Marshmells

Pure delight

Last week Gabriel had Marshmallows for the first time, I think. We had a MOPS Christmas shopping/baby sitting exchange in which half the moms stayed behind and kept the kids while the other half went shopping and the next day we switched. It was all in an effort to get some Christmas shopping done or use your 2 and a half hours however you chose. My friend Rachel brought hot chocolate and marshmallows for the kids. So while we were waiting for the hot chocolate to cool down enough for them to drink we offered them some marshmallows. I asked Gabriel if he wanted some and he had this really perplexed look on his face like "What's that?" Then I realized he probably had never had them. Of course he loved them and ever since has been asking for "Marshmells." So, I bought some when I went grocery shopping.

Gabriel knows his name and will often speak in 3rd person (like, it's Gabriel's turn), but not always. Yesterday I was trying to determine who needed a diaper change. I said to him "Somebody stinks. Is it you?" to which he replied "No, I'm Gabriel!"

Bedtime buddies

Gabriel has gotten accustomed to have lots of stuffed animals in his bed. It started out many months ago with just one and then three, and now there are about ten. I just think it's so cute how he has to have all those in the bed with him. We took the rails off his bed a couple of months ago and just have the guard up so that he doesn't roll off in the floor. So far, he stays in his bed really well. Most of the time our boys go to bed so well and I am very thankful for that.

He loves the little hotwheels and loves to line them up places, like the arm of the couch or the back of the couch. He really studies them and places them in the exact way he wants them. He's actually a little possessive of them and does not like for Micah to touch them. We are working on sharing. The picture of him with the cars was sometime in September and the last one was at the end of October. He is looking less like a toddler and more like a little boy these days.

Bungee cord kitchen

Oh man!
Books everywhere

He even looks guilty

Loves dirt


Laundry area

Dishwasher

oven

These are a few of the things that we deal with on an almost daily basis. I am not posting these photos or writing about it simply to complain or be negative, it's just the way life is for us a lot. I also want to be able to look back and laugh someday and realize we don't need bungee cords anymore.

We have bungee cords attached to these various places to keep things together. Micah has loved to open the dishwasher door and sit on it or pull it down as hard as he could. It actually came completely out and the whole dishwasher was leaning forward out of it's hole. I think Wayne's Dad put some kind of screw in or something that fixed it. He has kind of lost his fascination with pulling the dishwasher lid down (maybe because he's realized he can't pull it), but we just keep the bungee cord attached just in case.

He is also quite obsessed with the washing machine and really wants me to open the door and start it most of the time he is at home. Sometimes I will humor him if I need to wash a load of clothes, then let him play in the water for just a little bit. He just loves water play and gets such a thrill when the washing machine is started. He will laugh and jump up and down and then put his hands in the water. Of course, most of the time I have to tell him I don't need to wash anything right that second, and I'm not sure he understands until I close the door.

The oven door has been the most annoying because he would open it and let it fly back to the closed position. He was doing it so much that now the door won't close all the way without the bungee cord.

The books have been an ongoing problem since we lived here. He pulls them off the shelf, puts them on the space above the shelf and pushes them off. Whether it's because he likes the cause and effect, is just trying to be annoying, or get attention is anyone's guess. He has also broken a few of our dining room chairs by completely knocking them over that my gracious father in-law has repaired each time.

I love my son, I know he is a gift and God has taught me a lot through him and will continue to teach me over the years. These things just cause me to be weary sometimes and I don't know what to do or how to not be weary. I know Jesus says "Come to me all who are weary..." I know the Scriptures, and that I need to pray. It's just hard sometimes. I can just be trying to get supper started or folding laundry, and he will start doing one of these things. There are days when he doesn't do these things as much, it just seems lately it has been at an all time high. I know many of you pray for us who read this, so I ask that you pray for wisdom, patience (wait, don't pray for that because it might be worse! : ), and compassion for him. Wayne always says that he is reminded that he is probably trying to communicate something when he acts out and of course, he can't talk to us and tell us what it is. Maybe someday!

