Out with the old...

Okay, I am pretty sure that I am going to have to fess up and admit that I am a bookshelf junkie. Or maybe I am a book junkie, and I just like bookshelves to hold all the books? I am not really sure which, or maybe I am both!! But, I have been going through, trying to get rid of lots of stuff, and making room for a new bookcase. I have had my eye on it at IKEA for awhile, but it was on sale this weekend, almost half off. So, we made a "half-day" of it, and went down and got it.



Also, we have been needing a dresser for quite a while!! We looked on craigslist, and at garage sales, but just hadn't found one. Well, when we were helping out with a garage sale at the folks' house (Ben's dad and stepmom), Ben noticed that they were getting rid of... well, it's probably more of a buffet, or a sideboard, but could definitely be used as a dresser. Ben loved it right away. I was very busy, so I didn't even really get a chance to look at it, but I trusted Ben's judgement enough that we decided we would take it home with us. We stained it "black", with a very light coat, so you can still see the wood grain. The hardware on it is beautiful as well, so we didn't want to change that. It turned out so amazingly beautiful, it is in our room, and is much more "grown-up" looking than what we had been seeing on craigslist or at garage sales. I love it so much, I feel guilty having it. Here is a pic, I didn't get a before shot, but a couple of "in the process" shots. Thank you so much Connie!!

This is getting creepy!

So, Ezra can get into a fair amount of trouble now!  He rolls around, sits up, and "commando crawls."  But the really odd thing is... guess who was my expert "commando crawler"?  Yep!  Caleb!  The similarities are sometimes uncanny, however, I think Ezra is much more tenacious.  He sees it and MUST GET IT!!  =)

Chubby, Chubby!

Noah grabbed the "extra" on my shoulder and said, "Chubby, chubby mommy!" Gotta love it.

The Least Effective Method of Potty Training...

I am pretty sure that I am using just about the least effective method EVER for potty training. I am just not ready to fully commit to the process, and life has seemed a little crazy for full-on training anyway. With three times a week to the chiropractor, and all of life's other twists and turns, I have taken a very cavalier approach, which I probably wouldn't recommend to anyone. But it is working just fine for now, and keeps me mellow. Noah is actually doing quite well, especially given my method, and so we are just moving SLOWLY toward the goal of sometime being potty trained. And, my personal belief is that potty training is quite a bit about training the MOMMA, as well as the child, so I am going easy on myself. It's been a while since I've had to be responsible for reminding and such. I have a really cute picture of Noah in his Superman underwear, but I haven't uploaded it, and I probably wouldn't post it anyway. But, he is super cute. I found some Superman undies at 99 cents only, (a three pack for 99 cents!!) and silly me, I just bought one pack.
We pretty much wake up, and I decide if I feel "up to" potty training really seriously. If I am super serious, we go with underwear. If I know I won't be able to be completely on top of it, then I put him in a pull-up. I do try to make sure he stays dry, but I am just not quite as concerned about it, knowing he'll be okay. So yeah, I wouldn't recommend this method to anyone, but it's going okay for us. =)

Not as young as we were...

I don't think I have blogged about this yet, although in keeping with the post, I may have just forgotten!! Anyhow, it's been about a month ago, that my back "went out". I am not quite sure how else to describe it. But, the kids and I were just getting ready to walk out the door. I had Ezra buckled in his infant seat, and I went to pick him up, and in that moment, I knew something was very wrong. I laid down on the floor in our living room, and asked Emma to bring me the phone. I called Ben in tears (he was at work), and asked the three "big" kids to get up on their beds for some rest time. God was so gracious to me... all three got right on their beds, and Ezra fell asleep in his car seat. After about twenty minutes of just laying there on the floor, I was able to kind of crawl down the hallway and get a movie on for the kids and get to our bed. There I stayed!! Ben was able to get off a little early, and Ezra started fussing just about five minutes before Daddy walked in the door and came to his rescue!! My mom came and brought us dinner (Taco Salad, one of my favorites!!) and we were able to see the chiropractor the next morning. I had never been to the chiropractor in my life!! But, they did x-rays, and I have been going three times a week since then. I have a pinched nerve, and a "bulging" disc. I haven't really been in pain since that first time I saw them, so I am very thankful for that. I have been more cautious, and I am not yet cleared for bike rides. I am allowed to walk, and thankfully the kids seem to enjoy their scooters just as much as their bikes right now.
Last Friday (not yesterday, the previous one), Ben had his fourth knee surgery. The third surgery was on his right knee, and they repaired a meniscal tear. He re-tore it, so this time they went in and removed the torn portion. Last time was right after I had Caleb, and he was on crutches for 6 weeks! This time, he came out of the hospital and could already bear weight on it. So, he took it easy for five days, then was able to do whatever his knee would allow... which for us, meant going back to work.
So, it's been a crazy month or so, but it just goes to show that we are, in fact, aging, whether we recognize it or not!

