if loving you is wrong....

i don't want to be right.

Yes, Moose Munch, you temptress, you...beckoning me to the pantry with your sweet siren song. Utterly irresistable, and you know it. You have my number, and I don't mind.

Seriously, who buys their "friend" FOUR BAGS...as in FORTY OUNCES...of Moose Munch for Christmas??? A friend who lives too far away to throttle, that's who. Yeah, secretly it was my favorite gift!

PHOTOS FROM OUR WALK BY THE RIVER:

A little "action" shot as M "runs" down the "hill"....hmm...just so you know, every time I use quotations, I stop typing and make little air quotes with my fingers for effect. Not.


Not an exciting photo, but I love the color of the bushes behind M:



Not sure what to do with the mud on his hands. It ended up on my jeans...but I didn't mind!

isn't she lovely...

isn't she wonderful?

I was blessed with the opportunity to welcome Baby A into the world early Wednesday morning! Since I left the room when Mama A was ready to push and was invited back moments later after Baby made her grand entrance, it was as close to childbirth as I will ever get! And without the epidural, thankyouverymuch!

She's a precious little peanut, and we're so glad she is here!




total off-track sidenote: I took M to a storytime at a library today. I envisioned in my mind what it might be like and was excited for a little interaction for our Mr. Antisocial. When we walked in the room...the dark room...an eerie feeling came over me. In the corner, the storyleader danced...a very strange dance...which made M point at her and yell, "WHOA! WHOA!" She began to sing and read stories in a manner that would give Edgar Allen Poe the chills. M sat on my lap with his head pressed into my chest. I started doing the slanty-eyed look around the room. Was I the only one who was wiggin' out? I mean, this lady was FREAKY! Everyone else seemed mesmerized by her and I swear I started hearing the Twilight Zone music coming from the closet behind us. Is this some kind of Stepford Mamas thing, I wondered? And then...the lights came on, storytime was over, and the storyleader wheeled out a huge cart full of fun toys. Big sigh.

We're going back next week...they have slinkys.

no time for a title

For those who don't know, Rebecca and Andy will be leaving Thursday to travel to China! Owen will be their arms very soon!

Does anyone else
- have a really difficult time putting a jacket on over a shirt with 3/4 length sleeves?

- hate knee socks but love OVER-the-knee socks?

- wonder how the word "poop" can be so funny to boys...even as toddlers?

- have your thoughts filtered through the lyrics of 80s & 90s songs?

- wonder at what age you stopped thinking "bunny ears" were amusing?

- think that being let loose in Sephora would be the ultimate toddler hands-on experience?

- LOVE this verse: I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the [life] which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. gal 2:20

- cringe when your doorbell rings because either your house looks a wreck...or you do?

BTW, two missionary girls rang my doorbell today. I invited them in (because it was chilly) but only in the foyer (because my house was a disaster)...and they barely got out their names before M dropped the big bomb. I was like "what's that smell?" EEEEEEK!!!! It was N.A.S.T.Y. And my eyes were tearing up. And my mouth was gasping for air. But those little girls just kept on smiling and talking...smiling and talking...smiling and talking! I wonder if God was chuckling at us.

M is getting quite skilled at playing with his train. Amazing improvement!



ACK!!!!!! I just got the call that M's new little kissin' cousin is ON THE WAY!!!!!!

sunday evening post

I've had a few people ask recently about Matthew's age...he will turn 2 this month. He is a tall drink of water, and I'll be interested to see where he is on the growth chart at his next dr.'s appt.

Here is a video of M counting:

I think it is so amazing how much babies absorb before they begin speaking. Just out of the blue, M will say words like "pineapple" or "sit down", and I'll be like "When did you learn that word???"

I asked what he wanted to have at his birthday party. He said, "hot tea."

He has come to the toddler stage where sharing is a dirty word. It's so bad that he doesn't even want Scott or me to share our stuff with anyone (except him, of course!). Since we read about Zaccheus in his Bible (but we say that Z didn't share because the whole tax collector thing is too hard to explain right now), I asked M if he was like Zaccheus, and he nodded yes!

We've been groovin' to Cory Asbury this weekend. M likes "So good to me."
We love checking out new bands, so feel free to recommend your favorites!

OK, I'm going to post this next part only because I have posted really odd things before only to have people say, "Me too!"...so here goes. Lately (as in months and months), my thoughts have been consumed with people who are in great need. Now I've had feelings of sympathy for others before...cried over suffering in the world...but, somehow, this seems different. It doesn't feel like normal sadness coming from a normal train of thought about the need of others. Out of the blue, these intense images invade my mind...and break my heart.

As I watch M "washing" the dishes at the kitchen sink, I'm broken over how much clean, fresh water we are pouring down the drain while others drink filthy, contaminated water.

As I type "Happy New Year" to a friend, I'm broken over those for who the new year means nothing...no hope, no future, no joy.

As I water my plants, I'm broken over the fact that they are housed in pots that cost more than some people in the world make in a day.

Everywhere I look, I am bombarded by the reality of living in extreme wealth as compared to most of the world. My heart weighs heavy in my chest. This isn't simply an "oh-I-need-to-consume-less" thing. It's almost as if I have come to a point where I cannot turn back. But I am not even sure what I mean by that statement.

Scott is like, "OK...this is a recurring thing...what are you going to do about it?" but I honestly don't know. I'm not sure if God is preparing me for something...or just stripping me of worldly things...or filling me with His love for others. Just not sure.

So...anyone else got this goin' on?

afternoon walk

M and I went for a walk today! I think the temp was in the high 50s, so it was warm and sunny...just the way we like our winter weather!

Even though I just posted about post processing, I am happy to say that I did not edit any of these photos at all! Thankfully, they came out much better than that overexposed bunch I posted awhile back.

As usual, M isn't smiling in the photos. I was lucky to get him to look in my direction! He actually did have a great time...playing and laughing...but he would turn it off the moment he heard my autofocus beep!



Hope everyone has a great weekend!!!

toys for the car

Anyone have any recommendations on toys for the car? Looking for something that can keep a toddler's interest for longer than 5 minutes and, if possible, somehow attach to the carseat to keep the toy from being flung across the car when it has lost its entertainability.

happy new year!

Happy 2009!

Did you try singing "tonight we're gonna party like it's two-thousand and nine?" I did...but I refrained from wearing any purple velvet pants.

I've never been very reflective at New Year's...nor have I been resolution-y. I guess it's because I'm just too focused on remembering to write the new date on my checks.

However, this year I did think about it all since it was a year ago NYE that my mom went to the ER and found out she had a tumor. Not the best way to ring in the new year.

But then this morning Scott's first words were reminding me that it was 6 years ago today that he asked me to be his bride. A lovely way to begin a new year!


And so...a new year awaits both with its trials and its joys. May we embrace all that lies ahead trusting that our God goes before us. He already knows every squeal of delight and every tear of grief that will be ours in 2009. And He will be with us during it all. He's a good, good God.

OK...I know the photo below is way small...but I found it the other day and thought I'd post it. It was NYE December 2000. As I downed the bubbly (ummm, OK, it downed me) and talked of the year to come, I had no clue that 2001 would be the year that God called me to Himself. I get giddy thinking about it because He just completely consumed me with His tenderness that year. He lavished me with His love, and I can feel myself blushing right now because it was so unmerited and yet so amazing. The God of all creation was pursuing me, and I surrendered to His love. OK...totally sidetracked! I really didn't intend to say all of that...so anyhow, here is a small, red-eyed, funny photo....



This year may you know God's wonderful, passionate love for you...and may you remember to write the correct date on all your checks!