Happy Bday "COWEEEEE" (Isaac's name for Keri)

It was finally a nice day and Isaac was so excited to put on his bathing suit and go to the "WATER." We went over Tommy and Keri's house to today for Keri's special bday lunch: my mom's homemade sauce and chicken parm- YUM! On another note, I did take Isaac back to the ear specialist today... one that I actually liked. He said that the only thing he could see was a scab in his right ear that we need to break up with mineral oil over the next 2 weeks. He is pretty confident that the fluid and infection are gone and he won't need tubes. What an answer to prayer! Like mother, like son! God continues to show His faithfulness to our family.

Psalm 36:5 "Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, extend to the skies, and Your faithfulness to the clouds."

Just Making Memories... Interesting Memories

I found a picture today of me when I was 2 years old making brownies with my mom. It's such a cute picture and I couldn't wait to get a similar picture of Isaac doing the same thing. Today was the perfect day for baking, since it was chilly outside and I needed something to help me procrastinate the laundry. I set Isaac all up with a bowl of brownie mix and a spoon. Much to my dismay, the opposite effect happened. He had to wash his hands every time he got a small amount of chocolate on them. Finally, I just put some chocolate on his nose and he FREAKED out! He does love watching them bake in the oven, so we have to check it every 2 minutes. So much for my great memory making idea... back to putting our cars in color coded order. I can confidently say that I have ruined my child's ability to enjoy a mess!

Chi-town 2008

Well, we just got back from a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend away in Chicago... I was going to write all about it, but I am WAY too exhausted (plus, I need to shower more than I need to blog). Here are some of my favorite pics of some of my favorite people. If you want an accurate account of what we did, you can read it on Matt's Blog.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day!

Enjoying the view on Navy Pier

Isaac would remind us every couple of minutes
that we were on a "BUS!"

Isaac and Maddy's favorite hangout... the dresser.

I was obsessed with this jungle gym at the Lincoln Park Zoo...
I am asking Chris to build one in the backyard for our anniversary.

Playing in the fountain at Millennium Park

My Little Artist...

I LOVE doing things with Isaac that my mom did with me as a kid... so much fun! Today we painted sun catchers. Isaac loved picking the colors and putting them on his "Jesus and the little children" project. He kept pointing to it and saying "very nice." I kept laughing. It's wonderful to now have things to keep his attention that allow me to breathe and laugh at the same time! Off to scrub my little artist's hands... and face... and legs... and ears!

my men... what would I do without them?

It's going to be a LOOOOOONG summer

I have found 3 reasons why it is good to be preggo in the summer. Granted, summer hasn't even started, but I am trying to keep a positive attitude.

1. There is A TON of fresh fruit in the summer. I don't get a lot of cravings when I am pregnant, but fresh fruit is a must... but with Isaac it was really expensive and not very good. I just ate the best watermelon today!

2. I can sit outside on a lawn chair soaking up the sun, while my toddler gets all of his energy out on the squirrels instead of me. I go to the dollar store every other week and stock up on chalk, bubbles and squirt guns and my son does the rest.

3. Ok, so I could only come up with 2 reasons, but I think the fact that I am trying to see the good in this means that it's going to be a good summer!

YEAH!!!

I was told by Aimee Johnston (my mentor and Titus 2 prayer partner) to hold on to the small things you see in your kid's life that prove to you that what you are doing is working. We had a HUGE breakthru this morning... I gave Isaac a glass of milk and a bagel for breakfast and he turned to me, hugged me and said "Oh mommy, thank you!" It was the best day of my life!

Family Night

During our "Family Night" we decided, well, I decided, to get "Magic Grow Capsules." I remember growing up and putting those capsules in water to watch them grow. Did you know that they take a decent amount of time to grow unless you have boiling hot water? We had a good time anyways... even though the ones I bought were all animals Isaac hasn't learned yet: Kudu, Wildebeest, Ostrich, Anteater, etc. We then played the old "Magnetic Fish" game and he LOVED it! Too bad I had saved all this stuff for our train trip to Chicago next weekend... I'll have to take another trip to Michaels!

I miss The Mudhouse!

