Super-Quick Update

This is for those daily blog readers who have been checking my blog and been met with dissapointment recently (especially you Pam in CA)!

I've just been plain busy! Rob's sister and her boys came to visit us from Wednesday night to Monday afternoon. It was a blast! Needless to say I was too busy to post with 4 kiddies running around!

I took pictures of my first wedding on Saturday which was fun. The unfun part is resizing them and labeling them with a copyright logo. Tedius, but I need to get it done. When? Good question. Soon Jenni, I'm working on it!

I've had several meetings in anticipation of my new job already. I don't officially start until tomorrow but we have a lot of transitioning going on, so I've had to get a jump start on some things (we're hiring new nursery workers, so I'm creating job descriptions and interviewing and such.)

In fact, I have an interview tonight and since I've been so busy I've promised my husband some good quality time between now and then. He'll be home soon so I have to get some dinner started and be wrapping up everything else, which means I've gotta go!

Sorry for the not-so-interesting super quick update!

Since the last time...

The week before last Rob went down to Southern California to a Purpose Driven Church conference. I had the pleasure of attending this conference with him 2 years ago when we went down to Disney Land as my post-graduation/pre-children trip. Oh, it was phenomenal! It's a 4 day conference at an enormous church that just has a lot of amazing things going on in it. They are reaching the world for Jesus Christ and changing the way church is done, for the better in my opinion!

Anyway, many of you have probably heard of 40 days of purpose, The Purpose Driven Life, or other such 'purpose driven' things. The guy who heads all of those is the Senior Pastor at Saddleback and he runs these conferences. I can't say enough good things about it, but I'll spare you details.

So, Rob spent a week there and I went up to St. Helens, which is where my family is from and where I grew up. I wasn't ready to face the week by myself with both kids so I went and stayed with my cousin and her family. She was really great and helped me take care of my babies. Being a 'single' mom is hard work!

It was fun to be home but it was kind of crazy. I used to be soooo busy, with so much to do places to go and people to see. But I found myself with little to do, no where to go, and few people to see. My how things change in just a few short years!

All in all, it was good to go back and spend some time with my friends and family and Leeann, of course, loved all of the attention and kids to play with. You can tell she's getting anxious for Titus to get big enough to play with her!

We came home on Saturday and Rob came home that evening. Leeann was thrilled he was home and he was equally as excited to see her I think. Rob brought me my favorite flowers--yellow roses with red tips. They're beautiful and it's so good to have him home. We missed him like crazy!

This week has been crazy busy too, as they all seem to be. And "like sands through the hour glass, so are the days of our lives."

Dreams do come true...

I got an email last night from my friend Eroica (the one who I take pictures and watch 7th Heaven with) who gave me the most incredible news...

Drum role please...

7th Heaven is back! That's right friends, 7th Heaven will air for at least 13 more episodes on a different channel.

Now, everytime a show that I love ends I get really sad and wish that they would just keep it on for a little while longer. Of course, when a show is done, it's done however. Things like this just don't happen! I'm so excited, so very excited! Through my tearful blog about 7th Heaven ending I have found many fellow 7th Heaven fans, so if you hadn't already heard the good news, you have now!

Monday Night

Oh my my. I love my daughter. I did not enjoy her very much however, at about 1:30 Monday morning! My kids and I stayed the night at my cousin's house so we all slept in the same room. I'm a snuggler so I was in between my kids and somehow I was thinking it would be a magical evening! Well, Titus slept like an angel. Leeann on the other hand...

Aunt Pam had given Leeann some cinnamon bread-sticks from my favorite restraunt in the whole wide world, Sunshine Pizza. I should have known better, but I thought that it wouldn't be a big deal--there isn't that much sugar on those things right? WRONG! And of course, Leeann and Aunt Pam were both enjoying the spoiling/being spoiled fun that was going on between them.

About 1:30 in the morning I heard Leeann climbing up the wall. Kind of. She was up against the wall with her leg straight up in the air and she was rubbing it up against the wall. I tried to tell her to stop and go back to bed, but once she realized I was up she started talking to me too. She had a full-fledged conversation with me telling me all about her day. She kept asking me to 'get-down' (this is what she does when she wakes up in the morning. She stays in bed until we tell her she can get down, it's really cute that she still doesn't realize that she can get out of bed without permission.) I told her that she couldn't get down because everyone else in the house was sleeping. She just kept talking very loudly and I was dozing in and out of sleep. She continued to roll all over her side of the bed, into me and up the wall. Finally at about 3:30 I put her down on the ground with her pillow and a blanket.

