Garden Growing

We have all been so amazed as we've watched our garden growing. This being our first garden, I thought it would take a long time before we saw anything appearing, but I am happy to be wrong. Of course, to the kids it's not happening quickly enough. Alex keeps asking when he gets to eat his corn and Nathan has asked several times if he can eat his strawberries, though he's not too far off from getting his wish! There were already strawberries sprouting when we bought the plant and though they aren't very big, they are already turning a lovely shade of red.

The tomato plants are much bigger than when we planted them and we noticed a few tomatoes appearing the last time we looked...

Our green beans, carrots and corn, all look healthy despite being drowned in water only days after planting. Though the soil is damp beneath, the flooding of the garden box left the top soil looking dry and cracked.

And Nathan's strawberries, so small and cute, are ripening already!

It's all so fun and exciting - I can't wait until everything is ready to be harvested! It's been fun watching others success as well, and it's already got me thinking about what all I'd like to plant next year. We may need a bigger garden!

Laundry Helper

This afternoon I sat down on the couch with a pile of clean laundry and began folding items. Within a few minutes, Amy had climbed up beside me and began to "help". She'd pick up an item, shake it, wad it up, then place it on the back of the couch next to the already neatly folded items. Ironically, I had been putting them there to keep Amy from getting to them!

Who is Jesus?

As a Sunday School teacher to 3 yr. olds, I have a confession to make. I have done a terrible job teaching my own children. This morning as I dressed Nathan, he said to me as he pointed towards the dining room, "That's Jesus' house." I said, "Oh, did you make that for Jesus?" "Yes," he said, "and it's pink because Jesus likes pink." Then Alex piped in some more details about this house they made for Jesus. So I asked them, "Who is Jesus?". Alex thought for a minute and replied, "He is a baby." "Well, yes, at one time he was a baby and we always talk about baby Jesus at Christmas time. But Jesus grew up to be a man who did amazing things. Jesus is the son of God." And I went on to talk to them about the miracles Jesus performed and briefly touched on how he died on the cross for us. They looked at me blankly through the first part and then I could tell their thoughts had moved on to other things and they were no longer listening.

I guess I really don't bring Jesus into our daily conversations as often as I should. We say the blessing before every meal, but we just say the same "God is great; God is good..." blessing each time, and I'm not sure they really understand why we say it. They just know we're supposed to before we start eating. I want them to know why we're saying it. Perhaps if we start taking turns just saying our own blessing, as opposed to a memorized one together.

If I homeschool Alex next year, I know I want to make religion part of our daily study. But why haven't I already implemented that even now? I know he's not getting any religion at preschool each day because it's public school. And Nathan is certainly old enough to start learning more. Sadly, they don't attend church as regularly as they should. I'm there almost every Sunday, but when one child is sick, for example, we just let them all stay home with Daddy. I know this is not how it should be.

Something I have admired in my Catholic friends is how knowledgable their children are about Jesus. In particular, this time of year as I hear about families going through the Stations of the Cross together, I realize how little my children are learning. I have always thought that preschoolers were too young to introduce the details of the crucifixion to. In church, we keep it simple and don't really give any explanation or details regarding Jesus's death and resurrection. We simply state he died and rose again on the third day. I think the children still learn an important fact, but without the details, are they really learning the biggest truth of all - that He died to save us? I'm not trying to put blame on Baptist teachings. I alone take the blame for not properly teaching my children. I know that my friends' young children are not traumatized from learning about the subject of death, so why am I so reluctant to teach it?

I pray that God will give me wisdom and strength to teach my children as much as they are capable of knowing, especially when it comes to Jesus and His sacrifice for us. I also pray that He will help me to be diligent about keeping Him in our daily conversations and allow me to take advantage of every moment to present a Bible teaching to my children.

A Visit from Pa-Paw

Bill's dad and step-mom (Pa-Paw and Ma-Maw to the kids) live in Kentucky and we only get to see them about once a year. This year Bill had earned enough frequent flyer miles to receive one free airline ticket. We gave it to his dad so that he could come visit us and see the kids for a few days. What a fun time they had while Pa-Paw was here!

Making smores...

Camping in the backyard...

Which includes fun games...

and jumping on Pa-Paw's bed...

Playing in the backyard...



Attacking Pa-Paw with blankets and toys...

We love our Pa-Paw!

Speaking of Potty Training...

