Welton Wanderings

November and December so far

2011-12-04T14:12:00.001-05:00

It's been a full couple months, OK a full year :) Back in September Isaac started his first season of soccer, which he just loved. It wasn't a team with games, just learning basic skills in a fun way once a week. He wasn't very thrilled with the idea when we told him about it, but after the first practice he could hardly wait for the next Monday. The season wrapped up in the beginning of November.Another wonderful means of expending the kids energy is the 13-foot trampoline I got off freecycle! It's in great condition, we just need to fix the net, but so far no one has fallen off :) Don't worry, they aren't allowed to jump without us there! I love freecycle :)My parents came up in November in the middle of the pastors' conference at our church so they could watch the kids for part of it anyway. We had a great time together, as always! Never a shortage of house projects to work on either :)We spent Thanksgiving with some friends here in town since all our families live far away. Plenty of kids to play with and lots of food to eat. We all had a great time, but it's just not the same as being home with all the family! No Black Friday shopping for me this year! All I heard was how crazy it is up here. Well, we did stop at Wal-Mart in the small town near us to buy a Christmas tree stand, but it was just about like normal there. Gotta love small towns :) Then it was on to get our very first live tree! Some friends had told us about a nursery about 30 minutes away that gives you a free tree when you buy a gift card of equal value. So we'll go back in the spring to get grass seed and our garden veggies. We were super glad not to have to pull out every little branch of our artificial tree, plus it makes me sneeze and itch from the dust! The tree is so pretty and smells so good!Another first was having an actual tree topper and not a bare branch! That was an after Christmas deal last year :) Since Luke is into everything we put the tree in the foyer to minimize temptation for him. So far he's only gotten to it once :)And the latest big event was the kids being in our babysitter's wedding yesterday! Sarah has been watching the kids for at least two years, and she's just so dear to us all! She and her now husband came over a few months ago to talk with us and ask about our courtship and such. When we had shared how we so quickly felt sure we wanted to marry the other, and both shared such similar visions and desires for life (including seminary), they looked at each other and said "that sounds like us!" They got engaged the next week I think :) I think Sarah must have told the kids something when she was here b/c they weren't very surprised when i told them they were engaged!So Samy has been counting down the days until she got to be a flower girl, while Isaac, on the other hand, would say, "It's so girlish!" They both made it down the aisle, no stage fright at all! Isaac forgot who he was supposed to take the rings to when he got down front though, causing one of those classic AFV moments when he calls out "What??" as i tried to tell him where to go :) oh well! We were so happy to be part of their big day, but I was totally exhausted at the end of it. Luke was cheery for all but a few minutes of the 5 hours we were there! Thank you kind God!!

Blog worthy day

2011-11-26T21:53:00.001-05:00

I can't help but blog about my sweet Isaac today! I was working on Christmas decorations this afternoon while Samy and Luke were both asleep and Isaac was just hanging out in the room with me when he asked (totally out of the blue), "Mom, when did I say Jesus was my Savior?" I said I wasn't sure he'd ever really said that and asked if he wanted to now. He said something about being much younger than me, how I was 20 when I did. Wow, I think I've only mentioned that once, but he's obviously been thinking. So, I asked if he wanted to ask Jesus to be his Savior and he said yes! I was so glad Keith was home. We went out with Keith and prayed with our little guy. Mommy was just trying not to cry :) We're praying this is the day of his salvation and that he will walk with the Lord all his life!

And this afternoon Isaac officially learned to ride his bike without training wheels! He's just growing up so much!
While I'm here, I'll just update on Isaac in general :) We're plugging right away with our first year of home school. Isaac's a smart fella, so it's been easy in that aspect. It's certainly not been like I had envisioned...all those fun art projects and reading historical narratives just haven't happened. We've stuck with phonics, math and grammar. And then our Classical Conversations co-op too--which I guess is quite a bit more than most first graders are doing :) I can't believe all the things these kids are memorizing! We do a history timeline that goes from Creation to modern America. We just made it to the ministry of Christ--56 cards so far, and Samy in particular can rattle them off with little hesitation!
The rest of life will have to be updated another day, I'm ready for bed :)

The difference in my children

2011-11-05T12:27:00.003-04:00

This part of the post I wrote a couple years ago but is still mostly true:
Samy loves "helping" me put away groceries, wash dishes, load laundry. Isaac responds when asked to help, "You do it." (He wouldn't say that anymore, he'd be glad to help, usually :)
Samy carefully arranges her Little People around the table to eat. Isaac quickly knocks them down.
Samy has to have her 4 baby dolls, 4-5 stuffed animals, 4 blankets, pillow, and her water in her bed all arranged just right to go to sleep. Isaac has his one blankie.(Now he's got quite a few animals in his bed too)
Samy walks her dolls slowly in her stroller. Isaac sees how fast he can run with the stroller (and often rams into something). (That hasn't changed at all!)
When Samy doesn't get her way she is upset for an hour. When Isaac doesn't get his way, he gets over it in 30 seconds. (And neither has this.)

Though there are many differences between Isaac and Samy, I love seeing them compromise because of their friendship. Here are a few fun examples of things I'm certain wouldn't happen if they were both boys or both girls: playing "battle princess" or "Super Megan", Samy's love for Star Wars too, when Belle becomes a Jedi, lightsaber fights all over the yard, Isaac watching Tangled and Beauty and the Beast multiple times b/c his sister likes them, and the one I hear most often "Let's play Legos and princesses!" :) I just love how they've learned to combine their favorite things so they are playing together. There are fights, of course, but who wants to hear about that! I need to be reminded of the grace that is there b/c many days it feels like all I see are fights.

From December 2008

2011-11-05T12:03:00.001-04:00

Was just looking at all the posts I began and never finished. This one is from December 2008 and it's just fun to see how much Isaac has changed:

Time sure does fly by! Isaac is almost 3 and a half and Samy is almost 20 months old now! They change quickly and grow up way too fast.

Isaac loves puzzles and is getting really good at them. Maybe he got mommy's logical thinking skills :o) His vocabulary seems to expand everyday and he's quite the chatterbox. I think my favorite thing he says a lot is when he calls me or Keith or Samy a "turkey goose!"

October around here

2011-10-30T10:45:00.000-04:00

Ah, the first snow of the season. Wait, there are still green leaves on the trees! This just ain't right my friends. The kids were out having a snow ball fight with a neighbor yesterday. I slipped on the icy driveway this morning (when I locked the kids and I out of the house leaving for church). This is just craziness! But it really is still pretty, though a bit weird to see green leaves with snow on them!

Last night was the Harvest Party at our church. It was pouring snow all day yesterday and Keith was rather concerned about the roads b/c they were saying it was going to freeze, but we knew the kids would be so disappointed if we didn't go. So we set out and by the time we were out of our little town there was almost no snow on the ground! Crazy how different the weather can be just a few miles away.
Samy was Rapunzel and I made her a long braid out of yarn. (if you look close at the pictures you can see her cast!) Isaac was Anakin Skywalker, wearing the Jedi cape I made for him and armed with his lightsaber! Our neighbor was dressed up as Rapunzel too and had her own yarn braid :)

Time to get to church, but hoping to update on the kids later!

Colonial us

2011-10-24T14:21:00.000-04:00

It has been a very colonial beginning to our school year! A few others ladies and I decided to make our own little Classical Conversations (CC) co-op at my house rather than shell out the big bucks to do it with the official one. We meet every other week and the kids (five actually doing school and two babies) have a blast! This year CC is focusing on American history, which worked out well with our family vacation to Williamsburg. I made Samy a very simple colonial dress to help her get into it a little more. We read some books about the time period too, but they still preferred climbing trees and playing in the dirt to seeing all the cool historic buildings :) Oh well! We also spent some time at the pool, mini golfing, ice cream eating, and (the kids favorite part) watching Episodes 1 and 2 of Star Wars that we borrowed from friends :) I, on the other hand, LOVED Williamsburg and would love to go every year! They had this fun game called RevQuest where they give you a set of instructions when you check in and special bandannas to wear. You meet your secret informant who starts you off on your secret mission and tells you to beware of spies (anyone not wearing the same color blue as the bandanna). Isaac and Samy liked the secret spy part and kept Daddy from getting us thrown in jail when someone started asking him questions related to our secret mission. Isaac said, "He's a spy, Dad! Stop talking to him!" You are given clues and have to find answers around Williamsburg and then text answers to get the next clue and if you are successful in saving the person from danger by figuring out the whole message then you get a little coin with the year and Colonial Williamsburg on it. It was so much fun, though the clues were way over our kids' heads. I sure enjoyed it :) Well, we completed our mission a little after the time of the ceremony where you receive your coin (you find out the secret time and place when you finish the game), and we were leaving the next morning, which was a big bummer! But God was so kind to allow us to see our "secret informant" we had met that morning and I asked her if it was possible to get the little prize for the kids. She was so kind and met us behind a building and went through the whole thing with us about the mission and giving us all our coins. It was great!

And then we also took a field trip with lots of friends to a colonial farm nearby in late September. We got to card and spin wool, crush grain, make candles by dipping wicks into beeswax, play some games from the time period, and then explore the farm while talking with a farmer's wife (very in character!). We even pulled weeds in the garden :)

Isaac's birthday party

2011-10-24T13:58:00.000-04:00

Is it sadder that it took us a month to have his birthday party or that it took me two months to post pictures?? :)

My big boy certainly had a blast at his Star Wars party! He invited a few friends and their families for an evening of Jedi training, galactic grilling and Wookiee cookies. Keith trained all the young Jedi to be ready for battle: running through a little obstacle course, whacking Storm Troopers while avoiding Princess Leia, balancing, "thermal detonator" toss, and then finally destroying the Death Star pinata (that took me a week to make and 30 seconds to destroy).

We're experiencing some technical difficulties

2011-07-25T22:07:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the long silence here...my computer is down and only works in safe mode, which means i can't get my pictures off my camera. Apparently my computer wasn't a big fan of Isaac playing Lego games online :)

So we've been busy little bees around here since my last post: the boys went camping, Grandma came for a visit, Grandan and Bubbe came for a visit, planning for home school, replacing and painting the boards on our front porch, and just all the normal stuff of life.
Luke is huge! 3 months old now and around 15 pounds. The boy is the most contented baby I've ever seen, such a little sweetie! He's sleeping from around 10 pm till sometimes 9 am! He LOVES to suck his thumb (which may be why he's so very content), but he also loves to talk to people and see their faces. It really is like a conversation in baby talk :)

Isaac turns 6 this Thursday!! I can't even believe how quickly these years have gone! He is a great reader, but we're still working on that love for reading :) He and Samy were begging me to start school this past week after some of our stuff arrived in the mail, so I read them some history stuff which they weren't so excited about. But have been having a good time with the geoboards and rubber bands :)

My parents arrive Wednesday, the last of our summer visitors. Can hardly wait! For them to arrive, I mean, not that they be the last :)
Whenever my computer is up and running again I'll post some pictures and hopefully get a few more posts about life in the near future!

For the dads in my life

2011-06-19T13:48:00.000-04:00

I wanted to wish my Daddy and my Keith a happy father's day on here so I could tell you all how grateful I am for them!

Daddy, I am grateful for your example of hard work (even in "retirement"!) and providing for your family. You have always been faithful to help all us kids with any and every house project we could throw at you, patiently teaching your sons and sons-in-law as you did (but thank you to Matthew for breaking him in for Keith!).
I am grateful that you are so committed to your family that you would drive hours and hours to be with us in our various states, toting along truck-fulls of generosity.
I am grateful that you care enough to remember things that I don't even remember that need to be fixed in our house and then bring the stuff to fix them.
I am grateful that you are willing to sit down and play with your grand kids, to take them camping, to build special things for them and with them.
I am grateful that you would release (and encourage) Mom to come BACK up here to take care of me and the kids after Luke was born.
I am grateful that you took care of me for 24 years and then lovingly gave me away to Keith.
I am grateful that you are my Dad and always will be!

Now to my precious husband!
Keith, I am so grateful that you love the Savior more than you love me and the kids! That you pursue Him first and with passion.
I am grateful for your leadership in our home--for taking initiative to lead us in God's Word in principle and practice, for being a good steward of our finances and time, for planning family time and making memories, for making decisions and carrying the weight of responsibility.
I am grateful for your humility and how much you've grown over the last couple years--confessing sin, patiently bearing with your sinful wife and children, not seeking to draw attention to yourself, seeking others' input.
I am grateful that you take care of us--you provide for us without grumbling, working hard as unto the Lord both at work and at home.
I am grateful that you are so eager to bless us with things that we love--camping, flowers, bagels to name a few :)
I am so grateful that you married me and are the father of my children!! I couldn't ask for a better dad for Isaac, Samy and Luke!
We love you so very much!!!!!
Happy Father's Day!!!

Isaac the Graduate

2011-06-09T15:07:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was Isaac's kindergarten graduation picnic! It has been a wonderful year at school, I know Isaac will miss his buddies and Mrs. Goodling, his teacher. They gave the kids "diplomas" and each child received an award for character traits that they demonstrated throughout the year. It was so precious! And I was almost in tears listening to each award as I've gotten to know Isaac's class so well because Samy and I helped almost every Wednesday morning (until Luke!). Isaac received the contentment award--something he's certainly grown in at home too.

Isaac has certainly worked hard this year and been an eager learner! He's one of the top readers in his class and is way beyond kindergarten level in math (must take after both mommy and daddy!). We're so proud of you big boy for doing an excellent job at school this year!!

Isaac and his buddy Ky

Lukey at the picnic

Mrs. Goodling

Mrs. Henry, Isaac's art teacher and teacher's aid

just cute :)

Here's my first attempt at putting up a video...Isaac getting his diploma and award.

Sundays and such

2011-06-09T14:39:00.000-04:00

Most of you probably know that we love spending our Sunday evenings eating popcorn, drinking lemonade and watching America's Funniest Videos. While since the NBA playoffs were on last Sunday evening, we had our popcorn on the front porch, followed by football and tag. Isaac and Samy were too cute sitting together on the swing talking about Star Wars and princesses I'm sure :)

Luke is growing like an adorable little weed! He's grown 3 inches!!! I haven't weighed him, but I guarantee he's still at the top of the chart. I caught a few smiles on camera this week and had to share those.

