Counting Down

16 weeks and 5 days until Graduation!

Can you tell I am a little excited :-)

Tomorrow is technically our anniversary, but since it is also the final day of the Fall semester, and the day when the big paper is due, we are postponing a day.

I can't wait to have a break from school for a bit.

3 on the 3rd

My little Ellie is now 3 today! I can't believe the little infant we brought out to New England at 6 months old, is now a 3 year old.
So far she has had an exciting day. We started the day off before 6am, when the power went off throughout campus, and caused everyone to wake up when the heaters were no longer keeping us warm. We cuddled a bit and then began discussing breakfast hunger. Unfortunately we couldn't bake the Trader Joe's chocolate filled pastries that I had lovingly put out last night in anticipation of making a special breakfast for the birthday girl. While the pastries continued to rise past their normal limits, the girls had a blueberry breakfast. Finally we decided to have Daddy (who had come home from work since he couldn't do anything without a computer), go to the grocery store to get the back-up special breakfast, donuts. Just as he was about to head home...you guessed it the power was back. The girls began drinking their "tea" and waiting for the plan A breakfast to be done baking, when Auntie "Koffee" called to wish Ellie a happy birthday. After hanging up with my Aunt Kathy, we began eating our breakfast of champions (since by now Daddy had returned, donuts in hand) and chatting.

I asked Ellie if Auntie Koffee had sang to her, and she said, "Yes, and she had cake too!!!"

I sat trying to figure out what she meant for a few moments, and then replied, "Did she sing Happy birthday to you?"

"Yep, with CAKE!"

"So everyone who sings that song must have cake, huh?"

Ellie (as serious as could be) "Yep!"

So if you want to have a cake magically appear in your home today, according to Ellie, just call and sing to her and there it will be!!!

Have a great December 3rd everyone.

Quotable

For fun, we had some pistachios with our dinner tonight. This was probably only the second time the girls have had them. Lizzie got the hang of opening the nuts rather quickly. Took Ellie a little bit longer. When Ellie finally was able to open one, she got very excited and we all clapped. In that exciting moment, Lizzie yells:

"Ellie cracked!"

Over due Pictures of Gracie

I realized today when I was talking with my Grandma, that I hadn't posted any pictures of the girls (and particularly Gracie) as of late. So the following are some old and new shots of Gracie.

This is Gracie at 4 months wearing a dress made by Great-Grandma Sewell for Auntie Nono when she was a little baby
(the irony is that Gracie looks so much like her Auntie at this age, that it looks like we photo shopped a picture of Auntie Nono into a pink and purple bouncy chair)

This is another outfit that was Auntie Nono's from Great-Grandma

And this is our smiley little Gracie being herself at a little over 5 months

Mallow

Ellie (almost 3): *picks up bag of marshmallows* Dad, can we have some marshmallows that Mommy just got at the store?

Allen: No, honey, it's almost lunch time.

Ellie: Can we have them for dinner?

Sister Praise

Ellie (almost 3) just finished her pretend show on the pretend stage in the living room.

Mommy, Daddy, Lizzie: *clapping*

Lizzie: That's some quality.

Sleepless in South Hamilton

Help!

Does anyone have a secret for how to get an overly pampered 7 month old little girl to sleep through the night while living in an apartment complex with thin walls and two other kiddos to keep in bed and...oh yeah, she shares a room with her exhausted parents :-) Suggestions???

sticky

Ellie came up to me after dinner and dessert, ready to be cuddled.

I was about to embrace my almost 3 year old when I remembered that she had just eaten chocolate.

Mommy: Ellie, do you have chocolate on your fingers?

Ellie (proudly): Nope...I licked it off!

New names

Just within the last week, seemingly out of nowhere, Ellie started to call Lizzie, "Liz." Now that Gracie's home, Ellie has begun calling her "Grace." The funny thing is that the shortened nicknames usually only come at the end of a sentence. Example: "Do you want to play in the kitchen, Liz?"

Saturday

The memorial service for Carol will be this Saturday, November 7 at 1pm at Glenwood Community Church.

Phil 3:14

I will soon get to see my wife and youngest daughter. My mom-in-law passed away early Sunday morning. Non-coincidental that it was not Halloween, but All Saints Day.

Carol, enjoy your Rest. Well done.

Busy

So it's been a while since a blog post. Life without Steph has not been fun nor easy. We have fun moments and easy moments, but they are that, just moments. However, they do provide a glimpse of relief and a good chance to laugh. So it was this morning for my mom (Ma). Lizzie (4) often asks when Mommy is coming home. Our standard response has become: "We don't know. She's helping Nana go see Jesus." So, this morning Lizzie and Ma have the following conversation:

Lizzie: When is Mommy coming home?

