Precious sounds

Thanks to technology, there are some memories we can 'bottle.'  Precious girl, I love you so much!  When you are an independant young woman, there will be a small part of me that still sees you though this lens.

Thank you!

Dear God,

Thank you for blessing us with such good friends. 

We love our neighbors and feel so grateful to have our little home. 

Help us to be good neighbors in return.

So many people have been good to us.

On my first week back to work, two families brought us meals,

others covered us in prayers.

Thank you.

Amen.

Untended children

Somehow children know when their parents aren't really paying attention to them and will step out of their routine to try something new.  It's kind of the built in, don't ask first for then you can't be told 'no.'  Last night while I was downloading photos on the computer and daddy was absorbed in something else, Jake stepped into the shower to help us clean.  Ummmm....right.  Now we have a lovely soap scum layer on the shower door that wasn't there before.  Thanks, son.  One of Jake's favorite things to do in this world is finger paint.  Guess it's good that his medium of choice this time was soap and not something laden with bacteria.

Dancing in the rain

If you allow them, children change your perspective of the world.  Yesterday after dinner Jess noticed and commented on the eerie light outside.  I stepped out the front door, stood in the rain and took in the beauty of a golden sunlight shining through storm clouds.  Knowing that Jake would appreciate the loveliness of the outdoors, I got his attention and stepped out the back door.  Behind our yard a full rainbow stretched out.  Rainbows fill me with awe and a feeling of specialness, like it was created just for me.  Jake enjoyed the rainbow but was more interested in dancing in the rain.  Though he was half naked and it was cold, I allowed his playfulness to continue, though the mama voice within was loudly telling me to get that child inside and in the bathtub.  After a few moments he looked up at me and said, "Dance with me!"  Who could resist that?  So I stepped out of the warm doorway and proceeded to dance barefoot in the rain with my son.  Yes, we may both get colds in the next couple of days but those couple minute of joy will be worth it. 

Full rainbow

It's funny how most people I know, myself included, feel that spying a rainbow is a gift from God especially for the viewer.  This was a wonderful reminder of God's love. 

Leaf pile

"Leaf pile"  artist:  Jake (3 years old)

Jake started his school year today.  I was a bit worried about his transition to the 3 year old room as he's had rough transitions from the three other rooms at KRK.  He gets attached to his teachers.  I think after an 18 week summer with mommy he was ready to be around kids and was already comfortable with his new teachers Ms. Jill and Ms. Candice since he's met them several times and we've talked about the transition to the 'big kids' room.  He breezed by his former teachers and told them, "I don't go to your room anymore.  I'm a big kid now."  Later he said, "Honey Bears (the old room)  turn into Busy Bees (the new room)."  Hilarious.  When I picked him up he was grinning ear to ear.  He gave me a tour of his new room and said he had a great day!  YEAH!  This makes MY transition back to work a lot easier!  Keeping Quinn with me this week.  She'll start on Monday!

Funny footnote:  We went to Publix this evening.  They have their Halloween decorations out already.  I spied a two foot tall witch amidst a display and asked Jake what he saw.  He gasped and said, "A Queen!" Precious.    

Monday

This photograph pretty much captures how I feel.

You know how when circumstances are unfolding, sometimes you think, "I'll be able to laugh about this later..."  Well, it's too early for me to laugh but I'm glad that everything worked out okay.