I have to commend my Nathan for his amazing success at potty training. We started on what I thought would be a difficult journey last Monday, March 12th. It was the start of Spring Break, and therefore seemed to be the perfect time to potty train. I made him go without any pants (completely bare, poor child) for 2 days, and he did wonderfully. He wore a pull-up on Wednesday, because believe it or not, he did not want to wear the big boy underwear we'd bought him. But he kept the pull-up dry, even when we went to Chuck E Cheese. Thursday and Friday he wore underwear all day and did great. And the part that amazes me the most is how he only had one accident on our entire trip to Sea World, and he just barely didn't make it that time. He's been in night time pull-ups at night, but he's actually kept those dry, too. This morning he even woke me at 5:30 to tell me he needed to go potty. I am SO proud of him. It was a big struggle with Alex, so I am relieved at how well it's gone with Nathan. Maybe Amy will learn in one day??? :)

Sea World

In celebration of our anniversary, we took the family to Sea World in San Antonio this past weekend. It took us about 2 hours longer to get there than it should have because poor little Nathan had just started potty training and therefore needed us to stop frequently - we were lucky if we could drive 20 minutes before making another pitstop. I learned quickly how much McDonald's franchises can vary, in not only cleanliness, but also service. We actually had a McDonald's employee come to our table and ask us if we needed any refills on our drinks. Should have starred that one on our map! Anyway, we did eventually get to Sea World and it was packed! Not a big surprise since it was Spring Break. I guess I was hoping maybe it wouldn't be too crowded, though, since it was, afterall, the end of Spring Break. No such luck. We had a long trek through the massive parking lot to get into Sea World, but the kids were real troopers and didn't complain... at least, not on the way in. I can't say they didn't complain a little when having to make that same walk on the way back out!

The first day there we saw the dolphins and sharks and penguins and of course, Shamu. The kids seemed to enjoy the big whale show, though they were so tired by this point that both Alex and Nathan weren't too enthusiastic during the 45 minute wait for the show to start, or even for the show itself. Amy, on the other hand, thoroughly enjoyed the show (she was, afterall, the only one to take 2 naps on the car ride there). She watched the entire time and clapped, even when the audience didn't. She even did the wave thing with her hands that the divers had taught the audience to get Shamu to splash them. Amy only briefly took her eyes off the show to talk to the little girl next to us, who looked to be about her same age. I never dreamed she'd like it so much!

Throughout the day, Alex would frequently ask if it was time to go to the hotel yet. For whatever reason, Alex loves to stay in a hotel. I guess in his short life he's stayed in a number of hotels on various trips and he just has fond memories of playing in the hotel rooms. And on our first day at Sea World, that seemed to be what he was looking most forward to. But I do think he had fun. We saw the Pirate 4D movie before leaving and I think he enjoyed it, even though he was the only one to get wet!

The second day we saw the sea lion show and then the boys got to feed the sea lions. They really enjoyed that. We also saw the alligators, fed the fish, and revisited the dolphins. Most of the day, however, we spent playing in Shamu's Happy Harbor. Alex and Nathan especially enjoyed this. They had a blast climbing along all of the netting and through the tubes and especially on the pirate ship. And the rides, games and gigantic sand box were also hits with the kids. It was quite apparent that Shamu's Happy Harbor was the winning attraction at Sea World for the boys. I'd still have to say that if Amy could tell us, she'd say her favorite part was seeing Shamu.

Happy Anniversary, Sweetheart!

Today marks 8 wonderful years of being married to my sweet and loving husband. I've already given background on how we met in my Valentine's Day post, so I'll spare all of you from hearing it again. But I just wanted to take this time to say - Happy Anniversary, Bill! I LOVE YOU!!!!

Fighting the Crowds

When Alex started preschool at the age of three, one of the biggest changes I had to get used to was not having the time to do things like we could before. He has school every weekday afternoon, so a trip to visit his Granny and Paw-Paw, though only a 30 minute drive away, is pretty much out of the question. And errands have to be limited and quickly completed in the morning, still leaving enough time for an early lunch so Alex can be ready for school on time. So like many other families, I now look forward to school holidays, such as Spring Break. Suddenly, we can do things again without time restraints. So when my mom suggested we take the kids to Chuck E. Cheese one afternoon this week, I thought, what a great idea! And don't get me wrong. It was a great idea. But if there is one thing I cannot stand, it's crowds. I'll miss the greatest shopping sale at my favorite store just to avoid the inevitable crowds.

