Dancing in the Minefields

The title of this post is actually the name of a song by Andrew Peterson. Here are a few of the lyrics:

And we're dancing in the minefields

We're sailing in the storms

This is harder than we dreamed but I believe

That's what the promise is for

That's what the promise is for

The link for the video and the whole song is here and is worth a look:

http://youtu.be/NtTa81LyuQM

This year has been one of tremendous change for our family. It hasn't all been "harder than we dreamed", but it has been a lot of change. We answered our calling to become Salvation Army officers and have completed our first year of training. Some of the changes felt overwhelming. Some were exciting. Some were sad. We have missed our life in Colorado tremendously. We miss our family and friends there. We have both been sad to leave the military life. Sometimes the homesickness has actually created a physical ache for me.

Some parts of our change this year have been great. We are learning a lot at Crestmont and I am realizing that I really like getting to work alongside Ryan in ministry. Our girls love school here. We have made some great new friends. One of the biggest blessings has been being close to family this year. Jenny and her husband George, and their kids, Anthony and Victoria live just a few minutes away in Long Beach. It has been really neat to be so close to them. And from December until June this year, Mom and Dad lived in San Pedro.

There's a lot of blogging to catch up on. It has been a busy year. I have been challenged, encouraged, blessed and excited to see where God is taking us. Sometimes it feels like Ryan and I are "dancing in the minefields" as we navigate this calling, our family and our future. I am reminded that God's promise to care for us is always true.

In My Daughter's Eyes

In my daughter's eyes, I am a hero
I am strong and wise, and I know no fear
But the truth is plain to see
She was sent to rescue me
I see who I want to be

In my daughter's eyes (Martina McBride)

Grace turned 9 yesterday and always on her birthday I think a lot about the gift she has been to me. God sent her at just the right time and I am so thankful that He sent her to us. Grace still loves art and is so creative. She is very passionate, which means good days are really good and hard days are really hard. She did great in 3rd grade- loving almost all of the subjects- except Science. She loves Zhu-Zhu pets, which are better for her mother than the tiny Polly Pockets from a couple of years ago. Her great wish in life is her own cell phone, which we aren't ready to give her yet. She loves having her nails done and is learning to put on make-up, which drives her Daddy crazy- especially because she is too pretty to need any make-up. Some of the pictures I am including are of her being enrolled as a Junior Soldier by Commissioner Swyers at our Rocky Mountain Congress last week. We are so proud of her and so privileged that she is part of her family. I pray every day that God protects her and that He helps me to be a good mother to her.

We Have These Moments

I was listening to "We Have These Moments" the other day in the car, and was finally inspired to get back to blogging. The repeated threats from Christie and Jen have also both been inspiration to get back at it.

I am amazed at how fast the moments fly by. Within the week, Grace will be finished with 3rd grade and Faith will be finished with Kindegarten. Andrew is well on his way to his 2nd birthday, Despite all of my attempts, these kids just keep getting bigger. This leaves me wishing I can find a way to slow things down just a little bit. I read somewhere recently that when you are talking about raising children "the days drag but the years fly by". This is true...somedays seem really long when we are starting with kids not wanting to get out of bed, a fickle 8 year old who thinks I don't know anything about hair or clothes, and finish the day with several choruses of "she hit me first, I don't like that dinner and I am not tired". But, on the other hand, I can remember vividly the first time I got to hold Grace, the first night of speed-rocking Baby Faith all night, and watching Andrew's sisters kiss him in the hospital.

So, we are working on holding these kids close, close, close while we have the chance, getting them ready for when we do have to let go and hoping (in the meantime) that we can find a way to slow the "Growing Up Clock" down just a little bit. Because I am afraid the moments we have really are slipping through my fingers like sand.

Andrew- 11 Months

Here we are...just a month away from Andrew's First Birthday. We are still having a lot of fun with him. He is pulling himself around on furniture and can walk with the help of his push toy. He can work out the sound of "da-da" but won't always say it when Ryan asks. I believe this is because he is waiting to talk until he can say "mama". In the last week or so, he has figured out how to open cabinet doors and drawers, which is a big help to me when he crawls around the living room opening the storage cabinets. He is still having a little bit of trouble with the concept of Peek-a-Boo- as you can see from the pictures. The picture of Andrew with his arms on his forehead is him playing peek-a-boo. We are still working on perfecting his peek-a-boo.

Also this month, Andrew is having to look for a new job. His working relationship with his mother is nearing an end because he won't do his part. Not only will he not help with any office tasks, he is now standing in his play yard and yelling at me, just so I will pick him up. He also throws his toys at me, just to get my attention. None of it is very helpful or productive in furthering the mission of The Salvation Army in El Paso County. So, we are working on what his next job will be. Hopefully something with more room to play and maybe even some other kids to play with.

All in all, we love this boy and are certain there are no other 11-month old boys named Andy cuter than him.