While Daddy was away

2011-06-03T14:36:00.000-04:00

Keith got to go to the NEXT conference in Orlando over Memorial Day weekend, which meant me alone with three kids for four days. So I purposed to do lots of fun things we don't normally do, knowing that my temptation toward anger would be that much greater without Keith here to help.
As soon as Keith left Saturday morning we headed out to pick strawberries! They weren't nearly as sweet as last year, but maybe it's because it's the very beginning of the season. Samy had only one strawberry in her bucket at the end of it all because they all went straight to her mouth! No wonder she had a tummy ache :) When she had had her fill she started picking flowers instead. Isaac lasted a little longer, and Luke slept the whole time. We'll have to go with friends later in the season so they'll be more distracted and I can get more berries!
That afternoon Isaac's best little buddy from school came over along with him mom, and little brother and sister since his daddy had gone with our daddy to the conference. The kids had a super time running around and I got some time talking with my friend. Then mac-n-cheese for dinner (their fav!) and ice cream for dessert.
Sunday after church we went to a little deli for lunch and ran into a couple Keith met through his evangelistic bible study last month. They were so happy to meet the kids as they had already dubbed themselves Aunt Gloria and Uncle Peter :)
Oh, I should also mention that I woke up Sunday morning with no voice! It was almost gone Saturday night, but I could scarcely speak by Sunday morning! Allergies are in full bloom here ya know! And then I must have pulled something in my back putting Luke in the car after lunch b/c I couldn't get the car seat out when we got home. I could barely move without shooting pain! I was finding all this somewhat humorous since Keith was gone when I lost my voice and could barely move :) God's grace was quite evident that I was reacting in laughter instead of anxiety or anger!

Since it was blisteringly hot Monday I got out the Slip-n-Slide for the kids and they had a blast, though Samy was to afraid to actually slide, she just scooted herself down :) Before he left Keith had gotten the A/C unit in the kids' room but forgot about the one in our room. It was an adventure getting that heavy unit to our window, especially with my back out of whack :) but Luke and I needed to sleep in the cool, it had to be close to 90 in our room! Again, laughing that we were having a heat wave while my hubby was away, as well as our neighbors, so no help there.
Tuesday Isaac was back to school, which means out the door by 7:30 to pick up our friends' kiddos and make it on time. Well, getting three kids out the door that early after a rough night (because Luke was in the room with me) was hard enough, and we were already a few minutes late, but then I went and locked my keys in the house after getting everyone in the car! I called Helen and said I was so late and she took her boys to school. And I was just grateful that it was so hot that day because I had already opened all the windows downstairs, so I pried off a screen and climbed in :)

Let me just tell you, I was so happy to see my dear hubby that evening :) But truly, there was so much grace in the midst of all the hiccups in my plans! I know how I have reacted to such things in the past, with anger and harsh words toward my children (whether it be their fault or not), but the Holy Spirit was working miracles in my sinful heart this weekend! I truly was finding humor in the myriad of difficulties and seeing all the good gifts of friends and fun and not setting my expectations too high. It was only by the grace of God!

Here's some pics of the weekend and lots of little Lukey :)

May showers

2011-05-19T16:36:00.000-04:00

Isn't it supposed to be April showers?? Well, we've had rain everyday for 2 weeks I think! The ground is always muddy, which means so are my children :) Last Sunday they couldn't resist going out to jump in the puddles (more like ponds!).

And a little catch up since I finally downloaded the pictures from my camera...
Just before Mom left we took her to the local paint-your-own pottery place to make her gifts to say thank you for taking care of us for two weeks/Mothers Day. The kids each painted a coaster for her and I painted a vase for her new sun room.

Since the sun came out for a while on Monday we all headed to the park to enjoy it.

little tough guy!

beautiful girl :)

precious (and getting so big!) Isaac

he loves his paci, just like big brother did!

Tuesday I began my cloth diaper adventure! I did it Tuesday and Wednesday with no leaks, but quickly discovered I need more diapers :) So they are on their way and the other ones are washed and ready to go again. It really wasn't that much more work than disposable, and a heck of a lot cheaper in the long run! I even made my own cloth wipes out of an old flannel sheet. I feel so Martha Stewart, though I'm sure her stitches would be considerably straighter than mine :)

Luke in the sun

2011-05-05T15:13:00.000-04:00

Luke and I were walking around outside one day last week, and I couldn't resist the beautiful scene of the rocking chair in the sun. My neighbor offered to take some pictures of him one of these lovely days soon--can't wait for some more professional looking ones :) but he's so cute even when I'm the one taking pictures...

For those who like to hear birth stories :)

2011-04-30T15:54:00.001-04:00

Oh what a delight to have our little guy in our arms! Especially after all the waiting :) A few ladies have asked about my birth story so I thought I'd share...
We went in early on the 22nd to be induced. We were only at the hospital a few minutes when we saw (Keith says we were tackled) Cheryl, a nurse in the mother/baby unit who we know from our church. She was just getting off her shift but said she'd be back at 7 that night. A wonderful greeting to begin our day :)
We chose Friday the 22nd for a few reasons, one being my favorite doctor (Dr. Jones) in the practice I go to would be on call that day. She thought I would just need to have my water broken to get things going. So after my round of antibiotics (I was positive for strep B) she broke it at 9:30. Things got going but I was making no progress after a few hours (stuck at 2 cm just like the past almost two weeks), so pitocin was started and the contractions quickly got stronger.
Keith was just wonderful through the whole thing, and I remembering commenting that I'm glad I don't have to watch him do this :) God is certainly wise in assigning our roles! Before I started pitocin we had alternated walking 40 minutes and monitoring 20 minutes, so at least we weren't stuck in the room, but after pitocin began I was stuck. Keith read aloud from a book on Jonathan Edwards, and though I have no idea what he was reading, it was soothing to hear his voice. And he kept me laughing when I wasn't in pain. As he shared on facebook, the funniest moment was when he pretended to read the ingredients on my IV bag and said high fructose corn syrup was the first ingredient :) This after we laughed about the nutritional value of all the Popsicles I'd been downing!

Dr. Jones was such an encouragement, even as I made no progress and the hours dragged on. She was certain I would just progress all at once, which was exactly what happened. I got an epidural around 5, when I couldn't take the pain anymore and I was still only 2 cm. The nurse checked me again around 6:15 and I was still 2 cm. Dr. Jones came in shortly after that, just before her shift ended, and was stunned to hear I still hadn't progressed. At this point I'm beginning to think I'm going to end up having a c-section because this kid just doesn't want to come out :) but she encouraged me again that she really thought I would go all at once.
Around 6:45 the nurse checked me again--8 cm!! Oh, I was so happy! And within another 15 minutes the nurse had called the doctor and he was on his way because I was 10 cm. The doctor now on call was one I had never met and was completely opposite of Dr. Jones. She's very animated and talkative. He is a much older, quiet, stoic Jewish man. But he got the job done well! After about 10 minutes of pushing, there was our precious little BOY! It really was fun to not know what they would announce. Since it was after 8, our friend Cheryl was back on duty and she came in to ask if she could take care of us--I was so glad to have her as our nurse!
We called the grandparents and then I was able to let him nurse. Then Keith was off to get me some food!! A huge burrito from Chipotle wouldn't fit in my stomach when I was pregnant, but it was no match for my hunger at the end of that day! And a Krispy Kreme doughnut too :) We won't talk about the nutritional value of that :)
Sometime the next day we were about settled on the name Luke. When Keith brought the kids up just before dinner and Samy says out of the blue "I love Luke!" in her sweet voice, it sealed the deal!
We were discharged Easter Sunday. Made it home before 1 pm!

Here we are a week later, and I'm feeling good. Luke is sleeping well, though we had a few really tough nights. The kids frequently just stop what they're doing and come give him hugs and kisses. They love when his eyes are open and they talk to him and wave at him. My mom arrived Monday night and has been a HUGE help! Don't know what I'd do without her :)

Pictures of Luke

2011-04-28T17:42:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the long wait for pictures, been a little busy. I was afraid all those grandparents would be calling to yell at me if I didn't get some up today :) Without further ado...

It's a boy!!!

2011-04-23T17:34:00.000-04:00

Our newest addition arrived Friday, April 22nd at 8:09pm--one really big boy weighing in at 9 pounds 8 ounces and 21 3/4 inches long. And thankfully he was my fastest labor (unless you count the last 2 weeks of contractions!). I'll have to give the full low-down on all the wonderful way God answered our prayers in my next post, just wanted to get the announcement out there and a picture or two. Oh and I think we've settled on Luke Jerome (after my dad) but I guess it won't be official until we've signed the forms :) here are a couple pictures...

Awaiting baby

2011-04-20T16:44:00.000-04:00

Since mom and dad came up a week ago yesterday, I've certainly been more desirous for this baby to come sooner than later! But God had other plans. It was wonderful to get my parents here for a week without a newborn to take care of :) My dad and Keith got most all the electrical in the house fixed, and Mom and I got to go to the tag sale! They left after lunch today and my mom will return after baby comes, probably on Monday. Oh, that's the big news for now: if I don't have the baby by this Friday morning I'm going to the hospital and the doc is going to break my water to get the ball rolling! The end is in sight!
So for now we just wait and enjoy the last two nights of sleep without nursing and diaper changes. Oh my, that really is going to happen isn't it! Yikes :)

All this waiting certainly has been revealing of my heart--a desire for control, impatience with God's timing, thinking I know better how things should go, fear of what others think about me and my false alarms, anxiety over what we'll do without my parents to take care of the kids, etc. etc.
Nothing like a good squeeze to get some sin out of your heart :) But all that sin was met by God's grace and I am the richer for it! I know He will meet all our needs for child care and meals. I know He has the perfect birthday planned for our little one. I know He holds this baby in His hands and me as well. I know His grace is sufficient for today, and that will be true tomorrow as well.

We will try our best to keep you updated! We would appreciate your prayers as the waiting ends and labor begins :)

Samantha's Fourth Birthday and Easter Egg Hunt

2011-04-18T18:26:00.000-04:00

Our little girl turned four yesterday! Hard to believe it's been that long since we had her and we are so grateful the Lord put her in our family! She is snuggly and gentle, tender and caring, inquisitive and observant. She can remember every detail of stories we read. We laugh that she knows her Sunday school answers :) The story of the Sunday school teacher asking the class "What is small, brown, furry and gathers acorns?" And the class answering "Jesus!" That would be Samy :) But she also has such a tender heart and growing faith in the Lord! One day after being corrected for her bad attitude, she asked me without prompting if we could pray for her. She is frequently aware of how her sin hurts her Heavenly Father.

We celebrated with cake a week early just in case we were at the hospital for her real birthday. Our neighbors came over to enjoy the cake with us. And Saturday we had ice cream sundaes and opened presents. She's so opposite of her brother, who is VERY expressive. She on the other hand didn't crack a smile while we sang, but was concentrating fully of blowing out the candles. And even opening presents, I saw very few smiles and certainly no squeals of excitment like her brother (or mom for that matter!).

We also had our egg hunt with Grammy and Papaw since they're here and we are still awaiting baby. Here's some pics...

Home again

2011-04-15T08:34:00.000-04:00

A very disappointing night for Keith and I as we rushed to the hospital around 7, but got sent home at midnight. I started having contractions appearing to me to be real labor on Monday evening. I was certain that night we would be going in the next day. My parents drove up Tuesday. I continued to go in spurts of contractions, some really painful, but in the morning they would always subside. Yesterday they were getting super strong and had been 8-10 minutes apart for an hour, then 3-5 minutes apart for another hour and it was getting really intense. I was so certain "this is it!" I shouldn't have said that :) So after dinner we headed down to the hospital, got checked in and put on the monitors. By then the contractions were already a little less intense, but continued to be close together. The monitor was picking them up every 2-3 minutes, but I was only 2 cm and 50% effaced (which is what I had been the day before when I got checked by the doctor at the office). So the doc had us walk around for an hour and come back to the monitors. I was up to 75% effaced, but still no more dilated. My contractions were further apart, but more intense. After about 20 minutes (just when the nurse was coming to tell us we could go home), the baby's heart rate dropped below 100 (normally 120-160) for about 30 seconds or so. So the doctor wanted me to get an ultrasound just to make sure everything was OK. So we got to see little baby's face and tiny hands and wiggly body :) we made sure we didn't see the sex! Everything was fine, they figure baby just grabbed the cord and then let go. Back to the monitor, then got checked again...no progress, so home we came at midnight.
I was definitely disappointed not to be holding my baby, struggling with pride too after four days of false alarms. The contractions continued as we drove home and went to bed, but have subsided this morning.
No matter how you slice it, it can't be long now with my due date this Wednesday! We will keep ya posted.

Blogging before baby

2011-03-31T12:35:00.000-04:00

Hard to believe the time has almost come to welcome baby number 3! I'm fairly certain this baby is going to come early, just that motherly instinct :) And Keith and I both think it will be a boy...we'll see!

Thought I'd better do a quick blog before the time does come and then I never get the adorable pictures of Samy's ballet "show" (as she called it) up. Also a few other pictures...some from our trip to Cold Stone Creamery to celebrate the lifting of the plague in our house :)

My parents are in DC this week seeing the sights with my aunt and uncle. Keith, the kids and I went down Saturday afternoon with them and stayed until Monday night--a wonderful little rest before baby arrives! We hung out at the resort and played Wii (Isaac is addicted), and let the kids swim in the indoor pool, watched Toy Story 3 all together, ate way too much, and just got to enjoy being warm for a change in the super hot hotel room! (we actually turned the A/C on!!) I did remember the camera but never took any pictures :)

Now it's back to preparing for baby--making sure bags are packed and laundry is done. Went to the doc on Tuesday and she said I'm 1.5 cm dilated--a lot more progress than I had with first two! With them I was in labor for hours before I made it to 1.5 cm, but it could still be a while before anything happens...or maybe not :) I'm just glad to be a little ahead of our usual game!
I would bet the next time I blog it will be with a birth announcement! Until then...

Did you think I gave up on blogging?

2011-03-12T09:23:00.000-05:00

So it's been almost 2 months, I think, since I blogged :) In that time we had a visit from what we call "the Plague" that lasted for almost 4 weeks. We've been busy putting up cribs and pulling out baby gear and clothes. We painted the living room and got new couches. We finally moved Isaac's dresser into his room and the train table out of baby's room. And of course a few snows. I can hardly wait for spring!! The kids are actually sick again with runny noses and coughs.
I've been researching home school curriculum, cloth diapers, gardening stuff. Samy has her last ballet lesson today (including a little "show" of what they've done!). Isaac has been working hard at school. He had a "gym show" as part of grandparents' day that we all went to. Keith just got back from a couple days at the pastoral retreat. And of course he's been hard at work around the house here too with the endless list of house projects and yard work. Isaac is the cutest little helper out there! I love looking out the kitchen window to see Isaac carrying wood, picking up leaves with his daddy or carrying food waste to the compost pile. It's wonderful to see him learning to work hard even when it's cold outside!
I picked up a FREE Power Wheels Jeep last weekend that the kids have been driving around and around the yard. Samy is a pretty bad driver, but is content to let Isaac drive as she rides with him :)
We're down to six weeks (actually a little less) before baby's due date and still without a boy name. Keith and I just can't agree on a first name, though the middle name is decided. I spent an entire day at the hospital to get my Rhogam shot (because of my blood type I have to get this shot each pregnancy so my body doesn't attack the baby as a foreign object if his/her blood type is different). In Florida i was able to get this shot at one of my regular doctor's visits, but here in red tape Maryland, I spent an entire day registering at the hospital, getting extra blood work done, and then a wild goose chase to have a nurse give me a shot. I'm a little scared what labor and delivery will be like :)
I've also been leading a book study of "When People are Big and God is Small" which is about fear of man. It's been great to interact with ladies in totally different seasons of life and many of them who struggle significantly in this area. I'm glad to be able to share what little wisdom God has given me in this area and point them to the gospel as our source of hope no matter what the sin!!
Keith is going to begin an evangelistic bible study in just a week or two with a bunch of folks who aren't sure what they believe. We're both so excited about this opportunity for him to open up Scripture and tell them the truth about Jesus.
Keith and our neighbor will be tilling up their large garden plot today in preparation for our joint gardening venture! None of us know what we're doing but we're gonna give it a shot and I'll put chickens on hold for another year :) Though the fact that they eat stink bugs sure makes me just want to throw some in our back yard!!

