Update

Quick update...

The night shift has been pretty rough on Ben. However, the first three or four nights were the worst, and these last three or so have been much better. His knee is okay, he can walk and do most normal things, he just can't do the things he really loves...like surfing. He is going to see an orthopedic surgeon as soon as possible to try and schedule a surgery for one of his off weeks. This surgery should have a relatively short recovery period...

Ben's truck is totaled, so there is a 4 runner in our carport that is very smelly and essentially has no right half of an engine, only copper wires with lots of charcoal. The fire also busted through to the passenger side of the car inside, but didn't get too far into the car. Ben loved getting to go to work, and having to ask for a new pager. When they asked him why, he said, "Oh, my pager got destroyed when the fire department was spraying their chemicals to put the fire out." Good for shock value.

Caleb seemed to thoroughly enjoy his birthday. He asked me this morning, again, very groggy, "Mommy, am I still three?" We have assured him that there is no turning back!!

Here is a picture of a really sad attempt at an elephant on the cake. Elephants are Caleb's favorite animal. But just so you know, art is not one of my strong points.

A Wonderful, Crazy Day...

Well, it's not over yet. But anyway, today is Caleb's birthday. This morning, he came in quite groggy, and said, "Mommy....am I three now?"
Ben has been working his night shifts, which has proved quite a challenge. Saturday and Sunday (today) he works an extra long shift, 3:30pm to 7am. So, when he got home this morning he gave Caleb a big hug, watched Caleb open a few small presents, and then went to bed. I was getting the kids ready for church, trying to get there a little early since I was to teach Caleb's Sunday School class. Emma came in and said, "Mommy, it's smokey!!" I thought, "Did I leave the burner on when I lit Caleb's candle this morning?" As I came around into the kitchen, I could see smoke pouring into the back yard and back play room. It soon came to mind that Ben had mentioned his truck was running funny. Well, you guessed it. It was on fire!! Ben ran out, I took the kids to the front, where a neighbor was frantically knocking and ringing the doorbell to tell us that we had a car on fire. Anyway, the fire department was already on their way, I got the kids out and on our way to church, and they put out the fire. So, the car is totaled. We will spend Ben's first week off looking for a replacement or something. But, Ben is okay, the kids are all okay, and the house (which could have very easily caught on fire from the carport) is unharmed. So, we are most certainly counting our blessings, that all the important things remain untouched and unharmed.
This verse has new meaning for us today...
"When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze."
Isaiah 43:2b
And of course, we didn't walk through fire, but we are thankful for His protection none the less.

Amazing...

I have not had many words these week. Nor have I had the urge to post any of the words my children have used or cute things they have done. But this, this is just amazing...You must read this post:
Day 68 by Aaron's Mom
http://aaronboydston.com/
This is such a testimony to God's goodness. Please keep praying for Aaron, his wife Natalie, and their two kids and other family and friends.

The Long-Awaited...

Okay, so today we got the plants planted. Now, it is just a matter of how long I can keep them alive...and if they will actually bear "fruit." He, he. I mean vegetables. Anyway, I have never posted pictures on my blog... So, here are some pictures of the garden!!

This is Ben and Caleb digging up the soil under the box. Then chicken wire, to prevent visitors...Then, dirt mixed with organic compost, organic soil booster, and organic top soil.

We planted tomatoes, eggplant, Japanese cucumber, red bell pepper, yellow squash and zucchini. They didn't have all the plants we were planning on, so this is what we came up with. There is also basil, Italian parsley, and sage, which may, or may not get transplanted into pots. We'll see. So, there you go...we'll see what comes of it

Yummy Lunch Wrap

yummy...and suprisingly filling!

1 large tortilla (any kind, they make whole wheat, sundried tomato, etc.)
Cream Cheese (light if you want, I used the Whipped kind)
Thinly sliced cucumber (placed all over tortilla in a single layer)
One (or two) slice swiss cheese
Three pieces black forest ham (Or turkey, whatever you like)
Two pieces of Green leaf lettuce

Roll up and enjoy!! So good, I sent one to work with Ben today for lunch. And was tempted to eat it. At 6 am. =)

What's for dinner?

Sometimes, it's hard to figure out what to have for dinner. Especially in the midst of a big change, like trying to go organic, etc. Here are some great organic recipes...

http://www.organicvalley.coop/products_recipes/recipes.html

Happy eating!!

Praise, and Disney?

The kids love to sing...
I walked into the room to see Emma and Caleb holding their Bibles, while rocking in their chairs, singing:

Jesus takes our sins away,
He is the one
We should give him back some of our money
And he saves us after all,
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
He died on the cross

(Caleb)
He saves us,
Who's afraid of the big bad guy,
the big bad guy,
the big bad guy...

There was a bit more to the song, but they were singing at the same time, so that was all I could make out.

Fun Day?

Okay, so I had all kinds of things on my "To-Do" List for yesterday. But somewhere in the midst of organizing my thoughts, I started thinking that it would be fun to do something for the kids, since it was finally not gloomy in the morning. SO, we finished some chores (Emma is getting very good at making her bed) and decided to get ready for the park (Sarazotti, since it's so close). Then I thought, hey, I should pack a lunch, and take our Bible and we can read a story...Anyway, so we FINALLY got going, got up to the park, and started playing. I was on a time schedule since Caleb is wearing underwear and I wanted to make sure that we got home in time for him to go potty, so I was only planning on a couple of hours. Lunch was nice: peanut butter sandwiches, cheese and turkey, pretzels, and grapes. We read about Jacob and Rachel and Leah. Anyway, just as I was getting ready to start packing up our things, I met a really cool lady with kids about Caleb and Noah's age. So, I thought, okay, we'll just stay for a little while longer. The kids were on the playground, and Caleb announces, "I have to go potty." AH! So, the nice lady says she'll watch Noah, while Emma, Caleb, and I RUN to the potty that I dread with much of my being. But we made it, and he went potty, YEAH! After about another half hour or so, we finally began the process of leaving. We started walking home, and I am thinking, "Wow, nap time is going to be SOOO good!!" Yeah, not so much. Noah slept, but that's about it. So, Emma and Caleb kept getting into trouble, and getting more and more grumpy. Finally I let them out, and was going to let them watch a little video so I could get a shower. Then Noah woke up. So at this point, I am thinking, okay, no shower, but what are we doing for dinner? Ben went to work for his dad after he got done at his new job, so he wouldn't be home. My mom calls just at this moment and asks if we want to come up for pizza. I say no, we don't want to impose, etc. She says, just come...and I am thinking, wow, a year and a half in the mountains and all that time, I never had this option. So, yeah, we went up, the kids played outside and rode their scooters, we ate pizza, came home, had baths, and everyone went to bed. All in all, it was a fun day, although I am pretty sure that an offer to leave our house and have dinner taken care of was the ticket to ending the day on a good note. =)

The Plans...

Okay, so I have the best intentions and plans to build our garden. Whether or not it actually happens, we shall see. I think the hardest part for me is that I want to build it NOW, today...but I am thinking...Do we even own a power saw? Or, where do I go to get this stuff? And, do we have the tools I need, and if so, where would I find them in our garage? I guess what I am saying is that I am going to have to have some help on this one. However, Ben is quite busy, working his new job, and then going to work for his dad after he gets off. So, I will either have to get very creative, or...get very creative. Anyhow, here's some helpful articles in case you were planning a garden of your own...:

http://www.bhg.com/bhg/story.jsp?catref=C429&storyid=/templatedata/bhg/story/data/1158091730278.xml

http://www.bhg.com/bhg/story.jsp?storyid=/templatedata/bhg/story/data/1137772891988.xml&catref=C429&psrc=storyrl

A Little Scary...

Well, today, I was a little overwhelmed by something. I have been learning and hearing more and more about different things surrounding the whole organic food vs. traditional. Shopping at Trader Joe's is great, because they keep their standards really high as far as no artificial ingredients, and no preservatives. Also, all of their dairy products, even if they aren't organic, are from cows that are not treated with the rBST hormones. And I know that it is theory, and no one really knows the answers, but I do find it interesting that the incidence of cancer and other disease are so much higher, and the idea of eating food sprayed with a bunch of chemicals has never really sat well with me anyway. The dilema, however, is cost. We will have to find a balance, because at the rate at which we go through milk, I just can't pay $6.50 a gallon!! But, that is for completely organic milk, so maybe I will just have to stick with hormone free for now. We are going to try to start growing some of our own stuff, but I am nervous since my thumb has never been very green, if you know what I mean. Anyway, I desire to eat well, and even more so, to feed my kids well. I would never knowingly hand them something all covered in chemicals to eat...
Anyway, I thought this article would be interesting for some of you...It's about Monsanto, the company who makes Roundup weed killer. My M-O-M (mother-in-law) alerted me to this company that is basically trying to have the monopoly on crops. And evidently, they are trying to develop seeds that will withstand roundup so they can spray everything with it. Anyway, read away!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monsanto

Memorial Day...

Okay, so I was so inspired by Amber's blog about Memorial Day that I thought I would do a puppet show for the kids to teach them about this special day. Whenever we do a puppet show, I do the whole thing, then Emma and Caleb take turns repeating what they liked or remembered from my show. Here was Emma's prayer when she took her turn:

"Dear God, thank you for our mommies and daddies. Thank you for this very special day and for making thank you cards and thank you for this very lovely day."

When I had done my puppet show, I tried to explain what this day was about, and we said a special prayer for the soldiers and their families who were fighting or had fought in the wars so that we could have the special freedoms we have in the United States of America.

