Some Pics

Mt. "Mushmore" as T 1 called it.
We took a family vacation in the Black
Hills in early May. This was on our
way to CO for some training which
was on our way to MO. What can I say,
we buy our maps at the dollar store.

Whenever I needed 10 minutes of sanity I'd send the boys outside our room with some popsicles, they always thought this was a great idea.

This was our family, kitchen, living room in Branson. Anytime is a good time to wear your new swim goggles when you are 2 and 4.

All Nav staff from different states who helped run the program this summer.

T 1 living large in one of the 3 pools at our hotel. I wasn't too concerned about him drowning or anything. :)

Every Tuesday was a Program Day where we would spend the day all together (dozen or so Nav staff and over 60 students. Some days were just for fun to blow off steam and others were days that we did a service project together. This particular day was one where we took a cruise on the lake.

Hubby hangin tough with the students.

T 2 is ready to hit the pool....anytime, day or night!

T 2 playing with M. who lived next door. M. and I met one-on-one this summer and we all miss her and her husband J. a whole lot!

T 1 and J.. Hubby got to meet with J. one-on-one and a few other men as well this summer.

C. and S. are on staff in Texas and they directed this whole crazy circus. Yeah for them!

We ended up leaving the program a week early to attend a funeral of a dear friend. That allowed us some quick and unplanned visits in WI. Here is us stopping by for literally 5 minutes at our good friend S.'s http://susq.wordpress.com/house. I couldn't leave without seeing her baby that is soooo big already!

Of course we had to fit in a lunch with T 1' s best friend in the whole world. T 1 continues to talk about him even after being apart for two years. The moms had a great time too of course!

I don't think I got a single pic of the two of them both smiling and looking at the camera. Is this a kid conspiracy thing or what? This happens a lot in my house.

After all that traveling I was pooped out! T 2and I decided to take a nap and T 1 apparently decided to join in at some point (probably when the camera appeared).

After returning home we got to celebrate L's bday. She is one day older and several years younger than me. L. is joining our staff team this year as she is on EDGE. Yeah L.!

Last weekend we had all the student leaders (20 or so) and staff meet at our house to depart to a retreat center for a planning and bonding weekend. I was amazed at how many cars fit in our driveway. I think we had at least nine plus a couple in the garage. It took me back to the days of Badger games in Madtown, except we didn't charge $5 a piece to park on our prime real estate.

Students getting ready to head out for the weekend.

Working on their testimonies.

E. (also on EDGE this year, yeah E.) and J. practicing the Bridge Illustration.

N. and A. during our planning weekend. Somehow I didn't get a pic of J. our fourth and final EDGEr. I'll have to put one in the next post.

So now you have met some of the student leaders and most of the staff. Yeah for leaders and staff! They make this all possible. WE had a TON of new people show up for our welcome week events and over 100 at our first Nav Nite on WEd. We had to bring in extra chairs to give everyone a seat. Amazing! A big thank you to all who pray and support our ministry work. We couldn't do it without you!

On Monday we celebrated N's bday and I've since then eaten way too much of that cake.

T 2 brushing his hair.

T 2 on "his first day of school" (I had to humor him).

Changes

Well, I know I promised some ministry pics in my next post, and I'll be getting to that soon, I promise. But since it is my blog I feel the freedom to change my mind and topic whenever the whim or major life change hits. Besides the whirlwind change that welcome week brings to the harmony of our household, we added a few other whack-my-planet out-of-allignment changes. One of the major ones was the first day of preschool for T 1. Now I know, I know. Preschool is nothing to you moms out there that are sending off your firstborns to real school like Kindergarten...or day I shudder, college! But this is the first of those many steps to come and I will probably whine, complain, rejoice and cry over each and every one of them. So without further adu, and to save myself some time...here is the entry I wrote in a journal I've been keeping for T 1 since he was born....wasn't that just yesterday?

September 5th, 2008


My big boy goes to school. Today was your second day of many days of school to come. Your first day you were too excited about the magnetic trains that you didn’t even say goodbye. Today, Daddy took you and as I hugged you goodbye it was hard not to cry. My heart was sad all morning as I plugged around the house getting chores done with the “help” of your two-year-old brother, T 2 (a secondary reason for “plugging”). T 2 was none too happy about not starting preschool right along with you, but I was glad for his (and your baby ?s) company to comfort me.

It is hard to be too sad about this milestone that we have leapt over when you are so excited about being on the other side. You love school. In fact when we went to the Open House the night before classes you cried because you didn’t want to leave. Other kids might cry at being left, but not my son. I remember giving my mom fits for weeks (or so I’m told) until she removed me from my first preschool and enrolled me in one closer to her work. You must take after your dad in yet another way when it comes to your enthusiasm to take on the educational establishment and whatever else the play room….err world, has to offer.

Speaking of play rooms, this is your favorite room and it is quickly becoming mine. When I told you to hurry up and get dressed or you would miss out on time in the play room (where you spend your first half hour of the day) you got dressed faster than I’ve ever seen before. Amazing what a little motivation can do!

Well, son, Dad and I are thrilled that you are enjoying preschool so much. We are even more thrilled that you come home and tell us that your learned about Jesus. We are praying for you to grow in every way, physically, emotionally, socially and most importantly, spiritually this year. If I didn’t think that attending preschool couldn’t help you do some of these things better than I, there is no way you would be attending preschool until maybe your turned eighteen or so. But alas, your Dad and you tell me you are ready.

I’m hoping our next goodbye gets a little easier….but never too easy.

I love you son and we are sooooooo proud of you!

