FAMILY! HOME, laughter, smiles...GROWING UP SURROUNDED...
What are the factors of a long life?
We don't get to choose the Family we are born into...

Love?
What is love anyway? How old are we when we actually understand who we really love?
when such a little girl acts like such a big girl, why is it so refreshing...and silly at times?

My gramma just informed me that they didn't have pacifiers when she had her 5 kids.
So, are they a blessing?...ask any parent whose child never took it...
(owen didn't, gabby does (obviously)...love it!...ask me in a year if it is still a blessing)
:-)

Affection? Happiness?
Do we have to be happy to live long?

What are the factors of a long life? ? ? ? warmth of a pink fuzzy blanket? a boy making silly faces?

being special...even if that means just being born a boy into a family of all girls...blessing are around every corner!

the things we are taught...Auntie Lori would be proud!


I do have more to say, but the day is calling me...will write more later of these blessings...
and perhaps I will share a burden or two...

Health...this time, this place...
We live in a time of technology and a place of priority. I know our health care system is a business and it's priority (besides for taking good care of people in need...) is to make money. Do we really need to go to the dentist every 6 months? Don't get me wrong, I do, but could I get away with once a year? and, do my kids really need to go to all their well-visits? don't get me wrong, I try to get to most because health insurance pays for them, but if I didn't have insurance, I don't know if I would.
Owen was a champ at his first dentist appointment. He is normally decked out in something like sunglasses at night or suspenders on his underwear so it's not so weird to see him wearing them here. They were actually the dentist's idea to keep the light from shining in his eyes. :-)

If we were born just a hundred years ago...or even 87, we might be in jeopardy of losing our teeth as we get older. But my gramma mimi says I have very little chance of that happening because of the regular care.

If I lived in a different country, my children may not have been born without complications because I had good nurses and doctors that monitored my babies while in utero. They were able to tell me to be on my side because Owen's heartbeat was dropping when he was "stuck". Little things like that I have to be thankful for. I know others live in this time and age yet are not so lucky. However, are they the lucky ones because they have a different perspective than me on life? or am I the lucky one to not have that experience?

Perspective...I just saw a video of a woman with a prosthetic leg who would not go back and change what happened because of what the accident gave her life...opportunity, a new life, experiences, and goals and dreams she never would have had otherwise. That's how I hope to embrace life challenges...

The things we teach our children...
and the things they learn on their own...

I am thankful that I was raised to value education, learning, literacy,...just to have and love books and language!Roger was reading Owen a few books the other day and became a bit tired. So, Roger suggested to Owen that they could do something different like play "Candyland Bingo"...or some other game.
Owen just said, "well...maybe just a couple more."
so...they read a couple more.
I know we are blessed and very rich to have so many books in our home.

Preschool...what to do...I am not striving for my kids to be the smartest or to get into the gifted classes or to get the highest test scores, but it amazes me everyday how much kids are like sponges! The more information you give, the more they soak up!
Owen has gotten a bit of preschool curriculum at daycare, but he already is talking about kindergarten! So we are looking into preschools for next year.

What to look for, where to go, what will work with our family, what is best for Owen...
That is our prayer these days. When I was choosing a college, a wise friend told me that "education is an investment". Well then...preschool is the start to an education...isn't that quite an investment to consider?

Making pudding is just fun...no connection whatsoever! :-)

Baby Feet...what a blessing!

I just had to share our latest praise:

Our kids have always been early-risers. It's in their blood. When family comes to stay with us, they know they will be lucky if they get to sleep in to 7:00 a.m. I am lucky if I get to sleep until 6:30 on weekends. So...after a rough week of testing and parent concerns at work, busy with the ins and outs of life at home, and a few late nights because I was working on a project...I needed some sleep badly! I was woken in the night by both kids last night, but perhaps that was a good thing because the next thing I knew...my clock read 7:55!

Aaahh!

Ok...that's not a life and death situation or a journey through a difficult trial but, hey, God's blessings are not always huge signs posted on the speeding highway of life after a life-threatening crash. Sometimes it is the cool breeze of the morning, enjoying a cup of coffee, being able to have a conversation with and holding someone you love (yes, dogs count...Taz, Ponch, Diego,Caleb...Sasha isn't really a dog...).

Other blessings?

• Roger's business is going well...and...he is enjoying it!

• Our love...that's a blessing...I love him more now than any time in the last 5 years. A pastor mentioned in a sermon a few weeks ago that we only have a enough love to get us to the alter. And that the day we get married is not the most you will ever love one another. I agree. When we got married, we had NO idea what we were getting into! Wow, that's an understatement!

• And now...being lucky enough to be together is one of our biggest blessings

(disclaimer: I know we have just begun and there are SO many more trials to come, but I am not going to sit and wait for those to come and pass...those trials may become our next big blessing...)

• our health: why is it we insist on finding something to complain about or get us down because we do not have it? I am so guilty of this. Especially when sitting around the lunch table with a bunch of teachers (or any co-worker?)..

• creation: We were all created different. Not better or worse than the next. My difference could be a "disability" or it could be my personality. It could be what I want out of life or what I enjoy doing. My difference could be what I wear or what I drive or the house I choose/have to live in. My difference could be the way I raise my children or what my children's choices are. Goals, dreams...or lack there-of...those could be my difference. Different is okay. Different is God's creation...look at flowers, snowflakes, blades of grass, tree branches, pebbles, grains of sand (ok, so I have not really analyzed grains of sand, but you get the picture...) God's glory and creation (afterall, I did nothing to have been born who I am)...how is that revealed in my differences?

