A Long-Distance Kiss

On Tuesday, a Fed Ex truck stopped in front of our house and dropped off a curiously long box at our door. When I opened it, I discovered 18 gorgeous long stem red roses. My sweet husband had ordered them at the beginning of his trip so they would get to me in the middle of the week. He had no idea that it would be such a horrible week. But I know Someone who did. Once again, the Lord used Seth to show me how much He loves me. How even in the midst of weakness (literal weakness...I had to sit down 5 times while trimming the flowers...I didn't have the strength to stand that long), He lavishes me with amazing and timely gifts. He is good, isn't He??

The Longest Week EVER

I won't spend too much time telling the tale of last week. For some reason, I think it would give one of the worst weeks of my life too much credit. Seth left last Saturday morning for a week in Dallas, TX. Early Sunday morning, around 2am, I checked on Josiah and found him lying in a literal sickbed. After 2 hours of 5 baths, 5 bed changes, and 3 loads of laundry, I knew I was in for it. A day later, the bug bit me. Hard. A day later, the bug bit Elijah. Thankfully, not so hard. So, without any more detail, it was literally one of the worst weeks of my life. What was supposed to be a "quick week" ended up feeling like a month long.
BUT the week did finally come to a close. Seth arrived home on Friday. Everyone is almost fully recovered and trying to get our appetites back.
The End.

Lord, grant me patience!

I've gotta say, there isn't anything much more annoying than this- getting ourselves and the kids ready, driving down to the trail, setting up the jogger, sitting the kids in the jogger, and then having to turn around 5 minutes later because our child is screaming at the top of his lungs with no intention of stopping.
It was a beautiful evening. Couldn't have been more than 75 degrees with a cool breeze. There were even a few deer out grazing not 50 feet from us. They just gave us a "hey could you shut your kid up" look and resumed their eating.
I think I almost left Josiah with them. Wolves have raised children before, haven't they? Deer would be a good, herbivorous choice. I just picture in 20 years, a reddish blond curly-headed man timidly leaping out of the forest, neck craning to spot any predators. Nooo, I guess that wouldn't work very well. I guess I'll have to keep the little guy. Good thing he's so darn cute...

It's Over...I think

Halelujah! The 4th of July has come and gone which means so has the obnoxious firework-ing. If it was just the 3rd and 4th when people did their fireworks, I could actually say that I enjoy the holiday...you know, celebration and independence and all that. But here in the great state of Missouri, the sky is the limit when it comes to how soon they start. June 30th? Let's light them at 1am. July 1st? Why not 2pm? I should have counted how many bombs were thrown into the drainage systems. The whole house shook when they went off.

Well, last night we joined the masses if you will and sent rockets screaming into our neighbors' yards. And had a really good time doing it. Eli was so excited to finally get to light the fireworks that had been in our garage since Christmas. (We drove through Tennessee and stopped at the Daddy store of all firework stores, The Firework Supermarket.)
He even got his own punk and lit many of them himself. Of course, with Daddy right there watching.

As much as I enjoy celebrating with friends, I have to say I wait in no great anticipation for next year!

Change

This weekend marks the 2 year mark since we moved up here to Kansas City. Amazing how quickly time goes by! It's been a rough road, let me tell you. We moved up here with so much baggage, so many wounds that it took us a full year to begin to feel "normal" again. Although I seriously question what "normal" really feels like! God is so faithful to take our weak, willing hearts and heal us when we ask him to. I remember that was my prayer every day. "Lord, please heal this part of my heart that has been betrayed, been damaged." He was faithful to teach us how to forgive, that forgiveness is not just something that you do once and are done with. But forgiveness is something you choose and walk out on a daily basis. I remember the agony of this "walking out" process. But you know what I remember most? I woke up one morning and something felt different. I quickly realized that my heart was healed, was whole again. It was awesome!
That was year one. Year two has been a different story. Searching to find what the Lord would have us do. A longing for "community" has taken over. There was the joy and heartache of the birth of our second son, Josiah. That has taken us about 5 levels higher in trusting that God is truly in control of our lives.
We are about to enter year three. Seth and I both feel an urgent sense of change in our lives. We must pursue God's heart because that is what He is calling us to. We are beginning to feel stirrings of our destiny. That the choices we make today will forever affect our lives, our ministry to anyone outside of ourselves. He is calling all of us to greater intimacy with Him for so many reasons but also for the greatest- that we might know Him more!
It's time to walk away from the "old" and walk into the "new". Our past got us here but it does not need to guide us where we are going. We and so many people that we know are at a crossroads. About to make choices that will forever change the course of our lives. Will we choose to walk the way with fear and anxiety of the unknown or will we walk it in freedom, knowing we cannot save ourselves?
I'm very curious what this next year will hold. Hopefully new friendships. I seek His redemption in this area. Hopefully new songs. Because He has been working deep in our hearts. Hopefully greater revelation and vision. Because without it, we perish.