They always like me to sing during a puppet show, so I sang "America the Beautiful." Then I thought, this is a perfect opportunity to start teaching them our national anthem. (I mean, they're almost 3 and 4 years old, right?) Well, too bad I could not remember it for the life of me. Eventually, I wound up calling my mom just to get, "Oh, say can you see..." So much for my patriotism. Guess I'll be the one needing a puppet show.

Yeah Caleb!!

Well, it is not over yet, by any means...those of you who have potty trained know exactly what I am talking about!! But, Caleb has been wearing underwear and he even wore them today to Life Design. I was very nervous, so much so that I came and took him potty twice during the almost three hours...but he made it! Yeah Caleb!!

God's Goodness...

We were talking about this in Life Design, and the girls said it was worthy of posting. First of all, in my other Wednesday night Bible Study, about discerning the voice of God, we've been learning this week that in order to really hear from God, our desires has to be knowing God, more than hearing from God. So many times, we want to know what God requires of us, like the law, instead of just wanting to know Him, love Him, and then out of that to serve Him. Well, the timing was perfect because this week's Life Design study was about the Greatness of God. And Psalm 145 was perfect as just describing God and his amazing character. I am going to write it out here, just because most of the people reading this won't have time to grab a bible...so just read it and take time to think about God, just for who He is:
"I will exalt you, my God and King, and praise your name forever and ever.
I will praise you every day; yes, I will praise you forever.
Great is the LORD! He is most worthy of praise! No one can measure his greatness.
Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim your power.
I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor and your wonderful miracles.
Your awe-inspiring deeds will be on every tongue; I will proclaim your greatness.
Everyone will share the story of your wonderful goodness; they will sing with joy about your righteousness.
The LORD is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
The LORD is good to everyone. He showers compassion on all his creation.
All of your works will thank you, LORD, and your faithful followers will praise you.
They will speak of the glory of your kingdom; they will give examples of your power.
They will tell about your mighty deeds and about the majesty and glory of your reign.
For your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. You rule throughout all generations.
The LORD always keeps his promises; he is gracious in all he does.
The LORD helps the fallen and lifts those bent beneath their loads.
The eyes of all look to you in hope; you give them their food as they need it.
When you open your hand, you satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing.
The LORD is righteous in everything he does; he is filled with kindness.
The LORD is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth.
He grants the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cries for help and rescues them.
The LORD protects all those who love him, but he destroys the wicked.
I will praise the LORD and may everyone on earth bless his holy name forever and ever."

I know it's a lot of reading, but isn't is amazing? This is our God!! Okay, so back to the point...
The question in our study: If God has proved His goodness over and over again, why do we find ourselves waiting for His goodness to run out?
Well, there are many answers...but mine was because OUR goodness always runs out. No matter how hard I try to be a good wife, a good mom, a good housekeeper...I do well for a while, and then I run out!! But God's goodness has no end, it is not like ours.
So last night, the kids were getting into trouble. Emma just would not be quiet and go to bed, so yes, I told her that if she didn't quiet down I would take her night light. And she didn't, so I did. I know, even I felt bad as she was screaming and crying. But she settled down and went to sleep. Then about midnight, I hear her wake up and start crying. I go in to see what is wrong, and she tells me, "I don't want it to be dark!!" In my mind I am thinking, "Seriously? This is about the night light!!" But, I told her that she chose not to be obedient, blah blah blah. Then I leave the room. Noah wakes up, so I go get him and start feeding him. And it occurs to me, that God absolutely has consequences for disobedience, but His goodness to us still continues. He does not leave us crying in our consequences with no comfort, or no hope. So, I get Noah back to sleep and I go in and pray with Emma, that God's angels would come and watch over her, and help her to not be afraid even though it is dark, and to help her to make a better choice the next time Mommy asks her to be quiet.
God's goodness does not run out...And even though mine does, I am looking to Him, knowing that His goodness will go the distance.

The Heart of a Child...

Emma got some money for her birthday. $4.00, one for every year old she is. She hasn't really had money before, except for small amounts. Anyway, I told her that I was going to put her dollars away, to keep them safe, and that we could talk later about how we use our money. She had a lot of questions about this statement, so I explained (thinking that it would be quick, and we would revisit it later) that the first thing we do when we get money is give some of it back to God. This peaked the kids' interest. (The kids' answers are in quotes)
"Where is God?"
Well, he is in Heaven.
"Yeah, and Jesus is in heaven, because Jesus is alive."
Yes, you are right!
"Well, if God is in heaven, then how can we give him money?"
Oh my...well, there are different ways that we can give money to God. One way is to give money to the church, and then they use it to help send people to places where no one has heard about Jesus yet, or they use it to pay for the people who work at the church and help people. Another way is to give the money to people who don't have any food to eat, or clothes to wear, and that way we can help them.
"Oh..."
Then my precious daughter looks at her $4.00 and tells me,
"Mommy, I will give two of my dollars to God and to the people who need help. And then I will have two dollars to keep."
I told her that her heart is so very precious to God at that moment, and that He is so pleased. I also say that we can talk more about the money later, because she can choose to save it, or choose to spend it, etc.
"Oh mommy, I will spend it on a treat!"
Well, you can do that, because it's your money!
"Yes, and there will be one dollar for me and one for Caleb."
Oh honey, you can spend both dollars on you because it was your birthday money.
"Yeah, but I just want to spend some on Caleb."

The really sad thing to me, is that I had already calculated 10 percent, and was trying to figure out how to explain THAT. And in the process, I overlooked the most important things. My daughter's heart didn't need percentages or explanations of mathematical concepts...she just wanted to know what would make God happy.

"I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven." Matthew 18:3
"Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children." Matthew 19:14

Oh yes...

Well, it wouldn't be complete if I didn't post about our garage sale endeavors. Not much this weekend, however, Ben was thinking about how he will probably be having surgery and will need to do some physical therapy afterwards. He saw a Total Gym on craigslist for $100, but of course, we don't have $100!! SO, this morning, the first garage sale I went to had...you guessed it!! A Total Gym for $10. Yes, that's right, one less zero makes a big difference!! You see, I think God has a wonderful sense of humor, and I am very much a thankful elephant for this find!
P.S. Yes, we did go to the Young Life sale, but we got there late, I think...

God's Provision..The Saga Continues!

We are just amazed at how God continues to provide and take care of us. I don't know if any of you know this, but Ben has had three knee surgeries...two on the left knee (one to repair the meniscus in his knee, the second to remove the damaged part) and then about two and a half years ago, he had a meniscus repair surgery on his right knee. Well, Thursday night Ben went to play softball with the church league...no big deal, just some fun. When he was up to bat, he swung to hit the ball, and felt something funny. When he then went to run to first base, he knew it was bad because his joint locked and he couldn't straighten his right knee. So, he hopped to first base, and then got a runner. As he hopped off the field, I knee it was bad...in fact, I could pretty much tell from the look on his face that it meant surgery. But, there were a few things that made it a little more scary. The first is that we have no health insurance, and so all those bills would be our responsibility. The second is that he is supposed to start his new job a week from Monday and he can't even walk. So, I jogged home to get the car and picked him up to go home. I just decided that the best we can do is to pray for God to heal him, at least enough so that he can go to work because, well, we need him to.
Friday, we spent a good portion of the day at the emergency room, just trying to figure out what to do about his knee. The doctor forgot about us in the E.R. (he came back after about an hour and half and said he forgot us...), but then was very nice to us! He basically said that Ben will probably need surgery, however, there's no way to know without an MRI. But, he also said that the knee will relax, and he should be able to function fairly well in the next couple of days. So, hopefully we can just wait this week until we have health insurance, then figure out the whole surgery situation. And, for now, he is up and about, with a knee brace, just a little slower than normal. But, it looks like he'll be able to go back to work on Monday (yeah God!). After the E.R., we went to Trader Joe's for groceries. While I was in the store, Ben sat out in the car and was watching a movie on the DVD player. I ended up being in there longer than I planned...so yeah, you guessed it, when we went to start the car, the battery was dead. At this point, you really just have to laugh. But, thankfully, Ryan (Ben's brother) was on his way home from work, and we were on the way. So he stopped and jumped the car for us, and we made it home. God continues to provide and be faithful and we are okay. Yeah God!

Are you grumpy?

In our house, we end up spending a lot of time talking about our attitudes. Caleb found a great way to lighten the mood when someone is acting grumpy (or even just to have fun). He says, "Are you grumpy? Are YOU grumpy?" Usually laughing, tickling, and other smiles follow. So, this morning, Ben said to Caleb, "Are you grumpy, are YOU grumpy?"
Caleb's response: "No, I'm a thankful elephant!!"

On that note, we have two books from a series, which has been discontinued. They're neat, though, because they're about the fruit of the Spirit. Anyway, the one about God's goodness ends like this:

So, when I feel grumpy-growly
Here's exactly how I pray
God please remove my badness
And let your goodness stay.

So, we use that prayer to combat grumpy growlies around here. Besides, it is much more fun for everyone involved to be a thankful elephant.

Garage Sales are GREAT!