Hmm, I think that's most of what has happened over the last couple months. A few pictures for your enjoyment...

The kids baking graham crackers with Samy's Christmas present

My first attempt at sourdough English muffins

One of the big snows of the year

Isaac not real happy about shoveling the driveway

Samy after her first ballet class

Freshly painted living room

New couch

Isaac's gym show (my pictures didn't turn out very good since i was far away and it was a gym)

Christmas, Christmas time is here!

2011-01-07T09:23:00.000-05:00

You don't know how many times I've heard the kids singing the Chipmunks' Christmas song this year! :)

Our first Christmas at home and it was so much fun! We awoke Christmas morning to snow falling, but not a blizzard :) We started the day with bacon, eggs and star-shaped biscuits while we read the Christmas story in Luke. The kids were so patient waiting to open presents! We went to the living room to get started and Isaac graciously gave his presents to Samy and I, waiting to open one himself. I love seeing him grow and mature! This year we let the kids pick out presents for each other: Isaac got Samy Silly Putty, and Samy got Isaac a Beanie Baby skunk. They both loved their gifts! And Isaac had made two things for me at school: a little tea light candle holder and a sweet framed picture of him and his hand prints! He was so excited to give them to me :)
We adopted a new tradition this year (taken from the Girl Talk blog) of telling the person why we chose that gift for them to take some of the "my turn, me next" out of the morning. And also performing "Christmas services" for each other (something my dear friend Melissa had told me they've always done).
So we had a fun morning opening gifts and then Isaac and Daddy went out to play with the new remote control truck in the snow. Isaac's favorite part was letting Keith drive it while he threw snowballs at it :)

We headed out for Knoxville after church Sunday, only to drive right into another snow storm. It was way to reminiscent of last year, but thankfully it never got so bad we had to pull over and we amazingly made it in 8 hours!
It was a strange Christmas in Tennessee as my older brother didn't come in and my little brother and brother-in-law had to work, so it just felt a little disjointed or something, but a joy nonetheless! My mom and I went out shopping two mornings in a row and the afternoons were spent talking, playing games and of course lots of eating. Michelle and her girls got a seriously rockin' curling iron so almost all us girls got our hair all curled and pretty :) My hair that normally holds curl for about 10 minutes, held this one until I washed my hair two days later! And Samy was just adorable with her little curls!! Wish I'd taken a picture :)

We opened presents there the evening after we arrived. Samy was pretty tired and showed very little emotion during the whole process, but it was obvious that the stuffed Chipmunks and Chipettes were her favorites! She immediately had them around the manger so they could see Jesus :)

Onto to Grandan and Bubbe's where the weather was in the 60s! What a reprieve for us :) It was nice to get outside without shivering! Grandan had planned to set up a bed in the play room for he and Isaac, which of course Isaac was thrilled about! Jack and Sharon arrived the next evening while we were having dinner with Keith's grandparents. So afterwards we opened presents again. Linda restocked Keith's supply of Johnny Harris BBQ sauce, and Sharon and Jack selflessly gave Keith a UT hat that Keith had gotten signed by all the players his first year there (including Peyton Manning and some other big names) and gave to Sharon. Then Aunt Sharon played some Polly Pockets with Samy while I put together Isaac's Lego helicopter and he played with Buzz Lightyear. After the kids went to bed we played a few rounds of Monopoly Deal and just laughed ourselves silly :)

We set off before lunch the next day and made a quick stop at Rock City to have some family time. Keith and I had both been when we were little, so it was fun reminiscing and seeing the kids excitement. And then onto Grammy and Papaw's for one more night. The kids didn't know we were going back until after Rock City, and boy were they excited :)
The worst part of the trip was not getting to see Keith's mom (she had to work). But she is planning to fly up soon and she left her gifts with Sharon and Jack. So we brought them home with us and videotaped as we opened (yet again!). It was so funny that after each time we opened presents the kids had a new favorite :)

What a joyous holiday indeed! Now I'm still trying to get things put away in the midst of a cold. Christmas tree is still up, as Isaac reminds me everyday. Oh well, it'll be a whole year before we see it again :)

What number am I on?

2010-12-24T11:19:00.000-05:00

It's amazing how quickly my memories flee while I'm pregnant :) That's what I get for waiting a few days between posting my joys! There are certainly way more than I can list here, especially when I'm looking for them. Last night there were so many as we went to our very first Christmas Eve service together! (There is a second service tonight, but we'll be serving at it :) We've always been traveling for Christmas (actually I don't think I've ever been home on Christmas).
But I'll back up a minute to the rest of our week...Keith came down with a yucky cold Tuesday and I started shortly after. Samy was the culprit for bringing it into the house :) She's all better, not even much of a runny nose, and Isaac just has a little bit of one. I'm grateful the kids aren't miserable this week as we've just been home playing and getting ready for Christmas! Though Samy did accidentally whack Isaac in the head with a doll house bed and cause him to bleed profusely the other day :) He's fine, head injuries just bleed alot.
So yesterday Keith was going to work but had to take a sick day and we ended up watching a movie all afternoon (The Manchurian Candidate with Frank Sinatra, it was really good, though not at all Christmasy). The kids and I made some cupcakes as our birthday cake for Jesus to share with the neighbors later today. Isaac pulled the last straw off and put it in the manger on the fridge we've been using as our Christmas countdown. Lazy, long mornings all week with no school and a bunch of sickies! The kids have been up late every night talking and laughing in their bunk beds. Keith and I got to have a date out Wednesday thanks to our wonderful sitter!

So last night's Christmas Eve service...We decided to try keeping the kids in with us since the message was short and just lots of singing. We weren't sure how it would go :) Well, they both surprised us and did such a great job! We love seeing how they are maturing!! The night started with several Christmas carols. Isaac sang a couple, but was more concerned with knowing where we were in the program. Samy was singing what she knew and dancing around--it was adorable! Amazing the differences in these two :) During the message Samy sat on my lap and drew on some paper, but was obviously listening to the message. Josh spoke on an admittedly unexpected passage from Luke 11 and the sign of Jonah and the queen of the South (the queen of Sheba). The first time Josh said Jonah, Samy said to me, "Jonah was a prophet!" Yes, he was Samy :) A few minutes later Josh said, "Jonah was a prophet." And Samy turns around to me and said, "See, I told ya!" I couldn't contain my laughter! I was crying from trying not to laugh out loud! Then every time Josh would say "the queen of Sheba" Samy would say "I love her!" Oh, this girl :)
They did such a great job we let them have a cupcake when we got home (after bedtime already!), but hey it's Christmas!

So today there are many preparations to be done before we head on holiday travels to see family. And right now they are calling for snow on Christmas and the day after! Another white Christmas perhaps, just glad we'll be in our house and not Verona, VA :)

Gingerbread houses and a black eye

2010-12-17T15:17:00.000-05:00

Yep, we got both around here :)
Samy and I joined Isaac's class yesterday to make gingerbread houses. The 8th grade had come in to help and I found Isaac sitting with Elliot, one of the boys we take to school everyday. Fun to see them working together :) Samy and I tackled a second house for her. Lots of fun and plenty of sugar consumed!

And on Tuesday in gym class Isaac got a black eye. His friend, Colon, who is sitting next to him in the pictures below, ran into him playing Sharks and Minnows. He came home really swollen and it turned purple the next day. What a shiner!!

Isaac and Elliot seeing how much candy they could get on there!

Isaac's house

Samy's House

This is something Isaac had done in class and is displayed in the hallway. If you can't read it, it says, "Dear Jesus, I am thankful for Samy." :)

And here's some pictures of the black eye and my goofy kids :)

So add a few to the joy list:
# 47 Building gingerbread houses with the kids at school.
# 48 Watching Isaac have fun working with Elliot!
# 49 Isaac's gratefulness for his little sister :)
# 50 Watching the kiddos ham it up for the camera!

Monday happenings

2010-12-13T14:47:00.000-05:00

Been a fun day already and it's only 2 o'clock :) I had my usual time out by myself while Isaac was at school and Samy was with Keith. Enjoyed my time at Panera going over yesterday's message on Isaiah 55 and also seeing some friends from church there. When I picked Isaac up he could hardly contain himself and told me he had a surprise! Each student in his class has a little money box that the teacher occasionally gives them pennies to put in when they do a good job on something, and then she holds a "school store" where she lays out little toys they can buy with their pennies. Well, today was the first "store" and he was so excited to get a little plastic Theodore (from Alvin and the Chipmunks)! It's like a toy from a Happy Meal, but he thinks it's the greatest! You push a button and it says, "My name is Theodore." and then laughs. He would push it and laugh hysterically and then started saying, "Whose your name?" (His version of what's your name) and push the button and laugh again in that great, genuine Isaac laugh of his :) All this is happening in the back seat while I'm driving and just smiling from ear to ear.
Then we got to go on our date together. He wanted a ham sandwich (yeah, he doesn't get those at our house) so we went to Jersey Mike's Subs (one of my favorites anyway!). After we had sat down to eat the man who had helped us brought over two cookies for us :) The best part was getting to talk with my little guy. Hearing about school and friends in class, getting actual answers to my questions! I can't believe how much he's grown up. Wasn't I just seeing him for the first time on an ultrasound screen?? Can this really be my baby boy? Now I'm crying :)
We got home and he was so excited about showing Samy Theodore and they immediately set up their own "store" to buy things from. Keith and I started talking about moving Isaac in with Samy since the baby will be taking over his room, and decided to do it this weekend since Isaac will be off school the next two weeks. I told the kids and Isaac asked if we could do it today :) It's precious what sweet friends they are! At least most of the time :)
Oh, and our ultrasound will be this Thursday! We're going to enjoy the extra anticipation of not finding out if it's a boy or a girl this time around!! Keith still isn't convinced that I'm not going to cave in when we get there, but I really think I can this time :) Only 19 more weeks to wait, no problem :)

So there were a few of my joys in there, though they aren't numbered. There are so many more than I can remember when I sit down to the computer! My memory was bad enough before getting pregnant again!

# 25

2010-12-10T16:14:00.000-05:00

Watching the kids play in the snow :)
Yes, we may indeed have another white Christmas this year! I just hope and pray we're in our home (or a relative's) instead of a motel!

Sweet little sickie

2010-12-10T09:21:00.000-05:00

My precious little girl came down with a fever last night at dinner. You could almost watch her grow sick as we ate (and she picked at it). Seems in better spirits after a good nights sleep and is now contently watching Beauty and the Beast under a blanket by the fire. I'm thankful she's not throwing up after complaining of a tummy ache last night :) Just seems to be a fever and headache.
As she came to snuggle with me after breakfast I was realizing just how thankful I am for the hours alone we have every morning, for conversations and little moments that wouldn't have happened if Isaac was here. She had climbed up in my chair with me to listen while I read the bible to her (something we do fairly often together since school started), which always leads to numerous questions from her. This morning was another morning I had the joy to explain the gospel to her--the good news that though we need to have zero sins to go to heaven, our many sins have been placed on Christ and his zero sins imparted to us! I love her questions and getting to talk with her about Jesus! So many joys to list from my morning already!

# 22 Reading the bible to Samy as we sit by the fire.

# 23 Explaining the gospel to my daughter!

# 24 Watching Beauty and the Beast while snuggling with my sick little girl.

# 14

2010-12-07T14:32:00.000-05:00

Daddy's little helpers.

Joy to the World, the Lord is come!!!

2010-12-07T11:43:00.001-05:00

When I'm singing of my Savior's incarnation--the creator of the universe clothing himself in flesh--it's hard for me not to be filled with joy. Maybe I just need to sing more :) But there are so many moments in the day that my heart is filled with discontent or anger at my lot in life at that moment. Be it a whiny child, a messy room that was supposed to be clean, a sink full of dirty dishes, a sleepless night and early morning, or the bitter cold of a Maryland winter, my heart tends toward complaining, grumbling against God. My friend Meghann has inspired me (as she so often does!) to look for 100 joys this month as we celebrate the coming of our Savior to earth. So here it goes! (OK, I started this post a few days ago, so I'm just going to add some to the end from the days since and I'll be putting them in the side bar.)

# 1
That the Holy God of all would send his Son to become man and die for the sins of the world.

# 2
That He would call me to be His own forever!

# 3
My precious husband's laugh :)

# 4
When Samy talks with her hands.

# 5
When Keith is silly with me!

# 6
Isaac's smile (this is his school picture)

# 7
When Isaac brings home pictures from school that he colored just for Samy!

# 8
Singing Christmas carols in the car with Keith (even if he's way out of tune :) while we get lost in Westminster.

# 9
A French press while I read my Bible in front of the fire.

# 10
When Keith is patient with my pregnant irrationality and emotions--putting on full display the grace of God at work in him!

# 11
Wrapping Christmas presents while watching a cheesy Hallmark movie and thinking of the look on the kids faces when they open them Christmas morning.

# 12
Feeling little baby W break dancing in my belly :)

# 13
When the check-out lady at Wal-Mart remembered Samy and I and cheerfully talked with us.

Samy quote

2010-10-31T12:09:00.000-04:00

Today at lunch, Samy said, "When I get to heaven I'm gonna play ring around the rosie with Jesus. I bet he knows that one because he knows everything." :)

Fires, stories, races, field trips, oh my!

2010-10-29T15:35:00.000-04:00

Some other random October happenings around here to get caught up on...
We got our wood stove installed last month and fired it up on a rather blustery day a couple weeks ago. SO WARM!! Love it :) I might actually survive this winter if we don't run out of wood! So there's a picture in there of that--plus you can see how mom and I arranged the mantle :)

Then there was story book night at Isaac's school. So cute, everyone comes in their PJs and goes to three different classes for stories and then everyone comes together and has milk and cookies while the principle reads one last story. That was fun :)

We made our first small pile of leaves in the yard, though by the time it's all over you could probably make a pile as tall as our house! Isaac ran in to grab his goggles before jumping in! So silly!

