a pudding artist and a budding artist...

Does it ever get old seeing this guy covered in some sort of food? I know its the highlight of each day for me! I ♥ chocolate pudding in his hair! Wilson showing his cover on the yearbook for his school. They framed his "original artwork." I'm thinking of putting it on Ebay. Just kidding...
Walker actually wanted to be in on the pictures tonight.
He is REALLY proud of his brother! (and you can barely tell, but he's wearing Wil's shoes with his jammies, of course!)
So I broke down and shelled out $20 for the yearbook, since my son won the cover. Brad thought everyone in Michigan would love to see it and be really proud, so it will be making a tour along with us next month. For those of you that don't know, my mom had volunteered to come get me anytime I needed her to, while Brad was gone. So she is coming in a few weeks to pick up the boys, myself and our big pup. We'll be in Michigan for about a month..already praying for nice weather! (And on the off chance that there is a creepy stalker out there...the MPs will be watching our house...so don't get any ideas.)

another fun-filled Saturday...

This post is mostly for Daddy...Saturdays are the hardest days, because these are our 'family days.' While we miss Daddy everyday of the week I know I don't look forward to Saturdays like I used to... I haven't really planned anything for the weekends either, but thankfully we had another good one! Barbie told me about this "Child Abuse Prevention Fair" at the big park 'in town' (or off-post). The boys had such fun...and everything was free!! Getting ready for the slide... Wilson did such a good job being BIG brother today! I told him on the way that there might be a lot of people and that we kind of had to do what Walker wanted because he is younger, and if they played that Wilson had to stick with Walker (its one of those big wooden playgrounds that you can hardly walk through without hitting your head or banging your hips). He did such a good job, and only once or twice said, "Come over here WALKER!" When I would ever so gently remind him to go with his brother...
You can see on their faces how much fun they were having together!
Walker didn't want to get out of the firetruck (or the police car for that matter). Good thing the Medi-Flight Helicopter was a no show, he probably would've demanded a ride!
Here are the boys waiting for the bounce house, never one to waste a moment to get dirty, Walker quickly dug in!
Ready for jumping...
He was being silly here...
They had fun in here too, Walker was a lot more laid back than I thought he would be, I wish the camera hadn't focused on the net, but I guess you get the idea.
They had a bunch of carnival-like games too, complete with those little prizes you can never have enough of... (And a jawbreaker...but that's another story altogether.)

They even had horses for the kids to ride. I didn't think Wilson would want to, but he didn't freak at all.

Again, Walker did not want to get off. I was so thankful he didn't throw a fit though, because he was so high I thought for sure he would fall.
And after naps we got busy on the garden. We have two plots between us and another family, you can see the first one is tilled(?) and the second one is just getting started.
Shannon is indeed wearing a sundress to garden! So fabulous!
And our plots all tilled and ready for planting. Well, there are a few more things we need to do before we actually plant, but we are close!


Of course, our Saturday ended with Pizza and a movie, followed by baths and the "daddy video." The book tonight was Snuggle Puppy and the boys loved it. Wilson and I said some parts of it along with you, Brad. At the end, you say, "I wish I could be there to give you all kisses!" We do too! But while we wait, God is providing for us abundantly! We are blessed beyond measure and I know my words fail to explain it well.

"Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in His ways. You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours." Psalm 128:1-2

ever heard of...

World Malaria Day?

I hadn't until recently, and guess what? Its today! Here are a few links if you are intersted in finding out more...

World Vision has a special page dedicated to Malaria, with lots of good information.

Compassion also has a campaign called Bite Back.

I am sure if you google World Malaria Day, you will find much more. Keep in mind, Brad is taking medication everyday while he is there. He has a net that is treated with a chemical to deter these mosquitos, in case he isn't in his regular sleeping area. If Brad is exposed to malaria, he will be treated for it.

Every 30 seconds a child dies of malaria.

earth day and so much more!

I remembered that Earth Day was coming this month, so I saved as much of our recyclable trash as possible... the sad truth is that we do not normally recycle this kind of stuff because we aren't spoiled with a special recycle bin and collection services. We would actually have to drive across post to the Recycle Center. After seeing our large quantity of recyclable trash, I decided we should do this on a regular basis. (I am still waiting for someone to answer the phone there so I can find out the specifics.) Anyway, for Earth Day Wilson and I looked at all our trash, then we broke down the boxes, here is Wilson standing on the pile. Wilson chose some boxes to reuse for an expanded make-believe shopping experience. I know some of you may think that is kind of a girly-sort of play. But, hey, his future wife will LOVE it if he can run to the grocery store and pick out the right thing the first time (Brad is a good shopper, but I hear some guys aren't.)

