A Simple Life

Surprise Baby #3 is a...

2012-02-08T20:19:00.003-05:00

BOY!!!

My first thought when I saw our little boy was "oh, he looks different than Eli". Of course he does, but it makes me excited to see him in person in a few short months.

So on to the story of our ultrasound.
Alison was up bright and early, ready for the day. Nana and Granddaddy are visiting and were waiting for her with a heart shaped donut. Eli on the other hand slept until it was time to leave for the appointment. I got him up, dressed and was getting him some milk when he threw up. We all stood there in shock, not sure what to do. I started crying because my poor boy was sick (he's never thrown up) and I didn't want to leave him. I was also stressed because we needed to leave, but didn't know what to do and I was covered in throw up. After a quick clean up, we jumped in the car to take Alison to a friend's and thought we would just attempt to take Eli with us. I knew there were a lot of people praying for us that morning, and I'm so thankful they were...because God provided a wonderful friend to take care of my kids at a time I needed it most. My sweet friend graciously loved on my potentially flu infected son and it was such a wonderful feeling knowing he was being taken care. I was able to relax and enjoy seeing son #2. Eli must have just choked on some congestion, because he never showed another sign of any illness-Praise the Lord! She even made Valentine's Day cards and cookies with them! What a precious gift friends are.
Even after the chaos of the morning, we made it to the appointment on time. I cheated this time around and didn't follow the "drink lots of water and don't go to the bathroom" instructions. I still had to go to the bathroom and was STARVING by the time we got into the ultrasound. The technician put the wand to my belly and before I could even see the baby, Ben announced that he knew what it was. SERIOUSLY?! I said, "Well, it must be a boy if you can already tell". The technician laughed and said he was right. And then she asked if he was a doctor. This has happened every.single.time. we've had an ultrasound. I don't understand how he does it! I could barely make out that it was a baby and he already knows the sex. The technician looked over a couple of things, but she quickly got stuck at looking at the heart and spent, what seemed like forever, analyzing the heart. She found 3 calcification points on the heart. Everything seems to be functioning fine and the size of the heart is normal, but she said 3 points is unusual. Usually she'll see 1 or 2 in conjunction with other "markers" for Down's, but our baby doesn't have any other "markers", just 3 spots. She also said that in her experience it really doesn't mean anything and that it could just be how the baby is positioned and the ultrasound machine is seeing the heart. She had a doctor come in and look at it...both seemed not overly concerned, but thought we should see a specialists just to make sure. As strange as it sounds, I knew this was coming. We went through a similar situation with Eli and it seems like nothing in a child's life can go without extreme scrutiny. I feel good about the health of our baby; I know that he is fearfully and wonderfully made and God is sovereign over all things, even 3 dots on his heart. I am, however, upset that we have to go through the stress of tests and expensive appointments.

Speaking of stress, now he have to name another son.
Rule #1: he will only have ONE name...there will be no nicknames or shortenings! And as I thought about this, I realized that I am the only one that calls Eli, Eli. So I guess this rule is really for myself.
We had a great girl name and I'm slightly, okay really, disappointed we won't be able to use it. Why, oh why, can't boy names be easy for us?!
Alison is calling the baby Charlie. Do you know why? Guess what she watched at Miss Ashley's house while we were at the doctor? That's right. Charlie Brown. Sorry, Alison. 'Charlie' breaks Rule #1.

Tid Bits

2012-02-05T22:01:00.003-05:00

We find out if the baby is a boy or girl in the morning. I feel oddly content not knowing. I'm excited to see the baby and make sure everything is healthy, but I think I could wait until he/she is born to find out the gender. I don't have any strong feelings what it is, but I'm leaning towards boy.
Alison told Ben the other day that she needed to get her "cutie" sleep and that nobody believes she's a real princess.
Eli's new nickname is 'Rocket'...thanks to his big sis. Ben has started calling Alison 'Ship'.

5 Months

2012-02-04T14:18:00.003-05:00

20 weeks

I'm exhausted and starving all. the. time.
So much so that I'm often irrational when it comes to food. I almost left church on Sunday because I was THAT hungry. Ben has cooked from scratch, every single one of my cravings. One night he made white chocolate/peanut butter granola bars...I almost had a tantrum when he said I had to wait 2 hours to let them set. I would say it's safe to say that I'm in the "I'm hungry and I need it NOW!" stage of pregnancy.
Some nights I've fallen asleep before Alison...and she goes to bed at 7:30. I keep wondering how this exhaustion is different than sleep deprivation. It doesn't really seem fair that women have to be tired for so many years of their life.

The baby is moving a lot and Ben felt his first kick a few nights ago.

I'm carrying very low, just like I have with my other 2 pregnancies.

I've heard about a million times this week, "You barely look pregnant!". I assured them all to just wait a couple of weeks and they'll be saying, "Wow! You're huge!".

Alison asks every day when the baby is coming and she's very excited about finding out whether it's a brother or sister. Ben has settled with her that if she doesn't get a real baby sister, that she can have an American Girl sister. She seems to be satisfied with that compromise.

Alison thought she needed a belly picture too.

Happy 1/2 Birthday Alison!

2012-02-01T13:29:00.002-05:00

My princess is 4 1/2!

The weather was beautiful and we headed to the park for a picnic.

I really should end the half birthday celebration, because it just gets confusing for them as they get older. And I confess that the mini cupcakes were a last minute result of a smidge of cake batter I had left over and some icing left from Christmas. Add some princess sprinkles, make a pink smoothie and Viola! you have the perfect 1/2 birthday party celebration.

We sang and ate and Alison kept saying, "This is the BEST 1/2 birthday ever!!!".
The smile on her face made it all worth it.
We'll end 1/2 birthday's some day...but for now I think it's a pretty good excuse to have some cupcakes.

Favorite things

2012-01-29T16:06:00.001-05:00

Elmo has been added to Eli's "favorite" list.
Is it sad that he LOVES this vacuum? He will even hold it sometimes while we read books.

Everyone loves story time. Even the cats.
Although, it's starting to get a little ridiculous.
This particular day I was doing Alison's reading lesson with her.
She was being goofy, Eli was repeating everything she said, and Smoochie was just trying to catch some snuggles.

Our Patient

2012-01-25T13:15:00.002-05:00

Ben had his wisdom teeth removed Monday morning. I confess I was excited to hear him say some funny things while coming out of anesthesia (and even had the video camera ready), but he didn't say anything out of the ordinary. He was very concerned how his surgery went and what his instructions were, and would absolutely not let me get him anything on the way home. I did think it was funny that he doesn't remember anything until we got home.

And this is where he (and the cats) spent the rest of the day.

I expected him to eat way more milkshakes and smoothies, but he's been recovering nicely. And I am totally getting a good dose of what he feels like while I'm pregnant:
Sitting in the waiting room, anxious, but there's nothing you can do.
Feeling terrible that your loved one is in pain, but know it's for the best.
Trying to get him to eat something, but he doesn't want it.

He's still a little loopy, but it's been fun to be able to take care of him. It's the least I can do after the months he's taken care of me.

18 Weeks

2012-01-20T21:07:00.002-05:00

I had a doctor's appointment this week:

Blood pressure, good.
Baby's heart rate: 155.
Weight gain so far: 6 lbs. The doctor commented, "Wow! You did really good over the Holiday's". Yeah, it's easy to do when you spend them throwing up.

I attempted to take Flintstone Vitamins again this week, however, it was a failed mission. The Dr. prescribed a prenatal that I can dissolve in applesauce, but I've yet to attempt it. Folic Acid is my one true friend right now.
I felt the baby's first real kick tonight. It startled me, but was thrilling all the same.
I was able to saute garlic and onion tonight without throwing up for the first time in 4 months!
I officially feel pregnant. Ben says people still probably can't even tell, but I feel enormous.

Just Can't Get Enough

2012-01-19T07:44:00.002-05:00

I LOVE hearing Eli say this!

One Smart Cookie!

2012-01-17T18:42:00.002-05:00

I am so proud of this little girl.
Yesterday Ben and I poked our heads in our her during quiet time to find her laying on her bed drawing on the magnadoodle. We thought it was sweet how she was quietly drawing.
Later that night, we were picking up the house and as I handed her the magnadoodle to be put away I noticed their were actual words written on it.
She said she was making a sign that said, "NO CATS ALLOWED" but 'allowed' didn't fit on the board. I was really impressed. Minus the 'no' being backwards, she actually figured out how to write "no cats" all by herself.
She's too smart for me.

Life Giving

2012-01-16T21:10:00.003-05:00

Our road is getting easier, but I've still found it challenging. Though pregnancy sickness has gotten better, we've been battling colds for the last several weeks and in a short week, Ben will have his wisdom teeth removed. It seems like it's been months since we've all be healthy and fully functioning. Yes, life has been different and instead of bustling around, we've been home A LOT (and a majority of the time still in pj's).

This time has made me really see behaviors and attitudes my kids have and left me questioning how to parent them. However, this time has been a great learning time for me. Ben said it perfectly in his last sermon, "What is your first response when a problem arises? Is it to turn to yourself and worry? Or is it to turn to God and PRAY?" I've thought about this so many times. When Eli throws himself on the floor, screaming "NO!", do I exasperatedly sigh and give in? Or do I pray for him and for wisdom? When Alison has been crying for 30 minutes because her panties feel bubbly, do I scream at her to just buck up and get dressed already? Or do I pray for patience and understanding?

A friend passed this along to me one morning and it was changing for me. The facts are that:

God called me to be their mom. He designed me for them and individually crafted me to my specific children.
When God calls, He equips. He doesn't leave me...He's given me His Spirit and His Word and has equipped me to train my children to glorify Him.
I need His vision to see my children like He sees them and to see their hearts, not just their actions.
Today will soon be gone and this stage my kids are in won't last forever...tomorrow it will be something new that I will still need His grace and wisdom on.
Every moment has purpose. No moment is apart from His ultimate sovereign ordaining. So even in "my panties are bubbly" whining, sobbing moments, there is a purpose and an opportunity to share Christ.
His word is living and active. I can't change my kids' hearts, but He can. I can plant the seeds and He will bring the increase.
My actions and words impact my kids greatly! If my thoughts bless and honor God, then my words will bless and honor God, and in turn my children. Pray that I would think life-giving thoughts and would speak life-giving words to my kids.

All this to say, I hope others find this encouraging too. I have been so blessed the past few weeks as I've PRAYED first and have seen the Lord provide the patience and wisdom that I've needed.

I can see this long time of sickness now as a blessing. Alright, I AM ready for the snot to be gone, but it has blessed me more than months of health would. I've fallen more in love with my kids and grown closer to my Savior...nothing can replace that.

Simon Says

2012-01-11T13:54:00.002-05:00

Eating with a Monkey

2012-01-11T13:47:00.005-05:00

A meal with Eli is never boring.
He has a pretty good appetite, but sometimes we struggle with getting him to have an appetite for healthy food.
This particular day, he just wanted to eat chips...or as he calls them, bips.
After finishing his corn, I let him have at it with the chips and dip.
He was one happy camper!

Ben is always able to persuade him to eat his healthy food, but when Daddy's at work, sometimes it takes turning eating peas into a game.
Who knew peas were so funny?

And then there are days that he just can't get enough healthy food.
Especially when it's disguised in a Dora cup.

4 Months

2012-01-09T08:13:00.003-05:00

I am happy to report that I haven't been sick in one whole week. HURRAY!!!
I've found that if I drink enough water, I don't feel sick. And if I start not feeling good, I just down a couple glass of water and I'm much better. I wish I would have known that a long time ago.

