Pics 'n Fun

He really did tinkle while sitting on the big potty. I didn't say it went IN the big potty, but at least it all hit the toilet paper he had unwound in a very short amount of time. All Matt did was leave to get him a fresh diaper. :-P



I was tagged by Autumn.

Rules: You must answer the questions using only one word. Then tag four others.

1. Where is your cell phone? Bed
2. Your significant other? Matt
3. Your hair? Dirty
4. Your mother? Friend
5. Your father? Caring
6. Your favorite thing? Naps
7. Your dream last night? Argument
8 Your favorite drink? Orange-Peach-Mango (not fair, the juice is called three words)
9. Your dream/goal? House
10. The room you’re in? Bedroom
11. Your hobby? Sewing
12. Your fear? Dark
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? House
14. What you’re not? Man
15. Muffins? Pumpkin
16. One of your wish list items? House
17. Where you grew up? Arkansas
18. The last thing you did? Chat
19. What are you wearing? Shorts
20. Favorite gadget? Grill
21. Your pets? No
22. Your computer? Laptop
23. Your mood? Pleasant
24. Missing someone? Jaclyn
25. Your car? Pilot
26. Something you’re not wearing? Necklace
27. Favorite store? Kohls
28. Like someone? Laura
29. Your favorite color? Purple
30. When is the last time you laughed? Today
31. Last time you cried? Weeks

I'm tagging: Jaclyn, Alicia, Tara, Rachel

It's been a long road...

...gettin' from there to here. I love that song. And today I use it in reference to the spacing of my posts. :-P

Here is a glimpse of my gorgeous rosebush. My hubby really did give me the perfect mother's day gift! The pictures are the progression of what each rose does as it blooms.



And here are my European bobbles if you didn't catch them on Facebook. Arm band and mother-of-pearl ring from Athens. Copper wrist cuff from Florence. Amber earrings from Germany with amber pendant from Poland. For the boys, a wooden broad sword from London and a hand made marionette from Florence. He also got me some authentic chamomile tea from London...the best, most full bodied chamomile I've ever had!



And here is the newest addition to our bedroom! Our church is giving away things to clear out their storage facility. Talk about a BLESSING! It fits perfectly, leaving plenty of room for the rest of our bedroom furniture. AND it has THREE file drawers! More than we could have asked for...aside from the price -- free! *note: please disregard clutter as it is still a work in progress!*



Want the most special and least expensive wrapping paper for Father's Day? Here ya go! It was a George Foreman grill because my mom found them on mega sale at Kohls. Since I gave it to him last Sunday, we've probably used it at least 4 times! Tasty, gives more opportunity for good 'n cheap meals, and easy clean up!

Happy Anniversary & Happy Birthday

So comes the day that commemorates two big events...the day I married my Love and the day my older sister was born.

Today marks four years of marriage for Matt and I. We feel like old marrieds compared to alot of our friends who are just now celebrating one or two years, and yet we are YOUNG marrieds compared to even more people we are close with. We probably have said this every year, but so much has happened in our short life together. In four years we have moved 4 times (three of which were to different states), had 2 children, completed a master's degree, been a part of 3 churches, traveled alot for the holidays, been to Guatemala, and most recently spent a month apart for Matt's trip to Europe...and more! All of that is what makes us feel like we have been married a long time and a short time all at once! When I think back to getting married at 22, I laugh. We are so different today than we were just four years ago. But we have matured together, towards each other. Praise the Lord for His hand in our marriage! I can not imagine life apart from my Other Half. He truly is the best thing God has ever given me. He sharpens me, romances me, comforts me, loves me. He definitely embodides I Corinthians 13! Matt is the perfect example of how God prepares someone especially for someone else in His perfect timing -- we are a perfect match made by the Matchmaker Himself! I love you, Matt! Now, when can we finish watching Fiddler on the Roof? ;-)

Today is also Autumn's birthday. Happy Birthday, Sis! And just so you know...I'm glad I've got another girl to grow old with who's just a touch farther than me! ;-) I, too, have been noticing my own small facial wrinkles and such starting to appear! Glad to know we're together in this! Have a GREAT day!

Wasting More Time

Ugh...so much to do, so little desire. :-P

After quite the loud dinner (as my Mom can attest to), Elijah grabbed the can of peas off the kitchen counter. It was open. I've never seen so many peas on a kitchen floor. Elijah tried to eat as many as he could as fast as he could while I desperately tried to get them all up. Then he crawled into the juicy area...THAT was funny to see. His hands and knees kept slipping like crazy. Totally a cartoon moment.

I think Judah can count now. I'm still trying to figure out if it's really counting or just memorization. But even if it is memorized, he definitely grasps the concept of counting.

