We're Back!!!

I've been missing from here for a week or so and two things are responsible:

(1) My computer got a virus - again - but our friend Tim is a genius computer guy and fixed it for me last night (THANKS!!!)

(2) We have been SICK in this house the past week. Jason got the stomach flu, Noah got a double ear infection, I had the worst sinus infection I've ever had (seriously thought it had reached my brain at one point), and Lincoln....well, Lincoln just wanted to go to the park and was sick and tired of being around sick people. Poor thing.

But we're BACK! This morning we said happy birthday to Jason and sent him off to work...then we met Bethany at the Safari. So of course, I have lots of pictures to accompany this post.

In super exciting news, Bethany is going in to be induced on Sunday with baby Ellie!!!!! I can hardly contain my excitement! So happy for her and Brandon!

Other exciting news, our house appraisal went through perfectly and we are oh-so-close to closing now! No more major hurdles. Loving God's faithfulness.

Enjoy the pictures.

Update on the Day

The route I took with training Lincoln to pee in the potty:

- Use the potty chair (that we've been using as a step stool for the past few months)
- Keep potty chair in the foyer on the tile (easy access)
- Let him wear underwear and t-shirt only
- Just ask him a bazillion times "do you need to go potty?" throughout the day

What DIDN'T work:

- Remember he's been using the potty as a step stool in our bathroom for some time? Well, when he wanted to brush his teeth, he met me in my bathroom (I was getting ready) with his potty chair in hand (with pee in it, mind you). As I was explaining we are now using it as a potty only, I noticed he has also "stored" his toothbrush and toothpaste in the urine-soaked middle of his chair. Disgusting.
- Just asking him if he had to go didn't not work at all. We went through 4 pairs of underwear in an hour.
- Using candy as a bribe...he just basically hopped up and hop right back on for the next piece of candy.
- Oh the pooping part: Upon his first urge to poop, his eyes got huge, he dropped his toy and took off to run behind the corner. I grabbed him (urgently) and as I was simultaneously stripping down his underwear, a turd hit the tile; I then swiftly plopped him on the potty where a second followed. I kind of considered this a success though since non were in the underwear!
- The whole "Don't pee=pee on Diego!" - yeah, he could care a less about peeing on Diego.

What DID Work:

- Instead of asking if he needed to go, TELLING him to go sit on the potty every 10 minutes or so. Miraculously he peed every time, too. Wow. After a few times of this, he would just go do it himself every 10 minutes - glorious.
- Lots of cheering by me and Noah...LOTS.
- The underwear itself. When he didn't make it to the potty, he would tell me immediately his pants were wet and he didn't like it. There's hope.

Overall, he did terrible at the start of the day, almost perfect throughout the day, and had 2 accidents again after dinner (then I just put a diaper on him finally about 30 min. before bedtime).

Not sure if this is good or bad or what to compare it to, but that's what we got. :)

Oh and as for Noah - yeah, I realized within an hour of my first post I might have bit off more than I can chew and gave him a bottle at 10:00am. Yeah.

(He's gonna love me for this post someday).

Today's the Day

I'm not really sure what came over me this morning...maybe I'm slightly grumpy because I've now been sick and sleepless for 48 hours...maybe I've taken great notice of the ever-so rising prices of EVERYTHING (not just gas) and thus am trying to cut out one less thing I have to buy...maybe the pressure of people is getting to me...and maybe - just maybe - it really is time to "Potty train that child!"

(as my mother has put it a few times).

I had no plans to start today, but today is the day.

We have our Diego and Spiderman's ready, the potty set up, and I am literally winging this thing. No books read. No video watched (one was mysteriously dropped off on our door step a few weeks ago...hmm). So this could be a total disaster. It's not rocket science, though, right? (I'm actually afraid it might be).

I figured today because it's still raining, tomorrow is suppose to be cold, and I have no money to put gas in the car until Friday so we're here to stay. I can't think of anything more miserable than staying in the house potty training while the sun is bright and shining outside!

So far? He's gone once in the potty and once in his pants (which he quickly realized and didn't like - thank goodness).

Oh - I also decided to be stubborn on Noah drinking milk out of a bottle. He gets a sippy cup of milk today. He drinks everything but milk of a sippy cup - until TODAY. He took one look at it, smelled it, and goes "BOBBLE!! BOBBLE!!"

Sorry fella - today's transition day. My favorite day. Oh - and I'm still sick. I might as well shoot myself in the foot today, huh?

Are You Serious??????

First off, it's ABC Family... you know - the channel where me and my little darlings are suppose to gather around and watch some quality TV together (well, a few years down the road probably)??

The show is The Secret Life of an American Teenager. No, I don't watch this show; in fact this was my first, and I am here sick in bed and thought I'd check it out.

Can I please share with you the scene that was on when I was watching?????

[ENTER] Teenage girl and her boyfriend at girl's house.

[ENTER] Teenage girl's mom.

