Baby Knight

Update...

Okay, so the neurologist had said they wouldn't be able to get me in until next week, but they called back later and said they could get me in on Thursday morning.  The medicine has seemed to help a bit, and my pain is less intense and less frequent.  Not gone, but manageable for the most part.  Today my dosage was to increase.

Anyhow, today I saw the oral surgeon who took out the wisdom tooth.  He came in and said how he really didn't think trigeminal neuralgia was the correct diagnosis and didn't think I should have been put on the medication.  He said it was much more likely to be a tooth that was causing the pain.  (He didn't care to listen to me much...)  I was trying to explain how bad the pain was, and how both the dentist and endodontist couldn't find anything wrong with my teeth.  So, he pushed around on all my gums and near my teeth, and ran a Q-tip across my face, and just tried to check different things.  When he has done, he said that he did not think it was a tooth, and that he does think it is some type of neuralgia.  (I do not know how many kinds there are!!!)  But, I think he was just very surprised because it is quite rare for me to have this condition.  And, maybe it is not what they think anyway!  We are just trying to take one day at a time, trusting that God will bring the right answers and the right doctors in the right timing.  I have been very thankful for the relief I do have, and am looking forward to some more!!  I am back to functioning, so that is awesome!!!  I am taking the medication, and waiting to see what the neurologist will say.  It is hard to be patient, I am anxious to get in and see him and ask all of my questions, especially concerning nursing Ezra.  However, he seems to be enjoying his bottle of formula quite well, so we are doing okay there also.  Thank you all for your love and your prayers, they mean so much!!  

Anomaly

Definition: deviation from the common rule; something different, abnormal, peculiar, or not easily classified.

**Although parts of this post may seem a tad on the sarcastic side, you gotta know, it is all meant to be light hearted, okay?  We just gotta all laugh together.  =)

-a cold went through our house.  I got pneumonia.

-I threw out my back, picking up the same car seat I had picked up every day before that. 

-I had a root canal, and instead of the normal three roots, they found a fourth one.

-After having my wisdom teeth out, I got a "dry socket", which is a complication of the surgery.

-After all this dental work, they now suspect trigeminal neuralgia (this is a rare condition to begin with, but for a person of my age, it is EXTREMELY rare). (see my next post)

-And perhaps my personal favorite:  Last night, I placed my glasses on the coffee table (I was sleeping on the couch).  In the middle of the night, Ezra woke up, so I got up and moved the big down comforter.  In the morning, I couldn't find my glasses.  We looked everywhere, thinking that the comforter knocked them off the table.  We finally found them inside the duvet cover.  They got in through a small opening in the bottom.  

Seriously??  You just gotta laugh.  I told Ben, "I am an anomaly."  My mom said, "See, he knew ten years ago that you were one of a kind."

Sad Day...

Okay, I don't really consider myself a super-hippie, nurse until they are five type of mom.  But, I really do enjoy nursing, and I don't really care for that special time to be cut short!!!  But, at least for now, I am going to have to stop nursing Ezra.  I am pumping right now, to keep my milk in case that situation changes.  But, although it is very difficult for me to stop nursing, I do have three other kiddos to think about, and I have been in so much pain, that I really do need to find a way to get some relief, otherwise, I won't be any good to anyone!!

Yesterday, we went to the ER at Cottage Hospital.  We were able to see the ER doctor.  In the midst of one of my "episodes" of pain, he asked if I wanted a shot for the pain, at which point I am thinking, "YES!!! Wait, does that mean I can't nurse baby??"  A million things were running through my head, but I was in so much pain, so I decided to say yes.  The doctor and the nurses left and came back... oh, about 20 or so minutes later.  Which, is okay, because the episodes of pain last only a few minutes, and then I am okay until the next one.  By this time, I was out of pain, and didn't really want to be given any medicine.  When the doctor came back, he said he had consulted with a neurologist, and they suspect that it is a condition called Trigeminal Neuralgia.  They have prescribed some anti-convulsant medication, which should hopefully help with the pain, and a strong narcotic to make it through the weekend.  I am to call the neurologist on Monday, and hopefully get in to see him.  I can see God working so mightily, and so graciously, and was so excited to see that the neurologist that was consulted "just happened" (wink, wink) to be a provider on our insurance.  I am doing my best to get by without taking the narcotics, however, these bouts of pain are incredibly painful, and nighttime usually brings the worst of it for me.  I would appreciate your prayers on our behalf, as I have not been of much use to my family with all the pain.  We are so thankful for all the help of our family and friends, for your prayers.  We are hopeful that we will have some answers, and hopefully some relief soon!  And although I am sad to not be nursing Ezra, he is taking it like a champ, and seems to be quite happy eating lots of food.  I am still deciding just what we will do with him....

