BigStuf Update!

We're home.... we're exhausted.... AND we had an incredible week! I'll update you all more later; thanks for the prayers while we were gone!

BigStuf!!!

Well, the time has almost come.... we leave from home for BigStuf around 4:30 today, and the bus is set to pull out of the parking lot of WCC at 7:15 with 120 kids and 21 adults!!! YAHOO!!!! If you think of us during the week, please send up some prayers for us...

* For lives to be changed for eternity.

* For kids' relationships, with God and with each other, to reach a new level.

* That Aaron and Isaac and the loved ones who are caring for them will have a great week.... and for mommy's heart while she is away from them (I'm feeling SO emotional today about leaving.... even though I KNOW that I am supposed to go, I am still feeling weepy....)

* For Scott, Mo, and Evan's leadership during the trip. This is a key week in the transition in leadership.... please pray that ALL goes smoothly.

* For safe travels and SMOOTH travels on the buses. Our trips in the past have been WAY TOO EVENTFUL.... pray that this trip is completely UNEVENTFUL as far as the buses go!

Love to all! Have a great week!

A favorite destination....

Scott grew up going to Lake Tippe on the weekends, so he certainly has a fondness for the relaxing nature of being at the lake. For the past two summers, he has made it "his thing" to grab Aaron and go to Patona to (shhh....) feed the ducks and relax by the water. We all went the other night together; it was SO relaxing and SO much fun.

On a sidenote, I especially enjoyed the TOTAL MELTDOWN from Aaron at the end (HA!) He ended up swimming in his clothes and was furious when we told him he had to ride home in his carseat naked (it's only a 3-minute drive; we didn't think it'd be a big deal!) To be quite honest, I've never seen him "freak" quite like this.... and Scott and I have never tried to hide our laughter in the middle of a meltdown quite like we did either! Needless to say, we ended up finding an extra pair of shorts, but his reaction, initially, was pretty funny.

A Must See....

This story and slide show totally warmed my heart today. Beautiful, just beautiful! You must check it out!

Thankful Thursday...

Today, I am thankful....

1) That my hubby approaches life with such grace. I appreciate the grace that he has shown me (and others!) over the years that I've known him. I know that God will honor his faithfulness in that!
2) For the helpfulness of my family! It's going to be a bit of a whirlwind, but my entire has really stepped up to allow both Scott and I to attend "BigStuf" next week. My sisters will tag team keeping the boys over the weekend, and then, my mom and dad will keep them for the rest of the week (once they get home from their vacation). I know that both of my boys will have a great time.
3) For high-speed internet! Yea.... I've NEVER once regretted switching from dial-up!
4) For the Fort Wayne Public Library. We actually just returned home from a visit with Katie and Selah Elder in Fort Wayne. We ended up grabbing lunch together and then went to the kids area at the library. It was amazing! I think that I'd be there every day if I lived in FW!
5) For God's work in my heart over the past year. It's been a huge year of challenges AND growth for me in the past year. I am thankful for how He is growing me up! :)

Have a wonderful day! Much love!

Fun with family!

We had a great weekend, full of fun family time! We spent Saturday evening at my mom and dad's in Mentone. It was great to enjoy dinner together, and our boys both loved their pool (sorry, no pictures this time!) Then, we went to Muncie on Sunday and spent the afternoon with Scott's mom and dad. What a great day!

Grandpa and Grandma Greene sure love these boys! Isaac enjoying a popsicle with grandma! This is a relatively new discovery for this little man, and he LOVES them!
Does anyone notice some similarities between these three men?!! Wow! Talk about some strong genes! One time, Scott was just walking down the street in his home town, and a man stopped him and said, "You must be a Greene...." from walking BEHIND him. Wow! They even walk alike!!!

Slip-n-slide fun!

Grandpa and Grandma Greene have a slip-n-slide, too. Needless to say, on a 90 degree day, our boys LOVED it!

