New Pics

Pictures from the Icthus campground. The boys love to play there, and I think Eric has taken them almost every morning since I've been in classes. He really just asked me to post something to cover up his belly picture. He was tired of seeing it every time he opened the blog page.

Jess's competition

For those of you who haven't seen Josh and Jess's blog, you have to go there first for this one to make sense, but Jess, Eric says he's got you beat. :)

First Wreck- No Injuries

You'll notice Isaiah telling on Micah. He jumped out of the car before he could be implicated.

Micah experienced his first wreck today. The Corvette and Micah are both fine. The little yellow Corvette has gotten plenty of use (abuse) so far this summer, and it's still running strong. Fortunately it doesn't really go fast enough to do much real damage- just a few squashed lillies.

Future Blogger

Growing Up

Eric sent me this picture while I was in class today. You don't think he might be grooming his son for a particular sport maybe?

















Overheard this morning...


I'm in the bedroom getting ready, the boys are all eating breakfast. Eric is in the shower.


Elijah: Micah, when I'm 11 years old, you'll still only be like 7 or something.


Micah: I'm getting big too Ewijah!


Elijah: Yeah, but you'll never be as big as me.


Micah: Yes I will. I went off the diving board.


Elijah: No you didn't. I jumped off the diving board. You had to have the teacher help you.





Micah: I DID DO IT! I DID EWIJAH! I JUMP OFF THE DIVING BOARD! Hmmmph!


There is a tense silence and I can just hear Micah's blood boiling. Elijah is well aware of Micah's low boiling point and takes full advantage. The thought crosses my mind to go out to the kitchen and intervene before Micah ends up throwing his Cheerios at Elijah. I'm glad I didn't though because here's what I heard next.





Elijah: Let's not argue Micah. Here, look at my Bible Man magazine with me.


Micah: OK Ewijah OK.


I can hear the smile in Micah's voice, and I'm so proud of Elijah for seeing that he had pushed his little brother far enough. One of those lovely sunny moments in a parent's day when you feel like you might be doing something right.

The Newest Crisp- With a Haircut

Here he is, Harley Earl.

Elijah really didn't like Harley's haircut at first, but he says he's getting used to it now. When I first brought him home Elijah said, "Mommy, I don't think Nana would like it."

Sunday Afternoon Fun

Just thought I'd share our little Sunday afternoon creativity this week. It continues to amaze me how their personalities shine through so vividly when we sit down to create something.

Elijah can't wait to start painting. He requests specific colors, paper, and paintbrushes, but once he gets all of the materials in front of him, he freezes. "Mommy, what should I make?" "Whatever you want buddy. It's your chance to just create something you like."

He decides on a thin red line of paint, looks at it with disappointment, and asks, "Mommy, can I have your paintbrush instead?" Apparently after looking at my painting he thinks that he can be more effective if he uses my brush.

"Sure, we can trade, " I say. He tries again. This time he makes some dots then sits back, again discouraged by the fact that his picture just won't mirror the complexities of his vivid imagination.

After painting contentedly for 5 more minutes or so, he makes up a story about his series of dots and lines and proudly announces that it is finished. I of course enthusiastically affirm his efforts and proudly hang his art on the fridge.

Isaiah comes in next. He prefers to sit on my lap while he paints and chooses a brush and color indiscriminately. Being 2, I think he really just prefers the textures and motions of painting. He loves to squish his chubby fingers into the splotches of paint on his paper, swirling them around. He too ends up with a series of swirls and lines and stays engaged about as long as Elijah did.

Micah joins the painting party last, but when it comes to art, the boy has stamina. Elijah and Isaiah had gone outside to play, so Micah sat alone at the table. I was unable to participate as fully WITH Micah as I did with Elijah and Isaiah since I was starting to make dinner, but he almost seemed to prefer it that way. I'd stop by the table between potato peeling and mixing to affirm his efforts and he barely acknowledged me prefering instead to focus on filling every square millimeter of the top of his page. He painted contentedly for as long as the other two boys combined.

