Birthday Bash

In honor of Isaac's upcoming birthday on Thursday, we threw a party over the weekend! What a blast! Needless to say, he loved the cake and was not timid at all. In fact, as soon as I sat the cake in front of him, he picked up the entire thing (hopefully, I'll post a video of that later!) He is such a doll..... a total blessing in our lives!

My masterpiece! We ran with the "Baby Einstein" theme for this party. Isaac was so sweet.... he giggled and cooed when he saw his cake! I'm pretty sure he thought the caterpillar was smiling at him!Want some?!

Yep, he's holding a fist-full of cake! YUM! Isaac wasn't too into opening presents this year (his big brother and cousins had that covered for him!) but he loved the bows and toys once they were opened!

Sorry, mom....

Yep, my mom will probably be mortified if she sees these pictures. I grew up making mud pies with my sisters on the farm, but this certainly takes mud to a whole new level! Saturday afternoon, I was inside, working away on Isaac's birthday cake. The boys were out with their daddy.... I emerged in THE FRONT YARD to say hello, and this was my discovery. Aaron was certainly in little boy heaven.... and Scott's words were something along the lines of, "Why not?!" Okay.... so I had a decision to make.... get mad about the laundry that was to come or join in the fun, laugh, and grab the camera. It's just mud.... the NEW sweat pants came clean (the WHITE undies, not so much!).... and I'm glad I chose to laugh instead.

On a side note, after my beloved husband told me, "This is just what little boys do..." I asked him if he ever did this as a kid.... the answer.... NO! :)

I kept chanting in my head, "I am a good mommy.... I am a good mommy.... I am a good mommy...." Scott's fun side has certainly stretched me in ways I never imagined.... and I AM grateful!

Are you "normal"?!

I saw this video on another blog, and it made me smile for two reasons:

#1) It always cracks me up to see how counselors are portrayed (and how REAL counselors portray themselves when on video!)
#2) It also made me smile because I think that most married people can see themselves in this video.... When we were first married, I remember thinking that in great marriages, people weren't supposed to fight (AKA "have loud discussions") but I quickly realized that we weren't fitting that mold as "the two became one". I think one of the most freeing things for us as we've grown together over the past 10 years was to realize that we're actually pretty NORMAL!!! I heard a speaker this past fall say, "The grass isn't greener on the other side.... it's greener where it's watered and fertilized." May we all take that to heart today.... what a good reminder to keep our "expectations" in check and tend to our marriages today!

Flashback Friday

In honor of Isaac's upcoming birthday on May 3rd, I decided to post a few of the sweetest pictures that I've ever seen. There is no other moment in my life that compares with seeing my babies for the very first time; the emotions... the tears.... the gratitude to have made it to this moment....


It's hard to believe that it's already been a year....


This is the happiest that I have ever seen Aaron.... when he had the opportunity to hold his baby brother for the very first time.

Who are YOU?!!

Okay.... I'm going to go out on a limb and ask:

WHO ARE YOU?!!!

I just checked my "hit counter" on the bottom of the page, and it's over 5100.... so.... it leads me to ask: who in the world is reading this blog?!!! I'd love to know how you stumbled across this page.... it's just fun to connect in the blog-o-sphere! I'm honored that you would choose to read my ramblings.... and hope that you continue to enjoy the pictures in "The Greene Family Album"!

* Just a note: for those of you who are new to the blogging thing and have been too intimidated to leave a comment in the past, it's really easy to leave comments as an anonymous user on my blog, but you can always just sign it at the end so I know who you are!

Thankful Thursday...

Today, I am thankful....

1) That Isaac has slept through the night 5 of the past 7 nights!!!! YAHOO!!! It felt absolutely wonderful to get 8-hours of sleep last night!
2) That we have family close by to come and celebrate Isaac's birthday with us this weekend.
3) For a "baby-miracle" for two of our dear friends. I can't go into details on the blog.... but God truly is still in the miracle business!!!
4) To have a vehicle for the first time that is still under warranty. I've never had any warranty left on a vehicle in the past.... kind of nice peace of mind (for a year or so, anyway)!
5) For Scott's heart for ministry. He is passionate about serving.... using his gifts to grow the Kingdom (even on the days when I've begged him to leave the church and apply at Biomet.... or McDonald's for that matter!) Love ya, babe!