It's a'gonna be a girl

I announced a few months back that little Gianna is going to be a big sister come October. The great news is that Gianna gets to be a big sister to a little sister. We wait in anticipation to meet this new little one. If she's as half as cool as her big sister, then she'll be all right!

Potty Talk

I grew up with a brother. I married a man. I gave birth to 2 boys. You would think that by now, I would be completely used to all the "potty talk" that has met my ears. You would think! I try to embrace the world of boys. Some days are easier than others.
From the age of 2, Elijah has played around with different words, bodily functions, and reactions that he gets from Mommy. My favorite, probably because it was so innocent, was when he was at the beginning stage of potty training. He would sit on the toilet and grunt. Then he would say, in the cutest voice ever, "I can't reach it!".
As time went on, Seth kindly layed down a mandate in the house that will hopefully last through the boys' growing years. -When Mommy is around, there will be no activity involving natural gas-. I appreciate that more than Seth will ever know.
So because of Seth's example, Eli isn't really obnoxious about "boy stuff". It just comes out naturally sometimes. Today we had one of those moments. Eli had just finished his "business" so I had to go in and clean him up. He then gave me a nugget of his own wisdom-

"Mom, when I tell you that I don't have to go anymore,

that means I have finished pooping.........in Spanish."

All I had to say to that was "Wow".

In other news, Josiah made his mullet-lovin' Uncle Adam proud today. He woke up with what could only be described as a crazy baby mullet. I just had to share...

Splish Splash

I woke up this morning to the sounds of splashing and giggling. I peeked out my bedroom window and found Eli in his newly blown up pool, drinking hose water. Seth woke up a bit earlier than me and used up much of his hot air to blow up the pool.(Maybe that is every wife's solution. "Honey, I think it's time to blow up the pool now. Too much excess hot air.") Not wanting to leave Josiah out of the fun, I decided to take him and sit in the pool with him. No one told me how frigid the water was! Ahhh well, the sacrifices a mother makes...

Oh the DRAMA

I believe the teething monster has come to visit us again. Poor Josiah. His little moods swing faster than a first-trimester pregnant woman's. Because he is just plain miserable. Just in case you don't believe me, I present to you a documented case of 10 minutes in the life of Josiah D. Macchi...











I think teeth should come ordered like a good set of dentures. Baby turning 9 months? Here ya go...just pop those suckers in and they will last a good 6 or 7 years. This long, drawn out process is just killin' me...killin' me, I say!

What is your theological worldview?

You scored as Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan. You are an evangelical in the Wesleyan tradition. You believe that God's grace enables you to choose to believe in him, even though you yourself are totally depraved. The gift of the Holy Spirit gives you assurance of your salvation, and he also enables you to live the life of obedience to which God has called us. You are influenced heavly by John Wesley and the Methodists.

Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan
86%
Emergent/Postmodern
79%
Neo orthodox
61%
Fundamentalist
57%
Charismatic/Pentecostal
50%
Reformed Evangelical
50%
Classical Liberal
46%
Modern Liberal
32%
Roman Catholic
18%


What's your theological worldview?
created with QuizFarm.com


-I'm not sure why this interested me, but it did. Just out of curiosity, if you take this quiz can you comment and let me know what your theology is? Thanks a bunch!!

My Buddy and Me

Last night, Eli and I went on a special date. I took the little man to dinner and then we went to see "Cars", the movie. We had such a great time. I look forward to many, many more of these little "dates" with my boys...