Daddy Date...

Emma didn't have a "birthday party", or many presents to speak of, but the special thing which she was looking forward to was her special Daddy date. Daddy took just her to California Pizza Kitchen, which is somewhere Emma has REALLY been wanting to go!! From what I hear, they had a great time.
Her dress was her "big" present, but she did also get a jump rope and a watch. I had been working with the kids on telling time, and they were doing really well, so I got her the watch so she could practice. She kept telling me the time, and I thought, "Wow, she is doing so well!!" Then she told me, "Mom, this watch has the 5-10-15-20 written on it!!" And sure enough, very tiny numbers were written for the minutes. We decided it would be good practice anyway. =) She also got to pick out some flowers that we planted the afternoon of her birthday. We did get to have cake at grandma's house with her cousins, so that was special as well!

Ezra loves food!

Ezra is six months now, and loves his baby food. So far, he has had green beans, peas, squash, carrots and sweet potatoes. He eats one jar every evening at dinner time.

Movie Night

We finished reading The Tale of Despereaux, and were all excited for the movie. It was a wonderful time together (the reading of the book, and anticipation of the movie). We popped some popcorn on the stove, and got everything ready. The kids enjoyed themselves thoroughly, and we had a great time together, so all in all, it was great. But in my humble opinion, the book was much better, so the movie had a little bit of a let-down factor to it. =)

A finished project and a six year old...

I finally got to bed just before 1 am, and was greeted by Ezra at 4 am, then the rest at 6 am. But, no lack of sleep could take away from what is really hitting me like a semi-truck: I have a six year old today. And I love her so much.
(This is a side note, more for me than anyone else, because I don't want to forget. I had Emma try on the dress when I was making it so I could get the hem right, etc. She asked, "Is it going to be puffy like this (referring to the bodice)?" I asked her, "Do you not like it that way?" And she responded, "Oh, it's okay... I'll like it however you can make it...")

Influencing the Future...

So, at the library, I picked up some short, little biographies for the kids to read.  Emma's was about Betsy Ross, and Caleb's was about Tony Hawk.  (he had a couple of Tony Hawk sweatshirts handed down to him, and really likes them, so I thought I would give him a little more information.)

This morning:

Caleb:  Mom, I think I know what I want to be when I grow up.

Me: What is that?

Caleb:  I want to be a Daddy who skateboards!

Overheard at breakfast:

Caleb:  Emma, Tony Hawk wears elbow pads on his knees.  And his mom's name is Nancy.

Needless to say, when I had to go down to sign the kids up for the homeschool co-op classes, and the kids stayed with Grandma, Caleb just HAD to bring his skateboard (and helmet).

So next week, I am going to look for a biography about an astrophysicist.   (just kidding.)

What a Steal

Caleb was really in need of some new shoes. We have been so fortunate to have lots of things handed down to Emma from friends, and obviously Noah and Ezra are pretty well taken care of. But, Caleb had come to the end of his shoes (he, he) and was in need of some new ones. We went and tried on some Converse (just like Daddy's), which he really liked. Then, on the clearance rack I found some Nike mid-tops and thought I would have him try them on. Once he heard me say that his cousin Levi has some sort of similar, well, that sealed the deal. Those were his favorites. I got them up to the register and they were $10!! Now, the store was having a buy one, get the second pair half off sale, which was tempting to say the least. But, after realizing that I could walk out of a shoe store for under $11, we opted to just get the one pair. Caleb says that he can run faster!! (I told Ben, it was a little sad.... this is one of the first times that our kid have really got to PICK their own shoes.)

Our New Addition

I am sure there are people around the nation who are having a heart attack right now.

Relax, people. It's a piano. I have been so excited to finally have the piano around. Hopefully it will lend itself to some fun for Emma on Fridays, but for now, I am really enjoying it. 7 years of lessons have left me with surprisingly little skill at playing, but that hasn't stopped me from enjoying tinkering around from time to time. This piano has been up at my parent's old house, where my little brother and his kids live, and he very kindly allowed me to move it to our house!! (Actually, HE very kindly moved it along with hubby).

VOTE FOR BEN!!

Okay, I will have to explain more in a later post, but please click on this link and vote for Lisa H. (that's me) to win the free ticket for Advance '09.  It is a conference in North Carolina about the Resurgence of the Local Church.  We would really like for Ben to go, and I entered a contest to win a free ticket, and I am one of four finalists.  Click the link and vote!!  

P.S.  If you read the stories and decide to vote for someone else, I will not be mad at you in the slightest!! =)

http://twtpoll.com/6fg1qh

Lessons from the kids...

Tonight during Family Devotions, we were talking to the kids about love (loving others).  

Ben:  Is there anything that God says we don't have to forgive?

Caleb:  Yes!!  When we do the right thing!

Ben:  Is love something that you feel?

Emma: No, it's something you do, like when you are kind to your friend.

Okay, then.  Just checking.

He Is Risen!

He is risen indeed!!

There is just something amazing about getting up REALLY early on the Sunday morning that we celebrate the resurrection. Despite being up way too late the night before, Ezra did his part and made sure we got up at 5:30am!! Just enough time to feed him, get everyone in cozy clothes, get hot chocolate, and head to Lake Casitas for the Sunrise Service. It was breathtaking!! And, we even got in a little playground time while we were there.
That's MY hot chocolate!!
Yes, I really was there, and made a cameo appearance in ONE photo!!
After the sunrise service, we had breakfast and read a story and remembered the resurrection story with Resurrection Eggs. Then, we headed to our church, where I missed most of the sermon since Noah hit his head (and then I bumped his head AGAIN as I carried him out of the church). It was still great to be there with our church family. And then, off to Grandma and Grandpa's house for a yummy Easter lunch with the cousins, and some of the "cross cake." It is sad to remember the pain and suffering of our Lord Jesus (hence, the cross), but it is a "Fun-fetti" cake because it is just bursting with the hope of resurrection and the salvation that Jesus accomplished!!!

Should I clean his face now, or get the camera first?
Caleb vs. The Door Knob. The door knob won.
Little Miss in her new glasses.

Ezra Update

Well, he sure knows how to get where he wants to go.  He is such a sweet, happy baby.  A little more fussy as of late, but I think an impending tooth is the culprit.  Anyway, here's some pictures:

Building...

The kids all love to build!!  Emma built a swing set for her dolls with Tinker Toys and Caleb loves building with the Magnetix set.

 

(Caleb's new hair cut as well)

 What Daddy does when I'm babysitting...

  Reading a story to my nieces Cadence and Lyric.  Now, I know I look pretty shocked... but after all, we were going on a bear hunt. =)

Cool Bags...

These are the cool bags that Daddy got for the kids to collect things on our Nature Walks or Hikes.  Funny thing, these pictures are all the way back from when I had pneumonia... I kept wondering why I was having trouble on that hike, and finally had to ask to turn around and be done for the day.  Hmmm....

  And oh yes, our friend Lizard too!

Blogging...

One of the hard things about blogging is that if you happen to get behind (as I know I am), it can be almost overwhelming to "get back on the horse" (so to speak). So, here is my attempt to catch you up on the major things.

After recovering from pneumonia, I have since had really bad mouth/tooth pain. I have had one root canal, but since I am still having some pretty bad pain, I am thinking that means that more than one tooth was involved. Also, the root canal revealed that my tooth had four roots instead of three, and it was infected so I am on antibiotics again. I was getting nervous about taking Tylenol so regularly, but the pain was such that I was having a lot of trouble being a kind person. I was able to find a homeopathic remedy, which is working fine for me, although I did take one Tylenol last night to get me some sleep. The root canal (procedure + crown) ends up being about $1400... and you wonder why I don't really want to go there??? =) God has faithfully provided for us, although I must say I am terrified to go back in and have them say I have to go through it (including the money) again!!

Emma had her first eye exam. She and Caleb observed my exam first. She is doing well, but will need some little glasses for reading and schoolwork. I was pretty sure that this would be the case, although I did think her eyes were a little worse off than what I had originally thought. Not too bad, though, and she may even outgrow it.

Caleb got a buzz again. His hair was just getting too long, and he kept asking. I was determined to grow his hair out, but after seeing how miserable he was with it (even after trying hair gel), I acquiesced and gave him "Daddy's hair cut." Hopefully pictures will follow soon.

