Life and such

November has been a crazy month for us. Birthdays, jobs, retreats, holidays, etc. So, I guess I would like to know how it is that those things that should bring us joy, often cause us to lose sleep and stress out. Personally, I have been busy since the middle of October because I started teaching ESL again. It has been a wonderful experience, and I have loved it. However, it is different going to work each morning and leaving a child behind. Plus, I have had to learn how to manage the house and my job. I can honestly say that I am looking forward to only being at home after December 10.
So now the season of Advent is right around the corner. I love Advent because it is a season of hope and quietness. At least, it should be. Last year, my Advent season was the complete opposite. It was marked by rushing around, being stressed out, hurtful words, fake smiles and exhaustion. It is my prayer and intention this year, to take a a little time each day, and reflect on Christ coming over 2000 years ago, and Christ coming in the future. Am I preparing for the coming Messiah? Do my priorities reflect those things that are really important in life? I find that Thanksgiving is a perfect time to revisit the last year with thanksgiving, so that I can look forward to all that is ahead during Advent.

Settling Down for Bed...or Not.

Max's favorite song right now is Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. He realized tonight that one of his toys actually plays it. However, if he slams the lid of the toy shut, it stops playing and says, "Good-bye!" Btw, it was about 45 minutes past his bed time. Enjoy! :-)

Two Years Ago Today

Happy Birthday, Maximilian!

2- Year- Old Pics

Here are some of Max's 2-year-old shots. Jay and Amy Elkins did a great job once again. If you are interested in their work, check out http://www.251photography.blogspot.com/ I don't really know which pic is my favorite one yet. I can't believe he is almost 2. Although his birthday is the 16th, we won't be celebrating until Omi and Opa get back in town. What a special treat that they get to be here for a birthday party!!

Mike Performing and Marching

Here is a clip from Mike's first performance with his band. Not bad, eh?!

Reflections

Oh, the joys of having a two-year- old. (Well, almost two.) Max continues to make us laugh at the various comments that come out of his sweet little lips. One of them I cannot mention on the blog, but if you are interested, give me a call. :-)

Some of the others include calling me "Chwissa," instead of "Mama;" and pointing out that I need to wipe my nose by pointing at it and saying "booders." He also seems to think that he is having a sister and not a brother. Everytime I ask him who the baby is in the picture he says, "sista." We practice over and over that it is baby brother, but it doesn't seem to sink in. Maybe he knows something we don't know. (But if you look at the pic I posted earlier, I'd say it is pretty obvious that it's a boy growing inside, not a baby sister.)

Baby K is growing and kicking, always letting me know that he is around, too. He had a hitting contest with his Uncle Mike a few days ago. Mike would poke my belly, and Baby K would kick right back. It was amazing to feel and watch. Baby K also seems to like to migrate around a lot. Sometimes he is on my back and blatter (something Max hardly ever did), and sometimes he is up in my ribs (something Max loved to do).

I was a little sad about not having a girl this time, but the thought of having two boys is rather exciting. I have always seen myself as a boy mama. This should be quite an adventure. I am very thankful that I have the blessing of being able to stay home with my boys. To be perfectly honest, it has taken me almost two years to get to this point. (I was thankful before, but God has been doing some amazing work in my heart regarding staying at home.) I can now finally say, that I feel like I am at peace at home, and I can't wait to see it flourish under God's mighty hand. Well, this post ended up being longer than expected. Until next time! C

IT'S A BOY!

Here are the newest pics of our newest addition. In stark contrast to Max, this baby refused to show his face. We think he may be a little shy...

However, he was so busy hiding his face, he completely forgot about other parts of his body.