Friday, December 01, 2006

"on the road again"

Well, we leave this Sunday afternoon for the first leg of our long trip to TX, CO and back again :) We'll spend next week in D.C. where Will is attending a conference, then continue on through NC, TN visiting friends and eventually land in TX for awhile. After Christmas, we'll continue on to CO for a week, then go home through KS and back to Ashville, NC for a friend's wedding on the Biltmore Estate (woohoo!) :) Then hopefully we'll get to stop in Norfolk, VA (our old stomping grounds) to see a good friend's new baby boy and then go back to RI in time for Will to begin his final trimester at the Naval War College. (whew!) I'm definitely going to need a vacation from this vacation! :) It will be so much fun to see everyone and I can hardly wait for everyone to see how big Charley and Ben have gotten, especially for those who will see them for the first time! :) I'll try to post while we're away, but if not, I'll definitely post a synopsis of our trip when we get home.

Please pray for our safety and sanity on the road (with two little kids and a dog!). Fortunately, we're leaving the day before we get our first snow of the year, but the storm is coming from the East so I hope the roads in that direction are clear. I'm reading some pretty interesting news online about this front, so please keep us in your prayers.

See ya soon!

Saturday, November 18, 2006

BIG MOVE NEWS!! "Capitol, just Capitol"

Soooooo, I can now safely announce that we'll move to D.C. in June of 2007!! We're so excited to experience a new city, especially since we'll have some close friends who are moving there just before us. D.C. is such a great place for kids with all the great museums and parks and I think Ben and Charley will be at a fun age to enjoy it (1 and 3). Will is going to be stationed at the Pentagon and should enjoy a very busy, and challenging job there. He feels very blessed to have this assignment and I think we'll really enjoy our time there. Thank you all for your continuing prayers and love.

Thankful things

Two weeks ago, my mom came out to visit us. This week, Will's parents are here. Next week, Will's aunt flies in and we'll have t-day dinner with friends and family. It's so nice to be able to see them all.

Will had his wisdom teeth pulled this passed Thursday. He's doing well, but in a little pain which is expected. He's looked like Marley (from Scroog) for a few days with ice packs wrapped around his head. :) Will's parents have been a big help though and it's been nice to finally have them out.

We leave for D.C. and our long trip to TX on December 3. We'll stop and see friends along the way and go to Colorado for some skiing after New Years. Then we'll head back to TX in time for Will to start school again at the end of January.

We can't wait to see so many friends and family along the way!! See ya soon!

Monday, November 06, 2006

cute Charley

Tonight, just before he went to bed, Charley was doing puzzles. It was so cute watching him finish each one, then put his hands in the air and say, "I did it! I did the puzzle!" Ah, so cute! He says the cutest things all the time and it's so fun when Will's around to hear them because we just look at each other and laugh and make adoring eyes at each other. :)

Saturday, November 04, 2006

crawling and teething and walking (almost) . . . OH MY!

Alright, huge milestone catch up blog . . .

Ben started getting his first tooth about 2 weeks ago and his second a week after that. Only two so far and they're so cute!

He's been crawling like a champ for about a month now is currently pulling up on everything in site and even beginning to walk along the edge of the couch! He's only 6 months old! Maybe I shouldn't be suprised, but Charley didn't even crawl well until he was around 7 months old so I'm just not used to this pace. We keep thinking it's because Ben has been watching Charley so he' s just catching on faster. People have told me it's "second child syndrome" :)

Charley is doing great as well. He's reciting books to us, talking to us non-stop, counting to around 13, praying at the dinner table, and singing us songs. It's so much fun having a conversation with him! Some of his favorite phrases are, "Oh my goodness" and "You're kidding me". He is such a good brother to Ben. He's constantly caring for him and noticing him. He's always telling me what Ben is doing like, "Mom, Ben crying," or "Ben smiling at me," or "Ben happy," or "Ben crawling." It's adorable. He'll usually bring him a toy to play with, but lately he's started trying to tackle him and wrestle with him. It had to start sometime.

Oh I could write so much more, but I have to get to bed. Enjoy!

catching up

Yay, I finally get to post! We have been so busy with colds, Will finishing a trimester at the War College and my wonderful Mom coming out to visit. I know some of you have been wondering what happened :) We're still here and doing well.

A couple of shout outs before I get going . . .

Congrats to Jennifer O. on her engagement!!! Whoop!

Congrats to my sister-in-law Elanor on her engagement to Andrew Straight!!! (I don't know how to say hurray in Czech) :)


Late congrats to my friends Anna & Dana on being prego!! Anna is due in January and Dana is due in April!

More catching up . . .

my Mom came out to visit for a week and just went back home this passed Wednesday, we had a great time! We went to the Mystic Aquarium and that was really cool!

we're going to the Marine Corps Ball here in Newport next Saturday!!

Will has his wisdom teeth pulled on the 16th, ouch!!

Will's parents are coming on the 15th for 2 weeks to help out and for T-day.

I decided to join the choir at First Pres so I'll finally be doing something musical :) yay!

I'm still involved with the Sarah Circle Bible study on Tuesday mornings and the soup kitchen on every first Wednesday of every month, both have really been a blessing.

Ok, that's all for now, will post more in a second or two!! Thanks for reading!

Thursday, October 05, 2006

helloooooo

That's the way Tigger would say it I think. (not that I'm a Tigger fanatic, I'm just in a bouncy mood) :) We've been so busy around here that I haven't had time to post, and things still are crazy with Will finishing up this trimester with a ton of papers and me getting more involved at church . . . and taking the boys places like the corn maze which I need to post pics about . . . anyway, I just wanted to say hi to everyone and I will answer e-mails soon. I did manage to post a pic from the PKD walk a post or two ago, but need to post a couple more as well.

Also, congrats to Rachel and Ian Maize on the birth of their new little boy, Ezra!! I have a link to her site over on the side if you want to see pics!

I need to post a congrats page for things that have happened to everyone lately (within the last year) :)

One more thing . . . I'm going to start a poetry/favorite quotes blog soon so please send me some of your favorites. I'm not a big reader so I need all the suggestions I can get. I also intend to start a favorite pics blog too so start thinking about pics to send me for that if you can. I'd really appreciate all the help I can get to have a great collection. Just e-mail me at LadyCayt@gmail.com . Thanks so much!!

I hope you all are enjoying the beautiful fall weather!

