The Sustala Six

Sharks & Soccer

2009-11-06T22:28:00.004-06:00

Jake and Jadyn had their soccer team pictures made a couple weeks ago. I didn't have my camera for Jadyn's pictures (because Ed & Jake had it on the camp out). But, here are the Sharks (minus one player)! Serious pose:And, being silly: This is the 3rd season for 3 of the boys to play together and the second for another two boys - and it shows on the field! They are so fun to watch! Jake loves it more every week. He has become a pretty good defensive player. Its really fun to watch him develop and work hard. We've talked about him doing some exercises at home to prepare for Spring soccer so that he has more endurance when he gets the chance to play offense. Which totally cracks me up. I mean, he's SEVEN! The kid has some serious focus for sure! He just showed up that way.

As for Jadyn, let's just say that it doesn't look like soccer is her thing! She's cute as she can be out there, but, seriously, her season cannot end soon enough for me! For such a feisty little thang, she turns to mush on the soccer field. She runs (sort of) up and down the field, but mainly because she's following/chasing the other kids. She barely notices the ball! One week, in the middle of the game, she was at one end of the field comparing shoes with a little girl from the other team while the ball (and other players) were at the opposite end of the field! It was hilarious!

Cub Scout Campout

2009-11-06T22:05:00.012-06:00

Jakey went on his first campout a couple weeks ago and loved every minute of it!!

They went fishing, (without much luck!), roasted marshmallows & ate smores, slept in a tent, saw alligators, armadillos and deer, climbed trees, played games and had plenty of boys around to play with! He even got to help with one of the flag ceremonies. What more could he ask for?

It was a little chilly at night, but nothing some hot chocolate in the morning couldn't take care of!

He was dog-tired when he got home, but is already looking forward to next time!

S-wii-t Game Deals!

2009-10-29T15:20:00.006-06:00

At the risk of turning this into a bargain-blog, I'm sharing another really good deal. Here are some nifty game bargains at Target until tomorrow (Sat. 11/7)!

Target is running a Buy-2-Get-1-Free sale on Wii games ($49.99 and less) and many are already on sale as low as $14.99. There's also a '$10 off 2' games coupon from their toy catalog or online HERE, making this a "s-wii-t" deal!! You can get 3 games for as little as $20!

You can also score Connect 4 for FREE! Target has the games for $10. Print a $5 manufacturer (Hasbro) coupon HERE and you can combine it with a $5 Target coupon HERE. That's right ... FREE! Look for the boxes specially marked with a coupon for a FREE Dominoes pizza as well.

Enjoy ... and I'll cool it on the deal posting. If you're interested in finding out about bargains like this and more, subscribe to one (or more) of these blogs:

Deal Seeking Mom

Moneywise Moms

The Prudent Patron

Freebies 4 Mom

Sweet Deals

2009-10-27T02:29:00.002-06:00

I've become a bit of a coupon/bargain geek recently. Its almost like a hobby to see just how good a deal I can get. :)

So, here are a couple deals that I thought were pretty sweet:

Seventh Generation Chlorine Free Diapers - http://www.moneysavingmom.com/money_saving_mom/2009/10/amazoncom-seventh-generation-diapers-or-training-pants-for-585-per-package.html

And, if you have a little girl into castles (and, really, what little girl isn't?), this is a GREAT deal:
http://www.dealseekingmom.com/playskool-dream-town-sweet-lily-castle-with-dress-up-73-off/

You can make these deals even better if you're earning/saving Amazon gift cards through Swagbucks! That's the easiest free money I've found!

Changes in my Kitchen!

2009-10-25T21:08:00.004-06:00

I have a favorite new book ... Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon.
Its not for the faint of heart. In fact the subtitle is "The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats." Yeah. Like I said. The subtitle actually had me at hello. Then, I started reading.
This book WILL challenge everything you've always "known" to be true about health, diet, foods, etc. If you don't want to be challenged in that, DO NOT read this book.

Even though its technically a cookbook, much of it reads like a book. Like a research book. And I like research - especially about this topic. It has helped re-invigorate a passion in me for good nutrition and serving my family in that manner.