Nacogdoches weekend

college friends from SFA
Darth Vader, Batman, and a future basketball player

My sister with her boys, Benjamin and Harrison

Halloween weekend Gabriel and I went to East Texas. Wayne and I had decided it would be best for he and Micah to not go because we have learned Micah does not do well in big group situations. We spent Friday night with my sister and her family, then went to Nacogdoches on Saturday for Homecoming at SFA, my college alma mater. We didn't actually go to the football game, because I couldn't see any point in taking a two year old to a football game. So I met up with some friends for lunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant in town and then Gabriel and I went to a park so he could play. Later in the afternoon we went to the Baptist Student Ministry building for an ice cream fellowship. The first picture is from there. I wish I had taken more photos that were a little closer, but keeping an eye on Gabriel was enough of a task.

We went to Lufkin that night and spent the night with the Haley's (Jim & Barbara) and went to church with them on Sunday at Carpenter's Way; I hadn't been back there since our wedding day. It was great to see them, as always. I lived with them for about 6 months while I was finishing my last teaching year before I went to GGBTS in the fall of 2000. I met Jim & Barbara back in 1995 because I was leading a disciple now weekend and my group stayed in their home. Barbara and I started meeting for lunch every now and then and she quickly became a dear friend and mentor to me. I got to know them even better when I lived with them as usually happens when you live with someone. They hosted my family when Wayne and I got married.

I also got to visit briefly with Tom and Donna Willis who are close friends with the Haley's. The Willis's were also very special to me, taking care of me in different ways while I was in college and afterwards.

We have stayed in touch over the years and they have always been and will always be very special people in my life. It's amazing to me to see the way God puts people in your life and forms friendship mostly because you have the commonality of knowing Christ.

On Halloween day, I went back to my sister's. We met up at a mall and went trick or treating in the mall. They had a Halloween "costume" that Gabriel borrowed, a basketball player. I think it had been Benjamin's uniform last year. I just didn't want to bother with a costume this year, maybe next year! Gabriel was so proud when they would drop a piece of candy in his bucket. We got there toward the end of the time, and most places had run out of candy, but a little is better than none! It was fun.

Tattling

Micah's teacher told me yesterday that he "tattled" on a little girl in his class. Of course, since he can't talk I said, "He what?!" She said that one of the girls in his class was playing with two toys, one of which he wanted and she wouldn't share. Instead of taking the toy away from her, he went to the teacher, grabbed her by the hand and took her to the little girl. So the teacher made the little girl give him one of the toys. Ms. C thought that was great. I did too. It's neat to hear little stories like this every now and then that show his awareness. Gabriel is bad about taking a toy away from him and he just lets it happen. We usually try to teach Gabriel not to do that and then give the toy back to him. Micah will (on occasion) give us a look like that says "Can you believe what he just did?!", but he has never taken our hand and led us like he did with that girl in his class.

Wild Things Farm

Korben & Gabriel

King of the tree

Rachel & Ada

looking off into the distance (or at the horses)

hay ride

"Patches" the horse

"Don't poke her eye"

Our MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group meets at our church twice a month, but the other Tuesdays of the month we are doing playdates. It has been so much fun! Last year we would say we were going to get together on the off Tuesdays, but rarely did it. This year we were intentional and actually planned some things to do. Sometimes we just go to a park and let the kids play, but we have a few other planned activities as well. We went to the Wild Things Farm a few weeks ago. It was a perfect fall day! The weather was beautiful and we had so many moms and kids come; I think there were about 40 moms and preschoolers that day!

