Tuesday, May 25, 2010

12/13

This is the time.

The time I dread most of pregnancy.

A transition.

A "good" week.

A marker.

The "safe zone" is in sight.

This is also the time I lost my first baby.

This is the time I thought I was losing Jack.

This is the time God proves Himself faithful... no matter the outcome.

I might hold my breath a little but I continue to put on Hope and Faith and Trust.

This is the time I pray.

This is the time I really press in.

This is the time I press on.

Monday, May 24, 2010

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways...





My sister Grace is doing a "Why you love your husband" MckLinky Monday. Here's my attempt to squeeze all the innumerable reasons down to 17. We've known each other for 17 years and have been married for 12 this year so I will countdown from 17. These are in no particular order and are just 16 of an infinite number... some that I have yet to discover.

17. Nice. He's a genuinely nice guy. Not over the top salesman nice, but just a kind, simple, thoughtful, honest to goodness, nice guy.The kind of guy you want to be around. Not full of himself or an authority on every subject under the sun. But someone who is just as interested in hearing about you as he is about telling you about his kids. And if he says he'll be there at 5, he shows up at 4:45.

16. Mr. Steady. He is still the same sweet boy I fell in love with, so thoughtful and kind.

15. Rule-follower. Drives me nuts sometimes but overall a very admirable quality. He offers a great balance to my rule-breaking personality. He thinks black and white, while I enjoy the subjective.

14. Hardworker. I've never known a man who works harder than Nate. He loves big projects and learning new things. At work, his work ethic has meant several promotions and he's the "go to guy." I am so proud of the way he has managed a career change and excelled in this new field.

13. Silly. He thinks he's funnier than me. Isn't that so cute.

12... Years of blissful marriage. We had a couple rough spots but nothing earth shattering and every hard time has brought us closer together. He doesn't isolate during rough times he pulls me closer and we work together. He also looks me in the eye and says "I will never leave you" and then usually follows that up with some funny statement like "who else would make me cookies at 10:30 at night."

11. Confidence. He is confident and leads with confidence. Whenever I worry or fret he always in confident and sure that everything will be fine. He reminds me constantly of God's faithfulness.

10. Humble. He is a gentle, humble man who always thinks the best of others and does not ascribe greater importance to himself.

9. Loyal. This goes hand in hand with committed. He doesn't back down when a promise is made. When I am mad at someone he tries to get me to see things from their perspective. I also see this quality a lot in relation to Diet Coke. He won't touch Diet Pepsi. See even in his soft drink choice he shows unwavering loyalty.

8. Supportive. He always encourages me to pursue my passions, develop hobbies, do things I enjoy, and so on. Right now that means supporting me while I work one day a week at a job I love. He also provide well for our family so that it is our choice that I get to work and not a necessity. After my one day, the rest of week I stay home and teach our kids. I get the best of both worlds! He loves that we homeschool!

7. Tall. Nate is really tall. I am really short. There's over a foot difference in height between us. That makes me feel secure. I don't really worry a lot about safety when he's around. He can hold his own and he would never let anyone hurt me. This is a big deal to me because I trust him implicitly. Oh and that picture at the start... I'm wearing heels and standing on my tiptoes per the photographers request.

6. Gentle. He might be big but really he wouldn't hurt a fly. Actually he hurts lady bugs though... and doesn't get mad when I see one and scream because I thought it was something much larger and scarier. Peripheral vision can really throw off the size of bugs.

5. Quiet. We are both pretty quiet people. We are friendly and talk to others but really if we had our way we like quiet. I like that I can be with Nate and feel comfortable in silence. Or we can sit and talk for hours about nothing or big things.

4. Besties. There's no one else I'd rather spend time with and same with him. Even after 17 years we most enjoy each other's company. We love to talk about our kids, our past, our future and dream together. We talk and text each other all day long. We save our emails as our "love letters" to each other. Because even a grocery list is a love letter if it means I don't have to haul 3 kids out in the rain to get sour cream. I love to hear about his sports exploits and his thought process on home improvements. We love to dream about life after the kids leave home and all the things we want to do. We talk about what kind of grandparents and in-laws we want to be. We love trying new things together... food, sports, travel. We count down until it's us again... still a lot of years to go but 50 is the new 30!

