Reflections on the Year

Last year we started a doing a 'Time Capsule' with the kids on New Years Eve.  We had fun looking back at 2011 when we opened last year's capsule...and it was also interesting seeing 2012 from their eyes.

When I think back on 2012, I think about how difficult this year was for us.  We lost Jut's dad on March 1st.  The kids didn't mention that significant event...I doubt X even remembers it.  My grandfather passed away at the end of April.  The kids didn't think about that either...however, that didn't hold much significance for them except for the excitement of seeing their other cousins.

However, for Jut and I, both those events were life altering.  Life will never be the same as it was when 2012 started.  Jut still had his dad...a very sick dad...but still his dad.  I still had my grandfather...and an intact family.  So much has changed.  With the passing of my grandfather, their estate had to be settled.  Never in my wildest imagination did I ever envision the fallout of settling the estate.  Family dinners and gatherings with the extended family are no more.  It has been a hard road to travel...and I am just a bystander of a grandchild.  The struggle of the generation above me has been awful as this has all unraveled.

Those are the two events that stick out in my mind when I think about 2012.  However, the year wasn't all struggle and turmoil.  We got the joy of watching C blossom from infancy to toddlerhood.  Today he finally gave up crawling.  Walking is now his preferred mode of transportation.  He's vocal and can signal what he wants.  My baby is gone...a little baby that started the year without teeth now has 10.  A little baby that survived on milk now eats and eats and eats whatever you feed him.  There is so much joy in watching life bloom and grow.

Also, we had a phenomenal vacation this summer...it even made it on the 'best things of 2012' for E.  We rented a house on a bay near TC with another family and just escaped life for a week.  It was great.  No church issues...no school (for Jut)...just family and friends.  It was perfect.

There were other things that made the year interesting, too...Jut assumed the role of 'lead minister'.  We had our first ER visit with X and his bout of pneumonia.  We experienced our first ambulance ride with C when he drank my bottle of essential oils.  E started kindergarten this fall at home.  That has been an exciting journey.

We look forward to the new joys, adventures and challenges that wait for us in 2013.  We will be so excited for Jut to finish his coursework and graduate with his Masters in Missional Leadership this spring.  We look forward (with much anticipation and some anxiety) to buying my grandparents' house and the extensive remodeling project that will follow.  E will be in her first dance recital this spring...X and C will continue to grow and blossom and be too cute for their own good.  A new member will be joining the extended family in June and the kids will have their first 'real' first cousin.  Exciting times.   We are looking forward to 2013!

One of those Moments I Don't Want to Forget

This actually happened the first Sunday in October but I keep forgetting about it until someone else brings it up...and it did make quite the impact because someone reminds us of it every week or so.

The month of October we had one combined service at church.  The first Sunday was a PACKED house.  We were squeezed in with few extra spaces.  We choose to keep our kids in the sanctuary until the sermon.  The boys can get a bit squirmy by the end of communion but we feel that it is important to worship as a family.

So anyway, the church was packed.  Jut had left the pew getting ready to do his thing.  X was sitting on my lap saying, "Mom, I'm thirsty.  I smell water.". I tell him it is almost time to leave and we'll get a drink when we leave.  Then, Jut dismisses the kids.  So, I tell X it is time to leave, put him in the aisle, grab all our stuff, collect C and am working to shoo E out of the pew when I hear Jut say from the podium, "Hey, Buddy.  What do you need?". Jut had walked up on to the stage and turned around and there was X standing on his heels.

I look up at Jut's words and there is X standing on stage next to Jut.  Everyone laughed.  X looked a bit bashful when he noticed the room full of people staring at him but he said, "Dad, I'm thirsty." Jut quoted a bit of Scripture about asking for a drink and gave X a drink from his cup.  To which X replied,"Thanks". Jut suggested going to class and away he went...by this time I was waiting for him at the base of the stage.  Both of us were pretty embarrassed by the whole scenario, but it was pretty sweet at the same time.  It broke any tension that existed in the room that day.  It is amazing what an impact it had on the congregation...as I previously stated, people mention it to us almost weekly.

It was a special moment that I wished the floor would open up and swallow us at that particular second but now it is one of those memories I know I will treasure in my heart.

Happy Holloween!

Okay, this post is a month late, but I just downloaded the pics from the camera and I decided that the munchkins were too cute not to document.

X and E changed outfits from our trick or treating adventure at Huckleberry Railroad.  Thankfully, C didn't have such opinions.

 X got a couple of costumes from his birthday and decided he wanted to be 'Pirate Chica'...I didn't bother to tell him 'chica' is Spanish for girl.  He thought it sounded cool.  Sprout has a little chicken that was 'pirate chica' one day.  He thought it was a good name, I guess. Besides, he was still 2.  One can get away with a lot when you are two and cute.

Notice the sword that is as tall as he is...Thank you, Grandma.  What a wonderful birthday present that was...However, I do understand that pirates need swords.  I just wasn't thinking he needed a 3 foot long sword. 

E decided that she did not want to be a pioneer...after all she dresses up as that weekly.  She wanted to be a fairy princess.  It was quite the costume she concocted from all her dress up clothes.  Her outfit was only established the final minutes before we left because it kept changing.  Pay special attention to her footwear. It screams fairy princess.  Strawberry Shortcake socks and sparkly flats loaded with bling.  Unfortunately, it was cold.  So, E had to wear her coat and so most people didn't get to see the wings and the top half of her ensemble. 

  
The funniest thing of the night was that when we got to my folks' house, X was so exhausted he practically fell asleep standing up in the doorway.  My dad scooped him up and he soundly slept for our visit, the car ride home, and to the next morning.  He didn't even remember going out there.  Poor little guy that can't nap anymore can't handle being out after 7:30.  :)  But, one must admit, it is too exciting to nap on Halloween...you might miss the trick or treating!

