Well - despite the somewhat crazyness of our morning with Ransom crying more often than not, and Jesse taking a massive tumble down our entire flight of THIRTEEN stairs, the end of our day turned out to be quite nice! I declared this afternoon to be family naptime, and by the time this evening rolled around, the day was looking much brighter!

When Kev got home from work, we had a quick supper and then decorated our tree and our house for Christmas! Very fun. Here's a whack of pictures to document our evening. Jesse only broke two ornaments - I was planning for at least five - so we're golden!

Documentation. He's like a puppy.

We have just a wee little tree this year. She's super cute, and the boys did it ALL! I sat in the chair and fed Ransom the whole time! :0)

Kev put the Nativity set that his Mom gave him in the fireplace.

This is what it looks like up close. This spot also keeps little bull-in-a-china-shop-hands away from touching and holding!

Here's a few other little corners of our home:

Okay. I got this little "roaring fire" C.D. in the Target dollar aisle. People make fun of me - especially on our ginormous t.v. screen, but I tell you what - it is SO cozy! And these are my little Kaden, Jesse, & Ransom snowmen.

This is above my kitchen sink. The plant on the far right is a bog cranberry. A lady from my church gave it to me, and it is rockin'! We own some swampy land to the left of us, and in the spring, I'm going to try to plant it. We shall see......

This is just a little spot above the kid's craft cupboard.

Okay. I always forget to flip my pictures, but it's 10:00p.m., and I'm too lazy. Just turn your head sideways, and you'll get the idea! :0)

And our third child, who is often just as much work for me!

Until the "newness" wears off, she's being relegated to the basement at night, or else I just KNOW the tree will be on its side come morning.

I'll almost bet my life that it won't remain standing for 25 more days, anyway. We shall see..... Anyway. We're decorated. Let the festivities begin!

Thanksgiving

It has been a really nice holiday week-end, despite the yucky weather. We hosted Thanksgiving this year. Kind of last minute, but it was still really really fun to be able to host in MY OWN home! Kev's Mom and Bruce and Grammy came over; I also ran next door and spur of the moment invited our new neighbor who is a widower, but he was hosting a party for six, himself! Kinda cute.

The kids worked really hard on making some fun place cards


and yummy party favors. The favors were supposed to be candy turkeys, but I didn't have the right candy for the job, so we improvised. People were still able to tell that they at least semi resembled turkeys!



Then, yesterday we really spur of the moment decided to go to our most fave place - Piper Mountain and get our tree. We've got a couple of crazy weeks ahead of us - especially the week-ends - so we decided to at least get it and bring it back home. Now it's sitting in a bucket of water in our garage and ready for decorating whenever we are.

The most hilarious thing happend while we were getting our tree. It was cold and drizzly to begin with, so we kind of rushed in choosing our tree so that we could get back inside to the hot apple cider and homemade donuts. We were all standing around watching Daddy chop down the tree, and when the thing toppled over, it konked Jesse square in the head and COMPLETELY took him OUT! It was absolutely hysterical, and Kaden and I died laughing. I couldn't do anything about it, either, because I had Ransom in a Snugli and was holding an umbrella over us so that he wouldn't get wet. Jesse was SO unimpressed, and I really did feel badly, but I just had to document the whole thing. So, I got a snapshot of him crumpled on the ground and then one of him with Daddy comforting him! Priceless.

On our walk back to the barn he said: "I happy now. I cry when dat tree knock me down, but I a little bit happy now." So cute. Nothing that a yummy donut couldn't remedy!

And now today we're just chillaxing. Daddy's going for one last attempt at the big old buck, and I'm cooking up a bunch of food to use up all of our leftover turkey. Baths and a movie tonight before a full day at church tomorrow. And then we enter the next holiday season!

Happy Thanksgiving weekend, all!

Marshmallow Pilgrim Hats

Thanksgiving Crafting - Day #2

Today's craft is super yummy, super cute, and - if your kid is like my Jesse - quite messy. But, if your kid is like my Kaden - the mess is kept to a delish minimum.

I forgot to say yesterday, that all of these ideas come from family fun magazine. You can get tons of fun ideas at www.familyfun.com. Or, just look on my sidebar and click onto a link that I have there.

Okay. Here goes:

Ingredients:
* 24 chocolate-striped shortbread cookies
* 12-oz. package of chocolate chips
* 24 marshmallows
* tube of yellow decorator's frosting - or just make your own and tint it yellow.

Instructions:

1. Set the chocolate-striped cookies stripes down on a wax paper-covered tray, spacing them well apart.

2. Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave or double boiler.

3. One at a time, stick a wooden toothpick into a marshmallow, dip the marshmallow into the melted chocolate, and promptly center it atop a cookie.

4. Using a second toothpick to lightly hold down the marshmallow, carefully pull out the first toothpick.

5. Chill the hats until the chocolate sets, then pipe a yellow decorator's frosting buckle on the front of each hat.

Voila!



And share, share, share! And eat, eat, eat.......

A Week of Crafting

Thanksgiving is by and large one of my MOST favorite holidays. It isn't really commercialized too horribly, there are no gifts involved, and it really focuses on the simple and important things in life: remembering what we are thankful for, spending time with family and loved ones, and the biggy - FOOD! Ha!

But seriously, I really really love Thanksgiving.

So, in honor of this being Thanksgiving week, the kidlets and I are going to (try to) do one type of cooking or crafting project each day that revolves around Thanksgiving. And I'm going to share the ideas here because I think they're super cute - and I can't take any credit for them; they did not come from my own noggin' - and then maybe you can do some with your kidlets too!

The project that we did over the week-end was fingerprint Turkey cards. Very simple, only slightly messy (unless you're Jesse, and then you somehow manage to get the ink from head to toe!), minimal materials, and the craft takes mere minutes.

Here's what you need:

* card stock paper folded in half to make a card (duh)
* preferably a brown ink pad (I only had black, hence we have black turkeys)
* colored pencils or crayons
* fingers and thumbs willing to get inked!

Stamp your thumb for the body, your pointer finger for his head, and your pinky finger to make a fan of big ole tail feathers. Use colored pencils to draw in feet, his beak, eyes, and the gobbly thing that hangs down his neck (what's that called again?).

Easy sneezy, and super cute.

Then, make tons and tons to give to all the people you love!
Here's some pics of our masterpeices:

Kinda fun!

And they only have to remotely resemble turkeys!

These Past Few Days......

Let's see here....

It's been awhile since I've posted. Our little family of five is getting our groove on. We're finding our rhythm more and more, and so far Ransom is still pretty chill. I'm still holding my breath, and I'm giving him until Christmas to become a freak out child. If he's still like "this" by then, I will declare us to have our very first relaxed baby. That would be nice!

He had his five week check-up on Tuesday. He's in the 90% for length at 23 inches, and the 75% for weight - almost 13 1/2 pounds. He's growing fast!

On Monday, my dearest childhood friend, Amber came for a visit with her little ones. Almost every memory I have of my growing up years involves her in some way or another! It was pretty special to watch OUR little kids play together and make some of their own memories! And her little girl can hold her own with my Jesse, so that works out pretty well! :0)

Tonight marked another first for me: I went out for a few hours with a friend COMPLETELY CHILDLESS! Kevy offered to stay home with all three so that I could have a little break, and it was so much fun! We did some antiquing, caught up on life, and just had a really really nice evening together. It was glorious!

And now the week-end awaits......aaaahhhhh....it's all good!