3. History. We have a rich history. We've been through a lot together and when we look back and see God's faithfulness we know we can trust God with our present and our future because of His faithfulness in our past. We also have built a strong foundation of trust and friendship that has helped us through hard times and through the occasional boredom of our daily routines.

2. Daddy. This man LOVES his boys! He is crazy about them and is exactly what each one needs. He knows Luke's perfectionist tendencies and encourages him to do his best rather than beat himself up when it's not to his (Luke's own) standard. He knows K's tender spirit and doesn't cut him down for it but instead nurtures that tender side of him. He knows that I hate poop and changes Jack's poopies! He models for them every day what a husband, father, man and follower of Jesus should look like. He sacrifices and works hard and is dedicated. They work alongside him and want to be just like him... I hope they are just like him. He also teaches them to treat me with respect, gives them money to take me on dates and encourages them to be gentleman at all times, to all people.

1. My Man! He's mine. He's perfectly suited to me and our personalities complement each other well. Even when we argue we typically end up laughing because it just doesn't fit us. That can be really annoying sometimes when I want to be mad but I can't stop laughing. His smile still gives me butterflies and he is the only one I have eyes for. Oh and his eyes... AMAZING! He is exactly what I need. I wouldn't want him any other way than just as he is. The Nate who thinks before he speaks, but never leaves me hanging. The one who knows me better than I know myself. The one I trust with my heart. The only one who I can imagine living this life with. The one I trust to answer me honestly but still with such grace and wisdom and love that even criticism seems to build me up. Overall, this man is amazing. He never had a good role model for what a man should be. He sought God and pursued righteousness. That is the BEST model he could have and he amazes me every day!

I love you Nate! I could go on and on and on but all you need to know is that you drive me crazy... in a good way!

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Good-bye HFC & PHO: Breakfast edition

Nate and I have been talking about getting rid of high fructose corn syrup and partially-hydrogenated oils but didn't know where to start. So I have come up with a bit of a plan to phase things out slowly... meal by meal. Rather than taking an "all or nothing" approach I am starting with breakfast.

First, I evaluated what we would normally eat. This largely consists of cereal, toast, frozen waffles, yogurt and occasionally french toast sticks for Luke only. The kids only drink milk and water so that's easy enough. The french toast sticks are out now and a lot of my favorite cereals as well.

So what is IN? Cheerios... all kinds. They have no HFCS and are made with whole grains. A very healthy choice and the kids really like them. Even the Aldi knock-off brand isn't bad but the name brand is actually better. We can keep the toast but I am in the market for a bread made without HFCS that is whole grain. We switched to a spreadable butter that is YUMMY and made only with cream, canola oil and salt I believe. The frozen waffles are OK (No HFCS) for every once in awhile.

I am still exploring other options but for now this would really be fine with me and the kids. They are pretty routine with their breakfast requests so this "menu" would work for us. We don't do pop-tarts and breakfast bars so that makes things easier. Of course, fresh fruit or homemade pastries are also acceptable options. And we will NEVER give up Lamars!

Monday, May 17, 2010

Mother's Day

OK so I am not the best at blogging and keeping up but hey it's just me so who cares:

Marjie, are you offended at the lack of frequent posting?

No I am not. I know you are busy and pregnant and feeling yucky. You take all the time you need.

Thank you I will!


Ahhhhhh... now back to Mother's Day. Really I think most Mother's would enjoy a nice breakfast and a break from their kids. :) I got to enjoy a donut and a day with my kids! And I wouldn't have changed a single thing about my day! Nothing beats a Lamar's Long John. My people know the key to my heart!

We had soccer games and a BBQ. Oh and it was about 20 degrees and 100mph winds. Maybe that's an exaggeration but it certainly didn't feel like May.