She kept talking and in desperation I said to her, "Leeann, it's 3:30 in the morning, everyone is sleeping and you need to go to sleep too." This appeased her for a few short minutes. Just as I was dozing back off to sleep she said, "What time is it?" Great, a new question that I'll spend the next 8 years answering. I ignored her and a few minutes later she asked it again. Great. I regreted ever trying to reason with her about what time it was and why she needed to go back to sleep!

A few minutes later she had grabbed a toy truck off the floor and brought it up to the bed and begun to 'drive' it right next to Titus. She really wanted to play!

Eventually she went back to sleep, after about 2 hours and I went back to sleep too. Not too long after Titus woke up to eat of course, because that's just the way life works!

Again, I ask myself "Why do you read this silly stuff!?" I like it and I will continue to write it because I have the feeling I'm going to love re-living these things in the years to come. I still re-read the adoption story occassionaly and I almost cry every time. I love the adoption story, and heck, I don't remember what it's like to sleep through the night, so what's one night of playing at 1:30 in the morning? This is the stuff that memories are made of!

From the mouth of babes

I was getting ready for church this morning and I decided to wear a skirt. Mind you, I haven't worn a skirt since probably before I was pregnant with Titus. I don't feel comfortable in them and in general, we just don't like each other--skirts and I. If the skirt itself weren't bad enough you have to be super careful how you sit and you have to wear uncomfortable shoes. That's why I tend to go with pants.

I was kind of feeling down last night about the way I look, post-pregnancy and all, so I decided taking a little extra time to get ready this morning and wearing something feminine might help me feel a little more attractive.

So, the first thing that went wrong, and I should have taken this as a sign, was that Titus grabbed my skirt and went to put it in his mouth while I was trying to get him dressed. He spit up on me. Not a huge amount, but enough. I decided to wash the spit up off of my skirt instead of going to back to the drawing board to find a new outfit. I was truly tempted to take off my skirt and pull my faithful jeans out but I perservered!

Well, I then came down to my bathroom to finish drying my hair and Leeann came in and started talking to me. She was insistent that I take my skirt off. "Mommy, take skirt off, take of skirt mommy." I said, "Leeann, why should I take my skirt off?" "Cause you look perdy fat." she said.

I honestly got teary-eyed. Most days it wouldn't have bothered me but I was already feeling self-conscious and my morning just wasn't going well. This was the first time I ever heard Leeann use the word fat, and I don't even know if she knows what it means... but it isn't what any woman wants to hear, from anyone, anyday, that's for sure! Okay, it was kind of cute because she is only 2, and I am sure this story will get cuter and cuter as the years go by and we read my blog together.

I do realize however, that we are now getting into the stage where my daughter is going to say embarrassing things before she realizes they are inappropriate. Oh, the joys of parenting!

Anyone else got any good stories from the mouths of their little ones?

Learning what it means to be scared

Yesterday we borrowed Robots the movie from our friend Allie and Leeann was super excited because she hasn't seen it since around Christmas and she loves that movie! Rob put the movie on for her then he had to go to a meeting. She was content in the living room watching it while I was getting some stuff done around the house. About 45 minutes into it she started crying telling me to "Turn off Robots please, mommy, pleeeeease!" I sat down to talk to her to make sure that's what she really wanted to do because it really surprised me. She said, "That scare Leeann mommy, turn off, that scare Leeann!" She didn't seem utterly frightened but she certainly wanted me to turn it off. She seems fine watching it with one of us in the room though and was asking to watch it again later. So it seems that she's learning what it means to be scared which will open up a whole new chapter in life for us! She's growing so big and she's growing up so fast. She's taller and prettier and smarter than ever! Where has time gone?

In the mouth it goes...

What goes in Titus's mouth you may ask? EVERYTHING! He's definately getting the concept of grabbing everything in sight, and promptly putting it into his mouth. This includes my hair, my nose, my glasses and anything else in grabbing distance! It's cute, but it's just one more thing I have to watch out for now! The battle of keeping my baby away from chocking hazards has begun!

I put him down for a nap today without being swaddled (he's gotta learn sometime and it's getting to hot to do the double-swaddle thing we've been doing). I was determined that he was going to fall asleep without being swaddled. It took about an hour and half, two feedings and re-insertion of the binky every couple of minutes, but he sucessfully took an hour long nap without flinging his arms up to his head (which is what usually happens then he jolts himself and wakes up). Or he did do the arm-fling-thing at least it didn't wake him up! I figure it's better to practice at nap-time than at bed-time, because then it doesn't effect my sanity as much!