So, I have still been looking for a dresser, and of course, that is not what I found. What I did find:
A brand new stainless steel tea kettle, $5.00
A skate board for Caleb, $3.00, and one for cousin Ethan (last name NASH) with NASH in letters on the front ($5.00)
A tea set for Emma, $4.00
A beautiful silver plated teapot, cream, sugar, and platter...was for Emma, until I found the other one, then became MOMMY'S treasure...$7.00
Gotta love it.
There was a really neat Family Festival at Libbey Park on Saturday, so we took the kids. Everything was free, they had tons of activities, and the kids got free helmets and toothbrushes. They even got to play at the park and see lots of friends. At dinner time, we were all saying what we were thankful for. What won? The skateboard, the tea set, and oh yes, the new toothbrushes. Life is good. (Daddy being home got honorable mention)

More from my Bible Study...

We are still doing our study on Discerning God's Voice...which by the way, I recommend to anyone, it is published by LifeWay, and written by Priscilla Shirer. Anyway, this week is about the voice of the Holy Spirit, and I just loved this verse and wanted to share:
"They said to one another, 'Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?'" Luke 24:32
You know that feeling, like your heart is burning within you, either because you've just seen something about God, or made a connection you've never made before? Or because you know the Spirit is leading you to do something, and maybe it seems a little odd, but you just feel your heart burning, giving some seemingly mundane task (call your friend, give her a hug, etc...) a sense of urgency, as if you were being compelled??
Yes, I remember that feeling, and perhaps I have not been so quick to recognize it as of late, but I can't wait...
Now if only I could quiet my mouth long enough to open my ears, and recognize the burning in my heart....
"Speak, your servant is listening..." 1 Samuel 3:10b
From our Bible Reading last night:
"The LORD is king! He is robed in majesty. Indeed, the LORD is robed in majesty and armed with strength. The world stands firm and cannot be shaken. Your throne, O LORD, has stood from time immemorial. You yourself are from the everlasting past...Mightier than the violent raging of the seas, mightier than the breakers on the shore--the LORD above is mightier than these! Your royal laws cannot be changed. Your reign, O LORD, is holy forever and ever."
Psalm 93

Too many words...

Wednesday nights have been so amazing, we are continuing our Bible Study on hearing God's Voice...the current six-week session is on Discerning the Voice of God. It is basically all about the Holy Spirit, and His work in our lives. The only problem (well, it is actually a good thing, not a problem) is that the more you learn about the Holy Spirit, it seems that the more aware of Him you are. And one of His jobs is to convict us of sin. So, I guess it would seem natural that today I am a bit discouraged, frustrated even, with myself. Why can't I get it right?? I am most frustrated with my mouth. It seems to get the best of me, and runs off ahead of my mind, leaving me speaking before I have really thought. Now, I don't mean that I am necessarily even saying bad things. Just too many!! Information that is not needed, words that are unnecessary. It is hard, because when you spend all your time with tiny people, and then the door opens for you to have a conversation with an adult, well, it can be a little exciting. But, in my specific situation, I have heard the voice of God's Holy Spirit, and I must admit, I was wrong. I said too much. I used too many words, and perhaps information that was not necessary or beneficial.
"Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut." Proverbs 10:19 NLT
Thank you God, for choosing to speak to me, and for making me aware of an area in my life that is not pleasing to you. It just feels good to hear your voice, even if it is to convict!! Change me Lord, place a guard on my lips so that I may only speak what is beneficial and necessary. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing to You, O Lord.
"A truly wise person uses few words; a person with understanding is even-tempered. Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent; with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent." Proverbs 17:27-28
Yes, this verse was in our Bible reading last night. You'd think I would have gotten the message, but I'm still working on it...

"Monster Mom" Days...

Well, at our Life Design Bible Study, we were talking about having "monster mom" days...you know, the days when you are more easily frustrated, impatient, and just in general more like a monster than a mom. Now, I am definitely not saying that this is the way to go, just acknowledging that we all, in our sinful selves, have those not-so-good days. So, I thought this article was fitting, and very helpful...It always amazes me how it always comes back to keeping in step with the Spirit. The Lord gives us everything we need to avoid these monster mom days, and yet it requires us to choose to submit to the Spirit, MOMENT by MOMENT. I haven't mastered it by any means, so I thought this article was helpful.
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/heartofwisdom/
The article is called 5 Steps to Preparedness
Enjoy!

Pictures...

So, I had a couple of people ask about pictures for the dresser we haven't started yet. I just wanted to say that I haven't yet figure out pictures, and how to have them. So, I may need help with that....

More Garage Sales, Moving AGAIN, and a Last-Minute Birthday

So, we were searching for a dresser for the kids room, and maybe one for our room. No such luck, but that is usually the way it goes with garage sales...you don't find what you do need, and you find what you don't necessarily need. But, we got a great sand and water table for $8, with all the toys...you know, those fishing poles and fish from Lakeshore, and some other sharks, fish, and things to float. The kids love it!! We also got a Childcraft wooden lego table, you know, the one that stores all the Legos inside, and has the lego top for $20. So, the kids are enjoying it, and as most of you know, I needed Emma's bookcase as clothes storage, so we haven't started repainting or stenciling yet.

We moved again. I had never moved in my life until I got married...which was almost 7 and a half years ago now. In that time, we have now moved for the seventh time. So there you go, you'd think we would be really good at it by now, but I am not sure we are. We are almost settled, but in general it will take a while I am sure. However, all I can say is that I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the way our Lord has provided. Everything has been taken care of...we have a place to live, we have phone service and now internet as of today, and even brand new trash cans because the old ones were really gross, and I figured if we have to pay for trash service I might as well ask for new ones. And they granted my request. So thank you God, for your incredible work on our behalf. Thank you friends and family for your prayers and tears, and for rejoicing with us.

So, we had some family over yesterday for a last minute celebration of Emma's 4th birthday. Caleb's favorite part, "Uh, blowing cakes?" So hey, I only came close to tears once, and that was as Emma was eating her birthday cake, and I was overwhelmed that she is four now...She's growing up and I can't stop it, but I just want to hold her and love her...

Moving away from the materialism!!

Okay, so with the whole bookcase situation with Emma, we stumbled upon an idea that I thought worthy of the blog!! We decided that instead of the normal commercialism that surrounds birthdays and all other present-getting events, that Emma's birthday present will be the bookcase. Well, the present is to do a project, either with Mommy or Daddy, or both. But this year, we happened to already have the project. Next year, we will start early before her birthday arrives. We will garage sale, and treasure hunt, until we find just the right project. So, for her bookcase, I got the paint, and some stencils to put her name and some other decorations on it, and she will get to work on that with me.
For Caleb, we thought that since he loves to help, fix, and build, that he and Daddy will go and choose some wood and build something very basic, like a stool or something. And his present will be to work on a project with Daddy, or Mommy, or both. And so, this year, we will begin a hopefully wonderful tradition in which we can work together to accomplish something, and perhaps that will be even better than Dora, or Disney princesses, or even Spiderman. And, as I realized last night, this will be a wonderful opportunity for me to begin learning to let go, and let Emma or Caleb do things as they want to, even if they "mess it up" according to my sometimes unreasonable standards. I'll let you know how it goes!!

Garage Sale Steals!!

One of the things I love to do is garage sale. For me, it is like modern-day treasure hunting. Before we moved to Crestline, I found this great coffee table for $3.00. It took a ton of work to refinish it, but we loved it so much in the end, that it was one of the few items that has made the numerous cuts we've had to make during all the moving.
Anyway, last weekend, I saw a bookcase, and it was mostly painted pink. I think they must have gotten tired of the project, because it wasn't finished. But it was wood, so I saw some potential. I was thinking a beautiful, sleek black finish for the living area, to hold books, etc. I haven't gotten to it yet, so it is just sitting on the front porch (oh yeah, for $8.00).
This weekend, Ben and I went and scored again. We found another bookcase, type piece that has doors on it, so I thought that might be even better because I could put kid's toys and/or craft items in it, and close the doors!! I also got a killer mirror, which is framed in lime green wood, but will look like it came from Pottery Barn when I am through with it, I hope. =) I got both items for $23.00.
So this afternoon, I began painting the bookcase type thing with the doors black. It was looking pretty nice...Emma came to admire my work and said, "Oh mommy, it is very pretty. Since this one is black, I think you could clean the one in front, and paint it ALL pink, and then it could be mine."
My goodness, I guess it starts young. Then again, maybe she would enjoy helping me with that project. She's almost four, she can refinish furniture, right???

The Agony of a Decision!