I love watching the boys play soccer and baseball. I think Kaden's legs were made for soccer. He runs on his tiptoes and that works well for his balance and kicking. He scores A LOT of goals... his average is about 7 per game. Luke is very intense and plays every sport with his tongue hanging out. So cute! Jack loves to watch them play and will sit and clap the whole game.

All I wanted for Mother's Day was a lounge chair for the deck. The boys got me a great chair and picked out Jelly Belly jelly beans in all my favorite flavors. Kaden picked out a new flag for our outside flagpole. They also got me the sweetest cards. I felt very blessed. I love my boys!!!!!!!!!!

We had our moms (and in town family) over for a BBQ and announced our news. I guessed their reactions prior to the get together and I was SPOT ON! Inflections, words, facial expressions.... I was sooooooo right. Nate gave me a pat on the back. It was our secret. I am holding onto my news for a bit longer and had already shared it with my closest friends and my sisters but I am starting to let it leak.... like to all of you. My overwhelming following. Quiet for now.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

He is Risen!



More than anything I want my boys to know and experience Jesus for themselves. I want them to have real life experiences that translate into greater faith. I want them to understand that the promises found in Scripture are relevant and available today. We try in many ways, both practical and creative, to encourage their faith. We tend to kick it up a notch around holidays!

Since we homeschool we have lots of opportunities to talk about Jesus and God and the Holy Spirit. But we also get to have a lot of fun... and snacks. So here's a little sampling of what Easter looks like at our house.

We started on the first day of Passover by reading Exodus 12 and then cleaning all the "leaven" from our house. This is a great way to get your kids to clean! We also ate "leaven-free" all day.




Each day we talked about the events of the week and read part of the account from Matthew. We took communion to remember the Last Supper (forgot to take a pic). Then we made a special treat. We took a marshmallow (Jesus), broke it in half (His body was broken for us), placed it inside a crescent roll (the tomb), rolled it up and pinched the ends (set a guard). We baked according to the directions and when it came out (3 days later... just kidding it was 10-12 minutes). Jesus body was no longer in the tomb. Really fun for the kids and they got to eat a snack!



We also dyed Easter eggs... without spilling this year!!!! And they got to eat a snack.




Then we used jelly beans to talk about Salvation. I have found with boys every activity should involve some sort of snack to hold interest! :)The boys learned that black represents sin. Red is Jesus' shed blood that cleanses us from sin. White is for our hearts being white as snow. Green represents new life. We didn't have clear jelly beans so we used orange to represent the Holy Spirit. Blue is for Jesus' promises. Finally, yellow represents the streets of gold that we will see when Jesus returns to take us to Paradise with Him! They were really excited to demonstrate their knowledge and then... eat a snack.



On Good Friday we went out to eat with Mooma and Papa and then went to church. The boys enjoyed the service with special music, remembrance of our sin and Jesus' sacrifice and we were able to take communion as a family. Last year we spent Good Friday in the ER with Kaden after he cut his neck. This year was MUCH better! The weather was also very dark and stormy all day. It made our reading of the Crucifixion so much more real and powerful!

We also memorized Romans 3:23 and Romans 6:23 and made our infamous cake to illustrate. Which they then decided to share with Mooma and Papa. And this was their snack.



On Easter morning we went to church and then taught Sunday School. The boys were able to listen to the Easter story again and celebrate with their church family Jesus resurrection! Don't worry between services they had a snack!



We had a little Easter egg hunt when we got home and then off to lunch at Emme's. Then Emme had a little hunt for them as well. They watched Mary Poppins for the first time too!





PHEW! I am exausted just thinking about it. I should probably take a nap or better yet get a snack.

Friday, April 2, 2010

Grace's Giveaways!

My itty bitty sister has a giveaway going on her blog. Here's the link... now Grace please don't get overwhelmed by the masses of people treking over from my blog to yours! :)

It's a big week of parallels for us. You on Lynette's blog; me on Stuff Christians Like. You made a vlog; I did the Easter 365 vlog. And those parallels allowed me to use semi-colons! I am complete!

Check it out peeps. GIVEAWAY

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

We might need security?

