Ben & Kelly

Swallowing Pride

2012-01-25T15:42:00.002-05:00

The other day Aubrey sinned against Owen. I do not remember the details of her wrong doing. I just remember correcting her and encouraging her to apologize to her brother. He was on the couch as she stood before him with me standing by her side. She agreed to ask for forgiveness and opened her mouth and said, "Owen, I'm sor-."

She stopped mid-word, looked up at me and said, "Mama, I just can't do it."

I shouldn't be surprised by this. She's being honest. Apologizing IS hard. It requires humility. Many times I have found myself in the same position as my two year old daughter. Knowing I had sinned against someone, knowing what I had to do to make it right and yet fighting it. Why? Humbling yourself is hard! Admitting your wrong is difficult, especially when you feel that you have been wronged also.

I am trying to teach my children what Ben often reminds me: it's better to win a person than it is to win an argument. I want my children to be quick to seek forgiveness and slow to find reasons to be offended. If they know they've wronged someone, I hope they will have the boldness and character to ask for forgiveness. If they are hurt or offended, I hope they will kindly share their hurts with the other person. It's easy to assume the worst, but I want to teach my children to instead assume the best in others. Look for the good!

Proverbs 11:2 says, "When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom."

I pray that I can model humility before my children. I hope they will learn at a young age that it is better to humble yourself before others then to stand proudly in your own defense.

And I'm happy to say that, at least on this day, Aubrey did humble herself and say, "Owen, I'm sorry." She even hugged his neck and kissed his cheek.

A Little Physical Education

2012-01-17T15:11:00.002-05:00

Ben came home from work yesterday and announced that after dinner he wanted to go to the gym and teach the kids how to play hockey. The kids certainly could use a little running, so that's what we did. My pictures are blurry because my camera batter was low. Owen looks so tall here, like a real life kid. I can't believe how old he is already.

My Aubrey girl

Family fun!

And here's the little cheerleader on the sidelines!

The Wizard of Oz

2012-01-17T14:34:00.005-05:00

Shortly after Christmas I decided it was time to pick up another chapter book for Owen and I to read together. We've now completed seven. Having never read The Wizard of Oz before, I thought it would be a fun classic for us to go through together. We read the original, written by Frank L. Baum in 1900. It was really neat to see my son enjoy a book that is over a century old! I didn't realize how different the book was from the movie. Did you know that in the original story, the special shoes are not ruby red, but silver? I had no idea! Owen had never seen the movie before so none of the differences bothered him, but it also required him to really use his imagination. I thought some of the imagery would be difficult. Winged monkeys, munchkins, witches, a tin woodman and a talking scarecrow are just a few of the things we read that Owen has never before heard of. But to my delight he loved reading through the book.

At one point in the story when Dorothy was confronted by the wicked witch Owen put his hands over his eyes and buried his face into the back of the couch and said, "Mama! This is so frightening!"

At that moment I remembered how scared I was of the witch the first time I saw the movie. I wrongly assumed that the book wouldn't be as scary as the movie.

So I asked him, "Owen, would you like me to stop reading? We don't have to finish."

He quickly answered, "I'm scared, but I just HAVE to know what happens next!" So we continued on and completed this 200 page classic. He loved it so much that we finished the book in 6 days. He wanted to hear the story again - and he did. We checked out the story on audio and he heard every word a second time. I love that he loves books!

Before Owen sees a movie I try to read the book to him first, if there is one. Since we completed the book he got to see the movie, which he thoroughly enjoyed after he got past the fact that it's quite a bit different from the the book. And for a little "field trip" we also went to see The Wizard of Oz live. There were three performances over the weekend and they all sold out. I'm so glad we were able to get tickets because Owen loved it! I was really impressed with the show too.

Waiting for the show to start!

Owen (in mid blink) with his cousin Brooklyn

Me, Owen and Brookie

We went with Aunt Kimmy and Brooklyn!

Every so often I try to do something special with just Owen. I am the one he spends his days with so it's up to me to do the majority of the schooling and disciplining. I think it's important for us to have these special date nights every once in a while. It was an extra special treat to have my sister and niece join us. After the show we went out to dinner and even got dessert. The kids had a great time!

I Have a Hoarder on My Hands

2012-01-16T11:44:00.005-05:00

My Aubrey loves stuff. She can find a use for anything. She once pulled a piece of paper out of the trash and brought it to me saying, "Mama, this would be a good book marker." My little girl was born to a set of parents who hate clutter. We love to throw things away and organize. Since we've been renting the house we currently live in, we've been unable to be nearly as organized as we would like. The closets are full of boxes we never unpacked while we anticipated another move. Now, nearly a year after moving here, it's starting to drive me a little nuts. We've hung nothing on the walls and that alone makes it difficult for me to be organized and have everything in its place. It also makes it hard to have that warm, cozy, home(y) feeling.

Now that Ben has an office we have several book shelves void of books. Aubrey has adopted one as her own. Let me show you what it looks like:
Keep in mind that this book shelf is in our living room for all eyes to see. It kinda, sorta, really drives me crazy. Those that knew me in Kentucky and knew how tiny my apartment was and how organized and clean I kept it are probably laughing out loud at this picture. But I love her as she is and I try to work with it.
There is one shelf in particular that she likes to use. On this shelf you will find: many stuffed animals, nerf bullets, a purse or two, a pair of shoes, a pair of boots, several burp cloths, several cell phones, a key chain, many necklaces and bracelets, stickers, socks, balls, 3 sippy cups, bibs, blankets, doll clothes, blocks, hair accessories, books, and usually things that don't belong to her such as recipes she's taken out of the kitchen, toys that Owen is playing with or teething toys that Evie Kate uses. If something is ever missing you need not look. You simply ask Aubrey if she has seen _____ and she will quickly go to her shelf and retrieve the missing item. The amazing part is that she doesn't need to empty the shelf to even find the said item. She will slide her hide in to the exact spot where the item is located and pull it out without any trouble.

As you can imagine, things don't always stay on her shelf. Sometimes it gets so full the slightest bump will cause everything to fall out. This infuriates her. We have to frequently have conversations centered around the shelf.

I suppose I could tell her that she's not allowed to use it. And when we move and can find a place for her things I do plan to do that. But for now it's actually a good reminder to me that we all have things about us that are kind of annoying. It's good practice for me to overlook the irritations and love the girl in spite of them. That is, after all, what God does with me.

*Although I'm learning spiritual lessons through Aubrey's annoying hoarding inclinations, I do fully recognize my responsibility to train her to not be a hoarder. I hope to do just that. If, one day, you see her on TLC's show, "The Hoarder" you'll know I failed - miserably.

We Have Snow!

2012-01-16T10:55:00.004-05:00

These two LOVE their Daddy!

There's a big hill in the back yard perfect for sledding. It's not very easy to climb up but it's fun to go down!

Aubrey watched Owen go down the hill before she gave it a try.

She liked the ride!

Gaining speed before reaching the really steep part.

I love the look on Owen's face in this picture.

Now how do I get back up to the top again?

Daddy and one of his girls.

Legos

2012-01-13T21:43:00.002-05:00

I'm not sure who in this picture is having the most fun! Legos are such a great toy!

Redeeming the Time

2012-01-13T17:12:00.007-05:00

It was one year ago this month that I got together with a group of women in Louisville, Kentucky to discuss the idea of creating a theme to give my life direction and focus. My theme for 2011 was Grace to Trust Him More. We were faced with a lot of uncertainties last year. An unexpected blessing/pregnancy, an unplanned move to Michigan, a potential problem with my pregnancy, a new job for Ben, a change in our finances, direction for a ministry position for Ben, a heart murmur found in Owen, and Ben's car was stolen - just to name a few. It was a great year. There were sad times and good times. Big things took place. My grandmother passed away on Valentine's Day, my second daughter was born in July and my husband became a pastor.

I really enjoyed having a theme and using my journal. I recorded things I most certainly would have forgotten otherwise. My journal is full of special notes from friends, pictures, quotes from my children, Owen's writing, sermon notes and much more.

I began thinking several weeks ago about what my theme for 2012 should be. I have been convicted lately about the use of my time. This thought often comes to mind, "The days are long, but the years are short." Life is passing by. It's going by so fast. I have so many goals and dreams and I am becoming more and more aware that unless and until I am intentional with my time, I will not accomplish all that I hope to. I only have so many years left with my children in my home and under my care. I cannot afford to waste time!

With that said, my theme this year is Redeeming the Time and I'm clinging on to Ephesians 5:15-16 which says, "Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil." As I redeem the time I hope to spend more time reading the Bible, playing with my kids and interacting with my husband. These goals are hard to measure so I have come up with a few things I plan to do that will be easy to manage. So far, here's what I plan to do:

- Have my lesson plans done by Saturday of each week

- Read at least six books off my reading list

- Daily prayer time and Bible reading

- Write in my children's journals weekly

- Rise early in the morning and retire early in the evening.

- Exercise five days a week. (GASP!) I know, I know. I almost didn't mention this one here because putting it in writing means there's no turning back. But that's why I NEED to write this one out. My sister has already come up with a workout plan for me to start on Monday.

I don't know how many days I have left but I know I want to use them to the fullest!

If You Could Ask for One Thing

2012-01-12T11:20:00.003-05:00

To prepare for today's Bible lesson on King Solomon I asked the kids this question, "If you could ask God for anything and knew you would get it, what would you ask of him?" Owen thought for a moment and replied, "I'd ask for a cheetah." Aubrey didn't think about it at all. She quickly answered, "I'd ask for food!" If you know my Aubrey girl, you know how true her answer is.

I then went on and told them what Solomon asked for . . . wisdom. And I prayed over them, that God would make all of us wise.

"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him." James 1:5

My girls look so funny in this picture!

Tummy Time

2012-01-12T11:15:00.001-05:00

This is what tummy time looks like for Evie Kate.

Start Solids? Check.

2012-01-03T13:53:00.003-05:00

Evelyn has reached another milestone. *sigh*Evelyn had cereal for the first time today. I put it off as long as I could. With my first born I was excited to start solids right at 4 months. By child number three, I was excited to put it off as long as possible. My baby girl is getting so big! She turned five months old one week ago.

I have no idea what my goofy girl, Aubrey, is doing in this picture.

She loves her thumb and I love seeing her suck it. She often rolls over on to her back in the morning, grabs her blanket and pulls it up to her cheek while sucking her thumb. PRECIOUS.

Little Lady in Red

She makes me smile. She is such a happy baby! She hardly ever cries. She's a great sleeper, a good eater and is so easy to please. I could snuggle and kiss her all day long!

Crazy Girl With Crazy Hair

2012-01-03T13:29:00.004-05:00

Aubrey woke with some crazy hair this morning since her hair was in pigtails yesterday.

This is the face we get when we ask for a "pretty smile"

And no, she is not normally permitted to sit on the kitchen table. This morning was the first day we fed Evelyn solid food and the older kids wanted to watch up close.

Christmas Morning

2012-01-03T12:09:00.003-05:00

This was the first Christmas since 2005 that we were able to attend every single family Christmas party. We attended six Christmas celebrations, most of them a couple of hours from home. We spent a lot of time on the road and spent several nights in other people's homes. It was so nice to see family members we hadn't seen in years and to meet the new children that have been born.

This picture was taken Christmas morning before we left for church. We spent Christmas day in church and then headed over to Ben's parent's house for a big dinner. The entire Glupker family was together for Christmas this year and we all spent the night and had fun playing games and visiting together.

This holiday season was so sweet for me as a mother. It was a privilege to watch my children interact with the Christmas story and share it with others. While Advent is now over we have continued reading through the Jesus Storybook Bible (again). The Holy Spirit is working in Owen's heart. I can see it. And I thank God for it.

Matching Christmas Dresses

2012-01-03T09:51:00.002-05:00

My mother-in-law bought Evelyn a Christmas dress while at the same time my sister's mother-in-law bought Aubrey a Christmas dress that matched her cousin Brooklyn. And to our surprise all three girls happened to have matching dresses!

Evie Kate, Brooklyn and Aubrey

Sweet friends

12 Days of Christmas

2012-01-02T14:50:00.002-05:00

A few weeks before Christmas I was challenged by a particular post on the Passionate Homemaking blog. The writer encouraged wives to not let the busyness of the holiday season crowd out our husbands and, instead, to add a little holiday spice into our marriages. The article encouraged women to use the Twelve Days of Christmas to intentionally bless their husbands. Immediately interested in doing this, I posted the idea on my Facebook. I was surprised and encouraged by the number of women who wanted to join me in giving thoughtful gifts to their husbands. When I initially posted the link to the article on my Facebook a few women commented. When I posted it a second time after having committed myself to doing it, several more people commented. The idea spread so quickly that my friend Jenny suggested we start a Facebook page so that we could all encourage one another and share ideas. Over 100 women requested to join this group! Some were newlyweds and some had been married over 35 years. Some came from really strong marriages and some came from marriages that were really struggling. Knowing that God loves marriage and is honored when we are intentional with it I was beyond thrilled by the number of women who were willing to carve out time from the crazy Christmas schedule to focus on their husbands! I believe God was honored by those women who chose to honor their husbands.

During the twelve days I received several notes from women who shared with me how God had used this idea to draw them closer to their husbands. I heard women talk about how they were falling in love with their husbands all over again after months or years of hardships. I read those messages with tears and praised God for those women who had a renewed commitment to their spouse.

The idea was simple. Each day for twelve days I gave a gift to Ben that coincided with the day. For example, on Day 4 I gave him the "4th" DVD in a comedy series. On Day 10 I gave him a "10" issue subscription to a magazine. On Day 12 I gave him "12" letters I had written to him. Some women spent a lot of money and gave really nice gifts each day. Others chose not to spend any money and got really creative by giving gifts of service. The point is, any wife can be an encouragement to her man. It doesn't take a lot of money or creativity. I am not a creative person but after a little research and a lot of thinking I was able to come up with a list of 12 gifts.

I want this to become an annual tradition. I have one marriage. I want it to be the best it can be. I want to be intentional!

