Sarah does Smile

How did this happen?

2010-12-02T06:11:00.000-08:00

Just a few years ago, this Daddy was surrounded by wrestling boys. Now, he gets the job of comforting his 2 little girls when they're not quite having the best of days....

I have no desire to mislead or misinform... there is still plenty of wrestling going on in this house. Just every once in a while, you see a flash of pink in the mix.

Day of Thanks

2010-11-29T21:04:00.000-08:00

When Elijah had just turned a year old, Seth and I decided we wanted to go away over Thanksgiving weekend. So we did. We packed up our car and drove to the mountains of North Carolina. A friend of the family let us use their cabin for a minimal amount. It was wonderful. Quiet, peaceful, just us. The 3 of us.

Last Thursday ended up being a day very similar to that one 8 years ago. It was just us. Considerably larger "us", 6 to be more specific, but it was quiet and peaceful. I cooked most of our side dishes on Wednesday so I wouldn't have to do much on Thursday. Seth brought our TV upstairs so we could watch the Macy's Day parade. First time I've ever watched the parade from beginning to end. What fun!

Then I decided to do an impromptu photo shoot of the kids. Can I just say that trying to take photos of 4 children is truly like herding cats? I don't know how professional photographers keep their cool while taking pictures of little ones. They drive me c.r.a.z.y!!

What's even going on here? Does E not like his brother sitting that close? Look at how perfectly posed J is, just knowing he's totally getting on his brother's nerves!

An elbow to the gut. That's what I wanted to take a picture of...

Lyla's already losing it. And Phoebe looks a cross between stunned and bored.

The "what did I do?" look. I see this a lot.

Ok, this just makes me giggle.

This one is normal-ish. And that's just sad.

The photographer is not very comfortable on this side of the camera. But she loves her boys. Her boys who are growing up way. too. fast!

It's the beginning of the breakdown, folks.

Aaaand we're done. Poor Daddy just wants to eat some turkey!

Speaking of, here is a lovely photo of our Thanksgiving spread. Texas corn, green bean casserole, soul sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and a brined turkey. Yeah, I'm drooling a little bit too.

My heart overflows.... (Look at Lyla. Digging right in!)

2010-11-22T06:37:00.000-08:00

I hear crickets. Do you hear crickets? My absence from blogging has not necessarily been an intentional one. You see, I had this computer that suffered from a stroke.... paralyzed and unable to function yet still alive. It has now been replaced. Thus, the venture into more blogs!

What emphasizes the passage of time more than a picture of a growing baby?

Meet Phoebe Analia. She has rosy, apple-y cheeks that are magnets for kisses. She coos, squeals, and giggles. She loves her family. She is obsessed with her fingers.

Meet Elijah Robert. My 9 year old son. 9!! He is no longer a homeschooler but has adjusted well as a student at a small, private school just 3 minutes from our home. He is obsessed with all things Star Wars and Legos. He is a kind, gentle, compassionate oldest brother.

Meet Josiah Daniel. He is now in full day kindergarten. He is under-the-radar smart. He can pick up a book, written for children much older than himself, and just start reading. We don't quite know where he learned this from. He is sensitive, strong-willed, affectionate. He develops habits quickly and is quite dedicated to them. His newest habit? 24/7 humming. And I like it.

Meet Lyla Marie. She is now 2 years old. 2!! She is our butterfly. She flits and floats from one person to the next, making sure all is right in our world. On non-teething days, she wakes up chatting and giggling and manages to stay in this bubble of happiness all day. Teething days? Oh that's a whole 'nother story!

So, now we are caught up. You'll probably be seeing me more around these parts. Now that I have a working horse computer....

Randomocity

2010-06-24T13:14:00.000-07:00

1. Is it bad that I am totally envying my sons' tans this summer? Remember the days when your young skin turned brown the fun way by just hours of playing outside? Now it's an ordeal: making sure there is ample sunscreen, maybe a hat, definitely checking for shaved legs...

2. Tomorrow night my husband is repaying me for the days of nursing him back to health a few weeks ago by sending me off for a night all. by. myself. I get to stay here. And I will most likely get takeout here. And I will read. Yes, read.

I am beyond excited! I did this once before years ago. It was actually a stretch for me to do this kind of thing by myself but I found it quite liberating and refreshing. I love my family with all of my heart. I am planning and praying that this one night away will help fill my well of patience. It's been running a little dry lately.

3. See this girl? These days I turn my back for a minute, nay, a second and she makes her way to something she knows she's not allowed to get into. She can drive me up the wall and make me smile in one fell swoop. That's pure talent, I tell

you! Oh and I may or may not have taught my 19 month old to say "dumb dog". There is a suspicious "du" that she says before "dog" now.

4. Our baby's new digs is our walk-in closet. Phoebe is the gruntiest of all grunty babies. Translated: she is loud when she sleeps! She's not ready to move into her sister's room yet but the girl needed her own space. That space is now our closet. And we are okay with that.

5. Have you ever gone carpet shopping? If so, then you might agree with me in this sentiment: I'd rather do this any day of the week than try to find carpet for the whole house.

6. I have been stepping out of my culinary box lately. Last night I made chicken tikka masala and the family liked it. Tonight I am attempting seared mahi mahi. I've been in quite the cooking rut for the last few months, maybe years. So here's to kitchen freedom!

Jackpot!

2010-06-21T08:18:00.000-07:00

So I finally uploaded (or is it downloaded... I can never figure out which is which) all of my photos that I have taken on my phone for the last year. Let me tell you, the feeling is akin to finding that $20 bill in a random pocket. With your phone, there are no "photo shoots". Instead, there are random, off-the-wall pictures that feel more like daily life. Allow me to share some of these moments from the last year...

There you have it, friends. Photos of in-home date dinners, newborn niece, etc.,etc. It's like a scrapbook in my phone!

PS What's going on with the picture layout? I'm afraid to even touch it because I don't feel like uploading all these photos again. Good thing I'm not OCD ;)

Phoebe is Growin'

2010-06-01T14:52:00.000-07:00

She's already 5 weeks old. She smiles and coos. She sleeps in her bassinet at night. She's my precious, uptight, beautiful, so-incredibly-loud, passionate Phoebe bird. I have tried to find the perfect time to do a "photo shoot" but I have to say, it does not exist. Here is today's attempt to capture my girl...

Classic Baby Toes. Miniature, Tiny Toes.

Streeeeetch it out.

Well, hi there.

She's got cheeks!

"I'll give you this one last shot, Mama"

3 minutes into our session, things turned decidedly south. Allow me to share.

And that was the end of that.

Boy...

2010-05-25T17:59:00.001-07:00

...it's Time You Learn the Value of a Dollar

He's a workin' man now. For a whopping $1.00 a week, he helps take out the trash and takes the dog for a daily walk. He couldn't be more thrilled! It was cute and sad all at once when he started naming the things he was going to buy with his money. I'd better not spend too much time on this post or I'm going to end up giving my son a pity raise (only Mamas are allowed to give those!).

Strike a Pose

2010-05-21T13:40:00.000-07:00

I can't help it. My camera screams at me to pick it up whenever Lyla is near a window. Can you blame me?

My sweet baby is now 18 months old. I can't begin to tell you how much fun she is! I feel so blessed to have both boys and girls because I get to observe the similarities and differences between the two. This girl can carry a doll in one hand and wrestle with her brothers with the other hand. She has her very own language. A tonal babble. The only way I can decipher what she wants is by her tone. She has recently picked up the habit of licking things. Not quite sure what's going on there. Doll eyeballs? Yes. Little sister eyeballs? Um, No. Juice cup? Yes. Carpet? Not a good idea.

On to Kindergarten!

2010-05-21T13:30:00.001-07:00

This last week, my "little Nemo" Josiah graduated preschool. It has been so fun watching him grow and learn. Of course, most of his learning has been at home from his older brother but he did shine in class.

Here is Ms. Kim, J's teacher.

I love that Seth caught this on camera. Eli is always so proud of his siblings. And, of course, Josiah just loves to hug!

He really had so much fun up on stage!

So proud of my JJ!

Phoebe's 1st Days

2010-05-21T10:36:00.000-07:00

Seth finally has his little twin. Can you believe how much they look alike?

Sweet oldest brother. He takes this role very seriously.

Big brother J makes sure he gives Phoebe her daily kisses.

Poor Lyla had no idea what to think when we first brought Phoebe home. You could see the utter confusion on her face. After just a few short weeks, she LOVES her "DeDe".

Papa meets Granddaughter #4

Deep down she really was excited to go home. Deep down.

Nana Time

***Not sure how wise it was to proclaim to the world the resurrection of this blog right after baby #4 was born. Seriously? It took me 5 days to finish Phoebe's birth story! So I think for the next bit, I'll blog BLITZ-STYLE. Try to get in as much as I can when I can***
Good day. I said, Good Day.

Deja Vu

2010-05-18T23:30:00.000-07:00

Just a mere 18 months ago, I posted the story of my first daughter's birth. What kind of mother would I be if I didn't share my second daughter's birth story with the world? Allow me to introduce to you, Phoebe Analia Macchi...
This is how it all went down: On Sunday, April 25th at

9am- I woke up and checked my blood pressure. It was as high as it had been all week. I called the on-call doctor. He told me to make my way to the hospital. I was in the "safe zone" for delivery at 37 weeks so it was a strong possibility that I would have a baby.

3pm- My father-in-law generously offered to watch the kids while Seth and I made the trek to the hospital. I was finally packed and ready to go. Quite possibly the most relaxed about-to-give-birth journey to the hospital I had ever made. I wasn't in labor and wasn't experiencing any pain. Which was nice.