A New Spin on Turkey

I found a funky way to cook a bird online and gave it a whirl the other day. It actually turned out pretty good, and I'm going to tweak it just a bit and try it again soon.

I bought a 20+ pound bird and brined it in one of our coolers for 6-8 hours with tons of ice, 2 cups of kosher salt, and a cup of brown suger.

Then, I rinsed it off; salted it inside and out; put some garlic, onion, and an apple inside the cavity; brushed the top with olive oil; and stuck it in the oven at 500 degrees (500!!!) for two hours.

Easy Sneezy. I guess the whole idea of the brining and super hot temps is to get you a really moist and juicy bird.

Next time I'm going to brine it all night long. But it was really yummy - the outside was brown and crispy, and the inside really was very juicey and flavorful.

The next day I made a honking soup and Kev smoked some in his smoker. And I still have some left over for quesadillas. Delish.

Just thought I'd share......

P.S. Turkey's on sale for 40 cents a pound at Wal-Mart!

One of THOSE Days......

Today has been a somewhat "frazzle-y" day.

It all started when Jesse put the stopper in the bathroom sink and proceeded to fill it to overflowing. Kaden came running to tell us, and by the time we got there it had spilled out onto the floor, it was running into the living room - almost over to the fireplace, and it was leaking into our basement! Jesse looked at us with a sheepish laugh and said: "Dat funny?" Not so much.

I have also had to tell this child multiple times today to not sit on the kitten or his baby brother! Is this normal???

Ransom has hurled mass quantities of guck on me twice today, and he has also been having a rough day of sleep, so much crying has ensued. As I type, he is crying upstairs and Jesse is sitting on his bed for writing all over his body with markers after I specifically told him that markers were ONLY for paper.

Yeesh.

The other thing I'm trying to psych myself up for is Kev and Kaden bringing back a barn full of stuff that friends have stored for us since we sold our house four years ago. I HATE stuff. It stresses me to no end. And seriously, people....if we haven't used it for four years, do we REALLY need it? So, within moments, I am going to be bombarded with a boatload of cr*p.

Happy for you, though, Shannie - that you have your barn back. Sorry it took so long.....and thank you SO much for letting us store stuff up there. Bless you.

Anyhoo, I'm preparing for a super large cull/chuck/give away/heave ho/ prepare-for-the-world's-most-ginormous-yard-sale fest!!! Good times. Good times.

Okay. I'm off to tend to my boys. Thankful that tomorrow is family day. We're kicking it to Porland for a few hours to see what we can see.

Good night from the Funny Farm!

Sunday Firsts

Ransom has been to church for the past three Sundays, and so far - each Sunday has held a pretty big "first" for him. On the very first week we went - he was just a little over two weeks old, and his little belly button scabby fell off. His brothers say, "Now he's a REAL little boy!"

Last week, I pumped and gave him his very first bottle because the mornings were too crazy to get the boys ready and him fed in time to be there at 7:30. I knew it probably wasn't the wisest time to pick for his very first introducation, but after a mild freak out, he took it quite nicely. We have to practice our songs as soon as we get to church, so I can't really feed him on stage - even with a nursing cover. So, this option worked out quite well. I sat on a stool and practiced our songs for the service with him laying across my lap. Both boys thought that this was equally as cool as his belly button falling off and each wanted a turn "milking the baby!"

But by and far - the very best first in this little guy's life happened in church yesterday. We were all alone in the nursery while I was feeding him. After I burped him, I just put him really close to my face and was kissing him and talking to him; and he gave me his very first "no doubt about it" smile just for ME! Oh - melt my heart, I just about ate him right up! We've been wondering if he's been doing it for the past couple of days, but yesterday there was no doubt in my mind.

Mercy. The deliciousness of it all!
I wonder what's in store for next week. A poo explosion all over Mama? That could be exciting......

Baby Names.....

I knew when we named this little guy "Ransom" that there would be some comments. I almost chickened out and went with an ever faithful old standby, but just a couple of days before he was born Kev said: "We're naming him Ransom. We've liked that name for a long time, and we're not going to pick another name just because we're worried about what other people think!" That's the main reason why we've never told people our name choices before the kids are born. Because once our kids are here and we proudly declare the name, people keep their comments to themselves on whether they like it or not!

Anyway, I digress.

The whole point of this post is the nicknames that take place in this house. I have purposely (and hypocritcally so) given all three of my boys names that don't come with easy nicknames. I want my kids to be what I've named them. I'm the world's biggest hypocrite, though, in the fact that I have a nickname for everyone and their dog! (Sometimes several.....)

So, a few people have asked us "what are you going to call him?" To clear up any further questions, the answer is.........wait for it..........RANSOM.

I know. Crazy.
He will NOT be a "Randy" or a "Ran." He will be Ransom.
However.....

Behind the four walls of this house you may hear:
"RANCID" - During poo explosions
"Ransey" - From his big brother
(I wonder where he got those nicknaming skills?)
And occasionally, to get a reaction out of my teasing friends:
"Ransey-Dancey Doo."

Other than that, the rest of the world may call him Ransom.

My New Favorite Funny Guy

Tim Hawkins is our new favorite Christian comedian, and he has SO many funny videos out there on YouTube. He is clean and silly and geeky, and we find him HILARIOUS! This is just one of our fave videos that he has out.

Here's to all you fellow parents:



Sometime when you have a few spare minutes, check out his Delilah spoof, and for you country fans, listen to "Cletus Take the Reel." Good times!

Happy First Day of Hunting Season!

That expression gets a little more excitement around our house than "Happy Halloween!" :0) We're hoping Daddy gets the big ole "tirty pointer" today. Our freezer is bare, and we want some jerky!

Not that I am even horrifically (Is that a word? Is that even spelled right? My brain is TIRED!) against this whole "Holiday".

Gasp - I really did say that, AND I do love Jesus. :0)

Granted, now that I'm older, it's not really my fave, and I'm happy when it's gone by, but I actually have some really fun and very happy memories of trick or treating with my friends and cousins back in the day. We'd spend DAYS dreaming up what we were going to wear - and we didn't spend the big bucks on costumes. We just raided our closets, and our parents closets, and Mom's make-up, and whatever else we could find and we went CRAZY! And it was so harmless back then. Even our pastor took his kids - everyone in our neighborhood took their families, and the parents dressed up, too! It was just silly and fun. A completely harmless, fun, family event.

Now I know that times they have a changed and that it's "Satan's Holiday" and all. But, I am still not diametrically opposed to it, I don't look down my nose at other people who go, and I definitly don't even begin to judge them or think their walk with God MUST be suffering. But, that's just me. I'm kind of simple that way.

HOWEVER.

Unless my boys beg to dress up and do it some year and unless we all go together and go only to friend's and families homes, we probably won't be going trick or treating. But, if they beg to go some year, we might. That was kind of a hypocritical statement, eh? Maybe that sounds kind of wishy-washy. I'm just not going to choose to die on that mountain with my kids.

Probably the biggest reasons why we would not go is that I know a lot of people who do have major reservations with celebrating this day, and I don't love offending others or being a stumbling block in any way. Also, on a far less "spiritual" note, I don't want to be divvying out candy for years and having the boys be on sugar highs every day until they're ten, I'm kind of lazy and don't really feel like going out in the cold, I'd much rather do some sort of Harvest-y type party and have fun that way, and we can make the day fun in other ways - especially while my kids are really young and don't know the difference anyway.

So, today the boys and I watched a fun movie, we made a funky homemade paste and made fall (and dinosaur!) ornaments to hang in our windows, we ate our own candy, and we're making some fun yummy dessert to have when Daddy gets home with our big buck! Good times!

