October 19th, 2007

A few random pictures from our week…

The boys have been building forts, tents, tepees, houses, caves, and shelters of all kinds with the papas an chairs.

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When Seth got a turn with the camping chair he set it down exactly in the front door, plopped down, folded his arms and sat just watching the world for a long time.

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Wheelbarrow rides!

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Ian loves watching Raven, and if she gets close enough he’ll grab her and plant a big slobbery kiss on her fur!

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Zachary came over to play!

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I’m still not quite sure what Jerome was doing.

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Seth said he had ice cream for everybody…but then he decided it should go in the back of his truck.

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Ian is sitting up on his own pretty well! He’s four and a half months old.

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Jerome and Wesley had fun playing with Ian the other day….

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but it ended with Mommy saving Ian from being dropped on his head.

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Last night the boys dumped out all their paints and mixed colors and splashed colors…it still wasn’t dry this morning!

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What fun little boys are!

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October 15th, 2007

before bedtime…

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Goodnight!

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October 15th, 2007

Last night Mom and Dad hosted a family dinner for this month. It’s so nice to have everybody together regularly and I’m grateful to have Peter’s cousins and aunts and uncles and great Grandma in our boy’s lives. Gigi got to be there, too! How grateful I am that she is here and part of our family!

As I got up to get Ian from his nap during dessert, Seth took my place, and my dessert, next to Eric and Gigi. Eric asked him “So how is your life, Seth?” and he very emphatically answered “Daddy’s my life!” several times. And when I came up behind him and asked him what he meant, he said “It’s my life!”. I’m not sure exactly what was going on in his almost three year old brain, but I would love to know!

Saturday was scheduled with two showers, a baby shower in Lancaster for lunch, and a bridal shower just down the street for a sit down dinner. Mom was gracious to drive Donna, Brennan, Ian and I all up to Lancaster which is normally over an hour away. As we were on our way Dad called and gave us a heads up on a crash that might put us out of our way, so Mom tuned in the radio to learn more. It turned out to be a horrendous 31 vehicle pileup in the Newhall pass under the 5 freeway that happened Friday night. The radio broadcasters rerouted the motor public, they called us, and so we went around the long way but got a glimpse of the disaster in which two men and an infant lost their lives. Absolutely horrendous. Makes me look at my boys with complete gratitude to God and a feeling of forced faith. Their lives are in God’s hands alone.

So the trip to Lancaster was an all day affair, and I marveled at Mom’s ability to navigate the mountain passes without a wrong turn and without making me carsick. 🙂 Ian and Brennan spent the whole day in the car together and not being able to touch each other they just watched and smiled at each other. They were good babies and very pleasant to travel with.

I got home and learned that my husband can make animal balloons! After six years of marriage and three boys, I can’t believe I didn’t know that! He was so gracious and kept Jerome, Seth, Zachary, and Brennan for the evening shower, too. He was still in a cheerful mood after spending a whole day with the children, although he was very tired. Thank you, Peter!
~

Just some fun things that happened this week…

One afternoon the boys and I walked down to the driveway to check the mail. Jerome usually dashes ahead of us to open the mailbox and I’m usually calling back to Seth who has become interested in something beside the driveway, which was the case this day. But when I looked ahead Jerome wasn’t at the mailbox, he was already up a tree showing me how he could climb it. His eyes shone  and he was eager to see what my reaction would be.  I was amazed at his monkey like agility and prayed for his safety.                                                                                                                                                               I used to be a climber, too.  Rooftops and treetops were my favorite places, so I know what he’s feeling and how sure he is of himself, but only now do I understand what a parent feels while watching.

A couple weeks ago we did a science project in our school time discovering which little things around the house float. It was a lot of fun and Jerome had guessed half of the things correctly. After that we floated an egg in salt water and read about the Dead Sea, found it on the map, and continued with a geography lesson…

One morning this week I found Seth at the sink with a bowl of water. He had submerged the table salt in the water and was asking for an egg!

So now I have yet another headcold. I’ve lost track of how many I’ve had this season. On a rainy, cold day like today it would be nice to have Peter home again and take a nap, but on we go! And God go before us.

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October 8th, 2007

Sunday morning the boys played quietly in their room while  they listened to a Your Story Hour episode called “Bicycles and Kites and Partners in Flight” about the Wright brothers.

Jerome and Seth were dressed for church early and took their kite and bike outside to play after the story was over. They are so easily and quickly inspired!

Jerome would wait until everything was just right…

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and then take off running as fast as he could go!

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Seth would just start walking…

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and he walked as carefully and slowly as he could.

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But he’s not quite mastered the pedaling on the bike.

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Look at this big little guy! He’s four and a half months old, almost staying sitting up on his own, and already pulling his knees up under him to launch forward! He’s gonna be flying kites with his brothers sooner than I know!

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October 7th, 2007

October 6th holds two anniversaries for me. For three years that was a dark day, a dreaded day. It was the anniversary of my Daddy’s death…the anniversary of the day my world shattered. I was 15 and my Daddy was 51. I have stopped asking why, and the grief is easier to bear after nine years, but my heart still hurts when I think about it. And I cry when I want him here, especially for my sons.

But I made him a part of my wedding day as much as I knew how, and Peter made me his wife three years later on the anniversary of Daddy’s death. It was a beautiful day, and even though it rained a little, it felt like Heaven’s kisses. His best friend gave me away wearing a yellow rose, and another of his best friends officiated. Maybe it was a morbid thing for me to do, but I don’t dread the day anymore…it’s become a day with a full meaning. Beginnings and ends.

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Our wedding…

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My sister Regina spent the day with us and even cooked for us and babysat when Peter took me out for dessert! She watched a video interview with us that we have of Daddy and our wedding video that Will Howard made for us. (we watch them every year.) My twin sister called from Peru right after we had started the interview, so I put the phone up close to the speaker so she could hear his voice, too. It was a special time…just the three of us listening to Daddy’s voice.

Peter, it is a joy and privilege to be your wife! You have brought me so much healing and opened my eyes to worlds of wonderful things! You are like a strong tower in my life and I thank Jesus for giving you to me. Six years seems to have just blinked by, and I look at the unknown future and hope and pray for many more years with you!

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Happy anniversary, baby! I love you!

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