Aaron Update

For those of you who haven't heard the latest news from the Greene house, I'm here to catch you up: Aaron Greene is growing up TOO FAST for his mommy. He loves to talk about going to school next year when he is "5" (preschool, by the way).... he rides a bike without training wheels like it's nobody's business (sidenote: what does that saying mean.... "like it's nobody's business"?!).... and, the other day.... he made THIS comment:

"The weather is stinkin' sweet!"

OKAY.... seriously, where did our 4-year old come up with that?!! It must be the fact that he hangs out with high schoolers and middle schoolers all of the time (ahh... the joys of being the youth pastor's kid!) It was adorable when he said it though, and Scott and I both cracked up!

In other news, Aaron now pours his own cereal, is determined to carry Isaac down the stairs (much to mommy's dismay), and also enjoys playing basketball, baseball, and golf in the yard with his dad.

While there have been many positive things, Aaron is also learning some other new realities.... like what it means to be sad and disappointed. At MOPS last week, they planted flowers in little cups with popsicle sticks in them that said, "I will grow if I read my Bible and pray" (obviously, a little visual for little guys to help them remember their lesson from the day.... That night, I was tired and pulled a bad mommy move and tried to breeze over the Bible story at bedtime.... at which point, my beloved 4-year old said, "But I won't GROW UP if you don't read the Bible to me!" AHHHH!) Anyhow, back to the seeds.... they had sprouted and were about 3-inches tall this morning, sitting by the kitchen sink. Well, sweet Aaron decided that they needed more sun so he put them outside.... AND.... Ollie dumped them and ate them later in the day. Needless to say, tears, tears, tears tonight when he discovered his beloved "petunias"..... I told Aaron that I was sorry that he was sad and disappointed, and he said, "I don't want the disappointed." Boo-hiss.... I wish as a mommy that I could always make it better and make the ouchies in his heart go away.... sometimes, it hurts to grow up and learn new lessons.

Deleted scene from "The Wizard of Oz"

As some of you know, I used to love acting in musicals in high school. During my sophomore year, I played Dorothy in "The Wizard of Oz" and ever since, have certainly had a fondness for the movie, too. This video, my friends, takes my fondness to a whole new level! Enjoy!

Ahh, the weather....

Isn't it refreshing? Other than the fact that the gorgeous sunshine causes me to see ALL of the dust and gross stuff lurking in my house, I LOVE IT! We had an incredible weekend, enjoying God's greatness as we enjoyed being outdoors. What a gorgeous weekend for walks, bike rides, and playing at the park. Our kids loved every minute of it, too! I know that the weather from the weekend may not continue throughout the week, but today, I'm just thankful for the absolutely perfect days that we had! What a great invention! Scott and Aaron enjoyed a bike ride yesterday (this picture was taken last October though!) Grandma and Grandpa Burch got Aaron this amazing bike for his birthday, and it attaches to Scott's.... Aaron loves cruising through the neighborhood with his dad! He calls it his "1-wheeler"!

We love our friends!

We had so much fun last night! We kept Jacob and Liza, so that Brandon and Ang could have a date. The weather was awesome so we spent most of our time outside.... so fun!

* Liza giving Isaac a lift in "Lightning McQueen"!
* Cruising off into the sunset!
* Aaron considers Jacob and Liza to be two of his very best friends!* Isaac loves to be outside as much as his big brother! He even enjoys crawling in the grass!
* Aaron gave me an education in golf last night. I guess that men/boys can golf better when wearing a bike helmet, knee pads, and shin guards. Huh.... who knew?!!

It's a different van.... REALLY!

Well, we made the trade! You may not be able to tell by the picture, but it REALLY is a different van! Trust me when I say that WE can tell when looking at the odometer.... it's over 80,000 miles below where we were at with our previous one! YES! I'm just relieved to be done with it.... I don't want to think about it anymore!