As I fed Elijah his bottle in the glider, Judah had oodles of fun pretending to get me various drinks from his kitchen. This is the first time he has ever really pretended with cooking for me. I had coffee, tea, water, orange juice, lemonade, coffee with sugar, etc. It was delicious fun! I really think all that pretending and running to and fro was due to his inhaler. I could tell he was a little shaky with the nervous energy it can give a body -- boy do I know that feeling!

The boys are starting to really interact and play with each other. Judah loves to get Elijah to copy him with clapping or noise making. He also likes to get Elijah his blankie or milk. They have great fun together -- and I can only imagine the best buds they'll be later on!

Matt is going to be astounded at the changes in the boys. I think the biggest difference will be Judah's mental capacity. I've been with him 24/7 the past month and even I am AMAZED at his intellectual growth!

Alright, alright. I should get to bed. Gotta have energy to do the things that need to be done tomorrow. Now if only I could get some mental motivation... ;-P

*************Edit**************

So yeah. I've now posted a whole new photo album on Facebook, checked e-mail several times, semi-done the dishes, and am now going to mop the kitchen floor. It's too sticky from the pea juice. And I can't sleep. Wonder why. Too much anticipation of a hubby homecoming? ::enter way spastic smile::

I also wiped down a syrupy toy car and retrieved the waffle piece that was driving it. Such interesting surgeries we moms get to perform.

And I forgot to mention that today I wrote the final check that rids us of the dentist we had in Cali. GAH! And the check was final payment for one of Matt's appts that was over a year ago. We loved the office staff and ammenties, but the billing? Yikes. Now we get to start all over with finding a dentist here. We're past due for cleanings. I just hope we find someone who knows how to bill insurance companies correctly.

Ok, ok. I'm going to go mop now. And then lay in bed...awake. Until I fall asleep.

Anticipate w/ Me

I need to unload some thoughts! It's been a while!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Want a healthy semi-indulgent quick treat? Combine a little whipped topping with yogurt. It makes it fluffier, creamier, and more dessert like without adding too much!

This is what Matt said in today's e-mail: "You are going to LOVE the jewelry I found!! Let's just say I got two things in Athens and one is VERY goddessy and the other is cool. I can hardly keep from smiling as I think about how you'll react." He also was enthusiastic about the Florence piece of jewelry. I can't wait to see what he's chosen just for me! This has been such a fun thing to anticipate. I kind of feel like Rachel when Abraham's servant decked her out in jewelry -- only, I'm sure there'll be no nose ring for me. ;-)

I think I'm more allergic to Maryland than I am to Arkansas.

Ever feel like you're on the verge of drowning in your home? I've got several syndromes working against me: post-vacation, two sick kids, pre-hubby returning home from month-long vacation. I figure that I'll do my best tomorrow to get things back in order, but what I don't get done...Laura can help with Thursday evening. She's spending the night Thursday because Matt's train comes in at midnight. It's gonna be so fun! (By the way, you're helping with bath night...I'm gonna hold the boys over with wipie baths to avoid solitary bathtimes.) ;-)

I need to take pics of the backyard. I've never seen weeds that big. It makes me laugh! And our tomato plant has got to be about 3 times as big as it was when we left for AR. Perhaps Justin & Emily have amazing green thumbs? My bell pepper and sage are quite a big bigger too. When can I pronounce time of death for my yellow dahlias? The pink ones are still putting out blooms...but those yellow ones. Yeesh. My rose bush still has some black spot trouble. But it also has a gorgeous vibrant coral blossom on it!

I toyed with the idea of posting pics of my hand's healing progress, but I'm opting out unless I get comment requests. :-P If you recall, I cut the base of my thumb near the knuckle with a saran wrap box two weeks ago. It has healed QUITE nicely! I'm actually surprised at how quickly and beautifully it has healed considering the cut's depth, shape, and location. There is a part that is completely numb (which is not surprising), but it will regain feeling when the nerves grow back. I still have some joint pain and stiffness at times, but there is a nice patch of fresh pink skin ready to keep protecting my innards. :-P (Wish I could see Rachel's face right now...) God is amazing in how He created our bodies to heal themselves! I will, however, post a pic of my little jewelry display I had at the jewelry party I hosted two weeks ago. I labeled the pieces with the name of their country of origin. Can't wait to show you more this weekend!



So after trying out driving straight through or stopping overnight, I vote for driving straight through. It might be a little more tough on the body, but at least you get there faster. We stopped in Knoxville on our way back. Yesterday, our second day of driving, was SOOOO LONG. We ended up stuck in mostly stop/a little go traffic on the outskirts of DC in the pouring rain. Finally, we got off on the road to home. I realized that I hadn't contacted the couple that had my house keys -- and they had the only copy of the top lock key. Neither of their cell phones were on. They weren't home both times we checked. Eep! So we ended up at the Zeenders hanging out in the non-small group part of the house. They fed us delicious food, fed my kids, put on Cars, and gave good company. Justin & Emily were at small group, so we were able to get the keys after it was over. But, we forgot the groceries we had put in the Zeenders fridge. Thanks to John & Courtney for bringing them by at 11:00 pm! We seriously have good friends!