Love and obedience

The kids were with Aunt Kelly yesterday, and with Grandma the day before while Mommy was at the dentist.  I was hoping to already be "fixed."  But I wanted to write this down before I forgot.

When I left the kids, I gave the, "Please be obedient..." speech.  Caleb answered both times, "Of course, we will obey because we love (Grandma/ Kelly)!"

Very sweet.  Although it got me thinking that perhaps I should remind him of that, since I think it's a little harder to obey mamma.  =)

And such a good reminder for mamma...

"If you love me, you will obey what I command."  John 14:15

I will say, these last few months of mouth pain have certainly increased my sympathy for teething little people, as well as reminding me how hard it is to be kind and loving when you are in a lot of pain!!

Caleb's Birthday

Today is my sweet boy's birthday.  I have still been in a good amount of pain, so I will have to post pictures and all when I am feeling a little bit better.  Just wanted to say that today my boy is five.  He is so sweet.  He is loving his Spiderman watch, running around declaring the time frequently.  He and Emma have been playing "Connect 4" and army men, and just enjoying a relaxing day.  I had purposed for school work,  and a castle cake, and some other things.  But instead, I think we will just be laying low and being thankful for our family.  

Thank you God for Caleb Paul.

A First

Yesterday was a first for me.  It was the first time I have ever been under general anesthesia (as far as I know!!).  It was the first time I have had a surgery of any kind (as far as I know!!).  Anyway, I have been through about three months of some intense mouth pain, and $3500 worth of dental work.  After a root canal and some crowns, I was still in really terrible amounts of pain.  Upon seeing the dentist again, they couldn't figure out exactly what was wrong.  They sent me to the endodontist, who also could not determine the problem, but said that it could possibly be a wisdom tooth that has partially come through on one side, and that it needed to be removed.  The oral surgeon at my dental office couldn't see me until next week, and with the amount of pain I was in, I was not going to make it a week.  I went into the dentist, who said he could remove the tooth, but it would be under local anesthesia and "messy."  He said it was a difficult extraction, with the tooth being so close to a nerve canal.  So, they called around, and were able to find an oral surgeon who could see me in Santa Barbara.  When I got there, they said that they could remove the tooth, but only do local anesthesia.  This made me nervous but at the same time, I really, really needed some relief from the pain, so I was willing!!  Then, he checked a couple of things: 1. Was there someone to drive me home?  YES!!  and 2.  Had I eaten anything? NO!! (Dental pain is a great diet plan.)  So, they could put me "out" and get to work.  I will say that it went remarkably well in that I didn't feel anything, and I woke up and it was over.  The bummer is that I am still experiencing quite a bit of the same pain, so I am not sure that tooth was the culprit....???  But we will wait and see what happens.

I normally watch my nieces every other Tuesday, while my sister-in-law cleans a house.  Well, her and her cleaning buddy Cristin came to my rescue and watched my kids so I could have mouth surgery!!! You girls are awesome.  My sister-in-law was even so brave as to drive around the "Beast" (our big Suburban) so she could fit three of mine and two of her own!!!  Thanks Kelly, you are so kind to me.  And, it worked out so that my mom could drive Ezra and me to the appointment and keep an eye on me.  Thanks Mom.  You all have taken good care of me.  Now, if we could just get rid of this pain!!!  =)

Lake Lopez

My sweet husband decided that we needed to get away and relax. Well... we got away anyway. =) We went camping for a couple of nights at Lake Lopez, and we did indeed have a good time and made some great memories. I will say though, that camping with 4 kids age 6 and under, especially when one of them is potty training, is quite a bit of work. So, not much in the way of relaxing happened, but that is okay.
It was beautiful! Caleb got to go fishing with Daddy a few times (Emma went once but decided it was "boring"), and we did enjoy some not-so-normal cuisine, which can be fun as well. Here was our menu for the weekend, which is somewhat mortifying, but hey, we were camping:

