Movin on Up

If this blog isn't completely random all the time, I really don't know what it.  I post 5 times a month and then I go months without posting and then I post once every six weeks for a while and then I go back to 5 posts a month.  At least I hope to get back to that number someday. 

We have a lot going on right now (as I have previously and mysteriously elluded to...) so I just wanted to make sure you all heard the news that we are moving to Wisconsin in April!

Whoah.

I am still trying to take it all in.

                        (this was, by far, the funniest image that came up in my google search)


Our house in on the market; we are going to have to find somewhere to live in Wisconsin by the first weekend of March; and, other than that, we're really just trying to get through each day.  Don't get me wrong, we are super excited, but it's overwhelming to sell a house and move away from family and friends and figure out what your life will look like in another state....and try to be a good wife and a good mom to 3 little boys. 

But, seriously, so excited.

Joe was offered a promotion, and this is a great oppotunity for our family.  It also happens to be a really cool area of Wisconsin, so extra awesome.

Anyway, I feel like I have million other things that I wanted to say, but now they kind of all escape me.  Everyday, it seems, I think of plenty of things that I should blog about and then it just never happens. 

Maybe when we move and we have that awkward transition time of not having any friends, I'll have more time to blog.  I'm one of those creepy people though, that LOVES a new friend immediately.  I kind of  hope that the Mary Katherine Gallagher in me doesn't come out:  "Do you have a best friend??  Do you want to be my best friend??"  Let's all take a moment and pray for my personality to simmer.down. a little.

And for me to remember to write on my blog more than once a month.

crazytown

Whoa. Nelly.

Life is crazy around here and only getting crazier.

And do you know what I do when I'm overwhelmed with craziness?

Nothing.

Just nothing.

I do nothing for a month and then I think "Oh yeah, I have a blog that's supposed to be documenting this crazy life so that when I'm old and gray and my sweet, sweet grandbabies ask me about what life was like "back in the old days", I'll have something to say other than "uh...I think we had fun?"

Anyway:

We had a great Christmas in South Carolina with Joe's family. Joe got me a new laptop for Christmas since my old one crashed. He is amazing. And also a total cheater since we "weren't doing gifts this year". I guess I’ll have to think of a sweet birthday gift for him!

We got the boys a puppy for Christmas. He's a 14-week-old Golden Lab. His name is Charlie. He is beyond cute and they are beyond overjoyed. I will try to post pictures and video soon.

Silas can walk now. He started taking a few steps at a time right around 9 months...but he started really walking - as in walking across a room - when we were in SC. He's starting to talk, too, which is super fun. He says "ha-yo" for "hello" - almost always while holding a hand up to his ear as if he's holding a phone. He says "dada", "Bow-ba" for "Roman", "ba" for ball, book, and pretty much any other "b" word. His favorite word, though, is "Dyoo-dah" for "Judah". :) He also signs "more".

Judah loves his "Char-yee" dog. He is always hugging him. He is starting to recognize a few letters and is currently obsessed with puzzles. His favorite book is Go, Dog. Go! Judah is Roman's biggest fan (or worst enemy depending on the situation). But, for the most part, he loves him. He asks for him when he's not around and tells me "Want mwo-mwan". We're still working on those Rs. :) Some of my favorite Judah moments:

·   waving to daddy out the front window "Bye, daddy! Have fun at preschool!"

·   always wants Silas to clap so he can tell him good job. He says "Siwes cwap". I think he's saying "crap" almost every time. What is wrong with me?

·   I have often said the following in my house: "You're being sneaky. I don't like that". Judah doesn't really understand that it's not a compliment. He will proudly come out of a room and announce "You're snakey" when he's been up to no good. At least he's honest.

·   We have a hard time figuring out what motivates Judah. He just so rarely cares about anything. Except shoes, apparently. He lost a shoe outside at Chrissy's house a few weeks ago and was devastated the whole ride home. When she called the next morning to let us know Jon found it outside, she became Judah's hero. He still tells me, almost daily, "Chrissy find your shoe".

Roman, oh my Roman. You can most often find him acting out a scene from Lion King. For example, he will climb up the slide at the park and pretend to be Mufasa hanging on the cliff for dear life, while yelling "Scar! Brother! Help me!" This is followed by him letting go, sliding back down and yelling as if he is plummeting to his death. I'm sure this is no way alarming to the other kids (or parents) at the park. He is getting really good with sight words and sounding out words he doesn't know. I'm sure he'll be reading in no time...and then, Look out, World! He had a great time "looking at all of Grandma's beautiful bugs" in SC. Roman always has lots to say...here are a few examples:

·   He's getting really close to being able to do a cartwheel. I had made him "try again" one too many times apparently, because he told me "Mom, I'm all out of cartwheels".