So, Ben has been working for his dad's company, and enjoying his work...He feels good being a part of the family business, and likes knowing that he is helping the family, so to speak. He had been waiting to hear from a job with Aera energy, an oil company here in Ventura. It was taking them so long, though, and finally, Ben's dad just needed to know if Ben would stay or go. So, Ben made the decision to stay.
The next week, Aera called and offered Ben the job. Ouch. That hurt...but, right away, Ben said that he was not going to take the job because he had already made a commitment. So, that was fine, the decision was made.
Then, Ben's dad said that he was changing the health insurance, so Ben got all the paperwork, brought it home and we re-worked the budget with the new numbers. Uh-oh. I know, it sounds crazy, but yes, it made such a difference that we weren't going to make it. I don't mean, oh, it will be tight, not going to make it. I mean, no cable, no internet, cut our food budget $60 a month, and still can't afford diapers type of situation. Anyway, then the agony began. Ben talked to his dad, who was INCREDIBLY gracious and wonderful, but that didn't make it any easier on Ben because he didn't want to disappoint anyone or let them down.
Then, a few days into it, I had a little epiphany: if Aera had called a week earlier, it would have been easy, he would have taken the job. If the insurance situation had come up a week later, it wouldn't matter because he would have already past the deadline for accepting the job with Aera and it would be easy. But could it be, that instead of an easy decision, the point of all this was just so that we would seek God, desperately, diligently, relentlessly until we had an answer? Could it be, that over the last two years, we had let the thought creep into our theology that God didn't really care what we did as long as we were obedient, and our hearts were right (which is not completely wrong), but that He didn't really have a specific plan for us, and that He wouldn't speak to us?
Thus, began our pursuit....we cried, we prayed, we read God's Word (at the end of twelve hour work days) until we couldn't keep our eyes open. I know it sounds weird, but we LABORED over this decision. Seriously, at some points during this, I would have picked actual, child-birth labor over this. But we prayed, and we said that we needed to hear from God, and that we could no longer live with God's general but needed God's specific plan. We needed to hear God's voice.
Now, I am not saying that God opened heaven, and we heard him audibly tell us what to do. But he carried us through and this is what happened.
I had prayed that God would send some prospective workers, since that was a source of pressure, already being a bit short handed. There are two prospects, so we are continuing to pray that at least one of them will work out.
My friend Amber (THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!) said she would be praying for Ben's dad, that he would "release" Ben from his commitment more forcefully, so Ben would really know that it was okay. We had sought advice from a couple other sources...And within two hours of me talking to my friend Amber, Ben's dad called him and said just that, "I RELEASE YOU."
This by no means made the decision, but it helped.
We read much of God's Word, but didn't sense a specific direction, only encouragement:
"The Spirit of the Lord will come upon you in power, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person. Once these signs are fulfilled, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God is with you." 1 Samuel 10:6-7
So, finally, Ben made the decision. He called Aera, and he was already a day late sending the acceptance letter, so he didn't even know if he could still have the job. And when he called, no one was there, he had to leave a message. But he sent the letter, and then called his dad. Anyway, his dad was so kind and so encouraging, and although sad to see him go, he even said it might work out better in the end for him. And some other details went according to the way we had prayed, and then Aera returned his call and said that they had actually been waiting to see if Ben would accept the job and that they were so please that he did!! And so, the Lord has acted mightily on our behalf.
To tell you the truth, at most points in all this, I didn't even care what Ben decided, I just wanted to be done with the decision. And yet, the agony, that is what is the most exciting thing to me in all of this. GOD IS NEAR TO US!! GOD DESIRES TO SPEAK TO US!!! It is my responsibility to know my Shepherd's voice, but you better believe I am ready to get to know it for sure!!!! And if God is near to us, if God speaks to us, and if God has a specific plan for us (WHICH HE DOES!!!) then life has meaning, then there is boundless amounts of hope and joy even IN THIS LIFE!!! GOD IS NOT IMPERSONAL!
Oh, so about the job....
I am not exactly sure what Ben will be doing, except making sure those oil-pumping machines off the side of the freeway work. But he will work seven 12 hour days, then have 7 days off. Then he will work seven 12 hour night shifts (6pm to 6am) and have seven days off. Our insurance is great, and he will have a pension and 401K. I am not really even sure what all of that is...but, they also have some educational incentives, and I thought, hey, 7 days off is perfect for trying to finish that degree he's been talking about....or surfing, or studying God's word and laboring with me over the next decision we face. Only next time, we will even start off in a better place, because we know and believe that He will speak to us, and He does have a specific plan for us.
P.S. Interestingly enough, my Wednesday night Bible Study, which started about 3 hours after Ben made his decision is about Discerning God's Voice. I CAN'T WAIT!!!
Please pray for us, with moving soon, and the change in jobs, and Ben's new schedule...we can't wait to see what God will do!

Some Catching Up To Do...

So, the last two years have been a little rough for our family. And it usually has left me in one of two places: either in tears as I attempt to talk about it, or just speechless. Which is sort of how I have felt in the last few weeks. Speechless. Which is also why this past year, I didn't send out the Christmas letter that I always send out, the one that Ben's family always tell me they're so glad I send because it's the only way they can keep up with us and remember who we are...yes, that Christmas letter. I couldn't send one because I simply had no words. There are no words to describe when you are in the midst of the situation, and without knowing it, you have somehow come to a place where you think that the God of the Universe, who not only created you but redeemed you, is far away, and just maybe, has forgotten about you. I wouldn't have admitted it, even to myself, but I think that's what I was feeling, that God had become impersonal. That he didn't have a specific plan, but just a general plan for my good, and that I would just have to figure it out and suffer the consequences if I got it wrong.

Well, let me just say though, that this is a terrible place to be. Really. But there was a part of me that held out hope, because I knew I had heard God's voice before...it had been a while, but I knew that I had experienced God's SPECIFIC plan for my life, not just some general, yeah, God has good plans for me. I knew that God had to love me, and He had to be very near to me, because that's what His word says...and yet, I had started to wonder.

There are many things for which I have no answers for, even still, but there is one thing I know and I wish I could shout it from every roof top...I am no longer speechless...
"I KNEW IT!!! GOD DOES LOVE ME!! GOD HAS A PLAN, SPECIFICALLY FOR MY LIFE, AND HE DESIRES TO SPEAK TO ME!!!!"

So, here is the summary of the events, and I will describe with more detail in another post.
Ben and I are moving to a super cute three bedroom house here in Ojai, sometime in the next two weeks or so.
Ben will be staring a new job working for Aera energy (an oil company in Ventura) in the next three weeks or so.
The Lord has proved Himself mighty and faithful on our behalf, and we are rejoicing simply in the fact that God is very near to us!!!

"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. For in him we live and move and have our being." Acts 17:24-28

Cadence Taylor Hester

Yeah! Cadence Taylor Hester was born March 22, 2007 at 6:53pm to proud parents Ryan and Kelly Hester. She was 7lbs., 4 oz. and 19 1/2 inches long. Kelly is such a trooper...she was in labor all day! Kelly and Cadence are enjoying some time at home, and Ryan is already back to work. Cadence is a beautiful, petite, precious little blessing, and she is healthy and doing great!

Pray for Kelly!

My sister-in-law Kelly is going to be induced tomorrow...I am so excited!! This is their first baby, and they are so excited to welcome their precious little girl! Please pray for strength and endurance for Kelly, and that everything would go well, and quickly! And pray for both her and Ryan as they prepare for the excitement and changes ahead!!

Little Colds...And God's wisdom

Well, I haven't been much of anywhere for a couple of weeks, mostly due to a cold and cough that has worked its way through the kids. So, I didn't post last week about Life Design, and I missed this week too. Also, I started a new Bible Study at my church on Wednesday night...I was so excited about it, but I haven't been able to go since that first meeting a couple of weeks ago. But anyway, here's some food for thought:

Ephesians 5:1-20
We were discussing walking in the light/being wise how you live.
Which interestingly enough corresponded with the first week's lesson in my other Bible study.
How can we become more wise?
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge" (Prov.1:7) and "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." (Prov. 9:10)
Which, in my own little paraphrase becomes..."Respecting God is the starting point of wisdom." The more we respect God, the more we trust him. The more we trust Him, the more we obey Him and actually put our knowledge of Him into practice.
Ecclesiastes 12:13 (my paraphrase here...)
"Respect God and obey Him--this is the whole job of mankind."

Then, this week's lesson in Life Design was about yielding, most specifically within the husband/wife relationship.
My dictionary defines yield as:
1. to give forth by a natural process
2. to surrender, to give way
3. the profit obtained from an investment (a return)
This was so absolutely interesting to me, because I noticed that the times in my relationships (marriage, friendship, or as a mommy) when I received the greatest return (definition #3) was often when I yielded the most (#2).

And oh yes, from my other Bible Study, God spoke most clearly to my heart through the words Jesus spoke to the Pharisees in Matthew 23:25-26...(my paraphrase)
You should be more concerned with what's truly in your heart, rather than how you appear in the eyes of others.

So, hey, that is so amazing...The Lord can speak to us in our hearts, gently correcting and rebuking without you ever having to leave the house. Hopefully I will leave the house soon, so I can put this all into practice. Of course, I have three (and sometimes four if Ben is home) great test subjects always at my disposal!!

Where Daddy Lives...

Today, the kids and I ventured out to meet a friend down at the Point in Ventura. It was such a perfect beach day....Blue skies, not a lot of wind, but just enough of a breeze. We walked along the water towards the playground, the kids played to their heart's content (or slightly less perhaps), and we enjoyed a snack. We thanked God for such a beautiful day and a chance to play and enjoy His beautiful creation...

Then Caleb said enthusiastically, "Oh Mommy, this is where Daddy lives!!"
Before I could explain...little Miss Emma, "No Caleb, this is where Daddy swims and surfs, in the ocean."

More from Life Design...

Life Design is the Bible Study that I attend on Wednesday mornings. I enjoyed posting when we were discussing mercy, so I thought I would try to continue posting and letting people know what we were focusing on during that particular week. Of course, that was 4 or 5 weeks ago, so I have missed a few. Anyway, this week, we were basically discussing Ephesians 4:17-32...which covers quite a bit, including the old self vs. the new self, and how we use our words. Ouch. It is a little ironic, since I spend quite a bit of time during the day saying, "Let's use kind words" or "God wants us to speak kindly to others". And yet it occurred to me during this study how carelessly I use my words sometimes. Not that I am even being mean (or at least not trying to), but using more words than necessary almost always gets us into trouble.
So, here were some of the verses that the Lord is using to remind my heart to be careful, and to think before opening my mouth:

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." Ephesians 4:29

"The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life..." Proverbs 10:11a

"Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning..." Proverbs 10:13a

"When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise." Proverbs 10:19

"The lips of the righteous nourish many..."Proverbs 10:21a

"The lips of the righteous know what is fitting..." Proverbs 10:32a

Of course, there are many, many more. But that ought to be enough to keep my mind meditating and my mouth quiet, for a short time, anyway...

