Reflections

I thought I would take a moment to count my blessings and also be truthful. This past weekend has been rainy so the boys have been stuck inside so it has been a little more of an adventure.

Truth:
1. Aaron is not perfectly potty trained but I remind myself that he is now telling me he needs to go even if it is not quite soon enough. We have not even attempted nighttime.
2. Aaron does not always sleep through night and can be quite whinny at times. Whinny is often linked to how tired.
3. I wish that everyday was sunny because letting the boys play outside is so much easier than having them in the house.
4. I am not always as patient as I should be and sometimes I want to be quite selfish and have a long extended me time which is not always possible which then makes Mom (me) grumpy.
5. I probably let my boys watch too much TV.
6. I have not mastered the boys talking/fighting while mom is on the phone. (Yes follow thru - I know).
7. Yes my boys do fight and are not always perfect.

Now to counting my blessing
1. I have a husband that is very helpful and patient.
2. I have boys that will eat just about everything
3. Andrew is soaking up learning like a sponge.
4. Andrew asks to pray and at lunch today after telling God about everything that he had done so far - he thanked God for taking care of him when he was good and bad.
5. I have boys who love to give hugs and kiss
6. That m boys are learning to help and volunteered to help me clean this morning and informed me when we work together it is better and faster.
7. Thank God for loving just as I am good and bad
8. I could continue to count my blessings but Andrew's nap time is over.

April 20th

April 20th was Aaron's Gotcha Day. It is hard to believe that Aaron has been hear 2 years but it is harder to imagine life without him. Aaron came home at 10 months old and changed our lives forever. He is a different cat than his brother but wants to do whatever Andrew does. When Aaron came home Mom and Dad had an Ice Cream Cake from Meadows. It has become a tradition to have an ice cream cake. This year we ate at the Meadows. It was still so frozen that Uncle Jim had to use some serious muscles to get it cut. Note to self let thaw a little before attempting to cut. We just have cake and the boys love helium balloons so that is what we do. Simple but lots of fun.
This years cake had blue icing - can you tell.

Here is to a life more full because of Aaron and a grateful mom who thankful for the gift.

Playing with Bradley

Bradley is the nephew of Miss Grace and once in a while he comes and spends the weekend out in the country. When he does, the boys enjoy playing with each other. So here are a few pictures from this weekend's adventure. My boys love to go to any park and have dubbed the park by Old Fort Bedford - Snake Park. It runs along a good size stream and they had a wonderful hour throwing rocks and playing with stick. Once again I ponder why I buy my children toys.

Boys and slides are a combination that provide hours of pleasure and heart failure to mothers. The other day my boys were jumping off the back of our slide till mommy saw what was going on. At the park the boys went down on their belly, backwards, forwards and any other way they could come up with. They also came down with all three of them on top of each other.

A good time was had by all.

A tip from a magazine

When we colored eggs this year I tried something new. This had been suggested by a family magazine that we get and it is to prevent the cracking of the egg while coloring. You slide the hard boiled egg into a whisk and then let go at it. You don't have to worry about it falling off the little wire thing or having to fish it out. The pros were that it did prevent the egg from cracking and it let the boys be more independent with the dying of the eggs.

The cons were that it made the potential for spilling increase as the boys pulled them in and out. The second is you can only do the number of eggs as there were whisks.

I would definitely use them again but understand that it doesn't remove all risk.

Just have to Smile

Unknown to me, mom had done a lesson yesterday in children's church about how God loves us all and made us different. So yesterday afternoon during nap time Andrew says, why is your hair curly. I am thinking ah this is an easy one - God made it curly. He continues to look at my hair and then ask why do you straighten it. Good question Andrew. Just have to smile.

Later that evening while Perry and I were enjoying a date night. He was playing with his friend Bradley and he touched his hair. Andrew then says your hair is different than mine but that is okay.

It is amazing how much kids process and I think that Andrew had learned the lesson and mommy is now pondering why do I bother to straighten my hair.

I must add a story from my husband that just occurred. As he walk back upstair by Andrew room, Andrew says Is God watching and Perry says yes. Then Andrew says is He in the hallway...how do you answer that. Perry's response God is watching us night and day. Just have to smile.

Pictures

I have had these pictures for a while but have not posted them. We had Laura Saville take pictures of the boys instead of the traditional Sears/Pennys adventure. It was much easier for us and more fun for the boys. These are only a handful of the wonderful pictures she took. These were taken at the Roaring Spring Dam. She has a website - savillephotography.com

This is so Andrew wanting to see everything and take it in.

I like this black and white picture even more in color. It isn't the traditional family picture but it is amazing.

What boys and even big boys don't like trees.

This is classic Aaron.

Easter

This delinquent mother failed to take any pictures at Easter but it was still a very nice Easter. Let me say that it has been wonderfully warm the last week and so we have been outside as much as humanly possible. But we enjoyed a nice communion and foot washing service at the church on Good Friday. Followed by a very nice Easter Service Sabbath. It was a good opportunity to reflect on what the Lord has done for us. The boys learned a couple songs for Easter and have been singing them all the time. Easter Service was followed by a fellowship meal which was wonderful and that night we had an Easter dinner/Perry birthday dinner. Perry had to work Easter Sunday and his Birthday. So our Easter dinner was a little unconventional because Perry had requested steaks. So Uncle Jim began to cook away and we all enjoyed the fruits of his labor.