Christmas Celebrations

2011-12-20T19:53:00.003-05:00

I think we're ready for Christmas. We've kept some of our traditions and made some new ones. This Christmas season:

- We visited Bronners (the largest Christmas store in the world) and let the kids pick out an ornament. Owen picked out an ornament of a lion and had "Simba-Son" written on it. This is what he likes Ben to call him since reading and watching The Lion King. Aubrey picked out a pig because of her love for Wilbur in Charlotte's Web. And Daddy picked out a pink mitten with Evelyn's name on it for her.

- Last week Ben put the kids in their pajamas while I popped popcorn and made chocolate milk. Then we loaded up in the van to look at Christmas lights while we snacked. We also watched a light show. It was awesome!

- We went to The Jesus Walk. This is an outdoor event a church puts on. The walk began with the Old Testament prophecy of the birth of Jesus and concluded with the shepherds and wise men coming to worship the newborn king. The kids especially enjoyed the live nativity.

- We are singing many Christmas songs.

- We are discussing Creation to Christ in our Advent celebrations.

- We've colored Advent pictures.

- We've watched the movie, The Nativity Story. While this is not a kid's movie, my kids love it!

- We've played with our plastic nativity set.

- We've put together boxes for Operation Christmas Child.

- We've purchased and wrapped all of our Christmas presents.

I pray that all of these things will not only be sweet memories for my little ones but also point them to Christ. During this season we become so consumed with buying gifts and making Christmas lists that it becomes all too easy to lose our focus. Jesus is what we are celebrating. HE is our hero. There is no other. It's not about what you want for Christmas. It's not about whether you're naughty or nice. It's about the birth of a Savior. I pray God will help us to keep that as the focus of our home and in all that we do to celebrate.

Advent

2011-12-20T17:29:00.004-05:00

Since my kids are getting older I wanted to do something with them to celebrate Advent. I've never done anything for Advent before but I had an idea of what I wanted our activities leading up to the birth of Christ to look like. I wanted to do something each day starting on December 1 all the way until December 25 that would point my children to Jesus. I began asking friends and searching on line for ideas.

I was disappointed when I realized that most Advent activities I found had no real spiritual significance to them. There was nothing wrong with these activities. But I wasn't interested in assigning days to bake cookies, make Christmas ornaments, drive around and look at lights and sing Christmas carols. We do those things anyway. I wanted to do something that would help my my children anticipate the coming of Christ, not the coming of presents on Christmas morning.

My friend, Shyla, found a reading schedule that she shared with me. Using the Jesus Storybook Bible (one of our favorites) we began reading on December 1. We started with creation. We have continued to read a story each day and on Christmas morning we will finish our Advent celebrations with the story of the birth of Christ. After we do our reading we hang an ornament on our tree that coincides with the story. For example, the day we read about the fall of mankind, we hung a fruit tree on our Christmas tree. The day we read about Daniel, we hung a lion on our tree. The kids take turns hanging the ornaments on the tree and throughout the day they will look at those ornaments and begin to retell the story.

What is the point of this? I don't just want my children to know that Jesus was born. I want them to know why. Why was He born? What did He come to do? Why did He have to come? Every story we read, yes even those stories in the Old Testament, point to Jesus. Every story "whispers His name." So when we read about the Tower of Babel we explain that though they tried, the people could never reach Heaven or God. God would have to come down to them. And He does, through Jesus. When we read about God's promise to Abraham and Sarah that they would have a son in their old age we share that God would one day send another son to another woman who was a virgin. Just like Isaac brought laughter to Sarah, Jesus would bring laughter to the whole world. Just like Isaac carried wood on his back up a hill for his father Abraham to sacrifice him, one day Jesus would climb another hill carrying a wooden cross on His back. And he too would trust His Father, God, and die for the sins of the world. Every story, every single one, points to Jesus. And so as we begin with creation and read about Noah's Ark, Abraham and Isaac, Moses and the Red Sea, David and Goliath, Jonah and many others, our children see that Jesus is in fact part of every story. Every story points to Him. On Christmas morning it's not enough for my kids to know that Jesus was born. I want them to know why He was born. That's what I want Advent to be about!

Aubrey hanging a picture of the Ten Commandments on the tree

Playing Away in a Manger

2011-12-20T11:36:00.002-05:00

Maybe my kids are just kinesthetic learners, but tell them a story with props and they thrive. They retell the story over and over while acting it out with their toys. Last Easter I taught them the resurrection using Resurrection Eggs. To this day, Owen can explain that story. So this year I looked for a sale and a coupon and purchased a toy nativity set for the kids to play with. Owen calls it the "Away in a Manger" toys and he plays with it a lot. He loves it. And I love that the beautiful story of the birth of Jesus is being cemented in their young minds.

Owen said Baby Jesus needed to take his nap under the tree so that he wouldn't get a sunburn.

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree!

2011-12-20T09:07:00.004-05:00

We haven't had a Christmas tree of our own since before we moved to Kentucky, since before we had children. I love Christmas and I love Christmas trees. But we simply did not have room to store our decorations in our little apartment and there wasn't enough space to put a tree up anyway. We are in a house this year, but all of our Christmas decor is still buried in storage. I assumed we just wouldn't be able to do a tree again this year and like the last several years I comforted myself by saying, "next year." Then my friend Stephanie suggested that we make the best of the situation by making all of our ornaments. Stephanie is crafty and creative. I am not. But I decided to do it anyway and it's been so fun. I was determined not to spend any money. My in-laws own 25+ acres so we drove out to their house to cut down our tree. (Note: Aubrey did her own hair this day)
The kids and I spent an entire day making ornaments. We made cinnamon/applesauce ornaments, orange slices, cut out dough ornaments that we painted, hung pictures of the kids and strung popcorn.

Painting was fun and messy.

I kept some of the orange slices in the oven too long but I kind of liked the burnt look.

I made an ornament out of each of the kid's hand prints. This is Evelyn's. I love it!

My three gifts under the tree! The kids are really proud of their work!

There it is! We borrowed the tree stand and the lights. Everything else we made. (No Tree skirt this year . . . the kids don't mind). I have lots of ornaments in storage. They are beautiful, color coordinated ornaments with white lights. My tree always looked so pretty. But THIS tree is beautiful with it's colored lights and hand crafted ornaments because it's says "children" all over it. It's certainly not an "adult" tree and that is fine by me!

Unfortunately our tree is sick. Despite the fresh cut it won't drink water. The needles are not brown but they are falling off at an incredible rate. In fact, we laughed last night when we noticed that some of the bottom branches don't have needles at all anymore. I'm okay with it. I really am. After all, Christmas isn't about the tree.

She Rolls

2011-12-12T23:57:00.002-05:00

A couple weeks ago Evelyn started rolling from her belly to her back. She hasn't quite figured out how to get back to her belly so she yells out in the middle of the night if she needs us to come flip her. I love this baby!

Operation Christmas Child

2011-12-03T15:55:00.002-05:00

Am I the only one who cringes every time a well meaning stranger asks my kids, "What do you want for Christmas?" My kids do not see commercials or look at toy magazines. So far, I've never asked them what they want for Christmas - and I hope I never do. I spend every waking moment with them. I know them. I have a close relationship with them. I know what things they like and what things would excite them. But more than that, I do not want to communicate to them that Christmas is about getting stuff. Christmas is not about them. This is not to say that I will not buy them gifts. But because they are not expecting anything, I suspect Christmas morning will be that much more exciting for them.

If you've never heard of or participated in Operation Christmas Child let me encourage you to get involved. It's simple. You pick a shoe box and fill it with toys and gifts for a child of any gender or age and it gets mailed to a child who lives in poverty in a third world nation. It is a great way to encourage your children to give. This year Aubrey picked out gifts for a two year old girl and Owen filled a box for a four year old boy. We stuffed the boxes with the same toys my kids like: play doh, bubbles, stuffed animals, plastic animals, jump ropes, balls, notebooks, pencils, crayons, and trains. Then we threw in some extras that mom and dad might appreciate: bath soap, toothpaste and toothbrushes. My kids loved going to the store and picking items out for other children. Operation Christmas Child blesses another child across the world and at the same time teaches your children how to love and give to others. It's a win-win.

Owen Lifts the Couch

2011-12-02T15:58:00.002-05:00

We have been studying machines in science class. The first machine we learned about was the lever. I explained to Owen how it worked and what it was used for and we looked at pictures together. We then decided to make one of our own. To demonstrate how useful a lever is we had Owen try to pick up the couch on his own, which he could not do. Then Ben rigged up a lever. And with no trouble at all Owen lifted the couch.

Gotta love hands-on learning!

Pick a toy, any toy

2011-12-02T15:46:00.003-05:00

Owen thought Evelyn would like some toys to play with.

Happy Girl at 4 Months

2011-12-02T15:12:00.004-05:00

My baby girl is 4 months old! Evie Kate is pure joy. She is quite possibly the sweetest little baby I have ever known. She is so happy, full of smiles and giggles. And I just adore her laugh. I can't really describe it but it's often a silent, breathy chuckle.

At 4 months old:

She has rolled over twice.

She wears size 2 diapers.

She laughs and smiles all the time. Just look at her and she will give you a big gummy grin.

She still has lots of dark hair.

She sleeps 12 hours a night and takes 2 naps a day (each about 2-3 hours long).

She is eats breast milk only and I don't plan to start solids for a while.

She wears 6 month clothes but is moving into size 9 month footy pajamas.

She weighs an even 15 pounds (75th percentile) and is 26 inches long (90-95th percentile).

Daddy loves his girl(s)!

Sweet Smile

Even with dried snot on her nose she is absolutely precious!

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-26T14:03:00.002-05:00

It was with Ben's family, 8 years ago, that I experienced for the first time in my life a group of people who actually gave thanks on Thanksgiving Day. And after several years of being away from the family for the holiday, we were able to participate again this year. And by "giving thanks" I do not merely mean that we said a prayer before we ate. I mean, the entire extended family gathered in a big circle in a small room and each member shared what they were thankful for. There were tears and laughter as we remembered what God had done in each of our lives. And at the end we all bowed our heads and took turns praying for each other. I'm thankful to have married into a family that honors God and loves Jesus.

The week of Thanksgiving I taught the kids about the First Thanksgiving. Afterward Owen and Aubrey made a place mat and I wrote on it what they each stated they were thankful for.

Aubrey is thankful for:

"Daddy"

"God"

"Food"

"Mama, Owen and Aubrey"

"Coloring"

"Evie"

Owen is thankful for:

"My animals"

"We have a bathroom"

"We live in a house"

"I have a Mom, a Dad and sisters"

"We do school"

"I have a bed"

"We made a turkey"

"My cars"

"I get to study and work hard"

"We have a fireplace"

"We are sitting at the table"

And what am I thankful for? Here are a few things:

We go to a great church! And Ben is doing what God has equipped him to do!

I have three healthy children.

All my needs are met, and so are many of my wants.

I have a relationship with Jesus Christ.

I have the privilege of homeschooling my children.

My husband loves me and takes care of me.

And as Owen mentioned when it was his turn to share when we all gathered together on Thanksgiving Day, "I'm thankful that God watches over me."

Kids Say the Funniest Things

2011-11-17T13:33:00.003-05:00

The day isn't even half over and yet these are some of the funny things I've heard already.

While pulling into the parking lot of the bookstore this morning Aubrey raised her hand and said, "Now Owen, I want you to be a good boy in the store. That means no running and don't touch anything."

Owen replied, "I know. And don't forget, Aubrey, that we don't say the word 'stupid' and we don't pick our noses!"

As we are walking into the store Owen notices the red bucket by the doorway with a man standing nearby shaking a bell. He asked, "Mama, what's that man doing out here?"

"He is collecting money for the poor," I answer.

"Well, you know, the Bible says that lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth."

We go into the book store and Aubrey sits down with a book and starts "reading." Each story began with, "Once upon a time everybody used the potty."

Before we even headed out the door this morning Aubrey had me laughing. She was telling me that God made the birds. God made her. God made everything. I asked her, "Aubrey, why did God make you?" She responded with, "Because he was just messing around."

Our School Year So Far

2011-11-11T11:02:00.004-05:00

We are 9 weeks into our school year and I just can't believe how much Owen has learned. And even though I'm not officially schooling Aubrey she has picked up on so much! Because I don't want to forget . . .

Aubrey has learned:

- The pledge of allegiance (and she looks so darn cute with her hand on her heart while she recites it).

- The days of the week

- The months of the year (she does get the last couple months confused)

- The hymns, "I have Decided to Follow Jesus," "Take My Life," and "Trust and Obey." She's learned many other songs too.

- She has hidden these two verses in heart - "My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings." (Proverbs 4:20) and "Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls." (Hebrews 13:17). She may know other verses too because I have to admit, I didn't intentionally teach her these verses. She picked up on them while I was teaching Owen and then all of the sudden we started hearing her recite them word for word. Who knows what other things she has hidden!

- She has also learned some of the states of our country.

We've done a lot of work in 9 weeks so I obviously can't remember it all, but here's some of what Owen has learned and is doing:

- He's learned 9 verses (they are usually 13-15 words long)

- He's learned the following character qualities that coincide with the verses: forgiveness, faith, attentiveness, honesty, patience, obedience, orderliness, generosity and thankfulness.

- He is writing so nicely. I'm super pleased with how neat his letters are! We are working on writing numbers too.

- He's learned several hymns.

- He can do a little bit of adding.

- We've completed three chapter books so far: Charlotte's Web, Stuart Little and My Father's Dragon. We are in our fourth chapter book called Elmer and the Dragon. It is book 2 of a 3 book series.

- He's learned all kinds of fun things in science. We've studied snow, wind, rain, thunder, lightning, seasons, animals, plants and earth. Sometimes I wonder if we are doing too much for his age. And I'm certain he's not remembering it all. But then he'll surprise me and pull out facts he's learned. For example, yesterday it started to snow and he began to explain to me how the snow formed in the sky and how and why it began to fall. We learned about snow the first week or two of school but he remembered it. Kids are capable of learning so much. Their minds amaze me!