My friend Mary Ann came over last night for dinner and it was so great. I love having a friend who wants to talk about the Lord all night long. It's so refreshing. It makes me think back to our Mudhouse college nights playing Phase 10 and debating Theology. We ended up talking honestly about the close people in our lives who have strayed FAR away from the Lord. We are frustrated by the fact that there doesn't seem to be anything we can do to change the situation and even our prayers seem to be in vain. I was then reminded of something the Lord showed me the day my Grandmother accepted Christ. It was very emotional for me, since I had long given up hope that the day would ever come. God showed me that salvation is a miracle. That HE is the One who draws people unto Himself... we are just vessels to proclaim His truth. That gave me peace this morning while I was praying for family members that have gone astray. God is the One that has to get their attention, not me... I just need to be faithful to show God's unconditional love. By the way, if you ever head to The Mudhouse in Springfield, Missouri... order a Funky Monkey or Mudskipper... yum!

"No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him . . . "

John 6:44

soccer

Isaac and Maddy getting caught in the net... numerous times

Chris' first attempt at Goalie- Isaac and I were very proud!

All my favorite people!

Isaac sporting the shades.

God's Grace

The craziest thing happened to me today. I went to Costco to get gas before Isaac's appointment. I was all done and about ready to pull out when I heard this shrieking car noise next to me and this huge boom. I looked over and there was a 3 car accident at the pump next to me. This elderly lady must have lost control of her car and bashed into the car in front of her really hard, which crashed into the car in front of him. The guy was done at the pump, but the force knocked him back into my car and then he fell to the ground. It was CRAZY! Everyone jumped out of their cars to make sure everyone was alright. The guy that fell into my car had just walked behind his car and was literally a second thru when the lady's car hit his. After we realized everyone was alright, and the police were called, I started to head to the DR's office. The whole time I was driving the word "GRACE" was going over and over in my head. I was actually in that line in front of that lady, but the pump next to me opened up and I went over to it. The guy who was hit could have been literally crushed if it had happened a second earlier. I am so grateful for God's protection and grace in my life.

Good ol' Ratatouille

For Easter this year, my Aunt Linda got Isaac an Easter basket with all sorts of fun stuff. She casually mentioned to me that if the stickers she bought him ever got stuck in his hair, just use olive oil on them and they would come out very easily. I only half listened because Isaac rarely gets stickers, and because his hair is so short, I didn't think it would be an issue. Little did I know that the 3 Ratatouille stickers he got at the doctors office today would be found in his hair 10 minutes after we got back in the car. I am so glad my aunt told me this great trick, or we would be doing the good ol' "rip the band aid really fast" trick. Unfortunately, by the time we got home he was fast asleep. So in all my motherly wisdom, I decided we would save the sticker fiasco for after his nap.... or until daddy gets home. The joys of spending the day with a 2 year old boy!

Before I was a Mother...

There are a couple of luxuries in life that I didn't take full advantage of before I was a mother. Finishing a magazine in one setting, the car keys being right where I left them, and TAKING A HOT SHOWER WITHOUT INTERRUPTION. Tonight I attempted to take a relaxing shower that lasted more than 5 minutes... by the end of my shower, my tub was full of bath toys, my toilet had been flushed 3 times and there was a chair and train sitting in the bathroom. Of course, now that I am completely finished, he doesn't want my attention, but would rather read books by himself in his bed... go figure. I really would love some of those simple pleasures I had in my life before Isaac, but then I see this face...

and I think... A long hot shower is overrated!

Mother's Day Tea... or Coffee

On Saturday morning we had our annual "Mother's Day Tea"(although we drink cups and cups of coffee instead!) Believe it or not, we did not coordinate our outfits... so funny! I can't tell you how wonderful it was to sit with the ladies in my family without all the boys jumping off the table! I am surrounded by incredible ladies and was thrilled to have time to hear all that God is doing in each of our lives as well as laugh about old memories (my cousin Sarah doing a mother's day dance in years past). I always enjoy the Saturday before mother's day... the day out with the girls!

(Picture from left to right- My sister Jeni, My mother Patti, ME, my grandmother Neva, my Aunt Linda, my sister Keri, my cousin April and my other cousin Sarah)
You can hear more about it at my Aunt Linda's Blog!

An oldie, but a goodie...

his 30th

Isaac eating with friends at Daddy's 30th Birthday BBQ

bringing it to the surface

I realized with some friends this morning that I have serious insecurities and fears about having a girl. A couple of years ago, I would have thought the opposite would be true, since I grew up with 2 other sisters and never had a brother. Although I felt like a COMPLETE IDIOT for the way I was acting, I knew God was going to use it to show me somethings I didn't want to face. It's so funny how you pride yourself on the fact that God has done some great things in your life to make you more like Him, and then He again brings something to the surface to show you that you have much more work to do. Will I ever get to the place where I feel completely grown in God? I doubt it. But I don't want to shield Him from doing the surgery that needs to be done.

2 Corinthians 3:18
"But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord."