California!

We are in California and loving it! Check out Liz's blog for pictures as we have no way to post mine. Things are a bit crazy and I'm tired, but we are having a really great time. Ethan and ayden especially are playing very nicely together.

The adventure begins

We have arrived in Houston. Point A of the Mommy and Sons California tour '08. After Lucas's 10 hour journey home last friday night thanks to a traffic accident (someone else) and a flat tire (his own) I was worried the weekends luck would be permanent. But we made it here safe and sound. Lucas starts class again tomorrow and the boys and I have some shopping to do and then on Tuesday morning its off to Californ-I-A! We are very excited to do some much needed cousin and sibling bonding. This may be the first birthday I've spent with my brother in over 5 years. The kids havent seen each other but for pictures in two years and the little cousins, Mei Mei and Balin have yet to be introduced! Watch out Bay area! The circus is coming to town!

AHHH

So today I am a bit overwhelmed. I have to clean and pack so we can leave for Houston tomorrow. The reality that on Tuesday morning I have to get on a plane by myself with my two boys... eeek. So today I'm focusing on laundry and cleaning. Lucas has to take the car to discount tire in Longview so I'm sending the children with him. They need some male bonding time. I need an empty house. and another couple cups of coffee.

First tater tot

There are few joys in life that equal tater tots. Warm soft bits of yummy goodness. Balin struggles with potato in all form except those that are fried, so I figured why not give it a shot? He loved it, but I think more tot ended up crumbled ont he floor than his belly. Probably a thing thing.

Sweet friends

I'm in trouble.

Laminin is the major non-collagenous component of the basal lamina, such as those on which cells of an epithelium sit.[1] Basically, laminin is a protein found in the "extracellular matrix", the sheets of protein that form the substrate of all internal organs also called the "basement membrane". It has four arms that can bind to four other molecules. The three shorter arms are particularly good at binding to other laminin molecules, which is what makes it so great at forming sheets. The long arm is capable of binding to cells, which helps anchor the actual organs to the membrane.

The laminin protein is made up of three separate parts, called the A, B1, and B2 chains. That gives it a total of six "ends", which accounts for a lot of its flexibility in connecting up various kinds of molecules. Because of this, scientists who create biomaterials are extremely interested in the whole family of laminins. They are a family of glycoproteins that are an integral part of the structural scaffolding in almost every animal tissue. Laminins are secreted and incorporated into cell-associated extracellular matrices.

Laminin is vital to making sure overall body structures hold together. from wikipedia


Colossians 1:16
For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.


************Colossians 1:17
He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. ************************


Colossians 1:20
and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.


1 Corinthians 8:6
yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.

Romans 11:36 (Whole Chapter)
For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.




My pastor shared this with us this morning through a video clip of Louie Giglio, another speaker. I am amazed and in awe and refreshingly reminded that my God- The creator of the heavens and the Earth- He who set the stars in place, placed this protein in my body which holds me together at the most intimate level. That the God of ALL creation would use this same symbol to remind us of his son Jesus Christ through whom we have everlasting Life. Through whom all Life exists. Thank you Father for electron microscopes! Thank you for the internet that allows these pictures to and videos to be shared. But thank you most of all for creation. Thank you, Jesus, for Laminin.

Graysons birthday party

So we went to our first party in almost a year! this morning. Grayson turned three and we got face painted. It was fun, thanks Amy!

snapshots of life

This is the Texas street Bridge. It crosses the red river between Bossier city and Shreveport,Lousiana. On the Bossier side is the Boardwalk. Lots of shopping and food and a water play fountain for the kiddos... right under the bridge. I looked up the other day and noticed the date on the bridge. Beauty and history and modern comercialism. All in one moment.

My mommy likes my hat.

We like to go swimming!

11 months old

Blueberry Hill

These are a few pictures from this weekend. I had a wonderful sunburn from my morning at the pool, but Lucas came home Friday night and SAturday morning we went to a place here in town called Blueberry Hill. A local farmer is still making use out of his property by growing berries and veggies you can go and pick. He is only open for this month, but runs a great family farm! We LOVED every sticky pickin' moment!. The blackberries were best right off the vine :-). Balin agrees.

