Almost 2!

Wow, Levi's birthday is really sneaking up on me! He'll be two on February 17, and I can't believe how fast the time has gone. He is less and less "baby" these days, which is a little sad, but a lot of fun, just the same!

So. I'm trying to decide how much of a big deal to make out of this birthday. For Drake's 2nd birthday, we had a big (for us) party with four other families over to our house, had a barbecue, outside games, cake and ice cream, decorations, etc. And the cake was awesome (and a lot of work, by the way!) - a big tractor made out of two 9x13 flat cakes. (Yeah, I really should post pictures, but that would require going through some old photo CDs and putting the pics on our computer first, which I don't have time for this morning - errands beckon.)

Anyway, I've got that mental image of Drake's 2nd birthday party in my head, and I can't help but feel a little guilty that I have no desire to duplicate that (or even come close) right now. One point to consider, though, is that Drake's "comparison" party also had a going-away-party feel to it, because it was right after we'd received short-notice orders to move down here, and it was an opportunity to get together with all our most special Minot friends one last time.

(Actually, I think this whole dilemma might fall under the Things That Parents Shouldn't Do List, in the category of Comparing Children.)

So I've got a hankering for a small, family party for this birthday...Levi isn't old enough to know the difference (although Drake is). I don't really want to decorate, and plan a menu, and be a hostess. (And I don't want to spend the money to have it anywhere but here - we're saving for plane tickets.) I think it's laziness, to tell you the truth! I'll have to think about it some more over the next couple of days, I guess. Mommy-guilt vs. laziness...mommy-guilt vs. laziness...

Of pencils and hammers

Well, there hasn't really been a lot of action around here lately - it has felt like we're perpetually busy, but not with anything really blog-worthy. We've also got several big decisions on the horizon that are clamoring for attention; my mind is spinning with all the pros, cons, and what-ifs involved in making them. So even though I'm feeling a bit "foggy," I want to take a few minutes to post some more pictures. Hope you enjoy!

You may not be able to read this. Drake did it with a red colored pencil, which makes it a little faint. Anyway, one day when I was feeling really sick and miserable (and frustrated because the illness was dragging on and on, and I wasn't getting anything done), Drake scooted off into the playroom and came back with this precious card. The front reads "I LUV MOME". Inside it says "I HOP MOME FELS BETRS SOON". (Translation: "I love Mommy. I hope Mommy feels better soon.") Awww, what a sweet and thoughtful boy he is! That was certainly enough to make me stop feeling sorry for myself and appreciate the blessings in my life!

Drake and Adam put together a wooden model, and then Drake colored it with markers and crayons. He is very proud of his eagle!

Adam put up a long shelf in the playroom (the playroom is half of our garage - I'll have to post pictures sometime) in order to have more space to put things up out of the reach of a certain (fairly destructive) little someone in our home! The little someone was very interested in helping Daddy with the shelf.

It's handyman Levi himself!

The Dino Zoo

Here's a very good day in the life of Drake.

During Levi's nap, Mommy, Daddy, and Drake built a dinosaur zoo, complete with gift shop and dino-poop scooping robot. (Come on, what human would want to do that dangerous job?) Here is our finished product.

Notice the stairs; that's Drake's masterpiece. As are the "boats" at the bottom of the stairs to shuttle people around. (Apparently the Dino Zoo is in Venice?)

Big and little T-Rex pals...the big one wouldn't really eat the small one, it just looks that way in this picture.

Ready for customers at the Dino Zoo Gift Shop!

Apatosaurus (a.k.a. "Longneck," if you're a Land Before Time fan)

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We had a pretty good time! (And Mommy and Daddy are improving our K'nex skills. It's much harder than it seems like it would be!)

Hello again!

So you haven't heard from me in awhile...

Too bad it's because we're still sick. Yep, every last one of us, to varying degrees. Drake and I are both on antibiotics; Drake's are for an ear infection, and mine - the second round of them, I might add - are for a stubborn sinus infection. I'm once again feeling pretty good, though, so that's a huge bonus that gives me hope that things will soon return to normal. I'm also trying to catch back up from all that has not been accomplished properly during the past month (it's finally beginning to fall into place, I think). So we've been busy, in a not-so-fun way, to say the least.

I've also been feeling a little recluse - so to all the family and friends who think I'm non-communicative...well, you're right, I sort of have been. I'm working on it. As I come out of "survival mode" and my life settles back into place, I'll try to keep in touch a little better!

Well, there's a lot I could talk about, and not a lot of time to say it right now. In a few minutes, I'll be off to my Bible study, which is always exciting! I have a few pictures to post, and I'm hoping to get to that soon. So I suppose this post is not particularly informational, but more of an intro for me to get back to blogging more regularly again, something I enjoy doing (and I think that at least some of you enjoy reading/seeing!)...but I'm finding that lately it's going to need to be scheduled into my days in order to make sure it gets done. I'll try to get some new pictures on here soon!

Healing at last?

I've been coughing for several weeks, and while the length of this winter's cough doesn't rival last winter's two months, it still seems like way too long. I broke down and went to the doctor last week and was diagnosed with a sinus infection. And as much as I hate antibiotics, I also hate feeling as crummy as I've felt for the past few weeks. So I've been taking them. But I didn't notice much improvement until yesterday, when I talked to a different doctor who prescribed a couple of anti-inflammatories which are supposed to help drain the fluid from my sinuses and speed up the healing process. Wow! The combination seems to be working wonders. So while I'm still having coughing fits occasionally, I'm not nearly as "stuffy" as before, and my face no longer hurts from all the sinus pressure!