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST -

- He is starting to read! This is probably the thing we are most excited about. He's sounding out words and beginning to read simple words like sad, mad, eat, meat, read, am, ram, me, etc. Yesterday he read the sentence "See me eat." It is SO FUN to teach him and see him learn! And now on my wish list . . . Bob Books. Does anyone else have these and recommend them?

We're Off the Market, for Now!

2011-11-02T15:36:00.004-04:00

Not too many days ago I posted about my struggle with believing God would find us a house quickly. And today, exactly one week later, we have a purchase agreement signed by both Ben and I and the sellers of this house. The fact that both sellers even signed the agreement is a huge answer to prayer in and of itself. That's another story.

The house just went on the market Monday. We had an offer on it Monday morning. If you live in this part of the country you may be aware that homes for the middle class are extremely difficult to find. You can find lots of expensive homes on the market but not so many in our price range. We had literally seen every single house in our price range as close to the church as we wanted to be. That isn't very many houses. So when we entered this home and realized that it had many of the things (pretty much everything) we were looking for, we knew we had to act quickly.

We are praying that if this isn't the house God wants for us then this whole thing will fall apart soon. This is a short sale. Which means it's not a quick sale. The sellers have agreed to our price but now two different banks have to agree - and that could take months. We are locked in for 120 days. We have to have it inspected in the next 7 days. We are hoping and praying (and asking you to pray also) that the house passes inspection and that the banks both accept our offer without countering. And of course we pray this all happens faster then we've been told it will. It could take longer then 120 days, that's just the amount of time we are locked in. But again, if this is not the house the Lord has for us we don't want it!

Grace to Trust Him More . . . this has proven to be the perfect theme for me this year!

Comparing Hotdogs

2011-11-01T14:56:00.000-04:00

Owen - Halloween 2007

Evie Kate - Halloween 2011

My 3 Animals: Halloween 2011

2011-11-01T14:26:00.004-04:00

The family photo - these are hard to come by

Pooh isn't very happy here

My little hot dog

The scary lion

To reach out to the community our church had a Halloween party complete with a costume contest, games, candy, hay rides, cider and donuts. It was estimated that over 200 people showed up. It was a great night! Everyone had a good time. Evelyn dressed as a hot dog for the party and when we saw another hot dog we knew we had to get their picture taken together.

Halloween night - I'm not sure what her facial expression is all about

My three animals

Evie looks scared. Must be that roaring lion.

We came home with WAY too much candy. There's about 14 quarts here. If you have a sweet tooth, come on over!

Painting Pumpkins

2011-10-29T16:37:00.002-04:00

I threw a couple of my old shirts on each of the older kids (so please excuse Owen for being dressed a little feminine) and we painted some of the pumpkins we got out of Grandpa's garden.

Aubrey enjoys anything messy

Owen originally painted a face on his pumpkin and then decided to mix up all of the colors and paint over it.
I decided to paint one too. It was kind of fun - I was still painting after the kids went to bed. We didn't do these kinds of things when I was a kid so I decided to give it a whirl.

Owen's First Story*

2011-10-27T11:53:00.003-04:00

Today as part of our home school Owen had to make up a story. I wrote as he talked. I type fast but I have to say, he was hard to keep up with! He had no problem with this assignment. I told him he could tell any story he wanted as long as it was one he made up, not something he had heard before. I tried my best to type exactly what he said so you'll have to ignore the poor grammar in some areas. Here it is:

Once upon a time there was a mad lion who wanted to eat a boy. I don’t know what his name was. The boy found a little tree and he saw a tail. The tail was swinging around and around and around up in the tree! The boy said, “Maybe that’s a lion.” So then, his mouth opened and he had sharp teeth. The lion looked down and saw the boy. The boy ran as fast as he could. All the animals tried to knock the boy down so they could eat him for supper. Elephants, lions and tigers – they all wanted to eat the boy!

Soon, he found a rope. He hit all the animals back with the rope. The lion was right near him. He went and got a gun and know what he did? He shoot the lion! It went over him and shot the lion right in the back. Then there was fire and water. The boy didn’t know what to do. So he ran to a house and got all the guns. He shot all the animals except for all the lionesses. All the lionesses were hunting, trying to find the boy. All the other boys and girls ran into the house. They ran fast. So then, you know what happened? The boy found all the tails of the lionesses! The boy hided. There were all the trees behind the lionesses and the boy hid behind all the trees. Soon, he ran. He found a big huge thing. It was way outside. He said, “Maybe that’s a bigger lion!” Soon it came to him. He went, “AHHHH!” Then he ran back to the house and locked the door. All the other boys and girls were still in the house. He never saw the lion or the lionesses again. He never saw the animals again! The End.

That’s my story, Mama. Is that a great story?

*The title of this post is misleading. This is the first story of Owen's that I have recorded. He's been making up and telling stories since he was 2!

Still Learning to Trust

2011-10-26T14:20:00.003-04:00

I sound like the Israelites. I know I do. God answers one prayer request of mine and provides something so minor and then I question whether or not he'll take care of the big things. If God can help me find my lens cap on five acres covered with leaves, then surely He can find us a house in our price range within ten minutes from our church (that has the things we're looking for). This is what I'm telling myself because I know it's true. God can do anything. And even though we've seen all the houses in the area Ben is confident that God has just the right house for us and it is wise to continue to wait on Him. I say Ben is confident because I have to be honest, I go through periods of doubt. My theme this year is Grace to Trust Him More. God has certainly given me many things this year to help me learn to trust Him. Finding a house is one of those things. Please pray that we would find a house soon. My desire is to be in our own home by Christmas. As the weeks continue to pass us by I'm accepting the fact that it is unlikely this will happen but still trying to keep in mind that God can do anything. We don't want to buy just any house. We want to buy the right house. In the mean time, we really miss Ben on the days he's gone over night to be near our church. We manage fine without him and our life is by no means hard. We just love Ben - A LOT.

God Answers Prayer

2011-10-26T13:49:00.004-04:00

A couple weeks ago I took the kids outside to take these pictures. The house we currently live in sits on 5 acres that includes a creek, a bridge, wooded areas, a private trail, open grassy areas, two gardens, a few large hills and many big trees. When I snapped the last picture I went to put the lens cap on and realized it was missing. We had walked all over the yard and I was not sure where I lost it. Leaves were everywhere and my two oldest children joined me in searching through them for my lost lens cap. We prayed together and looked. We prayed some more and looked some more. After nap time we went back outside and continued to pray and look. We did this for several days. The next week we went out again and prayed and searched. We were not successful in finding my lens cap.

Monday of this week we went outside to go on a nature walk as part of our science lesson. While under one of the largest trees in the yard, Owen started kicking leaves around and suggested we try to find my lens cap again. Before he had even mentioned it, I was already praying about it. I know this may seem like a silly thing to pray about but let me share what was on my mind - I have a nice camera. It's an expensive camera. And I want to be a good steward of the things God has given me. Not having a cover for my lens will allow the lens to get dirty and scratched. A lens cap is a small thing. It can be replaced. I know it's not a big deal. I told God all of this, but I still asked Him to help me find it so I didn't have to buy a new one. I said "amen" and immediately (as in one second later) I looked down and THERE WAS MY LENS CAP! It was directly in front of my right foot. I gasped audibly. I was in shock. We had looked and prayed so many times and as soon as I ended my last prayer it appeared out of nowhere! Owen heard me gasp and asked, "What's wrong, Mama?" I pointed down at my foot and when he saw the cap he raised the long branch he was carrying into the sky and yelled, "Thank you, LORD!!!!"

Right away Owen, Aubrey and I knelt down in the grass and thanked God for answering our prayer. Owen is really beginning to understand that God does indeed answer prayer. God is so kind and so good to allow my children to witness this answer, to see His provision and care even in the small things.

New Pajamas

2011-10-20T12:47:00.002-04:00

Thanks, Great Aunt Judy for the new jammies!

I'm glad you bought the six month size. They fit my not-yet-3 month old perfectly, for now!

13 Minutes of Praise

2011-10-19T21:21:00.002-04:00

Tonight at bed time my two year old daughter prayed . . . for 13 straight minutes. I'm certain her prayer last night was even longer but I didn't look at the clock then to time it. Doesn't she know that I have floors to mop and carpets to vacuum? Doesn't she know that Wednesdays are long days for me and I really need some down time of my own? Doesn't she know that I've been anticipating bed time for the last couple of hours so that I could have time to read and pray on my own? Doesn't she know that long prayers are socially unacceptable?

No, she doesn't know and she's too young and innocent to pray for the praise of men (I don't praise her for it). Even though it is inconvenient for me at times, I praise God for her tender heart. It's a joy to hear her pray. She doesn't ask for things. All 13 minutes were spent thanking God. "Thank you God for supper. Thank you God for Daddy. Thank you God for parks. Thank you God for my cousin's house. Thank you God I pee in the toilet." Several weeks ago she even thanked God for Dr. Seuss.

13 minutes of praise. She's a good example for me.

Lean On Me

2011-10-19T13:24:00.002-04:00

On a Fine Fall Day

2011-10-19T11:59:00.002-04:00

Somewhere in this pile of leaves is my lens cap.

2-4-6

2011-10-17T22:53:00.001-04:00

Owen at age 4

Aubrey at age 2

Evelyn at 6 weeks

Owen's Birthright

2011-10-14T12:48:00.002-04:00

Earlier this week I was reading to Owen the Bible story of Esau and Jacob. I explained that because Esau was the oldest son he had the birthright which meant he would get most of the money and property when his daddy died (until he gave it to his brother, Jacob). Owen immediately responded with, "Since I'm the oldest, if daddy dies I will get all of his books!"

Books are kind of a big deal in our family. In fact, the first time my grandma visited our home she said she thought she had walked into a library. So far, our kids share our love for reading so you can imagine Owen's excitement at the thought of inheriting hundreds and hundreds of books. I texted Ben and told him about my conversation with Owen. In his reply he told me to tell Owen that he would share his books with Owen now and that we could refer to them as "their" books. When I read the text to Owen he jumped out of his chair, threw his arms in the air, raised his eyebrows and yelled "YAY!!!"

A couple of days later Ben came home and Owen was quick to remind him that he said he'd share his books. You have to be careful what you tell this kid because he doesn't forget easily!

This morning Ben agreed to do the Bible lesson with Owen. During the review time Owen said, "Daddy, Esau had the birthright so he would have gotten all of his daddy's books!" Books, apparently, have more value to Owen then money or land.

This whole exchange is actually interesting because just a few weeks ago I asked Ben (privately, not in the presence of our children) what he would want me to do with all of his books should something happen to him. Would he want me to donate them to a church? Pass them on to a friend in ministry? Sell them? Box them up and carry them with me for the rest of my life? Ben answered that he wanted me to save them for Owen. Therefore, it pleased me when Owen, all on his own, thought that HIS birthright would be daddy's books and that those books were enough to excite him.

I do hope that some day Owen loves to read on his own. I'd love to see him read not just any books, but Ben's books - books written by theologians and men of God. Of course, I'm hoping he'll be borrowing Ben's books and that Ben will be with us for many, many, many more years!

Sleeping Cuties

2011-10-14T12:26:00.002-04:00

My Little Man
My Thumb Sucker

And My Hoarder . . . this is getting ridiculous.

My three cuties fresh out of bed!

Owen's First Chapter Book

2011-10-13T22:23:00.002-04:00

Two weeks ago I began reading Charlotte's Web to Owen. We finished it tonight and I think it's safe to say that he loved every single one of the 184 pages in the book. Each day he begged me to read more. Tonight I let him stay up past bed time so that we could read the last three chapters. He hung on every word and I could see the emotion in his face when we read about Wilbur fainting, Charlotte dying and the baby spiders being born. I'm amazed how much a four year old can understand! Tonight as I tucked him into bed he asked if he could pray first. He started his prayer with, "Dear God, thank you SO MUCH for protecting and saving Wilbur." I sure do love his innocence, and his sweetness. He has such a tender heart.

Tomorrow, as a reward for finishing the book, we will be watching the movie, Charlotte's Web. Owen is so excited! Popcorn and a movie - that's his kind of treat.

Have I mentioned how much I enjoy home schooling?

Now that we are finished with our first chapter book I think it's time to start another. Any suggestions on what would be a good age appropriate book to read next?

Fallish Fun

2011-10-12T21:50:00.003-04:00

Uncle Korey and Owen taking a walk through the woods
Playing at Spicers Orchard

I'll take all the lovin' I can get!

Two of Aubrey's favorite things: tractors and motorcycles. I have no idea why.

Owen and his closest (in age) cousin, Carson. They are ten months apart. Owen loves playing with his cousins!

Uncle Korey and Aubrey (somehow I didn't get a single picture of the kids with Aunt Sharon!)

Spicers Orchard

Apple Picking

2011-10-12T21:35:00.002-04:00

With the gorgeous weather we've been having and with our special guests in town, we decided to go apple picking one morning.

His face doesn't show it, but the apples were delicious!

Evelyn only got to chew on my shirt

Aubrey will eat anything, almost.

Normally it is me that gets teased in the family for being so cheap. But now I have proof that even Kim likes to get more for the money. I mean, if it wasn't for her index finger holding it in place, there's no way that last apple fits into the bag!

Interesting

2011-10-12T21:30:00.003-04:00

Here it is - a boat for the kids to play on. It's Noah's Ark. It even has a cross. And what is that on top of the cross? A flag with a skull. Ha!

The kids still had fun playing on it!

Dogs Are Apparently Easier

2011-10-12T21:22:00.002-04:00

My brother, Korey, and his awesome wife, Sharon, live in Florida and came to Michigan for a short visit. We loved spending time with them! They don't experience the beautiful color change where they live so Sharon asked if I would snap a couple of pictures of them outside. I took this ONE picture with my camera and it's perfect - and it has nothing to do with my photography skills (or lack thereof). The dogs sat completely still and looked at me like they were models. And of course Korey and Sharon look great, too. If they can train their DOGS to pose for the camera don't you think I should be able to get my kids to sit and pose for a picture?