Good Times

Tonight marked a momentous occasion. Seth and I spent some much-needed time together, just the two of us (thank you, thank you Grammy and Papa!). We decided to venture out of our box and went to The Sushi House for dinner. I have always been a fan of sushi but I have never been to an actual sushi restaurant. Here is a play-by-play:

We walk in and are taken aback by how small the place is. Seth and I have a comfort zone in our dining experience and that's a booth in the darkest part of the restaurant. Here, there are no booths. Just very small tables placed really close together. The hostess sits us down in the VERY middle of the restaurant.
We open the menus like we know what we are doing. The server comes to us with a tray and 2 wet wash cloths. Due to my hesitation, he says "Wash your hands." "Oh, okay", I say. He takes our drink orders. We continue to peruse the menu as if we know exactly what we want. We have no clue what we want.
Server comes again and asks us if we are ready. I say "We need help". "Oh, okay", he says. Server is very nice and recommends a combination platter. We ask him about the noodles and he recommends a beef noodle soup. Server then asks if we would like our combination platter on a boat. I say "Yes, that would be great". While walking in, I notice sushi arranged very nicely on raised wooden plates. I think that must be the boat. I say "Yes" and think nothing more of it.
Server brings out yummy Miso soup.
My seat has a great view of the sushi chefs behind their counter. I can't really see what they are making, just their heads over the counter. I notice one chef taking down from the top shelf an actual carved BOAT. An enormous, beautifully carved sailBOAT. The chef begins placing the sushi on this carved phenomenon. All of a sudden, it hits me. That is MY BOAT! In horror, my mind quickly pictures this huge boat on a very small table and the apologies we would be making to our neighbors, "Excuse me, your soy sauce is in the way of my poop deck". So, thankfully, Seth motions to Server and asks if we can have our sushi on a plate instead of the boat. He understands completely and quickly speaks with the sushi chef. From the look on the chef's face, he is none too happy about it.
Our sushi arrives, an artistic masterpiece, on a plain black plate. We sigh in relief and eat every last bite of salmon, tuna, and redtail sushi.
I have to say, I don't think I have laughed this hard in a very long time! I'm sure Server had a good story to tell as soon as we walked out of that door.

Here's to new experiences....

No place like home

Seth finally came home from his eternal job in Arkansas. The boys' faces brightened like nothing else when they saw their daddy walk in the door. Of course, there was immediate wrestling. And the scary thing is...I think I "get" it now.


Seth worked on the University of Arkansas campus (aka. the Razorbacks) so he felt the need to bring Eli something from their sports programs. He bought a hat for him. At first, it looked like Eli had very little interest in the hat. But as the weekend wore on, I rarely saw his head hatless. He even asked me if he could wear it to church.

"Mom, can I please wear my angry pig hat?"

PARTNERS IN CRIME

These 2 have been busy boys this last couple of weeks. Josiah has been healthy for a long period of time now so I think his body is making up for lost time. He is going through development phases very quickly. All of a sudden, he is pulling himself on everything and even beginning to let go with one hand. Walking truly is in this little guy's future!
Eli and Josiah have such a special relationship already. I have been getting glimpses, though, of those suspicious moments where I get a sudden urge to find out what they are doing because it's just a little too quiet. Thankfully, nothing really creative has happened yet but I am starting to prepare myself for a few shocks that only 2 boys together can bring about. I've heard too many stories of Seth and his older brother when they were young!
But every night, all of this boyish energy is put to rest. And as I discovered the other night with Josiah...rest that couldn't be any more relaxed...

Boys just wanna have fun, too

Last week was Eli's last day of the regular school year. What better way to have a last day then to have a big huge water gun fight? They were all so cute running around in their bathing suits and shoes. The school grilled hotdogs for the kids and then later on that evening, we joined them for a school program. The first of many, I hear...

Next week Elijah will be joining the Summer Program for a few weeks at his school. We decided that since it's not yet time for it to be "cool" to be out for the summer, that we would let Eli have his fun a couple times a week. Starting in the fall, he will be going to school 3 days a week instead of 2. I think that schedule will get us all used to next year when he begins kindergarten.... I have a feeling it will be here before we know it!

Yet another thought...

On the way to Arkansas this past weekend, I began seeing enormous billboards advertising this place as the most Beautiful Place in the World. Seriously? In the world? Is it really prepared to take on the coastal resorts of the Caribbean or the European museums housing artistic greats or the French and Italian countrysides?
Giverny, France...Hawaii...New Zealand...and Carthage, Missouri...

Interesting

Dinner y'all?