4pm- Arrived and checked in. They had a room ready for me. I think they were expecting me earlier since I did call at 9 in the morning. Answered a bazillion questions to make me an official patient.

5pm- My super nice nurse who knew my wish to have another VBAC informed me that the doctor was gearing up to have a talk with me about having a C-section. Apparently the normal ways of inducing labor (Cervadil, Pitocin, etc.) are not very safe for someone who has had a previous C-section.

6ishpm- My super nice nurse who was very pro-natural and was a cheerleader to my VBAC wish sat down next to my bed and let me in on a little "secret". She said there was a procedure that could be done on me that would safely induce my labor. Get this. It's done with a balloon! The doctor inserts a Foley catheter into the cervix and slowly inflates the balloon thus causing the cervix to open. When the cervix is dilated to a 5, the balloon automatically falls out. The doctor breaks the water and labor commences. No drugs. SO awesome. When the doctor made his appearance, I was ready to pull out this very valuable information.

7ish- Doctor finally came in. He started right away with the statistics of induced VBACS gone wrong. I listened for a while and interrupted him with "I heard there is a procedure with a balloo...". It stopped him in his tracks and before I could even get "balloon" out of my mouth, he pointed at me and said, "Yes!". Score! I even got a covert thumbs up from super nice nurse as she walked out behind the doctor.

9pm- Doctor came back in and got things rolling...

9pm-3am- There was a lot of grumpiness going on during these hours. I was hungry and could only eat ice chips. I was stuck in the hospital bed and had to stay on my left side because that kept my blood pressure down. Said higher blood pressure caused a slight, totally annoying headache. Oh and did I mention contractions? They were not very strong but I could tell they were working.

3am- I was dilated to 4 but the doctor decided to remove the catheter and break my water. There was something going on with baby's heart beat so they needed to monitor her better. After he broke my water, he also inserted one of those medieval torture monitors in Phoebe's head. I know they are effective but they seem so brutal!

3:20am- Doctor left the room thinking that he had some time to rest before I needed him again during the pushing stage.

3:20am-3:51am- I had approximately 7 or 8 strong contractions that I needed to breathe through. It's interesting how each birth is different. With Lyla's birth, what helped me through the contractions was my marathon training from the previous year. I could see myself running up a hill then down that hill. I tried picturing running again this time and it was utterly useless! With each contraction, I felt myself swimming up a big Pacific Ocean wave, reaching the top, and then sliding down the back side. This picture allowed me to relax through the contraction instead of clenching each muscle in panic.

Half way through the 8th contraction, everything changed! I transitioned and needed to push right away. Seth pushed the call button for the nurse. She and a couple others rushed in. They stood at the foot of the bed waiting for the contraction to be over so they could check to see where the baby was. I rolled over, pushed again, and baby was OUT! My nurse reached out 1 hand to semi-catch Phoebe on her way out. The bed did most of the "catching".

Monday, April 26th at 3:51am- Baby Phoebe was born and was absolutely beautiful. And so loud! She was my first baby to come out pink and stay pink for a long time. I guess screaming at the top of her lungs did that for her...

3:52am- The doctor rushed into the room and apologized. He did not expect me to go from 4cm to birth in 30 minutes. Honestly no one did.

It was so cool to look back and see how the Lord worked everything out and answered my prayer for a drug-free, natural birth. If super nice nurse wasn't there, I wouldn't have been informed of the balloon procedure and would have been talked into a C-section. After Phoebe was born, the nurses told me that the on-call doctor was the only one in the hospital who would perform that procedure. Even my regular OB wouldn't have done it if he were on-call that night. Awesome!

Hi There

2010-05-16T13:06:00.000-07:00

So, um, I'm still alive. I know it's been almost a year. But the other night I visited my old posts and decided I needed to keep this up for me. I'll be changing the layout and updating some information. New blogs, new pictures... let's get this thing rolling!

I'm Glad She's Still My Friend

2010-05-14T14:16:00.000-07:00

She pops up randomly on Facebook and it makes me smile with tears in my eyes. She stands there so happy and brave next to her horse, Clyde. Sometimes I wonder if it's strange that she still has a Facebook account. But then I think of how devastated I would be if her account was deleted. It is a thin, tangible line that I do not want broken.

I had a dream this afternoon. In it, she and I were watching a friend's horse play and I heard her chuckle next to me. It felt so real. I woke up with that lump in the throat that you just can't swallow down.

In just a few short weeks, it will have been a year since she left us. We have passed so many milestones... birthdays, Christmas, wedding anniversaries, the birth of her sixth grandbaby, Mother's Day. Each one bringing to mind the reality that she is not here with us any longer. Grief comes in waves. Just when you feel like you are walking away, free from its grasp, grief sweeps by. Sometimes knocking you over, other times just gently splashing your ankles.

I am so thankful for the time I had with her. In the 15 years that I knew her, she became my friend, my mentor, my mom. Nearly half of my life, she was there. And now she is not. I carry on with the beautiful reality that I will see her again. My daughters who will have no earthly memory of her will have eternity to get to know her. My sons who miss her will once again experience her hugs, her laughter.

I miss you, Pam. But I am so grateful you are no longer in pain, no longer dealing with one of the most wicked diseases on our planet. I love to imagine you dancing, worshiping, painting, taking walks with your Beloved... fulfilling the deepest desires of your heart here on earth. I'll see you soon.

All Ball

2009-06-18T10:12:00.001-07:00

He hit the ball. Not once but twice. Bringing in a run with both of his hits. His teammates did the same for him. If you have any idea what this kid has gone through, parents desperately trying to build up his confidence, then you know this was quite the victory.

You should have seen the smile on his face.

It's All Happenin' Weekend Edition

2009-05-29T18:35:00.000-07:00

I am in smit. In deep smit.

(Name that quote.)

Last week, J performed in his end-of-the-year program. He pretty much loved being up on that stage. Can you see him in the front? (6th from the left... just in case you need some help.)

His giggles can brighten my whole day.

This is J's 4th Birthday present that was finally delivered to our house just recently. He LOVES it. His Auntie Leya made the super awesome "Chef Josiah" apron for him. A day has not gone by without J making something from this kitchen. His specialty is soup. What can I say? The kid likes soup.

He is growing so fast. This boy has my heart.

I feel like this photo should have a formal title. Bright Future? Hey, What's That Over There? Deep Thoughts? Maybe not. It seems to have a 50's iconic look to it, doesn't it?

Scruffy Brothers.

Little Ms. Sparkle

2009-05-14T07:23:00.000-07:00

I was 5 months old when my parents took me to get my ears pierced. I always said that if I had a little girl, I would want to get her ears pierced early on as well. So a couple of weeks ago, we trouped out on an angry, stormy night to meet our friends who wanted to do the same for their baby girl, Zaria. It was nice to have the experience of this family whose 2 older daughters have been sporting sparkly ears since infancy. Plus how could we pass up an opportunity for these 2 little girls to have to the potential life-long friendship story... "Remember when our parents took us to get our ears pierced together?". That is just irresistible! So, on with the photos...

Daddy and daughter quite wary of the gloved employee.

Moments after. Lyla's sweet little friend, Zaria, had already forgotten. Lyla decided to keep re-living the moment for a while.

Pretty little sparkly girls!

Colors

2009-05-13T09:14:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite parts of Spring here in Kansas City is the annual tour of my father-in-law's gardens. I can count on every year seeing new splashes of color that last well into Summer. On Mother's Day, we spent some time at our parent's house and I got my tour...

Isn't my mother-in-law beautiful? We were so thankful to be able to spend our afternoon with her.

Boys eating mint leaves.

This duck is sub-letting one of their bushes for a month or so. Yes, she built a nest right by the house and is sitting on 8 eggs, we think. What a good Mama duck to not leave her babies.

We'll Call You

2009-05-12T08:04:00.000-07:00

J, show me your...

Sad Face.
Happy Face.
Mad Face.
Silly Face.
Surprised Face.
And Scene.

You Are Beautiful...

2009-05-10T08:28:00.000-07:00

Dear Mom,

I understand now. I understand the need to protect them, no matter what. I understand the fear, the pain, the occasional feelings of utter exhaustion. But I also understand the determination that no matter what, we will continue to be a family. The determination that, if need be, I will be the glue that holds us together.

I feel it now. I feel the well of love that I saw in you. I write letters to them as you did. Sometimes writing it down allows for freedom to say things that just might be too difficult to say in person.

Thank you for not only being that Mom who I am so grateful for. But for being my best friend.

I love you!

6 Months

2009-05-09T21:08:00.000-07:00

Yes, she is. 1/2 a year old. And quite possibly the most beautiful girl I have ever laid eyes on.

All photos taken by my new Nikon D70, care of AutoFocus =)

I Got Sunshine

2009-05-09T20:21:00.000-07:00

Florida fits us like an old glove. Or that favorite, worn sweater. It feels good, it gives comfort in its familiarity with so many memories attached to it, but you come to the realization that you could never really wear it again. Does that make sense?

Last month, we spent 11 days visiting family and friends. We stayed in St. Augustine for a week with my side of the family and spent the rest of our time visiting Seth's Grandad and others. We had a wonderful time catching up with everyone.

Josiah is the most affectionate little guy I know. He couldn't wait to give "Poppy" a big hug!

Grandad finally got to meet Lyla, his 5th great-grand.

Cousins on Easter Day.