Here's a BIG, public thank you to my sis, Deb, who kindly agreed to come and watch our boys while we made the drive to Battle Creek, Michigan to get a deal. Speaking of which, if anyone is looking for a minivan, check out henkelauto.com.... compared to many other dealers, they have great prices, AND they had between 60 and 70 vans on their lot to choose from. It was definitely worth the drive! (tell them the Greene's sent you!!!) :)

This is for my mom and sister.....

But I hope they aren't disappointed in me! My mom teaches middle school math in Warsaw, and my sister teaches high school math in Fort Wayne. I found this on our friend, Stevan's site, and I felt compelled to take it. Thank goodness I at least passed (for the record, I always did get A's in math in school!) It's amazing how quickly you lose math skills if you don't use them regularly! Okay.... your quiz awaits you! Good luck! :)

You Passed 8th Grade Math

Congratulations, you got 8/10 correct!

Could You Pass 8th Grade Math?

Thankful Thursday.... a little delayed!

Okay, it was bound to happen.... but I missed a Thursday! But I don't want to go a week without intentionally being grateful, so here it goes.... "Feeling Gratitude Friday"!

I feel grateful....

1) For the wonderful weather that lifts all of our spirits and is good for our mental health at the Greene house!
2) For the Winona Lake Park. We had a blast there today! I think that Aaron absolutely thrives when he is outside; it was fabulous!
3) That Isaac is such a wonderful, laid-back baby! He had fun hanging out in the stroller at the park, just watching the kids play! (he sure liked the baby swings, too!)
4) That Isaac slept through the night for the past 2 nights! YEA! I don't want to jinx us.... but it sure was wonderful!
5) For the amazing prayer group that I attended on Wednesday night! This group is going to mold me and challenge me in great ways.... it already has this week! It was great to go to the group with my Angie-friends (Angie Schmitt and Angie McCleary). These girls are amazing.... they encourage me and pray for me. I'm convinced that everyone needs "Angie-friends" in their lives! Love ya, gals!

A Mommy Measuring Stick?

Hmm, so here's what I've been wrestling with lately.... how in the world does a wife/mommy/domestic engineer know when she is doing a good job?!! There is no measuring tool.... no survey with quick results.... huh, I've kind of been baffled by this question lately.

* On one day, I'm patting myself on the back because I actually got through the 7 loads of laundry, folded it, AND put it away (for the record, this RARELY happens!) I'm feeling really good about myself, only to discover that my sweet babe has blown out of diaper and the laundry frenzy starts again....
* In the next moment, I am so pleased as I hear my son's teachers at MOPS talking about how sweet his prayers are and how much they enjoy him. I pat myself on the back, thinking that I'm doing something right, only to discover that he's started saying a certain word in disobedience, and I feel embarrassed....
* An hour later, I think, "Wow, my hubby and I sure have been getting along great these days...." However, after he walks in the door from work that very day, I begin pummeling him with nagging questions and requests which only leads to frustration for both of us....
* Once dinner is finished, the process only starts again in preparation for meals the next day.... which may or may not be accepted and LIKED by my 4-year old!
* The grocery list continues to grow but is never complete (do any other mommies in the world LITERALLY think about three things that they should've gotten as they drive OUT of the Walmart parking lot with $75 worth of groceries in the back! UG! So frustrating...)

It's sometimes frustrating to be engaged in an 'occupation' without a measuring stick....

Hmm.... I think I know the answer.... I just have to seek after the heart of God and ask if He is pleased, but yeah.... sometimes, that is certainly hard to remember as it feels so intangible. What a crazy journey.... knowing that even if/WHEN my children act out in disobedience, God may still be quite pleased with the decisions I am making as a mom. Knowing that even in the midst of the frustrating times of marriage, God is still pleased by our commitment and honored as we grow closer to one another. And knowing, that even if the laundry is never finished and the dust is an inch thick, God is still doing a good work in this heart of mine.... Oh, how I long for Him to be pleased....