The boys cake from HERE made it to
HERE!!!!/

I wrote a way long, way too wordy, way too scary email and now Jon probably has a protection order against me... but he's in good company with Buddy Biancalana.

I can

I can’t believe they took this picture.

Posted using ShareThis

Monday, March 29, 2010

Chocolate theology

My kids saw THIS cake on Stuff Christians Like and HAD to make it! I am not sure if it was more about the cake or the theology but we had a great discussion about it. They are funny, smart and wackadoodle boys. Ladies I am taking applications now for prospective wives. They should be ready in about 20 years. Here is what the boys came up with.




Kaden was glad Anakin was saved. Luke wished God's cake was chocolate because he prefers chocolate. Kaden wanted to know if it was OK to eat Satan cake. Luke thought it was important to have 3 crosses rather than just one. Luke also wanted to add palaces... Satan's is smaller... and didn't really understand why I made him wash the Legos before putting them on the cake.

This was so much fun to make with them. It was super sloppy and not very pretty but they had a good time and we got to discuss their memory verse from last week (Romans 6:23). A perfect Easter-themed activity and includes all a typical boy's must haves: Legos, cake, frosting, messes, more frosting and a bowl to lick.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Shoo Flu

March 1, 2010 where were you? We were fighting the emergence of Spring with a little vomiting! YEAH! Kaden was the culprit. And what a perfect sickie he was. The kid waited to vomit until 645 am! No startling wake up in the middle of the night pukes for him. And he made the toilet or barf bowl EVERY TIME. He only had one sheet changing accident of a different variety but overall this was a positive experience. I did not cry or scream "WHY GOD WHY! Make it stop!" Like I usually do. Ahhh personal growth. SO many positive aspects to consider.

Luke was petrified of throwing up so he would not get near Kaden or the "sick room." He even sat in the hall to watch TV so as not to get too near Kaden. Always full of compassion he begged "When can I go to Mooma and Papa's." He was able to spend the afternoon with them which was helpful so I could clean up and tend to Kaden. Oh and I have another kid too, Jack! He had to eat and stuff too.

At the start of the day I thought "How do Mom's do this? One is puking, another needs to do school and the baby is a baby." Well I figured it out, let a lot slide and we got through. I experienced what is the truth of "the joy of the Lord is my strength." Overall it was a really good day.

I just felt sorry for my little KK. He never cried or complained. He didn't even call me when he felt bad. I would just hear him and go running. He was always over the bowl or toilet and I would rub his back and speak softly to him. He would stop and I would ask if he was done. He would nod and take a drink and lay down. A man of few words, but so sweet and endearing.

Luke drew him a card of all the things he wanted to do when Kaden got better. They were playing basketball, riding bikes and playing soccer. I love brothers!
This is a little video I did for our church's Easter 365 website. I was asked what Easter means to me every day.

HERE

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

All's Well at 2:00

It's 2:00... PM and all my kids are sleeping! Can I get a WHAT WHAT! Jealous?

Well you shouldn't be, I will pay for this later. Luke will wake up and not go back to sleep until roughly midnight. Kaden will wake up angry. And Jack well he's an angel baby and is used to sleeping all day so he will be virtually unaffected.

I usually have a dilemma of what to do during this sacred time. I have completed my Bible study and email list. I guess I could move on to the pile of dishes left for me since I was gone last night. Or I could get the requested information needed to complete our taxes. Or fold Jack's laundry that's been in the dryer for almost 24 hours. Or I could just sit. I choose sit.

I wouldn't want to wake anyone with my excessive busyness! That would be mean of me.







Ahhhh.... that was nice. Lots of thoughts floating in and out of my head. The ice is melting off the trees. It looks deceptively warm outside today. I am so looking forward to Spring and t-ball season for K, coach pitch for Luke. Looking forward to a visit from a good friend in April. A trip to St. Louis. Summer. My grandma coming home from the hospital. Kissing Nate when he gets home tonight. Watching 24 under a pile of quilts and flannel sheets tonight.... Oh I just thought of what I want to do! Need to get a quick update on the Trashelor since I missed it this week!