Ma: Do you remember where Mommy is?

Lizzie: She's with Nana helping Nana go see Jesus.

Ma: That's right.

Lizzie: Is Jesus busy?

Strings

Daddy-Daughters activity on Day 1 sans Mommy: teaching the girls how to change guitar strings. :-)

Yellow Lights

The girls have started to observe that there are rules for driving. They already know what the red and green lights mean, so Allen challenged them a bit tonight with a new question:

Allen: So girls, if the red light means "stop" and the green light means "go," what does the middle yellow light mean?

Lizzie: "Stop!"?

Allen: No...

Ellie: "Go!"?

Allen: No...

Lizzie: You can do it!

Back healing

Went to see the doc today. Incision is healing well - just like it should. Got a prescription for physical therapy. Got clearance to lift things up to 10 lbs. and was basically told to keep doing what I'm doing and to not do anything stupid. Last follow up is on the 23rd.

Sounds like a recipe for success. :-)

Wrong place

Further evidence I'm not getting enough sleep.

[scene: kitchen earlier this morning]

Ellie: Daddy, why did you put those vitamins in the refrigerator?

Teachers

[scene - in the car, after church this morning]

Steph: Ellie, did you have snack today?

Ellie: Yes, Cheerios! Lizzie, did you have snack?

Lizzie: No, we don't have snack in my class. My teachers don't go to the store.

Physician, Greek god, Kid's Author or...

The conversation I overheard this morning:

Lizzie: I be Dr...(difficult to decipher name)
Allen: Dr. Zues?
Lizzie: No Daddy, I'll be Dr....(again garbled)
Allen: Dr. Suess?
Lizzie: No! I BE Dr. Suess' NURSE!!!

Home

I'm home and resting. Thanks for praying! I'm able to sit up and walk without pain in my leg. First time in a long time. God is Healer indeed. Off to bed with me. :-)

Walking

No not Gracie…Allen!

Allen is doing well. He just called, and said that he was able to walk two laps without being hunched over (like he normally has been). Tomorrow morning we hope to be able to get him home. I will let him post then :-)

He is Out Of It

Allen just called a bit ago, and said that all went WELL. YEAH!!!!!!!!!!

He is REALLY out of it still, so that was all I got before he needed to go to rest. He is going to call again later once the anesthesia has worn off a bit :-)

I will try and post again tonight once I have been able to visit him.

Surgery Time

Tomorrow:

Allen checks in at 8:35am EST. The OR is booked from 10:20am to 12:10pm.

Prayers are appreciated.

A New Season

As the final weeks of summer near, we are approaching not only a new weather season, but a new time of changes in a number of areas of our life. These changes, such as Allen's upcoming back surgery this Thursday, will require time and energy that will in turn cause us to not be able to put energy into other areas of life, ie this blog. I still plan to post, but not often and not with too much thought or emotion. Once we have reached the other side of this trying time, I hope to pick up posting again. For now my personal journal writing will have to be my remedy for processing my thoughts and feelings.

Please be praying in the coming weeks and months for our strength, patience and healing in every aspect of life.

Thank you all.

Love and God Bless
Steph and the Hutchison crew

4 Months Old Already

I cannot believe that she is already 4 months old, but she is and here is a cute video that Allen took of her, being herself on the day she turned 4 months.

Bandana Pants

So I meant to post this weeks ago (along with many other ideas that I just never had time to sit and type out). Jeana posted the idea and link for these pants awhile back. When I saw hers I immediately (seriously the next day I) went out and bought the bandanas for making my own. And here is the finished product:


I would have taken closer shots and more of them, but the models weren't wanting to be still in their new attire. FYI my girls love to wear there new pants and we have had many compliments on them as well as confusion as to whether they are skirts or pants, mostly because they are pretty baggy still on my girls. They are suppose to fit for many years and just convert into shorts as they get bigger.

28th

HAPPY 28th BIRTHDAY to an amazing husband, father, son, brother and friend!

The Thief Among Us

We went to church this morning. It was enjoyable. The girls got to go to their classes and we got to worship and learn in ours. After the service let out, we began the weekly routine of picking up the children from their classes. We started with Ellie and all was going well until I discovered that she had tried to take home a toy that she just couldn't part with. Of course, I sent her back into her class to return the thieved item.

The moment it left her fingers and she realized she would not be able to take this treasured possession home, she burst into a sea of screams and tears. It took sometime for Allen to convince our devastated child that she could indeed go on living, and that it wasn't her toy for the taking.

So what was this amazing toy of all toys you may wonder?

A single strip of plastic bacon.

