Happy Birthday!

Happy Belated Birthday, Nonie! We hope yesterday was a special day, and we wish you a wonderful year ahead!
And a big happy birthday to Grandpa Georgia! Hope you enjoy your time off work for your birthday, and we hope you have a super-duper year!

A Date with Dadda

On Friday, Grandma had the afternoon off since she had worked the Saturday before. So, she came over and even though it was pouring outside, we took the boys out to lunch at Friendly's. It was a great start to the weekend! She said she thought Caleb doubled in size since she last saw him. Since I see him everday, I hadn't really thought about it. However, I noticed on Wednesday that his 0-3 month outfit didn't fit well, so on Thursday I dressed him in 3-6 month clothing which fit perfectly. So, I guess we do have a "big" little guy!

Unfortunately, I tried to make ham & scalloped potatoes for dinner, and I obviously did something wrong. So, we threw the whole thing out. I've been cooking a lot more lately, and we often have scrumptious things that turn out well. But, we also often have things that we both say "NEVER AGAIN!!!" It's a bummer, too, when you try so hard and it doesn't turn out. I actually cried...which I know is stupid. Shawn didn't care - I was just frustrated to spend the time and money and still have to figure something out to eat. Such is life!

This morning, we called Grandma Kennel to see if she was up for some company, which she declined. I was glad she let us know she was feeling too weak. Then tonight, we tried the new church again since they have a Saturday evening service. Shawn is in charge of the A/V team tomorrow, and I have a hard time fanagling both boys on the stairs, so I won't go. Thus, we went to church as a family tonight, and once again Joshua did really well in their 2-year-old preschool class, where he did another craft and had another Bible verse related to making good choices. Caleb also went to the nursery this time so we could sit in the auditorium to listen to the service. The only reason we went back was because of how well Joshua did last week, but we've also been very impressed by the message both times. They were doing a sermon series on "Mythbusters" and this one was talking about God's unfailing love to generations vs. generational curses being passed down. We both got a lot out of it!

Grandma agreed to watch Joshua afterward so we could go out to dinner with the gift card Shawn had gotten for his birthday. When we took Joshua, Grandma told us to leave Caleb, too, so we got to go out just the two of us to a restaurant. It was the first time in a long time, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. We talked about the sermon and what we got out of it as well as other things going on in our lives. It was a great time - thanks Mom!

I also signed up for a Bible study at the church. They're starting a Beth Moore series on Thursday mornings, with childcare provided. I also plan on going to a moms Bible study/fellowship group on Tuesday mornings at another church, so I'm glad we decided not to do preschool. Joshua will get some time with other children still and I'll get some time with other moms and Jesus! Woo hoo!

Can You Fly With Those Wings?

A Sad Day

Yesterday was a sad day - it was the start of class again for me. Caleb was unhappy almost the entire time I was away, according to Daddy. I missed my boys, too. Please pray that the coming weeks are easier on us all!

Last night, I told Shawn the decision about preschool was too big for me. As head of the household, I wanted him to make the decision and I would honor what he wanted either way. I weighed in the pros and cons, and he decided to take the counsel of our parents and others and wait a year to send Joshua. So, I'm going to try and get out and about more with the Bean and teach him here, and we'll aim for preschool next year. I feel good about Shawn's decision, and I trust him to lead our family and make wise choices.

What Jesus has done for me!

Mark 5
The Healing of a Demon-possessed Man

1They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. 2When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an evil spirit came from the tombs to meet him. 3This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him any more, not even with a chain. 4For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.

6When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. 7He shouted at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won't torture me!" 8For Jesus had said to him, "Come out of this man, you evil spirit!"

9Then Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" "My name is Legion," he replied, "for we are many." 10And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.

11A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. 12The demons begged Jesus, "Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them." 13He gave them permission, and the evil spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.

14Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. 15When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 16Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. 17Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.

18As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. 19Jesus did not let him, but said, "Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." 20So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.