Love and kisses.... quiet makes me blissful and all mushy gushy!

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Making a New Life

Today at Bible study I started thinking about making a new life for our kids. We get to shape them and mold them and equip them. Instead of freaking out like I usually would, I felt challenged. I know what I want them to be when they grow up. It looks a lot like I want them to be now... only bigger. But that means I am going to have to be intentional about the environment where they are raised.

I will have to intentionally set aside my goals, desires and self-seeking ways so I can be spirit-led and intentional about my boys and shaping them into men. Men who honor God, their parents, their wives and children. Men who have an insatiable hunger and thirst to know God and His Word. Men who work hard and are dedicated in everything they do. Men who don't quit or give up or settle for any less than God's best.

There are things about our childhoods that we want to be different for the kids and I know I am going to have to fight some very real selfish and "fleshy" instincts. I need to retrain my brain as a wife and mom. I need to put their needs first and trust that God is going to take care of me in the meantime. It's discipline... yuck. It's worth it.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

5

Kaden is 5. We spent his birthday at Coco Key, an indoor water park. We had a blast with all his best friends and cousins. It was pretty packed and crazy but the kids had a great time. I was not thrilled to be in a bathing suit in February but I would do anything for that kid. He kept telling me "this is the best birthday ever." He has never really had a party before with friends and cousins. It's just hard to fit everyone in the house in winter and we've never had much to spend on a big party. So this was reasonable, all-inclusive and FUN!

I was worried that someone would get sick. In years past his parties have been canceled due to all the guests being sick and once KK was sick. He had a 104 degree temp and was pathetic. No one was sick this year! Luke complained of a tummy ache all day but never got sick so the party went on! Jack even got in on the act and got to play in the water.

I was just so thankful for all our friends and family that traveled so far to come to Kaden's party. We are all so blessed to have so many people care about our kids. When I see their devotion to our guys I can't even explain how lucky and loved I feel. And on top of it all Sunshine Boy was so excited! I love my Sunshine Boy! Happy 5th Birthday KK!

Valentine's Day

Love is in the air in the form of sloppy kisses, spit-up stained pants and sweaty gym clothes. Nate and I enjoyed dinner with some friends last night and then stayed up until 1am catching up on our favorite shows. So we rolled out of bed late this morning and started a mad rush to get to church on time.

After church Nate had a basketball game and then we came home for a nap, Nascar and the Olympics. I made the boys lasagna and cheesecake for dessert and Kaden declared it the best pasta ever. A resounding compliment from the boy who won't eat anything. He really liked my homemade chicken and noodles a couple weeks ago and ate his dinner faster than Luke. Since it was such a hit I decided to make it for his birthday and was told "Mom you just made this." So the lasagna may be the best thing ever but I probably won't make it again until July.

They got me a super cute card and Nate gave me a card that really hit the nail on the head. He also got me an apron that I've been asking for, Vera Bradley perfection. When I was making dinner, wearing my new apron, Luke crowned me with my tiara. He does that every once in awhile and I think it's really funny to be slaving away in the kitchen wearing a tiara. It makes the ordinary service very special!

I love my boys. I love to cook for them and bake for them. I love to read to them and sing to them. During dinner we each took turns telling everyone what we loved most about them. I am loved for singing to them, making the best pasta and for being a best friend. Jack said he likes my boobs.

Saturday, February 6, 2010

I had already fell in love

I have been thinking so much about my first pregnancy. My first baby I never met. So I am thinking lots of thoughts and learning so much and just missing the fact that it's a love incomplete. Maybe I am thinking about it so much because I know the next baby I have will be my last and I am hoping for one more. Well one more that I will carry at least.

"Not all devastation is a result of disobedience." That sentence stopped me in my tracks. I think that was what I was trying to reconcile in my mind for so long. Nate and I clearly felt called by God to start having kids. We took a step of faith and obedience and it brought devastation. Everything about that miscarriage was ugly from start to finish. The who, the when, the where, all ugliness. I obeyed. We obeyed. We listened and obeyed and then devastation. I needed to know that sometimes it has nothing to do with me... and then again it had everything to do with me.