Monday, September 25, 2006

Lion's Den @ 4 - 6 o'clock PM

Sometimes I feel like my husband has to walk into a lion's den at the end of the day when he comes home from work. Either we've been so busy that day and the house is messy, or dinner isn't made or the kids have been falling apart . . . and I'm upset about all of it and things aren't peaceful at all. I feel so bad calling him or telling him this when he calls just before he leaves work because I want our house to be a place of peace and rest after a long day at the office. Of course, right now he's in school and has a four day work week and of those 4 days, 3 of them are half days of class although he stays all day to do reading "homework" and writing for the next days of class because he can do it in the calm and quiet there much easier than he can at home. Plus, when he comes home, he can spend time with us and not have to try to fit more work in, although it seems like there's always something else he is doing for work. That's not a complaint, just a fact. Just like, my "work" day never really ends and I don't really have an "end" to my "work week" because there are always things to clean, laundry to do, meals to be made and kids to nurture and care for, oh yeah and diapers to change. : )

Anyway, back to the subject, my goal is that even if the day has been crazy, that when Will walks in the door, things are at least calm, the house is picked up and dinner is close to being done. No, I'm not running to put on a dress and make-up like the list in Good Housekeeping from the 50's, although if I'm still in pajama pants and a sleep shirt by 5 PM I do try to get dressed by the time he walks in, but that usually isn't the case. I just hope it helps his "decompression" time after work so he's not bombarded at home. He's so patient though so I'm not sure if doing all of this really means that much because he deals with the days that are crazy so well, but mostly I think he just likes the heads up if he will be walking into the lion's den when he comes home, just so he knows what to expect. With a toddler and a baby, both boys :) I feel like I'm doing good to just have dinner made. I feel like I'm a pretty organized person too, so I wonder how other people do it without pulling too much hair out. It's so hard to make dinner and have both boys whining or crying or wanting attention because it's the end of the day. I just want to stop and spend time with them, but then I think they should deal with it (well, not the baby), but Charley for sure. Then again, they're more important than a complete meal on time, but Will is more important than them and the meal is for him . . . it goes on and on :)

I've heard other moms complain about those 4 and 5 o'clock hours and how difficult they can be. It's like the kids pick those times to meltdown, and then at 6 they're fine again. How does this work? Are they just waiting for dad to get home? Are they hungry? Are they worn out and just need the physical release of throwing a fit? :) or Do they just want my attention every minute. I wouldn't guess attention because Charley plays by himself so well . . . usually . . . lately he's been a bit clingy and whiny. This just started and I don't know if it's jealousy of time with Ben or what. I spend plenty of time with just him by ourselves during Ben's naptime. I think it's just the age. We'll see. Until then, things will be a little hectic for what hopefully will be only a little while. Although, even when I say they're hectic, I don't think they're as crazy as they could be. I think the fact that I'm tired from nursing Ben through the night just wears me out and makes me feel like things are more out of control than they really are. It makes me emotional. Lately, I feel like I'm wanting to cry about something nearly every day and no, I'm not pregnant. I probably just need to get more sleep. That seems to be a recurring theme of these blogs. :) Well, this has been a full one, so I'll sign off now. Night night or as Will says it with Charley for nighttime prayers, "Please give Charley beautiful dreams, Amen."

Thursday, September 21, 2006

Day to day

bonk, bonk, bonk, bonk, bonk, over and over and over again is the sound I've heard for nearly a week now as our back porch/deck is being rebuilt. It's really great that we're getting a new one (thanks for our landlord), but the banging, combined with the kids, is grinding on my sanity. Especially when the kids are trying to nap or I'm trying to nap or watch TV just to take a break, because I can't hear the TV or nap, or concentrate enough to read!! Good news though, I think they'll be done today. The workers have been very nice though. They always say hi back to Charley and Andrew, who have been enjoying having Bob the Builder in the backyard all week :)

PKD walk 2006

Charley running across the walk "finish line". I'm chasing him as usual.

I just wanted to get the word out for PKD. It stands for Polycystic Kidney Disease and Andrew, the boy I babysit, and his mother, Becca, both have it. It's a disease where cysts grow on their kidneys. There is no cure for it yet. We had a walk for PKD in Providence last weekend and they raised 20,000 to donate for researching a cure! I'm writing about it because few people have ever heard of it, yet it's more common than cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, hemophilia, Down syndrome and sickle cell anemia — combined. I just wanted to help get the word out. The website is www.pkdcure.org and you can find local walks on the website if you want to support finding a cure.

Monday, September 18, 2006

Stereo types: Rhode Islanders - sayings

This is the first in a series of posts that I will categorize as stereo types. We've lived and moved in so many places and will be in so many more, and I just wanted to try to capture the people of the places that we've lived. I know, of course, that everyone from one area can't possibly fit into one stereotype, but there are some generalities that most DO fit into and there are some fun sayings from each area that I want to remember and share. A couple that I've heard a lot of people around here say is if you ask them if they want something and they're fine, they say, "I'm all set." This is the exact phrase over and over again, and people around here will tell you that it's a local saying. Another one that I think is funny is if a kid is acting out they say, "He's being fresh." I think I had only heard that phrase in movies until we moved here. I think it's cute and funny and a quirky little saying for this quirky little place. :) Another one I just heard this week was "snow bird". That's what they call people who live in Rhode Island, but fly down to Florida or some place warm for the winter. :) I thought that was a really funny one! :)

Friday, September 15, 2006

might as well blog . . .

I had to get up from my attempt at a nap alongside the boys because I had to sign one more page to get our house on the market by this weekend. So since they'll be up soon and it takes me forever to calm down and fall asleep anyway, I might as well stay up and blog. :)

It's raining here which means the people putting in a new deck/porch on our rental home are not working. :( It's only really a pain when I have to let Gayla out, because the back door lets out on the second story and there are stairs on the deck leading down to the backyard, but if the deck isn't there, no stairs. In fact, they nailed a board over the door because there's a big drop off there right now! Fun, Fun, especially since Charley just figured out every step to unlocking and opening our door. He mastered the hard-to-turn knob, the safte latch on the screen door, the tiny doorknob and almost the deadbolt!! How are we ever going to keep this kid inside?! :) He knows how the deadbolt works, he just can't quite turn the keys so we're going to have to start locking the door and hiding the keys because he's also pretty quick about grabbing a chair to reach anything he wants on the kitchen counters. He hasn't tried climbing onto the counters yet, but I'm sure that's next. It all started when he wanted to watch, then help us cook. I guess that's just next in the path of a growing toddler, endless exploration, with a dash of danger! :) Of course, he wouldn't be a boy without the danger part :) I keep thinking that it will me a miracle if he makes it to age 5. Oh the countless moms who have said something like that, yet, somehow, most make it and are just fine. If he get's too ambitious, we will start with discipline, but might just put the baby gates back up, although he knocked one of those down the other day too. :)

One thing he's doing a great job at is playing with his little brother. Charley loves being a big brother and is very good at it. He brings Ben baby toys from the correct bin and offers them to him lovingly and gently. It's very cute to watch. Then, Ben inches towards them and grabs them to suck on and play with. For me, the cutest part of the whole scenario is the tone of Charley's voice when he's talking to Ben. It completely changes . . . it's sweeter and gentler, and oh so cute!! He is usually a very kind big brother, but this morning he decided it would be fun to sit on Ben. Ahhh! :) No, Ben was fine, but it just means I have to keep a closer eye on them while they're playing and keep disciplining Charley for being too rough. It's a constant battle especially with Andrew (the 20 mo. old that I babysit a couple of days a week). We're working on it, but I think it's the age. More about that later, I've been meaning to post a discipline blog for awhile, but haven't gotten to it yet. Coming soon though : )

Well, I think the kids are finally awake, so gotta run :)

Happy Birthday Will!

