married

Welcome to our chaos, Kelsey!



today

getting our wedding on

Can you hear them? The wedding bells? Growing stronger every day! We're getting ready around here for one awesome celebration. Haircuts, new duds and packing on the brain. The countdown is on.

yes!

She wants to play hair salon! I could play all. day. long.

in training

After doing a load of laundry, baking brownies and playing in the basement, we made an impromptu trip to the store. Andrew's shoes were on and I was looking for mine. Ever multi-tasking, I said, "And let's see, I need my coupons and my purse and... " I think out loud.

Enter Andrew.

He had found some random coupons sitting near the television - check. And then located my purse near the couch. Slid it on his wrist - check. Way to be prepared, Buddy!

It made me smile to see Andrew model Mommy. He is watching. And so is Morgan. They both observe my reactions and responses, the way I handle conflict, the clothes I choose to wear, how I drive, the manners I use in public, the words I speak, the way I sing at church, how I eat, what I eat, the way I treat our possessions. Everything little thing that we do is noticed by our children, whether we realize it or not.

When I think on that popular verse from the Bible about training up your children (Proverbs 22:6), I've always interpreted it as something deliberate or planned. An activity or lesson, or some other kind of intended learning. But it's not just those intentional moments. We are leading by example every day in the choices we make. How are those choices honoring God? And what does that say to our kids now so they can learn and become older, wiser, God-honoring adults?

Knowing that we're not perfect, yet still loved by The One who made us, I also can accept the imitations that reflect poorly on my mothering. I'll overhear Morgan pretending, scolding, "Now how many times do I have to tell you?!" Or Andrew raising his voice to Morgan, thinking that shouting will actually resolve the conflict.

I know where they get it from. All of it, the good and the bad. And I am so thankful to be their teacher.

so proud

Morgan is officially a preschool pro. And I couldn't be happier.

Today was the first day of 4-year-old preschool. And amidst the paparazzi of parents with their cameras and video rolling (oh my), she was just fine.

As Andrew and I waited in the hallway with her, taking in all the chaos around us, I slid my back down the wall and crouched next to Morgan. I gave her a squeeze with my one free arm and she said to me, "I'm a little bit nervous." Another hug later and the door opened to her classroom. It was time. A few more anxious hugs and kisses, and that was it.

No tears. No looking back.

When Andrew and I got back in the car, Morgan's theme song was playing on the iPod. I was so pumped and grateful and thought, "Nope, she's not afraid. Thank you, Lord!"

When we got home and settled into lunch, Morgan said, "When am I going to four-year-old preschool?" I explained that's exactly where she was this morning.

"But it's the same as last year."

Huh.

"Well, yes, it's very similar. But you now go three days instead of two, and you start at 8:30 instead of 9:00. You'll learn a few different things and get to have more special opportunities than you did last year. So it's not exactly the same."

And that was good enough for her.

Young but now I’m older
Never have I seen the righteous forsaken
Believe in what You told me
You would always hold me
Safe in the palm of Your hand

Even though I go through the valley
of the shadow I’m not forgotten
And I’ll never let a day go by my my
Lemme shout it from the mountain

I just wanna say, I’m not afraid
I know that You are with me, always
I give you praise for every day
I know You’ll never leave me, no way

Said You’d never leave me
Said You won’t forsake me
Never leave me lonely
Surely I believe it.

birthday boy

Andrew thoroughly enjoyed the recognition of his birthday on Friday. Saving the special cake for Saturday's festivities, we stuck two candles in a chocolate chip cookie bar. He loved it.

Andrew's family party was Saturday. Both sets of grandparents were in attendance along with some great-grandma's and Uncle Brian. And Skyping along with us were Aunt Sarah, Uncle Doug, Luke, Aunt Kelsey and Uncle Joel. Fun!

Showing us his black tongue from the tire he ate.

After dessert, it was the Morgan and Andrew Show.

It was a beautiful evening outdoors. We are so thankful for all the family that celebrated Andrew with us. He is one blessed boy.

two years

Dear Andrew,

Happy birthday, buddy! I'm finding it difficult to believe that you are celebrating your second birthday today. As the baby of our family, it's hard to think of you as a toddler or even our little boy. But as the calendar clearly shows, you are in fact two years old.

I know I don't give you a fair shake at your age, mostly because I give too much thought to what it was like to parent Morgan at the same age. But over the last year, I've realized in so many ways that you are nothing like, nor will you ever be, your sister. Thinking about the similarities and differences only hinders my enjoyment of who you are and who God created you to be.

