Colonel Mustard With the Candlestick at the Mailbox

After doing some Christmas shopping one afternoon, I got the mail whilst pulling into the driveway. I off-handedly said someone must have stolen the Christmas cards from our mailbox because we didn't get any. When we opened the door Zeke whispered, "Has anyone been here?" Then he shone his new flashlight on a spot on the cabinet door and exclaimed, "Look! It's a clue." Guess I shouldn't say random things like people are stealing Christmas cards from our mailbox.

Chaos

My boy has eczema, and when it gets itchy it feels like bugs on his skin. He calls them 'scratching bugs.' If you hear him saying he has scratching bugs on his head, please don't take your kids and run--it's not lice. Tonight he was listing where he was itching. "Scratching bug on my foot, scratching bugs on my head...it's scratching bug chaos!"
(This picture has nothing to do with scratching bugs, but I thought I'd share a little sibling hug action.)

Lordy, Lordy, Am I REALLY 40??

Aww, my dear friend Youth, where did you go? And why did you forsake me??!! Old age is for, well...old people. Last I checked I wasn't old. But now my 40th birthday has arrived. Wow. The big 4-0. How did this happen?? I am OLD! Since it's my birthday week, I have been thinking about this whole forty-thing. That's like, nearly middle-aged. Looking at where I am now--middle age--and where I have been, this is what I see. I don't have the biggest house on the block, I don't drive an expensive luxury car, I don't have a top executive job; the list can go on and on. But when I look more closely at where I am now--middle age--I'll tell you what I do see. I have a great spiritual life with a wonderful savior who will never leave me nor forsake me. I have a more fantastic husband than I could ever have imagined (who, by the way, is NOT 40, so that makes me a Cougar--rrrrar!). I have two beautiful, happy, healthy kids. I have a loving extended family (and yes, that includes my in-laws). :) I have a house that provides shelter and is filled with a whole lot of love and laughter. I have a dependable car that gets me home to visit my said extended family. I currently have the least respected 'job' of a stay at home mom that I absolutely love and would not trade for a million bucks; the list can go on and on. So yeah, I'm 40 and I like where I am!
Lucky for me, 40 is the new 30, which only a couple years ago was the new 20. Which, by the way, I don't feel a day over. So there ya go. Age is just a number; it's all how you feel. And if you squeeze me, you'll discover that I feel great!

I'm Not Clairvoyant, But I Can See the Future

I am not clairvoyant, but I can tell you that Zekers is going to be the last one to sleep at slumber parties. The boy who puts shaving cream on another little guy's hand and then tickles his nose to try to get him to smack himself in the face. Or the one who puts his sleeping friend's hand in a bowl of warm water to see if he will pee the bed. Or the fraternity boy who writes all over his pledge brother's face with a sharpie because he passed out first. I am not clairvoyant, but I know this because last night we let him sleep with us. After the lights went out, Daddy started snoring in two to three minutes, tops. With disgust dripping from his voice, Zeke disparaged, "Ding-dong Daddy went to sleep already."

Flu Season, or 'Choo Season?

After sneezing and coughing back to back, Zeke proclaimed, "I have the 'choos and the cough-es. But not the hiccups."

The Halls Are Decked

Last night we put up the Christmas tree. Daisy must have forgotten, because this morning when she saw it she squealed, "O-ohhhh!" with delight.

It will probably be bare on the bottom foot or two by Christmas because she keeps taking the ornaments off.

Daisy's Dedication

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33





We had Daisy's dedication this weekend. Abe and I pledged to raise Daisy in a way that she will know God's love for her and experience the joy of the Holy Spirit living in her heart and salvation found through Christ.

A Dab of Glue Will Do

My boy got 'glued' today. Fell on a metal windowsill and got a gash near his eye. It was a few centimeters long and pretty deep. Instead of stitches it was glued together. A few tears, but it didn't seem to phase him much after the blood stopped.

Not Quite

Whilest in the bath, Zeke was ready to get out and said I should get out, too. I told him I wasn't quite finished. His response: "But I'm quite finished."

Trick-or-Treat!