Not Again...

Definition of the Norovirus: The virus that just won't go away.

Titus was showing signs of being sick again yesterday. It's hard to tell with him though because it's not uncommon for him to spit up (i.e. vomit) and he doesn't show signs of diarrhea because, well you can't tell that in a 5 month old either. His spit up was thicker than normal and apparently he had a really bad diaper yesterday, although it was a babysitter who changed it so I wasn't sure how out of the ordinary it was. After a night of little-to-no sleep for either of us last night I still didn't think too much of it this morning--until Kajsa got sick. Kajsa is Eroica's daughter and we spent most of the day yesterday at her house. Because it takes 24-36 hours to develop symptoms after exposure it's a darn good bet that Titus was once again the culprit. Where did he get it? Well, it could have been anywhere. We were at 2 graduation parties this weekend, and at the church. I can't even begin to guess how many people held him (i.e. how many others might have been exposed, or who might have exposed him). That'll teach me not to hold other people's babies, I feel sorry for all who have held mine lately!

Hopefully tonight we'll all get a little more sleep and wake up in a better mood. And hopefully this nasty little bug will just go away!

Farewell 7th Heaven

Tonight was the series finale of 7th Heaven. It started in 1996, the year I started high school. Tonight, we said good-bye to the family that brought us so many tears, so many smiles and so many laughs (end sentimental moment).

I've watched it off and on for the 10 years it has been running, but I've been watching it consistently for the last 6 months or so. Eroica has Tivo so she's been Tivo-ing it for me to watch. We've had fun watching it together, but that fun has now come to an end :0( Tonight I went over there for the finale because I simply couldn't wait til later this week. I'm sad, it's one of the few clean, feel-good shows left on television.

Now I'll just have to stick to my Extreme Makeover Home Edition. When that one goes off the air I'm never going to turn on the TV again. Why do they keep taking all of my favorite shows off the air? I guess it's inevitable.

This might give you some insight into my upbringing but here are some shows I have fond memories of watching as a kid/teen. While other kids were watching cartoons, I grew up on these 'classics':

Married with Children
Full House
Roseanne
Boy Meets World
Home Improvement
Baywatch
Beverly Hills 90210
Party of Five
Days of our Lives

Those are the ones that come to mind right away. But the common denominator. Gone. All of them--of the air, no longer in existence. Except Days. Either way it's good that most of them are gone because if they were still on I would never do anything other than watch TV and my mind would be rotting and filled with not-so good things. Looking back most of those shows are full of less-than pure content. I didn't realize it then though, and that's probably a good thing.

Good-bye Camden's, we'll miss you! (okay, end sentimental moment for good now!)

Children's Ministry Coordinator

It was officially announced yesterday that I will be taking on the position of Children's Ministry Coordinator at our church. It will only be 10 hours a week, and I'll be able to do most of my work from home. I'm so very excited about this new job, it truly is my dream job! My degree is in Bible Education and my hope when I chose that major was to use it as a Children's Ministry Coordinator someday. The only problem was that I'm completely limited as to only being able to work where my husband works--being that's where we go to church! So in order for me to have a job like this it needs to be a chuch big enough to be able to hire someone for this position, and to also have a vacancy available.

Well, our church is getting big enough that this is a neccessary staff position, and the position will be opening up as of June 1st with Noah (the current children's ministry/youth intern) graduating and moving to a Youth Pastor position in Washington. I'm soooo excited about this opportunity as it has so many components of what I love to do. It involves kids, activities, planning and providing vision and leadership. All things I would love to do in a job! It'll be tough because as always there will be church politics to deal with, but I can't think of a better job or ministry to have! I'm so excited and I look forward to beginning this job with great anticipation!

An Emotional Moment

For anyone who knows me well, they know that I'm not a very emotional person. Sure I cry every-so-often, but probably a quarter as much as the average woman. I don't typically get in cat fights because I don't take things personally very often. Sometimes I wonder if I have an emotional side to me at all because I find it hard to cry or be sad even when I ought to be.

Well, I didn't cry tonight but I sure became teary-eyed. I was up in Titus's room looking around and I suddenly began to imagine what his room would look like in 15 years. The room that looks huge won't look so big with a twin size bed in it. His dresser will probably have the 15 years from now version of Garbage Pail kid stickers and stickers of bands stuck all over it. He'll have posters on the wall and a basket ball hoop behind the door. I won't remember what color his carpet is because it'll be covered in clothes and other smelly stuff. My kids are going to grow up before I know it. I held him in my arms and rocked him in the rocking chair and just stared at him as I prayed for him and talked to him. He just stared back and caressed my face and smiled at me. I found myself praying for his future spouse and that he would be a good daddy and a good husband. Somehow I just got this incredible picture of him in his 20's, out of the house with a family of his own. What a bitter sweet day that will be. I'm going to be 42 when my kids are both off to college. My dad is older than that with two babies at home. I can't imagine life without my kids. I know I have at least 18 years left, but I know those years are going to fly by right before my eyes.

