Jonah & Jude

My Baby Turned Five Today

2011-04-26T20:41:00.001-07:00

Today, we've been celebrating..it's Jude's fifth birthday! We'll celebrate again with our family on Mother's Day..Jeanie's birthday is that day also. Come to think of it, we'll probably celebrate Lesh's, Jeff's and my birthday that day also! Lots of May birthdays in our family! :)

Jude has brought so much joy and fun into our lives. His laugh is wonderful and his smile lights up any room. He also builds patience in me..if you know Jude, you know what I'm talking about! He is witty, enthusiastic, and LOVES to rough house. Many bear the scars of playing with Jude. ;) He is also a sensitive soul..and has a beautiful singing voice. He still loves to snuggle with me (at least for a few moments) and his favorite thing to do is to pull Lesh and I together for a group hug (which he refers to as a "crowd hug").

Wow..I wouldn't trade one moment with him. He enjoys relaxing in the evenings in Lesh's lap watching YouTube funny animal videos. He is a Jonah's favorite playmate and they are truly best friends.

Jude, this post is for you...thanks for bringing so much JOY to our family these past five years..we love you!!!

Hosanna! Salvation is here!!

2011-04-18T12:05:00.000-07:00

Like many of you, we have sung "Hosanna" year after year around Palm Sunday or on Resurrection Sunday (Easter Sunday). We sang this version of Hosanna by Hillsong United in our worship service yesterday and Jean Guy shared background on the word "Hosanna" that we found here. Jean Guy didn't know it, but Alex had just shared nearly the same thing in Adult Class. :)

I am thankful that I can cry Hosanna in confidence and know that "Salvation is here!!"

Enjoying Fritz's for the 1st time in 2011!

2011-03-22T01:08:00.000-07:00

Tough guy. :)

Amazing child.

Enjoying delicious custard!..or "Frintz's" as Jude refers to it. :-)

So huggable. I am immeasurably blessed.

12 Years of Lesh and Jen

2010-12-01T00:47:00.000-08:00

I'm a week late on this, but Lesh and I celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary on Sunday, November 21st. Oh how I love him. God knew just who I needed and I am so thankful for him. We have been through some really great times and some challenging ones as well, but he has been the best teammate. I love you, Lesh and I hope for many more years together with you.

Some Thoughts On Choosing A Spouse & Sowing & Reaping

2010-10-26T19:42:00.000-07:00

I am so thankful that I married a man that believes in me, appreciates my talents and skills, and that he encourages me to be all that I can be through Jesus Christ. If you are a young woman still trying to find your life partner, I hope you take time and care and choose a man as great as mine. Any man who loves you will do so through his words and his actions. Marriage is a beautiful, lifelong commitment. Choose carefully..if you don't, you will set yourself up for a lifetime of heartbreak. You have heard "we sow what we reap." Well, it's true. The choices you are making right now..today, will affect the rest of your life.

Here are some signs you might have the right guy:
1. He serves God wholeheartedly.
2. He respects and honors you.
3. He respects biblical boundaries.
4. He respects and honors your family.
5. Your "true friends" like him. (Not the friends that agree with everything you say..)
6. You are not ashamed to introduce him to the people who care about you the most.

I was blessed with really awesome parents who encouraged my sister, my brother and I to choose carefully when choosing who we would date and who we would marry. (You will most definitely marry someone you have dated..right?) I always knew that my parents believed that I was an incredible young woman, that they believed that my well being was more important than any amount of fame, popularity, or wealth, and that they knew I deserved the best.

Parents, if your children do not know that you think they are the best and that they deserve the best, go tell them! We cannot lose our children to a world that would harm them and use them for destructive purposes. Our children and family members..and friends..are the only ones we can bring into eternity. Invest now. If you don't invest now..you will invest in the future..and it will be in legal fees, counseling for broken hearts, and in so many other ways for the rest of their lives. Sow now and sow carefully.

Haven't done everything just right? Begin now..you can still make a difference. Give your dreams, hopes, disappointments, brokenness..all of it, to Jesus. He can help you re-build your life, one step at a time.

Proud of My Boy

2010-08-26T03:51:00.000-07:00

I'm going to have to be the "proud momma" here for a bit. We were invited to a reception honoring some good friends, Robert and Evangeline Rodenbush, on 42 years of missionary ministry. We were planning to take the boys with us to the reception, but they were a bit confused about what we would be celebrating..and why they wouldn't be attending Wednesday evening service as we always do. We explained it was kind of like a party. Jonah asked if it was our friend's birthday. We said "no..we'll be celebrating that they shared Jesus with people all over the world for many, many years." He didn't say much after that.

Wednesday afternoon, my mother sent me a note and said that she and my father would take the boys with them to church so that Lesh and I could enjoy the more "adult friendly" event without the boys. We agreed, and then told the boys they would be going to church instead of the reception. I could see Jonah was torn, but he surprised me with this. "Okay mom. Tell Brother Rodenbush that I said "hi"." I agreed. "And tell him congratulations." I assured him that I would. He continued "and tell him that I said thank you for telling all the people in the world about Jesus...okay mom?" I agreed to do that, and then I went in my room and got all weepy. So proud of my boy and that he understands that is worth celebrating.

Before we left, he made me repeat the message I would be relaying to Brother Rodenbush. Then he said "If you forget what to say mom, just call me and I will tell you." LOL

Lesh delivered the message to Brother Rodenbush. Jonah has a heart of gold. I couldn't love that child more than I do.

Losing His 1st Tooth

2010-08-16T21:22:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had lunch with some friends at Subway and while there, Jonah lost his first tooth! He was eating his sandwich and apparently swallowed it! (ugh) He was not happy about that, but I assured him the tooth fairy would come anyway. He helped me prepare a note to her about why his tooth was missing.

The tooth fairy didn't mind that it was missing. She wrote a return note, and blessed him with two dollars. We documented the occasion with photos. :)

(with all his teeth)

(his note to the Tooth Fairy)

(her note)

(the missing tooth)

(Jude wanted his picture taken too...he thinks this is super funny and likes looking at pictures of himself making funny faces.)

Freedom

2010-07-03T20:06:00.000-07:00

I love Independence Day. I love the patriotic music, the fireworks, the show of patriotism and love for country, and the celebrations.

This evening, I set off some "pretty" fireworks with Jonah and Jude. Jonah loved them..Jude screamed. We made him go in the house and watch from the window because he kept having a meltdown everytime our neighbors' "loud and expensive" fireworks would go off. He's still too young to appreciate them.

Side note to all you parents with small children: Our "Dad's Fireworks" (on Hwy N by the animal hospital) had these really LOOOONG sparklers that were awesome! They were much prettier than the small ones and the stem on them was so long they don't burn your hands. Jonah LOVED them and for all of you who know him, he's VERY cautious about everything.

While he was waiting for me to light another sparkler with the punk, Jonah started singing our national anthem. Unprovoked. I was really proud that he made the connection. I love that child, and I am so grateful for the incredible freedoms that we still have. Have you read the Declaration of Independence lately? It is an incredible document..as is the Constitution. Our forefathers had strong vision and gave their lives to see that vision come to pass. Great men and women are still giving their lives to insure our freedoms. Thank you to every person who has served in the armed forces to defend our nation. You are amazing.

I am also really grateful for the spiritual freedom that I have since being filled with God's Spirit. There is nothing like it..nothing compares. Thank you Jesus for the blood that you shed for my freedom so many years ago. I am free because of you!

Happy Independence Day to you all and God bless America!

Father's Day 2010

2010-06-27T00:44:00.001-07:00

We had a wonderful Father's Day this year...so very much to be thankful for! Last year on Father's Day, Lesh was still wearing a C-collar, using a wheelchair and a walker, and napping throughout the day because of exhaustion.

Lesh speaking on Father's Day 2009.

This year he is C collar, wheelchair, boot, and walker free, walked up and down stairs and even rode his bike!!

Lesh and the boys "taking turns" wishing Papa Jake a Happy Father's Day.

We had a great Father's Day service, spent the afternoon at my parents' home and Paw Paw and Maw Maw, and my brother and sister and I all swam with the kids!

God has been so very good to our family. His healing power is evident in Lesh's life every day. Lesh is regaining strength, stamina, and getting back to doing the things he loves to do. What a difference a year makes!

The photo in my blog header in the upper right-hand corner was Lesh with Jonah and Jude in 2009. (He took of the C-collar because he needed to cool off from the heat.)

I am so thankful for the great men that are influencing my sons. Happy Father's Day to Lesh, "Paw Paw Larry" (my father), Papa Jake, Jeff (my brother), Kent (Lesh's brother..soon to be a daddy!), Jean Guy (my brother-in-law), and a host of awesome family and friends. Our lives are blessed because of you.

Splish Splash!

2010-06-18T21:12:00.000-07:00

My boys had a blast trying out their new slip n' slide. Cheap fun..the best kind. :)

Here they are in action.

http://www.facebook.com/jonahandjude?v=app_2392950137#!/video/video.php?v=432292269433

Patriotic Party Decor' - Martha Style

2010-06-18T21:10:00.000-07:00

Love this cute craft from Martha Stewart!

http://www.marthastewart.com/how-to/star-medallion?backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/patriotic-crafts#slide_0

Family Dinner

2010-06-05T16:40:00.001-07:00

Love being with my family. We used a gift card the other night and enjoyed Red Lobster. Jonah loves crab legs. I told him he better get a good paying job since he likes 'spensive food. :)

Family Dinner

2010-05-11T02:22:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we surprised my husband with a 40th birthday celebration. Our whole church helped me pull off a surprise party/celebration and we celebrated his life with a special service and dinner reception. To top it off, his parents and cousins came in from out of town and showed up at the service. It was a great day and one that I'm sure he will never forget.

While his parents were here, we went out on the town for an evening and had dinner at The Old Spaghetti Factory on The Landing. It was a great evening and the weather was beautiful. Wish they could have stayed longer.

Callie

2010-05-07T14:09:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling blue this afternoon. Just plain sad. I had take Callie, our calico cat, to the vet today and she advised we put her to sleep. We noticed that she had been losing weight and had not been very active the past week or two. Dr. Elly Kelly said she had liver and probably kidney disease as well. She opened her mouth to expose her teeth and showed me that her gums were yellowing which meant she was jaundiced. She was down to eight pounds. Dr. Kelly said there was nothing she could do to make Callie better..no liver or kidney transplants. She said she could give her fluids to "prop her up" so to speak, but that it would only prolong her suffering. Lesh had already given me the go ahead to have her put to sleep if the prognosis wasn't good. I would have insisted that he take her, but today is his birthday and I didn't think it would be very nice for him to have to put her down on his birthday.

It was pretty quick. She was resting on a little metal table and I pet her. She rested her head in my hand. Dr. Kelly came in and gave her a shot to sedate her. She slowly lowered her head. She was very peaceful and only licked her lips really often and then just stopped. I thought she might already be gone after a minute or two because she didn't move at all. Her eyes were still open. Then I noticed she was still breathing. Dr. Kelly then returned and gave her the second shot. Callie was gone within thirty seconds.

I didn't realize how much I would miss her. I couldn't even speak to the cashier for crying. Still can't. I feel like a baby for crying so much...silly for grieving for a cat, but she was ours for over ten years.

We found her, or she found us, in Moss Bluff, Louisiana while visiting with our friends Ken and Lisa. She was tiny and we fed her leftover steak from Copelands. She decided she liked that kind of life and wouldn't leave. When we went inside for the night, she was not happy. In whatever room we were in, she would find the window and begin to scratch on the window and "meow". We couldn't even whisper in bed that night because there was a window by the headboard and she found us and scratched on the window. We drove around the neighborhood the next day to see if anyone knew who she belonged to and no one did. So, we said our goodbyes to our friends, drove to PetsMart, stocked up on supplies and headed for St. Louis. She sat on my lap the entire trip home.

She was a calico in nature. Thought she was better than everyone else. She loved to lick the tuna remnants from a can, and she loved to be held and petted, by Lesh and I. She wasn't very friendly to others. She loved to wrestle, but she wasn't de-clawed, so you could expect to walk away bleeding. I have lots of little scars on my hands from playing with her. She was very loyal and exceptionally beautiful.

She was very much the "uppity" cat, but she loved Lesh and would follow him around the yard like a dog. When he was in the hospital last year, she missed him very much.

I have a beautiful picture of her that I took when she was only one or two. Can't find it. Will post it when I do. These are the last four photos I took of her.

I loved you Callie and I will miss you very much.

Jude's favorite song to sing..

2010-05-05T15:43:00.000-07:00

Today while running errands with the boys, I asked them what their favorite song to sing would be. Jude quickly replied "I am a friend of me." Jonah and I both got a good laugh. :)

Remembering

2010-04-29T13:44:00.000-07:00

Note: I began writing this on Thursday...just now publishing it.

______________

One year ago tomorrow, my husband was involved in a near fatal motor vehicle accident. It was actually on a Thursday, so it seems to be hitting me a little harder today. He had left early in the morning to go fishing at Montauk. On his return trip, it was raining, and according to the cars traveling behind him, his Nissan Frontier began to hydroplane. He lost control and had a head-on collision with an F150 full size pickup truck. Thankfully, the other driver sustained no injuries except for a broken toe. Lesh did not fair so well. He was ejected from his truck and sustained multiple fractures and contusions. His injuries included a fractured neck (C2), a brain contusion, three skull fractures in the area of his right temporal lobe, fractured collarbones, fractured right scapula, fractured cheekbones, a broken and nearly severed off arm, (lots of plates in there now), broken left leg (above and below his knee..repaired with steel rods and plates), a lung contusion, broken ribs, bruised spleen with internal bleeding..that is off the top of my head.

