Camping Weekend

This is what a 2 year old looks like after a weekend of camping. Notice the location? Yeah, he crashed in the middle of the living room after sleeping in the car for 2 hours!

We really had a great time. Our new friends, Mark and Priscilla, accompanied us along with their three adorable kids. It was so chaotic and fun all at the same time. When you have 5 children running around, how can it not be?? Here are some more pictures of the kids. Unfortunately, I think the camera came out only once during the weekend so there were not many pictures. Oh well, what we did get turned out really cute!

Eli thought it was pretty funny when Josiah fell asleep in the middle of the room.

The Five Amigos minus One. Elijah and Cahira were inseparable the whole weekend. There were mentions of marriage and weddings. Ummm, yeah, I think Dana's wedding (see next post) did some "damage". The other two, Eranae and Josiah pretty much did what all 2 year olds do....ignore each other or repeatedly say "no" for no apparent reason. Trevan missed this picture but he is definitely one cool kid. He and Eli had some killer sword fights.

Snackin' in the new screen tent. Visited by Mr. Raccoon the first night. The 2nd night, Mr. Raccoon almost got his tushy blown off by Mark's BB gun.

We are definitely doing this camping thing again before it gets too cold. We have 2 boys. What more can I say?

My Life

Okay, so we made it back from Colorado in one piece. It was an amazing trip filled with so many memories. We actually survived our hike which turned out to be unbelievably fun. Not to sound cheesy, but our anniversary was perfect. It totally fit our lifestyle right now and our budget (very important these days!!). I posted a little slideshow of our vacation here.
The weekend after we returned, I got to do a little part-ay-ing with some dear friends of mine. My friend Dana was going to get married the next weekend so, of course, we had to celebrate with a little dinner, a fun scavenger hunt down at The Plaza, and some chocolate covered strawberries and gifts after. Here are some pictures of that night...

Here is the beautiful bride, Dana. She wore this all night!

The girls.

The night was a bit steamy. We opted for air conditioning.

Fun, Fun!

That evening preceded a gorgeous wedding. Dana watches Elijah and Josiah every week while Seth and I go to our care group. So she and the boys have an awesome relationship. They LOVE her! They were very excited to see Dana get married...Elijah couldn't stop talking about it. A bit too soon, don't you think? (says the overly possessive Mama...)

The land is rugged. As we drove up to the mountains yesterday, I thought of the pioneers who had travelled hundreds, maybe thousands of miles and then faced the Rockies. And they kept going! The giant rock formations with trees sparsely covering them, beckoning and taunting.
It is a landscape I am learning to appreciate more each minute I am here. I grew up camping in the Pacific Northwest, green and lush. I lived in Tennessee, just minutes from the Smoky Mountains. Also densely covered with giant green trees. But the Rockies. They are different. A harsh beauty. I can see our family spending lots of time in this area in the future.
Today we went on a 4 hour horseback trail ride. Our guide took us up a mountain and down a mountain, through meadows and fields. It was amazing! It gave us an opportunity to sit back and enjoy our surroundings. My horse, Elmer, was a trooper. Blazing through muddy trails, making his distaste for puddles of water very known by choosing other paths every time, even if it meant sending his rider through tree branches. Seth's horse, Cutter, was the poky one. He had paid his dues, done his time and wasn't going to take "no" for an answer. If he felt like stopping to take a nibble on some tasty nettles, who was going to stop him? I think he and Seth got along perfectly. They understood one another.
During the ride, I asked our guide if we would see any wildlife. He said "probably not" because in the summer, the larger game stay up higher where it is cooler. I was a bit disappointed by his answer because I really wanted to see some kind of animal, maybe bigger than a squirrel. You know what the Lord did? Nestled in a patch of trees was a big herd of Elk. HUGE males with big ol' racks and the females eating peacefully. Do you ever get the feeling that God just gets a kick out of blessing His children? I do.

Well, friends, I have had a long day and that hot tub is calling my name. Tomorrow is our 10 mile hike. Pray for us =)

Trip Advisor?

I think they forgot to put the "Qua" at the Quality Inn here in Colby, Kansas. Of course, when you stumble in at 2:30am, bleary-eyed, you don't have the normal resistance of a sane person. It's one of those rooms where you cannot look at anything too closely. I made that mistake last night. The light switches have enough grease and grime covering them to send Mr. Clean on the warpath. If this is any indication, I have not taken off my sandals except to crawl in bed. The carpet has a non-plush squishiness to it. I won't even mention the bathroom. I should have taken the warning when I read the front sign that said "We serve homemade and Mexican food".

