Life with a Girl

Happy, happy, happy . . . not!

Here are some recent pictures of Arden! She's now almost 16 months old. I had to include that last one with the crying face because that one is so funny! She does that face several times per day! She's running, jumping, climbing, and starting to use quite a few words now. Unfortunately, she still calls Stuart "mama" most of the time, much to his dismay! ha ha

Happy Birthday to Me

On Saturday, I turn 39. Just one more year until the big "4-0." Actually, it doesn't really stress me out . . . yet. We'll see how I feel in 364 more days!

Stuart ran out and picked up a chocolate cake at Walmart tonight. Some friends from Cabot are in town visiting us this weekend, so we will eat cake with them on my birthday tommorrow night! What a fun present to visit with dear friends!

After 39 years, I must say that I really like feeling comfortable with who I am.

But I don't like the fact that I really need to exercise.

I like the fact that I don't stress about a bad hair day or a pimple anymore.

But I don't like the fact that I need eye cream.

I like the fact that the name I'm called the most is "mama."

But I don't like the fact that I can't sleep in . . . ever.

I like the fact that I've learned to embrace change and be open to moving where God leads us.

But I still don't like the packing and unpacking.

I like the fact that I am still in contact with friends that date back 30 years.

But I don't like the fact that my feet are now a half size bigger than they were in high school.

I like the fact that I have more patience than in my 20's.

But I don't like the fact that I still lose my cool with my kids from time to time.

I like the fact that I have taught for 16 years now and feel comfortable in my profession.

But I still dread grading that stack of essays when they come in!

I like the fact I'm comfortable with my body image and don't feel the need to change it for anyone.

But I don't like needing mammograms every year from now on out.

I like the fact that I think I'm improving in my faith in God and His sovereignty.

But, I still fail in my faith in so many small things each day.

I thank God for having 39 years; some people don't get this many. In 365 more days, I pray that I can say I loved better, lived more fully, had more faith, and died more to self than I had the year before.

Hudson is Cracking Me Up

This child is so hilarious! Besides taking self-portaits on my camera, he is really into learning to read and write these days. I really feel that he is ready for kindergarten (he is begging us to go, and it helped Owen get moved up on the waiting list by having another enrolled sibling at the school). So, even though he has a late summer birthday, my last little boy will be heading off to "real school" in August.

He now carries around a Spiderman notebook where he has been writing his little stories and lists. At first, the "writing" was the scribbly line that was supposed to be a word, and he would translate it for me. Now, he has actually progressed to trying to use actual alphabet letters to write words phonetically! That is very exciting for me to see, and I remember Owen learning to do this once he was already in kindergarten. Yesterday, Hudson wrote, "pupe," which was "puppy." He was close; he got the two "p" sounds and added an "e" at the end since that is how it sounds.

Today, he brought me his journal and wanted me to write some more words in it for him to read. He is doing really well with memorizing sight words. He has also been able to read rhyming word groups such as, "frog, bog, dog, etc." However, today he asked me to write, "avocado" and "mango."

Hmm. . . okay.

I don't know how many other kindergarteners are going to be discussing avocados and trying to spell that one! He was so serious about it, too. Too funny! A few months ago when we asked him his favorite color, he said, "chartreuse." Yep, I wasn't even sure exactly what color that was, so he explained in Spanish, it was like, "verde."

By second grade, he'll be way past my level!

Our Easter

It was a different sort of Easter celebration this year. Arden got sick on Good Friday, and I had a feeling that her smocked Easter dress would not get worn. By Saturday night, she was really bad and had croup (you know, the "seal cough") and fever. She had stopped eating and drinking for the most part and refused to sleep. Everytime we put her down, she was up screaming in 30 minutes. Stuart knew it was an ear infection. I was hoping we could survive it until Monday when we could take her to the pediatrician's office, but we couldn't. She ended up spitting up some blood in the middle of the night on Saturday, and then we immediately took her to the ER.

Luckily, Arden's croup was not so severe to need hospitalization, and the blood was from a broken blood vessel from such forceful coughing. However, Dr. Stuart was correct because Arden had not one, but two, badly infected ears . . . hence the fever, screaming, and refusing to lay flat. So, we left the ER at 2 a.m. with our antibiotic prescription.