I snuck into Leeann's room after I tucked Titus into bed. I was hoping she was still awake, and she was. I asked her if I could pray for her and she said yes and grabbed my hand. I prayed for her as a mommy and a wife and for her future spouse too. I try to do that with both of them often. I prayed that she would come to know and trust Jesus at a very young age and that she would walk with him and serve him every day of her life. I said "amen" and she said "Thank you mommy!" It was soooo sweet. Just as the tears began to well up she said "Go out, I'm tired." And then I started laughing and I kissed her and tucked her and her baby doll into the covers.

I love my kids. They are so sweet and so special. We have had Leeann more than half of her life now, and Titus is over 5 months old. It seems like just yesterday it was just the two of us. And it will probably feel like tomorrow when they're both in school. Why do they have to grow up? What a great reminder to treasure every moment and every stage. Kids are so special, and mine are the most-specialest ever!

Car Wash and Spiked Hair

Just hanging out on a Thursday afternoon...

That's his day off ya know... he likes to spend it with me...

Sometimes he's even nice enough to let me help him with his chores...

This is what Titus looks like when daddy puts gel in his hair!

Below is a picture of me hanging out with my two favorite boys. Mommy thought we looked cute together!

A Weekend to Remember

On Monday I wrote all about our weekend away, but when I went to publish the post it said there were errors and I lost everything I had written. It's always frustrating to write the same things again, but I'll give you a shortened version here:

About a month ago Rob and I stopped by the table of a local radio station during a Family Living Expo fair at the mall. I picked up a Weekend to Remember brochure that advertises a marriage conference that is held at various times all over the world. I had heard it advertised in Eugene for the end of April but I knew that the conferences were a lot of money on top of hotel and food, so I didn't think it would really be an option. Besides, it's over a weekend and that makes it difficult because we only get 3 Sundays off a year. Not to mention the fact that we have young kids and yada yada yada...

Well, I picked up the brochure anyway and turned it straight to the page that said "Pastor's register for free!" Sweet! We could do the hotel and food if we didn't have to pay for the conference, and we've always wanted to go to a marriage conference. So, Rob got the time off, I made some reservations and we were able to go!

It was such a blessing and such an amazing conference. A whole weekend just to focus on our marriage and on each other--I don't think we could have made a better investment! There was lot's of time scheduled into the conference to spend alone together and to reflect on the things we'd been learning. There were sections of homework that were really cool and practical that we would do seperately and then come together and talk about our answers. I think my favorite one was something like this:

1.) List the top 5 needs that you precieve your husband to have and write how you think you can help him to acheive those needs.

2.) List your top 5 needs and what you think your husband can do to help you acheive those needs.

3.) Now compare your lists and talk together about how you can best fulfill each others top needs.

WOW! What a concept! It was neat to see that our perceptions were right on with each others, but it was also great to see some actual practical steps that we could take to help meet each others needs. In the homework sections there were also pre-married and re-married tracks, there's something for everyone! I would highly recommend this conference to anyone and I would say it's well worth the money. I don't think you could make a better investment into your marriage!

Our kids stayed with a family in the church for the weekend. It was the first time Rob and I had spent a night away together since Leeann became part of our home. It was so good to get away together and to focus on us as a couple. It was also good to get the chance to miss the kids, and really, investing into our marriage is the best thing we can do to invest into them also. They stayed with a couple that has 3 girls 6, 8 and 10ish. Leeann was in high-heaven! I don't even know if she knew we were gone! I was doing well without them until Sunday morning (the conference started Friday evening). By Sunday morning I was ready to get home and give some hugs and kisses to my precious little ones! I missed them, but they had fun and so did we! It was such a blessing for the Devenports to care for our kids so we could get away. Not many people would offer to take on two more, especially when one's only 5 months old! They were all troopers though, and they did a great job!

Well, daddy and Leeann are out washing the cars on Rob's day off and Titus just woke up. It's almost noon so I suppose I ought to get to doing something productive. After I bathed the kids and got them ready I sat on the couch and read a book for an hour or so. I love Thursdays!