A full weekend for Jack....

While Scott was in Kansas City with Drew and Tommy, for Drew's baseball tourney Jack, Max and I were home this weekend. Nothing on our calendars...so we filled it with learning new things. Jack officially has taken off his training wheels. He worked SO hard at learning how to ride his bike and surprise his Daddy. We went for walks to the parks twice a day so he could work on this big feat. We spent almost 2 hours there Saturday morning alone practicing. He is one determined child. Not one tear, just kept getting back on and trying again. Hardly even asked for my help, just wanted to learn to balance on his own. Tried and tried again. It was fun to watch him be so determined to learn something. After practicing on Saturday morning, he thought we should go to the bike shop for a kick stand, which we did, and topped it off with breakfast at Perkins, more of brunch but he loved it.

Jack has also recently, as in last week, decided to start taking showers vs baths. He got out the other night and I told him he was a Shower PRO..he corrected me and told me he was a "shower expert" not yet a pro, because he didn't know how to start the shower on his own. So guess what we learned Saturday night? Yep, he can turn on the shower and he can do it all on his OWN so he is now a SHOWER PRO as well.

And to top it all off, he really wanted to learn to tie his own shoes. He hasn't had much desire for this, and frankly his love of crocs hasn't made it so he has needed to very much. So we sat down Sunday and learned that too. It only took him about 10 minutes to master that skill.

So I would say it has been a weekend full of big accomplishments for Jack. He told me yesterday, as we were walking to the park, him with his bike, me with Max...."Mom, I am so proud of myself for persevering and learning how to do all of this stuff"...and yes he used that word, persevering. :) I love watching our boys gain confidence in themselves. Growing those wings little by little.

Jack we are SO proud of you. I especially loved watching YOU tell Daddy that you could do it and revealing your new bike in the garage to him that you had hid under a blanket like a work of art, without training wheels, and with a kickstand to him today when they got home. Loved the tears in his eyes as you excitedly told him you could do it and the pride in yours. A moment I don't think I will ever forget.

Love,

Mommy

What 7:30am looked like here today

One year ago...

It was one year ago on this day, not the exact DATE but the Friday of Memorial day weekend, that I learned about the sweet little baby we now call Max. Scott and Drew had just left town to go to Kansas City for a baseball tournament, it was the late afternoon. Jack had mentioned to me 3 times earlier that week that he thought there was a baby in my tummy. Monday, "Mom how would you know if you had a baby in your tummy?" Wednesday, "Mom, I think God put a baby in your tummy." And again Friday, "Mom are you sure there isn't a baby in your tummy?" I had just finished up a kick boxing program and lost almost 30 lbs so I was confident my tummy wasn't big so was confused with his comments. Reminder, Jack had prayed for a baby since he was 2 years old. After studying the calendar and doing some math, which isn't my specialty by the way...I was a bit perplexed. The numbers just were not adding up. 2 pregnancy tests later and I realized, Jack was RIGHT!

With Scott in Kansas City I decided to wait until he would get home on Monday to share the news with him. I spent the next 48 hours in amazement and with a heart overflowing with JOY that I had to keep to myself. Scott was home monday around noon and after a busy day of yard work and getting boys to bed I sat him down. I gave him a gift bag, inside were two woobies (aka pacifiers) one pink and one blue. I don't think I will EVER forget the look of SHOCK on his face. He was very surprised. And one of his comments I will never forget...as I sat crying tears of joy on one couch he looked across the room at me and said "Babies are ALWAYS a good thing..this is great news for us!"

Long story short. we didn't think we could have any more children, so what a surprise blessing this has been for ALL of us. We count each of the boys as a miracle, a blessing and a gift. Max is a gift to Scott and myself and to each of our boys. We thank God for him...especially today. I feel like he is one year old today, in my heart he is and I don't think the Friday before Memorial day will EVER feel the same for me. It is my baby day...

Happy endings..

Jack and I watched the movie "The Tooth Fairy" tonight, while the big boys are all in Kansas City for baseball and Max was napping. At the end of the movie, there is happy music. Jack popped off of the couch, started dancing and said "I just feel like dancing. I sure LOVE happy endings Mom!"

"So do I sweet boy..."

Beautiful night....

Had to share a few more from tonight while Tommy was at baseball....

