Denney Family Story

Green Thumb?

2011-05-01T20:59:00.001-04:00

I've been planting up a storm the past couple months. First, tomato and pepper seeds inside. Then, peas, lettuce, spinach and carrots outside. Next, a few fruit trees I bought on sale last fall. Then, some trees I got from our County Soil and Water district sale. (which included hazelnuts!) Finally, this weekend we got a bunch of blueberry bushes, several thornless blackberries, and a fig tree.

We haven't planted the last group of plants yet, but they are on my list for this week.

But, even with all the planting I've been doing, I don't have a green thumb. Black finger nails, maybe, but no green thumb.

I'm giddy with expectation at all the fruits, veggies, and nuts we will one day harvest!!

Jesus, Lover of my soul

2011-04-29T22:55:00.001-04:00

I have been so blessed. Everyday, God seems to romance me more and more. Drawing me closer. Wooing me. After struggling with depression for years, especially since the birth of my children, I can honestly say, I've never felt better. Who knows how long it will last, but until then, I'm giddy with joy. My heart sings.

Jesus, you are the lover of my soul. Help me to always feel the warmth of your blessings. Help me to teach my children to love you. Help me to be a good and godly mother and wife. Give me wisdom and pour out your grace on me. Amen.

Germmy-go-round

2011-01-19T15:09:00.001-05:00

First nick got sick. Then the kids. And now me.

The kids have been going to the church nursery more often and spending regular times in the child care center at our athletic club. Both places offer me a much needed break and gives them the opportunity to get their wiggles out and get a variety of different simulations. I knew that we were risking an increase in germ exposure but I felt the risk read worth it.

Luckily this cold started with Nick, so I'm less inclined to blame these cherished play times.

With kids, there always seems like there are germs to go around.

Debt Free

2011-01-15T19:10:00.001-05:00

Four years ago Nick and I got serious about paying off our debt. I had student loans and it always seemed like we were tracking up medical expenses. I read Dave Ramsey's books and we became gazelle intense with plenty of hurdles along the way.

All of the work we've done on our house has been paid for with cash. When we outgrew our old car, we paid cash for out new one. When Nick bought his boat last fall, we paid cash.

When I quit my job to stay at home with the kids we still had over $7000 in student loans left. It was a leap of faith. I knew that I needed to be home with my babies and I knew they needed me. We needed structure in our lives.

Despite quitting my job October 10st, we were able to pay off the balance on my student loan last week! "Baby Step 2", DONE!

We're going to work on a bigger emergency fund next. Which with Murphy living in our guest room year round, we'll need it!

Out long term financial goal its to past off our house by the time we turn 35. I think we will get there too. Even with hurdles and mountains and Murphy!

This Denney family is debt free. It feels great to be weird!

That's a stretch

2011-01-13T22:15:00.001-05:00

In high school, I was the girl that did anything to get out of participating in PE class. I was winey and could care less how to play soccer or whatever other sport we were learning about. I'd prefer to spend my class time walking around the gym and gawk at the boys. (Hey, I'm being honest!)

In all fairness, while I had no interest in sports I had no problem doing my share of the work around our family farm. I was strong and fit without working at it. Then, I got a desk job. And another. AND another.
Now, ten years and two pregnancies later, I'm out of shape and over weight. And fed up with feeling weak and tired. It's not a "resolution", but I joined a gym. I met with a trainer and am learning how to work-out.

I'm not going to lie and say it is easy and that I feel great, because it wasn't and I don't. It was hard and I hurt like hell. I could hardly lift up Kaylee tonight! But I am motivated. I want change for me and my family. I want to feel good again. I want to be strong, inside and out.

So, tomorrow, I'm heading back to the gym. And I might whine about it but I'm not going to look for an excuse to not go and I promise not to gawk at any boys while I'm there!

Pretty Nails

2011-01-09T19:52:00.001-05:00

I'm not going to lie, it's been years since I've had a chance to paint my finger nails. I decided that I was ready to feel human and pretty and feminine again, so I bought nail polish today. Sally Hansen Color quick Nail Color Pen. I love it! It worked great! And dried fast! So petty!!

It's the little things that make my day!

Socks!

2011-01-09T07:26:00.001-05:00

Ethan has developed the ability to get himself out of bed and let himself out of his room. I'm not entirely thrilled with this new skill.

This morning he came into our room and proudly declared "socks!". I opened my eyes just in time to have a pair of socks thrust into my face. I know what you are thinking... "his feet were cold, put socks on the boy and cut him some slack." But you didn't see the other 5 pairs that he shoved in my face next. Apparently, Ethan discovered the spock drawer on his way out of the room!

When you are two I guess there's nothing more fun than discovering new things- like the sock drawer. (Or maybe trying to discover the limits to the patience of your tired mom?)

Things that go bump

2010-12-02T11:54:00.001-05:00

Silly little boy! This morning and heard a loud bump immediately followed by screaming and crying. It was inevitable, ethan had fallen out of his crib. Luckily he was not hurt. Daddy decided it is time to get a big boy bed. So tonight we're headed to ikea. Stay tuned for more updates about our new big boy bed!

Test

2010-12-01T14:39:00.001-05:00

A test post

Life at home?

2010-12-01T13:42:00.003-05:00

Ethan and Havah at Kansas City Zoo

Even though I've been a stay at home mom since October we haven't really been home!! We've had weddings receptions and vacation. Vacation??? Yes! We went to Kansas City to visit the Henrys. We've been to the zoo on 3 seperate occasions! We're having fun and loving being together with our family and friends!!

Now that the Holiday season is upon us, I am trying to be more intentional about staying home. And enjoing being home. Learning to say no to all the busy-ness is tough!!

For Christmas Nick bought me a sewing machine off ebay. I am so excited about taking some time and learning how to use it this winter and get caught up on all the great sewing projects I have in progress.

I'm trying to take time to enjoy the things that I enjoy about life. My family. My friends. My home.

I can't believe it has taken me so long to post an update. I'm sorry blogreading buddies.

Clutter Control: Eating from the Pantry/Freezer

2010-09-29T15:29:00.002-04:00

To celebrate quitting my job and begining my adventures as a stay-at-home-mom, I am going to challenge myself to not grocery shop (or really any shopping except for the wedding celebrations we have coming up!) for at least 2 weeks. I'm actually hoping we make it a month- wish me luck! I have to admit though that we do get fresh milk delivered weekly from our hershare program where we own part of a herd of dairy goats. So, fresh milk+ garden + pantry + freezer= NO SHOPPING!!! I imagine this isn't going to be as challenging for me as it is for some families. I have been stock piling stuff for quite a while. We also purcahsed 1/2 of a side of beef a few months back and spent the entire summer freezing fruit. And we were gifted a bunch of ground pork recently too! This should be an exciting challenge!!

Nick to the family out to East Fork State Park last night for an adventure. Ethan had the most fun! He ran along the water's edge and threw sand and laughed and giggled! I think he enjoyed every minute of it! We are going to start taking a family "field trip" every week to give us a chance to get-a-way without leaving the area. We're hoping to check out Stonelick State Park next! Family adventures were a big part of what I remember about my childhood. I hope that I can give that to my kids too! I can remember a drive my dad took us on just to go look at a huge planting of "wildflowers" in the middle of a highway. He just asked us to all get in the car and without telling us where we were going, drove us to this flowery spot. It was a great adventure!!

Here's hoping your family finds some adventure this fall!

Stay At Home Mamma & Updates

2010-09-22T14:58:00.003-04:00

There are big changes coming to the Denney Family. I just put my notice in at work and have decided to be a full time, stay at home mom!

I am excited beyond belief. And nervous, of course. I think our budget will be okay, but it still feels like a leap of faith!

I'm still working on de-cluttering our house and my brain. I feel like I am making progress and getting things organized.

I love my babies! Kaylee is growing so fast. She is really starting to babble and try to communicate. Ethan is the sweetest most rotten two-year old ever! He gives great kisses and hugs. He talks with a slight twang and loves his Aunt Na-Na. Both kids are really enjoying their new cousin, Finley. Fin & Ethan are only 1 month apart and are clearly going to be trouble for us all as they grow up together!

My little brother got married in Maine earlier this month and we are celebrating locally in a few weeks. We can't wait to have Hanna & her family meet all the Stohlmans & Egbers family!

Nick's brother, Nathan is getting married at the end of October! (That's how we got a new cousin!!) Nathan & Jessica are having a costumed reception at their house. My family is dressing up as bugs! We're trying to convince dadda to dress up as the Orkin Man, but so far he won't go for it!

I'm hoping I'll be able to post more updates, more often- but don't hold your breath. (Besides, I think Aunt Kathy is the only one that checks our blog anymore.)

The Crazies?

2010-07-19T11:35:00.003-04:00

Antsy, anxious, crazy!

I'm in this weird place that makes my husband a little worried. I feel like turning my life upside down. I feel like something has to change, big. I feel like my life is so chaotic right now that I just want to scream!

A month ago I went through the house and threw out a 50 gal garbage can of crap. The same day I came up with a 50 gal tub of stuff to donate to the Salvation army.

Last week, I went through all my clothes and came up with over 100 lbs of clothes to donate.

Nick calls it "the crazies". I'm not sure what it is, but I have this itchy feeling to just change things... simplify my life, our lifestyle, my schedule. I feel like I never get anything acomplished. I never get to enjoy my kids and the day slips away without anything to show for how tired I am at the end of the day. I'm not willing to accept the status quo anymore.

This time next year I want to be thinner, myy house be decluttered and clean, & not feel so frazzled!!

There are going to be some big changes coming to the Denney household.

