The inside scoop!

2006-09-12T20:19:00.000-04:00

You can find my most recent posts here.

2006-08-10T08:13:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday to Jocelyn!

2006-08-09T10:59:00.000-04:00

New Photos Here!

Family

2006-08-09T10:08:00.000-04:00

2006-08-07T13:00:00.000-04:00

Family

Above Rubies Retreat info

2006-07-20T16:17:00.000-04:00

I am considering going to this retreat. Is there anyone else interested?

You
Are Warmly Invited to
an
Above Rubies
Fall Ladies' Retreat

September 29 - October 1
2006

"WHAT IS IT?"

Above Rubies is the ministry of Nancy Campbell, under the covering of her husband, Colin Campbell. For over 30 years, Above Rubies' sole purpose has been, and continues to be, to encourage woman around the world in their roles as wives, mothers, and nurturers. *

(* Not all women are led to a life of marriage and motherhood, yet all women ARE created with a nurturing spirit. Nancy's messages are relevant to that same nurturing spirit in ALL of us.)

Nancy will be our main speaker for the weekend. She is editress of "Above Rubies" magazine, a quarterly publication designed to strengthen families. Also, she has written several study manuals such as "The Power of Motherhood", "The Family Meal Table", and "Gate-Keepers of the Home"---to name a few--geared to equip women as they endeavor to fulfill their God-given roles and ministry to those around them.

We will also be hearing from Carolyn Erman-Betts, author of the "A Time For Every Purpose" books---a series of novels on the topic of Godly betrothal. If you have not read these books, they are fantastic! While she is sharing with the moms on how to pray for our children, we hope to have one of her daughters sharing simultaneously with the single and teen gals on waiting on God's choice for a mate. This special one-hour session will most likely happen on Friday evening. You won't want to miss it. We are so blessed and excited to have this addition to our retreat.

Both Nancy and Carolyn will have their books available for purchase throughout the retreat.

Also, Candy Zacky and her eleven daughters will be joining us for the weekend. Candy will be sharing with us at some point on their adventures in adoption as they have adopted several children now and are actively involved in finding adoptive homes for Liberian orphans.

"WHO?"

ALL LADIES are welcome to attend this retreat...

Wives ~ Mothers ~ Grandmothers ~ Singles ~ Teen Daughters ~ and of course, nursing infants.**

(Wives, this is a great chance to be reminded who we are created to be as we serve our husbands. Mothers, come and rediscover how to embrace motherhood, not just survive it. Grandmoms, even though you may not have little ones in the house anymore, God still calls you to a ministry of mentoring! Young wives / moms and wives / moms-to-be need you! Single gals and Teen gals, God has a wonderful future for you, whether it involves marriage and a family or not. Come learn how you can prepare your heart for just the ministry He has for you!)

All who come will be
Blessed ~ encouraged ~ challenged ~ fortified ~ strengthened ~ u plifted ~ and inspired
- Show quoted text -
in their high calling of being a wife, mother, and
nurturer...woman created by God.

**NOTE: There will be no program or child-care for young children (toddlers / preschoolers and younger school-age children), but if you are of the opinion that they will do well to sit in the sessions with you, please feel free to bring them along.

"WHEN?"
Friday, September 29 (7pm) - Sunday, October 1 (2pm)
(registration between 5 and 6/6:30 pm; first session will begin at 7pm)

"WHERE?"
We will be guests at the Brooktondale Nazarene Camp & Retreat Center
120 White Church Rd.
Brooktondale, NY 14817
for our retreat, which is located approximately 7 miles from downtown Ithaca, off of route 79...