"I had already fallen in love." That's why the hurt stays. That was the sentence that put it all together for me. When I get sad and remember my due date or that feeling the first time I found our I was pregnant or the day of my miscarriage I can't put my finger on what its all about. That's just it, I had already fallen in love.

I've been asking the wrong why. For so long I asked "why me" with self-pity and sorrow. Now I am asking "why me" with wonder and awe that God would trust me with this devastation. He must have known where He needed to get me and what it would take to get me there. So what I once saw as devastation I now see as blessing. Blessing that I know God more deeply. He took me to the scariest place I could imagine and has carried me through. I had real faith and trust. Then I had babies. I love them more because of my love lost. I know what I have and that is a gift. The only way I can know what I have is because I had experienced loss. I also know and believe I can trust God with anything, my kids, pregnancy, Nate, all of it. Because of Him that place of devastation was transformed to a place of beauty. With each baby I say I am falling in love for the first time all over again. And it's all because I had already fallen in love.

What To Do

Nate has the boys out tonight for dinner and a hockey game. I have Jack Jack but he's already in bed and now I am alone. And it's quiet! What do I do? All the things I can't do with the boys: blog stalk, watch a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie and eat junk food in bed. It's a little overrated. So I will now make observations about Hallmark movies.

*There are lots of denim shirts! I haven't seen one in real life in a really long time but in a Hallmark movie that's all people wear.

*They don't really spend a lot on high tech things like computers and dvd players. I guess the movie budget is spent on tear-invoking writing and feel good movie moments.

*The commercials are as sappy as the movies! A dad who's a cab driver and picks up his lawyer daughter every night. PRICELESS!

OK now I have used enough brain power and I am done.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Laundry Room Redo

It may not seem like much but anything is an improvement! The main thing is I have things on the wall and shoes out of the entry. Nate even found the perfect rug for the boys snow boots. Exciting stuff. So here we go. Welcome to my laundry/mud room version 3.0.








Friday, January 15, 2010

A day in the life...

Today was a day! It started with Physical Therapy for Kaden. Nate was able to keep Luke at the office and I took Jack. We visited with my friends while K was at therapy. PT always means two things: #1 a tired Kaden and #2 SNACKS! Today it was a doughnut and strawberry milk.

Since K's appointment was early we were able to grab a quick lunch with Daddy. Jack had no nap so he nursed and promptly fell asleep for all of 5 minutes. He's just not that into naps outside the crib anymore.

After we dropped Nate off we headed to Target to pick up supplies for LAUNDRY ROOM REHAB 2010. This poor laundry room has been a major deal since we moved in and it has not been touched in well over a year. It needs a table, two shelves, the window framed in and the door completed. This project was started May 2008 when I was on a trip to NYC with my sisters. I may never leave home again. I can't build things and we don't have the money to hire but I figure I can organize and decorate for a very low cost. Every time I think of spending money I think of families in Haiti and I put down the new jar to hold the laundry detergent that already comes in a perfectly fine container.

This weekend's goal is to decorate the laundry room and post my before and after shots. TWO FIRSTS! First to decorate by rehabbing things I already have and spending under $50 for the necessaries and a first to post photos! A lot to keep my little mind busy... and Nate too. He still doesn't know about the blog but he will be providing the hammering and measuring for me. I know how to hammer but he's picky about holes in walls. Life will be better if I just let him do it!

Oh and today I also got to hang out with some really cool homeschool moms and let my kids go crazy at a homeschool soccer event thingy. The kids played and ran and kicked and jumped and spied for 2 hours! Can we say 7:00 bedtime!!! I liked being able to talk to other moms, hear their ideas about math and reading and writing. It was also good to just hear that my struggles are shared, other people have bad days too and boys who hate to read and days that are awesome with breakthroughs. And there was no pressure. We all do our own thing and that's good. No one way is perfect because each kid is different. I have a good thing going with these kids.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Haiti

I am so sad. I here the statistics that only 20% of Haitians have access to clean water or that there are 300,000 orphans and that only 20% of Haitians can read... but that was all before the earthquake! What now? My heart is torn in many ways. As a person with a job and resources, I want to give. As a Social Worker, I want to go and help. As a Mom, I want my kids to get this, to see it and feel compassion. As a follower of Christ I want to impart hope. I am so thankful for every missionary who told a Haitian person about a Creator that loves them. I am thankful that so many have taken a message of hope. I am thankful for those who have hope. My heart breaks wide open for anyone who does not believe there is hope.