Baby Wrap

2011-10-12T21:00:00.003-04:00

I love this baby wrap! My friend, Kelly, makes and sells them and my sister bought one for me as a baby gift when I had Evelyn. I have tried several different baby carriers and this is the only one that doesn't hurt my shoulders or back. I wear it everywhere. It is particularly useful at the grocery store when I have all three kids and when I'm somewhere that doesn't allow for a smooth stroller ride (like at the orchard). I wore this last Saturday in a parade which was great because my hands were free to pass out invitations to our church.

If you're looking for a baby gift, check it out!

Jesus Makes Me Clean

2011-10-05T23:19:00.005-04:00

"And a leper came to him (Jesus), imploring him, and kneeling said to him, 'If you will, you can make me clean.' Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, 'I will; be clean.' And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean." Mark 1:40-42

After reading these verses I decided to do a google search on leprosy. I knew it was a skin disease that caused deformities. In Biblical times a person with leprosy was considered unclean and became an outcast to society. A leper was completely isolated because the disease was passed by human to human contact. Because of this isolation, a leper was unable to provide for himself. When I did my google search I looked for images because I was curious what a leper looked like. One picture in particular was incredibly disturbing. Too gruesome for me to post here. When I saw the picture I thought, That's scary! If I were to meet a leper I would avoid contact. Regardless of whether or not I could contract the disease I don't think, in my selfish state, that I would hug a leper. Shame on me.
Now that I know what a leper looks like, the pity and compassion that Jesus extended to the man in this passage impresses me even more. In those days you would become ceremonially unclean if you touched a leper. Jesus, of course, was not worried about that. Instead of Jesus becoming unclean, He had the power to instead make the leper clean!
Imagine being that man. Diseased and sick. No family or friends nearby. Pain. Shame. Deformities that embarrassed him. Nobody to love him or hug him. Imagine living with a disease that causes everyone to run from you. And then you meet Jesus. This man had faith. He knew Jesus could heal him and when he asks Jesus to do so he hears, "I will." I try to put myself in the shoes of this sick man and imagine what it must have been like to hear those words. What an answer to his prayers! What a gift - a new life! The compassion Jesus showed this man moves me.
And then I remember that this is the same Jesus I worship today. He still has the power to change lives. And though I am sick and diseased (because of my sin) I can call upon Jesus Christ to change me. I don't have to live trapped in my sin. And when I ask Jesus to forgive me for my sin and to draw me to Himself he responds with the same answer. "I will."
I am not "clean" or forgiven because of me. I can not earn God's forgiveness or favor. I don't deserve it. But he gives it freely. And he will give it to you too. Jesus alone has the power to change us.

Nature Hunt

2011-10-05T16:10:00.003-04:00

We are having a beautiful week in Michigan! Here's Owen collecting leaves for a little project we did.
Last week a friend of mine shared that she took her son on a nature hunt. Since we're having beautiful weather and we have a backyard perfect for such an activity (and since we're homeschooling and can study whatever we want) - it seemed like the thing to do! Here's Owen looking at the list of things we had to find.

Checking it twice! We had to find a squirrel, ball, bee, bird, butterfly, cloud, rocks, leaf, flower, dog, swing and a tree.

Looking over the yard once more to make sure he found everything.

Believe it or not, we could NOT find a cloud. It was THAT nice of a day!

My Kiddos

2011-10-04T18:21:00.002-04:00

My sister-in-law, Sarah, gave the girls these adorable matching jumpers. Since she is currently in Africa on a missions trip I decided to take a picture of the girls in their dresses to show her upon her return. Here's what happened: Owen wanted to be in the picture too. I decided he could be in the first couple of pictures since I wouldn't mind a picture of all three kids together anyway. Once we got that picture done, I figured I'd snap a quick one of just Aubrey and Evelyn together. Well, as you can see, Evelyn wasn't too excited to get a picture taken.

Owen and Aubrey tried kissing her to "make it all better." It didn't help.

Ahhh . . . that's better. Evie Kate is still crying, but at least you can't really tell. She may not be smiling but at least she's not screaming either. We'll take it.

Evelyn had enough, but Owen and Aubrey asked me to take a picture of just the two of them. They're adorable so of course I agree to snap a photo.

Now where's that picture of my girls I intended to take? Maybe next time.

No Longer on the Potty Train - Yay!

2011-10-03T21:14:00.003-04:00

We boarded the Potty Train several months ago but we have finally reached our destination!

I was convinced long ago that Aubrey was totally capable of using the toilet and that she understood how to do it. She just didn't necessarily want to do it. I didn't stress about it since she wasn't even two years old yet, but I was getting tired of cleaning out her underwear since I did not allow her to wear diapers.

I started training her the same way I did with Owen. I made a sticker chart. And if you look at the above pictures you can see what she did with that sticker chart. It was not an incentive for her! She just tore it off the door and ripped it up.

In the very beginning she would even let herself outside on the patio, drop her pants and go. If she was a dog this would have pleased me.

She would go a whole day without an accident only to have half a dozen accidents the next day. Talk about maddening!

So why now does she decide to go? Well, it's actually quite simple. An elderly man at our church was sneaking smarties to Aubrey and she loved them. So I decided that she could have two of these tiny little candies every time she went potty. And what do you know . . . all of the sudden she "got it." Of course I believe she "got it" long ago I just had to find the right thing to motivate her! The beautiful thing about it is that she started to forget about the candy and instead asked if she could wear the "pretty panties" I bought her months ago. Because I couldn't trust her I was only allowing her to wear the thick cotton training underwear. Well after going an entire week without a single accident, I had to put her in the thick cotton underwear because I had some major laundry to do. All of the sudden she had two accidents right away. I couldn't believe it! By the second accident I had her pretty panties (as she calls them) washed and dried and gave her a pair to put on. As she put them on she said to herself, "I keep my pretty ones clean and dry." And she hasn't had an accident since - because I haven't given her anything but her pretty panties to wear ever since. What a stinker! She's been playing me this whole time.

In any case, she just turned two and I think it's safe to say that we have exited the potty train . . . until it's time for Evelyn to climb aboard.

2 Month Check Up

2011-10-01T14:19:00.002-04:00

Evie Kate had her two month well baby visit this last week. Did you catch that? TWO MONTHS?! I can't believe my baby is already two months old. We had a nurse we've never had before. She looked at all three of my children and then said to me, "I don't know who your middle child looks like, but your son and your baby look exactly alike!" She certainly wasn't the first person to tell me that Evelyn looks like her brother. I can see it a little bit too.
Here she is! All 12 pounds 2 ounces of her. She's also 23 inches long. She's in the 75th percentile for both height and weight. She has gained 4 pounds 5 ounces and grown 3 inches in the last 8 weeks.
She is consistently sleeping about 12 hours every.single.night. Bless her! She's on a pretty regular schedule of three naps a day. Her morning nap is a few hours long giving me a perfect opportunity to do school with Owen. She has a nice afternoon nap and then usually a short cat nap in the evening. She's down for the night around 8:30. Near as I can tell she drinks about 5 ounces at each feeding. She is such a good baby!!!

There's that big slobbery smile that warms my heart!

YES - that is a clip in her hair!

Sibling Love

2011-09-28T23:30:00.003-04:00

No sibling rivalry here . . . at least none that involves Evie Kate. They both wanted to lay next to Evie and hold her hand
I thought my first two children got a lot of kisses. But Evie gets lots more. Not only does she have Mama and Daddy kissing on her, but a brother and sister too!

I'm so thankful that my older two children adore their baby sister! Any time Evelyn cries I hear Aubrey say, "What's the matter? Shhh. It's okay." She mothers her little sister, to be sure.

The Bed is FULL

2011-09-26T17:29:00.002-04:00

For months Aubrey has gone to bed with her monkey, George, and two baby dolls along with a cup of water and her favorite blanket. Whenever she got out of bed she came with all of these items on hand. She would sleep on her belly with her arms wrapped around her earthly treasures. She has recently added to her collection of things she sleeps with. In fact, today at nap time she even included a large clunky, plastic truck. I have noticed that in the last week or so she no longer brings her her load of favorites out of bed anymore, presumably because it has become too much for her to carry. The other night Ben went in to check on the kids and suggested I take a peek. The picture shows what we saw. She has apparently added several more things to her bed after we've tucked her in! If you look carefully, you'll see that she's in the picture too.

Name Clarification

2011-09-26T16:26:00.003-04:00

When it comes to naming our children we don't have a lot of stipulations. It doesn't have to be a Bible name. It doesn't have to be a family name. We don't even worry about the meaning of the name. The name we choose is significant to us because we like it. That's it. And the name will eventually have significance and meaning if our children live a life of service ministering to others and glorifying God.

We basically have two rules that we follow when we name our children. #1). The name cannot be trendy. I do realize that Owen is now a popular name but I can honestly say that we did not know anyone with that name or anyone who planned to use that name when we chose it. And rule #2). It has to be easy to pronounce when read on paper. After five years of teaching I quickly learned to feel sorry for the student who was constantly correcting people who mispronounced his name. I have spent my entire life clarifying for others how to pronounce my last name. If you think I have an unusual last name now then you must not know my maiden name! While I can't choose my child's last name I can at least spare him future trouble by giving him a first name that is straightforward and easy.

Well . . . .it appears that in naming Miss Evelyn Kate I have broken rule #2. Everyone knows how to say Evelyn. But we usually call her Evie Kate. As people are meeting her for the first time after seeing her name on my blog or facebook I'm noticing that many are pronouncing her name with a hard e. She has been called "Ee-vie Kate" many, many times. I'm not offended, so if you're someone who has called her this don't worry about it. I just think it's funny that I have managed to name my child something that is easily mispronounced! Perhaps it's the way we are spelling it. Either way, let me clarify. It's pronounced "Ev-ee" a soft e sound in the beginning, you know, like Evelyn. Soft e, then the hard e. So for everyone who told me that you loved her name, I'm now wondering if it's really her name you love. Ha!

Big Brother

2011-09-26T16:19:00.002-04:00

I was in the kitchen cleaning when Owen woke up from his nap. All of the sudden I heard talking so I peeked into the living room and saw this:
Owen was "reading" to Evie Kate. It was so precious. He told the whole story. And when he was done he said, "Did you like that story, Evie? Let me go get another book to read to you." And that's what he did. He grabbed another book and told another story.

And I was able to grab the camera and sneak a couple of pictures without him ever noticing! I love my boy and the kindness he shows to his sisters. He sure loves our baby!

Our First Two Weeks of School

2011-09-26T14:23:00.004-04:00

We are in the beginning of week 3 of homeschooling and Owen is loving it! He has learned three Bible verses, my phone number, facts about winter and spring, the days of the week and the first six months of the year. He's learning about jobs people do, he's participating in critical thinking drills, and practicing writing. We've discussed and memorized the definitions to the words attentiveness, faith and generosity. These are just the highlights. It's so exciting for me to watch him learn!
Because I am his teacher I have the joy of seeing him understand things for the first time and witness him use his new knowledge at appropriate times. For example, one evening outside of school time I was talking to him and when I could tell I didn't have his full attention I said, "Owen, listen to me." He quickly replied, "Proverbs 4:20, 'My son, be attentive to my words, incline your ear to my sayings.'"
When he saw a picture of snow in one of his books he quickly explained to me that snow falls when the clouds freeze and turn to ice. It's so exciting to see him "get it."
My heart is thrilled when he cheers as I announce that it's time to start school. And of course it's always encouraging to hear him say, "Mama, let's do more school!"
And then there are those sweet, precious moments like the one we had our first week of school when I introduced our Bible verse for the week. I told him that we were going to be hiding God's Word in our heart. He replied, "Why, Mama? Who is trying to steal it?" He sure does take things literally! But it was a good opportunity for me to share with him the importance of having God's Word memorized.
Last week Owen took it upon himself to set up three chairs on the back patio and suggested that we do school outside since it was such a nice morning. So we did! Just another one of the many advantages of learning at home.

Owen uses this little chalkboard to practice writing his letters. It's so neat to see the progress he has made in just two short weeks!

Aubrey wanted to showcase her artwork.

We talked about the Flood during Bible time one day last week. Afterward Owen made his own rainbow, a reminder of God's promise to never flood the earth again.

On Friday we review the Bible lessons from the week. This last Friday we went outside and I used sidewalk chalk to color three difference scenes and had Owen tell me what story I was drawing. Then we reviewed the story and the lesson we learned from it. The above drawing is when sin entered the earth.

The Flood

I also drew a picture of Cain killing Abel. Thankfully (since I'm not good at drawing!) Owen was able to identify all of the characters and retell the stories in his own words.

And he also practiced writing his name

Evelyn at 8 Weeks

2011-09-21T11:53:00.003-04:00

Evie Kate is 8 weeks old today! I don't know how much she weighs or how tall she is, but here's what I do know:

- She's a snuggler!

- She's sleeping on average about 10 hours a night.

- She started intentionally smiling on August 28 (the day Ben was voted in as pastor of Springview Community Church).

- She's wearing size one diapers (barely) and no longer fits into 0-3 month clothes.

- While she still has a nice head of hair, she has lost some.

- She's taken a bottle twice now.

- She's only had one blow out diaper!

- Just like my other two children, she doesn't care for the pacifier.

- She's a wonderful bundle of sweetness! We love her so much!

Aubrey at Age 2

2011-09-14T18:08:00.003-04:00

You know you're not taking enough pictures of your precious children when the only recent one you have of just your two year old is one in which she's wearing nothing but her pajama top and a pair of underwear.

At two years of age, Aubrey weighs 28 pounds and is 35 inches tall, putting her in the 75th percentile for both weight and height.