( >grin< Just a friendly word on our accomodations:
Remember when you were a kid and went to camp? Well, this might be a bit reminiscent of those days. The rooms that will be available to us will range from motel rooms to rather rustic cabins---some with water, some without; some with heat and AC, some without. >grin< )
*****************************************************************************************************************************************************
If you have special needs in terms of housing (young infants, handicap access, etc.), please indicate as such in the provided place on the registration form. Coolers in room for personal snacks and such are okay. A space in the walk-in refrigerator will also be available for those with special dietery needs, medications, etc. Upon receiving your registration, we will then provide you with an appropriate list of what to bring as well as Driving Directions to the camp.
*****************************************************************************************************************************************************

Our accommodations are as follows:

- 7 motel rooms (which we ARE going to try to reserve for moms with young,
nursing infants) with double bed, private bath, heat / AC
- 4 "dormitory" style rooms with four bunk beds, heat/AC, no running water(bath house nearby)
(***One of these rooms is Handicap accessible)
- 6 rooms with 1 double bed and 1 single bed, toilet and sink, no heat/AC (bath house nearby) (***One of these rooms is handicap accessible)
- 8 rooms with 1 single bed and 1 bunk bed, sink only, no heat/AC (bath house nearby)
- RV sites also available

"HOW MUCH?"
Registration Fee + Camp Cost
*Registration Fee: ................................. Adults (18+)....$30
Youth (ages 5-17)....$15
Children (ages 0-4)....FREE
*Camp Cost (cost shown includes meals and lodging for weekend, except off-site hotels):
Option 1: Stay AT the camp:.................Adults: (ages18+)....$45 per person
Youth (ages 5-17)....$30 per person
Children 0-4....FREE

Option 2: Day-Rater / staying off-site....$22.25 per person (plus registration fee)
Option 3: Day-rater / staying at local hotel....$22.25 per person + registration fee + hotel cost
Option 4: RV users, staying at camp... (Price TBD) Please e-mail or call if you need this information. Registration fee still applies.

A Note to Day-Raters: Please try and make plans to attend ALL the sessions (Friday - Sunday) as well as the meals, as
a) Nancy will be teaching a series and b) you are being charged based on meals being served. It is also these times that you will benefit greatly from the fellowship.

The Result

2006-07-13T17:39:00.000-04:00

Here's a pic of the hair result!

We tried to get the side photo too, but the batteries were dying...so this is what you get!

Psalm 71

2006-07-12T13:45:00.000-04:00

"But I will hope continually,
and will praise You yet more and more.
My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And salvation all the day,
For I do not know their limits.
I will go in the strength of the Lord God;
I will make mention of Your
righteousness, of Yours only."

This is the verse that I have been meditating on recently. I have it framed and sitting on the window sill above my sink. Just thought that I would share it with all of you.

2006-07-10T13:35:00.000-04:00

So, I have an appointment to get my hair cut. The trouble is that I just can't decide on what I want to do with it. It needs to be shorter than it is and I'd like something cute- any ideas? (it just can't be a "boy haircut" as per Ryan's request!)

Garage Sale

2006-07-05T08:31:00.000-04:00

Garage Sale

Friday and Saturday

July7-8

9am-5pm

my house

tools, electronics, computers, baby items, household items, tires, jet ski, auto parts, and much much more!

A Night on The Town

2006-07-01T07:37:00.000-04:00

It was around 10:30 am when he called. "You don't have to make dinner" he said. He then told me to have kids ready for a sitter and to have myself ready to go by 6:30. "Where are we going, what are we doing!?" I badgered him. He would not relent. It was a surprise and I was going to be surprised. I love surprises. Almost more than loving surprises, I love to think about them and guess all of the things that the surprise may be.

Around 5pm, Katelyn came home from work (Ryan's sister-she lives with us now). She had a flower from Rick Gilchrist (who she is courting) with a note that instructed her to be ready to go at 6:30. He would pick her up at my house. Kate and I quickly called Liz (Ryan's brother, Kevin's, wife). What do you know, Kevin had also taking her somewhere for a surprise. She was to be ready at 6:25! We quickly talked over what we would wear- you know, just in case we were going to the same place! ;-)

Our wonderful men gave us such a spectacular evening. We enjoyed a scruptious meal at Maxfields on the deck. There was much lively conversation. We enjoyed desert at scoops and a very cute movie, Cars.

