Pictures

Our Murhpy Bed


This is my new favorite baby product!

Recovering

George has been home recovering from his sinus surgery. He says it is so much worse than he ever anticipated. The doctor had told him to take two weeks off from work but I know George thought he would have returned to work today. He mostly sleeps and can't be up more than 15 minutes. He's having a difficult time tolerating the pain meds too. We all had to take him to his dr. this morning to have all the packing removed--it sounded painful. I've been trying to keep the kids busy and quiet so they don't bother him as well as help George with whatever he needs. Needless to say, we are all tired around here. God has been gracious though. The boys are being patient with George and with me. And I have managed to not lose my mind:) Ethan keeps planning what he and George will do when he is better. In the midst of everything, our murphey bed was ready to be installed so they came today and installed it. It's very cool and blends in perfectly with the floor. Our first visitors to try it out will be at the end of October when my parents come for a visit.

Family Fun Events

Around my house, we're always looking for stuff to do with the kids. I always end up hearing about a fun event or festival that we missed out on because I didn't know about it. I just learned about a cool new widget that can be installed on a blog, social networking site, or website. ParentsConnect.com provides information about upcoming events and activities in your area. Anyone who visits your blog or site can then type their zip code into the widget to see what's going on in their area. Go check out their website to find out more and to install the widget. After installing the widget, register your blog or website, because they are having a contest to see whose widget gets the most views. If your blog or site gets the most views, you win $1000.

Surgery

George had his sinus surgery yesterday. We had arranged for his mom to come the night before so she could watch the kids since I would be with George. Originally he was slated to be first in line for surgery but the day before, he was placed to second. His mom had to leave around 2pm and we realized as we were on our way to the surgery center that there would be no way we would be home by 2pm. So we arranged for last minute babysitting for yesterday afternoon (thanks Cathy and Steve!). It's a good thing we did because his surgery ended up being delayed even more when the machine broke that the dr. intended to use during the surgery. He decided to go without it and instead just go by the CT scans but we had to wait for someone to courier them from forty-five minutes away. Another person ended up going next for surgery while we waited for the scans so he didn't go into surgery until about 2pm. What a long day! I was productive with my time though, I read one entire book and worked on two others. I worked on invitations for the boy's birthday party and I even went next door to the mall and did some Christmas shopping. I saw Dr. Phil and Oprah and more news than I care to watch. The dr. came at 4:30 and said he was finished and that everything went fine. I waited and waited expecting them to call me back. The front desk staff closed up for the day and soon I was all alone in the waiting room and I began to wonder if they had forgotten all about me:) At six a nurse came and said George was having some trouble with the anesthesia and she would come and get me soon. Eventually I was allowed back to recovery. There were only two nurses left and the cleaning staff had started cleaning up. I could tell they were anxious to leave. Poor George was not ready to get up and leave as he felt horrible but the nurse wanted to clock out at 7pm so we ended up leaving. When we got home it was such a relief to know the kids had been cared for so well by their grandma and then by George's boss and his wife. The kids had a blast with their sitters and I don't think they even noticed we were gone all day:) This morning Ian said "fun, Miss Cathy." And even better, she had made a dinner for us which I got to have by myself at 9:00:) I was up a lot during the night with George and also with Ethan who had bad dreams and a wet bed. George has been sleeping all day today and struggling to get past the symptoms of the anesthesia. I've been keeping busy being a nurse and keeping the kids from disturbing him. They have been very gracious and Ian seems to have figured out that there will be no wrestling or pillow fights with dad today. A friend brought dinner by tonight which was awesome (thanks Kristine!). I just love the way God provides in unexpected ways!