·   One of his favorite movies is Prince of Egypt. One day he was reading a children's Bible and came to the page with Jesus on the cross. He declared "I AM that I AM". Maybe coincidence. Maybe some pretty solid Trinitarian understanding?

·   Also (I'm guessing due to the current love for Moses), he mashed up red jello the other day and told us it was the burning bush.

·   My brother and his wife were invited to attend a concert at the White House a few weeks ago. We were lucky enough to be able to watch it on TV a few days after. When I was telling Roman what we were going to watch, I asked him "Do you remember who lives at the White House?" He responded "Snow White?" I laughed and said no. Then he said "OH! President Obama!"

·   Running around the ottoman he said "Look, Mom! I'm running in rectangles!"

·   So, somehow, four-year-old boys magically know how to turn their eyelids inside out. I am confident that this is not an innate ability in girls. I'm also confident that no one taught him how to do it. All I know is that he thoroughly enjoys saying "Hey, Mom!" and getting me to turn around and freak.out. about how he looks like a character in a horror film. Seriously, so so gross.

As for Joe and I, we have a goal to read through the Bible together this year. Thanks to Monica for organizing a chronological schedule and posting here: http://therewillbebiblestudy.blogspot.com/  (We would love to have you join us!)

It has been such a blessing to us already.

And just when I begin to feel overwhelmed about how my plan is not going…well, as I had planned, ( read:  when I start acting like a two year old trying to jam the puzzle pieces of life where they clearly do not fit), I am reminded of how the One who has designed every inch of this beautiful world, has perfectly orchestrated all that is laid out before me.  That.  Is.  Peace.

Job 38

The LORD Speaks

¹ Then the LORD spoke to Job out of the storm. He said:

² “Who is this that obscures my plans
with words without knowledge?
³ Brace yourself like a man;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.

⁴ “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?
Tell me, if you understand.
⁵ Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!
Who stretched a measuring line across it?
⁶ On what were its footings set,
or who laid its cornerstone—
⁷ while the morning stars sang together
and all the angels^[a] shouted for joy?

⁸ “Who shut up the sea behind doors
when it burst forth from the womb,
⁹ when I made the clouds its garment
and wrapped it in thick darkness,
¹⁰ when I fixed limits for it
and set its doors and bars in place,
¹¹ when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther;
here is where your proud waves halt’?

¹² “Have you ever given orders to the morning,
or shown the dawn its place,
¹³ that it might take the earth by the edges
and shake the wicked out of it?
¹⁴ The earth takes shape like clay under a seal;
its features stand out like those of a garment.
¹⁵ The wicked are denied their light,
and their upraised arm is broken.

¹⁶ “Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea
or walked in the recesses of the deep?
¹⁷ Have the gates of death been shown to you?
Have you seen the gates of the deepest darkness?
¹⁸ Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth?
Tell me, if you know all this.

I couldn't resist.

So the boys and I went to help my mom decorate her Christmas tree today.  As we were reminiscing about all the ornaments, my mom reminded me that she used to have an adorable, white, porcelin lamb ornament.  I remembered exactly which one she meant becuse it was her favorite and I always really like it - so cute.
She told me that it must have got taken out with a tree at one point because she hadn't been able to find it the last couple of years.  Sad story.

So, when we came home, I started looking online. Wouldn't I be the best daughter for giving such a thoughtful Christmas gift?  I was thinking "I'm probably not going to find an exact replica, but surely I can find something similar or at least equally lovable.

Oh no.  No, I cannot.

Here's what I did find though.



uh....no.



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what the what?

is it a hippo?  It can't be a lamb.

 

did a 4 year old make this?  If so, good job, sweetpea.
but given that you're not my 4 year old, I'm not about to pay $21 for that.



dollar store?  You would think so.  But, no.  $20.  And  not.cute.



this is closer to what I'm looking for...except, again, NOT cute.



What.  Is.  Going.  On?



I'm scared.

 Now, granted, not all of them are so ridiculous but I can't seem to find one that's the right look.  There were some pretty cute lion and lamb ornaments, and some beautiful crystal sheep, but they were $70, so that's out.

So, not sure this gift idea is going to pan out. 

Let me know if you come across any cute lambs.