Our beach house. It was awesome. (This is my brother's fiancee, Crystal, catching up on her reading.)

What better place to have some guy talk??

Intro to Beach Life 101: Look Cute!

Yep, she passed.

Just couldn't contain the excitement!

Scuba masks help make better sand castles. You haven't heard this?

My baby boy turned 4 while we were in FL!

Party Time with Auntie Susan and the cousins. He had a great day.

Is this prophetic?? Only time will tell...

Lake Lily. So many memories: Eli learning how to walk, feeding the ducks, losing Seth's glasses in the lake. We added 1 more: 5 of us picnicking on the lake.

Cleaning House

2009-05-08T21:05:00.000-07:00

So I have come to the conclusion that my blogging this last year has been very similar to my house cleaning philosophy. Procrastinate until I can't stand it anymore and then fly through the house, cleaning everything in sight.
I'm going to try to change this. Steady plodding is a pretty good way to go in so many areas of life. I guess it can also be applied to blogging. Keep all informed of what's going on at a steady rate instead of blasting you with waaayy too much information.
First, I shall be doing a little "catch up" this weekend. I have much to share of our last month.
Stay tuned....

The Flip Side

2009-04-06T09:41:00.000-07:00

So, yes, I have had one of the worst weekends of my life. But I'm going to be the bigger person here and share what I have been thankful for these last few days.

Spring. It reared its shy little head last week but has been bullied back down by Winter. Bad Winter. Go home.

This man has been a saint. He took wonderful care of me. He made sure the whole house kept running. He cleaned up a couple of ungodly messes that a certain 7 year old made. He did laundry. And in the middle of all of that, he even went to the store and picked up some ice cream per his dad's request. I'm not sure how it's possible, but I think I actually fell more in love with my husband this weekend.

I had this adorable face to look at all weekend. Sure it just about killed me to not be able to kiss those irresistible cheeks, but I'll just have to make up for that this week.

Hot water bottles and warm-up puppies. Need I say more?

Our super amazing friends, Dan and Misty, dropped off a very sweet care package for our recovery. They also found very generous buyers for our Phantom tickets.

So thankful for boys who are very good at entertaining themselves. That comes in very handy when you feel like your body is going to break apart. By the way, this little man is turning 4 years old in a couple of weeks!

This poor kid went through it even more than I did. He moved down a few points on his near-perfect record of making it to the toilet every time this last week. Oh well, I guess we can't all be perfect now can we?

This is what we have to look forward to come Saturday. I need to breathe lighter, brighter air for a little while. Even if it's just for a week or so...I'll take it!

This is what I'm mostest thankful for. Not only will we be in Orlando for a few days visiting family and friends, but we will also be spending a week in St. Augustine with my side of the family. Joy of all Joys!

worst. weekend. ever.

2009-04-04T19:07:00.000-07:00

We had plans. Wonderful plans. Plans to finally go see Phantom of the Opera together. We bought the tickets a couple of months ago to ensure a decent date with good seats. And then a bug hit. One of those insidious stomach bugs that I pray on a weekly basis stays away from our house.

It first hit Josiah, then Elijah in a MAJOR way. And then this morning, a little bit of hell passed through my body.

So no amazing date.

No babysitters.

No Phantom of the Opera.

I am quite disappointed. Yes I am.

Mikey Likes It

2009-03-20T11:24:00.001-07:00

Actually, Lyla does, not Mikey. We tried cereal today for the first time. Not sure how it happened that I just had a newborn and am now feeding my 4 1/2 month old rice cereal. She woke up more often at night this last week so I thought I would try this and see what happens.... Stay Tuned.
I do love the "Woh. What the heck is that?" look they get when you first put it in their mouth. Good times!

Healing

2009-03-19T20:01:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, Seth accompanied his parents to a church in California where literally thousands of people have been healed from different ailments. They have a particular hatred for cancer and for some reason, many have been healed from the wicked disease. So Seth and his parents went to Redding, California with hopes to see what the Lord wanted to do. They received quite a bit of ministry. The crazy, instantaneous healing didn't happen but it doesn't really change our trust in Him. Again, that choice is there: to either give up and say "Whatever" or to keep pressing on, putting our hope in the Lord. As hard as it is some days, I choose to love the One who first loved me. Not even like I really have a choice...once you encounter His love, His perfect love...yeah, the term "undone" comes to mind.

Seth put together a video of their trip to Bethel Church. Watch it here if you would like.

By the way, thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. I mean that from the very bottom of my heart.

4 Months...

2009-03-15T15:11:00.001-07:00

...and 1 week.

Her head smells like honey. No lie.

Yes, she really is that sweet.

The girl loves her some fingers. She takes this job very seriously.

Blooper Time.

Give it a month or 2, little One. You're almost there.

Monday Musings

2009-03-09T08:43:00.000-07:00

It's 5am. Baby is awake, getting her diaper changed.

"Ahchoo"
"pthhthpth"
"Wahhh"

And Scene.

Question: Did Baby cry because she was frightened of the 1-2 combination of sneeze and gas? Or did the sheer force of both actually cause pain?

Week in Pictures

2009-03-07T20:54:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday: 6 inches of snow. The boys were pretty happy about it. I didn't experience that same emotion. How would I describe it? Ummm, the very opposite of happy.

Monday: It was time to break out the baby walker. The verdict? Baby #3 loves it just as much as Baby #1 and Baby #2 did.

Thursday morning: Apparently this is what happens when you leave baby in her walker while cleaning the house. It has a very soothing effect. Seriously, how sweet can this girl get??

Thursday evening: To celebrate my brother-in-law's birthday, I went all kinds of gourmet. Grilled salmon on a bed of roasted asparagus topped with sweet corn, tomato, avocado relish; lemony rice pilaf; side salad. And yes, he was special that day.

Adam requested a Boston Creme Pie for his birthday cake. It didn't turn out as pretty as I wanted it to but it was quite tasty.

Saturday: I have a girl. With hair. I get to put pretty things in her hair. That makes me so happy!
She slays me.

Welcome Fellow Bloggers

2009-03-05T06:54:00.000-08:00

This is an introduction to family who have jumped on the blogging train. My dashing brother-in-law, Adam, and his lovely wife, Leya, each have their very own sites to share their very own thoughts. Feel free to check out their blogs...
Oh and I guess I should also introduce my husband's new website for his business, Grassland Properties. He blogs on it so that totally counts.

The Loss of Normal

2009-03-04T12:04:00.000-08:00

It was a Wednesday or Thursday afternoon. I was in the middle of a pregnancy-induced afternoon nap when I woke up to movement near the bedroom door. It was Seth. He was home early but one look at his face and I knew exactly why. He has a habit of running his hands back and forth over his shaved head when he is upset. He said, "It's everywhere. Her lungs, her liver, her spine. Everywhere." It took me a few minutes to process his words. I knew what they meant but they were so terrible, they could not possibly be true. I remember shaking my head over and over again. Partly to rid myself of the shock, partly to wake myself out of the horrible nightmare I had just found myself in. Visions of walking into my grandma's room when I was only 10 years old and seeing what could only be described as a skeletal wisp of the grandmother I once knew showing up like someone pressing Rewind on my memories' DVD player. She lost the battle to an evil, wicked enemy. And now that same enemy was attacking my mother-in-law, my mom, my friend. Grief rose within me, making it impossible to swallow, impossible to speak.
It is difficult to type this out because we are still walking down this road. A dark, rocky, blind road. We are watching our parents suffer the unimaginable. We have watched our mother's physical body diminish and weaken. We have watched our father lovingly take care of his beloved wife, beside himself with grief, yet forever pressing on. Our hope has been crushed over and over as each test result has come back negative.
I have found myself just longing for normalcy. A normalcy that even escaping to a small, remote island could not bring. Every minute of every day since that afternoon, there is a nagging sadness underneath our life's existence. Feeling joy's light from my infant daughter's smiles or from my boys' giggles is darkened a shade or two with grief. We have lost our "normal". Phone calls from our parent's house makes my heart skip a half a beat. We don't speak of the future very often. We just don't know what it will hold. It's a place we just can't go.
Since I'm in the middle of all of this and have no idea how it's going to end, I am going to say this: I know it's circumstances like these that shape the rest of our days on this earth. I have a choice. I can either stay angry and become bitter towards the Lord for allowing us to walk through such a horrific thing. Or I can seriously just run to Him and trust Him even if I don't understand what's going on. I think I choose the latter because the first choice seems so lonely and unfulfilled.
Who is this coming from the wilderness, leaning on her Beloved? (Song of Solomon 8:5) I am not out of this desert yet. I don't know when it will end or how it will end but I know this, I want to be leaning on Him. Maybe that's my new "normal".

Who Have I Been Kidding?

2009-02-28T15:33:00.001-08:00

I have bucked the idea for years. "Not me!". "Never!!". I held onto my coolness as long as I could. What coolness, I'm not really sure. But then I went and had a 3rd child. Have you tried putting 3 children in the backseat of a car or even a SUV? Running back and forth from one door to the other, leaning half way in the car to pull out an infant seat = not a pretty picture. So I gave into the fight. I began to want a van. There I said it. A v-a-n. After seeing poor Eli stuffed into the middle of the backseat, my heart melted. Who am I to hold onto whatever picture of me I have inside my head? Growing up isn't always easy. Even when you're 30 years old.
Today, conditions were perfect. It was the last day of the month. God just dumped 5+ inches of snow onto Kansas City. Our faithful had-it-for-11-years 4runner died a big, dramatic death. It was time to buy a van.
So, here she is, Ladies and Gentlemen...