Mom

Third-Rate Citizen

For several years I've been adjusting to my role in this house as a second-rate citizen. After reading Dobson's book, "Brining Up Boys", I bravely embraced my sons' preference for their father above me from the time they were weaned. In fact, I encouraged this bonding to ensure a strong male-role model in their lives and hopefully a long lasting best-friend relationship with their Dad. I'd like to think Dr. Dobson would give me a nod for this couragous attitude.

But I wasn't prepared to be demoted even lower on the totem pole to third-rate citizen in my house (nor was hubby for that matter, who now holds my former post as second in line). This was an after effect (affect? help me out English majors) of inviting, N., one of our four EDGErs to live with us. We are very excited to have hims as a part of are family; but nobody is more excited about this new arrangement than T 1 and T 2.

If I had a dollar for every time I heard "Where's N?" I'd be a wealthy woman living in the Bahamas. The boys absolutely love playing with him and it isn't hard to see why. N. is a fun, get down on the floor, teach them cool new games (like freeze tag) and laugh at their silly jokes kind of guy. He has quickly become the funnest person in the house. Not to mention he brings great strengths to our staff team that will be invaluable in the year to come. Dare we hope years to come? :)

I don't want to sound at all like I'm upset with my new status in the house. In fact with the persistent fatigue of pregnancy I'm actually elated to have more help with the boys. And N. has a free pass to escape downstairs whenever he needs to get away. Which leaves me wondering where I can get one of those? I guess I don't get one. And I guess I'm okay with that too. Because even though I'm third in line, I will never lose my status as Mom. And that is one of the best role I've had the privaledge of playing yet.

(Above is a photo of N. and the boys filling up water balloons, no need to wonder why he is so popular with them!).

Tiny Hiney

Isn't it amazing what can happen in just 6 1/2 weeks? The Sistine Chapel took Michelangelo four years to paint. The first space shuttle, Enterprise, took three years to complete. It takes me months and months to knit a sweater. And in just as little as 45 days God can take a tiny swimmer and egg and knit them into a tiny baby with little legs kicking around on the screen before me. Only God.

So this little one was a bit shy (or not shy enough maybe) and wouldn't show us it's face. All we got were shots of it's tiny little hiney so I'm calling it "tiny hiney" for now. Even though this was my third time through this it is still takes my breath away to see this little being inside me. It is also still a great relief each time to know it is doing well and that there is only one! :)

So without further adu, for your viewing pleasure, here is Tiny Hiney! If I was more technologically advanced I would put a fig leaf on it but alas, here it is in all its glory.

Big Foot, Thing 3, or Gus

In case you haven't heard, which means you haven't been around hubby in the last few days, they think (or thought) they found Big Foot. Pictures of him (her?) in the freezer of the finder could actually be viewed on CNN (said hubby...I never actually looked myself). Hubby is now claiming that he is "a believer" even though they have since come out with DNA testing of the "big foot" that show traces of human and possum dna. I always knew Hubby had more faith then me, this is just further evidence that it is not only deeper, it is broader.

On the topic of Hubby, he has also been in the habit of calling the boys "Thing 1" and "Thing 2". His only suggestions for names for the baby (outside of "Gus" which he still tries to get T 2 to answer to at times...unsuccessfully, I might add) is "Thing 3". The first name would be "thing" and the middle name would be "three". I think I'll take over naming this one, but feel free to leave your suggestions in the comment section.

Here is a photo of hubby and "thing 2" in the Badlands which we visited in May.

No Foolin'

So the big news around here is that we are having another baby! The due date is April 1st, no foolin'! No one will believe us if it does happen to come on April Fools and we tell them it is a girl. I'm convinced that there is a 90% chance it is a boy and am already praying verses about God's grace being sufficient...or at least I should be. :)

Funny things T 1 asks about the baby:
1) Where is the baby in your tummy, up here (pointing to the top of his tummy) or down here (pointing to the bottom)?
2) Is that baby eating that banana that you are eating?
3) Will the baby spit the banana our if it doesn't like it?
4) Will we have to feed the baby when it comes out?
5) What kind of baby food will we feed it? Like soup?
6) Do your bones hurt the baby?

And yes the one dreaded question...asked loudly in a public restroom no doubt...

7) Where is the baby going to come out?

Oh the curiosity of a 4-year-old! So my lesson learned from this is that you shouldn't inform your 4-yr-old of your pregnancy until a) you are ready to answer a whole lot of questions about it and b) until you are ready for him to inform others with or without you!

the title - revised

The main purpose of this blog is to keep our family and friends better up to date on what we are doing and learning these days.

Most of which is a daily learning experience for me, thus, an education in itself. I'm convinced that major universities should offer life with 2 and 4 yr old boys as a degree opportunity. It could be sort of a general arts degree b/c you pretty much have to know a little bit about everything to survive a day with them. For example "Basic Plumbing" would be one of the courses you would take for when your potty training 2-year-old decides to place the toilet paper in the toilet while leaving it on the roll (on the wall) and watch it unroll itself when he flushes (this was Thing 1 by the way). In hindsight I would take "Common Sense in Potty Training" as a pre-requisite course, but when you are busy caring for his then infant brother it doesn't occur to you at the time to be fully attentive.

Here is a recent photo for your viewing pleasure. You are spared a potty photo only b/c we recently purchased an external hardrive (one word or two?) and all my sitting on the potty while reading Richard Scarry's Best Word Book Ever photos are now on that hardrive and too difficult to get at. So here is one of the boys at the local waterpark in Branson. Note the waterslide in the background was just there for staging purposes, the boys would have nothing to do with actually going down one.

Can't think of anything witty to say

It took me so stinking long to come up with a name for my blog that hadn't been used that my creative juices are now empty and my husband is probably screaming for me to return to rescue him from Thing 1 and Thing 2, our 2 and 4 yr old boys by now so this is the totality of my first post.