When we got home, I was feeling so blessed. Not everyone would enjoy an evening out with in-laws so much. Not just anyone gets a chance to sit for hours laughing and talking and just being young. Not every young mommy has a husband who makes sure that she gets the needed break every once in a while. And CERTIANLY not everyone has a husband as wonderful as mine!

a little bit of this, a little bit of that

2006-06-22T12:26:00.000-04:00

I had Aidan at the doctor's this week. He seems to be rather tall and thin for his age. My response was "maybe genetics are playing a role in this growth pattern!"
My porch railing is slowly becoming white! You should stop by and see it. I think that it looks very nice! (be sure to come inside to see what's been done in here too!)
I'm still sad about Playtex no longer making the original Baby Magic baby bath and lotion. Has anyone smelled the new stuff? It smells like big people body wash. I'm not sure what I'm going to use now! :-(
Ryan is going to start work on the laundry room today. Isn't that grand! I will be without a laundry room for a while, but it will be so very nice to have it finished!
Jocelyn has her hair up in a pony tail today. It's kind of like Pebble's hair!

baby bucks

2006-06-22T10:49:00.000-04:00

Because Lisa very generously gave me her baby bucks, I now have about $30 extra. They have to be redeemed by Saturday. Does anyone need some extra to make the $100 mark? Just let me know!

Remembering

2006-06-16T07:22:00.000-04:00

As I sit heree this morning, I am remembering some fun times in Pittsburgh:

Watching my children get to know my parents. I loved hearing Jocelyn talk about "pap-a-pap"
Taking Ryan to many fun cook forest spots. I have so many childhood memories linked with those same spots. It's fun to get to share them with my husband!
Seeing both sets of my grandparents and my children's grandparents!
Getting to see where Grandpa and Grandma paladin are now living. I love to be able to picture them in their house.
Getting to visit with lots and lots of friends. One of those dear friends will be married tomorrow. I am sad that I will not be there.
Going to a fun picnic at Larry and Emily's. There seemed to be so many children that we wondered if the little ones outnumbered us big ones!
Enjoying birthdays! (Mom, Grandpa Paladin, Alexis Paladin!)
Going to the zoo with my kids
Shopping!
Visiting Word and Worship
Being with family

A Sad Day

2006-05-17T15:49:00.000-04:00

The square on my calendar that represents tomorrow has one very sad note on it. It says "girls move out." Wasn't it just a few weeks ago that they moved in, or has it truly been a year and a half?

No longer will I hear Nicole's bleary eyed "hey" as she flies down the steps and out of the door in the morning (I'm still not convinced that she is awake when she leaves!) I won't come down the steps to find that Renee emptied my dishwasher without being asked. She did it just because she loves to serve. I won't laugh until my stomach hurts at Nicole's humorous remarks about life. I won't giggle with Renee about funny things that happened while growing up on her parents farm. I will miss the daily tales of life at Potsdam State from both girls. I will miss sharing daily life with them.

We look forward to Nicole's promised visits from Watertown and Renee's from Norwood. We look forward to getting together in years to come to hear about the wonderful things that the Lord is doing in and through them. We rejoice with them in the completion of this chapter in their lives and the beginning of the next, but we will miss them.

More Photos!

2006-05-12T12:01:00.000-04:00

Spring Photos

2006-05-11T14:45:00.000-04:00

Jocelyn likes to "help" Daddy

Toddler Talk

2006-05-04T15:55:00.000-04:00

This is a real conversation that took place between Jocelyn and I:

Abby: Jocelyn baby, time for dinner!

Jocelyn: hot dogs?

Abby: No, sweet girl, I made chile

Jocelyn: brrrrrrrr

Aren't kids funny?

Cousins!

2006-04-25T14:19:00.000-04:00

It has been such fun to spend time with my niece and nephew over the past few days! I do love having family close!

I have realized that having cousins over has caused Jocelyn to get a bit confused. She has been calling me "Abby"... I think that we will have to work on that!

Toilet Training

2006-04-21T08:45:00.000-04:00

I am starting to consider potty training Jocelyn. I think that she is getting to the point that she is ready, but I was wondering what other moms look for as signs of being ready? Also, does anyone have any tips? I would love to hear your wisdom!