I've started to feel little baby movements and am anxious for the big kicks (it always eases my mind that everything is okay). My appetite has returned, but seem to be neutral to cravings/aversions.

People still can't really tell I'm pregnant and most days I just feel like I have a large fat roll. I have a feeling that the fat roll will "pop" soon though because the dreaded hip pains have begun.

I'm still teaching at the Y and only had a take a week off after the whole near passing out episode. Looking back over the last 4 months, I'm not sure how I continued teaching through all the sickness, but I'm so thankful that I pushed through. I have a sub lined up to take over at any time that I decide I'm done, but for now I'm enjoying the challenge. Last week my good friend came to class and she told me afterwards, "I'm so thankful you are my friend, or I would have been thinking some really mean thoughts about you." I took it as a high complement. I often worry that my class has become too easy since being pregnant, but it was good affirmation that I still have it!

That's my kids...

2011-12-31T14:13:00.003-05:00

Eli is constantly into something...literally.
Yesterday he got stuck in the kitty cube. I heard him hollering, "HELP! HELP!" and found this:

Alison is constantly talking.
On the way to the grocery store this morning, out of the blue, she asked me when she could get a tattoo! What?! I told her never because God made her beautiful just the way she was and she didn't need to change a single thing. I asked her why she was thinking about tattoos (I don't even know how she knows about tattoos!), and she said, "They're just so pretty".

Last night Ben was giving the kids a bath and he made a comment about how great brothers are to Alison. Then he said, "maybe you"ll have TWO brothers!" Alison said, "NO! I'm having a sister." Ben asked her how she knew the baby was a girl and she said, "I just decided I wanted a sister, and here she is!". Ben asked her what she was going to do if the baby wasn't a girl. She said, "Well, then I lost my chance."

Day after Christmas

2011-12-31T13:47:00.002-05:00

The day after Christmas, we stayed in our pj's pretty much all day, sipping tea and relaxing. Ben and I put together my Christmas puzzle and watched Elf.

The kids played with all their new toys and played songs together on the piano.

It was good to enjoy a little more Christmas, especially on a day that I wasn't feeling so sick. All the rest gave us just enough energy to put away all the decorations and get the house cleaned the following day.

Christmas Day, 2011

2011-12-29T14:13:00.005-05:00

Alison and I were up at 6 am. We watched Alvin and the Chipmunks Christmas Movie until the boys got up at 7. We opened stockings and I have never seen a little boy so excited about a sock full of food. He was so happy that the whole day, there was food everywhere! His hands were constantly full of some goody.

We opened presents and ate tea pastries. Ben and I were surprised we actually finished before church...the grandparents went a little overboard.

Ben won this Barbie guitar at his Youth Group white elephant gift exchange. It was the first toy the kids have fought over. I'm just impressed we've made it this far without fighting and it's kind of funny how much Eli wants that Barbie guitar. Alison was pretty funny when she opened it. Amongst the excitement, she said, "Daddy! Now I can play with you at church!" I'm excited to see her play and I love how the cheapest (or free) gifts are the ones they love the most.

We survived church. Honestly, I was feeling horrible all day and barely made it through church. And while we're being honest, I'll just let it be known that I let Eli play the ipod and eat fruit snacks the whole time. We had pigs n' a blanket and a cheese ball for lunch and then we slept the afternoon away.

Our sweet friends, the Yoakum's, had us over for Christmas dinner. It was so nice to not have to worry about cooking dinner and our kids are always greatly entertained over there. Although I wasn't feeling well, it was a great day of fellowship. I loved seeing the kids' face light up and seeing a smile on my hubby's face.

Christmas Eve

2011-12-29T08:17:00.004-05:00

I was a little nervous about Christmas Eve day. What do you do with 2 anxious kids for an entire day, while they wait for the Eve? Thankfully the day went fairly smoothly. We decorated some more cookies, watched a movie, got some gifts ready and just relaxed. I was also thankful that I was feeling well enough to cook a real Christmas Eve dinner. Okay, I cheated on the applesauce, but everything else was the real deal. We had 'Perfecto Pork', Nonny's mashed potatoes, applesauce, green bean casserole and cherry jello. Alison requested the jello and I thought it was a simple, yet festive desert. I will NEVER again serve red jello on Christmas.

The kids were ecstatic about the jello. However, we ate a very early dinner so Ben could get to church and the jello had not set all the way. It was edible and jello-y, but still kind of runny. Eli's face was stained the rest of the evening from that stinkin' jello. And even after I got him cleaned up and into his fancy outfit, he kept sneaking back into the kitchen to get more jello. Never again. And yes, Eli ate Christmas dinner in his PJ's.

After a fabulous dinner, we let the kids open their new "fancy" Christmas outfits. Don't be fooled by the gift. I confess that Eli's was a hand-me-down I grabbed out of his closet and Alison's I got on the clearance rack at Target the night before. But, they didn't know and had fun opening an early present.

I had high hopes of continuing my tradition of getting a cute picture of my kids by the tree. Alison kept giving me her "this is how a princess poses" look that just looks goofy and Eli's face is red. But regardless of the situation, they are my precious gifts and I am so thankful that they are here and healthy.

After our pictures, we headed to church for a "family friendly" service. We walked in the door and Eli shouted, "DADDY! DADDY! DADDY!!!". Yep, I knew that one was coming. He could not get over Daddy being on stage. It took everything in me to hold him back from running on stage. Alison burst out in dance during 'Joy to the World', Eli asked for juice over and over until I gave him a sucker that dripped all over me (did I mention I made the mistake of sitting in the first row?) and I was exhausted by the end...just in time to do again the next morning.

Christmas Time!

2011-12-20T22:02:00.008-05:00

I was very excited about the Christmas season this year. One my all time favorite things to do is watch Christmas movies by a lit tree and fire and work on a puzzle. My expectations had to be greatly adjusted this year as I found that every time I started an activity or movie, it was always interrupted, either by sickness or tiredness or little hands. But we did what we could. The house got halfway decorated. Cookies got halfway made. Movies got halfway watched. The border was done on the puzzle and then swept back into the box. But we enjoyed time relaxing together, reading Christmas books, listening to Christmas music and just soaking in the season.

I tried to make things with the kids that were traditional, but that they could help me make. We started with peanut butter cup cookies. Then we mixed up some Chex Mix. I LOVE the smell of chex mix roasting. It's definitely one of my favorite Christmas smells.We made a few gingerbread men and Alison decorated the snot out of them one morning while Eli watched his new favorite Christmas movie, 'Baby Einstein's Santa'. She wasn't happy about getting her picture taken, but the mess I cleaned up when she was done would prove that she really had a good time.
Kylie and Logan came over and helped us make some more gingerbread cookies and chocolate covered pretzels.We decorated ornaments, strung popcorn for garland and wrapped presents. We watched 'Charlie Brown Christmas' I think 7 times (it came on a particular day I was sicker than normal) and 'Alvin and the Chipmunks' Christmas movie.

Alison spent a good 2 days working on a Christmas card for Kylie and Logan.
I was overwhelmed by her determination and drive to write this. She knew what she wanted to say and would ask us to spell out words for her. Here's what the letter says:

Kylie and Logan,
Have a good Christmas. Have a good time opening presents at the Christmas tree. Have some fun with your family. I love you. I want an American Girl Doll and pillow pet for Christmas.

love,
Alison

I guess Alison wrote our Christmas card for us this year, because I'm not going to even attempt one. So from the Shear's, we hope you have a good Christmas!!

I'm Done

2011-12-20T21:18:00.003-05:00

For the peace of mind of our concerned friends and family, I just wanted you all to know that I'm doing much better. The doctor had me come in yesterday to check my blood pressure. Everything is very healthy. My nutrient levels are excellent, my blood pressure is perfect. Apparently I have an abundance of progesterone in my body, which is causing the extreme sickness. It also causes the blood vessels in my body to expand which affects the blood flow in my body (sorry to all the medical professionals that are reading this, I know I'm totally botching this explanation)...which caused my near pass out episode. The doctor said what I'm experiencing is actually very common in pregnancy, I just have had two un-normal, easy, pregnancies, so this seems bazaar. All that to say, he said I don't have to cut back on anything, I just have to drink way more water than I think would ever be necessary to keep the blood flow in my body "regular".

I heard the baby's heart beat and that was it. I'm done. I'm done complaining about being sick. I'm done hanging on to expectations. I'm done with all the things that I thought defined who I am. I am who God made me, not what I make myself. So, bring on the sweatpants, piles of laundry and dirty floors. Bring on the heartburn, nausea and nights full of trips to the bathroom. I'm ready. With a smile on my face, I'm ready.

I'm excited to meet this Surprise Blessing. I'm excited to see Alison and Eli's face when they meet their new sibling. I'm even a little excited to hear Ben's name suggestions if it's a boy.

Some day I'll be smiling at a picture like this:

and thinking, "I can't imagine life without this baby!", because I sure can't imagine life without this precious little boy.

Thank you all for your encouragement and prayers. I know if you are reading this blog, that it means you love and care about my family, and with that comes reading about our ups and downs in life. There will be highs and there will be lows, and I'm thankful for the support through it all.

3 Months

2011-12-19T09:55:00.004-05:00

13 weeks
On the positive side of this pregnancy, Alison has been saying some pretty cute things. One evening she said, "I'm SUPER-D-DUPER excited about the baby coming!". Then she said, "So mommy, when the baby comes, you'll be a nurse, right?" It made me laugh so hard. Oh the joys of explaining nursing a baby to a 4 year old. She's very perceptive when I'm not feeling well. She'll usually say something like, "I think a cracker will make the baby feel better" or "I think a nap will make the baby not so fussy". It always makes me smile that she thinks the baby's cranky and that's why I'm sick. However, if that's the truth, I'm not super-d-duper excited about meeting the baby.

Ben's theory of why I've been so sick is that the baby has brown eyes. Both our babies have my blue eyes and he would love nothing more than a baby with his eyes. I would love to give him his wish and I sure like his theory better than Alison's cranky baby theory.

Reading time

2011-12-18T15:08:00.001-05:00

Here's a glimpse of Alison's reading lesson. She's doing awesome, and this particular day I really noticed things start to click. She started recognizing more words without having to sound them out, or if she did sound it out, she did it in her head.

Beginning of the Second Trimester

2011-12-16T18:16:00.003-05:00

I was planning on posting this today:
(insert cute picture)
I feel like things are just getting worse. I was counting down the days to 12 weeks, so I could finally be over "morning sickness", but here I am at 13 weeks sicker than I was a couple of weeks ago. I'm nauseous less, throwing up more...not sure which is better. I've been taking Zofran pretty much daily now and it's a praise that I can keep it down now. Being that I've never had morning sickness, I realized this week that my situation is not usual. Most people are sick for an hour and done. If I'm sick, it's for an entire day. I'll have one whole day of being sick and the next I might be okay. But if I wake up sick, I know that's how the whole day will be.

One night I was just overwhelmed by feelings of everything going wrong. I can't cook, clean, finish a school lesson, keep up on the laundry, work out, do Christmas activities with my kids or even remember to pay our bills. Ben sat me down and asked me to think back about my life when I was pregnant with Alison. I was working a desk job and would be in bed by 6pm. He helped me realized how different life is now and how I have to let go (which is SO extremely hard for me to do) of the expectations I put on my self. He said that I needed to stop cooking and cleaning and go to bed when the kids do. I needed to hear those words, but I still tear up thinking about it. I don't want to stop! I want to have a clean house and healthy meals and have everything that needs to be done, done. I didn't think things could get much worse.