Many of you know that as a family we made some drastic diet changes back in 2002-2003. We nixed sugar, wheat, corn, cow dairy, soy and others. Then, in Dec 2005, we moved to Iowa. And started homeschooling. And had another baby. And moved again. And again. And, well, I just got lazy in the food department. We still stayed mostly gluten-free and organic at home, but I was very lax when we were out and found myself using more processed foods than I knew I should & I had allowed the sugar to creep back in. Its sort of like exercise. As long as you're in the habit and rhythm, it becomes part of your life. But, when you stop, going back is really hard! Being lazy is just much easier. Or at least it feels that way until you get your butt off the couch and feel the adrenaline rush of regular exercise! (can you tell what I need to do?)

In the last few months, Jordan has developed psoriasis. It took months to even get a diagnosis and now that we have one, we're still not any further ahead. After trying everything in my arsenal of natural remedies, we've resorted to a conventional dermatologist. Anyone that knows me, knows that isn't my preference and certainly not my first choice. But, the biggest part of going the "alternative" route is being responsible for your health. And, frankly, laziness just doesn't jive with that! Besides, there is a time and place for medicine. I don't have a beef with conventional medicine, I have a beef with the OVER-USE of conventional medicine & a beef with anyone being in control of your health except you. But, that's a soapbox for another day.

My point today is that I've decided its worth the effort to take the reigns of my family's health once again. So, what I know to be true is that skin issues=liver issues. I'm not brave enough to try a cleanse on a 9 year old, so that means I need to feed her foods that help the body detox. She's a GREAT eater. But, she ain't THAT great. She is nine, after all. So, we supplement. That's all well and good. But, still, we're not getting ahead of the autoimmune disease.

Then, I get my hands on Nourishing Traditions (NT) and it just rocked my world. I am learning so much! It is overwhelming in many ways, but much of it lines up with what I've been researching lately. Especially with regard to soaked and sprouted grains. I've been grinding my own grain (!!) and while I haven't made soaked or sprouted grain bread yet, I have made soaked pancakes, flatbread and granola bars. All yummy and big hits with the kids. I won't lie. Its really time-consuming. I've spent a lot of time in the kitchen lately. But, I'm quickly figuring out how to plan and streamline it all. Planning is really the key. I've pretty much always had some sort of menu plan, now that plan just requires a little more planning! LOL! For example, to make the soaked flatbread, you have to have yogurt (which takes a full day to make), plus grind wheat & mix with the yogurt and let that soak for 24 hours ... then, you roll out the dough! Even though its basically a 3-day process, it doesn't require any extensive amount of time on any one day. Its just the PLANNING that's important!

NT is not about being gluten or dairy free ... or free of anything necessarily. Its about eating the foods that are good for our bodies in ways that our bodies can use. There are many recipes and most of them are time-consuming. Some of them are downright daunting. I said its not for the faint of heart. Its also not for the time-crunched. I know that probably doesn't "sell" you on the book, but I'm just calling it like I see it. Everything in life is a trade-off and the changes I'm making in my kitchen are worth it for our family in this season. That may or may not be the case for your family.

Here's the irony of this book. About half-way through, I dug out some of the diet stuff I'd gotten from my midwife in Iowa (remember the food-nazi?). Guess the ONE book she recommended? Yup. I just wasn't ready then. Now I am. At the end of the day, that's what it takes. She planted the seed and God watered it in His time. So maybe I've planted the seed for you! :)

Life in Pictures

2009-10-25T20:03:00.016-06:00

Some recent pictures of the goings-on around the Sustala Home ...

We've had some beautiful weather the past couple weeks, so we took a bunch of pictures one afternoon outside. Here are a few...

Jace, Jake Jordan, Jadyn

Trampoline fun
Jace climbing up to the slide

Jordan being silly
Jadyn enjoying a popsicle
Jake - not terribly interested in stopping for a photo
Jadyn again ... I have a gazillion of her.

She loves the camera. Loves posing.

Loves being in the "spotlight" and

being the center of attention.

All the world is her runway ...

The camera loves her, too!And, on other days ...

Is this Jadyn again?