The L.A. Zoo

Thursday, my friend Heather and I decided to take the kids to the L.A. Zoo. We were not really sure if this was the smartest idea, but hey, we were in it together. So, she and her two hopped into the "Beast" with my me and my three. Off we went...There is a lot of construction going on there, and it is a very "hilly" terrain...especially with a 19 lb. baby in a front pack, and pushing a double jogger. Emma walked at first, while I pushed the boys, but Noah was just not happy with that situation. Once we rearranged, Noah slept while we saw alligators, kangaroos, sea lions, zebras, lions, giraffes, monkeys, and of course...the elephant. I'm pretty sure we only covered about half of the zoo, but we had to call it a success because we hadn't had any major meltdowns. Then we had lunch, and the kids got their lunch in an animal lunch box--Emma had a monkey and Caleb had a cheetah. They were SO excited to show Daddy their lunch boxes and tell all about their zoo trip, but they didn't get to see him until Saturday morning. To Ben's credit, he did an amazing daddy thing, and instead of sleeping in on Saturday morning, he got up with the kids and listened to their zoo adventure.
P.S. Emma's favorite animal was the flamingo, and Caleb's favorite was the elephant. A year pass for a family is pretty reasonable and includes guest passes.

How to spend a day off...

So, Ben has had to work pretty much every Saturday except when we went to Sacramento for his test. Which is okay, because we really needed the money right now to catch up on some bills, etc. So, he had this Saturday off, and although I didn't have any big plans, I did get some strawberries for a special breakfast...pancakes with strawberries. The kids love when I make anything like pancakes, french toast, etc. with any fresh berry. Unfortunately, Ben was very sick, so he spent all weekend in bed. Oh well, maybe next time. But I happy to report that he is now feeling better!! I wonder what berries will look good next weekend....

Another Interview...

Ben has another interview with the City of Santa Barbara for a Public Safety Dispatcher Position. I am not sure what to ask for prayer for, since we are not sure if he wants to take this job or not. It's a good job, and he would enjoy it, and like helping people...it's just that for 8 months out of the year, he would be working a night shift, which makes it hard for him to get sleep with so many little ones running around our place...=)

"Patchy"

Okay, so Ben no longer has to wear a patch. The opthamologist got all the metal out of his eye, and gave him a clear contact lens to wear over it while it heals. Yesterday, he took the contact off and sent him back to work. So, he's welding again today!!

The Emergency Room x2, and an Anniversary...

So, Ben got some metal in his eye after doing some welding/grinding at work on Saturday. So, we ended up going to the emergency room here in Ojai on Saturday night. After waiting two and a half hours, the ER doctor worked on Ben's eye but couldn't get all the metal out. He would have to see an opthamologist on Sunday. He got a patch on his eye and we had to wait to hear from the opthamologist. Sunday morning, my mom called me from a pay phone to say that my dad had gotten dizzy and almost passed out, so she was at the ER with him. So, I went over to check on my dad...they ran a bunch of tests and did a CAT scan, all of which came back normal. They decided that since he has had a cold that has hung on for quite a while, it is probably an inner ear problem, and they've given him some medicine. Meanwhile, Sunday was our 7th anniversary, so "Patchy" (my nickname for Ben) and I went to dinner at Joe's Crab Shack...the opthamologist wanted to wait to see Ben until today. So, we had a nice dinner (with Noah), and now Ben is patchless again. Hopefully all is well with his eye.

More prayer needed...

So, we have some decisions to make, and we are just in desperate need of God's wisdom. Please pray for us as we decide about the Fire Crew, and other job opportunities. Oh yes, and that our house will get rented soon!!!

What is Mercy?

Definitions of mercy on the Web:

clemency: leniency and compassion shown toward offenders by a person or agency charged with administering justice; "he threw himself on the mercy of the court"

mercifulness: a disposition to be kind and forgiving; "in those days a wife had to depend on the mercifulness of her husband"

Mercy is a term used to describe the leniency or compassion shown by one person to another, or a request from one person to another to be shown such leniency or compassion. One of the basic virtues of chivalry and Christian ethics, it is also related to concepts of justice and morality in behaviour between people.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercy

Mercy is the act of not administering justice when that justice is punitive. Because of our sinfulness we deserve death and eternal separation from God (Rom. 6:23; Isaiah 59:2), but God provided an atonement for sin and through it shows us mercy. That is, He does not deliver to the Christian the natural consequence of his sin which is damnation. That is why Jesus became sin on our behalf (2 Cor. 5:21) and bore the punishment due to us (Isaiah 5345). It was to deliver us from damnation. ...
www.carm.org/dictionary/dic_l-o.htm

Is withheld punishment for judgment, God's mercy provides the need for sinful man in Jesus sacrifice.
www.calvarychapel.com/redbarn/terms.htm

a virtue, is compassionate treatment, especially of those under one’s power, a disposition to be kind and forgiving. "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." See "Grace."
miriams-well.org/Glossary/

An aspect of the royal prerogative, whereby a convicted person is pardoned or has the sentence cancelled or reduced.
hjem.get2net.dk/safsaf/glossary.html

Our Life Design bible study this week was about mercy...and a few of us thought that the way they presented "mercy" was not exactly correct. And so many of the questions that we were asked to answer were difficult, mostly because my mind couldn't really grasp the answer to this question: What is mercy? Where have I seen mercy in action recently?
Here is a sermon of sorts, on the subject:
http://www.studiesintheword.org/mercy_and_grace.htm

Anyway, this of course, is one of those things that we can't fully understand. There is so much to mercy, and it is hard to grasp because why would a holy God choose to withhold the punishment that we most certainly deserve and continue to earn on a daily basis? And yet, instead, he gives us Christ. Grace. Forgiveness. Redemption.
The best example that came to my mind (of a human showing mercy) was Elizabeth Elliot, whose husband was murdered by a tribe in South America. She went back and ministered to that tribe, sharing Christ's love and forgiveness.
And for me, I thought...Mercy can best be shown by me as Less Judgement, More Compassion. A clean slate. So instead of escalating discipline and punishment for every time they commit an offense, instead of treating the kids like it's the tenth time, treating them like it's the first time. Instead of handing out labels or judgements, or even punishments (that person isn't worth my time, or they don't deserve that, etc), handing out compassion instead.
All I know is that however I try to define mercy, we could all use a little more of it. And I should definitely be more thankful for it. And maybe I could even spend more time handing out compassion rather than complaining about my own circumstances.

P.S. If you have a recent example of mercy, please feel free to share it, perhaps we will be inspired!!

Well, Noah is now a hefty 16 lbs.!! And although they didn't measure his length at the doctor's office, our tape measure thinks he's almost 26 inches. So, he is doing well, thriving, and smiling a lot!

Caleb likes to say, "That cracks me up, dude!"

And Emma, poor thing, she has been very tired since a certain brother helps her wake up early every morning.

Ben has an interview tomorrow (Tuesday) with Aera energy, and on Friday (after work) we'll be driving to Sacramento for a test Saturday for the fire department. Please keep praying for us, that God will guide us and direct us in the direction of our next adventure. Thanks!

Organizing toys, AKA pointless activity

I know. It really is pointless, it won't even stay like this for one day, let alone a week or more. But I still have to do it!!

About once a week, or maybe every couple of weeks I go through and reorganize the kids' toys. I put the large toys in the "toy box" which is really a large basket. Then I put the small toys in their various bins-one for cars, one for the train tracks, one for "people" which includes Buzz Lightyear and Cinderella, etc. I even labeled a few of the bins today, because, well, it feels good to have the room so organized. It won't be later today, but hey, for those few wonderful, beautiful moments, everything was in its place.

Side note: I do make my kids clean up-before every meal, or whenever they leave the room for an activity...it's just that they don't always put things away where they should go.

We also spent all day Saturday trying to organize, clean, and find places for things in our room...It's not easy to fit five people in two rooms, but when things are put away, we can all breathe easier.

Pray for Ben

Okay Ben has an interview a week from Tuesday with Aera energy. They're an oil company, but basically the job pays pretty well, and has good benefits. He would work seven 12-hour shifts and then have seven days off...So that would be pretty cool, and allow for him to maybe continue pursuing school, and some other things. So, we are just waiting to see what God has in store for us, but I think this job would work out pretty well, at least for now???

Bible Story by Emma...

So, Ruth was picking up grain in the fields. And she was going to add oil and put it in the oven to make bread. And she was picking A LOT of grain because the boy said she could!

Update

Emma saw a boy outside trying to do an "olly" on his skateboard. She asked my mom about it, who explained that the boy was having trouble landing on the board. Emma replied, "oh well, some days are like that."
She is working on phonics, and beginning to sound out basic words (yeah for Hop on Pop). She loves to practice her ballet, and read the book I got from the library about Ballet Class...little did I know I would butcher the French language while reading it to her (who knows what develope a la seconde and portes de bras is??)

Caleb told Ben yesterday, "I don't want you to go to work...I want you to stay here because I love you." Caleb still loves to play cars all day, but also enjoys coloring and is recognizing many of his letters (his favorite is H).

Noah is generally only getting up once during the night, which is great. He has a little cough right now, but he smiles alot, and has giggled a couple of times for daddy only.