And we'll see what discussion ensues if we have some little gremlins show up at our doorstep begging for treats this evening! :0)

Grammies Are GRAND!

This past week-end Mom called me and informed me that she was "craving that baby!" I told her to hop in the car and get her body down here to see this little bundle of scrumptiousness. So she did.

And it has been a lovely week.

She has let me sleep in every day, I've taken naps with Ransom in the afternoons, she's made some meals, she's done some laundry, she made cut-out cookies with the kidlets, she's read them stories, and tonight she watched the two older rugrats while my Honey and I went on a date with the papoose. And he obliged us by napping the entire time that we were out and about.

It has been glorious! There is no-one who I am more comfortable with in my home. The boys love her, she totally "mothers" me and takes care of me, she dotes on my kids, and I fear that she has royally spoiled our new baby!

It's been a rough week.

Our New Digs!

Okay. Here's a whack of pictures of our little nest that we are absolutely in love with. And can I just say AGAIN how thankful we are for the friends and family who helped to get it ready for us!

Here's some pics of the kitchen: We kept the original color; we'll give it a fresh coat (some day), but for now I find it very sunny and happy, and I'm quite content with it.







Here's our little computer/work station tucked into a little corner of the kitchen. There's a little bit of yummy-ness hiding in that corner, as well!



Here's our living room. The original color was a very earthy/minty green. We chose a very very light capuccino color that kind of matches my furniture and the fireplace.







Here's the big boys' bedroom. We'll eventually do bunk beds and get rid of the pack and play. That's for another paycheck.


Originally, I had the head of Kaden's bed decorated like this:

(Whoops! Sorry about the sideways pic. Too lazy to fix it.)
Kev said that it didn't look "boyish" enough, so he took over and decorated it like this:



Guess which way the boy's liked better?

Here's our bedroom:





With a little crafty nook for me:



And, finally.....wait for it....wait for it.....
My pride and joy!
Drum roll please.........
I give you...........the NURSERY!!!



AHEM.......This room will also wait for another day, another paycheck, and a healthy dose of sanity to prime over those rockin' walls!

So, that's it! We are so very thankful and oh so happy with our new little abode. I've calculated that we've moved five times in ten years. It's so nice to finally feel a little settled from our somewhat nomadic life.

Granted........if the Lord says to move, away we shall go! However, for the here and now, it is so so very nice!

And We Are LIVE!!!

The computer guy came today to set up our internet for us. He wasn't able to get it working, so when Uncle Shawn came over tonight to snuggle the baby, he immediately found the problem and got us up and running in no time! Very exciting. I now have contact with the outside world. It's a beautiful thing.

So - in a couple of days I'll try to get some pics of our house up along with a few more updates on life. For now, all three boysies are sleeping, so I am off to hit the hay, as well. Sleep is a precious thing these days!

We're doing well. Sanity is still in tact. A kajillion books are getting read during feeding sessions, lots of cereal and toast is getting eaten for meals other than just breakfast, Ransom is still alive with two wild older brothers, and we are happy! Life is slightly nuts-o, but it's GOOD.

Tidbits

We have no internet access in our new house yet, so I'm finding it hard to keep in touch with the outside world - not that I would have much time to do it anyway, but that's besides the point. But tonight is AWANA and Kaden & Jesse are happy in their respective classrooms and Daddy is leading worship, so Ransom and I have snuck away to Kev's office to catch a little snuggle time and some quick internet access.

Thanks to the help of so many wonderful friends and family, I can honestly say that except for the nursery, my home is set up and in order and just the way I love it. We are SO happy in this new little place, and we feel so very blessed.

All of my brood is back together now. Mom & Dad had taken the boys up with them for a few days while we got the house in order. So, we are now all finding our new norm together in our new home - with our new little addition. Ransom is still pretty "chill" and relaxed. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he stays this way! Each day certainly brings with it a large element of CRAZY - be it Jesse knocking over our gallon fish tank onto their bedroom floor yesterday, or all of us trying to bake a pie for Daddy's birthday today amidst the usual interruptions of the baby needing to eat, Kaden needing help on the potty, and Jesse trying to eat the raw eggs! Whew!

But it's good. It's so good.

Yesterday, we celebrated Daddy's birthday by going bird hunting on an old dirt road. The boys got to sit up front with their orange hats on eating snacks and treats, and I sat in the backseat and nursed Ransom! It was so much fun. Absolutely nothing was accomplished hunting-wise, but we all had a good time together.

Tomorrow is my first day "on my own." I'm looking forward to it with no big plans of getting much accomplished. I have a stack of books that I took out from the library to read during feeding sessions, and we're just going to chill out together and be as low key as possible. No big plans to conquer Rome tomorrow. If I can keep us all alive, I'll be proud!

A Quick Update

Daddy, Ransom, and I are sitting in Starbucks having a little coffee date after a rainy day of rest and house organizing/painting etc. We have no internet connection yet, so this gave us a little chance to catch up on the ouside world of life.

Mom and Dad took the boys up home with them for a couple of days so that we could get their bedroom painted, organized, and completely set up for when they come home to us. The house is coming along nicely. It's feeling more and more like "mine" every hour it seems.

This morning, Kevy brought me up breakfast in bed, and the baby and I just visited and snuggled until late morning. It was so nice and cozy. I told him that for the next couple of days we'll be able to do this in peace and quiet, but within a matter of days life is going to get a wee bit crazier with two bigger brothers who are going to want to snuggle with him as well!

It has been a week-end full of blessings and new life. We are so thankful and happy. God has been so great to us, and we are so very thankful for all of our loved ones who have surrounded us with love, help, and support.

news! News! NEWS!!!

Well......

Meet our sweet Ransom Malachi!!!
What a little gift he is! We are so thankful for this blessing.

We got ourselves a house yesterday and a BABY today!!! We are efficient!! HA!

We closed on our house at 11:30 yesterday, moved our entire apartment over, got our bedroom and the kitchen completely set up, chose paint colors for the boys' rooms and the living room, and then we CRASHED. Hard.

When I hit the hay last night, I looked over at Kev and said: "If the baby comes tonight, I am completely happy with what we've gotten accomplished today." We had some rockin' friends and family SLAVING for us - working to fight against the clock like crazy - and I will be forever thankful for their gifts of service to us.

From about Midnight until 4:00, I was uncomfortable and contracting. I took a shower and got myself ready, and then I went back to bed for a couple of hours. Everything was very sporatic, so I was unsure of what to do. By 7:00 this morning, the contractions had started up again, and Kev wanted to just get out here since the hospital is an hour away. I wasn't impressed with the idea of leaving so soon, but he promised that if I was still really sporatic by the time we got to the town, we could wait things out at the coffee shop down the road.

So, we dropped the boys and their carseats off at Grampy & Grammy's house, drove the hour it takes to get here, and by the time I was in my room I was 9 centimenters and ready to go!

Baby Ransom Malachi was born at 10:24a.m. weighing in at 7lbs.15oz. with quite a bit of dark hair on his yummy little head! Malachi means "God's Messenger," and Ransom means "Deliverance and Hope." He's super cute and super mellow. So far....

We are praising the Lord for His abundant mercy and gifts to our little family! It has been an exciting weekend. Come and see us!

The Verdict Is IN!!!

Well, folks, the people have spoken and it looks like we are going to close on our house on Friday at 11:00. We are still not holding our breath, but all of the hoops have been jumped through, we've stood on our heads, given our life stories, and practically signed our souls away, and now we have finally been told that Friday is the lucky day!

