did make it through the night, and my Dad is with her now. My Mom took a flight out this afternoon to go and be with my Dad. We are told to expect a phone call sometime in the next 48 hours, and my parents will be there for an undetermined amount of time (a week more or less).
Although I have peace about my Grandma’s passing, and I confident that she will go to be with Jesus, I will still grieve her loss from this world, and my own inability to go and be with family as they make preparations for a funeral, etc.
The hardest for me is watching my Dad grieve so much and so hard. He was very close to his Mom, and he has been an emotional wreck since he received that phone call last night.
Please pray for my parents as they go and deal with all the week will hold ahead, and for us, as we pray and support and grieve from afar.
There is also the possibility that I will have a baby before my parent’s return, and I know that they felt torn about not being able to be here. Please pray for our family, as we accept God’s timing and make alternate plans for child-care, etc. “just in case”
Here is a picture of my brother and I with my Grandma in December 2006. We took the girls to go and meet Grandma that year. I’m so thankful she got the chance to meet them!

Here is my Grandma with Lorelin during that same vist.

Valentines: The Warm-Up Blog

2008-02-15T08:50:00.000-08:00

Well, it’s that time of year again – my favorite time of year. Time for VALENTINES!!!!!!!

I love everything about this holiday, and although I enjoy the romance I share with my husband now (and the special story we share…that’s another blog), I have loved Valentine’s Day since I was young.

I used to get the Highlights magazine in the mail, and every year I would do EVERY suggested Valentine’s craft inside. I also made a homemade Valentine’s card for my school-teacher - which, since I was home-schooled, was my Mom - but I did it anyway, just because I thought it was FUN!

When I started my job at Hallmark at the age of seventeen, I loved the fact that there were literally rows and rows of cards for me to look at, and aisle after aisle of Valentines “stuff” to buy. I loved helping the bewildered boyfriends and husbands who rushed in the day before or the day of looking for something to give their girlfriends and wives. As a matter of fact, we had longer lines during Valentines Day than we did at Christmas!

On a deeper note: For me - Valentines Day has always represented a day that I remember my Savior’s deep, wide, amazing, overwhelming, and intimate love for me. And because of HIS great love, I am able to love others. Simple as that. The fact that I love the hearts, and the glitter, and the chocolate doesn’t hurt either…. {smile}

Valentines: The Party

2008-02-15T08:42:00.000-08:00

So because of my o-so-great love of this Valentines holiday, some friends of mine agreed to let me plan a Valentine’s Day party for our kiddos. My dear, dear friend Lindsay agreed to host at her house, and everyone else pitched in to bring food, decorations, cookies etc.

I brought my guitar and we had some music time with the kids, singing, of course, all about love (God’s love for us and our love for each other). My friend Julie brought a Valentines book that she read to the kids, and my friend Brandie brought cookies, which the kids decorated with sprinkles and icing. The kids had a messy, but yummy time decorating and eating their cookies.

We then had the kids decorate some bags with stickers - here's Loreline with hers!

We then delivered Valentines to each bag. My girls’ favorite Valentines were the red hearts with sweetheart candy in them, courtesy of adorable baby Jett and his Mom, Missy
And although there was the usual skirmishes between the kiddos (mostly having to do with which person had which toy first…), there were also lots of sweet hugs and kisses too.

We ended the morning with a peanut-butter-and jelly lunch for the kids. My girls have both continued to talk about their “very fun Valentines party”, and I loved participating with my girlies in the morning of fun!

The Contraction Machine

2008-02-12T15:04:00.001-08:00

I’ve definitely had my share of those tight, squeezy, painful moments lately.

I contracted often and early (at nineteen weeks to be exact) during my last pregnancy with Lorelin, and was put on some medication to help control them. Anyway, this pregnancy has been a little different in that department – no real contractions to speak of, save a few Braxton-Hicks here and there.

That all changed on Saturday, February 2nd, when I started off my day with grocery shopping. I took both the girls by myself, and had SO many contractions in the store that I found myself stopping the cart at every isle, and basically just trying to “get through” my shopping as quickly as possible.

I knew it was more contractions than I normally had, but I told myself it was because I had attempted a shopping trip alone, where I had to lift kids up and out of the cart, bend down to get things, etc.. I cam home, put the groceries away, and laid down for a nap when the girls did that afternoon.

My dear hubby came home from his morning of church responsibilities, and although I contracted on and off throughout the afternoon, he took of any “heavy lifting” and encouraged me take it easy with lots of water on the couch.