Faith is Five

"I knew when I met you an adventure was going to happen..." A.A. Milne

I came across this quote not too long ago and it fits perfectly as I describe Baby Faith. She has told me in recent days, "I am not a baby, but my name in my family is Baby Faith." Faith has been a wonderful adventure for us. She wants to know everything about everything and she wants to know it all now. Faith most certainly belongs to her mother in that she loves waffles, cookies, cake and candy. She is also like her mother in that she hates to get up in the morning and requires lots of coaxing, soft talking and cuddling before she can function in the morning. She is very passionate about everything and this same passion for jumping headfirst into things sometimes gets her into trouble. She loves to dance...for those of you that have not had the chance to see her dance, I hope you get to see it soon- it is awesome! She is catching on quick with reading and is settling in to kindergarten (after a somewhat shaky start).

Faith is so smart- she gives us a run for our money in the questions she asks. We recently explained that Papa was at a meeting trying to help figure out how to make sure kids all over the world have enough to eat. Faith asked why the rich people don't just pay for the kids to eat. Faith recently asked why God won't talk to her- she said,"I lie on my bed and talk and talk and ask God questions and He will never answer me". I said we hear from God through our Bibles, music, stories and nature and she said she still wants to hear His voice.

Her birthday week was a busy one this year- a pool party at the Y, starting kindergarten, getting her own Nintendo DS and going to camp for Family Camp. She had cake for her birthday party and then Grandma Laverty's brownies for her birthday. She said she would love it if her job was to eat frosting everyday.

I don't know why God chose me to be Faith's mother, but I am thankful everyday that she was given to us.

It's Hard to Let Go

Baby Faith has talked all summer about going to school. She has talked about learning to read, being dropped off, being the boss and many other wonderful things. Even the first couple of pictures show my Faithie excited and ready for school. Grace has also been looking forward to school- we dropped off school supplies last week and met their teachers and they were both seemingly ready to start school.

So imagine our surprise when we get to the school and first go to drop off Gracie. She put her arms tightly around me, buried her face against me and began to cry. She whispered that she didn't know anyone, then didn't want to let go. The principal walked by and asked if she could help- I told her Grace was just a little bit nervous. She found a girl from Grace's class and that girl introduced herself and walked Grace back into class. Grace said she would be alright, but still looked uneasy as Ryan and I walked around the corner to Faith's classroom.

At the doorway of the Kindergarten classroom, Faith suddenly stopped. She said she didn't want to go in. I assured her that yes, she did- kindergarten was going to be a lot of fun. Her teacher greeted her and said how pretty she looked and Faith still wouldn't let go of my hand. She kept whispering that she did not want me to leave and more specifically, she did not want us to leave her there. She said, "please, mama, I don't want to go to school". I promised her she would have fun, pried my fingers out of hers and left with Ryan.

Let me tell you, that the significance of my girls having a hard time letting go, while I was working to let go was not lost on me.

After school, we were there before the bell rang. Grace looked lost when I walked into her classroom, but the teacher said she had a good day and Grace did earn two school dollars. Grace said recess was hard because she didn't have anyone to talk to, but that she liked music and Chapel. Faith said she got hit and slapped and kicked (her teacher assured us this is not true) and that no one likes her. After much talking, we convinced them to give it another try today. It didn't go much better with Faith today as she told me she wasn't ready for school. She said, "please take me with you".

So, I sit now and write this, wondering how the second day is going, remembering back to many times when I was new at school. I'm wondering if they had to eat alone, if they had anyone to run and play with at recess and if anyone wanted to be their partner for team projects. Wishing that I could be there with them and make some of the other kids see how great they are and how lucky they would be to have my girls as friends.

Andrew- 10 Months

It is hard to believe, but Andy is only 2 months from his first birthday. He is getting so big and learning so much. In the last month, he has learned how to get completely to a sitting position from lying down, has learned to wave "hi", has learned to pull himself up in his crib, and has learned to clap. He really likes it if you cheer for him and clap with him when he claps his hands. He also is really crawling- getting around really fast, and getting into almost everything. He pulls the trash can down at work and eats staples and paper off of the floor, so as you can see, he now has to be in the "baby jail" while we are at work. He is such a good boy...he spends a lot of time talking to the phone book in my office, but still won't help with any office work. Andy is just about finished with baby food. He really likes meatloaf and carrots, but categorically hates rice. In some of the more exciting news of the past month, he has just about stopped spitting up. He will still do it every once in awhile, just to make sure we are paying attention. I am including the picture of his hands just for fun- his daddy wants to know where his wrists are?

Andrew's 1st Haircut

As you can see from the "before" picture, Andrew's hair has become a little bit unruly, including the unfortunate tail at the base of his skull. We are very fortunate to be good friends with Miss Lynnse, the best hairstylist EVER! She came to our house to cut Andy's hair last night. It started off fine, then Andrew became increasingly agitated as Lynnse would not let him have the comb or the scissors she was using. However, she worked her magic and the end result is a cute boy that now is even more handsome (if that was even possible). And yes, for those wondering, he is having a snack while he has his hair cut. Thank you Miss Lynnse!