Happy Birthday!

2006-04-19T10:25:00.000-04:00

It was 26 years ago today that he took his first breath. I didn't enter his life for 18 long years. During his 18th year, I met a wonderful man fun of life, vigor and love for the Lord.

His every action shows a determined striving for excellence. He refuses to settle for second best. His days are filled with serving others both professionally and personally. He has helped me understand Christ's love for the church by his love. He continually lays down his own desires to see the best for his family.

He is creative. I often watch him sit down to consider a problem. Following this contemplation is a flurry of activity resulting in a solution that no one else thought of. This is part of the reason that so many people call upon him to help solve computer problems.

He is quite funny. (but he doesn't think that he is funnier than other people think he is!) He can make me laugh even when I just want to be sad and grumpy!

Today he deserves quite a celebration! I love you Ryan!

2006-04-18T21:26:00.000-04:00

So, today I found my pot lid AND got a nap! It was a good day. ;-)

Finish the Sentences

2006-04-17T16:21:00.000-04:00

Since it is her birthday, I think that I will follow her lead.

Finish the sentences:

I am: A very tired little Mommy.
Maybe I should: Eat chocolate.
I love: Taking a warm morning shower.
I don't understand: running for fun.
I lost my: largest pot lid. (seriously, I don't know where it is!)
People say I'm: funny. (but not as often as I say I am)
Love is: an action.
Somewhere, someone is: taking a nap.
I will always: love children.
Forever is: an hour at night with a teething baby.
I never want to: have a child in the hospital.
I think the current President is: pretty good.
When I wake up in the morning, I: try to pry my eyes open.
Life is full of: laughter.
My past is incredibly: normal
I get annoyed when: I don't understand what someone is saying.
I wish: I could take a long bath every night.
My dog/cat is: not existent.
Kisses are the worst when: mixed with baby snot.
Nice: living in Potsdam.
Tomorrow I'm going to: take a walk and eat healthy food! (got to bounce back from Easter!)
I really want some: sleep.
I have low tolerance for people who are: self absorbed.
If I had a million dollars: I would pay off all of our debt and ivest the rest!

Randomness

2006-04-07T15:47:00.000-04:00

My Aidan got his first tooth this week. Now it's time for him to learn what "no biting" means!
I really need to purchase a belt. Every time that I look at them, I get frustrated by how much can be charged for "accessories", so I still haven't bought one. As a consequence, I have been wearing a spare belt of Ryan's for too long. If you take a close look, you will notice that it is much too wide to be a woman's belt.
One benefit to having a thin husband is that I can borrow his belt. One drawback is that I'm continually getting our jeans confused when I fold laundry. (but don't worry- we always know when we have the other person's on! haha)
We own over 10 sippy cups in this household. The sad part is that they HAVE all been dirty/lost at one time!
I've decided that store brand sour cream is not for us!
I need more dryer lint. You see, I make fire starters out of egg cartons, dryer lint and wax (candles/crayons). Is anyone interested in collecting their dryer lint for me?
Does anyone know of a cheap source for wax?
We can go through a bottle of baby wash in less than two months.
When I smell the moist soil smell of spring I almost always think of playing in my parents back yard while I was growing up.
Ryan can hear the TV when it's left on even if there isn't anything coming through it because the cable box is off. I apparently can not hear it.
I hate it when I come down the steps to a messy kitchen in the morning. Somehow it makes me feel like I am behind before the day got started!

2006-04-04T16:31:00.000-04:00

My little man was off to visit the Doctor yesterday. He is 27 in., 16lb! Can you believe it? Next to his big sisters 32 in., 22lbs this seems really big. As I looked at the growth chart and saw that Aidan falls squarely in the 90% for height and the 50% for weight I thought of one thing: I think that he just might take after his Dad!

They're my favorite kids!