Sunday was a horribly cold and rainy day here. After getting to bed after 2 a.m., I decided to volunteer to be the one to stay home with Arden. Stuart took the boys to a later church service than we normally attend, but at least they made it. I threw together the ingredients to make Stuart's favorite sweet potato casserole, and luckily I had already purchased a pre-cooked ham from my favorite Honey Baked Ham Company. I didn't have to really cook anything except the sweet potato casserole, and we added some frozen veggies, cranberry sauce, and some rolls. Overall, it was a delicious meal for very little work and the perfect solution after a very sleepless night. All the kids enjoyed their Easter baskets which they opened after church, and it was fun to see their excitement over the small things we had picked out. Hudson had to have a chocolate bunny (he LOVES anything chocolate), and Owen wanted jelly beans. They both got a Bakugan toy which they play together, and I had picked up some cute activity books with decoders at Target.

Arden is recovering now and finally sleeping normally, but Owen is staying home sick from school today with the stomach flu. He seems like he has recovered quickly and will probably be able to return tomorrow. He ate a normal lunch and hasn't had any more problems.

At least Arden's smocked dress didn't have bunnies or Easter baskets on it, so she can easily wear it again on any other Sunday. I'll take a picture of her in it next week and "pretend" it was Easter.

We did spend time remembering the real reason for Easter that doesn't involve baskets, dyed eggs (oops . . forgot to do those!), or bunnies. Christ has risen from the grave for our sins and has given us the gift of eternal life. He is the reason why we celebrate. We opened the empty egg from our Resurrection Egg set and talked with the boys about the empty tomb.

Even though we had illness, we had plenty to be thankful for: a warm house, good ham, a family, and a God who loved us enough to die for us.

Happy Easter!

"In Christ Alone" by Natalie Grant
(song will play automatically on the blog as first selection)

In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song;
this Cornerstone, this solid Ground,
firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
when fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my All in All,
here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone! who took on flesh
Fulness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones he came to save:
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied -
For every sin on Him was laid;
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain:
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave he rose again!
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am His and He is mine -
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath.
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.

Owen is a Gator!

I got the long-awaited phone call yesterday -- Owen has gotten into Central Park Elementary School here in Bentonville for third grade! He will begin in August, and Hudson will be starting kindergarten at the same campus. This semester, as I've previously posted, Owen has been at an overflow school in the district because there were no second grade spots when we moved at semester.

I'm excited to have the boys be able to attend together and to be in a school that is top-rated. It should also be a lot faster to drive them to school since I won't have to get on any major highways during morning rush hour like I have this semester.

We are so thankful that this has fallen into place, and I am looking forward to volunteering at the school next year and joining the PTO. I haven't done much with the school this semester because it always seemed temporary. Both boys are very excited to attend Central Park, and Owen is glad too. Even though he will have to leave his new friends and start at a new campus, he seems to understand how the school will be better overall. Plus, he will rejoin his current friends from the overflow school in fifth grade when both schools feed into the same middle school.

We're thrilled; thanks for all your prayers regarding the school situation!

Discouraged

The sun is shining, and we have a beautiful day here in Northwest Arkansas. It went from 42 degrees on Tuesday to mid-70's today. Despite the return of warmth, I feel a bit discouraged today.

We have a good family friend who has been diagnosed with colon cancer, and Stuart drove down to Little Rock to be with him during his surgery today. The doctors will be able to tell more about the staging and prognosis after the surgery. We are praying that they caught it early. He is Stuart's age, and it hits so close to home when a friend of your own age is diagnosed with a serious illness. It was also exactly this time last year when we battled fear about Stuart's health, as he was having a lot of symptoms. We feared that he might have colon or stomach cancer, and he did a colonoscopy and an endoscopy. Finally, he was diagnosed with severe GERD and put on medication which greatly eliminated his pain. Thankfully in our case, it wasn't anything life threatening.

We also heard this week that another very dear friend of ours lost his job. He had gone through a job loss just a year ago, and I'm sure it is devastating to have it happen again so soon. He and his wife have three children, and he is the main income, so it must be a very scary time for them. I have seen this couple go through many financial storms over the past five years, and I wonder why things can't be easier for them. It just doesn't seem fair, and it makes me so sad.

I'm doing the Beth Moore Bible study over Esther right now, and it is amazing. Just when I have had a hard day or a hard week, her video always seems to touch on something that strikes a cord with me. In last night's session she said, "I'm a huge proponent of praying against what we fear and for the desires of our hearts. I also believe we're free and safe to voice our worst nightmares to God. In times of crisis and demonic attack, however, our vulnerable souls need something more. The most critical breakthough of faith you and I could ever experience is to let God bring us to place where we trust Him -- period. We don't just trust Him to let us avoid what we fear most. We determine to trust Him no matter what, even if our worst nightmare befalls us. We have no greater victory and can render Satan no harsher blow." (p. 107-108).

In this midst of so many fears that are befalling my friends and myself, I pray that God will give us strength to TRUST in HIM -- regardless of our circumstances.