Just a wee bit closer to my due date than I would have chosen, but what do you do?!

Sooooo, in typical Booker fashion, now that we know, it is really VERY hard for us to just wait and sit on our hands. Despite much "encouragement" from concerned loved ones, we are probably not just going to twiddle our thumbs for the next few weeks and first continue waiting for the baby, and then adjust to the baby, and then sloooowly over time putter away at moving and painting. That's not really how we work. We are packing and we are moving forward until said kidlet arrives. And then we'll pack and move some more!

So, now it's a race to see which happens first. If there is no baby by Friday at 11:00, then we are trucking as many loads as we can over to our new place and we are going to start setting up shop. If there IS a baby by Friday, then we'll play that one by ear. Probably as soon as we get home, Kev will start trucking things over while I crash on the couch with my babe and give orders!

Either way - it's happening.....
Let's guess.....which will come first????

I have my hunches.........

An Ode to the People in My Life...

...And the comments they've made during this pregnancy!

Oh there are SO many - I am dedicating an entire page in my scrapbook to all of them. I have been keeping a running list, but I seem to have misplaced it. So, this will be my reminder...

* Well, just today Jesse called me: "My Baby Chicken Precious Big Mama!"

* Kaden told Daddy a few weeks ago: "I love Mommy because she's so fat!"

* Kev has said: "I like it when you're pregnant. It makes me feel small."

* And when wearing a purple shirt the other day he called me, "Barney."

* On the 4th of July, Dad told the family: "If you're looking for the watermelon, Amy swallowed it!"

* When he saw a picture of me in my bathing suit Dad said: "Oh! Who's the whale?"

* My father-in-law said the other day: "You look like you got too close to an air pump!"

*And he also said: "If you get any bigger there's not a shirt out there that's going to fit you!"

* When my Pastor found out I still had 8 weeks to go awhile back, he said: "Eight weeks? Ooohhh, Amy!"

* A lady in my church, who shall remain nameless, EVERY time she sees me she says: "Whoa! You're HUGE!"

* Last Sunday during the meet and greet time, one of the deacons shook my hand and said: "You're looking especially large today! And that's a compliment!"

* After the funeral, someone in my family said: "Oh! So, you're getting a house? It looks like you're HAVING a house!"

* A fellow teacher at my school commented when I walked past him: "I'm a trained EMT. I could do if it I had too (meaning, deliver my baby), but I don't want to!"

* A little old man passed me in the school halls the other day and asked if I was having twins. I assured him it was only one. He said: "Oh! My wife was pregnant with twins and she was wearing a white shirt one day and I said, 'You look just like a Maytag washing machine!'"

*My cousin Jodi called me to try and get me to play in the alumni soccer game. Her message went like this: "Amy, our team is short handed, and you could probably pass as TWO players!"

And the list goes on and on and on! Those are just some of the classics!

Good thing I have thick skin. It's actually quite a big joke to me, and that's why I'm dedicating a WHOLE page of this little boy's scrapbook to these precious little remarks.

Good times!

HOME

We got back home last night around 7:00. We are unpacked, settled, and slightly exhausted - but baby is still INSIDE, and for that I am thankful. I think that each one of us is fighting some sort of a cold - but we made it! Thank you for the thoughts and prayers during my Nana's funeral.

It really was a beautiful ceremony where Nana was honored and where the Gospel went forth in a pretty powerful way. My family - for the most part - is a pretty rough bunch, and most of them cried throughout the entire funeral. The pastor who gave the message grew up with my Dad and all of my uncles and was just as wild as the worst of them were all through highschool and college. So, I think that he was just the man to give the message. It was very humble, but very forthright and bold - and spoken in love.

Kind of an exhausting week-end, but a special one, as well. I love watching my
Father in action. He's the patriarch of the family, everyone loves and respects him, and he's often the comic relief when need be, as well. I could tell that he was pleased that we made the effort, and we had some fun times together too - driving along some old dirt roads and belting out the country, trying to antagonize Mom, and just being together.

We took the boys to the visiting hours. This was a first experience for Kaden, so we processed this through together. Jesse didn't have a sweet clue and came into the room belting: "MEOOOW!! MEEEEEYOOOOW!" at the top of his lungs!! That was awesome. But, it was nice for the family to see my little ones and for them to spend some time with my family, as well.

We are praying that the seeds that were planted at the funeral take root, and that as a result of Nana's passing more of her family will come to know Christ. I love my family, and I am praying that what was heard will not soon be forgotten.

Thank you again for your prayers.

A Vapor

My sweet Nana passed away yesterday afternoon.

This was not completely unexpected; although, she deteriorated quite rapidly since her cancer diagnosis a few weeks ago.
All of her kids were with her when she died, and Dad was able to pray with her and thank her for being such a good mother before she passed away. Mom said that he cried two different times, and that made me so sad! I've never seen Dad cry before.

I feel like I need to be with my family, and my midwife has given me the green light, so we're packing up and heading for the County this evening. The visiting hours are tomorrow night, and the funeral will be on Sunday. Since I'm just a week out from my due date, I'm going to bring everything that I might need - just in case.

Both of my brothers are trying to fly in from Texas, so it will be nice for everyone to be together. I would LOVE to not have my baby this week-end in an environment that I don't even know, but sometimes that's just how life goes. I am learning to REALLY roll with life these days...

We just may be bringing three little Booker boys back home with us!

Thank you for your love and prayers...

While We're Waiting

Well.....

The house is completely up in the air.
My Grandmother is on her deathbed, and there may be a funeral any day.
And I am GREAT with child.

It's too much to wrap my pee brain around right now.

Soooooooo, my little loves and I took a break from life today and we kicked it to the great outdoors. We took a picnic to the local apple orchard, got some pumpkins and gourds to decorate the apartment with, cooked a pumpkin to make a pie, and got a boatload of winterberries on our way home to put in all of my sap buckets.

It was a MUCH needed and super fun break.

And tonight, Grampy & Grammy are going to come over, and Kevy and I are going to have ourselves a wee little date where we can just focus on each other for awhile, try and forget about the stresses of life, and maybe - just maybe - solidify our little boy's name!

Aaaaaahhhh. A needed and much appreciated day.

A Cup of Sanity

Daddy & Kaden are out to breakfast together, Jesse is looking at books in his crib because he seems to have taken large doses of impy pills this morning and needs to just chill out, and I am having a cup of coffee to start my day.

A few moments of sanity before I feel that chaos may rule supreme on this rainy day....

My church gave me a bee-you-ti-ful baby shower on Saturday! I was so blown away that I was even getting a shower - for my 3rd child - and him being my 3rd boy, no less! But, the awesome lady who was the brains behind the operation told me that every baby deserves a party! So sweet! There were no silly games or things like that, and really no agenda. It was just a lovely - quite elegant - brunch in a very relaxed atmosphere, and she had me go from table to table to unwrap each woman's gift that she had brought with her. It was kind of a neat idea; I was able to personally visit for a few minutes with each woman there. It was a really fun, special morning. And wee one now has some brand new things of his very own that will not have been loved on and used by his two older brothers. :0)

I had my 38 week appointment yesterday, and amazingly, my health is still right on! I am just so thankful and pleased. The only downside is that my labor this time around potentially may be of "normal" length as my body isn't sick. Hmmmmm, I'm kind of fond of the under 4 hours from start to finish variety. But, I'd much rather be healthy, I guess. I'm going into it with no expectations.