Jace loves to climb on everything! He is a busy boy! He climbed on the coffee table, looked at me proudly and wagged his finger, saying "no, no!" At least he knows the rules. Never mind obeying them!

One benefit of a busy boy ... he sleeps! And, if mama doesn't get you down for a nap, the living room floor works just fine!

*I realized as I uploaded my pictures that Jace is wearing the same outfit in every picture despite the fact they were taken on different days! What can I say? He 'suffers' from "number-four-itis."*

We had a garage sale last weekend and I toyed with the idea of getting rid of this mirror. But, after some thought, I decided it could be cute in Jadyn's room ...

...if we glammed it up a bit! We just mod podged some paper and hot glued some sparkly beads! She loves it and she loved helping me fix it up! I wish I had painted the wood and iron, but I took the quick way out. I can always go back and do those (the hard way).

Hair bow-Palooza: When I was making hair bows for Jordan's birthday party, I also whipped some up for Kylie and Jadyn. Jordan's decided she's not as hip on them as she once was, preferring instead to go the headband route ... or nothing at all {gasp!}

Jordan's BD Party

2009-10-17T06:07:00.012-06:00

I'm nearly a month late in posting this ... but, as "they" say, better late than never, right?

Jordan invited her cousins to a bowling party for her birthday. We had so much fun! I totally copied this idea (thanks, Shea!) from a birthday party Jake went to a while back. I made T-shirts for each of the kids. I had to girly it up a bit with matching hairbows! Then, I used the bows as ribbons on their gift bags.

Bowling has become Jordan's favorite game on the Wii and she's actually pretty good. She liked real-life bowling just as much, but let's just say her score was a tad lower! Even with bumpers! :)

We had a fun time ... thanks to everyone that celebrated with us!

Buddy Walk 2009

2009-10-16T08:26:00.003-06:00

We would love for YOU to join Jordan's team "Journey with Jordan" to help us support our beautiful girl and help raise awareness about Down Syndrome!

Go to our team page HERE and register. The first 15 people to sign up will receive a button to wear at the walk. We will also have *something* (read: I-don't-know-what-yet) to help our team look cohesive and stand out! (ideas??)

If you can't join us at the walk in person, you can still support JOURNEY WITH JORDAN as a Team Donor.

This is the only event we participate in with the Down Syndrome community. We think education, research and awareness are all important to one day having a system that will allow people with Down Syndrome to lead completely 'normal' lives - void of the medical, mental, social and neurological issues many deal with. Jordan struggles every day to learn things that come easily to "typical" children. I am so proud of the hard work she puts in, mentally and physically, but I also look forward to the day when it won't be such a struggle for kids like her & parents like us. I believe that day will come and I appreciate your support and help in getting us there!

I Looove it!

2009-10-15T15:11:00.002-06:00

I have plenty of catching up to do ... but couldn't resist a quick post to share this wonderful quote found at Adventures of a Somewhat Crunchy Mama:

"Stop saying that my kid is shy, outgoing, aggressive, anxious, quiet, boisterous, argumentative, pouty, fidgety, chatty, whiny or loud because he's homeschooled. It's not fair that all the kids who go to public school can be as annoying as they want to without being branded as representative of anything but childhood."

I loooove it!!!

Cub Scouts

2009-09-25T08:04:00.003-06:00

Jake went to his first Pack Meeting last week and has been to two Den Meetings.
If you've never had a son in Scouts, let me just tell you that there's a learning curve involved! If you have had a son in Scouts, you may recall the overload-of-new-information.

The lingo alone cracks me up. Then there's the Cub Scout handshake. The Cub Scout Promise. The Law of the Pack. The Cub Scout sign. Motto. Salute. Uniforms. Living Circle Ceremony. On and on it goes. Serious learning curve.

Fortunately, its completely worth it! Not only does Jake absolutely LOOOVE it, but the values Scouts instills are completely in-line with our family. Lots of family/parent involvement, serious focus on respecting/helping others, instilling a strong work ethic and fierce love of/commitment to our country. In addition, we joined a Christian Homeschool Pack.

Jakey is already learning some really great things - like how to handle and fold the American flag and is looking forward to his first campout next month.

My 9th Anniversary of being a Mom!

