Mud

I am not the kind of Mom that falls to pieces when my kids get dirty. I enjoy watching my kids explore the world around them with wonderment. I laughed when in Arkansas after a long day of playing, Isaac's bath water would turn to mud as soon as he got in. That is why I didn't flip out when I found Isaac and Julia making their own mud puddle (or pond as Isaac called it!!) in the backyard. The kids have been playing in the sprinkler almost every afternoon. That is what they set out to do. When I went to check on them, Isaac had the sprinkler in the sandbox creating a flood of muddy sand. Julia was sitting right in the middle of it having a wonderful time. They had muddy sand EVERYWHERE!! What else could we do but laugh and enjoy the moment. When it was time to head inside, we just stripped the kids down and sprayed them off. The fun of the mud pit was well worth the effort it took to clean them up.

Wild Ride

Taking full advantage of our kid-free weekend (18th-20th - little behind with posting this), Gabe and I spent an entire day at Fiesta Texas. There is a reason we went. We are not complete roller coaster junkies. Fiesta Texas holds a special place in our hearts. Eight years ago this summer we went with some friends from church. It was a day of fun but also the day we really started to get to know one another. (something that can't be helped when you are waiting in line for an hour or more!!) I think we both started realizing our feelings for each other that day.



Then about 5 years ago (ok, almost 6) I took Gabe to Fiesta Texas for his 30th birthday because of this song titled Top of the Roller Coaster by David Wilcox.

Say good-bye to your twenties

Tomorrow is the "Big 3-0"

For my birthday present

I've got a place where we can go

It's a lesson in motion

To ride the wildest ride

We're gonna climb to the top of the roller coaster

And look down the other side



So let me ride in the front car

And you ride right behind

And I'll click my snapshot camera

At exactly the right time

Shoot back over my shoulder

Catch the fear no one can hide

When we tip the top of the roller coaster

And look down the other side

Over the hill



So when the prints come back

We can look at that unmistakable birthday fear

Like your younger days are over now

And its all down hill from here



It was a happy birthday

You surprised us all

So take a look at this glossy picture

I framed it for your wall

It's the moment of truth

It's the top of your youth

The camera don't lie

You might be screaming

But there's a meaning

In the laughter in your eyes

It seems to be saying

"Of coarse there will be fear"

But this is why we stand in line

Spend that time

Make that climb

To finally feel the other side

And it's all down hill from here



We're gonna climb to the top of the roller coaster

And look down the other side

That was a fun day, but even then we realized that our bodies couldn't handle certain rides. I LOVE roller coasters, so this was a little disheartening. Here we are 6 years later thinking we are going to be 'young' and carefree riding all the fast and furious coasters. Reality..... Gabe had a pounding headache and I was nauseous after the first ride. UGH! It didn't take us long to realize that we were going to have to slow things down a bit. We had to sandwich every roller coaster with a "ol' folk" activity like seeing a show or riding the Ferris wheel. It was pretty funny!!! No matter how sick we felt, we were determined to ride as many roller coasters as we could. We paid to get into this silly park, by golly, we were going to fulfill our amusement park destiny.We did and we felt even more sick. So much for that!! I have to say this, we had a lot more fun at the water park. The Texas Tornado was a blast. Maybe we should have just spent the day at Schlitterbaun instead. We learned our lesson, or at least I did...... load up on Dramamine before trying to do things like flip up side down and backwards while flying through the air.

The picture at the top is from the card that Gabe gave me for our anniversary. The tag line inside said, "Being with you is always a thrill". A roller coaster is a great example of what a marriage can feel like sometimes. Lots of ups and downs, but always filled with thrills and excited anticipation of what is coming up next. No I don't get nauseous on this "roller coaster", just thrilled to be riding this ride with my best friend. Hand in hand, ""we are going to climb to the top of the roller coaster, and look down the other side" . Here is to the rest of the ride, Gabe. I love you 1st!

Playing with Papa

My kids get all kinds of good loving from their Papa. Gabe is an awesome Dad to Isaac and Julia. They adore him. He knows how to be fun and silly, yet is firm and in charge. I am so blessed to be married to a man that our children can look up to and follow. Today, Gabe had the day off and spent some time just playing (or 'wrassling' I should say) with the kids.