We're finally hearing more details about the house. It looks like possibly/potentially/maybe/but who really and truly knows - we might/but might not be able to close on our house at the tail end of this week......maybe.........

Neither of us are holding our breath - at all - but at least things look like they are moving. I like movement. This puts me even closer to my due date, but we're just rolling with it. Whatever will be will be. We're taking things one day at a time.

I think I just need ONE more pot - I mean cup - of coffee before the day takes off....

Trusting...

It's Midnight.

Kaden just came into our bathroom to go pee and COMPLETELY overshot the toilet in his delirium. So, after cleaning up a small pond on the floor, settling him back into bed, and tripping over the kitten who's telling me that her food bowl is empty.....I'm finding myself wide awake!

Tomorrow I'll be 38 weeks.....Kaden was born at this stage of the game the first time. I'm feeling ready. In fact, just last night I thought I was in labor. I've been having some pretty good practice contractions for quite some time now, but I was thinking that last night might be "it." An overactive imagination, I guess.

Over the week-end, we have found out that we will not be closing on the house on Wednesday. Kind of a bummer, but it's something so big and so out of our hands - all we can do is trust and wait. I don't even really understand all of the details of all of the "why's," but I'm just trying to trust and wait. For now, packing is on hold - I'm not going to unpack what I've already done - but I'm just going to rearrange my whole thought process and kind of plan that I might be bringing the baby back here as opposed to our house.....maybe....I don't know...depending on our new closing date....if there is one...:0)

Our perspective is pretty good for the most part. We know the Lord is in control. We know that life doesn't end when a new baby comes. And we know that if and when we move, the chaos will quickly become organized and order will resume. So, for right now, until we hear anything new about the house, we're just focusing on our family and getting ready for our new little addition. In some ways, it's actually simplifying life for me a bit as there is no point in packing and such at least for the moment.

This extra time will allow me to focus on my more imminent needs, like solidifying a name for our poor little one. That's a bigger stress for me right now....

Any suggestions?

Winding Down.....

As the days creep ever closer to my due date, I am trying to be in the moment, trying to savor, desperate to remember all of the movements, the thoughts, the mini conversations between myself and this little one....

I don't want to forget, because what if this is my last? What if our family is complete after this third birth? You never know. We've always said that we'll take one baby at a time, we'll wait on the Lord, we'll do nothing permanent until we're sure.

But, if this is it - I don't want my last days to be looked back on remembering that I was running right on screech right up until he arrived. I don't want to "fit" my labor and delivery into the "perfect schedule" of what would work best with this whole house and the chaos of moving.

I just want to be in the moment - and savor everything.

This post is an awesome reminder to me to do just that. I love this woman. I love the way she writes, the way she mothers, and the way she walks with Jesus.

Homeward Stretch!

We are back home from a wonderful week of seeing family and friends, some really encouraging support raising, and lots of 4-wheeling, being outside, and chilling with people that we love.

I've entered the stage of lots of "lasts." That was my last time up home before the baby comes, tomorrow will be my last day of work, I'm through the last week where my midwife would like to keep baby inside - now he is free and clear to come whenever!; and I'm trying to do lots of last minute packing, cleaning, and little special things with my boys.

Just this past week we finally purchased a car seat - now we'll be allowed to bring him home from the hospital! Just a couple of nights ago, I also finally packed my overnight bag and a diaper bag for the baby. And, I picked up a couple of gifts for the boys from their baby brother. Sooooo - we're golden. Major stuff taken care of.

And now for the rest of our life......

The plan right now is for us to close on our house next Wednesday - one week away. The bank is confused with our unique situation and the fact that we are support raising, so many things are still up in the air. However, we are just moving forward - trusting AND packing - as though all will go through. There's really nothing else we can do until we know for sure.

I had my midwife appointment yesterday, and all is still great with my health. By now, during my pregnancy with Kaden, my body was breaking down big time; and by now with Jesse - little signs were starting to show. I'm still not totally in the clear, but I only need to be on my left side for an hour a day, so I can still clean and organize like a wild woman for a good amount of my days!

So, that's the update on our life for now. I'm really not feeling overly stressed - just kind of taking one day at a time. Whenever baby comes, he comes - and what doesn't get done, doesn't get done. It's as simple as that!

A daily prayer for me:

"Lord, help me to slow and see the sacred in the chaos."

And We're OFF!!!

After a night of:
*Packing for a week in the County
*Cleaning cat poop & pee out of the kid's tent b/c she couldn't get to her litter box
*Scrubbing two huge stains that I found on our 2 carpets
*Finding an exploded jar of applesauce in my freezer
*Cleaning under my kitchen sink & scrubbing my kitchen floor b/c our faucet had a massive leak that went EVERYWHERE
*AND hubby buying us Chinese food after the kid's went to bed.....Ahem, we earned it!

We are off - like a herd of turtles - for a week in the County!

I am packing nothing babywise - I've never had a baby before week 38, and we're only in week 37, so I'm crossing my fingers.

I do have a plan, however. My childhood best friend's mom is a labor and delivery nurse and she lives at the end of our dirt road, and my Dad is an EMT. So, should any labor take place, I'm moseying myself right up to her little house and promptly demanding that she & Dad take over!

That could send Kev to an early grave......

The countdown begins!

Nesting Weirdness

I'm always slightly psycho when it comes time for my babies to be born.

I'm an organizer/culler/chucker fanatic anyway - I really really love things organized, and I really really hate clutter, and I get a weird satisfaction out of throwing things away, and I love getting junk out of my house, so this whole moving thing is fairly conducive to what I tend to do around this time, anyway.

I wish I had a few more weeks of cushion before the baby comes, and I wish I wasn't quite so huge because I lose my breathe and get light headed quite often from all of the bending and lifting and getting up and down all the time, and I'm already placed on one hour a day of bed rest which will only increase with each appointment - but it's all good. We're rolling with it......sometimes, quite literally.

ANYWAY - where was I going with this whole post, in the first place?.......Oh yes, my weirdness.....

Usually, along with all of my organizing, I'm stocking up on meals and foody items for my little family as well - cooking chickens, making bread dough, mixing up casseroles etc. - all to freeze and have for easy meals when chaos abounds.

This time, however, my mind is so not even there!

I think it's the time of year. Or maybe it's my 3rd child, and I'm just more relaxed about it. But, instead of filling my freezer with substantial meals etc., I have been filling it with all sorts of jams, applesauce, and just this past week-end I tried my hand at apple butter. I'll post the recipe soon. It's delish. There is now no room for meals - there are only jars!

I do totally think it's the time of year. There is so much goodness to be had and to not miss out on. So, although my men will have nothing to fill their bellies with during supper hours of nuttyness - I am super excited that I have not missed out on any of the summer and fall bounty of the fruit and apples that we've had.

Meals are so overrated, anyway. What's wrong with a good bowl of popcorn?

Jehovah Jireh...(or is it Jirah?)

We have probably only been yard saling about three times this summer, and each time, the Lord has led us to specific sales where I have been able to clothe my wee ones for this next year. It is SO hard to find little boy clothing, let alone little boy clothing that isn't half destroyed with holes and stains! Knowing that baby #3 is also a manchild, I can't afford to purchase clothing that is already worn down when I have three boys that need to wear it, as well.

Today, we totally and completely hit the jackpot!

