A Prayer for Vegetables

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Our oldest child has a sincere dislike for most anything from the vegetable family. This does not cause much of a problem at either breakfast or lunch, where fruit tend to dominate, but for dinner - boy, oh, boy - does this ever cause distress.

If you were a fly on our wall at most dinner times, you would get an eye and ear full (that is, if flies have ears?). It seems every dinner is plagued with complaining from one side of the table and pleading and demanding from the other. I'll leave it to you to figure out which side I'm sitting on. But as it is, I refuse to let my child determine his own diet, so the veggies must be eaten.

Before you start leaving suggestions as to how to get him to eat veggies cheerfully, I'm fairly certain we've tried it all. Butter, cheese, ranch dressing, holding your nose, mixing with food, drinking copious amounts of water and even pureeing them to secretly add to the main dish have been attempted and failed on most accounts. When we think we've discovered a way that he will tolerate, more times that not, by the next serving he has changed his mind and once again fights having to ingest them. On more than one occasion, I've reminded him that I caught him eating dog food multiple times as a toddler and then I reassure him that my green beans with bacon are much tastier than that, but no luck. He still won't budge.

So I wasn't surprised when he reported to his grandmother that he often prays that he will like vegetables. We've had that discussion, too. Unfortunately it hasn't seemed to work yet, and he is only too aware of that fact.

So where does that leave me? I'm praying and pleading with God, too. Only not that he would just eat the stupid vegetables and make my life and our dinner time more peaceful (although I would take it!) but I'm begging God to answer his tiny prayer. I'm asking God to give him the ability to do what is right, that is in this situation, to eat his vegetables without complaint, and to make it so powerfully different that he sees it as a direct answer from God. I want him to grow up knowing a God who can and will help you do difficult things and I want him to run to God at every turn, especially when life gets difficult.

Is that too much to ask of my Heavenly Father? I don't think so. Please, God, make yourself real in my child's life, even if it means answering a silly request like being able to eat vegetables.

Elijah's 7th Birthday

Somehow, beyond any reasonable explanation, we now have a 7 year old. I don't know how that happened. There is something about 7 that sounds soooo much older than 6 . . . *wiping tear from eyes*. Even though he battled the stomach flu the day before his birthday, we still managed to have a great day and celebrate this momentous occasion!All month long we had been teasing Elijah that his only present was going to be a box of vegetables - even Alli joined in the teasing! At least now he can't claim we were lying!

A Lego cake for a Lego birthday . . .

Just one of the sets he received.

A few days later, he had his friend spend the night, and conveniently his friend has a sister the same age as Alli, so it was sleepover central for Elijah's birthday. His birthday dinner was postponed until the sleepover because his stomach couldn't have handled the waffles and pie filling supper he requested.

It was a fun week to celebrate (except for the vomit) and we are still in awe that he is 7. I think 4 or 5 fits him better . . .

Happy Birthday, Allison

To my baby, Alli, on her 4th birthday:

Sweetheart, I cannot believe that you are 4 years old! You still seem to be a toddling 18 month old in my mind. The years have gone too fast. You have grown up so quickly and are becoming quite the little lady, with your preference for dresses and all things princess. I love your willingness to share kisses and hugs and for saying you always want to be my baby. I love your friendship with your brother and how you often call to him for help before you call for me or Daddy. I love how you want to be around me and help me clean or cook or weed the garden. I know God has a perfect plan for your life, and I pray that you will always be sweet and submissive to His goals for you.

I love you, Missy Moo, have a glorious 4th birthday!

Stay Tuned

Starting Thursday, and going for the next 15 weeks (hopefully!) I will be participating in recording my youth with Mommy's Piggy Tales. This is a great site about parenting and memories that is encouraging participants to blog or vlog (that seems to be beyond my technical expertise!) stories from their childhood to share. The first week's topic will be my birth/naming story. This should be a lot of fun, and I'm excited to take the time to really think about my childhood and record those stories that are important to me. Hope you all stay tuned for the series!

My Baby Turns 6

Seriously, if I talk about this too much, I may cry. Here he is, all 10.5 lbs of him, just a few days after his birth.

Elijah, you were such a perfect baby (except for all that nursing trouble you gave me!) You were content and loved to cuddle, slept most naps in my arms and generally made me into a new person who never knew she could love so much.
Now you are 6 years old. You are smart and sweet and tender. You still need to cuddle (even though you wipe off most of my kisses.) You are creative and a problem-solver and I don't think your mind ever shuts off. You wouldn't know what to do with yourself if it wasn't for Legos and I think that's awesome.You are still a little shy about new experiences, but you have big plans for when you are older. Just don't be so eager about getting older. You'll know what I mean someday. Enjoy where you are right now and keep trusting God with your whole heart. He's got great things for planned for you!

