O, Christmas Tree!

Daniel and I have had repeated conversations about not touching the ornaments. However, if Daniel is alone with the Christmas tree for long, the temptation is usually too great for him. Today, he decided the lower ornaments were too humdrum. He wanted to investigate some higher ones, so in typical Daniel fashion, he found something to stand on and climbed up! When I caught him red-handed, he quickly got down and acted as if nothing was amiss.

Lottsa photos

Life has been pretty busy around our house lately. Christmas has snuck up on me again. How did it get to be the middle of December? What happened to November? With my obvious inability to monitor time, it is no surprise that I had a month or more worth of photos hanging out on my camera. I finally got around to downloading them this morning, and here are some of my favorites.

Daniel with his great-grandpa on Thanksgiving day.
They are good buds!

Daniel reading books with Grandpa Roger.

Preparing to kiss his cow. Don't you love those jammies?
Thanks, Aunt Sara!

Hanging out with Daddy.

He loves this bicycle helmet.
And he loves getting into places that he should not be.

Playing with Grandma Missy (or Mi-eeee as Daniel calls her).

Just adorable.

Celebrating with Uncle Jonathan at his college graduation!

Look at those handsome boys. What a pair!

And this last one might be my favorite photo ever. He looks so old with that backpack on...like he is heading out the door to kindergarten. Oh my soul!

Our sleepy saga

I have uttered many prayers for Daniel since he was born. My most frequent prayer usually has something to do with his health and safety. But a close second goes something like this: "Dear Lord, please let Daniel go to sleep!" Or this slight variation: "Dear Lord, please let Daniel stay asleep!"
Yes, friends, sleep has been a very precious commodity at our house for the past two years. Daniel has only slept through the night about a dozen times total (until now!). And I have slept through the night fewer times than that. Now, you can see why so many prayers regarding sleep have been sent heavenward.
We tried letting him cry it out on a few different occasions, and for one reason or another, it never worked. I finally decided that I would rock him until he was a teenager if I had to! All the trauma with sleep training just didn't seem worth it.
But, in recent weeks, the Lord had been giving me a plan...showing me strategies to use...and now we are putting it into action. On Wednesday, Brian set up a cot in Daniel's room right beside his bed. Instead of rocking him to sleep (which is the usual routine) I put him into the crib awake and laid down on the cot. That first night, he thought it was some kind of game. For the first 30 minutes, he jumped in bed, turned circles, and even attempted a few somersaults. Then, he realized this was no game and began to cry. It took almost an hour of tears, but he went to sleep by himself.
On night two, he skipped the goofing around and went straight to crying. It just about broke my heart, but we stuck to the plan. And one hour later, he was asleep. For the past two nights, he has not cried one bit and has fallen asleep within 30 minutes. And you know what else? He has slept through the night ever since we started the sleep training. Our progress astounds me! It seems too good to be true. I know we may have some setbacks, but I feel hopeful about his sleeping for the first time in forever. The prayers of my friends and family are helping us greatly. And I know that God has heard every single desperate prayer that I have uttered during these past two years.
Just last night, I read an article at the Baby Center website on sleep training. It discussed a method very similar to what we have done. There were many, many comments left by readers, the majority of whom were bashing the very idea of sleep training. Their main complaint was that it's cruel to let babies cry and that parents should be eager to hold and comfort their young ones. I can see this viewpoint. I really can. I love cuddling Daniel, and despite my great joy over his improved sleep, I miss rocking him. But, I really wasn't doing him any favors by always rocking him to sleep. I read somewhere that children who cannot soothe themselves to sleep get roughly an hour less sleep per night than those who can. It has definitely been true of Daniel. He was being deprived of precious sleep needed for his development, not to mention his demeanor. Since he is sleeping through the night, all of us are much happier. And I am beginning to feel human again too. I woke up this morning, and the first thing from my lips was the Hallelujah chorus! Hallelujah...Hallelujah ...Halleluja, Hallelujah, Hal-le-lu-jah!

Birthdays and other slippery slopes

You know, birthdays can be tricky things. My birthday was last week, and though I was blessed by the warm thoughts and actions of many people, I was still tempted to feel sorry for myself. Daniel had his annual allergy appointment that day, so we had to get up early, pack the car, and make the two hour trip to see our allergist. Then, we had to sit in a doctor’s office for several hours, while Daniel was examined and had blood drawn. It was wearing. It was stressful. It wasn’t what I wanted for my birthday. Several other circumstances added up to make that day and actually, that entire week difficult. During church yesterday morning, I just wanted to hang my head and cry.

What did I want for my birthday? Well, I wanted to feel special. I wanted to be pampered. I wanted to be free of responsibilities. I didn’t just want these things…I felt entitled to them. It was my one day of the year! Was it too much to ask? I brought these things before the Lord, and He did provide comfort, though not exactly in the way I expected. After reading my Bible and praying, this was the message I felt God was showing me.