That is right, our child is so longing to be a meat eater again that she felt she had to steal colored plastic in the shape of bacon, to at the very least pretend she was eating a pig. She was quickly returned to reality with eggplant and salad for dinner :-)

Crazy

Today it was solidified. I am a Mom. I just left a message on another mom's phone explaining that we had lost our marbles.

Yes, we are down 4 marbles!

I really just wanted to let her know that I just cleaned up my house and can't seem to find all the marbles from the marble machine. They are small marbles, and her children and mine were playing with them yesterday. As a MOM, I had visions of one of her children accidentally bringing a marble home, and the youngest (doing as my 2 year old does), sticking it in his mouth, and suddenly they are going to the ER, because I can't find my marbles!

Chalk that up to yet another thing I never thought I would hear myself say.

Living For Thee, O LORD

I must die to live, Not just live to die

I am here to serve, not be serve
To love, not be loved
To bend to Thee, not simply bend a knee

It's All About ___?

As a Mommy I have learned a great many things. Some of these lessons have surprised me. Today, as I spent yet another nap-time fighting my children's sin nature in order to get them to get the rest I knew they needed, I realized that I am my children.

My children are a reflection of me, as they learn so much of their behaviors from me, but today I learned that I am them. Let me explain.

I am as testingly stubborn as a 2 year old.
I am as defiantly manipulative as a 4 year old.
And yes, I am as demanding as a 3 month old.

I get my mind set on something, right or wrong and I don't want to change for any amount of rational reasons. I don't care that Allen is being wise and I am foolish, I want to be right, so I will push to the limits of his or my own breaking point, in foolish stubbornness, just because I don't want to admit that perhaps I was wrong.

I am cunning and conniving, as I plot and plan how to get my way. If I___, then perhaps I can___. Sometimes I am conscious of it, but I am ashamed to say that sometimes it comes so naturally that I don't even notice it. For instance, wanting to have my children go to bed early so that I can have some me time. (Are you catching on to the pattern yet?)

And how often I have thought, "I want to eat NOW, not at lunchtime...I want to sleep NOW not at 11pm or midnight when all my children are finally fast asleep...I want to go to the restroom 1st not 3rd or 4th..." or the infamous, "I want a shower NOW, not when it is convenient for everyone else!".

I am just like my children in sooo many ways.

I am SELFISH!


The biggest difference (besides age and assumed amounts of wisdom that come with that age), is Christ. With Christ I choose to be humble and admit my own wrong doing. With Christ I choose to not manipulate my way through the day, but instead make my choices based on what is best for everyone in the grand scheme of things. With Christ I choose to be patient and serve others above myself, even if it means holding my bladder a little longer than I would like, or waiting until the end of the day to shower off the baby spit up. With Christ I choose to love others more than myself.

I pray that through my example and daily direction, that someday my girls will make that choice too! That they will no longer throw fits. No longer get up continuously when it is bedtime. No longer choose sin over obedience.

FATHER,
May I demonstrate obedience to Christ to my girls in such a way that they in turn would obey. May I demonstrate humility in Christ in such a way that they in turn would be humble. May I demonstrate love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control; in such a way that they, in turn, would reflect the fruit of the Spirit. May I be like Christ, so that my girls would choose to be like Him too.

Thank You, FATHER, for loving me, even when I don't choose to be like you. Thank you for always welcoming me back as your prodigal child. Thank you for being the ultimate example to me, of what I ought to be to my children. Thank you, for being my FATHER, and choosing me to be your child.

Cuddly 3 month old

Gracie has become VERY attached to her blanket from Great-Grandma Sewell. So much so that she really doesn't seem to like sleep without it. The other day Allen went to put her down and she screamed, until she felt the blanket brush against her face, and then all of a sudden she was calm, cool and collected.
I tried to catch her snuggling her blanket today:

1st paintings

Thank you so much to everyone who emailed, commented, face-booked or called to help us out with ideas for our wet-weather-woes. Awesome ideas poured in, and now I have a healthy stalk of back-up ideas for the rather lengthy winter to come.

I mentioned in that post that we painted, and so I thought I would share our work. I am not a photographer, but hopefully you will get the idea. I used the girls hands and fingers to paint most of the images with an occasional brush stroke to complete each painting. Also, if you didn't figure it out already, the painting are of the first 6 days of creation. The final painting is still being completed, but I don't know when that will happen, so I thought I better post them now!

Thank You to Bob the Builder

Dear Construction Dudes

We greatly appreciate the entertainment you provided us (the two older girls and myself) on this fine rainy day, with your nifty remote control truck. It was way cool to see you move the giant arm to pick up and relocate large bundles of heavy duty construction supplies. And to have you so close made it even more exciting as we all watched you unload the truck from our living room window.

Thanks for the rainy day distraction!