Today is my hubbie's 28th b-day!! :) For it, he's going hiking and camping in the Presidential Range of northern New Hampshire. He got a new tent and sleeping bag on saved up gift cards from years passed (from my mom and his parents, Thank you!) from REI. He's worn a goofy, but very cute, smile around the house all week as he constantly repeated, "I'm going camping, I'm going hiking." He's been so excited and only a few hours ago, he left to go. I know he'll have a great time and I'm so glad this is something fun he can enjoy and DO instead of something more routine. It's always nice to do a little something different for your birthday. Well, I did make an apple pie for him last night, instead of cake, and I made a big birthday breakfast for him this morning, but we didn't have an official party or birthday dinner or get together with friends, although Becca was over picking up Andrew for the pie and breakfast so she shared those with us, and that made it more special. I don't know why having someone else there makes it more special, it just felt more like an even or more official for some reason. It's probably because I'm such an extrovert. Anyway, we had fun and that's the point.

We thought about going as a family, but he really wanted to hike this area and it wouldn't be easy for kids which means I'd have to find some way to entertain them while Will was hiking and since they're so young and keeping them alive in my OWN house is a daily concern, it would be near nuts to try and do it at a campsite. Don't get me wrong, it's doable, just difficult for now with a 2 year old who I know would run all over the place and a 4 mo. old that I can't run with in a snugli for fear of hurting his little neck and I couldn't push a stroller through the forest to keep up with my 2 year old . . . pause to breath . . . it would be quite challenging. I know we'll try it later when they can both run all over the place :) Do campsites have playgrounds? These aren't typical campsites either, like the nice state parks we have back in TX. They're hiking campsites, very simple, just to sleep and keep hiking. It would have been fun to try, but we'll wait. Anyway, I know Will is going to have a blast and I can't wait until Sunday when he comes home to tell me all about it. I'll post some pictures!

Monday, September 11, 2006

sell, sell, sell

Just a quick blog to let you all know we decided to sell our house in Norfolk. Actually it will be on the market to sell or rent, because we need to do something soon! Anyway, please pray that it sells or rents quickly. Our tennents (sp?) are out Oct. 1.

Sunday, September 10, 2006

and behind door #2 is . . .

ok drum roll please . . . trrrrrrrr :) I've been waiting to post the big reveal on our next move location for a month or so, but I should preface this by saying, "WE DON'T HAVE ORDERS YET," so anything can happen. BUT, we found out that Will has been selected for an internship in the CNO's office at the Pentagon working on special projects for a year beginning next June after he graduates from the War College. We'll be in D.C.! Tada!! I'm really excited about this for a few reasons: first, I think D.C. is a really cool town and it will be so much fun to explore all the museums and fun places for kids with Charley and Ben. Second, we have good friends who have also been assigned to the pentagon and we'll be living on the same side of D.C., hopefully in the same area, and so we'll get to hang out again! Another neat thing about living there is that Will's Aunt Donnette lives there so we'll get to see her more! I look forward to exploring the area's many different types of retaurants (we tried a great Lebanese one there once) and shops and events that surround such an amazing city. One of the best things about this area though is that it's so close to some great forests, parks, and hiking. We'll also get to visit Annapolis more and our friends there, as well as Norfolk, and the interesting Civil War areas just south of D.C.

Anyway, that's the big news and we feel blessed and excited. Even though Will's hours might be long and crazy, it's still nice that he won't deploy or be assigned to a ship for another year which just means another year to be there and enjoy the boys' childhood, which is even more special when you're in the military and you never know what's coming next on a ship. Again, we don't have orders yet, and those of you in the military know that that means anything could happen still, but it's very probable so we thought it was ok to let everyone know. After the D.C. tour, Will still needs to come back to RI for department head school, but I don't know if we'll all move up here for the few weeks or months that he's there, or if he'll just be a geo-bachelor for the short time and then we'll all move to our next duty station together.

As always, thanks for all your thoughts and prayers as we find a place to live there and make the transition. We'll keep you updated on our progress in this direction as we get closer to the move.

Saturday, September 09, 2006

precious moments

I had the most precious time with Charley yesterday. Background first . . . when he was smaller I used to dance around with him while we listened to music together. So yesterday, I had a classical mix from a Paddington Bear CD (gift from Aunt Donnette, Thank you!) and I started to play it so he could calm down before his nap. On a whim, I asked if he would dance with me so I picked him up and we got to dance together again like when he was little. It was so sweet! Afterwards, he snuggled with me on the couch while we listened some more and he liked the music so much that he let me lay him in our bed and kept listening while I was able to go get some dishes done. When he finally got up and I asked him how he liked it he said, "it's pretty." Oh so sweet! :) Dancing with him was a sweet time and when Will got home, he reminded me that I would get to dance with him again at his wedding. That was a crazy thought, but dear. Anway, just thought I'd relay a very precious moment. It's so wonderful to enjoying our kids.

Friday, September 08, 2006

so much to blog, so little time

Well, I figure since I don't have much time right now, I'd better just write in bits :) Here goes, first bit, we need prayer right now to know whether or not we should sell our house in Norfolk. Our renters are out at the beginning of October and we need new ones or we need to sell. We're not going back to Norfolk as soon as we thought we would and have been thinking about selling since the market there is still doing well, unlike other areas of the country. Anyway, we'll see, but we have to make a decision fast and both options sound good to me, ahh. We're praying about it alot and would love for you all to keep us in your prayers too. Thanks so much. Next bit, later :)

Thursday, September 07, 2006

creeping . . . crawling

Something exciting . . . Ben is in the beginning stages of crawling!!! He's been able to creep, like babies do, with their feet kicking behind them, but in the last couple of days, he's actually been up on his knees. It's been so exciting and fun to watch. He's still trying to figure out how to coordinate his arms while his knees want to move and sometimes he does the awkward "lurch" forward into a mini-face plant :) It's cute though and he keeps trying! Charley is actually trying to help him by pushing on his diaper, but I have to remind him that Ben has to do this on his own. I think he'll be crawling on his own before too long though. It's going to be amazing once again to watch the miracle of mobility! Go Ben!

