Thursday Thanks Tank #3

What I am thankful for Today:

1. Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice: I am thankful for my little girl- the one that is constantly kicking in my womb. I truly love feeling her move. It is the sweetest part of pregnancy.
2. My husband: He is working so hard to determine our future. He left today for an out of town job interview. I am thankful for his prayerful heart and for his love of our family.
3. Pregnancy: This sounds like #1 but really its not. I am thankful for a new pregnancy that I just found out about last night. I am so excited for my friend!! I am so thrilled about this pregnancy that has been prayed for and desired for some time! I cannot stop smiling about it.
4. Benedryl, Allergy Visine but no ingested peanuts: I am thankful that David recovered well after his peanut contact. I have had to work on my attitude regarding his allergy but in light of what could have happened, I am so thankful that David did not get any peanut butter in his mouth (see No More Booster Seats for David) and that we have been able to keep him safe.
5. Mentors: I have had the most wonderful mentor mom for the last 3 years in MOPS. We were able to get together last night for dinner and the dinner out was a blessing. I always feel so encouraged by her. Our MOPS relationship has ended-- she went back to work full time and I am stepping out of leadership to have a baby (or maybe move, whichever comes first)—but what I have learned from her will continue to bless me always.
6. Understanding: My boys and I had a last minute invite to a friend’s house yesterday and before we left it was clear my youngest had pink eye and my 2nd child didn’t make it to the potty and peed from the carpet to the kitchen floor. It was not the best mom moment. I was given so much grace. I felt terrible that we left such a mark- and possibly spread conjunctivitis- but my friend was so loving and understanding. That’s the understanding love of a friend!

We're excited, too!

Thank you so much for all of your excitement about our little girl on the way! I have to say that I appreciated all the comments so, so much. Seth could tell you (along with a couple other of my friends) that I was a bit obsessed with checking the blog for comments all weekend. It was fun and exciting to get notes from you.

We are excited, too! We have been planning for some time to have 4 little Owens. It was quite easy for us to imagine four little Owen boys. I didn't spend much time thinking about what it would be like to have a Owen girl. Truth is, it was only a week or so ago that I admitted to myself that I was hoping for a girl just a bit. Seth and I were absolutely in shock during the ultrasound when the Tech said, "All I see is girl parts." I really couldn't hear anything she said for several minutes after that. And, I felt a lot of emotion when I found out. I didn't set out hoping for a girl so I was surprised just how emotional and elated I was with the news. Since that time, certain aspects of having a girl are sinking in slowly. It is the silly things like looking forward to watching Cinderella (my favorite Disney movie) with my little girl for the first time or thinking tonight as I picked up the Pottery Barn Kids catalog, 'maybe I WILL just look through the girl section'.

The boys had quite funny reactions to the news that we are having a girl. (See "Ultrasound Quotes" on Seth's blog) David had never said anything about whether he wanted a girl or boy so his comment was quite adorable. Jonathan seems to think 'girl stuff is yucky' and he has had that opinion for a year or so. This little sister is probably just what he needs! And, tonight as I was trying to explain to David that I don't have a willy but I don't pee out of the same place I poop, I thought, this little baby will be a bit eye opening for the little Owen boys!!

GIRL!!!

Thursday Thanks Tank #2

What I am Thankful for Today:

1. A quiet house. My house is quiet – void of screams and arguing- and it is pure bliss. Nothing is more soothing to me that quiet calm. (I’ll confess that I allowed the 2 oldest boys to play video games during Thomas’s naptime for this peaceful retreat. Today it is so worth it!)
2. My Starbucks trip. I love getting coffee through the coffee drive-thru. What could be more enchanting that getting whistled at in the Starbucks drive-thru line? This hasn’t happened before and it was quite startling this morning. No, really, I heard the whistle, ignored it because I didn’t think it was for me. Then, my cell phone rang and my husband let me know he was right behind me in line. (That’s a great coffee trip… and not bad for being at work in the Army, either!)
3. Playdates. We had a wonderful MOPS (mothers of preschoolers) playdate this morning. I am thankful for my MOPS group. I am so thankful for the friendships there. I am also thankful for this day’s ice cream playdate! It was so fun and my boys had a blast!
4. Summer. Jonathan’s last day of school was yesterday. I am thankful for the relaxed schedule of summer. I am looking forward to summer activities and not having to plan around school. (For all my east coast friends that have been out for over a month, can you believe my summer is just starting!?)
5. Family and Faith. I am thankful for my family. I was talking to my dad this morning just for a few minutes. When I asked him what he was up to today he said he had been reading in Ecclesiastes. It was wonderful just to hear that. I am thankful for the faith of my parents.
6. Faith of children. There is nothing more refreshing, is there? This morning I was listening to my “Feels Like Home” Norah Jones CD. Jonathan was questioning the words of “Creepin’ In.” When I recited the part he couldn’t understand, “And once it has begun, Won't stop until it's done” Jonathan got real excited saying, “I know, I know!! This song is about God. My thought at that moment was, ‘this ought to be interesting.’ He went on to say that it is like when God created the world. He kept making things until he was done and when he was done he rested. It is so beautiful to see your children think of God in unrelated circumstances.
7. Nature. This morning, I looked out my bedroom window and saw 3 deer. They were across the street, walking slowly around, and ignoring the cars slowing down (either to look at them or to ensure they wouldn’t bolt out infront of their car- I am not sure which).

