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i wish this were an april fool’s joke.

but it’s not.
by the way, how stinking cute is that little belly?
we had to do that with her shirt so that it didn’t have to be cut off later.

a salter one fracture (a growth plate wrist fracture).
it was the strangest thing. K was trying to “swing” on our arms this morning and none of us complied. so, she grabbed onto a hand and twisted herself around, which led to immediate tears that just
would
not
stop.
so, to the pediatrician’s office we headed.

from there, we were sent to the orthopedic surgeon’s.
here she is getting x-rays like a champ.

after everything we’ve been through with L, this cast thing was no big deal. only two and a half hours later and we were back home. compare that to a quick “sick visit” with the doctor for L, which turned into a nine day stay in the hospital. in the words of Katherine Wolf’s husband, Jay “it takes a lot to scare us these days.”

as we were sitting in the orthopedic surgeon’s office, i was thinking about how great B and i are for each other. like they say in the movie the graduate, we
“make a good team.”
he has the strengths that perfectly compliment my weaknesses.

she’ll just have to have this perfectly pink accessory for three weeks.
no biggie.

it’s funny too, because this morning i not only felt this immense love for my kiddos, but i relished in it. it wasn’t one of those mornings where we were rushing around so quickly that i wouldn’t have realized i hadn’t eaten breakfast or brushed my teeth until we were long gone from home. maybe it was because we didn’t have PT for L this morning. or maybe it was my innate desire coming through to really just be.
to be in the moment.
the other day, i had even put on my to do list “be present.”
this morning was filled with so much peace.
so much love.
it was so calm.
it was so beautiful.
it was so lovely.
the fog is being lifted and it feels amazing.
colors are brighter.
and life is more joyful.

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

thank goodness my parents were able to hang with the boys while B and i got in some good quality time (is that what it counts as?) with K.

in other news, we were able to visit the cousins this week.
it had been a long time coming (months since we’ve seen them) and boy was it great.

here are the only two girls (out of seven cousins). with that curly hair they look so much alike and luckily both of their favorite colors are pink.

just cooking up some dinner.

between B’s sister’s family and us, we’ve had an unspoken deal
(okay, not really but it sure does seem that way)
to have a child
every
single
year
since 2003.
we aren’t planning on a 2010 baby but maybe they are??? we haven’t heard yet.
i’ll be sure to let you know.

right after this photo was taken, the little one on the left crashed onto the floor. weird because he looks so happy that K is holding onto him.

oh, trader joe’s. how we love you so. you are the only errand where my children cheer when they hear we are coming to visit you. even though you give my children way too many stickers at each visit and they somehow end up everywhere, including on the baby’s foot, we are grateful for the peaceful (well, not always) and fun shopping experiences you provide us with.

hope this year’s april first will be the only memorable one for us.

it’s been a while.

much too long.
we’ve been busy.

it got all hot and steamy in the kitchen…
when i was cooking broccoli for L.

visiting Uncle S at my alma mater.

i told D and K that we were going on an errand to pick up a little surprise.
D said “well, you can tell me what it is because i am like your brother…”
right.
the big kids each got a set of (plastic) golf clubs and what did little L get?
some ointment for his neck.
yep, that sounds about fair.

the biggest dolly babe.

gotta love that hair.

the cars are all lined up according to color.

and he sure does.

just
about
sitting

knocking it in for a birdie.

it is always a good idea to use your driver on the green.

we did a little gardening today. i suppose that’s what you would call it.
i hope that it will turn out like this, but i’m not so certain because i am not blessed in the gardening department. it’s probably because i can’t handle
one
more
thing
to take care of right now.

just doing a little research for the new book (not about Tiger).

here’s to more of these gorgeous afternoons.

look at my boys.

aaaah, how i love them so.

as i was in the middle of eating my lunch, i noticed that the fridge door was wide open. the worst part was that there wasn’t a soul around to blame.