When he did not return home at the expected time, I began calling his cell phone. My calls went straight to voicemail each time and the anxiety began to grow in me. (will tell you about the calls later) I experienced a myriad of emotions wondering where he could be. I thought perhaps he stopped in Wright City for a last minute fishing experience at our friend Don's pond. But I knew that his cell phone would work there. After an hour or two, I began calling sheriff departments between Lake Saint Louis and Montauk. No one knew anything. After another hour, I called my mother. I had put that call off knowing that she would go into an all out panic. She came to my house and I thought to call the State Patrol..they have a larger network and I thought perhaps they might know something. I was on my home phone with a trooper who was checking his computer when my cell phone began to ring and Caller ID identified it as St. John's Medical Mercy Center in St. Louis. I broke out in a cold sweat and ended the call with the trooper before he had a chance to tell me that he know what had happened to Lesh. (more on that later)

The hospital chaplain asked me to come to the hospital as quickly as I could, safely. I inquired about Lesh's injuries and she said "he has many injuries". I asked if he had broken bones? internal bleeding? And she said "yes, he has all of those." I then asked if he would live until I got there, and she replied "we're doing the best we can. But please drive safely." I grabbed my purse and my boys and started running for my mother's car. She had been next door at our church telling the ladies that our bible study would be cancelled and asked them to pray. Many of them jumped in their cars and followed us to the hospital. The rest of them began calling church members to ask for prayer.

Once in the car, I called the chaplain back and asked for more details and to find out if he was still alive. She told me that he had many fractures and some internal bleeding but couldn't give more detail over the phone. I pleaded but I guess it was against some hospital policy. I rode along trying not to cry too hard in front of my boys. I was absolutely terrified, a little numb, and mentally sketching a life with my boys without Lesh. I would glance back at them frequently and smile and say "Daddy was in a car accident and has some boo boos but he is going to be just fine." I didn't want them to be fearful. My mother was on the phone all the way there and Jonah was soaking it in. He was catching more than we wanted him to..

Once we arrived, my mother dropped me at the door and went to park the car, keeping the boys with her. I ran back to the trauma area where Lesh was being treated and was directed into a family waiting room for trauma patients. I had to wait about fifteen minutes before they would let me see him. They didn't want to let me in at all, but I begged and promised that I would not get in the ER and "flip out". I promised to remain calm and told them I would leave when they asked me to. A minister in our church, Billy Babb, had beat me to the hospital and was waiting in the waiting room when I arrived. He had been shopping very near the hospital when his wife notified him of what had happened. Looking back, I know God allowed him to be there to help me remain calm. In his own way, Billy tried to prepare me for "the worst".

When I was finally allowed to see Lesh, Billy went in with me. Lesh was "a mess". I had determined that I would not cry before I entered the room because I didn't want the staff to make me leave, so I looked him over, wide eyed, and fighting back tears. His head was very swollen, his "nearly severed arm" was elevated above his body and hanging on a pole of some kind. His abdomen was swollen, his leg was blooding and swollen, and blood was draining out of his right ear. He was intubated and breathing with the aid of a machine. I did my best to remain calm. I looked at Billy and he had a pretty grave expression on his face. I asked Dr. Peick (the lead Trauma physician) if he was going to live. Looking away from me she replied "We're doing the best we can." I glanced at Billy and then mustered up some courage and said "then we're going to pray". I asked Dr. Peick if Lesh could hear me and she said she didn't know. In the chance that he could, I spoke positively to him. I didn't want him to think he was so badly injured that he shouldn't fight to live. So I said things like "Lesh, it's Jen. You're at St. John's Hospital and you have been in a car accident, but you're receiving really awesome care here. This is the best trauma center in the city and they are going to fix you up. I love you very much." Then I began to pray so that Lesh could hear me. I said "God you made Lesh's body and you know exactly what kind of injuries he has and You know exactly how to fix him. We are believing that You will do just that. We pray in Jesus' name. " We had to leave the room then, and once out of the room, it felt like my strength just drained from my body and I felt like a noodle. I began to sob. I cried until I was physically hurting. I walked back into the family waiting area, and more of my family had arrived. We all cried together. The hospital liason came back frequently with more reports. They were more dreadful each time. "He may lose his arm. He may lose his leg. He may have permanent brain damage. He may not live." We cried more and hugged more.

I must stop and tell you that I have the best family in the world. Billy and Anita Babb and their children remained there with us. I'm not sure what I would have done without these dear friends and family.

I remember asking the liason to please just tell them to do what they could for his brain. A person can live a pretty normal life without a leg or an arm, but permanent brain damage is so devastating. The liason came back with updates every few moments and finally came back and said that we should start moving toward a larger waiting room close to the OR. By that time, close to thirty people had gathered and we moved down the hall like a herd. My children joined us then and as we walked, I tried to comfort them. I felt almost ashamed for crying so hard. I wanted to be strong and put on a brave face for them. Jonah was fearful and it was reflected in his face. Jude didn't really understand what was going on but he knew that I was upset and he began to cry. Some dear friends, the Hances, offered to take them to the cafeteria to get them something to eat. I wanted them with me, but I knew that it would be better if they could get their minds on something else. I hugged them and and told them they would be getting ice cream..I was hoping that would cheer them up. As we were still walking, Brother Billy Babb walked along side and handed me his phone and said that Brother Ricky Treece was on the line and wanted to talk to me. I said "Hello" and began to cry again. He told me that they were on their knees in their living room praying and that Jesus wanted me to know that just as He had told Jairus, "Don't be afraid. Just believe." Those words were like a rope sent from heaven..something I could hang on to. We ended the call and I shared what he had said with my mother and Brother Billy because I wanted faith to rise in them as well. By the time we reached the surgery waiting center, some other folks greeted us as well. Within a few minutes, Pastor Scott Graham and a group of Gateway students gathered with us. Brother Graham had us stand together to pray.

I cannot accurately describe what that prayer did for me, and what I know it did for Lesh as well. I have often heard people talk about how the Holy Spirit is "The Comforter", but I had never experienced "The Comforter" as I did that evening. As we began to cry out to God, the Spirit of God began to surround me in a way that I have never, ever known. I felt a weight lifting off of me and a calm fill my heart. I felt a warmth surrounding me, and I actually began to smile as the group continued to pray. True joy filled me. Joy that I didn't have..joy that was given to me by God. God's comfort to me was supernatural.

Brother David Jackson was walking through the hospital looking for us and actually followed Lesh as he was being pushed down the hall toward the OR. He said he was praying for him as he walked and then he began to hear a roar that got louder and louder as he got closer to the waiting room where we were gathered. I know that God was already responding to our prayer and working on Lesh's behalf.

(To be continued.)

My Baby Is Four

2010-04-27T21:53:00.001-07:00

Jude, you are four. You, my baby, are four now. I am happy because you are becoming more independent and can do more. Your conversations with me are more fun too. I am a bit sad too. Your little "baby soft" feet are growing. Your love of snuggling may not last forever.

Even so, you have brought much joy to our lives. Things I love about you; your funny little comments like "You're cracking me out!", your love of wet wipes, your fascination with touching my hair, your love of strawberries (not blueberries like your brother), and your beautiful little singing voice.

Happy 4th Birthday my carefree sweetie. How I love you!

Our Weekend

2010-04-25T22:57:00.000-07:00

I rose early on Saturday to join some very special ladies at Cracker Barrel for breakfast. Biscuits and gravy, bacon, and apple butter. Mmmm.

We then gathered on Main Street in historic St. Charles and leisurely strolled through some little shops. Very relaxing. Bought some DELICIOUS sauce, a dip mix, some paper at an WONDERFUL scrapbooking/paper store. Didn't spend a lot but it was just fun to walk around and inhale the very fragrant lilac..I need some of that in my yard!

I stopped by Michael's on my way home for a sheet of glass to replace the one that was accidentally smashed (into a thousand little pieces) last weekend. I love those little bargain bins Michael's now sports. They always have unusual things..I bought Jonah and Jude each a two dollar harmonica. They loved them..the beautiful strains have been floating around our house ever since. They aren't ready to join a bluegrass band yet, but they are sure having fun with them.

Had a wonderful service today. Ate lunch, dropped our boys off at my parents' home and then rode with Jean Guy and Julia to New Life Evangelistic Center downtown for our first offical Servolution project. It was so much fun..will post pics later on Facebook. It was a great experience and I am so proud that we had some of our CHOSEN youth there as well. It is always good to get past "yourself" and help someone else. We, mankind, are so prone to think about ourselves. Helping others..in whatever capacity, is vital to our mental, spiritual and emotional health. Feeling depressed? Go help someone. It's really not "all about us". It's about Him and sharing His love with others.

Returned to my parents' home and visited with everyone. Jean Claire put on a show for us..and I do mean a show. She writes songs and makes them up and does choreography to them as she goes. She has an incredible imagination..that kid has a future on Broadway. LOL!! Uncle Lesh captured some of it on his phone video camera..so I will post some of it. We were all fighting to keep a straight face during her "performance". She's so stinkin' cute.

Came home and put Jonah and Jude to bed. Is there anything better than this?

Encourage Someone Today

2010-04-25T22:41:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful Sunday! So thankful for the love of my family and the love of my church family, and dear friends. True friends are not judgemental, jealous, or cynical of your journey with Jesus. We have so many friends who have uplifted and encouraged us over the years. We are blessed.

Don't be a sideline critic. It's a sad way to live life and a little pathetic.

Want to make a difference in someone’s life? Want to see someone smile? Offer an encouraging word. You never know just how far that blessing will take that person. Try it today!

Boys..what else can I say?

2010-04-15T21:23:00.000-07:00

Today we ran some errands as a family. I did some practice reading with Jonah in the car as Lesh drove. As he read the words, he used them in a sentence. (His idea.) One of the words he read was "gas". Jonah said, "g -a -s, gas! Like gas in a car! Or like gas in your body!" He then starts laughing hysterically. Jude joined in. This evening, they were throwing a beachball up and down the stairs and this is what I listened to for about five minutes.

Jonah loves to dance..he's going to kill me for this video when he's older. I'm thinking "great blackmail material!" hehe...

Yep

2010-04-13T22:38:00.000-07:00

"I had a hard day"

2010-04-13T15:32:00.000-07:00

The weather is so warm and Jude keeps asking to go swimming. (It's not warm enough to swim yet.) Yesterday, he was bugging me to death about it, so I finally tried to distract him with the promise of a popsicle to cheer him up. That is the other thing he begs for (in addition to more candy). He brightened his expression and then started frowning again and said "Yeah, a popsicle would be good. I've had a hard day." Then he made that "harump" noise with his mouth as if to shake his head. I thought of his day and started laughing. He ate breakfast, watched a movie, played with his toys, ate lunch, went outside to play in the yard, ran through my hose, rode his "bike", wrestled with his brother, and wrote on our driveway with sidewalk chalk. Wish I had a hard day every day! :)

My Growing Boys

2010-04-13T08:42:00.000-07:00

So Jonah learned how to whistle on Sunday. My father said he whistled throughout our church service. :) He's growing so fast it's sad and wonderful all at the same time. I couldn't be more proud of him.

And Jude.:) Yesterday, he wanted to wear his cowboy boots. With his shorts. I let him. We went to quite a few stores and he just strutted around like he was big stuff in those boots. He is a Kling-on lately..meaning he sticks to me like velcro. He always wants to know if I am sitting on his side of the car if we are going somewhere. And if I sit down on the sofa, he's there in a flash, touching my hair and sucking his fingers.

These days won't last forever..I'm soaking them up.

Easter boys

2010-04-11T14:40:00.000-07:00

Here are my sweeties on Easter Sunday. Their outfits made me crave those creamsicles from the Schwann's trucks that used to come around our neighborhood.

My favorite hikers

2010-04-10T23:36:00.000-07:00

Our family took a few days to explore our home state this week and had fun visiting Branson, Johnson's Shut Ins, Big Springs, and climbing to the top of Elephant Rocks. Just nine months ago, Lesh was in a wheelchair. Now he's hiking up huge boulders. Thank you God!

Here's a photo of my favorite hikers.

Cartoon Family

2010-03-31T05:21:00.000-07:00

Photoshop fun.. :)

Snow Play & Snow Cream

2010-02-09T14:47:00.000-08:00

I've been working on some design jobs this afternoon. Jonah was itching to go outside...he and Jude have been like caged animals..dying to get outside and play. Like Dana over at Mamalogues, I had to do some makeshift outerwear. Jonah was good to go with his bib overalls and boots, hat and gloves. Me, not so much. I couldn't guilt darling husband into taking Jonah out, so I started hunting for snow worthy apparel. During the move, said husband thought it was a good idea to throw out my favorite Aldo dress boots, as well as one of my "Doc Martin-esque" boots. So, I headed out in my only other option..replacement long Aldo dress (think black shiny pleather) boots, with heels no less.) Thankfully, they worked just fine.

Jonah and I took our orange plastic sled to the edge of the church parking lot and I gave him a push and let him coast down the back of our yard. The first time, it was fun. But the second, third, and fourth times, he sailed as it was more packed down. On a trip up the hill, Jonah panted excitedly, "Wow Mom! You're great! This was a great plan!" Those few words will fuel me for weeks to come.

Our cheeks were turning red and my ears felt like they might fall off, so we gathered up all the clean snow we could fit into one of my silver mixing bowls and came inside. We mixed cream, milk, vanilla, sugar, and even some agave syrup into the snow and made delicious snow cream...made me miss my Grandma Urich. It was fun to tell Jonah about her.

Christmas 2009

2009-12-19T18:42:00.001-08:00

I have much more to say about Christmas this year but it will have to wait a few days. For now, I love Christmas..it's a miracle that the God of the universe made himself lowly to come to this earth and be born in a "barn" so to speak...His love cannot be measured. I want to learn to love like that. Wes Strickland quoted one of his Gateway professors when we shared a dinner with he and Darrah. His professor said this: "You know you've learned how to love if you aren't able to choose who you love." Isn't that the very definition of Jesus?

Merry Christmas from Lesh Johnson, Jen, Jonah and Jude!

Just a fun photo..