Tree Update - Part 2

Here's the rest of the story. One day last week (while Seth was still out of town) we went back down to the park (formerly known as the 'park down the street' now known as the 'tree park'). It was one of those peaceful days outside. It had been a painful afternoon. The boys started fighting and arguing as soon as Jonathan got in the car after school. I needed space (and ear plugs!). When one of the boys suggested riding bikes to the park, it seemed like a welcome relief. They rode around the paved sidewalk that went around the park and I sat reading a novel. I could finally hear myself think again. In just minutes, Jonathan went over the fence and began climbing the tree. Then, much to my surprise, he says, "Hey David, you wanna come climb the tree with me? I'll help you... It'll be FUN!" At that moment, I felt absolutely frozen. My oldest son was offering to help his brother? These were the same brothers that not 30 minutes before were tattling, berating and physically trying to hurt each other. This was also my precious 3 year old. Beyond that, I DID NOT want to be climbing over the fence making a rescue (I mean something about climbing over the fence and into the nice tall grass--pregnant--did not sound fun). What could I say? In a split moment, I made a decision (that for the next 20 minutes or so I thought was a very bad decision). I said, "Okaaay, David, you can go. But, I AM NOT going to come over the fence to get you. Are you SURE you can do this?" (What confidence I instill in my children, huh?) Of course David said, "YES!! YES!! YESSS!" He went over the fence and the boys had a blast. They were so happy. Jonathan encouraged David every step. He even encouraged him to go places (like under the tree) that Jonathan had not gone before. I kept thinking about what it would be like taking David to the emergency room with a broken arm. And, no, it was no accident that they left their helmets on this time! My little adventurers came over the fence victorious.







The loser in the Tree Expedition was Thomas. He is my fearless child and I believe I may be in for some challenges with him as he grows and explores. As I was taking pictures of Jonathan and David, Thomas managed to pull his bike over to the fence and climb up on it. He was very upset when I continued to insist that I was NOT going to let him go over the fence.

Tree Update - Part 1

Last week when we went to the park down the street, Jonathan began climbing on a downed tree. This was way out of my comfort zone. I quickly found out Daddy had let him do it on their last visit. [See the Tree post] We have been to the park several times since that first Tree adventure. At least 2 times, I took pictures (stay tuned for Part 2 with more pictures coming soon).

Thursday Thanks Tank

I got this idea from another blog. I cannot help it—what a great idea! I need to be more thankful for the little things in my life. I am going to try to take a few minutes each Thursday (and hopefully more often privately) to write down what I am thankful for that day.

On this Thursday I am thankful for.

1. Getting to appointments early. We got to swimming lessons early so everyone was totally relaxed. Getting somewhere on time is nice but getting there early is like a breath of fresh air. I also got Jonathan to school early. The boy loves to be early and LOVES to be first in line to go in for Kindergarten. It is always nice to bless him with being early.

2. Getting that Grocery store trip fit in my busy schedule without any meltdowns. I spent much of yesterday trying to plan a good time to run to the store today. I was out of some of the basics. The 2 youngest fell asleep on the way to kindergarten. It was not optimal timing normally but worked out well for a trip to the store during Kindergarten. With only 2 in tow, they both fit nicely in the "car cart".

3. Getting a “I’m thinking about you” phone call. It brightens my day. I am always hesitant when the phone rings b/c my house is rarely calm enough for me to talk on the phone long. Those quick calls are such a blessing (especially when hubby is out of town!).

4. Unsolicited compliments from my kids. Wow, I got a “Momma, this is delicious” at dinner tonight. It was quite surprising and very heart-warming.

5. Two-year-old Hugs and Kisses.

6. My 6 year old breaking into a prayer (closing his eyes tight, clasping his hands together) the moment I told him a cut on his leg might be getting infected.