Still Alive, I Promise

2010-07-12T15:43:00.002-04:00

YES! I am still alive. I've been very absent from blogging. My last post was in January before Kaylee was born. (yes, she was born!!)

You might have also noticed that I disappeared from facebook recently. I needed to take a break for a while and this just seemed like a good time to do it.

The Denney Family has been very busy. "2 under 2" keeps hopping! Nick has been working like crazy painting the exterior of our house. I've been working like crazy to just keep myself going! Ethan has so much energy!

Ethan is quite the little chatter box. He repeats a lot of words and will often surprise you by knowing the name of something. He loves his sister and just can't understand why she can't play with him. He has been enjoying the summer by playing in his baby pool & sand box or swimming with his beloved Aunt Na-Na.

Kaylee is 5 months old already and growing like a weed. She is soo sweet and charming. She loves to smile and laugh. She is also fond of grabbing my hair every chance she gets! She just discovered the sweetness of Bananas and LOVES them. She nurses like a champ and sleeps even better, especially at night. She is the most layed back baby I've ever seen. She is so content to just chill out and watch the world pass by.

The summer looks like it is going to be a very busy one! My brother John is getting married to Miss. Hanna in Maine this September. The Denney Family and Aunt Na-Na will be making the 20 hour drive up! (Pray for us!) We suspect that Nick's brother, Nathan will be surprising us by getting married this summer as well.

That's a random Denney Family Update.

Rantings of a pregnant lady

2010-01-25T15:20:00.002-05:00

A week ago, Nick approached me about the possibility he would have to work out of town this week. After much discussion, I finally consented, thinking that it was just one day and he'd be home that night. At a 3 hour drive, I was uncomfortable with him leaving, but figured I'd manage for one day.

Much to my dismay, I found out today that my assumptions were clearly wrong. He has been scheduled to work out of town for 4 days and 3 nights.

I'm trying really hard not to be angry about it. I'm trying really hard not to think about how tired I've been the past couple weeks and how much I have relied on him to help with caring for Ethan every evening.

I'm trying really hard, but I'm not getting anywere.

Did I mention...

2009-12-28T12:01:00.003-05:00

...that I am very blessed?

I may have mentioned it before. But my blessings just keep flowing.

I feel so loved.

I had been trying to locate a used car seat for Ethan to keep in his Grandma's car. I'd been having trouble locating a gender neutral one for a good price. Well, two very sweet ladies arranged for me to be handed down a car seat for my mom's car. Is that not the sweetest thing? I can just cross that off my list now!!!

I had also been looking for a good deal on a used Ergo baby carrier. If you are into carrying your kiddos, I had been told this was the "Cadillac of carriers" and the only one you "had" to have. I had been lusting after one for a while. It wasn't a need, but I could come up with plenty of good reasons why I should need one. I won't bore you with my list! I mentioned my lust for the Ergo baby carrier to a few people in hopes that they might be able to score me a good deal on a used one. Well, lo-and-behold, A bunch of my loving family members all went in together and bought me a new one as a gift for me and Kaylee! And it was exactly the color I had been wanting!!

I am sooo blessed. I am so loved.

I had the best Christmas ever!!

Thank you everyone for wrapping my family & I with love this holiday season, and every other day of the year!!

Seasons Blessings

2009-12-23T11:08:00.002-05:00

With all the craziness going on, I am so blessed to be finding joy in the little things right now.

Yesterday, I got to spend the day with some of my most favorite people. The Norwood Babies & The Kansas City Crew. It was chaotic & wonderful. Ethan loves his cousins. Most of his cousins love him too. I love my cousins & my Aunt Kathy. There were 5 kiddos under the age of 5 at Ang's house. It was amazing! My dear sweet cousin, Charlotte (she's a year older than E) normally has very little patience for Ethan. However, she was very kind to him yesterday and shared her popcorn with him. And even fed it to him. It was so sweet! Ethan also surprised me by how interested he was in baby Isaac (close to 8 mo old?). Isaac had a cough and at one point Ethan bent over in the cutest way and peered at Isaac as if to check and see how he was doing. They are just too cute, I could just eat them all up!

My husband is one of the sweetest men alive. He often comes home in the evenings after working and takes over caring for Ethan. Not only does he take of caring for Ethan, but he makes me dinner and does the dishes too. He is such a keeper!

I am also blessed by God in how he provides us with water. Without a water bill. I know this sounds silly, but we are on a cistern and only have the rain/snow water that we collect and often have to be very conscious of our water usage. This often means short showers. Lately, in the evenings, I've been tired and achy and have had a hard time relaxing. A long, very hot bath is about the only thing that can help me get comfortable. We have been so blessed with the rain/snow that I've been able to indulge without hesitation. Which is good, 'cause I've even been known to sneak back into the bathroom in the middle of the night for a 2nd shower/bath if I can't sleep!

We were blessed financially with some unexpected extra money that will help us pay off a big chunk of medical bills that were still lingering from this summer. How nice to be able to go into the new year without that burden lingering!

We are blessed with supportive friends and family in so many ways that I couldn't even begin to mention them all!!

I am feeling God's love as the blessings just pour out on our family this holiday season!

Bragging Rights

2009-12-21T10:19:00.004-05:00

I have to brag on my mom. My mom has been working her bottom off (literally & figuratively) trying to loose weight. She gave up sugar and dramatically reduced her white flour intake a few years back when her dad, my Grandpa Egbers got sick and passed away. She lost a lot of weight just cutting out those things. Then she went on Weight Watchers and started tracking points. She lost a bunch more weight and when she kinda hit a wall with results, she kicked it up a notch. She hired a personal trainer and started working out twice/week. She reached her goal weight a few months ago! I am sooo proud of her!

She is still working out with the trainer and walks with friends and is very careful about what she eats. She loves fitting into skinny jeans and buying hot mama clothes! Years ago, she worked as a meeting leader for Weight Watchers and loved it. She has always wanted to get back into that kind of work. She mentioned it to someone at her meetings and was recently informed that they need a meeting leader near where mom lives. She has started the application process and is anxiously awaiting to hear back. She is sooo excited and we are very proud of her!

A rose by any other name...

2009-12-14T15:36:00.002-05:00

She shall be named Kaylee.

Over the weekend I heard Nick refer to our baby girl on multiple occasions as "Kaylee". When I asked him about it his response was "Well, that's what I'm going to call her."

With that, it was settled, her name will be Kaylee.

Now, I just need to go find wooden letters spelling her name to hang on the wall in her bedroom. (Oh wait, I still don't have a room for her. yet. I am working on it though.)

Name letters are a big deal in our house. Ethan has his "letters" in his nursery over his bed and he asks us to tell him about them every time he wakes up. He points up at them and looks at you expectantly. So we point out each letter saying "E" "T" "H"... He has gotten to where he will even track with his eyes to each letter if we don't point them each out. It is one of his favorite things to do and everyone participates willing with him!

He speaks!!

2009-12-07T11:03:00.004-05:00

Ethan is finally starting to pick up some words here and there. It is just sooo cute to hear him try to say a new word. This is a long post just for the purposes of gushing on and on about all the cute things he does!!

His favorite word is "ut-oh"! He says this every time he hears a loud noise, hears something drop, just before he falls, after he falls, and just before and after he throws something. It is sooo funny! We can hear him playing in his crib every morning and often hear "ut-oh". We walk in to find all his blankets, stuffed animals, and pacifiers on the floor.

He also loves to talk about "diggies" (doggies) and even makes a whining sound like the dog does. He talks to the dog in a whining cooing sound. He talks the same way to his stuffed hound dog "Snuggle Puppy".

And he can often be found rambling on about the "ki-ki cat" that his Grandma has. He walks around chasing the cat calling out "ki-ki-ki-ki". Even when we are at home, he loves to talk about "ki-ki cats" and will point them out in his favorite picture book.

The other day, I was changing his diaper and told him that he was Stinky-Pete. He kept trying to say stinky after that. It comes out as "sticky".

He has also learned how to pucker his lips and make a kiss sound. We like to watch eachother in the rear-view mirror when driving down the road, and we blow kisses to eachother.

He signs "more" & "all done" and waves "bye-bye" and "hi". We are working on a few more, but he is quite stubborn (I wonder where he gets that?!?). He refuses to sign "please", but we will continue to work on it.

He is starting to understand more and more of what we say. We fall more in love with him every day.

I remember...

2009-12-04T12:00:00.004-05:00

...and my heart finally beats with anticipation!!
I am finally at that place. The place I've been wanting to be in for 31 weeks. The place where my heart & thoughts are filled with joy and anticipation at the arrival of our baby girl. The place where I am finally getting things ready.

Looking at these pictures of Ethan helped. Finding a newborn size diaper in Ethan's sock drawer helped a lot. (do you remember how tiny those diapers are?!?!)

Praying helped even more.

I am finally there.

Feeling HIS Love

2009-11-30T11:45:00.002-05:00

Since my last post, I've been spending a lot of time in prayer. I am seeing how God is answering those prayers and giving us encouragement at every turn. We are very blessed.

I'd like to say that all my worries and fears have been alleviated, but I am far from being able to make that announcement. But, I am comforted & my faith is renewed.

Thank you all for your love, prayers & support. Keep it coming!

Hugs & Love,
Jeannie

Thoughtful & Quiet

2009-11-25T10:46:00.002-05:00

If you've followed my blog at all over the last couple years, you know that I've been very quiet the last couple months.

I'm sorry. It seems like life is so busy right now that I hardly have time to bathe regularly, let alone post blog updates. (It doesn't help that my Aunt Kathy is taking a break from reading blogs. She normally would send me emails to remind me to update my blog!)