Previous Post Explained

So the previous post was an experiment to see if I could get a slide show on to the blog.
Did it work?
Did it load quickly enough?
Did you enjoy it?

What the girls were doing in the previous post:

Yesterday Cleaning Fun

So I deciding to clean house yesterday since it was sunny and dry enough to open all the windows. Here is what the girls did while I cleaned:

Lizzie party

I know a little late, but I am posting these fabulous picks that my friend Ash took at Lizzie's party because they were too cute to resist. There are a ton more pics, but as I haven't asked parents for permission to post their kiddos on my blog, these will have to do!

How I Keep Sane Lately With All the Rain

with

this

and this

and in honor of my brother, Nick
this


If you want to see more of Mercy Me "redoing" other artists, just type "Mercy Me Cover tune Grab bag" into the search engine on Youtube.com

If You Have Children

I just wanted to take the time to put out a warning to parents out there. With the TV switch to digital you may find that, like us, you get different channels. Be aware that even without cable, a large purple dinosaur may appear around the time that you are taking a shower. Your children may be clueless as to who this figure is, at which point you may want to quickly change the channel and make up some lame reason for why they should not be watching him dance and sing.

You have been warned!

The Old Man Snoring

It has been raining and pouring for weeks! And the 10 day forecast doesn't seem to show signs of relief from the strange display of mildew growing, mosquito multiplying, boredom inducing weather.

I am quickly running out of indoor activities to do with the girls. We have used up the following:

-3 glitter glue sticks
-4 painting canvases
-1/3 to 1/2 of the large bottles of tempura paint in blue, pink, red, white, black, green, orange, yellow and purple (what can I say, we have been painting A LOT)
-6 batches (yes 6, I told you we were bored) of muffin supplies
-dozens of Kumon book pages
-2 coloring books worth of color pages
-one 10 pack of roll out crayons
-one pack of 10 markers
-1/2 a pack of colored feathers
-1/2 a pack of colored puffy balls
-lots of glue and paste
-TONS of "scratch paper"
-4 pairs of men's socks (needed for pretending to be ice skating doggies on the kitchen floor)

Any ideas that you have to pass time inside when pretending, playing with toys, and watching movies just aren't cutting it anymore? Oh, and I should say ideas for a VERY limited budget. Since, yes, it would be fun to drive down to Florida and enjoy the sunshine, or fly to WA and visit family and friends (and maybe get some vitamin D), but we just can't manage that right now :-)

(Note: I really am needing suggestions, since I just let my two year old put baby oil all over her hair and body, simply because it kept her busy and wasn't dangerous).
So, in conclusion, if you have sunlight where you are today, then please enjoy the blessings of the outdoors today, and think of us... stuck inside...in JULY!

The Wanderings of a Babbling Mind

So be patient with me as I allow my mind to sift through thoughts I have not allowed myself to consider for some time. My mind trying to breach the wall that I have built between my heart and my thoughts and so a wall between ME and YOU. It may be a slow and difficult journey and we may have some casualties, but I hope that we can all make it through together.

My previous post about my struggles barely touched on what is going on inside of me, so I thought I would take a bit to explain more clearly (as much as is possible for one to do when still wading through an endless sea of confused thoughts).

I have friends. I have great friends, and they are a HUGE blessing to me. I have a couple of close friends back home as well as some here at GCTS. They have been an encouragement and source of strength to me on more occasions than can be recalled by the human mind. And I believe that there have been times that I have been blessed to be able to encourage them as well. I love my friends and feel very loved by them.

I am still figuring things out, but I believe that my greatest obstacle right now, is me. I have avoided being truly honest with myself on so many levels, that in effect I have not been completely open and honest with YOU. And by "completely" I mean within the guidelines of a godly woman, and not "completely" in the sense of a lose lipped blab who can't seem to decipher what is wise to share and what isn't (and in case anyone is feeling the least bit defensive, no I wasn't thinking of anyone in particular).

I need to take the time to think and to exam where I am with God and with others. Have I REALLY spent time WITH God or am I just reading my Bible, think some words to Him, and writing a few simple thoughts into a book I call a journal? Have I REALLY thought about where I am with life and the situations I find myself in everyday? Have I REALLY shared my hearts desires, cries and fears with those God has put into my life? Have I allowed others into my world in a way that allows them the freedom to share their heart? Have I loved as Christ loves me?

Last night after sharing my scratching the surface thoughts, I pondered why those songs I shared have touched me so much. I began to question our choice of church here in New England and whether I was being negatively effected by the church style, as it is so different from what we have been used to back home. I was wrong.