Here is a picture of all three pieces of artwork on our fridge. See if you can guess who made what?

New Tents

Thanks for our new tents Grammie. We are having so much fun in them on our deck. We're really trying to convince Daddy or Mommy to sleep out here with us, but it hasn't worked yet.
Love, The boys

New Family Member

We added a dog back into the Crisp mix. Now we are fivecrispsandadog for real again. Harley came home with us from Nana and Papa's and he's been doing great. Here he is in the van on the way home with us. We'll get a better picture up after his hair cut tonight. The DVD player is behind him on top of a basket and he's sitting on top of his cage in the van.

Memorial Day

Here is our most recent pic of the cousins. This was Memorial Day weekend at Nana and Papa's house. We, of course, had a wonderful time visiting and the kids enjoy each other so much. We all noticed that we didn't have to break up any major fights the whole time we were there except for the occasional scuffle between siblings which happens even when we're not all together.
Left to right we are- Isaiah, Olivia, Esther, Micah, Garrett and Elijah

Isaiah's Birthday- Little late

Isaiah did turn 2 a while back... April 29th. For some reason I missed blogging about it, but he had a Sunday School class picnic for his birthday party. :) We opened presents before church that morning.
Isaiah is such a special little guy. We love his energy and independence. His nickname lately has been Houdini as he can escape from any room, seatbelt or door- regardless of the locks and safety precautions we try to put in place. He is an adventurer. He is not a baby any more and wants to make sure we are all aware of how big he is. While he rushes to be big like his brothers one minute, he is content to curl up on your lap and rock for an hour the next (if he's really tired). We love you Zay!

Mr. Independence and Gardening

Cassie and I are planting a garden at their horse farm! So far we have, 9 tomato plants, 2 rows of corn, and one green pepper plant. Half of it will be vines- watermelon, canteloupe and zuchinni, the other half green beans, corn, spinach, lettuce and tomatoes. Anyway, the boys and I packed up our gardening and water fun items and headed over to their house at around 4:30 this afternoon. The boys entertained themselves with very few interventions from mom for a whole hour in the water, dirt and mud. We ate with Mr. Tom and Ms. Cassie, and then went back to the dirt for another hour where they were almost as well entertained. I kicked myself for not bringing a camera, but where in the world do you put a camera when everything is wet or muddy. Imagine three little boys, covered in mud, climbing into a round rubermaid tub full of freezing water, laughing their heads off, then jumping out again only to go role in the dirt and repeat the process. Needless to say we were all pretty dirty when we got home.

Snack, soap and stories and everyone was in bed,(Eric is at a track meet), so I decided to take a bath. I left the TV on CBS, ready to watch CSI as soon as I was done. I stepped out of the bathroom looking forward to a new episode only to find Isaiah. He is sitting on the coach with the remote control in his right hand, his cup in his left, and on TV...not CSI (thank goodness) but Larry Boy. He had climbed on top of the table by the TV, put the movie in the VCR himself and climbed up on the coach to enjoy a late night movie. One of those times when it took everything in me not to laugh.