Sidenote: I am really sad about my 4runner. Such a loyal, dependable SUV. Just doesn't seem right for it to go the way it did...

Chubby Bunny

2009-02-22T12:12:00.000-08:00

The irresistible cheekage. They are magnets to my lips.

Checking out her feet...

I'm really not that funny but don't tell her that.

Boxing lessons?

How about Kung Fu?

Photos shoots are like so exhausting...

Spoil Me Rotten

2009-02-15T10:50:00.000-08:00

Seth and I have never been big on the whole Valentines Day thing. We have no traditions or expectations over each other when it comes to this particular holiday. Mostly because we are still trying to recover from the Christmas "drain". Basically we can't afford Valentines Day. So in lieu of this information, I will now refer to yesterday as "Let's just have a nice day together" Day.

It all started with Seth letting me sleep in until *gasp* 11am. I wonder if heaven will include sleeping. Because I can't think of anything more enjoyable than deep morning sleep. I woke up to light tapping on my arm with the announcement that brunch was ready. Seth had re-created those yummy skillets that you can order at First Watch, complete with perfectly diced potatoes, scrambled eggs, topped with fresh chopped tomatoes and avocado. It was absolutely delicious!

One of Seth's nicknames growing up was "Chef". If you say it out loud with a slight Southern accent, it will make more sense. I'm not sure his parents knew that one day he would actually live up to this name....
Last night, we had an in-house date. (One of those things that parents of 3 are forced to do if they want to spend any time together at all. Out of house dates are really difficult to come by.) Seth pulled together an amazing Greek menu. I was impressed that he even tried something so difficult. Allow me to describe his gourmet creations:
We began with Melitzanes Tiganites or Batter-Fried Eggplant. They were warm, crunchy and had amazing flavor. For our entree, he made us Greek salads (minus the anchovies) with homemade dressing. The dressing was fabulous! He made it with oil and vinegar, carrots, celery, garlic, radishes, capers, and some spices. When put through the blender, it made for a wonderful, tasty dressing. He had also grilled us a couple of marinated Kansas City strips. They were very good but both of us were so full by the time we finished our salads that we could only eat a few bites of our steaks. And to finish? He baked a Greek lemon cake with a lemon glaze icing from scratch! It was a beautiful bundt cake that tasted unbelievably delicious! So moist and not too sweet. I am definitely keeping this recipe and the others to make in the future.

Honestly, we needed yesterday. I needed yesterday. Our happy "Let's have a nice day together" Day. I am so grateful for this man who is my best friend. This man who has known me inside and out for almost 12 years now. This man who is making gigantic faith leaps into unknown territories, trusting the Lord with his very life.

I am blessed.

Date Night

2009-02-11T12:17:00.000-08:00

See this handsome guy? He and I went on a special Valentines date last night. Our last outing together like this was a couple of years ago so it was loooong overdue! We went to the theatre to see this movie and then ate here for dinner. I had a fantastic time getting to know my son. It's funny how you think you've heard all that is going on in your kids' minds when you stay at home with them, but it takes a totally different environment for them to truly open up. He and I giggled and laughed in the movie theatre. And then had a serious conversation over dinner. He tries to act so grown-up and big so much of the time, it is easy to take for granted that inside he is a 7 year old with insecurities that only 7 year olds deal with. I am so blessed to have such a sweet, kind, imaginitive, and funny little boy. I am excited to see what the Lord has planned for this guy. I so want to protect him from all the evil and pain that is out there but I know I can't. I just have to trust the One who loves this kid even more than I do.
Oh and so when I got in my bed later on last night, I found an envelope addressed "To Mom" on it. Inside read this:

Seth said this was the first thing Eli did as soon as we got home last night.

Well of course I cried.

That's What She Said.

2009-02-11T10:38:00.000-08:00

My head is a bit cloudy from the remnants of a cold that the boys so kindly passed on to me. So I'm going to let my 3 month old give you a quick update on life in Macchiville. (Sorry for the bad audio...Geez! I sound like the wife of an audio guy, don't I??)

"Life is pretty good. I sleep. I eat. Although Mama has been telling me lately that smiling and talking while I'm trying to eat doesn't really work. But I ignore her. I do like to talk to anyone who listens. My buddy, the ceiling fan, never lets me down. He follows me in each room just so he can listen to what I have to say. I've found these amazing toys that are actually attached to me. Can you believe it? And there's like 5 different things to chew and suck on with each one. Sometimes they go a little nuts, these chew toys, and will haul off and hit me in the head. That usually makes me cry. My daddy has been around a lot lately. Every time he kisses me, he smells like wood chips or this weird white powder they call drywall dust. I don't mind much because I have this favorite little spot on his chest that makes me drowsy every. single. time. Mama usually gives me extra kisses on my cheek when she sees me in this spot and goes on and on about how cute I am. Moms! My brothers make me so happy. I think they have had to stay away from me lately, though, because they have been sick. They come around and say 'hi' but I kinda miss their big brother kisses. I guess I'm done now because Mama is wrapping me in my swaddle. This is what they call my happy place. I'm not sure what they're talking about because I'm pretty happy wherever they put me..."

3 Months

2009-02-11T10:13:00.000-08:00

Sweet Cherub

2009-01-26T13:53:00.000-08:00

This is what happens when I ignore the laundry. How could I resist the urge to capture these totally edible cheeks? I'm powerless, completely powerless.

Transition

2009-01-26T11:27:00.000-08:00

I have found that the most difficult part of Seth traveling so much in the last 7 years is not necessarily his absence (although there have been times when the loneliness was almost unbearable) nor is it the lack of his partnership (although there have been times where I have just wanted to cry because the kids were driving me absolutely insane). It's the transition. The 3 days to a week where we get used to "normal" again. I would describe myself as a "work well under pressure" type of girl. When Seth is gone, I implement a system that works well for everyone. The kids get fed, bathed, clothed, and even have some fun time in this system. The preservation of my sanity lies in the function of my well-oiled machine. These last 2 weeks were no exception. It felt like a test for me. How would I manage 3 children all by myself? For 14 whole days?? It actually worked better than I thought it would. All 3 children were in bed by 9:30pm. Lyla started sleeping through the nights. The house stayed relatively clean (okay, maybe I was a little obsessive on this one) and I even got a hot shower every day. It may not have been until 10:00 at night but it was done. The wonderful bonus? Generous friends who took the kids twice for a few hours so I could have some time by myself. Thank you Dan and Misty!!
Seth is home now which is so awesome I can't even describe. Yet there is the struggle of transition. Part of me wants to stay in control because my system worked. The other part of me wants to not do anything because I have done everything for so long. I know that in the middle lies peace.
Meanwhile, he has 3 kids who absolutely adore him. I'm pretty sure I do too! I can't imagine walking this journey with anyone else. Oh and did I mention that this last 2 week trip was the last one?? I guess I'm just going to have to figure out the transition of Seth working out of the house to Seth working from our house. More on that later...

I will now leave you with these cute photos of brother and sister.

Seriously, how can they both be smiling the same adorable smile at the same time??

Secrets. I hope good ones.

We Used to Call 65 Degrees "Cold".

2009-01-22T16:12:00.000-08:00

So today our weather got up to 65 degrees. In Northern world, that means that you go outside and try to stay outside as long as possible because you know that it could change the very next day. Which it will, trust me. To celebrate the "warm" weather, I took the kids (so strange that I can no longer say "boys" to describe my brood) for a picnic lunch at a nearby playground. Great photo-op, don't ya think?

I hope these 2 are friends for life. I have a strong suspicion that it's gonna be that way.

This boy LOVES the swings.

Apparently sliding is very serious business.

The "What?!" look.

Matchbox cars go really fast down slides. Did you know that?

Not quite old enough to enjoy the playground at its fullest.

Grownup teeth completely change a child's face.

Lyla got to play on her playground.

Just looks like winter, doesn't it?

Grandparents

2009-01-20T17:22:00.000-08:00

I love my mom and dad. I love it when we get to see each other. This Christmas, they flew out to spend a week with us. They met Lyla for the first time (and did not put her down for 8 days straight) and bonded with the boys even more. The boys hate it when Nana and Grandad have to go home. Here are my very favorite pictures of them with their babies, their joy...

I love the look on their faces. My dad reminds me of those old Native American photos where you wonder what wise thoughts are behind their eyes.

This happened A LOT while Nana and Grandad were here. The house was completely filled with laughter the whole week! Laughter and wrestling.

Good Morning

2009-01-19T09:00:00.000-08:00

I'll just let the photos do the talkin'.

Who Needs Sleeping Pills?

2009-01-15T08:32:00.001-08:00

If You're Going Out in the Cold...

2009-01-15T08:19:00.000-08:00

You might as well be cute.

Do you like the look on Josiah's face? I'm told this is a "Middle Child" look. I would not know this because it was just my brother and me.

Here's a close-up for ya. Good thing he's so cute 'cause I just might have to hang him from his toes.

This kid is growing up WAY too fast! He's unbelievably tall. My Gentle Giant.

A girl's gotta have a cute pair of boots!

El Ninos

2009-01-13T09:08:00.000-08:00

I'm on a roll here so bear with me...

How Tempting is This??

2009-01-12T23:30:00.000-08:00

Australia offers 'best job in world' on paradise island

SYDNEY (AFP) – An Australian state is offering internationally what it calls "the best job in the world" -- earning a top salary for lazing around a beautiful tropical island for six months.