2009-11-30T16:06:00.001-08:00

Birding and Remembering Lonnie Brown

2009-11-25T08:16:00.001-08:00

I'm a birder. Yes, I love birds. Wild ones. About twenty years ago, Lonnie Brown piqued my interest in birds. I thought it an interesting hobby, but not one I was likely to pick up. We would sit in their breakfast room and watch birds and squirrels come up to the feeders on their deck. Lonnie could identify all of them and loved to watch them. It was always fun to see him get excited when a more rare bird would happen by.

Fast forward about 10 years. I married a birder. When he put up our first feeder..and not what you would think of as a feeder, (think 18x24 inch platform on a post out of the ground) I teased him a little. But then the birds started to show up. They loved the thistle, the black sunflower seeds, and the bits of nut and dried cherries. I quickly learned their names. Missouri has some gorgeous birds and we have always seen a huge variety...even the elusive blue bird.

Fast forward another 10 years. Since we've lived at the parsonage, we've not had a bird feeder. I've missed my wild, colorful friends. Shortly after Lesh came home from the hospital, I took the Armada to Home Depot and had them load a 14 ft. square post on my ski racks (which never get used for anything to do with skiing, unfortunately) and drove home carefully. Lesh was able to help some of the kids in our youth group build a new bird feeder. About three weeks ago, he finally had the strength to use the post hole diggers and put it up. It is posted in the ground and stands 12 feet tall so that I can see it from our french doors. It is no more than one foot from the door, so our view is amazing.

These are the beaked friends who have come calling in the past few weeks: tufted titmouse, chickadees, nuthatches, juncos, blue jays, male and female cardinals, yellow and purple finches, downy woodpeckers, yellow-bellied sap suckers (wood peckers), and the gorgeous pileated woodpecker.

Feeding them is like an adventure. You never know who might drop in. It's inexpensive entertainment and Jonah and Jude are learning the names of the birds. We can count on Jude to go growl at the occasional squirrel that scales our feeder to feast on the sunflower seeds. Jonah has learned to sit quietly so that he can watch the birds and learn their behavior patterns and names.

Thanks Lonnie for introducing me to birding. It's a simple pleasure I have come to enjoy. I think of you often and will never forget our bird watching sessions.

Batman and Superman and what Mom will do for love!

2009-10-16T05:51:00.000-07:00

I drove to four stores yesterday evening looking for a Batman costume for Jonah. He has been wanting to be Batman since late August. He is a little under the weather this week and asked in his best frail "Tiny Tim" voice. After the third store, I called home and asked him if he might want me to improvise with my Barber cape and some black clothing... (He already found a mask at our church flea market) or, I could go to the O'Fallon Walmart and look for a "real costume". He meekly proposed that I go on to the O'Fallon Walmart to see if they might have one. So at midnight I drove to the O'Fallon superstore and got lucky. They had about 8 of them in his size. Tiny Tim is going to be so excited when he wakes up.

By the way, Jude is going to be Superman. He tested his flying skills by "flying" from his bed to Jonah's bed and back as his red cape whipped in the wind. He beamed proudly as we cheered him on.

(pictures to follow)

My Guys

2009-10-11T02:22:00.000-07:00

This is my new favorite pic of my guys. They are my life. I am grateful that God gave Lesh his life back and that we can still share a life with him. And who can put into words the love you have for your children? They are unique, special, precious, brilliant and full of life. My life is richer because of them.

This was taken in front of the Spaghetti Factory at Laclede's Landing during General Conference.

Jonah started Kindergarten!

2009-08-25T11:49:00.000-07:00

Not sure what this look is..LOL.

This is the excited school boy!

Jonah praying during Bible class.

My sweet baby. He LOVES to learn.

Jonah started Kindergarten yesterday! It was sweet, sad, and exciting. Lesh and I felt that we could provide the best education for him through homeschool. We decided on the Abeka DVD curriculum. We will supplement as needed. Jonah loves his teacher Mrs. Bere. He begins with Bible class each day. I love that.

To top it all off..he learned to ride his bike without training wheels! We're so proud of him.

Festival of the Little Hills, Return Trip

2009-08-22T21:36:00.000-07:00

Julia and I took ALL FOUR KIDS to Festival of the Little Hills tonight, without husbands. An experience to be sure..will upload a movie starring our children as we left. They were wound up.

Dance..Dance..Dance..

2009-08-22T15:42:00.000-07:00

The boys are having fun dancing today..they think they are "Happy Feet". Jonah's dancing is more Scottish or something..and Jude..I guess he just break dances..in this video..they were spinning and acting silly.

Praises From A Grateful Heart

2009-08-12T00:21:00.000-07:00

God, thank you for strength when I learned of Lesh's accident. Thank you for friends that surrounded me with caring and their presence. Thank you for family that will be with me until I die. Thank you that Lesh was breathing when I found him at the ER. Thank you that he was cared for by excellent medical personnel. Thank you for a friend that was there when I was walking into a less than hopeful circumstance. Thank you for faith that you gave when the doctors thought he would die. Thank you for giving me strength to pray with faith. Thank you for friends who let me cry and who cried with me when my strength was gone. Thank you for the word that you sent by phone for me to "Don't be afraid. Just believe." Thank you for the many who ran to the hospital to be with us. Thank you that they prayed with faith. Thank you for allowing me to know You as "Comforter" in a new and thick way. Thank you for the peace that surrounded us like a warm blanket. Thank you for the joy that overflowed my heart. Thank you for saving Lesh's life. Thank you for guiding the surgeon's hand in the body that you created. Thank you for the good report that came forth. Thank you for the rapid healing that took place in his body. Thank you for helping him regain strength to be able to endure a second surgery. Thank you for again guiding that same surgeon's hands as he repaired the brokenness. Thank you that Lesh wiggled his toes on command. Thank you that he wiggled his fingers on command. Thank you when he nodded his head. Thank you that he recognized me when he opened his eyes. Thank you for helping him breathe when the ventilator was removed. Thank you that he began to regain his mental clarity. Thank you that he was able to sit up. Thank you that he was able to swallow. Thank you that he was able to stand. Thank you that he was able to eat again. Thank you that you were there when his heart rate was through the roof. Thank you for a friend that understood when I broke down. Thank you for my pastor who prayed in faith. Thank you for answering and lowering Lesh's heart rate. Thank you that Lesh was moved to the step down unit..it was a great day. Thank you for protecting him when he couldn't remember his accident. Thank you that he was able to see Jonah and Jude. Thank you that he saved a cookie for them. Thank you that he could hug them. Thank you for the loving family and friends who cared for my children when I could not. Thank you that children are resilient. Thank you for our church family who provided a place for us to stay close to the hospital. Thank you when I could go home. Thank you that he was moved to the rehab hospital. Thank you that he regained complete mental clarity. Thank you for the therapists that worked with him. Thank you for that beautiful room he was in. Thank you for his dad that was there to help me care for him. Thank you that I could bring him home. Thank you for parents that helped me get him in and out of our truck. Thank you that they helped with my children. Thank you that he was able to return to church. Thank you that he was able to stand and greet our congregation. Thank you that he was able to preach again. Thank you that he is able to use a walker. Thank you for healing his neck. Thank you that he is no longer wheelchair dependent. Thank you that he had strength to go down stairs. Thank you that he has not been depressed. Thank you that he has not been angry. Thank you that he does not complain. Thank you that he forgives me when I do. Thank you that he loves me. Thank you for friends who encourage him continually. Thank you for strengthening me. Thank you for friends and family who have cared for us continually. Thank you for every new day with my husband. Thank you for my family.

Your mercies are fresh each day and they endure eternally.

"You're great, So great, and Your love endures forever." "Hear these praises from a grateful heart, each time I think of You the praises start, I love you so much, Jesus, I love you so much."

Vacation

2009-07-26T03:07:00.000-07:00

Lesh and I decided last Sunday that we would be leaving in two hours for Branson for an impromptu vacation. We tend to do most of our getaways like that. :) We didn't do a lot as far as shows and sites as it is still difficult for him to get around, but the change of scenery was wonderful for all of us. Lesh really only leaves the house for church and for doctor's appointments. It was a much needed get-a-way and the boys had a blast..I will post a few photos that I took on my phone (poor quality..hurry up Sony Ericsson! I can't wait for the C905a to come out! 8MB camera phone!! Woohoo!! :)

Sights
We did a drive-thru exotic animal safari in Strafford, Missouri off Hwy. 44 and it was so much fun! Completely worth the money we paid. Lesh fed a huge buck with a huge rack right out of his hand. He pet it on the head..amazing. He also made a good friend in something that I think was a Zedonk..or at least a close relative..he trotted along with our car for several hundred feet hoping for more food..cutest thing ever..the boys were cracking up laughing. Lesh has good pictures of that on his phone. They boys fed fawns and baby goats. Jude was fearless. We saw baby ligers that played and growled at each other..so cute. Monkeys, a wolf, wallabies, exotic birds, a lion, a tiger, camels..really neat place.

Good Eats
We shared a funnel cake at the cute little fifties diner on the strip..can never remember the name of that place..ate "espensive food" as Jonah puts it, at Red Lobster and ate less than stellar food at Lone Star. Ugh..

Fun
The boys and swam in a pool I have a sunburn to prove it. Haha. Lesh tried to fish several times but Lake Taneycomo was too high for him to venture into..he's barely mobile so trying to navigate flowing water wouldn't be a smart thing to do. We did visit the Bass Pro on the Landing and the one in Springfield so that was fun for him..he added to his fishing supplies. One evening we took the boys to a toddler ride area on the strip..they loved riding this little train and ringing the bell..a miniature ferris wheel, swings, saucers, and Jonah was even able to drive a gas powered go-cart!! Scary!! He did fine until he kept looking at me on the sideline..he would come around the circle, look at me as I waved and grinned, and then he would crash into the same place in the wall...at least four times. Finally, I stopped waving and told him to keep his eyes on the road. He was so proud of himself...too cute.

Hope you all have a wonderful day! I'm so happy to be home so that I can worship with my church family..I want more of God today!

A New Kind of Normal

2009-07-09T23:34:00.001-07:00

Hi all. Been so busy I've not had much time to post, but here I am. We are doing well..I am exhausted and the boys are antsy, but we're all making it. Lesh is ready to get on to the next step, but he's still pretty exhausted most of the time. We venture out to doctor's appointments and not much else. He has been given good reports (see our facebook page for details) and is progressing faster than his doctors expected. God is so very good. We are grateful he is alive and doing so well.

I clean. A lot. Because of home care and helpers, we have people in and out of our house everyday. My first luxury, when I am able, will be to hire a cleaning service. Our church friends have been awesome with bringing in meals several times a week. We appreciated that so much. We are still getting meals some Wednesdays and that is hugely helpful. That is a big day for us. There are several guys taking turns on our lawn and Don Shields mows the field around the church. Andy Grace drags our smelly trash bins down our long driveway to the road..he deserves some kind of medal for that (think diapers). I'm not sure what we would have done without the help we have received. We are blessed with wonderful friends.

Church is going great..we have had wonderful speakers and Lesh is able to speak some now too, so that has been nice. Our music is getting better each service and it's great fun to worship with, and play with such fine musicians. Our worship team are awesome too..they are sincere worshippers and what a difference that makes.

Jonah is going to be starting Kindergarten soon..here at home. We will be trying out the DVD teaching series Abeka offers. We have his curriculum already, but I still need to order his DVD's. He is ready. He's sharp..asks a million questions (does every kid do that??? makes me tired) and he has a memory like an elephant. He knows every restaurant and store in town...and remembers things from when he was two and three...things I don't even recall. Amazing.

Jude is sounding more like a little boy now. He's also very intelligent..intuitive, loves to sing..just like his big brother..and sounds like a chipmunk..he loves to hug and snuggle. I LOVE it. He also drives me crazy when he whines. Because he received very little discipline during Lesh's hospitalization..his behavior suffered. Since daddy has been home, we've cracked down again and he's doing much better.

I bought the boys a Hotwheel racetrack the other night and they absolutely adored it..wish I had been recording when they first turned it on..they were so sweet..they squealed and laughed and thought it was hilarious. Jonah hugged me, unprompted, and thanked me for the "cool toy". Made me cry. Love my boys and am so thankful for them.

Exhausted and Happy

2009-06-02T23:06:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update: I am exhausted, but so happy to have Lesh home. We are truly blessed beyond measure. His care is getting easier each day and our life is starting to feel a little more "normal" each day. He is still wheel-chair bound most of the time..he can use the walker some, but it exhausts him, but he's getting quite adept in the wheel chair. He's craving that independence as far as being able to do things for himself. He can open the front door, and do quite a lot of care of himself, for himself. I am always close to him to be sure he doesn't fall. We do not want to chance a setback, so we're very careful. We have daily visits from Home Health in the form of a nurse, physical therapist, and occupational therapist. We have some "outside the home" doctor visits soon, so those will be outings that should be interesting. But all in all, we're doing well. I am having to adjust to taking care of "three guys" in a different way, but would not trade having him here for anything. He loves being home, being in his own bed, and being with his family. The boys are loving it also. They missed his "firm hand" also. :) This is too funny...Yesterday evening, the boys were arguing over a toy or something and Lesh had already asked them to stop once. They continued and he said "Boys, if you don't stop arguing now, I'm going to take you in your room to spank you" in his most firm voice..with "the look". Jonah, matter-of-factly, asked "How are you going to do that?" He knew that Lesh's wheel chair wouldn't fit through their bedroom door." HEHE!! I got so tickled..Lesh started to reply "Oh I'll show you how I'll do it" and then I said "Oh, you've got to admit...that's funny!" Jonah was innocently inquiring as to how Lesh was going to accomplsh that! Too great.

I love my boys so much. Jonah is so smart...his world is expanding each day. He wanted to see pictures of our computers in our heads (brain) on daddy's laptop. He is constant questions..has been for several years now.