Thursday, August 31, 2006

"I obey Mommy"

ahhhh sometimes it's just too much! I love my boys so much!! This morning we had to go to a 4 mo. well baby check- up for Ben (shots and all). Charley woke up early this morning and we didn't make him go back to bed so he was already tired when we had been at the appointment for an hour. He sat in the stroller for over an hour and was sooo good for me. He squirmed and complained a little, but didn't cry or throw a fit or really fuss a lot. I gave him some treats and promised him a few donut holes afterwards if he was good. We were there so long I think he forgot about the donuts, but he was still very good for me. Then, when we got home and I thought he would run wild after being strapped down for so long; he began to exit the car (instead of making a break for the front seat to "drive") saying, "I obey Mommy." I praised him thinking, "ok we'll see what he wants or how long this will last," but as I asked him to go to the front door (instead of run around the yard) he again said, "I obey Mommy." This continued all the way up the stairs into the house and afterwards as he threw away the bag from the donut holes and as we went to wash his hand and finally as I laid him down for a nap where he is now. He just kept saying it over and over again and it was so sweet! I was praising him for it and trying to let him know how good he was for obeying, but since I've been reading "Dare to Discipline" I learned that I shouldn't overly praise him or else it won't mean anything (I think that's the jist of it). Maybe it's don't overly reward him or the reward doesn't mean anything, or maybe it's both, maybe I should go reread that section :) Anyway, my heart was about to explode from how good he was today and I just had to tell someone so I thought I'd blog it and let everyone know. I figure, 2 year olds are going to have their terrible moments, and Charley has definitely had his, but I want to remember these wonderful moments too, when he's temporarily an angel :)

I just pray and wish that I could be a good enough parent to deserve the two little blessings God has given me. I know I can't be perfect, but I'm thankful that God's grace is bigger than my parenting abilities. I also hope that I obey God as serenly and as constantly as Charley obeyed me this morning. I hope that "I obey God" when I want to crawl in the front seat and drive, or when I want to run wild in the front yard or even when I don't want to wash my hands or rest. Thank you Lord for these little blessings and little lessons in life, and thank you that there are so many yet to come. Amen.

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Fall is here!

Well, we may not have a/c up here, but we do have early fall! I know it's not officially fall, but it's been wonderful up here in RI lately . . . high's in the 70's lows in the 50's at night ahhhhh. I feel bad for all my TX friends of course, but I heard through the grapevine that it's been nicer down there lately . . . in the 80's with a breeze? :) We actually put our big heavy comforter back on the bed because it was getting so cool. Of course, we still have our windows open so we can enjoy the cool breeze, but it feels so nice! The cool breeze blowing through the house, while you're cuddled under a big comforter! We were made to hibernate, I just know it :)

Anyway, I've made a few preparations for fall and winter . . . last weekend we did a bunch of trimming and yard work and I planted some mums. I've also been looking all year for sales on winter clothes for the boys. It's cold here for so long that I don't want to stay inside all winter like I did last year when I was pregnant. And now I'll have 2 boys instead of just 1! All that energy is going to want to go outside whether it's 20 outside or not! I hope not though :) I've been resisting joining the YMCA up here because it's so expensive, but we may have to if that's the only way we can all get out in a warm place where they can play. We'll see. We still plan on going down to TX for Christmas hanging out there and in Colorado and several stops in between here and there so unless TX has a colder more brutal winter this year, we'll get a break from the RI weather when we're there.

I still can't wait for the first snow though! I think Charley will be old enough to really enjoy it this year. Ben will probably think we're on a different planet, if he only knew about planets. Speaking of planets . . . I was kinda sad when I heard that they voted and decided to knock Pluto off the list of regular planets and call it a dwarf planet. My nostalgia for that little guy is of astronomical proportions. :) (tee hee, no I'm not crazy, that one was for my father-in-law). Maybe by the time my kids learn about planets, it will be back on the main list, or maybe there will be a whole different system of categorization. Who knows.

Well, gotta go curl up in bed. If only there was a fireplace in our bedroom! :)

Saturday, August 26, 2006

hiking

Just a quick post before bed . . . today we went hiking in the Norman Bird Sanctuary and got some great pictures of all of us. We had so much fun walking through the forest, it was beautiful! Charley walked over rocks and slippery ground very carefully on his own for most of the way, and did a very good job maneuvering over it all. I carried Ben in the snugli and Will had Charley in a backpack for part of the way. We all had a great time! Hope you enjoy the pics!!

Thursday, August 24, 2006

tired-leigh

I can't seem to get out of the tired rut I've been driving in for the past, oh I guess, 4 months (since Ben was born). I don't know if it's having a newborn, or if it's the combination of a newborn and a toddler, or just that I can't seem to get myself in bed before 10:30 . . . I'm just tired. I'm sure it doesn't help that Ben has reverted to nursing through the night again. He was sleeping through the night at around 2 months old and ever since we came back from Norfolk, he's wanted to nurse every 3 hours again. It's funny because Charley has actually been sleeping later! Go figure :) I think Ben needs to start rice cereal and that's why he keeps eating through the night. You saw the picture of how that went though :) We'll try again soon, but for the time being, I'm having some very long days.

On a happy note, Charley has used his little boy potty a few more times and I'm so proud of him! We're not ready to go diaper free yet, but hopefully it's the beginning of the end :)

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

overwhelmed . . . in a good way

It usually happens when I'm running errands at night after the kids are in bed, and I'm in the car at night by myself that I get caught by the thought of how big God's blessings have been in my life. I almost want to cry, and sometimes I do, just thinking about how much I love my boys and my husband and how lucky I am to be living the life I do, and enjoying what God has given me. I think about how big God is and how amazing it is that He would look down and bless me so much. My next thought is usually, "God, please don't let me screw it up." Realizing how blessed I am is a good way to moderate my own selfishness when it starts to creep into my attitude. I'm so thankful that God reminds me of these things periodically . . . and probably just when I need it.

Monday, August 21, 2006

waaaay ahead

Do you ever find yourself preparing for something difficult even if it won't happen for another few years? Lately, I've been thinking a lot about Will deploying, and even though I know he won't even have a chance to deploy before he gets to a ship (not until 2009) and even then it's not for sure that he'll deploy after that, I still feel like I'm trying to gear up and prepare now for him to be gone. Maybe it's because the trip he took for a week was so hard, and I know deployement will be so much harder than that . . . who knows. I just feel like praying a lot and developing a game plan for how to handle it now, so that when it finally comes, I'll be ready. Of course, I know that God will give me the strength I need then, and that I don't need it right now, so I shouldn't worry; but as long as I can keep from worrying about it and just stick to simple ideas and prayers, I think that's ok. In the past, just thinking about having to deploy one day would scare me, but lately, I feel like things will go well and I'll be able to get through it alright, with a little more dignity than the one week Will was gone a few months ago. :) I know it will still be pretty rough, but I'm actually looking forward to the challenge now instead of fretting about it, which is good. I mean, it would be great it he never had to leave, but he probably will, so I might as well, get ready. I'm still really enjoying our time together now though and I definitely won't let the fact that he'll be gone at some point 3 years from now, put a damper on that. We're going to have a fun 3 years ahead!! More to come on that though, there's some news waiting in the wings . . . !