I must have absolute confidence in His loving care. God loves me. He knows my heart’s desires. He can be trusted to meet my needs. At church my hymnal fell open to the song, God Will Take Care of You. If I believe that God will take care of me, then I am freed from the need to be selfish…to demand that my needs be met…to grasp for rest or fulfillment or whatever. If I believe He will take care of me, I am able to roll with the punches. I am able to take my eyes off myself, and place them on Jesus and His interests in others.

The other thing God pressed upon my heart was to praise Him. Praise is the fastest way into God’s presence. It reminds us of how awesome He is, how faithful He has been, and how much we have been given. It restores the right perspective to our hearts.

Earlier I mentioned that I felt “entitled” to special treatment because it was my birthday. I have found that you are on a slippery slope whenever you feel entitled to anything. All too often feelings of entitlement lead to feelings of disappointment or resentment. It helps me to remember that Jesus did not come to be served, but to serve. One of his last acts before the crucifixion was to wash the disciples’ feet. My Savior and King washed dirty, stinking feet. That kind of throws my “entitlements” out the window!

In truth, my birthday had many joyous things about it. I am so thankful for the caring family and friends that God has placed around me. I love you all!

Nothing is safe!

It's Snowing!

I always want the first snow of the year to fall on my birthday. I can't ever recall it happening, but this year it certainly got close. I hope some of this snow will be around tomorrow for my actual birthday! Look at the view from our front door this morning.
Daniel was so amazed by all the snow. I bundled him up good and we went out to play! At first he was a little disconcerted by the snow hitting his face. Then, he picked up a handful and took a bite. He really liked eating it for awhile (we steered clear of dirty snow), but then he found out it was fun to roll around in. He would run a little ways, then purposely fall down. It was a hoot to watch!
I thought these mums looked so pretty covered in snow.
Although I love the snow, I am dreading being cooped up in the house this winter. Daniel loves being outside so much! We might have to invest in some more farm toys. Those seem to be the one thing that truly keeps him occupied indoors. These photos below show him playing with Uncle Jonathan's farm toys at Grandpa and Grandma's house.
This child never ceases to amaze me with his knowledge of farm machinery. At the age of 18 months he could correctly identify a tractor, baler, sprayer, and combine (something I couldn't do until I was probably 20 years old). This fall we have ridden with my dad in the combine several times. Daniel has obviously paid close attention on these trips, because he set up the toys below all by himself. This is exactly how the real equipment is arranged out in the field.
Daniel says, "Beans, beans," and points to the auger, where the soybeans pour out. He's going to know more about the whole process than I do in about five minutes. Luckily, his daddy, grandpa, and uncle can quite capably take over his farming education.

Halloween photos

Daniel's favorite movie is Finding Nemo, so it seemed natural for him to be Nemo for Halloween. After unsuccessfully bidding on several Nemo costumes, I finally won one on eBay. (Don't you love how they call it "winning" when, in actuality, it just means you were willing to pay more than anyone else?) I was very thankful that the costume fit well and that he was willing to wear it! And, of course, we thought he looked absolutely adorable. I hope everyone had a happy Halloween!

My favorite time of year!

Those gorgeous fall days that I so dearly love have been few and far between this October. Instead rain and cold weather very reminiscent of late November have taken their place. However, earlier this week we did have a beautiful afternoon or two. Daniel and I made the most of it and spent lots of time outdoors. I snapped these photos as he played!

One hundredth post!

I started this blog exactly two years ago this October. I originally created it to help us keep connected with our family members and friends. It has become something of an online scrapbook, documenting Daniel as he grows and changes. It is also a place for me to post things God shows me, things happening around our home, and just any random thing that seems interesting to me! I usually have five or six blog posts floating around in my mind, but only a few actually make it out of my head and onto the computer.
In addition to this being the two year birthday of the blog, this is also my one hundredth post! Here is a photo journey through these past two years (and hundred posts) of our life.

This is me very pregnant with Daniel. Well, not very pregnant,
since I still had almost two more months to go.
December 2007

Daniel, only a few days old. I hardly remember him being so small!
February 2008

Daniel at 7 months and already a John Deere fan.
September 2008

His first Halloween. Moo!
October 2008

His first Christmas.
December 2008

Daniel's first birthday. See how he is holding up one finger!
February 2009

First trip to the pool!
July 2009

Daniel, at 20 months, taken yesterday.
October 2009

I've said it many times, but I'll say it again...time flies! How did my baby grow so fast? I am looking forward to see what the next hundred posts brings!

Happy birthday, brother!

Twenty-two years ago today, I became a big sister! Happy birthday, Jonathan.

You are a blessing to me and to many, many others. I pray for you much joy today and in the coming year. We love you!