And then the big race! Isaac's school does this each year to raise money for those who can't afford tuition. They have a Tot Trot, 2K and 5K. Isaac did the Tot Trot, but we really should have let him do the 2K as well--the boy has plenty of energy! They gave all the little kids ribbons, but Isaac is convinced he won the race :) Keith ran the 5K without collapsing :) As he was coming into the finish line there were a few teenage boys right on his tail trying to beat him, but my buff hubby kicked it into gear and beat them all! I was proud :)

Last, but not least, Isaac had a field trip to a farm and Samy and I got to join him. We met lots of farm animals and the kids fed several. Then we took a hay ride to the pumpkin patch where everyone picked out a pumpkin. Glad we got to share that with him :)

Beach trip 2010

2010-10-29T15:17:00.000-04:00

Almost a month ago now (yikes!) we set off for South Carolina for 5 days of glorious beach weather with my whole family! It was truly beautiful and sunny the entire time, could have been a little warmer, but what do you expect in October :) I, myself, didn't go past my ankles in the water with the chilly wind blowing, but all the kids and big boys and my brave sister enjoyed the waves. Isaac would be shivering with blue lips but refuse to leave the water.
This beach house is such a gift from God!! My dad and his siblings own a time-share of it, and we have been the blessed recipients of a few weeks over the years :) It is just wonderful to sit on the back porch eating breakfast as the sun rises and the dolphins play in the water. It is so peaceful to swing on one of the hammocks and read or take a nap with the ocean waves in the background. It is so much fun to have the whole family under one roof and be able to share all the laughter that we do. And I think a highlight for me was the night we played the "name game" all together. Oh my, we were all laughing so hard we were crying. It was hilarious!! So many memories for Keith and I, and we hope for the kids as well. They certainly talk about it enough we think they remember :)
So, we played on the beach, relaxed on the porch, played some shuffle board (Keith and I beat my parents, by the way!), guys went golfing, ladies went shopping, ate way too much, laughed plenty. It was great :) Enjoy the pics...

You might be a redneck if...

2010-09-30T19:20:00.000-04:00

you are seriously considering raising a pig so you can have bacon :)
And to go with that bacon, Keith is researching how to tap our sugar maple to make maple syrup! These are truly both his ideas (well, I jokingly mentioned the pig, but he really likes the idea).
Neither of us have ever really liked the idea of pets, but a pig is short term commitment that the kids could learn some responsibility from and see that our food doesn't grow at Trader Joe's :) And who doesn't like the idea of a pet that ends with bacon and barbecue!?
I honestly have more faith for a pig than a garden. I don't think I'd forget about a pig like I do our tiny garden :)
Just another installment in our transition to country life!

Isaac started school!!

2010-09-15T21:15:00.000-04:00

Ok, I think this brings us to the present :)
Isaac started school the Tuesday after Kieran left. He was one excited boy!! He's going to the school at our church. There are two kindergarten classes--one in the morning and one afternoon, both with 12 students (i think). On Tuesdays both classes come for the whole day, but all other days are only 8-11.
Isaac still enjoys school very much. Excited every morning to go. Today he was "star of the day", so he got to bring something in for "show and share", be the line leader, use the pointer to count the days with the class, and wear a sticker that says "Star of the day". He loved it :) He seems to be doing well and paying attention. So far so good. Samy is a little sad she doesn't get to go, but I'm happy to get some time with my little girl! We've been playing Strawberry Shortcake and dollhouse and doing a little baking.
Here's Isaac on his first day--picture under the house numbers as is the tradition in this house :)

Closer to caught up: Grandma's visit

2010-09-15T21:06:00.000-04:00

The visitors just keep coming around here! Keith's mom came up two weeks ago. Keith surprised me with a night away for our anniversary while she was here, more on that momentarily. Sadly those are the only pictures I got :) (Kieran you have to send me the one of you and the kids!)

I was quite ill with morning sickness for most of her visit but she graciously took the kids so I could rest alot! We did make it to the orchard to pick apples and raspberries. And she and Keith made fried shrimp one night. We sat around talking and just having a good time :)

My mom and dad let us use a night of their time share, so we stayed at the National Harbor, very near DC. It's a brand new area, still developing. The resort was nice, we even got the presidential suite with three bedrooms--huge! We went to dinner where I spent 30 minutes trying to figure out if I wanted steak or sea food :) We walked along the water and through some shops (found a Charming Charlie's, so fun!). Then back to the resort to play foosball and some Wii!! It was so fun, I even got Keith to do a dance one :) My arm was sore for three days!
The next day we went into DC to see the Library of Congress and National Archives--by far our favorites in downtown. The architecture was very impressive and lots of things to explore. You could spend days in there. No pics inside Archives allowed though.
God was very kind to hold off the nausea for most of our short time away. A few fleeting moments but nothing too horrible. Thank you kind Father!!
So grateful for 8 wonderful, sanctifying years with you my dearest love!! Hard to believe how much has changed in 8 years, all the places we've lived, all the jobs we've had, all the babies! I wouldn't have it any other way :)

More catching up: Mom and Dad's visit

2010-09-15T20:48:00.001-04:00

My mom and dad were up a month ago (yikes I'm slack). We were able to get lots of work done, well the boys were, mom and I only got two pictures hung :) Dad and his assistant, Keith, spent many hours in the basement pulling out OLD electric wiring and putting in new, fixing crazy wiring configuration, and freeing up some breakers on our three electrical panels :) my dad certainly had his work cut out for him and will never be without a project when visiting!
They surprised us with a new faucet as our housewarming gift and it's beautiful! Dad got that installed pretty quick. He also fixed my dishwasher. Did I miss anything Dad :) I did: the doorbells now work, our bathroom door no longer sticks, and we can shower without conking our head on the shower head now!

Mom and I played with the kids, cooked, cleaned up the boys messes, and shopped a little. I did get my table and chairs refinished and mom got the cushions covered. We also figured out some prettiness for our mantel using a cool old mirror that was left in the garage and finds from the tag sale.
I have yet to take pictures of the updates b/c the house is such a wreck these days! Here are some pics from our time with them and a couple others :)

Catch up: The Fair

2010-09-15T18:18:00.000-04:00

So blogging has been pretty far down the list lately as I spend a lot of time on the couch nauseous. House work has definitely taken a hit. Cooking is just unpleasant no matter what it is. But it's good to know my body is doing what it's supposed to and baby is growing! I had my first OB appointment today and she did a sonogram (which I guess is normal up here), so I got to see the little bean and hear their heart beat. And I must say I was thankful there is only one little bean :) all this sickness has made me wonder. Oh and the due date is the end of April--20th according to the sonogram or 24th was the original.

Ok, so onto some catching up :) We went to the county fair last month with the kids and had a good ol' time! It just adds to feeling like country bumpkins to go pet livestock and sit on tractors. The pig races and magician Steve Trash (he used lots of trash as props, supposed to encourage recycling I guess) were definitely the highlights! They had a little corral with giant stuffed horses for the kids to sit on, and dozens of tractors. There were even camel rides! Enjoy the pictures :) oh and a cutie pic from a visit from a friend from the PC class before last :)

Baby Number 3!

2010-08-26T17:49:00.000-04:00

I would guess you've all heard by now that little Welton number 3 is on the way! I waited to take the pregnancy test until last Wednesday because that was the day my parents were coming and I knew I couldn't keep it a secret :) Keith was in utter disbelief that I had warned him a couple days in advance that it was very likely! He says I say that every month :)
So mom and dad arrived and we gave them the tour and unloaded stuff and when Keith got home he put Samy in her "I'm the big sister" shirt. He sent her down to Grammy. Samy said, "Look at my big girl shirt." Grammy read it and said, "Well, I guess one day you will be a big sister." I started laughing, "No, that's supposed to be a hint, Mom!" Then we went up to Papaw, who reacted with even less recognition of Samy's announcement, but the look on his face was priceless when we said, "No, Samy is going to be a big sister!" I wish we had recorded that!! We got the kids on tape...oh my. Isaac's face was so funny! We told them we had a surprise for them. We were getting something new. So Keith says, "A new baby brother or sister!" Isaac makes this face of confusion and then exclaims, "I wanted a toy!!" Figures :) and upon a little further discussion he asks, "Today?"

We let Samy get on the phone with Keith's parents and tell them she was going to be a big sister, they were very excited and surprised!

So, I'm feeling pregnant :) no doubt about that. Monday as I was chopping up fixin's for guacamole the nausea hit me (the smell of dinner cooking next to me wasn't helping either). It was coming in waves for the first couple days and the last two days has been pretty much constant. So far this one is more difficult than the first two, but at least I know everything is working! I love being pregnant...at least I remember loving it, though Keith says I seem to forget all the difficulties of it :) I love feeling baby move most of all! I love how God knits together a little person inside my womb--it is just so astounding that I continue on with everyday life and then there's this new little person!! I do, as I candidly confessed to my care group ladies, love having a new wardrobe for a few months :) If it weren't for Meghann Roberts I wouldn't love that part so much!

Will we find out what we're having? Jury is still out on that. I'm not good at waiting for surprises, but it does seem like it would heighten the excitement and anticipation, so we'll see :)

More on Mom and Dad's visit shortly...

Photo tour of our new home

2010-08-05T21:32:00.001-04:00

Well since the house was relatively clean from having our dear friend Melissa over last night (I'm almost certain she was the reason I cleaned the last time we moved and i finally posted pictures) I took some pictures this morning for all you too far away to come visit us. And I thought I'd give you some commentary with it :)

So some of my very favorite things:
original doors in the bedrooms (including a skeleton key that works, and the fabulous knobs)
the huge mantel (though I don't know what to put on it yet--it is currently home to everything pretty that comes out of a box)
the etched glass doors on the book shelves (so maybe I should just include the entire fireplace wall!)
the molding all over the house--it's so big
the front porch--oh those swings are just wonderful
kitchen cabinets with those pull-out drawers and built in spice rack
the giant exposed wood beams in the basement that are actually holding our house up :)
the many nooks and crannies that come with an old house

We only painted one room so far, the master bedroom, but my head is full of ideas! Those will be taking a backseat to the long list of practical projects.
The basement is currently in shambles (not that it was super nice before) b/c Keith is trying to make sure the floor and walls are all sealed so we can suck the radon out. We're hoping we'll be able to get it fixed up and have someone live with us. We bought a wood-burning stove to replace the very inefficient fire place and heat this big ol' place. We need a new chimney liner anyway. My parents will be up in less than two weeks to help with radon, electrical stuff (don't know if you can see the mess of wires in the basement), and mom will help me with the pretty stuff :)

Oh, so the video store in the basement was from the previous owners. He works for the Boys and Girls Club and spoke at some video distributors or producers thing way back. Someone found out he had kids and started sending him videos. He said they would frequently get movies before they were even in the theaters (we've watched one and it frequently reminds you "This film is for screening and not to be sold or copied" or something like that). There is definitely alot of junk but lots of good films in there too (many still in shrink wrap--like 8 copies of Return of the Jedi).

I didn't make it to the backyard and out buildings, that will have to be another day and another post. Hope you can all come to the "Welton Country Resort" (this is what Melissa has deemed it) and stay a while :)

Isaac's 5th birthday

2010-07-29T22:36:00.000-04:00

Hard to believe it's been 5 years since that little boy of ours was born. He is one joyful kid! Who would have known when we decided on Isaac ("he laughs") that it would be such an accurate name? Just like his momma, he wears his heart on his sleeve, not much containment of emotions (unfortunately sometimes). Even as I went through his birthday pictures I was reminded of me opening presents! Everyone always said how animated I was. Check out this boy's expressions! I just love it!
We started the day with the breakfast of his choice--cereal! Easy on mommy :) We let him open one of our presents before Keith left (a big magnifying glass to look at all those interesting things outside). Then it was off to the "castle playground" on the way other side of town. A favorite of the kids. I mean this thing is HUGE. Look at it!

One of his favorites for dinner (chicken tetrazinni) and strawberry cake with strawberry icing (all from scratch I might add!), at his request, for dessert. So, my boy had a pink cake for his 5th birthday :) He had asked for Frog and Toad to be on the cake but despite my best efforts, the strawberry icing I had put on was too runny and I couldn't get it to work. Thankfully we had a Lightning McQueen candle my mom had sent last year! He may never have forgiven me :)

Thanks for all the birthday wishes, cards and gifts! He was certainly blessed by all of your thoughtfulness!!

Mark and Kim's visit

2010-07-29T22:16:00.000-04:00

My big brother and his family came up for a visit a week after we moved in. It was good because it made me get unpacked super quick instead of putting off all those boxes! We had a wonderful time with them that went by way too fast! I didn't have my camera out much though.

The kids had a great time playing, we hardly saw them after their arrival. They went into DC on Monday, and Isaac cried and cried that Mika had gone without him. So, the kids and I joined them on Tuesday at the Smithsonian. We managed to make it through American History and Natural History, plus a stop at Georgetown Cupcakes on the way home.

One funny from their visit:
Isaac: "Oh, I don't want ..." (in a whiny voice)
Keith: "Isaac, no. Try that again." (meaning the right way)
Isaac: "Oh, I don't want..." (same whiny voice)

Kim could hardly keep from laughing :)

Settling in

2010-07-29T22:05:00.000-04:00

I have quite a few pictures that didn't make it onto the blog since I'm so far behind, but thought I'd toss this in while I play catch up :) Here's Isaac and Samy having breakfast the morning of our move. Just too funny.

So I guess I posted about the actual move, now I'll let you into my world post move in. I'm still feeling so out of the groove of normal life it's hard to sit back and enjoy our new home still. Plus we've got quite a few projects in the works. We have radon, which means it's a good idea to get it mitigated by sealing the basement floor and installing pipes and fans to suck it out. Well, our basement isn't your model citizen for this job. There are two crawl spaces at opposite ends of the house that open into the basement through big holes in the wall (kind of creepy!), there are also several holes in the floor (not sure where those came from), and can you believe it, we found a well down there!! I asked the previous owners if they knew that was there, and in all their 28 years here, they never knew that! It was kind of crazy to remove all these old boards to find an 8-inch pipe that goes 30 feet deep with water at the bottom, especially in your basement.

A friend of mine told me a few months ago about these really cool tag sales, and I managed to get there just before my brother and his family came last week. I scored a great table and four chairs for the kitchen that I'm going to repaint and reupholster. I'll have to be sure to do before and after shots :)

I've loved getting to know our neighbors! On one side they go to church with us and the kids made fast friends. On the other is Mickey--she's 72 and lifts weights, swims daily, keeps her yard immaculate, and does amazing oil paintings! Her late husband's family has owned the land she now owns since 1712! She is so much fun to talk to, and I'm hoping one day to explore all the old stuff she has in her basement :)

So, this no A/C thing has been a little tough in the nice heat wave. There were a few days we were really wishing we hadn't bought a house with no air conditioning when it was 100 degrees and like 90% humidity. We got our big window unit into the kitchen just before my brother and fam arrived, and that has helped tremendously. Most days though I still open the windows even in there until the mid-afternoon. The house has a great breeze always coming through. The third floor (where the play room is) is just hot, no way around that, so the kids are usually dragging toys to the kitchen to play on the floor or the hall where it's cool. Good thing I've got such a big kitchen now!