This morning I allowed myself to engage in service, be-it-ever-so-slightly, and found that the problem wasn't with the church, but once again with me. Yes, I don't enjoy singing nothing but hymns. Yes, I struggle my way through the rehearsed nature of the "traditional" style of worship. Yes, I find myself going through motions far too often on Sunday mornings. However, these things should not prevent me from worshiping. I should not allow my likes and dislikes to determine whether or not I serve my God. I should not keep from connecting with Him, purely because "I don't know the song". It is in those moments that I must choose to close my eyes and listen with my heart. God had mercy on my this morning, and gave me comfort in a familiar and very need song to worship Him to, "How Deep the Father's Love For Us".

I will leave you with the words to ponder for yourself:

How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He would give His only Son,
To make a wretch His treasure
How great the pain of searching loss,
The Father turns his face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory.

Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice,
Call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life,
I know that it is finished.

I will not boast in anything,
No gifts, no pow'rs, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ,
His death and resurrection
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom.

(Stuart Townend)

Or if you prefer to listen

Mermaids

Lizzie wants to know,
"how do you know if a mermaid is crying,
if they live in water?"

The Lonely Extravert

I am shy.

Okay, that is not entirely true. I have spent more of my life silent and observing, than socializing and engaging. I was so quiet in high school that even most of my teachers forgot my name and who I was once I finished their course. With the start of college I decided it was a great opportunity to "find the new me". I pushed myself to use my voice and not be a turtle, hiding every time I sensed tension in the air. I had previously had only a handful of friends, but then as I began to talk, I felt that number multiplying and I felt myself getting uncomfortable and backing away from the less close relationships. Unfortunately I probably missed out on really getting to know some wonderful people, all out of fear.
Today I realized that I have done it again.
Our time here at GCTS has been far from what we expected. The last year in particular was beyond trying. Now looking back, I see that I reverted back to my old, turtle-like ways and have hidden from friendships to protect myself. I have been defeated by fear. Fear of loneliness. Fear of the pain that comes from sharing your life with others. Fear of people seeing me, and knowing me. Fear of feeling.
I have let these fears defeat me and my ability to love others. I have allowed fear to control my life and my choices. I have invited fear to comfort me and guide me, to fill me up, to make me me...only not me, but some lesser version of who God intended me to be. And in return I have left little room for friends. Little room for loving relationships. Little room to feel joy, pain, rejoicing, anger or peace. Little room to be completely His.
I have numbed myself and my life, "feeling" and "being" in small increments that seem "comfortable" and "manageable". Being more concerned about perception and appearance, than reality and truth.

I need to change. I need to be molded and chiseled.

It will hurt. It will be excruciating. I will cry. I will wince in anguish. But I WILL FEEL.

I have the next year to get to know and love my family here at GCTS a little better. It overwhelms me to think about how I can impact and love others, just as it overwhelms me to consider how little I know My Father. LORD give me strength, peace and patience as I pursue you and your love, as I pursue your people and try to love them well.

I leave you with a couple of older songs that reflect our constant need for Him.

Back to the Back

So Allen's back has been bad since I have known him. However, a year and a half ago he did something to really mess it up and ended up with 2 herniated discs. He recently decided that it was not going to get better despite the physical therapy, cortisone shot and exercises he had/has been doing. He got another MRI which showed he now has 3 herniated discs. Tuesday we went and met with a surgeon who confirmed that surgery would indeed relieve the leg pain caused by his herniated disc(s).

He is scheduled for August 20th, at which point he will have the problem disc (apparently the other two aren't causing any of his pain) "scooped out". This is their simplest and most common surgery, with a 95% chance that he would NOT be back with this same problem (at least not at this disc). Pray for all of us, as this will mean tough recovery for Allen and challenges for myself and the girls as we assist him in his day to day functioning.

He will not be able to lift anything for a week and then no more than a bag of groceries or a laptop for 6 weeks. After that no more than 15 pounds for another 6 weeks. It will be a slow process as that means he will be unable to lift ANY of our children, since even Gracie will be too big by then.

He will be able to hold them once they have been carefully placed on his lap, but as you could imagine, this will be a HUGE challenge for all of us. We appreciate all your prayers in regard to this whole process!

Tie Dye

We (okay I) wanted to do something different for Lizzie's birthday party this year. So after much thinking and planning, we ended up having the kids tie dye shirts using blueberry juice. Here are the girls in their finished shirts (Lizzie's had the ice cream cone on it already..since she is the birthday girl):

She's 4

I cannot believe our little Lizzie is 4 years old.

Monday was her birthday party and we all had a great time. Lizzie especially enjoyed the animal game where she had to guess which animal all the kids were pretending to be.

We are so blessed to have such a sweet and kind little girl leading the Hutchison girl pack. She is a delight in so many ways, especially as it pertains to her loving relationship with both her sisters. I can't wait to see what God has in store for her. Whatever it is, I know she will rise to the challenge and shine even brighter with Him shining through her. May she know Him soon, and serve Him always.