Did you know that Arkansas is only 3 hours away from Kansas City? I didn't know that until this past weekend when I loaded up the boys and took off on a little road trip to visit Seth for one night. He is in Fayetteville for 2 weeks working on a job. Fayetteville, next to Bentonville = Walmart capital of the world. I would like to share my impression of Arkansas because I had a lot of thinking time as I drove through. Firstly, it's beautiful. I think it's the Ozarks that make it so but it is hilly and green and very pretty. Secondly, I swear I heard banjo music drifting on the wind. It definitely has that "deep south" feel. Not the southern drawl, mint julep, old plantation deep south but the road-kill scrapin', overalls without a shirt, ma and pa deep south. Now I hope I don't offend anyone here because like I said, my first impression was the beauty. But really what was I supposed to think when I passed a town called "Huckleberry Junction"? I did have to giggle when I passed a Super Walmart with surrounding Town Center-type shops. Like it was a prestigious shop in the midst of more shops. Can a rose be called by any other name?

The boys and I had a great trip. It was wonderful to see Seth. Poor Elijah had a rough time this last week missing his daddy. To give you an example- a few nights ago, he passed through the kitchen and saw our family picture on my laptop screen. He just started weeping saying how much he missed Daddy. After that, I knew it was important for Eli to see Seth. And oh my, what a difference! I think because Eli got to see where Seth was working and sleeping, it settled him down and gave him peace. It was so sweet to see Eli's face while sitting next to Seth at dinner. Like all was right with the world...

We love Gigi

She is the little Macchi princess. A priceless jewel. I love my boys with all my heart but there is just something so different about picking up and hugging a little girl. We had so much fun last week getting to know our little Gigi. By the end of the week, Eli and she had such a special relationship. He became her hero. It was adorable to watch.

She loves her Papa and Grammy ("Mimi"). She even sang songs about them as she sat at the edge of the pool.

She is independent and sweet and intelligent and absolutely beautiful.

I am looking forward to watching this little one grow into the woman that the Lord has destined. It's just too much fun being an Auntie!!

Faith as a Child

Mark 11:23
"I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go throw yourself into the sea', and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him."

Joel 2:28
"And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions."

Need I say more??

More Pictures

I am at a loss for clever blogging right now. So I am just going to post more pictures of last week. Again, hope you enjoy!

'Twas the Best of Times....

So this was us last week in beautiful, memory-filled Sanibel Island. Last week was our 6th time visiting Sanibel since our honeymoon 9 years ago. So by now we have a few traditions that we keep.
#1. Always open all the car windows as we drive over the Causeway. There is something magical about letting the fresh Gulf wind blow through.
#2. Always rent something from Billy's Bike Rental. In our pre-children years, we always rented mopeds for the day and had a blast. Now that we are responsible parents, we have traded in our crazy moped-ing for the quiet hum of bicycles. Equally enjoyable.
#3. Always spend as much time outside as we possibly can. And boy, did we! Of course, we had to work around nap schedules but we spent most of our time on the beach or in the pool or running or biking. Perfect for a family of energetic boys!!
So, in closing I am just going to post the pictures in random order. Hope you enjoy!

From the mouths of babes....

Bathtime for the boys is a highlight of their existence. Josiah has loved the water since we brought him home from the hospital. Elijah has slowly warmed to the idea and now is a "play bath" fiend. As exhausting as it is for both Seth and me, we love it too. There is nothing more innocent than seeing your naked little cherub smile his toothy little smile in pure joy.


The other night, as I was getting ready to give Josiah a bath, I looked at him and felt compelled to tell him "Josiah, you are a worshiper. You will worship the Lord in spirit and in truth". For 5 seconds, Josiah looked at me right in the eyes and began dancing and clapping his hands. Try to tell me that he didn't hear and understand that! The moment did not last very long because he is only a year old and his attention span is that of a puppy but for that 5 seconds he and I connected. What a destiny these little ones hold. I just pray that I am humble enough to ask them to teach me the deep things of God's heart.

On a lighter note, Eli has been asking us for a cat. He "really really " wants a kitty. I think he is slowly gaining understanding that it just ain't happenin'. A few nights ago, we were driving home and he asked for a kitty again. I decided to be civil with the idea and told him that as soon as he grows up and moves out of the house, he is welcome to get a kitty. I tell you, I almost saw the smoke come out of Eli's ears, he was thinking so fast. "WHAT? I'll be moving out of the house some day???" "But Mom, I never want to move out of the house. I love you guys and want to be here forever and ever." Where is my tape recorder when I need it?? There will be one day where I will be tempted to quote him his own words but I'm sure I will refrain and let him go live his life. I'll just have my allergy medicine handy when I visit him and his kitty!