2006-03-31T11:50:00.000-05:00

Florida Photos

2006-03-31T11:43:00.000-05:00

Morning Meditation

2006-03-30T06:40:00.000-05:00

This morning my Ryan pulled out of the driveway to leave for work before the clock struck six. As I was standing at my kitchen window to watch him drive away, I must confess that some nasty thoughts were filling my head: "what kind of deal is this? He gets to go out into the world... He gets to talk to big people all day... He gets to see wonderful things accomplished and what do I get? I get to stay home with a teething toddler and a teething baby... I get to clean up the same messes that I did yesterday... I get to face my daunting laundry pile... I get to have conversations based on a limited vocabulary of "baby", "night night", "eat", "outside" etc..." As I was allowing these complaints to roll around in my head, suddenly a thought popped in. The seed for this thought was planted by her over a year ago when she spoke to a group of young mothers that I was in. She encouraged us to take heart because there will be time for great adventure later in our lives. So, with that in mind I am compiling a list of just a few things that there WON'T be time for later in my life.

Enjoying the warm spring weather of today
Spending time today with my Lord
Praying for the projects that my husband must accomplish today
Playing "tag" with Jocelyn in our back yard
Watching Jocelyn explore the same back yard
Enjoying the warmth coming from my wood stove
Snuggling with my sweet boy as we enjoy many nursing times throughout the day
Having the satisfaction of watching my laundry pile shrink during the day
Enjoying the feeling of chubby little arms wrapped around my neck and a wet kiss being planted on my cheek
Taking in a warm baby smile intended just for me

So, maybe "the deal" isn't so bad after all. In fact, I think that my lot in life just might be a pleasant one!

Like the birds

2006-03-14T17:25:00.001-05:00

So, after much talk we are about to do like the birds and head south. (only thing is that the birds are coming BACK now!) We are scurrying to be ready to leave for Florida on Friday. I am fondly remembering the days when I was the kid in this situation. I was responsible only to get my clothing out. mom then checked it and packed it. Mom also did all of the extra packing- toiletries, blankets, pacifiers, dolls, toys, books, baby tylenol, diapers, food... Isn't it strange that we don't appreciate what people do for us until after they do it?

Anyway, you may not hear from us for a bit since we are up to our ears in things to do.

Like the birds

2006-03-14T17:25:00.000-05:00

What a Birthday!

2006-03-09T10:13:00.000-05:00

So, yesterday marked my 23 birthday! It was a fabulous day of celebrating with my dear family and relaxing. I enjoyed every minute! It is a bit hard to believe that I'm already 23. As Mom said, this seems like a big birthday. You know, 23 is fully into the "adult" years. 21 and 22 were the "just adult" years and now 23 seems more settled into being an adult. (the two kids could have something to do with it as well!) So, I am looking forward to my 24th year being even better than my 23!

The Sweetest sound

2006-03-07T12:47:00.000-05:00

Today as I sat down to lunch, I looked over at my toddler daughter. She had her hand reaching out towards mine ready to "pay" as she calls it. As I took her hand, she bowed her head. Without my prompting, she said in a sweet baby voice, that I wish to remember forever, "Jesus, thank you" (say it sees-us ankoo) My eyes were filled with tears and I could barely get out the "amen" that she was waiting for.

Hello to the blogosphere!

2006-03-03T20:25:00.000-05:00

Hello. I'm back to the blog world. I just took a brief vacation from computer time. Let's see... During my time away, we replaced this:

With this:

We are excited about this new vehicle. Not only does it have lower miles than our van, but it can also toe Ryan's trailer! Yippie!

Our little one have been quite busy. Jocelyn is saying more and more english words. Aidan did his first roll from his front to his back. In general, we've been busy!

Weekend Highlights

2006-02-06T12:29:00.000-05:00

This weekend I enjoyed:

Going to upward basketball. What a blessing it is to be with both church family and also those who I hope will one day become church family! I enjoyed the enthusiasm and energy of all of the kids playing. It is an exciting place to be!
Spending a wonderful afternoon visiting in a cute yellow house in Madrid. It's such fun to get to see my Mom. She is a blessing!
Dedicating Aidan on Sunday. We are believing in the Lord's faithfulness. I know that He will make up our lack and that Aidan will indeed be strong in the truth as his name declairs!
Cheering the Steelers on to victory in the super bowl. I'm mostly excited because I know how much my family wanted them to win! Yippie!