Ben has been working for Daley Landscape right now, and was supposed to start working for his dad's drilling company next week, but I think that's been postponed. He is still looking for a more permanent position, and there's a couple of things he really hopes will work out. We still have the house in Crestline, and recently turned it over to a property management company to try and get it rented out. In the meantime, we are still living at my parent's house while trying to keep up with the mortgage payments on the Crestline house. I think that's about it for now...we appreciate your love and prayers.

What a blogger I am...

Okay so I am laughing so hard, I am about to fall off my chair. Evidently, I had some setting that meant that I was supposed to moderate the comments or something, and then allow them to be posted. I was thinking, wow, I used to at least see comments from Becky and Lisa Stryker, but nothing for so long....

Anyway, I found them and now I am going to go about the business of catching up on these comments. Love you all, and thanks for caring enough to read this. He, he.

Tagged by Becky

A- Available or married? Married, seven years next month.

B- Best Friend? Becky, when I read that I cried. Seriously. I am actually still crying. I miss you so much right now...but anyway, I have to agree that husbands always have to take the best friend spot since they really see us at our worst, and maybe even sometimes, at our best, and everything in between.

C- Cake or Pie? Chocolate cake with ice cream and hot fudge

D- Drink of Choice? Used to be chai latte, but I finally figured out that it's so much less calories to just make chai tea and add honey and milk.

E- Essential Item? Patience. Although I often find myself without it...

F- Favorite Color? Depends on what we're talking about. But in Crestline, Ben and I painted our bedroom a really dark, rich brown. Sounds weird I know, but the room was huge, so it could handle it. Anyway, it always felt pretty calm in there. And warm.

G- Gummi Bears or Worms? Neither really...

H- Hometown? This world is not my home....I'm not saying that to be all churchy, it's just that I feel pretty out of place right now, and I'm not quite sure where home is...but I was born in Ojai, CA

I- Indulgence? Aquafina...but the ones I dream about are sleeping in, and an afternoon alone at Starbuck's

J- January or February? February

K- Kids & names? Emma, Caleb, and Noah

L- Life is incomplete without? pain, growth, love, hope

M- Marriage Date? Feb. 2000

N- Number of Siblings? Brothers Shane, Mark, and Scott

O- Oranges or apples? Clementine oranges and Fuji apples

P- Phobias/Fears? Automatic windows vs. my kids' body parts. Fear-failing miserably, which I've done, so you would think I wouldn't be afraid anymore

Q- Favorite Quote?
"I caannot live without loving You..."

Hind's Feet on High Places-by Hannah Hurnard, Much Afraid speaking of The Good Shepherd
R- Reason to Smile? Noah smiles back now!

S- Season? Spring

T- Tag three people!
I'm not sure three people read this...

U- Unknown fact about me: I never moved in my entire life until I got married. Now, I've moved 4 times in eighteen months.

V- Vegetable you hate? Onions

W- Worst habit? Putting too much pressure on myself.

Y- Your favorite food? Oh, but there are SO many...

Z- Zodiac? Libra. Not into it. (I copied you but that's cuz my answer is the same.)

Introductions, and Ballet

Yesterday, my brother's friend was over, and Caleb and Emma ran into the door way so they could see who was here. Caleb politely introduced himself, "I'm Caleb, and this is my friend, Emma."

Emma spends at least half an hour every day working on her ballet. Yes, she puts on her tights, her leotard, her ballet slippers, and then dances away with Bella Dancerella. I was so impressed by her dedication to ballet that I tried to find her a class here in town...and wouldn't you know it? Ojai doesn't have ballet lessons anymore. Oh well...

Bribery still works...

Okay, so sad to admit it, but bribery still works. Caleb has been staying clean and dry during the daytime hours, being motivated by underwear with Lightening McQueen and Mater on them. And he's been doing such a good job...I must admit, they do look pretty cute on him.
And Miss Emma, who has been daytime potty trained for about a year, decided to stay dry at night so that she could pick out some new Cinderella underwear for herself. Ha, now, if I could just start working on Noah...=) Just kidding!

Update on the kids

Today when I picked the kids up from church I heard the words every parent longs to hear:
"Your children have the best manners of any children I've ever been with. Emma said, 'May I please have my snack?' I don't even use the word 'May...'"
This was of course exciting, but Emma usually is pretty polite, especially when food is involved. The other teacher promptly came up and said, "Oh yes, and Caleb kept telling us, 'Don't talk to me!!'"
Oh well, we'll just have to keep working on it...

2 week check-up

Noah was 7lbs. 4oz. at birth, and the doctor said they normally give babies two weeks to get back to their birthweight. Well, at Noah's 2 week check up he was 8lbs., 7 1/2 oz. So, I think he is doing okay!!!

A lesson from Noah...

Well, things are pretty crazy in our life, needless to say. Still working on renting the house, etc...still working on a job for Ben (although we are extremely thankful he is able to work for the landscaping business next door until he finds something else...just means he works REALLY hard and comes home REALLY dirty). Still working on getting some sleep! =)

But anyway, I learned a lesson from Noah that I've been trying to keep in mind in the midst of all this chaos. I almost forgot what it was like to have a newborn...literally, I could stare at him all day. I love him so much...the other day I was just crying, holding him, thinking how much I absolutely love and adore him. Then a crazy thought came to mind, "Could this possibly be the way God feels about me???" And of course, not only does God love me that much, but even more than I can fathom...And so I realized that if God loves me that much...then everything is going to be okay.

Noah Benjamin Hester

At 1:41 pm on Thursday, October 26th, 2006, Noah Benjamin Hester was born. He weighed 7 lbs. 4 oz., and was 21 inches long. He is wonderful, perfect, beautiful...so precious. We are all doing well and Emma and Caleb seem to enjoy him as well. Thank you all for your prayers, we are so blessed!

Pitocin is from the Devil....

Okay, I know that many times my friends who have had to endure the wrath of pitocin have joked that it must be from the devil. I personally haven't had to have pitocin...Emma was induced, but cervadil and breaking my water was enough. Caleb, well, I didn't even have an IV or anything with that kid...we just went to the hospital and he came!! But this child has (his introduction will be my next post) proved to be different from the beginning. For the last month I have had contractions...ones that get stronger and closer together, and then go away all together. After being a week overdue, our doctor said it really was no longer our choice to wait for the baby to come. He was going to induce. The many jokes and horror stories of pitocin came and haunted me...but I just had to trust that the risks of waiting longer for the baby to come were greater than inducing my labor. (Or helping it along, anyway...)

Well, we got to the hospital at 6 am. Then we waited for a long time. At 9am, the doctor came and broke my water, which Ben and I were hoping would do the trick!! At my request, the doctor gave me a couple of hours to see what would happen. Sure enough, within an hour I was having regular contractions at a good intensity, coming 2-3 minutes apart. YEAH!! I was so excited...then the nurse came in and said that the baby's heart rate was dipping with my contractions, so she had me get in bed and lay on my side. And much to my disappointment, my contractions completely went away. Now, even though this had been happening to me all month, it was really frustrating now because I thought, I will have to start all over again!! Anyway, the doctor had left instructions to start pitocin at 11am, so shortly thereafter the medicine began to drip...Of course I noticed a difference very soon after, and the contractions were stronger and more intense...but the medicine did what it was supposed to do! So just over 2 hours later, our little miracle joined us, and we all survived. Now, trust me, I would not argue with anyone who says that pitocin is from the devil...it's surely not pleasurable!! But just this once, I may have to say that surely the Lord was watching over us, and that His perfect gift to us came in the dreaded form of pitocin. I have to be thankful for it, because without it I might STILL be having contractions that go away and do not accomplish their purpose.

A new cousin and some stitches...

Well, on Thursday evening (my birthday) Scott and Cher-ami went into the hospital to be induced. On Friday morning, October 13th, she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl named Jackson Rae. Mommy and Baby are doing well, and my brother I think has met his match!!! I had had contractions all day myself, but, alas, they went away and our little guy has decided he is not ready to come yet.

This morning (Monday) we had many errands to run and things to take care of, but wound up spending the morning at the Emergency Room instead. Yes, for the second time, Caleb has had to get stitches. He fell off the piano bench, and about 3 of his teeth made their way through his lip, so he got two stitches. He did very well, and we took the kids for ice cream and play time at the park as part of the recovery! Poor guy...but he is tough!

Caleb's New Words

Caleb has become quite the chatter box!! Here are my personal favorites:
Upon noticing the reflection of several things in the lamp next to my mom's bed, I repeated after him, "Oh, you see mommy?"
And he turned to me and said, "No, I am talking to my grandma."

He gently rubs my belly and tells me, "Oh, baby's getting so big!" (as if I hadn't noticed). And then, "Baby's coming out soon?"

And then he was running around the backyard today saying, "Swiper the Fox! Swiper the Fox!"

Doctor's Appointment

Okay, so I saw the midwife today...she says I am 1 cm dilated (which is nothing much to speak of) and "soft" (I can't remember what that means either), and the baby's head is way down there. This all of course could mean nothing...
She asked if I wanted to go over to St. John's tomorrow and have things moved along a bit, since she seems to think it wouldn't take much to just get me going. However, I wasn't really comfortable with that idea...I would rather have this little man come on his own. So, I said no thanks...
My next appointment is Tuesday at the Oxnard office, where the Dr. will probably want me to just go over to St. John's since it will be convenient for him...The midwife says that if I make it to Tuesday, I can deliver at St. John's, if I deliver before then, it will probably be at CMH. I'm okay either way, but I think it will be nice for the baby to come on his own timetable!!! I haven't had any contractions at all, just really crampy the last two days. So, we'll see!!