Sunday, August 20, 2006

Tinkle, tinkle little boy

Big milestone today . . . Charley used his little potty for the first time today!! He had been telling us for awhile that he had to go, but he'd go too soon in his diaper for us to run to the toilet. So we just kept telling him that he should tell us before he needs to go and then we'd go. Finally, tonight, he held it long enough to make it to the toilet and go! Of course he got treats and lots of praise. He was so proud of himself! It was so cute! In fact, he was so good, that later when we were giving him a bath, he told us he had to go again, and so we put him on his little potty all soapy, and he went again! So now it begins. I'd love any input or suggestions from all you pros who have been through this before. We're going to take it a day at a time and see how it goes, but with practice and encouragement, I think he'll be potty trained before too long. Yay for Charley!! (ps. thanks to my hubbie for the catchy title) :)

Thursday, August 17, 2006

everyday things

Here are some cute things that have been a part of our day lately . . .









Daddy & Charley cooking together












First try at solid foods didn't go so well




















Daddy loves snuggle time with his boys


















Charley loves to drive in his Cozy Coupe Car




















Of all the things, a real life mini-excavator came to pull up shrub roots next door. Charley was enraptured!






Some cute pics of Ben at 3 1/2 months old. He loves to sit up and play with and "gnaw on" the toys on his swing. He's rolling over easily now and pushing himself up for a good
amount of time. I can't believe he's growing so fast!!



Thursday, August 10, 2006

One last cute picture

The boys at Cam & Mary's townhouse when we stopped for naps on the last day of our visit.

There were so many other people whom (?) we saw and forgot to snap a picture of, and it makes this little record feel incomplete, but at least we have some wonderful memories. We forgot to take a picture of our friends who are newlyweds, Tim & Jada (thanks for letting us stay with you), and Cam & Mary (thanks for letting us nap at your place while you were at the beach). We also got the chance to have breakfast with Dick and Verna, and lunch with Ian and Rachel and their daughter Audrey. Oh yeah, at the last minute we got to see some missionary friends of ours from Tab, Carton and Shannon and their son, Parker. They serve over in Brussels and happened to be home for a visit. Our trips overlapped by one day! On our day in Annapolis, Will ran into the plebe we sponsored when he was up here in RI at NAPS. His name is Tyller. I'll have to post a plebe pic of him now that he's at the Academy.

There were others that we had plans to see, but things fell through at the last minute because the boys needed to nap and I needed them to get sleep since we were pushing them hard with a crazy schedule. They took some 3 and 4 hour naps! I felt bad because both boys came home and got a small cold, but I think that was because of the night that we drove through on our way home and it kept them up a lot. They're getting over it quickly though and haven't missed a beat.

One good thing lately though, is that Charley hasn't been getting up as early as he was before we left. I don't know if he's still catching up on sleep, or if he's just changing his schedule. If he had kept getting up that early, I decided to just let him (or make him) stay in bed and let him know that it's not time to get up yet. A short conversation with Verna helped convince me of this. But I think that if I hadn't tried adjusting his schedule in other ways, and realizing that he still needed sleep, I wouldn't feel comfortable making him stay in bed. Fortunately, I had tried everything, to no avail, and now realize that it's a training/discipline issue. He hasn't gotten up before 6:30 or 7 yet though, so I'm not too worried. We'll see what happens though :)

I'm just glad we'll have a long time before our next trip. We'll drive to TX in December, if all goes well, and take a long vacation through January when Will has more time off. We're planning on going skiing and on going to the Caribbean somewhere. We haven't firmed up plans or dates yet. That will be an incredible and long trip! Stay posted :)

People we saw in Norfolk

We really enjoyed our time last week in Norfolk. We tried to remember to get pics of everyone, but I know we missed a few so apologies to those folks. Here are a bunch of pics of people and kids we saw. We can't wait to see you all again.


Navy friends Tommy & Amy w/ daughter Anna

Amy & new baby girl, Sabrina "Izzy" (born the day before Ben). Thanks so much Tommy & Amy for letting us call you up at a moments notice to come crash and eat or hang out at your house. You were life savers. Thanks for being so flexible with your time and open with your home.


Charley (2 yrs old) & Lydia (3 yrs old) watching Veggie Tales. Thanks so much, Barry & Jenn, for letting us stay with you while we were there. I hope everything goes well for you in the move to D.C and with the birth of baby #3 "Baby Boy" in December. They also have another daughter, Katie, who is 16 mo. old. Our prayers are with you Jenn and Barry and your handful of arrows :)


My younger cousin, Alicia (13 yrs old) and me and my Aunt Teressa holding Ben and Will in front. Most of the inspiration for coming to Norfolk in the first place was to watch Alicia pole vault in the Junior Olympics. She did a great job and it was amazing to watch her jump. The heat index that day was well over 100, I think it was maybe 115 or so (no joke). They got to go hang out at the beach while they were in town and we really enjoyed spending time with them since we don't see them often in Rockwall, TX (near Dallas) where they live.



I got to catch up with my old high school friend, Daniel, while we were there. He's a SeeBee in the Navy now and is stationed at Oceana in Virginia Beach. He's doing great since he moved back to the states from Japan. Of course, he and Will talked Navy the whole time, but that was fine because you can only talk about people from high school for so long. : ) He enjoyed holding Ben and did a great job, probably from all the experience he's had from visitin Dana & Dave and holding their brood :) Thanks Dana for the current e-mail address. It was so good to see him.



Here we all are at Outback Steakhouse with Art & Anna . Anna is due with their first baby in January! Yay! Thanks guys for letting us stay with you our last night, and swim in your pool and watch your big screen . . . :)

On a side note, (for those of you who don't know) Anna was present (in the delivery room) for Charley's birth, since we didn't expect him 2 weeks early and my mom couldn't be there. She just came to visit us this past April just 2 weeks before Ben was born so we thought she might be there for him too, but he was 5 days late. This is the friend I always talk about meeting at the dog park just before I got pregnant with Charley. She's become a great friend since then and I was a bridesmaid in her wedding last July. I can't wait to see their beautiful little baby. We're not sure if it's a boy or girl yet. I'll keep ya posted!



We visited with some good friends from our Sunday School class at Tab Church in Norfolk, where we used to go. From L to R is Evelyn (17 mo.), Christianne, me, and Christy holding Ben (3 mo.). We were also all in a small group together. We had a lot of fun hanging out and watching our husbands play X-box :) By the way Christy, I have to say you have a gift . . . Ben looks nice and comfy.