And I can smell again. It's a weird phenomenon when you haven't been able to smell for a few weeks and then suddenly you can! It's definitely a good thing (except when changing diapers, changing the litter box, and taking out the trash).

On a much more interesting note, our ladies' Bible study started up again today after a long break for the holidays! This time we're doing a study called The Patriarchs: Encountering the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, by - you guessed it - Beth Moore! It looks like it will include a lot of the very early history of the Jewish people, which I'm really excited to learn more about! The woman who has been leading our studies up until this point is moving out of state, which is really sad. So I had a hard time adjusting to the idea of someone else leading, and frankly, I have been a little intimidated in the past by the one who's taking her place. (Note: it doesn't take much to intimidate me!) But after today, I have to say I'm feeling very comfortable with her. I think I just didn't know her very well. (This happens to me frequently. I have "fear of man" issues.)

So anyway, you might be hearing some more about this study in the weeks to come. I'm looking forward to it!

Entering a new era

And that would be?

One where I am never pregnant again, unless we fall into the .05% failure rate for vasectomies. Yep, Adam went "under the knife" on Thursday. (Don't worry, I won't give TMI about it...and he's totally fine with this information being thrown out into blog-land, by the way!)

This has been a decision we've thought and prayed and talked a lot about over the past several years, and probably the most difficult decision we've ever made. We've perhaps never made a more permanent decision than this one, either, other than the decision to get married (which was made when we were quite young and tended to think less about decisions), and the decision to have our children in the first place (all of whose pregnancies were very much planned).

Growing new life is truly miraculous, and I don't have the eloquent words tonight that are necessary to convey my feelings about how precious and beautiful and magical it is to carry and give birth to a child. But pregnancy is also difficult for me. I have pretty severe morning sickness (which makes me nearly useless for well over half the pregnancy), and I've suffered some nasty post-partum depression, as well.

Given those reasons, as well as many other factors, we've decided to bow out of the child-bearing arena, but not without some longing glances behind and a lot of incredible memories. Being forever thankful to God for the four opportunities I've had to carry His precious creations within my body, I praise Him again for the two incredible little people we've been entrusted to raise! What an amazing privilege, and yet a great responsibility, to be Drake and Levi's parents.

We're also not completely sure we won't be adding any more children to our family, as we're considering the possibility of adoption and whether or not the Lord may have another little person in mind for us. It's an exciting prospect, but either way, we praise Him for the glimpse into following His will that this decision-making experience has given us.

Oh yes, one last comment... After much discussion about how to approach the subject of the vasectomy with Drake (and oh, it's a loaded topic if you've never thought of the implications on the mind of a 6-year-old), we were leaning toward explaining the surgery and its purpose to him...we tend to be pretty up-front type parents and have never shied away from tough topics (death, suffering, childbirth, private parts, etc.) in the past. But finally, we decided this might not be the best way to introduce the birds and the bees, as it could possibly leave a small child wondering if Mom and Dad were having second thoughts about babies because of him or his brother.

Sooo, the plan was that Daddy was going in for an "appointment," and then for a few days, Daddy would "not be feeling so well" and would be resting in bed a lot. However, when we were all leaving for the clinic early Thursday morning, Drake asked me, "So when are you going to pick Daddy up after his surgery?" Surgery? What? Where did that come from? I tell you, little ears don't miss a thing. We still don't know when it was that we slipped up and said the "s" word in front of him. So anyway, I found out later that his class at school heard that his daddy was having "eye surgery" and then he apparently told a neighbor that it was "stomach surgery"! So Drake ended up with a crash course in the mechanics of a vasectomy, but thankfully the question of why someone would want to do this was never posed.

Oh, my sweet Drake, you are adorable beyond words!

Brothers

I had the distinct pleasure of watching my boys play together last night. It was rough, "boy" play, and so heartwarming! Levi calls Drake "Buddy" now - we think he's trying to say "Brother" and that's how it comes out. So he was running and Drake was chasing and catching him, carrying him over to the couch and flopping him up onto it - over and over and over - amidst squeals of "Buddy!" and peals of laughter. What a joy they are!

Drake went back to school this week, and "Buddy" was a constant topic of conversation for Levi and me yesterday. Levi would approach me, asking, "Buddy?" and nodding his head with his eyebrows raised, as if hoping I could somehow produce Drake from behind a chair or something. I would remind him that Drake got on the bus this morning, and the bus took him to school (a place Levi has been many times). That would satisfy him for a few minutes, and then it would begin all over again!

This week will be a little stressful for our family. Adam and I have severely nasty coughs, and there's a lot going on for us. I may be able to elaborate at a later date. But anyway, I am taking the time now to be truly thankful for my caring husband and my two precious children, and to renew my mind to the idea that I am only the steward of these children. They do not belong to me, but to the Lord. Raising them is the most important and difficult thing I will ever do, but they are not mine. Our family rests in the hands of God; may He shape us as He wills.

I will hold on to these sweet moments of little-boyhood and never forget them.