Here's a little bit about our "sweetie" (her nickname):
- She's just about potty trained. I still can't say we're totally there.
- In one word, she is "FUN." She is absolutely hilarious with her dare-devil personality (she'll try anything), deep voice and and no-nonsense approach to life.
- She climbs everything.
- She is super polite. I almost never have to remind her to say, "please," "thank you," "excuse me," etc.
- Her vocabulary is impressive for a girl her age. If you want to be entertained all you have to do is sit down and have a conversation with Aubrey. I'm continually taken off guard by the words that come out of her mouth and her level of understanding.
- She is a great mother to her baby dolls.
- She is a daddy's girl.
- She loves books!
- She's a great eater and will try just about anything.
- When she wants something she doesn't give up easily. This is frustrating to me now but I know will be a good quality in the future.
- She is a "go-getter" and has a take charge personality.
- She is SILLY. Between her quick comments and goofy facial expressions she makes everyone laugh.
- She is super independent and wants to do everything all by herself.
- She is pure sweetness. She lives up to her nickname, "sweetie."
- My dad tells me often that Aubrey reminds him of me at her age. He says we're just alike. I love that.
Does it sound like I'm bragging? I'm sorry if it does. I'm a proud mommy. But let me share some of the not-so-pretty things too.
Without a doubt Aubrey gives me moments of stress and frustration. When she follows me in the store screaming at the top of her lungs because I won't carry her baby doll when we had already agreed that she could only bring it in if she carried it by herself, I feel like screaming. When she knocks over a mannequin in the mall and breaks off both of its arms, I shake my head. When she approaches a boy in the portrait studio and demands that he sit down even though he's standing quietly with his mother, I get a little embarrassed. When she doesn't feel like talking and a stranger asks her her name and she replies, "me" I sigh. And when she's overly tired and cannot get control of herself and throws the world's biggest fit I feel exasperated. But would I change her or trade her? NO WAY! I love and accept this daughter of mine as she is, but I will pray for her. I pray for her salvation and I am hopeful about what God can do with her life. I trust and I pray he'll perform a good work in her.
Every bit of stress is worth it. I love being her Mommy. And after a big fit when she takes a deep breath and says, "I'm happy now, Mama. Will you rock me?" I quickly oblige. These days are passing too quickly. I don't want to wish them away.

An Article Worth Reading

2011-09-14T14:20:00.003-04:00

This article is worth reading, especially if you're a homeschooling mom! It gets better (and more convicting) further into the article.
This paragraph really challenged me because I often feel like I'm not doing enough. Here it is:

In the homeschool community I have observed that there can be a great emphasis on outward appearance, whether it is dressing for excellence, modesty, grooming, respectful manners, music style, or an attitude of sober reverence in worship. Some even take their children down a country path of humble fashions, raising food, and making bread. Nothing is wrong with any of these things, but we must be careful - we can model for our children outward changes and easily fall into molding their behavior and/or appearance, while missing their hearts. In some circles emphasis on the outward is epidemic.

Then later:

Let us not forget that Jesus came against the Pharisees for their preoccupation with what they felt were legitimate expressions of spirituality. They measured holiness by what was avoided and by what would be seen by others (Mat 6:1-2, 5, 16; 23:5-6, 23-28; John 7:24). The Pharisees were earnest in their religion, but they were preoccupied with outward expressions of holiness rather than hearts of humility and love (Micah 6:8) that would bear genuine fruit. I find it fascinating that in the gospels there is not one mention of Jesus coming against immodesty, even though among his followers were prostitutes and the like. Jesus emphasized cleaning up the inside while the Pharisees were the ones preoccupied with cleaning up the outside. We must ask ourselves: Which are we more like - Jesus or the Pharisees? Even now do we justify ourselves, insisting we emphasize cleaning up both the inside and the outside?

In regard to our standards and passing judgment on others, the writer continues:

In setting standards for our family, each of us must work through a process of evaluation and analysis to decide what is safe, wise, or permissible. Once we become convinced of our personal standards, not uncommonly, it follows that we believe they should apply to others as well.
The Pharisees belittled others who didn't hold to their standards. We have gone their way when we judge others. It is easy to miss this area of pride because we may not express our judgments "arrogantly"; we may instead wrap them in compassionate-sounding words. Arrogance wrapped in concerned tones is deceiving.
Pride is so deceptive that we won't know our judgments are even judgments. We will think we are just making observations and feeling pity, when in fact, we are looking down on others from our lofty place of confident enlightenment. It is a high view of ourselves that allows us to condescend to and belittle others in our mind. And if you already knew all this, be careful - pride will even cause us to be amazed that others didn't see what was so obvious to us.
Typically, when we belittle others who don't measure up to our standards, we will also imagine others are judging us. Consequently, we will find ourselves frequently being defensive. We assume that others will think lowly of us for some perceived inadequacy, so we offer unsolicited explanations and clarifications for us or our children. For example, let's say we walked past a TV at Sears and saw something of interest - when we tell others what we saw, we are careful to clarify that we saw it at Sears and weren't watching a TV at home. If we live under fear of judgment, not only will we tend to be on the defensive, but whenever we are in a public setting where our children might be "watched," we will put pressure on them.
When pride is working its work in us, we sincerely believe our personal opinions reflect God's utmost priorities and standards. What we believe to be our "enlightened" perspective becomes a filter by which we gauge others' spirituality, and therefore limits our options for fellowship. We develop a very narrow definition of what we call "likeminded" people, based on the outworkings of our values and opinions. Now we are on a path to exclusivity when we will no longer associate with those who will be with us in eternity. Is it possible we have lost sight of fellowship based on love and devotion to Jesus, and have substituted personal standards and a narrow view of Christian liberty?
There are several serious consequences of raising children in a home marked by pride and judgment. Children may grow up also judging others. Or, they may hide their real values, acting as though they embrace our values, when, in fact, they are simply seeking to avoid discipline and lectures at home. Or, they may see the shallowness of our legalistic faith that consists primarily of "avoid this, wear that, attend this," and not be attracted to it in the least.

I realize I have highlighted a large portion of this article, but seriously, click the link above and read it in its entirety. My husband reminds me that there is a legalist in all of us. I want to kill that legalism and replace it with grace. I'm learning to live by grace and my goal is to raise my children under grace, not man-made laws.

First Day

2011-09-14T11:09:00.003-04:00

Monday, September 12 was a big day in our family! Ben started his first day as pastor of our new church and Owen started preschool!
Owen was very excited to start school. A friend of mine told me that she put together a special pencil box for her daughter's first day of home school. So the night before we started homeschooling I went to the store to find a pencil box (not an easy thing to do this late into the school year, by the way). I'm so glad I found one because Monday morning Owen was delighted to see a bright orange box with his name on it. Inside was a brand new box of crayons, new scissors from Aunt Sarah, a new eraser, two new pencils and a glue stick. After handling each of the items Owen (without any prompting from me) bowed his hand and thanked God for his school box. Driving to three different stores at 10:00 at night to purchase the last box on the shelf now seemed totally worth it!

Aubrey joined in on the excitement even though she didn't know what the rest of us were so excited about. Excuse the jammies and undies, I wasn't expecting to get a picture of her.

We had to get a picture of Owen with his teacher!

Since we started homeschooling I keep thinking about Luke 6:40. I feel the weight of responsibility, to be sure.

"A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher."

Here they are, my two boys on their first day. Owen's first day of formal education. Ben's first day as pastor of a church, shepherding the people God has entrusted him with. I am excited for my guys as they begin their journey. I trust and pray they will both be faithful to the task which God has called them to.

In the Blink of an Eye

2011-09-12T21:06:00.004-04:00

Birthday party in 2010, turning 3 and 1.
Birthday party in 2011, turning 4 and 2.

Where does the time go?

The "Official" Birthday Bash

2011-09-11T18:06:00.002-04:00

Between Sabrina's parties, visits and gifts from extended family and the party we threw for our children, Owen and Aubrey have done a lot of celebrating for turning 4 and 2. We've been so overwhelmed with birthday cards, special phone calls and gifts that I can't keep track of who we've sent thank you cards to. Yikes!
Yesterday we had a party at our house. It was the first time we've had a family party (as opposed to a friend party) in our home for the kids. It's one of the perks of living near family. We partied with Grandma and Grandpa Glupker, Aunt Sarah, Uncle Michael, Grandma and Grandpa Rademacher, Grandma and Grandpa Lange and the cousins: Cole, Brenden, Brooklyn and Carson. I thought we were keeping it simple until I saw all of the gifts. Oh my. I later told Ben that we might need to re-think this birthday party business before our kids begin to expect and feel entitled to so many nice presents from others. That's not to say that we aren't thankful. We certainly are. Aubrey was thrilled to see all of her new presents waiting for her when she got out of bed this morning. The kids hugged and thanked everyone for their gifts. They've also colored pictures to give to those who gave to them. But I still feel like I need to figure out how to train my children not to take the generosity of others for granted before it's too late.

Evelyn checking out Grandma

The kid table - outside! This made for easy clean up.

Aubrey Ann

Some time ago Ben told me that he would like to start a tradition of praying over our kids at their birthday parties. Our hope is that it would take some of the attention off the presents and put more attention on the child and their growth, both physically and spiritually. Our desire is that this time would become special and prove to be significant in the life of our kids. We'd like them to sense the importance of the prayer, the blessing we hope to bestow on our kids. I must admit that I had forgotten all about Ben's idea to do this, but he didn't! In fact I later learned that he had already talked to the kids about it a couple days ahead of time so that they were expecting to be prayed over. Owen, at least, seemed to think it was pretty neat. Everyone in attendance sat in a circle while Ben had each child take a turn sitting on his lap. Then he spent a few minutes praying for them and thanking God for them. And then he had them hug everyone and thank them for coming to his party. I am really thankful for such a godly leader for our family! I like this new tradition!

Aubrey and Brookie - they are so much alike and such good friends.

Grandma Lange made the cake. She brought it over early in the day so the kids could look at it and enjoy it. The cake was here probably less then two minutes before Aubrey decided to taste it (notice the three poke holes). The kids loved seeing Bob and Larry on their cake.
Family Picture
Aubrey's turn blowing out the candles
Owen's turn blowing out the candles
Eating cake - hmmm, why did we let them eat the cake inside?

Our Old Kentucky Home

2011-09-11T16:24:00.004-04:00

We spent Labor Day weekend in Louisville, Kentucky visiting with good friends and attending our old church, Highview Baptist. We are thankful for great friends who hosted us in their home, others who came to visit us while we were there and for still others who invited us into their homes while we were in town. We were able to see many friends in just a few days. Thank you, friends, for making us feel welcome and taking time out of your holiday weekend to spend time with us.
Owen was ecstatic to be back in Kentucky. He begged to go see our old apartment and, to my surprise, he remembered it. When we walked into church Sunday morning he jumped up and down and yelled, "IT'S MY KENTUCKY CHURCH!" And of course he had a blast visiting with his old friends. Being apart from friends for 8 months is a long time when you're just barely 4. I was so glad he remembered so many people.
Unfortunately, I took few pictures. Few as in three. That's it. Here are two of them.

Emma, Owen, Aubrey & Sara. These are Will's sisters.

And there is Will! Will was probably the highlight of Owen's trip to Kentucky. He frequently asked when we were going to see him and was just beside himself with excitement when we were finally able to say, "We're now on our way to Will's house!"

And of course we made sure to eat at Chick-Fil-A while we were in town. That was probably the highlight for Ben!

Another Party by Sabrina

2011-09-11T16:15:00.003-04:00

As she did for Owen, my friend, Sabrina, threw together a little birthday party for Aubrey. She made dinner, a cake and had presents. I am so thankful to have friends who love my children.

The adorable cake!
The Birthday Girl!

Opening Presents

And leave it to Aubrey to not allow the night to pass without some sort of mishap. She managed to get her leg stuck in the kitchen chair. It took several minutes and quite a bit of maneuvering but Bill and Sabrina were able to free her leg without breaking it or their chair.

The Gift of Sleep

2011-09-02T07:01:00.004-04:00

I have learned since becoming a mother that people define “sleeping through the night” in many different ways. The textbook definition is sleeping five consecutive hours without a feeding. Some mommies say their baby is sleeping through the night when they go back to sleep quickly and easily after a middle of the night feeding. There’s nothing wrong with these definitions except that neither one is my idea of a restful night of sleep! If I have to get up to feed the baby, we’re not sleeping! And five hours is not my idea of a full night of rest. I’m a sleepyhead. Therefore, I am not quick to announce that my baby is sleeping through the night until baby is sleeping at least 8 hours without me having to get up at all.
Here’s where the drum roll comes in. Can you hear it?!?

Evelyn celebrated her 5 week birthday by sleeping through the night! She has done it the last two nights and I'm hoping that in spite of our traveling schedule the next few days she'll keep at it. Last night I put her to bed at 10 pm and she slept until 6:30 this morning. I know they say that it's a gift to your children when you train them to sleep through the night. But let me tell ya, it feels like a gift to Mommy too!

At Age 4

2011-08-31T23:46:00.004-04:00

In case I forget (which I know I will), here is what Owen is like at age 4. At Age Four:
- He loves puzzles and he's really good at putting them together.
- He looks out for his little sisters and tries hard to protect them.
- He likes to sing.
- He likes to tell stories, hear stories and read books.
- He is a great swimmer and doesn't need any assistance in the pool.
- He likes "bamilla" (vanilla) yogurt.
- He's sharp. The night before he turned four I said, "Tonight is the last night I'll be putting you to bed as a three year old! Good night my three year old boy." And he quickly responded, "Good night my thirty-one girl!"
- He insists on carrying his own bible to church.
- He uses "adult" toothpaste.
- He wants to be just like his Daddy
- He is very kind and has a sweet spirit and tender heart.
- He is very social.
- He and Daddy love to wrestle together. They also like to turn up the music and dance around the kitchen together during our after-dinner-clean-up routine.
- He is 41 inches tall (80th percentile) and weighs 42 pounds (90th percentile)

I remind Owen often that I am so thankful God put him in our family. He is an absolute joy! Just last night we were at a friend's house and he approached me and said, "Mommy, can we snuggle together?" I cherish these days with my children. They are passing by way too fast!