This evening, we had a somewhat ironic moment. The boys and I ran out for a few minutes to do a couple of errands while Lesh was taking a nap. We turned onto Prospect Road so that we could go to 40 East and head to Lowe's in Lake Saint Louis. Jonah started protesting and said that we couldn't go that way.."that is the road all the wrecks happen on." I assured him that wasn't true. He argued and said "yes..that's where daddy had his wreck!" And then I remembered that he was confused..that was the road we had taken each time we went to the hospital to see Lesh..that he must have been remembering that we went that way the evening we first learned of Lesh's accident..and then everytime after that. As we were entering the highway from the ramp, I assured him that we would not have a wreck..and then caught myself. I thought.. "what if we do have one? Then he'll think I'm a liar." So I quickly clarified and said, "We probably won't have an accident, but if we do, Jesus will protect us just as he protected daddy." The words had no sooner slipped out of my mouth when I saw a car about 200 feet in front of us start weaving wildly across the two lanes, enter the median area that is under construction and turn around several times and flip onto it's side. Talk about blow my mind!! Jonah said "See!! I told you people have wrecks on this road!" I pulled off the road quickly as did a driver or two in front of me. I saw a man jump out of his door..the one that was elevated in the air..and he ran around to the other side of the car. I started groaning inside thinking "Oh Lord..there must be someone else in the car..I hope it's not a kid. A couple of construction workers pulled up quickly and jumped out to help him and they pulled a little girl from the car. She was crying and clutching her daddy, but both seemed to be alright. The father sat down on the ground with the little girl and the workers ran to their truck and began doing something. I rolled down my window to ask if they had called 911, and then nodded that they had, so I left the scene of the accident to prevent us from getting hit. When the man's car hit the median area, he put a lot of rock all over the road that was flying up and causing more trouble for cars slowing down for the accident. I thought it best to leave the accident scene. After I got to Lake Saint Louis, I called my dad and told him what had happened, and he said "Well you know, Jonah was a prophet". We sing the Veggie Tales song all the time. Jonah has often commented that Jonah was a prophet of God and because his name is Jonah, he believes he is a prophet of God. (Truthfully, I don't think he fully understands what a prophet is.) I am grateful that God had his hand on us this evening. Makes me wonder how many things like that He protects us from on a daily basis.

Trying to catch up on bills, paperwork, church work, etc. I will be pulling some late nighters to catch up. Thinking of all my friends and those who have offered up prayers for our family. Cannot tell you how grateful I am. What in the world would we do without friends?

If you would like to see some recent photos, you can visit http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pastor-Lesh-and-Jennifer-Johnson/80354567101.

Going to get my baby...bringing Lesh home

2009-05-28T00:57:00.000-07:00

This Friday, I will be bringing my husband home after a month of him being hospitalized. This evening, I transferred images from my phone to my laptop. I created a folder called "Accident" on my desktop where I am keeping images of him from the hospital, the "truck remains" images, and anything else associated with it. I started reviewing some of the early hospital day images and had to stop. It is painful to see him like that. My heart breaks for what he has gone through and will continue to go through until he has "fully recovered". I am not sure you fully recover from something like this. I want to keep the images because I want to be able to always look back and remember where God brought him from... a reminder of His healing power and of His amazing love to us. But to see your loved one in that condition..it's too painful to dwell on. Our bodies heal, our hearts heal, and we go on with our life..more aware..living with more intentional purpose..loving those around us more.

To try to understand why this has happened would be a futile exercise. GOD ALONE knows why, so we must trust that He has some purpose in this. I do know this: we have been able to share the greatness of God with more people this past month than ever before. It amazes me all the people that we come in contact with who have heard about his accident.

Lesh has an amazing attitude. He hasn't complained. He is weary, but he has a strong determination to get better..and to do it properly. He wants to come home, but he hasn't pressured the medical team to allow him to leave prematurely. He has come through too much to "jump the gun" and have an unnecessary setback. Slow and steady. He has made friends of all of his nurses and techs in typical "Lesh" style. He has received excellent care and I think new friendships have been created that will last for a very long time.

While in rehab, he had an opportunity to preach the St. John's Mercy Rehab Hospital chapel service. His text: Romans 8:28 and Psalm 23. His favorite song through this time has been Matt Redman's You Never Let Go. We have felt God gripping us tightly. Even our hearts. It is as if a thick, soft, but firm wall has been built around us to guard from bitterness, loneliness, and hopelessness. I know what it is to experience "The Comforter". From the prayer that was offered up in the OR waiting room that first evening to now, I have felt the comfort of the Holy Ghost in a way that is undeniable. This experience has not been easy. But God has given us the grace to face each day..sometimes..each moment.

I will share some experiences in more detail over the next few weeks: the Trauma ER, the OR Waiting Room, the ICU waiting room, Grant and Diana, Elevated Heart Rate, the TICU safety scare, and Rehab.

Thank you for every prayer you lifted on our behalf. It means everything to us.

Lesh's Accident

2009-05-04T06:53:00.000-07:00

For updates on Lesh, please visit this Facebook page.

A Tribute to Jude

2009-04-30T00:55:00.000-07:00

Jude turned three on Sunday. I have to be honest and tell you that Lesh and I were not sure we were ready for another child after Jonah. After all, we feel like we have many children, in a spiritual sense, and starting a church requires much time, attention, and dedication. But we knew we wanted another child, weren't getting any younger, and did not want Jonah to be an only child, and God gave us Jude.

Jude has blessed our lives immeasurably. He is the sunshine (and angst) in my days. His "schnuggles" are sweet warmth and his smile lights up the room. He is outgoing and loves to dance. He is strong-willed (to say the least), but puts his heart into most things. Jude loves his big brother, Jonah, and joys in playing with him.

Jude, mommy (yes mommy, not mom) "lufs" you and will forever. I'm so glad you are three.

Date with Jonah and other ramblings..

2009-04-25T23:11:00.000-07:00

Jonah and I ran errands together this afternoon and had a date at Jimmy John's, the new gourmet sub shop in town. He was a great date. (Don't you just love this picture of him!..proud momma..I know.) I love this kid with all my heart..he's beautiful inside and out. He loves learning and loves to talk to us..he asks a ton of questions..a little sponge. We shared a delicious sandwich (homemade tuna with cucumbers and sprouts on freshly baked bread), interesting conversation and lots of smiles. Since Easter, he is noticing cross shapes everywhere..today, on the window frames. He and Jude make crosses with their fingers and talk about the crucifixion several times a day. At lunch, he did it within earshot of other diners. (Wondered what they were thinking.) He was proud that he had found another "cross that Jesus died on." He regularly asks the same question: Why did they kill Jesus? I wonder the same thing.

Did you know that lemon juice takes off hard water and calcium stains around your sinks? A simple lemon. I'm thinking of going green with my cleaning supplies..everything but the toilet. Can't beat Sno Bol for ease and working power. Who knows..maybe there is some natural remedy out there for that too.

It was gorgeous out today. Jude's fever broke..hope he's on the mend. He's a bear when he is sick. Today (Sunday) is his birthday. We'll be celebrating very simply.

Hope your day is blessed! Go to church and worship with your church family. Listen to some good preaching. God can draw and save you through the message your pastor preaches.

Piano In My Living Room

2009-04-20T12:34:00.000-07:00

I posted this comment at www.mamalogues.com after reading this post by Dana Loesch. Thought I would share it here.

"These images bring back so many memories for me. I have played the piano since I was three..don't remember learning to chord. This was my therapy everyday after school. Some kids rushed to the kitchen for cookies..I rushed to the piano to pour out my soul. My mother still has that Ballwin in her living room. Can't wait to get one for mine!
This is a priceless thing to pass on to your children..awesome looking piano too!"

I can't afford the piano I want right now, so Lesh pulled his old Yamaha keyboard out and the boys have been having a blast on it. Jonah can play the bass line to "Sing Hosanna" on it. :) Then we dance around to the pre-set songs on it..fun times!

Family Church Grand Opening

2009-04-20T11:20:00.000-07:00

We had an amazing weekend..will update with pictures asap.

Catch up..

2009-04-20T11:15:00.001-07:00

Working at CWI killed my blog..going to resume now..here's what I never had time to post..wrote it..never had time to post.

"Yes..I'm still alive. :) In November, I began a temp job at CWI(Clinical Workflow Iniative), a division of BJC HealthCare. It has turned out to be quite the interesting assignment. Our team has been given the charge to standardize care, and identify the best practices to improve health care in all of the BJC Community Hospitals. As a project coordinator, I have been supporting the CPL's that are leading the Medication Administration (including Med Reconciliation for all you medical peoples) and the Discharge Transition teams. I have added to my acronym bank..they are staples in the information technology and health care fields. I have been able to share a few back... hehe (GEFWIF - Good Enough For Who It's For, by Jeff Dunlap..can't take credit for it. LOL!) I have had the privilege of meeting several of the hospital presidents. Being in a corporate setting has been an adjustment..to say the least. I will be thrilled to be working for our church again..full time. Until then, I am trying to help my family and fulfill whatever purpose God has for me at BJC between 9 and 5:30. :) I am not looking too far ahead..trying to take one day at a time. I have found that it is wonderful to plan and prepare for days to come, but in reality, our main focus should be on what we are presently doing. Less frustrated...etc. :)

Jonah turned five on February 13th. He is a little boy now..although he will always be my baby. Jonah is maturing faster than I want to think about. He is sweet, considerate, and a great friend to his little brother Jude.

Speaking of Jude..he used the potty three times yesterday and I thought Lesh and I would leap for joy..we clapped and hollered and made a huge deal of it. Then he went in to the living room and peed directly on the wood floor. (at least it wasn't carpet) Talk about a let down...lol. At least he is actually doing something on the potty. It will be a rapturous day when he stops wearing diapers.

He is talking like a big kid..he says "I so happy to see you mommy!" I love it. But on Tuesday evening I was having an ice cream craving and Lesh brought me a vanilla frosty from Wendy's. As he delivered it, Lesh asked "Will that make you happy?" and I confirmed that it would with a grateful smile. Jude was standing beside me and said "Mommy..did Daddy say "make you happy"?" and I said "Yes Jude..daddy wanted to know if I liked my ice cream." Without any hesitation he said "I happy to see that!" and pointed to my ice cream cup. I cracked up... He loves to eat..and loves sugar. (who doesn't?) Both of my boys still love to "schnuggle", as Jude puts it, with me and I love it. Jude's idea of a good time is sharing my pillow, playing with my hair and sucking his fingers..oh yeah..and watching Thomas. Jonah loves for me to play trains with them..he also has a new Leapster that he loves. It was a gift from his grammy for his birthday. They are quite educational.

I will update you on church news soon..signing off! Night!"

Jonah yelling..I mean singing "Farmer in the Dell"

2008-11-29T21:22:00.000-08:00

French Fries Not Equal to Vegetables

2008-11-26T21:21:00.000-08:00

Legal Disclaimer - The conversation you are about to read is true;
the names have been changed to protect the innocent (or guilty).

Some Wife: What are you guys doin'?

Some Husband: Eating fishsticks and french fries with the boys.

Some Wife: Have they had any vegetables today?

Some Husband: Yeah.

Some Wife: What vegetables?

Some Husband: Potatoes.

Some Wife: Oh..you made potatoes?

Some Husband: The french fries. They had potatoes in the french fries.

Much eye rolling and conversation ensued...somewhere out there.

Field Trip

2008-11-24T19:34:00.000-08:00

Lesh is with the boys during the day now since I am working for CWI. They accompanied him on a series of church errands on Monday, but they made a detour to the Department of Transportation. The museum is closed on Mondays, but they were still able to see the trains outside..they LOVED it. They are all about "anything Thomas" currently. Come to find out, our good friend Therese(manager), was actually in the office and could have let them in. If you visit, say hello to her! She's a super lady. Needless to say, they had a great time climbing and exploring.

DARLING little boy!

2008-11-18T21:56:00.000-08:00

This is the cutest thing I have seen in forever.

A Decade

2008-11-17T21:22:00.000-08:00

This Friday marks our tenth wedding anniversary. It's sappy..it's cliche, I know, but he's still "the one". I still love him for the same reasons I loved him ten years ago: He's the most handsome man in the world. He's strong, talented, compassionate, gentle, keen, not afraid to cry, and he loves me..I have never doubted his love or the commitment he made to me, and that is a rare and beautiful devotion. He is not proud, or below any task. He's easy to be with..we laugh together, cry together, play together, work together (a lot), and we dream together.

And after ten years, I love him for a lot more reasons: He's a great husband, an awesome pastor, a great photographer, and the best dad that Jonah and Jude could dream up.

Here are a few memories from the last ten years:

My Boys & Faith

2008-11-10T00:39:00.000-08:00

They are growing so fast. Jonah speaks like a smart boy now..not a toddler. He is really sensitive, intuitive, and loves his mother. :) He will still get in my arms and let me hold him like a baby and cuddle...can't tell you how much I love this. When he wants hugs and affection, he hugs me and says "love, love, love" in this cartoon-like voice..it's hilarious and sweet. He is learning to write letters, create snowflakes out of white paper, and much more.

Jude is developing "attitude". He now says "Stop that Mommy!", sometimes in frustration, and sometimes because he knows it amuses me. I'm having to put my "mean mom" face on and correct him (even though it's pretty funny and I just want to laugh.) I don't want him to be a spoiled brat. He's also learning to say "sawwy mommy" (translated: Sorry Mommy) because he gets in his share of mischief. He has a temper and still does the whole screeching gig if he doesn't get his way. So we ask him to leave the room, and go to his room if he wants to behave like that. He's started just walking to his room and then coming back when he's ready to behave calmly. He seems to understand it's a time out..a chance for him to deal with his own stuff and then come back to be with his family. Most of the time, he returns repentant. He doesn't play alone often..he's never really been alone. Jonah plays independently really well, but he's the first child, so I guess that makes sense.

With Christmas approaching, I am trying to find creative ways to teach my boys about what Christmas really is..a celebration of the birth of the Savior of the world. I've been explaining to them that Jesus is the best gift we receive. Thursday evening, I told them they, Jonah and Jude, were gifts from God to their daddy and me. They got a kick out of that..especially Jonah. Anyway, I'm hoping they will equate that in some way to the fact that Jesus was an incredible gift to both Mary and Joseph, and to the world. If you have taught your children about Christmas in some unique way, please share with us!