Big Momma Returns

I strongly dislike snakes. They are at the top of my list of creatures that I freak out about when they are near. For the past month or so we've had a black snake that has been constantly getting onto our back porch. We have a large screened in back porch where the kids ride their bikes, play ball and where our pool is so we are out there all the time. When I see one on the porch we do not step foot out there until my husband comes and takes care of it. I think that the one that keeps lurking out there was a momma who layed eggs on our porch (is that what they do?). I found two smaller snakes this past week out there and because they were smaller I had more guts to take care of them myself. One of them kept lunging at me and in the process of trying to get it out the door, I think I killed it. The other one decided to go swimming with us in the pool but that made it easier to get because I caught it with a net. I was proud of myself for conquering nature. But after the little snake incident, momma snake came looking all around the porch for them and when George tried to get it out the door, it jumped up three feet and tried to bite him. Yikes! He got it out the door but it was back again today. I am really passed any tolerance I may have had for nature at this point. I called a neighbor and her husband came and killed it for me. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Apparently our property is a favorite hiding spot for snakes in our neighborhood. I frequently hear of incidents of people walking by our house or driving by and seeing a snake slither from our property. Recently a friend saw a rattle snake in our yard. I draw the line at poisonous snakes. If one gets onto our porch or in our house, I am getting a hotel room and calling a realtor to have our house listed immediately. Living in the country is not my thing, guess I'm a city girl at heart:)

First Day of Pre-K

Today was Ethan's first day of Pre-K. He's going to school every day now, a big change for all of us!

Happy Feet Soccer

Ethan has been doing Happy Feet soccer the past couple of years at his preschool. We decided to enroll him in their Saturday program as well where they learn to play the game. They start out each Saturday by practicing and then divide into teams and play a game. It's really a great program.

Open House and Hanging with Miss Karen

This morning we went to Ethan's open house at his school. We met his teacher and learned about everything he'll be doing this year. I looked at the curiculum they are using and to be honest, Ethan was doing that level of work when he was 2. I talked with her about his reading skills and that he recently started learning multiplication. She said she would provide him with his own worksheets to do in class and send him home with "homework" so that he wouldn't get bored. I really appreciated her saying that because we've been concerned about him getting bored. His teacher last year expressed concern about him getting bored in school and he has even said to us that he is bored. Not sure that he'll like getting homework though:) I'll also sign him up again for Happy Feet soccer and My Gym. We then picked up our friend Miss Karen and went with her to take some brand new clothes to a day care center. She has a ministry called Never Naked Children's Clothes and gives brand new clothes to less fortunate children. The boys always love going to the day care center though it's hard for them to understand that they can't stay and play all day. We always have so much fun with Miss Karen, thanks for including us!

Dr's and Date

I had a couple of Dr.'s appointments yesterday so I got a sitter (thanks Rachel!) and also met George for date night. I keep having trouble with my allergies and so I went back to my allergist yesterday. She thinks that the bacteria in my sinus's isn't going completely away so whenever I am exposed to whatever I am allergic to, the sinus infection returns. So I have a CT scan next week and they may want to check my immune system. Then I had a endemetrial biopsy at another Dr.'s visit. My doctor wants to do surgery in my uterus to cauterize it so the first step was a biopsy (not sure when we'll schedule the surgery since George is having surgery next week and will take a couple of weeks to recover). I did okay during the biopsy but then she had to show me the sample she took, then I felt ill and had to lay down for a little while (why do dr's have to do that?). I enjoyed a trip to the toy store without the kids and got some great deals. I got to look at things closely and not have little people ask me to buy them toys every 5 seconds. George and I went to a nice restaurant near the inlet and had a nice dinner and then went to see the Time Traveler's Wife (wasn't that nice of him to go to that movie?). It was a good movie, yet sad.

Bathtub Beach

We went with Miss Karen today to the beach. She is a friend who is our main babysitter for the boys and they dearly love her. One of the beaches in our area has a reef and when the tide is out it creates a bathtub effect which is great for little ones. We explored in the tide pools and saw fish, crabs and even sea slugs (one of them sprayed purple dye at Miss Karen!). The boys had a great time exploring and swimming.

Little Fish

We've been swimming every day this summer and the boys have loved every minute of being in the pool. Ian has become quite confident in his swimming skills and I think Ethan is happy to have his brother to swim with. Ian lately has been wanting to swim in the deep end and loves taking turns jumping into the deep end with Ethan.

