a good laugh.

Thought I'd post a little humor about a song I like very much! It's a song from Samson's point of view.

Hope it brings a smile and a laugh to your day! :)

a little bit Easter, a little bit birthday.

I really said I was going to post multiple times this week?? OK. Well here goes. Back in April was Ben and Rob's birthdays. Ben is respective 4 and Rob his 31st. Whew! I don't know that I have much to say other than posting pictures, but each year you really begin to be better about planning birthdays, I guess it comes with all the practice. Ben had been to a friend's birthday at a place called Bullets. I hate to tell you that it is really a gas station - but a glorified one. Telling you that, just doesn't give it justice, I suppose. Well, Ben also wanted his there. Easy enough, book the room, bring the cake and paper plates, and they provide the rest. Ben's request was Star Wars, and while I wanted to also outsource this task, I ended up doing that. Parenting requires actually doing something sometimes....(totally kidding). Oh you want a Captain Rex cake. Ok. Here is the result after both Rob and I had our hands in the frosting of the cake.

And in case you were wondering how my $3 find turned out from Dirt Cheep (still haven't not revisited this establishment). Here is a picture of Ben finding his scooter. He asked me just the other day where I found it (I guess it is something he never spotted at Wal-mart!). Tee hee.
you cannot escape a hairbow from time to time.Some other April highlights were Rob's Birthday and Easter.
Rob's birthday was on a Friday, hence his Friday shirt.Rob, the fireman. I mean, candle extinguisher.Lydia, nervously gnawing on her thumb, very thankful that there will be no fire today.
Because when a travelling carnival pops up at your local "mall" (in quotes for anyone who has ever "shopped" there), you have to ride the ferris wheel. Shopped is also in quotes too. Sad.

Some Easter shots. The hunting of eggs. The dressing for church.
random happy picture. doesn't need a reason to be included, for no other reason that Lydia's in the picture!Ben talking to Lydia about life.

how does he do it?

...because I tried it and can't do it.

maybe it's a filipino trait...they are quite agile at climbing coconut trees.

MIA.

So as I sit here, still sweaty from a 4.5 mile run, I am feeling behind as I log in to my blog account. This is my attempt to add to the blog since it was last updated on March 19th! Oh my. I am surprised it has only been three months, because to be honest it feels longer. We just got home from picking Ben up from VBS, after Rob and I ran with Lydia. Is it possible that Rob is still reading a book to our son at 9:20 at night? Well, that is just the good dad that Rob is. Rob has just come into the room to recount a nighttime conversation he just had with Ben. They were reading A.A. Milne's "When We Were Very Young", a book of poems.

Ben: Dad, what are poems?
Dad: They rhyme and have rhythm and they are short.
Ben: Why are poems short?
Dad: So you don't get tired of them. So if anyone ever asks you why you're short, if they ask you, then just tell them it's so they don't get tired of you.
Ben: (he laughs) Well, I'm tired of you. But I'm not tired of my mom.

I had no intention of adding that story obviously, but I just felt like it was cute. This makes me feel just a little bit more special, because Ben is so very much about being boy and being like Dad. It's nice to know that he has a little sweet spot for his Mom every now and then. And I feel like many moments of our life have been "cute" and "memorable", yet I haven't so much as kept any physical notes detailing them. This has been on my mind, because I know that some day, I am going to be really sad that these moments are gone. I feel like Lydia is already close to 1, when she is only 7 months.

While all this has been nagging me, I received an email from a very good friend and sort of mom to me back in Clovis, asking me how I was and if I was OK, and that I hadn't updated the blog. Thanks, Anna Marie! It was just what I needed. So over the next week (I am hesitant to commit myself to that short time), I am going to update you in a sort of 4-parter. I feel that is the right amount I can bite off each day, and not bore you with one really long update.

But to sort of give you my initial "happies" (as a friend who once lived here in MS coined the phrase, Liz), here is a quickie STS:

1. Lydia's crawling and cutting a tooth. I forgot about all the feist that comes with the crawling strut. I shouldn't be surprised if you I really think about it: a 6 1/2 - 7 month baby learning such amazing feats! To actually coordinate those limbs, oh the joy! Ben is so far quite patient with her, which impresses me. When we were in Phoenix a couple weeks ago, it was a funny sight to see that Ben had relocated himself a couple times each time the sister got closer.

2. Today, Ben weaned himself of his training wheels on his bike! Rob and Ben had been practicing here and there, and yesterday and today were the only days that they practiced two days in a row. Rob began by raising the training wheels off the ground so high that he still fell on the ground, but the training wheels cushioned the fall a bit. Once he got the hang of it, he was riding it without them touching the ground, so Rob took them off. It amazes us that he can even ride on our rocky, dirt road. I figure once we get him on smooth asphalt, he'll be even better!



