Bed Head

It never fails... whenever I see Jake's bed-head of hair:

It reminds me of this:

Does that mean there is something wrong with me???  But mmmm, a bloomin' onion sure sounds good about now!

I'm always a little sad to see that mop go, but as soon as we give Jake his "summer cut," it sure is nice to see more of that face everyday!

*Sidenote: the long-haired photo is an older picture of Jake. He has been paci-free since April and we're so very proud!

At The Old Ball Game

Between the University of Kentucky, our minor-league team (the Legends), and my two nephews who play several times a week, we have many opportunities to go spend a day or an evening at the ball park. Although I am not the biggest fan of the sport (mainly because I have a very short attention span and get distracted easily... and I wonder where my daughter gets it from!), I do enjoy it from a social aspect. I feel like I can sit and chat with friends or chase my kids and really not miss too much, which is hard to say for any other sport. Well, except maybe golf, but my kids most certainly would not be able to run around there like they can at the ball park! Regardless of whether we watch it or not, Jake and Lilly really seem to enjoy that environment every time we go. Jake usually plays in the dirt or runs up and down the hills, but will watch his two big cousins when they're up at bat. Recently, at a UK game, he spent 3/4 of the game talking to a girl who looked to be about a freshman in college. She told me that she didn't mind, and I truly think she might have been Jake's first little crush. He brought over some popcorn, tried to read the program to her, and mostly just chatted her ear off even though I doubt she made sense of most of it. If you're not around Jake a lot, you don't always catch what he's saying in his little language mixed with English. It was too cute for words. Lilly, on the other hand, is totally content sitting in the fresh air and eating stadium food- yes, she is definitely my child!

It's still early in the season, but I'd say my kids already fit right in. Because in true surprising Lilly fashion, she has already learned the delicate art of properly eating sunflower seeds, taught to her by her Aunt Angie:

We've taught them well. No matter where you go in life, at least look like you know what you're doing!

MarioKart - Jake Style

Two weeks ago while watching Wreck It Ralph for the millionth time, we thought it might be fun for Jake to actually see a racing game, like the one in the movie. My mom has a Wii at her house, so we hooked it up for him, gave him a remote, and let him have at it. After a few pretty rough attempts, we gave him an inactive remote and sat behind him as we played, making him think that he was actually driving. He immediately loved it, which is pretty awesome for me since I now have an excuse to play MarioKart just about everyday! Although he still drives on occasion, he actually much prefers watching others play as long as he gets to pick the character, car, and course. And in true Jake fashion, you have to know his language for things in order to know what he's asking. For example, the red guy is Mario and the green guy is Luigi (obviously). When choosing a car, he frequently says, "no not that one" until you land on the one he wants. And you have to know the boards pretty well to know that "play snakes" means Koopa Cape, "leaves" means Maple Treeway, "moon" means Rainbow Road, "mud" means Waluigi's Stadium, and so on. It totally threw our sitter off the other night, but she managed to figure most of them out. On certain boards, he also loves to purposely drive off cliffs into the water or do the course backwards... apparently both activities are hilarious!

The other day I was making lunch in the kitchen when I looked up and realized that our little man had actually become quite good at driving on his own! I was oddly proud and had to take a video:

I sent it to my mom with a text that said, "Looks like you have some competition!" since she loves to play, too. Looks like my son just might turn out to be a gamer, but I hope it's always stuff that I can play with him! I probably should enjoy it while I can! 

Kiddo Update: Lilly - 20 Months

I am two months behind on Lilly's update, but thanks to reoccurring stomach bugs, I'm pretty sure her stats have probably not changed too much since her last appointment. I have dealt with far too much vomit this year and have hopefully paid out dues for the rest of 2013. Lilly always seemed to be the one to get it the worst, but she's such a trooper and you'd never know she was sick aside from the endless cuddles, which I loved, and that pretty much sums her up anyway. But there is so much about her that I want to remember at this super-fun age so here goes. At 20 months Lil is...

