Author name: hill

things you don’t often see at the dry cleaners…

no wonder they called to let us know that Lambie was ready to be picked up.

also, in honor of
{embrace the camera} challenge
here’s our shot of the day.
which includes me.
a tired
non-showered.
makeup free.
me.

L adores D
so.
very.
much.
it completely melts my heart.
i can’t wait for their relationship to
grow.
and grow.
and grow.
and, i hope that they don’t fight like D and K do.
they probably will though.

Sons are a heritage from the LORD,
children a reward from him.
Psalm 127:3

after a teensy more rest (okay, not really)
but we are praying that L’s sleep throughout the night improves
and his 5am wake-ups are just a
very.
short.
phase.
this week ended on a much better note than the post i left you with on thursday.

okay, now this is just weird. the kids and i were scooting home from an errand and i spotted a familiar figure at the bus stop right near our house. i pulled over, flipped on my emergency flashers and hopped out. the moment i saw her face, i broke down. she was the nurse who took such incredible care of our L in the PICU in december. we hugged and she told me that she was headed back to the PICU to bless some other family’s life. we haven’t run into anyone outside of the hospital who had cared for L until now it’s been two in one week? wild.

the weekend was spent celebrating with friends.
both of whom we have
prayed
and prayed
and prayed for.

on saturday, B and (with L) headed down to san diego for a baby shower. it was nearly a date. we had hours upon hours upon hours of uninterrupted time to talk while on the road. sounds like a nightmare to most men, right?
it probably was to B, too. but, on an average day it is nearly impossible to communicate a single word to each other unless all three children are sound asleep.
i only wish i was joking.
anyway, our sweet friends are due with their first child (unless of course you count three dogs as children… which my sister might). we were thrilled to celebrate such a happy occasion with them.

the next event was a first birthday party for the daughter of some dear friends.
after a long while of praying that they would be blessed with a baby, this little girl
(with some of the most beautiful eyes i have ever seen) was born with a hole in her heart.
she had surgery to close it when she was four months old.
this girl already has quite the story to tell.

i’ve been laughing a lot lately.
at my children.
to the point of crying.
it’s been wonderful.

one story is just too complicated and (a bit embarrassing) to share.
it involved D, a pair of my underwear and his bad short-term memory.
you’ll just have to take my word for it. it was absolutely hysterical.
i am giggling now just thinking about it.

another story is best shared with this photo:

K asked if she could fill up the water table, so B gave her the hose (always a dangerous move) and i stood at the back door laughing so hard at her attempt to fill up the table. she was patient and didn’t seem to be bothered that nearly zero water was actually getting into the table.

K singing one of her unique and beautiful songs.

L deciding my iphone was a good teether.
i don’t think so.

K washing her feet.
i suppose that’s one way to do it.

i best fold laundry tonight, or i know it will not get done this week
(until my parents come to visit on friday).

26. the blessing of dropping off two children at their grandparents’ house and leaving thirty seconds later
27. family time
28. quiet car rides (really, just without noisy, noisy children)
29. birthday cupcakes with some insane chocolate frosting
30. a brand new week

i am sure glad that i wasn’t trying to win a mother-of-the-year contest.
i would have been disqualified, today.
my hope is that tomorrow will
be new.
and fresh.
and different.
and nice.
is that too much to ask?
probably.
i’ll be sure to let you know.

but after a day like today, it’s so great to remind your children that
we are all sinners and that we all so desperately need Christ.
even mommy.

“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”
Romans 3:23

we haven’t been up to too much around here other than me being L’s personal teether while he nurses…

yeah, it’s been fun. real fun.
and yes, he does smile like that every single time he bites down.
he can cross those little teeth off of his Christmas list.

L is very particular.
and by very particular, i mean that he only wants me.
all.
the.
time.
if B feeds him his solids, it always takes forever. and, after blaming him on numerous occasions, i’ve now realized that it isn’t B’s fault. i’ve witnessed it and he does everything the same way i do. the other morning i (selfishly) took a shower and this is what i found when i got out…

and yes, L was still eating slowly.

really, anytime i am not holding him, this is the face that i see.
what a pout.

my little heart breaker.

and just so you know, we have plenty of gross stuff happening around here.
but, you’re going to just have to take my word for it.
never, and i repeat, never in those moments do i have an extra hand available to take photos, nor would anyone, and i repeat, anyone ever want to see such photos.

but, there are those moments that don’t need immediate assistance
(i.e. there aren’t any bodily fluids involved).