Trying the Swing

ICubs, School Programs and baseball

Great photo from the ICubs media

Monday night we had a whirlwind of events to make it to...

I went with Max to see Tommy and Drew's school concert. They both did a great job, Drew's class has been working hard on playing the recorder. Takes me back to Mrs. Berger and 5th grade at Creek Valley. Loved that and still have my recorder...sorry I digress. It was red, white and blue themed and a lot of American tributes but my very favorite song of the night was AMAZING GRACE. Loved that.

Scott went with Jack to the ICubs game. We put our team in a pool to be a part of a tradition at the games at Principal park...we had been chosen to be the "Anthem Buddies" for Mondays game. What a highlight for Jack! Both Tommy and Drew have had the privilege of doing the same thing so we were excited for Jack to have a turn. Since Daddy is the Manager of the Rockies he was there with the team and all of their families. Jack's favorite part of the entire game I think, was being chosen to run in the BBop burger race during the 6th inning.

Drew had an 8:00 baseball game AFTER the school concert. So we dashed out of the concert and he changed in the car enroute to his game. Normally we aren't quite so rushed but Monday night, we were.

Here is the fun part...I was just leaving the boys school concert, with them of course, and we called Scott to check in. He told us Jack was running the race in 20 minutes. We were sad to miss it. Tommy, Max and I dropped Drew off at his game 7:45 to warm up and made a mad dash downtown to Principal Park in the hopes we would catch Jack's Bbop race around the bases. I pulled up to the gate, ran up to the ticket guy and asked if Tommy could run in to see his brother run...I could hear them on the loud speakers wrapping up the inning. I sent him running in...I quickly parked, grabbed Max from his car seat paid my $1- to get a ticket, yes he let Tommy in free made ME get a ticket....I literally ran carrying Max. And just as I got to the top of the steps...they were OFF from first base. We were able to see the entire race. I was so excited! The cutest part is Jack later told Scott "I almost cried when I saw Mommy"...made his day that we didn't miss it. I quickly congratulated him, he won the race, kissed him and headed out to Drew's game.

Life is never dull is it? What a fun and very BUSY night.

My new shirt

...and would you believe 5 people still asked me what his name was while wearing this??

Busy Baseball and Cousins Weekend

My big brother Mike, and his kids, Charlie and Alice came to visit us on Friday night for the weekend. We knew we had a busy weekend ahead with 2 baseball tournaments and Jack's Little League game. 6 games were on the schedule for Saturday some in Indianola, one in Waukee and some downtown Des Moines. We came up with our plan on attack on Friday night of who would go to what game, who would stay with the kids, and which games we would bring all of the kids to. I will say we were a well orchestrated machine by the time Saturday morning rolled around. First games were at 8:00 am. It was a whirlwind day, we also squeezed in 2 graduation parties as well on our street. It was hot and windy here, so everyone appreciated showers and baths to end the day.

note Drew's fans in the stands

Jack at catcher

Tommy coaching first base for Jack

Tommy on first

Alice laughing at the ball park

Sunday was more of the same, more baseball and more orchestrating everyone to their ballparks. But only 3 games on Sunday. Felt like a breeze.

Inbetween baseball we enjoyed time playing...Charlie and Jack had fun building forts, playing with Legos and trucks too. Alice enjoyed MAX, which she says in a VERY VERY LOUD VOICE! BABY MAX! She learned new words too, nursing, breast, Buckeyes, baseball games, barn store (antique store we stopped at in a barn)...she is a joy and we loved having a little girl around with all of these boys.

Charlie -6 yrs and Jack

Alice 2 years

Thanks Mike for making the effort to come, know it isn't an easy trek with little ones for a weekend. Friends, please join us in praying for Cara's (Mike's wife) Mom, Jean Larson. She was diagnosed with ALS in the fall and is having a difficult time right now. She spent the weekend in the hospital and they are currently waiting for a feeding tube to be placed so she can have the nourishment she needs without having to swallow it, her throat has become very weak. Pray for Jean and her husband Bob. Pray too for Cara, who is very close to her Mom, for Mike and Cara's brother Cort as they care for her. Pray they make wonderful memories. Pray for a cure for ALS, it's such a tough disease.