I read this passage to Caleb the other night after Joshua was in bed already. I've read it a thousand times it seems, but Mark 5:19 really jumped out at me this time. Jesus wants us to tell others what the Lord has done for us and how He's had mercy on us. How many times does someone's testimony bring others to Christ rather than the typical sermon, etc? God has done so much for me, I don't even know where to begin. But here are a few points that I thanked him for that night:

• Jesus saved me from my sins. I now know that I have hope when I die to live eternally in heaven with Him.
  
• Jesus blessed me from my very birth with a wonderful family. I've also been blessed with friends throughout my life, which I no longer take for granted.


• When I was in high school, I had a few selfish goals. I wanted a 4-door silver stick-shift car under $2,000 and He provided that very vehicle. I wanted to go to the homecoming dance and prom with a date, and I did. I also wanted to wear a football jersey to school (since that was the "cool" thing to do) and I got to not only once but twice from two different guys.


• I also wanted to attend college but wasn't sure how I'd be able to pay for it. I not only got my bachelor's degree, I got my master's as well.


• I wanted a husband to share my life with, and God gave me a man that exceeds my wildest dreams.


• I wanted a house - a single house with 4 BRs, 2.5 baths, in a good school district, with at least a quarter acre of ground, with at least a one-car garage and hopefully a fireplace and a nice layout. Our house has all that and more, with a fantastic location and nice neighbors and is great for raising kids. We've also been provided with the funds to make it a nice home.


• Once I got pregnant, all I wanted was for Joshua to be healthy. And, God once again provided and not only healed Joshua but also gave us another beautiful, healthy son.


• He's blessed me with fantastic job opportunities. I've always held higher up positions for any company I've worked for, even though I was younger than most holding that job. He's provided for us financially when I've truly wondered how we would make it when I wasn't working full time. Over and over again, He's blessed us at just the right moment with just the right gift. I've been able to work some from home and teach part-time in the evenings at the university, and we've been blessed by little gifts that come and meet our exact need at the exact right time.


• Growing up, I always wanted to be on the Price is Right and see the Seinfeld Reality Tour. Again, goofy selfish things, but I've done both.


• More than that, God has blessed me with the ability to play the piano and worship Him (I've really not had any formal training and always tell folks that the Holy Spirit taught me how to play). He's given me intelligence to feel comfortable in most settings. He's inspired me through teachings and quiet moments.


• And, He died on the cross for me, that I might have not only eternal life but life abundant here on earth. He provided a manual of insight to guide and direct me during my days here. There are SO many times I fall short of his glory (on a daily basis!) but amazingly, He always shows me love and always forgives me. And, He's provided me with others who seem to do the same.

I could go on and on about what God has done in my life... He is my provider, my healer, my savior, my friend, my father and so much more. He's the giver of good gifts to His children. I'm thrilled to be part of His family, and I hope everyone can realize the greatness of His love and mercy and salvation. May my life bring Him glory and honor! Take the time today to tell someone what God has done for you!

Brotherly Love

Today I went to a Moms Group, and I wasn't sure what I thought of it. Before writing it off, I'm going to try it again. Joshua did make a little friend there, who was 3 and a half. They played baseball together, but for the most part, Joshua just watched the other kids, observing their different interactions.

One of the moms asked me, "So, how has the transition been with having two children." Before really thinking about it, I said "way easier than I thought it would be. In fact, it's been wonderful." Shawn just said to me the other day, "I really think Joshua genuinely likes Caleb. Isn't that so cool?" I couldn't agree more. He absolutely LOVES his little brother. He's constantly saying 'hi' to him, and yesterday he blew him kisses for a better part of the day (since we're only actually touching 'toes'). He always asks where the baby is if I put him down, and he loves to watch him. Being around the two of them, you can already tell how much Joshua cares for our smallest family member.

I tell Joshua almost everyday that I'm thrilled how well he does with the baby, how nice it is that he's so gentle and loving, and I couldn't be happier that he likes him so much. Thank you, God, for blessing our family with two little loving brothers!

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday, Aunt Missy! We hope this is a special year for you! I also just realized that I forgot to post a very special Happy Birthday to Aunt Alicia last week on August 21. I thought about it and then got busy and it slipped my mind. Happy belated birthday! Hope you have a wonderful year!