We are about to take off for our short drive to the Rockies. Last night's drive was a breeze. Night-driving through Kansas farmland is actually quite ethereal. Especially when you have just the right mix on the iPod!

And We're Off...

Tonight we leave for a gloriously planned trip to Estes Park, Colorado. That's right, friends, just Seth, me, and lots of nature...as in National Parks and horses and hikings. But, lest you think we are "roughing it", we will be staying at a condo that looks like this. Hot tub on the deck, here I come!
We are so very grateful to Seth's parents for agreeing to watch the boys while we are gone. I do believe a few more jewels will be added to their crowns this weekend! Eli has been looking forward to this looong stay with Grammy and Papa for months now. They already have a "list" of things they want to do. Elijah loves "the list".

So, my dear ones, stay tuned next week for the many pictures that will follow....

Summer of 1997

Let's see if we can dig up some memories for you. We'll start with movies.

How can you NOT like Harrison Ford as President? I would vote for him!

Seth liked this one.

Oh yeah.

I loved this movie so much I bought the soundtrack.

Next comes the song selection. Do you remember names like The Verve, "Bittersweet Symphony"? I remember this video more than I do the actual song. Because he was tall and lanky and never stopped walking. How about Chumbawumba "Tubthumping" or Smash Mouth "Walkin' on the Sun"? How could you ever forget the amazing group Hanson and their brilliant songwriting in "Mmmmbop"? I think I only hear these songs now in elevators.

Hmmm, what was that question? What was I doing the summer of 1997? Oh right, I became a wife. My little 19 year old self got hitched. On August 2nd, Seth and I were married. I remember little parts of that day. Like airing my underarms in front of the stand-up fan because it was August in Florida and the air conditioning was not cutting it in the ready room. Like feeling so grown-up and such a little girl all at the same time. Weird emotion. Like seeing so many of our friends' faces. Friends we had just graduated high school with the year before! Like completely, so obviously forgetting my cousin's name as I bent down to give hugs. Awkward. Like looking down at my hand and seeing a wedding ring and then looking up into my husband's face. Woh. Like the moment in Seth's grandparent's back bedroom where I changed from my wedding gown to my going-away dress, my Mom walked in and we just stared at each other, and then cried in each others' arms. Letting go.
I really like being married. I like it more now than I did 10 years ago. It was kind of a rough decade for us. We grew up together and let me tell you, it wasn't always pretty. But we were friends and we both knew deep down we weren't going to quit, no matter how much that temptation came around. And then all of a sudden, it became easier. I think that was around year 5 or so. Most of our words were actually understood by each other and not bouncing off cement walls like before. That was nice.
The Lord really took care of me when He chose my husband for me. I recognize that now more than ever. I am very grateful for our relationship. For the depth that is there only by the grace of God. I am blessed.

Well, here we go for another 10 years and then 10 after that and then eternity.

Some Thoughts

I just have to say, this summer totally feels like we all have jet packs strapped to our backs. Flying through the last weeks, holding on for dear life. I have been purposefully (is that even a word??) trying to slow down enough to enjoy the long days, the warm weather, and my sun-kissed boys running around. But when I think of the weeks ahead and how every. single. weekend. is taken up, I find myself breathing a little faster.
My summary of The Call (3 weeks ago!!) is this: It was amazing. We stood with thousands of other believers from all over the world, crying out for justice and mercy. It was hot and uncomfortable but we pushed through til the evening. I was so surprised how well the boys did all day. We knew they were supposed to be there because that is what the Lord impressed on our hearts from the beginning. One of the first things that happened that day was a time of repentance to the people groups who have been so wronged (ie. First Nations and African Americans). A Senator from Kansas stood in behalf of our nation and repented to representatives of these people. It was so significant and beautiful. I don't even have words to express what I felt when the First Nations man stood there and said "In all grace, I forgive you. " Such humility and grace. The Lord healed wounds of our land on July 7th.
The worship was incredible. But what struck me was the whole nameless, faceless thing. Something that has been prophecied for years, the Lord is doing now. We had no idea who would be on that stage next. This is what the Lord is doing. Soon will come a day when the "superstars" will go unnoticed and a whole movement of anointed worship will rise without names or faces for "fans" to follow. It was really exciting to see this.
We left around 6:30pm. Tired, hungry, and thirsty but filled with expectation. We haven't really seen any tangible evidence of what the Lord did in us that day but we knew it wasn't for that. It may be years before we see the "why" of being there. It was a good day...