We love you, buddy. You have made our lives so joyful, we thank God for you!

10 years later

What a chaotic summer we've had here, so it was a pleasant surprise to learn that Dan would be whisking me away for a night to celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary. We had a perfect 24 hours together, including dinner at my favorite restaurant, seeing Phantom live and just enjoying time together. It got us reminiscing about our wedding day, specifically,

1. I remember seeing Dan and his groomsman Brian walking in the church parking lot while I was getting ready. I remember my heart did a little flip-flop and then wondering if the bride seeing the groom before the ceremony was bad luck.

2. I remember shaving my legs the morning of the wedding and on a whim deciding that my toes should be hair-free, too, and knicking the heck out of them and wondering if I would faint from all the lost blood.

3. I remember how nervous I was waiting in the tiny room while guests were ushered in, and then how much more nervous I became when my bridesmaids walked down the aisle and I was left alone in the room.

4. I remember not wanting to look at my dad before he walked me down the aisle because I was afraid he was sobbing and I knew I would to. (he wasn't, so I didn't have to worry)

5. We both fondly remember that Dan answered "I do" and I answered "I will" after my pastor had told Dan it didn't matter which he said because I would just follow his lead. Oops! Mark one lesson in submission before the ceremony was even over!

6. I remember Dan walking into the nursury with his eyes closed to give me my bouquet before our pictures.

7. I remember crying while he recited his vows to me and choking up again while I said mine.

8. I remember my feet finally started to hurt at our reception, and wondering how I had survived so long in 3 inch heels.


9. I remember our reception seeming really short and feeling sorry that it ended so quickly.

10. I remember trying valiently to remember every detail and savor every moment, and ultimately only focusing on how happy we both were (and still are today!)

Thanks for a beautiful decade together, honey. Think how much we've grown and changed in the last 10 years. I hope we have many more decades together, to grow closer together and to change more into His likeness.

I love you.

Elijah at 5

We had weekend guests during the weeks surrounding Elijah's 5th birthday, so I wasn't able to post this. But here is my tribute to my eldest child, my buddy:

Elijah, you have been more excited about turning 5 than any other birthday in your short life. You started planning your party last fall. The necessary ingredients for your party included: balloons, spiderman masks, those things you blow that curl up and straighten out (you called them "woozles" - not sure where that came from) and a pinata. You also changed the guest list hundreds of times, always including girls, "to be fair" you said, and even kicking off some friends so there would be a place for Mrs. Lenz (thanks for relinquishing your spot, Sarah!).

You had so many gift ideas, but I love that you were satisfied with every one you received, as well as being content when you couldn't get every one you wanted. Although you already have a list for next year . . .

Things that I always want to remember about you at 5:

1. You learned to blow your nose . . . finally. At least, you convinced your grandma that you learned, so she would pay you the $10 she promised for "big boys who blow their noses."

2. You still love to cuddle.

3. You started wiping off my kisses and told me that you prefer Eskimo kisses. That kinda makes me sad, but I promised you that I would always kiss you anyway.

4. You love Lego's and use your imagination like crazy inventing strange and wonderful creations with them.

5. You make your own bed and get yourself dressed; you fold your own clothes and put them away (I try not to let my ocd nature take over and rearrange them); now if only I could get you to wash your own hair . . .

6. You love math, dislike reading lessons, but love that you are learning to read.

7. You tell Alli that you love her every day, and cry when she is in a mood and says "I don't love you."

8. You are convinced that you will learn to ride a 2 wheel bike this year, because Carra did last summer when she was 5.

9. Your idea of a good time is helping Dad with whatever project he is doing, and always dress the part of "the worker man."

10. You want to learn to sew, just like your mommy.

11. When I told you that I didn't think I was ready for you to be 5, you lectured me that "you can't change God's plan and His plan is for me to grow older." I'm being reminded of the sovereignty of God from my 5 year old. I love that.

Happy Birthday, Elijah. Your dad and I love you at least one billion. You are a joy to us. But try to stick with being 5 for a while, okay? Maybe another 3 or 4 years?

Handmade Christmas, Part 2B

Mom shows off her quilted wall hanging . . .

No wait! Don't look too closely, or you'll see the mistakes! And don't let my great aunt quilter extraordinaire see them, either!
Oh well, she seems pleased with the Santa I made her. Hopefully she won't look for mistakes on him, either. (Somehow I forgot to get a picture of that project.)
Merry Christmas!