And here are our husbands . . . playing X-box. From L to R are Will (my hubby), Will, and Dave.

This is Dave holding Owen. I couldn't leave out Christy & Will's new baby, Owen (9 mo.). He's probably saying, "Hey, you're not my daddy." He's super cute and it was the first time we had the chance to see him since we moved away from Norfolk before he was born.

One more just for fun . . . the two redheads wrestling and turning . . . redder :)


WHAT A FUN & BLESSED TIME!!


Fave Family Foto















(No red eye, yay! I just wish Ben was looking up) Posted by Picasa

Things that make your heart grow 3 sizes

I had to post this really cute picture of my boys reading together. Charley loves reading to Ben and they're at the age where it's safer than it was before. I can't wait to see all that Charley will teach him. Charley loves being a big brother and holding and helping Ben any way he can. When I'm nursing Ben and he unlatches, Charley will often put his hand on Ben's head and try to guide him back to latch on again saying, "Go ahead Ben, go ahead," it's soo cute! Sometimes I feel like my heart will burst from being so full of joy while watching my boys. Posted by Picasa

Monday, August 07, 2006

only young once!

Hi All! We made it back safely to RI at around 10 Sunday morning. We ended up driving through the night from Norfolk when we left at 9 PM. It's exhausting, I don't recommend it. It was nice that we didn't have much traffic, but the kids weren't sleeping that well in their carseats and I don't sleep well in cars either. We might have stopped around midnight, but we hit an area on the Eastern seaboard peninsula that was booked for miles. When we finally hit Wilmington, DE, it was already 1 or 2 and so we kept going. It was such a long night. We drove through NYC at around 5 in the morning and still hit about 20 min. of stand still traffic, which was funny because we thought we'd miss all traffic coming through that early and not even on a work day, but New York is New York I guess :) We stopped for breakfast in Mystic, CT and took our time there; that was nice.

All in all, it was a great trip and we really enjoyed catching up with old friends and seeing my cousin pole vault. It was amazing to watch! I think she placed 4th which is awesome considering this is her very first year to pole vault, ever! We had a heat index in the 110-120 range just about the entire time we were there so we stayed inside a lot! Fortunately, everyone's A/C was working. Many thanks to everyone who made time to hang out with us and made meals for us, and especially those who gave us a place to stay at night or crash during the day when plans fell through or the kids needed a break. I'm sorry to those we weren't able to catch up with for lack of time or because the kids needed a break. Charley ended up taking 3 & 4 hour naps most days because we weren't able to keep them on a schedule. He did great for all that we put him through though. Hopefully, it will just make them both more flexible :)

We really love and appreciate all our friends and we miss you so much. It made us think about all the other friends we weren't able to see who live all over the country and how we hope we'll be able to catch up with you all again soon too. Until then, this is the best way I know to keep in touch so keep reading :) Love to all!

Saturday, July 29, 2006

leaving soon and tired already

Well, it's been another long day (from 5:30 AM). You'd think I'd be used to it by now, but NOPE! Anyway, we've been working all day to get ready to leave and I haven't packed a bit of clothing! :) I've mostly been working on getting things in order, like getting the house cleaned, running last minute errands, finally finishing baby announcements! I've got food and stuff ready to pack tomorrow morning, but I figure, it's not too hard throwing clothes in a bag, especially when you have and especially early start and a long morning. I always make a point to clean before we leave so we can relax when we come home to a somewhat picked-up house instead of to a whirlwind of mess that we left behind while we were running to leave in a hurry WHEW!

We're not planning on leaving until 9 or 10 so we should be good. I just hope the boys do well in the car. We're trying to time things around nap time for Charley. We decided to take the suburban at the last minute so I'll have room now to sit back with the boys and read and entertain them if I need to. I'm resisting buying the portable DVD player for now, although I know it's a nice way to keep them occupied. We'll see how long we can hold out. Well, my fingers are tired and I have to at least get started packing tonight, toys, books, clothes, etc. Please pray for our safety. I'll post pics when we get back. Love to All!!

Friday, July 28, 2006

Can't wait!

So, I'm getting really excited about these next few weeks. Will is done with the SSG and will have some time off before starting back at the War College, and also, we're going on a mini-vacation down to Norfolk. My cousin, Alicia, made the Junior Olympics in pole vaulting and the national competition is being held in Norfolk (the year we're not living there, figures) :) Anyway, we're so excited that we'll get to see so many old friend from when we lived there (last year). I can't wait to see how everyone's kids have gotten bigger, and to see all the new babies that have been born! How fun! I'll have to post pics for everyone when we get back. I hope the kids do well with the long drive and crazy schedule, but most of the people we're visiting have kids so I think they'll have a lot of fun together. Plus, they can still nap in the car at their age so I think it'll work out. We leave this Sunday for about a week. See you all soon!

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

boys will be boys

mud on one side, sticky fruit snacks smeered all over the other, these are the sides of my happy son's face, and this is good . . . we went to the beach tonight and had a blast. Of course, I broke the cardinal rule of mommihood and forgot the camera, but we'll go again. Ben loved it too, he kept looking at the ocean and had a beautiful grin on his face afterwards that looked as if he'd never lived until tonight. He was cooing and smiling . . . it was beautiful! Charley wasn't crazy about the sand at first, but finally got used to it. He never got used to the waves though, so we'll have to work on that another time. We all had a lot of fun. I'll post pics next time. Hope everyone is doing well.

Sunday, July 23, 2006

ebb and flow

This weekend was so different from the week before it. I got a chance to catch up on chores and rest a little before Will left again this afternoon. This time he'll only be gone a day and now I'm thinking, "oh that's really no big deal," because it's so short. But if I had never had to last week on my own, I might be struggling with one day. Isn't that silly in hindsite? I'm sure some people are reading this thinking, "I can't believe she couldn't make it through one week." Well, I'm learning, that's all I can say. Plus, it will get better. Ben is so little now. I think a deployment will be easier when Ben is 3 and Charley is 5 because they can play together (and fight together I know), but they can also take care of themselves more and I can take them to more fun places. We'll see, I'm not going to fret about it now.

Charley is taking a late nap right now, adding to the mystery of his sleeping habits. It's a nice break, but I don't think he'll sleep through the night, I could be wrong. I'm going to let him go because I really think he needs the rest.

Speaking of rest, I feel at peace and rested now after having some time with Will this weekend. I found a verse that said it well. It's Psalm 116:7 "Return to your rest, O my soul, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you." Indeed the Lord's blessings on me have been bountiful. Thank you Lord for your refreshing love and restoring words.

Saturday, July 22, 2006

what a week!