2009-09-22T13:29:00.012-06:00

If I celebrate 9 years of being a mom, it can only mean one thing ...

Its Jordan's birthday! I know I say this with every birthday, but seriously, where does the time go? It seems like it flies faster and faster with each passing day!

I wish I had baby pictures in digital format (or at the very least, that my scanner was working!). It would be fun to post some of her baby pictures. Unfortunately, this is the only digital newborn picture I have of her ... The best I can do are pictures from when I first started blogging.

2006 (love those missing teeth!)

February 2007

September 2007

May 2008

September 2009

I've written before about how hard the first few months of her life were. What we couldn't fathom those first few weeks was THIS GIRL. The life we have with her. The joy that comes from being her mom (and dad ... I'll just speak for Ed here). The interests and abilities she now has. All we had then were preconceived ideas of Down Syndrome based on faulty notions, which in reality had no basis in fact. They are likely the very same ideas that (dare I say?) *most* people walk around with. Even a lot of people who have "experience" with Down Syndrome.

Jordan is a beautiful, smart, active girl who loves dancing, performing, books, school and all things music!

I have loved being a mom for nine years and I'm so thankful for my girl that started it all!

No Rest for the Weary

2009-09-16T00:39:00.002-06:00

Why do smoke detector batteries ONLY get low in the middle of the night? We've owned 5 different homes in the last 11 years and have not heard a smoke detector beep at us in daylight hours once. We even had the privilege of dealing with one in a vacation home one year! Is there something about the dark that drains the last bit of it?
This time we have the privilege of a TALKING smoke detector. Not only were we awakened at 1am by the beep, it was followed by the message "Low battery." Really?? Cause we weren't sure.
To make matters worse, the low battery beep and message are coming from the main system detector.
Which just so happens to be located in our family room.
Which just so happens to have 20 foot ceilings.
Which just so happens to be twice as high as any ladder we own.
It also happens to be located about six inches from the top of the staircase ... and about 3 inches from arm's length of either one of us on top of our tallest ladder, teetering at the top of the staircase.
So, this is no ordinary middle-of-the-night-replace-your-smoke-detector-battery event. Oh, no. Ed is now in the attic, doing I-don't-even-want-to-know-what to try to shut her up! Just a minute....

Well, now I know what he was doing. He unhooked it and called me to catch it ... which I couldn't ... cause, remember, it was just out of reach from the stairs? So, it took a 20-foot tumble down the staircase and broke into several pieces.
And is still beeping!
Not only that, but it has NO BATTERY to replace!

At least its in the garage where it can beep happily away (wrapped in towels!) while we try to return to dreamland. An hour later! Goodnight.

Fall Soccer Begins

2009-09-15T16:05:00.004-06:00

Saturday was the first soccer game of the season!
Jadyn's very first game ever! I'm totally frustrated that after taking some seriously cute pictures of her, I promptly deleted them off my camera!!!! I took this one after the game and I'm not sure why she looks so goofy, but trust me when I say (with no bias whatsoever) that she was THE Cutest Soccer-girl. EVER.

I took this picture because Jake was #3 last year and kept the same number this year. Jadyn wanted to be #3, just like her big brother! So sweet! Sometimes he gets frustrated with her copying him, but I explained the phrase "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" to him and now he thinks its pretty cool. Even in spite of the accompanying responsibility it entails!

I deleted a close-up of Jadyn's cute hair bow ... again, no bias whatsoever.

Jake's team includes 5 players from last season and the skill level of each of them has jumped tremendously over the summer! Its so fun to watch them grow, not only physically, but also in their skills and their love of the game. Ed is helping coach Jake's team this season, which thrills Jake to no end.

The only drawback to Saturday was the muddy fields and drizzling rain. The Sharks and the Flyers both won by very wide margins, so it more than made up for the conditions! The season is off to a great start!

Busy Fun Fall!

2009-08-25T20:34:00.000-06:00

As most people are doing the 'back-to-school' craziness, we have a pass. One of the lesser-discussed perks of homeschooling.

Don't get me wrong, I have spent a good deal of time hunting down every last super-cheap and free school supply there is! I love school (and office) supplies.