For about $25.oo, BEHOLD:

This is what this stash contains:
for Kaden:
4 pair of jeans
1 pair of dress pants
2 dress shirts
1 tank top
7 long sleeved shirts
1 hoody sweatshirt
ski pants
an L.L. Bean winter jacket with matching hat
2 pair of winter gloves

for Jesse:
1 t-shirt
2 dress shirts
1 hoody sweatshirt
1 pair of jeans
3 pair of dress pants
1 fall jacket still with the tags on it
ski pants
winter jacket

AND - We also scored these fun treasures:

a really nice backpack (Kev kinda has a thing for bags & backpacks)
tons of really fun books for the kids
a few kidlet movies
and 2 Nalgene bottles

I am just so so thrilled and excited about all of these new treasures! Between these buys and my previous purchases, my boys really are just about set for this whole next year barring just a few hodge podge items.

And finally:

Here I am in all of my glory at 36 weeks. The comments I am hearing lately all sound about like this: "WOW! Could your stomach get ANY bigger?"

Just wait and see, my friends. Just wait and see.

Bless your little hearts..........

35 Weeks & Counting.....

We're on the homeward stretch now. I may be totally wrong, but I feel in my bones that I'm not going to last until October 11. My body feels ready. We shall see.

I'd like baby to stay inside at least until a week before due date because of the whole house situation. I would really love to be moved in, painted, and settled - but we'll roll with whatever happens.

I'm planning what I can with full knowledge that all may need to be thrown to the wind! But pretending that I really can plan my whole life out, here goes:

* Putter and organize for the rest of this week.
* Go up to the County all next week to see family & do a little support raising.
* The following week do some hard core packing, culling, & organizing.
* Saturday the 26th, my church is giving me a baby shower!
* Mom will take the kids back with her for a few days after that.
* The final week of September - Pack up everything on Sun., Mon., & Tues.
* Close on our house Wednesday the 30th.
* Move everything over there that day. Start painting.
* Paint on October 1st & 2nd (Thurs. & Fri.)
* Unpack and settle in on the 3rd & 4th (Sat. & Sun.)
* My boys will come back to me sometime on the week-end.

And then - baby is free and clear to come anytime after that!

How's that for a plan?
Kinda' like trying to nail jello to a tree.........

Summer's Last Hurrah

We wanted to do one last big thing this summer with the boys before baby #3 comes and before the crazyness of our house gets underway, so this week-end we kicked it for three nights and three days to Rangeley. We've hardly done a thing with Kev's mom and Bruce all summer, so we all went together to Bruce's little island camp where we spent half of our Honeymoon 10 years ago. I think that the last time we went there was when Kaden was only six weeks old, so it was so SO nice to get back!

We decided last minute to leave when I got out of work on Wednesday, instead of losing about three hours on Thursday to driving, so we didn't arrive until around 9:30 Wednesday night. The moon was full and gorgeous, and the boys were absolutely mesmerized as we boated over to the island.

Where we are at this stage in our lives, this really is the most perfect little vacation getaway. It's far enough away that we feel like we really have taken a break from life, there is no electricity, it's quiet and beautiful, it's cheap - just gas and groceries, and it's really a little kid's paradise.

For three days, all we did was chill; eat; visit; and play and swim in the water and catch crayfish, minnows, and chubs - which the boys put in buckets and held to their heart's content...with many a pinch from the crayfish, but it didn't seem to hinder them any!



We also had fires and made pudgy pies, went for boat rides, and just really vegged together as a family in the beauty of God's creation all around us.

Here's a pic of this little room that we all shared together:


It was super cute and cozy, and we would all go to bed together at the same time and talk and tell stories. Really, the only things that the island contains are the little A-frame camp where Pat & Bruce slept, an A-frame boathouse where we slept in the upper loft, and an A-frame outhouse! It's pretty tiny, but oh - what a haven it is!

It was lovely.

Canning & Freezing

Well, for "city folk" who are living in an apartment over a hotel with no land and no garden, I have been very pleased with the amount of canning and freezing that we've been able to get done this summer. I wish we had a humungous freezer just for all of our canned stuff, but that will come.

The boys and I have made oodles of strawberry, strawberry-rhubarb, blueberry, and mixed berry freezer jam. My family goes through a jar a week, so there can never be too much! And then today, a friend and I went to the Treworgy Apple Orchard and got permission to pick some "drops" - anything that has fallen on the ground - and tonight and tomorrow we're going to make a few batches of homemade applesauce.

I'm so excited. And then, maybe next year, we'll make pickles and relish and can beets and green beans and all sorts of delicious-ness from our very own garden! Oh the joy!

For the easiest freezer jam recipe in the world:

1 envelope of the "Ball" brand no-cook freezer jam pectin
4 cups crushed berries
1 1/2 cups raw suger

Stir together pectin & sugar. Add to the berries and stir for 3 minutes. Place into jars. Let sit for 30 minutes. Freeze.

Doesn't get much easier than that. Kaden can do this from start to finish!

Next year, I'm going to try a pectin from the natural food store that requires no sugar and one where I don't have to store the jam in the freezer. The Ball brand pectin calls for the least amount of sugar that I could find, but I would still love one that has absolutely none. There are just a few more steps involved with this other pectin - like cooking the berries and the whole jar sterilization thing, and I was feeling lazy this year.

Next year, I'm sure that I'll have way more time on my hands with a third child in tow, a house, and possibly homeschooling..........

Large joke, in case you didn't catch that........

Our - Lord willing - soon to be House!

So, here are a few pics of the house that will hopefully be ours by the end of September. There are still several details that have to fall into place, but hopefully they are just that - details - and there will be no major glitches in the rest of the process.



Here she is!
Please note: The fire engine red shutters and doors will be repainted as soon as this body has healed from giving birth and as soon as there's a little extra cash for some paint. This project is on the top of my list of things to change.

However, I fully realize that there most likely will not be any "extra" for quite some time, so just envision with me - some other, er, less flashy color!



Here's a pic of the back. Cute little deck. Nice little lawn. Clothes line that goes from the house to a tree. She's a little funky shaped - half salf box, half ranch - but, I've got to admit, she's kind of growing on me. And the inside is pretty fun and cozy. Only cosmetic changes that will really need to take place.



And one of my most favorite features: tucked way to the left side of the property is a fairly honking garden. We'll probaby just use half of it next year - break ourselves in gently - and make the other half into more of a lawn, but I am super excited to grow some things with the boys!

An older gentlemen who lives next door owns 75 acres behind us, and Kev already got permission to hunt the land and to explore with the boys. Finally - some wide open spaces where my family is going to (Lord, willing) be able to run wild and free!

We're still waiting and praying - knowing that things could possibly fall through. But, we both have peace that whatever the Lord wants to happen - that's what will take place. The timing is a little crazy, and I have a list a mile long of what I would like to get accomplished before the baby arrives, but I am surprisingly chill about the whole thing! Whatever will be, will be.......

1st Day of School

The little Christian school that I've worked at for going on 7 years now had its first day of school today. I'm only there one day a week now, so I'm kind of out of the loop, but it was fun to be there on the very first day all of the kids and families started back. We all met in the gym with the kids sitting in the middle of the floor and the parents and staff surrounding them, and we started off the year praying for the students, their families, and their teachers.

It was really pretty special - and so unlike the public school that I grew up in!

I couldn't help but think and process all throughout the day that Kaden could have been starting school today with all of the others. He's five, and we could have begun a whole new chapter of our lives this very morning. But, at breakfast as Kev and I were talking about it, we both agreed that this is something that we are just NOT ready for yet!

We still don't know what the Lord has in mind for us to do with our boys. We're still really searching and praying and talking with seasoned parents who we love and respect....and just really seeking God's face in what He wants for our little family.