I have two sisters-in-law that are preggo-Kelly, who is due in March, and Cher-ami, who is due about 1-2 weeks after me. Well, Cher-ami is now on bed rest because they think she might be in pre-term labor!! Yikes! So, I have been trying to help out with Ethan as much as I can...it will be interesting to see what happens, but we have joked about trying to just give birth at the same time so our families can be there!!

P.S. I took Caleb with me this morning and we enjoyed a lovely IHOP breakfast together. It was so fun to be out just us two--it felt so special, especially since I'll have another little guy soon. Caleb was so sweet, he kept telling me he was "so excited for breakfast!" And when I told him I love him, he said, "I love you too, mom." Emma enjoyed making fresh orange juice with grandma...I am so blessed!!

Little bursts of laughter

Emma (to Grandma): I don't think mommy should go to work with you guys. Mommy stays home and works all the time. She washes my clothes for me, and gets me a tissue for my yogurt and she tells me what time it is for snack.

Upon reading the title of our new book...
"Froggy Plays Soccer."
Emma, "And so do I!!"
Caleb, "Me too!!"

Caleb, "Mom, I got stinky poo-poos..."

Pee-wee Soccer and other stuff

So, this Thursday Miss Emma starts pee-wee soccer. Now Ben played soccer in high school, and yes, even I have some dusty old soccer team picture burried away from my elementary years, but let me just say...There is not much cuter than a tiny girl burried beneath pink shin guards practicing her "super soccer kick." The shin guards are of course pink, because as Emma says, "Pink is for girls, so I have to have pink ones."

Caleb loves to copy EVERYTHING big sister says...so I often get to hear everything two times. This morning, since Grandpa brings home donuts on Sunday mornings, Emma announced (and Caleb repeated) that "Grandpa brings home all the GOOD stuff."

And of course, in response to my mom's cut on her finger, Emma told her, "Well, you have to be VERY careful. My mommy is always careful."

And Miss Nikki in the nursery at church informed me that after several drinks of pretend hot tea, Emma told her, "Oh, whatever, I'm sure it's okay to drink by now!"

And at the gymnastics class we went to on Thursday, Caleb was practically running across the balance beam, with my finger of course. He even did a summersault on the beam with mommy's help. Emma walked across the beam by herself and did "flips" around the bar. They had a great time...I was busy trying to run in two different directions and didn't see or talk to anyone who I had planned to see and talk to. But I left with happy children. Then at Wendy's (fast food), my worn out little boy threw such a tantrum that he fell asleep on the floor. Wendy's must have been good, because as we passed the one in Ojai Emma said excitedly, "There's Amy's!!"

Un-answers...and lessons in faith

So, we are moving back to Ojai. I can't exactly tell you when, although I think I've already moved, technically...The kids and I are here, as well as all our clothes (well, at least the ones that still fit my largely protruding belly) and Ben is in Crestline with a house of furniture and other stuff that we must not really need since we are without it and getting along okay. There are so many things that have brought us to this decision...so many that I wouldn't even know where to start. It's hard when people ask why or how or what made us decide to come back to Ojai, because how do you condense 15 months of things you don't really understand into a simple answer that would satisfy? But God is ever so faithful...answers I do not have, but I have oh so much more. Like a husband who is willing to make sacrifices in order to take care of his family. Like two beautiful, perfect, ornery children who light up my life. Like a healthy, large (at least he feels that way!!) baby waiting to come make our family into something it's never been before. Like parents who are willing to revisit the years of unending questions, late night wake-up calls, and waiting in line for the bathroom...with no promise of a quick end in sight. Like a God who is so faithful and so patient, who provides all that I need. And so these days, I am short on answers...I don't have the answers about what happened in the last 15 months, or what really went on in Crestline (except for a few important life lessons), and I don't have the answers about what lies ahead for us...Ben's job, what we're going to do with the house in Crestline, when the baby is coming (although that could be soon...). But I have a faithful God who is most worthy of my faith, my trust, and my confidence.
"Without faith it is impossible to please God, and anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek Him."
"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."
"According to your faith will it be done to you."

Without Internet

Okay, so a few people have asked, since it's been so long since I posted. Well, we've been without internet (and still are technically). So, I haven't been very good at returning e-mails or keeping everyone up-to-date. A lot can happen in a month!! We got moved into our house and discovered some plumbing and electrical problems. After some drama and a little trauma, all those things are fixed and working. Anyway, after much prayer and a few crazy situations...we have decided to have the baby in Ojai. So the kids and I are staying at my parents house. I have five weeks until my due date, and I am only about 2 1/2 weeks away from when I delivered Emma and Caleb. So, we are here, awaiting the arrival of our little boy, who, by the way, still doesn't have a name. I think that's as much catching up as I can do for everyone right now. Thanks for loving us and praying for us!

Mealtime prayers...

Miss Emma's prayer for lunch today:

Thank you God for this day, and thank you God for our toys, and thank you God for our new house, and thank you God for our bed, and thank you God for my ladder, and thank you God for our table, and thank you God for mommy and daddy and Caleb and Emma and the new baby, and thank you God for the trees and the sky, and thank you God for our paintings that we did today, and thank you God for our food...in Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

I knew Veggie Tale's would pay off one day!! =)
"Cuz a thankful heart is a happy heart...I'm glad for what I have, that's an easy way to start, for the love that He shares, cuz He listens to our prayers, that's why I say thanks everyday!"

The Big Move

So...we are in our new, teeny tiny house!! I call it that affectionately...it is absolutely a miracle that somehow, the Lord enabled us to buy a house on one income...especially a camp ministry income. We are still working on finding a place for everything, and hoping to garage sale a bunch of stuff soon. But slowly and steadily we are becoming more settled in our first little house. We are so thankful for all the help and prayers and love of our family and friends and we will see what adventures lie ahead in our new little place...

It might be time for a vacation...

Well, Ben has been working really hard...long hours at the camp, then his Paid Call Fire Academy on Saturdays. Anyway, this Saturday is his last academy and then he will have his "graduation" on August 15th, where he will receive his pager and start responding to calls when he can. This week is the last week of program for summer camp, so hopefully that will mean no more super late nights, although I'm sure his days will start earlier. And, in a week and a half, we will close escrow on the house and move for the third time in 13 months. I think everyone in the Hester house is a little tired, and I know that we are all wishing for a little down time.

When Caleb woke up from his nap the other day, he was crying, "My daddy!! My daddy!!" When I came in the room he looked at me and yelled, "No my daddy at work!!"
I guess someone is really missing Daddy...

This might be jumping the gun...

Okay, now, I do not mean this in any way to put down people who work in a coffee shop. Because really, the camp coffee shop is not at all on the same level as Starbuck's or anything...there's only like, between 200-400 campers per week, and this week is high school, so trust me, not many of them are jumping out of bed before 9am, even for coffee.

But I told Ben...it's been at least 3 1/2 years since I went to work (with the exception of Forest Home Ojai Valley, here and there). And yet I seriously have worked harder every day of those 3 1/2 years than I do at the coffee shop. Which I guess is a good thing, I think. I mean, getting up early I was already doing. Having to use my brain the minute my eyes are open, I was already doing..."Mommy, what are we going to do next?" "What's for breakfast?" "What am I going to wear today?"

And, I am so spoiled because the campers and counselors that come in are so amazing, and I love hearing their stories or just seeing that they are enjoying their time here at camp.

Now, check back in a few weeks, and the early mornings might be starting to catch up with me. But so far, I am really enjoying it. And hey, my first day on the job one of the summer staff came in because she bought me a maternity shirt and wanted to bring it to me. And at about 8am, Ben brings the kids in to visit me (and get a "special drink"...an inch of hot chocolate, with some milk) and for the first time in their lives they are excited to see me because they've been awake for about an hour and a half and I'm not there. So, thank you God for something new and fun!!! Less than two weeks until my first payday!!

My new job

Well, tomorrow morning I will start my new job...I am going to work in the coffee shop here at the camp. Now seriously, I am thinking, why did this idea just occur to us? I am up very early anyway, and Ben is home until about lunch time. So it works out pretty well. It will only be for a few weeks (obviously), and it's only for a few hours a day. But, it will be a chance for me to get out of the house, a chance for me to interact with some of the campers and the other staff, a little break from the kids, and oh yes....a paycheck!! =) So, all around, it seems like it will be a good deal. So, bright and early tomorrow, I will put on my LARGE Thousand Pines shirt and start something new. Wish me luck!

Emma's First Prom...Well, Caleb too

Tonight the staff at the camp had "prom." I don't exactly know how it all came up at first, but I know that they took the idea and ran with it. The even decided to take donations for it to benefit Invisible Children, a Christian organization trying to raise awareness about the horrible conditions for children (starting with Africa).

We have had a long week, so we had a hard time deciding whether or not to go. But, we decided to throw caution to the wind and have some fun. So we got the kids and ourselves dressed up (as dressed up as you can be at 7 months pregnant!!) and went to prom. We even taught Caleb how to hold out his arm for Emma, and we enjoyed ourselves on the dance floor...not to mention the punch, cookies, and strawberries!!! We had such a great time with all the staff, and the kids felt so grown up with the strobe lights and loud music.

All in all, it was great. Now this was a prom I can handle them going to. Maybe Ben and I will have to go to all their proms. =)

Also, for more information about Invisible Children, you can visit their website at
http://www.invisiblechildren.com.