Test

Doctrinal Symposum Article

It is June 1st, 2007 at Wesleyan Headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana. Comfortable, padded executive style chairs are tucked neatly behind professional looking tables. All seats face the front of the room where a simple wooden podium appears to be the main attraction. Not exactly a setting conducive to frivolity, but there is certainly the sense that something significant is about to take place here.
While sampling the chocolate covered cream puffs and fresh strawberries at the refreshment table, I glance around-albeit somewhat nervously- and quickly ascertain that I will be representative of at least one and probably two minority groups this weekend. Gentlemen in shirts, ties and expensive looking shoes gather in groups of three or four, shaking hands vigorously, obviously enjoying the opportunity to reacquaint themselves with each other. Feeling rather female and young, I occupy myself with the fruit at the table, and breathe a little sigh of relief upon noticing a former professor whom I feel certain will at least recognize me. A brief conversation later my confidence is renewed, and I am ready to participate as fully as any middle-aged male theologian- well, except of course for the fact that I am not a middle-aged male theologian but a twenty something, female educator- minor differences though right? I’m sure they have their insecurities too right?
Internal pep talk complete, I scan down through the agenda for the day’s activities, and let out a little poof of relief as I notice that I am not alone. There are several women in attendance and even one woman presenting a response. I also look around to notice a few heads of full, thick hair dotting the crowd of slightly thinning, graying coiffeurs. A closer inspection of the group’s shoes reveals a pair of flip-flops, some Doc Martens, and several pairs of tennis shoes. Definitely breathing more easily now.
Despite the age, gender and cultural differences that exist between some of us, it quickly becomes apparent that our purposes are like-minded. What do Wesleyan scholars and pastors have to say about the church- ecclesiology? Topics to be discussed will range from historical perspectives on John Wesley and what he had to say about ecclesiology, to signs, wonders and the miraculous.
We find seats promptly, and from my inconspicuous vantage point in the back row I am able to observe most participants. Suddenly struck by the number of years of ministry and years of theological study represented in this room, insecurities creep in yet again. Most of these gentlemen have been experiencing and discussing the things of God longer than I’ve been alive, and I find myself questioning again, “Why am I here?”
Good question. I’m a teacher. My school year has just ended. I’m without students for only 18 hours before throwing myself into yet another academic setting. It’s summer vacation. I have 3 small children. I don’t have a vast understanding of theology to begin with. What could I possibly gain from this weekend? What was I thinking? Where is the closest exit?
Presenters and responders approach the podium one after another, reading their scholarly papers to an eager, attentive, contemplative audience. With individual copies of papers in hand, we copiously take notes, underline key phrases and jot down questions. I am impressed immediately by the courage it must take for these presenters to share their views. Reading and having ones work scrutinized by some of these Princeton or Harvard educated theological minds could cause, I would think, butterflies in the stomachs of even the most seasoned veterans. Doubts creep in. “How challenging will their content really be? Will they really risk offending anyone in such a setting? Will the information really even be of any use to those in local church ministry?”
One after another, my doubts are overcome by a growing sense of- call me crazy- exhilaration. I know. Exhilarating is to be reserved for things like roller coasters and bungee jumping, not doctrinal symposia. I’m such a nerd. But let me try to explain.
These people are sharing challenging beliefs about what it means to be the church God wants us to be. They are not simply affirming the traditions of the past. They are not content to waffle between opposing views in an effort to please everyone. They are not predicting the unavoidable demise of the church because of those young people who are corrupting what we’ve established. They are not devising new ways to ruin all our fun. For several years, I have been a party to and at times (I confess) a participant in conversations among pastors and ministry students of my generation and younger, who feel that the older generations do not hear them.
Inevitably, late at night over a box of leftover pizza crusts and bottles of flat, half-empty Mountain Dew, the conversation will turn to something like this:
“Yea, I just wish they (the old people) wouldn’t be so slow to make changes.”
“Seriously. People and teens today just aren’t who they were 75 years ago.”
“I know. They (old people) just don’t get us (young people), and they’re going to lose us.” Followed by solemn, downcast stares, head shaking and… pouting. Don’t get me wrong. We are well meaning, full of passion ministers of the gospel who are doing great things, but a very important point is being affirmed for me here this weekend.
Events continue, we break into small groups to discuss, and this is what I hear. “They” are encouraged by the desire for our churches to look different from the world. “They” ARE willing to be flexible, espousing the same kind of “evangelical pragmatism” that Wesley first brought to our tradition. “They” are open to changes in our worship. “They” do believe in the truly miraculous. “They” do see the essential nature of true community. “They” do want to see women as leaders and pastors in our churches. “They” do want our congregations to represent a variety of cultures, ethnicities and languages. What “we” often interpret as rigidity and an unwillingness to “get with the times” could be in reality the wisdom of experience; it is patience; it is waiting on the Lord, and many times it is right and good.
I begin to notice that “they,” even the really old “theys,” are encouraged by some of the passions of our generation. Would it hurt us to take our time a little? Really think before we speak? Read? Discuss? Pray? I’m not saying we neglect these things completely, but in our instantaneous culture, what feels like adequate time to “us” may simply not be adequate.
Am I saying that we shouldn’t be urgent in our cause(s)? Absolutely not. I’m only asserting that if we expect change to come, we have got to stop whining over pizza crusts at conventions and start attending doctrinal symposia. We need to be involved in district conferences and, yes, meetings- meetings of all shapes and sizes. We need to write letters that aren’t angry or critical. We need to read authors from generations before us. We need to present well thought out, supported views without expectation of immediate acceptance and response. We need not get offended when change takes time- it’s nothing personal. We need to maintain a spirit of unity that respects the views of all generations, framing our desires and passions for our futures by the rich traditions and legacy of our denominational past. As for me, I walk away exhilarated knowing that I can continue to be involved in this dialogue for years to come. I can take these ideas home, read the papers with friends and family and continue the conversation. I walk away proud of who we are in the Wesleyan tradition and anxious to see what we will make of our future.