Giving Thanks

Well, Advent has already begun, but we're a little behind around here because I have been sick.  As you can imagine, when mama is sick, the little boys don't think to sweep the floor or fold the laundry.  My sweet husband took care of me, the boys, and the house all weekend so we're not as far behind as we could have been.  I know, he's a keeper.

It was a bummer to be sick for most of the long weekend with Joe at home, but on the other hand I was so grateful this darn cold came upon me when it did.  Because I'm quite certain there is NOTHING worse than trying to take care of small children when you can hardly hold your head up.

SO, in summary, the tree is finally decorated,  we got started on Advent tradtitions a little late, I am feeling a little better, and my husband is a rockstar.

Moving on.

The blog that I intended to write over the weekend is as follows.

This year we made a Thankful Tree.  (Pinterest is the origin of almost all of my good ideas.  If it's not Pinterest, it's another, much-more-creative mom.  I don't come up with anything on my own).

I wanted to find some branches from the yard and put them all in a nice big vase and make little cicrle ornament-type things, just like the one I saw on Pinterest.

Then I realized that a tree like that would last approximately 22.3 seconds in my home full of busy little boys.

So, instead a cut a tree out of construction paper. 

Each day the boys would tell me one thing that they were thankful for and I would write it on a circle and they would stick it on the tree with double sided scotch tape.

Joe and I added a few of our own, but we soon realized that the boys were getting really into this (Roman usually did at least 2 a day and sometimes 4 or 5) and we were going to have a full tree rather quickly, so mostly we just said ours aloud.

Here it is on the last day of November:

I just had to share the things they were thankful for.  So sweet, so funny, so them.  You'll see what I mean.

In no particular order:
Roman:
Ryan, Kathleen, and Eliza
Veggie Tales
Aunt Chelsey
Kyra
Uncle Tony
Christmas trees
Mary, Joseph, and Jesus
Chrissy
Danelle, Brooklyn, and Jadyn
Paulette
Aunt Theresa
Grandma Wilson
Suzee, Phil, Joe, and Adrian
Melissa Haberer
Aunt Angie
God
Baby Duke
Linda
Shadow
Aunt Mary
Grandpa Tony
Katy Hyatt
Katie Darby
Grandma Suellen
Trees with red leaves
Jesus
Libby
Christina Nichols


Judah:
treats
Father Jim
Grandma Susan
Donuts
cars
playing
Jon
Sedona
Grandpa Bob
pirate ships
the park
Maggie
Daddy
Nemo
Popcorn

Psalm 92:1-2

It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praise to your name, Most High, to proclaim your love in the morning, your faithfulness in the night.

A few things I'm thankful for:







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mega lips = mega kiss



Mama's Minivan

Y'all. 

Wednesday was a big day for our family.

We bought a minivan. 

I feel like a lost a little part of my youth just typing that sentence.

A MINIVAN.

I don't know why I have this mental mountain to move, but I do.  I know plenty of hip and happenin' moms who drive minivans, so I shoudln't have a problem with it.  But I do. 

It's some kind of weird emotional mid-life crisis or something.  But don't worry, I'm not going to start going out to clubs and dancing on tables or anything.  (Can you imagine?  I'm positive I would be laughed out.)

ANYWAY, I am done with the freaking out.  Now I'll tell you why my minivan is very nice and very practical.  I can't say that I love her yet, but I'm starting to like her.  Yes, this is a relationship and apparently, it's a SHE.  Interesting.  Didn't know that until I typed it.  I guess naming her Stuart is out of the question, Mary.  :)

Here is mama's minivan.  Well, not really.  Because I definitely don't know that gentleman behind the wheel.  But this is the 2005 Toyota Sienna in a lovely blue/silver color identical to ours.

As long as I'm inside the minivan I love it.  It's kind of like what I would imagine Inspector Gadget's car would be like.  There are all these secret compartments everywhere and buttons that open doors and a kid mirror that pops out of nowhere.  I always find myself saying "hey, what's this do?" and it's always something pretty awesome.

It's got a lot more space than I was expecting and everything about it is very convenient.

Joe had been trying to sell me on the minivan idea for a couple of years, but when it came down to it, what got me to go test drive was sheer numbers.  This van is a year newer than our Blazer was and has about half as many miles on it...we will have a cheaper monthly payment, cheaper insurance and better mpg.  I couldn't really argue with that.  It wouldn't be very fair for me to object to the wisest financial decision for our family.

Sigh.