The Hunting Rig

2006-01-30T14:12:00.000-05:00

Ryan was browsing on ebay a few days ago when he found this vehicle. We both laughed so hard that we simply HAD to share it with all of you. It's beyond the ultimate hick mobile!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1,1&item=4607810140&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT

Our van

2006-01-25T11:29:00.000-05:00

now for the latest chapter in the lives of Ryan and Abby....

There was an accident last night. Everyone involved in the accident was fine, thank God! Our van, however, was not. Now it's on to the waiting game. Waiting for the insurance company to decide if it's totaled, then waiting to have it fixed or waiting to find a new van... does the excitement ever end?

Baby Jackson!

2006-01-16T12:11:00.000-05:00

Jackson Edward is here! Congratulations to his proud Mommy and Daddy. I think that Brietta should get a standing ovation for that labor! For some photos of the little guy, go here www.xanga.com/abigaildaniels. I couldn't get this site to work last night, so the photos are there. You can see more on www.louissa.com.

2006-01-09T15:45:00.000-05:00

Tidbits

2006-01-09T15:37:00.000-05:00

I am so very thankful that the Lord created days. I love that there is a new start every 24 hours. There is a chance to make a fresh start every day!
Aidan is cooing now. You should see him. His face lights up and he coos back when talked to. It's SOOO darling!
I've decided that I love wood heat. It's so much warmer for so much less money! The part that I don't like is carrying wood, maintaining a fire and cleaning the extra dust and dirt created!
Renee's candy stash is NOT a good thing for me to have around. I've had more sugar in the last 24 hours than I've had since... well, I guess it was Christmas day!
I love having sisters in law down the road who will watch my children while I run into town. Going to the bank was almost fun today. I didn't even mind having a long wait!

2006-01-05T13:09:00.000-05:00

Life moves on. I can't believe that we are already in 2006! It seems like just a few years ago that we were moving into 2003. I was finishing nursing school. Life seemed to be moving along rather slowly. Ryan and I had just started courting. You know, a lot has changed since then! God has been good.

We had a wonderful Christmas. We got to see both sides of our family during Christmas week. It is always nice to be with family. We are now excited about starting a new year! Who knows what this year will bring for our family!?

Merry Christmas!

2005-12-23T11:26:00.000-05:00

Slideshow!

2005-12-12T13:26:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year again. It's time to start work on the CFC slideshow! We are in the process of gathering photos from 2005. If you have ANY photos from any CFC event/gathering/etc. from 2005, please let us know. We would love to have you email them or burn them to a cd. We're looking forward to a great slideshow!

Toddlers and Toilets

2005-12-09T16:33:00.000-05:00

This morning I was blissfully humming a worship chorus to myself in the shower. About the second time that I was repeating the chorus, it occurred to me that Jocelyn hadn't opened the curtain to say "hi hi hi hi" recently. "She's probably playing with my clothes" I innocently thought. Boy, was I wrong. As I opened the curtain, I saw a soaking wet toddler with a big smile on her face and a toiled brush in her hand. As I moaned, I was tempted to close the curtain and pretend that I didn't see what I just saw, but no such luxury could be allowed. The cleanup involved a full sized bath towel (somehow she had gotten ALL of the water out of the toilet! I have no idea how she did that with just the toiled brush!) and completely changing Jocelyn. (shoes and diaper included)

The moral of the story... toddlers and toilets don't mix too well!

2005-12-07T14:27:00.000-05:00

The job cards are out! Aidan is six weeks old now. I am now going to try to get some organization into this home. I don't even try for the first six weeks. During that time, I enjoy my baby and let my body heal. Now that we are at the six week mark, it is time to slowly try to regain some "normal" kind of life!

2005-12-07T09:51:00.000-05:00

2005-12-07T09:48:00.000-05:00

2005-12-06T13:30:00.000-05:00

It once was lost...