29 inches tall and 30 pounds... both of which are above the 98th percentile. She's wearing size 5 diapers, size 5 1/2 - 6 shoes, and size 2T clothing, and sometimes 3T shirts if they are short. She still rocks that little Buddha belly, but it's getting smaller and smaller and I'm going to miss it when she's a little string bean someday... it's the cutest little thing ever. But enough about the boring stuff, here are all the fun things about our sweet Lil:

• I know I've said this before, but Lilly's vocabulary is HUGE. She can repeat just about any word you want her to say, like "porcupine" and "Wreck-It Ralph"- what 20 month old can say that??- and almost always speaks in full sentences or phrases. Here are some that we hear often: Where's Jake?, Jakie's sleeping, I want it, I pooped (which is not always true, but usually is), More juice (or milk, cheese, music, etc.), Peek-a-boo I see you, I watch Mickey on the TV, I ride in the car, stinky diaper, I'm stuck, help me, and the list goes on and on. Here she is asking for more peanut butter:

• On this same note, she talks ALL. THE. TIME. Josh and I stopped at gas station on the way to Atlanta (just six hours away) last month to get the girl a lolly-pop so she'd stay quiet for at least five minutes! And that's about how long the golden silence lasted!
• We still call her our hot mess, but at least she's letting us brush her hair more often now without complaint. The trick is that you have to tell her how pretty she is while you do it or she won't let you get a brush near it! On occasion she'll find a rubber band and bring it to me saying, "pretty hair." She won't have any self-esteem issues at this rate.

• Favorite foods include yogurt, crackers, cookies, ice cream, grapes, apples, watermelon, hummus (seriously), and candy, which she never really gets, but asks for all the time! I think it's probably due to that lolly-pop mentioned above.
• She loves to dance. If music comes on, she stops what she's doing and sways to the music. My dad bought her Flamenco dancer shoes when my parents were in Europe last month, and even though they are too big (and so ugly they're cute), we put them on her feet and she immediately started to dance around the room. She did the same thing with Jake's too-big soccer cleats, which gave us all a good laugh!

• Her favorite movie is Finding Nemo, which is appropriate since we think she's a lot like Dory... her attention span is so quick that she moves onto the next thing in about ten seconds.
• She LOVES babies. Whenever my nephew Sam is around, she wants to be so close that she's practically on top of him. The other day I had a girlfriend over with her 6-month-old and Lilly just kept saying "hold it, hold it," and was not satisfied until that baby was in her lap! She gets jealous whenever I hold another baby, however, so we will not be adding to the family any time soon! She also loves to hold her stuffed animals and sing, "Rock-a-Baby, Rock-a-Baby"
• Her favorite person is definitely Jake. They play pretty well together for the most part, but she screams bloody murder if he takes her toy away and they'll fight over things now and then. We have noticed, however, that she does her part to provoke him, and of course he gets in trouble as we console her, but we're catching onto her little tricks. Our sweet baby is not so innocent!
• To go along with that, we're definitely starting our "terrible two's" a bit. Although they are much less trying than Jake's were (so far), she has perfected the art of the meltdown when something does not go her way- limp body, rolling around on the floor screaming- yeah, it's awesome.
• She used to say "gramma" perfectly and has recently started calling my mom "Mug-ah" and nobody knows where it came from. It does, however, crack us up!
• I never expected it, but I think Lilly is going to be our funny one. She just does goofy things that make us laugh, which are quickly imitated by her spotlight-seeking brother.
• Her answer to every question is usually "yesh," and I love the sweet way she says it.
• Speaking of sweet, regardless of the tantrums, she is still one of the most easy-going, laid back, wonderful children around. She'll sit in my lap and cuddle as we watch a movie and still likes to ride in the Ergo carrier since it keeps her so close. I think personal touch is probably one of her love languages, and I'm happy to have a cuddler!
• Recently she has decided that she doesn't want to go to bed ("no bed!") and tells us that she wants to lay on the couch. Once there, she'll demand a pillow, a blanket, her milk, and her paci. It does delay bedtime only because it's so stinkin' cute, but ultimately she ends up in her crib.
• She still twirls here hair when she's tired, so most days she has a giant curl in the middle of her forehead... just like the nursery line. It cracks me up when people ask if I do that to her hair myself! Um, no, I do not put a giant, hot curling iron that close to my squirming toddler! 