The job pays 150,000 Australian dollars (105,000 US dollars) and includes free airfares from the winner's home country to Hamilton Island on the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland's state government announced on Tuesday.

In return, the "island caretaker" will be expected to stroll the white sands, snorkel the reef, take care of "a few minor tasks" -- and report to a global audience via weekly blogs, photo diaries and video updates.

The successful applicant, who will stay rent-free in a three-bedroom beach home complete with plunge pool and golf buggy, must be a good swimmer, excellent communicator and be able to speak and write English.

"They'll also have to talk to media from time to time about what they're doing so they can't be too shy and they'll have to love the sea, the sun, the outdoors," said acting state Premier Paul Lucas.

It's currently 12 degrees here in Kansas City, Missouri. How 'bout that?

2 Months

2009-01-12T21:39:00.000-08:00

I have had plans for days now to sit down and write a proper blog. About the holidays and family. As you will soon see, that's just not going to happen. With Seth gone, I am forced to schedule things like showers, dishes, laundry, kids' baths, making meals....you get the picture. Blogging has fallen way down the list. I will, however, give you a short update on my sweet baby girl. First of all, she is absolutely amazing. Lyla is going to soon realize that she has a whole houseful of people who are head-over-heals in love with her. She opens her eyes and immediately has 2 brothers (aaand 2 parents) in her face to get her to smile and talk back. Something she is very willing to do these days. She is sleeping. Halelujah she is sleeping. I'm only going to say this once because I have friends who hate me for this very thing. My kids are what you call "good sleepers". It must be a genetic thing because Lord knows that Seth and I love to sleep. I was a little nervous that I had hit the lotto with the boys and would pay for it later with any other children. Something that may happen. But not with Lyla. The girl loves her sleep.
Here are a few pictures of our little Cupcake, Ladybug, Chicaberry, etcetera etcetera etcetera.

It's like she knows something we don't.

This awesome playmat has now been spit-up on by 3 children. It has done its job well.

Girl going out on the town. Mexican food and Costco. Oh yeah.

Talking to her little buddies. What does a panda bear, lamb, and 2 month old have to chat about? Who knows??

She's just plain cute. Says the unbiased mother.

Your Friendly Weather Update

2008-12-14T09:43:00.000-08:00

11:00am: 61 degrees
11:44am: 42 degrees

I have never seen the temperature drop so rapidly before. By tonight? 6 degrees!!
I'm staying inside.

What's up?

2008-12-08T17:15:00.000-08:00

*Meet Flash. Flash here is a little red ball of mystery. Why you ask? Flash has not eaten one piece of fish food for the year that he has lived here. I gave up a couple of months ago when I realized that he completely ignored all efforts to feed him. Yet he thrives. What in the world does he ingest to survive??

*The winds of change are a-blowin'. Seth gave in his notice last week. His last day of working for the man will be January 31st. My husband is a freedom lovin' soul where his goal in life is to become his own boss. He's been working hard towards this goal for a few years now and has finally come upon an open door. Yep, it's scary but it's not like I haven't had major lessons in trust lately!

*I have a favorite Christmas album. It's this album by Sufjan Stevens. I could actually listen to it all year but I hold back. It's better that way.

*I have a new best friend. It's this. Sure it looks a little bit like a straight jacket but it works wonders on my daughter. And it has velcro. Velcro!

*My husband is working out of town in January for 14 days straight. If I think about it too long, I have a sudden urge to take up thumb-sucking again.

*I love my boys. I am amazed at their creative, imaginitive minds. I can't stand their bickering. This is the part where my mom's voice sneaks into my head- "You just wait til you have your own kids. You just wait." I have and I understand now, Mom.

*I have an idea. Let's go here for Christmas. And maybe never come back?

She Speaks

2008-12-07T13:02:00.000-08:00

We have entered my favorite part of infantdom. When it takes the whole body to conjure up one little "coo" from their sweet baby lips. She did it for the first time yesterday. Not only did she speak, but then gave her first non-dreamy, non-gassy smile! It's enough to make ice melt...

~She Made Her Mama Very Happy~

4 Weeks

2008-12-07T12:59:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is Baby Lyla's 1 month birthday. I'm curious how much she has grown because there is some obvious chub happening in her cheeks. I love it!!

Dedication

2008-12-07T12:48:00.000-08:00

It is unbelievable how many babies there are at our church right now. And it's not even a "right now" kind of deal...there are always lots of babies. Something must be in the water =)

Today was a dedication service, where the leadership prayed over the little ones. We kind of missed it when Josiah was a baby so we went ahead and took both Lyla and him up. There are no pictures of the actual event but here are a couple of sweet photos of brother and sister-

Lawd Have Mercy

2008-12-04T19:54:00.000-08:00

Baby just discovered her lungs tonight. And she ain't scared to use 'em.

I'm sorry, did you say something? Oh wait, that's just the ringing in my ears.

If it Doesn't Rain...

2008-12-03T09:56:00.000-08:00

It seems as if everyone is having a little girl these days. My high school bff just found out that her second baby is going to be a girl. Very exciting! My first roommate in college just gave birth to her first baby, a beautiful daughter named Hero. And a very good friend has a baby girl who is only a few days older than my Lyla. You must check out her link because baby Zaria's hair is absolutely amazing!
And then, of course, here is my sweet ladybug-in all her chubby cheeked, mohawked glory!
Congratulations, my friends! It's an honor to be counted with you, as we take on the responsibility of raising the next generation of women. May these little ones know who they are from a young age. May they stand on our shoulders and accomplish what we only dreamed!

3 Weeks

2008-11-30T13:31:00.001-08:00

Here are some pictures from this week. I will post more on this later....

Two Weeks

2008-11-22T08:59:00.000-08:00

Wha' Happened:
- We saw Madagascar 2 with Adam, Leya, and the girls. Between the 2 families, we almost took up a whole row.
-We shot through approximately 60 diapers. You think she's done. But she's not.
-We're on a 3 hour feeding schedule. Not too shabby.
-Her brothers fell more in love with their sister.
-The 5 of us took a trip to Costco as a sort of test run for future shopping. Results... Anyone know of a service who will deliver groceries to my house?
-We passed Lyla's due date yesterday, the 21st.
-Lyla's math skills rock. 1 hour of playtime/eating = 3 hours of sleep.

Irony or Just Plain Perfect Timing

2008-11-17T16:42:00.000-08:00

So the day I went into labor was the day that we finally finished the baby room. It was just one of those projects that we kept putting off because we had "plenty of time". A few hours is plenty of time, right??

It has been a tradition for my mother-in-law to help decorate my babies' rooms. She painted an amazing Noah's Ark mural in Eli's room. Josiah's room had a beach theme, which I absolutely loved. And Lyla's room was decorated based on these beautiful bird prints that she found in an unique gift shop in Texas.

Okay, so the room is mostly finished. I hired someone to cover my rocking chair cushions. She isn't finished yet.

My very first sewing machine project...the valance. It turned out well. Just don't look too closely because you might be inclined to believe that I was a bit tipsy while using the machine.

Lyla means "Lily". Thus the gigantic lily over her crib.

Note To Self

2008-11-15T19:49:00.000-08:00

Next time you give your newborn infant a bath and she happens to pee in the baby bathtub,
make sure that when you pick her up, you point her bottom away from you.
Because your daughter could be enlisted as the next weapon of choice for the military.
Two words- Explosive Action.

Her Hero

2008-11-15T19:44:00.000-08:00

There are many reasons why I love this man. One of the top is how much he loves his children. The boys have held his heart over the years but I have watched a new room open up just for this little girl. Because of him, she will understand the love and affections of her heavenly Father.

One Week

2008-11-15T13:49:00.001-08:00

Her Comforter

2008-11-15T13:43:00.000-08:00

This bedheaded boy gets it, too. He is there to tell his sister that everything is going to be okay. He seals his words with kisses. In him, she will always find a friend.

Ladybug

2008-11-14T09:49:00.001-08:00

Her Protector

2008-11-14T09:00:00.001-08:00

He gets it. On Tuesday, Eli spent a good hour fighting off an imaginary army to protect Lyla. With his sword swinging, he repeated, "Get away from my sister!", over and over again. My little girl is in good hands.

How I Almost Had a Baby in the Target Parking Lot

2008-11-13T07:01:00.000-08:00

To better understand how much this story means to me, let me give you a quick history lesson. My last pregnancy was picture perfect. Seth and I had discussed how it was time to add to our family. Within 2 months, we were on our way to becoming a family of 4. I had decided that I wanted to experience a totally natural birth. I had an epidural with my first so a natural birth became my own personal dream/challenge. I wanted to see if I could do it. So I was led to a midwife practice who very much encouraged the natural experience. Seth and I began to study the Bradley Method of birthing. We made plans of renting a birthing pool for a waterbirth. I was healthy. I exercised regularly and ate my handful of almonds every day. One minute everything was fine, the next minute everything was not fine at all. At 34 weeks I began to experience a pain in my chest that would not go away. My body was uncomfortably swollen. So off to the hospital I went. It turned out that my body was very, very sick. I had HELLP syndrome, which finding out later, can be fatal. The only way for me to get better and the baby to be safe was to deliver. So I gave birth to a 4lb premature baby boy by cesarean section. None of it made sense until the doctor delivered my son. She came up to me right after the delivery and asked me if I believed in "Divine Intervention". I, of course, said yes. She then told me that when she pulled Josiah out, she found a true knot in his umbilical cord. The conclusion? If Josiah had grown any bigger or if there had been any tension on his cord, the oxygen would have been cut off to his body. The Lord had stepped in and saved my son's life.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This last pregnancy came as a total surprise. I have joked that we were the .o1% that they warn you about on the box of birth control. I was excited but knew I needed to face all the fears that my last pregnancy had brought about. Everything was so planned the last time and now I didn't want to plan anything. All I knew was that I really wanted to try for a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean). I am thankful for science and medicine because it helped save my son's life, but if I had a choice, I would not choose another c-section. After praying over the many recommendations given to me by different friends, I chose a doctor who encouraged VBACs. It is an unusual thing to find these days in the medical world- an OB who is willing to risk the liability and deliver by VBAC. His practice is about 45 minutes away but I thought well worth it if all turned out the way I hoped.
Pregnancy was healthy and we found out that we were having a baby girl. The excitement began to mount but daily faced the fear that it could all change in the blink of an eye. I finally reached the "safe zone" of 37 weeks. And in stepped a new "dilemma", a new prayer request...I needed to deliver the baby soon. My mother-in-law, who I am very close with, had just been given a very short time to live. We were/are believing that the Lord will heal her of this wicked cancer but in case that didn't happen on this side of life, then I physically longed for her to be able to meet her new granddaughter. We began to pray. For perfect timing...

