cousins camp!

Today was the first day of Cousins Camp 2009. (Can you count all 6 children in this picture???) Everything went great. The weather is beautiful so the older 4 kids spent most of the afternoon out back. Everyone ate well and now all five of the younger kids are sleeping! We're praying for a good night of sleep and hoping to hit the Lynden park tomorrow morning. And Uncle Luke and Aunt Kelly will join us tomorrow -- always a cousins camp highlight!!

toilet tag

My kids are just so darn creative! Have you ever heard of rainbow tag? Audrey played it somewhere and it's been a household favorite. Basically, when you get tagged, you bend over backwards like a rainbow until another free person crawls under you and then you can run again. My kids have modified it a bit. They play toilet tag. When tagged you crouch down like you're a toilet and put your hand up like it's the flushing handle. Once a free person flushes you, complete with sound effects of course, you are free to run again. Gotta love it!

funny

Mom - "Maybe we'll have Aunt Stef give Ethan his first haircut this weekend. It's getting pretty long."

Liam - "Yeah, and who could we get to cut his nails? They're pretty long too."

bliss

I love my job! We are having a great day. The sun is shining, the kids are playing happily, the house isn't driving me nuts, Ethan was only up twice last night so I feel rested, we got the weekly grocery shopping done this morning, the kids will all be napping/resting together so I'll get in my workouts AND get dinner prepped - LIFE IS GOOD. You know - it's going to be on one of these blissful days that I'm going to think that a fourth kid is a good idea.

inside looking out

Ethan loves to watch the kids play out back. He bangs on the window and yells at them. Although I'm sure he'd rather be chasing them! Won't be long...

full of blessings

This was a Sunday full of blessings for our family. Audrey and Patrick were both baptized! And Ethan was dedicated! And all the grandparents and Luke and Jee Young were here to celebrate this weekend with us. We love our family, we love our church family, we love our Pastor (who went way above and beyond to make all this happen for us today), and we just feel SO blessed. When Patrick and I look back at where we started together as a couple - and where we are today - there is no other explanation - GOD IS GOOD.

I love my family!

evening walks

Two summers ago my friend Kylie and I took tons of evening walks. We'd put the kids to bed and then we'd be out the door. It was wonderful! Last summer was a total wash b/c I was about to pop and then recovering. But this summer - we're back! And tonight was our first walk of the season. Felt great! I cannot think of a better way to wind down after a long day. Tonight Kylie mentioned something crazy about us running a half-marathon in September. Wait a minute - I'm not a runner!!! But who knows....35 years old, 3 kids - why not??? Maybe it'll be the first thing on my "New things I want to do before I turn 40" list.

Happy Easter! -- He is Risen Indeed!!

so good

God is so good. Guess where I was last night? A Good Friday service! Patrick got home earlier than he thought - 6:45. And he offered to put the boys to bed. So Audrey and I ran out of the house and made it to the 7:00 service at CTK. It was very nice. And it was a great opportunity to teach Audrey how God answers prayers. When I had told her yesterday afternoon that we could not go to a Good Friday service she was so disappointed she was in tears. So I told her to pray about it. To tell God how sad she was and how much she wanted to go. I had no idea Patrick would get off early. But either way, I want to teach her at an early age to pour her heart out to Him. Her joy and thanksgiving - along with her sadness and disappointment and fears. To pray specifically and out loud. And then to give Him all the glory. On the way home from church last night we thanked Him for our answer to prayer. And rejoiced in His goodness. Happy Easter weekend everyone!

my girl

So I think I'm done having more kids. No, I know I'm done. We're very content with three. But should it hurt - I mean physically pain in my chest, tears running down my cheeks, lump in my throat hurt - to pack up her old clothes to get rid of? So many of them hold such precious memories. Such pretty girlie clothes - the ruffles, and the lace and the pink, pink, pink. Some worn just once or twice. Some worn often. Just one girl? And it went so fast. She's six for goodness sake!

So is this normal? Or am I not as done as I think I am?? Do I take the bag to the consignment store today...or wait a little longer?

bummer...

Patrick just called to say he won't be home tonight until 8:00 or so - which means I'll miss the Good Friday service tonight. Just like I missed the Christmas Eve service for the same reason. I'm disappointed. One more thing to look forward to, I guess. When the kids are older I'll be able to go to these events even if Patrick cannot join us.

muscle man

on the mend

AMEN! Ethan is on the mend. He's feeling SOOOO much better. Little bit of coughing and a little bit of wheezing but his breathing has slowed down (it was so fast while he was sick) and he's mostly back to his usual self. So much so that I was exhausted keeping up with him yesterday. Seems like he's into everything. I've delayed putting up the gates because the big kids cannot get over them easily so it actually makes things harder. But anyway - we're so thankful Ethan is feeling better. Huge answer to prayer. Now if he would just remember how to sleep at night........

high school reunion

Patrick has his 20-year high school reunion this summer. We received a form to complete and return with various questions on it. His answers cracked me up so I thought I'd share.

Since graduation I have been: procreating
My highlight of the past 20 years has been: procreating
My favorite CHS memory is: not procreating
Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?: not procreating

were you there?

Audrey and a few other girls sang the hymn, "Were You There" in church today to celebrate Palm Sunday. They have been practicing for the last few weeks and did a great job. She does love being on stage...must get that from Daddy!

love the sunshine!

Isn't God so good to give us exactly what we need right when we need it?? Like the sunshine, for instance. The big kids are having a ball playing out back. And I'm getting some much-needed housework done while Ethan is napping. Having that sun shining through the windows is so nice. Just exactly the blessing I needed today.

sick, sick, sick

Will we ever be well again?? I was feeling so confident that we'd made it through this winter very healthy. Then a few weeks ago we got colds. And then another cold. And then another cold. But I kept telling myself - they're just colds. It could be so much worse. Well it apparently is worse. Ethan now has RSV. Which I guess is essentially just a cold - but in infants can be dangerous. He wheezes when he breathes and coughs a lot. It's scary to watch his exhausted little body try to breathe. At his Dr. appointment yesterday she said that if he gets much worse he would need to be admitted to the hospital. They could give him oxygen to help him breathe and IV fluids. But so far - we're ok at home. Just the thought of the hospital scares me to death. But so does watching him work so hard to breathe. On the positive side he's still nursing ok. And he has moments when he seems like his old self so that's encouraging. Please keep us in your prayers. I'm just ready for us to be healthy again!!!