Date with Samy

2010-07-25T21:56:00.000-04:00

If you've ever been around our little Samy, you know she is all girl. She just came out of the womb that way! I remember her at 10 months old crying because she wanted a bracelet on and couldn't get it :)

This afternoon Keith and I took our little dates with the kids and it was my turn with Samy. Not knowing this area well, I headed to a shopping center hoping for something that she would enjoy. We went in Home Goods where Samy enjoyed sitting on every chair we passed, pulling open every drawer to every jewelry box, admiring the pink polka-dotted piggy banks, pointing out the crowns and slippers on artwork, and just being a real cutie :) Then we went into TJ Maxx next door...oh it was a hoot! We spent some time in the "dress up" section looking at all the fluffy skirts and princess jewelry and make-up, then we walked by the shoes, the adult shoes mind you. She wanted to try on every pair there was, it was so funny! She was trying to walk around in high heels and huge flip flops with fake jewels glued to the them. I only wish I had a camera. "Look Mommy, just like Cinderella!" she would tell me in the high heels.
I do love that little doll baby of mine :)
Then we headed to McDonald's for $1 ice cream sundaes. The part I love about this is that Samy kept saying, "Old McDonald has ice cream!" And that is all my children will ever know about the golden arches :)

Busy, busy, busy

2010-07-19T15:10:00.000-04:00

We have been busy little bees around here this past week, so sorry for the lack of photos still :) I've actually only taken one picture since we moved in!
We all worked hard this past week to get our new place mostly in order because my brother and his family came up to visit Saturday and are staying until Wednesday. And I spent all day last Tuesday and Wednesday cleaning our old house (seriously 10 hours total!). There was a disgusting amount of dirt and grime hiding behind our furniture :) So while it was a bit stressful last week, we're now all moved in and moved out (with the exception of our satellite dish that's still mounted to the old house--we're regretting that decision to get cable for football season!) and now can just enjoy our home and begin on the long list of things to be fixed and prettied up :)
Yes, our perfect house is full of problems from serious (like the roof) to just annoying (like the ice maker that always spits ice on the floor). It's been a wonderful reminder to me that our eternal home will not have a sagging roof or faucets that all turn on in different directions or rotten boards on the porch. But we are still so very grateful for our new home here! We are grateful that we could host my brother, his wife and their three kids with plenty of room for all and lots of fun to be had in the yard. We are grateful for our new neighbors who the kids have made fast friends with and get so excited when they get to go out to play with them. We are grateful for our front porch swings and tomatoes and cucumbers already growing in the garden. We are grateful for the apple tree and raspberry bushes and grapes all growing in our yard. We are grateful to our heavenly Father for providing for our every need but most of all for our greatest need--for providing a Savior from the punishment that we deserve!! We pray this home would be used to honor and glorify Him everyday!
Drop by anytime :) Pictures to come soon, i hope!!

We're in!

2010-07-11T14:29:00.002-04:00

We are moved into our new home! Tons of boxes to unpack and lots to explore :) so grateful for all the help we have yesterday, that made it possible to be loaded and unloaded in 3 hours! And the Lord was so merciful to send a one day long cool front yesterday...it's been in the 90s up here for a week or two, yesterday the high was like 79 and today it's back to the 90s. Thank you kind Father! A bit of rain, but everything went fine and it was brief.
Still a few things left at the old house and cleaning to do there. No Internet yet at the new place but I'll get some pictures up as soon as I can :)

it's official!

2010-07-07T13:23:00.004-04:00

We are officially home owners again! Closed on the new house yesterday, and to say we are amazed at God's kindness in the whole process is an understatement! From beginning to end buying this home has been a JOY, not a hassle, not stressful, not complicated. The owners are just as wonderful as they come! They were relaying to us on the final walk through how their grown son was crying the last night saying goodbye to his home of 28 years. I would be a mess and the husband was certainly fighting back the tears. I loved hearing our realtor, Wes (who is absolutely the BEST realtor in the world!!) telling the sellers that it is God's grace through them, through their love and care over all those years that would cause their son to be so touched in saying goodbye. It was just such a sweet time signing the papers, talking, and just feeling like a bunch of old friends! I'm confident we will be seeing more of these dear people as the years pass. And to top it all off, they gave us a very generous gift as they left! As if this wonderful house and the many great things they left in it for us weren't enough! Oh, we are amazed as we look at God's perfect timing and order and sovereign hand ruling over our everyday, right down to that haircut that started it all :)

We went straight on over to the new house with our dinner and explored and started painting the master bedroom. Our neighbors even came by to welcome us and introduce themselves. The kids are thrilled and Isaac is just asking all the time when we're going back over. Here are some pictures from last night:

Dinner on the picnic table they left for us :)

Samy finding her room. She laid right down like she was going to bed :)

Isaac enjoying the view from his window.

The adorable package of cookies the settlement attorney gave us, that looks a bit like our house.

And the four of us on the front porch.

Pack 'em up, move 'em out!

2010-06-30T08:33:00.003-04:00

Our house is looking like we're moving! Which is a good thing at this point I guess :) It seems like I've packed so much, but as I pack I find more and more that's left. Only 6 days till closing!

Isaac and Samy are eager to be at the new house and ask daily when that's going to happen. Isaac really wants to help me pack, so I've given him a few boxes that he's filled with toys only to lament later that he really wants to play with them :) he's even dug a couple things out after sealing up the box! The little turkey :)

Little House in the Big Woods

2010-06-17T10:38:00.008-04:00

We've been reading Laura Ingalls Wilder's book "Little House in the Big Woods" to the kids after dinner, and they have loved it! We're always surprised how much they (well particularly Isaac) remembers. Isaac remembers that Pa said he would never go into the woods without his gun, Samy remembers the color of Laura's dress :)

Well, we had our own little adventure in the "big woods" this past weekend--our first camping trip as a family! Aside from the massive amount of work it is ahead of time, we all greatly enjoyed it. And the kids were almost always playing "Little house in the big woods" as they ran around in the tall trees chasing chipmunks and climbing on stumps.

Here's Isaac with his "bear bopping stick". If we saw any bears, he was going to drop it on their head :)

And this is a little friend the kids made almost as soon as he arrived. They had a great time with Ryan!

The campground has a great lake for swimming and we spent most of our time there.

Samy surprised us with how bravely she played in the lake. She was the first one in every time, and was bouncing around as deep as she could without going under.

Isaac is always a water bug!!We took two little hikes, one to see the falls and one to see the Catoctin Iron Furnace. On the first hike we found a family of lesser weasels (according to the ranger we showed them to). There were about 10 babies running around, pretty cute actually :)

For the full photo album you can go here:

camping

Going private

2010-06-09T15:30:00.001-04:00

I'm making the switch to invitation only on the blog. If you want to be able to see my blog, please email me or post on my facebook :) thanks all!

Storing up treasures in Heaven

2010-06-05T10:04:00.006-04:00

I see the kindness of the Lord in the fact that I've been reading Randy Alcorn's book "Heaven" for the last month. I've been pondering and imagining what it will be like in the new Heavens and new Earth. What it will be like to look upon my Savior's face and to see the place He has prepared for me. I see it as God's kindness that I've been thinking on these things particularly in light of the amazing house we just signed a contract on. Keith and I had really hoped to one day have an old house with lots of character, little nooks and crannies, a big front porch with a swing, and just a very homey feel. But we never thought we'd be getting it (and truly even more than we had imagined) now while we're young and poor :) Our realtor (he is just the best!!) would take us in a house in our price range and say, "This is the best you're gonna see in your price range" kind of thing and we would think we could certainly make it work with a little elbow grease and sprucing up but not overly excited about it. So here is the story of how we came to get the house of our dreams, it was all the work of our loving sovereign Father:

The story starts less than two weeks ago as I got my hair cut by a girl from our church, Erin. We were chatting about how Keith and I were looking for houses mostly in Damascus. She tells me about this great house next door to some friends (who also go to CLC) that's old but updated, wonderfully cared for, has a good bit of land and is up for sale by owner b/c they want to pick who they sell to. The owners want very much to not just sell it to anyone but to a good family who will love and care for it as they have and who will be good neighbors to their current ones. I'm thinking, "This sounds perfect!" I get home and look it up. Wow, just picturesque! But the price tag...yikes! As Keith puts it, me being the woman of faith that I am, email the owners and explain how I heard about it and ask if they would take less. The very sweet wife of the couple who owns it, Sue, emails me back from her personal account because I'm an acquaintance of their current neighbors. She asks me what our budget is so we aren't wasting each other's time. So I'm trying to figure out how to graciously express that I'm not trying to offend them with our meager budget of only about 2/3 what they're asking (as my sister put it, almost a whole nother house's worth less!), but we just love their house and I had to ask. I seriously thought we wouldn't be hearing from them again. But sure enough, the next day I come home to an email from Sue. She tells me they had discussed it and that while we have significantly less than they're asking, there is more to this than money, they really want the right family in their home. And invites us to come meet them and see the house! I about fell out of my chair!
We went the soonest they could do it. The husband was out of town, but Sue greeted us warmly and showed us around. Isaac and Samy were just running up and down the stairs and all into everything, we kept telling them to settle down and Sue would say, "No, it's fine! This house is used to it." I just love that! She had pulled out coloring books and got them some juice so we could go through the house again without them to distract us. We spent 2 hours there that seemed more like 30 minutes. Sue was just a delight, we all greatly enjoyed ourselves and it just felt comfortable, like a home should. We spoke honestly about the reality of our budget and that we really like the house and she told us honestly to make our best offer and let them decide. So we did. We spent the next day crunching numbers to see what we could do, the very best we could do without foregoing food for the next year :) Sue emailed me to say they would hopefully get back to us that evening, and to tell Isaac and Samantha that their smiling faces would be taken into account. So, I sent her a picture of those two smiling :)
It was a long day of waiting Thursday. Friday morning I got up to find an email from Sue. They had accepted our offer! And she said that the picture of the kids had convinced her husband that accepting the offer was the right thing to do! They are awfully cute :)

We stand amazed at God's LAVISH provision! We knew He would provide perfectly (even if it wasn't our idea of perfect), but this truly goes beyond what we would ask or imagine! It has been to me a reminder of Heaven and that place He is preparing for us, His bride. If He is so lavish in this, wow, I can't wait to see what is waiting for us there!! But even if it has a horrible inspection and the whole thing falls through, we do not doubt God's goodness and kindness and lavish provision!! What more does He need to provide than what He has already provided through the gospel? Jesus came as a man to be like us in every way, lived a perfect life so that we might be clothed with his perfect record, suffered and died as a sinner though sinless and took the wrath of Almighty God for my sin that I would only know mercy and grace. And now Jesus sits at God the Father's right hand, interceding for me! Praying for me! Preparing a place for me that will be my eternal home, one that is beyond all I can think or imagine. As I decorate my new home with our small earthly treasures, my prayer is that with each picture hung and each book put on those beautiful built-in shelves, I would have my heart and mind full of my Savior and the treasures that He has purchased for me through His death that I might live in Him and store up eternal treasures!

In every change, He is faithful

2010-05-30T20:10:00.005-04:00

Change seems to be always in the air, though probably all of you who read this already know :) Keith has a new job! Well, he's accepted it, but won't start for another month or so. He's just moving upstairs to Covenant Life Church (Sovereign Grace is in the same building) to work with one of the pastors, Mark Mitchell. We'll let you know more what he's doing once he starts but the part he's most excited about is a ministry called Marketplace Ambassadors, aimed at encouraging folks in the secular workforce, which is most people. He has a real heart to connect theology to this everyday task that often becomes tiresome and a burden. He longs to see folks realize the great privilege and responsibility God has entrusted us with in work! I should let him blog about that sometime :)
Oh, and he'll continue teaching Greek at the Pastors College at least for a while, which he loves doing!

So, now that we know our wanderings in Maryland aren't through yet, we're house hunting!! It's fun but discouraging at times. You would not believe how expensive houses are here (unless you live here, then you know)! Let's just say we're looking at houses that cost TWICE as much as we sold our house in Orlando for!! And they're not that nice :) But we're confident God will provide exactly what we need (even if it's different than what we think we need) at exactly the right time (even if it's not when we'd prefer)! He always has and always will. The Lord's faithfulness has been our confidence throughout the last two years in particular as we made the major move up here (with a job offer we truly only thought would happen in our dreams!) and as we've walked through knowing Keith was going to need to change jobs again at the end of this year. We have seen such particular answers to prayer over the years that it's hard to doubt God's faithfulness. The answers didn't come as quickly as we would have liked, but to look back is to know that God knows much better than we do, and that it was perfect timing. I love to reminisce and recount the many small and great works of His hand in our lives.

So, we'll keep you posted on the house hunt :) We love seeing all the old houses up here and would love to have "an old house with character" but so far the few in our price range haven't worked out.
The kids have been troopers going with us to look. Their favorites are the ones with the best toys or that have playgrounds in the yard :) And the first thing Isaac looks for when we walk into a house is the basement, because that is a must for him :) Samy frequently has her face buried in my shoulder saying, "It's stinky." Many have been stinky, in her defense :)

Graduation for this year's Pastors College class is a week from today! Every time it's mentioned my eyes well up with tears. I'm going to miss these dear ladies! I have learned so much from them during those usually brief interactions at gym day or in the 'hood, but lots through email after email (these gals know how to email!!). Seeing their faith in action as they have had many significant trials (and in the everyday temptations as well) this year has only served to strengthen my faith in the greatness and loving kindness of our God! Thank you gals :)
Wow, I didn't mean to write so much, but it's been a while :) Hopefully more soon...

Stickers

2010-05-17T21:42:00.003-04:00

Isaac and Samy got some stickers from Trader Joe's earlier today. Our TJ's friend Howard (a very nice worker who always says "Hi Miss Amanda") gave them to them and said they were new, and I commented on the new summer design.
Well, after dinner Isaac was running around with his stickers and saying "These are the spring-salt ones!" Spring-salt?? "Oh, you mean somersault" I finally figured out!

Our little girl

2010-05-10T21:34:00.003-04:00

Our sweet little Samy turned three, well, almost a month ago now :) But I didn't want to skip posting about it, even if I am rather late!

