my, how fast 2 years can go by...

Last week I was doing the seemingly endless task of sorting through pictures.   Very overwhelming.  I don't know which ones have already been printed (with a few exceptions) so that made the job even more difficult.  As I searched through the pictures, I remembered something. Life is short, and while you're living the day to day- you just don't realize that your kids are growing up.  Here is an example, I still call Jeremiah a "little baby" does this look like a little baby to you?

I didn't think so.

This is what a little baby looks like, it's amazing what 2 years can do to a person!

Christian starts kindergarten in the Fall...I still see him as a toddler.  I think I am way off. 

Present day Christian

(well, actually this picture was taken last fall- but still. he is big)  

There was a time in the distant past (to me) forever ago (to him) in which Isaac LOVED Elmo.  He's way too grown up for that now.

He is much more into sports now.

And while she still likes Barbies, she enjoys reading, being outdoors, and creating things much more.

She likes climbing trees, even ones that aren't meant to be climbed.

Well, some things don't change.  He still loves lego's.  But he's so involved with other things; school work, baseball, piano, running, that he doesn't have much time!

A lot changes in two years...he still has a young looking face, but he has grown so much! 

I love my kids. 

I need to start scrap booking...I have a lot of catching up to do :)









Blessings

Being a mother of 5 kids is great.  Most days it is very difficult- I will not lie.  But it is still great.  I love my children, they are a tremendous blessing to me.  Being a wife is also great.  Josh and I don't always agree on everything, and life isn't always peachy- but even when it's not- it's still great.  He is and always will be my best friend. 

I'm feeling thankful today.  I don't know why today is special.  I should count my blessings and rejoice in them every day.  But some days I can't/won't/refuse to do that.  Some days I sulk, complain, speak bitterly to people.  Maybe I'm feeling this way because Christian and I just completed a 100 piece puzzle and ALL OF THE PIECES WERE THERE! Now that is something to be thankful for in this house.  We have a puzzle bandit, and his name is Jeremiah.  He likes to dump the puzzle boxes, and attempt to put them together.  Usually he manages to get a few pieces together, then runs off with some pieces in his hand, and forgets about his project- pieces strewn around the floor.  

I am thankful that Christian is sitting next to me coloring a dinosaur picture.  He is safe, he is enjoying himself, and he just asked me if we can swim to Florida.  After giving it a moment of thought though, he just told me "never mind, there might be a giant squid, and I don't like giant squids so we better not try."  4 year olds are great. 

I am thankful that my husband is a man of his word, he is diligent, intelligent, and completes the things he sets out to do.  He is considering starting his own business.  Though risky (and scary for me...I like things to be 'just so'  Steady job, steady work schedule, steady benefits...you know.  But I know he will not jump into anything until he weighs all of the risks.  He treats me well, he loves me, and I am thankful for that.

I am thankful for Elijah.  He isn't afraid to show me he loves me, even though he is going to be 13 in 4 months.  I don't embarrass him (too much)  When I show up at school, he doesn't try to hide from me, or treat me disrespectfully to show off.  He is a good kid. 

I am thankful for Abigail.  She is so helpful with Jeremiah.  She gives him baths, she reads him stories, feeds him when he can't do it himself.   She keeps him away from the stove when I am cooking.  He likes to grab things that he shouldn't grab- so I need her help a lot. 

I am thankful for Isaac.  He is at a wild age- 6 year olds have a lot of energy!  He is a sweetheart, and enjoys learning.  He helped me weed the strawberries the other day, just because he wanted to.  He likes gardening, so I can't wait until we can plant some things together.

I am thankful for Jeremiah.  In the sweetest voice he says "I love you mommy"  It melts my heart.  His favorite book is I am Bunny.  He calls it "Bunny Nicholas"  He loves to read it, and would have me read it 20 times in a row- I think the most I've done is 5 or 6

I am thankful for my mom.  It has been a big time learning experience to have her living with us.  I have learned a lot of lessons.