On a side note, while at Wal-Mart this evening, I noticed that they are selling Focus on the Family dolls (Barbie sized) called Messengers of Faith. One is Jesus and one is Mary. They quote scripture passages out of Luke and John and you can bend their arms and legs like you would a Barbie doll. In researching them online, I came across this review. As much as I would like for the boys to have the Jesus doll, I may only get the other dolls and leave the Jesus doll for others to purchase. (In looking at the dolls on the website, I don't see any blue eyes on Jesus..the dolls may have been altered. Still think I will just look into getting the other biblical characters.)

I love my boys..they are a delight to us. It sounds cliche but children really are a blessing straight from the heart of God. Each night when I put them in bed, I pray over each one of them and let the boys hear me thanking God for them. I think that is really important in helping them understand their value to you as a parent, and as a child of God. It's also gives them a sense of security.

Also, instead of just praying over them, I have been letting them kneel next to me by Jonah's bed so that they can pray with me. They need to learn to communicate with God in their own way, and for the needs of others. I don't want them to think that prayer is all about asking God for things..a Santa Claus kind of God. I want them to come to understand that He is their friend and that they can talk to Him as easily as they talk to me. Pretty amazing thing to try to teach. I also want them to understand that we should pray for others...that we do not serve God alone..but that we are a part of a really large international church body. I sing praise to God and worship around the house so that they see that it's not just something we do at church..it's a lifestyle. All of life can be worship.

Parenting is the most awesome, exciting, daunting challenge ever. How are you teaching your children about faith? Would love to hear your input!

More on the election and a call to prayer!

2008-11-07T00:58:00.000-08:00

RACE

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Ironically, many people are saying that Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream came true on November 4, 2008. Somehow, I don't think Barack Obama was elected by people based on the content of his character, but rather because of the color of his skin. I certainly understand this is a historic day. It is a day that needed to come. It's a day of hope for many people. I don't wish to diminish it's power. But it should not have come at the expense of the good of our nation. I do not believe we should vote for someone based on the color of their skin. I believe that we should vote for someone on the content of their character and that their skin color should not have been a factor. If a man of stellar character such as Alan Keyes (who values all human life) had been the winner, I would have been shouting in the streets about how incredible a victory it was that a man of such incredible integrity and intelligence was elected..and yes, that he was the first African American to be elected. Instead, we elected someone who was better at influencing the masses.

This whole election has been very baffling to me. I fear that our nation voted naively for "change." We're going to get change, but probably not the kind that we have been hoping for. I am too young to remember the Carter Presidency, but this wise woman is not. She has a unique perspective on what this coming Presidential term may be like.

PRAY
Whatever my personal thoughts, Barack Obama needs our prayer more than ever before. This post has some great prayers that you can adopt and pray for our President Elect. As the church, we have an incredible responsibility. I believe that God will use this time to wake the church up and get us doing what we are supposed to be doing...praying and working. Another pastor said that this result may create a spiritual vacuum in our nation, and we need to be available to be the workers to gather the harvest. We can look forward with hope, not because Barack Obama will bring it, but because God can do incredible things through His people in any season. We can be a part of true "change" - the change that comes about when God's people pray. Join with me!

Circus Tix

2008-11-06T21:25:00.000-08:00

UPDDATE! We won!!! We are so excited!! Jude is going to see "El-a-fons" for real!! They are on cloud nine..special thanks to Dana!! Will post some pictures after the big night. http://www.ringling.com/TopLanding.aspx?id=11588

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Dana from http://www.mamalogues.com/ is giving away circus tix. This is my boys asking to be chosen! :)

The Presidential Election & Racism

2008-11-04T23:01:00.000-08:00

It has been a long two years and I am grateful this day has come to an end. It is no secret that I hoped John McCain would be elected. Many conservatives are consoling themselves that although their candidate was not chosen, "history was made" and racism was overcome. As much as I am grateful that some in our nation rose above the sin of racism and dared to look beyond the color of skin, I fear that some voted purely based on race..proving that racism is very much still alive.

My reasons for not voting for Barack Obama had absolutely nothing to do with his race. I honestly could not care less his race or the color of his skin. I withheld my vote because he does not value human life. I withheld my vote because he believes that the hard working should be penalized and should share their earnings with those who are unemployed. I withheld my vote because he believes in government forced compassion. And I withheld my vote because he sought to penalize those with differing opinions, during his campaign, under the guise of a "fair campaign".

However, there are those who share my Christian beliefs with regard to homosexual marriage and the right of the unborn to live. Yet, because he shared their same skin color, they chose to cast their vote for him. That is racism..pure and simple. How could a Christian, in good conscience, vote for someone who does not defend human life just because he shares their skin color? We've not come so far after all.

How NOT to Help the Poor

2008-11-02T01:45:00.000-07:00

How NOT to help the poor - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MGYzhbKPDg&eurl=http://thebittenword.blogspot.com/

I'm going to post my thoughts about this later, but "helping the poor" is a topic we've been hearing a lot about from presidential candidate Barack Obama. As Christians, we are instructed to help the poor. But what does "helping the poor" look like in a practical sense? This is a relevant topic for all pastors, ministers, Christians, and really all Americans.

Here's a question for you: Are you just a "drive-by minister" or are you a "face to face minister"?

Tired Momma!

2008-11-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

This is me after an evening of Veggie Tales, Red Robin, and Walmart. I think I am finally ready for some wrinkle cream..I look old. I think this year has aged me..moving, building the church, stress, etc. When I get to heaven, I'll have a new body..so hey!! ;-)

We are still unpacking boxes..it will never end. At least we don't have to move in the foreseeable future. I really am grateful for that. Moving disrupts your life like nothing else. Still have to do all the address change stuff..dreading it.

Boys had a great time tonight with their friends Jaden, Madeline, Courtney, Shaely, Logan B., Logan S., Kayleigh, Miranda, and cousins Jocie (Jocelyn) and Jean Claire. We ran into Tiffany and Andrew Countaway and friends there too..it's always fun to see old friends!!

It was a pretty good show..if you have to go to something like that. I wanted more BoyZ in the Sink songs but it was fun. Will post pics when Aunt Julia and Holly post more pics.

Boys are gonna rock!

2008-10-31T00:54:00.000-07:00

The boys and I are going to Veggie Tales tomorrow evening with family and friends. They are are so excited about seeing Bob, Larry and Jr. I haven't taken Jude to anything like this before, but he has "grown up" so much in the last month and half or so that I think he's ready for it. He's talking like crazy..it's still wierd to hear thoughts and complete sentences coming out of the mouth of your baby! It's fun and interesting and a little bitter too. Their personalites are apparent much earlier than when they start speaking, but it's hilarious to hear their words and thoughts matching their already well known personalities.

It is also amazing to me how much Jude learns from Jonah. Jonah has been very concerned for quite some time now ..."Who is bigger? Who is the boss? Who is "littler" than me?" Non stop... I lifted Jude up to stand on top of our kitchen island the other day so that I could fix his pants or something and he exclaimed "I taller you!", accompanied by the most proud grin ever. Lesh was standing there and caught it too..we cracked up.

Milestone:

A note for the grandmas..Jude peed on the toilet Tuesday night for the first time. I made a huge deal of it. Think of all the money I could save not having to buy diapers!

Tim Hawkins Clip

2008-10-24T16:34:00.000-07:00

Okay..my friend Anita sent this to me and it's just so funny. If your church sings contemporary praise and worship music, you're going to crack up. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYaTSbCGY50&feature=related

Two little blessings I am thankful for

2008-10-22T23:49:00.001-07:00

My First Love, and Gratitude

2008-10-22T22:03:00.000-07:00

According to this link, gratitude is a huge factor in happy living. http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/labs/emmons/

Thanksgiving is about a month away and I am celebrating early. With the state of politics, the economy, and the world, it is so easy to be overcome with worry, negativity, and despair. So, I am having to purpose to remind myself that God knows exactly where I am and that whatever my future, He will be with me. Additionally, I choose gratitude. I am blessed beyond measure and thanking God for it, and living in a grateful manner not only blesses God, but it helps me get my perspective straight.

I am already listening to Christmas music. And while I may tire of the "Christmas-y" sound..I will never tire of the message of God's amazing love for all the world. I hope that I can impart that same sense of gratitude to my children. I don't want them to think that Christmas is all about the toys, lights, and Santa Claus alone..but I want them to understand that a miracle took place a long time ago. My mind cannot comprehend how the God that created the heavens, the earth, and the galaxies near and far would choose to put on flesh and come into this world with rags on his tiny body. How He could grow up in a natural, earthly family, start his ministry on earth working miracles, and then ultimately give His life to pay for all the wrong that I, Jennifer, have done.

I am not sure I have ever fully appreciated just what He did for me...just me. He did it for everyone else too, but he did it for ME. He filled me with His Spirit when I was five years old. I understood that I wanted Him enough to surrender to Him at an early age and my life has been blessed more than I can say. But at five, I couldn't fully comprehend His sacrifice of death for me. As a parent, I think I understand it a little more. There is nothing that I wouldn't do to save either Jonah or Jude, and to think that God loves me much more than I could ever love them is overwhelming and humbling.

This evening, Lesh taught about remembering our first love of Jesus Christ and instructed us to not let our passion, devotion or affection for Him fade. I think that living a life of gratitude helps us keep those critical elements front and center.

This song by the Martins is a beautiful reminder to us to not forget the cross:

May We Never Forget
By The Martins

Verse 1
The story's so familiar
We've heard it all before
Some days it seems like nothing's sacred anymore
Despite the best intentions
Somewhere along the road
We've come to take for granted
this truth that we know

Chorus
May we never forget
The cross and the blood
The price that was paid so that we might live
May we never forget
The cost of this love
He'll never forsake us
He'll always forgive
May we never forget

Verse 2

So let us decide right here , right now
To refresh our memory
Of how it felt to be lost,
and how it feels to be free

Bridge
The grace of our God
The wealth of His mercy outpoured
Forgive us , Lord
Forgive us

Chorus 2
If we ever forget
Your cross and Your blood
The life that You gave so that we might live
May we never forget
The cost of Your love
You'll never forsake us
You'll always forgive
May we never , never ever forget

Boys n' Pumpkins

2008-10-13T00:43:00.000-07:00

We took the boys to a pumpkin farm on Friday afternoon and had a great time.

I think the boys had a better time with the red wagon than anything else. Jonah wanted to pull it and Jude wanted to ride. Everyone was happy.

Teeter titer fun!

Husband = Diverse

2008-10-12T22:15:00.001-07:00

My husband is diverse. He is a pastor, photographer, heavy equipment operator, cook, ditch digger, renovates homes, fly fisherman, internet surfer, paints, builds, teaches, and used to ~~model~~ get paid for looking handsome in cool clothes. He is up for any task, not above any task, and one of the most hardworking individuals I have ever met. This is a shout out to the man I love most. You rock babe.

Love this kitchen!

2008-10-07T14:56:00.000-07:00

This picture is kind of dark, but it is so fun to work in.

Got this sink on Ebay for the price of a salad bowl..which it looks like. :)

Over the last year and half, Lesh, my dad and several others remodeled the parsonage. It was a 30+ year old home that had probably never been updated. The previous owners were elderly and were not able to maintain the property, leading to them selling it. In fact, the home had been vacant for quite some time. When we first visited the property, we LOVED the land, but the home which was positioned on the back right corner of the property, was badly outdated on the exterior, and in need of a new roof, siding, gutters, and garage doors (never had any) It was downright scary on the inside. Won't tell you all the little things we found on the inside. Anyway, after much sweat, a little blood, and some tears too, it is 90% complete. To say it has been transformed is an understatement. Because of mold, we had to strip it down to the studs; for function, we moved and removed a few walls. I will post exterior photos after we do a little more work, but here are a two interior photos. We still have doors to paint, pictures to hang and decorating to do, but it feels like home. I cannot tell you how grateful we are to finally be in it. We are thankful that God allowed our church to have the resources to purchase it. That was a miracle in itself, and we are a few months away from being able to worship in our new church being built on the property! That is so exciting for our church. To see progress on the church, visit http://www.growingfamilychurch.blogspot.com/.

"All Abawd the choo choo cat!"

2008-10-06T13:47:00.000-07:00

Jonah and Jude are now officially addicted to the Thomas dvd's. I rented a few for them and now they beg for them daily. Jonah loves the latest one because it's a Christmas flick and in Jonah's words, "I love Christmas! And presents and..." Yep..he's figured out that he makes out like a bandit at Christmas. We'll have to dig out the Nativity dvd's soon so he remembers the true meaning of Christmas. Jude also loves Thomas and has been singing "All abawd the choo choo cat, all abawd the choo choo cat". Now I know you are wondering why he's saying choo choo cat instead of choo choo train. He's confusing a train with the bobcat- the landmover. Sunday, he made a turn and actually sang it correctly and I thought he was taking yet another step closer to being a little boy instead of a baby, but alas, today he's back to singing "choo choo cat" so I guess God is granting me a little more time for "choo choo cat". I feel like I'm one big oxymoron..some days I am begging for him to be potty trained and whine-less, and other days I want him to stay that squishy fresh faced bundle of love. Can't have it all..

Global Warming Makes Me Fat!

2008-09-30T00:20:00.000-07:00

This is just too funny..I'm on the way to church Sunday morning and our local FM talk radio station broadcasts these cheezy infomercials. The one featured this past Sunday was about how global warming was making us fat. Global warming is making me fat??? Now I have an excuse!! HEHEHEHE You just gotta laugh! Can't even make that up! The good news was that they had a cream I could apply to fatty parts of my body to make it all go away. LOL

Just heard that Al Gore was connecting our financial crisis with global warming too..oh gimme a break. Why are people still listening to him?