But in all honesty, it's been more than just the business that has been keeping me away. I always feel like I have to be upbeat and positive in my blog updates, so I haven't felt comfortable posting anything. My heart is heavy, with a lot of different things.

Our baby girl is due in just over 10 weeks, and I'm still not sure if I'm ready to be a mom to 2 little ones. I'm not sure if I'm ready to be a mom to a little girl. My house is far from ready. Nick asked me last night if I had decided where I was going to "put" baby girl, I didn't have an answer for him. I have a pack'n'play for her to sleep in and the promise of a bassinet we can use too, but beyond that I don't have any clear plan. If you know me at all, you know that this is sooo not like my normal "Type-A" personality. (I had my wedding planned years before Nick ever even considered proposing!) And, did you notice I am still calling her "baby girl"? She still doesn't have a name. I keep asking God to prepare my heart and help us prepare our home for this little blessing.

We still have Nick's follow-up colonoscopy scheduled in December. We are hopefully praying that God will provide us with a good report following that.

We are also strugling with other areas of our life. I can't help but just feel overwhelmed by all the circumstances we find ourselves in. I won't elaborate anymore, but just know that we could use some extra prayers over the next couple months! We know that God is going to carry us through and we find strength in that.

Thank you all for your love, support & prayers!

A dehydrator give-away!!

2009-11-04T14:45:00.001-05:00

I so totally want to win this dehydrator....

http://www.keeperofthehome.org/2009/10/the-last-great-giveaway.html

Amazing God

2009-11-02T15:34:00.002-05:00

"You've seen the depths of my heart & You love me the same. You are Amazing, God."

Indescribable by Chris Tomlin

Random Updates

2009-10-19T15:24:00.003-04:00

It's been a very long time since I updated our blog. So much has been going on, I've hardly had time to think!

First, the pregnancy is going extremely well. I am pleasantly surprised at how different it is the second time around. I am just now starting to "feel" pregnant (kicks and flutter excluded). And, in case you didn't get the memo. it's a GIRL! Everyone thinks that this news should have made me very happy considering that we would have "one of each". But I, infact, was slightly shocked & disapointed. I thought for sure I'd be a mom to a bunch of boys. Girls scare me-which I know is ironic considering I'm a girl! But after considering things for a month now, I am starting to get excited. I started looking at dollhouses this week! Nick could care less about boy vs. girl. He just wants her out now so he can hold her. (P.S. the "one of each" comment upsets me too, it's like people expect me to stop now that I have a girl coming. I don't plan on stopping at 2 kiddos unless God tells me otherwise. Babies are a blessing from God. We plan to have more blessings. We aren't planning on stopping now that we will have "one of each"!)

So, second, Nick's health... This has been an emotional roller coaster for us all. We had finally gotten to this beautiful place of acceptance and peace. We felt informed and educated and ready to move forward. We had a game plan. And then, things have gotten turned upside down. Nick's original biopsies were sent out for a second opinion. It was procedural and we weren't expecting any exciting or ground braking news. We were expecting them to come back and say "dysplasia" (pre-cancerous cells). This, however, was NOT the case. The report came back NORMAL. I didn't tell anyone at first because we were really confused (and still are, really). We also experienced a phase of disbelief. We still haven't been able to discuss the new results with Nick's doctor but we are still going through with a second colonoscopy. We'll pepper him with questions when we see him. The new colonoscopy was originally scheduled for next week, but something came up and they had to reschedule. The soonest, convenient time we could get it wasn't until December 11th. We could have gotten in earlier but Nick prefers to have these tests done on Fridays so he can recover over the weekend and miss the minimal days of work. So, we are hoping that if there are cancer or pre-cancer cells present in Nick's colon, that the doctor will find them and we'll proceed with our plan, but even more- we are hoping that God has healed Nick's colon and there aren't cancer cells present!!

Ethan is amazing! He is walking a lot now. He still reverts to crawling occasionally, but it is less and less each week. He is signing more often and is trying hard to communicate with us. His verbal skills are still lacking, but we aren't worried about it yet. We have been making social interaction a higher priority lately and it seems to be paying off. He absolutly loves going to the church nursery and comes out chattering! He and the dog have a love-hate relationship. He loves her to death and she hates that she can't get any peace when he's awake!! He is the sweetest most loving little guy in the world and we are so blessed by his presence in our lives.

Did I forget anything that you've been wondering about? If so, leave a comment and I will try to get a response up ASAP.

Love & Hugs!
Jeannie & the gang

Blood Sugar Issues

2009-09-21T14:23:00.002-04:00

All weekend I've been having problems with my blood sugar. I eat something and then a short time later I feel weak, hot, sweaty & nauseous. Even if I don't eat I get sick feeling. I've nearly passed out several times. Not sure what is up, but I am very eager to discuss it with my doctor tomorrow.

Did I mention that we will find out if we are having a pink or a blue baby tomorrow too?

The first day of fall and finally getting a chance to identify our baby as a boy or a girl! There's no better way to celebrate my favorite season!!

My Provider

2009-09-16T09:53:00.002-04:00

I have to confess, all this "pre-cancer" stuff with Nick has really been freaking me out. I've tried to remain calm and rational. I am trying to keep us from making irrational and emotionally driven decisions.

I had a great facade going too, until it started to crumble. I started having very irrational thoughts about loosing Nick. I was angry & scared. I felt sorry for myself, thinking that I was going to be left all alone with 2 tiny babies, a house that is in a state of deconstruction, and no life insurance. I admit it, I freaked! I yelled at Nick and told him that leaving me high and dry was not an option. (Like he'd have a choice in the matter?) I was angry with family members trying to get Nick to consider alternative options that left any room for doubt or risk. I kept saying "This is my husband, my best friend, the father to my tiny babies, my whole world! Why should we take a risk?"

Then, today, on my way to work, I was doing some more thinking about it all. I was yelling at God for putting my "provider" in this situation, putting my family at risk. Then, a peace came over me. A voice whispered in my heart "Nick is not your "provider", I AM!" I hesitated & considered the statement. Nick is not my provider, the Lord is my Provider.

When did I lose sight of that?

Today is someone's (official) Birthday!

2009-09-05T08:47:00.001-04:00

We celebrated Ethan's brithday a bit early so that his new Aunt Hanna could join us for the festivities. But today is his official first birthday! Happy Birthday Ethan Nicholas!

Ethan entered our lives and filled us with so much joy. He is such a sweet & loving little boy. I amamazed at how much my heart aches with love for him.

He is such a brave & curious little boy. He loves to take baths and play in water more than anything in the world. He can hear the faucet running in the tub from the other end of the house, and he just plows down the hallway in search of the water & hopefully, fun.

When he's sleepy he gets slap-happy & giggly. You don't even have to touch him and he errupts into giggles. He also gets into love-y moods and all he wants to do is snuggle. He tries to give "Eskimo Kisses" but instead of rubbing noses, he rubs his forehead on yours.

He loves to play with the dog & explore her 2000 parts. Ane he loves his stuffed hound dog even more. He will snuggle and coo at the stuffed dog, just loving on it. He has started clapping & understanding some of the things we say. Everyday, it seems he learns something new. He is on the verge of learning how to walk. I still haven't decided if I'm ready for that or not!

He has recently started going to the nursery at church. This was a big and difficult step for me to take because I really didn't want to leave him with strangers, but even more I wanted him to learn to sit in church & enjoy the worship experience. But I realized that keeping a pre-toddler boy happy & quiet is difficult. Seeing how much fun he has in the nursery class with the other kids, I realized I made the right choice. I am glad that I waited, but I wish I had maybe introduced him into that environment a little bit earlier.

He knows something is going on in my belly. He often pats my belly and is seemingly aware that there is a baby there. I can't wait to see how good of a big brother he is to this new baby!

Happy Birthday, my sweet little Honey Pot! I love you to the moon!!

Nick's Health, an update

2009-09-04T09:15:00.002-04:00

So, we went to Nick's GI doctor's yesterday. The doctor confirmed what he told Nick on the phone, dysplasia. Which, is pre-cancer cells. It was only found in one part of Nick's colon. This means that the lining of his colon is starting to change and become cancerous.

They are sending his biopsies off to a second lab to confirm the results. He suggested that Nick have another colonoscopy at the end of October. In theory, both of these will confirm that there is in fact dysplasia. However, the pre-cancerous cells are invisible. Nick's colon looked completely healthy. They didn't biopsy anything suspicious, so the chances of the doctor finding that specific spot again is slim to none. His recommendation for Nick is probably going to be the same, no matter what the new colonoscopy biopsies say- colectomy. Even though it is pre-cancerous in one spot, there is a 20% chance that there is active colon cancer in another part of the colon, and that spot wasn't biopsied.

Nick asked about waiting and doing another colonoscopy in a year, but the doctor said at that point it could be too late. Colon cancer is the #2 killing cancer in America. It spreads to other organs very easily. The doctor said that waiting was like playing "Russian Roulette". If you continue to take chances, the risk will eventually catch up with you.

I still think that even in the face of this newest adversity, God is still with us. We started going to this doctor, all the way up in Dayton shortly after we got married, for one reason. The reason was the doctor has Ulcerative Colitis, had dysplasia, and had a colectomy. He has lived through what Nick lives through. I think that God led us to this doctor several years ago for this one reason. He is the most compassionate doctor we've ever met. He spent over an hour talking with us yesterday and patiently answered all of my questions. He speaks very openly about his experiences and really helped Nick and I to understand what we are facing.