You, Andrew Scott, are a special person all your own! Your deep brown eyes add so much to your already bright expressions. The way your giant smile changes the shape of your face makes it impossible not to grin right along with you. Likewise, your times of sadness are just as intense as you sit firmly planted on the floor, right or wrong, to shout out your frustrations until I acknowledge your misery. I can't quite decide in those moments if you're strong-willed or just a mama's boy who isn't getting his way.

Much of your frustration stems from your inability to communicate with us. Last spring we visited our county's speech therapy program to discover that your capacity to form words was lacking. In just the past month, though, you've shown amazing progress, using over 20 words to express your thoughts, and most recently, combining your sweet, soft-spoken "Hiya" and "Dada" to greet Daddy after work. I've been wondering for so long what your speaking voice would sound like, and I am elated to hear you mutter words here and there. True to your personality, you will do this on your terms in your own time.

It's evident now more than ever who you really are, what you enjoy, what makes you tick. Cars and trucks are your passion, and your first order of business every morning is hauling out your collection onto the living room floor. Thursday mornings in our neighborhood are thrilling, too, as you hear the garbage, compost and recycle trucks rumbling their way to our street. And from your seat in the van, you'll shout "Momma!" when you spot a motorcycle, semi or other unusual vehicle in the distance, followed by a "Bah Jah!" (big truck!). As I glance in the rearview mirror, I can see your eyes and mouth wide open with excitement.

You have given me a true perspective on toddlerhood this year. At just 14 months old on our weekly shopping trip, you pulled jar of sauerkraut from the shelf at the grocery store. I felt so defeated in that moment. Not upset or mad or surprised. Just disappointed with myself that I didn't anticipate this happening. Why didn't it occur to me that you were capable of doing that? That your curious hands would eventually latch onto a glass jar and pull it to the ground? My go get 'em grocery attitude was instantly squashed as the horrid smell filled the aisle.

I've also learned that I need to start thinking like a little boy if I'm going to survive as your mom. Case in point? Last Spring, we hauled out the plastic picnic table. Thinking you'd know just what to do, Daddy and I set it down and then turned to finish bringing out more summer gear from the shed. I glanced back to find that instead of sitting, you had conquered the picnic table, standing tall on it's top with a grin of accomplishment, me running towards you full of surprise that you'd even think to climb it. Silly me. I realize now that I should have known better.

I've improved since then at anticipating your moves and grown more tolerable of your actions and reactions. And while you do have moments of rowdiness and unpredictability, I still adore your soft side, Andrew. Often it's me who puts the finishing touches on your bedtime routine. And those few minutes together are very special to me as we cuddle into the rocker and recount the day's events. With our eyes locked and your thumb in place, I sing the same songs and recite the same prayer that we've shared since the very beginning. This is one of the only times during the day that you are content in the stillness, and I soak it all in before giving you a final kiss and putting you in the crib.

Our relationship is special, but so is the one you have with Daddy. He's the one who can squash an afternoon tantrum with a simple phone call, who can make you beam when he pulls in the driveway, who can embrace your energy with running and wresting. The love and affection that he consistently shows you will impact you someday, more than you realize. His example of fatherhood in our daily family life assures me that decades from now, you, too, will fall into that role effortlessly.

In the meantime, you continue to work intentionally on your relationship with Morgan. Lately it appears that instead of trying to emulate her, you'd rather just annoy her. You had me fooled for quite a while, thinking you were the victim. But I've witnessed you swiping a toy from Morgan's turf and then pausing, waiting for the big reaction, ready to spew "MINE!" while she wails and puts on the show you've hoped for. Aside from "Momma", that possessive word is one of the most used in your vocabulary.

Thankfully there are still tender moments between the two of you. Even though you refuse to hold Morgan's hand, I do catch you both shoulder to shoulder on the couch. And sharing the giggles still happens quite often, too. As a parent, it's very rewarding to watch your children enjoy each other's company, and I imagine that won't change for Daddy and I as you age.

I still cannot wrap my head around you growing up. On your birthday especially, when I remember the events of two years ago, it's much easier for me to relive the joy than think about the changes that will come and the independence that you will gain. Imagining you as an older, wiser Andrew is difficult for me. But we have a loving God that we trust in all things. He has an amazing plan and purpose for your life. One that I cannot even begin to predict. And so I simply remind myself how precious you are in His sight. And in ours.