Each life matters. I know God is grieved far beyond what I feel.

I had the boys watch the coverage today and yesterday. They ask questions and we talk. But how can their little minds imagine life without parents or the loneliness an orphan feels. How do kids who've never missed a meal understand hunger? Or kids who have learned at a young age to get their water from the fridge understand thirst. I want my boys to have hearts that see these images and they FEEL. I want them to be moved to prayer and action. One suburban Mom, three little boys and a world that needs Jesus. Where do we start?

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Turkeybirds and ABC's

Why Turkeybirds? Why Bitsy, Bopsy & Boo? I have a million nicknames for my kids including, but not limited to: This one, that one, love, lovey, lovey lamb, lovey dove, J, K, L, Luker Duker, K-bird, JJ, JJ the jet plane, Jack Jack Attack, K-man, Lukie Dukie, and on and on.

I love nicknames. They mean intimacy and love and family. They mean affection and endearment. Terms of endearment... someone should write a movie about that and cast some crackpot like Shirley McClain. Anywho, I love nicknames! Maybe it's because I've had so many and gave Nate his first one which stuck and now everybody calls him that so I need to think up a new one.

Turkeybird is how you describe a feisty 2 year old. Bitsy, Bopsy and Boo are my boys and those names are interchangeable and can also be combined, as in "Bitsy Boo what's wrong."

We are also an alphabetical family: Jack, Kaden, Luke, Marjie, Nate. It's all sort of accidentally on purpose. I don't plan on having a family of 26 to get all the letters in there but I never say never! I've learned that as a mom.

Boo

Our latest edition is 7 months old. After having Luke and K so close together we decided to take a bit of a break before we grew our family. Jack came on the scene and we were all instantly in love. It was fun to see the older boys with their new brother.

Jack is currently rolling and schooching all over. Not quite crawling yet but he has the army crawl down and is working on getting up on all fours. He has two teeth with several more in the works and ate his first "puff" tonight. He was able to get the puff between his thumb and finger and get it into his mouth. First he made a "This is horrible" face but that slowly changed into "hey this isn't so bad" face.

J loves to talk about "dada" and he will break his neck trying to locate his brothers if he hears them. He's a super easy baby who loves to give hugs. His reaction is different for each of us though. For Luke and K, he will raise his arms up and down and bang on things like he wants to play. When he sees Nate he will get his legs going and for me he stretches out like he wants to be held.

He also like to flirt. This consists of smiling at the ladies and then burying his head in my shoulder, peeking out and starting that whole process again. It's quite fetching!

Jack was probably our most planned kid. We knew we were ready for another baby and poof.. there he was! I found out I was pregnant 4 days before our 10th anniversary. This was the earliest I had ever found out... I was only 4 weeks and with Luke and K I was more like 9-10 weeks. Anyhow, I decided to wait and tell Nate on our anniversary. I had it all planned out. We went to a fancy hotel and had a fabulous dinner out. I gave him his gift and a card and then said I had one more gift. He asked me to wait a second, grabbed something from his bag and came right back. I told him and then he was sweet and excited and handed me a card. I opened it up and it said "So you are expecting a baby..." HE ALREADY KNEW! I didn't think it was possible but the guy said he just knew. And we lived happily ever after...

Bopsy

Kaden is our second child. He is 4... and a half! He is sunshine. Kaden says he is in "preschool homeschool." He pretty much does everything Luke does just in a simpler manner. I think he actually knows more than he lets on. When I ask if knows how to do something... like skip count or read, he will tell me "No Mom that's for kindergartens. I am in preschool homeschool."