And then they did.
This morning I woke up feeling a little queezy but I was determined that it was going to be a FUN day. I had promised Alison we would bake and decorate gingerbread men this afternoon and then we had a much anticipated Christmas party this evening. I took Zofran right away to ensure today would be "safe" and had some cereal (usually a safe breakfast). We headed to the Y and I was excited to be at class again. I even had a moment in class where I found my self thinking, "this is great! now I can put under my cute prego picture that I just took a bootcamp class!" Yes, I'm realizing that God is stripping my pride away through this trial. I should say that I modified all exercises during the class and didn't do anything that I felt was unsafe. After class, I was talking with some friends and sharing with them that I was SO over this morning sickness thing. All of the sudden, I got hot. Like on fire hot. I thought I was going to be sick, so I rushed to the bathroom and splashed cold water on my face. I quickly realized that something was not right. My vision got blurry, I could barely hear and felt like I was going to pass out. I got out of the bathroom because I knew a secluded bathroom was not the place I should be. Thankfully God put my friends right outside the door and I fell into Autumn's (the group Ex coordinator) arms. She said my face was completely white and she pretty much carried me into Pete (the Y director's) office and told him to call 911. By that time my hands, feet and face were completely numb and I could barely breath. I kept saying I was hot, so Joe found a fan and Autumn just covered me in prayers. I was SO SO thankful that these people knew me well and loved me. They all know our family and knew to call Ben right away. I'm also SO SO thankful that we live in a small town and Ben was there in a matter of minutes. By the time the EMT's arrived the color and feeling was coming back to my body. I must say that I was not overly impressed with these EMT's or the staff at my doctor's office. The EMT's took my vitals and my blood pressure was significantly low. They said they could take me to the emergancy room, but they felt like it was all because of being pregnant. Because I've been so sick, I don't have enough nutrients in my body and am most likely dehydrated and then the baby takes what nutrients I have. They felt by exercising, I used up calories my body doesn't have and essentially made it shut down. Awesome. The doctor's office just told me to go home, rest and eat/drink as much as I can. And if anything else happened to go straight to the ER. The nurse kept saying, "you just need to stop exercising." I was so frustrated with her! Like I'm still jogging while passing out?! It wasn't about exercise at that point, it was about if me and the baby were okay! Ben brought me home and stocked me up on power bars and gatorade. He's made me rest all day and even took Alison to work with him (to finish up a couple of details) while Eli napped. I still feel weak and a little light headed, but supposedly that will go away as my body catches up.

It still leaves me very emotional. I already felt like I was failing at everything and now I'm even failing at taking care of an unborn child. Again, I am SO thankful for people in my life to speak truth to me. I know as God is taking me through this, the Devil is prowling around me, speaking lies to me. I don't want to believe the lies, but I don't know what I am doing! If I eat, I throw up. If I take my vitamins, I throw up. If I exercise, I pass out.

Many, many, many people have offered to help, which I am immensely thankful for. But why is it so hard to ask for help when you need it? I find it hard to know exactly what I need help with and who to ask and when to ask. Is this normal? Is it normal to find it hard to let go of things you want to do and ask someone to do them for you? I feel so weird calling someone up and asking them to take care of my kids or cook me dinner, but is that what I need?

All that to say, you can be praying for us. Praying that my kid's will be resilient as many things will be left undone this Christmas season...I guess this will really help keep our focus where it needs to be. Pray that I will be able to let go and it will be clear to me where people can help me. Pray for Ben as he has to encourage me and take care of all of us. Pray for the baby, that he/she is healthy and getting all the nutrients he/she needs.

Sorry, no picture for now and maybe not for awhile. Maybe someday I'll get out of my pj's :)

Ben's Commission into the Navy

2011-12-13T13:31:00.004-05:00

Ben was offered a commission into the Navy last month, the kids and I threw him a surprise "CONGRATULATIONS!" party.
He's worked really hard on this and it's something he's wanted for a long time...we are so proud of him!

Monday we made the trip to Richmond for Ben to take the oath of office to become an officer (Ensign) in the United States Navy Reserve. He's a Champlain candidate until he finishes school.

After taking the oath, he had about an hours worth of paperwork to sign. I wasn't prepared for this part of the morning, but I was super thankful that kids can easily be entertained by random things found in a purse. First, we took some pictures.
Then we made silly faces with sunglasses and talked about what Christmas activities we wanted to in the next couple of weeks.

Then a very kind, but clearly not-a-father, Officer, gave the kids 2 small Navy bouncy balls. Thanks. I spent the rest of the time trying to convince Eli that throwing balls at other Officers was not polite and then asking Alison to chase the rolling balls all over the office. Yikes! I'm not sure what he was thinking.

A lot of people have asked how I feel about all of this. I feel good about it. I know it's a positive thing for our family and just one of many accomplishments Ben will achieve in his life. The slight anxiety I occasionally feel only comes from the unknown of life. But, that unkownness comes from everything, not just a Navy life. I don't know what next several years looks like. I don't know what being a mom of 3 is like. I don't know where we'll live or where Alison will go to school and I certainly don't know what Navy life looks like. But I'm living one day at a time, relying on God's strength. I'm sure there will be many ups and downs along the way, but that would be true even if Ben wasn't in the Navy.

Trouble

2011-12-09T14:16:00.003-05:00

I'll think twice before putting this sweatshirt on Eli again.
I took a quick shower this morning while the kids watched a video and ate breakfast.
I came out a few short minutes later to Eli's face covered in marker and cereal all over the floor.
And while I was cleaning up the mess, Eli decided that was a great time to start opening Christmas presents.

Well, we survived the morning, but I feel like this is just what life is right now-crazy.

Just how crazy? Crazy enough, that Eli went potty this week.

He's been telling us when his diaper is dirty (he'll say 'diaper' or 'poopy') and will start taking it off. If someone goes to the bathroom, he says "potty", follows them in and starts taking off his clothes. So we decided it was time to just introduce him to the potty and let him ease into the whole potty training thing. First night, he sat down and went potty. We celebrated with some chocolate that ended up all over him and the bathroom, but hey, that's just how life is here :)

Notice his short hair? I chopped both kids hair this week. Eli's resulted in tears, but I really like Alison's short. Now if I could just get her to wear a somewhat normal outfit, we'd be in good shape.

The new playroom

2011-12-03T09:34:00.002-05:00

After the tree was put up and furniture rearranged, I got this nagging feeling to rearrange the entire house. I love the way Christmas decorations make the house feel warm and cozy and I want to feel that way in every room of the house-not just the living room. So my adventure began to "warm up" the house. I say adventure because it began with every single toy we own dumped in the middle of the playroom, shelves in the middle of the hallway and kids/cats climbing through the obstacle of our house. I put the kids and cats in nap time and all right, I confess, I sat amongst the mess and cried. My "warmness" felt very cold. I do not like clutter or chaos and now my whole house was destroyed. And just when I thought my vision was coming together, I broke our school table. Yep, you read that right. Snapped the leg right off that big wooden table. Well, God must give husbands some special gift when they have pregnant wives. I thought for sure Ben would freak at the sight of our house when he got home, but instead he calmly stepped through the mounds of toys and furniture, miraculously fixed our table and lovingly told me that I am not allowed to move anymore furniture until Surprise Baby is born.

I finished the room the next day and Ben admitted that he loved the way it looked. I was pleasantly surprised how much the kids instantly used the room. Before, when it was just full of toys, we had to MAKE them go in there and play. Now, they will both go in there, climb up in the red chair and look at books. Alright, this is probably a silly post, but it meant a lot to me. I love seeing my kids sit and enjoy a book. I also love a room being functional and enjoyable...now I just have to figure out where we're going to put this baby and all of it's stuff.

Faux Christmas

2011-12-02T21:48:00.004-05:00

Saturday morning we had our 'Faux Christmas'. Ben made tea pastries and we opened presents in our pj's. I must say, for having a small Christmas, we sure did have some stellar gifts this year. Kent passed down his childhood wooden train to Eli. Well, actually it must be shared among all the grandkids, but Eli's the only boy right now, so he gets first dibs for awhile. Nonetheless, it was an extremely special gift.

Jordan and Sophie gave Alison a pink box full of princess cupcake decorating things with the promise to make cupcakes later that afternoon. I thought this was the perfect gift for her. She loves to be in the kitchen and what great memories she'll have spending time with her aunt and uncle.

Elizabeth made the kids each an outfit and Alison has yet to take hers off :) She also made them each a puppet which they have LOVED playing with.

Making princess cupcakes!

We ended our Christmas with our annual pizza cook off. I can't tell you who won or what kind of pizza was made, but I heard they were all good.

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-12-02T21:17:00.002-05:00

Elizabeth, Kent, Jordan and Sophie joined us for Thanksgiving this year. I should probably have Ben write this post, because my side of the story is not all that glamorous. I just keep reminding myself that this is just one year in many, and I most likely won't remember this one. Hopefully next year is much better. I didn't take a single picture Thanksgiving day...I couldn't even really tell you what happened outside of my bedroom doors. I think everyone had fun :) Ben, Elizabeth and Kent did all of the cooking and Kent graciously made me my favorite green bean casserole and that is pretty much all I ate for dinner.

The day after Thanksgiving, we decorated for Christmas and Sophie made us a 'breakfast for dinner' feast. I counted that meal as my Thanksgiving meal, since I was finally able to eat.

Helping Aunt Sophie make french toast

This is my view of the decorating from the couch. I thought it depicted the evening well...me on the couch, the boys putting up the tree, Alison loving on everyone, Sophie taking pictures.

I'm already planning next year and praying that maybe for once, I'll actually be able to cook!

A Tough Road

2011-12-01T20:33:00.003-05:00

I'm sure you've noticed the lull in posts the last few months. Life has been crazy and somewhat of a blur. The news of a third baby came as a shock. Our first thought was one of 'this is not what we planned'. Thankfully, Ben immediately moved to 'this is great!' and has been my support and encouragement through it all.

The first several nights I barely slept. I kept waking up in a panic. I could see all of our baby stuff walking away at the garage sale we had this past summer and I was filled with huge regret for getting rid of all the things we would need again. Why must I be such a purger?!

I was immediately hit with "morning sickness", except I would call it 24/7 sickness. This is definitely an item I'm adding to my 'really wish someone would have prepared me for' list. I was never sick with my other pregnancy and never could have imagined a first trimester being this bad. Holy Moly. I was nauseous 24/7, throwing up at unpredictable times. There was a 2 week period that I was on 2 anti-nausea medicines and wearing sea bands and still throwing up. It got so bad that just the medicine dissolving in my mouth would make me sick. I had absolutely no appetite and would often only make it through half a meal. Ben was doing ALL of the cooking, and sadly most of it was out in the garage because I couldn't tolerate any smells. Seriously, what husband do you know is willing to cook in the garage? I know, I'm blessed. There were several times he would sweetly make me something that he would think would help my stomach feel better, but the smell of the preparation of it was too much for me to even handle. When I did feel like eating something, it was fast food. Isn't it strange that greasy food and a coke would make my stomach feel better? I tried everything: ginger, crackers, peppermint, vitamin B-6. If I got down any of my prenatal vitamin, it would make me more sick for the next day (I've been taking the kid's dino vitamins which has helped a lot).

Here's a list of my random cravings and high aversions...
Aversions: cooking chicken, bananas, cooked onions
Cravings: pickled okra, chick-fil-a, starburst, potato chips
My strangest craving has been beer. I hesitated to even put this on here, but let's just be honest, isn't this crazy?! If you know me at all, you know I don't like beer. But it just seems so refreshing and yummy and I really want one...don't worry, I've resisted.