Elijah at Five

You are 5 years old now;
We are struck daily by your
Thoughtful character
Always contemplating, analyzing, connecting
Remembering.
This morning, I’m rushing to get everyone in the van,
You and I almost collide at the corner of the walkway and the driveway. I don’t see you in my rushing.
You grab the corner of my shirt and pull me back to you, wrapping your arms around my legs for the briefest moment, reminding me:
“Mommy, I love you,” and you dash off to the van.

You love to play harmless tricks on us,
Giggling wildly as you not-so-secretly stash a toy transformer on my chair before dinner- barely able to contain the anticipated moment of Mommy sitting on the toy.
And your laughter is such a gift- not terribly frequent,
But when it does bubble up
It comes from somewhere deep inside you-
Joy.

You love and hate with passion.
You love your green checked button up church shirt. You’ve worn it every Sunday for the past 2 months- since Easter when Nana gave it to you. You hate every other church shirt.
You love sleeveless T-shirts because, “they show people my muscles, Mommy.” You’ve refused to wear anything else since summer began.
You hate change- any change.
Even changes most kids wouldn’t mind, you abhor.
“They’re all out of strawberry, do you want to try a chocolate shake instead?”
“No Mommy! I only like strawberry!”
Of course, how could I even suggest such a thing.
“Hey, do you want to try T-Ball or soccer this summer?”
“No! There would be people I don’t know.”
Silly me. Why would we want to get to know new people?
A new church and new home in Kentucky? We’ve been here for a year and you still call Indiana our “real home.”
Flexibility is coming- in the small things
Over time and with patience.
You teach us so much about
Slowing…
down…

You delight in all things pretend;
When you become Spiderman for the day- we must address you as such. Usually, I am also Spiderwoman and Daddy is your accomplice, the Green Lantern.
Your imagination is your favorite toy.

You are protective of your brothers, especially Isaiah. You generally get along well with them-
Jumping, running, climbing, moving
As though motion were the life source of your being.
You love to participate in family life
Doing your chores eagerly-
Making your bed, feeding the dog, cleaning up your dishes
We rarely have to remind you.
You thrive on routine and you want to know the plan
You are always thinking ahead
Always thinking
Always.
This is you at 5,
Elijah Garret Crisp.

Our Little Creative Team

The boys were quiet- eerily quiet this afternoon in the backyard while I was cooking dinner. I kept peaking out at them to make sure they hadn't tied each other up, and they were all contentedly playing in the "clubhouse." I couldn't imagine what was keeping all three of them so occupied, but I wasn't about to interrupt.

Curiosity finally got the best of me though and I'm glad I went out to check it out. Here's the story.


"Mommy, we were eating our snacks in the clubhouse and we saw a ladybug climbing next to the slide." See below.















"So me and Micah decided to build a trap for the bug. We're using our snacks to make the bug climb into the trap. Mommy, what's that called?"

"What's what called?"

"You know, the stuff you use to get something to come into your trap."