Thankfully, C goes along for the ride and did well with all the excitement...but then again, Halloween didn't bother his napping habits.

First Snow

Last Sunday, we had our first snow of the season.  We didn't know it was coming.  It was a surprise.  X walked down the stairs in the morning and exclaimed, "Mom, its Christmas!" when he saw the ground covered in white.  E and X were beyond excited.  There is something magical about the first snow through a child's eyes.  Both kiddos just wanted to go outside and play, but it was Sunday and we had to get to church. 

As soon as we got home, X put on his hat and mittens.  E changed into her snow gear and out the door they flew.  They had so much fun playing in the snow.  There really wasn't very much...just enough to coat the grass but it was enough.

My pictures didn't turn out very well...I'm not sure what was going on with the camera, but they had fun.  It was nice because they weren't in the kitchen begging for food while we were cooking.  There was definitely an up side to this snow!!  :)

Hurricane Sandy

Hurricane Sandy gave us this amazing sunset at the end of October.  I didn't even get a picture at the peak of its color.  It was amazingly beautiful.  My pictures don't do it justice but it was phenomenal.

Happy Thanksgiving

I helped the kids make a Thanksgiving Turkey.  I thought I'd share.  I wrote X's thanksgivings on the left side of the turkey and E wrote her own on the right side.  X's list:  Thanksgiving food, Grandma Daron, Grandpa and Grandma, Home, Turkey and Healthy body.  E's list:  Mom and Dad, Food, Hand, God, Eyes and Grandpa and Grandma.

I love how their minds work.  I always find their thoughts interesting and sometimes they really surprise me what they come up with.   But, I am also thankful for everything on their list.

I am thankful for so many things.  I'm thankful for my husband and all the hard work he's doing to complete his Master's degree and his attempts to juggle family, school and work.   I'm thankful for my parents that are close by and support us with so many things.  I'm thankful for my kids that keep me on my toes every single day and keep me from getting bored.  I'm thankful for our church family that supports us financially and with prayers.  I'm thankful that the Lord has blessed our family with health.    God has so richly blessed us and I am so thankful for His mercy and grace.  Our blessings are too numerous to count...and for that I am thankful.

This one will go down in our family history books...

Tonight was a normal evening.  Kids got bathed.  Kids got on their pjs.  Kids got their teeth brushed.  Kids picked out books to read.  Then, the unusual happened...

Jut was downstairs with his mom and I was reading to the kids.  All of a sudden, C started screaming.  I looked and he had somehow opened my full bottle of Thieves blend essential oils and had it streaming out of his mouth.  There was a pool on the floor and he was screaming.  I rub a drop of it it under my nose when I have a cold and it burns my lips if it gets too close.  I can't imagine the pain he was in since he took a mouthful of the stuff.  I yell for Jut to call poison control...should he drink milk or water...drink or throw up?  All questions that poison control can answer. 

Since Jut didn't have the number for poison control on his phone, he calls 911.  The operator can't even figure out what essential oils are...let alone be much help.  As I can quickly see that his conversation isn't going anywhere, I run downstairs and call poison control.  C is screaming and thrashing.  I talk to poison control and he tells me that he'll be fine...it just really hurts him and he needs to drink something, anything to wash the stuff out of his mouth.  By the time I am done with poison control, we have a police officer in our house...then there's another police officer in our house...then the ambulance shows up and we have two EMTs in the house.  I guess when a child is involved in a 911 call, an ambulance is automatically dispatched to the scene.  Lovely.  So, C gets evaluated.  When the first cop showed up, he stopped screaming because this was all new and interesting and as each additional person showed up, he became more and more intrigued. 

So, the EMTs evaluated it.  The area around his mouth was fiery red.  He sounded extremely phlegmy. He was drooling like crazy.  The EMTs recommended that he take a precautionary trip to the ER based on those symptoms...plus he had really started thrashing and carrying on again.  They were worried about his breathing and potential reactions like tongue swelling or throat closing.  I told them that poison control said it really wasn't a big deal but they still cautioned that a trip to ER would be the safe thing to do based on his presented symptoms.  So, C and I headed out to the ambulance and went for a ride.  They buckled him in and gave him a little stuffed animal.  He was wide-eyed at the new experience.

Now, the funny thing about it was...C was extremely odoriferous.  All the responders mentioned how much the house smelled of eucalyptus.  We got in the ambulance and they turned on the vents.  We walked in the hospital and the nurses commented on how nice he smelled...and how overpowering it was.  They quickly got me a gown for C so that we could take off his oil soaked pjs and sealed them up in a bag.  When Mom and Dad arrived, they said that they could smell it when they walked into the ER.  At least we gave the ER a pleasant smell.

The nurses gave us pedilite and formula...I think C drank about 6 ozs of each...maybe even 8 of the pedilite.  He calmed down.  They called poison control and shockingly they told the hospital the exact same thing that they told me.  That it wasn't anything serious and that he needed to drink some fluids.  They sent us home in about an hour or so.  Moral of the story:  Listen to poison control.  They know what they are talking about.  Don't let the EMTs scare you into worse case scenarios.  However, our EMTs were great and I'm thankful that they were thorough.  Better to be safe than sorry.

C was quite the charmer at the hospital.  He visited the nurses station and made lots of new friends.  He giggled and laughed and threw himself around enough to make the nurses nervous that he was going to hurt himself.  Fun times.

He does have a bit of a double ear infection the PA told me.  It isn't bad enough to warrant antibiotics yet but if he becomes inconsolable in the next few days...that would be her number one suspicion.  Fun, fun.

Now to get the smell out of our house...that might take a few days.  :)