Lord, search me and know me.... may you find a pure and faithful heart!

A new adventure!

Well, he's done it.... Isaac decided to conquer the stairs today for the first time! He had a great "spotter" behind him, but he did it all on his own! We knew it was only a matter of time, and the time has come!!!

Buy our van!

Anybody in need of a van?!!! We have THE one for you!!!

While I'm thankful to live in the United States and have the luxury of automobiles, to be quite honest, I wish that we didn't even have to think about all of the details involved with them! Scott and I have decided to be a little more proactive this time around with our primary vehicle and try to get something with lower miles while we still have a great vehicle that has much use left in it to sell/trade!!! This has been our first minivan, and it's really been a great one! So.... we're waiting on your call!!! :)

Thankful Thursday

Today, I am thankful....

1) For my husband's ability to provide so faithfully for our family. I've been reading about a young pastor in Michigan who was paralyzed in a swimming accident early in the year.... his wife stays at home with two children (and one on the way). I cannot fathom what they are facing. Today, I am just thankful for Scott's health and God's provision in giving him wonderful ministry opportunities over the past 10 years that have provided for us as a family.
2) For the warm weather in Florida.
3) For a clean bill of health for Isaac. I took him to see Dr. Jungbauer on Tuesday, and his ears cleared up! YEA!
4) For chocolate brownies!
5) For my sweet friend, Angie, who taught me that it's pretty easy to make baby food and save oodles of $$ along the way. My kitchen counter is currently covered in fresh bananas, avocados, and pears.... waiting to be "processed" into baby-food-goo!

To all the moms in my audience....

.... you simply MUST read Beth Moore's blog today (dated Wed., April 11th). What an encouragement it was to me today! THANK YOU to all of the wonderful mommy-friends that I have in my life. I honestly can say that I don't know what I'd do without you.... and I don't want to even begin to imagine it (I am certain that Scott doesn't want to imagine it either! HA!) Love you, love you, love you, my friends!

In need of a laugh?

.... then, you've got to check out my friend, Christi's blog here (make sure to read the ones about long sleeves and boogers). She is a 1st grade teacher and started a blog to tell stories about the funny things that kids say. Yep, I've laughed out loud when I've read a few of them.... I'm also thinking that Christi needs to come hang out with Aaron (she could fill a book.... and a number of blog entries!)

Thanks, Christi, for all of the laughs! Keep 'em coming!

FLORIDA PICTURES!!!

Okay, dear blogging friends.... I will make no apologies.... when I started this blog, one of the main reasons I did so was to share cute pictures of my kids.... and yep, they sure were cute in Florida! Hope that you enjoy my little photo journal from the trip.... and if you don't like seeing pictures of the Greene's, consider yourself warned! HA! (are all of my boys cute in their Hawaiian shirts or what?!! Aaron calls this his "Luau shirt"!)

Disney Day 1

* Did I mention that the strollers at Disney were a total lifesaver?!! * Isaac in the backpack as we waited in line for "It's a Small World." This picture cracks me up because it "captured" Isaac's new look.... with teeth (he has 6)!!! No, he really doesn't have an overbite.... he just happened to be showing them off at this moment!
* Aunt Debby graciously videotaped our "Small World" experience! She's such a gem! It was so fun to spend the day with her, and she was SO MUCH HELP with the boys! Both of our boys adore her!
* Thank you, thank you, thank you to the Schmitt family for letting us borrow the backpack. This was amazing! Isaac took a couple of catnaps while riding in it.... needless to say, other people at the "Magic Kingdom" thought he was pretty adorable, too!

Disney Day 2

* We started our day at the Animal Kingdom on the Safari.
* This tree is so cool. It has all kinds of animals engraved (hmm.... not sure if that is the right word) into it. Aaron had fun looking at them as we ran by to make it to the next show! We really enjoyed the Lion King show and the new Nemo musical. Very, very good.
* Digging for bones with Daddy in Dinoland. This was a much needed break in the shade!
* After that, we headed to MGM studios. We laugh when we see this picture.... we were at the very top of the loudest stadium, in the most uncomfortable seats, waiting for the MGM stunt car show to start. Very funny that he finally decided it was time for a nap!