Realizing that will by my blessing today...

I have diagnosed my problem with not blogging more often:

technology, especially with cell phones and facebook, has advanced past my original purpose of doing this blog. If I am going to keep it up, which I want to, I have to find a new purpose. so...

A week or two ago we were having a tough time with Owen...very disobedient, stubborn, disrespectful, insubordinate behavior. I will place much blame on too much sugar consumption at a birthday party...( I have an undocumented and unproven theory but I have seen it within the two days after a sugar rush...he repeats this behavior...proof? )

However, I cannot allow sugar to be the all-time scapegoat (or how much fun would life be without marshmallow peeps???).

So...I was in church Easter Sunday after an Easter basket of no candy and wondering what else to do.
Prayer. The obvious answer.
Anytime I have been in tears over how to discipline my child(ren) when he is exhibiting behavior that he seems to not be able to control, I pray.

How could such a sweet, wonderful boy be so bad?
Hmmmm...he does want to be Spiderman when he grows up...talk about stubborn: he "convinced" us that he should wear this to the family Easter get-together that same day...
Got to love him!
So, back to the purpose of my blog.
I was wondering if I could put on here...to the masses (my family)...
that I need help praying...

I know many of my family pray for my kids daily, but if I used this as a way to post praises and requests, it may help direct those prayers...
If no one ever reads this and no one else ever prays about the things I do...that is okay.
But...would this work to get a few more warriors standing behind and building that hedge around my children? Protecting them from the blows of the world so that they get the chance to learn what is good and right and pure and lovely...

We have so much to be thankful for so I will start with that...on my next post.
Until then...
God bless you in all the ways you seek and trust in HIM!
Happy Easter...a bit late but not too late to celebrate the resurrection!

These pictures were taken a few weeks ago...Gabby was still wearing her hat...
It is officially "summer" for Owen...he "convinced" us to blow up the pool last weekend...in the living room...and then...fill it up...outside, that is.
:-)
What a kid!

BFF's? Need I say more?

Gabby still needs practice being "gentle"...
:-)

Our last Trip...
I cannot believe it has already been a month!!!!!!!!!!!! We traveled to Wisconsin, saw Auntie Lori and there was snow then!!!!!!!!! Crazy how time has flown and how spring has sprung!

Auntie Lori hugged, played, tickled, and got her fix with us that weekend...
it was so good to see her. We are SO lucky that she is so dedicated to family! She even built a snowman with Owen! :-)

So many things just came together that weekend...it was Gramma momma's birthday so Owen drew her a picture on her card...and sang Happy Birthday! :-)
And...the circus was in town! Owen, Roger and Grampa drove to Milwaukee to see the elephants, trapeze artists, motorcycles, tigers, and more!

What a great time!

Just a few recent events...a few first/new/good times...

"Daddy" found us a great swing-set for a great price...he even got someone else to set it all up. So, when I got back from yoga, it was done and no one had broken a sweat...or an arm! :-)

We went to a birthday part and Owen got to hang with his best girl...eating cupcakes and getting super duped up on sugar (yes, we are paying for it dearly these past few days!) ugh!

Gabby let loose too...ok, so she is dancing in the bathroom, but none the less...breakin' it down! :-) she is my goofy girl! She makes me giggle!

Speaking of sugar...this was evidence of Gabby's first beater! :-)

Finally...our trip to CA...it was a month ago, but the pictures are great to look at. It seems so long ago, but it was so nice...to fly with my little girl, to spend time with Auntie Emmy, to get to know Uncle Mario...to play with sand and see nice sunsets...
I have a feeling that my little girl and I will be taking lots of trips like these! :-)

on one of our legs we got a whole row to ourselves...Gabby loved that! :-)
She climbed about, spread out, thought about her brother...

Auntie Emmy met us and saved us from the monkey on our backs...Uncle Mario and Gabby got to spend a bit of time together...one day that we left Mario to help Gabby when she woke up, we found them sitting in a chair staring at one another. We gave him instructions about a bottle and finding a snack or taking a walk, but Gabby was only interested in staring. I guess this was going on for 45 minutes and then we got home. Gabby finally got interested in her bottle and let go of Mario...too funny to think what goes through a 1 year old's mind.
Park time...
sand time...

piggy toe time...
sunset time...

watching surfers...

more park time (these pictures are in no particular order...)

I think there are a bunch more, but you get the picture...good times just hangin' out! Beautiful!

Sleeping Beauty...Gabby needed to rest up for our trip to CA...we got back two weeks ago already and I can't believe how time is getting away from me!I had to capture this nap position for the books! :-)

I have had no time to update...or I have made no time! :-) Very busy these days but not too busy to take Gabby for a spontaneous Walmart trip to get some lotion and some other necessities while in Wisconsin! :-)
She sat so still and never made a peep or cried when getting pierced! She is so adorable! :-)
I am trying to upload some pictures of our CA trip but I don't have my cord for my phone or camera here at school (yes! conferences are going until 8:50 pm tonight and I finally have a little break! it is 8:45...)
so...maybe this weekend? you just might get to see my little angel walking on the beach, digging in the sand, playing on the playground and monkeying around on the airplane! :-) cross your fingers!