"Team Grandpa"

"Team Grandpa"

Max and I headed to Edina on Thursday, so that we would be there for my Dad's Doctor Appointment on Friday where we would learn more about the possibility and plan to get rid of the prostate cancer YUCK! Max had on his new "Team Grandpa" tee shirt I found...and Jack saw it before he went to school and said to me "Yes Mom, we are on TEAM GRANDPA not TEAM CANCER!" I couldn't have said it better myself Jack.

Dad, Max and I headed to the Mall of America Thursday night. Stopped at one of Jack's favorite spots...the LEGO store!

We had a great appointment with his Doctor, who was also our neighbor growing up. Dad has decided to do a course of radiation versus surgery as his treatment. He got a hormone shot which basically shrinks the gland and makes the cancer freeze in its tracks. They will start the radiation after that takes full affect, sometime in the next 3 months. 5 days a week for 7 weeks. We pray this will knock the cancer out and it will NEVER be seen AGAIN! It was a good appointment and I think we all felt at ease knowing Dad was starting to be proactive to get rid of this JUNK. Mike was there too, so it was special in an odd sort of way, to have it be my parents and us (Max too of course) sitting there supporting Dad.

We were able to sneak out for breakfast together afterwards, I cannot remember the last time we all ate a meal without kids around. Max was there, but a pretty quiet little guy.

After breakfast, we snuck over to my dear friend Shelley's house after to introduce Max to her and my good friend Leanne, both EHS friends. It was a wonderful hour with them, we laughed HARD and cried both tears of joy and sadness. I could have sat with them all day...what a blessing it is to have such true friends. Over 24 years we have been friends, eegads that does make us sound old Leanne.

Leanne and Max

Shelley and Max

Max and I headed back to Iowa to get here in time for dinner with the boys and my brother Mike's arrival with his 2 kiddos for the weekend, Charlie and Alice...more details on that later.

Thanks for the prayers for my Dad and please continue to pray for healing from the cancer. It's a word I wish did not exist.

Jack's One liners

My Mom just emailed the following in her words...she was sharing with me some of Jack's one liners from when they were here over Mother's Day and For Max's Dedication service...

STORY NUMBER 1...

They were riding in the car on the way to church...Jack was in Dad's car with Mom and Ariana...they were doing math problems, which Jack loves to do out loud.

Jack: "ah, give me a really hard one '

Grandma: "what is 7 times 8"..while thinking no way will he get this one.

Well, after he reminded us all to be quiet in the car (enroute to church) ....he

came out with thee answer ! and Gpa and I Oh'd and Ah'd

his response..

Jack: 'Bet I almost blew you away, huh?'

STORY NUMBER 2...

Jack had just poured himself a glass of milk before bed on Friday night, shortly after Mom and Dad had arrived. He walked away from the glass to find a snack or something when he came back he went to take a big drink of his milk. He looked in the glass and it was gone. Poppy was standing there, 5 feet from the glass smiling from ear to ear. Jack realized Poppy DRANK HIS milk. He looked right at us and said

Jack: "Man, It's gonna be a long weekend" while smiling from ear to ear. It was a riot.

Tommy's Personal Day

We allow the boys each a "personal" day every school year. Jack took his a few weeks ago on a rainy Monday. Drew has yet to take his and Tommy chose today for his. It's a beautiful day and I think that was part of his reason, oh and he wasn't excited about having paper mache plastered to his face and mouth as an art project. Being claustrophobic myself I completely can relate. UGH makes my heart race to think about it.

Back to the topic at hand...Tommy is currently off with Dad to a customers for a meeting. Then I think they are having lunch and he is hoping to get 9 holes of golf in this afternoon with dad too.

He was all smiles this morning while I made him eggs and bacon and he watched some Sportscenter to start his day. (we normally don't watch tv before school)

They LOVE their Personal days and often wait until Spring to use them up. I am not sure they will work so well in Junior High and High School, but for now, they are a joy!

Off work?

Last night at Drew's baseball game one of the Grandma's of the players and I had the following conversation...

Gma :"So, are you still off work since the baby?"

Me :" I have been "off work" for almost 13 years now"

Gma:"That's nice although you don't get a paycheck"

Me:"I do, it's not in dollars, it's in hugs and kisses."

Gma...silence

I am not sure she knew what to say...but I am SO VERY grateful that I can be home with our boys and be "off work".