3. Ben literally crawled our doorframe in the living room all the way to the top of the ceiling, and then let go jumping to the ground. We caught in on video! It makes me laugh to think that he was ever "failure to thrive" just because he's skinny! The funnier thing was that at first he told me he invented it, but then he told me later that he didn't invent it. He said he saw it on TV on the news at Lolo and Lola's house (in AZ). He said they showed a guy climbing a wall outside. So, if any of you have ever been to AZ and know of its illegal immigration problems, the first thought was, "they were probably reporting on Mexicans climbing the wall to get to the US." I know, that's bad. I'm just telling you what I thought. :)

4. We have a Dunkin' Donuts in Columbus now! How exciting is that!? Makes for a great iced coffee on the run.

5. My new jogging stroller that I won! As one friend said, "it's like the Gucci of jogging strollers." This was one of the fundraisers that we had for our MOPS/Stroller Strides walk that we organized in memory of the late Blair Faulkner, one of the two pilots that died in the crash we had here a year ago. We raised just under $15,000 in Blair's name to the Palmer Children's Home, a local home here in Columbus. It far exceeded our $10,000 goal!6. Rob is doing wonderfully at work. While a lot of our friends are AF, and we all think our husbands are the greatest, I am especially proud of Rob for his hard work. It really seems to be reflecting on his OPR/ADP. For all you non-military types: it's translating really well on paper. What counts these days, right?! I don't mean to brag, but I figure if you spend all day at a place that you work, you might want to be told you're doing a good job every now and then! And you might want that one person to be your spouse, who stays at home with the kids and is thankful that she can do so.

This brings me to my closing. I think some of the reasons I have slacked in blogging is because of time. Time flying. Time coming to an end. Time. Time. Time. This is theoretically our last summer here. This might be our last child. I feel like I am losing time. It won't be long before Ben is in school all day. I still have a year, but it still freaks me out. Ben has officially spent his formative years in the south. I can't believe we left NM when he was only 15 months - that seems like an ETERNITY ago. I know that it isn't. I know that I have so many more parenting years to endure. But why does it still feel so fast? So I am relishing every moment with the kids, kind of living in a bubble, trying not to be anxious, trying not think beyond August (when we should hear about an assignment). Summers, let alone time, goes so fast.

If any of this has made you feel a little bit crazy like me, I promise I won't do it anymore. It's out of my system, I have said it out loud, it will not happen again. For this next week, while Ben is at VBS, I will attempt to go back a few months in time.

I hope this summer finds you all the times you need: summer breezes, Kodak moments, and a chance to smile and breathe all God's blessings.
Love,
Jenny

i feel dirty.

So there's this store in Columbus called Dirt Cheap. No really, it's true. And it is both of those things. I had never been there, but it is frequented by many people...looking for dirt cheap bargains. How aptly titled. ;) It is hard to explain to someone what this store is like, but the closest thing to it is...like a low scale Tuesday Morning, Ross, TJ Maxx, etc. Really low. Low. There really is no merchandising or order or rhyme or reason or anything. It is: "hey you want a bargain, come look for it, but we aren't going to make this pretty."

So I walk in with my friend, Heather, and am immediately shell shocked. Where do you start? There isn't really customer service, this is bare bones, folks. So if you've never been in Dirt Cheap, you just don't really know what to do with yourself or have any idea where to start. This should be a screaming testimony for the need of advertising and marketing.

I begin to make sense of the place by walking around and trying to process where I should start looking for what I want. Except that I don't know what I want! I need advertisers to tell me this! (mostly sarcasm with a touch of seriousness.) I find myself in this aisle that looked like a scene from Chucky where all the toys came to life and jumped off the shelves. This aisle if you can call it that was labeled "90% off". It's toys. And these toys were in boxes that looked severely damaged to the point you wonder if what's inside is even intact. I wonder, "can I bring this back if it doesn't work or is incomplete?" No way. Why? you might wonder... I have an answer for this: because you can't return crap. That was harsh, but in all seriousness, these are desirable goods, just not in a pretty package. Whether or not this 90% off item works is the price you pay. You know, kind of like gambling.

So lo and behold, I am trying to scoot Lydia around in this aisle that has more on the floor than the shelf, and I spy a 3 wheel scooter. Not just any scooter, but a Clone Wars scooter. Ben is so into Star Wars, I am beginning to think it may never end. Hmmm....let's see 90% off of &29.99 makes it $3! So the box is ripped open...but all the pieces are here. But wait a minute, it's missing hardware. I am thinking to myself how proud Rob is going to be, and how excited he'll be to put this thing together. Surely he can find some nuts and bolts to hold all the pieces together, right? So I buy it.