2005-11-30T14:22:00.000-05:00

The clock read 9:42 am. I was on my hands and knees. One eye was shut as I considered whether I dared make the next move. Yes, I was going to. I lowered my head so that I could see under my bed. I was making a quick survey of the area when suddenly both eyes popped open and I exclaimed "Jocelyn!!! Jocelyn come see what Momma found!" I then lowered myself flat on the floor and stretched and wiggled and feared that my head was stuck and tried to make my arm longer than it was and FINALLY I emererged with... the lost sippy cup! This sippy cup had been slated as "permanently lost- probably thrown into the trash by little hands and missed by the big ones that take trash out." I had despaired of finding this sippy cup, yet today we have it back. There is much excitement in this home for now the sippy cup is restored to its' rightful place in a pair of chubby little hands!

Thanksgiving Continues

2005-11-28T20:13:00.000-05:00

I am so very thankful to the Lord for so many things. Just a few of them are:

His saving grace!
My wonderful husband
my sweet babies
my home
family
the scent of baby magic!
the person who created the baby bjorn front carrier
a 60* day in December (we took a walk today!)
Christmas decorations and music!
dishwashers ;-)
our wood stove
the siding on our home being completed (horray!!!)
computers and telephones
my warm bed
leftover pumpkin bars... I think I'll go get some!

Exciting Day

2005-11-15T21:35:00.000-05:00

Now, tell me if this DOESN'T make you laugh... As I sit here thinking about my day, there are two moments that stand out in my mind as very exciting:

#1 When Aidan weighed in at 8 lb 8 oz. This is a big gain for three weeks. (He started out a 7 lbs!)

#2 When I walked into the Potsdam P&C and saw the new carts. I was so excited to see that now ALL of the carts will have working belts AND that they will actually go the direction that I push them!!!

Is my life exciting or what?

TWO!

2005-11-11T11:22:00.000-05:00

This week:

Aidan is two weeks old... we celebrated two years of marriage... two more weeks until I am allowed to lift Jocelyn... two hours of sleep in a row.. ;-)

Life has been full.

Mom is at the store with Jocelyn right now. It has been such a blessing to me to have her here. She has done the cleaning, cooking, lifting and many other things that I'm not up to yet. When her trip was scheduled, we didn't know that I would have a C-Section and need extra help. we sure are glad that the Lord provided two weeks for her to be here!!! I will miss her. My eyes cloud with tears as I think of her departure on Sunday.

Jocelyn's word of the week is "uh oh" She says it MANY times a day. It is so funny how she will sometimes say it over and over and over even though nothing has fallen on the floor. Sometimes I wish that I could just get inside her head and find out what she is thinking.

2005-11-07T02:10:00.000-05:00

The last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind of activity. Wedding....new baby....no vehicles, but God has been faithful. Our little son was born...I have a little son! That is so hard to believe sometimes. One day you are the child and the next you are raising your own....hmm time goes by so very quickly. Oh well, small bunny trail, well anyway, we are blessed to have so many wonderful people around us supporting us and watching over us. Little Aidan was born a week ago. He is my little man...

Some days I look back on what has corrisponded in the day and wonder....did I make all the right decisions today? What would I do differently. So hard in the moment, but so very easy when it's in the past. I guess hopfully we can learn from our past.

I am a blessed husband and father, family is truly wonderful.

2005-10-31T19:46:00.000-05:00

Who could say that life as a Mom could be so fulfilling? Today as I held my infant son in my arms and watched my sweet toddler make quacking sounds with her zoo, (all of the animals quack!) I was filled with thankfulness to the Lord for letting me be their mom.

Yes, there are moments when I am keenly aware of my lack, but He is a wonderful supplier. I find that when I am most desperate for someone to help, He is there. I find that when I most lack wisdom, He is there. I find that when I am feeling most alone, He is there.

Being a Mom has taught me much about relying upon the Lord. There is just no physical way for me to complete all of the tasks of Motherhood. I aspire to fill this position well, but I know that I can't. He teaches me so much about dependence on Him and about His grace to me through Motherhood!