And this was my dilemma a day or so ago. How does a flip-flop find itself on the bed frame??? This was a tricky task, for sure. I guess it worked out good that I missed Pilates this day because I about had to do half the moves to free this thing!

I found this book under the bed (thanks to Walker). Which I thought was interesting because...
I won this one at the retreat I went to a few weeks ago. The author of the woman's battle was our guest speaker. I had heard before that this was a "must-read" for anyone with a deployed spouse. So far so good... (by the way, Brad read his before he left)
And finally, the builder. While I was laying with Walker (in the hopes that he would fall asleep quickly for his nap), Wilson built a Grand Central Station with his legos. --Technically, I think Brad refers to these as 'duplos' -- Anyway, he used every single one in his bin. He was quite pleased...and found it much easier to build while Walker was napping!

it's gettin' hot down here...

Ok, this pic has nothing to do with the heat, but it was just TOO cute to leave out (and notice Ms. Brainiac broke out a bib to protect the new shirt...although the bib looks relatively clean compared to that face!)

Thanks to Daddy's suggestion this morning on the phone, we busted out the sprinkler...not the fun one or anything though...don't want to play all our cards on the first hand...Walker was a little unsure of it...


...he was a little more interested in the muddy situation that had developed in the sandbox!
Oh, did I mention this was all around dinner time? Yeah, they didn't wake up from their naps until 4:45 (there was a bit of mutiny at naptime). SO we ate dinner outside, then traipsed down to the mailbox in swimtrunks and sandy feet... Believe it or not, Wilson actually liked these stuffed peppers...they had these little itty bitty ones and I could NOT pass them up. They weren't on the menu for this week, but I had to use them anyway... (I know Brad, you are not the least little bit disappointed about missing out on this, but they were yummy! NOTE TO ELIZABETH: (my future sister-in-law) I don't know if you ever read this blog, but if you do --if you got a crock-pot at one of your recent showers, and it has a recipe for stuffed peppers, do NOT try it, it could have long-term effects on your husband's confidence in your cooking, just ask mine)

we did something DIRTY today...

we planted two little container gardens! And because Barbie is a tremendous friend, she called me when she found out that ALL THE LIVE PLANTS WERE HALF OFF TODAY ONLY at Lowe's. And to top it off, did you know if you buy an open bag of soil (or manure) its HALF OFF? Barbie also gave me a book called Planted Junk, with ideas for containers. I still have two tomato plants, so I will probably be on the look out for some containers with alternate uses...

Here is Wilson mixing the soil and the manure... totally into his work...
and Walker is helping put some mulch in the bottom of the red container before we add the soil
Walker by the herb garden: basil, rosemary and cilantro. I don't often use fresh herbs, but I thought this would get me to try it more frequently. I bought this planter box when we were newlyweds for DVD storage under our little entertainment center. It was just sitting empty in the garage...
And Wilson with the veggie garden: sweet bell peppers, orange and green; and two cucumbers. When we get the tomatoes planted, if all goes well, I should be able to make some yummy salsa! ( I know this container is not that pretty, but it does the job and it, too, was sitting empty in our garage. I hope the sun fades the sharpie on the sides quickly!)
We still plan on planting at our little garden plot down the street. We are going to plant seeds down there, because they are inexpensive and we have a long season here. We and another family have adjacent plots, so we can share the load. Wilson said tonight, "I never knew I would be so good at gardening!" Sort of like the other night when I made salmon and he said, "I didn't think the salmon would be this good!" I guess its good if life keeps exceeding his expectations, right?

"Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a fattened calf with hatred." Proverbs 15:17

I really really want to paint this verse on the walls of a dining room someday. Don't worry, honey, I won't do it while you are gone, these textured walls would be horrible to paint on!

how we roll...

Here is a quick shot of the boys jammin' to Alvin and Chipmunks. We switched our Pizza Picnic and a Movie to tonight instead of Saturday...

Can you see the two marks on Walker's chest? a bit off center from his sternum?