Yo, Wuzzzz Up?!

Sportin' the "Ma Hat" backwards! What a cutie!!

Cute pictures I forgot to Post!

While Isaac was away, Julia had the rule of the roost! Though she asked for Isaac from time to time, I think she enjoyed playing uninterrupted. Here are a few pictures of her from the last few weeks.....

"Ha, ha..... I'm taking over Isaac's bike and you can't stop me!"



"Shhhhhh..... Please don't tell Isaac I was on his bike!!"



Special Delivery



Waiting and watching for Papa to come home



Little Mommy - giving her baby a bath!

FUSION Game Night

Tuesday nights Gabe and I lead small group Bible studies for the FUSION group (college/early career/young adult/singles....... how many descriptions do you want?!!) Both the guys and girls are between studies right now so we decided to make it a co-ed game night. Funny thing is by the end of the night all the guys were at one table playing Settlers of Catan (my new favorite game) and the girls were in the living room playing Catch phrase. The girls had way more fun than the guys - for sure!!! Good times!!

Reunited and it Feels So Good!!!

My sweet children are finally home!!!! Life is as it should be now! Gabe and I thoroughly enjoyed our kid-free weekend, but we sure missed Isaac and Julia. As soon as I saw Isaac, he ran and jumped into my arms. He told me he missed me all the way up to Pluto and back. Awwww! Julia was all smiles and kept repeating, "I missed you Momma"!! Isaac was so funny as we were driving home. As we got closer to Schertz he kept saying things like "Oh, I remember this street", "I remember this tree", etc. He acted as though he had been gone forever and expected things to be different. I am sure that 3 weeks is a long time for a four year old. So glad they are home. I am off to love on my kids!!

July 21, 2001

Has it really been 7 years already?! I know this is a cliche but it feels just like it happened yesterday. I am blessed to be married to my best friend. The one I can tell anything. The one I trust completely. The one I laugh with. The one I share inside jokes with. The one who fathers our children with gentleness and love. The one I can completely be myself around (and he still loves me!!) Our love and friendship has grown deeper with each passing day. It is exciting that we have this after only 7 years. I can only imagine how much our love will deepen in the coming years. I love you Gabe! Happy Anniversary!

My Boy

I haven't seen Isaac for 8 days now! I did okay during the first few days, now I am aching to see him again. I miss my boy! It will be very difficult to see him on Thursday for a few hours and then hand him off to my Mom along with my sweet little girl. Ugh - why did we decide to do this?!! Oh yeah, time together just the two of us, Gabe and I. We plan to spend this weekend celebrating our 7th anniversary (21st). I look forward to the fun we will have, but man oh man do I miss my kids, and Julia isn't even gone yet!!

Betty sent more pictures of Isaac today. He has been one busy little boy this past week. I am sure that when he gets home he is going to be extremely bored with "everyday life"!! Here are some cute pics of my sweet Isaac.

Boxes

We did a lot of this today!! My goal while Isaac is gone is to tackle the mountain of boxes that now need to be unpacked. Problem is, we have moved some furniture around and the things in those boxes no longer have "homes". We are going to have to be creative with our storage solutions!!

Julia had a grand time playing in all of the empty boxes.



The more I unpacked, the more stuff she could get into. It was like Christmas came early!! I also did some switch-a-roos in the kids' rooms. Julia now has a big girl bed (toddler bed). No more crib! Awwww---sniff, sniff!! Isaac will be moving into a twin soon as well. Wish they would just quit growing up so fast!
Yes, I am fully aware that this is my third post for the day!! "Hi, my name is Cheryl, I am addicted to blogging!!"

Lost and Found

Julia's beloved "Baby" has come out of hiding!!! She has been "hiding" for almost 2 weeks now. We told Julia it was just hiding, not lost. Every other day or so, Julia would ask where Baby was hiding. I found "Baby" in the front pocket of a backpack. Apparently Julia decided to pack the day we were getting ready to go to Arkansas. I could of swore I looked through that bag.