Bedtime Memories

I have such fond memories of bedtime with Elijah - that is, until he started to buck the system about a year ago. But when reminiscing about those days between infancy and 3-year-old tyranny, I always smile wistfully.

Although Elijah always went to bed easily, I had the luxury of time that you only enjoy with one child and only after it is gone, so we rocked and read and sang almost every night. We read the obligatory Good Night Moon until it was memorized and I sang the standard lullabies until he was old enough to put in his own requests. And we cuddled. Our son was a world-class cuddler (still is, to be honest). He would wrap his arms around my neck and nestle his head on my shoulder and I would sigh and wish it could last forever.

But it couldn't, because then we had Allison . . .

. . . and life got more complicated. Dan and I soon split bedtime duties, and since I was nursing, I always got Alli. One might argue that is when and why Elijah's bedtime woes began, but that is for another post. Life changes and you have to adapt.

Now Allison was also a good sleeper, and still is. In fact, she didn't need to be cuddled or rocked, only needed a full tummy and her crib. So I would nurse her and lay her down with a quick kiss and leave the room. And that is the routine we stayed with for over 2 years. Well, now she is old enough to enjoy a good story (Good Night Moon is back!) and requests one nightly. So while Dan and I still split bed-time duties, it is usually more evenly between the kids than those first months.

That's why I almost cried last night when it was my turn to put Alli to bed and we read Mommy's Best Kisses, a book all about how mommy animals kiss their babies while putting them to bed. Alli insisted that I kiss her in the same way each page described, and after I was done reading she said, "My turn. Read mommy" and proceeded to turn each page and kiss me likewise. Oh, how I melted and enjoyed that precious time with her. I may not have memories of night after night rehearsing the same traditions, but I will cherish every night like that one I get.

"It Smells Like Nothing"

A sad thing happened today. Elijah was trying to describe the scent of car wax to me and said, "It smells like nothing." Cute, to be sure, but sad because he has never, in his 4 1/2 years on earth, said the word "nothing." He has always said "anything." Like after I ask him what is wrong, he pouts and says, "Anything." And when I ask him who taught him something, his answer would be "anyone." I'm sad he figured out the correct grammar.

So, before he gives up all his cute words, I decided to post my favorite mis-pronunciations of my guy.

1. "Sank you" instead of "thank you"
2. "Lose" instead of "use"
3. "Wecause" instead of "because"

Unfortunately, that is all I can think of now, but as he learns to speak more clearly, I am sure I will think of more! And soon I'll be able to post about Alli's cute sayings!

My Baby Turns 2

I can't believe it has already been 2 years since God graced you to our family. You have been a constant joy to us, Alli, and we love watching you turn into such a little girly-girl. I cherish watching you play dress-up, caring for your babies and making pretend meals for your daddy and me. You have grown into quite a social lady, although you still know how to be shy and how to bury your head into mommy's shoulder when you want to. You are going to be a "go-getter" and afraid of nothing, I think. Those traits are from God and can be used to His Glory, or for your own. We pray that you come to cherish Christ and to seek to spread His Fame.

We love you, Allison Keona. Happy 2nd Birthday.

Looks like Someone knows her birthday is coming up . . .

Yes, that's an American Girl doll catalog. You know, the one's with $100 dolls. I think she will need to wait until she is older than 2 before we invest in a doll like that!

Our Alli

I feel like I've posted a lot of pictures of Elijah lately, and hardly any of Alli. Granted, his birthday was a few weeks ago, but I thought I should post about my little baby girl, who is definately not a baby anymore! She is almost 20 months old, and a joy to our family. She wakes up every morning wanting to give big hugs to her brother, wanting a bow in her hair, and wanting to eat! She giggles and smiles like she realizes how cute we think she is, and has a will stronger than iron. She wants to do everything Elijah does, which includes coloring, helping me cook, and running from her daddy when he plays monster.

Her 2nd birthday is just a few months away and she already wants to sleep in a big bed. She LOVES other kids and is quite social, except when they try to play with one of her favorite toys! She follows the "big kids" around and tries to mimic all they do. I can't wait to see what things she will try outdoors when it (finally) gets warm!

We adore you, Alli. And we are enjoying every moment that God is giving us with you!