• She's still in her crib because so far she has shown no interest or even though of climbing out, even though she watches Jake climb in and out all the time. It amazes me how different my kids are!
• Her favorite things to see are the "birdies" and "bunnies" in our backyard. She also still loves puppies.
• We've graduated from walking and running to climbing. I am often pulling her down off of a table or counter or whatever she can find to get onto!
• She can sing her entire alphabet and count to 13, but she sometimes skips a number here and there. She can also sing "twinkle, twinkle, little star," and a couple of other songs. I feel like she adds something new to her repertoire everyday and I cannot figure out where she learned it! It's amazing to see how fast they learn at this age.

• I am seeing glimpses of her wanting to be a big girl. She definitely wants to potty train and goes and sits on the little potty all the time. She even says, "I go peepee on the potty," even though we haven't started yet. She also wants to sit in a chair rather than her high chair, which I try to avoid, and wants to go up and down the stairs. The baby gates are pretty much gone in our house... when did my baby get so big?

I cannot get over how much faster time seems to go by with the second one and I do wish it would slow down a bit! We've enrolled her for the same 2-year-old class that Jake was in last year (she made the cut-off by 4 days) and even though I think she'll be ready, I'm not sure that I will be! I'm just trying to enjoy every day and enjoy this last bit of the toddler phase before it's gone. My baby will be a little girl before I know it and I am definitely going to miss this age a lot! Thankfully, every age and phase is fun, but I think it's harder to see them pass by when it's the little one. I guess that's why people have more kids... but don't get any ideas! That is not in the cards unless we're surprised again!

Kiddo Update: Jake - 3 Years

I'm about two months behind on my kiddo update, but it's better late than never! Jake turned 3 on March 15th and is as feisty as ever! As for his stats, he's still off the charts (above the 98th percentile) for height, weight, and head size, coming in at 42 inches tall and weighing 40 pounds! He's certainly one of the biggest kids in his class, but still asks to be picked up from time to time and I gladly oblige, reminding myself that I probably won't be able to do that sooner than I'd like. Here are some things I always want to remember about Jake at three:

Little dude still loves trains, but now loves cars and his excavator (and yes, he calls it that) just as much. He often picks one of those things to take to bed with him each night.

Speaking of bed time, we no longer need our "paci" or a cup of milk to go to bed. Our story is that his paci was given to the baby dolphins (which he loved when we visited the Atlanta Aquarium) because they needed them more than he did. It only took about three days of fussing and then on about the fourth night his bed time prayer was, "Dear God, thank you for the baby dolphin who has my paci. Amen," which I took to mean we had turned a corner. A few days later I found him hiding in a corner clutching one that he had found somewhere in the house, but even though he had it in his hands, he would not put it in his mouth. I shot him "the look" and he brought it over to Lilly, shoved it in her mouth, and said, "Here you go, Lilly. This is for yours."

And speaking of "the look".... they say you can discipline your child with a single look. Yes, this was true for about a day and I had perfected mine. And then instead of it working, Jake would shoot the look back to me and I would crack up. Now when he's mad he gives me the look... oh boy! The look is funny enough, but I think I always laugh because the kid WILL. NOT. BREAK. character... it's amazing! He now knows that he gets in trouble for making that face, so we'll have to figure something else out in the future!

The school year is coming to a close and we'll be sad to see it end. He is always so excited to go and loves to learn. His favorite thing at school is art, which is surprising based on his very first art project... we've come a long way I guess! He often lists off the names of his school friends on our way to or from school and has imaginary conversations with his teachers at home.