Owen's 4th Birthday

2011-08-31T21:53:00.005-04:00

Owen turned four on Saturday. He woke up to find his chair at the table decorated just for him.

Four presents from us in honor of turning four. We gave him two new puzzles (101 pieces - which he has already put together!) and two new books.

Daddy blew up lots of balloons and had them all over the house. Owen called them his "special balloons."

Owen received cards and gifts in the mail in the days leading up to his birthday. We saved them and let him open them all up the morning of his big day. He thought getting four dollars from Aunt Judy and Great Grandma Glupker was pretty neat! Great Grandma Thelma also sent Owen some "dollars" as he calls them. Great Grandma and Great Grandpa Patterson sent down some new CDs. We listen to a lot of music in our home!

After he opened his gifts our family went to Baynes for some fresh donuts and cookies. We then headed over to our friend Sabrina's house. She knew we weren't going to be able to have a party for Owen until a few weeks after his birthday. Between our trip to Louisville and Ben preaching at the church we just didn't have time to have a party on his actual birthday. So Sabrina invited us over to her house for lunch. She did much more then serve us lunch!

She made him an awesome cake! He loved it!

She set up a little table just the right size for Owen and Aubrey

She played with and entertained the kids by pulling out some really cool toys.

She had presents for Owen. (excuse the blurriness. My battery was dying)

She gave him a puzzle, a coloring book, an airplane to throw in the sky, a Thomas the Train DVD and he got to keep the Thomas train and rings from his cake.

Trying out the airplane

Waiting for cake

Blowing out the candles

Sabrina has been such a good friend to me over the last 7 years. I'm so thankful for her!

In fact, tomorrow we are going back over to her house for ANOTHER party. She wants to throw one for Aubrey too.

Later that night we ended up at my sister's house. We had more cake and ice cream with the cousins. And even more gifts from Uncle Jeff, Aunt Kim and Grandma and Grandpa Lange. Unfortunately my camera wasn't taking pictures by this point.

Our family and friends made it a really special day for Owen. A few days later Aunt Sarah and Grandma and Grandpa Glupker gave him some gifts as well. And he hasn't even had his party yet! At this point I'm not sure we need to throw him one!

God's Leading to Pastoral Ministry

2011-08-31T12:46:00.006-04:00

Before Ben and I were married he shared with me his desire to be a pastor. He had already graduated from Word of Life Bible Institute and Liberty University. He had a degree in Bible and taught at a Christian school. He was very involved in his local church and had worked several summers at Camp Barakel as a counselor. Right after we met he went on a missions trip to Mongolia. One of the things that first attracted me to him was his heart for ministry. Shortly after we married he began to pursue a masters degree in order to prepare himself for ministry. However, we quickly discovered that teaching full time, working a part time job on the side and being heavily involved in our local church made it next to impossible to work on a degree through correspondence courses.
There was a time when we thought he was going to be hired on staff at a church here in Michigan. When God closed that door we began to seriously consider further education. We strongly felt God calling Ben to pastoral ministry and many times over that calling was confirmed to us by our local church and other men in the ministry. I remember a conversation Ben and I had one night as we discussed the idea of selling our house, quitting our jobs, losing our health insurance and stepping out in faith to move to another state where we knew no one to go to a seminary we couldn't afford. Ben said, "The next four years are going to pass either way. In four years do we want to be where we are now, or do we want to have a seminary degree that can prepare me for ministry?" We chose the latter. And I'm so glad we did.
We moved to Kentucky in August of 2006 and Ben started classes just a couple days later.
He worked hard and despite the fact that he worked a full time job, had a wife and became a father to two children during that time, he finished in four years (It is a 90+ credit hour program)! I'm a proud wife. And I had the privilege of learning right along with him as I took classes in the Seminary Wives Institute and plugged into Bible studies at our church (one specifically designed for ministry wives).
Ben graduated in May 2010 and to my disappointment we didn't have a job waiting for us when he walked across the stage to get his diploma. I knew it was unlikely that he would find a church right away. Many of our friends who have finished seminary have waited a good 2-3 years for full time positions. But I hoped our situation would be different. Seven months after he graduated we learned I was pregnant and our world seemed to turn upside down. We had to move. We had to get different health insurance. We had to get different jobs. And we had to move back to Michigan, regardless of the fact that I did not want to. It was clear it was God's will. So I struggled through those weeks in December and January. I really struggled. I took the counsel of Katherine Magnuson, a wonderful godly woman at my church in Kentucky, and made a theme for 2011. My theme was "Grace to Trust Him More." I posted about my theme here. God has been faithful in teaching me to trust Him as I continue to grow in this area. I often question rather than trust.
We moved back to Michigan at the very end of January of this year. Ben continued to send out his resume and contact churches. When doors didn't open as fast or as wide as I thought they should, I secretly began to question God. I wondered if we had misunderstood His calling. I tried to wait on the Lord but found it difficult. Ben, on the other hand, never questioned. He was always confident that God had a plan and that he was called to pastoral ministry. I'm thankful to be married to a man of such strong faith!
Before we even moved back to Michigan Ben sent his resume to Springview Community Church. We never heard back from them but we still prayed for this church for many months. Earlier this summer Ben was asked to fill the pulpit at Immanuel Bible Church, the church we are members of. Springview Community Church learned that Ben was going to be preaching this particular Sunday so they sent half a dozen people to hear him. We never knew this was going on. I taught Children's church that day while Ben preached and neither one of us had any clue that there were people there from Springview. A short time later Ben got a call from one of the members of the search committee asking if he would be interested in doing an initial phone interview. This was the first contact we had with this church and it was months after Ben first sent his resume. How neat to see that the Lord was working during all those months of silence! After a few interviews Ben and I had dinner with the leadership team and their wives where we spent three hours discussing ministry and answering questions. Evelyn was 11 days old at this meeting. When it was over Ben and I got in the car and the whole way home talked about how much we loved the people. We felt an immediate connection! Not long after Ben was asked to come preach at the church. He preached two Sundays in a row. One Sunday they had a potluck dinner following the service which was a great opportunity for us to meet with many of the people from the church. We absolutely fell in love with the people of this congregation. There is a real sense of community among the body and it is so clear that they truly care for one another and minister to one another.
On Sunday, August 28 the church voted and extended the call of senior pastor to Ben. He gladly accepted the call. We are so thankful! The church is excited about having a new pastor and we are so excited to be joining this church. I honestly cannot imagine a better ministry for us. It just seems like a perfect fit. God does things like that. He knows what we need. He knew we needed to be in Michigan and he arranged our life in such a way to get us back here. He knew we needed these last 15 months between seminary life and full time ministry. None of these are coincidences. Rather, this is the hand of a sovereign God. It is such a delight to go back and read through the things I posted over the last few years and see how God has brought us here. In the midst of all of this God is still giving me the grace to trust Him more.

Mini Me

2011-08-25T15:41:00.003-04:00

I didn't know this picture existed until I downloaded it onto the computer. Ben must have snapped it. I am constantly told that Aubrey looks just like me. When I found this picture I knew I had to post it because even I can see the resemblance. Somewhere there is a picture of me about this same age sitting on the toilet wearing sunglasses.

Our goofy girl has us laughing all the time!

Chunky Monkey

2011-08-22T19:06:00.002-04:00

Evelyn is really starting to fill out. She makes big cheeks and a double chin look adorable! At her two week check up she weighed an even 9 pounds and was 21 inches long putting her in the 75th percentile for both weight and height. She appears to have gained quite a bit since that appointment!

Sleeping Beauty

2011-08-22T18:08:00.002-04:00

She's a great snuggler! (And, yes, I adjusted her after I took this picture)

Vacation Bible School: Owen's First Year

2011-08-22T11:58:00.004-04:00

Although Owen was a couple weeks shy of being four years old, he was able to participate in Vacation Bible School for the first time. He LOVED it. He thought the puppets were "so, so funny Mom!" Each day he came home and explained in detail what he learned at "PBS." He is still singing the songs he learned and reciting one of the Bible verses, "You are the Christ . . . the Son of the Living God!"
The theme was FasCar: Rev it Up Full Throttle for God (or something close to that). Owen likes cars so it worked out well for him. One day the kids were told they could dress up for a day at the races and get their picture taken. Owen dressed up as a race car driver. He was the only kid I saw who took the challenge to dress up very seriously. I hoped he wouldn't be embarrassed that he stood out so much but he didn't even seem to notice. He was just excited to be in his costume and get his picture taken with a real race car.

Owen with the race car

Owen with the medal he earned for attendance and scripture memory.

While I enjoy having Owen home with me and missed him while he was gone, I was surprised how much I accomplished being down one child. Owen is my oldest and easiest kid and yet I felt so freed up having him gone. I couldn't believe it! The girls and I ran errands and went shopping every morning during VBS. It certainly made me understand why some parents are so excited about having their kids start school. I felt like I had so much extra time on my hands. Don't misunderstand me. I love having Owen home with me and I'm excited for us to start homeschooling this year. But there is a small side of me that says, "Wow! Sending him to school would be a really nice break!"

Owen & Coloring

2011-08-22T11:45:00.003-04:00

Owen has never really been all that interested in coloring. Sometimes he asks to do it but even then he doesn't do it for long. His pictures are almost always scribbles on the page with only one color. He makes no attempt to stay in the lines. I've tried showing him how he can turn a plain white page into something really colorful and pretty but he just doesn't care. And frankly, neither do I. If he's not interested I'm not pushing it.

Last week Owen received some early birthday presents from his Great-Aunt Judy. We wrote her a thank you note and I told Owen it would be really nice of him to color her a picture to show her his appreciate for the nice gifts. He agreed to do it and took the project seriously. He used several different colors and while he still made no effort to stay in the lines he was very intentional about coloring each object on the page. If you look in the photo you'll notice that he colored the trunk of the tree blue, the apples another color and the flowers another color. While this may look like scribbling to everyone else, his Mama think it's a piece of art! This is huge improvement! And he did it on his own without any prompting or direction from me. He was VERY proud of his picture and SUPER excited to put it in the mail for Aunt Judy. I almost didn't want to send it because it's by far the best picture he's ever colored. I wanted to put it in my journal but thought it best to send it on since Judy was the reason Owen worked so hard on it. Instead, I took this picture to put in my journal.

And as I write Owen is pulling out his crayons and coloring books to work on another piece of art. He might just learn to enjoy coloring after all!

Meeting Some of the "Greats"

2011-08-22T11:08:00.002-04:00

Evelyn got to meet her Great-Aunt Judy and her Great-Grandma Glupker when she was two and a half weeks old. Aunt Judy
Four Generations: Ben's Dad, Grandmother, Ben & Evelyn
This is pretty special to me since we no longer have four generations on either side of my family.

Grandma & Evie Kate

Just Me & My Baby Girl

2011-08-11T16:06:00.002-04:00

My sister has the two older children today and tomorrow leaving me with Evie Kate. Life is so easy with just a newborn! We've gone shopping, ran errands, completed housework, visited the pediatrician and gone to the dentist. I'm getting lots accomplished with only my baby in my care! But I have to say . . . I miss my Owen and Aubrey!

Parenting Without Christ

2011-08-09T17:10:00.003-04:00

"What would things look like if Satan really took control of a city? Over half a century ago, Presbyterian minister Donald Grey Barnhouse offered his own scenario in his weekly sermon that was also broadcast nationwide on CBS radio. Barnhouse speculated that if Satan took over Philadelphia (the city where Barnhouse pastored), all of the bars would be closed, pornography banished, and pristine streets would be filled with tide pedestrians who smiled at each other. There would be no swearing. The children would say "Yes, sir" and "No ma'am," and the churches would be full every Sunday . . . where Christ is not preached."
- Michael Horton in Christless Christianity.

"This is scary - mainly because what Barnhouse describes is what most of us want for our children. Jesus, or no Jesus, we just want them to obey, be polite, not curse or look at pornography, get good jobs, marry a nice person, and not get caught up in the really bad stuff.
It may come as a surprise to you, but God wants much more for your children, and you should too."

This second quote is from a book I just started reading, Give Them Grace. And that's just the forward. This is going to be good . . . and incredibly convicting.

She's Popular Around Here

2011-08-08T08:33:00.002-04:00

Lovin' on Evie

Owen asks to hold her the moment he gets out of bed.

Evie is in this picture. You just can't see her because Owen & Aubrey are fighting over her.

LOVE

2011-08-05T23:32:00.002-04:00

i love this girl!

"For this child I prayed, and the LORD has granted me my petition that I made to him."

I Samuel 1:27

So Different. So very, very different.

2011-08-05T23:14:00.002-04:00

Tonight while my two oldest children were in their beds I stood in the hallway and listened to their conversation. The first part made my heart swell. The second part made me shake my head. Here's what I heard:

Owen: "Aubrey, I'm really sad. Can you please try to make me happy?"

Aubrey: "Quit your whining, Owen."

Aubrey or Evelyn?

2011-08-03T19:34:00.001-04:00

I thought my girls looked more alike until I did a side by side. Can you tell who is who?

Visitors

2011-08-03T17:15:00.006-04:00

One very noticeable difference between this delivery and my other two was that we were able to have family come visit us in the hospital. When we lived in Kentucky we didn't have family around during delivery and all of our family was gone within the first week.

At one point my room was absolutely packed! It was so fun to celebrate together. Unfortunately we did not get pictures of everyone. But the following people came to see us while we were in the hospital: Ben's Mom & Dad, Owen & Aubrey, Jeff, Kim, Cole, Brenden, Brooklyn & Carson, Charlie & Amber, Ben's sister, Sarah, my Dad, Jean and my friend, Sabrina. Brenden & Cole with their new cousin. Brenden got in the hospital bed with me and we had this conversation:

Brenden: "Aunt Kelly, how did Evelyn get here?"

Me: "Well, she was in my belly and then she came out."

Brenden: "I know she was in your belly. But how did she get out of your belly?"

Me: "I think you should talk to your dad about that."

Brenden: "Why? You were there. You saw it happen."