She is definitely growing up, and seeming more like a little girl everyday and less like our little baby. She still loves everything "girly", particularly princesses and dresses. She tells us what she wants to wear everyday (always a dress) and then usually puts a dress-up dress on over that for a majority of the day :) She often corrects Keith on his choice of clothing, saying "That doesn't match Daddy!"
She loves to sing and twirl to the music. She's very tender and caring. She loves to play "homey home" with Isaac (their version of house), caring for their "little cuties"...feeding them, changing them, bathing them, putting them to bed, kissing boo boos.
She has done a 180 on her shyness and now says "hi" to everyone who passes by! She always wants to come down to say hi to our care group. No longer hiding behind mommy's leg (usually)!
Anytime she observes someone being less than kind, she comments, "Him not obeying Jesus." Though she doesn't seem to yet have the same view when she acts that way toward her brother :) (And she almost always says "her" or "him" instead of "he" or "she"--I hope she doesn't outgrow that anytime soon)

We are so grateful for our little Samy and her tender heart! She has certainly given us our share of grief, but we wouldn't trade her for the world! She is a precious little gem and gift from our Savior! We love you Samy girl!!

What better way to celebrate her birthday than princess style! All us gals wore our tiaras and we had a pink castle cake. I so wish I had videoed her face when she saw that cake! It was worth the hours I spent making it :)
Enjoy the pictures...

Easter pics

2010-05-07T22:37:00.001-04:00

Some Easter pictures...

Long overdue photos

2010-05-07T21:23:00.005-04:00

This was back in March, but too cute not to post. Here are Samy and her "cuties" at church...

And here is their teacher...

And I tried to catch "Belle" and "Gaston" in action, but only got Isaac's back. This is Gaston (notice he's "tromping around wearing boots like Gaston") locking Belle up so she can't warn the Beast!

Still alive up here!

2010-04-27T08:08:00.003-04:00

Quiet on here huh? :) We've had a very full couple weeks.
Keith had a great time at Together for the Gospel and was greatly encouraged and provoked by the godly men there! A special treat for him to have lots of "guy time," something he doesn't get much of at home. He got spend almost a full day with my brother, have a reunion dinner with last year's PC class, and lunch with a dear old friend from Knoxville. He had to share a room with a freight train of a snorer (who shall remain nameless here!) but figured out turning the TV up really loud with fuzz drowned him out :) We were glad to get him home again, but so glad to send him too!

While he was gone, my parents arrived! We took a not-so-wise trip to Mount Vernon, had an egg hunt, and celebrated Samy's birthday. Pictures coming soon :)

We were slowly getting back into the swing of things when we received word last Wednesday night that Keith's grandmother had passed away suddenly. She was turning 85 last week, but was in good health, so it was quite a surprise and of course very sad. Keith was able to fly down Friday morning to be with his family for the funeral. It was a really rare time for him to hang out with his sister and actually have conversations with his mom and other relatives without kids crawling all over him :) We were so glad he could go and be there for his mom!! He got home Sunday afternoon.

I headed to my dear friend Laura's house after dropping Keith at the airport in Baltimore. She is one of my best friends from college and she, her husband, and daughter live on the east side of Maryland. The kids and I got to enjoy the entire morning with them! It was such a blessing and always good to be with her :)

So, now we're trying to get back to normal routines again, but my mom is coming back this Thursday with a friend for my church's ladies retreat! I'm so glad to have her back!! Twice in a month is just unheard of :)
I'll try to get pictures up soon and more on my little 3-year-old!

Update to the Lego story :)

2010-04-12T08:49:00.002-04:00

Well, by God's great mercy, Keith and Isaac were only gone from the house for about 2 hours on their trip to the ER! and probably an hour of that was driving and getting ice cream! I questioned Keith's rewarding the boy for sticking a Lego up his nose though :)

Keith reported it took all of 30 seconds with the right tool to get it out. And they didn't even bring home our $100 Lego! It was a skinny round grey one, which was hard to see amid his runny nose or we would have tried to get it out, we couldn't see it.

So, I am grateful that it was only for this we were visiting the ER and that it was so simple!
Keith left for Together for the Gospel in KY this morning. Me and my two sick kiddos (yes, Samy has a runny nose too now) will be holding down the fort and my parents will be here in just a couple days! We're all looking forward to their visit and celebrating Samy's third birthday Saturday!

Little boys

2010-04-10T13:33:00.003-04:00

Last night Isaac went to bed with a sore throat. An hour later he woke up coughing like a seal. We did the steamy bathroom thing and got the humidifier going in his room and I was in several times throughout the night. He woke up this morning with a runny nose, but acting totally normal.
We were all out in the backyard this morning, weeding and such. Isaac had just gone in and was playing in his room with the window open, which looks onto the backyard. We hear him crying and he's looking out the window saying, "I can't get it out!"
I don't know if he was trying to stop the perpetual pouring from his nostril but he shoved a Lego up his nose! He and Keith are at the ER as we speak.
My sister-in-law called me while we were getting them out the door and her reply to our predicament, "Welcome to mothering boys!"
I must say I'm pretty surprised this is our first trip to the ER, though not the first Lego he's put in his body :) He swallowed one just after his hernia surgery.
Praying God will have mercy on my sick little boy and his daddy and there won't be a long wait. And also that it wouldn't be too difficult to get out.

Date night!

2010-03-30T13:33:00.004-04:00

Last night was date night with the kiddos! How much fun to have just one child to focus all your attention on for a couple hours! Keith took Isaac for "boys night out" and Samy and I stayed home and had "girls night in" :) When Keith asked him what he wanted to eat, Isaac quickly replied, "Hot dog sandwich!" (which just means a hot dog on a bun) One of our favorite places to take the kids out to eat is Five Guys Burgers, which is where Isaac always gets a hot dog sandwich and Samy eats ketchup :) she's in the right family to love condiments! Keith said Isaac ate the entire hot dog (it's gotta be a quarter pound!) and tons of fries and peanuts. He said he was super excited about the peanuts :) Then they went to a pet store and looked at all the animals. Isaac's least favorite part, "I don't like the stinky dogs!" but he really liked the fish. And he does a great impression of the little birds in there!
No cameras allowed at boys night out, but Samy and I got a few pics :)

We had our little dinner, then got all dressed up for a princess tea party! She picked out my bridesmaid dress from my sister-in-law's wedding for me. We got on our tiaras and necklaces, and "glass slippers" to finish the look of course! Then we had tea (though she didn't like it) and ice cream (which she loved). And what princess party is complete without dancing and singing to the Beauty and the Beast soundtrack? I got my work out holding her and skipping and twirling around the house, a few breathless song lyrics thrown in :) She kept begging for more, but i could hardly breathe!

tea and ice cream!like a true princess, getting every last lick!

Sparkles

2010-03-30T12:40:00.003-04:00

Keith found some super old sparklers in the garage last weekend so we just had to burn them!

Samy acted like the fairy godmother: "Bippity, boppity, boo!"

Hiking & PJs

2010-03-30T12:05:00.003-04:00

Two weekends ago it was absolutely gorgeous outside AND Bruster's had their "free ice cream if you wear your PJs" day, which made for the perfect combo :)
We headed to a little hiking/biking trail not far from home that runs along a little stream and had a lovely time enjoying the sun and throwing rocks and sticks in the water. The kids were bribed the entire way with promises of ice cream afterwards :) They actually did enjoy "hiding" as they called it.
We got back in the car, ate our lunch on the way to Bruster's and their changed into our PJs (or partial PJs actually). We all enjoyed our treat very much as is evident by the ice cream faces!!

Beauty and the Beast

2010-03-08T21:45:00.003-05:00

Samy's current favorite princess is Belle and she's been wearing out my old "Beauty and the Beast" soundtrack. As soon as she's done with breakfast she's in her Belle dress and asking to turn on "Booty and de Beast" (I love her little voice!). She just twirls around in circles for half the day! Here she's enlisted her brother and Cinderella doll in the spinning:

And the few times they've watched the whole movie, neither one wants to see the Beast. "He's scarwy!"

Sunshine shining on me!

2010-03-08T21:20:00.005-05:00

I have never been so grateful to see 50 degrees as I was this week :) After all the snow and cold and winds (and sickies), we were all SO ready to get outside in the sun! Saturday was supposed to be warmer, but was still so windy that it felt cold. We braved it briefly for a ride around the hood. But yesterday was truly fabulous and warm (comparatively speaking) with a bright shining sun! We went to the "big playground" and took a long walk. There was another family from our church there and one of their dear girls took some pictures of the kids:

Today was another beautiful day so we were out again. I just find it humorous that they still want to play in the snow :)

He remembers we are dust

2010-03-06T10:02:00.002-05:00

We made it through one very unpleasant week around here. All four of us came down with one icky stomach bug. God was merciful in so many ways even through something so nasty as this! Isaac started things off last Saturday, and we're not really sure where he got it, maybe our Thursday gym time? Who knows! He wasn't so bad, only got sick a few times (after he ate). Then Keith started Monday night and it just knocked him out all day Tuesday with body aches and such. Tuesday night I went to check on Samy when Keith and I were headed for bed and she rolled over and got sick. God was so kind to wait until that moment! She was so disoriented and confused. I was so glad to be there and calm her down immediately and run her to the bathroom. I started just a couple hours later. It was a sleepless night. Samy was such a trooper though! I've never seen someone be so chipper after getting sick! Her aunt Michelle would be impressed :) We made her a little bed on our floor and Keith got her some soda. Her reaction, "Yummy! I like it so much!" She was thrilled to be sleeping in our room and you would not have guessed she had a stomach flu!
Wednesday was one of the most miserable days of my life. Worst than child birth b/c it was so constant and nothing good at the end :) But we're all on the mend now!
God was so merciful to keep us from all getting it at the same time! And He was so merciful in giving the kids grace for the day I couldn't move--they played perfectly by themselves all day!! Samy even cuddled up with me for a while to watch "Wives and Daughters." She was pointing out every lady with a dress on, which is all of them :) She is a hoot!
And God is certainly having mercy on my grocery budget! None of us have eaten much of anything the whole week.
"As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust." Psalm 103:13-14

What a compassionate God we have! I'm grateful to be able to praise Him even in the midst of sickness!

UP!

2010-02-23T21:25:00.002-05:00

If you haven't seen the movie Up! yet, you just have to! I was crying after the first ten minutes and the kiddos absolutely LOVE it! It's really an adorable movie. And also now one the kids favorite things to play. I often hear Isaac saying to Samy, "Come on, let's go play Up!" And off they go to make Samy's doll house fly around the basement or just chase each other, one being "Kevin" the bird and the other being one of the dogs.
Their favorite line that often begin their dialogue with makes me laugh each time I hear them say it: "I can smell you." Often followed by: "Squirrel!"
Oh, you just have to see it :)

When I grow up...

2010-02-20T22:38:00.002-05:00

Samy (in her broken speech): "I get big, I wear your white dress and get married"
Me: "Who will you marry?"
Samy: "Daddy! I get big, I drive a car. I go to Grammy and Papaw's house. I wear big Snow White dress, then I drive home."
The "Snow White" dress is one my mom picked up at a yard sale that's too big for Samy right now--Samy is often telling me that is why she wants to grow up :)

Prince and Princess

2010-02-18T17:56:00.003-05:00

I was just in making dinner and Isaac came running in saying, "Come see Cinderella! She's coming down the stairs!" Samy is fully decked out in her Cinderella gown, gloves, shoes, bracelets and a lovely hair do :) I asked who had fixed her hair, "I did!" said Isaac. And for one the only times he's ever agreed to it, he said he was the prince! Usually he gets angry :)
Aren't they cute!

"Blind in a Blizzard"

2010-02-17T09:08:00.002-05:00

This time it has nothing to do with our blizzards :)
This morning I picked up a little devotional my dear friend Julie gave me and opened to an entry by Noel Piper entitled "Blind in a Blizzard," which i thought was very fitting in more ways than one and wanted to share:

I will lead the blind by a way they do not know,
In paths they do not know I will guide them.
I will make darkness into light before them
And rugged places into plains. Isaiah 42:16

I'd read in the Little House books about blizzards so think you could get lost between house and barn. But I never thought blizzards like that happened to real people in real life.

My husband and I were driving home from a speaking engagement in South Dakota--across the prairie through a horizontal gale that was spray painting everything white. Centerline, shoulders, and ditches had disappeared. We couldn't pull off--we'd be buried in the snow and we'd freeze. Anyway, where was "off"? We surely didn't want to stop where another car could plow into us.

A semitrailer saved us. Its driver say high, with the perspective to make out the snow bumps of signposts and other indicators on the road. We fell in behind him, thankfully and trustfully, our eyes glued to his lights. When he slowed, we slowed. When he swerved, so did we.

Some days I feel as thought I'm in a blizzard, with all normal pointers obliterated. But Jesus, my Savior, can see my road all the way to my destination, including every curve, bump, and blind spot that confronts me today.

In that prairie snowstorm, I had to keep my eyes on the semi and follow it; I didn't have any other choice if I wanted to avoid crashing. Every day we need to "fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2) and follow him; we don't really have any other choice--besides crashing.

Results of 2 blizzards and our Valentine's Day

2010-02-15T17:40:00.006-05:00

Here are some pictures of the kids playing after the second or was it third (I've lost count) of snow and after the plows came. 3 feet of snow + snow plows = GIANT mounds of snow! Our neighbor and one of his friends made a fort out of the plow pile at the end of our street, which the kids have enjoyed for a few days. Now Isaac doesn't even want to go out. After the melted snow refroze on top of the rest of the snow, there was no more sledding b/c you just get stuck.
One plus of being stuck at home for two weeks is Samy is potty trained!! Today is day 5 in undies with no accidents so far :) She just decided one day she really wanted to wear those princess undies and that was it!
Isaac has been working hard on his reading lessons, much more out of motivation for the Cars toy he gets when he finishes the 100 lessons than out of desire to read :) Everyday he wants to do two lessons, sometimes he asks for a third. He's doing really well with it too, and i can hardly believe it when I'm listening to him read 4 sentence stories!

On a totally different note, we had a wonderful Valentine's day! I awoke to a Starbucks latte at my bedside then we went to church and were blessed to have CJ Mahaney preaching (we get him next week too!). It was phenomenal (as usual)! This is actually the first time he's preached at CLC since we've been here! He spoke on Jude, reminding us of the Father's great love for us in that we are CALLED to salvation, LOVED by God the Father and KEPT for Jesus! Keith and I have been so refreshed this week as we've continued to contemplate the amazing love of God for us in choosing to give us salvation when we were still enemies of God.
Sunday night was the Pastors College Sweethearts Banquet--what a blast! There are like 100 people who serve at this event, giving up their Valentine's evening to serve us and it was just overwhelming. Dinner and an array of skits to inspire us in romance and intimacy from poetry, to reading Song of Songs, to singing famous love songs, to singing Fiddler on the Roof's "Do you love me?" And of course there were fun surprises for the students! What an excellent way to spend Valentine's Day :)

Survivor: Gaithersburg

2010-02-10T20:28:00.005-05:00

Ok, maybe it's not as bad as Survivor but I certainly feel like I've just survived weather that just shouldn't happen :) HISTORIC, yes, historic amounts of snow have fallen here, the most on record EVER! Not really a surprise that it was record breaking when I look out the window. Can you believe the snow!!