D said that this was my special surprise.
he hooked every hanger he could get his hands on to another hanger. every mom’s dream, right?
he was having such a good rest time, he didn’t even come out early once.
he said that he thought i would smile. he’s just lucky i decided to turn this into a photo moment and not get upset with him. next on the to-do list,
show D what a good surprise is.

fyi, when your child is upset over who-knows-what and won’t stop crying,
taking a photo of them doesn’t settle them down.
just in case you were wondering.
she must have known i would post this on my blog.

at two and a half, K has obviously perfected the whine.
the new thing that L has been working on in the speech category is perfecting his own whine.
oh well, i’ll take whatever i can get in regards to speech development.

and after mastering the back-to-tummy roll-over last week,

he is now a sitter!

B picked me up some of the most beautiful flowers i have ever seen.
peonies.
apparently, they’re really hard to find on the west coast.
i was amazed over and over again at the rate in which they bloomed.
they nearly became my favorite flower
(just like you, Annie O).
but then… they started to stink.
please tell me that that terrible smell is not normal with peonies.
please, please, please.

she’s still a toddler. doesn’t this photo just give it away?

my baby girl has grown up (just a little) today.
K got her very first haircut.
i had to get rid of the long hairs in the back
that were making her look a little mullety.
plus, there’s no business to this little gal. she’s only interested in partying.
she was afraid that the haircut would hurt so i asked D if haircuts hurt.
his reply: “yep.”
not helpful.
so, while she was filling up a bucket at the water table, i brushed her hair and
snuck in the cutting element of the haircut. when i was finished she had had no idea.
and, the fact that her hair is curly is totally on my side
because you will never know that it’s not straight.

doesn’t she just look a little more grown up?

21. K’s curly hair
22. a husband that doesn’t care that the house is in complete disrepair.
too often.
23. my weekly retreat tomorrow morning
24. Auntie B, who when asked if she wants to stay for dinner – doesn’t bat an eyelash when she ends up making the entire thing.
and yes, everyone needs their own Auntie B.
25. another great report from a doc (the endocrinologist this time)

it’s been seven years.
i honestly can’t believe it.
when i thought about my wedding this morning,
i had butterflies all over again.

i know that B is the man that God made especially for me.
he is the perfect match for me.
he is simply incredible.
his strengths are all of my weaknesses.
he turns my seat warmer on in the car
before i can even think that my tushy will be cold.
he can sense the moments when i am overwhelmed before i can.
he is a great listener.
he solves problems.
he is hysterical.
he cherishes me.
he leads me to Christ.

we have been through so much (especially in this last year).
sickness and health.
richness and poverty.
sadness and joy.
but most importantly, Jesus has become more vivid in our lives.
we have grown closer to Him through it all.
there’s no way that seven years ago
i would have imagined our life as we have it now.
life has changed so drastically since our wedding day.
we often think about our life, pre-kids.
the ease of doing whatever we wanted.
whenever we wanted.
the sleep.
oh, the sleep.
the peace and quiet.
but even though life was oh-so good back then,
i would never change it back.
life is oh-so good now.
and it’s much, much, much more full.

we did something really fun today.
something all together.
as one big family.
something together as a family of five.
and it was fun.
(which you know is sometimes rare.)

we all put on our converse,
(which nearly made B throw up in his mouth
as he’s not one for matchy-matchy cutesy stuff)

(and i nearly wept at nordstrom when i eyed these for L)
delicious.

and we headed to the Getty Villa for a simply lovely time.

while L was still in the NICU last summer,
my sweet friend, Britta
offered to take our family’s photos.
so today, on our seventh anniversary, she did.

and, one wild thing was that we ran into one of the nurse practitioners who took such great care of L when he was in the nicu.
and now she has a new little bundle of her own.

God is so good.
and i am blessed beyond measure.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Colossians 3:16-17

16. homemade bread (especially if it’s made by someone else)
17. a freshly bathed baby
18. spending time together as a family
19. spending time with just my husband
20. getting my photo taken

i’ve been running around like a wild momma
and now it’s time to get back into the normally chaotic swing of things.

good morning!

mother’s day was amazing.
i was so happy to not be in a hospital.
i have an entirely new appreciation for so many little tiny things.
and who doesn’t love a holiday?

here is a shot of all seven grandchildren
(and the mommas and the Grammy).
one child born every year since 2003.

we got a huge box filled to the brim of books from Grandma Pink.
nearly all are first editions and the kids have devoured
each.
and.
every.
last.
one.
a couple of them even adorn K’s first and last name
since she has an aunt with the same name.
we feel so blessed.
one of our new favorites has been read over and over and over.

nearly every single morning, my knight in shining armor gets up with little L who always wakes
much, much, much too early. i (somehow) was able to tear myself from my warm and cozy bed
once this week and the most incredible thing happened.
the sunshine slowly seeped into our house and hit my face at exactly 6:27am.
it was so nice to have the sunshine join us. it was as glorious as it sounds.
and no, i haven’t gotten up with him since that day.