Girl: "Hey mom, I'm spending the night at boyfriend's house and needed to get some clothes"

Mom looks alarmed and follows girl to her bedroom. Mom then questions this and says it's not a good idea.

Girl points out that mom's shirt is inside/out (implying mom just had sex).

Mom looks like she's been caught and says "Well, okay - I guess you can go."

**********This is my first "HUH??!!!!"***********
Mom asks if his parents will be home, to which the girl says "No".

Then mom says: "Well, I guess yall have been here at the house alone and didn't have sex so I guess I trust you to do the same at his house."

Girl: "You know we've been thinking about having sex, don't you?"
Mom: "I just hope you do it when you're ready! You know, the person you have sex with now probably isn't the person you will be having sex with for the rest of your life?"
Girl: "I know; I'll make sure we're ready, but I think we are."
Mom: "You know, I'm SO glad we're able to have a big conversation like this and discuss these things!! Have fun tonight. And I know whatever you two decide, you'll be ready for that decision!"
Girl: "Thanks mom...I love you."

ARE YOU JOKING??? What happened to the Zac & Kelly romances???? To top it off, when it went to commercial, there was a PSA with the lead character talking about how to prevent unwanted pregnancies and giving advice/phone numbers to call for support.

Is this weird and disturbing to anyone else???????

A Different Kind of Easter

It doesn't seem possible that a story you've heard since you can remember, can still - to this day - bring you literally to your knees, in a weeping heap, in complete awe and reverence for the subject of that story.

But this is no ordinary story...

This story is about Jesus, my Savior...your Savior.

And tonight Jason and I spent the evening in reflection and communion  upon this story of Christ love for us.

I can't get my mind off it (hence blog post #2) - it's been all-consuming - and for some reason Jesus' sacrifice for us - for me and you - has penetrated deeper in my heart this Easter than ever before. I pray it goes deeper still.

What an amazing Savior we serve that, even after years of following Him, He still teaching me the intimacies of His love for me.

There are no words.

But now I must add:

The whole reason we had this opportunity tonight was because some of our dearest friends, Brandon and Bethany, wanted to come watch our kids for us before they have their little baby girl in a few weeks!! Super sweet of them.
Even sweeter was how they took care of our little Tigers in tornado warnings while we were gone! Apparently rotating clouds were passing right over our area, and Bethany (mid you is 9.5 months pregnant!) got in the tub with Noah and Lincoln (and loads of toys) while Brandon had a mattress ready to throw over them.
Ha. SOO wish I could have seen that! They did manage to get a picture that she's sending me so I'll be sure and post that one.
They're great and we're so blessed to have such great friends!!

Good Friday

This morning when I woke up I just laid in bed for a little while reflecting on this day and all it encompasses. I spent some time in prayer with our RISEN Savior, and this song (which will sound familiar because it's my favorite and I've talked about it before!) were the only words that seemed appropriate to me. These lyrics are amazing:

How deep the Father's love for us,

How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure


How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory


Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,
Call out among the scoffers


It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished


I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection


Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom

We've been going through the Easter story in Lincoln's Bible throughout the week and had a big night last night explaining to him what happened on Good Friday. I know He doesn't fully understand, but I also know God will use the planted seeds in His heart as He grows.
Anyway, I would LOVE to hear some of your ideas of how you help your kids understand the Cross! My friend Meredith and I were talking the other day about how we struggle to find ANY correlation between the Easter Bunny and the Cross! Who thought of the Easter Bunny??! I think for us, we will not have an Easter basket in the morning, but maybe do one later that evening or something after we've celebrated Jesus's Resurrection all day?? I LOVE the idea (again from Meredith) of "Resurrection Cookies". Google it. Fun idea. What are yours??

Watch Your Kids!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Had to share this...today I met a group of friends at the downtown park to play. When my friend Amanda got there, she rushed over to us and said "Oh me gosh that man is back!!! You guys, that same man over there in the old blue caddy was here on Monday morning too, watching kids play in the park for THREE hours!!!!" We all look to see this:

Creepy, right? I get pissed. I immediately go get my cell phone out of the stroller and have it set up to dial the police because there is NOTHING good about a man watching kids play in the park for that long! Plus, I have had experience with this (yes - was once watched at the park while I was running, then followed home, then pursued, then it got ugly).
So, with cell phone in hand, I immediately leave the park area and start walking to the car (I'm gonna get the creep's license plate number for the cops). Amanda's in disbelief I'm going over there, but like I said before, that stuff doesn't scare me as much as it PISSES me off. And now I have kids playing in that park being stalked by a sicko!

So I literally go right up the car, about to go in the back to get the number, police on dial, when I notice...

It's a cut-out, life-size figure of Forrest Gump.

Yup.

That's why he sat there for three hours on Monday. Ha. I let the cops number go quickly (but how hilarious would that have been if we would have called it in!) and we all died laughing when we realized what it was.

But seriously??? To have a creepy cut out like that in a creepy car overlooking one of the most popular parks in the city?? SERIOUSLY???

Someone has a weird sense of humor. :)