7. Confidence in Prayer. I am thankful to know that I can pray, be heard, and pray and listen.

8. Finishing a good novel.

Starbucks Moment

Have you ever noticed someone else’s private moment and it touched you? That was the case for me this morning. The people I saw I had just met last Friday at the park. I met a man who was retired from the Army and was here visiting his daughter and grandchildren. He came to the park with his 3 grandchildren (2 boys and a girl). All 4 rode on their bikes to the park. I enjoyed talking to him and he seemed like a very kind man. This morning as I was pulling through the Starbucks drive-thru, I saw the same grandpa sitting inside at a table with his granddaughter (who might be about 7 years old). They were so cute. They were just chatting away and it was easy to tell the girl felt very special. They must of just sat down because after just a moment, they bowed their heads and prayed. After their prayer, they just looked up at each other and smiled. It was so heart-warming. It was a picture of love. I could tell that the grandpa is special to his grandchildren. My witness to their Starbucks date made me think about how with the simplest of actions or words, we can be a bright spot in someone else’s day. What a blessing! The whole encounter prompted me to be more encouraging to my kids today. And, even more thought-provoking, perhaps, is that the dear man had no idea that he made a difference in my day and in doing so, he made a difference in my kids’ day.
We all notice other people while we go about our day. We just don't know who is noticing us.

Daddy's Day is Around the Corner

With Father's day coming up, it is only fitting that I am noticing more and more things that the boys are learning from Seth. Just this morning as I was changing Thomas out of his PJs into his clothes, he paid a tribute to his Daddy. I took off his shirt. His hand went right up to his arm pit, and he began making farting noises with his mouth. Now, that's cute... what a sweet, adorable 2 year old.

Weekend Wisdom

"Sexiness wears thin after a while, and beauty fades. But to be married to a man who makes you laugh every day, ah, now that's a real treat."

--JoAnne Woodward

Does Silence Constitute Acceptance?

What do you do when someone you love is doing something you don’t agree with? They are not involved in something illegal or immoral. The person is just treating someone else in a way that goes against your beliefs on how to treat others. You have tested the waters a bit and you know for certain that if you let the person know you disagree with them, you will offend them and put distance in your relationship. You continue to wait because the person is so important to you. However, the longer you witness the behavior, the more your heart hurts and the more irritated you become. You begin to wonder if your silence appears to be acceptance to others. What would you do?
I’d love comments. I have been soul searching on this one for a while.

Are you Successful?

Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.
- Albert Schweitzer

Based on this quote, are you successful?

After seeing this quote, I googled Albert. Albert (January 14, 1875 - September 4, 1965)was a theologian, musician, philosopher, and physician. He received the 1952 Nobel Peace Prize in 1953 for his philosophy of "reverence for life" expressed in many ways but most famously in founding and sustaining the Lambaréné Hospital in Gabon, west central Africa.

Baby on the Move

I felt the little one move! I am 16 weeks pregnant. On Sunday at church during the music, I thought I felt the baby move. It happened twice during the music but our music is so loud, I wondered if I was just imagining it. Then, last night right after I got in bed, I felt the baby kick. It was wonderful! There is nothing like feeling a baby move when you are pregnant. It is simply the best part of pregnancy, I think.

The Tree

Yesterday I walked with the boys down to the park at the end of the street. Not long after we got there, Jonathan took off, went over the fence and climbed up on top of a downed tree. I was stunned. This was not like my cautious, staying within boundaries child. The tree is HUGE. We had an amazing wind storm at the end of last November that knocked out power in much of the area for 4 days. This tree fell at that time, broke the fence and put several large holes in the paved sidewalk. The part of the tree in the playground area was presumably cut up and taken away, the fence was repaired, and the sidewalk patched. The part of the tree left on the other side is huge and everything around it is overgrown. It is a Momma’s safety nightmare. In fact, I have wondered for sometime if they were going to do something about it. So, as I sat there in amazement looking at Jonathan, I knew instinctively what inspired him. I walked over from the picnic tables and asked him if Daddy let him go over there. His reply was simply, “Yep!” I asked David-- no, I told David right away he couldn’t go over there and he said, “I know, it is not safe for ME.” I thought about this situation—here is my extremely cautious boy, climbing around being a “boy” and I realized that it is important for a boy to have their dad around. It wasn’t long before another little boy (about 7) who lives in a house right next to the park was out there with Jonathan. This boy goes outside the fence all the time – even before the tree was down. In the past, I had wondered what limits the parents put on the child and his brother because they were not usually out at the park with them (though surely they can see the park from their house). Anyway, the boys began that child appealing game where one child “encourages the other” by saying things like, “You can’t go as far out on this limb as me” and “You can’t get past me (as they are running down the tree trunk).”
NO- this was NOT easy for me to watch. But, I had to smile when Jonathan came over with scratches and scrapes on his leg and said he was all scratched up and it didn’t even hurt. I had to smile when I thought about how Daddy had let him be an adventurous boy. I don’t get how he could let my angel get in harms way (risk a broken leg, a broken arm, snakes in the tall grass, etc)…But, I am thankful he brings out a side in my child I can’t.