Jake with one of his school art projects

Oh that imagination... there is nothing I love more than watching Jake play! All of his cars, figurines, etc. now talk to each other and their conversations are hysterical. Sometimes they even get in trouble!

Potty training has been an adventure. We were good to go in January and then we went to Jacksonville in April and something set us back. I think we're back on track though and I'm confident that we will be doing all of our business (as opposed to just the wet stuff) this summer. I'm proud of our independent little guy.

Jake definitely has favorite things and foods, and once he gets stuck on something, that's all he wants for days or even weeks. For books it has been Dr. Seuss' ABC book and Harold and the Purple Crayon. For movies we've been watching a lot of Wreck it Ralph and just recently added Meet the Robinson's to the repertoire. Any Disney/Pixar movie is still a win with him. Favorite foods include apples, mandarin oranges, watermelon (most fruit really), ham and cheese sandwiches, animal crackers, and cereal with milk. I can almost guarantee that he'll ask for one of those items during every meal.

He's starting to sing some other songs, but the Alphabet is still the one we hear the most. He can identify every letter and its sound, and also tell you words that start with that letter as well as tell you what a word starts with. He's trying his hardest to figure out how to sound out words, which has been so much fun!

We attempted a team sport this spring (against our better judgement) and sure enough, Jake was more interested in running around like a crazy person than standing in line and participating. I can't say I blame him! The frustrating part for me is that he can dribble a soccer ball like a mad man when he's at home, but refuses to do it at practice. Oh well. Guess we'll wait a few more years!

His favorite people are still his cousins, Kevin and Kyle, and of course Adam. Last time the two of them were together Adam asked, "Jake, are you my best friend?" which melted my heart. They are two peas in a pod and have even had their first sleepover! He also loves his "Quint" (Quinton) who went to Jacksonville with us.

So far it seems that his future career is still either going to be in ministry, or in medicine (which is funny because those were his daddy's two choices before he figured it out). He still loves to be up on the platform at TPC (when we let him) and he also loves visiting the doctor... he even asks to go!

I must say, three has been so much fun so far! I feel like Jake got his "terrible two's" out way early, and now that his communication is improving, he is much less frustrated which eliminates a lot of tantrums. He still uses his "Jake language" when he gets really excited to tell us something, but other than that, it's mostly full sentences and some of the funniest phrases! For example:

Josh: Jake, it's time to go to bed.

Jake: What are you nuts???

I love listening to the conversations between him and his sister or his friends. Jake and Lilly play incredibly well together aside from the occasional scream over a toy or a shove from big brother, but all in all, they love each other immensely. Nothing makes me happier.

So those are the highlights of our dude right now... just happy, happy and oh so much fun! So far I'm LOVING free (and hope I don't eat my words later!). 

Jacksonville Fun

A few weeks ago, we headed south for a few days to attend the ARC Conference. The conference itself is something that we look forward to every single year as the speakers are absolutely incredible and we get to connect with ministry friends old and new. In the past, Josh has gone by himself and I have stayed home, watching much of it at home, but this year we made it work by bringing the kiddos and staying with family friends. While I don't have much to show from our time on the actual "business" part of the trip, it's safe to say that the kids had a blast!

We did a lot of fishing and almost all of us caught one!

They had a blast playing in the sprinkler

Sometimes they even sat still all at the same time! For a minute or two anyway.

And thankfully there was a playground right down the street!

Which we could drive to if we wanted

Although I'm not quite sure I'm ready for THIS

 They even made some new friends

And they were the hit of the ARC All Access Beach Party, too!

Not to mention, I had a really handsome date for that.

We were so excited when they announced that the conference will be at the same place next year and we're already counting the days until we go back! Thank you, Megan, Andy, Austin, and Emma for the wonderful place to stay and the amazing hospitality! And just so you see that there actually was a conference, you can click here to watch the highlight video!