All I know is this: for this year, it was not the right timing to put Kaden in school. There is still so much "new" in our life right now, that I don't think I could handle anything else. Even though we have been "HOME" for a year, we both feel like we are still in transition and are still adjusting to life as we know it - new abode, new church, new ministry, and soon to be new baby - I need the stability of my little boy home with me for another year.

Bottom line: I'm just not ready.

So, this will be the year of finding our new rhythm. Our new rhythm of adjusting to life with THREE little boys, possibly a new home, Lord willing support raised and a bit of a picture of what life will look like with our new ministry, and a little bit of "loosey goosey" homeschooling - just a dabbling - to see how that might fit our little family.

I like stability. I really like structure. I like being completely organized and in control. I don't like chaos. I don't like being tired. I don't like not knowing what the future holds. But, for four years now, the Lord has been stretching me and growing me and molding me. I'm learning that it's okay to not be able to fit what I think life should look like into a perfect little mold. When things get too much and too big for ME to be able to control - well, that's the perfect place to "just be" and to REST.

I'm not really sure how I'm going to handle three little boys. I'm pretty sure I'm not going to love it if we do get the house but I have the baby before all of my little ducks are in a row - house painted, boxes unpacked, and we're completely moved in and settled; I'm really not sure if I can do this whole homeschool thing if that's what God asks me to do; and I really have no idea what life is going to look like a year down the road for us!

But, it's all too much for my little pea brain to even try and process, so I am choosing to rest. And I am surprisingly at peace with EVERYTHING.

By God's grace, I'm learning.

Some Crazy Updates.....

Well, first of all - I'm in the 34th week of my pregnancy. Still feeling really good with good blood pressure and all that. I expect all things to hit the fan by my 36th week if they're going to. That gives us two more good weeks before I may need to start being more careful. But maybe not, too. So far so good, and we're trusting that all will go well. Loving my midwives. Loving our choice to deliver in Ellsworth. Hating the touristy traffic and road work. Glad it will probably be much more minimal come the first of October!

Secondly, we are at 54% of our support with U.S. Center for World Missions! This is just so exciting and encouraging, and we are feeling totally blessed and thankful about this. We already have a good sized handful of both individuals and churches who want us to come and work with them as soon as we have full support, so we are just really excited about all of the ministry opportunities that are around the corner. And - I never thought I'd say this - we really are enjoying the whole support raising process. Meeting one on one or family by family and just building a really intimate team of friends and supporters. It's a pretty cool thing.

And finally - oh my word - we think we're buying a house!!!! I say "we think" because certain inspections and other specific things have to fall into place before it's a "for sure" thing, but if all goes like it looks like it might - we're going to be closing on a little house in Hampden on September 30th!!! Crazy. Crazy. That would be 11 days before my due date. Yep. And I have always gone early and have always been put on bed rest in those few days right beforehand. I think much stress may abound before all is said and done. But, in the end, it will totally be worth it. I may have gray hair and a nervous breakdown before then, but once it's all said and done, it'll be great! I'll share the full story in another post...it's a good one!

Meet Risso!

Here are just a few pics of our new little 12 week old kitten.

She's pretty sweet.

A little reclusive at times, but I feel that way, too around here sometimes! :0)

She came with the name, and Kaden loves it, so Risso she shall stay!

These Past Few Days.......

Whew has life been nuts lately!

I'll share some more in a few days, but for now, our biggest news is that we have a new little member that has joined our family! For my 32nd birthday, my three loves surprised me with a bunch of kitty stuff wrapped by Kaden and a promise that over the week-end we would go to the shelter and pick out a new little kitten!

This was a very big deal, which we all took quite seriously. We each chose a kitty that we wanted to "visit" with, we spent time with each little kitty, and then we all made a joint choice together. We weren't able to pick her up until today because she had to be spayed......interesting trying to explain that concept to Kaden......but she is here with us now and sleeping happily next to Kaden in his bed.

Now. This is SUPPOSED to be MY kitten.

But these two have fallen in love with each other, and I guess that's how life goes. This is the exact age that I was when I got my kitten, and she lived for twenty-two years!!!! She didn't kick the bucket until I was married. How nuts is that? Sooooo, I don't have the heart to take her out of his arms and claim her as my own.

Although, I WILL be sneaking in and claiming her to my own bed just as soon as I know that Kaden is fast asleep. We're going to have to share her!

Pictures soon to follow.......

The Doctor Will See You Now!

Our kids had their well-child check-ups yesterday with our new family physician. He is a family friend who attends our old church and we love Love LOVE him!!! He is a holistic doctor who is totally on the exact same page as we are with immunizations, our birthing plan for this new little one that will soon be joining us, and really just EVERYTHING!

It was such a refreshing visit going from our "Queen of Immunizations" pediatrician that we had in PA to this man who loves the Lord, loves our family, and just pretty much totally rocks.

He told us that both boys are on target to be over six feet tall when they grow up. He said that Kaden will be long and lean and Jesse will be tall and a bruiser! Jesse is - right now - in the 95% for a THREE YEAR OLD!!! This child just turned 2!!! He said - "I can tell that you're starving this kid!" Pretty funny.

Jesse did have to have one shot - which he was totally not impressed with. The rest of the day, whenever he looked at the bandaid on his leg he would say: "That lady - she SHOT me!"

Anyway, we're just really thankful for this practice and for two healthy little boys. What a breathe of fresh air!

A Thought for Today.....

Kev gets these emails from "Ransomed Heart" Ministries, and he shared this one with me this morning. I love it, and I think it is so encouraging for young moms in the stage of life that we are in "right now."

Just another reminder to savor life, to live in the moment, to not compare our lives to others, to not wish for what we do not have, and to listen to the music of our lives today - the HERE and the NOW.

It's kind of long - but totally worth the read. Love it.

For months, my life has felt like piecing together an existence. Not much in the way of heart, vision, or desire. I have felt like a wanderer who is lost. But, lately some things have come to mind, and they remind me of the life God wants me to live but many times a life I feel powerless to experience.

Chesteron said, "The traveler sees what he sees, the tourist sees what he has come to see." I can spend a lot of time living like a stereotypical, stubborn (sometimes obnoxious) tourist and spend little time living like a seasoned traveler.

Tourists stick out. They're conspicuous. They think they know what they want (of course they do, they've read all the brochures), and they are bound and determined (actually a better word is hell-bent) on getting there, "seeing" it, taking the pictures, buying the t-shirt, and moving on. It's like they care more about proving they were there than actually being there. Their energy seems much more directed towards "seeing it all" so they can say they "saw it all" when, in fact, they have experienced little. So, the trip ends up being more about them than it is about entering into the places and people and history they could have experienced.

In other words, I spend so much time "waiting to live" that I find I have little capacity to simply live, to enter in to what's going on right now and find some rest, beauty or enjoyment. And I think I know why.

I have this list I am usually only semi-conscious of that includes what I need to see happen, where I need to be in life, when I need to arrive, what I need to look like, and what I want or want eliminated, and the lie embedded in this way of "list living" is, if I could only achieve my list, I would finally get over the grudge I live with daily and be happy.

And then the words of an Irish legend came to mind that go something like this: A great warrior chief asks, "What is the finest music in the world?" And various answers are given. "The sound of the Cuckoo calling!", "the ring of a spear on a shield!", "the belling of a stag!", etc. And the chief says, "Yes, they are good sounds all."