There is still some confusion regarding Nick's liver, but in light of everything going on with the colon, we have decided to table the issue for now. Nick has no active symptoms of liver disease & is in good health so waiting doesn't pose any threats. There are some additional tests that the doctor is recommending, but it is far from an urgent matter. The biggest thing is, if/when Nick has the colonoscopy, he will likely have a liver biopsy at the same time to confirm his diagnosis. There are some inconsistancies in Nick's health records that we are researching. But the doctor isn't quite convinced that Nick does have liver disease. (A small glimmer of hope??)

Keep praying for us & that God continues to guide our decisions.

Busy, Busy, Busy

2009-09-02T11:36:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow, we go to the doctor to get more information about the recent tests and biopsies & the news that followed. I'm scared. I'm trying to be optimistic, but frankly after all the crap we've been through, it's very hard to be optimistic. I've done my research & I'm armed with questions, and follow-up questions. I want answers & I want hope again.

This weekend, we'll be undertaking a massive project to upgrade our "home sewage treatment system". It's going to be a busy weekend.

I think that everything going on has Nick scared too. He walks a fine line between being depressed, not wanting to do much & nervously trying to get house projects compelted before his health explodes like a time bomb.

I just try to be supportive and try to remain calm. And for everyone worrying that the stress could harm our unborn baby, I already discussed that with my doctor, he wasn't concerned!

Thanks for your love & prayers, I will update here or on Facebook once I know more.

We need your Prayers

2009-08-24T10:35:00.006-04:00

It's been a rough couple weeks for our family.

First Nick's bladder problems, and then an issue with his liver...

Then, a very dear friend of my family, George "Hammer" died in a tragic acident this weekend. Hammer's wife, Kristi, is hospitalized and with serious injuries. She has head and spine trama, but beyond that, I don't have any more information. My family is very close with the Bushelman family, we grew up camping with them nearly every weekend all summer long. When I was young, Hammer was like a cousin to me. His Grandpa, was my "Grandpa" George. Family of the heart. What makes this all even harder is that Hammer's accident took place on my in-law's farm. They happened to be staying out there, camping out, when the accident took place. They saw my dear friend and his wife taken away. Hammer & Kristi have a 16 month old baby that needs her mommy.

Last night, I hoped that I would wake up today and find it was all a bad dream. But sadly found this morning that it wasn't a dream.

I thought my week couldn't get any worse until Nick's doctor's office called this morning looking for Nick. The receptionist insisted on talking to Nick, so I gave her Nick's cell phone number. A short time later, Nick calls and says that he talked to the doctor and it appears some of the biopsies they did during the colonoscopy came back bad. He wants to see us in his office right away. He is also consulting with other doctors regarding Nick's liver diagnosis, some stuff doesn't add up right and he wants to discuss that with us too.

So, please pray for our friends & their daughter-in-law- Kristi, & the grandbaby. Continue praying for Nick and I as well. Thank you all!

And it all comes tumbling down...

2009-08-19T11:10:00.004-04:00

Well, all of Nick's recent testing didn't find any fistulas (connections) between his bladder & colon. Yay!

Before we went in for all his tests and procedures, we said a prayer that God would heal whatever was wrong or give the doctors wisdom to find what was wrong, diagnose & treat him correctly.

Well, when they went in to do the actually surgery/procedure to scope his bladder, they found a spot on the back of his bladder that looked like a fistula. But it wouldn't accept dye like a fistula should. They tried and tried but couldn't make it behave like a fistula. The doctor said there was nothing he could do without definitive proof of a fistula. So, he said to just call back if Nick developed any more infections. He also told us he would take a look at the CT scans and make sure they didn't show anything. They called back a week later and said all was clear.

I honestly think that God removed the fistula. How else would bacteria from his colon make it to the bladder? But nothing show up on any tests??

Then, last Friday, Nick went in for his yearly colonoscopy. We explained to the doctor what all we had been through lately. He asked for us to send him copies of Nick's recent testing and sent me out to the waiting room until Nick was done with the procedure. An hour later they call me back to recovery & the doctor shares with me that he has seen Nick's radiology report from the CT scans. They showed evidence of dilation in his bile ducts. Ugh! Apparently he managed to get a copy during Nick's procedure.

Nick was laying there, still under sedation and doctor tells me something else is wrong with Nick's liver! Before, his bile ducts were strictured, meaning nearly blocked, and now they are dilated? I fell apart sitting there all alone, freaking out- thinking about everything. And wondering why the other doctor never mentioned the findings.

Well, I've had a chance to do some more research and have found that this dilation is very common for people with Nick's liver disease, PSC. They will often have stricturing followed by dilation in the same ducts because the bile backs up and kinda causes the duct to expand from all the pressure build up. It ends up causing a beaded appearance in the duct- stricture, dilation, stricture... etc.

For the past several months Nick has experienced an annoying feeling of pressure in the area around his liver. Since it wasn't painful, he has ignored it. (Ignoring it sounds scary & maybe irresponsible, but there is truly no course of action the doctors can take. The only true treatment for this disease is liver transplant, an option that we are not ready for and Nick is far too healthy to be considered for one at this point.) The past couple weeks he's also been having bouts of pain in his abdomen especially at night. This is very common for both of the medical conditions he has. We also suspected that there was a possibility that his bowels were just irritated from all the testing and procedures he's had done recently.

So, Nick's GI has ordered an MRI-like test of Nick's liver. I am not sure what he hopes to find or how he intends to use the information to help Nick. But since it's been 4 years since we've had a look at his liver, we are welcoming the opportunity. The doctor had been hesitant in years past to do any further testing on Nick's liver because there were no presenting symptoms to show the disease had progressed (and as I mentioned, there is very little they can do for treatment.)

So, do you mind joining us in prayer? Pray for Nick & I to have strength to deal with the circumstances we find ourselves in. Pray for the doctors to have wisdom and that they allow God to guide the decisions they make about Nick's care. Pray for Nick to be healed. Pray for the research being done on adult stem cells & liver tissue growth. Pray they find a cure for PSC.

Ethan's Birthday Bash, the details...

2009-08-15T10:00:00.000-04:00

August 15th, 3pm
Pattison Park Pavillion
2228 US Highway 50
Batavia, OH 45103

Directions:
Take 275 to exit 59B Milford Parkway/450 Towards Hillsboro.
(You can take either 471 to 275 or 71 to 275, it's really the same distance either way!)
Turn right onto US 50 towards Hillsboro/Owensville.
It's almost 8 miles out on the right hand side.
If you make it to the small town of Owensville, you've gone too far!

The park is actually on both sides of the road. The Pavillion we have rented is on the right when you are going out US 50 from 275. If you find yourself at the "gazebo & lodge", you are in the wrong place, we're across the street!!

There's a great paved walking trail, a beautiful fishing lake, and an amazing playground! It should be lots of fun!! No gifts necessary, just your presence!!

I Spy with My Eye... Ethan's quilt!

2009-08-12T12:30:00.005-04:00

I'm nearly finished with Ethan's birthday present... an I spy quilt...

It has a yummy minky back... which Ethan will love!!

Call Me a Country Mouse

2009-08-12T11:57:00.002-04:00

I'm a country mouse, I always have been, and can't imagine my life any other way. Some of my closest & dearest friends are totally not Country Mice, they would easily classify themselves as the City Mouse. That doesn't mean I love them any less. We're just different. We just chose different paths in our lives.

I live in a subdivision, but don't let the subdivided neighborhood and the word "lane" on the street sign fool you. We live in the country. Someone in our neighborhood has a peacock and chickens. (I'd like chickens & goats but Nick isn't ready to be that kind of country mouse!) I have an amazing 2 acre lot. It's fenced in, and someday we hope to have a pond. I dream about a cute little garden shed & a greenhouse. (My neighbor has a greenhouse and Nick didn't tell me about it for months because he knew I would be jealous!)

I have a wonderful and ever expanding garden. I eat veggies out of my garden. I sometimes preserve them for winter, making salsas & tomato sauces. In the summer, I often spend my mornings picking berries at nearby farms and freezing the harvest, saving it for winter or for making jams & jellies. I have pride in making a dish and being able to say- I grew this! I love being able to go to a party & take along some of my famous pepper jellies and having people rave over them. I like being able to make a batch of jam to share with my nearest & dearest.

When I'm not busy with my kiddo, my garden, or helping Nick around the house, I enjoy making quilts. When I go on vacation, it's often to a quilt show with my beloved mother, grandmother & sweet aunts. I like pouring my heart into a snugly little quilt for a sweet baby. I love watching them cuddle their faces in them and the delight on their faces as they inspect it & find joy in all the colors.

Since Nick will never let me raise milk cows or goats on our property, I am strongly considering purchasing a "cow share" to be able to get Raw cow milk on a regular basis. Raw milk has better nutrition, healthy bacteria, & enzymes in it, that are all killed off when pasteurized. Raw milk is often easier for people with dairy intolerance (which all 3 of us appear to have to some degree).

One of closest friends growing up was a country girl too, but has since become a suburban mini-van driving mommy. I've become more and more country, and she has become more and more city. It hasn't changed our friendship, we love each other dearly. I can easily spend hours on the phone with her talking about nothing & everything. (Well, if all the screaming toddlers would allow it!!)

I love my life. I love the simple lifestyle that Nick & I have. We chose a different path for our lives. The circumstances in our lives led us down a different path. I'm okay with that.

The Latest De-Construction

2009-08-10T15:02:00.002-04:00

On top of all the medical stuff Nick has going on right now, he's been very busy fighting the never ending battle to fix up our house. Most recenlty he found a TON of dammage due to termites (and active termites). We just had the termites treated and now he is in the process of ripping out all their dammage. Check out the photos below...

Before...

During...

Can you see the big holes in the boards, they were completely eaten away by termites! I can't wait to post back and show you after pictures.... when he gets the project done.