A Boy and His Bottle

I was packing up to get ready to leave work, and glanced over into the pack-n-play and noticed Andy had gone to sleep, cuddling his bottle. Andrew loves his bottle- he will often drink the bottle, then proceed to talk to it and pick it up and ultimately hold it as he falls asleep. There have been several times I have gone into his room and his lovey and toys are to the side and he is sound asleep, holding his bottle. It is hard to tell from this picture, but lately he has been sucking the bottle so hard the nipple gets flattened. I wonder why we continue to buy him toys when he loves a $4 bottle so much.

9 Months

I have been trying to get a bunch of pictures ready to view, but am having quite a bit of trouble with the photo-editing program. So, here are a few for now, and this weekend I will get serious about editing all of the pictures from Grace's birthday, our vacation and 4th of July for you all to see.

In the meantime, I wanted to update you on little Andrew...although little probably isn't the best term for him- he is a solid boy! We love all of the rolls, or as I prefer to call them "muscles". As you can tell in his fisherman shot from 4th of July, his muscle shirt shows all of the muscles on his arms. Andy is getting around a lot now...he can do an "army crawl" to whatever he wants on the floor, and has discovered the fun that is Oreo. Oreo remains as patient as ever, as you can tell from the picture. Andrew is starting on table foods now, but most often abuses the privilege of fun table foods by cramming too much in his mouth at once and then gagging on the food. His sisters still love him and can make him smile and laugh- we still have to take turns sitting by him in the car. He was supposed to have stopped spitting up today (9 months is the magic month for Struck babies), but threw up on me as we were leaving the house this morning. Andy is still so good at work...he talks to a phone book and the pack and play, but still won't help with the bulletin or with Stats. He is so happy and so much fun to be with.

8 Months

Another month is already gone...Andy is 8 months today. He is babbling a lot more now and can now fully sit up and roll over both ways (why do baby milestones at this age sound a lot like dog tricks?). He loves, loves, loves his Jumperoo- which is noisy and sometimes annoys his sisters. He had a doctor visit this month and the doctor says Andrew has plenty of pounds...is over 20 lbs, putting him in the 75th percentile for weight and the 8oth for height- all of that to say he is a big boy. He still loves a bath and his toothbrush. He is very ticklish almost all over and loves attention from his sisters. He is still our most easygoing baby- sometimes we have to tell ourselves to pick him up and cuddle him because he is so happy to just watch everything go on around him. He is very handsome, as you can see- girls already can't keep themselves away- the picture below is his friend Sophie giving him a kiss. Andrew is so sweet and I stand amazed at the gift he is to our family.

Grace is 8

Hard to believe, but my brown-eyed girl is 8 today. It feels like I looked away for one second and she is half way to being able to drive.

Grace loves everything to do with art and is good at spelling. She is a terrific swimmer- she can do the breast stroke, side stroke, freestyle and butterfly. She likes most kinds of music, but is partial to the Jonas Brothers and Hannah Montana. In a clear demonstration of unconditional love, and love being deaf and blind, she loves to hear me sing- especially old 60's tunes. Grace is certainly not her mother's daughter when it comes to food- she likes plain vanilla ice cream, no butter on her waffles or toast, nothing spicy and can take or leave cheese. She is so good with her brother, and loves her sister, even if sometimes showing her love for Faith comes in the form of pestering and teasing.

Grace has always been a tremendous blessing for me- she is the gift God sent that I most certainly did not deserve. She gave both Ryan and I purpose and direction, and a reason to want to do well.

7 Months- A Little Late

Well, we are a little late with this month's posting because of a bad week. Allison fell last week and broke her foot in two places, then followed it up with a sinus infection. Ryan has been left with most of the household chores (except for combing hair) and everyone is tired.

Anyway, this does not change that Andrew did turn 7 months over the weekend. I know what most of you are thinking... he needs food!

In the last month, he has gotten better at sitting up (but still falls over) has developed quite a few new rolls in his legs that make him look like the Michelin man and found a new BFF (for those not in-the-know, BFF is Best Friend Forever. We have spent quite a bit of money on toys for him, but his new BFF is an old toothbrush, as you can see in the picture. He turns it over and over in his hands, talks to it and chews on it. He held on to it and talked to it for about 25 minutes on our bed a couple of weeks ago and then fell asleep holding it. Before you decide to question his intelligence, just stop and think about whether or not you are creative enough to come up with 25 minutes worth of conversation with a toothbrush. Also, in a pinch, his toothbrush can be replaced with a highlighter or a Sharpie.

Andrew still prefers veggies to fruits, can pick up his own Cheerios, loves to bang a measuring cup on his high chair tray and will (mostly) sleep through the night. He loves his Jumperoo and can't be bothered to roll himself over from his front to his back. He thinks his sisters are hilarious and has discovered that their hair is really soft and fun to pull. Faith sometimes calls him :"Cotton Andy" (a shout-out to JoJo's Circus loving readers). Does anyone know a cuter 7 month old boy named Andrew?