Big Step

After reading through these posts today and yesterday and the prayer and devotion in them...and also with some recent convictions of my heart I have officially taken a LONG break from facebook. I know you may be laughing at that...like it's some BIG joke but it's really not. I find myself checking it on my phone 25 times a day, not kidding. It's so easy on there to just click it. And for those of you who know me well know I LOVE photos and I LOVE to know what's going on...so facebook is PERFECTLY designed for people JUST LIKE ME! But it's also addicting for people JUST LIKE ME!

I have been considering taking a break for awhile now...but after Mother's day and the very sweet gift from Drew he made in the "interests" portion he listed facebook as one of my interests. Yes, on one hand he is right and on the other hand it kind of made me sad. Wouldn't want him to know that though. But I just don't want the boys growing up thinking facebook is somehow more important than my time with them. I don't want it to distract me from listening to them and focusing on them. It was becoming too much.

I told Tommy after school that I was going to stop facebook tonight...he said "No WAY! Seriously MOM?" and smiled from ear to ear. It was another mixed emotion for me. He was happy it seemed to hear I was done with it but he was also shocked I would give it up...like he thought it was THAT important in my life. *sigh*

You know when you check it on your phone within 20 minutes of waking up, it's gotten to be too much. When you could be spending that time praying...it's too much. So thank you to my friend Makila, for being willing to change my password and hold me accountable to not getting it back....until I revisit the possibility after summer has gone. I think I will miss it for a few days...but then probably not so much. It's funny I listed on facebook for my "friends" to email me if they wanted to follow our family blog...and you know what...only about 15 of my 600 "friends" have asked to follow this. I got a lot of nice well wishes...but in reality not THAT many of my "friends" on there truly want to follow our life. That's okay with me, but it's a good wake up call that facebook isn't critical in my life. :)

A 10 Point Manifesto for Joyful Mothering

From here....(can you tell I recently learned how to make links on the blog ;) )

1. Today, I will make our home a house of prayer. I will pray at set times. And I willinvite our children to come move into an interior space that lives with God.

2. Today, I will transfigure all things into beauty, and I will refuse to see anything else.

3. Today, I will not have any emergencies. There are no emergencies! Only amateurs hurry.

4. Today, when stress mounts, I pray to dismount it with gratitude. My stress management plan will be intervention with verbal thanks. I can only feel one feeling at a time, and I choose to give thanks at all times. Fight feeling with feeling!

5. Today, I will pray to speak words that are only STRONG words, words that make these children feel strong. Grace words. Grace is the only non-toxic air. All other words I breathe are death words.

6. Today, I will pray to be consistently consistent. I will create safe rhythms that our children can find security in. I will create daily ceremonies because everyday we are CELEBRATING the gift of now!

7. Today, the moment when I am most repelled by a child's behavior, that is my sign to draw the very closest to that child.

8. Today, I will hug each of my children as many times as I serve them meals -- because children's hearts feed on touch. I'll look for as many opportunities to touch my children today as possible --- the taller they are, the more so.

9. Today, my priorities will be all Things Unseen.

10. Today, I will laugh! And I will let the little children laugh! I will create a culture of JOY!

P.S. Thanks to my friend Sarah for pointing me towards these reminders today.

Reminder to myself

I needed to remind myself of THIS today and I need to EVERYDAY! Life is so busy, often feels so chaotic. As I sit this morning, the boys in school, the sounds of Max in his swing napping...I realize I need to sit in quiet more. Focus on having Quiet time in the morning, not checking facebook. Quiet time at bedtime often ends up with me asleep, glasses on, reading...Scott coming to bed and slipping my glasses off and kissing me goodnight.

I long for the calm and peace of the country, the lazy days of summer, the quiet of the boys playing HAPPILY...while we don't live in the country, and I often wish we did, I am needing to be content with where we are, with the quiet we can make this house be wherever it is located. While I know the reality of a QUIET house with 4 boys, seems a lofty goal, it isn't the QUIET I want as much as the PEACE of brothers.

My day ALWAYS goes better if I start the morning off in prayer and quiet...the reality of my life right now is a tired Momma, up in the night with a sweet baby boy nursing and holding my fingers...I don't want to lose sight of the beauty of those moments with him. But I still need to make a conscious effort, for my sake and for our boys, that they deserve a Mom who has prayed before she has risen. A Proverbs 31 Mom and wife.