I will keep posting on the rest of our summer shenanigans. We have a few up our sleeves!

Happy Birthday...

...to my Dad! You can read about him here. Today I am going to let this video speak for all of us. You are the best, Dad! We love you....

Hey There

This is for you faithful 3 people who have tirelessly checked this blog, patiently waiting for ANYTHING new. It's funny how you have to get back in the "blogging mindset" after taking such a long break. I am working on some thoughts of our trip to The Call but today, I will leave you with this video. Just watching it this morning made me want to cry. Not necessarily for the man who video taped it, but for those poor parents who were forced to stay in the airplane for 7 HOURS!



Flying Delta anyone??

This Is My Dad

Always my hero. I remember the different moments when my little body just filled with pride when I thought about my Dad. As a little girl, he was bigger than life. Strong enough to throw me across pools, quick enough to keep that dribbling basketball from my reach in the driveway (although, I always managed to get it in the end...very mysterious...), gentle enough to keep encouraging me to read and play piano, fun enough to slide with us at the water parks and explore with us when we went camping.
So many memories. But today I just want to honor my Dad. For being a good man but, most importantly, for loving the Lord with all of his heart. He and my Mom have built and are building a heritage that will not end.
I love you, Dad. Happy Father's Day!

Randomness in General

This is my husband. He may look normal on the outside. But he's far, far from normal. He's kinda weird. And now I have proof to back me up on this.

I like to read other people's blogs. I find one and then link to another and then to another until I find myself lost in some kind of maze. A blog maze. Usually they are from the IHOP world so, not only are they entertaining, but usually have substance as well. Here are some blogs I frequent often. I know I should become a little more technologically savvy by signing up to their feeds but they're still on my favorite bookmark list so I just have to check them as often as I am online...

Randy B. - A blogging pro. You never know what you are going to read each day. Could be hilarious. Could be totally serious. His family consists of 3 boys and a newly adopted little girl. Somehow I feel like I can connect on the "boy thing".
Kelsey B. - Wife of said blogging pro. She has awesome things to say. Totally feel like I can relate by being a mom and having a really passionate heart for the Lord. Plus she and Randy put together the Omega course. An amazing run-through of the end times. Seth and I are watching the DVDs right now and are pretty speechless about all the things in Scripture we have never thought or heard about before.
Shelley P. - A photographer from Minnesota. I am dreaming of the day when she can come to our house and take photos of the boys and our family. I love her work and she is super nice (she and I have corresponded about a good date for sessions. Nothing has worked out yet and it looks like I will probably wait until next year to have her come.).
Molly M. - Found this blog on one of my reading binges one day. I really like her writing style plus her blog links to a bunch of interesting ones I like to check.
Tracie L. - An IHOP Mom. She has a ton of motherly wisdom. She and her family recently adopted a little baby girl. Seth and I both feel adoption is in our future, so it has been neat following their story.
(I have to admit, though, it's a bit strange reading these different blogs and then seeing these people in person at church. I recognize them but they have absolutely no idea who I am. I guess I should introduce myself one of these days...)

My 2 year old is waaay too attached to these. I have haunting visions of Josiah as a 15 year old, walking around with one in his mouth. I have been very thankful for their amazing soothing powers but, honestly, they're gross. My hygiene limit gets very tested. 5 second rule? How about the 5 minute-just-wipe-it-on-your-jeans-because-he's-screaming-bloody-murder rule?!

Is there such a thing as slow death by tooth ache? I'm not talking about cavities or anything like that. I'm talking about these. Right now my teeth are so sensitive, if I touch anything the wrong way, I get chills up and down my whole body!

Seth and I have been doing a lot of this lately to train for this later on in the year. I have scaled the goal back to a half marathon this year. Something I know for sure I can do and I think we are going to have a lot of fun doing it. There are some monster hills in the course so we have been going up to a trail close by to help us build up for that.

It's going to be a busy summer for us. I'm pretty excited about that. Seth's brother and his lovely family are coming to visit the first week of July. We can't wait to see them! In July, we are taking a family road trip. And then in August, Seth and I will be driving to Colorado for 6 days to celebrate our 10th anniversary. It's going to be awesome! We will be staying here and will be spending a lot of time here.

My baby is graduating preschool next week and will be entering "real school" this fall. I cannot believe this kid is well on his way to 6 already. I am so proud of Elijah, I could just burst. Look at the mini cap and gown!


Well, friends, I believe this is my last post until the first week of July. Hope you all have a blessed next month. Stay safe and have fun!