The night before we found out, I was signing up for a 10k, a half marathon and 6 training classes to start up 2 new high intensity classes at the Y. Right as I was about to complete my transaction, our internet went down. Let me correct that...my internet went down. Ben's was still working, which I thought was really strange, but I just thought I could finish in the morning and went to bed. Now I see the Lord's hand in it and protecting me from more regret.

In one day, EVERYTHING in my life changed. 6:30 am devotions and coffee were out the window. I could barely peel myself off the couch or out of the bathroom and I felt like I was hugely neglecting my kids. I'm not sure how Ben even got dressed for work because laundry was piled high in our closet. I lost my "high impact" instructor position at the Y...I could barely make it through a work out for that matter. I couldn't grocery shop, cook or clean for my family. Healthy eating? It went out the door with the devotions. Homeschooling? I would maybe get through half a reading lesson with Alison, but that was it for school. We didn't play outside, or read books, or go to the library.

The last few months have been a hard emotional, physical, spiritual, even financial journey for me. I've struggled with guilt. Guilt over not being excited. Guilt over being mad about it all. Guilt over mourning the loss of my past life. This past year has been WONDERFUL, absolutely wonderful. I remember having a moment not that long ago: Ben and I were running the Windsor Castle Trail. I looked over at Ben and just thought how perfect things felt. I love running with my husband several times a week. I love cooking with him and working on church events with him. Life just felt fun and easy. And that's when I felt the Lord tell me that He gave us this fun, easy year to prepare us and strengthen us for a not-so-easy year. That not-so-easy year came quicker than I anticipated. I've struggled with my selfish sin, but I know that this trail will bring blessing. God gave us a healthy baby, and I know a year from now I will not be able to see life without that baby.

A wise friend, who went through a similar situation, told me that she would ask herself at the end of the day, "did I read my bible? Do my kids know I love them?". Those words really hit me. She was right. Where are my priorities and where is my focus as I go through this trial. There are times all I could look at was my self. But I should be looking to Christ for my strength and comfort. Instead of using my little energy to worry about folding a load of laundry, perhaps I should open His Word. And thank you to all my family, who has shown me His great love through this time. They have prayed for me, taken care of me and loved me.

I will assure you, that although I feel like I'm doing everything wrong, the doctor's say everything is healthy and fine. I heard the heartbeat this week and it was a solid 150. My dino chews have enough vitamins in them and he was more concerned about me being able to hold down food that the actual vitamin. I've only gained 1 pound, but he said as long as I'm not losing weight and still able to hold down water, then I'm good. I'm excited to say that this week has been a lot better. I haven't been as nauseous or as effected by smells. That's a HUGE praise to me. My appetite has come back a little bit and I even was able to work out a little more this week.

I'm adjusting to this new life God has given me and excitement will come. Ready or not, a baby will here in June!

P.S. Alison informed me tonight that she thinks we should name her new baby sister Emma. Not a bad choice, Peanut...I sure hope this baby is a girl!

Surprise!!!

2011-11-28T12:58:00.004-05:00

Surprise might be an understatement. You see, the day I was supposed to be getting long term birth control, I found out that God had given us an unexpected blessing. It makes absolutely no sense that a baby #3 is on it's way...in fact, the doctor's laughed for a good minute about our little "situation". I wish I could say that this surprise was welcomed with joyful excitement, but truthfully, it's been a hard journey thus far. I'll share more about that later, but for now here are some pictures...

The day we found out:

Ironically, I'm wearing the same outfit I was wearing when I found out I was pregnant with Eli...I don't think I'll be wearing that outfit ever again.

8 weeks:

Don't mean to brag...

2011-11-16T11:41:00.002-05:00

But I'm sitting in shorts and a t-shirt with all my windows open. The weather is beautiful and we're soaking it up.

Our yard is full of leaves, so we spent the afternoon sliding and jumping in them.

Grandma's Visit

2011-11-16T08:52:00.002-05:00

We enjoyed a laid back few days with Grandma. We did some shopping and went out to lunch, but most of all, we just enjoyed some time playing at home.

Muscle Man

2011-11-16T08:49:00.000-05:00

A Performance By Alison Louise

2011-11-11T09:53:00.003-05:00

Happy Halloween!

2011-11-01T19:52:00.002-04:00

Cinderella and her puppy went downtown to trick-or-treat.
It's a perfect situation for our family. The kids have fun dressing up, they get to see a lot of their friends there, there's no scary, bloody/gory stuff around and they only get a few pieces of candy.

Alison was super excited to "go to Halloween". Okay, she was slightly confused about the whole day, but she was excited about the sugar! Eli gave her a run for her money. He would prance up with her, hold out his basket and say "thank you!". And who can resist giving extra candy to a cute puppy who says 'thank you'?

Hope's Harvest Day

2011-11-01T13:13:00.002-04:00

We had our first ever Hope Harvest Day on Sunday. We had a fun afternoon of family games (field size twister, sack races, 3 legged races and egg tosses), crafts for the kids and a chili cook-off.

Ben's chili won 2nd place!

The kids just loved playing in the yard, and I loved the caramel apples!We went on a hayride through the farm and as you can see by Eli's hand in the picture, had some yummy dessert too.

It was a perfect way to spend a crisp, Fall day.

Pumpkin carving

2011-10-26T21:09:00.007-04:00

This year's Shear Harvest Day consisted of watching Monster's Inc., roasting pumpkin seeds, making pumpkin ice cream and carving pumpkins.
I thought decorating the pumpkins might be more fun for the kids, so I dug out the markers and even let Alison glue on some glitter...that was until Eli started licking it off the pumpkin.
When Eli and my kitchen floor where officially covered in glitter, we headed outside to carve.
Alison shocked us by actually participating in getting the "guts" out.

And when she stepped away, Eli scooped them all back in.
Thanks, buddy.

Alison instructed Daddy how to carve the face

And Eli climbed up and down the deck stairs.

I'm looking forward to the day when our kids are old enough to carve themselves...or at least not eat the glitter.

When the carving was done, we put a candle in it and set it on the front porch.

Just a lazy Saturday

2011-10-22T18:07:00.000-04:00

It must be in the genes

2011-10-22T08:18:00.002-04:00

Let me just say, we have never shown Eli how to turn on Ben's phone and unlock it. He loves electronics and anything that has buttons. This particular evening, he managed to find Ben's phone and acted like he's been making phone calls on it his whole life. I don't understand...is it just ingrained in kids now days the inner workings of iphones and ipods?

Fire House Visit

2011-10-18T20:33:00.002-04:00

A fire house opened up down the street from us and they had a fun open house this past weekend. We took the kids to tour the house, meet some firemen and get a "tatoo".
At first Alison was scared...which I knew was coming considering her complete meltdown in the Children's Museum at the Fire Station section.

She warmed up quickly and eventually had a lot of fun.
By the time we got home she was asking when we could go back.

I think it's funny that Alison is either decked out in a dress or naked.
She's a true princess at heart.

I confess that I really enjoyed the trip too.
Turns out that our neighbor and his son are firefighters...there's something very comforting about that.

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-16T21:03:00.002-04:00

It was the perfect fall day,
and we had the patch all to ourselves.

We found the best pumpkins on the farm

and then picked out some "baby" pumpkins.

and to finish our perfect morning, we shared some pumpkin ice cream.

Mimi's visit

2011-10-15T14:02:00.004-04:00

Mimi was here this last week and we had a blast!
Alison went through a sunglasses craze and was barely seen without them.
I'm not sure why she's naked here, but that seems to be how things work in our life.

I always learn a lot from Rachel, and this particular trip she enlightened me to www.pinterest.com. Before you check it out, beware that it's highly addictive.
Thus began our crafting extravaganza.

We started with pillows for the deck.
And you can see in this picture was Ben worked on while we sewed...the back yard! I know you probably don't remember, but a few short months ago, where the swingset is was all "forest".

Then we made this candle
And then a Thankful Tree.

We're hoping to start a new tradition this year. Starting November 1st, every evening at dinner, we'll each write on a leaf one thing we're thankful for and then hang it up. Then on Thanksgiving, we'll take all the leaves off and share what we wrote. I'm excited about having a time each evening to put our focus on the blessings of life and also teach our kids that being thankful doesn't just happen one day a year, but should happen everyday.

We ended the craft making with sweater pillows for the couch. I LOVE them! We found these sweaters for $0.98 at the DAV and I picked up the new shelf for $3.

We were spoiled to have Mimi here...and sad to see her go.

18 Months

2011-10-15T13:39:00.001-04:00

Isn't he the most handsome little boy you've ever seen?
I think so!

Happy 1/2 Birthday Eli!

2011-10-15T12:18:00.002-04:00

We had a little celebration on Eli's 1/2 birthday...okay it was more like a song and a cupcake, but it was fun.

I LOVE this stage! Eli is so fun and always making us laugh. This is his favorite toy:
it pops balls out of the top, but he thinks it's fun to blow the air at his face too. I'm so thankful for my little boy and look forward to many more half birthdays!

Monkey!

2011-10-13T20:34:00.002-04:00

Eli LOVES Mr. Monkey! It's the highlight of his day when daddy makes him come alive. Love the simple pleasures of life!

Hog Jog 2011

2011-10-10T12:51:00.001-04:00

Ben and I before the race.

This was a proud day for the Shear's.
We left the kids with our sweet friends and we headed to downtown Smithfield for the 10th annual Hog Jog. We saw several friends from the Y and church and then headed to the starting line. Somehow we ended up at the front with all of the little cross country runners. A man said over a microphone that only "elite" athletes should be at this point...the women next to me whispered, "Are you an elite athlete?". I said I didn't think so and she said she wasn't either, but her daughter thought she was. This is a tangent story, but I was so impressed with this mom. Her daughter was a sqrawny 10 year old, with big dreams. But she never once told her that she was silly to think she should be where she was. She supported her and encouraged her. I ran behind this little girl and her mom the entire time and she ended up winning the race. Now that's a mom I want to be. Anyway, back to the real story. I agreed to let Ben run ahead because he had a specific goal (25 minutes) that he was trying to meet and I didn't think I could keep up. I was excited that I could actually see Ben ahead of me the entire race...that was until I realized that it wasn't actually him and I was following some random guy...sorry random guy. We finished the race, grabbed some hotdogs and beer and mingled with our friends. We browsed the farmers market and by chance was in the area to hear the race results. I was SUPER proud of Ben. He exceeded his goal and finished the race in 24 minutes. He won 2nd place for his age group! And for the shocker of the morning, I ran the race in 26 minutes and won 1st place for my age group. Apparently women between 25 & 29 in Smithfield are slow.

Growing Up

2011-10-05T21:35:00.003-04:00

I suppose I could have a million posts titled "Growing Up", but I was struck this week with how much they really are growing up.
Alison has always wanted to help me with chores around the house, but now sometimes it's actually helpful. Yesterday she asked if she could feed the cats. She's helped before but always resulted in food all over the laundry room. I was in the middle of cooking dinner so I told her to have at it. She did amazing and I just had to take a picture because I was so proud of her. Now the cats LOVE her and snuggle up to her every time she sits down to read a book.

Eli has added a few words to his small vocabulary.
Cracker was his first word (is that sad?)
Juice, nose, ear, meow and neigh were added recently.
But his most favorite word is 'up' or 'help'...they both sound they same.

Now if someone could just explain to me why this is my son's favorite spot in the house. Sittin' on the rug, with the tag of his blankie in hand and often with Smoochie...maybe because it's closest to the refrigerator?

Kitty Love

2011-09-30T15:24:00.002-04:00

Milo and Smoochie have grown...clearly in size and in love.

Little Copycat

2011-09-30T14:51:00.004-04:00

Eli must do everything Alison does...and so the little brother syndrome has begun.
Every meal, he asks to get down from his chair and immediately crawls into Alison's chair to either join her for the rest of dinner or to finish off her meal.