Dinner: (We had other intentions, but the camp store was closed, so we couldn't get any firewood, so no fire. Instead of the 20 minute drive out to food, we just made due with snacks.)
Breadsticks dipped in fake cheese (you know, those little snack things you can buy??), tuna on crackers, and Kashi oatmeal-chocolate chip cookies.
Breakfast: Donuts and Capri-sun
Lunch: We went out to lunch at Chili's, so that I could make a run to Wal-Mart for firewood, etc., and to Trader Joe's for some food.
I had soup and salad, Ben had a shrimp and bacon quesadilla, Emma had chicken strips, Noah had a quesadilla, and Caleb had a cheeseburger. Wow.
Dinner: Hot Dogs and Cup-O-Noodles. Seriously. And smores.
Breakfast: Carrot Muffins, Applesauce, and a Nectarine. Thank you, Trader Joe's. This was quite possibly the healthiest meal of the trip.
Lunch: We were headed home and stopped at a steakhouse, which I cannot remember the name of. It was so good. I had tri-tip that was like butter, and shared my garlic mashed potatoes with Ezra. Emma had chicken, I think, and Caleb had ribs. Go figure. Oh, and Ben had a bison burger. Evidently, it is very lean protein.

There was a great playground, and we brought bikes for the kiddos. Good times.

Helping Daddy set up, Snacks for dinner at the picnic table.

Ben eating dinner, the beautiful deer (we saw wild turkeys too!!)

Emma on the log, Noah in the tent


Caleb bringing in the fishing poles, Ezra loving the swing!
We even got to see Great Grandpa Fowler, and watch him clean some fish!!

"I sure hope you are babysitting!!"

This is what the um, older lady said to me as we walked by in Target today.
"I hope those aren't all YOURS!!"

(Now, those words came at a great time, actually. I was severely distracted by trying to push the stroller with Caleb and Noah "helping", and also trying to "guide" the cart that Emma was pushing.)

Huh? What? Oh, yes, someone is speaking to me. Smile.
"Oh yes, they are all mine."

So proud of himself...

He loves to stand up in his crib, and listen as we do our schoolwork.  Oh, yeah, we moved our "school stuff" into Emma's old room, along with Ezra's crib.  Which has proved helpful in some ways (he can play and listen while we work), and challenging in others (if he wakes up to nurse at 4am, and goes back to sleep and is still asleep at 9am, I guess that means no school!!)  =)

Sad Lesson...

So, Ben brought home a SURPRISE!!! for the kids.  A co-worker was getting rid of a small fish tank, with two beta fish.   There is a divider, to keep them away from each other, but on one occasion, one of the fish had made its way over and sort of "beat up" on the other fish.  Everyone was okay, but when Ben brought the fish home, I think we both noticed that the poor fish that took the beating looked a little defeated.  But, this fish had lots of pink in color, so that was to be Emma's fish.  She named it "Rainbow."  Caleb named the other fish "Sparkle."

The kids were so excited, helping Daddy clean out the tank, waiting for the water to warm up to the same temperature as the water they had been in, etc.  Rainbow seemed to be doing okay, although not a very active fish.  Just kind of "hanging out."

Well... on Saturday morning, Rainbow just wasn't moving at all.  The color had left and there was a paleness... Rainbow had died.  This was very hard for Emma.  Even with the reassurance of another fish, she cried desperately, "But I want Rainbow!!"  When Ben was flushing Rainbow, he was telling the kids that the fish would go through the pipes and out into the ocean (or something to that effect, I missed the whole conversation).  Emma was just so sad.  I sat, rocking with her, explaining that this is not how God intended it to be.  When God made this world, His intention was for life, not death.  But, we chose sin.  And ever since that time, death is a part of this life.  Even the most beautiful parts of creation are dying.  And while it is so sad, and so overwhelming at times... it is also the framework for the beautiful picture of redemption.  Death is not the end of the story!!  Our great Hero, Jesus, has redeemed us and triumphed over this enemy of death!!  Now, what does this mean for Rainbow?  I don't know.  (I had to be honest with the kid... I just don't know.  I did tell her, that while the Bible does make mention of animals in regards to heaven, I am just not sure if that includes Rainbow.)  It did make for some very interesting conversation, however.