I am thankful for many things.  My list could go on and this post could get very lengthy, so I'll stop with the people who live in this house.  The Lord has given me so many blessings, too many to count even if I tried.  I am working on remembering to count my blessings more often and not focus on the negative things, because that is life draining. 

Let's hope he doesn't end up on a riverboat

I have lofty goals for my children.  I should.  They're smart, they're hard workers, and this is America.  They can do just about anything (within normal reason) that they want to when they grow up.  Engineer, Teacher, Pastor, Doctor, Lawyer, Nurse, Physicist, the sky is the limit. 

I just hope Christian doesn't discover Casino's and Riverboats.  My little man has been playing cards with grandma pretty much non stop for days!  It has become his passion.  This is good and bad. 

Good:  He is learning a lot about numbers
Bad:  He is learning that if he bets grandma a penny, and she loses, he earns a penny, plus gets to keep the one he already had.

Good:  He gets to spend time with grandma
Bad:  They argue because she is, in many ways, mentally about a 4 or 5 year old.

Good: He's learning fine motor skills
Bad:  He is learning how to shuffle and deal like a pro

Good:  It gets grandma out of bed
Bad:  Well, there's nothing bad about that, so I guess I won't worry to much about his card playing habit. 

Christian likes money (what kid doesn't)  But he REALLY likes money. (not in a bad way though- he has such a sweet nature and is not greedy at all)  He's always devising ways to get some, so hopefully he'll use that money loving skill to become a business owner- instead of a professional gambler!  Being a business owner is a gamble- right?  So maybe that is what he'll become. 

on food

Elijah was an early talker.  Like 14 months old and talking full sentences talker. 

I don't care for fast food (where are you going with this?  I have a point- promise)  So, before Elijah was 14 months old, I don't think he had ever eaten fast food- not one chicken nugget, not one sack of french fries- not one cheeseburger.  But one day we were out and about and I decided it would be fun and convenient to take him out to good 'ol McDonalds.  Mistake.

He ate up those nuggets and devoured those fries like he was eating liquid gold.  Why?  Who knows.   He wasn't a bad eater- but this was foreign food to him, and I was surprised by how engaged he was.  Most of the time we ate pretty healthy.  I thought his taste buds were more like mine. (I can't stomach a chicken nugget) 

After this incident, every time we drove by a McDonalds he would readily point it out- say- in his 14 month old voice- "Mommy, there's McDonalds- can we go get some french fries and chicken nuggets?"  I dismissed it and drove on.  He soon forgot about his desires and we went on with our day.

Fast foward to present day.  I have a Jeremiah.  He doesn't eat at McDonalds often.  I think he's eaten there a handful of times.  HOWEVER and to my great dismay, every time we pass a McDonalds he cries out "Mama- McDonald....over there, Mommy! Mommy!  (frantic now)  FRENCH FRIES! FRENCH FRIES MOOOOOMMMMMMMMYYYYYY!!!!!   I respond, no not today honey.  This happens every day, at least 2 times per day.  Sometimes 4, depending on which way I take the kids to school and if he notices.  Which he usually does. 

So why?  I think they put drugs in their food.  But that's not why I'm writing this blog.  God knows what is in our food (well- He does know, but that's not why I'm writing this post either)

In just a few exposures, my kids have become addicted to McDonalds.  When they see it and don't get it- they lose their minds!  It's worse than crack!  Okay, maybe not worse, but comparable.  McDonalds is raking in the $$.  And I've digressed.  This is not meant to put down McDonalds, they are just doing the American thing and reaping the benefits of their Capitalism. 

But I am talking about FOOD.  We need it to live, we like to eat it, sometimes we eat too much of it, sometimes not enough.  What is the perfect food?  The perfect diet?  It is the same for all?  Remember the old saying
"You are what you eat"

This food topic has sprung in my brain for many reasons
A.)  I have MS, and there is evidence that diet is directly related to symptoms
B.)  I have 5 kids- and want them to be healthy
C.) I wasted my time watched a documentary about food last night.