An Abiding Mom...

2011-09-24T15:19:00.003-04:00

*Her peace is found in Jesus in the midst of any storm
Isaiah 26:3
³ You will keep in perfect peace
those whose minds are steadfast,
because they trust in you.

(Super Mom's peace is found in the “perfect” environment)

*Failure reminds her that God’s strength is made perfect in weakness
2 Corinthians 12:9-10
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ¹⁰ That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

(Super Mom is discouraged by failure)

*She practices grace with herself and others
Ephesians 4:32
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

(Super Mom expects perfection from herself and others)

*She teaches her kids to be Godly
Proverbs 22:6
Start children off on the way they should go,
and even when they are old they will not turn from it.

(Super Mom teaches her kids to be good)

*She abides in Christ and bears much fruit
John 15:5
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

(Super Mom is frustrated with her lack of spiritual fruit)

*She builds a relationship with her children
Deuteronomy 6:6-7
These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. ⁷ Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

(Super Mom does things with her children)

*Her perspective is based on what is unseen
Colossians 3:2
Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

(Super Mom's perspective is based on what is seen)

*She chooses the most excellent Way
I Corinthians 13

(Super Mom chooses quantity of activities)

*Her children rise and call her blessed.
Prov. 31:28
Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:

(Super Mom's kids may recall how busy she always is.)

Munchkin School

2011-09-23T11:26:00.002-04:00

I've had many people warn me of the obstacles of homeschooling with a toddler at home and often the advice comes with suggested activities to keep him busy. I moved our school spot to the playroom so Eli could play quietly while we worked. I expected him to do things like this:

roll around the kitchen floor.

I never expected this:

If we are doing school, he HAS to be doing school too. He has to be at the table with a pencil, working on pages just like Alison. He's actually pretty good at coloring...who knows, maybe he'll be an artist some day.

An Abiding Mom's

2011-09-20T14:43:00.002-04:00

self worth is found in an accurate view of who she is in Christ Jesus

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Ephesians 2:10

Super Mom's self worth is found in her accomplishments (clean house, perfect kids).

County Fair 2011

2011-09-17T11:24:00.003-04:00

We headed to the Fair yesterday for the second year. If you need a refresher of last year's experience, take a look here...you might remember that Alison cried pretty much the entire time and Eli was just a little baby. This year redeemed that experience. We all had a blast and were all smiles all night. We started out with the food. There's a few requirements the Shear's have for a Fair, and funnel cakes and cotton candy are at the top of that list. Alison was just excited to sit on the hay.

After our tummies were stuffed, we went to the animal tent. This was the part that begun the tears last year, but this year Alison actually touched the animals and was happy to be there. Eli walked around saying "bawk, bawk" and tried to jump in all the pens.

Ben wanted to watch a couple of bull rides, so he and Alison squeezed into the crowd. I'm not a crowd person, nor do I really enjoy watching people getting pummeled up close, so Eli and I stayed back.Then, Ben took Alison on her very first Ferris wheel ride. I was so nervous she would break out in tears at the top of the ride, but she remained calm and cool the whole time. I think she even had a little fun.

I was so proud of her! We all rode the carousel to finish off our tickets. It was the fastest carousel I've ever been on...I confess that I was the biggest weeny of the family. I couldn't look at anything other than the floor and was praying for the thing to stop. And then it was time for the much anticipated cotton candy. Alison was the happiest girl at the fair!

An Abiding Mom...

2011-09-14T21:23:00.003-04:00

is controlled by the spirit.

She uses curriculum and schedules as tools for orderliness, so she's more free to follow the spirit.

Galations 5: 22-26
But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the spirit, let us also walk by the spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

("super mom" is controlled by agenda's)

This one hits me hard. I LOVE my schedule and my plans. I feel the most satisfied at the end of the day when my clean kids are in bed on time, the house is spotless and everything on my to-do list is checked off. But I know that I have sacrificed precious moments with my kids because I felt like it was more important to get x,y and z done. The Lord certainly has been teaching me this week to quit trying to control my days. Yes, a schedule is good. But freaking out when someone changes your plan, definitely does not show Christ's love.

An abiding mom

2011-09-13T21:23:00.002-04:00

When I look at what the Lord has blessed me with, it overwhelms me.
I cherish these faces and love them more than they will ever know.
I want to take care of them and nurture them to the best of my ability.

I started year 2 of preschool with Alison yesterday. As I prepped, I went to a homeschool blog I've been reading for a while. She had a section of 10 steps to prepare for school. Her 10 steps made me stop and really think. They weren't:
1. get crayons, markers and construction paper
2. buy lots of books
3. download nursery rhymes and preschool songs

No, her steps were focused on how being a mom and homeschooling is a ministry. She had a chart comparing a "super mom" and an "abiding mom". I realized how easily I fall into a "super mom", so I decided to pray over each step for a day. I wanted to post these as I go through them, just so I have them. I pray that other moms reading this will also be encouraged and if you're not a mom, then you can know how to pray for me.

Day 1

An Abiding Mom Is.
She pleases the Lord

Psalm 46:10
'Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!'

(a "super mom" does. She tries to impress others)

Alison's 4 year check up

2011-09-13T21:18:00.002-04:00

Alison was a little nervous going to this appointment because she knew what it meant...shots! She did awesome though. She only said, "ouch!" when she got all 3 shots and was excited to have sparkle star bandaids. So, here are Alison's stats:
-she has 20/20 vision
-iron=good
-still has a "functional" heart murmur, but will outgrow it.
-in the 25th percentile for weight
-above the 90th percentile for height.

The doctor predicts Alison will be 5'9" as an adult.
She's smart, healthy and growing like a weed!

Boston, Day 5

2011-09-11T20:53:00.003-04:00

Tuesday we went to the North End and at lunch at a fabulous Italian restaurant.

After lunch we went and got some cannolis, cream puffs and gelato. Are you sensing a theme here? We ate a LOT of super yummy food.

My goal for the trip was to get a good picture of my man. It seems like poor Ben's always in his pj's or has a goofy look while playing with the kids in our pictures. So, here it is. Here's the handsome man I get to look at every day.

We finished our trip on Wednesday with a trip to Harvard and had lunch in Cambridge.
By then, the weather had turned to cold and rainy. It turns out this cold weather actually spoiled me...coming home seems unbearably hot and humid. Yes, we were very spoiled on this trip, in so many ways more than weather or food.

Boston, Day 4

2011-09-10T09:11:00.001-04:00

We went to the zoo on Monday. We were so spoiled to be able to do so many fun things with our kids...I loved the precious time with them.
Alison asked to extra close to the camel. I don't know what happened to my peanut on this trip, but I like that her shell is a little loser these days.

Boston, Day 3

2011-09-10T08:29:00.004-04:00

Sunday, we went to the Boston Common. Alison and I got a fresh squeezed lemonade and shopped a little for a last minute swimsuit. We found a German restaurant for lunch and I had the most amazing schnitzel and spaetzles.Then we went to the frog pond and let the kids jump in with their clothes on. Kent got some awesome pictures. I LOVE having a photographer in the family!

As you can see, Eli had the time of his life. I was surprised how wet Alison actually got. She stepped out of her shell on this trip, in a lot of ways. A major way, was getting on the carousel. We've attempted rides before and they only resulted in tears. She was excited to ride this particular day and I'm so proud of her.One of the first things I learned about Boston is that there's Dunkin Donuts EVERYWHERE! Alison couldn't wait to experience this mystery of Dunkin Donuts. So on our way home from the park, after literally passing 5, we stopped to pick out a donut and then had our snack on Nana and Granddaddy's back patio.

Boston, Day 2

2011-09-06T16:24:00.005-04:00

Saturday, we got on the train and rode down to the New England Aquarium.
I've heard great things about this place, but let me tell you, it's AMAZING! Definitely worth every penny.Alison and Nanna watching the seals

Eli was the happiest boy on the planet.
This was his favorite spot-the school of fish.
They had a huge area of penguins and several stops where you could touch fish. Eli would launch himself, with all his might, to jump into the exhibits.
I think this kid likes animals.

The aquarium is on the harbor and it only made sense to eat a seafood lunch.
Eli was happy as a clam eating a huge bowl of mac n' cheese. I opted for the more sophisticated bowl of clam chowder and a plate of fish and chips-yummo!

After lunch we got on the ferry to go see the Constitution.
Ben and Alison rode on top to get a good view of the city.

On the Constitution

I quickly learned that Boston is exhausting. You definitely have to get used to the amount of walking it takes to get places.

Trip to Boston, day 1

2011-09-06T16:22:00.003-04:00

We took up to Boston to visit Elizabeth and Kent.
First, I have to say, Praise the Lord for direct flights! It made the trip easy peasy, which is just what I needed after a frantic couple of days trying to get caught up from the power outage.

Shortly after we arrived, we headed to a nearby park.
I think I might make this a trip standard now-the kids loved being able to run and stretch after traveling.

We had a yummy flank steak dinner with a corn salad, that will also become a standard in our house, and made our plans for the rest of the week.

Hurrican Irene

2011-08-31T19:01:00.005-04:00

Irene swept out a week of my life.
A week ago, I was in a meeting for Children's Ministry when Ben told me I should go to the store and fill up my car with gas. My friends at the meeting agreed and from that moment on, my routine flew out the window. We endured a crazy Walmart run. If you didn't know, I'm a planner...and it was driving me nuts that I couldn't plan this. I walked through Walmart not sure what to buy. Would I be able to cook? Did we have enough batteries? Would we need more water? I couldn't even squeeze myself in the canned food isle. In the middle of Walmart, my friend Abby called and asked if they could come stay with us...sure! Now to plan for guests...
I spent the rest of the day baking, baking, baking so our pantry would be stocked. Then I rushed to arrange the house for guests and safety.

Friday, I did all the laundry and dishes I could. I cooked our last hot meal and we spent as much time as we could outside, while it wasn't raining. The stress of waiting for the storm was starting to hit me.

Thankfully the kids didn't notice the stress and had a fun day.

You know the perfect time to fly a kite?
Right before a hurricane!
And wearing a swimsuit only makes it more fun.

Eli took the outside time to learn how to go down the slide by himself. This kid needs a little more healthy fear in him...Alison has plenty she could spare him.

We anticipated the storm to hit Saturday evening. I planned to get up that morning, brew some coffee, take a hot shower, dry my hair and do one last load of laundry. The moment I got up the power went out...did I mention I really like plans?
Well, my plans were flying out the window as fast as the wind was blowing.

But then my hero stepped in and saved me.

Ben ordered a generator off Amazon Thursday and had it overnighted to our house. Knowing me well, he came home from work and said, "I ordered a generator...I'm not telling you how much it cost and we'll work on budgeting it out later...and we can always return it." Well, praise the LORD for that generator and my brilliant husband. We were able to run the refrigerator, one light and one fan. I was so thankful we were able to keep our food and the generator was well worth every penny. Ben kept the generator running 24 hours a day, evening getting up in the middle of the night to refill it with gas. My hero took care of us above and beyond well. He even got the mail in the middle of the storm.

The storm itself was not as bad as I anticipated. I envisioned us all huddled in the hallway during the worst of the storm. I feared trees crashing into our house and windows breaking. But it was just a strong storm that lasted a really long time.

It was really hot in the house. Abby and I tried our best to entertain the kids by the fan, but there's only so many activities you can do in a small space. As I was catching up on laundry I had to laugh...I found myself folding all of Ben's work out clothes, all my comfy clothes and a few pairs of Alison's underpants. For the last 4 days, Ben's been hard at work, I've been in survival mode and the kids have been naked.