Thankfully it really hasn't been bad and after making it through the first blizzard we had a blast playing in the snow (except Samy who was just inches taller than the snow fall).

So blizzard number two hit just three days after the first one ended. Our road had just been plowed Tuesday morning around 9 and by 10:30 it was snowing again. When Keith got home from work the road was covered again. We are thanking God that we have not lost power! Tomorrow when this blizzard is totally gone I'll go take some pictures of the insane amounts of white out there!

Here is what used to be our backyard. It seriously looks like a big bowl of snow! The drifts on this end of the yard are just below the fence! I think we'll have to do some snow diving :)

The snow has ceased

2010-02-06T20:17:00.003-05:00

After more than 24 hours of snow, it has finally stopped. The grand total was around 30 inches with some pretty big drifts around. We got out to play after it stopped, though there's only so much playing you can do when it comes up to your knees. Samy didn't last long but the rest of us made some great sledding runs. And after Isaac was done, Keith and I sledded (more like tumbled) down the hill a few times and laughed at each other! More of the same tomorrow I'm sure and then we'll probably make the trek across the neighborhood for a Super Bowl party. Enjoy the pics!

That's a lot of snow!

2010-02-06T09:12:00.004-05:00

We're up to 25 inches on our back porch and it's still snowing!!

The cars have almost disappeared and you can't see the road at all.

A New Doo

2010-01-22T08:56:00.006-05:00

I couldn't stand the stringy hair anymore and gave Samy a big haircut last week. I finally took some pictures this morning :)

And here is Isaac pretending to eat the food he made.

Our growing children

2010-01-16T21:46:00.004-05:00

Our little cuties are growing like weeds! Today we got Samy a big girl bed. This week Isaac read a sentence. And they are becoming such good friends!
I've been going through "100 Easy Lessons to Teach Your Child to Read" with Isaac, and he's picking it up fast. This week he read his first sentence (which they call a story): "See me eat." He wanted to color the little picture they had in the book and then he drew his own. It was helpful being told by an older, wiser lady this week to not tell little boys to sit still, they just can't :) And he never does! Always looking around, fidgeting but he's learning while he does it.
Samy was so excited about her new bed! Tomorrow she and I are going on a date to find a comforter for her big girl bed--she already told me she wants purple :) And we've been working on potty training again, which is going really well. She certainly is aware of what she's doing because it only took a couple reminders and now she's telling me (most of the time) that she needs to go potty (except number 2). When she finally does go all the time, she gets to go to the toy store and pick something out--she's already decided it will be a princess, though it oscillates between Snow White and Sleeping Beauty.

And those two are just adorable together! They've become such good friends, playing together all day with MUCH less fighting than there has been. Samy is the one asking Isaac to play in the basement now. They run around or play with her dollhouse together, which is pretty funny. I love overhearing their scenarios which go between reality like taking baths, going to bed, the kids saying "I'm hungry" over and over, and Papaw changing Samy's poopy diaper--oh wait that's not reality :) and of course complete fantasy, like the other day when a dragon landed on their house and Mommy fought him off :)
I love seeing God work in their little hearts and grow their friendship!

Isaac's surgery

2010-01-14T14:50:00.005-05:00

We found Isaac's hernia on Thanksgiving day. He had been running around like he usually does but kept complaining his stomach hurt. When I noticed how low he was holding I looked and found a textbook hernia. Our pediatrician referred us to a surgeon who is just wonderful! He had both of our kids laughing hysterically within a minute of entering the room and he explained things so thoroughly yet simply to us. Our love for him only grew when Isaac was writhing in pain Christmas night and he called us back not once but twice!
His surgery is scheduled for January 26th and we'd love your prayers! Though it is a simple out-patient procedure, what parent wants to put their child "under"? I struggled a lot with fear the first weeks after we found out. Thinking we haven't had any major trials plus we were reading a book on suffering. I was assuming the worst would happen. While talking with some of the Pastors College wives at gym day, one was saying how all of her children had had serious illnesses when they were very young. She said something to the effect of "I had to come to a place of believing that even if God took them He is still good. I couldn't assume that because He had protected and healed my other children He would do the same this time." That was so helpful to my heart! Instead of pushing my fears of the worst aside, I needed to correct my thinking. God is faithful, good, kind, loving and sovereign! Our trust is in Him in every situation, from the everyday to the most difficult.

Though Satan should buffet
Though trial should come
Let this blest assurance control
That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate
And hath shed His own blood for my soul!

Our Christmas travels

2010-01-09T15:59:00.007-05:00

So I still have plenty more to share from after our snowy adventure on the way to Tennessee. We had a wonderful (though short) time with my family in Knoxville. Presents, food, games, lots of playful children, and a dress for every princess Samy could think of :) The kids had a great time with their cousins! We only got to stay a couple days then we were off to Georgia. Our first stop was in Woodstock to see our dear friends from Orlando who have relocated to Georgia. What a rich time, but way too short!!
Then we were on to Macon to see all of Keith's relatives--all of them! I love how we get to see all of his grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins at one location! The kids had a blast with Grandan & Bubbe and Grandma! Dan and Linda had planned some little "treasure hunts" for the kids on their property ("Grandan's woods" as Isaac calls it), which was just a hoot for all of us. Samy was gung-ho on digging up her treasure until we got there. She held the little shovel for about 2 seconds and declared, "I can't" in that sweet little voice of hers :)
Isaac had way too much fun riding the four-wheeler. You could hear him laughing even though you couldn't see them. And apparently four-wheeling isn't so good for hernias (Isaac has one that is getting fixed this month) because Christmas night we had a good scare when he woke up in serious pain. We had him in the car ready to go to the emergency room when his surgeon called us back and said to put him in a warm bath and see if that helped. We certainly had our doubts that it would, but I guess the surgeon knows what he's talking about :) after about 10 minutes Isaac was calm and feeling better and asked, "Can I have something to eat?" Our little eating machine :)
We were off to Knoxville again, but stopped in Atlanta on the way up to hear my older brother preach! What a treat that we got to be there for his "debut" :) It's so encouraging to see God's work in Mark's life going from "Gaston" likeness in college (a very proud, vain guy in Beauty & the Beast) to such a humble man of God! We're so grateful for the example Mark and Kim and their children are to us!
So, then Keith was able to work remotely in Knoxville for a couple days and I got to have more time with my fam :) What a blessing!!!

And since then I've been trying to recoup and get our house back in order. Here's lots of pictures from our journey (though none from our motel b/c I wasn't willing to go dig it out from the back of the van).

I wasn't dreaming of a white Christmas

2010-01-02T09:42:00.003-05:00

We left for our long Christmas vacation the Friday before Christmas. There was snow forecast up here in Maryland but it wasn't supposed to arrive until midnight so we figured we had plenty of time. We left around 3 and encountered a good deal of traffic as we got into Virginia. We had been in the car less than 3 hours when it started snowing. At first it seemed like we could make it, just a little snow, right? Within 10 minutes Keith could barely see the lines on the road. A few more minutes and he was feeling a little slip here and there. Time to find a place to sleep for the night :) So, we spent two nights in the Knights Inn in Verona, Virginia--if you're wondering if it's a good vacation spot, I assure you its not :) We kept hearing rumors the next morning that the interstate was clear, but the road to our motel was not and snow was STILL falling (for almost 24 hours). Numerous cars stuck in the snow assured us we should stay another night. We ended up with almost 2 feet of snow where we were! I had grabbed all of our snow gloves (and thankfully my snow pants were in the bag too!) on the way out but nothing else. Keith walked to the Wendy's and gas station at the end of the road the first night for dinner and a $5 box of raisin bran for the next morning. Day two he made the 1.5 mile trek through two feet of snow in tennis shoes to the Food Lion for some more food. He's my hero! For being stuck in a tiny (and nasty) motel room for 2 days, the kids did surprisingly well. We took them up to the lobby once to run around and they got covered in snow on the way back and totally soaked. We left early Sunday morning to brave 100 miles of ice and snow on the roads. We drove 6 hours straight without a single stop or complaint from our children! I think they were as glad as us to be going to Grammy & Papaw's house and not staying in that motel!
Not that I ever want to repeat it, but it certainly made some memories!

And we're back!

2009-12-10T08:33:00.005-05:00

My new (old) computer is up and running! Another story of God's gracious provision--a dear man Keith works with, who just loves computers, offered to help us shop for him. Well, long story short, he gave us his brother's old computer (which is only about a year old) so we just had to get a monitor! God is so kind :)

Here are pictures from the last month :) yes, it's been a whole month. Keith's birthday, our afternoon at the Agricultural History Farm Park, a visit from Jerry Bridges to PC gym day, our early Thanksgiving with my parents and brother (including our trip to Annapolis, see previous post), Thanksgiving part 2 with the Purswells, the first snow of the season, and a fabulous surprise date to see Handel's Messiah at the National Cathedral and dinner on the top floor of The W Hotel!

That's the long and short of it :) Oh, one more wonderful surprise of the month was being asked to share at my dear friend Laura's MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group. She asked me to share the gospel through sharing my testimony of God's grace in mothering. It's been a long time since I spoke in front of a group like that, but the Lord definitely used the preparation and the morning of to draw me nearer to Him! I was so blessed to share the good news of God's saving grace through Jesus Christ and how Christ's perfect righteousness affects my everyday!

Looking for Prince Charming

2009-11-28T13:47:00.003-05:00

Well, my computer totally died two weeks ago, which explains the lack of blog posts. I didn't realize how much I relied on that silly machine! I've survived so far only because Keith brings his home from work so I can at least check email :) Hopefully we'll have our new one in the next week or two, but until then, no pictures for the blog.
A quick Samy story until I have my own computer back. My mom, dad and younger brother were up last weekend for an early Thanksgiving trip. While they were up we went to Annapolis. We came around the corner and saw the huge "State House" towering over us. It's a very large building built in the 1700s that actually served as the US capital for 9 months and is still in use as the Maryland capital building. So, we see this huge building with it's large steeple sort of thing on top and Samy gasps, "Cindyrella's castle! I want to go in my castle! Find prince." (She often tells us, "I AM Cindyrella.") So we walked to the front of the building and up the huge stairs to the entrance. Samy is all the while saying, "Go in my castle. Find prince." Oh it was so funny and adorable! Inside there is a very Cinderella-like marble staircase that goes up stairs, but it's roped off. Samy wants desperately to go up and find her prince. There's another staircase around the corner that goes down and isn't roped off so my mom took her down. Wasn't much to see down there so my mom is trying to get her to come back up, but Samy is insisting they "find prince." Suddenly my mom and Samy hear a man's voice coming from up the stairs and Samy gasps again, "Prince!!!" and takes off for the stairs :) It was hilarious! She didn't find her prince, but was content enough to twirl around in "the ball" (a very large, empty, ornate room where they must set up tables for meetings). If she didn't usually refer to Daddy as her prince, I would be a little more concerned for her obsession with "Prince" :)

Harvest Party

2009-11-05T11:55:00.003-05:00

Covenant Life had their annual Harvest Party on Halloween. Isaac decided he wanted to be Mr. Incredible this year (which I must say is considerably easier to make than Lightning McQueen!) and Samy, of course, wanted to be Cinderella (which just means dress up like a princess). Keith and I debated dressing up as the Incredibles, but Samy wanted me to be Cinderella too and we knew we couldn't get her to be anything but a princess, so we just didn't dress up (I mean how was I going to dress up like Cinderella??). The Purswell family was actually dressed as the "Ultimates" (if you remember the humorous story from one of Jeff's messages here), they were too cute!

Isaac was very interested in getting candy, but he did enjoy the games. Samy on the other hand would hardly leave my side and usually refused to play the games. I think all the costumes were a little frightening to her, even if they weren't actually scary :)

Autumn Bike Ride

2009-10-30T13:52:00.004-04:00

Keith and I wanted to try our bike ride again before the winter got here and this time we took the kids along. Last Saturday was warm enough and we actually made it out early enough to miss the rain. We've only tried to use our bike trailer once since moving up here where there are hills so the kids were actually excited about riding in it again, they didn't complain once (even though Samy looks miserable in the picture)! My poor husband got quite the workout pulling them up the hills! We made it back to the car just as it started sprinkling.
The leaves are getting close to peak so it was that much prettier on the trail. As we rode along I couldn't help but praise God for His glory and majesty revealed in nature! Can you imagine how beautiful the new heavens and earth will be when you see how amazing this earth is?!
Enjoy the pictures!

Ahhh, fall.

2009-10-14T08:24:00.004-04:00

Fall is certainly in the air up here! Many trees have just a few beautiful red leaves remaining, others haven't changed at all, but most are covered in shades of yellow and red. It is so amazing to see God's perfect design in the seasons changing, everything dying to be made new again with the spring. Another beautiful picture of how we must die to be brought to life again--as I read this morning: 1 Corinthians 15:36 "What you sow does not come to life unless it dies."

Last week Samy got her first black eye. I was just glad it wasn't her brother who gave it to her :) She ran into one of our bar stools in the kitchen, which she does often, but this time got her eye. She's looked like she's wearing eye shadow all week!

I also had to put in a picture of her with all her bracelets and groovy headband making me think of the 80s (especially with her "blue eyeshadow" right now). Sister, that one is for you :)

Saturday afternoon we headed across Maryland to visit my college roommate and very dear friend and her hubby, Laura and Joel. Always so good to see them!

Sunday we went to the pumpkin patch and ended up picking apples as well since we were there. It was so much fun, but picking apples went way too fast. The kids weren't ready to stop but it was getting expense :) Then the kids each picked a little sugar pumpkin so we could eat it.

You have to listen to this!

2009-10-11T18:28:00.003-04:00

Give your view of God a reality check with this amazing message from Wayne Grudem at our church this morning. What a gift from God this man is!

The Greatness of God

Harpers Ferry

2009-09-29T08:26:00.006-04:00

Saturday we ventured to Harpers Ferry National Park in West Virginia. It's a really neat park with much of the original old town still standing and lots of exhibits showing what life was like around the late 1700s to mid 1800s. It was home to lots of industry because of the power available through the two major rivers there: the Potomac and Shenandoah. Lots of history and really cool old buildings set along two beautiful rivers and mountains surrounding. Really cool :) We had a great time despite mine and Isaac's not feeling so super and the dreary day. Well worth the trip if you're in the area!
Next time I'll have to dress the kids in more old fashioned clothes for some great pictures!

Missing the pool

2009-09-23T21:00:00.003-04:00

Can you tell they miss the pool already?? They were running around pretending to swim in the house :)

Seven amazing years!