Anyway, at church on Sunday, they had little "Prayer Request" cards in the bulletin.  Caleb was asking about it, and I saw Ben explaining it to him at the other end of the pew.  Then, I saw Caleb writing away... When he was done, Ben showed it to me:

"Dear God, please keep Rainbow safe out in the ocean."

So sweet.  Not sure he really understood that Rainbow was DEAD out there in the "ocean", but still, very sweet.

The End of an Era...

If you don't watch friends, then the title will not be nearly as funny. But, the sentiment remains... that something important has come to a close. Emma finished her last book, and test today. We celebrated with an ice cream party. Since Caleb is only one book behind her, he will probably finish in the next couple of days (although it would not surprise me if he wanted to "power through" so he can be done too, and have ANOTHER ice cream party!!).
This is the first formal curriculum we have purchased, and it has served us quite well. I know that you can use just about anything, and what works with one won't work with others. But, I have been comforted by having something to guide us, and we have had so much fun along the way. I have so many fond memories of their journey this last year.
They went from reading "C-A-T" to "Constitution." And so, it is with a tinge of sadness that I close up our box and pack away our stuff. But, it won't be long until I can bring it back out for Mr. Noah!! And won't it be even more fun, when Emma and Caleb can rejoin me as "teachers". =)

Advance '09

The conference Ben is attending in Durham, North Carolina is called Advance '09, "a conference about the power of God's gift to His people-the church.
www.advance09.com
I imagine he is pretty tired, since he just finished a night shift, and probably only slept a couple of hours.
He is flying all night tonight, then at the conference Thursday, Friday, and Saturday morning. He is flying home Saturday (to avoid another night at the hotel). We will pick him up late Saturday.
Please pray with us, that he will have a safe trip, and that God will continue the work He has begun in his heart, that he will be challenged, comforted, encouraged, and have a renewed vision and perspective.

When Daddy is Away...

Well, we made it. We all got in the car, (and fortunately Grandma was able to come with us!!), and we drove down to LAX. The kids saw many planes, although not nearly as closely as they would have liked. We dropped Daddy off at his terminal area, and I could already see the big tears forming in Emma's eyes. She was just so sad that Daddy was leaving, telling him, "I don't want you to go, I want you to stay..." But, even through her tears she kissed Daddy, and we watched him go inside to wait (for a long time!!) for his flight. We got onto the wrong road, which turned out to be a major blessing, because a potty stop was needed RIGHT AWAY!! So, Grandma stayed with Ezra while I took the other three potty. Then, all the kids were STILL HUNGRY!!, so we were able to grab smoothies at a Robek's. Which, I must say, made for a "SMOOTHER" ride home. =)

Everyone is in bed, and the only consolation I had for the kids for Daddy being away (other than my big speech on how we should be so happy and excited for Daddy, which seems to have taken a bit with Caleb but not so much with Emma) is ICE CREAM. So, we are to have a big ice cream party. It just so happens that Emma will finish her "Trophy" book either tomorrow or Friday, which will lend itself nicely to an ice cream party anyway. We also have some wonderful friends who have been mindful of us being without Daddy, and have invited us to swim and play. I am so thankful. There was a part of both Ben and I that wished I could be with him at his conference, but all today, I have had a great feeling of peace, knowing that I am here with the kids, and I think this is the right place for me. We will miss Daddy so much, and yet God is abundantly gracious to bring those around us to love on us and make the time when Daddy is away go by just a little bit quicker. Oh, and Skype will hopefully help too!!

No time for school...

Well, as I was trying to collect the kids to begin our school work for the day, this is what I found:


Emma was reading her "Little House" Chapter Book, since it had to be returned to the library today and she had not had a chance to read it yet. Caleb was reading about Joan of Arc leading the French against England in war out of the Childcraft Encyclopedia set. But, it had to be a cool story, there were pictures of knights, and armor, and war.
I decided the "work" I had planned could wait.

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.