I love you Lizzie girl!

Weights and Measures

So I started doing Weight Watchers again (as I have after each pregnancy thus far). It is going well and I have a new accountability partner, which is great! I was getting out the scale to let my new WW buddy compare it to hers. When I got it home the girls were very excited to use it too.
The first of the girls stepped up and onto the scale, 33 lbs.
The next little girl stepped up and did the same, 32.5 lbs.
The first child decided to have a second try, 32.5 lbs.

That's right, our big girls are almost the same weight and almost the same height, no wonder people are always asking if our girls are twins!

Vacuuming

The following conversation took place this morning, when the two older girls were watching the campus crew mow the grass.

Ellie: Why is that man vacuuming the grass?
Lizzie (without skipping a beat and as matter of fact as an almost 4 year old could possibly be): Because the grass is all dirty!

How Effective Are YOU?

“If you read history you will find
that the Christians who did most for the present world
were precisely those who thought most of the next.
It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world
that they have become so ineffective in this.”
-C.S. Lewis

2 months check-up and check-in

Today was Gracie's 2 months check-up. She passed with flying colors and even wrapped the doctor around her little pinky by smiling and cooing at him as he examined her. Maybe she was being sweet or maybe she was responding to his comment that, "she could be a baby model", either way, it was very cute to watch.
Here are the stats:
Head circumference- 15 inches (45% for her age)
Weight -------------- 10 lbs. 11 oz. (55% for her age)
Height---------------23 inches (75% for her age)

So average head and weight, but on the taller side of life for now.

Updated Note: I forgot to mention when I first posted this that it was also a big shot day for Malina Grace (two in one leg, and a 3-in-1 in the other). Needless to say this led to a very fussy and generally unhappy baby (who is generally very laid back). Here is Lizzie's take on things:

Lizzie: Why is Malina crying?
Daddy: She got shots in her legs today and they are hurting her.
Lizzie (sympathetically): Oh, right, because babies don't get lollipops.

So apparently that sucker they give the girls after their shots does the trick! Who knew!

Aunt Edee

Today I found out that one of the sweetest, most creative women on this Earth, my Great-Auntie Edith, passed away. Her body couldn't keep up with the beautiful soul it was a vessel to for over 90-something years. She, to the best of my knowledge, knew and loved the LORD well, and now is enjoying the beauty of being in His presence. At the dinner table we prayed for our family members as we mourn her death. This led to a discussion later in the evening that went something like this:

Lizzie: Where did Great-Aunt Edith go?
Allen and I: She believed in Jesus/God and loved Him, so she went to heaven.
Lizzie: Who is heaven?
Me: No Honey, heaven is a place where God and Jesus live.
Allen: Heaven is Jesus' home...
Lizzie (face lighting up): Ooo! Can we die too?!
Allen and I (chuckling at this point, trying to maintain some form of composure): Well, um, yes, we all die some day, but God decides when. So, when it's our turn, yes we can die. When we die, if we believe in Jesus and that He died for the bad things we've done, then we can go to heaven.

So not quite what we were shooting for, but don't worry, I went on to explain that God decided it was Auntie Edith's turn and that Auntie Edith died because her body was having a hard time working since she was an older woman. I think she got it, but it was a tough conversation, with moments of laughter and moments of extreme seriousness, trying to explain such difficult concepts to such a sweet little girl can really challenge your creativity skills.

Hopefully I did Aunt Edee proud with my simplistic explanations. She was always so creative.

New Layout

So what do you think???

Thoughts From My Quiet Time

My quiet time has been moved to "naptime" as of late. And I think I just read my new favorite verses. I couldn't help but chuckle just imagining the imagery. God is amazing and worthy of our praise, but sometimes He has an awesome sense of humor when He is scolding His children:

Job 38:12-13
(The LORD speaking to Job out of a storm)
"Have you ever given orders to the morning,
or shown the dawn its place,
that it might take the earth by the edges
and shake the wicked out of it?"

Sometimes we can get so self-righteous, but God always takes the time to remind us who He is and who we are not.

Later in the chapter the LORD's sarcasm continues:
Job 38:19-21
"What is the way to the abode of light?
And where does darkness reside?
Can you take them to their places?
Do you know the paths to their dwellings?
Surely you know, for you were already born!
You have lived so many years!"

May I remember my place and be humbled by it, so that I can be freed to serve Him well, without my pride getting in the way.