A Spiderman Birthday

After a 5 day battle with something flu-like, I finally felt better in time to celebrate Elijah's Spiderman birthday on Saturday. My mom was here, as well as my in-laws, and Elijah received the full birthday experience: cake, ice cream, presents, and even a birthday spanking! (this was the first year we could do that and explain it wasn't because he had disobeyed!)
This was the birthday cake he requested - I chose chocolate because we both love it!
I can't resist his smile! Alli enjoyed the cake as well. She was pretty blue by the time the cake was gone!

He got some fun presents, like a combine to play with, a Hot Wheels race track, a Leap Frog alphabet toy, Hungry Hippos (I have great memories of that game as a child), a UPS truck and a scooter for outside play come warmer weather.
Enjoying a game of Hungry Hippos with his Daddy and his Grandpa.

It was a full weekend, but we had a blast. He is already talking about turning 5 and naming all the things he would like to get for that birthday. I'm hoping the birthday buzz wears off soon, though, since he has been pretty hyper since all the company, cake and presents.

Wow. I am still recovering from a week of traveling, so blogging has been last on my "to-do" list. I have about a dozen things I would like to write about, but my brain is fuzzy from a head cold, so I will just give you a pictorial journey of our week away. Enjoy! Dan takes a pause from the annual Thanksgiving football game to pose with Alli. We travel to Dan's parent's house every Thanksgiving and enjoy a 4 day weekend with his brothers and their wives, and the one little cousin that we have so far.

Back into action.

Elijah is enjoying the play structure that his daddy grew up playing on.
Alli equally appreciates it, but shortly after this picture she fell and didn't appreciate it anymore. This was the only time the kids played outside, as the temperatures became much colder in the following days.Farkle was the game of choice this holiday, and we enjoyed many rounds. This is our sister-in-law blowing good luck (if you believe in such nonsense!) onto the dice as they fall.Alli is finally at the age to really enjoy her grandparents and didn't take any time in warming up to them. I love seeing her enjoy her grandpa! And she made their weekend by saying both "grandma" and "grandpa." At least that is what they claim she said . . .

And for my two favorite pictures of the weekend:

Dan took this one, creatively using the blocks the kids were playing with at the time.

I shot this one, of Dan's brother and his little boy, who needed some comforting from his daddy. Too cute!

Well, it was a fun weekend, as it usually is. We came home on Sunday and promptly left again Monday morning for a waterpark adventure with my parents while Dan attended some meetings. I'll post pics from that trip soon.

After hearing some real "gems" from Elijah recently, I realized that I should be writing them down! So that is exactly what I am doing here:

I was reading a book at the breakfast table one morning and Elijah was up earlier than usual. I explained to him that I needed a little quiet so that I could finish the chapter in my Bible Doctrine book. A few minutes passed and then he asked me, "Mommy, are you going to the Doctor's today?" When I replied in the negative and inquired why he asked me that, he answered, "Then why are you reading a doctor book?"

Elijah has discovered the world of bubblegum and asks for a piece quite often. He watches intently if Dan or I blow a bubble and asked if we could show him how to do it. When we tried to explain it, he understood that it would be difficult to learn and decided that his "special trick" with gum would be to "chomp it."

I attended a friend's baby shower last week and brought home some candy. Elijah saw it and asked if it was from the "baby's bath."

And finally, in an effort to get to eat dinner early, before his father had come home, Elijah whined to me and said that "eating together stranges me out." Now explain that!?!?!

My Birthday Weekend

Well, it's finally official. I'm 30. As I type this, my stomache drops and tears spring to my eyes. Ok, it's not that bad, I don't feel really very different. The birthday I have been dreading since I turned 26 (which made me officially closer to 30 than 20) has come and I have survived. I'm sure it is because I had such a great birthday weekend, which I will share with you in pictures and commentary.

Although my birthday wasn't officially until Saturday, the celebration started on Thursday evening when Dan brought home a German Chocolate Cake from the store. I love German Chocolate and it was a truly selfless gesture from him because Dan doens't really care for chocolate. He presented me with a wrapped bag containing a beautiful wooden salad bowl and serving utensils, which I had commented in passing that I thought would be nice. The bowl also contained a couple of gift cards, 3 Frappuccinos and a French press for making coffee, and a Newsboys DVD and 2 videos of their concerts. Does this man know me, or what!?!?!?

We finished the evening carving pumpkins, which excited Elijah immensly and which bored Allison quickly.

Friday evening we went on a date - out to dinner at Panera Bread (I love that place!) shopping for some new clothes and then ended the evening with raspberry custard.