Headbanging to Veggie Tales

2008-09-27T02:16:00.000-07:00

Night before last, at bedtime, the boys got rowdy and turned on their Boys in the Sink CD while I was gathering their bedtime snack. They cranked the volume and were jumping around dancing and laughing and having a big time. When I walked in the room, I told them to turn it off and calm down because "it's almost bedtime!" They ignored me and kept dancing, so I figured, if you can't beat'em, join'em. We were jamming out to Larry Boy..lots of electric guitar...metal sounding..I had my hair down and started head banging and they thought it was so funny. Jonah laughed until he got the hiccups. It just encouraged Jude more so he got on Jonah's bed and started jumping around like a little monkey. I played air guitar for a while and then went back to headbanging..then stopped when my head started hurting and the mother side of me took over. I feared I might experience actual brain damage from jostling my head around like that.

Fun times..fun times. :)

Read about Dana's funny episode related to discipline over at http://www.mamalogues.com/2008/09/discipline.html

Economic Answer?

2008-09-25T22:43:00.000-07:00

I am not an economic expert. I am listening to all the radio commentators, doing some reading on the internet news sources and trying to get more educated about it all. At first, I thought the bail out was unavoidable, but as I hear more details of the bailout, I think it may not be necessary, a good idea, or the right thing to do. We need reform in so many ways in this country. The only solution I have come up with on a personal level is to spend less and pray a lot more. As much as economic stress will hurt everyone, it may be the only thing to draw our nation to Jesus Christ. 2 Chronicles 7:14

I find myself praying "Come Lord Jesus, come quickly!" But in order to pray that without guilt, I must do everything I can to share His gospel with those who do not know Him.

My great aunt sent the following forward to me with regard to the upcoming elections but I think it also applies to our economic status. It's a great reminder:

"TOP 10 PREDICTIONS NO MATTER WHO WINS THE ELECTION
1. The Bible will still have all the answers. 2. Prayer will still work. 3. The Holy Spirit will still move. 4. God will still inhabit the praises of His people. 5. There will still be God-anointed teaching and healing. 6. There will still be singing of praise to God. 7. God will still pour out blessings upon His people. 8. There will still be room at the Cross. 9. Jesus will still love you. 10. Jesus will still save the lost.
ISN'T IT GREAT TO KNOW WHO IS REALLY IN CONTROL?!!!!"

Lovin' this!

2008-09-22T14:30:00.000-07:00

We saw him do this about a year ago too, but didn't have a camera handy. He's holding his shirt up with his chin and reading (as much as a four year old can).

Praying Monkeys

2008-09-20T18:05:00.001-07:00

Do monkey's pray? Jonah wants to know. :)

Had a super day with my family. Got to visit with some of our extended family and enjoyed some great food.

The boys are watching a new "rented" Veggie Tales...Are you my Neighbor? They are "glued" to it. Yay for me..I can get some work done.

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They are in bed now. :)

I have a personal dilemma. I hate dishcloths and dishtowels. I avoid using them at all costs. First, I think they are germ laden disgusting objects. Second, they always end up in the bottom of the sink(darling husband), stuck to a dish, or in some other gross situation. Third, I don't need one more item to fold at laundry time. I don't wash dishes by hand that much..only very large items that won't fit in the dishwasher, so I don't really need dishcloths. (I use those sponges, put them in the dishwasher and then toss them when they are too far gone) ..and I use the dry setting on my dishwasher thus eliminating the need for dish towels. So, I just use paper towels that are much more sanitary, in my opinion, and then I toss them. Yes, I do go through an inordinate amount of paper towels which leads me to my next dilemma. I try to be conscious of the environment in my own little ways, and I also try not to have unnecessary waste. Granted, I am not buying really expensive paper towels, (Bounty...like those thick Viva ones but they aren't great for doing windows or mirrors..not that I do windows that often, but I do have to wipe down my glass covered coffee table, end table, and hall table pretty often..always covered with little sticky fingerprints) but I still feel a little guilty. But then I think, well am I making up for it by being able to use less water and electricity in the laundry? Probably not, because you don't wash a huge amount of washcloths or paper towels that often.

What is your solution? Do you share my phobia of dishcloths and dishtowels?

Crawfish Etouffe, Death AGAIN and The Outdoors

2008-09-18T23:05:00.000-07:00

Jonah asleep..love this picture even though it's a little dark.

Jude a couple of months ago..he's had a haircut since then, but I love that cute expression.

Do all four year olds talk about dying all the time? Tonight, both boys grabbed plastic walmart bags and were playing with them while I was unloading groceries. Jude acted as if he might put one over his head so I quickly took them away and instructed them to never do that. I told Jonah he could die from doing something like that. So he hops up on his stool and says, "well, if we die, we could go see Jesus! I want to go to heaven and see Jesus!" to which I replied, "it's not our time yet. He gets to decide when it's our time." And he whines a little longer about how he wants to go now. Are all four year olds this morbid? Good grief.

We had a super busy day today. A morning meeting I was to attend was re-scheduled for next week, but we still managed to work like crazy all day. I took the boys through a drive-thru and went to pick up a truck load of mulch. We came home and worked in the yard, digging holes and depositing the evergreens and wild grasses in them. Lesh dug a hole for the monster tree. I love that tree. It's a pine of some kind but it looks like something you might see in the west. I'll take a picture soon. We have to go back tomorrow and pick up more mulch. It's the dark stained kind and I love it. Still debating about edging our shrubbery beds with some sort of black rubber liner. (My throat has this irritating glob in it that I keep trying to cough out..fall allergies and the result of working in the yard all day, I guess. More claritin.)

Dinner meeting at some friends' home this evening and partook of crawfish etouffe that was awesome. Then a strawberry and cream pastry of some sort from Helfer's...it doesn't get much better than that. We've been working on the fine details of the Audio/Video/Lighting aspects of our new church building this week and it's exciting. A little scary too. And a lot expensive. We are trying to be careful stewards and yet be relevant with quality tools. I think we are all learning a tremendous amount.

Tonight when I was praying with my boys and putting them in bed, Jude took my hand and moved it back and forth to rub his sweet, little, smiling face. These moments are what make parenting worth it.

Jonah and Heaven & Outside Restrooms

2008-09-17T01:44:00.000-07:00

Jonah keeps asking questions about God and heaven. "Where is God? Is He big? How can He be in my heart if He is big? Can I see God? Can you see God? Does God have a truck? God is not in our house or our church. I cannot see Him. Is He bigger than the Giant Pickle? (Goliath, from Veggie Tales) Is He bigger than the Boogie Man? the Monsters on TV? (also Veggie Tales)"

His questions excite and also make me a bit nervous. I love that he is thinking about God and wanting to know more. But I also want to be sure that I am explaining things in a way that enables him to understand who God really is. I want to give clear, biblical answers..yet it needs to be in a vernacular a four year old can understand. I also don't want to give him a false impression of God that could potentially stay with him for his entire life.

Heaven is a little bittersweet for me, and I would venture to assume, for most adults. It is a place I dream about, long for, and fear just wee little bit. I want to go there, but I don't want to die or leave my family or friends. I want to see people who are already there and I want to see the awesome place God has created for us. Most of all, I want to see God.

Jonah asked me again tonight to pray that God would let him see heaven. That is a little heart wrenching! Of course I want him to go to heaven..but not quite yet? There are a multitude of feelings that swirled through my head as he waited for my answer. I had to carefully gauge my facial expressions too! I didn't want him to think heaven is a place he shouldn't want to go or that he should fear going there, or even the moment our life is over here. I told him he could go when God thought it was the right time. I also told him I thought it would be really cool if we could all go together and tried to be cheerful though there was a lump the size of a large baking potato in my throat. Wow..being a parent is just hard.

He asked if God would be taking us in a plane or a truck? I told him I wasn't sure..that we might fly there. He wanted to know if God had a big fire truck that He could take us all on. He said he wanted all of us to go on the big fire truck. I told him he could ask God. (He asks God for snow every night too.)

On the lighter side, he needed to use the restroom today while we were in our meeting at the new church to discuss lighting/audio/video setup. I told him he could go outside..I was thinking behind a bush or something.. I tended to Jude for a few moments and then looked around for Jonah and he's in the middle of the yard where at least neighbors from five different yards could see, with his shorts and underwear around his feet aiming for who knows what. Yes, we are raising little rednecks. I am from the bootheel after all!

A Video Shout Out to Grammy & Papa Jake!

2008-09-16T01:10:00.000-07:00

The boys saying "hi!"

Pine nuts, Paul Buchanan, Blessing and sweet kids

2008-09-15T22:14:00.001-07:00

I am thankful today for the small and big things. To name a few...

My husband = best friend, partner in crime, strength, love of my life

My boys: Jude's "Hi Mommy!" in his most chirpy voice with a smile straight from the clouds. His snuggles are pure heaven. Jonah's constant praise - This week he's singing Glory Hallelu! and Still Standing. He inspires me daily. He loves to learn new things and to ask questions. His world is growing everyday.

Good Music - it really does calm, inspire, and spur me on creatively. (Paul Buchanan's voice on Are You Lonesome Tonight (with Chris Botti) is lovely, soulful..all in one song)

Pine nuts - they are awesome! Great on salads, in pasta dishes..yum.

Maple Grove Farms - Sesame Ginger dressing..."Where have you been all my life??!!" LUV it.

Dr. Thunder - yeah..I like cheap stuff too! Tastes good and it's great for the budget.

Good Friends - People that just understand..you don't have to say words. A smile or a hug is enough. My mother has a throw pillow on her coffee tablet that says something like "I'm rich in grandkids". I need one that says "I'm rich in friends."

Privacy - I can't tell you how much I appreciate having a home to ourselves again. My parents are awesome and were so kind to let us rent from them after we sold our North Meadow house. (Lesh's too.) But it's wonderful to be able to just have your own space for your own family. 'Nuff said.

To live in the United States of America - I would not want to live anywhere else. I am so grateful to have been born in this nation. It is not without problems..and extensive ones, but largely, it is blessed with incredible, loving, giving, compassionate people who value life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Have you considered the words that make up the Pledge of Allegiance lately? "One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." Powerful words.

God - Some people believe Christians are weak.. that they need to use God as a crutch. Well, if He's a crutch, may I be the most crippled person in the world because I cannot live one day without Him and I don't ever want to try. He has blessed us in more ways than I can ever type. I have been praying "Come Lord Jesus" more and more...I yearn (yes yearn..there's not a better word for it) for Him. I want to know God more and more. It is indescribable to think that He created the galaxies, and that He knows every part of me and desires my friendship. David wrote that His thoughts for us outnumber the grains of sand. His love and what He did on the cross are amazing.

The old song says to count your blessings, to name them one by one. What are you thankful for today?

Sounding like a "parent"

2008-09-12T01:23:00.001-07:00

I was updating my friend Frances on my boys this evening in an email and decided to post a portion of it:

"Before bedtime tonight, I told Jonah that he was expected to refrain from a certain behavior (can’t even remember what it was! J) while he was in our house..isn’t that such a “parent” thing to say??!! LOL Anyway, he responded with “I want to go live in a different house.” My jaw visibly dropped. He’s four. I actually started laughing..I didn’t expect that kind of retort for quite a few years. Of course I probably elicited that response with the way I made my statement. Parenting is a challenge sometimes."

Sometimes I re-play the things I just said to my kids in my head and go "why did I just say that? That was stupid!" Anyone else do this?

That second thing

2008-09-10T22:54:00.001-07:00

Lesh reminded me..Jonah asked what "landscaping" meant. He now knows..trees and shrubs and flowers.

Speaking of landscaping, my husband-pastor made fun of my tree choice for the corner of the house during his bible lesson at church this evening. I'll get even..anybody remember this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iY4khRpG8O8&eurl=http://www.standfirminfaith.com/index.php/site/article/13124/

"Yeah ah do!"

2008-09-09T22:57:00.000-07:00

"Yeah ah do! Yeah ah do!" is something we are hearing a lot of out of Jude lately. Specifically this past Sunday morning. He is old enough to go to Toddler's class now and I had been holding him back until the kindergartners "graduated" so that he wouldn't be so much work for the teachers. Well this past Sunday morning, his teacher came up to where he was being held by my mother and asked him if he would like to go to class, to which he replied, "Yeah ah do! Yeah ah do! Yeah ah do!" really loudly. The whole church heard it of course and laughed. It's cute because the way he says it makes it sound like one big word all slurred together.

I am thrilled he's going to class..I actually get something out of the sermon now...and don't have to worry about him throwing a fit for a cookie, "do-do" (donut) or cracker. If I have to take him out to discipline him..he gets really excited and waves at everyone as if to say "I'm free!! SEE YAAAAAAA!" Hopefully, we'll all be happier now.

p.s. Jonah asked me what choices and something else was tonight..can't remember the second thing, but as I tried to explain what choices were (that there are different options..for example: I might tell you, you have two choices Jonah: You can go to your room or you can take a bath. You can do this or that. This or that.") to a four year old, he started repeating my explanations and using his right and left hands; "This or that. This or that." ..how do they get so smart!

When he was three, and watching "CARS" one night, he told us that "Lightning McQueen had compassion and mercy for Mister Da King!" He had been watching the Veggie Tales "Jonah" quite a bit around that time and drew parallels between those movies! Blown away.

Jude = hair fettish

2008-09-05T13:35:00.001-07:00

Jude has a fettish. For my hair specifically. I hear "I won touch" in this cute little voice at least 10 times a day. If I'm working on my laptop and there is a space for him to squeeze in next to me, this is his favorite position..sitting next to me touching my hair, sucking his fingers. He occasionally pulls out his fingers, looks up at me, and grins as if to say "This is great mom."