Picture Randomness

I'd like to give you all a taste of my world. Living with 2, no wait, 4 boys (I'm including my dog in this one) is insanely fun. This world doesn't even know what the color pink is. Even Josiah, with his artistic bent, is ALL boy. Just yesterday, I watched him pass time by stomping on every ant he saw. No one taught him this. Believe me, I asked!
But they're just so cute. I wouldn't trade them for a million girls!

Umm, yeah. I don't know. Cool guy with bedhead and a pacifier?

He calls himself Lightning Man.

Superhero for the midget world.

They really do like each other. Amazing!

I have always joked that my boys will be taking naps 'til they're 16. Well, at least I have said I was joking. Wonder why he's sleeping with his hat on? Yeah, I'm a little curious too.

So Much to Learn

"Dad, can I go play in Josh's yard? They're playing in the sprinklers. Can I please, please?" Seth and I never see Elijah move so fast as when he has to get ready to play outside. He's like Superman. One minute he is in one outfit. The next minute, he is in another. Bathing suit and sunscreen on, Eli ran out to meet his friends.
An hour or so later, I see my little man running through the yards to come home. Strange because he has his glove, bat, and light saber with him. I automatically assume that his friends had to go inside. One look at his face and something tells me a different story.
Elijah is 5. And when a 5 year old tries to look brave, it melts the hardest of hearts. I ask him what was wrong and he just crumbles. I pull my very huge baby onto my lap and just hold him for a minute and then begin the questions.
"What happened?"
"Josh and Tyler don't want me to be their friend anymore."
"What? Why?"
"Because they wouldn't do what God told them to do." (Insert eye bugging, hold-in-that-laugh face here. Did we name this kid right or what??)
"Well, son, you can't really tell others what God wants them to do like that. It ends up sounding totally bossy." A light of understanding begins to dawn on his face. Ohhhh.
"And son, we really need to forgive even if the other person doesn't say he's sorry." So easy to tell a 5 year old to do!
"Mom, can I go tell them I'm sorry?" I know I am exhausting this point, but he's FIVE! He understood how to make things right.
"Sure, that would be great."

So, off he trotted to go tell his friends that he was sorry for being so bossy. But, alas, they still didn't want to be his friend and said he couldn't play with them. By this time, I was in tears. I had just witnessed my son's heart breaking for the first time. We talked and hugged some more.
And, I tell you, it wasn't even five minutes later, he was bouncing around like old Elijah. Kids are great like that. They don't hold grudges. They just move on. I can learn so much from that!!
This was one of those life experiences I wasn't really prepared to handle. As a parent, I want to protect my children from every hurt. I would choose putting on an actual bandaid over a wound any day over having to hold a crushed little spirit. But it ended up being a good lesson in forgiveness, not only for my little man but also for me.

Week with Nana and Grandad

Last week my parents flew in from South Carolina to visit. We had a really great time. The boys loved every minute of it. Especially Josiah who followed them around calling out "Nanai" and "'Dad". It was actually a nice break from the million-a-day times I hear "Mommy" belted out as only my 2 year old can do!
Friday we all went to the Deanna Rose Farmstead. An awesome petting zoo/learning center for kids and it's actually free. The weather was amazing and because it is still spring, there were lots of baby animals to say "awww" over.






We celebrated all sorts of things while my parents were here. My mom and I share our birthday (May 5th) so we had to celebrate that. We also did Mother's Day and Josiah's birthday (since they weren't here to share the big day with the little man.) In the middle of all that celebrating, we managed to have lots of downtime as well. The boys love being read to!
The week flew by way too quickly. We are all looking forward to next time....

It's Time

For a few months now, Seth and I have made plans to be in Nashville on 7-7-07. An urgency has been growing in us about this day. We both feel like it will be a day marked in history. Maybe not right away, but definitely for all eternity. When I first heard about the Call, I immediately thought "cool" but didn't really feel anything about it. One day it hit me...we need to be there. Not just Seth and me but the boys, too. It is very important that Elijah and Josiah be there. For so many reasons.
We are also going to be participating in this fast. Read the article by Lou Engle and let me know what you think!

It's Raining, It's Pouring...