Pony Progress

2009-08-10T14:57:00.002-04:00

Ethan's Grandpa Denney, Nick's dad, has been slowly working on making Ethan a rocking horse. I requested this pony back when I was pregnant and he has been procrastinating on getting it done. With Ethan's Birthday Party this weekend, he is really trying to get it done. Although, he is making no promises, especially considering Ethan's birthday isn't actually until Sept 5th!

But either way, I am really loving this pony already! I can't wait to watch my babies play on it!!

More Pictures...

2009-08-10T14:39:00.002-04:00

At my Birthday dinner, with Uncle Nathan-

they matched!!

With momma, before Birthday Dinner!

This is a horrible picture of me, but it was only meant to show the necklace!! My Sister-in-law, Natalie, made it for me. Pretty, huh? She made me matching earrings and is working on a bracelet!!

Red Wagon

2009-08-10T14:36:00.002-04:00

Ethan got this red wagon for Christmas, but he was just a bit too small for it then. A few weeks ago, I insisted Nick help me put it together. Ever since then, Ethan and I have been enjoying rides around the yard and down the street.

When we first got it done, he spent 30 minutes checking out every aspect. He really enjoyed the tires and the handle!!

Sweet Boy

2009-08-10T11:41:00.003-04:00

Ethan is as charming & sweet as they come! (I'm not biased or anything!!) Check out some pictures from recent weeks...

Eating Skyline for the first time... yummy!!

Our first trip to the Zoo... Ethan slept through it!

Visiting mommy's favorite restaurant, Coheart's in Ripley for Grandma Stohlman's Birthday!!

Ethan loved going here because Auntie Roberta (my boss from High School!) allowed Ethan to touch everything and crawl on the floor and throw food on the floor!!

Watch for more pictures later this week!!

Nick's Health, an update

2009-07-31T13:58:00.002-04:00

So, as some of you know, Nick's been struggling with a nasty infection for a couple months. After 3 rounds of antibiotics, they have finally gotten the bacteria cleared up. Yay!

But, when they were doing some of the initial testing, they found that the bacteria causing the infection was actually from his Colon, but it wasn't found where it was supposed to be. Which, of course, is not good! It appears bacteria from his colon is leaking into other organs and causing problems. Boo!

So, anyways, Nick has to have a bunch of tests and procedures done on Tuesday, in only 5 days! We're asking for prayers. At first, I was going to ask for you to pray that they don't find anything, but if there is something wrong, I do want them to find it! I am praying that everything is okay, that this was a fluke, and there is nothing to worry about. But if God has other plans, then just pray that God gives us wisdom and strength to deal with everything as it comes! I know that God will give you all the right words to pray!!

For those worried about how I'm handing this... In spite of the seriousness of the situation, I am handling the news well. I know that God has a plan. He has always given us strength & carried us through times like this. We are just going to continue to rely on Him & trust His will for our lives. We are not going to allow Satan to steal our joy. Not today & not tomorrow!

Thanks for your love & support, and of course the prayers. I will be sure to post on our blog an update, once we get some test results back. On Tuesday, I am sure that I will do a status update on facebook, so check there if you want to know how things went!

Tiny Little Thumb Sucker

2009-07-29T10:41:00.005-04:00

We haven't had many pregnancy updates so far because, frankly, I haven't felt pregnant. Sure, I was really, really sick and I've been tired, but pregnancy just doesn't feel the same the second time around. I hate to admit it, but it's been hard to get excited about being pregnant & often I would even forget! Until yesterday...

We had an ultrasound of our tiny little baby yesterday! The baby was very active and measured in at around 2 inches, which is 12 weeks, 2 days gestation. They have my due date as 2/5 or 2/7.

What amazed me is how active the little one is already!! I hadn't even had my morning Coke fix yet! I was also surprised to find this baby is also a thumb sucker already! If the baby is only 2" long, how big is that tiny little thumb??

I had tears in my eyes as I looked up at the screen to see the baby in my womb moving around, and simultaneously heard Ethan chattering from his position in the stroller. I can't believe we're going to have another baby!! And, I must say, this one looks like it's a cutie!!

We are so blessed!!

Blogging Pays?

2009-07-17T10:22:00.003-04:00

I know some of the mega bloggers out there earn money from their blog in ads and such. I don't have ads on my blog and I don't try to earn money from it. It's mostly to share with my distant (and close) friends and family all the latest Denney Family Stories. But some times blogging does pay off...

Do you remember this post about how I hate how fast Ethan is growing? Well, I submitted it to an online newsletter put out by Scrap Girls, a digital scrapbooking company. They always publish "customer muses" in their daily newsletter on Saturdaya and after reading them for several years, I felt like my post about Ethan really fit in with the style of "muses" they publish. I sent it to them a while back and hadn't heard anything for a while. Until this morning...

I got an email saying that my post was selected to be a customer muse for August 1st! And to compensate me, they gave me a $20 gift certificate to use in their store. Yay!!

I love to scrapbook, and love digital scrapbooking even more because you can use the papers and stickers over and over without limitations. You can change the colors digitally to match whatever layout & pictures you want! Buying a digital paper kit is a much better investment than buying actual scrapping papers. Especially, because when you make an album, you can easily have multiple copies printed to share!! I can't wait to do some shopping & figure out which of their digital products I am going to buy!!

A Good Trade!

2009-07-15T13:53:00.004-04:00

A friend from High School saw on my blog the quilt I made for Chelsea, Nick's cousin. Remember the "I Spy" quilt? She asked if I was willing to sell her one for her daughter.

Well, I knew that she designed and makes custom birthday & wedding cakes, and had been wanting to have her do a cake for Ethan's big birthday bash. So, I asked her if we could strike a deal. And, just my luck, we were able to reach a very agreeable arrangement!

These are pictures of the quilt I made for her daughter. It's really like 2 quilts in one. I pieced the front (the "I spy" part) and used a "cheater cloth" for the back. It's a great flannel & minky pieced cheater quilt! And the front, of course, is filled with tons of fun stuff to play "I spy". I quilted it up really heavy so it could be washed & washed for years of enjoyment & I spy fun!

I spy something you can wear in the picture above. Can you spy it too? (it's a crown in the upper right square, the black one) Can you spy something edible? (The bananas!) Or something that could ruin a picnic? (The ants!)

Let's Talk about Bananas!

2009-07-15T11:39:00.002-04:00

This boy likes to eat! And bananas are a favorite right now.

Can you tell?

Ethan's Birthday Party!!!

2009-07-01T10:25:00.003-04:00

An FYI for all our Dear Family and Friends...

The Denney Family will be celebrating Ethan's 1st Birthday a little early- on August 15th.

Put it on your calendar!! It will be at Pattison Park Pavillion in Owensville, Ohio. It's not far from our house! There is an awesome playground, walking trails, and fishing. So, come prepared to have fun!!

As a bonus for my side of the family- John's lovely finance, Hanna and her sister Claire will be joining us too! Come meet Hanna and help us celebrate their engagement while we celebrate Ethan's birthday!!

Invites will be going out soon and directions to the park will posted on our blog!!

For your viewing enjoyment...

2009-06-26T15:49:00.003-04:00

because he's just so stinkin' cute!!

Can you tell how much I love this boy?!?!

A Riddle....

2009-06-24T10:16:00.001-04:00

Ethan Says...

I Spy with My Eye... a quilt!

2009-06-19T13:57:00.002-04:00

I made this quilt for Nick's cousin Chelsea's little girl to be born later this year...

I love the concept behind the "I Spy Quilt". It is great for teaching little kids a variety of different things, like colors, letters, counting, etc. It is great to take along on trips or to the doctor's office- when you know you will have a long wait. You and the child just take turns saying, "i spy with my eye a basketball (or strawberry, or...)" You can also ask the child to find 3 flowers or something that starts with "H" The options are endless!

While I know that Chelsea's baby won't be playing "I Spy" for quite a while, I am sure that she will enjoy looking at the colors or snuggling the minky-pink back!!

More Water Fun

2009-06-15T14:10:00.004-04:00

Ethan's Grandma & Grandpa got him a small child's pool to play in. Ethan really enjoyed splashing in the water, and occasionally taking a few dives into it. It is amazing how easily entertained he is with only a few inches of water.

The Fruits of Our Labors

2009-06-15T14:07:00.002-04:00

We are enjoying the fruits of our labors in the garden... litterally... Yummy fresh salads. One minute they are in the garden, the next they are on the table. Rinse & Repeat!

Pool Fun At Gram's

2009-06-15T11:32:00.004-04:00

Ethan's highlight of playing in the pool, chewing on the pool toys! He really did enjoy splashing and playing. This pool float is the perfect thing for him. It kept him sheltered from the sun but allowed him to play without someone holding him the whole time. He Loved It!! Playing with cousin Dalton was a big bonus!!

Attempts at Self Feeding

2009-06-05T13:31:00.004-04:00

A Fish in our midst?

2009-06-03T11:55:00.005-04:00

Playing with Daddy, Aunt Natalie & Uncle Nathan

Ethan loves to play in the water, and his first time in the pool was no exception...

There are quite a few videos.. I'm sorry but there were just too many cute ones to pass up...

Right Doesn't Mean Easy

2009-05-29T12:06:00.005-04:00

It's been a very sad week in the Denney Household.

Just because something is the right thing to do, doesn't mean it's the easy thing to do.

After investing several hundreds of dollars trying to keep my beloved little black dog, Callie in our yard, only to have her keep getting out- I made the very difficult decision to get rid of our dogs yesterday.

It was hard, probably the hardest decision I've ever made in my life. I tearfully drove them to the pound, tearfully signed them away, and tearful drove home without them. I'd like to say that things were easier when I got home, but it wasn't. I spent the entire evening walking a thin line between packing up all the dog stuff and going back to get them- especially Callie.