Kaden does what Luke does. Kaden likes what Luke likes. If you want to know Kaden get to know Luke. Kaden is a more typical "middle kid." Since both of his parents are middle kids we are determined that K will shine all on his own. It's just tough when your older bro is super cool and you worship every move he makes!

Kaden has sweet stick-em-up hair and an overall sweet disposition. He is helpful and cheerful but also knows how to work a room. Even as a baby he would scan a room, lock eyes with some weak soul and squeeze two tears onto his cheeks so he could get some sympathy. Today he just whines or cries... it's actually still pretty cute and funny.

K goes to physical therapy every week to correct some musculer-skeletal issues he has. Basically all of my kids are huge but K's muscles can't keep up with his bone growth and that causes him to walk on his toes. K was in casts to help out which made a HUGE difference in a short period of time. Now he just needs to learn how to walk heel to toe. He is doing great and handles all of this craziness very well. His only request are cookies and chocolate milk from the hospital snack shop at the end of therapy.

Kaden is the kid who sealed the deal and made us a real family. Having 2 kids made Nate and I feel truly grown up. I found out I was pregnant with K when Luke was 10 months old. It was a surprise...again! We were living in Las Vegas while Nate played ball. Nate was on a road trip and flew in a few days after I found out. I kept it a secret and when he arrived at the airport Luke was wearing a shirt that said "I'm the Big Brother." Nate thought it was a practical joke but was thrilled when he learned it was no joke! The boys are 18 months apart and gave me quite the run for my money. With a traveling baseball player Daddy, we bonded and had a blast as the 3 Amigos!

Bitsy

Our oldest is 6 and in kindergarten. We homeschool and I have loved getting to know him on this new level. He is not always as enthusiastic but we are learning together. We are currently using the My Father's World curriculum and Math-U-See. Luke is flying through math and knows how to skip count by 2's, 5's and 10's. He also knows his 1+ and 2+ math facts. He loves math and science...

Conversely he does not so much enjoy reading. I love to read and want to impart this love of reading but it's been a struggle. Overall he gets it but just doesn't enjoy it so much.

Nate describes Luke as passionate. That's a really nice way to say it! He is so sweet and loving but very stubborn and strong-willed. I have no idea where he gets these FABULOUS traits but I do know if we can harness this power it will serve him well in the future. He has tons of energy, loves every sport, enjoys video games on weekends, will do anything for his Dad and tolerates his Mom quite nicely. He even gives me a secret kiss or hug every now and then.

I love this little guy. When we were in the baseball days he was my constant companion. We went all over the U.S. and for a good 15 months I never left him. When I left him overnight it was for a 5 day trip to Cali with Nate and I cried for 4 hours straight. He also has an honorary MSW as he was with me through graduate school. He LOVES his brothers and is going to make a great Dad someday.

I always tell Luke he saved my life. Before I had him I miscarried our first baby at 13 weeks. I was devastated. Then I was surprised to find out several months later that I was pregnant with Luke. During my pregnancy I think I held my breath the entire time. I waited for each milestone and had a fabulous doctor to walk me through all my neurosis. I was so afraid of experiencing that hurt again and I wanted to hold my baby. During Luke's delivery things started going bad. His heart rate, my blood pressure... things weren't looking good. I had an emergency c-section, heard his cry, saw his face and then woke up 4 hours later. He was perfect and my first reaction was "He's so light." He was light-skinned with blonde hair. I was expecting a Mexican baby but that's another story. Being pregnant with Luke taught me to trust again and to believe God for big things. Not necessarily big things like babies and guarantees of things I want but I believed God loved me, would walk through anything with me, goes before me and behind me, wants the best for me and I believed that even if it hurt He would know that and I could trust Him even with that. That's why I think Luke saved my life. He sealed the deal and made me a real life Mom and now he's my Bitsy.

New Year New Blog

Nate's been telling me to blog forever. I personally am more interested in blog stalking but I am trying something new this year and hoping to surprise him with a family blog for Valentine's Day. He's into techie nerd stuff like that! So here I go... we'll see how long this lasts.