Here's our loot! Less than $20 for all you see here!

One thing I've learned the last 3 years of homeschooling is that you better stock up in August, because if you go looking for school supplies any other time of year, you're going to pay big bucks! Learned that the hard way, can you tell?

So we're all stocked up on supplies. But, we have no need for a new lunchbox. Or new clothes. (I love the fact that I don't "need" to provide an entire new wardrobe for each of my kids who may or may not have outgrown the clothes they just wore a couple short months ago ... can you tell I think back-to-school is too commercialized???) We do need new backpacks - but we'll dig through the clearance aisles after the frenzy dies down. Hopefully we won't use our backpacks as much this year - my goal is to actually HOME-school more and 'out-and-about-school' less. Homeschooling is frequently a misnomer, kind of like a stay-at-home-mom. Neither one really stays at home as much as you might think! :)

Things are still getting busy for us, even without a 'first' day of school!

Jordan had her first orthodontist appointment last week. She has an under bite, grinds her teeth and has a very small, low palette (common in Down Syndrome). We went to the same orthodontist that did my braces as a kid, which was fun! He said he remembered me, but considering I'm nearly 25 years post-braces, I have my doubts! They did some x-rays, discovered Jordan is congenitally missing a couple teeth (and thought she was missing others until I told them what they thought were baby teeth are actually her very tiny adult teeth!). The missing teeth will work in her favor, since her jaw is so small (another 'perk' of DS). She goes back in 6 months and for now, they are just going to evaluate how her jaw is growing.

Jordan is actually in the throws of several doctor appointments this month. She's already been to the Pediatrician and Orthodontist, and she's going to the Cardiologist Thursday and also has a Dermatologist appointment coming up! Funny for a family that doesn't typically spend much time visiting doctors!

Last week we finished gymnastics. Can't believe its over already. Jake is returning to soccer (starting his 3rd year) and Jordan is returning to ballet! Jadyn has decided to take a break from gymnastics and try soccer. Now, that should be interesting! She says she wants to do ballet in the Spring and decide what of the three she likes best. Weighing all of her options!

Jake is starting Cub Scouts this year. Its a homeschool pack - so no school schedules to work around for campouts and den meetings. Their first campout is coming up in October! Camping is so NOT my thing, so that will be a great daddy-son weekend.

We've also {finally} joined a homeschool support group and plan to attend park days and field trips!

So, our weeks will be full and fun this fall: In addition to three soccer practices & 2 games, ballet, cub scouts, park days and field trips, I will be attending a women's bible study each week and Ed & I will be attending a couple's life group ("community group") as well. I'm really looking forward to it all. I feel like I spent the last year sitting out of so many things, so it feels good to get back into 'life!' I always do better the busier I am!

I've made a conscious effort to avoid morning activities (except for ballet), in order to have a more consistent school routine (AT home!). We've been in a pretty good rhythm this summer, so hopefully that will carry over.

Looking forward to sharing our fun adventures this fall! I'm sure I'll have plenty of pictures to share!

Money, money, money ...

2009-08-20T23:29:00.003-06:00

One of the things that I've spent a good deal of time on recently, but haven't blogged about is money. Specifically, being a better steward of it. Saving it. Living more simply. More frugally.

I've been working at saving money where I can - mainly by not spending as much (go figure!) and by saving on groceries. I've been amazed at how easily I've been able to use coupons, sales, CVS and a few blogs (a couple of which are listed on the right side of my blog) to cut our grocery bill from $200 per week to about $140 per week. Those of you who know me, know I buy a lot of organic and gluten/wheat free stuff. So, I've started buying fresh goat's milk from the farm and organic/sustainably produced produce from the farmer's market. It is more time consuming. And, I've had to give up some things to make time for it. But, I wasn't willing to sacrifice the quality of food for my family just to spend less money on groceries.
"They" always say that time is money and it is true. You are going to spend one or the other!
I've gone back to making my own yogurt (with my farm-fresh milk, of course!), which I haven't done in years! I'd forgotten how EASY and how much healthier it is!
And, I have a few other goals to tackle in the coming months:
1)Bake and cook from scratch, using soaked or sprouted grains as much as possible and grinding my own flours! My goal is to be able to make all of our baked goods homemade!
2)Make our own cereals, condiments, snack bars, etc
3)Learn canning (I'm starting this week with some peach salsa using the peaches and cilantro we picked up at the farmer's market today) & hope to move on to freezer jam and then to veggies!
4)Making more homemade/handmade gifts ... look out, family! :)
5) Plant a garden and grow some vegetables and herbs
6)Learn to sew and
7)Make our own {natural} household cleaners, soaps, etc.
I still have some half-finished furniture painting projects around here - most noteably, my dining room! So, that's first!!
I'll post some pictures along the way ... I'm sure this will be quite the adventure!