In this documentary it was stated OVER AND OVER AND OVER that eating animal based protein causes cancer, as well as heart disease.  This means, you must adopt a vegan diet, otherwise you are doomed.

I was confused.  Have we not been eating meat and other animal protein for ages?  Have we not evolved to do just that? I agree that our consumption has gone up dramatically, and the average person eats way more than they should.  But wouldn't it be a more logical conclusion that the reason people are overweight, getting cancer, diabetes and heart disease because they eat at McDonalds and other fast food restaurant's too much- not too mention all of the processed foods and refined sugars that are in our diets. Or could people be getting cancer more often because of all of the nuclear testing the military conducted in years past...who knows?  Let's not make one thing the straw man that we can tear down just to build our own cause up.  There are many factors to consider. 

So anyway- I've got no true stance.  All is good in moderation.  I don't like fast food, but that is my preference.  I will continue to eat meat, maybe a little less.  I will continue to incorporate more fruits & veggies into my diet. 

But...
here's your part.  I am sincerely requesting good recipes for healthy foods that the whole family can enjoy.  (remember 5 kids...ages 2-12) Josh and I will eat anything, but have to keep the kids in mind.  I'd like dishes that encompass all/most of the food groups, aren't too time consuming to make, and taste good.  We'd really like some recipes for some veggie burgers, or other veggie entrees.  I'm not buying frozen veggie burgers, becasue they're probably not very good for you...

So, if you'd like please submit your recipes or links to help me out.  Thanks :)

Wow

I am wiped out.
I didn't really do much today, but I feel like I've been run over by a truck!  Life is busy.  I keep hearing from friends it's just going to get busier as the kids get older...I can't imagine.

Got up at 6:30 (not too bad- I actually slept in)
Made breakfast for kids (didn't have a chance to pre-make anything last night, so it was leftover hard boiled eggs from Easter and peanut butter toast...at least they had plenty of protein)
Started laundry
Got kids ready for school, yelled at a few people because they weren't moving fast enough and didn't have their stuff ready to go (bad mom- repent- I'm working on it!)
Cleaned up bathrooms
Loaded/Started dishwasher (what did I do w/out it all those years?)
Dropped some kids off at school
Went to Y, did some weights and ran 5k
Brought Christian to school for his "official" Kindergarten testing
Waited 1 hour for test to be completed while listening to K-4 principal talk about Kingsway's mission statement, rules, etc...meanwhile trying to entertain a 2 year old. 
Went to Walmart and bought a few groceries
Made little boys lunch, put groceries away
Folded laundry
Put Laundry away
Started dinner
Picked up kids
Helped kids w/homework
Quickly finished the dinner I started earlier
Ate
Sent Elijah off to his Baseball game w/Josh (thankfully Josh is home every night now!  Don't know what I'd do if he were still travelling through the week!)
Cleaned up dinner
Swept floor
Made lunches for tomorrow
Made breakfast for tomorrow (bonus)
Played outside with kids
Gave baths, brushed people's teeth
Colored and drew pictures
Read stories
Had stories read to me (so nice)

I guess I should be tired.  Now Josh is making me watch "BEAR GRYLLS"  (thanks Netflix)  it's a show about a British guy who can survive in the wild...I should be in bed instead.  This is ridiculous, but at least it's mostly harmless.  Except for the fact that he eats bird droppings and fish eyes.  Gross.

Kids doing homework.  They really learn a lot in school!  They never have a ton of homework- I think the teachers assign just enough to keep parents involved. 

Elijah looking good in his baseball uniform.  He's doing a great job, I'm very proud of him.

Easter

After church this morning the kids opened their Easter bags.  I didn't do baskets this year.  I find that they usually get demolished within the year (although I always intend to save them) and I end up spending too much money at the dollar store on new baskets...so this year I opted for decorated brown paper sacks.  It worked well.