Trick-or-Treating with some of our besties! ramping up for the big show practicing


The Hula Girls, Princess Lea and Yoda Sam the Kitty Tiger and Grant as Max the Rabbit Jason the P.I.M.P., Matt the football player, Bella the Latino dancer, Will as Batman, and Steph as The Bait Girl the whole gang going trick or treating down Estrella Lane... all 13 of us!

May The Force Be With You

Happy Halloween!

It Doesn't Get More Texan Than Big Tex and Fried Butter

It's State Fair time and that's right folks, I said fried butter! The kids and I went with Granny V, as well as Gaea (Abe's sister), Majid and Solomon who were in town from Houston, and Amanda (Abe's cousin) in town from D.C. Beautiful weather, fantastic company, and fried carni food...good times!

Where The Wild Things Are

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More flags. More fun.

Zeke and I went to Six Flags with his little buddy Nathan and his momma. What a great day!
Little guys in a big chair.
"This is the captain speaking..."
"No wonder they call you porky--I can't even get my arms around you!"
"Over and out, good buddy."

RSVP Regrets Only

We have been buying birthday presents and going to birthday parties and singing happy birthday a lot these past few weeks. Last weekend Pops told Zeke it was time to get dressed to go to the bounce house birthday party. Without skipping a beat, Zeke The Streak said, "I want a nekked birthday party!" Consider this your warning; if you receive an invitation to Ezekiel's next birthday party, you might want to think twice on the 'regrets only.'

Caution: Enter At Your Own Risk

One afternoon I went in to check on Zekers after he went potty. I told him he needed to put the toilet paper in his hands into the toilet after he wiped (just urine). He said he was cleaning the spots where he missed. My heart instantly swelled with pride for my sweet, clean little boy. Until he said he just needed to clean the drops on the sink. ??The sink?? Granted, he's only 3, and grown men have problems hitting that itty bitty thing we call the toilet. But seriously? The sink??

Our K-Station

Every year Abe and I have taken an anniversary trip to celebrate us. Hasn't worked out for us so far this year (6 years on July 28th). So we had a K-Station! We went to the season opener for Kansas State.


We met up with my bestie from high school and her fiance, plus a few other long-time friends. Good times.

GO STATE!! Go us for sharing 6 great years!

Don't put God in a box, or a house

I was pushing Ezekiel in the swing and this is how our conversation went down:

Zeke liked how high he was going. He said he was almost to the sky. If he could go all the way to the sky he could play with God. Then God could come down to play with us. But God is too big to fit in our house.

Lost in Translation

One afternoon Zeke and Granny V were playing at the creek. Zekers got stuck in the mud and when Granny went to the rescue she slipped and scraped her foot. When Ole Loose Lips told us the story he said Granny yelled, "Got all muddy!"; what he didn't realize was that she actually yelled, "God Almighty!" :)

My Little Scholar

Whilst waiting to get our car inspected, Zeke was drawn to a Scientific American with a picture of light bulbs connected to a woman's head with wires. After looking at the magazine for a bit he said, "This is a strange story."

About 3 minutes and several pages later: "This is still a strange story."

I'm Jonesin' Man!

It's like crack. Daisy just can't get enough of her new swing. This is now what she does:


And here's what happens when you open the door:

Cost of a new swingset...PRICELESS.

Literally. A single guy from Abe's work just bought a new house and didn't need the swingset. Another guy from work let Abe borrow his truck for the weekend to move it. Praise God for providing! It's several years old, may need a new swing or two, but it's new to us...and it's free! We (translation: Abe) are still in the process of reconstructing it, but here it is so far.

Here is a close up of that shot. In case you didn't notice, poor little Daisy is crying.

Bless her little heart. She just wants to be in the middle of all the action up top but is still too little to climb by herself.

Pathetic little thing. It's tough being the youngest!

Zeke The Streak Strikes Again

Zekers fell asleep in the car on the way home one afternoon. Employing my best ninja skills I gently carried him in on the bed, hoping he would sleep through the transfer. He rolled over and as he was getting off the bed he softly said, "I'll be back. I just gotta go take off my clothes and be naked."

Summertime!

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