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

Psalm 139: 13-14

Happy birthday, Andrew.

All my love,

Momma

sweet relief

Last week's break from the heat was wonderful. No longer were we cooped up in the air-conditioning. Instead the kids and I spent many afternoon hours outdoors - a welcome change from the oppressive temperatures of July. It was glorious.

I grabbed the camera on Friday afternoon to capture all the fun. Andrew got the raw end of the deal with the wagon, but managed to pull Morgan all by himself. Impressive.

Every now and then I'd see Morgan turn around and holler,

"Come on, Andrew! Follow me!"

One of Andrew's favorite things to do is drive and park cars.



better with age

It's amazing how slowly change can happen. As I look at the threads hanging off the edges of the bathroom towels, I wonder when they started unraveling in the first place. The pots and pans have seen better days, and the non-stick surface that made for flawless cooking in the beginning is now flaking. (And I wonder, how far gone is too far for these to be safe??? I also wonder how I got roped into non-stick in the first place.) Some cereals bowls have been chipped, some drinking glasses have broken. Things that were new seven years ago are now showing signs of age.

Are we?

I know we're a little more weathered than we were in 2004. A few more wrinkles around the eyes and pounds around the middle. We each have age spots and blemishes that tell a story. And I think you'd agree that my grays are much easier to spot. Yes, we've aged.

But unlike the gifts that were given to us seven years ago, we haven't lost our place. The original towels are now designated for car washes and cleaning. The pans exchanged one at a time. The glass recycled. But not us.

Instead of being tossed because of our flaws, we're more comfortable. More in sync. We still stack up perfectly, just like the cereal bowls, regardless of how many chips or runs through the dishwasher.

Thanks for loving me regardless. Can't wait to see how long the duvet cover lasts ;)
Happy anniversary.

whatta ya know

So my degree in Broadcasting really did come in handy after all these years. Go figure. I spent much of this week working on this video to share with our church's congregation at three services this weekend. Inspired by others online and a super sounding-board, Amanda, I think it came together pretty well. Whew!

where are those lazy, hazy days

I've found myself surprised lately about how full our calendar has been this summer. As a mother to a preschooler and a toddler, I mistakenly assumed that the majority of our days during these warm months at home would be spent in the yard, playing on the swingset, standing at the water table, chalking the driveway and cruising around the block.

Instead we've been on the go nearly every weekday morning, linking up with friends at the park, running errands or borrowing more books from the library. There hasn't been much opportunity for boredom to set in as we scurry home from our morning's adventure to eat lunch and then settle in for quiet and nap time. The kids have enjoyed our random playdates and the newness that each day brings.

But combined with weekend plans, summer travel, book club hosting and MOPS responsibilities, there isn't much time to be free. At least for me. I've been compelled to use my down time to play catch up. And clearly blogging hasn't been a priority.

So what have we been up to these days?

Well, there was the wedding of Scott's college roommate. Fun night out that brought back memories. And what a treat to see the groom so full of joy.

The Independence Day weekend was enjoyed in and around St. Louis. I've spent my life traveling to the motherland every three years to be reunited with dear family, and as is tradition, we attended for my eleventh time. While every road trip is quantified by how long it takes to get to Grandma M's (because "that's a really long trip, Mommy"), the kids did fairly well being trapped in the van, occupied with a handful of DVD's on a player loaned from a friend, a pile of books and other random toys.

It's different attending as a parent to young children, but farm life on the original homestead kept Morgan and Andrew busy, despite the intense heat. And as I've mentioned before HERE and HERE, our time together as a family is cherished. We visit as if it's been days, not years.

Represent! Pictured here is our one branch of the large family tree (several twigs and leaves missing), stemming from my maternal grandfather.

Most recently was a bridal shower for Kelsey. Morgan and I attended while the boys stayed at home. After driving home from St. Louis just three days earlier, this jaunt to the west side was a breeze and put things in perspective!

We had a delightful afternoon with delicious food and good company. And of course, celebrating Joel and Kelsey's pending nuptials. With only one brother, this is a first for our family - weddings, and all that go with them, are much different when you're on the groom's side. But Kelsey and her family have been nothing short of wonderful and we are looking forward to their special day.

I love this picture of Kelsey and Morgan, but unfortunately, Morgan is giving her "silly eyes" look.

And there you have the last few weeks in a nutshell.

Now it's on to the next set of plans and responsibilities!