November 8, 2008 (38 weeks).
6:49pm. I began to experience very random "Braxton Hicks". I was used to that so I didn't pay any attention. But then they began to have a little "kick" to them. That got my attention. We began to see a rhythm as Seth wrote the times down. So we left the boys with our wonderful sister-in-law, Leya, packed our hospital bag at home and headed out for the 45 minute drive to the hospital.
8:39pm. On our way to the hospital. Contractions were coming pretty steadily but I was still in the mindset that they would probably monitor me for a little bit and then send me home. The contractions didn't seem strong enough for me to be in labor.
9:05pm. Began to get a little worried. The highway was down to 1 or 2 lanes due to the massive road construction. The traffic was moving but we were bumper to bumper. Finally broke free of the congestion.
9:19pm. About to pull off the exit when I realized we did not have a still camera. I had actually looked at our camera at home but decided it wasn't worth it because we didn't have any charged batteries to put in it. But, all of a sudden, we needed. a. camera. now. And wouldn't you know it? There was a Target right off of the exit. My dear, dear husband knew enough not to argue with a laboring woman so he very reluctantly pulled into the parking lot. In fact, I believe his very words were, "I am so mad at you right now. You could drop a baby on this car floor." I laughed and said "You're crazy." Leaving his stopwatch and notepad with me, he ran inside the store. Came out with an awesome new 8 pixel digital camera, fully charged and ready to go.
9:50pm. Checked into the Emergency Room. They sent us straight up to the maternity floor.
10:00pm. Nurse hooked me up to the monitor and began to ask me registration questions.
10:15pm. (Approximate time.) Nurse checked me and said "Oh wow, you're a 6." And I said, "WHAT?!!" I fully expected her to tell me that I was at a 2, possibly a 3.
10:44pm. (Approximate time.) Doctor on call came in, checked me and said, "She's at a 10! Don't push yet!" or something to that effect. I was a little busy at that point.
10:48pm. Baby Lyla arrived!!!!

It was amazing. The natural experience. It was everything I had dreamed it would be. Each of my children's birth stories are so unique and special. All pointing to the existence of a kind, loving Father who truly listens to the desires of our hearts.

the end. or the beginning. whatever way you want to look at it.

A Baby is Born

2008-11-12T10:39:00.001-08:00

Well, my friends, I now have a new reason to keep blogging. Her name is Lyla Marie Macchi. She was born on Saturday, November 8th. It is quite the story...a story that I will share with you shortly. But for now I will leave you with a couple of slideshows.

Here are pictures from labor to birth. So glad we had that camera! (I will explain when I share Lyla's birth story.)

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

And here are pictures of "Lyla Days". They are in sequence of events as well. Hospital stay, brothers meeting sister, going home, visiting Grammy and Papa, and hanging out at home.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Little Nemo's First Day of School.

2008-09-08T14:24:00.000-07:00

So excited with his "packpack". It quickly changed to "backpack" which made me a bit sad.

This kid's smile lights up the whole room!

He truly is half-pint!

Waiting in the hallway. Just a lil nervous....so was he.

It is so crazy how quickly time flies. It seems like yesterday when I dropped Eli off at the same preschool while carrying little J-man in his infant seat. Blink. Now I am dropping off "the baby" every week for class!

And So in Conclusion...

2008-09-08T06:01:00.000-07:00

All of that "crap"? Gone. (Can you hear the Halelujah chorus? I can.) We did the garage sale with 3 other families. Which was really the only redeeming factor in the whole ordeal. Hanging out with friends is always fun. But the work! Oh my goodness, the work! I believe I will end all discussion of the garage sale now. My feet get sore just thinking about it.

I would like to end on a happier note...So here is some randomness coming your way!

1. I am 30 weeks along. In approximately 10 short weeks, we will be introduced to our first female offspring. A daughter. Wow. So far, all is healthy. We have had a little swelling in the ankles but all disappears after a good night's sleep. Strangest symptom so far? My hands will periodically go a bit numb. Kind of like they have fallen asleep. I, of course, googled it with the worst in mind. Apparently you can have pregnancy-induced carpal syndrome. It all goes away as soon as baby comes. Huh.
2. Josiah (my baby!!) started preschool a couple of weeks ago. I actually had an emotional post written in my head but decided against it because it was a little too close to my heart. All I will say is, the night before he started was quite painful for this Mama. Lots of memories came flooding in of when we had to visit our tiny, premature J-man in the NICU for 2 weeks before we could bring him home. The best way to describe it? I totally felt like Marlin letting little Nemo go for the first time. It was rough, man. BUT he LOVES going to school. There ain't much cuter than a midget-munchkin walking into a classroom with his backpack on!
3. Last week was our first successful week of homeschool! I was a bit nervous to begin because 1st grade is a much bigger deal than kindergarten. I am so proud of Elijah. In a short weeks' time, he showed some major improvement in both reading and math. It was like he got in a groove and there was no stoppin' him! I am totally encouraged to press on with this year. I think it's going to be rather fun! (Something I never thought I would hear myself say...).
4. Seth is out of town this week doing a show in Las Vegas. The man has never been farther West than Colorado before this. Last week he was in Arizona and couldn't get over the "desert look". Las Vegas is pretty much the same, I guess. I have never been nor do I really have a desire to go. Just not my thang! But we do miss him. Enough said.

That's all for now, folks. Up next? A picture-post of Josiah's first day of preschool.

Finito!

2008-08-17T18:45:00.000-07:00

Picture your junk drawer/junk closet. Now imagine that particular drawer/closet and multiply it by 100. That, my friends, was the condition of our basement. One of the great things about our house is the massive amount of storage it has. All behind a closed door. One of the terrible things about our house is the massive amount of storage it has. All behind a closed door. You name it- it got stuck in our basement. I would love to know how we accumulated so much crap over the years but I guess that's just what happens.
And here now is the pictorial for your entertainment....

We had to bring out at least half of the crap into the finished part of our downstairs so we could have some room to work with.

So, so much crap. (I'm going for a record to see how many times I can say "crap" in one post. How am I doin'?)

More cr-, er, stuff.

Check out my handiman hottie. He designed AND built the shelving. Way to go, Man!

Hey, how did they get up there?? 'Cause you know I would never put my children up on shelves just so I could get some quiet time.

Beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder. You probably see this photo and think, "Eh, nothin' special." I see this photo and with tears in my eyes think, "This is the most beautiful thing I have seen in my whole life!" People, notice the floor. You can actually WALK on it without tripping on something!!

Again, floor space! This part is actually not finished. We (totally meaning Seth) have some carpet to lay down and a desk to put up. This will be his new and improved office. I think I will be nice and hang some pictures on the walls. It might reduce the "crazy eye" from his face when he emerges from the deep.

So, that's it, friends. The mountain has been chipped down to a Midwestern plain. Just make sure you don't take a peek into my guest room because you may never return. This room has a door also which shall remain closed until our garage sale on the 5th of September.

Oh, It's On!

2008-08-15T08:03:00.000-07:00

Seth finally home? Check.

Full-on nesting mode? Oh yeah.

A basement that needs to be tackled? Bring it on!

So that's my weekend in a nutshell. Update and possible pictures on Monday....

Where Were the Cameras??

2008-08-13T12:24:00.000-07:00

I would give anything to see the looks on the faces of these car salesmen when this 70 year old customer walked in to pay for his truck with 16 coffee cans of coins. $8000 in coins, to be exact. Awesome. Just awesome.

I Need Help!

2008-08-11T12:45:00.000-07:00

Could someone please come up with affordable robot technology? Are we not living in the future, where everyone should have a robot housekeeper who can actually help get things done?? I would say that I need to be cloned but that could run into all kinds of weird. I try to avoid even looking in the mirror these days. Do I really need to be looking at a person who looks just like me? Umm, no.
So, again, I make the plea. Let's stop concentrating on hovering vehicles or water-powered cars. Let's focus all that energy on we who have gigantic lists to check off and need some dang help!!

If Only...