Noah is talking so much! We did not go ahead with speech therapy testing, we decided to wait. He knows all of his letters, and their sounds (he does have a hard time saying "R" and "kwa for Q"). He can put together a 35 piece puzzle all by himself. We might possibly be starting to potty train, but the jury is still out on that. I am not in a hurry on that one, but every night when the kids go potty, he asks to go potty, and I figure... well, we can sort of test the waters and see if mamma is up for what it will require of me!

Ezra is getting big and mobile. He finds a way to get where he needs to go, in order to get what he wants to get. No crawling, or anything like that. Just some pretty tricky rolling and stuff. He hasn't been sleeping well lately, so we are wondering if perhaps a tooth might be on it's way. Time will tell. He is a wonderful baby though, so happy and easy-going.

Ben is finally scheduled for a consult on his knee, that has needed surgery for about two years. This will be his fourth knee surgery. But, it has only recently been giving him some trouble, so it will be good to get that taken care of.

Our PC crashed, (we have a MacBook, which is great), but some of the kids' schoolwork software isn't Mac compatible, and the Mac Book wasn't really intended to be our "main" computer. So, I went to find a replacement, and alas, I have another laptop, this one a Gateway PC. It is working out quite nicely. I grew up on PC, so I am comfortable here, but I must say that the Mac Book has certainly done its work in convincing me how awesome Macs are. =)

We finished The Horse and His Boy (the third in the Narnia series), and are on to Prince Caspian. Shortly thereafter, or perhaps during the day, we will be reading The Princess and the Goblin. I am reading it now just to make sure it is all okay for the kiddos. Emma has discovered the Little House chapter books, so she has been enjoying those for quiet time (they are shorter books, about 65 pages (ish) in the same style as the Little House series). I am not quite sure how I feel about the "Magic Treehouse" books as of yet, but I LOVE the non-fiction research guides that go along with the series. Caleb loved reading the research guide on Knights and Castles, and was talking about things that look like a "mace" for weeks. He did read the fiction Magic Treehouse book called The Knight at Dawn (in a couple of hours) and seemed to enjoy it well enough.

So, I think that pretty much catches you up on life in the Hester house. It's been crazy, but oh so wonderful and good.

Sorry

I have not posted anything in a while, we have been busy, of course.  I am now almost recovered from a sinus infection and pneumonia, which most of you know from Facebook!!  =)  Alas, I am still alive, and when I have more time, I will post for y'all.

Park Day

We had a great time today at the park.  We were even joined by some friends for a while, which makes it even more fun!  I packed a lunch for us all and we took some time to enjoy God's beautiful creation.  Ben even took the boys down to a little creek for some adventure.  Here are some pictures:

Sword Fighting, of course!

Climbing the "rock" wall

Slide Static

Our Picnic

Fun Pics

A serious ballerina

Sweatin' to the Oldies 

New Roomate! (We finally let Emma move in with the boys)

I LOVE to chew on things!

Hey, reading is hard work!

Loved

There are times in your life that will always stand out in your mind, and this happens to be one of those occasions.  I had been sick for a while, and it was discouraging for me, but I started to feel better.  I seemed to be fine yesterday morning (Tuesday), but the afternoon brought a headache that was debilitating to say the least (I really wanted to bang my head on something to make it stop hurting, but opted for 3 ibuprofen instead.)  Anyway, we had finished our family devotion, and Ben asked the kids to come off their beds, and come lay hands on me so that they could all pray for me to get better.  They each prayed for me.  Sweet Caleb, took his hands off of me so that he could "fold his fingers" while he prayed for me, and then as soon as he was done, he put his hands back on my forearm.  This will forever stand out in my mind as a time where I felt well loved.  God knew I needed that.

Almost 4 Months...

Here is one of the pictures from our Valentine's Day hike:

And here is our boy, 4 months on Monday... and now he is rolling over and trying to blow raspberries.

"Blessed"

I forgot to post about this, and I wanted to write it down before I forgot!

We were on our way to Costco, and Ben was reading from Psalms in the car.  He read:

"Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord.  Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart."

Psalm 119:1-2

Then he asked them what it means to be blessed.  I don't remember what Caleb said, but this was Emma's answer, which I will forever hold dear to my heart:

"It's like how mommy is blessed because she has lots of children!!"

Seeing Triple

Caleb                               Noah                           Ezra