"The bait?"

"Yeah the bait."

"See it works like this." At which point Elijah proceeded to show me how the toy wooden ironing board leg he had propped up on the wall would swing back and forth to apparently catapult any offending bugs out of the clubhouse.

They were using Rice Krispies and bread crumbs for bait. Elijah had originally come inside to get a heal of bread to feed the birds and Rice Krispies to feed himself, but apparently both made better bug food except that....

What was Isaiah doing through all of this?...

Eating the bait of course!

Crack

We're at Nana and Papa's on our way back to Kentucky from Missouri, and the boys were enjoying themselves decorating cupcakes and eggs for Easter. Notice anything HILARIOUS about the above picture? Yup, that's our son and his saggy pants. He refuses to wear them up where his waist is supposed to be. Anyway, when Elijah saw the picture tonight on the computer, he cracked up laughing, and before any of us said anything, he said, "I'm Master Cracker!" Where he came up with that, we'll never know, but we haven't seen him laugh that hard in a long time.

Missouri Trip

Cassie and Tom invited us to Cassie's parent's house in Missouri for spring break. The boys had a wonderful time in the pool and at Runge Nature Center in Jefferson City. Thanks Tom and Cassie, we had a blast!

Papa and Isaiah Chillin

I just like this picture of Isaiah chillin with his Papa.

Construction

Daddy and Papa built our playhouse! While Nana and Papa visited to help with the patient, Daddy and Papa built the playset Grampie gave us for Christmas. The boys are definitely enjoying it. Papa, you need to post a finished picture. I don't have one yet.

Ant problem

With the lovely warm weather we had two weeks ago, we also received a visit from an ant colony. Terro works wonders!

Elijah's Illness pictures

I finally got our pictures uploaded. Here is Elijah the day after his tonsilectomy.

Tonsilectomy

Elijah is recovering well. Thanks so much to family and friends who called or sent cards. We appreciate your thoughts and prayers. Times have certainly changed since Eric and I had our tonsils out 20 years ago. Total time in the hospital with Elijah before, during and after surgery= 4 hours. That's it.

The hardest part was waiting with him in our pre-procedure cubicle. Our spot was a small curtained area in a large room where about a dozen of these curtained cubicles house patients both waiting for surgery and those who have just come out. Needless to say there was plenty of crying to be heard from the families around us, mostly babies who had gotten tubes put in, but that made him a little nervous. They took him back to the operating room in a wagon, which was good because otherwise I'm sure they would have had to drag him kicking and screaming. He just kept asking to go home.  Watching him roll away in the wagon was heartbreaking, but I held it together for his sake until he was out of sight.

The actual procedure takes about 30 minutes, and we were summoned back from the waiting room to help him come out of the anesthesia. They had me sit in a recliner and put Elijah on my lap while he came out of his sleepy fog, and it wasn't a gentle awakening. He was disoriented, confused, scared and emotional, but it was so good to be able to comfort him.  I was thrilled that they let me hold him during this time.  I can't imagine how scary it would be for a child, coming out of anesthetic alone on a bed. He fell asleep in my lap in recovery for about 30 minutes and when he woke up he was completely focused on getting out of there and getting home as quickly as possible. He wanted the IV out of his arm and his pants and his shoes on. He was incredibly thirsty and drank two juice boxes and a glass of water while we were at the hospital and was very scared that they had left cotton balls in his throat (which they or course hadn't, but that's what it felt like to him).

That afternoon he did a lot of sleeping while Papa and Daddy worked on building the play set in our back yard. Since then he has been gradually eating and drinking a little more each day. They gave us pain meds, but we're sticking to Tylenol because after one dose of the stronger stuff, he was miserable.  He just cried at everything for no reason.  He said his throat didn't hurt but he just felt like crying and didn't know why.  He asked not to have that pink medicine again.  The first night of sleep was a little rough but they warned us to get him to take small drinks every time he wakes up at night for the first 2-3 nights as it's the dryness of the incisions that is most irritating to the throat.