Making Choices

On Sunday we tried a new church. We feel like we need more interaction with other young families, but we haven't made any permanent decisions about switching yet. We dropped Joshua off at the two-year-old classroom, and at first he cried and didn't want us to leave. But, when we checked later, he looked like he was having fun. The church walks them around to different stations, and the gal told us (when we picked him up) that she couldn't remember if we were potty training or not, so she sat him on the potty before changing his diaper at the end of the service, which I thought was very nice. There, he learned two Bible verses and the sign language to them (simple things, but how powerful!) and he made his first ever crafts to bring home - a popsicle stick man and a coloring page.
The sermon was good, but we sat in a room outside the sanctuary since you can't take kiddos in and I wasn't comfortable leaving Caleb quite yet. The room was pretty full of other parents with their kiddos, too. The church also has a MOPS group (mothers of pre-schoolers), which meets the same time we'd be sending Joshua to pre-school. So, I began wondering if this was a sign that maybe pre-school wasn't for this year. I haven't had a complete peace about it either way. I keep going back and forth. I do think he needs time playing with other children, but what if he gets bullied or gets too sick and I have a baby to also care for? What if I can't protect him or he hates it? What if he's not ready? What if I'm not ready?
So, I'm still praying about whether to send him to pre-school or join a mom's group where I can meet other people and he still has time to play with other kiddos. I have to decide by tomorrow, and I haven't really felt strongly either way. Please pray for wisdom, if you think of it! I love this little guy so much and want to do what's best for him (and Caleb!).
When we were playing in the office this morning, Joshua picked up his sticker from his church experience. I was amazed at what it said and took a close-up picture of it...
Jesus, please help me make the right choice!

Potty Book

Joshua's intelligence amazes me more and more everyday. A couple days ago, he dug and dug through his book bin, looking for a specific book. I cracked up that he grabbed his potty book and ran into the family bathroom with it, reading it on his little potty! I assumed Shawn had recently read him the book since I hadn't picked it up in months. Shawn said he hadn't even seen the book in months - it had been buried underneath other favorites. So, even though Joshua hadn't heard this book in a loooong time, he remembered his potty book and associated it with his potty. I was impressed! I didn't have the camera ready to go that day, so I asked him to re-enact the event.Like I said, Joshua amazes us almost daily. On Saturday, Joshua had one of his t-shirts in our bedroom. Daddy asked him, "Why are you playing with a shirt?" so Joshua dropped it. I asked Joshua, "Can you please put your shirt back in your big boy room rather than leaving it on our bedroom floor?" I followed him into his room to make sure he did what I asked, and he did even better! He opened up his dresser drawer where his t-shirts belong, threw it in, and closed the drawer. I've never asked him to get a shirt out of there, nor have I ever asked him to put one back before. But, he knew where his shirts belonged.Then yesterday, he was playing with the little boy Evan from down the street again. The two were playing with a ball and Joshua tripped. Evan gently helped him back up (he is the sweetest little boy I think I've ever seen!) and asked Joshua if he should kiss his knee. Joshua understood the word 'kiss' and puckered up his lips and leaned down to Evan, who looked like a deer in headlights. Haaaa! He gave him a quick kiss and they continued to play. I was highly amused!Saturday morning the Smoketown Airport had a Mission Aviation Fair. If you've ever seen the movie "End of the Spear," the special speaker was the son of the missionary who was killed by the natives after he created an airplane and the 'drop' method of getting supplies to native people. They had airplane rides, helicopter rides, little tike barrel rides, air balloons, ice cream, and different booths of information about missions. The emcee of the event asked me how old my baby was, and I told him six weeks. He then asked Joshua if he was the big brother, and gave him a soccer ball with "Jesus Loves Me" written in a ton of different languages. He said that he "won" the ball for being the big brother of the smallest baby there.The funny thing was, I ran into a friend of my sister Becky's. She was also wearing a baby strapped to her in a snuggli. I asked her about her son, and she said that his name was Caleb and he was born on 7/7/08, or the day before our Caleb. Wow! I've now heard of more than three babies named Caleb, and it was a name I hadn't heard much before.Joshua was a little overwhelmed at the fair with all the people, so we didn't stay too long. He enjoyed our little picnic better, where he had a front-row seat. Hope you enjoy the pictures of him on the potty reading his potty book! I guess he's ready!!!