El Capitan Theatre

Well, needless to say, with no close friends or family here in Crestline, it makes it a little difficult for us to get out. But, all the summer staff was going to the El Capitan Theatre to see Pirates of the Caribbean 2. There is a really nice lady named Joyce who works in the kitchen, and she had sort of volunteered to watch the kids on a Saturday since her husband works nights. Well, Ben reeled her in and she came over to watch the kids last night. So Ben and I drove two of the other summer staff down to Hollywood and saw the movie. We didn't get home until 2am!!! Poor Joyce!! And of course, I didn't notice until later since it was so late, but she mopped our floor, cleaned our stove, and probably did at least two loads of laundry!! So, the Lord provided a little date night for us, and the kids did great. Emma came downstairs this morning and said, "Where is Joyce? I didn't want her to go..."

Homeowner's Insurance

Okay, buying a house is a lot more complicated than I previously thought. But, the only way you really learn all of this is by doing it, I guess. So, while we are still working through all of this "stuff" with the loan, etc...we are simultaneously trying to figure out a homeowner's insurance policy. So, our car insurance is with AAA, so I thought I would start there.
They ask me what year was our house built: 1932
Gasp!
Has the plumbing been redone: (uh, I'm not sure..., maybe) yes!
Has the electrical been rewired: (uh, I'm not sure..., maybe) yes!
Has it been retro-fitted for earthquakes: Huh? No.
Sorry, we can't insure your home.

Okay, so, now we only call insurance companies up on the mountain, because they are the only ones who will insure mountain homes. Lesson learned. The quotes range from $600 to $1700 for the year...some with requirements (like installing some sort of gas shut-off emergency valve, etc.)
Anyway, I'm sure we will figure it out, but it is just one of the many new territories we have ventured into lately.
Isn't it amazing that anytime you purchase something nowadays, you have to buy insurance for it???

Too Good to be True

You know how they say that if something sounds too good to be true, then it probably is...well, that's sort of where we're at. This lending company promised us a certain rate, payment, etc...and within 24 hours they have changed their story twice. And it turns out that one of the other offers we received is better than what they are giving us now. SO, we are back at square one, trying to get our loan all figured out. It is frustrating and scary...but the Lord knows what is best for us, so we will just have to wait on Him. Please pray for us that we will get our loan stuff figured out since we're already "in escrow." And we will just all have to wait and see what God will do.

Swimming Lessons

Today was our first day of swimming lessons for the kids. Now last year, the kids went to the lifeguard training as guinea pigs, so to speak, as they were training all the lifeguards on how to teach swim lessons. They both clung to me for dear life...we had only been in Crestline a week, they didn't know anyone, and they had just left the only home they'd ever known. Ben was so busy, there was no way I could take two little kids to swim lessons all by myself. So, we skipped them.
What a difference a year makes!!! Now the kids are so much more familiar with the camp and the staff...so of course, while a few of the other kids were screaming the whole time, mine were happily swimming and I was just praising the Lord that they were enjoying themselves. Not only was Caleb jumping off the side of the pool and diving for rings (with daddy's help), but both Emma and Caleb were blowing bubbles, floating, and practicing "big kicks." It was great. And, it totally wore them out so they had pretty good naps and are in bed (7:40pm).
Swim lessons are a great idea!!

The War of the Lenders

I am totally new at all this mortgage, lender stuff. I have no idea what I am doing. However, our realtor has a lender that she frequently works with, so she kind of hooked us up with him and he is here locally (right behind the realtor's office, actually). Now, this guy has been so great to work with, he has really worked hard on our behalf, and provided the pre-approval letter for us when we made the offer on the house and everything. It just so happens, however, that I had gone on to lendingtree.com before we started looking at houses just to see what they would say. So we had at least a couple of other companies contacting us here and there. Well, let me just say how that works to your advantage. We didn't mean to make all these people work so hard for us, and we certainly didn't even mean to work them against each other or anything because, well, we're just not that smart. But, it worked. So, we have chosen our lender...and let me just say to our local lender's credit...that when he saw the deal we were offered, even he said to take it. He just said that if it didn't work out to come back to him. So, hopefully it will work out because it looks like we will save almost $150.00 a month on our mortgage payment, not to mention about $1,000 in closing costs. Yeah!!!

Our first meeting with escrow

Where to start? The past week or so has been an amazing chain of events. The Lord has been with us, and we are amazed at His blessings!! Either today or tomorrow, we will open escrow on our first home!!! It is really tiny...less than 600 square feet. But we don't care!!! It met all of my main qualifications:
1. Level entry (a rare and precious comodity here in the mountains)
2. Flat land/yard space (an even more rare and precious comodity)
3. Two bedrooms

There are so many stories along the way of how God has worked...I will try to pick a few. First of all, we found a property that we really liked, and so we had one of the guys here at camp do an inspection on it for us (he's a general contractor). He said, "No way, don't buy it." It had structural problems, among others, which is not uncommon here in the mountains. Most of the houses we looked at are very old, some smell funny, and almost all of them have lots of stairs less than two feet wide which are really steep and just not super kid friendly.
Finally, our realtor took us to see this little house...it had just been listed, and wasn't even on the computer's MLS yet. Right away, we loved it. But we had learned from the first property we really liked that there might be problems we couldn't see. This house was older as well, but had been completely redone, including the roof, the drywall, etc. There was a perfect little spot meant for a stackable washer/dryer, so that was a plus but there were no hookups. Also, we have no money for closing costs, so we made an offer on the house and asked the seller to pay our closing costs. He made a counter offer, and we decided to agree to his counter offer with the condition that he put in the hook-ups for the washer/dryer (in addition to paying our closing costs). He agreed!!!
Now, time for the home inspection. Our friend went over and did a two hour inspection and we received the report in the morning. There were no major problems, but a few things such as the water heater, bathroom window, and a breaker needing to be fixed. The seller agreed to fix all these things...he didn't even contest any of it!!! Next, the lender called and told us what our payment would be. It was about $25-30 higher than what I had budgeted, so I gave him my amount and asked if he could get it there. He got it within three dollars, so we were so excited.
So, it is with great excitement (and some trepidation for our first time paying a MORTGAGE) that we have our first meeting with escrow. It should begin today or tomorrow, and we will close and move around August 12th!! Yeah!! Just in time to get ready to have our baby....

Good-bye Cable...

Well, I guess technically we had dish, not cable. But, after our cable company raised our rates for no apparent reason, so we were now paying about $10-15 more a month for our service, and they didn't give me any warning, we finally decided it was time to be done with it. Altogether, this will save us $55.00 a month, which could be a lot of things...maybe even a gym membership for Ben and I someday. Who knows, but it was time to go, and so now it's back to the good 'ol days...DVD's, VCR tapes, and oh yes...books. =)

Yes, Jesus Loves Me...

At night, we read stories from a little children's bible story book. It's a green book, and the kids know this is their "bible." Sometimes during the beginning of my pregnancy if I wasn't feeling very well, Emma would run and get this book and assure me that it would make me feel better, and that Jesus would help me to feel better.

So, last night after we read our bible story, Caleb was holding the book looking through it and started singing, "Yes, Jesus loves me." After our story tonight, I was putting the kids to bed and we all sang "Jesus loves me" together. As I put them to bed, Caleb just kept saying over and over, "Yes, Jesus loves me..." Yeah, that's certainly a nice way to end the day.

Caleb turns two!

After a week of declaring, "I having birthday party!!" Caleb has finally achieved the age of two. We had a nice little family gathering at Soule Park, and although it was quite a warm day in Ojai, it was pleasant and Caleb felt loved. We enjoyed pizza and cupcakes (which Caleb also refers to as "birthday party").
We all ended up coming back to Crestline, a little earlier than we had planned, but the thought of possibly catching a glimpse of Ben here and there was just too tempting. So, this morning we tried to let Daddy sleep in while we ate breakfast, and rode scooters on the deck (well, I supervised.) Then once Daddy was up we enjoyed playing with new toys that Caleb got for his birthday. Then we sent Ben off to work and tried to settle back into life as we know it in Crestline. It's just nice to be a family again...even if we don't see as much of Ben as we'd like.

More Garage Sales, and oh yes, the ache in my heart

Okay, so Saturday was Caleb's second birthday!! Yeah!! He has been stealing Emma's scooter (the pink one from the garage sale last weekend) and riding it. Then they fight over it, I regulate taking turns, etc. Well, the Lord was with us! Despite a busy morning trying to organize the most unorganized birthday party...we decided to go garage sale hunting again. We scored!! I found two more of the toddler scooters (the ones with two wheels in back) only $2.00 a piece. Also, I got a "big wheel" tricycle for $2.00. Too bad they are all pink...but Caleb doesn't seem to mind, he's just enjoying being able to ride his own scooter. Ben says he will have to spray paint it, and then paint a skull and crossbones or something over the pretty white basket attached to the front of it.

Ben came from Crestline, and made it to the birthday party at about 3:40pm. The minute I saw him, I was already crying. I miss him so much...and I've never really missed anyone before, at least not like that. Anyway, so when 2pm rolled around today (Sunday) and it was time for him to head back to Crestline for work, it was no shocker that I was an emotional basket case. But, we made it through, he's on his way home, and I will see him again soon...I will just have to keep myself distracted until I can see him again. I'm sure my hormones, and the fact that we really hadn't seen him at all for the two weeks before we left are all adding to the mix. And he's never really seen me miss him this much before, so he says it feels good...just not when I cry.