As much as I loved Jake, Callie was my favorite. I knew that one day she was going to be the best playmate for Ethan ever. Unfortunately, she didn't want to be contained to our 2 acre yard and I was tired of fighting her. I was tired of worrying about her getting out on the road and getting hit, or getting into a neighbors yard and tearing something up.

I guess this is all a lesson in growing up and being a Mom. "Doing what is right is not always doing what you want or what is easy." There also comes a point in your life when you have to stop fighting for something just because it's what you want.

As I silently list out the pros & cons to having the dogs- I am hoping I don't break down over the weekend and go and get them. I imagine this hole inside my heart is just going to get bigger before it gets smaller.

Edited to add: I didn't break down and go get the dog, Nick did! He went back and got our little black dog, Callie. We decided that we could no longer handle Jake. It was a very hard decision, and we feel horrible. Callie is adjusting to being the only dog. Ethan loves her and she tolerates his exploration of her feet, tails, mouth & nose very well. She is really struggling with a fear of thunder, but other than that, things are going well. We hope that she enjoys a long life as our loyal companion and judicious guard dog.

He's growing up way too fast...

2009-05-20T10:43:00.005-04:00

I've not been in any hurry for Ethan to grow up. I've wanted him to stay small, cuddly, nursing & squawking. I miss the tiny little cries that sound more like the bleats of a tiny lamb than that of baby boy.

When people would ponder over his slow progress in learning how to crawl (or walk, or...) I would defend him and my heart by responding "He's my baby, I don't want him to learn how to do those things. I don't want him to learn how to walk or crawl away from me. Just let him be my baby."

But, now, he's crawling, and pushing himself onto his feet, and eating chunky "big people" foods, and sitting up, and growing hair, and... Sometimes I look at him and it takes my breath away- he looks like a little boy! He doesn't look like my baby anymore.

When he tries to stand up, there's a part of me that wants to go over and gently push him to the ground so he won't learn to walk. When he crawls all over the living room, I want to just pick him up and put him in his play pen so he won't learn to crawl away from me. When he eats big boy foods, I just want to pull him close and nurse him. When he is playing so independently, I just want to pick him up and snuggle him forever.

I don't want to put away another size of clothes. I don't want to think about his first birthday. I don't want to think about how fast he's growing.

He's growing up way too fast.

And in spite of how much this time is breaking my heart, it brings me such joy! He still crawls to me. He lifts up his arms for me to pick him up. When he's fussy and tired, he wants to snuggle me. When he's happy, he'll just look up at me and grin with those 2 cute tiny teeth. When he can't sleep, I bring him to bed with me and we snuggle and he will pat my face, repeatedly. When I kiss his cheeks & he is tired, he giggles this special little giggle. I love how he is amused by the simplest of treasures, an empty juice bottle or an empty hanger.

He may still be my baby boy, but he is growing up way too fast.

Blogging Break

2009-05-11T13:34:00.002-04:00

Due to an ongoing ear infection that Ethan is experiencing & a 2 week nursing strike- we are taking a blogging break & possibly a mental vacation to rest, recuperate & heal. Thank you for your patience & prayers as we clear these obstacles.

Please pray for healing for Ethan's ears. We are going back to the doctor's (3rd visit in 2 weeks) and are just finishing our 2nd round of antibiotics. His appetite is affected & he has nearly no patience with nursing.

Please pray for me as I weather the storm and face some major decisions. We have had so many struggles with nursing & I feel trapped due to his sensitivities to milk. I am currently pumping to supplement his goat milk bottles & maintain a shred of my milk supply. Nursing has been a roller coaster for us and is leaving me feeling empty and depressed.

Great Strides

2009-05-06T11:35:00.004-04:00

Ethan & I are walking in the Cincinnati Great Strides Walk next weekend (5/16/09) to raise money for Cystic Fibrosis. (I'm walking, Ethan will just ride along in his stroller!)

We are part of Team "For Matt & Sarah", a team formed in honor of my cousins Matt & Sarah who struggle with Cystic Fibrosis. I hope you will consider sponsoring us and donating to help find a cure "For Matt & Sarah" and the other children struggling with this disease.

Our goal is to raise $500. Every little bit helps, so please consider giving- even just $5 will make a difference! Click here to donate!

Matt & Sarah

Cystic Fibrosis is a very serious illness. A local little girl, Anna (very close in age to Matt & Sarah), just passed away after struggling with Cystic Fibrosis. Her story touched my heart & made me very aware of the urgency in needing to find a cure, especially for Matt & Sarah. For more about Anna's story- check out the videos in the links below...

Video #1

Video #2

Everything is "Dada"

2009-05-06T10:21:00.003-04:00

Yesterday morning, Ethan started saying "Ya Ya Ya Ya". By Mid-morning it was "Da Ya Da Ya". By Afternoon it was "Da Da Da Da". By Evening all he wanted to talk about was "Da Da Da Da."

The doggies were Dada, the books were Dada, the bottle was Dada, his toys were Dada, I was Dada, and most importnantly- Nick was Dada (and grining ear to ear about it)!

He will say a whole string of nonsense and every other phrase will be about his Dada. As he is playing, he only wants to talk about Dada. On the way to work today, he was telling me more stories about Dada.

I know he doesn't associate Dada with Nick yet, but we can't help but be proud of him and enjoy the stories!

Oh, by the way, can you believe that Ethan turned 8 months old yesterday! Yikes, the time just flies by!

Garden Beds

2009-04-30T16:06:00.000-04:00

I told you, the raised beds were contagious! Apparently I wasn't the first in the family to have one. My Great Uncle Frank had one a long time ago! But now Mom has one too!

My parents just bought a farm that had an old barn on the property, inside was a wealth of wonderful old rough sawn lumber. Dad gladly shared with us. Nick made 3 rasied beds with the lumber- 2 for me and 1 for Mom.

Ethan liked to help his Daddy with all the action!

Baby Isaac

2009-04-29T16:12:00.002-04:00

Welcome to the family, little man! I am so happy to have you here! Your cousin, Ethan, is looking forward to playing with you and being your cousin! I can't wait to see the boy & man you become!

Tomatoes, ready for the garden...

2009-04-29T15:50:00.003-04:00

Remember my tiny little tomato plants?? Well, they are much bigger now & ready for the garden. They are spending the week outside on the porch hardening off and getting ready to be planted.

Yesterday, Nick saw them out there and exclaimed, "where'd you buy the tomatoes?" I told him that I hadn't bought any, that those were the ones I had started from seed. He was shocked how much they had grown recently. I guess the past couple days of warm weather really encouraged their growth!!

The One Where The Wall Came Down

2009-04-24T15:11:00.000-04:00

I mentioned our decision to turn our apartment into a TV/Game room a while back. There were a few walls that had to come down in order to acieve this goal.

Well, Nick has been hard at work tearing out those walls... (check out the demolition below)! He got all the electric re-wired & is about to start on putting in 2 new closets for storage.

And then the walls were gone...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NORWOOD BABY!!

2009-04-24T10:45:00.001-04:00

The Norwood babies are celebrating the arrival of their newest- a baby boy born this morning! 9lbs 1oz- No name has been announced yet!

I can't wait to meet him!!

Daddy Dressed Me, Again (Part 2)

2009-04-23T12:08:00.001-04:00

The other day, I mentioned that Nick dressed Ethan for church on Sunday. Well, Nick did it again the other morning... I don't know if I like this outfit or not, it makes Ethan look like a little boy, not my little baby.

Girls Girls Girls

2009-04-22T14:04:00.000-04:00

The other day, Nick's mom was watching a friend's daughters for the day. They were very attentive to Ethan and made sure that he was well played with. They were very upset with Ethan's Grandma for letting him cry when it was nap time. "He cried for a whole 15 minutes!!" Grandma assured me that Ethan did not cry for 15 minutes, but I wasn't worried- Ethan is allowed to cry himself to sleep, in fact, I believe he sleeps better when he does!

Car Goes Beep Beep

2009-04-22T09:10:00.000-04:00

Nick's mom is already getting a reputation in our family for spoiling Ethan. It seems every day we go over, she has gotten him a new toy. When I heard she had bought him a new car, I was prepared for a little toy push car, and prepared to have a talk with her about spoiling Ethan. I was more than surprised to walk in and find this new car...

Luckily, she bought it used for only $17 at a consignment store nearby! But she does know she needs to back hold back a bit from now on.

I know it doesn't look like he is enjoying it, but he truly does like it. He is just lacks his usual confidence when he encounters new situations. He casually explores the new toy or situation before he gets too excited!

Camo Boys

2009-04-21T16:50:00.000-04:00

Cousin Dalton was out at Grandma & Grandpa's farm doing some Turkey hunting (it was youth Turkey Hunting weekend). He was all dressed up in his camo & wanted to hold Ethan. They were too cute- matching cousins. Dalton can't wait for Ethan to get big enough so they can go hunting and fishing together!!

Jumparoo Fun

2009-04-21T10:48:00.000-04:00

Ethan is the most loving

2009-04-21T09:18:00.001-04:00

Ethan is the most loving kissy huggie Baby this morning. I'm loving it!

Gardening, the Square foot way

2009-04-20T14:52:00.002-04:00

It's starting to become very popular with our family members, first me, then Angie & now Aunt Lynda... everyone is loving their Square Foot Garden!

Erin over at $5 Dinners is hosting a Gardening Giveaway & a $50 gift certificate to Home Depot on her blog.. in honor of her new Square Foot Garden. Go check it out to enter for your chance to win!!

