Things learned on vacation...

...some of which need to be unlearned at home!

We have been (more or less) on vacation since July 13.  Eleven days of less structure, fun, food, family, friends, treats, adventures, and less structure (Oh, wait! I already said that.).  In that time the boys have learned some great and some not so great things.

1.  If we ask for it we will get it.  That means cookies at 8:00 AM or a movie about penguines that dance or pizza from Papa John's.

2.  If Daniel cries, there is always someone to pick him up.  Immediately!

3.  4-wheelers, tractors, sling-shots, pellet guns, and bouncy horses are all great entertainment and pale in comparison to what we have at home.

4.  If Daniel cries in the night or at nap Mommy is magically there in mere seconds.

5.  Bedtime is a myth.

6.  Life jackets make you float in the pool but no life jacket means you sink.

7.  Soda and cookies and ice cream and juice and cupcakes go with any meal.

8.  If we ask enough (nag) we usually get what we want.  (see number 2)

9.  When Great Aunt Patty asks if we like snakes that means we get to go to a really cool place with a lot of them.

10.  Police officers have really cool stuff (no, we didn't get arrested).

11.  Rest areas are a blessing.

12.  Ties on little boys are so adorable.

You Are My Sunshine

Daniel recently received a rather annoying toy from Grandma Donna.  It sings, "You are my sunshine" over and over and over and over (mostly because he is chewing on it or laying on top of it).  So, I go about my day humming, singing, or running that song through my head.

The thing is that song is a painful reminder that the woman who used to sing that song to me is no longer here.  Legend has it she used to sing "You Are My Sunshine" to me and my beautiful sister when we were in the bathtub.  I, of course, do not remember this but I do remember my mom signing letters she sent to me with parts of that song.

She passed away ten years ago today.  I miss her dearly and pray that one day I can get just one more hug and hair stroke from her.

Deep Dark Secret

It is no secret that Daniel is cute.  He is smiley.  Daniel is a good eater.  He is generally a very good natured baby. 

Our secret is that Daniel is not sleeping through the night.  And I have to say it...I stronglly dislike people who have babies who sleep through the night on their own because I am at a loss on how to get this one to sleep through the night.

We have been working on sleeping through the night in a serious way for the past few weeks.  But, it never fails, at between 3 and 3:30 AM he decides to wake up, and then sometimes he wakes up again at 4 and then at 5 (when I finally feed him).  He hasn't been fed overnight for several weeks but that has not twarted his attempts at night time attention.

I feel like I should have this figured out by now. He is my third son.  He, however, is not like his brothers who needed just one night of crying for 10-15 minutes.  No, Daniel, cries for an hour before Chris or I break down and go give him his pacifier and a pat to let him know we still love him.  The bags under my eyes and the ecezema breakout on my hand attest to the stress I am feeling.  We have a couple weekends of trips coming up and sleeping for more than 5 hours would be so refreshing.

He is really cute though....see...

Crime and Punishment

I'm going to have to keep a closer watch (and perhaps a hand at all times) on John.  Yesterday, while visiting the neighbors John and his buddy Evan found a marker.  A PERMANENT marker.  One of them decided it would be fun for them to write on the walls with it, after they had decorated their faces. 

Me:  John, why did you do that?  You know better than to write on walls!
John:  I....I...I don't know.  I just did it.

He was sentenced to a very embarrasing time-out at a friends as well as a loooooong time out at home.  He also had to "write" an apology and fork over his spend money from his bank.  All $11.66 of it.

A friend at FCA camp mentioned that she is certain God uses our children to shed light on the areas we need to work on.  I am praying for submissive spirits for both John and I.

Top:  John and Evan's handywork with the permanent marker.  He was not happy about me documenting his crime. 
Bottom:  John's letter and his money.

Mission Trip Recap

I meant to get this post out before we left for our other mission trip, FCA camp at Black Hills State University, but it just didn't happen.

It turns out, that walking across the driveway, the street, the hallway, or whatever is not that difficult.  God opens doors and hearts and begins to build relationships in the strangest of places.

We, as a family, walked across the complex and delivered a bike, that in turn delivered the biggest smile.  The little boy was hardly able to contain himself and his mother was so over-whelmed she kept asking if she could give me some money.  She also kept apologizing for her son's constant asking if he could ride Elijah's bike (I assured her it was not annoying, but only let us know his deep desire.)

Chris and I both explained that this was a gift.  That we have been so blessed and had a friend who was blessed with this bike and we felt God leading us to give the bike to her son.  She told us about how she works 10 hour shifts at a Sioux Falls casino.  She cares for her two children and her nephew.  She told me about going to Catholic school in Iowa and how she is doing the best she can. 

I pray for more opportunities to minister in my area.  After a week at FCA camp my eyes were jerked open to the needs of kids who look so "together".  I prayed for a girl who is suffering from lock jaw but came to be a huddle leader (think camp counselor) because she just had so much love for Jesus, she had to share it.  I prayed for a huddle leader who had several kids in the huddle start sentences with "I've never told anyone this but..."  I prayed for my step-nephew who suffers under the hold of addiction.  He was at camp and he thanked Chris for getting him to camp.  (Only, it wasn't Chris, it was God working through him.)  Such uunimaginable things were shared, such sad things, and my fervor for prayer was reignited.