Last night I spontanteously offered to bring the children and spend the night at a friend's house as today her eldest child started kindergarten.  With the super early start time (bus arrives at 6:30 but she wanted to drive him on his first day.) she didn't want to upset her younger two children's normal schedule.  Since we were in the car on our way to a playdate, I didn't take the time or energy to pack appropriately.  We arrived after my friend's children were in bed but Jake knocked off pretty quickly after "book club."  Quinn struggled with fitfulness but finally cashed at 11.  This morning we woke up and Jake's bottom was covered with a nasty looking raised rash.  He complained of itchiness and discomfort.  I asked my friend, a mother of three, to see what she thought of the rash.  She gave me a concoction to slather on his bum, a mix of Desitin, lotromin, vaseline, neosporin and something else.  (I forget.) We played for awhile and then loaded up the car to go swimming at their pool.  When I got Jake out of his carseat in the parking lot of the pool I noticed that he was COVERED in bumps...arms, neck, face (and bum!)  Obviously this ended the pool date.  While he was bummed, his consolation prize was a trip through the Chick-fil-a drive thru.  Our peditrician's office couldn't squeeze him in so we ventured to an urgent care.  Yes, in our swim suits.  I packed clothing for the children but neglected to put anything but pajamas and a swim suit in for me. (Which was okay for sleeping and a pool date!)  So I arrive at urgent care in my swim suit.  Quinn's internal hunger alarm goes off, sending two waterfalls of breast milk down my chest while I'm getting Jake checked in.  So there I stand...haven't brushed my hair, I smell, I have a screaming child in arms and a whiney child running around the office while milk squirts out of my boobs.  Lovely.  Fortunately the doctor doesn't believe that the rash, which has receeded since the parking lot, is contagious and sends us home with a note for the same concoction that my friend shared with me earlier.  When I pull the car into the garage, Jake pipes up, "What's wrong with Quinn?" I turn around and see that BOTH carseats are at 45 degree angles.  The kids' heads are almost touching in the center of the seat.  I am SOOOOOOO glad that we weren't in any sort of accident. 

Now we are home, both kids are finally asleep so perhaps....

just maybe...

hopefully...

I can nap, too?!

Little buggars

Jess had some choice words for these two nuisances after they decimated his jalapeno plant.

While I believe in the relocation program, Jess' frustration at losing most of his crop led to their unhappy end.  (I escorted the children into the house before he unleashed his wrath.)

Who would have thought that they could abide the spice?!

Introducing... Guitar Fish

Lead Guitarist...Pamela rock the house Kutzner

Drummer (on the guitar)--Double J

Lead vocalist (subbing on drums)-Christina-Koo Koo Ka Choo- Canto

Bassist-Uncle-slap some cheese up on that-Michael

Quinn-vocals (harmony)

Rock Band is my new favorite game.  Our friends let us borrow their X Box while they are out of town and  this game has taught me a couple of truths...
1.  I don't know the words to songs as well as I think I do.
2.  You get to know people you think you already know in a new way.
3.  This takes multi-tasking to a whole new level.
4.  I now understand the phenonema on American Idol auditions when an individual thinks he/she is really good at something but isn't.
5.  Rock Band is an incredible ice-breaker.
6.  Time has no meaning when you are rocking out.

Note to self

It's okay to extend an adult's birthday celebration out for a week or two but stretching a three year old's birthday makes for an especially whiny, self-absorbed and entitled toddler.  Remember that!

Father's Day

Happy Father's Day

Dear Jess,

You are a wonderful daddy to Jake and I am so excited about seeing you cherish Quinn, too.  I know that you are a little worried about being able to love someone new as much as you love him, but love expands.  It grows and enhances and doesn't deal with division or subtraction.  I'm thrilled about experiencing this truth with the addition of our little girl.

I love how hands on you are with our son.  One of my favorite things to do is sit on the edge of the living room and watch you engage Jake in a game of football.  The smile on his face lights up the room and his laughter is infectious.  He loves you SO much.  Thanks for sharing your passion of football with him.  (Though I'm still hopeful that in high school he'll choose the safer route of band!)  I love how you've stepped outside of your comfort zone to become bedtime reader, rock star singer and master tucker-him-inner at night.  You are fully my life partner in parenting. 

Life circumstances are challenging right now.  Unemployment is difficult.  The future, always unknown, is scarier without the security of employment.  I'm proud of the way you've handled the past couple of months.  You are quicker to see God's hand in your life than you ever have been before.  You are determined to walk on the path of faith, to cling to His promises, yet I know that you are dogged by feelings of helplessness and pessimism.  Your natural tendency is towards an Eeyore outlook on life when things get hard, thank you for not bringing that grey cloud home with you and allowing it to seep into our home and marriage. 

I respect how you've put yourself out there; your willingness to tackle social networking purposefully is a testament to your character.  You are resourceful and resiliant.  You are working so hard to find a job and I am proud of you for that.  I trust you and believe in you. 