Like Mother Like Daughter

My mom is great and did a lot of wonderful things for us kids growing up. She was always sure to try and preserve memories for us. One of the ways she did this was through video taping big things like birthday parties or sporting events. Unfortunately my mom and video cameras don't get along. We spent most of our teenage years using my mom's poor filming skills to poke fun of her. Today I would like to apologize as publicly as I know how:

"I AM SOOOO SORRY MOM!"

The reason for my apology will be made clearer once you watch the following film (I ashamedly admit) I took last week.

Trouble-Makers with Markers

Last week the girls decided to use their markers for art projects other than paper. Here was what they decided on after deliberating in their room unsupervised for apparently 5 minutes too long:



Oh, and in case you are wondering how I could reward them by taking pictures to laugh at later, I told them I needed evidence to show Daddy why they were being disciplined with not getting to use any of their drawing things. I think it worked, and I got to laugh!

Daddy is Home

Now that Allen is home more, he has had the luxury of playing with the girls more often. A couple of days ago he got Lizzie and Ellie their bikes down from the attic.

Last year the girls really struggled getting the idea of "riding" a bike. They wanted to just sit and let someone push them. This year Ellie is still "practicing", but Lizzie did it! She is riding her bike and getting better and better at it. Before we know it she will be wanting to take the training wheels off and ride solo (of course that may be an event for another year). But, it is so much fun watching our little girl become so independent and learn so many things.

In other Lizzie news, she has created her first imaginary friend, or should I say imaginary family members. She has decided that she has kids and her kids do all sorts of things. Luckily her kids don't ever really do anything, usually they just weigh in on things with their opinions (almost as if they get a vote and therefore Lizzie's way is the way to go). Her kids "like" and "don't like" a number of things. They also do things for her that mommy won't, like give her ice cream for dinner, or have a toy in bed, or do any number of things mommy said, "No" to already. Like I said, her kids usually just have their opinions heard, and haven't yet "done" anything. When I tell Lizzie "No." she will just say, "but my kids let me do that. ...They like that... it's okay, my kids say, 'yes'."

Hopefully this will never lead to any major discipline issues, but for now Allen and I think it is cute, and an entertaining way for her to cope with having to be a big sister to a 2 year old and an almost 2 month old.

Remodel

Also, stay tuned for a new look. Now that Allen is finished with Spring Semester (Yeah!!!!!!), he has promised to help me change the layout and over all look of my blog. If you have any ideas, please feel free to share them. I love input, especially on things that I am completely ignorant of, and designing web-stuff is one of those things!

Pics of the Raspberry

Here is Gracie trying to suck her thumb at 1 month old

Gracie making faces for the camera (taken today, not quite 2 months old)

And finally, Gracie wearing the dress that was made for Mommy (me ;-) ) when I was her age by I believe my Grandma Sewell

Mom Young Update

My mom had a CT scan last week. We were all bracing ourselves for the possibility that the news could be quite difficult to take in.

But, PRAISE THE LORD, it wasn't!!!

The lung cancer hasn't grown, the mass in her stomach doesn't appear to be a cancerous tumor, but instead some sort of fluid (they are still figuring it out with tests, etc.), and the pancreatic cancer has had minimal growth.

This is such a relief to me, being so far away, and unable to help out.

Please, continue to pray for her healing, and that God would give the doctors wisdom as to what the mass in her abdomen is, where it's point of origin is, and how best to deal with it (draining, surgery to remove it, just leave it...).

Also pray that God would continue to guide each of us through this process of unknowns. It has been a challenging journey so far, and we all know that there is more to come, but God has been extremely faithful in giving each of us people in our lives to talk to and that is an amazing blessing.

So thank you for your prayers and for those that have taken the time to sit and listen to me process aloud or read my written words as I struggle with the powerful truths and overcome some of the ugly lies, that have come as a result of the events of this past year. You are wonderful friends, and I love and appreciate each of you very much!

2 going on 13

Ellie is two.

I could stop there and let you imagine what the rest of this post might include, but I won't work your brains today.

Here are a couple of Ellie quotes that will give you a glimpse into the growing mind of our independent thinker:

Mommy: You are two Ellie
Ellie: I'm not two, I'm Free!!!

Ellie (with an instructing tone): Babies drip a lot!

In other Ellie news, she is learning to use the potty, and doing very well, so hopefully very soon we will be down to diapering one again! Be praying that it continues to go well. Ellie can be very strong willed and if she gets the idea that going on the toilet is in anyway unpleasant or not advantageous to her, she might abandon ship! That could be real trouble.

Berries Continued

I have decided to call our youngest Gracie. Allen has settled on Raspberry (which is what Malina means in Croatian, Russian, Polish, and a few other eastern European languages). This led to an interesting conversation yesterday with Lizzie:

Lizzie: I am going to call her Strawberry
Allen: Don't you mean Raspberry?
Lizzie: Strawberry!
Allen: But Daddy calls Malina Raspberry
Lizzie: I know! I am going to call her Strawberry.
Allen: yes, but Daddy calls her Raspberry, because that is what her name means in another language, called Croatian
Lizzie: Yes, but I like strawberries, they taste good.