Politics & God's Side

2008-09-04T22:20:00.001-07:00

Well..the DNC and the RNC are over and I must say....I'm relieved. While I love doses of good political discussion about issues and the players, I find that large doses tend to suck my soul dry. There are days when I scratch the news networks off my to-do lists and focus completely on things that are good for my soul. However, I am still living "in the world" and I do not want to be apathetic with regard to national and global issues. Scripture is clear that we are to be salt and light and we cannot do that if we aren't engaged in our culture on some level. So, I twitter, blog, watch the foxnews.com and cnn.com videos and live video and read news stories from quite a few sources on the web. I even log on to the radio stream on the website of our local FM talk station, KFTK, 97.1, Younger, Smarter, Better. (Yeah..my kids can say that one. They also have the 97.7, 94.1 JOY FM jingle memorized. Cute.)

Having said all that, the events of last Friday changed the political landscape for me. It was exciting, historic, and I am once again energized about the November election. I respected John McCain for his service to our country, and for standing firm in his beliefs, even if he took heat from his own party. I wasn't overly thrilled about some of his stands on issues such as global warming or the borders. However, like so many others, I am loving what I know about Sarah Palin thus far. What a trip these past days must have been for her. She is not only economically conservative, a reformer, and a WOMAN!, but Sarah is very pro-life, and that is a chief concern for me. I don't care what the political analysts or pundits say: LIFE has always been core issue, and is, in my opinion, the most important issue our country will ever deal with. We must work to stop the holocaust of the innocent unborn.

I do not rush to wear a Republican or Democratic label. I am a social and economic conservative, and I vote for those who share my views on the issues. However, when the lines are drawn, I want to be sure I am firmly planted on God's side. This is an awesome devotion about being sure you are on God's side rather than having a false confidence that because you are a christian God is on your side.

McCain/Palin Rally! (Not McPain, Paul!)

2008-08-31T16:36:00.000-07:00

Jonah and I joined some other friends from church today and attended a McCain/Palin rally at TR Hughes Park in O'Fallon. We had a good time sweating, waiting, sweating, waiting, and then saw the actual candidates heads for maybe 1 or 2 seconds?? (because of the huge crowd there..around 20,000) But we did it mostly happily to show our support and let everyone know there are still people out there who care about conservative issues. To be honest, I had not been overly excited about the upcoming elections because McCain wasn't my first choice. I liked several of the nominees, but wasn't completely sold on any of them...until McCain went and made my week and picked a socially, and fiscally conservative FEMALE! Now I would never vote for or against someone because of their gender, but I just think this was a brilliant move on his part for all the reasons everyone has been talking about.

We felt like big, gross, sweaty goo balls after about 15 minutes there but managed to get a cute pic of the kids. David Jackson took some pictures of us that I hope never see the light of day..I'm sure I looked ridiculous. I was jumping around getting into some country song and then I heard the artist say somethink like "I want to look for ticks on you!" Good grief...as if we needed to appear any more redneck-ish.. DJ better not have videotaped me dancing to that.. HEHE! Anyway, they weren't a bad band..just would have been nice to have something in addition to country music as Dana from Mamalogues twittered.

We not only got to see/hear McCain, Palin, but Jim Talent, Governor Matt Blunt, Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee too! It was awesome to hear all those people at one setting. It was also kind of cool watching the Secret Service scoping out the woods too..and I'm nearly certain that we followed and were followed by Governor Blunt on the way home..there was a caravan of brown state trooper SUV's that drove like they were carrying someone important. We waved like dorks just in case.

I prepped Jonah on who we would see and what he should say if we happened to be close enough to see them today. Of course, that didn't happen, but he asked, repeatedly, for about two hours, "where's John McCain? where's John McCain?" as if they were personal friends. When John McCain finally did appear, Jonah asked "Who's John McCain?" like he had never heard of him..so much for all the prep work. Gonna sleep good tonight.

Memories from a decade ago

2008-08-29T01:07:00.000-07:00

In moving, I found our wedding proofs and went through the box. We weigh more now than we did then, and Lesh has more silver strands now, but we still fit together as good as we did that day.
On November 21st, we will celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary. They have been blessed years..we have come through some challenging times, times of growth, and seasons of supreme blessing and joy. He was my best friend then, and he is still my best friend. I loved him then, but I love him now so much more.
I'll write more about that later, but wanted to share the pictures.

That was the most delicious cake ever..from La Bonne Bouche on Olive. It was chocolate cake with a chocolate mousse filling and some raspberry in there too. Scrumptious.

Hat boys

2008-08-28T19:29:00.001-07:00

The boys are loving their hats this week. http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonahandjude/sets/72157607001522596/

Cool kids & dad

2008-08-26T21:45:00.001-07:00

Jonah found this hat and came out with it on. He and Jude were gettin' down to the DNC live music.

This expression is killing me.
Cheesing..
Like father like son.

Living with MawMaw

2008-08-26T14:55:00.001-07:00

(This is not my child...no, we have not bleached their hair out.)

Jonah (and Jude) were a bit naughty today (well..everyday.) My kids, like all other children in the world, seem to really get a kick out of misbehaving and squealing like piglets as soon as I get on an important phone call. (You know..the kind with bankers, accounting firms, attorneys, and such...where you have to read out figures between howls and cries for candy and every other forbidden thing because you are on the phone and they know you won't punish them while someone else is listening...so you say in the most contrived, calm tone you can muster, "Just a minute dear and mommy will help you." Then you get off the phone and get the contorted, pinched, monster face and they run from the room, shrieking all the way, for cover.) Yeah.. that kind of phone call. Anyway, I disciplined him and explained to him that frightening his whiny, little two year old brother with bear sounds while I am on the phone is neither polite or appreciated.

In an effort to cheer him up after said discipline..and from mother guilt for being on the phone to begin with, I let him know that his Mawmaw was coming to pick him up so that he and Jude could spend some time with she and Pawpaw this evening. He got a little red in the face, and I saw some independence rising up in him as he began to speak faster..ultimately letting me know that he wasn't coming back home. I guess that is the first time I have heard that, as a mother,..sure it won't be the last..it smarted my heart just a bit. But then I reminded him that he likes to snuggle with me every morning and a few other things that I thought would help him realize how much he enjoys living here. He didn't relent. Jude kept squealing and Jonah started crying complaining that Jude's cries hurt his ears. They hurt mine too..my head more. Two squawling kids and one tired, overworked mom. That's when a nanny would sure be nice.

Alas, time, and food heal make things right with the world, at least most of the time...I fed him his favorite chicken and cheese quesadillas, pineapple and even gave him some watered down sweet tea and he was all chirpy again. I asked again if he thought he might want to stay at Mawmaw's house and he admitted he wanted to live with me. (relief) I even got a kiss as he left with her.

I enjoy how easy things are, emotionally, when children are this age. Parents of teenagers are always telling me they wish they had these days back. I have made a commitment to myself to take it one day at a time and live in the moment...it's difficult..between my responsibilities, the whining, fighting, crying..and yes, even noisy phone calls. However, a deep breath and a prayer are highly under-rated. God does give us enough grace for each moment..we just have to decide to accept His help and go on.

Flashback

2008-08-20T23:56:00.000-07:00

You have to go check out http://www.yearbookyourself.com/. I created these there. Crackin' me up.

"Bad Bone, Doo Doo Doo Doo!"

2008-08-19T22:23:00.000-07:00

My dad is in the habit of teaching Jonah important songs like Working at the Car Wash Blues and the likes. Recently, he was inspired to teach him Bad to The Bone and of course Jude picks it up..with his special little version. He is now singing "Bad Bone, Bad Bone, doo doo doo doo!" It's so cute..I wish I could capture it on video. In truth, my video camera is not handy..I need to go find it..it's somewhere in the garage or in the Armada. Things are everywhere since the move.

Jonah update: He NEVER stops talking or singing. It's cute. It's annoying. It's sweet. I'm thrilled he loves to search out answers and express his joy through singing. I just wish he had a volume dial so that I could listen at a lower level sometimes. Jude is picking up the singing bug and is able to sing quite a few of the songs we sing at church.

The boys continue to speak to EVERYONE in public...especially in retail stores. At church, most folks want to speak to them and regularly do, so the boys think that our church = the public. I have tried to reign them in at times because some people just don't want to be bothered by anyone. 75% of the passersby are friendly right back and enjoy the banter with my little people, but there are others who are just rude..they completely ignore the fact that the little people are speaking to them. Jonah always seems confused when this happens. I started to tell him that they didn't hear him one time..then I thought.."well that really isn't true." They were most likely just ignoring them because the boys are young, and they don't want to be bothered to stop and talk to a kid. Age-ism? I think so. If an adult were addressing them, they would most likely respond in some way. It kind of gets my goat that they are so rude and don't care about hurting Jonah's or Jude's feelings..but some people are just not very compassionate..that's not news.

Anyway, I haven't been quite sure how to address the issue with my kids..Jonah especially. I don't want to lie and tell him that they didn't hear him. I could say that they must have been in a hurry and didn't have time to talk, but the truth is, they could have said a quick "Hi!" and "I need to run!", but they didn't. Simply, they are exhibiting rude behavior. I think he is old enough to understand that now. I point out rude behavior on his part, so I think it's okay to identify it in others..especially if it confronts us. People aren't perfect, and Jonah, at four, is learning that.

Preacher's sons

2008-08-05T00:01:00.000-07:00

My heart goes out to Pastor Greg Laurie, (in Southern California) for the loss of his son. He died in an automobile accident last week..I'm just now hearing about it. Then today, we received word that a fellow pastor in Republic, Missouri also lost his son tragically in a shooting. At the end of May we had heard that the son of the pastor of the First Assembly of God in Wentzville had lost his son to cancer. It seems like a pattern in some way. I pray nightly for protection and health and salvation for my two sons, and pray that I never have to experience the loss of either of my children. I cannot imagine any worse hurt. I have followed the blog of a young woman who lost her young daughter in a drowning accident last year. She has expressed how therapeutic it has been to blog/journal about her loss. Praying that God's comfort is thick and real to those who have experienced such heartache.

The Parrot

2008-07-24T00:04:00.000-07:00

Jonah is a parrot. No, he's a tape recorder. Or a video recorder. Whatever..he remembers EVERYTHING we say, and the tone we say it in, and so conveniently or inconveniently uses it on us at the most convenient or inconvenient times. If he sees a movie a few times, he has half of it memorized. I am not challenging him enough. I feel bad about it. He should be memorizing more scripture. He goes up to cabinets and says "Hello gorgeous. Wow..we hit the motherload!" (from the Chipmunks) in this perfect imitation of one of the chipmunks.
This is too funny. While driving with the boys last week, we heard a Vincent Mortgage commercial and Ray did his famous voice and got to the end of the commercial where he repeats his phone number over and over eight three nine, ninety nine ninety nine. Well hear goes Jonah..."eight three nine, ninety nine ninety nine" in his perfect Ray Vincent voice. Then Jude starts saying "nine nine nine nine", also mimicking the nasal sound.. I cracked up! That kid is really smart.
We are beyond broke right now..nearly Jeff Foxworthy rolling pennies for gas broke. If it's not being consumed (food or paper goods) or worn, we are not buying it. However, Jude dropped my phone the other night on a concrete phone and cracked the glass front. It's working for the time being, but once the glass falls out, it won't work or even be safe to use. In truth, I haven't been in love with the phone. People are always complaining that they can't hear me on it. I do like the color and design. It is a great size, candy bar style (which I love..I'm always afraid a flip phone would get broken) and I have gotten used to texting and other things on it and am generally comfortable with it. It's light, has a decent battery life, etc. It has a camera on it..which I didn't really think was such a big deal when I purchased it, but I have come to use that feature daily with my boys. I never seem to have my camera out when they are doing something that I wish to photograph, but my phone is attached to my ear, so it's really handy! Soooo.... I started googling camera phones and came across the Sony Ericsson C905. It doesn't seem to have been released to the general market yet, so I have some time to save my pennies. It looks AWESOME! And it has an 8MP camera on it!!! Yes, 8!! That's incredible! Think of all the great photos I could take on it to upload for our church building project, church events, of my boys, etc... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWuYQw2kl64 I'm just afraid it's going to cost a million dollars. Perhaps it will be reasonably priced. It will be a the perfect replacement. Pray people, pray. This image is me thinking optimistically about the new C905 phone.

This image of Lesh is the expression he'll give me if it's expensive. HEHEHE! I actually have this as the wallpaper for my existing phone. Just a lovely expression to stare at everytime I pick up my phone. He's either cheezing for the camera, or scowling. No happy medium.

December 2007 - images from my phone

2008-07-13T21:00:00.000-07:00

Jude with his little friend Ryleigh
The guys reading Cars with Jonah in his classic pose

I love these house shoes..Anita picked them out for him from the church for Christmas. Jonah received the Mater version.

Jonah "vegging" out.

Independence Day 2008

2008-07-05T12:58:00.000-07:00

This picture was taken on my cell phone so it's not the best quality, but the boys went to the Independence Day Parade in Wentzville dressed in their flag t-shirts and camo cargo shorts..they were so cute. They waved their little flags around until the parade participants started throwing candy out. Their little cheeks got some sun. Oddly enough, most of it faded by this morning! Their skin must be more forgiving than mine. I'll post parade pictures later..check back.

jonahandjude.com transfer complete

2008-07-05T12:48:00.001-07:00

Finally all the data from jonahandjude.com is transferred and complete.

This is what the front page of the original site looked like. Jude was just a wee one. :)

Jonah, Jude, Courtney and Shaeley, November 2007

2008-07-05T11:29:00.000-07:00

Jonah cheesing and Jude needing sunglasses.
Mom's flowers still look like that..they grow on until it freezes.
My sweeties. Praying you have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your families! God Bless!

Shaeley, Courtney, Jude and Jonah. & Callie.
These are Jonah and Jude's best buddies..Courtney and Shaeley. Courtney looks like a model in this picture..the perfect smile. She gets lots of practice because her mommy loves taking pictures of her sweeties..maybe I need to pull the camera out a little more often! hehe
We couldn't get Jude to keep his fingers out of his mouth. He's ALWAYS teething.
The boys.

Oh Lookie! Jude doesn't have his fingers in his mouth! And they are both smiling at once..lucky mom.