Things Change

One of the most challenging things about having kids is that once you get used to one stage, they change again. While a lot of times this can be good, (i.e. when they sleep through the night), it can also be a not so good thing. During our trip last week, Ian figured out how to get out of his pack and play. This made for several sleepless nights because he didn't want to go to sleep and then he would also wake up in the middle of the night and not go back in his bed. We were hopeful that he wouldn't try it in his crib at home, which requires quite a bit bigger drop than the pack and play, but our first night home he climbed right out. So the past few nights he's been in the lower bunk of the bunk bed. He comes out a lot and ends up falling asleep quite late but so far no middle of the night wakings. Out of all the transitions in childhood, this is the one I dislike the most. I cherish my sleep and the little bit of time I get to myself after they go to bed so needless to say, I was not thrilled with his new skill. The new book my small group is reading has been helpful to keep my irritation in check as well as the numerous cups of coffee in the mornings:)

In Christ Alone

My latest review for Reformation Trust Publishing is Sinclair Ferguson's "In Christ Alone." I wasn't sure what to expect from this book other than I've read other books by S. Ferguson and knew that he is a great author and theologian. "In Christ Alone" is a treasure trove of truths about Christ and the gospel that explains why Christ is sufficient. Much of the book centers on the book of Hebrews and is perfect for new Christians wanting to learn more about Christian doctrine. I also found it to be a great reminder of all that the bible has to teach us about Christ and God's plan of redemption. Each chapter is just a few pages long making it great for devotional reading. What I appreciate most about the book is that while each chapter teaches theological doctrine, at the end of each chapter he directs questions at the reader to inspire the reader to apply what they have learned to their own relationship with Christ. The first half or so of the book focuses on why Christ is "enough" for our salvation and toward the end of the book he focuses more on teaching that Christ is not only our savior but also our lord and challenges us in our submission to his lordship. His writing is easy for a layperson to understand yet at the same time challenges and stretches your thinking. I have to say I had anticipated finishing the book and coming away with great theological reminders and while that did happen, I have also come away with increased devotion and commitment to my Savior and Lord. May this be true of all who open the pages of "In Christ Alone."

Our Mini Vacay

Our little vacation turned out well. My camera broke at the beginning of our trip so we don't have any pictures of our time in St. Pete. We stayed at my in-laws condo in St. Pete for a couple of nights and enjoyed boating and swimming. We went to a sand bar near the ocean and while we were there a couple of sting rays swam by and a little while later a couple of dolphins swam passed. Cool! We rarely ever go to the other side of the state and I think the last time I was in St. Pete was for a child abuse conference and I stayed on the ocean, never venturing much past the hotel. It's a pretty area with lots of water and bridges. We also went to the Florida Aquarium in Tampa where the kids touched star fish in the touch tank, met penguins up close and watched divers in the shark tank. It was a nice aquarium but we've been spoiled by the aquariums in Baltimore, Chattanooga and Atlanta:) We then went to Orlando for a couple of days and went to Blizzard Beach. I was able to squeeze in a trip to Eddie Bauer which makes any vacation complete for me:) The boys loved the water park. Each year as Ethan gets older he is able to do more and more and he and George just went crazy on all the water slides. I spent much of the time in the little kiddie area with Ian though we all went together on the family raft ride and the lazy river. All in all a good trip. We'll be back in September for Ethan's birthday, this time to the actual Disney parks.

Vacation, Monk, and more

This week I've been getting ready for our little vacation. We leave tomorrow for my in-laws condo in St. Pete for a couple days of sun and boating and then we head to Orlando for a couple days of water park fun. I've learned long ago that having new and fun stuff for the kids to play with while traveling makes a huge difference in how our trip goes. So I've been shopping the sales and clearance for toys, books, and DVD's for our trip. Today, I've spent the day packing which was a challenge given the fact that Ian refused to take a nap. Tonight is the season premier of Psych and Monk on USA. I love the shows so a friend and I are getting together for a premiere party. I'm making fondue and she's making pineapple upside down cake (we're going for a interesting food theme because of Psych). It's the final season of Monk which we are sad about:( Well I'm off to party and then off on vacation!