I {heart} NACD

2009-08-15T15:06:00.003-06:00

If you know me or have been reading my blog for a while, you may be sick of me talking about NACD. But, one thing is for sure, you also know how blessed I feel to know about and to have my kids on program with the National Association of Child Development.

Most recently, they've added a new website specifically about Down Syndrome. Lots of good information for families and others interested in issues related to Down Syndrome. Check it out HERE.

I have received several emails recently from people that research NACD and "stumble" on my blog in a google search. Because of that & because they all ask how I found out about/got started with NACD, I want to share how my journey with NACD began. It's a story that only God could weave together like this ...

I have twin brothers that are 14 years my junior. My baby brothers, never mind the fact they now tower over me! They were having some learning issues (including Dyslexia) when they were in early elementary school. In an attempt to save them from Special Ed, my mom pulled them out of school, began homeschooling and started on program with NACD. I was in college at the time and didn't know details about what my mom was doing, but within a few months, there was a profound difference in both of them. Within just a couple short years {relatively speaking}, they no longer had symptoms of Dyslexia and were no longer on program with NACD! There was no denying the progress that had been made, the success that was attributable to (my mom's hard work and) NACD's approach and program. I didn't realize/appreciate at the time just what an impact it would have in my life!

A few years later, when my daughter was born and we learned about her diagnosis of Down Syndrome, I knew immediately that I would (at least) give NACD a try. We took her to her first appointment in Dallas when she was only 6 months old. It was overwhelming, but also very empowering. I was so impressed with the way Lyn looked at Jordan as an individual. She talked to me about what she saw as her weaknesses and needs & asked what my priorities were for Jordan. She mentioned some issues to monitor closely that tend to be common in children with Down Syndrome, but she never mentioned an approach or a program for Down Syndrome. She gave me a unique program that was specifically for Jordan (and me!).

We have now been on program for 8 1/2 years. I am not only on board with the neurodevelopmental approach in general, but I also treasure having their expertise and help when it comes to providing the best possible future for my daughter. My 7 year old son is also on program (a homeschool program) and in addition to a God-given gifting, I attribute his acceleration in large part to NACD.

I have little doubt that eventually our other children will be on program as well. NACD doesnt pay me/compensate me in any way for promoting them (although maybe they should??? A discount might be nice :)). I just really believe in it!

I'm always open to answering specific questions or emails about NACD, but hope this will answer the question I am asked the most!

Famine Relief ... again!

2009-08-09T21:27:00.001-06:00

Seems that no matter how much I want to keep this blog updated, I fall short pretty consistently. Sheesh!

I have actually been working on it, even if without new posts. I was ready for a new look, and after several updates in the past (for free!), I just didn't feel comfortable asking my sister-in-law's friend to do it again! So, I've spent some time working on a face lift for my blog. I'm not totally happy with it ... it has some issues. And, at the very least, I need a new header picture of my kids. Better yet, a picture of the Sustala Six would be good!! While you're checking out my new look, check out Swagbucks (the top link) - I just earned a free Amazon gift card - just for using Swagbucks as my search engine! I love FREE stuff!

In other news, here are some recent pix of life and kids ...

Jace has become not only a walker,

but also a climber and, therefore, a faller.

He's a brute, so he doesn't cry & rarely gets hurt.

Someone knock on wood. Quick.

Jake attended a soccer camp each evening last week.

It was much needed relief from soccer-withdrawals.
Just enough to tide him over until the fall season begins in a few weeks.
Here he is with his friend, Christopher, during a sno-cone break one night.