2009-09-14T21:49:00.003-04:00

Labor Day marked our seventh anniversary! In some ways it's hard to believe it's been that long, and in others it seems like a lifetime ago! Things sure have changed since we said "I do" and all of those changes have been drenched in God's amazing grace to us!! We are so aware of how differently our lives would look if God had not intervened and made our blind eyes see. I don't think Keith would have made it seven years with me apart from the grace of God--I'm fairly certain I wouldn't have made it either. Keith is an amazing man and I see more each year. Particularly evident this past year was his humility and growth in leadership in our home. I am always struck when I see him avoid drawing attention to himself (because my tendency is exactly opposite) and respond to life's difficulties with an obvious awareness of God's sovereignty and love. He knows his giftings and he knows his limitations and there is no pretense of otherwise. I can honestly say I love him more now than I did seven years ago and by God's grace that will only continue to increase over the rest of our lifetime together!

So Keith kind of surprised me for our anniversary...surprised in that he made all the plans and arrangements before he told me, but figured since it meant a night away for the kids I would need some preparation time. We left our kiddos with our dear friends, the Reinkes, that Friday night. This was their first "sleep over" any where other than with grandparents so I wasn't sure how it would go, but they love the Reinkes so much they were both excited to go--even Samy! We went to dinner and walked around a lake without worry of keeping our sitters out late and enjoyed a late night movie with the sound up loud :) Saturday morning we went to The Original Pancake House and had one heck of a breakfast! I don't think you should actually call my apple pancakes breakfast, more like an apple pie! Then we had planned a long bike ride on a beautiful trail that goes from Gaithersburg into to DC, about 13 miles, though we didn't think we'd make it the whole way :) so a couple miles down the trail Keith's tire pops and we had a real nice walk back to the car :)

There's also a couple pictures of a new puzzle Isaac got and Samy with her new headbands (courtesy of Bubbe's Kohl's cash!).

August

2009-09-04T13:46:00.000-04:00

So here comes a little catch up after a terribly slack job at blogging last month :)
My dear friend from last year's PC class came with her husband to the Worship God conference so the kids and I got to spend a day with her and Charis! It was so good to see them again!!!!

One Saturday we packed up and headed to Mount Vernon, George Washington's estate. It was so neat! It's more than just a house, it's a whole plantation. Washington wanted to be self-sustaining so he raised his own food, and even had the servants' clothes made there. It was very educational and the kids actually enjoyed it :)

Samy had her first haircut! Isaac was getting his cut and she really wanted hers cut too, so I evened up the back. Then they both got ice cream because they did so well.

After much anticipation, Keith's dad and step-mom arrived safely one Monday afternoon! We had a wonderful week with them and made lots of memories. The kids had a blast playing "wolf" with Grandan in the basement everyday, as he'd jump out and scare them. We all went to DC on Wednesday and saw tons of sights (even ran into one PC family!) in the hot sun, the kids were such troopers! We made a trip to Bruester's for some ice cream, played a few games. We never made it to the pool, much to Isaac's disappointment--he really wanted to show them how he can go off the diving board. It was such a wonderful time and we're so grateful they would make the long drive to see us!

There's also a few pictures from the Pastors College ladies' lunch and orientation day.
Here are some pictures...

And we're off!

2009-08-24T14:05:00.004-04:00

The new Pastor's College year has officially kicked off with Ladies' lunch and Orientation almost two weeks ago (I have been so slack with blogging!). We're enjoying getting to know all the new families and being re-envisioned for this year.
Isaac is, of course, eating up meeting all the new friends in the neighborhood (there are 5 townhouses in our neighborhood where PC families live every year). One funny story...when the first family arrived way back in June, they moved into our old sitter's house. Well, I knocked on the door to introduce ourselves and as soon as it opened Isaac ran in and took his shoes off and headed straight for the basement to play :) It's always been Rachel's house to him!
Keith is back in the swing of things and preparing for his first Greek class of the year this Friday. You guys better watch out, he's brutal :)
We have had no shortage of things to do this summer (mostly the pool) and now that the Pastor's College year has begun, our calendar looks almost ridiculous to me :) But God is so very faithful to order and provide in the midst of what He calls you to!! We are so glad to have found a sitter who has courageously agreed to serve us regularly! Yippee!!!!!!
Many more posts to follow soon I hope :) I have tons of pictures to share and lots to catch up on.

Making a splash

2009-08-17T08:52:00.003-04:00

Since about a month ago, Isaac has been determined to go off the diving board. We told him he had to be able to swim all by himself to do it. So every time we go to the pool he wants to go out in the deep (4 ft) and practice. About two weeks ago he still couldn't really take a breath and keep going, but yesterday he jumped off the diving board! Our little fish is quite the swimmer! Keith was waiting in the water for him the first few times, but Isaac really didn't need any help, he swam right to the ladder! He was SO excited! And he went like 10 times in a row, Keith had to make him rest :) I was so bummed I hadn't brought the video camera, so I'll try to remember next time we go and share with you all.
We went to Mount Vernon on Saturday, which was incredible! Unfortunately my batteries were dead in the camera so i only got a few pictures. I'll post more about that sometime soon. Today we're preparing for Grandan and Bubbe's long awaited visit!

Isaac's Fourth Birthday

2009-08-03T21:34:00.003-04:00

Hard to believe, but our little guy turned 4 last week! We had a pretty low-key day. We had expected Keith's dad and step-mom, but an illness kept them from getting up last week. So, I took the kids to the pool since Isaac loves it so much--we were there from about 10 till 2! I had some tired kiddos :) We had Isaac's favorite for dinner: home-made mac 'n cheese with tomatoes. Then a Lightning McQueen cake, of course! He said I did a good job on it but I'm not sure he'll be seeing anymore such fancy cakes, after two hours of decorating, it was looked at for 2 minutes and eaten :) But I'm glad he enjoyed it!

He was absolutely thrilled to open his presents to find Diesel 10 and Cranky, who he's been talking about for months! And Keith had the idea to make him a mountain out a shoe box and paper mache, which turned out pretty cool, and also some extra cargo for his new crane to pick up. He's been loving it!

Isaac's silliness keeps us laughing. His love for people is just precious--he's always so excited to meet new friends! His growing faith is so very precious to our hearts! When he is hurting, he always asks to be prayed for. When he heard his grandan wasn't feeling well, he wanted to pray for him. He won't let us put him to bed without reciting his memory verses. I love seeing the Lord work in his heart in so many ways even at this young age! There are lots of moments mommy is tempted to anger with him, but there are many more moments when he makes me laugh, and when I can say to him, "That is evidence of God's grace!" He is such a treasure to our family :)

Places to go, people to see

2009-07-21T21:33:00.008-04:00

We had a whirlwind of a trip last week, all well worth it! We set off for Knoxville Friday afternoon to see my family--my parents and all my siblings and their fams. And then Saturday our very dear friends from Orlando (now living in Georgia) came up with their kids (such a special treat)! So for 24 hours there were 11 adults and 12 children running around my parents house. It was a blast :) We had a cookout Saturday night and Isaac decided to pick blackberries on his own and slipped down the hill into the bush, which sent us in to pick out the stickers and get him a bath, so we missed out on the campfire we had planned.
Monday we went to the mountains and played in a little school house, then let the kids play in the river, had a picnic and took a short hike up to a look out tower. I was too concerned with keeping Isaac's feet on the ground to enjoy the view at the top :) And we ran into our dear friends, the Coopers, while we were there! They were our care group leaders before we moved to FL, Craig was the first person Keith met when he went to UT, and Craig also told us about this job. Where would we be with the Coopers :)
Keith and I left the kids with my parents on Tuesday and took a two night "personal retreat" at a bed and breakfast nearby called Whitestone. They have hundreds of acres of property right on a lake. We got to enjoy lots of uninterrupted conversation as we strolled the beautiful grounds, went canoeing and paddle boating, had a picnic, got some planning done, lots of reading in the hammock, and some wonderful time praying together!
We picked the kids up Thursday and headed for Lake Lure, NC for our own little family vacation. The kids had a blast playing in the pool that allows floats (ours doesn't) and in the lake. We checked-out Saturday morning and headed for Chimney Rock park before making the long drive back home.
We certainly made lots of memories!

Summer time!

2009-06-29T21:47:00.003-04:00

Don't you just love summer? Swimming pools, grilling, Popsicles, lightning bugs. We haven't seen lightning bugs in 7 years (not sure why there aren't any in Orlando). And knowing that it's pushing 100 degrees down there now, I'm rather glad to be so far north. I guess the spring and summer do make the cold long winter worth it :)

So the Weltons have been busy, busy since all the PC students left. The kids and I have spent lots of time at the pool, which has afforded the opportunity to meet LOTS of other families from our church and the community and get to know a couple ladies better (though expectations for pool conversations are extremely low!). Our care group has also been having weekly dinners at a local park (or at a home when it rains), so that has been a blast. Keith and I have been planning our family vacation and it is quickly approaching. We're also looking for a good weekend to take the kids camping, which should be a real adventure for all of us :)

The kids are still growing like weeds. Samy's vocabulary seems to expand daily. My favorites are all her "H" words like "hi," "hand," "hold." She begins every "h" word with "a"--so she says, "a hand", "a hi", "a hold". It's so cute! Her current favorite thing to play is dress up, but not just any dress up, she's always getting ready for the ball!! She must have a dress, slippers (pretty shoes), satin gloves, and her crown to be ready for the ball. One day I'll post a picture :) and everything is in some way always related to Cinderella--"Rella" as she calls her. And if you put her on the potty she almost always goes! Now mommy just needs to be more disciplined to put her on :)

Isaac seems more grown up everyday. He is quite the little fish and picking up swimming very quickly since he has other kids to watch. He's started making everything into a gun and shooting things. We are regularly (pretend) frog hunting by our pond. We borrowed "The Fox and the Hound" from the library and I think that is what is spurring the hunting on :) He can memorize Bible verses and songs in no time! He always asks at bedtime if he can do his verses. And he's frequently singing around the house--though the words are usually made up to what he hears not the actual words :) He can write his name all by himself and no longer needs me to make his choo-choo tracks connect. He's growing up so fast!

Isaac quote of the week

2009-06-20T21:57:00.002-04:00

We've been encouraging Samy to only suck her thumb when she's in her bed, and when Keith was reminding her the other day Isaac quickly chimed in with much enthusiasm, "And I can only pick my nose in my room!" Keith says he thinks he remembers telling him that once. Amazing the things that stick :)

Condiment queen?

2009-06-20T21:05:00.003-04:00

For years my older brother, Mark, has been the condiment king of our family--dipping already soaked burgers into ketchup (though Keith and I are fans of that too!), seen with globs of mayo on his cheek. But tonight I had to wonder if our little Samy wasn't going to give him a run for the money for his title.
We had a very fun pre-Father's Day dinner at Five Guy Burgers tonight. There were tables outside and a band playing (in like a market square setting). The kids LOVED the peanuts! So, after Samy had finished all her french fries--all at least triple dipped in ketchup--she went for the unshelled peanuts and started dipping them in the ketchup! She was dipping and then sucking the ketchup off to do it again, until I saw her and made her stop putting the dirt covered peanuts in her mouth :)
She certainly loves her ketchup! I only wish I had my camera to get her red little face on film.
Watch out Uncle Barky!

Sad & Happy Goodbye

2009-06-10T21:29:00.003-04:00

The day finally arrived--the Pastors College graduation was this past Sunday. While we are so sad to see our new, dear friends go, graduation was a wonderful reminder of why we're sending them out--that the gospel might go forth! The reason the Pastors College exists is summed up well by 1 Timothy 4:16 "Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers."

Here are some pictures from the graduation celebration!

What will happen

2009-05-27T15:40:00.009-04:00

We have a number of friends going through very serious and difficult trials right now. Trials I would like to pretend could never happen to me, but I'm sure they thought that too. Watching the effects of sin and the curse (in the form of sickness and disease) in those so close to me has brought a sobering desperation to my soul. The reality that my every breath is indeed dependent on the Lord and that apart from His grace I too would fall into a deep pit of sin is being driven home in my heart. I am grateful to God that He is meeting me in my desperate state and drawing me closer to Himself and giving me grace to trust Him for tomorrow and grace to be more like Him today! Where would I be apart from His amazing grace? Lord, may I never find out! What will happen tomorrow? Only God knows and it's much better that way.

I was affected by this quote from Elisabeth Elliot and thought I'd share that it might help you as it has helped me to cast my cares upon Him because He cares for us!
“Is it our business to pry into what may happen tomorrow? It is a difficult and painful exercise which saps the strength and uses up the time given us today. Once we give ourselves up to God, shall we attempt to get hold of what can never belong to us – tomorrow? Our lives are His, our times in His hand, He is Lord over what will happen, never mind what may happen. … If my life is once surrendered, all is well. Let me not grab it back, as though it were in peril in His hand but would be safer in mine!”
--Elisabeth Elliot “Keep a Quiet Heart”

Zoo adventure

2009-05-27T15:24:00.003-04:00

Last week Jen and I loaded up the kids and headed to the zoo in DC. It was a perfect day to be outside all day and especially fun with our dear friends "Charis and Trogge" as Isaac always refers to them. We enjoyed the aquarium, farm animals, giant pandas, elephants and even got to hear the male lion roar! The highlights of the day were finding a monkey perched in a tree so close we could have pet him (though we didn't try!), watching the orangutans walk across the ropes high over the zoo, finding out the goats have their own playground (Isaac really likes goats), eating lunch by the seals' tank, and hearing that lion roar. Boy was that lion loud! I splurged and got the kids snow cones just to make sure they were good and hyper before we got in the car :)

I'm always thankful for any time I get with Jen but I could have done without such a long ride home as we sat in traffic for almost two hours--at least I had good company, though talking over our exhausted and napless children kind of hindered the fellowship :)
I'm so grateful the Lord allowed us to be their friends for the short months they're here! And I'm so glad they'll only be a few hours away.

PC Open House

2009-05-24T16:53:00.003-04:00

The Purswells very kindly opened their home for a near the end of the year party for the PC class and staff. We had authentic Mexican food and also some Tex-Mex in honor of our Mexican and Texan students. The food was excellent including home-made flan and pecan pie for dessert! What Mexican/Texan party would be complete without a pinata? It was hilarious watching these guys take on a paper mache boot! They managed to break the rope three times, but I think it was the fourth or fifth guy before the pinata finally broke. Julie and I were laughing that anyone who has ever watched America's Funniest Home Videos wouldn't be holding the rope, but Jeff managed to escape the bat :)
We ended the evening watching the guys presentations from their Eschatology class, which may sound boring but they were even funnier than grown men hitting a pinata!! I must say Darrel Schiel is one heck of a Matt Foley impersonator :)

The nameless park

2009-05-23T21:14:00.004-04:00

We happened upon this lovely park one Saturday when we were out driving around and tried to find it again but the only name I remembered seeing wasn't turning up any results on the GPS or google. But we set off determined a couple weekends ago and we found it again! But we still can't remember the name of that park :) Here's a few pictures of the kids throwing rocks in the lake and a couple other random pics.