Pray for Patrick. I'm not sure what's happened, but there is a fungus or mold growing all over his soil. And this piece of Patrick is the only one i currently have. If he dies...well, it will have been a wonderful 8 years and 7 splits. Anyone have tips on how to save him???

Note to self: When charging up a portable DVD player, make sure it is in the off position. Otherwise, it will not charge properly; or it will play for a few hours before you realize it is on...and then die right when you want to start a movie. This I know from experience. I had one disappointed toddler in my backseat!

Vibrant double rainbows are absolutely majestic...but do not have pots of gold at the ends!

I had to take Judah to the doctor today. He and Elijah both came down with ear infections while in Arkansas (I'm sensing a pattern here). Judah was not improving and had developed quite a cough...which my mom helped me realize was really an asthma attack again. So, now I can stop waiting for that inevitable diagnosis. It's official as of today. Judah asked over and over this morning to go see "Dockter Yasser" -- perhaps he has learned already when he needs to? Dr. L changed his antibiotic for his ears because the one he was on wasn't working. He also prescribed another inhaler that will help control asthma in addition to the one Judah has that stops attacks. So he'll be on both of those until his cough goes away. We are also being sent to an allergist to determine what triggers his asthma. I'll be seeing the allergist, too, in order to get moving on finding the best treatment for me in this area of the country. Thank goodness for two things: we'll be here for a while Lord willing, and this allergist group sees both adults and children -- so we can have the same doctor for once! Pray for Judah that these new meds will work, and pray for Elijah to continue getting better. And pray for the rest of my family in AR -- several of them have become sick as well!


IN APPROX 50 HOURS, I WILL AGAIN BE IN THE PRESENCE OF MY LOVE!!!!!!!!!!


::dreamily:: Goodnight!

SwiM CiTy

What fun! Today, we visited the coolest and most practical baby pool I've ever seen. It was Elijah's very first time to be at a pool and Judah's first time to be old enough to really enjoy it. We rarely swam in Cali because it stayed too cool most of the time. Not so in AR! Both the boys loved it...as did I! Cousins, second cousins, aunts, and a Nini were all there. I never realized how much of an ordeal it is to take your kids swimming. Sunscreen, swim diapers, snacks, drinks, towels, toys, etc. Whew! And tomorrow, we'll do it all again!

Two things to nevermind: 1) The layout of the photos. My parents' computer screen is large and in charge, so it's hard to know what it will show up like on other screens. 2) The WHITEness of myself and my babies compared to my sister and her bronzies! Yeesh!

BuBbLeRiFfiC

It is so lovely to be with people 24/7, and not just people -- family. I enjoyed being with my boys for three weeks, but the sense of relaxation and relief I've had the past several days is simply wonderful.

Yesterday was the first day in a while I changed a diaper due to my hand. (That's been nice, too!) It's healing up, but would probably do better if it's owner would continue treating it as a healing hand rather than a useful one. :-P The big bandage has come off, but steri-strips won't come off until Wednesday at the next "assessment." I'll probably be wearing the ace bandage off and on as well since that seems to be what reminds me not to overdo anything. Praise God I've still only had TWO days the whole time Matt's been gone that were close-to-unbearable emotionally. God's strength and provision of distractions is amazing! :-D

Judah has returned to his normal self for the most part rather than the overly hyper very disobedient boy he had become since Matt left. His convesation ability fascinates me! Elijah seems to be a little older every day -- and his temper a little more developed. Makes me sad because he is just SO cute at this stage! Matt has no idea the changes that await him!

Matt is doing great though tired. As we all woke up this morning, he was galavanting around Rome. ROME! I told him yesterday that all the places he's been have been cool to me, but I think his Italy week is the one part of the trip I "envy" most. Real Itlaian food. Places where Paul walked. The center of the world at one point in history. A lot of people's "if I could go just one place..." Beyond cool! Anyway, today marks the beginning of the last full week until he is home. So unbelievable! Looking back, it seems like such a short time apart; and yet I know for two hearts knit as one, it has been a very long time. I still can't imagine what it must be like for soldier families.

A little Oreo fest with my mom's grandkids. What a sight -- all five at the same table! I can't wait to add more to the group (and no, I'm not implying anything). :-D





Here are some pictures from a fun after dinner activity yesterday. My mom and Hope are great photographers -- and Hope snapped some awesome shots with her new skills from photography class! And I still can't get over how beautiful, green, and lush my parents yard is!!!