Jake and Charlann's 40th Anniversary Celebration

2008-07-04T18:22:00.000-07:00

We surprised Jake and Charlann with a 40th Anniversary party in October and this is a family picture of us all. Ken and Lisa and their children Victoria and Grant were adopted in long ago. From left to right: Jake, Rachel (Kent's wife..they were married this past March!), Kent, Charlann, Lesh, Jonah, Jude, Victoria, me, Lisa, Kenny, and Grant.

Being that it was their ruby or 40th Anniversary, we celebrated with lots of red.

The entry table..we had actually started tearing down and then remembered we had not taken pictures of that table, so we threw a few things back on it! :) It was a crazy day.

The cake was italian creme with cream cheese icing. Delicious.

November 2007 - Jonah-3 and Jude-1

2008-07-04T17:48:00.000-07:00

November 2007 - Jonah-3 and Jude-1
What a busy fall season we have enjoyed so far! We had our church ground breaking ceremony, a trip to Louisiana for to throw a surprise party for Lesh's parents, (we also got to visit with dear friends in Louisiana too: Pastors Terry and Junelle Bushnell and Pastors Kenneth and LaRae Hasty and family.), our Annual Harvest Party, a visit from some great friends from North Carolina, and this week, our Ladies Fall party. Things don't seem to slow down for us, so we snuck away for two days to Branson this week and enjoyed them..all except Jude being sick! Thankfully, Monday evening he started feeling better and we were able to sleep all night Monday and Tuesday evenings...thank you, Jesus.Jude is verbalizing more and more and can understand most of what we say to him so that is helpful. His vocabulary isn't extensive, but he pokes out a new word every once in a while. He can say "no" quite well when he needs to. He also understands when I tell him I'm going to spank him...he grins and laughs and stares..almost as if he's waiting for me to chicken out in a game of chicken. I can see him mentally saying, "now..hey..you wouldn't do that to me. I'm too cute." Ha! He also refers to me as "DaDa!" He refers to Lesh as "DaDa" too, so I'm not sure what he's trying to tell me. heheDon't ask about Jonah and potty training. He does it when he wants...end of story. On the toy front, he's been carrying around the same "little red truck and little brown jeep" (that's what he calls them too) for nearly two months now. To say that he is obsessed with them would be an understatement. He sleeps with them, takes them to church, out on errands and plays with them constantly. And watch out if Jude gets his little paws on them. Is this normal? Does it mean that he is insecure and we are bad parents? hehe!! Maybe it is separation anxiety delayed..and with cars instead of parents..because parents aren't as cool as toys. (I'm already getting that "Don't talk to me in front of my friends" look occasionally. He also refers to me as "Mom" now. I guess it's preparation for what is ahead. Nevertheless, his Hotweels are peeling paint because he's handled them so much. Both he and Jude have a million toys and end up playing with the same 8 or 10 Hotwheels..I'm ready to ship all the other things out! :)

Jonah and Daddy driving "The Duck" in Branson on Lake Taneycomo.

Jonah looking "baby-ish" to me. I think Lesh is more excited about driving this boat/truck than Lesh is. :)

My very handsome and sweet husband. We're celebrating our 9th wedding anniversary this month. Being married to him has been a fun adventure.

Me and the snuggler. He loves to play with my hair while he sucks his fingers.

July 2007, Jonah-3 and Jude-1, Part 3

2008-06-24T06:58:00.000-07:00

I'm getting more regular!! :)
Jude can follow commands really well! I asked him to touch his hair, my nose, his ears..he could do it all. Then I saw him pick up a little piece of toilet paper on the floor of our bathroom and put it in the trashcan!! I don't know if it's a coincidence or not, but he sure looked like he was doing it with purpose. I sure hope so..we need someone around here who has time to clean! :)
This is the funniest..Lesh made me some brownies after the boys were in bed this evening. I'm staying up to do bookwork and I told him it would inspire me to work harder. hehe Anyway, I took a bite and had already finished chewing it up. I decided to check on Jonah since he was supposed to be falling asleep to "Jonah" - the Veggie Tale movie. I got in bed with him and kissed him on the cheek and he said "what you got in your mouth?" I honestly replied "nothing". He said "open your mouth so I can see". (We had a small night light on in the room.) So, I opened my mouth and he said "You got some chocolate in there?..a little bit of chocolate?" I laughed and said "No." He laughed and said "uh huh. You do have some chocolate in there. I thought so," as if he was amused that I was trying to keep it a secret. I about cracked up. There was nothing in my mouth, so I guess he identified what I had eaten by my chocolaty breath. How do 3 year olds get so smart??!!

More July 2007 swimming pics

2008-06-23T18:08:00.001-07:00

This just cracks me up. I couldn't believe they made suits like these in such small sizes. Look at the rolls on those legs..hehe

Having fun with Daddy!

Jude loves bath time too..he walks to the edge of the tub and squeals until you put him in. It's pretty nice that you don't have to fight him about getting clean.
Oh yes..he got a hair cut too.finally..about three weeks ago. He was constantly getting the "Oh what a cute little girl" comment. I'm not sure why that happens when he's dressed exactly like Jonah,in blue, green and other masculine colors. If you have children..you remember.

My life. :)

July 2007 - Jonah-3 and Jude-1, Part 2

2008-06-20T14:37:00.000-07:00

These pictures were all taken today, Thursday, July 12, 2007. Look at my cute little “baby” walking and trying to get on his brother’s red car! J I thought he would walk earlier, but he ended up doing it about the same time Jonah did..around 14 months. He crawled earlier than Jonah, but he's been chasing Jonah too..Jonah had no one to chase except Callie and Linen, and they weren't all that buddy buddy with him. :) He’s talking too..and quite amused at looking at his own picture on my computer. He’s really getting smart..if you ask if he’s hungry, he takes off for the kitchen and points to things he wants on the countertop. He can also “get down” dancing and singing. Today, he used his "bike" as a step stool to climb up on our sofa. He also climbs up the little red chairs (kids dining set) to get on top of their table or some other precarious place. He actually has great balance..he has for quite some time. He doesn't fall much...yet. I hope that continues. He's very vocal and loves music. He immediately starts dancing and he can actually "sing" on the "Do" of whatever key you're in. Jonah can now carry a tune quite well. He also follows the biblical custom of David and sings "loudly" in church. He doesn't even require a microphone...he's heard quite well. Jonah can keep a steady beat with his kick pedal on the bass drum and an offbeat with his snare for about two minutes now. Jude likes to play them too. He can nearly keep a steady beat with just hitting the snare or toms. It won't be long. Jude loves to play peek-a-boo and can roll a ball back and forth to you too. He has lots of girlfriends at church who haul him around quite a bit, so he doesn't have to use his newly learned walking skills too often yet. They usually only render him back when he has spit up on them after eating all service and then being tossed around. heheWe're still trying to get Jonah potty trained..it's taking a while..we've tried about everything. He does it part of the time...when he feels like it. We've rewarded, "disciplined", and everything else we've heard about, but I've resolved that my initial feeling was correct; he'll do it when he gets ready. He's embarrassed about having a dirty diaper in front of his friends, or in public now, so hopefully that will do the trick. I have made one resolution though: He's not getting a real bike with training wheels until he's potty trained. He'll have to stay with his three wheeler tryke thing until he is doing that. I'm not changing the diaper of a kid that can ride a real bike..something is wrong with that. :) He's very proud when he does number 2 on the potty though. Today, he called to me down the hall and told me to come look at it. (We got a good laugh about that!) Jonah never stops talking..I hear this is normal for this age. He is one long running commentary from the time he gets up to the time he goes to bed. He just loves to talk...about trains, and cars, and "Pawpaw Larry's red truck that he sold in Doniphan". He'll never forget that truck. I think my dad is getting really soft because he's actually mentioned buying it back because Jonah liked it so much. Too funny. Jonah loves to talk about the Veggie Tales characters too: Bob the tomato and Larry the cucumber. He asks things like "Mom, what is Bob doing right now? Is Junior talking to his dad right now?" I've told him that they are just cartoon characters, but I don't think it got through. I guess he can just think of them as real people for now. He doesn't have imaginary friends like his cousin..Jocie has as a friend named "Girl". It's very funny..ask Julia about it. I have more pictures to post from Jude's actual birthday..they are cute, but need to be resized, so check back for them.

Jude on Jonah's red "car" feeling very much like the "big shot".

The little man.

Mini-me.

Jonah's cool look. :)

Okay..if this isn't Lesh...He got a summer buzz along with Dad and PawPaw Larry. He loves to play, and swim and play with playdough. And his favorite color is red. He always wants the red playdough, the red gumballs, red popsicles, and his red truck. I guess it stems from that red truck obsession.

Click here for more pictures in this set. http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonahandjude/sets/72157605725617784/

Jonah can go all over the pool with this suit on. It has flotation pads on the front and back of the suit.We bought if for him last year and he was doing that last year too. I wondered if he would remember how this year.We put him in and in five minutes he was everywhere again.

Cooling off with his boys.

The swimmer.

Jude loves "swimming" too. It's a great way to wear them out..they nap good. :)

Jude in his boat.

Playing "peek-a-boo" in the water.

July 2007 - Jonah-3 and Jude-1

2008-06-19T23:02:00.000-07:00

(Jude's Birthday Invitation that I worked entirely too long on...moms will do that kind of stuff.) Jude turned 1 on April 26th, 2007. We celebrated a few days early at Quail Ridge Park and had a wonderful time. It was a circus theme, so there were lots of bright colors, hotdogs, nachos, chili dogs, cotton candy, birthday cake and an assortment of other things. I bought these large clown sunglasses for all the kids to wear and only the little ones really wore them. They all liked the red clown noses too, but they tended to break in half pretty easily..oh well! The puppet show put on by Miranda and Logan (the jester and the clown) was really cute and the kids played with these large balls that kept rolling into the nearby Henry's Pond. Randy rescued it over and over..he's a great guy. Daddy cooked hotdogs and momma ran around and talked and tried to keep things running smoothly. Dad also snapped these pictures. It was fun for the kids young and old. Julia again made such a cute little cake. The Birthday Boy - Baby Jude (my snuggle buddy) Jude had fun too but he didn't get to get down and crawl as much as he would have liked to..I didn't mind so much because he's my second child and he's got to build his immunities in some fashion. But both grandmothers and some aunts and honorary aunts were there and frowned upon him crawling on the pavilion floor. (hehe) So he mostly was carried to and fro. He enjoyed the cake. He likes any food..not sure exactly where he gets that. (haha) He can "out-eat" Jonah at nearly any setting.

Julia's cake!

Mommy and the birthday boy!

Coolest clown in town!

We had these glasses for all the kids..hilarious but not easy to wear.

Claudene and Ryleigh...Claudene should be a stylist..her family always looks good.

Isn't this the best?! She's adorable.

For Jude's complete party set, click this link. http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonahandjude/sets/72157605709502078/

More John Deere Birthday Pics

2008-06-19T22:34:00.000-07:00

February 2007 - Jonah-3 and Jude-10 months

2008-06-19T10:50:00.000-07:00

(I'm doing better! It's only been a month since I last posted!) Jonah turned 3 this month and we had a last minute "big" party for him..all in a John Deere theme. It was so cute. Everything was green and yellow of course and we gave each kid a John Deere ball cap. There were two different kinds. We had a summer time kind of picnic dinner..cheeseburgers and all the fixins as well as chips and mac n' cheese..easy stuff for the kiddos. My sister made the cutest little John Deere cake with taillights on it. Those were the first details Jonah noticed so she did good!! It was delicious as always. She makes moist cakes..I taught her well. hehe I had said I would never do another "big" party after the one I did for his first birthday, but it's just difficult not to. We have a large family as well as a large church family and it's hard to know where to cut the list off, so we just include everyone. It ends up being a social event that we all enjoy..just requires a lot more work than any normal birthday party should..I think this is going to be my life. I'm not complaining..just adjusting! :) The kids played pin the tire on the tractor...that was all I could come up with..they all got suckers so they were all winners. I hate for anybody to be left out. Then Jonah opened presents..despite our requests for no gifts..he had a total overload at Christmas. I am concerned that he's getting so many that he doesn't really appreciate them. Probably no toddler appreciates gifts anyway. Perhaps I should forget that notion until he's a little older. But we got him the gift of the century...another reason I thought that he shouldn't receive other gifts. We had everyone come up to the garage where Lesh was waiting with the video camera and as he clutched his Stihl toy chainsaw (just like Pawpaw's), he ran into the garage and spotted the John Deere tractor complete with frontloader and trailer. It has two speeds and reverse. He shoved the chainsaw into my hand so that no one could grab it, and ran to the tractor. It was one of the funniest moments ever for me as a parent..he was running it into everything..literally climbing the wall with it, so Lesh had to chase him around so he wouldn't kill himself or anyone else. I thought I would die laughing. He's actually a little afraid of it..it goes so fast that he's having to learn how to control it. Of course he emphatically denied that he was "scared" of it. He's turning into a little boy and it makes me sad and glad and proud all at once. Every parent understands this, I'm sure.
This is my little sweetie in his John Deere hat..he wears it constantly now..doesn't even want to sleep without it. Julia's cake was so cute.

Lesh and Jonah..they remind me so much of each other it's a little scary. My boys love their daddy.

This is Jude with Debbie..Amber's mother. Jude is getting so big..he says "rah rah rah" and "da da da" and has this hilarious little laugh. It sounds like he's hacking up a hairball. He does it constantly..makes my throat hurt just listening to him. He is my precious little bundle of joy. He loves to play with Jonah now..it's wonderful for me too! I get a somewhat of a break. :)

Jocelyn and Jonah..they love to play together..they laugh at nearly anything..it's really cute.

Isn't she cute in her little green bows?

Julia even had a John Deere shirt!! Jeanie is so cute..she's talking up a storm now..she always wants to talk to me on the phone too. What a doll. She looks like little Julia..

Jonah and friends! (Logan)

Brothers: Jaglyn and Dillon

Rockin' out!