I wish I was the one snoring! Rainy weather always makes me so sleepy. And it has been raining for days and days. We have a sump pump downstairs. For all of you who don't know what that is- a sump pump takes the extra water from the ground and pumps it away from the house (I had no idea what they were until I moved to Missouri). Ours has been working overtime which I am very thankful for because we are hearing many reports of flooding basements.
My weekend was wonderful. As Seth mentioned in his Week End Weekend Review, he watched the boys while I spent my time with my beautiful friends (and about 90 other women) at a woman's retreat. I'm usually not a big fan of the "extreme girly-ness" that is bound to happen at these events. But when I found out that this retreat was taking place and it was going to be on my birthday, I knew it was what the Lord wanted me to do. And it was pretty darn awesome! I watched the Lord heal my friends' hearts. Which blessed me more than I ever thought possible. And my heart? I just have to say He is so good and so personal and so ready to speak. To all of us if we just slow down enough to listen. One truth I walked away with- He doesn't run away from us, we run away from Him. He is always there, loving and kind and NEVER disappointed in us.
My 29th (gasp!) birthday was so special. I have a feeling that this year, walking into 30, will be quite the adventure!

Quotes from a 5 year old

Since Seth has gotten all creative over at his blog with his fancy "Week end Weekend Review", I thought I would begin a weekly post as well. I feel like your worlds would not be totally complete if I didn't share some of the things that pop out of my 5 year old's mouth. Sometimes weird, sometimes hilarious, always entertaining. Elijah Macchi will always come through for you!

"Mom, why do you look all wilt-y like a dead flower?"

Now, in my defense, I did just survive a pretty wicked 24 hour bug. Thanks son for your keen insight!

I read a book last week

and I cannot stop thinking about it. I highly recommend it. It's called Same Kind of Different as Me. (Click on the link and you can read the synopsis.) It was just one of those books when you put it down, you sigh and say "Wow, that was sooo good!". It didn't just make me laugh and cry, it provoked my heart to understand more of what the Lord has for me. He has called each of us to care for others, to love them as we love ourselves. What exactly does that mean in my small, small world? Am I passing opportunities by to share the Love He has so mercifully shown me?
Okay, so go buy the book or check it out at the library and let me know what you think. I would love to get your opinions!

Video

Seth was a kind man today. He made me a movie of some birthday clips from yesterday. (By the way, when you see Josiah bending over to blow out his candles and I say "Oh Gosh. Wait a minute.", it's because there was a long string of spit ready to drop right on the cake. Yep. Thankfully, I caught it before anyone tasted the "essence" of Josiah.)

Josiah's Birthday

The weather could not have been more beautiful yesterday. I hope when I am older and the kids have grown, that I will never forget days like yesterday. Spending an afternoon with family and friends. The smell of grilled chicken wafting by on the wind. Watching little munchkins running around in the freedom they so love. And then, when it's all over, piling back into the car. The kids with their sleepy eyes and the contentment of having played their little hearts out. The parents trying to keep tired meltdowns to a minimum.
As much as I want to recall the rainbow colored moments, I also really want to remember the storms that bring those rainbows into existence. The panicked feelings of "did I forget anything?". The tantrums of a 2 year old who feels the injustice of not being allowed to dip his finger in the icing again. "You let me do it before, LET ME DO IT AGAIN!" The whining of a 5 year old who has reached his limit of allowing most of the attention to be directed to his little brother.
All of it creates "a day in the life of" and I wouldn't trade any of it for the world. It was a good day...

Enough of the rambling, here are some pictures.
This is my first attempt at a decorated birthday cake. Final verdict? We buy them from now on!

Birthday Boy. Nothin' cuter than a little boy in overalls.

Partay consisted mostly of our care group friends. They're awesome! Grammy and Papa let us have it at their house because they have a bigger yard. The kids appreciated that.

Mr. Dan teaching the fine points of lawn croquet.

Highlight of the party. Papa's neighbor insisted the kids get a tractor ride. So fun!

Best thing about this? The entertainment was free =)

Someone Turned 2 Today!

Yep, it's true. Josiah is a full-on two year old. All the joys and frustrations wrapped up in one cute Josiah man! He gets his own little party on Saturday so I will definitely post pictures from that...

I Can't Stop Laughing

You guys have to read Seth's new post here.

It's pretty darn funny.

Please tell me...

...how someone can wake up in the middle of the night with hiccups! That's right, last night at approximately 1:15 am, I woke up with full-on hiccups. How weird is that??

Vision

"I know the God who speaks. I want to know the God who acts".

