Friday Photo Favorites

For Babies who sleep through the night.

Thank you Luci for a good night's rest!

(photo from January 2009,
none of us could help admiring our sweet sleeping girl)

Small Successes

This week all of my successes came from one day.

1. I heard my alarm and jumped out of bed, not in search of the snooze button, but rather, the heroic minute.

2. Then, I planned my day, focusing my priorities on needs of the family not my desires to avoid the struggle of raising and lowering the ironing board every time my little one went to bed and woke up, or the tediousness of dusting and mopping while assisted by four little helpers.

3. Finally, I clung to my list, and allowed grace to perfect my day, so much as one's nature can be perfected in a single day's struggle against the flesh, that is.

That was a good day.

Hey Kid,

Didn't your Mom ever tell you not to walk in front of a moving swing?

Yes, this is Daniel's first black eye, and I am disappointed the picture does not do it more justice. His cheek bone was black and swollen by the time he made it in the back door, but our brave little guy stopped complaining within moments, and now simply says, "It better now, yeah, it git better now." Obviously, he has not looked in the mirror.

Peter is Six!!!

As Jeremiah and I watched our first born stroll across the plaza last week, headed into mass with his shirt buttoned to the top, his tie casually swinging in front, and both hands tucked into the pockets of his creased pants, the reality that six years of life, six years of experiencing and loving this world were slowly changing our little boy. And for the first time, neither one of us could deny that our once little boy was now quite big.

So on this day that he officially lays claim to the title of Six Years, we thank God for the blessings that each of the past years has brought us, the joys of daily unwrapping more of the gift that you are Peter Pie.

We remember celebrating last year with your very own birthday cinnamon roll.

And opening presents at Uncle Matty's house when you turned four.


Oh how brilliant you were at three.





But who could forget how much fun you were at two.

And how perfectly sweet you were at one.

We love you Peter Pie,
and look forward to exploring the gift of having a BIG boy!

Happy Fathers' Day!

To all of our Fathers,

Thank you for teaching us to throw rocks in the lake,

and helping us walk through all the weeds,


for helping us sleep through the night,


and long days at the baseball field.

May you have a blessed Father's Day!
We love you and thank you for all you have done in our lives and all you continue to do.

Hair Cuts?

With 100 degree days looming over us it is clear summer is here and so mommy is once again forced to concede that her little boy's hair must go.




As the sheering was about to begin, all the kids gathered around daddy and his clippers full of wonder and awe. And of course, full of questions. Which brought them around to the extreme hair removal potential of the "clipper with no guard". But their alarm was put to ease when Isabelle realized, "oh, it just cuts off all the hair just like Pop-pop cuts all his off in the middle of his head!"

They all felt much better then, and the sheering could continue.

Friday Photo Favorites: In Honor OF...

little boys who don't wear diapers any more,

I pulled out these two pictures from potty training days in the past.

(Peter, too pooped to... well, you get it.)

(Isabelle, trying on Peter's undies before having a go at things herself. She actually put them on herself, and wore them the rest of the day.)

Small Successes

In my last set of posted Successes humility ruled, as I accepted the good as my best amidst all my limitations. So this week...

1. I got down on my hands and knees along with my new found laundry buddy, Fels Naptha, and laid out our duvet cover that has suffered so grievously over the past six years, primarily at the hands of naughty nappers and wayward toddlers. With great enthusiasm, Fels and I examined every inch of the king sized sheet, front and back, before sending it through the wash with six years of neglected childhood grime. But in the end, I realized it would have been best to have treated most of these stains years ago, but it was good that I washed the duvet.

2. Having received the "all is clear, unless it hurts of course," signal from the doctor last week, the kids and I ran from the house every morning to enjoy our reunion with the outside world, only to return in time for dinner and bed. My success in all of this was having a well planned week, with activities, snacks, lunch and dinner ready and waiting. A full tummy makes for a much happier toddler, even if he is exhausted from all our excursions.

3. I am not writing any more, so I can spend time with my husband...

Summer Time

We have been swimming a lot this summer.

I think these got stuck.

Out with the Old....

In with the not as old. Just a mere 8 months after saying bye to an old friend, we have another slow dying vehicle. A gracious Uncle in Arlington gave us a 1989 Mazda 626 with 192,000 miles after the Roomy Lumy died last summer. For the last year, the Mazda has been doing a great job for my 4 mile round trip commute each work day.

In the middle of April the power steering pump started making noises that scared dogs and turned heads in the neighborhood when I tried to turn the corner. I nursed it for another month until the pump finally died in mid-May. For the last month I have been building my arm muscles for the 6 turns I have to make to get to work.

Finally, this past Saturday, after 3 weeks of searching, I found another vehicle, one with 65k less miles, a functioning power steering pump, and air conditioning to boot.
Introducing our newest member of the family, a 1996 Isuzu Rodeo, which my lovely(sarcasm) wife has gleefully nicknamed Rodito!

Number 83...

Not the corn... but the Cob

Busy...

We have been a little busy recently, with a trip to Amarillo and the subsequent struggle in returning to normal life, all of which was made more enjoyable with the continued recovery of my foot, three throats from strep, three others from a viral bug, and a few ear infections thrown in the mix.

Here is Luci helping me get all those extra diapers out of the bag while I was putting up the rest of the kids' clothes.

She was so proud of herself.

Prior to this picture Luci was chasing after me, with the threat of big tears all over her face, until I pulled out the camera. She promptly sat down and posed for me. Daniel couldn't miss a photo opportunity either. I'm going to start carrying this camera everywhere!

Small Successes

This week I have been walking the line between the responsibilities I, as a mother, have to my children and the responsibilities my body, as a possessor of my foot, has to rest and healing. Given a child's need to run, jump and generally expel a large amount of energy restructuring their world, and the obvious contrast this has with taking one's ease and a general sense of order, has forced us all into a state of compromise. Thankfully, our Father is gracious to show his blessings in all things, and so I have been remembering something a friend told me recently, "don't let the best get in the way of the good." And so this week has been about humility in the good.

1. It would have been best to vacuum up the outside that had come in during the day, but it was good that I crawled around with a dust pan and broom to sweep up what I could while Luci slept.

2. It would have been best for me to cook dinner the other night, but it was good that we didn't spend money eating out but found an assortment of left overs in the fridge.

3. It would have been best for me to return my friends phone call, but it was good that I offered some of my work in prayer for her.