Church was cancelled Sunday and we spent the day cleaning up our yard. Ben spent a good part of the day in search for a chain saw to cut up the large fallen branches. Sounds easy, but most stores didn't have power either. Our yard has by far the most trees in the neighborhood. So while everyone else had a small, quaint pile of sticks at the end of their driveway, we had several feet of large limbs lining our yard...our neighbors have named our house 'Fort Shear'.

Monday we still didn't have power and Abby left to a house that never lost it. We worked on the yard some more and Ben grilled hamburgers for dinner. Hot food never tasted so good. Some sweet friends just got their power back and invited us over so we could shower. It was nice to cool off, clean up and have a little distraction from the chaos of our house.

By Tuesday morning I couldn't take it any longer. I loaded up the kids and we headed to the Children's Museum. We needed to get out of the house!

Their favorite spot was the pet store. I was surprised, but since the trip we've set up our own pet store in the play room.

Our power finally returned Tuesday evening. I feel like my brain left with the power and is slowly returning. I was shocked how long it took me to think through how to do things without electricity.

I went to the Y Wednesday to teach my normal 'Power Cut' class. They still didn't have power, but for some reason were still open. There were only a few people there and the floor was soaking wet, causing a foul order. A few girls still wanted to lift weights in the dark, so I turned on a portable ipod player and we did what we could in the damp fitness center.

It was an experience I won't forget...and I'm glad it's all over.

We're all shook up!

2011-08-24T13:17:00.002-04:00

We experienced our first earthquake yesterday!

Here's my account:
It was naptime...Eli was sleeping, Alison was in her room not sleeping. I was at my desk working on the computer when I heard a rumble and my chair started shaking. I had a candle lit on our kitchen table and it started swaying back and forth. I stood up to look outside to see if a large truck was coming down the street. Nope, no truck. The rumble grew louder and I thought maybe a tornado was coming. Nope, the sky was clear and sunny. The house looked and felt like it was swaying. I stood in Alison's doorway, with my hand over my heart. She looked at me perplexed and asked what was wrong. I asked her if she heard the noise or felt the house moving. She plainly said no. Then I thought I must be dying. Maybe I was having a brain aneurism and the house really wasn't it swaying. The door frame around our hall bath was shaking and a crack ran up to the ceiling. I stood there paralyzed thinking, "Is the house going to collapse? Shouldn't I be running my babies OUT of this house? Should I get Eli up? Is it safer in this non rattling door frame or outside in our wooded lot? Maybe it really is all in my head and I should call 911." About that time it stopped and Alison calmly climbed back in bed and fell asleep. My neighbor texted me and asked if my house was swaying too. Oh thankgoodness! I wasn't dying! I was so thankful I wasn't the only one who felt it! I went to text her back, but my phone wouldn't work. So I turned to my friend, facebook, where I found Ben Shear wrote "definitely just felt an earthquake", with a link to an article about it...seriously within 1 minute of it happening. Why couldn't I figure out what was going on? Why didn't I know what to do? A friend called later to see if I was okay and I told her that I stood in Alison's door frame. She asked why I did that...because that's what they did on an episode of Full House :) Isn't it crazy the things we remember from silly shows and isn't it more crazy that this is the only information I had about what to do in an earthquake?

This leads me to Ben's account (I'm narrating what he told me when he got home from work):
I was sitting at my desk, I heard the rumble and saw the Hope sign shake. So I posted on facebook, "definitely just felt an earthquake"...and I'm pretty sure I was the first person to put that on there!

How is it that Ben just calmly sits at his desk and thinks, "wow, I just sat through an earthquake" and I'm frantically running through the house thinking I'm dying. I guess it means we're a perfect match. He calms me down and helps me to PREPARE for crazy events in life.

Speaking of crazy events...we're supposed to be hit with a hurricane Sunday morning. Doesn't that sound like fun? I don't really know how to prepare for this either, but I'll have my calm husband with me this time.

After an eventful day, Ben decided it was time for some music.
Before you watch the video, let me just say 2 things:
1. yes, I know it's time to sign Alison up for dance lessons...I have no idea where she learns her moves.
2. yes, I know my children are never wearing clothes in my posts. I'm sorry. I really do put clothes on them!!!

My Cutie Patootie

2011-08-21T16:01:00.002-04:00

I am completely in love with the way Eli waves bye bye. It absolutely melts my heart.

A Little Time

2011-08-18T18:41:00.005-04:00

I thought I'd take a little time "off" the other day and get some things done. I turned on a fun show and set out some coloring stuff to entertain the kids and thought we'd enjoy a little quiet time. Eli was not entertained and our quiet time was just what he needed to figure out how to climb on top of tables. He started with the Elmo table...

and worked his way up to the kitchen table.
I seriously took him off, from sitting right smack dab in the middle of the table, at least 4 times.

Just when I thought he understood, "when I say no, I mean no!"...he found the music table.

He was eventually confined to the pack n' play. Alison asked to join him...she was pretending to be a kitty in a cage. It cracked me up-Alison WANTED to be confined...Eli was using his snack bowl as leverage to climb out.
My quiet day wasn't quiet and not much actually got done, but I did enjoy a day "off" of just playing with my kids.

Alison Sandwich

2011-08-17T21:36:00.003-04:00

I wish you could hear the sweet sound of abundant giggles at this very moment.
Looking at this picture makes me pause and just be thankful.
How can you not, when you see these smiles?

Some cake with your sprinkles?

2011-08-17T20:26:00.003-04:00

Alison and Kylie are both July babies. So Kim and I have been talking about cakes a lot lately. About how much we would love to whip out a fabulously delicious cake for each birthday and make it look effortless with a big ole' smile on our face. Instead of the usual frantic scramble around the kitchen, stressing about how terrible it looks and trying to smile through the stress dripping down your face. So we decided we were going to help eachother master cake decorating and let ourselves dream about possibly selling some one day to make a little extra cash.
Today we decorated our first cake. Hey, you have to start somewhere.

It's a yellow cake, with chocolate frosting and marshmallow fondant.
Really, it looks like 2 pieces of Tums.
But it gave us one really good laugh.

We let the kids decorate the cake scraps.

Even THEY wouldn't eat it.
They asked for a piece of our cake, which did taste mighty delicious.

Must Try...

2011-08-17T15:43:00.003-04:00

I tried a new recipe this week and I'm telling you all, you must try it.
white chicken lasagna
I used fresh spinach and wilted it slightly, instead of using frozen spinach and fresh basil/oregano (straight from our plants on the deck) instead of dried. I also used fresh chicken, straight from a local farm, and used the subsequent broth from cooking it. I've found using this fresh broth makes a BIG difference in taste in cooking dishes. I will tell you, that it took me atleast an hour to put together. We were having company over and I was trying to clean the house/family in the midst of cooking, so that probably slowed the process down a little.

Another must try:
Peach/Apple cobbler
SUPER YUM!
I confess this concoction came from 2 apples and 2 peaches that needed to be used... I them up and sprinkled with a brownsugar crumble and VIOLA, dessert! I didn't think Ben would be happy about the peach being in there, but it turned out to be a great compliment to the apples. You should try it (don't forget the vanilla bean ice cream on top) and see if you think it's just as great.

Climbing Dr. Eli

2011-08-17T14:36:00.004-04:00

Dr. Eli discovered how to climb up on all our furniture.
I turned around yesterday to find him STANDING on top of the table!

2nd Hope Adventure Day

2011-08-16T13:13:00.006-04:00

We had our 2nd Hope Adventure Day for the summer. Because of the wildfire in the Great Dismal Swamp, we had a smoke filled morning. The much needed rain held off until the afternoon, but it was good that we were only out there for a few hours.

Ben's Greek class in Florida ended Friday at noon. He drove straight home (getting in about 12:30 am) just so he could help me in the morning. He showed me amazing love that morning. He made all the kids CD's to take home, lead the music and then ran around with the kids in the obstacle course, helping them memorize the theme verse. I have the best husband!

My babysitter for the morning fell through, so we took turns trying to keep an eye on Eli. Thankfully all the other adults there helped us wrangle him throughout the morning.

"He, He! I found someone's ipod!"

You can see the snack station at the back of this picture. The kids made "bug cupcakes" (chocolate cupcakes, dipped in cookie crumble, with gummy worms on top)

I was SO excited to see Alison participate in the songs. Thank you to her mentor, Megan, for taking her under her wing and showing her the ropes :)

At the craft station, we made bug catchers and friendship bracelets. Each of the colors on the bracelets corresponded with a part of the memory verse-hopefully this helps them remember it when they get home!

Melanie set up this amazing obstacle course, where they had to say part of the verse at each station to get through.
Here Alison's walking the plank across the shark infested waters...yikes!
Alison after she crawled through the cave.

and my kids at the finale-the mudpit! Eli's ready to dive in....Alison is afraid to put a toe in.

It was a great morning and I'm so thankful for everyone who helped. 23 kids came and there was only one injury (after falling off a log in the obstacle course). The sweetest moment of the morning was when a little boy said at the end, while running through the sprinklers, "This is the best day of my WHOLE summer!" It was definitely an encouragement to hear.

A Day at the Zoo

2011-08-11T17:41:00.003-04:00

Alison will be quick to tell you that she does NOT like the zoo.
But yesterday we learned the lesson that it's not always about us, and we have to think of other's needs...like her poor little brother who has only experienced a fraction of what Alison did at this age.

She still had a blast and didn't shed one tear. When we got to the lions and giraffes (the ones that frighten her the most) she would just stand back and say, "okay, Mommy. Let's go see another animal". I was impressed and so thankful that she held it together so Eli could actually see some animals.

Clearly Eli had no fear of any animal. This is him, literally a foot away from a BIG monkey.

We took the wagon as our transportation, and I've found that it's absolutely perfect for the stage my kids are in. Alison can ride when she gets tired of walking, and it's easy to get Eli in and out without having to worry about unbuckling him. Add a snack, and you have a perfect combination.

At the end of our trip we had a picnic and then played in the fountains.
Eli was ready to jump in...

and I don't think Alison even got a drip of water on her.

Alison talked about the zoo for the rest of the day. I felt good about making an effort to expose them to something we don't see everyday. But it also made me feel guilty for the things I've lacked on. By 16 months, Alison could say all the animals sounds and point to body parts. All Eli can say is Mama. Sigh. It's been heaving on my heart. Have I been too focused on Alison and neglected Eli's needs? I suppose every mother goes through periods of feeling like this and I suppose it's a good thing I'm concerned about providing what he needs...but for now, we'll be reading lots and lots books in this house!

Daddy's in Florida...

2011-08-11T07:32:00.002-04:00

and we miss him!

We thought we'd pass the time, while we wait for his return, by making some pink pudding and jello (Alison keeps calling it orajel) and decorating it with lots of sprinkles.

Dinners are hard while Daddy's gone. It's the time of day we usually get to see him the most...and I don't want to cook a whole meal for just myself and 2 little nibblers.
So we try and keep things light and fun while he's gone.
We had french toast sticks (dipped in agava nectar) and watched 'Lady and the Tramp' last night.
Eli found this meal most relaxing.

Crazy Thankful

2011-08-09T13:32:00.002-04:00

for my beautiful babes.
What a blessing they are to me.

Thank You Nana!

2011-08-07T15:51:00.003-04:00

Elizabeth made the kids these awesome outfits.
They fit perfectly and were just what they needed.

I have the hardest time getting Alison to smile for a picture...
so we spent some time practicing together.