Oh I pray I can be that kind of a Mom...that kind of a wife...it truly is my hearts desire. Why do I allow the little messes, the lack of organization, the laundry, the dishes...why do those frustrations often outweigh my hearts desire?

Baby Shower

3 Momma's and 3 boys

Max & Me, Kit & Ewan, Susan & John

The birthday boys John & Max

Ewan, John and Max

Max and our good friend "Aunt Nancy"

Max and my good friend Ellen

Today Max and I went to a baby shower for 2 friends of ours...Kit & Ewan and Susan & John, their first babies. Kit and Susan are friends of mine through P.E.O., actually that would be sisters I guess. It is fun having little guys the same age as Max. John was born the very same day as Max. I had just finished Congratulating his Mom on facebook about an hour before my water broke with Max.

Frosty Boy Frosty Boy

This morning, after church, we had lunch at the mall. Jack, of course ate at......WENDY'S. On the way out I spotted this shirt being made in an adult size. (Jack had gone home with Daddy so he wasn't with us) The tshirt lady said she makes them for the Wendy's workers to wear one Fridays. I asked if she could make on in a youth size...and here it is! There is NO ONE that loves Frosty's more than Jack. NO ONE!

Baseball, Bash and Spring Cleaning

Tommy and Scott are off to Kansas City for an overnight, baseball tourney there. But their first game wasn't until noon today which meant they could stay home last night. :) We sent them off this morning with a pan of rice krispies and a cooler of pop and propel.

Good Luck Tommy! We hope you have a fun time! Wish we could be there to cheer you on but hauling a family of 6 down to a ball field, possibly in rain and a small hotel room didn't sound like all that much fun. ;) I am sure they will have a great time, just the 2 of them.

We have our school BIG BLUE BASH tonight and a ball game and practice here today. Lots of spring cleaning projects are also going on...most started, but not completed. Legos have multiplied almost beyond control, photos and scrapbooking stuff also needs to be organized, Max will need a baby book made at some point, there is always laundry to be done...school is out in less than 3 weeks and I KNOW I won't get that stuff done in the summer with everyone home. That anxiety of SO much to do SO little time is creeping back up on me.

Better get off the computer and get to work while the little guy is still napping in his swing...have I mentioned how much he LOVES his swing? Naps for 2-3 hours in it somedays. Thanks to my friend Janelle for loaning it to us!

I'm a mover

This morning while I was eating breakfast, checking email, emptying dishes I laid Max on the floor UNDER his toy he loves to grab and bat at. Knowing he now can scoot back with his feet I put him on the floor. Our ottoman days are over unless someone is with him. He usually will scoot back about 10 inches or so.

I went to check on him about 10 minutes later, he was talking and making happy noises I assumed still under his toy. Look where he was...oh my. I didn't know he could move THAT much.

O-H-I-O

We love our Buckeyes....click HERE to see the latest

My new toy

Granny's Chocolate Cobbler

Make this as soon as you can

Drew made it tonight and it was out of this WORLD!

Max and friends

Max had some friends over this morning. Gracelyn Lors and Andrew Denhart came over to play, along with their big sisters Lydia and Moriah. We couldn't resist getting some pics of the little ones. The few moments they were all 3 awake and no one was eating. Gracelyn was born the beginning of December, Max in January and Andrew in February. So fun to have their Mom's to go through pregnancy with and now these babies to go through life with. SO blessed...

Boys and lockers

Today I stopped into school a few minutes early...I decided to go in and get the boys. Usually Max and I wait in the car, but today he was home napping while Daddy worked, so I went on my own. Tommy had told me a few weeks ago that his locker was a mess and it needed to be cleaned out. Hmm...I thought I would check it out. I stopped and pulled him out of study hall so he could clean it up.

Here are the papers I brought home, to be sorted before trashed. This does not show the pile of trash he threw away at school, the chex mix spilled through the entire locker, the bag of lunch from last week, the winter hat we had "lost" or the bottles of Propel that were empty.

Ahh the joy of boys and lockers.

Max is 4 months

Where is the time going? Max is 4 months old today.

Had his well check this morning here are the stats

Height 26 3/4" 95 %

Weight 16.8 lbs 90%

Needless to say he is eating well, growing strong and very healthy. We do NOT take that for granted. He is a joy for ALL 5 of us.