Allen laughs and gives up, unwilling to fight our 3 year old (almost 4 year old) on technicalities.

So many things to say

I have thought of SO MANY posts to share with you all, but unfortunately the subjects of most of the posts have kept me from having the time to sit and type them out :-)

Instead I will just post little bits when I can over the next day or so, and hopefully that will be enough to keep you from giving up on reading my blog altogether!

A Rose by Any Other Nickname...

So ever since Allen and I decided on Malina Grace for our 3rd daughter's name, we have been struggling to come up with THE "perfect" nickname.

Finally, late last night, I believe we came to a compromise, but in case we change our minds I will wait to share.

Instead I thought I would get your thoughts. What is a good nickname for Malina Grace using any variation on her first or middle name, or even something totally random that fits the personality of our laid back, sweet, little, third child?

Still Here

We are still here, but as you probably guessed, life with one more little one is not as simple as adding one more to the mix.

Malina Grace, (or Gracie, as some of us have taken to calling her), is very sweet and laid back.

Her flexibility has been huge in this transitional phase, but unfortunately a cold found our home, and she is now struggling through the sniffles at 1 month old. Part of me feels tremendous guilt that she is already sick and yet I know there is very little I could have done differently to try and prevent it. Both Allen and Lizzie have been under the weather the past week and a half, and realistically, just trying to keep Lizzie from coughing near Gracie, has been a chore.

Please, be praying that she gets over it very quickly and that it doesn't get any worse.

Also, prayers for Lizzie and Ellie would be appreciated, as they learn how to share Mommy and Daddy. They have been so sweet with their sister, but definitely have made it known to Allen and myself, that they don't appreciate the lack of attention. For example, in the past couple of days they have thrown more temper tantrums, screamed more times and said the words "No" and "Why" more frequently than I care to calculate, than ever before.

Also, there was the melting stick of butter all over the kitchen, newly cleaned dishes and bodies of a 3 and 2 year old. Oh, and today's expression of frustration by Lizzie: the new tube of toothpaste all over the bathroom counters, floor, toilet, hair ties, and carefully shredded toilet paper. It was truly a sight to see. In fact, if I thought I could get a picture without giving my creative bathroom decorator the wrong message, I would have shown you all just what a mess it was.

The Weight of it All

This has been quite the week for me. Having a baby is always a big deal, but this time was especially impacting to me for a multitude of reasons. The biggest factors were being in a birthing center with midwives, Allen and a close friend; rather than being in a hospital back home, with family (in particular my mom), doctors and drugs.

I hadn't realized what a huge experience giving birth naturally would be for me. It was truly an amazing experience on so many levels. Never in my life have I felt such a raw need and desire for God's help. Never have I felt such pain that would bring me to such a point of surrender to God's control. And never has God's timing and plan seemed more obviously perfect.

As I mentioned before, my family, including my mom, were all back in Washington, while I grunted and groaned Malina into the world in Massachusetts. Allen and my good friend, Elizabeth, were huge instruments in helping me cope with the painful process, but it was God's whispered reminders of His faithfulness, strength, love and GRACE, that kept me going. In the haze of thoughts that filled my mind with each mind-numbing contraction, I heard His voice saying that it would be done soon, that He would take the weight off my shoulders if I surrendered it to Him...He would carry my load, my pain...my cross.

In the end, the pain brought forth life. In the end a reminder was born, a reminder of God's amazing and towering grace*. He never gives us more than we can handle, because He is always there to carry our load for us. And in the end of this journey of pain that is life on Earth, there is life eternal with our gracious Father.

This reminder was especially impacting for me this evening, as I was jolted once again into the reality of the frailty of our human bodies and how God's plan is not our own. He is in control. He knows how long we have on this Earth and He knows the loads we can bear while we are here, because He intends to bear them for us. My family has a heavy weight right now, in particular my parents, but we will make it through by the power of His grace, and in the end we will have true LIFE!

So, despite the pain I feel, and will continue to feel, I praise God for His faithfulness, strength, love and especially... His grace.


Note:
*Malina in Hebrew means Tower, so her name essentially means tower of grace.

Malina Grace

Malina Grace was born at 12:09pm, April 2, 2009. 7 lbs 0 oz. and 20" long. -- Mom and baby are great. As a means of precaution (and the extra help of nurses), Steph and Malina will be staying in the hospital until Saturday. Lizzie, Ellie and I are trying to rest up for the coming home of our sweet Malina!