Mexican Night

2011-08-06T20:55:00.002-04:00

We usually have Mexican night once a week...is this bad? I hope not, because I love it. The problem is, we've upped the ante so much that now Mexican night is not as easy as simple tacos. The standard is now set at made-from-scratch tortillas and salsa, slow cooked chicken, real margaritas and fresh guacamole. Another problem is, when you make this kind of quality of food at home, it's hard to eat out. We went out to dinner tonight as a treat, but I found myself disappointed that I just spent $8 on a dish I know I could have cooked better at home. Perhaps, though, it's worth $8 for a night off.

Animal Day

2011-08-06T16:43:00.005-04:00

I made a list of activities I wanted to do with the kids this summer...none of them have been crossed off the list. Since I only have a few short weeks left, it's time to start checking them off the list.

So, we headed to Blue Bird Gap Farm on Friday.
We walked around and looked at the animals. My goal for the summer was to expose Alison as much as possible to animals in hopes of overcoming her fear of them. I failed my goal, but by a miracle she was the most calm she's ever been this trip. Eli on the other hand wanted to jump in the gate with them.

When our animal tour was done, we played on the swing set. Eli thought it was hilarious.
Alison looks terrified, but she was having fun, I promise.

Bass Pro Shop is right by the farm, so we stopped in to look at the fish. Last time we were there Alison cried because she was scared of the fish. This time she jumped up and was excited to see them. It's funny the stages of life kids grow through.
We finished our Animal Day date off with a yummy pretzel and cheese. It didn't have anything to do with animals, but it made me smile that a $2 pretzel can make all 3 of us happy campers.

Beaver Lake 2011

2011-08-03T20:00:00.014-04:00

We were excited to be able to go back to Beaver Lake this summer. My family goes every year, but last year we felt Eli was too teeny tiny to fly with, so we stayed home.

Here's our family last time we were at Beaver:
A lot has changed since then...

This time Alison is now old enough to get excited about packing. So I gave her her own suitcase and told her to pack what she thought would be important to have at the lake. She filled it up with cars and animal crackers. She laid the water towel on the floor to practice swimming and jumping in the lake.
Seriously. Why do my children never have clothes on?

I have to say, our kids are fabulous travelers. I was nervous about sleeping in a house full of so many people, but they did great! I, on the other hand, didn't sleep very much because I was so worried about my every move/breath waking them up.

It was great to have some quality time as a family.
Isn't it weird how we need time that forces us to spend time with eachother? There were no computers or phones to take away our attention. I didn't have to worry about cooking or cleaning or teaching or planning. The only thing we had to do for the day was spend time with eachother, and it was fabulous.

Personally, being right here is one of the most refreshing things for me. It was exactly what I needed.

Ben taught Alison how to swim in the lake and she was even able to overcome some fear and swim without a noodle.

Alison and Katherine had a blast playing together in the water. Katherine was slightly more adventurous than Alison and would help her come out of her shell a little.

We got to meet Jonathan Owen, the newest member of our rapidly growing family. Eli loved patting his head and Alison just said over and over, "he's SO cute!". He is a very sweet baby and I loved getting some snuggle time with him.

There were 7 kids all together, and Alison was the oldest!

Katherine, Jonathan, Eli, Alison, Maggie
Anna (2) and Sally (4 mo.) were there too. It was fun to see all the kids play together.

Eli had lots of practice making his "cheese" face.

Highlight of the trip for me:
Ben's driving the boat.
My dad's holding the kids at the back of the boat.
I'm skiing on the best water of the year.
My babies are waving to me with BIG smiles on their faces.
Best moment ever.

Coming home from the trip left me longing for more time with my family. Jumping back into "real" life is always hard, and my kids were good at reminding me how nice it was to have lots of cousins around to play with. Where are those cousins when you need them?

5 grandkids in less than 4 years...we like to keep these grandparents on their toes.
Makes me wonder what this picture will look like next year.

Alison's 4th Birthday

2011-08-03T17:13:00.011-04:00

We celebrated Alison's birthday at Beaver Lake, while on vacation. We woke up bright in early, all huddled in one room and Alison transformed into a birthday princess.

My sweet friend, Andrea, made Alison her birthday dress. It says 'Birthday Girl' on the front and has a 4 on the back.

We had a pancake, bacon and egg feast for breakfast. Alison made cousin Kate birthday cupcakes on the ipod while we waited for grandpa and some of the crew to get back from their morning ski run.

Then the party began...we had princess cupcakes

and more princess cupcakes. What's a birthday without cupcakes at every meal?

We opened up presents...

and Alison was excited to FINALLY get the ladybug pillow pet she's been asking for FOREVER!

If you ask Alison what her favorite food is, she'll tell you "fruit snacks and pudding".
So as a special birthday treat from Grandma, she got fruit snacks in her pudding.

We spent most of the day in the lake, swimming, tubing and riding on the boat.
After dinner, Grandpa took Alison on a special boat ride, all by herself.
I know that made her feel like the ultimate princess.

From the tired look on her face, I think it's safe to say that Alison had the best 4th birthday a girl can have.
Thank you Mom and Dad for putting together one great party for my peanut!

When we got home from the lake, we had another small family party.

Alison got several new dresses, which is exactly what she needed!
Her legs are so long she's wearing a 5T!

I love how Eli is such a ham for the camera.
Even though the day was all about Alison, he still stole the shot :)

My baby is 4. I'm not ready for her to be 4. I wanted to freeze time here:

(Alison's 1st Birthday)

Happy Birthday Peanut! You'll always be my baby no matter how many birthdays you have.

It's just that kind of day

2011-08-03T17:07:00.002-04:00

How do you deal with a teething toddler?

I Should Be Packing...

2011-07-26T08:12:00.001-04:00

but all I can think about is this bread
and dreaming about antique breadboxes

Just to follow suit

2011-07-21T07:47:00.005-04:00

I thought I better blog about how we've been handling the heat too. Everyone's doing it, you know.

This particular 100+ degree day, we did Alison's hair like her favorite character on Kidsongs and were excited to receive our new blender (aka frappaccino maker) in the mail.

I had a list of things I needed to bake and really debated whether it was worth the money to just go buy them. Alison was excited to bake with me, so away we baked. We made graham crackers, lemon bread, whole wheat bread and "no bake" cookies. This was the first time I've let Alison stir things on the stove. She did an excellent job and kept reassuring me that she wouldn't get burned.

No surprise here...Alison wanted to decorate the cookies.

Eli spent the time pushing the Elmo chair around the kitchen, attempting to get in on the baking action. Really, he just wanted to see what he could get his hands on to eat.

After our baking extravaganza, we cooled off by the vent in the play room and colored. Alison was not into getting her picture taken, but I had to document Eli coloring. He's got some good eye/hand coordination, for only being 15 months old.

We read some books, watched a Kidsongs, ate some cookies, and played a little Ring Around the Rosies.

Did you notice Alison's outfit change? Her new shoes came in the mail, so a new outfit was required. She will not be convinced that this shirt is not a dress.

While the heat doesn't bother me like most, I am ready for it to cool off some so we can start running outside again...treadmills just aren't as fun as tree lined trails.

Guard the Chairs

2011-07-21T07:38:00.003-04:00

We have a climber on our hands!

He moved the Elmo chair into the kitchen all by himself.
Placed it strategically by the counter, hoisted himself up

and whacked my coffee spoon on the counter, like it was a drum.

Oh, the things boys find fun.

Homemade Bread

2011-07-21T07:33:00.002-04:00

I made my first attempt at homemade bread. Though it's slightly lopsided, it was delicious. I don't know if this is a pro or con, but it only lasted a couple of days...suppose I'll have to double the recipe next time.

Eli's Stats

2011-07-17T17:22:00.002-04:00

Eli had his 15 month check up.
He's...
31 inches long- 60th percentile
22.5 pounds- 25th percentile

He got a shot and didn't even flinch...I didn't even know that was possible.

I decided to ask the doctor a question about my kids that has always puzzled me. Whenever I give my kids Motrin or Tylenol, they are very restless at night. I don't notice much difference in their behavior during the day, but I can guarantee a sleepless night if I have to give them medicine. I usually give my kids some medicine before shots, but I hesitated this time until I asked the doctor his thoughts on why. His only thought was that it might be the dye in the medicine, but didn't have much else to say. He even said that he's never heard of this before...thanks, that's a lot of help! So, if his theory is true, that would mean that my kids are highly sensitive to artificial food coloring. I did some research that afternoon, but everything I read showed that it affected kids with ADHD...which my kids are not. This theory has really intrigued me, but I'm not sure what to do with it from here.

It's a wedding!

2011-07-17T16:46:00.001-04:00

Please, Prayer and a little reading

2011-07-17T16:35:00.003-04:00

Eli's newest "tricks":

*A million times a day, he'll go to the refrigerator, try to open it and sign please over and over again until someone finally falls into his cuteness and gets him a snack.

*When put in his chair for meals, he immediately folds his hands and jabbers, then looks at me for the go-ahead to start eating.

*Alison was learning the "th" sound one morning for her reading lesson...Eli caught on pretty quickly and circled the table making the new sound.

Where have you been all my life!!!

2011-07-15T15:56:00.003-04:00

My neighbor discovered this little, white sanded beach that's just 10 minutes away!
You have to make a short hike through a beautiful trail to get there, but it's totally worth it.
We loaded up a wagon, hauled the kids down and enjoyed a picnic by the ocean.
It was fabulous and we will definitely be going back...maybe every day.

Whew!

2011-07-11T21:59:00.004-04:00

What a week!

I had several people ask me how the Adventure Day went. I was never quite sure how to answer. I think it went well. We ended with the same number of kids we started with. There was not one mishap or thought of "that didn't go how I thought it would". Alison wore her knapsack for the rest of the day, slept in it (I know, highly unsafe) and came to breakfast with it on. So in my world, it was a success.

On top of prepping for my first Children's Ministry program, I also taught my first full class of Power Cut at the Y. How did it go? Well, I didn't throw up and all 11 people in the class stayed the entire time. I had several people tell me they were sore the next day, so again, I would say it was a success.

Though this week was stressful, it brought so many blessings.

Friday morning I was up early to do my devotions. The "lesson" was on Proverbs 18:20-21.
"From the fruit of a man's mouth his stomach is satisfied; he is satisfied by the yield of his lips. Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits."
I prayed that I would have encouraging words on my lips that day...little did I know how God would use this verse. I was overwhelmed by the positive feedback I received about the Adventure Day and the Power Cut class. Ben also said some really encouraging things about my life that I work really hard at. I realized how true this verse is. Words have so much power to encourage and give life. It was sweet to hear and made my heart joyful.

This week also gave me a new philosophy on life:
It is what it is...so be thankful for what you have.
God gives me ALL that I need.
I may think I need 30 kids at an event, but I have 16 and I'll praise the Lord for every one of them.
I may think I need more than 24 hours to prep music and an hour work, but I'll trust that He'll give me the strength to get it done.
I may think I need a gallon of ice cream...just kidding :)

After this crazy, but wonderful week, we decided it was time to relax and enjoy some Buffalo Wild Wings (did I mention our kitchen was also invaded by ants...hence why we went OUT to eat)

After dinner, we picked up some Cold Stone Creamery deliciousness.

The night was about as good as a bear hug from Daddy.

Eli is 15 Months

2011-07-11T21:58:00.004-04:00

And would like to play you a little song.

He would also like to show you why we call him 'Destructo Man'.

You might be thinking, "Jen, your house is awfully dusty!" Nope, not dust. The blurriness would be courtesy of Destructo Man's grimy hands. And, do you hear Barney in the background? Yep, that was my distraction to get the kids to sit still for a few minutes while I got ready for a meeting I have tonight. Eli could not care less about TV...sigh. I guess this "clean freak" mommy is going to have to learn how to roll with the punches of a pink headband wearing, wipe my snot on your clean towel, love to rip everything off the refrigerator, toddler.