I'll let you know if we give her a name.  And if she grows on me.  I think she will.

PS - can I really pull off starting a post with "y'all"?

A Month of Little Boy Moments

Really?  More than a month since my last post? 

That's pretty lame.

So, here's what's been on my mind, in no particular order:

• How do you keep a crazy, CRAZY two-year-old busy all day when you can't go outside?  Also, how do you keep the items in your house in one piece with said two-year-old in the house all day?  Does anyone know the answer to this question?  Because I need some help, y'all.  (I'm just practicing my southern vocabulary for Christmas with Joe's fam).  I mean, other than bungee cording baby gates, refrigerators, and closet doors shut, removing bar stools from the counter, and putting child-proof knobs on every door.  Because I've already done all of that. 
• Parenting is pretty much 100% transition.  All the time.  I know I've said it before, but it is just so true in my life, I think especially with many small children.  We change our routine/what works every day.
• Silas is getting pretty close to walking.  He takes about 3 steps between people, although he doesn't have much desire to attempt it without someone prompting him.  Fine by me.  He slept 10 hours straight last night!!  (I'm not going to kid myself into thinking that will happen again tonight, because, please.  That would be too good to be true)  BUT, at least for my kids, more sleep = about to do something new.  Exciting and YIKES.
• I feel like I had a lot more to say (although I'm sure the sleep habits of my baby has you on the absolute edge of your seat).  We may come back to this topic (What topic?  Random thoughts?)

Moments with Judah:

• calls Mr. Potato Head "Mr. Head".
• he pretty much is either eating or destroying something.  Or spilling something.  Or tackling someone.  But I think we've pretty much covered that.  Examples (all usually while I'm nursing or changing Silas OR cleaning up a previous mess made by, you guessed it:  Judah.): 
• getting 8 pieces of bread out of the bag.  And eating three of them.  FOR A SNACK.
• climbing on the counter, pulling a glass out of the cupboard, and dropping it on the floor.  Of course it shatters.
• filling a cup with water, either from the fridge door or the bathroom sink, and then spilling it on the floor (or putting some in his mouth and spitting it out).
• carrying either of his brothers (yes, he can lift Roman) across the room or pulling them to the ground and laying on top of them.  He better play for the NFL.
• All that craziness being said about Judah, I wish I could explain his charm in spite of it all.  He has such a very sweet side.  While reading Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do You See?  I said, "Teacher, Teacher, What do you see?  Judah, what does the teacher see?" I expected him to say children but he said "fwenz!" (friends!)

Moments with Roman:

• The first week of school we read The Story About Ping.  It's about a duck who lives on the Yangtze River in China.  The next week we were driving over a bridge and Roman looked out on the water and declared very proudly "The Yangtze River."  We had a good laugh over that one.
• Reading a children's Bible "Mom, Jesus has a crazy mustache".
• says "chilly bar" instead of "dilly bar".
• calls his big wheel his "bike trike"
• Mary came to visit a couple of weeks ago and we were talking about someone who was a boy scout.  She asked Roman "Is Daddy a boy scout?"  Roman responded "No, he's a hero".  :)
• After Halloween Roman was, well, let's just say slightly affected by the candy.  He was running through the kitchen yelling at the top of his lungs and Joe yelled after him "Roman, is that the High Fructose Corn Syrup talking?"  He yelled back "Yes it is!"

So, that's what we've been up to...Trying to keep Judah from burning the house down and trying to detox Roman from all the Halloween candy.  Oh, and trying to enjoy the last days/weeks of a baby who can't get up and run away from me.  :)

I love them so.

Falling Down

It's fall.  My favorite time of year... for a million different reasons...but I can't help but marvel at the trees.  I think the fiery red leaves are my favorite.

Have you ever noticed that some of the leaves let go more easily than the others?

Some fall while they are still green.  The sun comes pouring through the branches, the wind tugs, beckoning gently, and they flutter down onto still-green grass.

Some hold on for the cooler air, the richer colors, the brisker winds.

And some...well, some curl and turn brown, hold on into the dead of winter.  The below freezing winds howl, the snow and ice blast at them and yet they cling.

Don't they know that old, shriveled, lifeless leaves are much less becoming than those that simply let go?  The ones that let go are the ones that get jumped in, crunched by the preschooler's shoes.  If they would just let go they would be the heat and life of bonfire and the beauty of the elementary school artwork.

Don't I know this? 

That letting go is simply the gateway to a new purpose?

Which one are you?

I think my dad would like the sound of that.