Uncle Jeff, still in shock that he was wrong about the birth date, and Brenden
Brooklyn. Sweet Brooklyn. During her visit she asked me, "Aunt Kelly, are you going to have just three kids? Or do you think you'll have more?" I answered, "I don't know, honey. We'll take how ever many God gives us." She pointed to my belly and said, "Well, I think there is another one in there."

Carson meeting Evelyn

Proud Grandpa

Cole & Grandma

Sabrina. Needless to say I didn't make it to her house that night to sort through garage sale stuff.

Siblings

Three Glupker men adoring the new little girl in the family

Grandpa, Owen & Daddy

Aunt Sarah

Owen is always close by!

Ready to go home! Although since we didn't have the older two kids we opted to go on a mini date instead of coming straight home from the hospital. We did a little shopping and went out to lunch.

On Saturday we had a few more visitors come to our house: John R., Chris, Austin and Uncle M. We also had one of my close childhood friends come all the way from the other side of the state, Holland, MI. Shelby and her husband Lance came by with their two little girls.

Sunday we shared our little blessing with our church family. It was a great weekend.

A Chat With My Sister, Kim

2011-08-03T15:03:00.004-04:00

My sister and I were chatting on Facebook today when I looked up in our chat history and found this conversation from last Wednesday, the day Evelyn was born. I laughed out loud when I read it. Who would have thought that our baby was to be born the very day we had this conversation?! She and her husband Jeff had a bet going. She thought I was going to have the baby on Wednesday the 27th while Jeff thought it was going to be on Thursday the 28th. And Jeff thinks he's always right. I copied and pasted our chat:

Me: I had contractions every time I rolled over last night and I'm uncomfortable today.

Kim: its going to be rather irritating if you have the baby tomorrow bcuz Jeff will be "right", as usual

Me: I bet baby comes tomorrow. Aubrey was due on a monday and came on a thursday. and since I'm due on a monday again I bet it comes thursday. Makes total medical sense to me.

Kim: can you please have her today and make ME right for a change?
you shoulda been a doctor.

Finally a Family of 5

2011-08-03T14:12:00.003-04:00

Owen and Aubrey came up to the hospital Thursday morning to meet their baby sister. For Owen, it was love at first sight. He simply cannot get enough of Evelyn Kate. He wants to hold her constantly and when visitors come over he has a hard time giving her up for long periods of time. He talks to her, kisses her, lays next to her, and tells her that she's a "pretty girl" and a "nice baby." The first thing he does each morning is run into her room to see her and he wants her to be a part of our family reading time, singing time, prayer time - everything. Right after he met her he asked if we could go buy her a booster seat so she could sit at the dinner table with us. Aubrey was more interested in the hospital room than she was Evie. In fact, while Owen and I were snuggling with Evelyn together Aubrey was pushing the buttons on my bed making us rock back and forth. Now that we're home she's much more aware of the baby and likes to hold her and kiss her. She laughs hysterically any time Evelyn makes a funny noise or moves unexpectedly. Owen and Aubrey have just started fighting over Evelyn. Yesterday morning Aubrey was holding her and Owen asked for a turn. Aubrey said, "Not now, Owen. You can hold her after dinner."

Owen could not stop giggling and smiling over his little sister. He proudly announced that he now has three girls he has to protect. He takes that role very seriously.

There's no wiping that smile off his face . . . unless you ask him to give her up.

Our Family of 5: One proud Daddy, one goofy girl, one tired Mama, one chatty little boy and a precious little girl. Thank you, God. My hands are full of good things.

Choosing a Name

2011-08-03T12:18:00.002-04:00

Doesn't my face just say it all? "Come on! We have to pick a name!"

This picture was taken about 12 hours after our baby girl was born and we still had not picked out a name. We were getting all kinds of text messages, emails and phone calls inquiring about our daughter's name. If you think 12 hours was a long time to wait, be glad we didn't have a boy!

The kids were coming to the hospital at 11:00 a.m. to meet our new baby and I really wanted the baby to be named before the big introduction. Ben and I each had a name we liked but unfortunately it was not the same name. Although I had several names on my list that I would have been happy with. Literally minutes before Owen and Aubrey arrived I finally said to Ben, "let's be biblical and cast lots." Of course I was kidding, sort of. We pulled out a quarter and quickly set up the ground rules. One toss only, not best out of three. The quarter had to land on the ground. No do overs. If it landed on heads I could pick the name, tails and Ben could. The quarter went up and landed on heads. I win! Except that as soon as I saw the look of disappointment on Ben's face I told him he could name the baby. His face lit up and he excitedly named her Evelyn. Neither one of us had a middle name so we started throwing out suggestions. We were now seconds away from the kids arriving. We went through lots of names and I finally said, "Kate." Ben LOVED it. And I do too. Evelyn Kate. It's our daughter. It's perfect. Owen calls her Evelyn Kate. Aubrey calls her Baby Kate. I call her Evie-Kate. Daddy calls her all of the above. She's our girl.

Labor of Love: Evelyn's Birth Story

2011-08-03T10:24:00.003-04:00

We thank the Lord for giving us another beautiful baby! Evelyn Kate was born Wednesday, July 27 at 10:13 p.m. Here is her birth story.
Last Wednesday I woke up after having contractions off and on through out the night, mostly just whenever I rolled over. I thought nothing of it because I'd been having them for days/weeks. I got online to order some items I thought I'd need once the baby was born and when I noticed they would be delivered on August 5 I thought to myself, "that should work. Baby should be here right around the same time."
The morning progressed and I continued to have contractions. I texted Ben to let him know just so that he would keep his phone on him in case things started to really pick up. He texted back, "Do you think it will be today?" I wrote back, "I don't know." I certainly wasn't confident that I was going into labor. I figured I was probably just experiencing more of the same and that it would still be a few days. I certainly wasn't going to sit around waiting so I mopped the floors on my hands and knees, scrubbed the tubs, cleaned the toilets, washed all the dishes, finished the laundry, cooked up some chicken for enchiladas for dinner that night and baked cookies. By about lunch time the contractions were coming much more frequently and quite a bit stronger. At this point I couldn't continue to work during them, so I would just pause, breath through it and then continue on once it passed. Once I put the kids down for naps I began to work a little harder to get things done because I began to think that I may end up going to the hospital after all. I still wasn't completely convinced I was going to the hospital though because it was at this time that I texted a friend of mine and made plans to go to her house after dinner that night to sort through our left over garage sale items.
At 3:37 p.m. I began to write down each time I had a contraction so that I could keep better track of them. They were 3-4 minutes apart. About a half hour later I decided to text Ben and let him know how close they were. He never texted back. I assumed he didn't get my text but he later told me he did but since I didn't ask him a question he didn't think it needed a response. So he just kept on working. He makes me laugh . . . now. I also called my mother-in-law since she lives a good half hour away. I told her she didn't need to come yet but just to be ready in case things started to pick up. She happened to already be in town so she was close. Once she heard how close my contractions were she thought I should just go to the hospital. I really didn't want to get there too early though I knew I needed to be there 4 hours before delivery so that I had enough time to get the antibiotic for the beta strep I tested positive for.
The kids woke up from their naps and Owen quickly became visibly concerned when he saw me. My contractions were too intense to be walking around during them so every time I had one I had to sit down, close my eyes and breath. In between contractions I tried to comfort him but I could see the worry on his face. I told him it was going to be okay and that it was time for our baby to be born. He stayed by my side the whole time rubbing my face and kissing me. Aubrey continued to run around playing and periodically glanced my way long enough to ask me to read her a book.
I did eventually get a hold of Ben. He was supposed to stop and get his hair cut on the way home from work so we discussed whether or not I thought he had time to do that. I figured he did but I wasn't sure I wanted him to because I thought it would be helpful to have someone there with the kids while I labored. But then again, I really wanted him to get it cut.
Our texts back and forth went like this:
Me: "R u stopping to get your hair cut?"
Ben: "Yes"
Me: "Not at the bad place, right?"
Me: "What time will you be ready for dinner? I'm supposed to go to Sabrina's after dinner if I don't go to the hospital."
Me: "Maybe you should come home."
Me: "R They cutting yet?"
Ben: "Yes"
Me: "Thank God! Hurry!"
Ben: "On my way."
Me: :)
During all of this I had called my mother-in-law back who was in town shopping. I told her Ben was going to be a while because he was getting his hair cut and asked if she could come over. She said she would be here in 45 minutes. Ben got home and packed us all up so we were ready to go when his mom arrived. We were out the door almost immediately. Owen started to cry and I kissed him and tried to reassure him that everything was going to be alright.

This picture was taken about 24 hours before Evelyn was born. Right before I went to bed on Tuesday night I told Ben to snap one more picture "just in case baby comes tomorrow."

We arrived at the hospital and were put into a room shortly after 6:00 but I wasn't checked until 7:20! I was dilated to 5 (to my disappointment) but I had two residents checking on me and had not been seen by the actual doctor so I tried to comfort myself by thinking, "They're just residents. They don't know what they're talking about. Surely, I'm further along!" My contractions were now about 3 minutes apart and 70-90 seconds long. Around 8:30 p.m. I got in the jacuzzi tub to labor. I had never done this before but I really liked it. I was feeling so much pressure and knew I was progressing quickly and really wanted to be checked again but the nurse said that the on call doctor would not be checking me at all for dilation until 11:30 p.m. I couldn't believe it! I told her I wanted the baby out by then and she said that it probably wouldn't be until the middle of the night when I gave birth. I had a contraction so I wasn't able to respond but again I thought to myself, "NO WAY! This baby will be born long before the middle of the night!" I got out of the tub around 9:30 p.m. At 9:50 or so I asked to be checked again since I had only been checked that one time and never by the actual doctor. I was still told to wait until 11:30. I told my nurse (who was great by the way) that I was close and that I wanted to be checked, but again was told there was no reason to check me. She walked out of the room and I felt (and I swear I heard) a pop. But I felt nothing. I asked Ben to come look and see if he could see any water anywhere. He could not. He went back to eating his sandwich from Jimmy Johns that his brother had dropped off for him and I went back to focusing on my labor. He tried to whisper words of encouragement to me, but I couldn't stand the smell of his sandwich and I asked him to back up. I hate to admit this but I actually said to my husband, "Get away. You stink."
Almost immediately I heard and felt another loud pop and this time water gushed out everywhere! The pressure was intense. I rolled over to find Ben and whispered, "Help." He was enjoying his sandwich and did not hear me. So I tried to speak louder, "Get someone." He went out and got the nurse who confirmed that yes, my water did indeed break. It was 9:52 p.m. I then said, "Can I please be checked now?" My sweet nurse said, "Sure, I can check you." If I would have been in a more chatty mood I would have said, "ARE YOU KIDDING ME? You could have been the one to check me this entire time?" But instead I continued to breath deeply and listened to her say, "Oh. You're fully dilated and ready to go." Those words were music to my ears. I knew I wasn't delivering in the middle of the night and I wasn't waiting until 11:30 to be checked either. I told her I was going to push and Ben said he wanted to run to the bathroom first. He has done this with all three deliveries! So he went to the bathroom and my nurse told me I had to wait for the doctor to arrive. Two residents came in but I still couldn't push until the actual doctor came in. I'm not sure how long I waited but it felt like an eternity. As I was waiting to push I noticed my hands. They looked like the hands of a cripple and I could not move my fingers. It was the strangest feeling! I wanted to be able to hold on to something, but I couldn't. My hands simply would not work.
I asked for a mirror and began pushing. The doctor told me to not push so hard and that I needed to slow down and give small pushes. This is very hard to do, but it didn't last long. I pushed for 11 minutes and our baby girl was born at 10:13 p.m.

Our baby girl was immediately placed on my chest. The hospital has a policy that I love - the baby is not to be cleaned, weighed, measured or anything until after she has laid on Mommy's chest for one hour. It was a precious time.

Our baby girl went without a name for over 12 hours! She weighed 7 pounds 15.4 ounces and was 20.5 inches long. She has lots of dark thick hair and fingernails that already needed to be trimmed.

He looks exhausted, but don't be fooled. All he had to do was cut the umbilical cord! I hope I don't sound critical when I joke about Ben eating his sandwich or using the bathroom when it was time to push. He is a wonderful husband and very attentive to my needs. I honestly don't feel like I need him to do anything for me in labor so I wasn't at all displeased with him. He's great!

Such a proud daddy! He loves his girls!

39 Weeks Down, God Knows How Many Weeks to Go!

2011-07-25T15:20:00.002-04:00

Today marks my 39th week of pregnancy. Over the last week, especially, I have received several sympathetic looks and sweet comments of concern as we have had very high temperatures with intense humidity. I can honestly say that neither the weather nor the pregnancy has been a bother to me. I still ran a garage sale last week, went blueberry picking with my family, made several trips to the pool and am keeping up with my two active children. I thank the Lord for the strength and good health! I honestly feel great! I can't complain. Children are a blessing. Being pregnant is a blessing. And although there are days when I'm less than comfortable I am functioning just fine. I have appreciated all of the sweet texts and emails from friends who are inquiring about me so I thought I'd just let everyone know, I'm absolutely fine. I feel a lot of pressure. I have been having contractions off and on for days, but nothing to get worked up over.
I do get quite a laugh from the comments I receive from strangers. My belly must be growing because I'm hearing a lot of things like, "When are you due?!" and "You look ready to pop!" Even Owen seems to have noticed a chance in recent days. He has asked more than once, "Your belly is huge. Is the baby going to come today?"
The baby will come, all in the Lord's timing. I am in no rush. Ever since my close friends and family heard I was dilated to 3 (that was ten days ago now) I've received lots of texts asking if I am in labor yet. No, not yet. God created my body and this baby and He knows the perfect timing for baby to be born.
Upon hearing that we still didn't have a name picked out, one of my closest friends said to me, "I don't know how you sleep at night!" I laughed. I am sleeping just fine, better now than I will be in a few weeks I suspect.

I don't know if I've made any progress or not. My next appointment is tomorrow morning.