Kmart Specials This Saturday

This post was sponsored by Kmart. All the opinions are mine. This Saturday, August 8th, Kmart is running a ton of BlueLight Specials. Remember those? I remember seeing the blue lights going off and hearing what was on sale, boy that was back in the day:) This Saturday there will be over 40 great Kmart Bluelight specials all throughout the store including the jewelry department and patio furniture. Kmart.com is also offering great specials all day Saturday. All patio furniture will be 70% off regular prices and there will be an extra 10% off on diamonds that are already 70% off. (Psst. husband of mine--diamonds:) There are sales in clothing as well, including men's athletic basketball shorts for $3.00. I love end of the summer sales. Living in Florida, the end of the summer sales are even better because we use summer things year round, especially patio furniture. One thing I would love to see on sale at Kmart this weekend are outdoor toys. My kids love to ride around our back screened in porch on bikes and little riding toys and I'm looking for some new ones. You can follow Kmart on Twitter and be kept up to date on all the deals. Currently Kmart.com is offering free shipping on orders over $60. I am an avid internet shopper and free shipping is one thing that lures me in:) So stop by Kmart this Saturday and check out the sales!

VBS Part Deaux

Our church has been ministering to the needs of a local day care (I think I posted about taking the boys there to read the kids a story) and this week we did VBS for the kids. (I haven't figured out how we were able to do that for a government subsidized school). I went two of the four days to help the classes with the crafts. Ian was with me and mostly he played with all the toys but the first day, he tried to let Tinkerbell the hamster out of her cage:) It was a lot of fun but exhausting going from class to class doing the crafts. The really little ones who were about Ian's age were too little to do the crafts so we had to come up with other ideas for them. Yesterday I brought a story we have about the Armor of God and we had my friend's daughter dress up in a costume to go along with the story. The kids were quite entertained by it. And so another fun week of VBS--praise God we live in a country where we can teach children about him!

Beach Day

I decided to fight against my more cautious part of me and take the boys to the beach today. I have some friends who go every week and I keep saying I'll come but then the kids go crazy and I change my mind. They were both up late last night and go up early this morning so my first inclination was not to go, but go we did. (by the way, the reason they were up late was that Ethan was in Ian's crib playing with him--it took a while for me to figure out why they weren't yet asleep) We had a great time at the beach and I'm glad we went. A group of friends who go to a church we used to belong to when we were first married were there with lots of kids. Ethan got to play with some teens and young adults who helped him build a cool ramp in the sand for his monster truck to go down. I actually got Ian to go in the ocean with me and he did well. Yay Ian! So I'm sure we'll all be grumpy later today but at least we had fun this morning! Thanks for inviting us Sarah G!

Prayer

Martin Luther is quoted as saying "I have so much to do today, I will have to pray for three hours." I feel like that so much lately. I am so busy with the boys and I want to spend more time in prayer so that I can seek his will in my job as a mother and lift up the boys to him in prayer. I've been struggling lately in my prayer life, trying to find the right times and opportunities to pray. I would love to sit uninterrupted for an extended period of time and just commune with the Lord but at this stage in my life, that is impossible. (honestly, I consider it a good day if I get a shower in the morning) Yet, I know that God has ordained prayer as a means by which events and circumstances come to pass. Prayer is one of the most powerful and effective ways that God uses to carry out his plan because it calls on our powerful God to act on our behalf. As Richard Foster points out, "In prayer, real prayer, we begin to think God's thoughts after him: to desire the things he desires, to love the things he loves, to will the things he wills. I certainly do employ Foster's suggestion of "flash prayers" by praying for something the moment it comes to mind but I so desire to have quality time with the Lord. In college every semester we had a "Day of Prayer" where everything was cancelled and everyone went off my themselves to pray, to fast and to be with the Lord. I remember my favorite prayer spot, on the bluff on Lookout Mountain overlooking the valley. I imagine this is a struggle many people have in our busy and fast pace lives. I think I'll work on praying that God gives me more time to pray each day--and a shower too:)