And, the Tomball fire department was kind enough to
show up one night. Just to teach the kids about water conservation.

My silly kids!

Jace has graduated from the 'highchair' tray to the table!A couple cute, random pics ...

Precious Mommy Moment

2009-08-09T19:25:00.004-06:00

I've been working on an update post (and am hoping to actually get it posted tonight) - but I just had to share a sweet moment with Jace.

One of those precious moments when you wish you could just capture it and hold it forever. It overwhelmed my heart with how lucky I am to be his mom. To have this time to love and enjoy him. It was one of those times when my mommy heart captured the way he looked at me - so that even when he is a grown man, that is the face my mind will remember.

I know I've billed it as a life altering happening. It really wasn't. Except for me.

While I was getting him ready for bed, he just got still and quiet. He talked to me in a soft baby voice and smiled. So sweetly. Sweet face and sweet voice. For several minutes. Just me and my baby. Precious.

Nothing truly major in the grand scheme of things, but if you had been the one looking into that precious little face, I'd like to think the tears would have been flowing for you, too. Cause that way I don't feel like such a sap. But sap or not, it was just precious and I thank God for those times when He shows me not only how blessed I am, but also gives me a glimpse of how much He {God} loves me. How much He treasures the moments when I stop to be quiet with Him.

I'm always amazed that God can use such a routine moment in the day to convict me and move me.

13 ... and Counting

2009-07-20T09:25:00.007-06:00

Today, Ed and I are celebrating our 13th anniversary.

Statistically speaking, we shouldn't have made it this long ... both of us coming from divorced families, getting married {when Ed was} so young, having a child with special needs and various other issues that "should" have factored against us.

Thankfully, God had other plans! We have had some wonderfully amazing times, some downright dark times and a whole lot in between.

In retrospect, I'm thankful for the dark times. Those are the times that built the intimacy in our marriage. That taught me about phases of marriage. Taught me that marriage is never stagnant. Those are the times that taught me my marriage is worth fighting for. Working for. And every dark time brought immense light in the end. I love that man so much more today than I could have imagined 13 years ago. Not that he doesn't drive me crazy. 'Cause he seriously does. In many a way. But, our commitment is deeper and our love is stronger.

We went out Saturday night to celebrate and talked about going to premarital counseling, where the pastor did some personality profiles and such. The results told us that Ed had a very idealistic, romantic view of marriage. I, on the other hand, had a very pessimistic view. How's that for a combination? It had "happily ever after" written all over it, don't you think? I remember listening to those results, thinking Ed was just a romantic (which he is!) and that in a few years, he would see how naive he was. Thankfully, I was the naive one!

I love you, babe ... more today than yesterday. Happy Anniversary.

Twenty Years Pass in a Flash

2009-07-17T07:39:00.007-06:00

This past weekend, we attended my 20-year high school reunion. Seriously ... I am NOT old enough for this! It just doesn't seem possible! I am the age my mom was when I graduated from high school! WHAT???? I'm not THAT old! And, now I know she wasn't either.

I always thought nearly-40 would feel different. Older. And, in reading my memory book, I also thought I would be married and have a baby by 23!!! I didn't even meet Ed until I was almost 24! But, at eighteen, 23 seemed ... well ... old! It is, as they say, all relative! My memory book also says I weighed 110 pounds my senior year - and I thought I was so fat! Ha! Again, ALL relative. Oh, to be that "fat" again!

In the last few months, I've reconnected with some old friends via facebook and that really sparked more interest in my reunion. I'm so glad I went! It was more fun than I imagined it would be. It was at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Houston, so Ed and I stayed the night. Which was a much-needed getaway for us. We had a beautiful view of the city from our room and enjoyed sleeping in! It was the first time I'd left Jace overnight, but he did great with Grandma.

We went with my friend, Nancy and her husband, Jason. She's one of the few high school friends I've kept in touch with over the years. She was my best friend throughout high school, we were in each other's weddings ... one of those kinds of life-long friends! But, even though we've kept in touch, we haven't spent much time together in years! I've only seen her once since we moved back to town, but we had a blast together! The night went by way too fast - and we stayed up way too late (at least for old people!!) - which are good indicators that it was indeed fun!