We hid some eggs in the back yard so the kids could have an Easter egg hunt.  It was fun.  They each got a 7 eggs, plus a 'special' egg (with $$ in it)  Not extravagant, but enough to be fun!  They enjoyed running around and searching for eggs.  Obviously Easter isn't about eggs and bunnies, but it is fun to do things like this.  My kids know what Easter is really about-

Easter is about Love, and the fact that Jesus loved us so much that he laid His life down for us. 

What does that mean?

Good question.

It's an odd concept to one who does not believe, and quite frankly, a mystery.  I could go into great detail about what I think it means, but I won't.  I'll spare you the cobwebbed corners of my mind. 

Today also marked a year that Josh's dad has been gone.  I wish the kids could have had the chance to know him better, to know him longer.  We never know when the Lord will take us- it is sad.  But in all things, He has a purpose.

He is missed by those who loved him.  Josh's dad was good to he and Lisa in so many ways.  Most importantly, he taught Josh that he should love the Lord.  Although we may not do that task perfectly, we are all a work in progress.   

I love running!

What a nice husband I have.  He got up early to make us scrambled eggs and toast.  He even put our water in crystal stemware.

This morning I woke up early...well, it was only 6am, so not that early.  But considering it's a holiday weekend and I was up half the night with a crying 2 year old, 6am came pretty early.  I don't know what it is.  It seems like every time I have a 'big run' planned, something odd happens.  Last time it was strep throat, this time it was a toddler waking me up every 1 or 2 hours crying. 

                                                  Me and Andrea just about to leave. 

We arrived downtown a little early, and it was chilly!  We decided to run around the canal and then stretch so we'd be ready for the 15k.  This is the first time Andrea has run more than 8 miles, so she was pretty excited.  She's from upstate NY, and is a junior in high school.   It's been nice having her out to visit with us....anyway....did I mention it was cold?  oh yes-  after we stretched we went inside the NCAA building to get warm. 

At 8am the race began.  There is just something about being sandwiched in between a bunch of people that brings out the "oh no you didn't" in me.  I can't stand it when people pass me!  Of course, I know it's bound to happen- I am not an expert runner, nor will I ever be, but when I hear those footsteps behind me, the crinkle of somebody's jogging pants, I just feel the need to go faster.  Unfortunately, I can only go as fast as my legs will take me, and that's not as fast as a lot of people,  so I do get passed.  Oh well- at least I have fun.  

I did well today though (for me)  I finished 15k or 9.3 miles in 1hr 17min.  I was happy with it, and Josh brought the kids downtown to meet us after the race.  It was nice to see them.  I love my family.

I like to run.  Really, I love the fact that I can still run.  I went through a not able to run phase, and that was bad.  I am so thankful that the Lord restored my health in this way.  It is a good outlet for me.  I am looking forward to running the mini in May with Josh.   I am thankful for my health- for my family- for my life...

After the run this morning, Andrea watched the kids for Josh and I while we attended the funeral of a brother in Christ.  Greg Cerbus passed away after a 15 month battle with pancreatic cancer.  He was only 50 years old.  He left behind a Godly legacy in his children.  It was nice to hear the things his sons had to say about their father;  yet very, very sad.   Please lift this family up in prayer as they deal with such a loss.  Life is short, life is precious, and too often taken for granted.  The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. 

And speaking of LIFE tomorrow is Easter!  What a glorious day.   What kind of life would I have without my Lord and Savior, Jesus.  

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus-

There's just something about that name

Master, savior, Jesus

Like the fragrance after the rain

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus

Let all heaven and earth proclaim

Kings and kingdoms shall all pass away

There's just something about

That name

I don't know where that song came from, it just popped up in my mind when I thought of Easter. 

Happy Easter Everyone!  Enjoy the blessings in your life!