This will be my last blog for a while. The boys and I are so very excited...we are going to the beach for a week. This will be Josiah's first introduction to the ocean. Elijah takes to the beach like a little fish. I plan on soaking in all the smells, tastes, and sounds that I can. Is it possible for the beach to be a part of someone's DNA? There are times, especially when we first moved here to Kansas City, where I would feel a physical ache for the ocean. Just to be near it again. Hope.....

T minus 4 days

4 days 'til we feel the salty, sticky ocean air on our faces. 4 days 'til we step on white, sandy beach. Sanibel...here we come!

Paintin' the town...a nice pastel pink

Seth and I had the blessing of going out on a date this evening. Again, children = very limited out-of-the-house dating. We had the best time. A friend recommended that we visit a small town just outside of downtown Kansas City called Parkville. You could feel the charm just driving through. Tonight we didn't have much time to get out and walk but we will definitely visit again. There were many small art galleries and neat, funky looking shops. Then Seth and I ate a very delicious dinner down at the Plaza. For all you "familiar with Orlando" readers, the Plaza reminds us of Park Avenue...only much bigger and quite possibly a little more ritzy. We ended the evening with Starbucks and people-watching.

Fun times had by all.

Meanwhile......it looks like Eli and Josiah had a fabulous time with Grammy and Papa. What could be better than wrestling, fresh pizza, and a dinosaur movie??

Cinco de Mayo

This is my mom. Exactly 28 years ago, on her 21st birthday, she gave birth to me. Pretty amazing, huh? Not exactly the most painless gift but at least I was cute in a "just-got-beat-up-in-a-boxing-ring" sort of way.
I feel so blessed to be able to call my mother my best friend. It definitely was not always like that! But God had good plans for us and our relationship. It's just so cool to see the evidence of this "plan" with both of us.

Happy Birthday, Mom. I love you!

Ahha!

So this is what I've been missing all these years. For many, many moons I only got my hair cut once or twice a year. Well, no longer. I have joined the bandwagon that sends me to the hair salon every two or three months to get the "full works"...highlights and a (non-Hair Cuttery) hair cut. Today, after 2 1/2 hours of hair styling and gabbing, I walked out ready to face the world. Thank you Jamie!

From the (un)complicated mind of a 4 year old

When my parents were visiting us a couple of weeks ago, my mom mentioned that Eli had matured quite a bit even since Christmas. His thoughts are more articulate and his speech is softer than before. I have to agree. The more time I spend with the little guy, the more I realize that he really is a boy now. With an imagination that far surpasses my own (and I always thought I could give anyone a run for their money in that department).
Elijah's personality runs in cycles. Let me explain. On any given day he can wake up and be one of the most compliant, sweet-tempered boys ever. Before we are finished patting ourselves on the back for being the parents that have trained such a mild, non-challenging 4 year old, the cycle flips. Now we have days where we go to bed completely exhausted because everything that comes out of our mouth is challenged. It has been described like this- Eli jumps on a train where he just can't stop himself. You can see he wants to jump off the train but forces beyond his control compel him to ride on it for one more run. Before we think we might have to check ourselves in a mental institute, the cycle flips yet again. Thankfully, this has happened enough now where, if we can stop and remember, we always know it's going to change.
Lately, Eli has taken a ride on the "train". It has been quite challenging, let me tell you! Yesterday, the wheels on the train began slowing down. It all started by him asking me "Mom, do you still love me?" I felt two reactions- 1. "Why in the world does he feel the need to ask me this??" and 2. "What an awesome opportunity to scoop him up in my arms and love on him!" So I did #2 while feeling #1.
Now since Eli has been old enough to walk, the Lord has used him in my life to speak little things to me. This being no exception. How many times have I messed up, either out of immaturity or disobedience? How many times have I been pulled out of a ditch by that one question "Father, do you still love me?" Each time, He says "Absolutely, no question" even more than I can say to my own son.
As the infamous Elijah would say because this is now his favorite term "That's awesome!"