Surprisingly Julia was okay with Baby's disappearance. She has loved on that bunny like nothing else. It got us through colic!! When it went missing, I chose not to be upset about it. I think that helped Julia adjust to it being gone. I learned my lesson when Isaac's Bear went missing. I flipped out. Not pretty. I am very sentimental person, so when these sentimental things go missing, I can't help but be upset. However, God has taught me a lesson. These "lovies" are just things and I have my children safe and healthy. Why waste a day with worry over a missing " cuddle friend"?!

When I found her bunny, Julia immediately swept up "Baby" and hugged her. She is now pushing her in the stroller. Sweet to see them reunited!!

Word to the wise for all those Mommies that have young ones forming an attachment to something....... get two!! You never know when it will go missing!!

Sleeping Beauty

So, what has Julia been up to in the absence of her brother?...........



Playing herself to sleep!!!!! Well, to be completely honest, Julia actually laid down to protest a "No" she was given. Sometime during her pout, she drifted off to dream land. It was pretty funny. When Julia is tired, she could sleep anywhere!!

With Isaac gone, Julia has played really well by herself. It is odd to me to not hear bickering during play time. Kinda nice! It has been great to spend some quality one on one time with Julia during this time while Isaac is gone. We even went on a Mother-Daughter date the other day. As much fun as we are having, she still wakes up asking about Isaac and says when we get in the van, "Time to get Isaac?". I know she misses her brother. Only 4 more days until we get to see him again!!

Toys

Raise your hand if you are tired of me posting yet another batch of pictures of Isaac's Adventures at Ma and Pa's. Well tough..... here they are anyway. I wanted to include Betty's email as well to explain what they have been up to. ( she is a pretty entertaining writer!!)

Dears,

Everyone said I was crazy for keeping the boys' toys. Maybe. We carted them around for twenty plus years. They spent many quiet hours in hot attics and storage rooms. But, these pics are proof that all was not done in vain--Isaac is playing with and enjoying his Dads' and uncles' toys. In fact, he wants to take them home. Got room for them, Cheryl? Just kiddin!

I haven't gotten to the box yet with the Lincoln logs--he keeps reminding me, too. It was a gymnastic event for me getting to the big box behind heavy equipment, chairs, tables, junk of every description, but being the dedicated Ma I am, I put on my sweat band, tennies, bug repellent, wasp/hornet spray and ventured where no sane person would go. I lifted, drug, rolled, tugged, perched atop barriers, sprayed hornet nests, and finally managed to make it to the light with a very large box. Isaac and I, neither knowing for sure what was in the box, cut through the thick tape to reveal the treasures of another era, dusty, rusty, bent, tattered and wholly playable. I worked for 30 mins. to transform a transformer--phooey, lost my touch--couldn't do it. Don't have a clue what it was before the transformation began nor what great thing it was destined to become. That toy is caught up in that place called "in-between land"; a place where all transformers live when they are abandoned mid-transformation. They are neither here nor there. Somewhere in that storage building is another very large box with several more Transformers. I always enjoyed those toys. By the way, did you see the movie "Transformers?" Really a great movie!

Isaac is enjoying these particular toys, but the really great stuff is still buried below boxes I cannot lift.

At this very moment Isaac is more enchanted by the fudge brownies that just came out of the oven. We are dickering over the amount that he can have before supper. I started with one, he countered 4; I countered 1 1/2; he countered 2; I countered 1; he settled for one hot brownie. I used threats, my size and intimidation to over-dicker him. We'll both pig out after supper--brownies on homemade vanilla Blue Bell is incredible.

Ma

Ok, that just looks like fun. I wanna play!!!

More pics from AR

Betty sent a few more pictures of Isaac. Looks like he is in "hog heaven" (such a country bumpkin thing to say!!) When you are in or even near Arkansas the hick just oozes out. For example, when we were driving up to Arkansas last week, Isaac started talking about going hunting. Gabe mentioned that he would have to wait for "winner" (translation..... winter) Funny thing is, we had just crossed the border in Texarkana. I had fun giving Gabe a hard time over that one!!

Here is Isaac riding the tractor with Pa. He LOVES to ride the tractor. Makes him feel like a big boy, helping out on the farm.