Water and exhaustion

Todays activities, and the boys room

Balin and his buddy Avery



The boys room is getting a superman makeover. I still need to make a comforter for Aydens bed and curtains. Then I want to put comic book sound words "kapow"ect. on the walls

Bad days happen

So today was awful. An Alexander and the very bad day awful.
I couldnt get my car registered because Lucas is out of town and apparently we BOTH have to be there to sign something. Whatever. PLUS the form they told me I could get signed so I could avoid the road usage fees here (10 percent of the value of the car!) can NOT be used to avoid the road usage fees.(thanks for the notary and extra work dad, maybe I can frame it or something). Found all this out after waking the kids up early, making breakfast, getting everyone out the door and dressed BEFORE 8:45 am. THEN driving 30 minutes, having to stop and go into the bank (carrying Balin who had a fever)because the ATM was broken. Sheesh. Then I thought I would go visit with some friends, but no one came until I had to leave to get to my eye appointment. (I could really have used some girl time). AT my eye appointment the Doctor spent all of three minutes with me constantly asking if I remembered my prescription (because it would really help to know)and telling me how much money his oil wells make. Good for him. I personally am in contacts now that I'm fairly sure are a bit too strong. THEN! In line leaving wal mart some thick accented (swedish or something)red faced jerk decides to poke jokes at my children and comment to me "I see you have One big boy and one little one, but I can tell you arent done. Youve been busy!" (insert silent gasp)then continuing "Are you waiting on a boy or a girl?" I was waiting for the stupid line to end so I could run screaming! Now I know i'm curvy but sheesh... I've lost 30 pounds and no I dont care that you have twin boys and your youngest daughter is six, or that toys get more expensive the older they get. (Yes this is all conversation he tried to hold with me). So to make my life easier and to feel better we went for a comfort burger where I accidentally ordered the wrong number and ended up with this gigantic double burger. AAHHH. So tonight i'm going to go say my prayers and go to sleep and hope tomorrow starts out a little better!

It better because in the morning I start work, or get another child... however you want to look at it. Isabella will be here at 7:00 and my life as a mom of two and caregiver of three begins!

To Mr. or Mrs. Gillette Wyoming

I added a site meter the other day out of curiosity to see if anyone actually checked this webpage. Sure enough they do:-). I've seen hits from all over the world, and all over the USA. Some I know or can at least assume are certain people. I am wondering though Mr. or Mrs. Gillette Wyoming... who are you? Seeing as how I spent four years of my early childhood there I keep wondering who checks my page from Wyoming? You keep coming back, thanks! Would you mind leaving me a message?

I got a new Camera!

Balin on the edge of the play pool
Ayden preparing our grape bowl
Balin "helping" me do laundry

Playing in the water

This weekend we visited my parents in Houston and found this fountain to play in! Balin LOVES the water, and was perfectly happy letting the jets get him right in the face! Enjoy!

BC

Can't believe he is almost 1 years old.
Good bottle? Enjoy it now, because it isn't long before you need to give it up son! We are going to try and move you to sippy cups soon!

Memoirs of my dog.

Thought I would share my written!

Yiddish :Shayna Ponem English: Beautiful Face.