AND, I'm also thrilled to report, that after only a week, he is sleeping so MUCH better at night.  No more waking up every hour or two.  He seems more rested and alert already.  Woo hoo!

Couples Retreat

Spouse and family ministries at the seminary sponsor a couples' retreat every year. We've been looking forward to it since we first heard about it, and everyone we've talked to who has gone in previous years has told us to make sure we sign up. We went out to dinner with the Summers' and Jacksons but unfortuntately didn't have our camera with us at the time. Next was a fun filled evening of ballroom dancing back at the hotel with a live band. They even taught us a few dance steps and Eric danced.. really well.
Our friends Tom and Cassie ended up looking like our twin couple for the evening, and we really hadn't planned to match. Rachel, between Cassie and I, is married to one of the band members and he is the worship minister at our church. We have all become good friends in our new Wilmore home.
Here's a little snapshot of the dance floor. It looks pretty sparse in this picture, but there were definitely songs when the dance floor was full.... of seminary students.... dancing. Does that seem strange to anyone else? Strange or not, it was a lot of fun and I think I've got Eric convinced to take ballroom dancing lessons someday.

Elijah's Birthday

No one has to tell Elijah to say "cheese." What he's really thinking is, just get this picture part over with so we can eat the cake.
Elijah wasted no time unwrapping his presents, and they really were in a gift bag too, not just the Walmart sack.
A Batman car and...
A Batman helmet, kneepads and elbowpads that Isaiah is modeling for everyone. Also included- the Spiderman sunglasses. We are ready for spring.

Elijah's Prognosis...

Obstructive Sleep Apnea. He's scheduled for surgery on March 15th to have his tonsils and adenoids removed. We've been pretty straight with him about the fact that it's going to hurt for a while, but that he'll be able to sleep better and feel better in the end. He keeps trying to see his tonsils in the mirror and doesn't seem too worried. Dr. Pruden, his ENT, has an awesome office so that made him feel better. The examining table is a fire truck and there are Sesame Street characters painted all around the room. They also have a Buzz Lightyear room with a rocket ship table. He has already reserved that room for our next visit.

Sawing Logs

I know it may be mean but we just couldn't help ourselves. Elijah snores like a freight train and the doctor says they are probably going to take out his tonsils and adenoids. So turn up your sound and enjoy the sweet sounds of sleeping. (I would just like to say that Erin took the video and just had me put it up because I do the "video stuff" so don't blame me as the "mean" parent)

You can also take a look at a news story about kids and snoring.
"http://www.youtube.com/v/MxXuYzRbhJE">

Micah sing "Happy Birthday" to himself...someone has to...

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Micah's Birthday with pictures

Micah is such an anomaly. Most kids can't wait to dig into their birthday presents. Not Micah. He is a stop and smell the roses kind of guy, first admiring the Thomas on the outside of the bag, then chatting for a minute about what might be inside.
Finally when his brothers started to close in like vultures, he decided to look inside the bag. One thing he didn't want to wait for though was...

His cake. The boy loves his desserts! We had chocolate Lightening McQueen cupcakes. I know your mouths are watering right now.

Micah's Birthday

Happy 3rd Birthday to Micah today. I really tried to get some pictures on tonight, but alas, technology is not on my side tonight. Maybe I'll figure it out when I'm more awake tomorrow. Anyway, he had a lovely evening- chocolate cupcakes that we decorated ourselves and a Cars toy from mommy and daddy for his birthday. They had as much fun with the balloons as anything. Micah walked around singing, "Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me..." all evening. Humility is his gift. :)

New Friends

Mr. Tom and Ms. Cassie have become great friends of our family since our move to seminary life. Elijah recently started calling Mr. Tom "Uncle" Tom which is just fine with all of us. We all got to help Tom celebrate his birthday last weekend. The party was at their house, and we decided to try putting the boys to bed there, then bringing them home after the party. Surprisingly, they went to sleep pretty well in their sleeping bags on the floor, and then when we had to get them up to go home, they rode home in a sleepy fog and went right to sleep in their own cozy beds. Ahh the freedom of being able to spend an evening out with other adults without paying for a babysitter.