When we pulled into the parking lot at Chuck E. Cheese it was already apparent what a mad house this children's favorite was going to be. For a moment, we discussed going elsewhere. Maybe if we just went to McDonald's or Burger King, the big playsets they have there would be enough to satisfy the kids. No such luck. Alex had his heart set on Chuck E. Cheese. So we braved it... and boy, was it crowded! In addition to it being Spring Break, today has been extremely rainy. So I think everyone had the same idea as to how to spend this wet day with their children. Thankfully, my mom was able to find one small table in the back, just big enough for us to all squeeze in and eat our pizza. It was pretty chaotic, but I found that the kids didn't care one bit. I think crowds really only bother us adults. The kids are oblivious to it for the most part, with the exception of their impatience when having to wait in a line for a particular popular game. My mom and I endured the many people and noisy atmosphere, and I think in the end it was worth it.

This weekend we are planning to go to Sea World; I'm sure we'll face even bigger crowds there. And I'm sure that once again, it will be worth it when all is said and done.

Planting A Garden

A long time ago, Bill and I attempted to grow cherry tomatoes. Between the bugs and the birds, it was a disaster. We gave up gardening after that. The success of friends in past years, however, has had us itching to try again. Bill started out planting a satsuma orange tree last year, and it actually produced 3 wonderful oranges. So with the success of Bill's orange tree and the return of spring like weather, we made the decision to try our hand at gardening again. This past Saturday we spent our morning perusing Lowe's for all the right ingredients to make a garden, and then spent the entire afternoon building it. It was a long day, not to mention the warmest we'd had in awhile! But we were so happy with the outcome of our labor. We grilled out hamburgers for dinner and ate out on our deck, then went in to eat pudding and finish a movie we'd started Friday night. Bath and bedtime was quick to follow. We couldn't have asked for a more perfect family day!

Fruits and vegetables for our garden

Assortment of herbs for my herb garden

Marking the spot

Everyone working together...

to produce our lovely gardens!

So happy that Spring is arriving!!!

Our geranium resident who has returned to her nest from her fall/winter vacation

Flowers in bloom

Sadly, our beautiful days of clear blue skies have temporarily ended. Overnight storms brought gray skies and lots and lots of rain. Our lovely garden is now a pool of water. We're not sure what that means for our seeds, but I guess only time will tell. Hopefully the garden box will drain quickly and our newly planted garden will flourish. Either way, we're happy with our efforts and we'll only keep trying!

Once a Month Post

That's about all I've managed lately! I would really like to post at least 3 times a week, but it just seems that I can barely get one a month out. But in my defense, my family has been fighting one sickness after another since the beginning of February. For most of the month, everyone had the cold that wouldn't give up. Alex and Nathan's coughs had reached a point where they were waking several times a night, and Amy was also waking more frequently. I was so tired and was so glad when we finally started to see the symptoms going away... And then the stomach bug hit. Amy started it and 2 days later Nathan had it, followed by Alex in the next 2 days. So at one point, all three were sick with the stomach virus. It was horrible! But thankfully Bill and I never got it, other than a brief day where my stomach was a bit unsettled, but nothing more. And I blame that on just having to deal with everyone else's stomach troubles! And God graciously allowed everyone to be well just in time for Bill's business trip last week, so I was very thankful for that.

Now that we've all been well, we have been basking in the glorious weather outside. We spent all last Saturday working in the yard, cleaning up the flowerbeds. Normally, I consider this to be a big chore, and not very much fun. But I really enjoyed it. Maybe it was because we'd been stuck indoors for so long and I just loved the freedom of being outside, or perhaps it was just how easily the yard cleaned up this year. The weeds were the kind that are easier to pull, and the flowers and shrubs held up much better this winter than they have in the past. Plus, I had three little helpers this year. I enjoyed the yard "work", and especially the follow-up dinner at our favorite mexican restaurant and movie night at home (we rented Curious George, now a new favorite of Alex and Nathan). Since Saturday, we have spent a little time outside every day and it's been wonderful!

