BOY oh BOY!

Last night while getting Lillie ready for bed, I told her she needed to go brush teeth and then give kisses and hugs to Daddy and Parker. After quickly brushing her teeth she darted out of the bathroom yelling down the hallway "Boyyysss... Hi my boyyyssss!!!" Not sure where she picked that up from but the term of endearment was quite cute and random.

I just love the little voices in our house!

Imitation is not always the best form of flattery

Lillie has finally stopped trying to pee while standing up! For those of you who have been following this blog, you know that Lillie wants to do EVERYTHING Parker does, including pottying. It definitely made things difficult and messy but she has been diaper free for 5 days now and has thankfully stopped trying to master an impossible skill for a girl.

Now if we can only get her to stop bugging us to wear Parker's Spiderman and Thomas underwear, we will be making incredible strides!

Definition of Spring...

For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;
the flowers appear on the earth;
the time of the singing of birds is come,
and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.
~Song of Solomon

~DOUBLE TROUBLE~

The language of Lillie

So, before bed the other night Trev and I were talking about what else? Our kids of course! The topic of Lillie and her not talking much came up (which it often does.) The girl can understand 12 point commands and can sign anything you ask her, but as far as really talking in sentences... not happening. I have my moments of thinking maybe something is wrong with her or she's not up to par but then I have more moments where I think, "She is a genious and just doesn't want to be too obvious about it"...

Like the next morning for example. Lillie, Parker and I were playing hide and seek. Parker wanted to hide first so Lillie and I went into the bathroom to count. Out of nowhere, she starts yelling... "Umo..dos..saas.." I was stunned! She hardly talks yet she has picked up Spanish!!! She counted all the way up to 7 and then finished 8, 9, 10 in English.

AMAZING! I will never underestimate my kids and their skills again. Even if Espanol is their language of choice! The element of suprise in parenting astounds me. I'm sure every mom out there has a similar story. I guess God created them that way so we would have something to laugh about and share heh?

ALL ABOARD!!!

an interpretive matter...

This morning while out for a run, Parker randomly exclaims, "Mom, I want to go sailing!" Sailing??? I was confused since first of all Parker has never been on a boat and secondly, I have never heard us call it sailing, probably boating or something like that. So, I said to him, "Hmm... sailing heh? Maybe someday. I don't know if we know anyone with a boat" He turns around to look at me with a really confused look on his face and goes,"A boat? What do we need a boat for? I'm talking about yard saling!"

haha... I have been laughing all morning about this one:)

never misses a beat.. i mean butt...

Today while on line at the grocery, the lady behind us dropped a box of jello near our cart. As she bent to pick it up, her position was such that her back was to Lillie who was innocently sitting in the cart. As she bent down, Lillie looked up and goes, "WHOA Mommy...Hiney!" and starts laughing. Luckily, the lady had a good sense of humor and was laughing pretty hard herself.

This is coming from a girl who says very little and still has a limited vocabulary but she sure doesn't miss a thing!

Dedication...

To the Mom's in my life:

My Mom: You are wonderful! You do know that don't you??? Thank you first and foremost for loving God and demonstrating it in your actions and words. For as long as I can remember your walk with Christ has been an example to me. Of all the legacies you can leave behind and pass down, that is the most important one.

Everyday I am impacted by something you taught me which in turn reminds me of the influence I have on Parker and Lillie. When I am making breakfast for us it is a direct result of what you taught me from early on (eat a hearty breakfast and your brain and body will thank you). When I am playing dolls with Lillie, I am in essence practicing the nurturing and love you showed to me. When I cook chicken parmesean for dinner, I can thank you for taking the time to teach me that scumptious recipe which my family is now the happy recipients of.

These are just a few examples of how you have impacted my life. I thank God for you each and everyday! I am more than blessed to call you MY MOM!

My Mom-in-law: Pam, you are wonderful too (you do know that don't you?) I may not have had you in my life for as long as my own mother but your impact is just as significant. When Trevis and I were dating he would talk so highly of you and say such great things about you that I knew early on you were pretty special but discovering it for myself has been such a gift. Mother in laws get such a bad rap and many people can list off a volume of characteristics and traits that they cannot stand in their MIL's. NOT me!!!!

You are kind,selfless, and sooo thoughtful. I can't even mention all the times you have given me little gifts to let me know I came to mind while you were out and about shopping. I love that whenever we come to visit you, you will do everything and anything to make sure our family is comfortable, happy, and VERY well accomodated.

Your gentle spirit is such a reflection of what a woman of God is and should be. Everyday when I look at Trevis and interact with him, I am reminded of the awesome influence you had on his life. He is thoughtful, loving, patient, kind, and selfless just like you. Even after all these years of not being under your daily provision, your role as his mother is still being played out and I am the blessed recipient of that gift! THANK YOU!


"God, I thank you for these awesome, amazing, terrific, and super woman you have blessed me with. May I NEVER EVER take them for granted and may my life be even half as glorifying to you as theirs is.

Thank you for giving me the precious, and yet daunting task of motherhood. May my life be a reflection of you in everything I say and do. My greatest heartfelt prayer is that my children will know you personally and love you with all their hearts! AMEN"

Race Day!

The kids and I ran our first 5k together this morning! We had a lot of fun and Parker cheered me on the whole time. At one point I was getting passed by several runners and was totally frustrated b/c you can only go as fast the stroller and Parker goes,"Mom, noone else has a stroller and you are going really fast with one." Then, with about a 1/2 mile left we hit a big hill and he spontaneously broke out in the sweetest prayer, "Dear Jesus.. make mommy go really fast up this hill and help her to finish first."

Okay, so it was a bit of a lofty prayer but soooo cute and thoughtful. I think this may be the start of a new weekend hobby for us:)

Tired!

Verbal Therapy

I'm tired. That's all you really need to know but I can elaborate since I'm in a kind of whiney sort of pity me mood and writing is therapeutic.

I'm tired of my husband waking up before the birds. I'm tired of my kids waking up with the birds. I am tired of taking 5 minute showers b/c Lillie has some kind of "accident" while there is shampoo in my hair and only 1/2 of one leg shaved. I am tired of our agents who tell me to keep my house "clean and ready" but yet only 2 people have looked at it in 4 weeks. I am tired of high gas prices that my van likes to eat up. I am tired of Lillie trying to pee standing up like Parker. I am tired of Parker trying to land a triple lutz with a perfect 10 dismount from his bunkbed. I am tired of cleaning up sand and dirt off my already ancient kitchen linoleum. I am tired of the birds building nests in the soffit by Lillie's room and then getting stuck in it and chirping in distress for hours and hours and scaring Lillie half to death at 2am. I am tired. Thankfully, God gives me the strength and energy to get thru each day minimally unscathed.

"...They that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with WINGS AS EAGLES; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Isaiah 40:31


As tired as I am, I am thankful. I am thankful for each new Spring morning that I can go running and each new evening to fold laundry and catch up on cleaning. I am thankful for my kids who bring me more joy than I ever imagined. I am thankful for Chuckie Cheeses that gives us good clean fun on a rainy day. I am thankful for a husband who works long hours and endures a long commute so I can be home with Parker and Lillie each day. I am thankful for good health and good health insurance when and if we need it. I am thankful for good friends who encourage me and are our family, especially when we don't have any close by. I am thankful for the car shopping carts at Kroger that make grocery shopping so much easier with kids. I am thankful.

My prayer: God,you are so faithful even when I am not. Thank you for the many many blessings in my life. If tiredness is the least of my problems than I am grateful and ashamed for even complaining about it. AMEN.