Finally, the chief is asked to answer his own question. And what is his answer? "The music of what is happening. That is the finest music in the world!"

Wow. Really? There is music to what is happening right now? Come spend a day with me and, sadly, you would see that I can live like what is happening right now just needs to be gotten through, tolerated, gotten rid of, or frankly, just not enough about me. I do not choose to let go, enter in, and be present.

So, I can choose to be deaf to the "music" of everyday living. And a lot of times, it's not even choosing, it's simply being so used to deafness. It's like getting used to watching a film that has had its beautiful soundtrack removed. The story and characters and movements are still there, but there is something missing.

And then just a couple mornings ago I'm taking a few moments to be quiet, reading a bit and just sitting and looking outside, and the words come to me, "David, your life is beautiful." Father is that you?

Right now, with some important needs not being met (at least they're important to me), my life is beautiful. There's much to experience, beauty all around, three great kids and an amazing wife. Goofing off, making Becky laugh (she gets all my jokes. It's why I married her) and choosing to enter in and hearing the music in my day. Cutting down on the whining, settling in to hear Jesus, watching Drew play ball, taking Emily to Starbucks, washing the cars, playing Spit with Maggie, making time for friends, getting out in the hills and the prairie. All very good stuff to enjoy.

I want to be awake! I want to hear the music of what's happening. The finest music in the world.

Dave Guyor [dguyor@sbcglobal.net]

8 Weeks and Counting.....

Hard to believe I'm in my 32nd week of this pregnancy! We had a midwife appointment today which I always love. The whole family comes, and she lets the boys take turns measuring my belly and rubbing the gel on my tummy to hear the heartbeat. All looks good so far. Every single time they listen to this little boy's heartbeat, they tell me that we have a "busy one" in there!

I was pleasantly surprised to hear that I had only gained two pounds since my last visit. Being two weeks on the road and eating thither and yon, I figured we'd see a pretty big jump. Mind you - I was this big when I birthed Jesse, and I still have a ways to go, so I shall be quite the large and in charge Mama come my due date! I heard Kaden talking to Daddy yesterday saying - and I quote - "I love Mommy because she's so FAT!" Awesome.

My blood pressure has come up ten points, so it is starting to rise a little, but no one is concerned so far. I'm not losing any protein and my uric acid levels are stable, so this is all good news. It's usually around weeks 35-37 that my body starts to really break down, so I'm not holding my breath, but I feel very safe and confident with these midwives and this hospital.

I'm feeling very thankful and content, pretty relaxed about our living situation even though it always seems to be somewhat up in the air, and excited that we're at the countdown for this new little one to arrive.

15 Hours Later.....

We are home. Phew.

It was a loooooong drive yesterday. We decided to not leave at our usual 4:30 in the morning and just let the kids sleep until they woke up instead. We had kind of been running them ragged the past couple of days, and we ended up leaving a whole day early, so we just decided to take our time.

However.

Leaving at 8:00 in the morning on a Friday made for some pretty serious traffic the whole way home. Even in Maine, we hit some pretty near standstill stuff at about 9:00 at night! It was really bizarre.

Around 6:00 in the evening, we had just crossed over the Maine border and we were tired of driving, so we decided to take a little detour in Ogunquit and check out the beach there and just let the kids run free for a bit. I am telling you - my Maine friends - if you have not checked out that little area and walked "The Marginal Way" in that tiny beachy town, you must.

It is the quaintest little spot with a beautiful beach, some fun little shops, a gorgeous mile and a half walking trail, and a fun little trolley that you can ride all over the place. This stop made us not arrive home until around 11:00, but it was totally worth it.

Anyway, we are home, unpacked, and settled. It was a wonderful visit with friends and our church family, and we just had a really special time catching up with everyone. Now, I feel completely disconnected from my life here and need to get back into it.

And whenever I grab a chance to stop and really think about my life......a new little one is going to be joining us in nine weeks or less! Holy nuts-o! Can't even begin to wrap my mind around this right now. Crazyness.

Jesse vs. The Water

In the past three to four weeks, Jesse has met his match with "The Water." My child is somewhat fearless in most areas of life, but as of late - he has met some new competition. Just when we begin to make some headway, "The Water" one-ups him. He's still feeling pretty cheerful about life....just - how you say - a wee bit cautious, for him.

It all started with the infamous 4-wheeler ride where we flipped and he got completely submerged in two feet of tadpole muddy muck. (This video will be posted shortly, I promise). He came up screaming, but was immediately soothed by a handful of wild strawberries and was more disgruntled about having to go home for a bath rather than continuing on our ride. Point one for "The Water."

Then, a couple of days ago we checked out a little state park down the road from where we are staying and the kids were able to play around in the water while we dipped our feet on the banks. We put lifejackets on both of the boys, so they could romp at will, and we settled back to watch. Jesse wore the very nice jacket that we purchased when Kaden was a newborn, because we used to go canoeing all of the time when he was tiny. It has this special thingy on it specifically designed to flip him up onto his back should we ever take a dunk. Well, apparantly, it doesn't do the same thing if you are just wading along. We were watching the boys playing happily one second, and the next thing we knew - Jesse was flat on his stomach, feet up, with his face completely submerged. Kev flew into the water after him, and he was only under for about five seconds, but that lifejacket - she surely didn't do the job that she said she was gonna do. We later learned, that it would do what it was supposed to do if he was pushed under with a bit more momentum. There was no momentum here - his feet just came out from under him. Kind of scary. Point Number Two for "The Water."

THEN - we went to the Jersey Shore with some friends - Bel Mar Beach- and the rip tide was so rough and crazy that by late afternoon the police made everyone get out of the water! The waves were nuts! Jesse didn't get swept away or anything, but he got crashed by plenty a wave, and he drank plenty a salt water. I'm pretty sure he had a good time, but I'm equally sure that "The Water" scored a point there.

And just yesterday, the kids were all playing "Ring Around the Rosy" in a kiddie pool in my friend's backyard. After the "We All Fall Down" part, Jesse's 3 year old little friend fell down ON him, and completely pinned him under for a second. Point #4!

Oh my. He seems to keep right on trucking, but with each time I see a little less enthusiasm when I suggest "swimming" and "water!" Poor kid. He's a trooper, but Mama might have a heart attack before summer's end. Good times. Good times.

Hello! Hello!

Just grabbing a couple of minutes before kidlets wake up from their naps to catch up on the bloggy world. Our little family has been out in Pennsylvania for the past week and a half visiting with friends and our church family out here and doing some support raising for our ministry. We'll be here a few more days, and then we'll head for home on Friday or Saturday.

It's been a wonderful visit seeing people again, trying to catch up on a year of everyone's lives, and also finding time for some fun things like the zoo and the beach, some walks and bike rides, and some decent family time together. The weather has been gorgeous - I'm finally getting my "sun fix," and I'm sweating like a pig in the process! I always felt slightly moldy during the summers out here, and we have definitly had to reaclimate to the humidity!

Somehow, I got myself into some poison ivy again. It's all over my left arm and I have a couple of spots on my neck, as well. I have just accepted the fact that this will now be a part of each of my summers. Like a moth to a flame, my body seems to be attracted to it, and I really don't know how to avoid it having two little boys who have to explore all of God's creation. It's inevitable, methinks.

Anyway, just a really brief update. I want to grab a couple of seconds to read everyone else's blogs before the kids wake up, so I'm going to sign off. Shannon, oh man - I hope you guys don't hate us for all of the fishy sitting that you have been doing. If they kick the bucket, feel free to flush.......

Love to all.....