Barf-a-rama...on the Mama!

Last night just before 3 am, Shawn was woken up from a dead sleep by the sound of his wife screaming... It all started when Caleb woke up around 2ish to eat (notice the shirt I wore on him today says 'party at my crib 2:00 am'). I was exhausted! I went into the bathroom and splashed some cold water on my face before picking him up and changing his diaper in preparation for him to eat. He was not thrilled at having to wait for his 'meal' and cried away. But, it didn't take too long until we were settled in and he was eating away.
He was gulping like a champ, and I remember groggily thinking to myself "He must have been really hungry. Did he eat well at his feeding before this? I don't think so..." When he was finished on the first side, I sat him up to burp him. No burp. He doesn't always burp in between, so I wasn't that concerned. I simply switched sides and let him continue to eat.
He again gulped hungrily and I thought, "He should sleep well the rest of the night now." Less than 10 minutes later, he started to squirm. I thought he had gas (this is often the case), but this time he erupted like a volcano...while he was still latched on eating! I was covered in vomit in less than a second. In my tired state and disbelief, without thinking of my poor husband who had to work the next day, I let out a shriek....a very LOUD shriek. Shawn woke up with a startle and threw on the light. Our bed looked like someone had dumped a half gallon of milk all over it.
Poor Caleb...poor Mama. Poor Dada who graciously started changing the bed while I got cleaned up. I think Caleb must have had a burp in there before he started eating from when he was crying as I changed him. The air came out after he had eaten and eaten. The sad thing was, he still acted hungry. I let him eat another 10 minutes (even though I was nauscious from the evening's - or early morning's - events) and laid him back in his pack 'n play. He wasn't too thrilled and woke up off and on throughout the night. Ugh!
Caleb is also starting to lose his hair on top, just like Joshua did. Here's a picture for his memory book!

Have You Seen a Chocolate Bean?

Why You Should Never Let Your Kids Eat in the Car

Airplane!

Yesterday I took Joshua & Caleb over to my sister's house, where we met up with Aunt Jen, Grace, Faith, Emma & Daniel. Our whole clan walked to the park where the kids played. Unfortunately, Joshua fell and skinned his knee upon entering the park and wasn't too thrilled at the wood chips getting into his Crocs. He kept coming to me saying, "Momma, toes???" and I kept cleaning out his shoes. Eventually, we went back to Aunt Jen's house where I bought pizza for everyone (she bought last time) and we enjoyed a nice lunch. Joshua loves playing in her backyard, too. I'm amused how much he's saying "Momma" and "Mommy" these days. He's never been real clingy with me, and always seem to favor his "Dada" which I don't mind. But the last week, he's been coming up and giving me hugs and kisses and asking for me when I'm not in the room or next to his side. It melts my heart.This morning started off another busy day as I got the two boys dressed in their cute outfits and we went to get their pictures taken together by professionals. I didn't have any real good ones of the two of them together, and these turned out great. I can't wait to get them!From there we went to Grandma's work and picked her up for lunch. We had packed peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, bananas, animal crackers, granola bars and drinks, along with a blanket, and headed to the Smoketown Airport. There we spread out our picnic lunch and waited for an airplane to leave or arrive. Our time there started off being pretty uneventful. Joshua heard a "woof woof" keep barking from the Smoketown Vet (poor puppy!), we saw three horse 'n buggies from Abe's Buggy Rides (Joshua delightedly yelled out "horsey!") and we saw the Amtrack train go by twice (Joshua of course pointed and said "Choo choo!") We also saw the fire trucks at the repair shop nearby. But, still no planes yet.Soon, though, we spotted one circling in for a landing. Grandma (in her postal uniform) pointed it out to Joshua, who ate like a champ. He had an entire PB&J, two bananas, granola bites, one hershey kiss, and a ton of animal crackers in addition to drinking lots of water. Good boy!You can see the airplane coming in the picture below. I put an arrow so you can see it in the distance. It wasn't that far off, if you consider its size compared to my car!Within seconds it landed. I didn't realize that we were within two feet (or less) of the actual runway, but Mom knew when she picked out the spot. I felt like the plane could have hit us, but none did!Mom and Joshua watched it land. He was so excited!So was she, as you can tell by this picture. It's so neat to see the world through a child's eyes!
Then we saw another plane take off within a few minutes. You can see it far back on the runway - we were so close to it! And they only take seconds to come in or go out. As we were packing up then, we saw another one land. Hooray! It was a great experience. A cheap delicious lunch, free entertainment and sweet company - you can't ask for more than that!
Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately, depending on how you look at it), Caleb missed the entire thing and simply napped in the sun. When he's older, I'm sure he'll enjoy watching them too. After our eventful day, Joshua is now napping in his room, and I'm contemplating napping myself. I could clean, I could do school work, but a nap with my boys sounds the best. We'll see...

