Field Trips

I love when we go places and call it a "field trip".  It sounds so official.  A few weeks ago, we ventured to Wichita to a nature center.  We learned so much and had a blast.  The highlights were feeding turtles (there were at least 10) and watching the geese attack one another to protect their territory.  I loved watching the kids take in the experience and actually be quiet when we were looking for animals.   No matter that we could see Home Depot from the trail....it still felt like nature to us!

It's Spring!

We can be wild.

I love the colors-

My sweet Owen

Such big kiddos

We Love Garbage

"Garbage days are our favorite.  Except for Saturday, when Daddy is home and Sunday, church day". Ella-5 years old. 

We cannot go anywhere on Mondays until the garbage and recycling trucks come to our house.  I love that something so simple makes them so happy.   I want to bottle up the excitement of all three kids as the trucks drive down the street.   Hope you can enjoy garbage as much as we do. 

Waiting patiently.....

So excited as they see the truck....

They are just thrilled, they have to hug....(they do this each week)

Getting the weekly wave from the driver....

Just in case you ever wondered what the "gripper-grabber" was...

Just Keep Running

Sitting in an ICU bed 10 months ago, I couldn't sleep.  I couldn't even close my eyes because the swelling in my brain was enough to have 4 Neurosurgeons say that they would operate.  The doctor who happened to be on that night agreed to check my neuro "status" each hour.  If anything changed - like if I couldn't remember my name, date, or touch my nose- he would cut me open.  How could I sleep when I might wake up and be told I was going to have brain surgery?  Or worse, not wake up at all.  I laid there visualizing what I wanted my brain to do all night long.  Amidst the frequent review of my name and date, I thought of some things I wanted to do once I made a full recovery.  One of those things was run a 5K race.  Yesterday, I did just that. 

The picture is me and my little loves before the race.  The boys are there too, even though Owen decided to hide from the camera.  I love this next photo because it was taken with about a half mile to go.  When Owen saw me, he jumped out of the stroller and started running along the street.  It made me feel so good that he was so excited. 

I am so thankful I was given the chance to run.  I had never run 3.1 miles, nor did I love doing it.  But my goal was to run the entire race and I did.  A friend asked me after if I had taken first place.  "Yes"  I told him.  I absolutely did. 

Two nights before the race, I was having some anxiety about how I was going to run that far since my "training" fell off the track with a sick baby.  I laughed out loud when I realized that I have had 3 babies.  Of course I can run 3 miles!  Any situation can be about birth when you are a birth junkie like myself.  All that HypnoBirthing has to offer for birth was applied to my prep and run.  It was fabulous. 

I have so many amazing friends and family who run marathons and such.  They are all amazing and an inspiration, even though I think they all need therapy.  It is clear that running can become an addiction.  A few hours after the race I felt so exhausted.  It hit me that I had a grand total of 7 hours of sleep over the past two nights.  I guess I will have to run just one more race to see if I can get more sleep and  run faster.  Just one more......

Baby Face

The hot, sweet baby breath on my face.  His boiling cheek against mine.  Those little whimpers I could hear through the monitor gave way to crying and he now has a fever.  My poor little man. 

I am thankful for his health each day and I know that his immune system will kick this bug in a day or two.  

As I watch his babyness disappear, I selfishly loved holding him today.  I soaked up every moment of him wanting to be worn in the sling and nursed.   Most days he is running.   Today he was my baby again. 

Never mind that he is 25 pounds of love.....I carried him much of the day and loved it.  Praying that he feels better soon. 

In other news,  it's earth day!  Much of our journey of New involves our family to be more self-sustaining.  We have spent the past 5 years using disposable diapers.  I didn't have the resources when my first was born that I do now regarding the ease of cloth.  And, frankly, I didn't know a soul who used them!  I was also given MANY disposables as gifts which was wonderful! (see photo- or maybe don't). 

These great friends of ours never thought they would be on a blog when they did this.  But, as I tell my kids, your behavior has consequences.  Thankfully, they were wearing adult diapers behind the boxes.....

My point is that we love cloth diapers.  If you have young kids, are planning to have kids, or know anyone who has young kids I would be happy to be a resource for them. I love this local shop in Newton www.healthybabyboutique.com for diapers and many other things.

 Here are a couple of age appropriate cloth diaper pictures of my little man.....modeling traditional pre-fold diaper with Thirsties brand cover-

 

And cruising around in his Gro Baby diapers-

The Land of the Bloggers.....

I am just a newborn. 

I have now entered the world of blogging and I have no idea what I am doing. 

So, be patient with me.  I promise my posts will not be as long as this first one. 

I have been writting this blog for months in my head.  The tasks of the day seem to take over the writting - like playing with legos, changing diapers, cleaning up the messes that I just cleaned up, holding kids who are having tantrums, chasing birds around the yard, running to the laundry mat, making dinner and cleaning again, snuggling kids who don't want to sleep, etc...  So what in the world would I blog about that would be of any interest to myself or anyone else?  I don't know yet.  But there is so much in my head everyday that I figure this is the best and most practical arena to lay it all out to play. 

I imagine that this will be about these wonderful kids that we have been given.  What a gift they are, spunk and all. 

Here is our baby.  He just turned 11 months.  What a ride he has been on since before he was even born.  What a pure joy he brings to our family.  Full of smiles and a fire to keep up with the big kids.

And then there is the kid in the middle.  That was me.  Now there is this awesome little almost 4 year old running around the house.  He is full of love for his Mom and for garbage trucks.  We now understand why kids fall off of chairs all the time.  There is just so much to be excited about.

My once-was-baby, now 5 going on 15.  Today she told me that, "Jesus' brother says that we should be quick to talk and slow to anger".  A little off, but apparently she's been listening to the sermon series on James this week.  Fiesty, loving and keeps us all straight. 

He makes all things new.  Right now everything is about starting fresh for our family.  This can be very hard and very good.  We are experiencing the sadness of being away from those we love, my "work" with families and our old home where we were comfortable.  But we have been given a fresh start in so many ways over the past 11 months.  Most people say that any one major event for a family can be stressful and we have had a few more than that.  So, there is stress coming from a multitude of situations.  But there is also joy in our opportunity.  And that is a great, great gift. 

The sermon series right now is on James, http://www.gcc-online.org/514327.ihtml which just happens to meet us right where we are at.  Rejoice in your trials and you will grow more than you can imagine.  Be slow to anger.  Listen and ACT on what you hear.  This is our life right now and this is a great reminder.