B and i speak in code, when necessary.
we sometimes refer to each child by their numerical order in our family.
but, the other day D asked “who’s uno?”
he’s onto us.
we now say the numbers in japanese.
it should take him a little while to figure that one out.

my sweet sis, Aunt CC came into town from texas to visit for the weekend
and we were able to spend some great quality time with her.
here is L soaking up the extra attention.

K felt the need to give L mickey, babydoll’s blanket as well as a spoon and a fork.
we now have a new rule: do not give L silverware.
who would have thought it would have to come to this?

the only way that i can truly and honestly be fully present for the simple mundane moments of our daily life is if i have my act together. i am a planner by nature so if i don’t know what needs to happen next or what’s going to happen next, i have a very hard time enjoying the right now. i’ve tried many different tactics over the years but the one that seems to be the most effective for me is when i have a weekly retreat. when the week comes and goes and i haven’t had time away, time for me to grasp the bigger picture of what my focus needs to be on, i don’t function well. or at all. as my Bible study teacher says, “if you don’t come apart you will come apart.”

while i was gone, planning the week ahead today, D apparently said,
“boy, it sure is peaceful without mommy around.”
well, what can i say? i am a mover and shaker. i don’t do well just sitting around.

we love a good birthday celebration around here.
this week we were able to celebrate Grandad’s birthday.

D used the mixer while K timed him.

and K was in charge of putting the sprinkles on the green frosting.

of course, this book was read.

here’s to a blessed mother’s day.
what a special time to reflect on who i have not always been but who i have become.

i have learned so much from each of my three blessings.
for instance, D has taught me that anything and everything can and should be made into a craft.
he has also showed me that there is something funny about everything in life…
you just have to look for it.
K has taught me that every moment in life can be turned into a song and accompanied by a dance
and that every day is a cause for celebration.

this photo was taken today at my little brother’s college graduation!

L has taught me that i need to rely on God for every single breath that i take
and that joy only comes from the Lord.

at L’s mommy-and-me on friday he used paint for the very first time.
the PT asked me if he has ever painted before.
really? like i don’t have enough chaos in my house?
i looked her straight in the eye and asked her if that was a serious question.
apparently, it was.

we came back from our time outside and this sweet craft was waiting for me.
i nearly wept.

“for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
Nehemiah 8:10

i have been completely and utterly humbled by each one of my children.
they see me at my best and at my worst and they completely and utterly still love me.
just like God.

6. pomegranate limeade from tjs
7. our oven
8. flowers picked from our yard
9. eating outside
10. celebrating birthdays

amazingly, she did this all on her own.
and, i am loving this.


D was in quite a funk this afternoon.
B got him out of it by turning on one walkie-talkie and leaving it with D.
with the other, B went into a different room and pretended he was a
pilot flying the plane-couch where D was sitting.
worked like a charm.

does this even need any words?
i think not.

i am currently working on this and this for our summer.
and
something fabulously new:
giving thanks for a thousand graces.

1. lots and lots of toes
2. soaking up the sunshine
3. “tomack” aches due to too much laughter
4. the way that B can cheer any of us up in a flash
5. flip flop tans

we have kicked off the beginning of homemade ice cream season in our house.

(just in case any of you are nearby)
first stop: vanilla.

one of my favorite smells in the whole wide world is sunscreen.
lately, it has been wafting in and out of our house.

our lovely tree has provided so much entertainment.
it has been pretty windy here and we have all enjoyed watching the the newly grown bright green leaves being tossed around.

you know you haven’t gotten to the baby in time when you greet him post-nap and he is already playing with a toy.
which wasn’t in his crib before naptime.
i blame K.

the sunlight couldn’t keep from pouring its loveliness into our house.

“let your light shine before men,
that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
Matthew 5:16

i think that he and the turtle look strangely similar.
thanks, lala!

i’ll just let you guess who has been the stinker around our house daily.

here’s a funny story that had me laughing
all.
the.
live.
long.
day.

i couldn’t quite place why D’s shorts looked so strange to me.
they weren’t his shorts.
they weren’t K’s shorts.
then i figured it out.
they were L’s pants.
that D was wearing as shorts.
and yes, just in case you were wondering, i let him stay in them the rest of the day because really, what’s the point of creating more laundry?

one.
year.
ago.
today.
B and i took D and K to the ER because of their high fevers.
and
one.
year.
ago.
today.
i was wheeled into the labor and delivery department, all alone,
in a hospital i wasn’t planning on delivering in.
because i was in labor with L.
who had only been in my belly for 29 weeks.

how grateful i am that we are not there today.
and how grateful i am that the Lord has brought us through all of that.

i am committing to do this for my children
all.
month.
long.

“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'”
Jeremiah 29:11