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...