just like arrows

I never thought that the person that I would have the most fun with in the whole world would be a 2 year old little boy. I'm sure it's mostly the pregnancy, but I am feeling extremely sentimental today. Isaac and I took a morning walk to find bugs, flowers and sticks (it's the only thing I can do right now to get his energy out without passing out), and I was watching him and thanking the Lord for placing him so strategically in my life.


Psalm 127:3,4
Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them!

be careful little mouth what you say....

So, it's official- Isaac is at the phase where he is repeating AND remembering everything he hears. Yesterday while we were at his Poppy's, he threw the ball in the pool and yelled "OH MY GOSH!" I looked at Chris and my jaw dropped. I have no idea who he got that from, but he wouldn't stop repeating it over and over. I was half laughing and half mortified. I guess this is God's little way of giving us a mirrored reflection of what others see on a daily basis in our own lives. Sometimes it's pretty and sometimes it's not. Either way, I am going to be thinking about the words I say a lot more carefully now.

WORTH IT ALL!!!

Sometimes as a mom, you wonder if what you do everyday really does make a difference. Isaac and I do devotions together every morning and then have a time of worship... this entails really just reading some Bible verses and then turning on a Hillsong Kid's DVD and jumping around for Jesus. It's my favorite time of day, but I've often wondered if he really was starting to understand the importance of spending time with Jesus, or if he would respond the same to the reading of "Cat and the Hat." This morning I put on our DVD and walked out of the room to do something... when I came back in this is what I found. When I asked him what he was doing, Isaac yelled "Praise Jesus!" It made everything worth it!

Just like Uncle Matt....

Recently every time I put on our worship music in the morning, Isaac runs and gets his guitar and yells "Matt, Matt!" Then he attempts to rocks out just like his Uncle Matt... so cute!

WOOD you?

A couple of months ago my cousin April and I were talking about pregnancy. She was telling me that she had heard of pregnant women craving in-edible things- for example, she knew of a lady that always wanted to smell and eat dirt. I was cracking up because I had never heard of anything so crazy, the only weird thing I wanted was to chew on ice. Until now.... I am craving WOOD! I want to buy a packet of those wooden coffee stirrers or even some Popsicle sticks and chew on them all day. What in the world? I could actually picture myself taking some bark off of a tree and chewing on it. What is happening to me? Please don't judge... I am just trying to survive this last month!

Joel and Steph... Take 2

Camp Cavell

Bragging Rights...

I know sometimes it can be annoying when family members brag on each other, but you will just have to excuse me this time. My parents are one of a kind... amazing, really. About 7-8 years ago, my mother went to a children's ministry conference and saw a booth on foster children... since then, it's been one of my parent's life missions to start and run a summer camp for abused, abandoned and neglected children. From that, Champions for Life Kids' Camp was birthed. This week they are on their 6th year of camp, running 2 weeks each summer with over 140 children and 200 volunteers, plus over 24 churches are involved each week. They are the kind of people who listen to the Lord and then simply do what He says. I am SO PROUD of them... really, so proud and humbled.

Ready for #2

Having Isaac and Alina together all day without a real nap helped me see what it will be like having 2 kids... can't wait!

Champions For Life

Yesterday Chris and I went up to set up for Champions For Life Kid's Camp. It's such a weird feeling leaving everyone up there excited to meet the kids... at this stage of my life I AM SO TORN! I couldn't wait to leave to go and see my baby, but it was hard to say goodbye, knowing my teens were up there ministering to an incredible group of children. I have a feeling this is how my life will be now... always wanting to be at 2 places at once. I do have to say that my swollen feet this morning helped me appreciate being home!

Champions For Life Kids' Camp

(While posting, I got a call from my mother at registration. Everything went perfect and they have all the kids loaded on the bus and ready to go... now I am bummed again!)

...at the ol' ball game.

Well, the rash came back and the fireworks were too loud for his brand new ears, but other than that, Chris said that Isaac enjoyed his first TIGER'S game with Daddy, Poppy and Uncle Matt.

ready for the weekend

Wednesday Night....
Fever all night
Thursday Morning...
Ear procedure
Friday Morning...
Crazy allergic reaction all over body
Friday Afternoon...
Steroids, Ear Drops, Benadryl, Allegra
It's been a pretty long week!

Psalm 103:1-5
Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Where do you get that "special medicine?"

We are now home from Isaac's "Bilateral Tympanostomy" where he got tubes put in his ears this morning. He was extremely nervous, but as you can see from the video, the nurse gave us some special medicine to help us calm our fears. The procedure went great and now we are enjoying juice and movies, and trying to find our balance when we walk. Thanks for your prayers!

Class Clown

I have no idea where this came from, but Isaac has been making funny faces at me all week! (I'm pretty sure one of his crazy aunts or uncles taught him how to do this) It cracks me up... unfortunately, it's usually when he is about to get disciplined.... boy, do they learn young! Now if I could only get him to do this when we brush his teeth, it would go a lot faster at nighttime!

Too many hormones!!!

I don't know what it is about this pregnancy that is making me more emotional than last time... maybe it's because I'm having a girl and am lacking all the testosterone Isaac gave me with my last pregnancy. Either way, I am good 85% of the time, but every once in awhile I become emotionally unstable and laugh and cry at the same time. Chris cracks up.

This morning I made myself some coffee and then toasted some bagels for Isaac and myself. The smell of the combination made me remember going up north to my grandparents cottage in Gladwin. EVERY morning I would wake up to those smells, and see my grandparents reading the newspaper at the kitchen table. My mom was either talking with them sipping her coffee, or outside reading her Bible with my dad by the lake. Man... I really miss those days, and I really miss my Nonne and Papa!

The eyes of a toddler...

Like I said earlier, Isaac has an old digital camera that he's been playing with lately... I thought it would be interesting to see life thru the eyes of a 2-year-old. This is what we found... well, at least the ones that actually had objects and people in them. Granted, they aren't the most flattering pictures we've ever seen, but it must be the things that interest him.

"I want Poppy's hamma!"

I was nervous when Chris set up a TOY TOOL BENCH SET for Isaac last year that Matt and Nina got for him for Christmas, because it said for ages 4 and up.... little did I know that he would be playing with real tools at age 2! Like father, like son... I guess.

Good Ol' Bunk Family

In cleaning out our closet, we found an old HSN digital camera that mom gave us a couple years ago. We gave it to Isaac this morning to play with and found these pictures stashed away on the memory card. Not sure when they were taken, but we have all changed QUITE A BIT! The Bunk family has been together a looooooong time!

PINK!

In complete contradiction to his cousin Maddy... Isaac isn't quite sure what the color pink is. This weekend of the 4th is the perfect time for us to get our house in order and start on our baby's room. I laid out some of the stuff we have for our baby girl and Isaac didn't know what to do. On the other hand, I am SO enjoying the pinks, reds and purples. I didn't know how much I missed them until today!

Isaac's 1st Job

Aunt Linda just stopped by to drop off our new babysitting job... fishies! Although we are very bummed to not be going to New York with everyone, we are very excited to be able to feed our little fish every morning. I haven't been able to pry Isaac away from starring at them. Thank you Aunt Linda!!!