The "double slide".... well, kind of! One day, I'm sure that Isaac will be sailing on his belly or hiney, too!

Is it legal to play whiffle ball on top of the slip-n-slide?!! I guess Aaron thinks so! He is totally into his "ball and bat" these days. They go with us everywhere! Actually, I'll have to get his hits on video sometime and share them here. It's actually pretty astounding what this 4-year old can do (especially since his momma couldn't hit a baseball, softball, or whiffle ball to save her life growing up! HA!! Give me a tennis racquet and I can handle it; otherwise, just laugh and look the other way!)

Summer Fun!

We've been attempting to have lots of fun on these HOT summer days in Indiana and find great ways to beat the heat! We had a weekend full of fun.... makin' & eatin' homemade strawberry ice cream, slip-n-slidin', swingin', and skatin'!!! What a great time! Does anyone else think that weekends should come more frequently?!!

Happy Father's Day!

Just giving a shout out to some wonderful men in my life....

* To my beloved husband. Thank YOU for partnering with me in this crazy journey called parenthood. As the card today said.... I am SO thankful that God made you mine.... and OURS! Aaron and Isaac are TRULY lucky to have you as their daddy!

* To my sweet dad. You have always been so faithful and grounded. I appreciate your commitment to our family and your steadfast spirit. Thanks for being a part of making me the woman I am today!

* To Tom Greene. Thanks for raising such an amazing, godly man (and woman... love ya, Jill!) I'm forever grateful to you and Kathy for your investment in the life of this hubby of mine! He's an incredible dad because he's followed your example!

Kid Nation!

Sorry Stevan, but I'm winning an award for being a blog thief today, but yep, this was too good to not pass along to my readers as well.

Check out THE CBS SITE (and click on the video for "Kid Nation"). New reality TV.... yeah! After watching the preview, Scott and I are both excited to check it out!

Are you kidding me?!!

I just saw THIS ARTICLE on Stevan's blog. Yeah, I'm certain I would have some interesting emotions if this happened to Aaron or Isaac at Applebees, and we then ended up in the ER. Yikes.

True Confessions....

I have a confession.... well, two, really....

I am a clutter-bug.
AND
I procrastinate.

Boo. There, I've done it. I've confessed. I'm 31-years old and continue to fight the battle against these two things.

In light of these things, I am feeling truly overwhelmed by the condition of my home today. Why today more than others, you might ask?!! Well, Scott and I leave for BigStuf Camp next Saturday and will be gone for a week. While we are gone, my parents will be staying here with our kids (and my younger sister will be staying for one night, too). I don't know why I get worked up.... I know that my parents and my sister love me.... but I'm feeling pretty vulnerable when I look at the condition of my home. Maybe it's the fact that they will actually be staying in our room since we don't have a guest room.... AND the fact that I have oodles and oodles of books piled up on my nightstand.... AND dust bunnies in the corner. Ooh, ooh, ooh. I feel like I'm SOMETIMES good at "hiding" my true clutter-bug self (not always, as my dearest friends can attest to!) in the "main" areas of my home, but my bedroom? Uh, no. The corners of my kids' rooms? Uh, no.

So, there.... it's done. I've confessed. It's going to be an interesting week as I attempt to touch the nooks and crannies. I did "wash" the tree from our room last night.... THERE.... A VICTORY!!! HA! :) Now, I must stop procratinating by blogging and tackle another project....

Much love. Thanks for reading my ramblings! :)

Puppies!

Anybody want a black lab puppy? I have a friend who is selling a litter.... let me know if you're interested!! :)

Thankful Thursday....

First off, how in the world is it Thursday again already?!!! Whew.... time flies by!

Today, I am thankful....