Who knows? This may be my last pregnancy picture!

One Fish, Two Fish

2011-07-25T09:38:00.002-04:00

Owen is not the only fish we have in this family. Aubrey can't get enough of the water. Once her tube suit is on, she's off. She couldn't care less if she's the only one in the pool or not. She's very independent in the pool and I am loving the freedom I have to simply watch my children swim instead of always having to be in the water with them. She loves to jump in too! She goes under water with her suit on but it pops her right back up.
There's the other fish

The higher Daddy throws her, the better. She LOVES to be tossed around in the water and as soon as she catches her breath she screams, "AGAIN!"

Swimming with her friend, Evan.

Big Boy Milestones

2011-07-25T09:00:00.004-04:00

When my children were younger it was easy to recognize their milestones. They got their first tooth, took their first steps, began using the potty, etc. As they age sometimes milestones fly past me and I hardly notice them. Last night it hit me - Owen is growing so fast! He's not a toddler, he's a boy. A big boy. A kid. Some of these milestones are no longer new but I wanted to record them anyway. Some of the things he's doing now that makes me think he's so big are:
- Using adult toothpaste
- No longer wearing pajamas to bed, just underwear (if that doesn't make a kid seem old I don't know what does!)
- Using regular glasses and silverware as opposed to any kind of sippy cup or child size flatware.
- Swimming without the assistance of any kind of floatation device. This is his most recent and biggest milestone. He looks so big jumping off the diving board, swimming under water and in the deep end with children several years older than he is. I'm proud of him!
I didn't have my good camera with me when I took these pictures so they are a bit blurry. Owen loves it when we swim in the evening when Daddy is able to join us. They now like to do different tricks off the diving board together.

He's under. He's also swimming with his head under water as opposed to swimming like a dog.

He likes to RUN off the board.

Blueberries!

2011-07-24T22:07:00.003-04:00

Aubrey woke up Saturday morning begging for blueberry muffins. Since I didn't have any on hand I thought it would be a good time for us to go blueberry picking. Last year I took the kids picking when Aubrey was 11 months old. It was then that we discovered her obsession with blueberries. I posted about it here. Things have not changed. It was a very hot and humid day on Saturday and she was soaked with sweat after a couple of hours of picking. But she still had a great time. Ben, Owen and I picked close to 12 pounds worth of fruit. I can only imagine how much Aubrey ate. She was off on her own picking with both hands and shoveling it all into her mouth. NONE of her berries made it into the bucket. She even kept trying to sneak handfuls out of our buckets. She was as happy as could be out there in the bushes. Owen isn't a huge fan of blueberries but he worked really hard picking them. Despite the heat he never complained. He just worked and worked.

Unfortunately I forgot my camera so Ben took a few pictures with his phone. I saw several people point and giggle at the sight of Aubrey stuffing her face.
Hmmm . . . which bush should I eat from next?

Ben even took a picture of me out there (a joke from a previous post)

My hard working boy

I'm looking forward to blueberry muffins, pies, crisps, cobblers and frozen berries all winter long!

Pregnancy Update

2011-07-19T15:00:00.002-04:00

I saw my midwife again this morning. I have not dilated any further but the baby is continuing to drop and the head is fully engaged. And I have lost four pounds. Go figure.
My blood pressure is still looking good.
No swelling - hooray!
Total weight gain is 14 pounds.
Baby could come tomorrow . . . .or in two weeks.
Heart rate is in the low 150s.

I have a yard sale this weekend and a picnic on the calendar for next Tuesday so I'm hoping baby comes after that. Oh . . . and I still need a diaper bag and a name for sweetie #3.

The Guys Go Camping

2011-07-19T14:19:00.006-04:00

Ben and I camped every summer until we moved to Kentucky and had to put all of our gear in storage. Since our children came after we moved to Kentucky, they have never gone camping. Well that changed for Owen a couple of weeks ago when he went on his first camping trip with Daddy, his Uncle Jeff and his cousins. He had so much fun! He said he could camp forever. Ben told me that several times throughout the weekend Owen would say, "Thank you so much, Daddy for taking me camping!" I love his thankful heart.
I asked Ben to snap a few pictures of their trip so I could see all the fun they had. I was pleasantly surprised to find so many pictures on the camera when they got home. Here are a few:

Owen checking out the sleeping arrangements
The tent

Breakfast outdoors

Jumping on the sand dunes - it's Daddy's turn.

Going on a hike

More eating - it's what you do when you camp

Fishing

No fish were caught, but one of the boys caught this turtle.

Everyone took a turn holding the turtle.

Relaxing around the campfire.

Brenden with his Daddy

After they packed up camp they went putt putt golfing, rode go-karts and even splashed around on bumper boats. Owen had a great time driving his go-kart all by himself - until he crashed.

Brenden wanted to go on the zip line but then backed out. Ben went instead. I don't think he minded.

Brenden (almost 7), Owen (almost 4) and Cole (8).

I'm so glad these boys each have a good Daddy who is investing in them and raising them to be men. A weekend outdoors doing guy stuff without Moms and sisters around was just what they needed!

38 Weeks

2011-07-18T09:57:00.002-04:00

Two weeks until my due date! Even with temperatures in the nineties and a house without air conditioning I am in no hurry to have this baby! I am anxious to meet my little gift from God but I also know it's going to be harder to get the kids out and enjoying this summer weather when baby arrives.

At my 37 week appointment the baby was still head down and very low. My blood pressure was 110/60. Total weight gain is 18 pounds. I tested positive (again!) for strep. My doctor doesn't start checking for dilation until 39 weeks but I requested the midwife to check me anyway since I was pretty sure I was making some kind of progress. And so she did and I learned that I'm 50% effaced and dilated to 3. My next appointment is tomorrow. I'm curious if I've made any more progress. I'm feeling lots of pressure and some contractions, though they still feel like Braxton Hicks.

I cannot thank God enough for such a healthy pregnancy thus far. I do not take that for granted!

As you can imagine, I felt a sense of urgency to start preparing for baby's arrival after my last appointment. The swing, car seat and bouncy chair are now out and clean. I have a fresh sheet on the crib and my nursing cover has been washed and packed. The changing table is stocked with clean onesies and sleepers. I have plenty of wipes, but no diapers. I ordered them last week and they should be delivered by Wednesday. Once the baby is born I'll make a trip to my sister's house to pull out gender specific clothing. My hospital bag is packed except for the items I use on a daily basis. Camera batteries are charged. The only thing left to do is pack the kid's bags, hope I can get a hold of my in-laws when I go into labor and pray Ben keeps his phone on him over the next couple of weeks!

8th Anniversary

2011-07-18T09:10:00.002-04:00

July 12 was our 8th anniversary but we waited until this last Saturday to celebrate. We dropped the kids off at my sister's house on our way to Detroit where we had tickets to a Tiger's baseball game. We both love baseball and this is the first time we've ever gone to a game together. It was a hot night but we had seats in the shade which made it much more comfortable.

Yes, we were sweaty!

Baby #3 went to his/her first baseball game too!

After the game we enjoyed dinner together where we could talk without distraction or interruption. It was wonderful! The kids spent the night at their cousin's house so we got to sleep in the next morning and go out for donuts before church. We even grabbed lunch after church together before picking up the kids.

This was our first date in a long time and I'm sure it will be our last for some time with the coming arrival of our new baby. Getting away sure is refreshing and energizing though! We talked about some of our goals for our marriage and family. I'm so thankful for 8 wonderful years with my husband.

We tried to remember how we've celebrated our last anniversaries. This is what we remembered:

1st Anniversary: We went to Niagara Falls and Toronto and visited many tourist attractions

2nd Anniversary: We went out to dinner at Outback Steakhouse

3rd Anniversary: Our friend, Chris, treated us to an outdoor concert. That was a fun night!

4th Anniversary: I don't remember what we did to celebrate.

5th Anniversary: I don't remember what we did to celebrate but I enjoyed looking back on this post that I wrote in honor of it.

6th Anniversary: We left Owen for the first time and spent a few days in Gatlinburg. Great trip!

7th Anniversary: We went on a dinner cruise down the Ohio River.

Aubrey Rides a Roller Coaster

2011-07-11T11:38:00.003-04:00

We stopped at a carnival a local church was hosting on our way home from the softball game. When we arrived I got a phone call that I had to take. As I'm talking on the phone Ben let Owen ride a few rides. Then I noticed Aubrey ask Ben if she could ride this roller coaster. Of course not I'm thinking. They won't let her on. She's not even two! To my surprise, Daddy said yes and the man running the ride let her on. I tried to protest while talking on the phone. Although it didn't work Daddy did decide to appease me by requesting that Aubrey ride with an older child rather then sit alone. He asked a sweet girl if Aubrey could ride with her and the little girl agreed. She was very good to Aubrey. Our girl loved the ride, of course. She's almost fearless. The pictures make me laugh though since every other child on the roller coaster is at least five times her age.

Summer Softball

2011-07-11T11:18:00.003-04:00

Every week the kids and I head to the softball field to watch Daddy play. We look forward to it every week. It's so sweet to hear Owen and Aubrey cheer for their Daddy and their Uncle M.
During the game Owen likes to play with his own bat and ball. After the game he likes to run around the bases.

This wasn't posed. Owen took the initiative to lean up against Daddy and I thought it was so cute!

"Go Daddy, Go!"

Wilderness Trails Zoo

2011-07-11T10:51:00.004-04:00

We had a fun filled day about a week and a half ago. The kids and I met up with some friends and visited the Wilderness Trails Zoo. We then headed to Grandma's house for naps and ate dinner. Then we headed over to Daddy's softball game. We ended the night by going to a carnival and watching fireworks. The kids were exhausted by the time they got home, but we had a great time.

Here are a few pictures of our time at the Zoo. It was our first time visiting this Zoo. I was surprised to discover that there were more animals here than at the Children's Zoo. Aubrey petting a gigantic rabbit.
Feeding the goats

Even though we saw bears, lions, bobcats, goats, rabbits, emus, tigers, bison, porcupines, deer and so much more - the ducks seemed to be their favorite thing! They watched and fed them for quite some time.

Fireworks & the Difference Between 2 Children

2011-07-07T22:52:00.003-04:00

Friday night we decided to take the kids to see fireworks at a nearby church. It's just a couple miles from where we live, it wasn't on the exact holiday and therefore we could avoid the crazy crowds and heavy traffic. It worked out beautifully. We watched them with our good friends, Bill and Sabrina. We were the closest ones to the fireworks. We watched them on Bill's tailgate and he parked right up close. We had a great view. To my surprise the fireworks were fantastic! I honestly don't think it would have been worth it to go anywhere else, especially with young children. They lasted for a long time, they were loud, they were big and the finale was great.
I talked to Owen about the fireworks ahead of time. I warned him that they would be loud but only for a second until the next one goes off. He wasn't at all worried, just excited. He told me he would just cover his ears. Well, look below to see what happened and the reactions of my two kids:

Aubrey just stared in amazement. She later smiled and got excited. She was clearly impressed.
Owen freaked out. In his defense, he was standing off by himself without any one of us by his side. And I swear they started with what could have easily been considered the grand finale. For a long time the fireworks just popped one after another. We were so close and it was so loud that even though I was in Owen's face yelling as loud as I could so he could hear me, he didn't catch a single word. It was beautiful chaos. So what did I do? Well, I couldn't calm him down, he couldn't hear me, the fireworks weren't stopping so I continued to snap pictures.

Aubrey continued to watch without a care in the world even though it sounded like we were in the middle of a war.

And Owen continued to scream.

BUT . . . once the initial show was over, Owen was just fine. He ended up really enjoying the fireworks. In fact, he loved it. And when the REAL grand finale came, which was just as loud and crazy, he was absolutely pleased. In fact, he wanted more.

First Dentist Appointment

2011-07-07T13:01:00.002-04:00

Owen had his very first dentist appointment today and yes, I was *that* mom who brought the camera to snap a couple of pictures! He did great! If I had more time before the baby's due date I would have first taken Owen with me to an appointment to let him just observe. But we're down to crunch time so I just made his appointment and talked to him about it beforehand. He was a little apprehensive at first but he warmed up quickly opening his mouth really wide and sitting still as can be. I was proud of him. The dentist was great with him!

The Dentist said Owen's 20 teeth look great and that "somebody" is doing an excellent job brushing them. Owen was pretty excited about the new toothpaste and toothbrush he received at the end of the appointment and Aubrey was pretty upset that she didn't get one.

Playing Outdoors

2011-07-06T12:40:00.002-04:00

It was hard to get a good picture of Owen on the tire swing. Daddy pushes pretty high and fast, but Owen loves it.

Aubrey LOVES the trampoline. She makes me nervous sometimes when she jumps with bigger kids because she flops around like a rag doll, but she laughs the entire time.

July 4th

2011-07-06T12:11:00.004-04:00

We loaded up the van Saturday morning and spent the holiday weekend traveling to the west side of the state visiting with friends and family. We spent Saturday night with the Filceks. Ben met them during his college years when he worked at Camp Barakel during the summer months. They planted a church about two years ago and we enjoyed visiting their church Sunday morning. Our friends, Matt and Ashley, went with us. We had a good time.

Sunday night we met up with Jack and Kammy, Ben's college friends who were visiting Michigan. Jack is a pastor in New Jersey.

What an encouragement and a blessing it is so have so many friends in ministry who love Jesus Christ and are living their lives to reach others for Him! We are so thankful for conversations that revolve around spiritual things and friends that share our passion and love for Christ.

We spent Sunday night with Ben's Aunt and Uncle in Grand Rapids and Monday morning we headed over to Holland to spend the day with Ben's extended family. It was a gorgeous day complete with food, yard games, chatting, Lake Michigan, playing in the sand and swimming. I don't have any pictures of our time at the beach because my husband didn't want our camera anywhere near the sand. Here are just a couple of pictures from our day.

Little Miss America
You have to play the American game of baseball on America's birthday, right?

Daddy teaching Owen how to play Ladder Ball

Second Cousins - the only one missing is Bentley.