Christmas

What a beautiful Christmas we had this year. Eli came down to our room in the early morning. I got the breakfast casserole in the oven just before he came down. We read our story of the baby Jesus being born, ate breakfast and then we began celebrating Baby Jesus' birthday, too!! Mommy got a new camera- I'm going to try to download some of the cool video I got- but here are a few pics to start us out :)

We had a blast in the morning. I finished up the cookies- Eli was such a big help, washing and helping cut out all the shapes,


And, of course, cleaning off the spatula :)
Then Eli and Papa got all bundled up and headed out doors.

Papa got the old snowmobile running, so the boys went for a ride while I finished gathering our items for that evening.

What a blast they had!!

Here is Mama Snowman, Eli snowman and Papa Snowman- Good work!!!

We headed over to Mamaw and Papaw's then to have Christmas Eve dinner with the family. It was nice to relax and spend time together- it's the first time in over 10 years that Tim and I haven't had to head off for the services at church that we were always in. This year we were able to just go with family and relax and enjoy our time. It was very nice.

Then back to Mamaw and Papaw's to open presents- and, as Eli says, to celebrate Jesus's birthday some more!!

Here are all the grandchildren on Tim's side of the family. We missed our opportunity for the family shot- but at least got the kids :)

Even Baka got in on the festivities with us!!

My Brother-in-law, Scott, surprised and blessed all of us this year with some portrait sketches he did. We were all touched and deeply moved- what talent God has given this man!! Eli's picture is now on our wall- isn't it amazing?

All in all, it was a fabulous Christmas Eve- there was peace in the house and we had a lovely time together- till way late!! Eli and Wes got involved in the new Hamburger factory Playdoh kit, and even Chey played with them for a little while. We got Eli nestled in bed around 10:30 that night- with no nap- and surprisingly- no major meltdowns, either!!

Christmas morning, Tim was able to take the first few hours off so we were able to have breakfast together. Then he took off for work and Eli and I started getting everything ready for going to visit my Mom and Dad and family in PA. We soon were ready, got everything loaded up for our evening visit to the fire department in Whitehall where Papa was working (we were heading up to have Christmas dinner with him and the crew). We drove across the drive way and....

Eli was fast asleep :) He slept the whole way to the fire department (about an hour) and was able to have much more fun through the rest of the evening.

Of course, after dinner, we had to go check out the engines and the medics and all the tools. Eli loves to name all the equipment and pretend to be a firefighter.

As before, I am hoping I can download my video from my new camera onto blogger.... Stay tuned.....

On the way home, I was hoping to get Eli to drift off to sleep, so I could carry him to bed and not have any struggle. The night before, I started telling him the Christmas story, and he was asleep before I got to the shepherds.

So, I thought, I'll just pick up where I left off and keep on going. Only problem was, he never fell asleep!! we went through the wisemen, apprenticeship to be a woodworker and make things like Papaw, to learning and growing closer to God, to him staying behind in Jerusalem when he was Cheyenne's age to teach the elders, to the baptism, ministry, the men that were jealous because Jesus spoke with such authority and really seemed to know God, to the trial, the cross, the burial, the resurrection. He was really listening- at one point he said, "Wait, Mommy, back up. Explain the cross to me again. They put baby Jesus on the cross?"

No, I assured him. Baby Jesus was loved and cherished by his Mommy and Papa. It wasn't until he was much older, and I quickly went through the story again to give the time perspective.

I finally got some of the questions answered and turned on some quiet music. He was just about to drift off when I realized the song was singing about the cross.

"The Cross, Mommy, the Cross!! They are singing about the cross!! Can you tell me about the Cross again??"

May we always remember, Baby Jesus, just what you gave up when you came to Earth for me. (plural- each and every one of us can put our name here)

Merry Christmas Everyone!!

Here is a short clip from my new camera of Elisha opening up his camera- enjoy!!

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Visit with Grandma

I was getting pretty desperate to see Grandma. So, around the middle of December, Eli and I called Grandma, packed an over night bag and headed over to Indiana. We only stayed for a few meals, but it was soooo wonderful to just spend some time with her.


Here she is wrestling Eli down on the couch. We had so much fun, wrestling, playing, talking...






Playing Kitty cat together, with him hiding behind Grandma and peeking out. Can't wait to come see Grammalot again!!!

Santa at the FD

We had a lovely Christmas dinner at the Newton Township Fire Dept this year. The Aux did a great job- the decorations and food were wonderful!!

Tim had to work that day, but the rest of the kids and family were able to be there. And then, after the food, the fun and the fellowship..... Santa arrived!! Eli was so excited!! Even more so, when Santa called out Eli's name first!!


He scrambled up on Santa's lap and began talking a mile a minute. I heard him saying something about how he saw Santa on Caillou.


Santa gave him his present- how amazing that he seems to be able to do that all the time- find just the right gift!! Eli and I think he must talk to Jesus, too, to be able to find out what we have been asking for. He got a really cool VTECH toy that teaches how to write letters, numbers and small words.

When Santa asked Eli what he wanted for Christmas, I almost jumped up and down clapping my hands. He said, "I want a camera. A real one, like Mommy's that takes pictures." Isn't it wonderful to know that the present you purchased and have wrapped under the tree is just what your child is requesting- before they even tell you?

It was pretty exciting to have Eli's cousins there, as well.
Here is Cheyenne getting her gift from Santa.

And here is Wesley. I think he was getting a little nervous- Santa saw several kids left and his bag looked pretty empty- he mentioned coal..... But all was not lost- and Wesley breathed a sigh of relief as he perched on Santa's lap and received his gift.
Lauren, Eli's older cousin also got a turn to tell Santa what she wanted him to bring to her on Christmas eve.

You have a beautiful voice..

When Eli is in a whining mode- everything comes out in that most annoying whining 3 year old voice- I often take him aside and tell him that I am so glad that God gave him a beautiful voice. Then I tell him I really don't care much for the whining voice, but I would love to hear him use that beautiful voice that God gave him.

I mentioned that I have not been feeling well lately. The latest episode snuck in under the radar last weekend, robbing me of my voice and energy. I was afraid it was strep and pneumonia, so was much relieved to find out my lungs were clear, I just had tracheitis. Yup, my trachea was swollen, raw and painful. My voice was pretty much non- existent.

(I'd just like to mention at this point that I am really looking forward to having my tonsils removed on December 30. So, as you all are reading and sharing our journey with us- I'd love to have you praying for good health up to that point so I can have the surgery done, easy surgery and a smooth recovery time.. Thank you in advance!!)

Imagine my surprise during this time when all I could eek out was a hoarse whisper, and Eli came around the corner island of the kitchen and said, "Mommy, you have a beautiful voice," in such a sweet tone.

Then, as he stomped his little foot, he said, "Now please use it!!"

Isn't it nice, at times, to know that your children really are listening? Have I mentioned lately how much I love that little guy? It is overwhelming at times.

I thought I loved greatly when I was growing up. Then I met and married Tim and was amazed at how much and how quickly that love began to grow and blossom.

I thought I loved greatly as a wife. Then I pulled Eli onto my lap for the first time, and my whole world shifted, cracking down barriers to love that I didn't even know existed. The world had more color, the sounds were sweeter (and louder :)) the smells quite different. There was a whole new world opened to me.

As each new phase of my journey in life begins and I look back and realize how much deeper my love becomes, I am more awed than ever at how much God loves us. As we begin to celebrate the Christmas season, reflecting on all that happened in the life of Jesus, his earthly mom and dad, I find it takes on all new perspectives seen through this filter of new glimmers of what complete love feels like.

Thank you for the amazing gift of Christmas!! I can't imagine the love you must have for us that you would be willing to suffer so much, just to insure we can spend eternity with you. WOW!! I guess I could say You have a beautiful voice- please help me to listen better as You use it :)

Happy Advent!!

The Fox and The Hound

A bizarre thing happened the other day. We had taken dinner to the fire station, and there was a fellow coworker that had some pups. He named them after the dogs from the movie The Fox and the Hound. I remembered seeing that in some older discs we found, remembered it being a cute movie, so I thought Eli and I could watch it. It was the night we were setting up the tree, a few weeks ago.

Sleeping Beauty was on before that on the disc, so I had almost lost him. As the Fox and the Hound started, I began asking him things about the movie, trying to draw him in so we could watch it together.

In the opening scene, you are going through the woods, through brush and over growth and you hear dogs barking in the distance. Then a lovely, graceful fox comes bursting through the pic carrying a little one in her mouth. She stops at a fence post and takes a second to nuzzle her baby and after a quick kiss, she is off.

Eli and I were watching- and I commented on how much she loved her little baby.

Then she jumps over the ridge, out of sight..... and gets shot.

Eli's little lip began to quiver and he said, "What happened to the mama?"

I told him she had been shot by the hunter.

He came over to me, tears beginning to well up in his little eyes, lip trembling, and said, "Mommy, why do there have to be hunters? When is his mommy coming back?"

So we watch a little more, but he is now glued to my side. We talked about how God provides- the wonderful older widowed lady comes out and finds him and raises him. He meets the basset hound next door and they become friends.

Then, after going away for on the hunt training for the winter, the dogs come back and now the fox and the hound are enemies.

As the widow was driving away, taking the fox to the nature preserve to keep him from being hunted by her neighbor, we had to turn the movie off.

She was driving, remembering how much she loved having this little fox in her life, and he became aware of how sad she was the further they drove.

Eli jumped into my arms, beginning to cry.

When she told him to stay, and drove away in the rain, Eli's little heart broke. The dam burst and he was literally wailing.

"No!!!! That is not right- she can't leave him. Mommy!!!! Why is she leaving him!!!! She can't leave him!!!"

So, I turned off the movie and we sat and held each other for quite a long time until he finally calmed down. Then the rest of the evening, he didn't want me out of his sight- and preferred to be touching me.

OK- so no matter what rating The Fox and the Hound had before, from a adoptees standpoint- not very good until they are much older. I still cry when I think of his heart-wrenching little sobs. It had been so long since I had seen it..... WOW!!

Thank you, God, for my tenderhearted little guy, for putting him in our lives and picking us to be his parents. Please help us and guide us as he grows so we can be the parents he needs providing the support he needs to grow and spread his wings fully!! Thank you, GOD!!

Fall

Well, the fall has flown by. I have been pretty ill for the last few months- trying to get everything straightened out so I can have my tonsils taken out at the end of the month. Hoping that improves things a bit. So, I'm not quite up to exercising with Tim tonight, but feel up to writing, or at least updating some photos for Eli's blog.

Tim has had Eli much more this fall, at least since September. I began covering a maternity leave at the store I used to work at in October- so it has been Eli and Papa 2-3 days a week. Tim got the garage doors up, and some other work done on the barn. I made it home one day before dark and caught Eli playing with Papa in the garage.

He wants to help in everything we are doing :)


It amazes me how much this photo looks like one we have of Tim's niece, Lauren when she was that age!!

Here he is wearing Tim's big gel knee pads. We had to strap them on really tight to keep them up :)
Here he is backing his back hoe loader over a "road" he made from some scrap lumber. He is getting really good with the spacial relations, backing and driving his "heavy machinery."

Here he is designing and setting up roads.

I was amazed that day to see 2 school buses stopping each other on the road in front of our house. The one on the right is dropping of my niece and nephew. It got delayed by a fallen tree- so it came over the ridge just as the second bus was headed this way. Too funny out in the country!! There are only 2 buses that come this way :)

Eli was invited to a birthday party at the pumpkin patch. They had several places set up you could take pictures at. I love this one- thanks to Paula, my sister-in-law, for taking some pics of us together. Eli just asked me the other day where the pictures of me were? I told him I was behind the camera :)

He wasn't so sure what to think of the petting zoo they had set up. The quick jab touch was about all he felt comfortable with.



Then came pumpkin painting time. He did a great job painting. We ended up cooking his pumpkin the day before Thanksgiving. I was concerned I might not have enough for a pie.... hehe- I made 2 deep dish pumpkin pies, 2 pumpkin rolls and a batch of pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. Yummy!!

Look at the concentration as he painted away!!

This tube was tricky- it was actually quite smooth. We had difficulty climbing it- we did it several times with me coming behind Eli, giving him pushes when he started sliding backwards.

We went on a hayride around the farm. I am always amazed when you take the picture yourself without looking through the viewfinder and it actually turns out well.

Eli even got to sit up on the tractor after we got back from the hay ride. What a great day he had!! Thanks for including us in your celebration, Mozena's and happy birthday again to Logan!!

I mentioned exercising. Tim and I have been exercising- trying to get in shape- well, I'm trying and Tim is getting buff!! He's already lost over 20 pounds and built endurance and flexibility and strength that is amazing. I'm just trying. Anywho, Eli has been playing with our exercise bands. He put them on his feet, like I showed him. Then he decided he likes them like this- and calls them his firefighter suspenders.... Cracks us up!!

We put out our lights early this year, taking advantage of not freezing our buns or our fingers off. Here is a sweet picture of Eli handing Papa the light string. He is starting to catch the excitement we all share.

A little excitement, a lot of oneryness.....

I got some mouthwash at the store the other day. It is actually for children above 6- but Eli loves it. You put it in your mouth before brushing, swishing around for about 30 seconds, then spit out. It is a dye- bright blue. It colors plaque and food in the teeth. We have some flossers he loves, and we are finding how necessary they are, as he has several tight contacts already with his little teeth.

So the other day, as we were discussing getting ready for bed, it took us a second to determine that he was asking if he could use "wash mouth" before brushing his teeth. I am so delighted to see him starting such good habits so young- I'm sure his Grandpa will be thrilled- he drilled it into us as children. I don't think we were as easy in this regard as Eli has been- of course we didn't have wash mouth and cute little Plackers to remove plaque.....


We went to my cousin's wedding a couple of weekends ago- and he just had to have some sunglasses. So I let him wear the old pair I had in the car. He promptly fell asleep- why is it we love these sleeping pics so much?

Mom and Dad got some video of him singing Old McDonald- If I can get that, I'll post it here....

Between the wedding and the reception, we went to a McDonalds in Camden, OH. It was amazing!!! I can't believe it!! The play area was larger than the store. They had a little bit of everything. I wish I could have gotten some photos of Eli playing with his cousin, and then Tim climbing all over the jungle gym with Eli. At the reception, we sat down close to the back. He was a bit on the "I'm tired and if I sit I may fall asleep, so I'm going to run til I drop" kind of mood. They asked the father of the groom to say the prayer.

Eli promptly bows his head, fold his hands, says, "Thank you, Jelas, for the food. In Jesus name, amen."

He looks around- unfortunately, his prayer was much shorter than the formal prayer. We sat there for a few more seconds, and he looked at the couple to our left. "It's OK, " he said to them, tapping them on the arm. "You can open your eyes now. I'm done."

About a week before Thanksgiving, he woke up early and was yelling something to us from his bedroom. I went out to find out what was wrong.

Thanksgiving this year was fun. We celebrated with Tim's extended family on his Mom's side the Sunday before Thanksgiving and with Tim 's parents on Thanksgiving day. What a great time of year to remember all that we have to be thankful for. So many times it helps to put it into perspective.

"Mommy, can I open my gate and wake up now?" he asked, as he proceeded to open his gate and come on down the steps. So much for making sure we know where he is while we sleep.....We have left the gate up, so we can at least hear when he opens the gate....
Tim ordered some new boots the other day. They came while he was at work. Eli wanted to open Papa's "present." So, we did- and then he proceeded to try on Papa's new socks and boots. Here is the pic we sent to Papa so he could see his new boots.

If you look at our tree in the background- you'll see the popcorn/cranberry garland. Eli and I worked on that the other day. I was pretty impressed. I gave him a sharp needle, and he did quite a bit by himself. He preferred the cranberries. They went on a lot easier than the popcorn. He kept putting his head in the pop corn bowl, grabbing a piece and eating it saying he was Baka... what great imaginations children have :)

I can't believe it has been a whole month (almost) since I last posted. So many things, so little time...
Last night, I got home from work, we ate a late dinner and I took Eli up to his bathroom to get a bath and prepare for bed. He wanted to take a shower in mommy's bathroom downstairs, so decided he was going to wail and scream/cry the whole time I was bathing him. By the time we finished (and it was uber-quick!!) I had a headache that was just about to split my head.

I looked at him and said, "Eli, let's play a game- lets see how quiet we can be for a few minutes... super quiet. "

He calmed down and looked at me. "Why?" he loudly asked, as most 3 year-olds are want to do.

The truth popped out- "Because Mommy has a super bad headache, and I think if we can be super quiet for a few minutes, it will feel better. "

My son displayed his compassionate little heart at this point- all thought about why he was crying left, and he looked at me, came closer, laying his hands on my head.

"I will pray for your head, Mommy. OK?" He said so sweetly.

"Sure, Sweetie," I said. "That would be great!!"

So, with his hands on my head, he began.... "Dear God...."

He paused, opened his eyes and looked at me very closely.

"Where does it hurt, Mommy?"

I took his little cool hand and placed it on my head, just above my left temple region, and he began again. "Dear God, please make Mommy's head feel better and take away her headache. In Jelus name, Amen. "

He looked immediately at me and asked if I was starting to feel better. I told him I was a little, and I knew it would be gone soon. He then asked about our youth pastor, Lonnie, who we have been praying for over the last few weeks.

Thank you, God, for moments like these where I feel like maybe he is getting it-figuring out what it means to have that close relationship with you. I pray you continue to lead and guide Tim and me as we travel this incredible journey of parenthood You have blessed us with !!

God Bless You

Elisha and I had a good day today. He is feeling better each day- and today we discussed being mean- and how it is not very nice. The day went much better after that.

It was really quite pleasant all around.

Tonight as I was rocking him before bed, he was snuggling in close and we were discussing clocks. He can't wait till tomorrow when we are going to learn more about clocks like they did on Betsy's Kindergarten Adventures.

I tucked him in, hugging and kissing on him, loving him as much as I could. I leaned over and gently brushed the hair from his forehead. "Good night, Sweetie. God bless you!!" I gently said.

"Why you say that, Mommy? I not cough. You suppose to say 'Good night. I love you' and leave."

I had to laugh. Everything is so concrete to a 3 year old, and nothing has more than one meaning. Of this they are quite sure!! I guess he only knows "God bless you" as something you say after a person sneezes or coughs. *grin*

Not so sweet, please

We have diluted Eli's juices since we started giving them to him. Even more so when that was all he wanted- maybe 15% juice, the rest water. The only thing we haven't diluted has been the milk he drinks.

So, I guess it should come as no surprise that the pedialyte is too sweet for him. "Yucky," he says, screwing up his face as he takes a sip. "May I please have more Gatorade, Mommy? I don't like that.... It is nasty."

Wonderful to know that I haven't corrupted him too much with my own sweet tooth, and quite thankful to see that he isn't in desperate need of drinking lots of Pedialyte. Tim and I both tasted it- it's really good- it has a "smoother" consistency than juice or water, must be the electrolytes in it.

Thanking God that his fever seems to be broken, finally, and he is more ornery and mean than ever. Hoping the mean part goes away SOON!! :) But happy to see him have energy to do more than just sit there :)

Thank you, God, for your healing touch on us all!!

Why?

We thought he might not do it. Thought maybe he was past the age. But over the last week, he has discovered the word "why" and is using it non stop.

Last night as he was barfing all over, I was holding him, wiping his little face, praying for and with him, and saying I was so sorry he was sick.

"Why am I sick Mommy?" he said.

"Because a little virus got into your body and God designed your body to be able to get rid of it as quickly as possible."

"But why, Mommy? Why do I feel so sick? Why does my head hurt?"

I gently explained that viruses get into your body several ways. One way is when you touch everything around you and then put your fingers in your mouth, as we had been asking him not to do.

"But why, Mommy?"

I guess there will always be more "whys" than there are good answers....

Fever back this morning, but does seem to stay down with the tylenol and motrin on board. Thank you, God, for a good night's sleep for us all!!

The sacred snuggling hours

We had a first today, though I guess it really started last night.

Eli was diagnosed with Bronchitis the day after Tim, they both did their antibiotics simultaneously and finished last week. Since he has finished, we've still been watching closely as Eli has had a very low grade temp. All the swine flu scare going around, I guess.

Tim was working, so Eli and I headed upstairs. Only last night, instead of the rocker, where we have rocked to sleep, or at least calm, since he came home, he wanted to lay on the big bed in the room and snuggle before I tucked him in.

With me.

For several minutes.

Yeah!! I never thought I would have him want to do that!!

So today the day starts out like any other. He's a little more whiny, but not too bad. Lunch time came around and Tim came home as we were finishing lunch... When I realized he was acting really sleepy and had only eaten a few bites of lunch, which is super unusual for him.

He was laying his head over on me and his eyes were really droopy. And then, my little guy who has been fighting naps with everything he has in him, and struggling to stay awake now for several months during nap time, meekly said he wanted me to come up and cuddle with him and he wanted to take a nap.

So, up we went. Oh how incredibly wonderful it felt to have his sweet little body laying on me as he totally relaxed and fell asleep. I've heard others talk about the precious weight of their child on their chest, slumbering softly as you feel each breath and watch them rise with yours.

I lay there in one part of my mind basking in this brand new experience, the other praying fervently for this sweet little very hot body laying on me to cool down and feel better.

After putting him down in his crib and sneaking downstairs for a few minutes, he started crying for me. He wanted to be with me, snuggling on the big bed for his nap. So we lay down for a few more minutes and then he decides it is time to wake up. "Wake up time", he announces, as he jumps up and turns off the fan and turns on the light.

So downstairs we go, and a few minutes later he comes over to me and wants to be held.

By me.

And then he puked. All over the two of us. And puked again, and again, and again. Poor little guy!! Thank you God for a husband with a strong stomach who could clean up the floor while Eli and I got cleaned up!!

The praying was pretty intense over the next several hours. He didn't want me to leave his side. His fever soared to 101.3 and he lay listless and lethargic, only wanted me to hold and at least touch him if he wasn't in my arms. What a scary time!! Several changes of clothing, blankets and towels later, I held him close praying he would keep down the tylenol I finally was able to get up and give to him. He fell asleep in my arms and I just held and prayed for this little boy acting so abnormally in my arms. I don't like him being sick!!

And then, suddenly, about 7pm, he gets up and says he is hungry and wants to eat with us. I was rather concerned- since he was even puking up the gatorade we were giving him. But he sat and ate some saltines, drank some more diluted gatorade and acted as if nothing was wrong.

AKA he no longer really wanted anything to do with me ~ *grin* lol. So, I guess we moms enjoy the snuggling while we can, praying for it to end quickly so our little tykes can be healthy and "normal" again, cherishing being able to love our child freely without them pulling away from us.

Thank you God for such a speedy answer to prayers!!

I am thanking God now, Eli just went to sleep. I'm praying that we are over it all- and that tomorrow will find us all in the pink of health!!

So, good night to all!!

beautiful weather outside, a little under the weather inside

Wow, has it been 3 weeks? Well, life has been happening. There have been funny moments, as well as sad moments. Mommy has been tapping into the unknown reserves that only mommies have as our whole family has been under the weather.

Latest report has Tim out of work with bronchitis, Eli recovering from some cold/virus and Mommy still fighting what ever virus I picked up 3 weeks ago. Thanking God for each new morning.

As I drove home today from a meeting at work, I was almost mesmerized by the amazing beauty all around me. The leaves are so vibrant this year. My eyes seem almost starved for the beauty of them. Thank you, God for this precious gift!

Hope to post soon. Right now I'm putting one foot in front of the other and hanging tight to my smile :)

Happy Fall to you all!!

Praying with faith like a child

Being a mom, going through the adoptive process, watching daily as Eli grows and learns new things- it brings me to my knees as I develop a deeper understanding of what I have been reading in the Bible since I was a child. Oh how great and broad and deep is the love that God has for us!!

We are hosting a family tonight and tomorrow night that are in town for an extreme event. I wish I had more details, but I have been sick again- (yuck!!) and pretty out of what doesn't require immediate attention. (Good news is- I have a date set- Dec 30th to get my tonsils out!!! Yeah!!)

So, Eli and I have been trying to put the finishing touches on cleaning up the house and getting it ready for this family. After we got the sheets on the spare bed (futon, really) in the basement, we paused for a moment. I held him close and asked if he'd like to pray with me that this family coming tonight would sleep well. They have a 2 year old and 4 year old- and I know that sometimes sleep is not the best in a new environment.

So, we prayed, and then continued making up the bed.

As I was upstairs, taking the bread out of the oven, Eli was still in the basement. He wanted to dust some more :) *grin*- if only I can keep this attitude for the next, oh 20 years or so.... :) As I was upstairs, setting out the bread, I hear his little voice downstairs, talking to God- praying for Rob Jr and Olivia that they will sleep all night long when they come tonight. Thank you, God, that sometimes he really does seem to get it~!!!!! I keep praying he draws closer and closer to you!!

He really holds me to his prayers, too! My toe is still a little sore, nothing like it was-but still a little stiff. The bruising is finally gone- but I am very protective of it. When he comes bouncing near, I ask him to please be careful of my sore toe.

"Ah, Mommy, God is already healing it!!"

I offered him a bandaid the other day, after a little mishap outside on the gravel. He said, "No thank you, Mommy. God will put one on it while I sleep tonight."

We have been calling scabs God's bandaid. It is so amazing to hear him talk to me about God the healer, and so sweet to have him ask me if he can pray for me or Papa when we have a headache or an owie.

Thank you, God, for these tenderly sweet lessons I am learning from my son- for increasing my faith and showing me so many new facets of yourself!!

Parenting Foibles

Eli is growing up. He has skipped his nap more frequently lately :( Which tends toward more behavioral issues later in the day as he is totally spent. I watch his eyes struggle to stay open- but he reminds me of myself when I was younger, trying soo hard to stay up on New Year's Eve to bring in the new year, fighting sleep with all I had in me.

Today he was in his crib for a little over an hour for his nap. I had gone up several times to try to get him to lay still long enough to fall asleep. Tim had a great idea of telling him he couldn't go to the birthday party we were planning on going to tonight unless he slept.

So, when I came back inside after a few minutes and he was standing in his crib, I walked in and told him he needed to lay down right away and go to sleep or he wouldn't be able to go to the party. He immediately began scrambling out of the crib.

"OK, Mommy. It is waking up time now. I will go to bed early tonight. And I will go to Lauren's party next time."

Oh my!! It totally backfired on me!! So now, not only does he not get a nap- I now can't go to my nieces 16th birthday party because of trying to coerce my 3 year old to take a nap. Bummer. It is hard to stick with your guns, isn't it?

He got a swat on his little behind tonight for not listening. As we were praying together after we talked about why he got in trouble, he said, "Dear God- please help Mommy stop 'maken my butt." Ahhh.....

On a much happier and sweeter note- I almost broke my toe about 3 months ago. It was just beginning to heal- in fact- I think it was the first day I had not wrapped it in over a month. But, as I was running into the house to get some painting supplies for a door on the garage I was working on, I slipped on a puddle of water in the garage and re injured the same toe!! It looks much worse now- purple and lots of different shades of red and blue.

Well, that night as I was getting Eli ready to be tucked in bed, he was dancing all around me as I sat on the rocker. I asked him to be careful as I had hurt my toe again. He asked if he could pray for my toe? Sure, I told him.

So, he leaned against me and bowed his head, folded his hands and said, "Dear God, please help Mommy's toe feel all better. In Jelas name, Amen.... Mommy can I put my hand on your toe and pray for it?"

Sure I told him.

So he leaned down and put his little hands on my sore toe ever so gently and prayed again, "Dear God, thank you for making Mommy's toe feel all better. In Jelas name, Amen."

"Does it feel all better now Mommy? Don't worry, God is healing it."

If only I could reconcile the angry, bitter little boy when he receives correction from me lately with this incredibly kind and compassionate child. Thank you, God, for giving wisdom when we most need it. Your ways are incredibly higher than ours- and I pray for your insight in how to deal with our son to raise him in relationship with you. Thank you for this amazing opportunity!!

Touching Moments

Tim and I have been working in the barn and yard, shoveling in ditches, shoveling dirt, shoveling.... Now I am not a person used to hard manual labor, aka shoveling, so I have had quite a few aches and pains in areas that haven't been worked a whole lot.

A couple of days ago, I was laying on the floor, trying to get a particularly painful back to settle down.

Eli thought it must be play time since I was laying on the floor. So, he proceeded to try jumping and climbing all over me. After a few feeble attempts to protect my already sore back, I finally sat up and explained I was not there to play, as much as I would like to, but my back was hurting pretty bad.

The next thing I knew, he was behind me, leaning into my back with his hands on my back saying, "Dear God, thank you for making Mommy's back all better. In Jeelas name, amen." and then he took off again.

I was so happy to be able to tell him an hour or so later that I felt just fine- no more back pain. The power of prayer is amazing!!

A few weeks ago- the weekend just after we started the barn, Tim was trying to get some time off work on Monday so he could be here to help lift the rafters. It was a great time to learn a lesson in prayer.

On Saturday, when Tim was at work, Eli and I prayed that Papa would find someone else to work for him on Monday. I was then able to explain to Eli that God ALWAYS answers prayers. Sometimes He says, "Yes!" Sometimes He says, "No." and sometimes He says, "Not yet."

I didn't want him to be too disappointed and think God didn't hear his request if Papa had to work cause he couldn't find anyone to cover for him.

Imagine our excitement when Papa called a little later and he had someone to work for him! We were so excited to see such a tangible answer to prayer.

Thank you God for always hearing us when we talk to you. Thank you for the character you are developing in us in the areas where you've said, "Not yet." or "No." Thank you for all the times you've blessed us with a yes :)

August

Wow. It has been quite a month!! Our biggest project, by far, started on my Mom and Dad's anniversary- Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad!! Tim's dream is finally becoming a reality as the finishing touches are just waiting to be done on the garage (barn) he's always wanted.

Here are the stages... We had a local Amish family do the work- and they did an incredible job. They started in the afternoon on the 12th and got all the beams set...

Tim was able to use his Dad's post hole digger- good thing- this is some of the rockiest soil we've ever seen!

Day 2- They got the side pieces all set and ready for the roofing to go up. The 2 gentlemen in charge brought their 6 and 5 year old sons- and boy did Eli have a blast playing with them on his playset!
Day 3- they got everything ready to put the metal on :) Bruce Welsh came and he and Tim helped with the rafters and by the end of the day the building was ready for the metal to be put on :) The boys came back, and Cheyenne and Wesley came over and the kids all played and had a great time together!


Day 4- They got the roof almost done and metal up on the sides. This was such a fun day. The whole family came, and I got to meet Elizabeth- the mom. We had a great time- for lunch I took down some food and they had some food and we all were going to eat together. Just as we started, the heavens opened and it poured for a little over an hour- almost an inch!! It was such a great time of fellowship and getting to know this neat family even more.

Of course, Eli has to prove he is a normal little boy- as the rain started to die down a little, he takes off across the yard.... and starts pulling his pants down to pee on the rocks. Fortunately, I caught him before he had exposed himself to any of the ladies. I was afraid Cheyenne would die on me from mortification.... :) Ah, little boys :)
Tim had to leave for work just before 6 (he had taken the first 12 hours off so he could be there for the rafters). I was chatting with Elizabeth when we saw Roman pulling the buggy down, with a big grin on his face. We both went over to see what he was up to. He said, with a huge smile, that I could tell Tim that he was the first one to park in our garage.... :)

The Amish are uncomfortable with pictures being taken of them, but they let Eli sit up in the buggy so I could get a shot of our first "car" parked in the garage. Eli liked the "motor" a lot!

Day 5- Putting in the door and finishing up on some of the trim. You can see on the left side we have quite a bit of fill to put in- about 3 feet :) One of the disadvantages to living on a hillside :)


Day 6- They are all done- the wood is wrapped, the metal all on. Now comes our part (well, Tim's part :)) We have some log siding left over from the house, so he is going to put log siding on the front part, so from the road, the barn will match the house in looking like it is a log barn, also. This is actually a few days after they left- if you look closely- you can see Tim in the building, riding on the backhoe moving dirt and starting on trenches to put in gas, electric and water.

Here he is discussing "stuff" with Uncle Scott and Papaw, while standing next to the "digger." As you can imagine, Eli has been in Seventh Heaven with all this stuff going on- first the horses,, then all the heavy equipment.
Here is the yard with the trench from the house to the new barn...

So, this is what the yard looked like yesterday when I left for work. Pipes are all in, trenches filled back in- now just need to level it all out, dump in screenings and then Papa will have a nice new barn with a great concrete floor. Yeah!! Isn't it neat to watch as dreams for some really do come true?

Well, this has also been a busy month for us in many other ways. I have been working twice as much as I was before, so it seems I've lost a lot of time I used to have around the house.

And the harvest is coming in. I have put up a lot of corn and green beans, some pickles, and, possibly, hopefully, I'll be able to do some tomatoes soon.

Here are some pics from the last month of Eli enjoying the summer months....

Here he is showing us he can eat cherries and spit out the pits, just like a big boy!

He had Tim and me laughing so hard, we couldn't eat our own cherries...

Soooo very serious, making sure that pit doesn't go down his throat....

Ahh, success!!

Now, where is that dental floss?
Then he discovered, on a very hot day, that playing in the water bucket next to the house yard hydrant is a cool way to have fun....


(What a great look- kinda 70's, don't you think?)
As is rinsing his feet off, shoes and all!


Great big splashes are the best- we had to jump back, he was getting us all wet- we had to see through our tears as we were laughing so hard.

Ahh- our cool, sweet boy :)


Here you can see my bowls in the background on the table. As I was snapping green beans and preparing them for canning, I had him set up with watercolors on his little table next to me.

But, it was a really hot day, so he soon tired of painting and we got his pool set up so he could splash and play while I was there with him :) Ah- the wonderful days of summer!

Then, on day 4 of our barn being built, Eli and I left really early for Eli's first cleaning at the dentist office. We had checked out a great book at the library a few weeks ago, all about firsts- this one was my first trip to the dentist office. It was his favorite for several weeks. We practiced, and he went with me to my cleaning and sat on my lap and watched as they cleaned my teeth. Here he is laying back watching Diego.

He got a little squirmy, but soon was connected again. Here is Dr Wells letting him feel the "tickle brush" that was going to shine his teeth.

He sat soo still while she was cleaning his teeth. She was so impressed. She didn't think he'd make it through his first cleaning- most kids his age don't. But he did fine!! He loved the water straw and even knew how to "spit" into the suction tube. I was so proud of him!

Here he is with Dr Wells, Ms Wendy showing off his new toothbrush, toothpaste and sticker for being such a good patient. Good Job, Eli!!

We also had our family production at church of KIDSTUF. Pretty cool stuff!! Here is Gordo, dressed as a French Gardener. He was learning about forgiveness and that his mom loves him even when he messes up.

Eli calls him Papa Gordo, and was seen here helping him remove his costume, as he was laughing.... :)

Last night, I worked kinda late, so I met up with my boys and we all went out for a date to Tom's Ice Cream Bowl. Yummy!! Here is Eli and Papa as we waited for our food. What a nice time to be out.

Wow!! August was a full month, wonder what September will hold?