Saturday evening we went to our friend's house for dinner and took the kids trick or treating afterward. Elijah is quite competent in asking for candy and Allison was just along for the ride, enjoying walking down the sidewalk on her own and loving the pumpkin outfit she wore. At one house, however, she got an individual sized bag of crackers, and she finished out the evening proudly showing off her treat and screaming in delight. As any mom will say, seeing my kids have so much fun made my birthday even more wonderful!

Sunday morning as we drove to church we saw 2 beautiful hot air balloons floating over the fields that surround our church. One passed right over the roof and the other landed in the grassy area between our church and our parking lot! It was a blast to stand around and watch the balloon deflate and the kids loved it. I only wish that I had my camera to capture the moment!

Sunday night we had a great time with our small group and I came home that evening thanking God for good friends and the blessing of another year of life.

Grateful

This has been a crazy week. I got a call on Tuesday that my 37 year old brother had a heart attack. After a few hours of phone calls and arrangements, Dan and I and the kids left for my hometown where my entire family resides. I am grateful our life allows us to pick up and go when necessary.

It is now Thursday afternoon and things are looking ok. I don't want to say things are "fine" or "good" because a heart attack changes everything. It affects his entire life, and affects his family, his wife and 2 daughters, also. The artery that caused the heart attack had a stint placed in it immediately, and a second artery that was 90% blocked was stinted (is that a word?) this afternoon. I am grateful for the wisdom God has granted to doctors.

Kevin has had constant visitors in the hospital, both family and friends. Probably hundreds of people are praying for him, and indeed, my whole family. I am grateful for the prayers of righteous saints.

Health scares have a way of making us stop and think about life. What is important and what doesn't matter in the long run. Our food intake is one of those things. Food is a gift from God, but often becomes an idol in my own life. Obsession with health and lengthening your life easily becomes an idol, too. I'm grateful that God can give us balance, if we ask for it.

I'm grateful for a lot of things, but most of all, I am grateful for a God that is in control. He has numbered my brother's days and I am confident that His grace will accompany any trial that lies ahead.

A Trip to Cabellas

My parents were here for an extended visit last week and we tried to cram in as many activities as possible! We visited the zoo and then decided to take an evening trip to Cabellas. We can spend hours in this store looking at all the sporting goods and the beautiful animals. Here are just a few of the snapshots we took:

Alli really enjoyed looking at all the animals, although she acted a bit reserved when we got too close.

Even Alli found something to buy! We had to strategically divert her attention while we put the hat back on the shelf, she loved it so much.

Elijah is ready for an overnight backpacking trip, even if he won't be able to lift this thing fully-loaded!

We tried to pose with the friendly bear, but you all know how hard it is to get everyone looking at the camera at the same time. Dan is missing because he took the picture!

My New Favorite Kid's Book

I have been anticipating 2 deliveries for the past week and a half. The first one was my order from SonLight Curriculum, with some preschool books. I am starting Elijah in "Homeschool Preschool" this fall, on a very limited basis. It really is more for my benefit than for his! I want to teach him to sit still and to pay attention, but also I want to convince myself that I can do this! Even as shortly as a year ago, if asked if I would homeschool my answer would always have been "Dan wants us to, but I'm not so sure." Over the past year, however, I have had some great conversations with homeschooling moms and seen some great curriculum, along with God's work in my own heart concerning my selfishness, and I have turned 180 degrees! Now I am excited about the possibilities and anxious to try it out. I'll have to keep you all posted on how it goes, though. I might be back to where I started in a couple of months!

Ok, back to the original thought . . . My much-anticipated deliveries. SonLight suggests a daily Bible for their curriculum, but I had heard so much about another kid's Bible, that I decided to get that one. I ordered 2 kid's Bibles from Amazon and just got them on Thursday. They are the Jesus Storybook Bible and The Big Picture Story Bible. I love them both!

First of all, the theology of both is specific, not just a general retelling of Bible stories. Both tackle tying the OT stories to God's overall plan for the world. They explain the sin in the Garden of Eden not just as simple disobedience, but Adam and Eve thinking that there was more to life than God. That maybe God wasn't as good as He said He was. That's just one example of how they handle an OT story. I could go on for pages and pages, but I won't. I will just tell you that these 2 books are the best kid's Bibles I have ever seen (and we have a few already!). In fact, I think it is going to be a staple shower gift for all my friends who are having babies!

If you don't want to buy 2 new kid's Bibles, I would suggest going with The Jesus Storybook Bible. Although I love both, the Jesus Storybook Bible is a bit smaller, easier for kids to navigate and the pictures are wonderful! But don't mistake my recommendation as saying it is "better" than the Big Picture Story Bible. They are both great and every library could benefit from both!