I loved getting to see some old friends (that's me and my friend, Cindy above) and there were others that I wish had been there ... but maybe at the 25 or 30 year ... when we're REALLY old! LOL!

I wish I'd taken more pictures, but I was too busy having fun!

Subscribe to my blog!

2009-07-07T07:08:00.004-06:00

How cool am I? It only took me three years to figure out how to add a way for people to subscribe to my blog - with a reader OR through email! I'm totally jazzed about this, folks!

So, for all my crazy fans out there - all three of you - you can now enter your email in that little box to the right ----------> and get an email each time I post an update.
Or if you're a blogger yourself and you want to follow along in a reader, there's an option for that just below the email option.

AND, AND, AND ... I'm even cool-er ... because there's also a little button to find me on Facebook as well. Can't say I'm that great at catching all the updates on fb ... its a little too time-consuming for my current life, but I do catch a few.

There's no stopping me now! :-)

First {Wobbly} Steps!

2009-07-05T14:17:00.004-06:00

I can hardly believe we have an actual average aged child to take his first steps! It only took 4 kids to get here! Not that we've ever been in a hurry for our kids to walk ('cause I find it SO much easier as the parent to have a late walker - for a whole host of reasons), but average would be O.K.
Before today, the earliest walker was Jake at 14 months. Jadyn was 15 months and Jordan ... oh, bless her heart ... she was 20 months. Two months AFTER Jake was born, I might add. Yeah, that was fun.
But, I digress. This is all about our Little Man!

Last week, Jace took several steps, several times in a row. Since then ... nada. Until today. It all clicked - the light bulb went off - the desire kicked in - and the muscles cooperated. He turned 13 months four days ago.

So, for your viewing pleasure - a couple attempts to catch it on video.

***Let me just apologize for my squeals. New walkers are one of my very favorite things in the whole world and clearly, I get carried away. You might want to lower your volume. Seriously.***

Happy Birthday, Kylie!

2009-06-29T11:47:00.009-06:00

Kylie Today is our niece's 2nd birthday. Happy Birthday, Kylie!!

It seems like just yesterday that we were flying down from Iowa to meet her for the first time.

Saturday was her birthday party. At a park. With 102 temps. It was brutally hot, but my little red-faced kiddos all had fun in spite of the heat.

Kylie & her mama, Stacey

Taking a break to eat!

Jace with Ed's cousin, Audra's little girl, Natalie - she wanted to sit by Jace to eat and was so cute with him!

Hot & sweaty birthday girl

Happy Birthday, sweet girl! We love you!

Fun Days

2009-06-26T21:18:00.010-06:00

Yesterday, the kids and I had the opportunity to go visit my Great Uncle George (my grandfather's brother). My kids' Great-Great Uncle! Pretty cool. My mom's cousin, Jan, is a singer with the Dallas Symphony Chorus. She came to Houston put on a performance at her dad's assisted living community. The kids loved it ... even Jake, who, of all my kids, is the least interested in music. She was THAT good!

Jadyn, Jake & Jordan with their Great-Great Uncle

We had a fun time. In the midst of diapers, dishes, laundry and all the rest, its easy to forget what joy kids bring to people just by being present. Wanna make someone's day? Walk into a nursing home or assisted living center with your kids. Sure felt good to bring a smile to so many faces!

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Today, we played outside for a while, despite the oppressing heat. Brutal summer so far, I tell ya. Even for Houston. Anyway, as I've said before, the only way to survive outside right now is in water. I'm not brave enough to take all my (non-swimmer) children to the pool alone, so we did the next best thing. We played in the sprinkler and with the water table today.

If you're a 7-year-old boy with {more energy than a sprinkler can provide fun for} a crazy sprinkler like this, of course you pretend you're a secret spy and the water is laser beams. Cracked me up. Especially when he tried to get the girls in on it, too. Funny, they didn't have the same level of interest in that little game.

We all had a great time. Jace loves the water as much as Jordan did at his age. So fun!!

Another fan

2009-06-26T20:21:00.003-06:00

Seems as though we have a new Hannah Montana fan in the house!