The evening rolled around, and my dear hubby and I went to watch a UFC event at our friends Dan and Kelly’s house. From the moment the event started, I realized that my contractions had kicked into a new gear. They were definitely becoming more painful and closer together. I spent my evening drinking water, trying to find a comfy position on my chair, and running to the bathroom. We didn’t get home until around 11:00 p.m., at which point I actually started to time the contractions.

They were consistently five minutes apart, and I knew that although I DIDN’T want to, we needed to head toward the hospital. So, my Mom camped out on the couch (she was already there anyway to babysit), we packed up and carefully wound our way to the Emergency Room at Estrella Banner Medical Center.

The ER was a sight to behold – I thankfully did not have to spend more than a few minutes in there before I was sent back around to OB triage. (those were some poor SICK people – all manner of coughing, sneezing, and throwing-up……I wanted those germs far away from me!!)

In OB triage, our super-nice nurse, Amy, got me hooked up to a monitor, and commented that sure enough, I was having nice, strong contractions close together. She called the OB on call, and gave me a shot of terbutaline in the arm. After some more monitoring to make sure the contractions had stopped, we headed home around 4:00 a.m. in the morning.

My dear hubby got up at 7:00 a.m. to lead worship for church the next morning, and although I had to drop off supplies at the church, I did so in my pajamas and promptly came home. We spent Super Bowl Sunday at home, sleeping…

Although I did have to make one MORE trip to OB triage that next Monday afternoon, I am thankful to report that since that time, my contractions have calmed down to their more occasional pattern.

A Week "Off"?

2008-02-12T15:03:00.000-08:00

So, my week of abstaining from internet use was a lot tougher than I thought. And I am going to admit to you that I cheated a few times in order to send and/or check some e-mails.

And I wish I could tell you that my times of intense prayer with my husband were wonderful and fulfilling. But to be honest, our week was intense with home projects and when we sat down to pray together we were usually either really cranky or really tired (or both!). 

I look back and believe that I have no-one to blame but myself for that. God desires to know us intimately, to listen to us, and to have us know Him. The fact that I gave him my “leftover” energy, instead of the best parts of my day, shows me that I still have some work to do in my goal to make quiet time/prayer time a priority in my life.

And yes, we still have no “super-clear” answers about some of the things we’ve been praying about – things like selling our house (to move where? Good question….), things like our current work within the church, and yes, do we still want and/or are we called to move out-of-state?

These things are all on our heart, but our thoughts and actions are definitely in this moment, where I am 35 weeks pregnant, with projects needing completion before this little one’s birth.

Thank you for your prayers and understanding during my week “off”.

A Quick Break

2008-02-01T20:33:00.000-08:00

To my dearest bloggity friends....
As my hubby and I pray about some decisions that God is leading us through, I will be taking a break from blogging and internet for exactly one week. If I don't check in on your blogs or leave comments this is why....please don't give up on me. I'll be writing my "posts" on a Word document so that I can post lots when I get back!!! Thank you for your prayers!

Safety Bubbles & Your Neighbor

2008-02-01T20:16:00.000-08:00

Don't you hate it when something happens that breaks into your personal bubble of "safety"? I remember how violated I felt when my dear hubby's and mine's first car was stolen TWICE and broken into TWICE at the apartment complex we lived in as newlyweds (a word of advice - if you have a Saturn, please make sure to invest in an alarm system....:)
So, this afternoon, there's a ding-dong at the door, and my dear hubby opens it to find a young woman (looked to be in her early to mid twenties). We immediately assume she's a salesman..er...saleswoman...of some kind, but she introduces herself as our neighbor - a single lady living down at the end of our street. She was knocking on doors just to inform her neighbors that her house was broken into yesterday. There was a neighbor next door who saw the car, and perhaps the suspects, but didn't know that anything was wrong. They broke in through her front door and then opened her garage to cart away her valuables.
We expressed our surprise and our sympathy, and she expressed a desire to "get to know" her neighbors better, so that we could start to keep an eye out for anything suspicious going on.
The sad part is that she has lived in her house down at the end of the street for as long as we have lived in our house - five years. And we've never met or seen her before. There is nowhere to point the finger except myself. I'm ashamed to say that I've never taken the time or the opportunity to deliver Christmas cookies to my street or to foster that sense of community that I so long for.
I may not be a big fan of Phoenix, and yes, things like this make me want to pick up and move somewhere "safer" as fast as I can. But....in the meantime, while God has planted me here - I want to be a light to my neighbors.
Lord, move in me, fill me, enable me to be that light....