I bring this thing home, and show the husband. He is not looking as excited as I was thinking he would. He loves to fix things, what's going on? He tells me he would just assume buy the thing at regular price, it's not worth it. I begin by telling him how much I was bragging on him to some man in the aisle with me. Yes, I am friendly. Hey, when you're both in the same God-forsaken aisle, stooping to all time lows, you might as well say hi while you're down there. Plus, there is no customer service, I needed a second opinion!

Long story, short. Turned out that Rob had a lot on his mind and adding this wasn't helping. I told him, it wasn't urgent, I was thinking for Ben's birthday maybe. He tells me, "but you know me, I am going to want to fix it now." I couldn't help but laugh a little. So this a.m., he called the manufacturer and they are sending us all the hardware for this $3 scooter! :) Yay!

I managed to find a few things, and the two most blog-worthy items was the scooter and this awesome Nike running shirt retailing at $45...finding it at Dirt Cheap for $3! yay again.

my $3 deals!
BTW - an update on sweet Lydia - her ultrasound came back normal, but they wanted to do a CT scan to be completely sure. She had that done today, so we'll see how that turns out. Thank you for your kind words and thoughts! It means a lot to me. Kids are just so darn special, you know? :) She also ate her cereal for the first time today! It's about the 3rd or 4th time trying it, but she actually ingested it! She wasn't just wearing her food this time around!

(as a side note: I thought I would be immune to these cheesy baby milestones, because I went through them with Ben and because there are so many more exciting milestones in my opinion. But I found myself getting just as giddy with her as I did with Ben. She was really loving the cereal. Ben was never that interested in food like this. It's neat to see how different they are. I am blessed.)

these two picture really remind me of each other. above: Lydia and below: Ben

life.

So, it's another life lesson from Jenny. You should all be so excited. All kidding aside, consider yourself warned. This is where you can just view pictures or read and view pictures. :)

Please keep our sweet girl in your prayers tomorrow. While I am not riddled with fear, prayers would never be turned away, especially for me in my life! Tomorrow, she is going to have an ultrasound to screen for spina bifida. So, what do you think of when you think of diseases? Only the most horrific picture of the disease. While I learned a little bit more about spina bifida, like any disease, there is a whole spectrum of severity that goes along with it. What we would be screening for would be a mildform, as she doesn't have an physical indications or impairments, except a birth mark on her lower back with a small amount of hair. That is apparently sometimes a symptom of spina bifida occulta (the mild form).

I thank God so much for this little girl, and am confident that God is constantly keeping me on my toes to grow my character - not my comfort (as Rick Warren likes to say). I know that a "perfect bill of health" one day means nothing the next. So what does it mean if she doesn't have a "perfect bill of health"? Nothing. It's the learning to let things go, that is so freeing. And for me, that means enjoying the moment I have right now, because nothing in the future is ever guaranteed. I trust that God cares for Lydia much more than I could ever, and I trust that her best interests are on his heart. This is a milestone for me, because I was not like this at all with Ben. I was always worried about him and his growth, that I didn't fully enjoy the baby he was. And now he is my almost 4 year old.

Please keep us in your prayers tomorrow. And I will keep you posted.

Much love,

Jenny

Ben and his sister.

windy! Ben and his friend, Mirabelle at the McWane Museum in Birmingham.

my lovebug. always. forever.

my husband, whom I love and adore.

no time for words.

So, the phrase "I just don't have the time" drives me nuts, and here I am using the excuse that I have no time. The reason I hate that phrase, is because it is an incorrect statement. The truth is, we make time for what we want to make time for. So sorry Miss Blog, but the truth is, I haven't wanted to blog...mostly because life has been more fulfilling, as I am sure many of you can vouch for - hence all the updated blogs, phonecalls, emails, etc. While I haven't made the time to blog, I realize that many of you - mainly family and close friends, might want to see pictures lately. Especially where the kids are concerned. I have come to the realization that Rob and I are just old, well, maybe not old, but boring! All kidding aside, we are happy, in love, with children, and just doing doing doing. 'Nuff said. I'll manage a few brief whose-it's and whats-it's below as needed. :)


one of my sweet cravings.

and my cheeze cravings...

This morning the ground was covered in snow. Pretty rare, but it was a lot of fun! And you know if it snows in a place that doesn't really ever get snow, you *have* to go in it. To think that it almost slipped my mind...

there were many snowmen around Columbus today...and then remnants of snowmen, as they started to melt away.

put a jacket on!

i love him.

and him, too. Happy 5th, husband! ;)

sometimes i just look at the two of them, and it blows me away, that we are the reason they are here on earth. if only, more people thought about that reality first before having children...

it's a huge responsiblity for even one child...

for instance....who let this child have messy hair?!?

but they sure are yummy.