One of the teachers at IHOP, Allen Hood, spoke this a few months ago. It pretty much sums up all that Seth and I have been feeling lately. When do we get to see the "greater than these" signs and wonders that Jesus spoke of? How long do we have to wait to walk in this power and authority?
The Lord has placed us in the midst of a people who are ready. Ready to contend for the things we have only dreamed of.
I love our home group. I mean, really love the community the Lord has placed us in. Our group is one that consists of strong leaders. Leaders that you can truly see the Lord do amazing things through in the future. But, for now, He has put us here. Together. For a reason. Most of us are around the same age. Young couples with young children. The Lord has, in His wisdom, also placed older couples in the group for balance. And there are many times where we can perceive His wisdom through these couples' experiences. These last months, we have really concentrated on building relationships with each other. We have shared meals. We have laughed and laughed. We have prayed each other through difficult circumstances.
Now we are ready for that next level. Last Thursday we spoke of this "prompting". A plan was formed. God has placed each of us in different environments, different mission fields. We all have situations where we would love to see the Lord break in. So that is what we are going to concentrate on. Praying specifically each week for each situation...the salvation or the healing or the miraculous provision. Focusing our week on this and expecting the Lord to give us all words of knowledge, dreams, and Scripture to encourage the one who must step out in boldness to carry out the Lord's plan.
I am so excited because I know I am finally going to see the things my heart has been longing for.
There was one concern during our discussion of this. "Will we still have the dinners?" Absolutely. Because the Lord has placed in our group some really, really good cooks! =)

Easter Sunday

What a great day! We celebrated Easter with lots and lots of friends today. A wonderful couple from our home group invited us all over for brunch and an Easter egg hunt. They have a beautiful home with an amazing 1.5 acre backyard. Perfect for 8 children, all under the age of 7!
This was Josiah's first "real" Easter egg hunt. I'm not certain he has the concept yet but he sure was cute...


I even managed to capture one more picture before the batteries in my camera ran out. This is Josiah's cutie-patutie friend, Elise.

Family Video

Usually Seth posts our family movies but since he has decided to spread his posts out, oh like a couple months apart, I am going to go ahead and post it on my blog. This last year's turned out really cute. Hope you enjoy!

Still At It

Apparently our feathered friend has not taken the hint. As I type this, I hear "Plink, Plink, Plink". What happens to a bird's ability to think when its head is thrown up against a hard window over and over again? I mean, it's not like he had much to begin with!

Looking Back and Walking Forward

Yesterday I had to hunt through my old journals to find an entry I wrote a few years ago. As I read through my writings from 2004, I was just amazed at what we had to walk through that year to get here to Kansas City. It was so difficult yet it was so full of the Lord's grace. We walked step by step while instruction was given only one direction at a time. Circumstances with family and friends drove us, not away from the Lord but straight into His heart. Desperate not to walk in unforgiveness. Determined not to let bitterness take hold. As we received nourishment every day from His Word, His beautiful and kind Word, it strengthened our resolve to follow His will.

3 years later and I am still amazed by our story. Only because it was written by a Hand who always knows the very best. Moments of bewilderment of why the Lord moved us here to Kansas City are becoming less frequent. Because we are beginning to see. We are being established in friendships. We are being given glimpses of our destiny. And it looks so much different than we pictured it 3 years ago, 5 years ago. As we grow in Him, this view will undoubtedly change again and again. Because our destiny is less about us and so much more about a stunning King who will have His Bride. An utterly abandoned Bride who thinks nothing of what man can do to Her. A Bride with a focused gaze, listening only to His Words and walking in His will.

We have so much to look forward to because we have looked back and recognized His goodness and His faithfulness. He never changes. And that is just so comforting!

He May Not be a Smart Bird...

but he knows what love is.

This last week we have heard a strange "Plink, Plink" sound every day, all day. It starts early in the morning and lasts until late afternoon. At first I thought it was the construction from the new houses being built across the street. But I realized quickly it was not construction. Then I thought it might be some birds tapping the drain gutters outside. After 4 days, Seth announced that he discovered the reason to the constant noise. He was working in the basement and heard the sound. He looked up at the very small window in our basement and saw a bird. This bird stood innocently outside of the window until "Plink", he flew straight at the window! I had to see this for myself so this morning I crept into the basement and watched our new little friend just fling himself at the window, splat against it, and then jump up again for round 250. Seth thought he was a male fighting another "male" but when I saw him, he had a clump of straw in his beak. Like he was trying to build a nest. The lover boy thinks he is romancin' a lady! Apparently his reflection is one hot birdie. He is so persistent, it's almost sad there won't be any of his offspring flying around this year. Maybe that's a good thing...survival of the fittest and all that...