Thank you for taking time with your family.  I've really enjoyed our shared lunches and quick excursions to the pool. Thank you for taking better care of your body and using this time to focus on becoming healthier rather than wallowing in comfort foods, television or other distractors.  Thank you for realizing that we are richly blessed, despite our dwindling resources.  Thank you for spending more time in the Word and finding connections with your life and biblical events, people and experiences.  Thank you for your transparency with our small group members and a few others.   

I do not know what the future holds.  Perhaps your worst fears of home loss and foreclosure will be actualized, but even if that does happen, we will continue to love you and lean into our divine Provider.  He is good.  He can be trusted.  He does have a plan for us.  I can walk away from the lovely material possesions that currently make up our world without fear or bitterness.  The things that are important remain untouched:   our love, our health, our family, our faith. 

You are a wonderful father and a loving husband. 
Happy Father's Day. 
We love you. 
We are proud of you.

Love,
Rebecca
(Jake & Quinn) 

The Hungry little caterpillar

AFTER

BEFORE

Holy cow, this one little guy ate a whole pepper plant in two days. (Okay, the one pictured above was the pepper's sister plant and a bit bigger than the one on caterpillar's breakfast menu, but still!) He was HUGE after his gluttony. Wish a friendly bird had spotted him before the total decimation of our plant and made HIM breakfast.

I've been thinking a lot about the symbolism of this feast, though, in regards to our life circumstances right now and if I wasn't so sleep deprived I could probably make some intellectual connections but I'm thinking:
1. The caterpillar represents greed/gluttony of our nation....selfishness & egocentrism. One "bug" can destroy a whole natural habitat, rather than eating a little here and there and then moving on. (Though he did leave some nice fertilizer behind.)
2. The critter could also represent destructive thoughts, eating up truth and trying to destroy God's numerous promises. If we don't tend to our garden daily and communicate with God, read His word, we could easily allow His truth and promises to slip away from our hearts and minds.
3. Being on one salary is a challenging task. If we are not good stewards, all of our finances could dwindle away quickly. We need to face this challenge with courage and creativity!

For the rest of us!

Fireworks

Games

Art

Feasting

Fishing

For the Rest of Us

Anyone who knows me well knows that my favorite holiday of the year is Festivus. (And Seinfeld fans recognize the allusion!) About 11 years ago my dad's side of the family gathered together over the 4th of July holiday for a mini, non-formal reunion. My Grandma Polly was born on July 3 so it seemed like a good time to celebrate family. We had so much fun on that extended weekend that we decided to do it again the following year. The second year my cousin Karri made t-shirts commemorating the occasion and the third year we dubbed it "Festivus." As siblings and cousins married and procreated, the gathering continued to grow! Now it's not surprising to have over 60 folks at Festivus, both family and friends.

When we discovered our due date for Quinn was July 4, we realized that we'd have to forgo Festivus this year. This makes me really sad, bordering depression. Hence, we've considered some crazy scenerios to make our trip happen, including, but not limited to:

1. Driving up with a newborn baby. (I do realize that this would turn the 16 hour car ride into a 24 hour car ride! Not sure Jess is up for that.)

2. Giving birth at the farm. (Hey, my cousin Melissa is a doctor and Uncle David has been around birthing animals much of his life. Most of my cousins have 3 children, that's a lot of collective knowledge of the birth and labor process. There's a commune down the road where I'm sure hippie moms have mid-wife experience.)

Reality wins and grounds us here in the south. We really aren't going to make the reunion this year.

So, one of my dear friends, knowing how very important Festivus is to me, took it upon herself to plan an alternate Festivus. Since December she's been scheming and researching the elements of our family traditions. Last weekend she brought together three of our closest families in a Festivus-for-the-rest-of-us weekend. She TOTALLY surprised me, I had no idea! (Ask Jess, I'm a super hard person to surprise!)

Let me tell you, she did the research! She emailed my cousin Karri months ago and arranged for t-shirts. She emailed my mom for family recipes. She picked Jess' brain for important activities to include. She somehow captured the Festivus spirit. I am in awe of the love that my friends showered over us! We had such a blast!

Thank you, Stephanie. You are a dear friend with amazing vision. I am so blessed by your friendship and love.

A brief glimpse

I am rarely savvy to the 'bigger picture' in life, but occasionally God gives me glimpses of how He protects and provides.