D snuck in a short nap yesterday. i tried everything to get him up but, the only thing that worked was to invite him to have cookies and milk with me.
worked like a charm, of course.

how can PT be so bad when you can work on pulling yourself up using a box of trains?
unfortunately, L doesn’t want to learn how to pull himself up
and he has no idea how fun toy trains are.

how fabulous that this flower matches the bowl so perfectly.
springtime, we welcome you.

every afternoon i love seeing what will be reflected on our glossy ceiling.

what makes a haircut in the backyard go famously?
goggles.
thanks a million, L.F.!

this morning, when my parents got to our house to
watch L while we went to our Bible class, D said to them,
“you have to come into my mom and dad’s bedroom to see what my mom did!”
they each followed.
“she made the bed!”
well, there goes any attempt to convince my parents that i make the bed every day.
and for the record, i rarely make it, okay?
the choice is usually between getting dressed and making the bed.

i’m not perfect.
nothing close to it.

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

my braided little girlie with her tea party set.
yesterday, she woke up much too early from her nap. all she wanted was for me to do “piggies” (pig tails) in her hair. i did her hair and then she cried and cried and cried and i suggested she go back to bed. which she did for two hours.
with her new hairdo.

i have just reorganized my fridge for the sixth time in the last month. the big issue for me always is where to put the milk, because we are big milk drinkers. i think i have found the winning combination, but that’s usually how i feel when i’m done. i know you’re all dying to know how it turns out, so i’ll keep you updated.

a couple of days ago, we visited a mall nearby that had recently been redone. we had such a marvelous time climbing (myself included) on all of this fun art. i think that’s what you would call these things.

we were
@
the mall.

it was nice to have a little rest before we finished shopping.

i said to D, “remember when you were little and we’d read this book and you’d say
‘will you go to the moon with me, mommy?'”
in which K responded, “and you’d say NO!”
maybe i have been saying no a lot lately.
but, i would definitely not say no to going to the moon.
i promise you that.

when i met B i was so self-disciplined.
probably too self-disciplined if that’s even possible.
nearly seven years of marriage and three children later, i am not very self-disciplined.
maybe it’s the sleep-deprivation but more likely it’s
pure laziness.

but now, now i feel as if i’m finally headed in the right direction. as i mentioned a week ago, it is time for me to get back in shape from having L. yes, i have only been at it for two days but that means that it has been two whole days of discipline. and it feels so good. doesn’t obedience always feel great? you know it and i know it. but why do i so easily forget that?
it’s plain and simple:
i am weak.
we all are weak.
i feel so motivated to be self-disciplined not just in relation to working out but about so many other things as well.
but now, thanks to the wii we got for Christmas, i am getting strong. and do you want to know something really sad?
my arms are sore.
so sore.
from doing the rhythm parade.
now, that is pathetic.
just be sure to check in with me in a week to see how i feel then

She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Proverbs 31:27

warning:
this post has way too many photos. it’s because it’s been days and days since i’ve last posted. this week we all came down with colds (except for D probably because he’s about as germaphobic as his momma). we are all on the mend but are oh-so worn out.

something needs to come off.

yep, i too was thinking the shorts were the problem.
he is the epitome of cool.

ahh… those eyelashes.

monkey slippers.

on the phone with GramMary’s dog.
obviously.

handsome.
handsome.
handsome.

Great Uncle Davey making L laugh.

Great Grammy and the little man.

my little pink bunny rabbit. i couldn’t be more thrilled that she wanted her face painted. D was not interested at all but then when it was time to leave, he decided he would in fact get his face painted. with what you ask?
a big black spider.
on each cheek.

watching the egg hunt with Great Gram.

the goods from the “egg hunt” which in actuality were just plastic eggs thrown on the lawn. it was really more of a race.

D on the pony.
he made it three times around before telling the nice woman that he was done.
the truth is that after one time around he told us that he was done and we told him that he’d have to tell the lady. it took him two more times around to get the guts to tell her he was finished. but, this was huge that he’d even get on the pony.