Here he is helping with the porch decking. Notice the two shirts he is wearing in the blazing heat. Don and Betty said he woke up that morning and insisted on wearing two shirts. Why? you might ask. Isaac told them he wanted to do that just like his Papa. Betty said they tried all day to get him to shed one of the shirts, but nope not my boy. He stuck to his decision. Have I mentioned that he is strong-willed. Hard to change his mind.

I am missing him more and more as the days go by. Don't think he is missing us much though. I tried to talk to him on the phone yesterday, but he was too busy to talk. I think Julia got the longest conversation out of him.

Isaac, if you are reading this...... I love you very much sweet boy and I will see you next week!!

Isaac at Ma and Pa's

Dear Momma and Poppa,

Here I am eating pancakes that I made with red, yellow, and green food colors. Yummy! Then I built a kitty house at the back porch because I like kitties and sometimes they like me.

Ma says she's having a ball with me.

Love,

Isaac

(can you find Isaac in this picture?!)



(Finally caught a kitten!)

Isaac didn't come home with us yesterday. He is staying with Ma and Pa for a little over a week. He couldn't wait for us to leave so he could stay there all by himself. Such a big boy thing to do, you know!! I shed a tear or two when it was time to say good-bye. I promise that I only cried for a few minutes. Then when we got home Gabe said, "Do you realize that our son is over 500 miles away?" Thanks Gabe - rub it in! Though I miss my boy like crazy, I am delighted that he gets this time with Betty and Don. He will never forget this summer. After his stay in Arkansas, I will take him directly to my parents for a few days. That means Isaac will be away from our house a total of 13 days!! I will keep you updated on all of Isaac's Adventures in Arkansas!!

Family Reunion

We just got back from Arkansas last night. It was truly a blessing to see the Landes family. Every time we leave we are saddened with the reality of how far apart we all live. Maybe one day we will be able to move closer to one another!!

We didn't see much of Isaac once we got there. Arkansas is definitely a boy's paradise! He was constantly covered from head to toe in filth. One night I put him in the tub and as soon as I did the water immediately turned brown. We laughed and told him that the more dirt you have on you at the end of the day means the more fun you have had!! Aunt Phyl gave Isaac a pair of overalls. He wore them almost everyday. Wanted to be 'Farmer Isaac'! Julia also got a pair. She was delighted to be 'Farmer Julia' and requested to ride the tractors. Four wheelers would have to do though. And let me tell you, they both did a ton of four wheeler riding as well as golf cart riding. Basically, if it has wheels they were on it!!

We got to see our sweet nieces and brand new nephew at the reunion. Savannah is just a bit younger than Julia and will turn 2 in August. Sarabeth is 8 months old. And Gavin (Savannah's baby brother) is only 1 month old. It was a delight to see all the kids play together. Sweet memories!!

Here are some pictures from this weekend.

Trend Setter

Don't mess with her fashion choices!

This girl has quite a unique "style"!

Julia refused to take off her new sunglasses
the other day. She would have slept in them
if I would have let her!

Don't we all a picture like this....
Little one in Daddy's shoes!
Julia loves to try on Papa's boots!


"Who cares if they are 3 sizes too big,
roughed up and dirty.....
they are big brother's
and I must wear them!"

Just realized that we have quite a few pictures of Julia without her shorts on. Can you say 'potty training'? Well, sort of. We are giving it a mild effort. I am just not as anxious to get this potty training done like I was with Isaac. Of course, I am not expecting a new baby like I was when Isaac was two, and I am twice as busy now with two little munchkins running around.

What is that strange stuff?

Oliver spent the afternoon with paws propped up on the windowsill curious about the strange happenings outside. It has been awhile since it has rained around here. What a blessing! We truly needed the rain. After some pretty loud thunder I went to check on Isaac. He was standing at the window and said his insides jumped around when he heard the thunder. He has lately been very frightened of tornadoes. Not that we have any around here, but he is certain that every time it storms or the wind blows, there is a tornado coming our way. What is sweet about it all is that he has learned to pray to God when he is afraid and he often tells me that he has asked God to take the "scaries" away. So after the thunder and lightening passed, we couldn't let this precious rainy day go to waste. Isaac and Julia had a grand time playing in the rain.

This picture was taken just a few minutes before the following two pictures. One minute they are arguing and the next they are loving on each other. I love Isaac's protected embrace of his little sister. So Sweet!