2008-08-11T12:04:00.000-07:00

...I had a perfect memory. One that could remember the 5oo cute moments that are played out by my sons every day. Impromptu conversations between each other brought on by imagination and curiosity. If only I could capture even the mundane like taking them to go potty in the middle of the night. Both personalities blaring even in their sleepy haze. Elijah waking up either totally happy or totally grumpy. Making vain attempts to include you in his dreams, babbling something that only makes sense to him. Sometimes holding an imaginary object in his hand that gets set down on the counter before he uses the potty. So meticulous and thoughtful, even in his sleep. Josiah, who is quite new to this midnight appointment, refusing to open his eyes. Even while he is sitting on the toilet. He can be quite the determined boy. But then the cuddling, oh, the midnight cuddling with this one! Nothing, absolutely nothing, can top his warm, soft body melting into my shoulder as I walk him from bed to potty to bed again.
Things are about to change. Family birth order will shift, causing both joy and pain. I've had moments to reflect recently of what family means. All I know is that I need to enjoy these years as much as I am able to. Because it all changes in one blink of an eye...

Escape to Arkansas

2008-08-08T20:06:00.000-07:00

I didn't plan on coming this weekend since Seth won't be coming home with us tomorrow from Arkansas. He will instead drive to Dallas for another show. But the boys and I needed to make the trip.
So I am sitting here in the air conditioned hotel room (hmmmm, imagine that!) and watching the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. I have always loved watching the Olympics. It creates such a sense of awe in me. What an amazing Creator we have!
Sooo, that's the news from Lake Woebegone. Hope you all have a great weekend!

Next Time You Fly...

2008-08-06T09:39:00.000-07:00

Just think that somewhere out there, you could be flying like this if you happened to have an extra $10,000.00+.

Your very own first class suite. Don't you just love the golden touches?? Gold obviously=luxury.

Wow.

Last, but not least, the shower. They only get 5 minutes but c'mon! Arriving at the airport fresh? That's almost worth the $10,000 right there!

Just don't think about this article too long as you are scrunched in the middle seat between two complete strangers, trying not to gag from the airplane fumes. Not that I'm speaking from experience or anything...

How Crazy Am I?

2008-08-06T01:00:00.000-07:00

It is 3am and I just got home. That's right. Your resident party girl just went to see the 12:01 showing of the Sisterhood Pants movie. I don't even know the proper name so we'll just leave it at that. The film was cute. I'm usually not a big fan of the "chick flick" but I can make an exception for this one. What can I say? They film beautiful scenery in Greece...
The theater was PACKED! Every seat taken by a teenage girl. I can't even describe to you the shrill decibel level that pierced my ears when the film began. All I could think of was that I am about to give birth to one of these creatures. A human of the female species (or is it the other way around?). Thankfully, children do begin as cute little newborns. I'll have to give God a high-five on that one. Because if they came out as teenagers, I am almost positive I would ask for a return to sender! (I'm kidding on that one. At least I'm pretty sure I am.)
So on that note, I am going to go to bed now. Praying until I fall asleep that my little girl will at least keep the screaming to a minimum. That's not too much to ask, is it??

Things You Might Need to Know...

2008-08-03T18:04:00.000-07:00

Next time it literally feels over 100 degrees outside, you might want to ask for a hotel room that is lower than the 19th floor. Because even though you might try to give it the benefit of the doubt, the older-than-my-grandmother building never cools down. Even after it gets dark. The room will stay uncomfortably warm. Not recommended for a pregnant woman. And don't even bother complaining to the front desk at 5:30am that the room is unbearable because "the room engineers were here until 2am. you should have called sooner". And don't think for a second that you can fall back asleep after waking up fully at 5:30am. HGTV just may become your friend as well...
Oh and when you decide on a nice, fancier-type Italian restaurant, you might want to wait to order your entree after you are served your appetizer. Because the kitchen may mess up your order and send out your entree before you have been served your appetizer. Which brings up the dilemma- which do you eat first? Do you leave your entree to munch on the appetizer, all the while certain that your entree is losing heat? Cappelini with shrimp doesn't taste as well when it's lukewarm. Trust me. Or do you finish your entree while your appetizer becomes too soggy to enjoy? Well you might end up scarfing everything in order for it to taste okay. And then that defeats the purpose of a nice, drawn-out, romantic dinner for two.

I guess it's a good sign that despite all the mishaps over our anniversary weekend, Seth and I still had a wonderful time together. We thoroughly enjoyed each other's company and know that pretty soon we will be able to laugh over the hotel debacle. Right now it's a little too soon. I just might need some therapy...

10+1=11

2008-08-02T07:13:00.000-07:00

One year ago exactly, Seth and I were making our way to Estes Park, Colorado to celebrate our 10th anniversary together. This weekend will not be that adventurous but it will still be sweet. We are staying the night in this hotel. And we will be dining here. I think both of us are just looking forward to the quiet of being together. It's been a crazy year so far (Baby #3 just kicked to emphasize my point...).
I am excited to see what this next year will bring. We feel stirrings of change but one just never quite knows what that means.

If You Haven't Already...

2008-08-01T09:19:00.000-07:00

Please Read This!

And, when you are finished...

Read This!

They are both fantastic reads. The first is an allegory-type with so much insight into the Lord's heart. And the second is a great follow-up. Because it goes more in depth to the Father. It really speaks to all of us "church kids" who grew up playing mind games. If I am good today, then He loves me more. If I do bad, then He is pretty irritated with me and doesn't really like me. Just read it and you'll see what I'm talking about.

Yup

2008-08-01T09:00:00.001-07:00

This week has been fairly uneventful, other than our fun-park-day. Oh and the fact that I have had persistent heartburn since yesterday morning and I'm not sleeping very well. I'm only 25 week here. This isn't supposed to happen so soon! I love my sleep!! Anyway, I thought I would dig a little from our recent past and show you some pictures from our Florida vacation in June.

This is Seth's Aunt Susan. She's awesome. Even though I miss her for her company, I gotta be honest. I've been craving her spaghetti for 25 weeks now. She's like the best cook ever!

Brothers are weird. They have this bond that involves a lot of punching and, um, gas. But through it all, they love each other. And talk about weird things.

Aren't they cute?? The cousins. I love all of their expressions. L is being swept away by the winds of life. G has secret thoughts. What is that girl thinking that makes her smile so? Josiah is just happy. "Hiii!" And Elijah? Well, he's the oldest and has the right to be the most impatient.

This is Seth's Grandad. Sitting in the same yard that Seth's dad grew up playing on. Heritage is a very cool thing. Grandad sure loves his grands and the great-grands bring a chuckle every time.

I LOVE this photo. I'm going to have it blown up and printed. It will always be a reminder of how cute the boys' feet used to be. Because then they grow big and their feet, well, I just won't go there.

Day at the Park

2008-07-29T19:35:00.001-07:00

Seth had a random day off today so we tried to take advantage of the situation. Remember the park where we had sushi? We finally took the boys to the same park and had a picnic. It was great!

Gosh, he's swell!

Feeding the fish. Apparently the fish are not health nuts because they weren't thrilled by the sunflower wheat bread. Which left a bunch of floating bread pieces. I'm sure the fisherman down the current was grateful.

On a mission.

Talking, talking, talking. One of the things about Elijah that makes me want to hug him and wring his neck at the same time.

Discoveries. I think it was a spider.

A very busy bee.

Daddy teaching about the bees. No, not the birds and the bees. Just the bees.

I love my boys! Oh and the chica in my belly!

I call this "A belly and a boy and a pretty view".

I get this look A LOT! It could pretty much mean anything.

But What I DO Love...

2008-07-28T09:02:00.000-07:00

is that tens or hundreds of thousands of people will gather in Washington DC on August 16th to fast and pray for our nation. We were a part of The Call in Nashville last year. I know it impacted us in ways we have yet to see. If you are within driving distance to DC, by all means, GO! Be a part of history!!

On a Whole Different Note...

2008-07-28T08:53:00.000-07:00

I hate politics. Enough said.

It's Potty Time

2008-07-28T08:35:00.000-07:00

Josiah has an announcement to make.

"I Wear Big Boy Underwear!!"

It happened, it really happened. Within 1 weeks' time, Josiah did it with minimal intervention. He even woke up dry every morning this last week! Why am I making such a big deal? I was beginning to convince myself, while cleaning up dirty diaper after dirty diaper, that this day would just never come. Having unhealthy visions of my teenage son walking around with a diaper on. But he came through! He did it! Yeehaw!

And he gets to wear these cute things, to boot~

Count Your Blessings

2008-07-24T08:37:00.000-07:00

I think I have a new tool to store in my back pocket for pre-teen/teen years. It will go something like this:

Child enters the room with that "Life is SO unfair" attitude.
I respond, "Well at least Dad and I didn't name you this- Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii!"

Read this article. Thank God for judges who exhibit such common sense!

The Fam!

2008-07-23T09:37:00.000-07:00

Recently we visited the George Washington Carver Museum here in Missouri. The man was amazing. He had conversations with the Lord all the time. And he was a brilliant scientist. We fully enjoyed our day...

Elijah was a bit skeptical of the all-Caucasian African band playing on the grounds. Oh wait, I was the skeptical one...

Boy on a Red Bench

Beware of the boy with the plastic knife!

My handsome Boys!!

Penny for your thoughts....

Elijah is so excited for a little sister. 7? Pshaw! He's still my sweet boy!

Okay, sorry, this has nothing to do with the museum. Seth let the boys give him a haircut. He tried the "hair thing" for a while but just loves bein' buzzed!

Updates

2008-07-23T09:17:00.000-07:00

Allow me to go down the list...