Well, Will's home now. His plane was delayed so he found me sleeping at 1 AM when he got home. It was so nice to see him and he was so glad to be home. I'm so glad this week is over. It did teach me what I can do and what I should change. It taught me what I can handle and what I should expect. Of course, the heat, the dog, and other little issues made it harder, those things will always happen I think. I'm already praying now for strength when Will finally deploys. I don't see how those moms do it. They're amazing! :) Single moms, for that matter, really have my respect and admiration for what they do. They're on 24/7. I think we all should support both of these groups of moms whenever we come across them despite whether or not they're in those situations by choice or by accident. What better way to demonstrate God's love.

For the next year though, Will won't deploy and we'll have so much precious time together. I'm very blessed. We've spent all day today getting stuff done and catching up on sleep. He was so sweet to try to work and help me get stuff done after his long week away, instead of just letting it go until next week. At least we both had naps today. He has to leave again Sunday night, but will be home Monday night, and then after a couple of days at work, he'll have a few weeks off. That will be nice. I had proposed a trip to Niagra Falls, but I'm not sure if we'll go this year. I think we'll just stay home and work on things here and rest.

Thanks again for all the prayers and words of support this week. I love my friends and my family. God has blessed me with you. Dios le bendiga . . . God bless you.

Friday, July 21, 2006

feeling better ...

after a shower and a quick rest. I couldn't sleep because my thoughts were racing and I thought Charley was already awake again, turns out he just made a noise. Ben didn't stop crying like I thought, at the end of my last blog, so I had to go get him again and rock him to sleep, but that was sweet and fun because he's so sweet and cute! It turns out I think I fell asleep on the couch holding him :)

By the way, the storm seemed to completely miss us, except for a few light showers last night, unless it stormed through the night and I was just so tired that it didn't wake me, which is entirely possible. It's a beautiful day today!

so far . . . not so good

ugh, another early 5:30 morning, even after keeping him up a little later, usually that works. I'm worn thin. I finally broke down this morning talking to my mom. I think I have expectations for myself that are just too high. I think that everyone else does such a better job, but all the while, everyone else has been through the same thing in their own time and struggled through just like me.

This week has been really hard. I hope today gets better. Ben is screaming himself to sleep right now. It's taking him longer lately, usually he goes right down. I had to make Charley go down for a nap because it was time. I think we're all wearing thin. At least they're both asleep now, or will be soon. I need a break. Finally quiet. ahhhh

Thursday, July 20, 2006

Thursday's Thoughts

All week I've been telling myself, "if I can make it to Thursday, I'll be alright," well, Thursday proved to be more of a challenge than I expected.

This morning was more like a punch to the stomach rather than the easy end of the week I was expecting. I was up again in the middle of the night before making sure that the noises and squeals I heard from Andrew (boy I babysit 2 nts/wk) and Ben wouldn't turn into crying that would wake up every child so when Charley and Andrew popped up again at 5:45 (a 15 min. later than usual), I was already lagging behind. Apparently Charley was too, because he was an absolute monster after Andrew left and I had to force him to go down for a nap early just before 10. (Thankfully we still have the crib up because he never would have stayed in his toddler bed and he needed a nap bad). It was heart breaking though because he was standing in the crib crying and reaching for me and I HAD to leave him. Of course, 5 min. later he was snoring :)

Anyway, I managed to make it to the afternoon when Ben finally woke up and decided I had to get out of the house. Plus, both my babysitters are doing summer camp right now so I couldn't just take off and get a break alone. I had no idea where I was going or what I would do, so I figured we'd browse Wal-Mart then see what Old Navy winter clothes looked like. Amazingly, Charley did great for the stores which was good because ON had an incredible sale going on and I ended up getting next summers clothes for Charley 70% off (which is cheaper than I can find at Wal-Mart or thrift stores or even on e-bay and they were brand new!) Needless to say I was thrilled :) Anyway, we get home and the monster is back ... laying around everywhere, mad about everything ... I had to force another nap (same scenario and yep, 5 min. later zzzz). He woke up at 7 PM and was wonderful! At least I knew that he was missing out on sleep too and it wasn't just me :) I let him stay up until 9 just to make sure he'd sleep and hopefully, that will buy me an extra hour or two of sleep in the morning, maybe not, I'll let you know. :)

Will comes home late tomorrow night so I still have to get through Friday and it's supposed to rain all day. At least the week is almost over now. At the end I think I'm going to say, "I can't believe I did it!" I still don't see how other moms do deployments for 6+ months with little kids. I'm not looking forward to that and have already started praying about it. I think the solution is to stay as busy as possible and get regular babysitting. I'll see when I get there I'm sure. Until then, I'm still going to take it a day at a time and try to get all my sleep. I'm getting better and I'm learning too.

Tomorrow, here I come! :)

Tropical Storn Beryl

Ok, not that I needed one more thing this week, but now we're under a tropical storm watch, fun! :) I'll enjoy the wind and rain (and remember to roll up the windows in the car, unlike 2 nights ago), but I just hope it doesn't flood or get intense enough to break anything . . . especially since Will is still gone. At least I have a neighbor who is a firefighter and everyone in this neighborhood is pretty nice so I'm sure I could get help if I had a problem, which I probably won't, but just in case. I'm watching the track and the strength pretty closely so we'll see what happens. Thanks for your prayers.

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

veggies for all :)

oh wait, one last fun thing . . . the storm blew around the green onions in our veggie garden (that my mom and mother-in-law planted together) pretty hard so I had to cut a bunch. The neighbor who helped me yesterday had also said he liked them when I mentioned we had some, so after I cut a lot of them, I dropped some off at his house, then on our walk, I handed the rest out to random people we know in the neighborhood. It was so much fun! It made me wish I had a basket of veggies to just hand out to people. Maybe next year, we'll grow more and I can do that. It's also fun because it gives me an excuse to knock on the neighbors door and say 'hi' and chat for a second. It gets pretty lonely being at home alone with the kids all day or even out running errands with them by myself. For those of you who know me well, or just know me :) you know that I don't like doing things by myself and I love having someone to talk to. Anyway, ok for real this time, good night!

what a show!

Last night we got our thunderstorm! It cooled us off about 10+ degrees I think and today was much more pleasant because of it. The thunder and lightening was incredible though! It was like the sky was showing off :) It went on forever, even enough for someone like me who loves it, to get my fill. It woke Charley up around 10:30 though (right as I was going to bed) and I let him sleep in bed with me until 1. I'm still not sure if I slept the whole time because of the flashes outside and because it's hard for me to completely rest with my baby right next to me (does anyone else have that problem?). It was still nice to have him there with me watching the storm for a little while. Of course, all the commotion didn't make him sleep later the next morning, in fact, he was up just a little earlier at 5:20. What does this kid run on?! I need to harness this energy and sell it! (my mom sent me a cute cartoon to that effect last week) :)

I also was able to get a nap because Charley slept for almost 3 hours after we went to the playground (finally something wore him out) and Ben was asleep during the same time as well. That nap made all the difference for the rest of my day and even gave me enough energy to actually play with Andrew and Charley in the evening and give airplane rides instead of stick them in front of a movie. I really hate doing that, but sometimes it's all I can do. (right before I reach the point of screaming or crying). I guess I'm just one of those people who really needs sleep, unlike my 2 year old apparently. That being said, night to all.