As many of you know, Jess was terminated from his job on March 1st. This has been hard on us in many ways, but it has also been a time where we have grown in our faith and in our marriage. I struggled with this lifestyle change since I was planning on staying home for a year and focusing on raising Jake and Quinn. (After all, isn't that what God really wants for moms?) After reconciling the disappointment and confusion, I've gotten adjusted to the thought of being a working mom in the fall. We were able to obtain insurance through my job and Jess commenced on finding a new career. (He's still looking.) Today we found out some interesting news...his former company just laid off several underwriters and closers. This would have included him and if it happened this week, then we'd BOTH be unemployed and uninsured.

Our God is awesome.
He protects.
He provides.
I love Him.
I trust Him.

Not sure how this path is going to unfold, but I walk forward in faith.

Thanks for your prayers, friends.

Praise

God is pretty amazing.
I'm feeling especially grateful for his abundance right now.
He has been covering us with blessings in advance of less than ideal circumstances.
Jess' temp job ended today. It's discouraging for him to start anew in search for employment.
The future could be scary.
I could be anxious.
But, I walk forward in trust and faith.
God will provide, even if it doesn't look the way we expect.
We will learn how to be better stewards of His resources.
I appreciate our health and love.
Amen!

Language Aquisition

A couple of months ago Jake started peppering his reponses and questions with "huh?" Jess and I looked at each other and theorized that he picked up this less than ideal interjection by listening to someone at his daycare. Every time I dropped Jake off or picked him up, I'd try to figure out which kid, or teacher, was the offender. Finally after two weeks I found the source:
DADDY. Yep, our very observant son studied his dad's language patterns and picked up something we hadn't even noticed. Once the discovery was made I noticed that Jess DOES say "huh?" several times a week. Fortunately, now Daddy is more aware and tries to filter this ugly sounding filler from his vocabulary. About a month after this discovery, Jake started saying, "I gotta" before doing anything. For example, I'd ask Jake to go to the potty and he'd respond with "I gotta play with my toys first." or "First, I gotta color." Obviously the delay in responding to my request was the first issue I had to address. Initially we thought the "gotta" was kind of cute. Then it grew old. And then I realized that Jake picked this quirk up from ME. Since then I've been more selective in my use of "gotta."

Stair Steps

Kimmie due in August. I'm due in July 4 & Brandy is due in June.
It's fun to celebrate bellies!

Flora

The roses in front of our home are exploding with life and color. They bring us such joy in their wildness and unpredictability. Fast growing, they'd quickly take over our front sidewalk if we didn't keep them trimmed.


Neighbors gave us this ceramic"Dios Bendiga este hogar" (God bless this home) sign a year or two ago. Not only is it beautiful but I love the sound it makes when a breeze taps it against the wooden fence. Jess planted these flowers this weekend in honor of my 37th birthday. Hopefully they'll have better luck than any of the other plants placed in this window box over the years!



My birthday present...an herb garden featuring chives, cilantro, thyme, rosemary & basil!

Strawberry buds forming create anticipation of a not too distant harvest!

Last year we planted Thai basil, a gift from a neighbor, and it thrived in this spot. We are hopeful for this sweet basil to have similar success. I love being able to walk outside and pluck a vegetable or herb from the 'garden' in order to enhance a meal. Wish we had more space to grow our favorites!

Happy Easter

As much as I love my church, remind me to visit a more traditional service on Easter next year.

I love how churches of my youth celebrated the day with color and joy. Andy's message was interesting, I'd never thought about how 'resurrection' wasn't a part of Old Testament speak. The event, Jesus' crucifixion and rising from the dead, was truly unique and life changing. His disciples weren't expecting that, didn't wait outside and count down the minutes and seconds until his reappearance. They were anxious, scared and scattered.

Thanks, God, for your divine plan. It is way better than I could ever imagine on my own.

Thanks, Tammy!

My neighbor and friend has become quite a guru with scrapbooking and cardmaking. For over a year she's been trying to convince me how easy and gratifying it is to make your own. I finally gave it a go by designing 40 baby shower invitations for a friend. It was a lot of work but now I know why Tammy is such an advocate. Thanks for your help, Tammy!