Hope Kids Adventure Day

2011-07-10T20:48:00.005-04:00

I organized my first big event, since taking on the role of Children's Ministry Coordinator at church. In past years, we've had "Cross Training" in the summer, which is our version of VBS...only problem is, I never actually attended them. So as I prepared a new program for this summer, I had no idea what the kids and parents would be expecting. I decided to keep things simple and have just 2 days of focused fellowship for the kids. I had an extremely hard time finding help to run this and in turn, kids who could attend, and struggled with questions of cancelling. As I prayed about the day I realized I just needed to have the right attitude: I can't expect all 50 kids of Hope to come, but I can put a smile on my face and be joyful that the ones who show up are there.

We met at the Edward's AMAZING farm. It is seriously one of the most beautiful places I've been. Maybe it's the Kansan in me, but I would live in their backyard if I could.

The forcast for the day was rain. I was up most of the night with a teething Eli and as I listened to it storm a majority of the night, I wasn't sure we would be able to pull off our outside Adventure that ended with swimming. But, the One who is able to do much more than I could ever dream or imagine, blessed us with a SUNNY morning...it was even HOT and we were all anxious to jump in the pool. We set up a tent just in case, but it served more as a source of shade than a dry spot.

16 kids came, 2 of which have only been to Hope once.
Ben and I brought back the Youth Group days and led a couple of fun songs.

We made knapsacks and friendship card packs.

The kids played "pizza toss"

and went on a scavenger hunt to build our memory verse
John 1:7
"But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin."

For snack, we made "dirt" and friendship snack mix (i.e. everyone brings their favorite snack and you throw it in a big bowl).
We ended the morning in the pool. Maybe we should have started in the pool, because no one wanted to get out when it was time to go home. Alison loved sliding down their princess slide. Except, I'm not sure you could really say she slid...more like inched down the slide until I lifted her off and pretended like it was the most fun thing we've ever done. She reminded me of myself though. I know we have a home video of when I was probably her age, inching down our slide in Texas. I always wonder how my parents weren't cracking up during all those movies.

You might be wondering what in the world Eli did while mommy was busy running this event.
Well, he ate some oreos...

and sat with Miss Lisa...

and got a drink from daddy...

and let's just be honest, I'm not really sure what all he did :)
But I'm thankful for all the other adults there to jump in and help me where I forgot to organize help.

It was a great morning and it left me excited to start planning the next one.
My goal for the morning was to build fellowship among our kids...all of the kids said they had fun and no one cried, so I think it was a success.

Smoochie, Milo, Eli!

2011-07-07T10:47:00.002-04:00

This photo makes me laugh! Poor Smoochie looks decapitated!
He's not, but this is a typical "mommy's trying to cook dinner and Eli's terrorizing the cat"moment that occurs every day about 5:15pm.
Smoochie's destroying the rug that I fix upteenthousand times a day and Eli has something in his mouth while trying to wrestle with the cat. And this is the moment that I shout, "Smoochie, Milo, Eli!"
Why can I not remember my son's name?!
When I was pregnant with Eli, I was worried that the names Eliot and Alison were too similar and I would always be tripping up on their names. Never did it cross my mind that I would get his name mixed up with the cats!

Happy 4th of July!

2011-07-06T12:31:00.003-04:00

We began our 4th of July celebration with a popcorn picnic and Alison watched her new favorite video-kidsongs (it's super cute to hear her sing along with all the songs)

Eli decided to ditch the picnic and his clothes and help sister finish her lunch.

During my convenient distraction, I was able to finish some projects that have been on my to-do list for way too long. Top priority was clearing out the rest of the boxes of clothes that were still sitting in our garage from the yard sale.
Now my boxes are filled with 2 things much more valuable than old clothes.

It might be a tight squeeze, but there's always room for kisses.We had some friends over for dinner and sparklers.
Ben smoked chicken and made his famous salmon dip.
We were also blessed with some corn Ben picked the day before from a field of a good friend of ours. There's nothing better than fresh, sweet corn.

Alison reacted to the sparklers about the same as she did last year.
She was not a fan.
Eli, on the other hand, was fearless and wanted to touch the fire.
Ben showed him how much fun smoke bombs and snakes can be.

It was a quiet 4th, but just right for this family.

School for Mama

2011-07-04T08:26:00.005-04:00

Alison decided it was time for Mama to go to school.She made me a name tag so she could sign me in.

Then she made herself a name tag so we were all clear who the teacher was.
Eli didn't get to come to class, but he did get to turn into a puppy.

Simple Favorite Recipes

2011-07-03T16:06:00.005-04:00

In our cheap, healthy, clean eating endeavor we've started making at home several things that we would normally buy prepackaged. Here are my recent favorites.

Granola:
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup oil
some brown sugar and cinnamon
4+ cups oats
bake at 325 for 20-30 min.

*My new favorite snack is vanilla yogurt, granola and some honey

Graham Crackers:
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup butter (melted)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
mix dry and wet ingredients separately and then combine. roll out dough in between 2 pieces of wax paper. bake at 400 for 10 minutes. cut and cool.

*We all loved this. Ben spread some natural peanut butter on some for dessert last night and the kids had it with fruit for breakfast.

Red Beans:
1 lb beans
1 large onion
3 T EVOO
84 oz chicken broth
2 tsp garlic powder
1 bay leaf
2 Tsp cajun seasoning
salt/pepper
some parsley
soak beans over night and then simmer until done next day.
Add some steamed brown rice and cooked shrimp.

For just a few dollars, and a little bit of work, this made 3 meals for us.

Refried Black Beans
We have a Mexican meal once a week and have fallen in love with refried black beans. However, the best organic kind are $3 for one can. I made a batch of these beans (it only cost me $.80) and they've lasted us over a month.

And, just to keep it real, Ben made some amazing cannoli's and watermelon martini's last night.

This just proves that I have the best husband.

Reading!

2011-07-02T16:41:00.003-04:00

This was Thursday.

Reading lesson #13

Friday morning, she read her first sentence.

Getting ready for the 4th

2011-07-02T16:34:00.002-04:00

We thought we'd better practice for some pictures while Ben hung a flag.

Then we went for a walk.
Alison got a 'new to her' bike and thought it was time to take it for a spin.

My big girl really impressed me, even if daddy had to push her the whole way.

Eli just thought it was silly that sister was chasing him instead of riding in the wagon.

Elton John?

2011-07-02T16:28:00.002-04:00

Doesn't he look like a mini Elton John?

It must run in the genes, because he looks just like his sister at this age...

They also share a love for Elmo...

and popsicles that run down your belly.

One Busy Weekend...a week ago

2011-06-27T08:32:00.004-04:00

First, I have to apologize for the not so great pictures. I'm longing more and more for a fancy shmancy camera, but I love how small the one we have is. I can have it with me at all times and I don't have to lug around a huge bag. So, I guess I'll just have to deal with "real life" pictures.

We began the weekend with our very first garage sale.
I'm not sure how to rate the success of the day. We made some money, but I still had a driveway full of stuff at the end of the morning. I really wasn't looking to make money, I was more in it to get rid of stuff and I loved the idea of people coming to me to take it from me...and any change they gave me for it was $.25 more than I had with it sitting in my garage.
I have to admit that it was somewhat of an emotional experience. I am a purger, perhaps an extreme purger to a fault. So, it wasn't hard to see things go. It was, however, somewhat overwhelming to look at our driveway full of "things" that the Lord has blessed us with. He has given us all that we need, with abundance. I looked around and saw so many things that people have generously given to us in a time of need. We've never had much or the means to have much...but here before my eyes was much...much more than we needed.

Alison sold chocolate chips cookies and lemonade.

The poor girl only made a dollar, but she was so excited about that dollar.
She carried it around with her all afternoon, like it was a new pet.
We got to ride in daddy's truck and she waved that dollar out the window to show the world her success. Oh, the simple things that make me smile.

We told her she could buy a treat at the Smithfield Olden Days with the money she made.
We didn't have the heart to tell her there wasn't a single thing she could actually afford-we'll learn that lesson another day. For today, I spent a stinkin' $2.00 on a bubble gum popsicle.

We cooled down with some "real" lemonade and sat in the shade to listen to a bluegrass band play.

The next day, daddy was feeling bluegrass inspired so he played us some tunes while we roasted some marshmellows and splashed in the pool.

Concoction fun

2011-06-22T15:22:00.002-04:00

We attempted to make plastic dough out of our new "concoction" book yesterday.
The book said we should make beads and necklaces...
I quickly realized that wasn't going to happen, so I encouraged her to make a coaster for daddy.
I think she had more fun sprinkling flour everywhere than actually making things.
Oh well, what's the point of being a kid if you can't get messy?

Last play date with Nico

2011-06-22T08:08:00.005-04:00

Our good friends, the Dunlaps, are moving next week and we are so sad to see them leave. Alison and Nico have been friends since we first moved to Virginia.
Alicia and I both had our second babies while friends and we shared dinner together once a week while her husband was deployed for 6 months.

These two play remarkably well for one who is all princess and one who is all superman.
It's been fun to see them grow up together and watch their two younger siblings join the "chaos".
Saying good-bye is never easy, but I will admit that having technology does make it slightly less painful.

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-19T21:16:00.005-04:00

I know this day is not about the children...but in a way, it really is...because without them, men would not be father's. Alison was beyond excited for Father's Day. We wrote it on our school calendar and she counted down the days. Every day she would say, "It's almost Father's Day" (I'm sorry you don't get to hear her cute excited voice, but I'll always remember the look on her face when she said this). I got Ben some wrist weights, because kickboxing hasn't been hard enough for him lately :). Alison had no idea what they were, but she asked if she could wrap the box. Sure. Why not. Note to self: need to stock more than Christmas wrapping paper in the house. She wrapped the box, but a snowflake sticker on it and put it in a Rudolf bag. She pulled that bag all through the house, putting odd and ends in it to "add" to the present. The next morning I found the cats had chewed a corner off of the bag and Alison had added 2 more cards.
This is one loved daddy!
I mean, doesn't a chewed up bag and a picture of Calliou colored only in red scream love?

Well, it does to this Daddy.
He even let Alison help open it.

He didn't even make Eli get in the picture because he knows not to mess with a boy eating his lunch.
And you know what else this amazing daddy did on HIS day?
He smoked us all brisket for dinner.
It was delicious!
I made him apple crisp for dessert...but forgot the vanilla ice cream.

I love seeing Ben be a dad.
I admit, I'm jealous of the bear hugs Eli will give only him.
And I wish I could have his deep calming effect on Alison.
But it all the more makes me thank the Lord that he gave me Ben.

Tonight, Alison came running inside and said, "Mommy, daddy made me come inside...and I'm not happy." I explained to her that daddy was just protecting her from being hurt by the hot smoker because he loves her SO much. She said, "I'm still sad". I scooped her up in my arms and we sat down in the rocking chair. She looked up at me and said, "Mommy, when you were a kid, and your daddy made you come inside, did some extra snuggles make you feel better?"
Yes. Yes they did.

And it took me back.

To all the times my dad would walk in the door from work and I'd run up to him to give him a hug, but I only came up to his waist. I'd wrap my arms around his knees and he'd kiss the top of my head.
To all the times I'd get hurt and he'd rub it with his hand and make this sound I have no idea how to type and all the pain would magically go away.
To all the times I heard his whistle as I was riding my bike around the neighborhood and I knew it was time to come back to the safety of our home.

There's a comfort that comes from a dad that can be found no where else.

I love you dad!