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"???

future rock stars...

this one is for you, Daddy

The boys are loving the $0.25 microphone we found at a garage sale yesterday. Add to it, a Little People playground, 2 purses, and some dining chair cushions, and we did pretty well. And to top it all off, I just realized how GREEN we really are...I was watching HGTV's Green House, when I realized that 90% of our household items are recycled. I think Earth Day may be in April because of all the facts floating around...but did you also know that it is good for the environment to stay married? I never realized how much of a conservationist I was...

delightful days

April is Month of the Military Child, so they had a little parade at the childcare center on Friday morning (I did not know this until Friday morning), so after my workout I ran home and got the camera (and by ran home, I mean drove home, of course). It was pretty chilly and while I waited for the boys to come out, I just had to take a picture of these two in this crib...So cute!
Here are the boys with their 'class'. As you can see, Walker was more interested in me than the parade...So I got to walk along with them!
I'm pretty sure he's thinking, "does this hat make me look dorky?"
You can see the little tear running down his face from the cold, we only walked out the parking lot, the length of the front of the building, and back into the parking lot...but they had a fire truck, a marching band, a Junior ROTC drill team and some clowns, so it was a slow walk... and a fun memory!Afterwards, we went to a 'playdate' at Faith's house...look what Walker found...YUCK! He seemed to like it though, I wondered what would Brad think if I started him on a paci at 21 months?... (Don't worry honey, it was just a thought)
Today after some brief *garage sailing* the boys got their haircuts... (I'll tell you about the garage sale finds tomorrow)

...then to the park for an Ice Cream Social with the FRG...

I love this pic with both boys doing their thing


This little man will climb anything...thankfully there weren't many "drop-offs" at the top of this!
They loved this little bike-merry-go-round-thingy. Most of the other kids played really well, even though there was a broad-range of ages represented...
The FRG leader came prepared with some games. In this game, they had a balloon tied around their legs. Wilson liked it until his balloon got popped...the object was to be the last one with a balloon, so of course, Wilson expected to win. For awhile I was certain Walker was going to win - since he was cheatin' and holding his balloon (I wonder where the cheatin' streak comes from???)
And finally, ICE CREAM!
And off to bed early tonight! I don't really look forward to weekends as much as I normally would, but so far this has been a good one.
Again feeling overwhelmed by the goodness of our Father, His faithfulness to us, and His rich blessings that He pours out abundantly!


"For the Lord God is a sun and a shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless." Psalm 84:11

i ♥ google!

yeah, that's right, I ♥ google! (Brad, I of course ♥ you way more). You see, today was sorta long... my own making, but nonetheless, sorta long. So, I was looking forward to bed time, which would then be my bath time (we'll get to that in a bit). But, before my bath, I wanted to get some laundry done...then I found...red spoltches all over everything!I sorted through all of it until I found the remnants of the offender...Lightening McQueen Red of course!And it had to be stashed in this pocket...its the only pair of Walker's pants in the load. And I know he is Mr. Stickyfingers as of late...I found a fake $5 bill in his pocket that he stole from childcare on Monday (I even jokingly said I am going to have to start checking his pockets...good one)But back to why I ♥ Google. I googled "red crayon out of clothes" and I am satisfied that my search along with my efforts will take care of the incident. And while my clothes soak in steaming hot water, I intend to take a steaming hot bath...made even better by this little surprise in the mail...

Heidi sent me a couple bars of her homemade soap with her $$ for the Reminderbands that I ordered. You know we walk about a block to the mail box, and there was no return address, and I was trying to think who I knew in Kentwood, MI with handwriting that strangely resembled my own...and as I thought about it, I realized that this little envelope smelled delightful. Rather than being struck down by curiosity (you heard about the cat), I had to tear it open right there in the street while holding Walker as Wilson and Muskoka carried on. Oh, of course it was from Heidi. And while I really wanted to put the kids straight to bed as soon as we got home so I could try out the soap, I thought I really had better feed them first... There was a second bar of soap in there, but I used it for the boys' bath. And Heidi, you are not kidding about the lather power of the soap. For those of you that are local, I will probably smell like kumquat for the next few days.

I will let you know if Google's results are successful or not. I am confident that the red crayon will be history after my bath, and if not, I will be on a high from the kumquat scent that I doubt it will matter...

bunnies, winning and creativity

I finally remembered to get the boys' chocolate bunnies out for them to eat.

What an adventure! (That is mustard on Walker's face) CHOMP!
Yesterday Wilson and I got to go "on a date." We signed up to attend a play of Henry and Mudge. (I originally had signed up Walker as well, but when I found out there was no food or drink allowed, I had to call my friendly babysitting service -Barbie.) We met some other preschoolers and their moms at Fort Sill. This is the "Caravan Club." (Fort Sill is currently in the process of providing more activities for stay-at-home moms of preschool age children.) Before we left the parking lot, they had a drawing for a stuffed puppy that resembled Mudge. When I showed Wilson our ticket and explained that there would be a drawing, he said,

"I wonder what it feels like to be a winner."

I about jumped out of the car when they called our number! (Plus, you know me and prizes!) Here's Wil with his winning smile, the puppy and the ticket. Of course, there was no photography allowed at the auditorium, so you just have to trust me that we had a great time! There was lots of singing, and we were in the third row, smack-dab-in-the-middle! (Oh, and did I mention this whole thing was free????)

And he got to pick where we went for lunch. I can't say that Long John Silver's is my favorite, but Wilson had a good time. He kept asking what was inside the hush puppies... I mumbled something about cornbread??? Anyone know??
We miss Brad each day, throughout the day, but evenings would have to be the biggest adjustment. I have started reading some fiction in the evenings (after updating the blog and sending emails, etc), but it kind of leaves me feeling a little unaccomplished. So between books I repainted our canvases, and decided to get out my sewing machine. I made one t-shirt bag today (its on the 'table')...seriously the easiest sewing project of all time...seriously. I love being a little creative now and then...its relaxing.

I want to say thanks again to all of you that pray for us. We truly appreciate it!

His way, not ours

Brad was unable to complete his PT test. He had some sort of cramp/pain in his hip while doing the sit-ups. He only got 11 done and stopped. When he called to tell me, he said his hip was still bothering him a little.

He will now be 'flagged.' He will have fewer privileges and will be doing remedial PT, so he will have less free time. He will not be going to the promotion board tomorrow.

He is very disappointed and apologized to me. I can clearly see that this is God's timetable and not ours. Its not like Brad completed his test and didn't pass, he had a cramp that he has never had before...and I don't doubt for a minute that there is a reason.

We appreciate your continued prayers. Brad will take another PT test in 3 weeks, and will then go to the promotion board next month. Please pray for him as he continues to study. These next three weeks will be long and challenging for Brad. For some reason, a high PT score is a big deal for a lot of the leadership over there. While Brad was here with us, he chose to spend his time here with us instead of at the gym. I will never wish he had done otherwise. I hope he will benefit physically during the extra PT and that his next test will be his best. But, more than that, I hope he (and I...and the rest of you for that matter) will clearly see and understand that His timing is always right, and he will not disappoint us.

"Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame." Isaiah 50:7

real quick...

Please pray for Brad...

• PT test - 8:30 pm tonight (our time) which is 4:30 am tomorrow his time (and 9:30 pm MI time). Please pray for stamina and endurance...lungs that he can fill fully with air throughout...
• Promotion Board 1:30 am tomorrow night (our time) which is 9:30 am Thursday morning his time. Please pray for confidence and clear thinking.

Thank you, we appreciate your prayers greatly!