K on the other hand rode and rode and rode and then when it was time to get off, we got back in line. we also pet the ponies as they went back into their trailer and then waved to them on our way back to Papa and GramMary’s house.

in line to ride the fire truck.

instead of actually going in the bounce house (because it had “too much bounce”)
he and Aunt WW read the rules.
like ten times.

D was so helpful and got a snack for he and K this morning. it’s brief (very brief) moments like these that makes me want a dog.

we bought a new step stool at ikea. the kids helped me put it together this morning. i think i’ll have blisters from the allen wrench but it’s totally worth the awesome bragging rights. i’m totally joking. i was just impatient for B to get home and build it. it easily took me at least three times as long to build as it would have for him.
but he wouldn’t have had to factor in nursing a baby.

story time before bed tonight.
oh curious george, why oh why do you have to be so mischievous?

the other night after the big kids were both in bed, D asked:
“what do 100 fives make?”
“how do you make an ‘n’ with your body?”
“how big is the earth?”
goodnight!

today was not one of those days where i felt like i could cry at any moment.
and i’m talking about one of those weeping, ugly, bawling, hard cries.

no, that was yesterday.
a little over two weeks since we’ve been out of hibernation
and L has caught his first cold. it’s not RSV
(but our pediatrician has warned me that it is going around again. yuck.).

i didn’t want to cry because he had a cold. it’s inevitable that he’ll be sick at some point or another. i wanted to cry because it is just so hard when he does have a little cold. those little colds are just so different for him. hearing his congested nose immediately took me back to the hospital stay in december. i was the one holding him when he got upset which turned into a breath-holding spell which turned into a marathon breath-holding spell which turned into being unconscious which turned into a code blue. i saw him silently cry and then wait too long to take a breath. and then when he tried, he just couldn’t.
but last night, he took a breath.
and for that i am thankful to God.

even though he doesn’t have low-immunity, since he was on the vent at birth, he is more susceptible to having respiratory issues. and when a cold hits him, it hits him hard.
when he’s sick, i get anxious.
i get anxious that i’ll have to do CPR on him.
i get anxious that we’ll have to go back into the hospital.
i get anxious that he’ll just stop breathing.
i get anxious that we’ll lose him.

but, the Bible is clear that i should not be anxious.
it is very clear.
the Bible tells us what we should do with that anxiousness.
and without that guidance, i don’t know how i would continue.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition,
with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7

yesterday was hard. after not sleeping nearly all night long, as i was too busy turning all of that anxiety into prayers, i was a mess. this is how much of a mess i was.
D watched two movies while i tried to sleep. but, it was one of those times where i felt like my heart and brain were in a race to see who could run the fastest.
i think it was a tie.
and, the first movie i let D watch was peter pan, which unfortunately was a bad choice because it has a lot of physical comedy in it. too much, perhaps.
which only means that D laughed furiously for 45 minutes straight.
what mother can nap through something that joyful?

to help me get through the morning,
B had a brilliant idea to have a scavenger hunt outside.

D crossed every single thing off that list and

K helped gather each item.

she waited patiently while D checked and double checked to make sure that all of the items were found. including something that had a picture of elmo on it.

i’m not sure i have ever seen this face before.
but it is fantastic.

peeking out of the hooter hider.