1. This Friday, I will hit 24 weeks in my pregnancy. Talk about flying through time!!
2. Elijah is out of kindergarten and will begin 1st grade. The plan is to homeschool again this year. He turns 7 in a couple of months. 7??!! Excuse me while I go blow my nose...
3. Josiah is growing splendidly! He can totally hold his own in conversation. It is an amazing stage when kids can speak their whole thoughts in paragraphs. He is also "officially" using the toilet. My boys. My boys take forever with certain things. Walking and using the potty. But once they do, there is no going back. It has finally clicked for little J. Even to the point of waking up dry for the last few mornings. We can now enjoy 4 whole months without diapers and wipes!!
4. This update still kinda blows me away. We're having a girl! Can you believe it? It was difficult for me to, even while staring at the cute moving gray blob on the ultrasound screen. Her name is Lyla Marie. Lyla means "Lily", a flower that may look delicate but is as tough as they come. Don't you think that's appropriate for a little girl who will be growing up with 2 older brothers?!
5. Seth turns 31 this Friday. He is soooo in his 30's now! He hasn't been traveling much these last few months. What a blessing! Especially when I felt terrible the first few months of this pregnancy. It's funny how quickly you can take for granted the "coming home at 5" days. But there is enough traveling happening in the near future to help me remember.

I believe that is enough for now. Next post? Pictures!

Time to Start Sharin'

2008-07-23T09:14:00.000-07:00

I hate reading the blogs that go on and on with excuses of why they haven't posted in so long. So I will save you the misery. I have been lovingly poked and prodded back into bloggy-land (Hi Holly and Misty!) and I do believe I'm ready for a new round!

I Have Become a Fan

2008-06-02T11:18:00.000-07:00

I have mentioned before how I love to find new blogs to read. Not that I need to find any more at this point of my life, but if I come across a new and interesting site, it makes me happy. I'm not sure that I could call myself a "Midwesterner", even though I have lived in the dead-center of America for almost 4 years now. It's a life I never expected. I am getting better at recognizing crops as I pass fields and fields of green. I can identify different breeds of horses. I have learned to love the smell of barns.
Going back to my first point, I recently stumbled across a blog that I have thoroughly enjoyed. The site is kept by a woman who is the wife of a rancher. She grew up, never seeing herself living in the Midwest. Yet she fell in love with a cowboy. I can relate to her environment just a tiny little bit. Although, I do happen to live right down the road from a Starbucks!
Here is a short interview of the Pioneer Woman. Watch out! You may become as addicted as me =)

Quote From a 3 Year Old

2008-05-23T12:50:00.000-07:00

"Mom, I don't feel so good."

"Really? What hurts?"
"I hurt my feelings."
(He now collapses dramatically on the couch.)

Still Here...

2008-05-20T22:52:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the sad lack of posting! I am suffering from the worst case of "mental constipation" to date. I'm gonna do it, I know I shouldn't...but....I am blaming this on hormones. What else can I say?

Ahh, if it were only this easy....

I'm Outta Here!

2008-04-22T20:17:00.000-07:00

Not really, but I am leaving Thursday morning for a 5 day vacation to New York City!! My lovely friend Misty and I have been talking about celebrating our 30th birthdays with a bang for quite some time now. So we are headed off to New York to do some sightseeing and some eating and some shopping. It is our first time to the Big Apple so it will all be very exciting. We will be staying here. Very posh! We will be seeing this. We will be visiting here and here. Both places I have dreamed of visiting for years! Oh, and we have reservations for dinner here and here. All just a taste of our itinerary for the weekend...
Meanwhile, back on the home front, Seth will be staying home with the boys for 5 whole days. Not that he really needs a reminder, but I do think it will open that door of appreciation just a little wider for the Momma who has had to do it multiple times over the last few years...
Seth's such a great Daddy, I don't really have any worries about leaving. I just know that is a whole heck of a lot of testosterone for 5 days! Yow!!

We have a Name

2008-04-22T20:03:00.000-07:00

Today the baby was named by his/her big brother, Eli. And the name is........Shrimpy. Because he/she looks like this at 9 weeks-

Shrimpy has been kicking Mommy's booty. I don't have the time or the energy to deal with pregnancy sickness but he/she doesn't seem to take this into consideration. It has not been fun. I have to be honest- I don't really enjoy being pregnant. Since this is my third go-around, I guess I feel brave enough to say it out loud. There are parts of it that are fun (i.e. the ultrasounds, the kicking, and the baby at the end) but overall, pregnancy has not been kind to me. I am just looking forward to that day when Shrimpy lets me feel a little "normal" again.

"I'm Fwee!"

2008-04-20T15:52:00.000-07:00

Says the boy who had a birthday yesterday.

"I want a guitaw, a keyboard, and dwums." This was the birthday boy's list this year. He managed to get 2 out of 3...not bad, not bad! The "dwums" will be saved for a later date since big brother has been asking for a set for about 3 years now. (Which will most likely be happening this Christmas...Mommy is trying to type this without wincing.)
It was a nice, quiet day. But from the excitement-producing soprano notes reached by Josiah's voice all day, you would have thought we spent the day at Disney!

Caution: Curvy Road Ahead

2008-04-09T16:29:00.000-07:00

From the very beginning, our family's "straight and narrow" path has had some interesting curves, twists, and turns. The Lord has always kept us on our toes and we would not have it any other way! I have become settled in the fact that I believe He created Seth and me to love adventure, to not live the 9-5 existence, to always look ahead with hope that something new might be on the horizon. This has been a little more of a stretch for me than for Seth. To love the unknown. I love adventure as long as there is a handy list to go with!
We have had a new "curve" in our road this year. At first, it actually felt like a sharp right turn that knocked me off my balance. But now as some time has passed, the first jolt has mellowed out to yet another Macchi adventure. Friends, I am pregnant. Yes, it was a total surprise and No, it was not planned. (At least by us.)
And yes, we are still planning an adoption. I hope that answers all of your initial questions. I will be posting more on this subject. But for now, this is just the happy announcement of LIFE.........

Sweet Boys

2008-04-02T18:19:00.000-07:00

I have been a mom for some years now. Every once in a while it still kind of freaks me out that there are 2 people on this earth who will always know me as "Mom". There are still times when, for a split second, I look for my own mom when one of the boys calls for me. Even weirder? When the boys ask me a question and I hear myself say, "Go ask your Dad". But I just have to say- I love my boys! They are kind to each other (okay, maybe not all the time. maybe about 70 percent of the time.). And they are kind to others. Something I fully appreciate!
A couple of days ago, I walked outside. I turned to come in and this is what I saw. Can you blame me for running for my camera?

Sorry, I couldn't decide which one I liked the best. So there you go.

Meet My Friends

2008-03-23T18:27:00.000-07:00

This is Clyde. How do I describe Clyde? Clyde is like that big, gangly kid in your class who doesn't quite know his own strength yet. The one who is sweet yet would never pass up any opportunity to play that practical joke on you. You can't help it but he actually becomes your favorite because he's so funny and you know he won't take things too far. Yes, this is Clyde.

(Doesn't he look mischievous?)

Aaand this...is Solo. I actually imagine Solo with a British accent. He is such a gentleman. Solo is my friend's horse. She is guiding me through Natural Horsemanship training and is generously letting me learn with him. He is much older than Clyde so he carries himself quite differently. He and I have quickly become buddies, even more so when I have a pocket full of cookies!

Mama is Down

2008-03-18T19:51:00.000-07:00

I repeat. Mama is down. Best flu remedy around here? Well, isn't it obvious? Tigger and the warm-up puppy, of course!

On loan from a very sweet and very concerned 6 year old boy.

It Has Begun

2008-03-15T18:44:00.000-07:00

The trucking of children from practice to practice. The Saturday morning games. Yep, you guessed it. Elijah joined a soccer league. His first team sports experience. Practice began this last Wednesday and his first game was this morning. A very unorganized, chaotic almost 2 hour (when all was said and done....the actual game was 45 minutes) soccer game on an early Saturday morn. Every mom's dream, right? Better still, it was in the gym of a local school. We do things right around here...indoor soccer leagues!
Elijah was adorable. He was nervous so there was a lot of quirky shirt twisting and fumbling. (Good thing there wasn't any grass to pick at, huh Mom?) But he warmed up pretty quickly. You know, I've always known my son is a pretty big kid but today it was more than obvious. He stands about a head taller than all of his teammates. I guess I'd better keep feeding him his Wheaties!
They did great. In fact, they won. We're pretty sure the score was 5-1. It's kind of hard to keep track in the middle of pure chaos.
Elijah's biggest fan was, of course, his little brother. We heard "Go Eli" a few times from the munchkin man. His turn is still a few years away. Thank God!
So, there you have it. The beginning of the end. I see a future of endless practices, stinky shorts, deadly socks, and adrenaline-filled games.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Please excuse the quality of the pictures. I am going to attempt to use the "sports setting" next Saturday. Maybe that will save me from all the blurriness...

Drumroll Please....

2008-03-12T12:42:00.000-07:00

Exciting news in our little world. We have begun a new blog specifically for our adoption process. Another blog for you to check =) I posted the link on my sidebar. Hope you enjoy!!

Togetherness

2008-03-11T18:15:00.000-07:00

When Seth and I got married, our friend gave a tidbit of wisdom that has stuck with us over the years. "May you know the joy of togetherness". I can honestly say that through our ups and downs, this is something we have guarded. Our joy of being together. These last couple of months, we haven't had much of a chance to be together. So the joy started dwindling slowly but surely.
This last weekend we remedied this by going away for the night. We booked a room here.
In the Castaway Isle suite. Who doesn't like their bed in a boat stuck in a tree? We had dinner here. And then played here.

Looks like we got that joy back after all.