this boy can walk!

nathan, or "little toot" as i may refer to him, as been holding out on us. we knew it! richard and i have been saying, "he can walk, he is just scared of it. we can tell." evidence - he pushes those walk-behind toys all over the place. when he wants to turn, he will pick it up, step a few times (w/ it in the air) to change direction, then put it down and continue. if you take the toy out of his hands - he immediately sits down.

last weekend (fathers's day weekend) we were in midland. the grass had just been mowed and the thick blades were quite prickly to the touch. nathan was sitting in my lap under a tree. we would only let his feet touch the ground as he had shoes on. he wouldn't touch that grass w/ his legs or hands b/c he didn't like the way it felt. he threw his toy about 3 feet. i couldn't reach it and told him "mommy can't get it. you go get it." at which time he stood up, walked 4 steps, squated to pick up the toy and carried it back to me!!!!!!

i was so excited! we practiced this a few times - to make sure i wasn't imagining and that he would repeat this performance, then got richard and his parents to come see. sure enough - he walked again and again, UNTIL he realized he was doing it. then he cried and sat down and refused to stand again.

lol - little toot is holding out!

(ps - i just know he is only being cautious - he must get that from his da-da)

musings on working vs. staying at home

i am often asked "are you a stay at home mom?" "do you work?" "why don't you work more?"

i work only approx 12 hrs/week so that i can stay home w/ my son the rest of the time. (on mondays i work during his morning nap while richard is home, on wednesday richard and him spend the day together while i am gone) it is important to me to care for him and raise him at home. God has blessed me in my role as a wife and mom with the ability to stay home and tend to the house and raise our son, and help my husband in any way that i can.
He has also blessed me w/ a wonderful job that i love. He gave me the strength and the wisdom to be successful at school. He put family and friends around me to support me through those years. (you know full well who you are!) He has given me a passion to serve others in the way i do when i am working.

nothing, NOTHING is more important than training Nathan in the way to grow. "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." Proverbs 22:6

my decrease in working hours necessated a closer look into our spending choices, but after all - NO ONE ever looks back to the years their children were growing up and says "you know, i really wish i had worked more!" these times are precious

raising our children is THE most important job we, as mothers have. it is the only specifically named God ordained job for us - that no one else can do the way we can. that being said - putting food on the table - definitely important. man can't live on bread alone, but steak and lobster are not a necessity.

training our children!

i heard a radio broadcast today about training children. i was so blessed by it. our road w/ discipline and training is getting more and more intricate every day as nathan is growing. he is learning lots of wonderful new things, but at the same time, he is learning to disobey. he is learning to test us and challenge our authority. i know full well, this is only the beginning of a wonderful and rewarding, yet very difficult and trying time where it is our responsibility to train him in the way of the Lord. to train him to respect authority, be compassionate, caring, honest and giving. here is the link to the web site where you can listen to the broadcast http://www.walkintheword.com/broadcast.aspx it was the june 12th one. if you click on one of the links under "listen" it is free to listen too. it even gives you a place to type your notes! if you know me, you know i LOVE to take notes!!!

"just for fun" - post

now that is what i call "bed head"!! whew!!!

little bear got a "little off the top". . .

before:

after:

it really is the same dog - i promise!

NOT JUST CHEESE CURDS - SQUEAKY CURDS!!!

OH MY! WHAT AN EXCITING DAY!! I HAVE A DEAR FRIEND NAMED CRYSTAL. SHE IS PICTURED ABOVE HOLDING NATHAN AT HIS BABY DEDICATION. SHE HAS BEEN HINTING RECENTLY, THAT I MAY BE GETTING A PACKAGE IN THE MAIL. TODAY, THAT PACKAGE CAME, AND BROUGHT SUCH EXCITEMENT THAT I MUST TYPE IN CAPITALS! (REALLY I CAN'T CONTROL IT)

SHE SENT CHEESE CURDS - SO FRESH THEY ARE STILL SQUEAKY - THEY WERE BORN YESTERDAY!!

if you don't understand the excitement here about the cheese curds - and you don't know what it means to be squeaky - and you have possibly never even heard of a cheese curd, than i can not help you. there is no explanation sufficient. if you ask, i will try - but know, that nothing i can say could truly express the wonder and beauty and sovory-ness, and . . .

*sigh* that's all i have to say about that

THANK YOU CRYSTAL!!!!!!!!

"we are family"

we spent last weekend at richard's family reunion. what a GREAT time we had!! we spent time talking, playing games, shopping a craft/antique/thrift fare, swimming, and floating down the river on inner tubes. there was a mild incident involving a long rope hanging from a high tree over the river - just begging to be swung on. i will ASSURE you that i thoroughly assessed the depth of the water at various points before partaking in the swinging fun. (even though everyone told me it was safe and they had been doing it all day) nothing quite like a spinal cord injury or broken leg to mess up a fun time with family, that is all i am saying. after checking it our for myself - it was a BLAST!!

every year we have a family auction. we all bring things to the reunion to auction off and the money raised all pays for the next years reunion. (that is what the bank shaped like texas on the previous post was made for.) that way, no one has to worry about whether or not they can afford to go to the reunion. it is really nice. you spend what you and your family see fit at the acution, and get a great family keepsake while ensuring the next years festivities. it is a great idea. i will tell you what makes it, not just 'great' or a good 'fiscal' thing to do. it shows the love the family has for each other like nothing else can.

it is fun to love each other while shopping and playing and being silly. but the love that you see when two brothers bid against each other (in good spirits) b/c they both want what their sister, made; or when you see "the brothers" (our late grandfather's brothers - oldest generation in the family) bid against eachother for the photo album of pictures from their childhood that our grandmother brought to the auction (knowing full well, that regardless of who wins it, it will be for all to share); or the son who won't settle until he is taking home the picture his cousin painted of his father (and others) from a hunting trip - that is the love that makes your heart pound, it makes your hands tingle, your heart swell, and your eyes pool with tears. that is the love that moves you and grows you and changes you and compells you. that is the love that is unmistakably a gift from the Lord.

i praise God for that love, and i thank everyone for their work in making yet another reunion an abounding success!