L improved last night which meant that we all got a little more sleep.
so, today.
today was much different.
today was much better.
and, today was st. patrick’s day.

we made shamrock prints with potatoes.
we learned all about how st. patrick witnessed about Jesus using a clover.

today, K was nearly pinched all day long for not wearing green. but you know what? she looks better in pink anyway.

we made green lemonade. and i of course regretted that decision nearly four minutes after i handed a cup diluted with water to D. boy, was he was hyper!

i just can’t imagine.
absolutely cannot imagine what i would do without my faith in Jesus.
my hope in Jesus.
i would be so alone and distraught and in control.
and i don’t want to be in control.
i am thankful that i am not in control.

spring has sprung!

yep, that’s what a successful mealtime looks like in our house.

we got to go up and visit Grammy yesterday. it was such fun to have a wonderful visit as well as a delicious dinner prepared for us (and cleaned up too!).

it was
completely
gorgeous
outside
today.
the big kids played outside for hours, painted and even had a picnic lunch.
there was a lovely breeze flowing though the house and i heard birds chirping and
smelled the sweet scent of night jasmine (B and my absolute favorite)
wafting through the open windows.

one of my little artists.

i told myself (and everyone) that i wouldn’t start working out since having L until his sleep got better (because that meant that my sleep would get better).
well folks, that time has finally come! i am proud to announce that he only woke one time last night. but, that also means that it’s time for me to get fit. i was trying to explain my workout plan to B last night, but he had a hard time understanding me because of the thin mints in my mouth.

D and i built forts with his wooden blocks this afternoon. even though his uncle proudly serves in the army, D’s army guys are the bad guys.
it’s because, apparently they are from a different country.

B took the big kids on a run today. God bless him. L was sleeping and i relished in the
absolute
silence
of the house.
there wasn’t so loud as a peep made. i spent the time prepping for dinner and breakfast while cleaning my kitchen sink. i mean really cleaning it. flylady says “shine your sink!” i used to work in a house where after we used the sink we’d have to wipe it out with a paper towel so that there wouldn’t be any water left in the sink.
yes, the sink in which its sole function is to have water flowing through it.

tonight, B and i got our taxes in order. i am in charge of any and all medical expenses and thankfully, B does everything else. it was tough, really tough remembering so vividly what went on last year. not just the hospital stays but the unbelievable amount of doctor’s visits we had to go to.
just from october and november, L had eight appointments.
and it wasn’t only going to the doctor’s that was hard.
it was what they would tell me.
the things that no mother
ever.
ever.
wants to hear.
but, i can now see that so many things they told me so matter-of-factly,
haven’t happened. and they probably never will.
it has taken quite a while but i have finally started to not worry about such things.
our only job is to be faithful to the Lord who cares for us like no other.
be faithful under every circumstance.

As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him,
“Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus,
“but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.”
John 9:1-3

watching tv yesterday morning.
all of these buddies are so important to these kids yet when bedtime rolls around, they have no idea where they have last put them. once each and every one of them are found, the seven-minute (if we’re lucky) routine of setting them up perfectly
in each of their beds begins.

“i want to eat an elephant!” K says.
after much conversing, i discovered that apparently that meant that she wanted to eat her o’s and milk
in
the elephant cup.

my little love bug.
Praise God.
after months and months and months and months (i wish i were joking) of dealing with the state (i.e. fighting for every single thing imaginable) we’ve
f i n a l l y
been accepted into a wonderful mommy-and-me program that will be just perfect for our sweet little guy. i cannot wait to start.

just working on his sitting in the bathtub in the family room.

in her new pack ‘n play that is the perfect size for baby doll.
and for her, i suppose.

this afternoon, B and i took the kids to toys r us. it was wild.
it was the complete opposite of hibernation.
here are the kids in their first cadillac. the craziest thing about this car is that the radio worked. either that or NPR is a standard feature (i can’t take credit for that… it was B’s joke).

in the past, both B’s uncle and my uncle and have been put in intensive care units
from motorcycle accidents.
so because of that,
every
single
time
we see a motorcycle, we say “motorcycles are dangerous.” my hope is that the thousand and thousand of times over the years that my children hear this will form a subconscious message in their brains that motorcycles are dangerous.

as you can see, it’s totally working.
and yes, she is making motorcycle noises.
her first boyfriend is going to ride a motorcycle. i just know it.

the reflection of the sun going down on the rear window of the car.
what a beautiful day it was.