The Macchis go to the Zoo

The Kansas City Zoo is pretty great. It's huge! Parts of it need some major updating. It's always difficult to see large tigers and monkeys in cages that look like they were built in the 1920's. But signs did say that they are making changes soon. We had a great time, minus all the Springtime animal hanky-panky. And that's all I am going to say about that.

There are elephants, kangaroos, giraffes, zebras...just to name a few. We happened to just take pictures at the chimp house because of the camera/battery fun. The boys enjoyed the close encounters with their distant relatives =)

Resemblance? I'm just saying...

Blogging

I have officially become one of those boring, once-a-month bloggers. I will attempt to step it up a bit. Unfortunately I am working with a digital camera that has decided to completely drain 2 batteries every time I pick up the camera. It's quite annoying. I sit down to upload new pictures and I have to replace the batteries. I take 5 pictures and must replace the batteries.

I love technology...

Can Someone Please 'Splain?

I think the next time Grandad comes to visit, he and Eli need to have a talk about police business. Elijah put on his police outfit this morning and ran out of his room to "go catch those bank robbers". He shot most of them with this tinker toy gun but he did arrest one of them. He brought the suspect back in his bedroom where I was and asked me what we should do with the criminal. "Mom, what should we do? Should I slap his cheeks or something?" Sure sounds like justice to a 5 year old!
Later, he ran out and caught a whole group of criminals. The process again became a little skewed when he proceeded to "throw them in the books". Literally. No due process around here. Just 10-15 years reading classics such as "If you Give a Mouse a Cookie" and anything Richard Scarry.

I Live Where!?!?

Yesterday it reached 72 degrees in the afternoon. Today, I look out the window and there are little snowflakes floating in the wind.

Go figure!

What do you Want?

This is a question I have heard deep in my heart in the last week. It's amazing how one question can rock your world to the point of speechless. For years now, Seth and I have sought the will of God. We can honestly say that we believe we have heard Him many times and have obeyed even in the midst of hardship. The Lord's hand has been very heavy on us. We have given up on any planning because it seems to us that whatever road we think we are to walk on, God screeches us to a halt and sends us on a totally different path. The longer we walk His road, the more we see His goodness and His mercy in sending us His direction and not our direction. But a 5 year plan? Yeah, right! I am so amazed at how some people can, from a very young age, say they are going to be such-and-such. 20 years later and that's exactly what they are doing. They say "I want to be director of this or leader of that" and that's exactly what happens. It leaves people like Seth and me wondering what in the world we are doing wrong.
But I know we really are not doing anything wrong. We are walking our own journey, our own destiny written before the beginning of Time. Isn't that amazing to think about?
The year 2007 has been a specific time for us. The Lord gave us a specific invitation for fasting certain things this year. Giving us specific direction to Simplify and Focus. It was exciting when we heard from Him and it's actually exciting to be walking in it because we are already seeing some results.
But this one question, "What do you Want?" has resonated in me like nothing has before. It's like this year, after years of preparation, He has brought us to a place where when we come to a conclusive answer...it's going to sound a lot like what the Lord wants for us.

Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.

I have this hunch that we have entered a "turning point" year. One where we might look back and remember when we were asked a Question that turned our lives completely inside out. Yeehaw!

I am so Outnumbered!

Elijah has been attending preschool now for 2 years. Occasionally I have asked his teachers about his behavior in class and both teachers have just gushed about how polite and well behaved he is. Until Friday. Eli's teacher, Ms. Jessica, walked him to the car and mentioned that I might want to have a talk with Eli because he had spent the day hitting and elbowing another little boy after he was told not to. I was a little embarassed for him but Elijah, upon hearing his teacher, tried to melt into my side. We had a talk and when it all came out, my conclusion was...Elijah is a boy. There was no undercurrent of emotional issues, no crazy reason for his behavior. He simply acted like a boy and disobeyed his teachers. I think Elijah learned his lesson. When I picked him up from school today, Ms. Jessica gave a glowing report on his behavior. Good boy!


"Mommy?" "Yes, Josiah". "Mommy?" "Yes, Josiah". "Mommy?" "What, Josiah?" "Bla Bla".

This, my friends, is a sample conversation I have had every day for about a month now. "Bla Bla" could mean absolutely anything. It's the all-purpose word that fills the holes in a small vocabulary. The boy's vocabulary is expanding slowly but surely. Hey, I'm just thankful there is a regular usage of the word "please", pronounced "peeeaaa". I still can't believe that in a couple of months Josiah is going to be 2 years old. Elijah scrambled out of baby-world so quickly, it's actually kind of nice to have Josiah take his time. Even when there are days where I am completely exasperated, it's a blessing to slow down and cuddle with the "Baby"!