Daddy Dressed Me

2009-04-20T12:16:00.004-04:00

Nick dressed Ethan on Sunday, these are some pictures I snapped before we left for church- yes, he wore this outfit to church. I think it was a hit with all the people sitting around us!

He didn't seem to mind the hat! And, as you can tell, he obviously loves the Norwood Babies's Jumparoo that they lent to us- and puppy dog kisses!!

Egbers Quilting Girls

2009-04-17T12:25:00.003-04:00

My Aunts & I are working on making a queen size quilt. Once we are finished we are going to raffle it off and everyone that helped make it will have a chance to win it...

My Aunts, Kathy & Mary did all the sewing while I did all the cutting.

This is the quilt top- isn't it pretty?? It just needs some borders & a back then we will be set to quilt it!!

Aunt Jackie helped us with some reverse sewing (or seam ripping!) & she had the most fun job, keeping Ethan happy in spite of his decision to NOT take a nap.

Aunt Lynda took Ethan up the street to visit my Great Aunt Mary Rose while she was recovering from knee surgery. Aunt Lynda was kind enough to take pictures of Ethan with his Great Great Aunt!

Getting Ready for our Garden...

2009-04-17T12:21:00.003-04:00

We are growing a bunch of things in our garden this year... peas, spinach, lettuce onions, carrots, tomatoes, peppers, basil, mellons, corn, etc.

This is a glimpse of our tomato, pepper & basil plants a few weeks ago. They are already getting much larger. We can't wait til it warms up enough to put them in the ground.. and then we will be waiting to harvest... yum!

"Beef, It's what's for dinner."

2009-04-13T11:11:00.002-04:00

I love that my parents live on a farm and take the time and money to raise a few cattle. What I love even more is when they share their yummy beef with us!

Our portion of this great gift will be coming in the next week or so. So, I'm going to spend the week cleaning out the freezer to make room. I'll also be checking out some new beef receipes to help us make the most of their generosity.

"Beef, It's what's for dinner." at our house!

What an amazing blessing and generous gift!

The Future TV/Game Room...

2009-04-03T14:24:00.002-04:00

The bedroom, we will be eliminating it and turning this space into sitting area with a new TV.

The new shower, which I love, because it has a super comfortable slope to the back of it, perfect for baths! And it also is one piece, with no seams- perfect for cleaning.

The kitchen is back along with the walls for the bathroom (near where Nick is standing). The other wall on the far left of the picture is the wall that will come down to make room for the pool table and the sitting/TV area.

And there is a kitchen again!! The cabinets will be getting a fresh coat of dark paint- as a compramise to getting new cabinets like Nick wanted.

And, my beloved 12ft run of windows, overlooking our back yard & garden. This is my favorite part of our whole house!

Not an Apartment for long...

2009-03-30T13:08:00.002-04:00

If you've been following along on our blog for long, you know that our house has an attached Mother-in-law suite/apartment that we have been remodeling. We were hurrying to get it ready for what we hoped would be an extended stay visitor for the summer. Unfortunately, the young lady we hoped would stay with us had a change in plans and won't be coming for the anticipated extended stay after all.

We were going to go ahead and get it done anyways when last night, we had a change of heart and plans. We were out shopping for flooring when Nick commented that he didn't want to spend a lot of money on floor because we would eventually rip out the flooring when we remodel that space into our game/tv room. I started thinking about it and later questioned Nick on why we shouldn't just go ahead and re-do the room the way we want it. Our guests can just stay in our part of the house or we could just love a bed over into the game room for privacy if we needed to.

All it took was asking him, then the wheels started turning. So, in one day, our apartment went from a Guest Suite to future Game & TV Room! We'll have to save up some money to put down the flooring of our dreams, real hardwood floors, and play with some paint schemes, but Nick is excited about the project & seeing my husband excited has me happy too!

I'll post pictures soon!!

It must be love...

2009-03-30T10:52:00.003-04:00

was there any doubt??

An appology...

2009-03-25T13:34:00.006-04:00

I've been bad about blogging updates about our family lately. I am sorry! I pray that these pictures, videos and little updates will help you forgive me!

We recent hit a great baby & kid tag sale at a local church- my mother-in-law went with me and helped me score some great deals. We bought a small lightweight stroller, some clothes & lots of toys. When we got home, I washed all the plastic toys in the washing machine (with bleach) to disinfect & clean them all... It was a great way to was all the toys very quickly!

Most of the toys we got are a bit advanced for Ethan just yet, but somehow that doesn't keep him from realizing they are for him. I have them sitting in a laundry basket in the living room until I can figure out where to put them until he is ready to use them. Everytime we walk past he leans over, nearly falling out of my arms to reach for the toys. I am letting him hold them and bite on a few until he is ready to really enjoy them!
When visiting our cousins, the Norwood Babies yesterday, we drove away with a car full of goodies. Auntie Angela & her kiddos have the best toys and were happy to lend them to Ethan until their "soon to arrive" baby boy is ready for them.

The jumparoo was one of our great goodies. When we got home, I set it up on the porch and Ethan played while watching his Dada working in the driveway.

Our other great goodie from the Norwood babies was this great leaning table from LeapFrog... Ethan really enjoys hitting the buttons and hearing all the great sounds. And what's even better, is when you turn the page of the book in the center of the table, all the buttons make different sounds! You can clearly see that he is enjoying this new toy!! (there's video further down, too!)

I don't think you can see it in this picture, but Ethan now has 2 front teeth!! The second slipped in this past weekend!!

I think that in the picture above, Ethan is the spitting image of his Uncle John, my brother. At least the spitting image of what John looked like when he was this young.

side note: Ethan is not sitting up by himself yet, I assure you that would have initiated a blog post! You can't see it very well, but he is sitting in a Bumbo- it's a great molded baby seat that helps them sit up alone long before that can manage it otherwise.

So, am I forgiven??

Priceless- hearing my husband say

2009-03-23T19:00:00.003-04:00

Priceless- hearing my husband say 'I yuv you' to our son as he rocks him to sleep.

New Firsts

2009-03-18T11:30:00.002-04:00

Ethan is celebrating his first tooth! It's not all the way up yet, but it is surely through the surface.

He just returned from his first vacation. He was the most excelent baby- never fussing or breaking down. He loved all the attention from his Great Aunts and Gram & Great Gram's.

Yesterday afternoon, he did his first head stand while sitting in my lap. He learned this from watching his dear cousin Havah!

A Tennessee Vacation

2009-03-14T22:33:00.003-04:00

I've been read the riot act for neglecting my blog lately. So, a post for my loyal readers...

We're still on vacation, but these are a few pictures that we've taken.

The highlight of our trip...

watching Ethan play!

This was a quilt that was part of a "Sacred Threads" exhibit. It is titled "Finger Prints of God". It is actually a print made from a tree stump. How awesome- to see God's Fingerprints on His creation.

My Aunts... Mary, Jackie & Kathy.

Busy week

2009-02-27T14:41:00.004-05:00

It's been a very busy week this week.

Baby Gavin

On Tuesday, Ethan and I spent the day visiting some of Nick's family and meeting the latest addition, Gavin Kade! He is sooo precious! Born on 2/13/09, he was only 11 days old when we visited and weighs only 6lbs 11oz. Since Ethan was born at 8lbs, holding tiny little Gavin made me nervous!

Proud Momma, Stephanie

Ethan got to hang out with Cousin Kyle
Cousins! Ethan, Kyle, Stephanie & Gavin

On Thursday we spent the day visiting the Norwood Babies and The Kansas City Crew. I don't have any pictures from our adventures there (I forgot the camera!). Some were taken so I am sure they will be showing up on a blog soon, when they do- I will be sure to post a link for you all to see how much fun Ethan had with his cousins- especially Havah!

And while our house is still under construction, Nick has really been making progress in fixing up the apartment. He has new joists in, new bandboard and sill plates, new subfloor installed and 2 walls framed!

He is tackling some plumbing issues next (the people that built the apartment, did the plumbing all wrong, so it must be redone! I also convinced him to re-arrange it a bit to make room for a second door into the bathroom at a later date- a door from a guest bedroom). After some minor electrical work and drywalling- he will be ready to reinstall all the cabinets, tubs, toilets, sinks, etc. Lastly, we will re-paint everything and hire out the installation of new linoleum. (Unless anyone knows someone that is REALLY good at doing it?)

Praising God, again.

2009-02-20T10:42:00.003-05:00

Ethan is back to sleeping well at night. We're praising God! Nick says it was a combination of tough love and prayers. I am not really sure that it was very tough on him though. I think he slept through the tears. (Mine and Ethan's)

We figured that if we kinda limited his middle of the night feedings, his stomach wouldn't hurt him as bad. So, we let him cry a bit and he would eventually go back to sleep. The first couple nights were hard, he would cry for 30 minutes or so and then fall asleep for only an hour. This would continue until I felt he had waited long enough to eat again. Each night there was less crying and for shorter periods of time.

We finally got him to a good place. He has his last nursing session at 7:00pm. He goes down to bed sometime between 7-8pm. Then he sleeps until 5am. I nurse him and then he goes back to sleep until 7:30 or so.

According to the Babywise Method, I should feed him once again around 10:30pm or so and then he should sleep straight through until 7:30. But I've found that he has a hard time getting back into sleep mode all night long after being fed at that time. (He'll keep waking up and want to eat.) For right now, we're just going to stick with what is working. In a few weeks I might try it again and feed him one more time before I go to bed - but right now, I'm enjoying the sleep and predictability of his schedule.

What's up with all the bibs?

2009-02-18T15:54:00.003-05:00

I'm not sure if you noticed, but in nearly all the recent pictures of Ethan, he's wearing a bib. Well, just in case you thought we were crazy or something- let me explain...