1) That God is the author of miracles!!! I got a call from my precious friend, Angie McCleary, today and heard the precious words that Austin's scans were ALL CLEAR! This precious little guy BATTLED and BEAT cancer TWICE.... defying the "odds".... living proof that our God is LIVING and ACTIVE (and Austin's sweet little scans continue, time and time again, to be ALL CLEAR!!!) YEA GOD!!! DO YOUR THING!!!! :) 2) For sweet little Kate's precious life. Kate is approaching one year old and has already had quite a journey. But today, I am thankful that she came through her heart cath just fine earlier in the day. She is scheduled for her second open-heart surgery in July. To read more about the Layman family, go here. 3) For fresh strawberry pie. My mom and grandma make the best (and I still can't figure out how to make a good one.... I guess, for now, I'll leave it to the experts!) :)
4) For my mom and dad's pool. We had a great time there yesterday and will be back for more swim time on Saturday! Can't wait!
5) That Isaac has slept through the night for the past two nights! Yea, yea, yea!!!

Love to all!

Another laugh....

I guess that I'm just going through a season where I need some good laughs.... and wanted to pass a laugh along to you in case it might help you through the day! I received these "Ponderisms" from my friend, Deb, today and thought I would share them....

* I used to eat a lot of natural foods until I learned that most people die of natural causes.

* Gardening Rule: When weeding, the best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it. If it comes out of the ground easily, it is a valuable plant.

* The easiest way to find something lost around the house is to buy a replacement.

* Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.

* There are two kinds of pedestrians. The quick and the dead.

* Life is sexually transmitted.

* Health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die.

* The only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth.

* Some people are like Slinkies...not really good for anything, but you still can't help but smile when you see one tumble down the stairs.

* Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing.

* Have you noticed since everyone has a camcorder these days no one talks about seeing UFOs like they used to?

* Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.

* All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention to criticism.

* In the 60's, people took acid to make the world weird. Now the world is weird and people take Prozac to make it normal.

* How is it one careless match can start a forest fire, but it takes a whole box to start a campfire?

* Who was the first person to look at a cow and say, "I think I'll squeeze these dangly things here and drink whatever comes out?"

* Why is there a light in the fridge and not in the freezer?

* If Jimmy cracks corn and no one cares, why is there a song about him?

* Why does your OB-GYN leave the room when you get undressed if they are going to look up there anyway?

* If quizzes are quizzical, what are tests?

* If electricity comes from electrons, does morality come from morons?

* Do illiterate people get the full effect of Alphabet Soup?

* Did you ever notice that when you blow in a dog's face, he gets mad at you, but when you take him on a car ride, he sticks his head out the window?

* Does pushing the elevator button more than once make it arrive faster?

* Why doesn't glue stick to the inside of the bottle?

Whose line....?

Did any of you LOVE the show, "Whose Line is it Anyway?" Seriously, it was a favorite around here, and Scott and I were pretty bummed when it was cancelled. Anyway, we do love having satellite so that we can watch reruns! This is one of our favorites.... enjoy a laugh!

Please Pray

Would you please join me in prayer for this family? I went through the Masters program at Grace College with Rich and Carol (they met in the program!) and Rich is now serving at Grace Community Church in Goshen, IN. About a month before baby Ezra was born, Rich was diagnosed with Hodgkins’ Disease—Lymphoma after feeling a lump in his neck. I haven't been in contact with Carol since baby's arrival, but here is what the CE National website said:

"Rich Yauger is a dad! He and his wife, Carol, had a boy. Rich reports, 'Our baby was born on May 3rd. It was a boy, 7 pounds, 8 ounces, 21 inches long. We named him Ezra Allen. I think he's the cutest baby ever, but of course, I'm a bit biased. Carol is doing well. The labor was a tough one, but she was pretty amazing through it all. It was pretty crazy because I was receiving a treatment while she was in the beginning stages of labor. So, she's having contractions like every 8 to 10 minutes, and I'm getting chemotherapy. We were quite the pair!'"

Please join me in praying for this precious family and for total healing.

It's Planting Time!

Well, it's probably a little late to be planting, but hey, better late than never!!! Aaron and I took on the task of planting pumpkins (big and little), watermelon, and sunflowers in the "ditch" behind our house (it's actually just a weedy area between us and the cornfield!) We'll let you know what happens as the summer progresses! Aaron loved diggin' in the dirt!