1989, Eleven year old boy with no friends. Living in a house new to him with rooms the size of his own personal gym. Brother wasn’t around to play with him, and his sisters too self absorbed to do anything other then play with dolls, or dress up. Mother always on the move and new boyfriend made him uneasy. It was May, the first weekend of May exactly. Unforgettable day, because every first weekend of May is Mayday. An all day event in Minneapolis that is suppose to celebrate the labor of earth. Every year the family would gather across the park where the event was held at an uncles house. The boys moms boyfriend walking up to the boy with this small cute dark puppy. It was no bigger then the boys two palms. It was very round with lots of extra skin on the legs and neck. Looking down at the boy, he said it was the family dog. It was a female; Shayna Pondem. Said it was a Rottweiler. Nieve in youth, that meant nothing to the boy. Nor was he prepared to how big she was going to get. Sure, he knew his other uncle in the family had an old Rott. But all she did was sit around and sleep. This puppy was black all over with socks of brown on all four feet, with a brown strip over the face. The grownups were telling stories that females are easier to train, and are sweeter than males.
Going back to the house, the family let the dog explore her new home. The floor was wood, and the puppy kept running to play, which caused her to slide across the room as if she was on ice. She would lick every ones face, and would not stop to say hello until she got her kiss. She wasn’t nervous, nor scared, she acting like she knew she was home.
Training went well, teaching her to ask to go outside. At first the family put her on a leash, but as years went by she grew bigger and stronger, and would break her leash in the yard. The family tried bigger wires and stronger bases to tie to, but nothing that would keep the young pup from staying in the yard. It wasn’t that she was running away. In fact, the family knew when she broke the rope by her full body jump on the glass window on the patio to ask to come in. She was then trained to go outside without a leash in the backyard. She would walk with the person whom took her out, do her job, and walk back inside with the family member.
But those years had many hardships with the pup becoming a monster size dog. She would love to cuddle up on laps like a little dog. And many couches went through a depression where the dog slept on the couch at night when everyone was asleep. As if the dogs weight broke the suspension on the couch. She would chew on anything she could get; shoes, hats, coats. The family learned to keep things up and away. Always given her balls and chew bones occupied her from getting into trouble. In fact, her favorite toy was a soccer ball, she would speak and kick the ball around with herself between her legs all day long.
Her love to play never calmed down. She loved tug-a-war with anything she could find. She loved tag. She would run up and down the stairs chasing all the children running in the house, even when her clumsy feet caused her to slip and slide into walls. When she caught up to the children running, she would just bunt her nose into their legs or even up their rear. She would walk around the house like looking for someone to play with, and would always be handing out hugs. The children did everything to her, dress her up, make her count as another person in a game by making her sit still or speak.
She did speak. She didn’t bark, it was like a gurgle with a pity whine. She would respond after a question, like she understood or like she would take the attention even if one just talked. She did bark, but only those moments where everything seemed to be alright, and she would bark like something spooked her. She would stand up and bark out the door or at a window. She would go to any person in the house if you told her to go get someone. She knew to go up the stairs and to their rooms. She would go upstairs/downstairs on demand. And she would sit and stay for as long as the words, “okay, or go” wasn’t said.
Time went on and the children grew up, took her to the lakes where she loved to swim. They would go to the parks, and she would run all over. Play all day, and when they got home, she would sleep for days. The dog got older, her knees got weaker. But it never stopped her from trying to play. The younger boys loved to wrestle with the dog, and she would just let them take her down. On the ground, she would just like their faces. Time went on and the family moved out and moved around. Every time a family member came to visit, she would jump up on her back legs and try to hug them. But no one got hurt, because they were ready for her to jump up. It became less frequent when her knees starting given out. She greeted everyone, and she would do anything to say hello. Once she got her head pet, she could lay down and go about her own business.
Her love for outdoors grew over years. She would go outside and run around. In the winter she would jump over the snow. In the Spring she would catch the rain with her mouth. In the summer, she would run and roll in the grass. In the Fall she would burry her face into leafs. Yet, she knew when it was time to go back in doors, and never tried to run away or explore outside the yard.
Years later, she got too old to run and play, but she was so sweet, the grand children could use her as a body pillow and she didn’t mind. She moved slow, but still loved to fight the pain and sneak on the couch. In her last days, she wanted to go outside more and more as her bladder got weaker and smaller. The young boy grew up and went home to help around the house after college. One day he went through the collections of dog chains that got thicker and bigger to stronger metals just to hold the big giant teddy bear dog. She would inch her way to his lap and allow him to pet her. Even when the boy now man was down stairs, she would find strength through her pain and crawl down the stairs. Even if that meant she got herself stuck on the lower level with the grown boy. One morning, The man woke up and the dog asked in her talking voice to go outside, the “please I need to go look” So the man opened the door, yet, this time with her weak body and deep breathing old soul, wasn’t able to get up and walk outside.
The man figured its better to let her go outside, then on herself and the floor. So he lifted her up and carried her to the yard on a nice patch of grass. It was a clear, warm day. Fresh smell of air, and clean spring feel. The dog looked up with a grin with a happy pant. Then she took a deep sigh and laid her head on the grass. There in front of the boy she died in peace, happy of her surroundings, satisfied with her life. The young man want shocked 13 years is a full life for a dog. She was ready and he sad. He cried over her petting her one last time. Then he had to go inside and tell the family.

Steven Curtis Chapman

I just read the news about the Chapmans daughter. Growing up in the church, Chapman was probably the first major Christian music example I had. His music ministered to me in many different events of my life. To hear that their family is going through such a trauma is heartbreaking. Especially that its the loss of his little girl, his five year old. I find myself praying for the son. With the publicity of this tragedy he will not be left alone. We need to pray for his protection. It was an accident. His heart is broken for his sister and we need to pray protection for him. He will need to heal and grieve without media attention. Without accusation.