Just Like Daddy

Daniel's favorite word is "Daddy!" He talks about his daddy all day long. He was staring off into space the other day, and I asked, "Daniel, what are you thinking about?" He looked at me, smiled, and said "Daddy!" I am sure he was.
Here are some photos of Daniel trying to be just like daddy.

Insisting on wearing Daddy's coat outside

Trying on Daddy's boots

Playing with his new tools...just like Daddy's

My stay-at-home story

A couple months ago, I ran across Amy’s blog at The Finer Things. I really enjoyed perusing her site, and I quickly became a regular there. She posts some excellent recipes and kitchen tips. We actually made her brown bag burritos last night, and I had her lazy granola for breakfast this morning. Yum! Recently, she has been doing a series called, “Mommy, Come Home.” I have been inspired and encouraged by the posts that she and other moms have written. She offered the opportunity for other moms to share their stay-at-home stories, so I decided to write mine. Here it is. And if you have time, click over to Amy’s blog and check out the entire series.

I always knew I would quit my job and stay home with our children. My mom had stayed home with my brother and me. My husband’s mom stayed home with him. My heart told me it was the right path for us. Even though I felt so assured about this, the road to staying home had its challenges. I like having a plan for everything, and my plan was to finish my master’s degree and work as a school counselor awhile before we had children. However, I was six months into my master’s program when I felt God’s nudge to have children. I awoke one morning with an amazingly vivid dream still in my mind. In the dream, a doctor was urging Brian and me to have children immediately. Now, I don’t usually put much stock into dreams, but I couldn’t get this one out of my mind. Over the next few weeks, things kept happening that seemed to shout “Have a baby now!” Finally, I committed the whole issue to prayer. Was this the Lord speaking to me or just a bunch of crazy coincidences? After several months and lots of prayer, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was time for us to have children. Convincing my husband took a little while, and then it took some time to get pregnant, but in February of 2008 our son Daniel arrived.

Becoming a new mother was a wonderful, yet exhausting experience for me. I never knew that my heart could hold so much love. The joy was great, but we had some trials too. Daniel was colicky and did not sleep much for weeks. Being at home with a crying baby all day, every day was challenging. I remember at one point sobbing and saying, “My life is no longer my own!” And then this thought came clearly into my mind: my life never was my own. It always has and always will belong to God. That revelation brought peace and perspective to my heart.

Daniel is now 20 months old, and he is a delightful toddler. He learns new things every day, and I have the joy and privilege of watching him develop. I would not trade this time for anything. ANYTHING. It doesn’t matter that the money is tight or that homemaking chores are sometimes monotonous. It doesn’t matter that my degree is still incomplete (though I am praying about how and when to finish it). What does matter is that I am following God and doing what is best for our family. I am so grateful to have this opportunity!

This is my story. Many mamas have different stories that are just as right and just as joyful. God is the only One who knows what your “right” story is. I pray you find it, and that you are blessed.

Tea party

A few weeks ago, Daniel got to play with some brightly colored, toy dishes that our Parents as Teachers leader brought to the house. He loved them! And I liked how they gave us an opportunity to pretend and to talk about different colors. So, I set out to find a similar set of dishes for Daniel. Wal-Mart had some, but they were pink and purple--not exactly what we wanted. My mom finally found a set on Ebay and snatched them up for us. We got to play with them for the first time this week, and Daniel had a blast!





We were having so much fun that we even invited my mom over for a cup of tea!

The book is available!

My mom is an author!!! Her first book, shown above, was released today! I already have a copy, and it is a beautiful book. Here is a snippet from the back cover:

My Mom Has Alzheimer's chronicles the inspirational and sometimes humorous adventures that Linda and her mother have shared together. One hundred readings provide Christ-centered coping strategies that will enable caregivers to find strength and hope in God. This very practical book includes:

• Daily readings that contain stories about caregiving and related Scriptures.
• Words of hope for caregivers.
• A question-and-answer section that addresses issues such as respite care, legal counsel, and choices related to long-term care.

This book has been a labor of love for my mom. I am SO proud of her! If someone in your life has Alzheimer's Disease or if you are a caregiver of any kind, I highly recommend this book. It will be a blessing to you. Check out my mom's website for more information about the book and about ordering a signed copy. The book is also available at Amazon and Christian Books (although it is cheapest at my mom's site).

Happy Birthday, Brian!

Here is a photo of Brian taken on his second birthday. What a cutie!


And here is another photo of Brian, this one taken on his thirty-second birthday with his not quite two year old son. And he is still a cutie!


We have been told many times that Daniel looks so much like me (or my brother). However, as I flipped through Brian's childhood photo albums, I realized that our little blond hair, blue eyed boy most certainly does look like his father. Compare these two photos and see what I mean!

Brian at around 19 months.

Daniel at around 13 months.

Same cheesy smile...same little nose...same adorableness. Happy birthday, Brian. You mean the world to us.