He has been drooling like crazy for months now. At first we would wipe it with a burp cloth and wipe it again and wipe it again.. and wipe it again. Then, Ethan's little cheeks got raw from all the wiping and wiping. So we stopped mopping it up every five minutes. But then, his clothes were soaked.

I could have changed his clothes to something dry, but then- that's creating much more laundry than necessary, especially when we already was diapers!

So, we stole the idea from my friend and fellow mommy, Rebecca. Her son always has a bib on. At first I resisted, but now that Ethan's clothes are staying dry and his little cheeks aren't so red- I'm hooked. In fact, I can't wait to make our annual trip to Pidgeon Forge, TN to get some more bibs from the Carter's Outlet store. Carter's makes the BEST super thirsty bibs called Dribble Happy Bibs!!!

So, while I might be crazy, there is certainly a method to my maddness regarding the recent bib fettish!

Under Construction

2009-02-18T14:00:00.001-05:00

Sometimes you gotta tear it all down (or out) before you build it back up...

De-Construction on our attached apartment began a few weeks ago...

Little Helpers?

You can see where the mark on the blocks where there was water standing down in the crawl space when the house sat empty before we bought it... the source of all the damage!

Nick, hard at work. You'd never know he had never done this before!
Can you see the rot on the joists?

Where there used to be a kitchen...

John- and where there used to be a bathroom.

We're plan to get it all done before summer. (Although, with the rate of progress, it should be much sooner!) We are hoping a special lady from out of town can come and stay with us for a while...

Cute as a button

2009-02-18T13:05:00.001-05:00

Just in case you didn't know that my kid was a cutie...

Yes, he's laughing/smiling in his sleep!!!

Pea Pod

2009-02-17T11:00:00.000-05:00

After a traumatic attempt at napping in cousin Charlotte's bed the other day, this Momma was desperate to find a sleep solution that would work for us, especially when we were on the go. We asked around and the general consensus was: we needed a Pea Pod. So, we made a trip to Babies R Us and found the perfect one...

Ethan loved it from the first moment. As soon as I got the air mattress blown up, he rolled around and made himself at home.

We experimented for a few days and put the Pea Pod in his crib, he took naps in it and did great. That night he slept overnight in it. Then, we moved it to the floor. So far so good! Now, we bounce back and forth between the PP and the crib for naps and overnights. Just recently he slept in the PP at both Grandma's houses.

Rock'n'Roll

2009-02-17T09:00:00.001-05:00

Ethan just became aware of the fact that he is capable of rolling over. Now, he just rolls and rolls and rolls. I often set him down in his crib and come back to find him facing a different direction, and often times, on his belly when I put him down on his back!

Tastes like Summer

2009-02-16T11:04:00.005-05:00

Every summer, I spend a lot of time picking berries. My favorites to pick are strawberries and blueberries. Mostly because they are thornless, but also because where we pick them, they are plentiful, so we walk away with plenty.

I normally spend time turning my berries into yummy jam. This summer, there were more berries than I had the energy to deal with. I could pick them, but beyond that, not much more- I just stuck them in the freezer to “deal with” later.

The other night, I decided to pull some of them out of the freezer to deal with. I turned a couple bags of strawberries into yummy strawberry freezer jam! The results were delicious, like tasting summer.

I still have several gallons of blueberries, strawberries, cherries, and black raspberries left to have fun with. I can't wait to taste what wonderful things I can create with them.

I also can't wait to get started planting the seeds for our garden and watching the plants mature and grow veggies. Being pregnant in August during peak tomato season kept me from making & canning pasta sauce and salsa. My family has been missing the homegrown and homemade goodies. I've been missing them too!

Updated Videos!

2009-02-16T09:58:00.007-05:00

It looks like the videos in a previous post didn't work. I deleted the original post and re-uploaded them... I hope they work better this time!!

Sick again?? You've got to

2009-02-11T08:35:00.001-05:00

Sick again?? You've got to be kidding me! It is certainly no fun when the Momma gets sick. Thank God for Grams.

It's 4Am nick's asleep, ethan's

2009-02-10T04:10:00.001-05:00

It's 4Am nick's asleep, ethan's sleeping and the dogs are asleep... Yet here I am- wide awake. Ugh!

Just Pictures

2009-02-09T15:55:00.004-05:00

As per Aunt Kathy's request... Million Dollar Grin

Post Bath Silliness

Recent Facination with Momma's Coke Bottle

Our Johnny Jump Up! Thanks Gram & Old Man!

We spend a lot of time in the neglector, um, I mean Exersaucer.

At Nick's cousin's Baby Shower, Ethan was the main attraction.

Check back tomorrow for video!!!

Formula is not the answer

2009-02-06T15:30:00.002-05:00

Apparently, God wanted to prove to me that formula was not the answer.

We tried some soy formula for 2 nights. The first night, Ethan didn't sleep well, but every time he woke, he just cried himself back to sleep. The second night was horrible- he screamed, ALL NIGHT LONG!! Literally, all night long.

Nick and I both agreed that soy formula wasn't the solution we had been praying for. In fact, it seems like he might even be allergic to soy too. I guess I might try and eliminate some more common allergens from my diet.

I have been doing a bit more research and considered even making Goat's Milk formula.

Right now, I feel like God is telling me that breast milk is the best thing for Ethan. He is using my prayerful support people to confirm that in me. Every time I mentioned switching to formula to my support people, they all had the same answer, word-for-word, "don't give up on breast feeding just yet."

We are going to keep praying and keep nursing for the time being.

Pillow Talk

2009-02-06T12:25:00.002-05:00

On top of all our other issues, Ethan woke up at 10pm last night very congested. He was practically choking on his drainage. (Side note: Pacifiers & Congestion don't work well together.)

2 hours later, we finally got him to breathe and calm down- so I put him in his bed. The calmness didn't last.

12:00 am Ethan, Screaming from the nursery.

Me: let's just wait a few minutes and see if he doesn't fall asleep.

both, watch the clock, 1min, 2 min, 3 min.. silence.

both: *Deep Breath*

Nick: I know why old people sleep alot.

Me: why's that?

Nick: They are just catching up on all the sleep they missed when their kids were young.

Me: *Chuckle* I'd roll over and snuggle you, but then, I'd never get any sleep. I know he's going to wake up again soon.

Nick: Yeah, we'll just snuggle when we retire.

Me: yeah, good idea. Good night.

Sleep Depravation

2009-02-03T09:00:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned before, for the past month, Ethan seems to be unable to sleep for any length of time. Naps have been hit and miss, night-time sleep has been horrible. I feel like I have been fighting to swim against the current. One day, it will seem like we are making progress and then that night, things will fall apart. I've tried adjusting his schedule and length of time between feedings. I've tried adding solid foods (hoping it would help with possible hunger problems). We've tried crying-it-out. We've tried nearly everything we can think of.

One thing we keep coming back to is his digestion problems. It often seems that at night, he will wake up in intestinal discomfort. I am already certain he is allergic to cow's milk. I have been doing everything in my power to eliminate it from my diet. Unfortunately, it seems like milk is in everything. Before, I thought I could eat a little bit of cheese and still be okay, but anymore, it seems like even the slightest bit of milk sends us into a tailspin. I can't help but wonder if maybe he isn't allergic to something else in my diet.

At this point, I feel like our nursing relationship isn't blessing either one of us. I am frustrated with the restrictions on my diet, and even more frustrated with Ethan's digestive problems. I've been spending a lot of time in prayer, asking God to show us all what is best for Ethan. I've been asking God to remove the emotional strings and personal agendas and to just show us what is best for Ethan. So far, God hasn't given us a clear answer. So, because I'm not ready to give it up just yet, we are waiting it out for now.

Recovering

2009-02-02T10:40:00.001-05:00

Now, I know why the Momma isn't supposed to get sick!

It's been a week and I am still struggling to recover from my cold. Remind me to never get sick again!

It doesn't help that Ethan hasn't been sleeping well at night lately. I haven't been able to pin-point what's causing the sleep problems. We are trying to eliminate every possibility.

The exhaustion from being sick and Ethan's sleep problems, have left me feeling completely broken and helpless. I've been spending hours praying for Ethan, asking God to show us how best to care for him. Last night, I even had long distance intercessory prayer & counseling with our favorite prayer warrior.

As I have been spending so much time in prayer for Ethan, it has really opened my eyes to the parent/child relationship that we have with our heavenly Father. I wonder how many times in my past God has cried when I have fought His will for my life. Especially when He knew what was best for me. How many times has He stood by watching while I tried to do things my way, when His was was best? How many times has He leaned over my shoulder, whispering in my ear, begging me to yield to His ways?

After all this praying and seeking the Lord's will, I can't say that I have any answers yet. I do know that I am finally feeling some peace about our problems. I am praying that Ethan feels this peace too and chooses to snuggle deeply into it- all night long!

Pampered Chef Catalog Show!!

2009-01-30T12:00:00.001-05:00

I am hosting a Pampered Chef Catalog Show February 1st thru Feb 15th!!

Are you interested in buying some great gear for your kitchen?

Pampered Chef has some awesome products!

I have a lot of their stuff, but I am in love with their stoneware! I just recently started using the Large Bar Pan to cook bacon in the oven! It turns out evenly cooked and perfectly crisp- just the way we like it! It just cooks away while I make the rest of the breakfast- it doesn't require my attention. I believe their most useful product is the Mix & Chop! It makes browning ground beef so much easier!! It is a definite must-have for every kitchen!

They have a bunch of other great products, I am sure they have just what you need to make cooking chores easier!

I hope you will consider placing an order during my catalog show. Email me to get the web address to place an order.