Roman:  "Hey, Mommy, do you have a mommy?"
Me:  "Of course!  You know who my mommy is."
Roman:  "Yeah!  Grandma."
Me:  "You're right."
Roman:  "And Grandpa Bob is your dad?"
Me:  "No, Grandpa David is my dad.  Where does Grandpa David live?"
Roman:  "Grandpa David lives in Heaven with Jesus."
Me:  "Yep."
Roman:  "Was he sick?"
Me:  "Grandpa David?  No, he wasn't sick.  He had an accident."
Roman:  "Yeah, he was a little bit sick."
Me:  "No, he had an accident.  He was driving his tractor and he had an accident."
Roman:  "Yeah.  Grandpa David drove his tractor to Heaven".

Controversy Remix.

You might recall this post I wrote over a year ago (which I thought I wrote just a few months ago, btw.)  Okay, probably only about three of you recall that post, but I needed to reference it to get this party started.

Party?  What party?  I'm going to talk about how to save money/live simply/etc.  This may not qualify as a party.

ANYWAY, I have had a request to re-post this because more and more moms I know are trying to figure out how to spend more time with their kiddos.  Whether you're trying to figure out how to stay home full time or part time, I think it's world-changing when mamas understand how important their job is and want to do it well.  If you don't have kids, you can skip this.  ALTHOUGH, I think that, even if you're single, we can all benefit from advice on how to save money/live simply...right?  Please feel free to leave your tips in the comments.  I love hearing how other people do it!

**Before I add any new advice, I'd like to say that the most radical and efficient thing we've done to save money is the number one item on my previous list:  owning one car.  We currently have two cars, for which I feel truly blessed.  But, at this time last year, we only had one.  We did that so that we would have one car payment, (and one car on our insurance bill) We could pay down some debt (think about how many hundreds of dollars that frees up per month!!) and we could save to pay cash for a second car, which we did.  I think it was the hardest one for me to give up, but if you have a husband who works an 8-5 job in the same town that you live, it wouldn't be so bad.  My thought was always that if we could work it out so that I had the car 2-3 days/week, that was enough for me to not get cabin fever.

I also want to reiterate how important it is to have a husband who is not only on board with this idea but who is driving this whole operation.  I can't say enough about how amazing Joe is and how thankful I am that he has made it his priority for me to be at home.  It would not be possible if he wasn't working hard to make it happen.  Having one person at home requires sacrifice from everyone involved.  (But it's oh so worth it!)

Oh, so worth it. 

I wish I could say that there's some magic formula here or that there's just one key thing you need to get figured out to be able to stay home, but sadly, it's not that simple.  Obviously there are a million factors.  But, I really think just having a very specific why really drives the how.  Not just "I want to stay home" - but why do you want to?  For me, I have a few very important and specific reasons for staying home. 
1.  The littles are only little for so long...and it is SO fleeting!
2.  If there's one thing I want my kids to learn before they leave my home it's how to know, love, and serve the Lord.  I think that I'm the best person to teach them that.  Not because I'm awesome, but because that's the God-given purpose of a parent.
3.  I'm the primary educator of my child (just as you are yours - regardless of whether or not you're home full time) and so if it's possible, it seems like the natural thing to do.
Keep your eyes on your why!  As long as you can focus on the why - you'll figure out the how.


SO....here we go:

• Make your own.  I mentioned that we made our own wipes for a while. Since Silas arrived, I haven't been doing that, but I did like them.  What else can you make that will save you money?  How about laundry detergent?  (that's going to be my next experiment!) Google how to DIY almost anything and you'll find tons of options. How about other cleaning supplies?  Skip the expensive clorox wipes and use vinegar and a washcloth on your counter.  Natural and Cheap.  How about cleaning the shower and toilet with baking soda?  Works better than bleach, in my experience.  Not toxic and, again, cheap.
• Ask for gifts that keep giving.  Okay, I'm not so much one to ask for specific gifts, but if Grandma and Grandpa are looking for ideas for Christmas, ask for a zoo/science center/pool pass.  Then you have free entertainment for the year instead of a toy that will get boring after a week.
• I have promised Joe that I will not buy anything just because it is on sale.  This is a hard one, but it's necessary.  Too many people get sucked into the "I'm saving money because it's on sale" trap when, in fact, that is money that absolutely doesn't need to be spent in the first place.
• Don't ask:  Do I have the money?  Ask:  Is this a wise purchase?  Let's say you have the money to buy something, or even that you've budgeted for it.   That doesn't always make it the right time or the right item or the right price.  Is it wise?
• Tithing.  I am not proud to tell you this, but we haven't always been the best about tithing.  We seems to go in phases, which is dumb.  It's clearly not optional.  (Malachi 3).  Now, I'm not saying that you should tithe because somehow God is going to make you rich if you do.  Not saying that at all.  I'm saying that it's a command and we should do it because we love Him and we want His kingdom to come, not our own.  When we tithe we remember that He is in control, and that He is our supreme good.  When we tithe we remember that He is enough and that nothing is more important than more of Him in our lives. 
• Don't compare.  I don't feel like I need a bigger house or a better outfit or a newer car, until I see someone else that has that.  That's so dumb.  Stop it.  If you're going to compare, compare to the majority of the world who lives on just a few dollars a day.
• Simplify.  Do your kids need lots of toys?  Absolutely not.  Especially if you're at home, the best thing you can give your kids is YOU.  Face time.  And you can come up with plenty of educational and fun activities from the odds and ends around your house.  Again, Google is your best friend.  Do you need vacations?  I would SO love to say yes right now.  But the answer is no.  Do you need...(insert so many other options here)?  It's not that you can never do any of those things again, but what's most important to you?  Can you delay the dream vacay for a few years in order to do what's most important now?
• Plan ahead.  Think annually and monthly.  Budget accordingly.  If you want to visit the family for Christmas (And yes, yes we do!), we are going to have to have that insurance bill paid, we are going to have to save money for travel, and we'll have to take into account the fact that, for commission-based jobs, the holidays are a slower time.  So, we have to start thinking now about how we'll do all of that.
• Examine your heart.  Usually when we're talking about money, and how we spend it, we're talking about the following things:  Greed.  Gluttony.  Idolatry.  I know that sounds harsh, but let's be honest.  Most of us live ridiculously abundant lives.  Two-thirds of the world is struggling to find clean water.  We can probably do without another pair of earrings.  I'm not saying that I/we are never going to go shopping again.  Obviously we are.  But, we can sure re-prioritize.  (This is also easier to do when you're at home and would have to haul the  kids into the store to make that self-indulgent purchase!)  It's not that I don't want to, it's that, thankfully, it's kinda hard to try clothes on with three munchkins in tow. 
• Set a challenge.  I don't remember where I heard this idea, but it's a good one.  Each month, challenge yourselves to one radical task that will save money, and use the money saved to pay down debt (Although we don't agree with all of his advice, See Dave Ramsey "snow ball effect" for how to successfully pay down debt).  I.e.  September:  we give up coffee, October:  we give up eating out.  November:  we give up dessert.  (Do you like how all my examples revolved around food?  What does that say about me?)
• Speaking of Food... I heard John Piper talk one time about glorifying God in our lives and he said (and I paraphrase) How can we use money to show that God is our supreme good?  That, to us, money is nothing compared to Christ?  How can we use food to show that it is nothing compared with Him?  This is a great question to keep us from being gluttonous and greedy.
• All of this goes for your husbands too.  Again, Joe is a rock star.  He literally wore his last pair of dress shoes until their was a hole in the bottom.  I'm not sure how many years that was, but I'm so thankful that he's so selfless. 
•  This final comment is from Joe:  As a Financial Adviser people always ask me how we have managed to have Ruth Ann stay at Home.  My usual response for humorous reasons is that we just got used to being broke!  I truly believe it is easier to have your wife stay at home if you start out on one income and never get used to two incomes.  If you can survive on one and you don't know any different, then staying on one income is easier.  When working with people I can see how going from two incomes down to one is a scary thing.  Typically the two income scenerio provides a lot of luxuries... But in all truth are those luxuries worth it at the expense of qaulity family life?  I truly believe that if you put your faith in God and trust that he won't let you starve (You might be eating Ramen Noodles and Pancakes sometimes but it is still food) he will provide.  We have been in some tight stressful situations and we have been in abundant situations but we are still here making it happen.  The greatest thing about my job is the upward mobility it has provided me.  When we had Roman I was a Financial Adviser which was enough to live off of.  When we had Judah I became a Managing Partner and now run a District Agency which provided more income.  Now that we have had Silas we are again moving up.  Right now discussions are being had about becoming a Regional Director somewhere in the United States.  God is good and makes all things possible!  As we have followed His plan for our lives He has uncovered opportunities to keep us moving forward!  So I would say the real answer to the stay at home question is faith!  I promise you it will be hard!  I promise you will have sleepless nights due to financial stress!  But life isn't about money it is about completing your vocation and if that is marriage that means your role is be the domestic church to your family!  My Dad said it best when he said the primary role of a parent is to get their kids into Heaven.  Take the time to discuss this issue with your spouse and discern what is right for you.  I'm not saying everyone can or should stay at home.  Just take the time to discern and do what is right for your family whatever that may be!  Have faith! 

