First of Many Fishing Trips

Make a Smilebox scrap pages

Geez! Where Have I Been?

Okay, so really no excuses, but I have totally slacked in blogging...man...glad I don't get paid to do this! For those of you who do...KUDOS!

Anyways, today was Aidan's last day of Preschool...not really because he'll be back in the fall...but hey...

Here is a Smilebox of that...

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

And...we will be having a baby in the fall! WHEW! We've been busy...*wink...wink*!
It's a boy! We are naming him Luke Alan...Luke...such a calm name...Ahhh....

What's In A Name?

As I'm sure there are many of you who have little nicknames for your kiddos as they have grown through the ages, we have a "few" for Aidan. When he was about 2 months, at each late night feeding, he would make this sound that resembled a small bird waiting for its mother to bring back a juicy morsel of worm. This noise would only follow a gaseous explosion, as if he were preparing his little tummy for more food...hence the name..."TURDYBIRD". This name has stuck...only in a loving term! As he grew older, a friend of mine noticed that his big, bald head with only a few combed-over hairs showed him to be a likened image of Charlie Brown...hence the name..."CHARLIE BROWN". I've heard a vast array of nicknames ranging anywhere from little peanut, princess, yada. But for us, "TURKEYLURKE" just kind of slipped out one day...and thus, "TURKEYLURKE" was born. Just recently, Aidan has been watching "MARTHA" on PBS...a story of a talking dog. A line in the theme song says, "YO JOE! WHAT DO YOU KNOW?" So, that has been slipping out of my mouth when he would come waltzing in to the room...probably asking for a snack.

As the story goes, I've sweetly spoken one, if not all, of these nicknames to Aidan, such as "Yo! JOE!" Which he promptly responds with hand on his hips..."I'm not JOE! I Aidan!" Well, okay then!

Wal-Mart seems to be my place of doom in toddler stories...so of course, I'm in Wal-Mart, not having the best of times with my little "TURDYBIRD", and I say that nicely. When at the checkout stand, a sweet older lady who tried to keep him occupied while I helpe bag, asked Aidan what his name was. This was his response:

"I Aidan, Turdybird, Turkeylurke, Charlie Brown...and now I Joe!"

My head dropped into my hands, eyes rolled into my head...and a sigh of astonishment expelled from my heavy chest! The sweet old lady, laughed and smiled at me and said, "Well, at least he won't ever have an identity problem!"

Oye-vey!

Spring Snow

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Being Mommy

Just recently, I found out how attached I am to being a mommy. This weekend, my little guy was at my MIL's house having a blast with them and his cousins. When Sunday morning rolled around and getting ready to go to "work", aka...ministry...we got the dreaded call that parents loathe to get when their kiddos are away. My MIL called and said that he wasn't feeling well and wanted to come home! WHAT? TODAY? But...I have to go to work! My DH is teaching for me...what? That is 1.5 hours away...okay...okay...what do I do? It was this time where I had to not be super mom and rely on others to help me out. My husband drove to get him, my mom came over to take care of him, while we went to church and ministered. The whole time I was franctic about my little guy and the fact that I couldn't be there with him. I think this was when it hit me...I love being a mommy!

So today, with the cooler weather, I decided to stay at home and be a mommy. I'm gonna hang out with him, he is feeling much better by the way. Maybe in my own way I am making up for not being able to care of him yesterday, but in reality...I think I just missed being a mommy and needed a fix.

Snugglebug

In all of the rushes of my life, I simply cannot express the joy that comes from having a snugglebug morning with my little guy. This morning, all of us woke up late...so chaos ensued. Thinking of the crazy-hecticness of the morning, I was not excited to get started. As I staggared to my coffee pot to pour myself a cup of ever-living-energy...darn half-caff...I noticed a white blanket on the evergreen bushes out my kitchen window! It snowed! YEAH! Finally some relief to the dryness here. Anyways, as the morning moved on, all my little guy wanted to do was snuggle! He got his Thomas the Train blanket I made for him at Christmas, and drug it over to me and said, "Mommy, can we snugglebug?" WELL OF COURSE WE CAN! So we snugglebugged together on the couch, watching kid-shows, reading his new books, and talking! What a morning! Then, looking up I realized that we were going to be late to EVERYTHING today...no matter...I cancelled some stuff...you know...due to the 1/2 inch snow on the ground ;)...and Aidan and I have planned out our morning together...
Ahhh...I should totally do this more often...take time away from my "TO DO" list and do something on my "NEED TO DO" list!

The Concert

When the house lights dimmed and the concert was about to begin, the mother returned to her seat and discovered that her child was missing! Suddenly, the curtains parted and spotlights focused on the impressive Steinway on stage. In horror, the mother saw her little boy sitting at the keyboard, innocently picking out "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." At that moment, the great piano master made his entrance, quickly moved to the piano, and whispered in the boy's ear, "Don't quit." "Keep playing." Then, leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in a bass part. Soon his right arm reached around to the other side of the child, and he added a running obbligato. Together, the old master and the young novice transformed what could have been a frightening situation into a wonderfully creative experience.

The audience was so mesmerized that they couldn't recall what else the great master played. Only the classic," Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."

Perhaps that's the way it is with God. What we can accomplish on our own is hardly noteworthy. We try our best, but the results aren't always graceful flowing music. However, with the hand of the Master, our life's work can truly be beautiful.

The next time you set out to accomplish great feats, listen carefully. You may hear the voice of the Master, whispering in your ear, "Don't quit." "Keep playing."

May you feel His arms around you and know that His hands are there, helping you turn your feeble attempts into true masterpieces. Remember, God doesn't seem to
call the equipped, rather, He equips the 'called.'

Life is more accurately measured by the lives you touch than by the things you aquire.


I saw this in an email years ago. I thought it was appropriate to say exactly what I and probably many other moms are going through!