On an adventure with Daddy/Uncle Scooter

Oh my, the kids were getting a little stir crazy on our final morning. The pools were too cold at that point in the morning and the mini-golf course wasn't open yet, so Daddy/Uncle Scooter decided to throw these three in the van and take them on an "adventure" (as only Scott could do!) They had a blast taking pictures with the oddest things (a giant, fake giraffe to name one!).... and then, ended their trip exploring at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. Here were a few priceless photos that they brought back....

Other fun

* With cousin Abby.... she's a little nurturer and loved time with Isaac. * With Abby and Zach... notice the fun reflection on the table!
* One of the highlights of Aaron's week.... we let him pick out pirate swords as souvenirs. He actually hated the "Pirates of the Caribbean" ride (the drop in the dark really scared him), but for the rest of the week, all we heard when we asked what he was thinking about was, "I was just sitting here thinking about my sword...." On Thursday, we finally made a trip to Downtown Disney to pick one (okay, two) out. In this picture, he and Zach were told to make their best "pirate face."
* Aaron loved the waterpark at our condo and finally conquered the waterslide.
* Isaac tried out swimming for the first time during this trip and loved it, too!

Online maps

Okay, some things are just too funny not to share. My friend, Becky, passed this along to me. It takes less than a minute to do and cracked me up.... if you haven't already, try it.... REALLY! Here are the directions:

1. go to www.google.com
2. click on "maps"
3. click on "get directions"
4. type "New York" in the first box (the "from" box)
5. type "London" in the second box (the "to" box)
6. scroll down to step #23

Gotta love "GOOGLE"!

Spring Break Update!

What an amazing week! We had a great time in Florida with all of my family. After nearly 19 hours in the van with two little ones yesterday, (we left at 5 AM and pulled into HOME just before midnight!) Scott and I were a little loony after the trip.... but it really was a terrific week!

Pictures to come later.... but here were a few of the highlights:
* 2 Days at Disney! On Monday, the four of us joined my l'il sis, Deb, and spent a full day at the Magic Kingdom. Other than the crowds (we heard they closed the park that day because it was so full) it was a magical day. On Wednesday, my mom and the rest of the family blessed us by keeping Isaac for the day so that Scott and I could "park hop" at the Animal Kingdom and MGM Studios with just Aaron. It was fun to be able to focus on him for the day. He loved the shows and the rides.... we could have all lived without the lines and the crowds (and the whining of a four-year old....) but for the most part, it was great! Isaac had a great time with my family, and once we returned, we heard over and over and over about what a great baby he is! Side note: to mommies and daddies out there reading this blog who might be planning a trip to Orlando in the future.... Scott and I would HIGHLY recommend the Disney Visa card for its rewards. We just pay off our balance every month but get 1% back in Disney bucks. We were able to enjoy Disney on this vacation for almost nothing.... we didn't pay a cent for our tickets! YEA!
* Swimming! Aaron loves the pool and the condo where we stayed had three to choose from plus a small water park.... very fun.
* Miniature golf.... there was a course outside our back door so we were able to play a few times.
* Cousins!!! Abby and Zach were so much fun.... Aaron totally adores both of them. Abby (age 11) was very helpful with Isaac, and Aaron followed Zach around the entire week (Zach is 9 and is Aaron's hero!)
* The blessing of grandparents.... my grandparents and my parents were on this trip (and were incredibly generous with us). They were all so sweet with our kids, and I'm so thankful that they are all so active and involved in Aaron and Isaac's lives (as well as ours!)
* I had a great late-night chat with my dad one night after watching a recap of the Master's with him. It was really fun to connect and talk at a deeper level.

Well, that's it for now.... now, the unpacking and laundry begin.... hmm, maybe after a quick nap!!!

Blessings to all of you this Easter! He is RISEN!