Now your turn!  Please share your ideas!

dolphin, destructor, and bug boy.

Silas:

• is now 6 and a half months old.  That's half a year, people.  Ridiculous.
• At his 6 month check up, he weighed 18lb 2 oz.
• Right around the 6 month mark, he started sitting up alone, crawling, and pulling himself up to a stand.  I know.  This is alarming for a couple of reasons.  One, being the obvious:  that he's a six month old.  (I don't want to sound ungrateful for normal development, because I really, really am).  But, come.on.  I feel a little bit robbed of my baby days. The second reason for alarm is that he doesn't have a whole lot of balance yet, so there is a lot of toppling happening.  And then he does this really crazy ninja-type log roll.  So...scary and yet funny.  
• Has a little stranger anxiety.
• Now at 6 and a half months, he has TWO teeth coming in (the bottom middle two), he can wave, clap, and give high fives
• He likes to climb onto the bottom shelf of the TV stand.  What is it with that?  Every kid is drawn to it like I am drawn to Orange Leaf.  (seriously.  If you haven't been, you need to go.)
• He also makes this really crazy noise every time I am getting ready to feed him.  It's like the anticipation is too much to handle.  I don't really know how to explain it, but I refer to it as the "angry dolphin".  You can use your imagination.  :)

Judah:

• says "gotch" instead of "got ya".  So funny.
• calls black olives strawberries.  ??  Maybe they are equal in deliciousness?
• is destructive.  That sounds really negative, but I don't know how else to describe him.  He is constantly in to everything and feels the need to create chaos wherever he is.  I imagine that, in his mind, he passes something that is nicely organized and put away and says to himself:  "What's this I see?  Order?  I'll have to do something about that..."  This thought is followed by tipping something over, spilling contents out of a container,  being loud, sitting on something, breaking something, coloring on something, etc.  He is our wild card.  We can't so much leave him alone for any number of seconds.  He is very difficult to keep up with right now.  But I am so thankful for that little stinker.  He is crazy as all get out but he just brings us so much joy. 
• he loves to look at pictures of himself and his brothers
• waves with his palm towards himself.  Makes me laugh every time.
• loves loves loves to dance. 
• is getting more and more talkative
• big blue eyes + shaggy red curls = irresistible. 

Roman:

• Roman and I have begun the journey of homeschooling!  We are excited to be using the Five in a Row curriculum this year and we have even joined a co-op in Ames that Roman is very excited about.  He asks me everyday if we're going to preschool, but we only meet once a week.  :)
• Still loves bugs.  LOVES them.  he will even pretend that his grape halves are bugs at lunch time.  Yesterday he caught a katydid, today a dragonfly.  Also, he talks to his bugs.  ie.  "Are you tired, katydid?" or "Are you having a hard day, Red?"  (Red is the name he gave his dragonfly.  Duh.) 
• He is just really, genuinely in awe of insects.  He can tell you that insects have 6 legs and a head, thorax, and abdomen.  And he will often say things like "Mom, is that a beautiful wasp?"  Who is this kid??
• saw a baby catfish at wal-mart the other day and was telling Monica about it..."We saw baby sharks and a kittyfish"...she laughs:  "You mean a catfish?".  R:  "Yeah, a kittyfish".
• One day I was trying to get Judah to point to different body parts, and I thought if I had Roman do it too, he might think it was more fun.  Then this happened:

                  Me:  "Roman, where are your knees?"
                     R:  "Can't you not see them?"
                  Me:  (laughing) "Yes, I can, but can you point to them?"
                    R:   (still really confused) "Don't you see my knees?"
                                          :)  I guess we're too grown up for that game at the age of four. 