"Hello?!!"

Isaac's current love.... our phone!

Thankful Thursday...

Today, I am thankful....

1) For my husband. To be quite honest, we've had a rough couple of months, full of ups and downs. But today, I am thankful for the growth that we've seen in our marriage.... and for where we are headed together.
2) For fabulous friendships. I've gotten spoiled this week with many playdates and time to catch up with dear friends.... Angie Schmitt on Tuesday, Angie McCleary on Wednesday, Krista Layman today (thanks for making the drive, Krista.... in spite of gas prices!), and Ann Hasse tomorrow. Yep, I'm spoiled rotten this week.... and loving it!!! :)

After our playdate today, I told Aaron that he didn't have to take a nap, but that he had to "rest" on the couch while watching a movie. A short while later.... this was my discovery!!! This is almost unheard of at our house!

3) For my Clorox Bleach Pen. I was hesitant to buy my first one because it seemed like a lot for one little pen.... BUT I'VE LOVED IT!!!! A definite "must-have" (and it really does last a long time)!
4) For a fenced-in backyard. Today, Krista and I were able to send our older boys outside to play, and since we knew they were okay, we were able to have a wonderful, uninterrupted conversation (yes, we did peak at them continually to make sure that they were okay!)
5) For the trails at Winona Lake. Okay, seriously.... if you live in this area, you MUST go walk or ride the new trails. They are awesome!!! We took the boys on Tuesday and had an amazing time!!! So peaceful! (well.... as peaceful as it gets with a 4-year old boy on a scooter! Yep, he LOVED the hills!)

The joy of boys

I sure love these two boys. It's fun to think about the joy that they've both added to our home.... and to dream about the men that they will be when they grow up!!! What a privilege to be a mommy!

Have a great day!

"The Twitch"

Okay, seriously.... are any of my blog readers out there doctors?!! PLEASE!!!! I feel like a goof even mentioning this on my blog.... but it's been a big part of my days recently, so here's the story....

Starting last Friday morning, I have developed a "twitch" under my left eye. Every day, it revisits me, starting at around 10 or 11 'o clock. It usually lasts from 15-45 minutes and happens 3-4 times a day. IT IS UNNERVING!!!!!!!!!!! REALLY! I keep trying to figure out if there are certain triggers, but can't seem to self-diagnose on this one! Help!!! :( Obviously, I'm not concerned that I'm going to fall over and die, but it is really hard to even function with it because it's affecting my vision (and it ends up causing a tingling sensation in the other muscles in my face as well). Boo-hiss.

Okay, I'm done whining now.... and I must go because I'm having trouble looking at the computer screen right now because of "the twitch".

Blessings to you today, dear blog reader! Have a splendid week!

Bees, Bites, and Benadryl!

Well, we don't know what it was, but something certainly "GOT" Aaron (maybe sweat bees?) What started as a bump or two on Aaron's cheek last night turned out to equal major swelling by bedtime and even more swelling by morning. We're lucky that it's just low enough that it didn't cause his left eye to be completely swollen shut. We've given him a few doses of benadryl (does that stuff even make a difference?!!) and are just waiting it out. Thankfully, he doesn't seem to be too uncomfortable, and the swelling is finally starting to subside (the picture doesn't show it at its worst!) We've also made a new discovery at our house: benadryl does not make our Aaron sleepy whatsoever (can't decide if that's a good or a bad thing! HA!)

The Great Fishing Expedition!

As mentioned in my previous post, Aaron had the privilege of going fishing again for the morning with his Grandpa Burch (and cousins, Abby and Zach, Grandpa-Great, and Grandma-Great, too!) I sent our camera on the outing with them and loved the results (both the pictures and the fish!) 63 keepers today! Wow, that's a lot of fish!!! Tonight, we're going swimming at my mom and dad's and are having a fish fry! YUM!