Would you believe they are from Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing? It wasn't a stroke of genius that led to him eating dinner shirtless...he had been playing in the bathroom sink and his shirt was soaked. We had carrot sticks with ranch dressing (with our pizza), which Walker quickly dripped on himself. After dinner, when I wiped him up, there were two welts exactly where the ranch had been. (Reminded me of the time he ate that guacamole, Brad.) I can't help but wonder what this does to his insides if this is what his outsides look like! Makes me wonder a little about some sort of food allergy, but I'm not sure if having an external reaction would indicate a food allergy or not.... Here I come WebMD...

not yet

Thank you for your prayers regarding Brad's PT test. Again the outcome was not as I had hoped, but Brad sounds like he has accepted it well. He did really well on the sit-ups and push-ups but had difficulty with the run as a result of his asthma...combined with the nearby burning trash. (Hopefully the Army can kindly ask the government officials to stop burning trash the next time Brad takes his PT test...I am kidding of course.) Obviously, our lives are in His hands, and though apart, we continue to seek and honor God together with our daily choices. I was thankful when I talked to Brad about his test that he did not sound discouraged at all. He will probably take another test in 11 days or so. I will certainly remind you all about it at that time. I am reminded again, that regardless of our circumstances, God is unchanged. My attitude needs to reflect that as well. Thank you for your continued prayers!

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8

a glimpse (or four) of our day

Here is a shot of Walker after he got into my bag of markers...why do I continue to leave things on the table?? If we didn't have to go to the post office before the park, I probably wouldn't have scrubbed his head so hard... Wilson with his buddies, Kauly and Adly. They are twins and are a few weeks younger than Wilson. They are moving to Georgia next week, so we were happy to head to the park and spend some time together this afternoon.
This might be cruel. But, you see, when I first saw this look on Walker's face, I thought he was scared to go down the slide. I ran over, and Riley (the twins' older brother) told me that he thought Walker was scared of a bug on the slide. When I realized that was the issue, I had to snap a picture. We will be spending more time looking for bugs so Walker can get over this little issue. (Notice I said bugs, not spiders.)
After dinner we went for a walk to get the mail. I had to snap this picture of the "Tape Art" that Walker made with Scotch tape. I had found this prior to dinner, but Wilson decided to display it on the front door.

requesting your prayers once again...

as Brad prepares for another PT test. I know the time thing is a bit confusing, his test is Thursday morning his time (which is Wednesday evening our time). We continue to appreciate each and every prayer lifted on our behalf. And although many of us just prayed over this a week or so ago, I will refer you to the parable that Jesus told his disciples in Luke 18. It starts with "Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up." It goes on to tell the story of a widow that was seeking justice. Anyway, we continue to pray that Brad would do well on his PT test. And we pray always with the confidence that it is not our will, but His, and we much prefer His will to our own!
Thanks again (always!)

catchin' up

you thought she was muddy in the last picture...little did I know she'd look like this the next day!Walker wearing brother's shoes, zoning out with Little Bear
We got these, and they are ready to be mailed tomorrow!
And a few practice shots of the "Photo-of-the-Month" really, this is beginning to be the highlight of my month...
and you can tell the kids LOVE it!
Last week was another busy week, but it was a good one too. Starting Wednesday night (Idol Gives Back) my heart has just been blessed and encouraged in numerous ways, some silly and some serious. I was able to go on a retreat this weekend with the ladies from my Bible study. It was a wonderful time, and the theme was "Divine Romance." And quite honestly, I feel like I have been romanced over these past few days. I won't list everything because it might not translate as well for y'all, but the topper was this morning when I got to see Brad (on the webcam) we hadn't gotten it to work before, and we still didn't have the sound worked out, but it was wonderful to see his face...and the boys climbed on my lap too. With my poor typing skills and two boys on my lap, we didn't say much! But it was a treat! I pray that you are able to see God's hand pouring blessing over your days as well. The little and the big.

'round here this week

Look at these two snugglebugs on the couch...awww.

Today at Storytime the boys made "binoculars." (Walker's are MIA, I thought about putting the house on lockdown until they were located, but it was almost bathtime...)
Wilson told me later "I never knew you could make binoculars out of 'these'". Dirty Dog...and a newly expanded Little People Land in the background

(Don't worry those of you that know about Muskoka's recent bout of feces-eating. These pics are a result of a day of rain, and a small stream advisory in our backyard. The powder I put on her food really did make her poop taste like crap, I guess, because she is no longer snacking on it. Sorry, Dad, I know you hate the "C" word.)

When I edit my pictures in Picasa, there is a feature called "I'm Feeling Lucky" that fixes all the color at once, and seriously, I don't believe in luck, but when I am editing pics of my wonderful family, I cannot help but get a dorky grin whenever I click on "I'm Feeling Lucky" --because seriously, as I look at these little faces I just cannot help but think I really am "feeling lucky"

Do you think if I write to Picasa they would consider changing that feature to "I'm Feeling Blessed"???