• One day Judah was really grumpy and I kept asking him if he wanted to eat or go outside or do a puzzle, or anything to cheer him up.  Roman came up to me and said "Mom, you just need to let him do his thing right now". 
• These next couple are from quite a while ago, but for the sake of me remembering, I have to type them out.  One day, I was teasing Joe about something and he said "I can hear the mockery in your voice".  Roman pipes up "imagine that".
• When we went swimming at the Y in Boone, Roman asked me "Mom, is this Heaven?"  Ha.
• Speaking of Heaven, I have a more serious topic that I have to write about now:

A sweet little 7 year old boy from our church, Quinn, passed away a week ago today.  He had a tumor on his brainstem and has been quite the fighter over the last five months.  I have a special place in my heart for Quinn because when he was just one year old, he was in my classroom at the daycare I worked at.  Before I spent my afternoons with Roman, Judah, and Silas, I spent my afternoons with Quinn.  He was just learning how to walk, and had the most adorable little waddle and the hugest, cutest grin you have ever seen.  After I left the daycare, I didn't see most of those kids again, but I loved that Quinn went to our church because I got to see him and his family regularly. 

When Quinn was diagnosed, we immediately started including him in our daily prayers.  I didn't go into too much detail when I talked with Roman about Quinn.  I just told him that Quinn was sick and I would tell him if he was in the hospital or at home.  One day, during prayers Roman stopped and asked me "Mom, is Quinn going to die?"  (This seeemed very strange to me because we have had other friends and family in the hospital that we have prayed for for an extended period of time and he had never said anything about those people dying.)  "Who told you that, Roman?", I asked.  He didn't really answer, so after I calmed down a bit I told him,  "Quinn is very sick, Roman.  But we know that God can do anything and so we need to ask Him to heal Quinn's body and make him all better".  That was the end of that conversation and he never asked me that again.

Well, last Thursday we got an e-mail saying that Quinn was not doing well at all and that his family would all be coming to be with him.  So, Friday we prayed a Chaplet of Divine Mercy for him.  (That was one of our favorite prayers to pray for him, especially if we had learned about any complications in Quinn's quest).  Just a few hours later we learned that Quinn had passed away.  I cried as I stood in the kitchen reading the e-mail. 

Roman heard me and came to ask me why I was crying.  This is the conversation that we had:
Me:  "Roman, I need to tell you something.  Quinn went to Heaven today".
R:  (excitedly)  "And he gets to walk with Jesus now??"*
Me:  "Yeah, isn't that amazing?"
R:   "Yeah!  But why are you sad?"
Me:  "Well, I'm sad because I'm going to miss him, but, you're right, we are so happy that Quinn is with Jesus".
R;  "Yeah!  Because God made him all better!!"

*I thought the word "walk" was very significant for him to choose.  Quinn has been in a wheelchair for several weeks.

Here I was, preparing myself to talk about how God does answer prayers, how God is good,  but...
but sometimes the answer is no and sometimes we can't understand God's plan because we can't see everything the way that he does.  When in fact, I didn't need to say any of that. 

Four year olds don't need to be told that God is good or that he answers prayer.  They know it.  They don't doubt it.  It was very clear to Roman that God did heal Quinn's body.  He did answer our prayer. 

I'm sure that we have talked about the fact that there's no sickness in Heaven at some point, but it hasn't been something we have drilled into him.  Children are so perceptive of spritual matters and I just learn so much from Roman all the time. 

Then yesterday, as I was getting ready for the visitation, I asked Roman to pray for Quinn's family while I was gone.  He said "Okay.  But, dying's not sad, Mom."  I smiled and then asked (because I wanted to hear a child speak profound truth):  "Why isn't dying sad, Roman?"  "Because we get to to go to Heaven and be with Jesus". 

Yes. 

Then he added, "And someday, we'll go to Quinn's house in Heaven and say hi to him". 

Yes. 

I am looking forward to that day. 

Praise God that this is not all there is.

(This song has ministered to Quinn's family over last weeks and months, and was sung at his funeral)  Also, I have been loving it everytime I hear it on the radio, and I don't think it was so much a coincidence that I heard it on my way to the visitation and then it was playing on their slideshow when I walked into the church.

PS - Quinn's funeral was heartbreaking but it was also the most beautiful funeral I've ever been to.  What a blessing that his family has been constantly seeking to honor God in the midst of this tragedy.  He was glorified in a magnificent way over the last 5 months, and especially today. 

Father Jim had this icon displayed at the front of the church today (I hope this is the right one!  It works to talk about his sermon, anyway).  He talked about how icons are to the eyes what scripture is the ears.  He asked us to look at Jesus pulling on Mary's veil in this picture and to remember that we have a Grasping God...who never lets us go and who has used Quinn's life to turn us to Him.   

^{Romans 8:38-39}

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.