As usual, I don't have time to post any pictures, but I'm going to try and post some in the next few days. I just wanted to let everyone know that yes, we are still here and finally doing well. :)

My Little Hi-5 Fan

All of my children have taken to television differently. When Alex was really little, he wasn't that interested in it at all. After awhile, he would at least watch Veggie Tales, but that was pretty much it. Now of course he'll watch just about anything. Nathan did not like anything when he was really little. He'd look at the television briefly and then be on his way. It took him forever to really get into anything particular. By his second birthday he appeared to like Elmo okay, and by his third birthday he seemed to like Blues Clues quite a bit. Now he's really into Caillou. His interest in television was gradual. And I'm not complaining. I really don't think it's healthy for them to watch too much television, but I like for them to have an interest in something so that I can do the unthinkable - let the TV babysit for a moment while I get dinner ready, or nurse Amy, etc. And I try to keep the shows educational so that they are at least learning something while being entertained.

Along comes Amy. Amy loves television. The length of her sitting and viewing any particular show has always been short, and yet she's always shown an interest. In the last week, however, we have discovered a show she really likes - something she will sit and watch in it's entirity. We have a DVD called Ready, Set, Learn and we have no idea where we got it (my apologies if it was a gift!). I've recently learned that The Learning Channel and Discovery Kids airs a grouping of programs each morning which they call "Ready, Set, Learn". We don't have cable, so this is not something we would know about. One of the shows is called Hi-5 and Amy adores it. I caught her the other day sitting on Nathan's toolbox at the coffee table with her water cup, just mesmerized by the five talented people of Hi-5. She was so cute to watch. I just purchased one of their music CD's so she could listen to the music in the car or at home; when a familiar song comes on, she'll just smile and start bouncing to the music. Too cute for words!

Our Story

I've so enjoyed reading in others blogs about how they met their wonderful spouses, and I thought I'd join in the fun and share the story of how Bill and I met.

Bill and I both were aerospace engineering majors in college - Bill at University of Cincinnati and me at The University of Texas. Living almost 1200 miles apart, our meeting was no doubt part of God's plan. Both of our schools offered a Co-op program which allowed you to gain work experience in your field by helping you attain a job working for a semester. It just so happens that I had accepted a co-op position with Lockheed Martin in Houston, TX for the 1997 Spring semester, and Bill had done the same thing. And though we were working on the same floor of the Lockheed building, we worked in different groups and never really saw each other. The opportunity finally came on April 10, 1997, just two days before my birthday. The co-op program gave tours of various facilities at NASA Johnson Space Center to the co-ops, and on this particular day we had a scheduled tour of the moon rock facility. So when we first met, we were both wearing "bunny suits" and looking at moon rocks. We didn't really speak much to each other that day, though Bill did ask me afterwards if I knew where the cafeteria was and I said no and went on my way. It turns out he already knew where it was and just used it as an excuse to talk to me.

We ran into each other at work several times the weeks following and then one day Bill sent out an email to all of the co-ops, asking if anyone knew anything fun to do around town, seeing as how he wasn't familiar with the area. I responded to his email and just said I really didn't know (sadly pointing out that I had no life). Later he sent out another email to see if anyone wanted to go see a movie. I gave it some thought, then finally replied and said I would. And what I insisted to my mom was NOT a date, resulted in to my surprise, just Bill and I at a movie theater one Saturday afternoon. Apparently, I was the only co-op to reply; Bill later told me that once I said I'd go, he didn't bother mentioning it again to anyone else. Pretty sneaky. After the movie (Dantes Peak), Bill invited me over for dinner. He said he'd cook, so together we stopped off at the grocery store where he bought everything for a spaghetti dinner, which he cooked spectacularly. I enjoyed talking with him so much that night. Within a few days he had called me to meet him at a nearby park, where we walked and talked some more. We met up several times after that, but what I considered our first date didn't happen until May 9th. He invited me out to dinner at a nice seafood resaurant. He went all out and made the evening so special. After dinner, I found out that it was his birthday and he had used money sent to him for his birthday to pay for our special date. I was so flattered and felt even more special. That night was the start of our committed relationship to each other. We were together all of the time, and even when I left for school in the Summer, Bill continued to come visit me on weekends in Austin. His co-op tour didn't end until Fall semester, at which time he went back to Ohio and we really had to endure a long-distance relationship. But we talked on the phone daily and when I went to visit him in Ohio after Christmas, he propsed to me. We were married approximately 15 months later, March 20, 1999.

Thank you, Sweetheart, for loving me and giving me the life I'd always dreamed of. Happy Valentine's Day - I love you!

A picture taken at the moon rock facility. We're the two short people standing in the middle (Bill is just to the right of me).

Our engagement picture

Just arriving at our reception as newlyweds.