Isaiah has been talking more and more. His favorite words right now are "to infinity and beyond" only his sounds more like "ooo ifiiiiineeeee a eeeeooooon" and you can only really tell that's what he's saying when he's holding or pointing to a Buzz toy.

Micah is sick right now, and when he's sick everyone knows it. He isn't cranky or whiny, he just lays around, moaning, shivering and asking for tissues and movies. Poor little guy. He has also been picking up the Spanish that Elijah is learning at school. We have spanish word pictures on the fridge, and tonight at dinner he was pointing at them saying "hace frio" and he knew what it meant.

Elijah can't wait for his birthday on the 21st. 5th birthday is a big deal. It means he's no longer a toddler and its almost like he senses it, like he knows that 5 is really old. He loves superheroes of all kinds and asks often things like, "Is God bigger than Superman?" "Is Superman stronger than God?" Always thinking. He has also had lots of birth and death questions lately. He keeps us thinking. He got invited to his first school friend birthday party last week too. After some initial misgivings and a thorough conversation about the details of the event, he agreed to go and had a great time.

We've had two snow days this past week, and it is true that in Kentucky school gets canceled for almost any amount of snow. I'm not complaining though.

Reading Again

I'm not sure if it's because the boys are getting a little older and therefore are a bit lower maintenance than they were, or if it's because we're living in a college town where everyone reads a lot, but I've found myself rediscovering my joy for reading. I'd forgotten how much I enjoy reading about almost anything and everything, but especially about issues concerning women in ministry, post-modernism and the growth of the next generation of the church.

I recently finished reading a book given to me as a Christmas gift-Wanting All the Right Things by Shirin Taber. The overall theme of the book that stood out to me was the comparison the author made between American families and European families. Her view that American women have turned parenting into a competition was refreshing. She points out that at no other time in history have women and families been so ready and willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of our children's interests, and not necessarily for their best interests. Our families are over-committed, over scheduled and over-stressed. We have little time for casual socializing and building genuine relationships with other women. Ultimately our children will suffer from the absence of genuine relationship in our lives. Taber encourages her reader to initiate relationships with the wonderful women around us instead of signing the kids up for more activities. She reaffirmed for me that it is OK to let them watch a movie and eat ice cream while I can have a conversation with a neighbor for an hour. There was lots of other good stuff in there too.

Now I'm reading a book Eric had to buy for a class- The Web of Women's Leadership. It seems like the whole premise of the book will be women in leadership- more specifically church leadership- and how women lead differently from men. They authors of the book use the metaphor of a web style of leadership, contrasting it to the traditional hierarchical style of leadership used by men for generations. It looks promising too. I'll let you know.

Prayer Needed

Please pray for our friend, Josh Buck and his family. They have already suffered through tremendous loss in the past couple of years as they lost their 4 month old daughter very unexpectedly. Now Josh has been in a serious accident and needs our prayers for a full recovery. They could also use our financial support. To see details about giving and about how you can pray specifically, go to the Greenhouse Ministries website. www.greenhouseministries.org

Thank you friends.

Our New Home

Part of the reason we chose this house was because of the great shelves in this room and in our room. We made this into a toy room/office and put all of the boys in one room together. This is working really well for play time, but sleeping is still a bit of a struggle. They're improving though. All three of them are starting to play together really well, which is a nice breath of fresh air for mom and dad.














Our room has the same great shelves and the headboard and paint color matched our own things surprisingly well.











This is the other half of the toy room- the office half.


















This is the living room and the opening in the wall is to the kitchen/ dining area.

New Bunk Beds

Thank you Grammie and Great Grammie for our new beds!
We all got new Cars pillows since Micah got a new Cars comforter.
Who knew that bunk beds could provide so much entertainment?
This will probably be one of those pictures that gets pulled out at every graduation and wedding.

Elijah's picture of Mommy from the top bunk. Isaiah's crib and Elijah's lofted bed are behind me.