PS. Thanks for all the prayers, today was a lot easier. Still hard, but easier.

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Benjamin Wayne Rimmer

Since it's been awhile since our last mass e-mail and some have been suprised (sorry), I gave birth to Ben Rimmer on April 27, 2006 at 9:44 AM. He weighed in at 8 lbs. 13.5 oz and was 20.5 in. long. He was 5 days late, but right on time because he waited for the Rimmer grandparents to fly in on April 26th before decided to put me into labor the very same night, so my mom and Will's parents all got to be there (literally) for the birth. It was much easier the second time around and I recovered much more quickly.

Ben sleeps much better than his older brother did as a baby and I have a feeling that this will be my quieter, easy going child, layed back child, but time will tell. He's already sleeping through the night as of 2 months old and is starting to smile at us. I'll post a picture when I catch it. I'm enjoying him as a baby much more than I did my first probably because I have more of a clue about what I'm doing. It's still quite a transition going from one to two and we're still adjusting. More milestones to come . . . stay tuned . . .

comments

Thanks for the sweet comments and e-mails I've been getting. I hope I get to hear from all of you either here on the blog or through e-mail. Yes, you do have to create a blog to post a comment, but there's no commitment or fee, and the most personal thing you really have to give is your e-mail address. Plus, then you'll have a place to write too! :)

Day 2

Ok, I've made it through the second day of what's becoming a very long (and hot) week. I'm just thrilled tomorrow is Wednesday already and the middle of the week. Since Sunday, I've been thinking, if I can only make it to Thursday, I'll be fine.

The upside of today is that I met two more people in our neighborhood. This neighborhood is great. The people are so open and friendly. I'm glad, because it blew my stereotype of Rhode Islanders or more generally, New Englanders, right out of the water.

While I was out on a walk I met a retired Captain who served in Vietnam as a supply officer. When I thanked him for his service, he downplayed his role saying that the most he has to complain about was the A/C going out in their barracks. He wasn't in the middle of danger, but he was still over there. It was interesting to think about since I've been talking about putting things into perspective this week. hmmmm

The other person I met was a neighbor across the street. I asked him for help with a really disgusting garbage issue in our garage. (I won't go into the details) It was a little embarrassing that the first time I met him was to ask for help, but I figured they were nice since Charley yelled "hello" from across the street and he said "hi" back while intently working on his flowerbed. Anyway, he came over, helped me contain the situation and then came over again to spray for the pests that escaped the bag.

Those were two nice blessings that seemed more like tiny air bubbles trying to make their way to the surface of a thick, hot cake baking in the oven. :) I hope that analogy makes sense to everyone, it's kinda wierd I know.

I'm going to try to make it to bed earlier tonight so I've gotta go get some chores done while Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-dum enjoy their beautiful dreams, probably about some place very warm. At least I have a fan on each of them . . . we have playgroup tomorrow so hopefully the day will go quickly and easier. I'll let you know.

"My yoke is easy . . ."

The good is . . . I have two wonderful boys
The good is . . . I have a great Mom who I can call up and who listens and tries to understand my complaints and tries to encourage me
The good is . . . at least I have a roof over my head, even if it is hot
The good is . . . I can turn to a loving God for help and comfort anywhere and at anytime.

Yesterday, some verses shot into my head, no doubt because the Holy Spirit knew what I needed to hear. "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:29, 30 These words have been running through my head all day and I've been reciting them to myself like a mantra, "my yoke is easy and my burden is light, my yoke is easy and my burden is light," I guess it helps me to remember that things could be much worse, especially without Christ. Many people DO have it worse right now, especially in Israel and Lebanon this week. Knowing that still doesn't mean that this isn't hard for me, it just means that I have perspective and something to at least be thankful about. And that's good because when I have something to be thankful about, I'm thinking a lot less about myself and a lot more about God and that tones the complaining down a bit. :)

Praise you Lord for ministering to me even when I'm not seeking it or necessarily wanting it; thank you for showing me love when I'm not easily loved; and thank you for helping me even when I forget to ask for it. Please help me to bear the stress of this week with more grace than I am bearing it with now, and please help me to be kind to my children and husband through this. I love you my Saviour and my God. ps. could you send a stronger breeze or better yet, a cold front? :) that would be great, thanks!

Thank you all for your prayers! Please pray for the people of Israel and Lebanon whose countries are being torn apart.

You have got to be kidding!

Gayla, our German Shepherd, got sprayed by a skunk last night AGAIN! This is the second time in a week! We just had her bathed, even though that doesn't do away with the smell completely, and now I guess we'll have to take her back again. Add to that the heat index outside is in the 90's and many Rhode Island homes don't have A/C, including ours. We have fans going everywhere, but I think I'm going to end up sweating through the week. My solution was to get us out of the house this morning and go shopping, which is a task in itself, but I think after naptime today, we'll go in the back yard and keep the sprinkler going for awhile :) Charley should enjoy that. He and Andrew, the little 18 mo. I babysit a few days a week, loved it yesterday! We'll see how it goes. I think the heat just wears you down . . . on top of Charley's early morning wake up calls (5:30 again) and the dog, ugghhh

Monday, July 17, 2006

weary, tired, and worn


I wish my first few blogs could be upbeat, but I'm in a different, tired, place right now.

I have the boys on my own for the first time this week while Will is traveling to D.C. It's a challenge with a 2 year old who has more energy than the Sun itself, and a 2 month old whose very existence depends upon my care right now. Charley only sleeps about 9 hours a night and takes one nap during the day of varying lengths. So, when he goes to bed at 8 and is up and about at 5:30 the next morning . . . it's a little bit of a shock to the system :) Especially if I want to stay up any length of time passed his bedtime to just decompress or get stuff done before the next day. What it really means is that I have to go to bed right NOW!

if your friend jumped off a bridge, would you do it?

Apparently the answer to that is, "yes."

Tonight I'm finally taking my plunge into the blogosphere following in the footsteps of my husband and friends who have gone before :) It makes me a little nervous knowing that everything I write, good or bad, dumb or . . . hopefully not so dumb, will be in print for any and all to read. However, it's going to be nice to finally have a place to write down all the thoughts that are in my little head.

For those of you whom I haven't seen or spoken to in awhile, you may know me by my maiden name, Cathryn Leigh Janke. I'm married, as of 5 years ago, and now it's Cathryn Leigh Rimmer, still 'Leigh' though, that hasn't changed. I hope I can catch up with many of you through this.

Anyway, I'm off . . .