Until next year!

Hiding Out

You may or may not have noticed, but last week was very quiet here on the blog. There is a very valid excuse for the first half of the week, since our family traveled to Birmingham to teach and encourage some future church planters through the ARC, but I have a little bit of a confession about the second half: I kind of crawled into a hole and did not want to come out. I say this is a "confession" because just last week I was so strong and optimistic about our current situation, and yet just a few days later I let it get to me. My strong foundation of faith starting chipping away little by little and by the weekend I was on the verge of a full-on meltdown. You see, we came home from that trip on such a high: we met great people, connected with old friends, had some great one-on-one time with Lilly since Jake stayed back home at a buddy's house, and then we came home and found our counters loaded up with groceries. And when I say groceries, I mean hundreds of dollars worth of household items that had been anonymously gifted to us through some people at the church, presumably our small group (which is just one more reason you should be in one! They take care of each other!). It was incredibly moving and I got choked up seeing the kindness of others and the church literally being the hands and feet of Jesus. That's what it's about... that's what church is supposed to be! On top of that, a few families had also been incredibly generous and given us cards, sent texts and emails, and even donations and gift cards! I was completely overwhelmed by the generosity of our church family, many of whom I don't yet have the pleasure of knowing as well as I'd like. But then, those little chips in the armor started coming along. I have been through this before, I know how it goes, but even though I knew it was a possibility, I was not prepared for what it would do for my heart. First, our insurance lapsed because of a miscommunication between myself and Josh and on day one of that lapse, I got sick... followed by Lilly and then Jake. This is the third time a stomach bug has swept through our household since March and this mama is OVER it. Then the AC in my car went out, after we thought it had been fixed. And the icing on the cake was the $1000 bill we received from the IRS for a miscalculation in our two thousand-eleven taxes. Seriously??? Little by little, all of those strong, courageous, peaceful feelings began to dissipate and fear, doubt, and other unwelcome emotions crept in. By the weekend I was a wreck.

"Is this what life in ministry is always going to be like?" I asked Josh on Saturday. "Great high's followed immediately by low points?"

He literally laughed at me (lovingly of course) and replied, "That's not life in ministry. That's LIFE."

Oh. Wow. And... he is absolutely right! I had somehow attributed anything negative happening in our life to it happening because we work in ministry, as if that should keep us immune from bad things happening. It was ridiculous, and I needed to be reminded that life is tough for everyone, not just for us. In fact, thanks to being a part of a life-giving church, life is easier because we have a community of people to surround us when things aren't going our way. This was not the first time I've seen this happen, and I'm proud to say I've been a part of cleaning a family's house to thank them for selflessly opening their home every week for small group and sneak-attack cleaning and freezer-stocking another family's house when they had a death in the family. People coming together to help each other out is what this life is all about; it's what God meant for the church to be. As I re-read some of the sweet cards and emails we had been given, these words were seared into my spirit:

Continue to take care of My church and My church will take care of you.

It was just the reminder I needed. In fact, if things never got tough and I never needed help or support, I wouldn't even realize what a gem the church really is! God brings us through trials sometimes to remind us that we can't do it alone, and I certainly know it's easier to get through tough times when you have others around you lifting you up!

So even though things are still uncertain and one of my children is still throwing up, I am reminded that it's not so bad. I need to stop looking at the circumstances and keep my eyes on Him, like I did right at the beginning of this mess new chapter. We even discussed how we wanted to handle that lovely bill from the IRS (seriously, if you're just now noticing the mistake, shouldn't we be off the hook?) and noticed that the amount of money we had been given was almost exactly equal to the amount of the bill... coincidence? I think not; He is already looking out for us. He has always been faithful, and this will be no different, but that doesn't mean that it's going to be easy either. 

So I'm out of the hole I crawled in and I think I'm over that hump, even if we take a few more hits here and there. But if I go missing for a week at a time again without warning, please shoot me an email and remind me to read this! That's what friends are for, right?