We went on a hayride to start off, which was so much fun and all the kids seemed to enjoy it. We only stopped long enough for everyone to pet "Patches" the horse. Gabriel kept wanting to touch and poke her eye, but did learn how to pet her gently. We went through a corn maze, which was really too much for preschoolers, I think. Each child got to pick out a little pumpkin to take home. Gabriel just wanted to throw them. The only bad thing that happened was that Gabriel pushed a couple of pumpkins off onto a little girl's head. They were the ones sitting on top of the hay stacks and she was on the other side sitting on the ground. It was one of those slow motion type situations in my mind in which I wanted to stop him, but wasn't fast enough. Thankfully, she wasn't hurt, just surprised.

The last part was a little petting zoo with a baby pig and some goats. Gabriel wasn't interested in feeding the goats the stale popcorn that was offered, but he was interested in eating it himself! Gross! I didn't let him have anymore after that. He didn't seem to understand that it was for the goats.

We loved the Wild Things Farm!

Nebraska trip

Kevin & Karen in front of their restaurant

Tour of the stadium

Didn't purchase it, but had to try it on.

cool fountain

indoor practice facility

Wayne and I went to Nebraska for a few days at the end of September. Grandma & Grandpa came to stay at our house with the kids. It was our first time away together without the kids in about a year and a half. I had always wanted to go to a Husker football game in Lincoln. We had been once to see them play in the Cotton bowl a few years ago, but I had never been to one at Memorial Stadium.

We arrived on Thursday evening and had dinner with Brett (Wayne's Christian Challenge director in college) & Mary Yohn at Laslow's which is one of Wayne's favorite restaurants in Lincoln. It was great to see the Yohn's and catch up with them. We walked around the campus on Friday and were treated to lunch at Bread & Cup by Kevin (one of Wayne's mentors in college) and Karen Shinn, who own the restaurant. The food was delicious; I definitely recommend it if you are ever in Lincoln! Friday night we went to eat at Yia Yia's pizza...wow, some of the best pizza I've ever had! We went to a movie afterwards, which is a rare treat for us! Saturday we went to breakfast at Bread & Cup. They had delicious breakfast and very good coffee (so important in our book). The morning was cool and cloudy, so we hung out at Barnes & Noble for a while, also a rare treat for us.

We headed over to the stadium around 4:30 and got seated in plenty of time, a little too much time, ooh, did I say that out loud...to watch the game which started at 6. By that time, the sun had come out and it was near perfect temperature. The Huskers won the game, but didn't blow the South Dakota jackrabbits out as expected. They didn't play that well and so the crowd was not into it as much as I expected they would be. It was still fun and amazing to see 86,000 in attendance.

Sunday morning we went to church at New Covenant where Wayne was a member when he lived there. We enjoyed it and started making our way home afterwards. It was so good to see our boys. Micah just smiled and giggled when we came in the house. They missed us, but did great and had fun with Grandma & Grandpa. We so enjoyed our time and were appreciative of Wayne's parents for being willing to take on our kids for four days!

Paint the Park Pink on the Green

The Bell tower on UAFS campus

In honor of my Aunt Nona

Dad came out to show support

Mom is a 14 year survivor!

Survivors walking toward the starting area

The survivors

Mom and I participated in the Paint the Park Pink on the Green walk last Saturday. I think it used to just be called Paint the Park Pink when it was at one of the local parks, and then they moved it to the UAFS campus. It was a beautiful fall day, perfect weather for the occasion. Mom and I went to the survivor breakfast before the walk and then the walk started at 9 am.

Mom has always wanted to participate in one of the Susan G. Komen walks/races and something has always come up that prevented her from taking part. So, this was a fun day and I'm glad it worked out for us to go. Dad came over and walked with us. There were hundreds of people who participated in the walk. We walked all the way around the beautiful UA Fort Smith campus.

There were pink flags all around the campus in honor of hundreds of people.

We had two flags out, one in honor of Mom and one in honor of Aunt Nona, Dad's sister who passed away in 2007. She had breast cancer many years ago and it was another kind of cancer that took her life, but we still wanted to honor her. She was dearly loved by our family.