Le Artiste

I walked into my room today and found the little J-man with a forbidden pen. I've gotta hand it to the boy- I could have an orginal work of art on my walls as I type this but Josiah went for the more "personal" approach. And for that I am truly thankful!
As I walked up to him, he just melted to the ground. He knew he was in for it. I took the pen away and told him "No". He waited the appropriate 3 seconds, looked up at me while lifting his shirt and just said, "Woh".

Weekly Update

Allrighty, well apparently nothing can be done short of deleting my whole entire blog and starting over again to get Macchiville and Sarah Does Smile to separate. What God has joined together, let no man put assunder.
Plan B- at least get a picture going of the both of us and change up the profile a bit. I have to confess, I'm a little tired of seeing Seth's big face on my blog!

In other news, I have had quite the crummy weekend. Seth came home from his D.C. trip on Friday. The boys and I were very excited to see him. I swear there is nothing cuter in this world than seeing a couple of boys see their daddy for the first time in a week. Huge smiles, big hugs, and munchkin voices saying, "Daddy!". All's right with the world...
Friday morning, I woke up feeling a bit unusual but didn't really think much of it. Until the big wham-mo pain-o hit Friday afternoon and lasted into Friday night. Where did I end up Friday night? Yep, you guessed it- our friendly neighborhood ER. We had no idea what was going on. The pain was literally nauseating. A bit much for this girl who can take a bit of pain.
So the Dr. did an exam and declared an ovarian cyst. Never had one of these before. So I ended up in bed all weekend totally drugged out. The pain still has not gone away so I will be going to see my lucky GYN doctor tomorrow.

These strange and out of the ordinary assaults have happened to me quite a bit over the last few years. I'm not quite sure why. But this time, I have had such a sense of peace. Yes, it could be the high dosage of Vicodin. But it goes beyond that with a full thought of "God is good." He's always good. And He loves me. I haven't experienced a miracle of instant healing yet but I do keep an eye out for His hand in these things. Like Friday, for example. Seth came home and was able to take care of me and the boys. If the attack had happened a day earlier, it would have been a whole 'nother story! For some reason, I have the voice of an older Jamaican man in my head saying, "God is good. When is He good? Always."
Amen and amen.

Technical Difficulties

Okay, so being married for almost 10 years to the same man DOES NOT change one's appearance this much. I thought I would be brave tonight and switch over to the new blogger which wasn't supposed to change anything about my blog. Apparently, I used the same email address and password to hook up to google accounts that Seth did so it's putting my account with his. Thus explaining why all of a sudden, you're looking at his Italian mug instead of my Filipina mutt mug =)
Hopefully we'll have this fixed soon....

T-Rex

"When I first saw the big T-rex, I was like, 'woh don't eat my family'", says the 5 year old boy, sitting in a booth with sticky fingers from the s'mores he and his whole family are enjoying together (that's right, good ol' fashioned s'mores complete with a small butane fire to roast the marshmallows with). Occasional dinosaur roars blare across the room while a little 2 year old tries to imitate it by throwing back his head and saying, "raaahhhh". "Where did these perfect little boys come from and how can I remember this moment forever?"thinks the mother as she reaches over to pull out a wet and mushy marshmallow out of her 2 year old's mouth before he begins to gag. "Okay, perfect but fleeting!"

Seth leaves tomorrow morning for Washington DC for a week so we decided to have "family night" out on the freezing town. I know I've been complaining quite a bit about the frigid weather we have been having recently but when your little one is in your arms as you are crossing the parking lot saying "Ow, ow, ow" from the biting wind tearing across his rosy little cheeks, you begin to question what the heck you're doing here in the midwest...

We began the evening by eating here. Then we suprised Elijah by taking him here. We didn't think that Josiah would be very interested but he enjoyed it just as much as his big brother. Anyway, Elijah got to Build-a-Dino. He was so cute about it. He asked very politely if he could do one and when he was given the green light, he thought long and hard about which dinosaur he should choose. He ended up choosing a T-Rex who he named Jumbo. Jumbo the TRex...pretty catchy, don't you think? It's run by the same company who does Build-a-Bear. This one is just cooler for a little boy.
After that, we all sat down in the restaurant section and had our s'mores dessert. We couldn't have asked for a better evening. The boys had fun and were in great moods and the parents were relaxed enough to enjoy themselves.
good times, good times.