Observant

If there's one word I could say to describe Bean at this age it's "observant." Last night when Caleb was napping, I sat down for the first time in awhile to play piano. Joshua loves the "ni-ano" and will often ask to play it by himself. Last night he asked to sit up with me. Then, he took my highlighter and started acting like he was marking the music, much like I do when I'm practicing. I was amazed...he hasn't even seen this for over a month and yet he didn't miss a beat! He loved playing and singing with me. I like this picture above because of Joshua's serious face...ever watching and ever learning.

This morning I was brushing my hair, and he opened the drawer and handed me my bottle of hairspray. Again, these aren't things we've taught him, he just does it himself. Last night after his bath, he grabbed Daddy's deoderant, opened it and put some under his arms (but over his PJ's). We were amused. He also tries to pat Caleb's back after he's done eating because he watches me trying to get Caleb to burp. Then after Caleb does, Joshua cries "S-cuzee." He's so cute!

Celebrating Success!!!

Tonight, August 20, was Joshua's first successful attempt at the potty. Even when we're not ready, he is! He came into the bathroom while I was finishing up going (which is nothing new - he loves to flush the potty). Then he said to me "Poo poo!" I quickly asked "Do you have to go poo poo?" He said "YES!"I yelled for Shawn to come help! Joshua's only interested in sitting on the potty when we're sitting on the big potty, so I didn't want to move and distract him. Shawn yanked off his shorts, unsnapped his shirt (ugh!) and pulled off his diaper. Joshua cried "shirt! shirt!" so Daddy took it the whole way off, too.Then I'm proud to say with some coaxing, the naked Bean sat on his little potty. And he did poo-poo! It wasn't much (barely the size of a dime) but to sit there and do anything was amazing for us. We praised him and praised him and let him flush the potty. Hooray for Joshua!!! An hour or so later, he finished the job in his diaper and didn't tell us until after he was finished. But, we'll take any successful attempt! My little boy is growing so big! And we're so proud of him!

Six-week Check-up

I can't believe my little boy turned six weeks old yesterday! The time has flown! I can't believe school starts next week for me, and I'll have my first evening away from the boys. It makes me kind of sad.
Caleb is a delightful baby. He's very easygoing and loves to cuddle. And his grin melts my heart. Tomorrow I'm getting the boys' pictures taken together at JC Penny's. I can't wait to see how they turn out!
Today was my six-week check-up. Everything looks great! My blood pressure was 110/64, which is low. Hooray! My weight was also less than before I got pregnant with Caleb. Double hooray! Now all my restrictions have been lifted.The nurse (an older lady) asked me what the baby's name was and I said "Caleb." She said "Joshua & Caleb...that's definitely better than Cain & Abel." Haaaa!!! Caleb has blessed our family so much. I'm thrilled to have such an adorable baby that looks up at me with his big blue eyes. Joshua loves his little brother, too, I can tell already. And Daddy said tonight as we were bathing him together (this little purdue-chicken is slippery when wet!) about what an easy baby he's been. Thank God for our bundle of joy!