Fire Within

Our Monday evening-- It started with me wanting to make some muffins.

Then came the firetrucks.

We had a mess to clean.

But we are truly thankful for many things...

1) The grace of God. I was standing right over the oven and the kids were right next to me when it exploded. The grace of God saved each of us from being hurt. And gave our tenant Joy the smarts to tell Joe to go turn off the breaker in an attempt to stop the fire and sparks that threatened to catch the cabinets with each flare.

2) Truly AMAZING neighbors. Who took us in from the nighttime heat as Joe and the fire crew investigated the house. Who came and helped Joe move the stove out and then got down on their hands and knees to scrub our floor and cabinets. Who brought us muffins (in place of the ones I never got around to baking). And most of all... who lent me and my frightened children embracing hugs and comfort.

3) Our home. A house is just a place and everything in it are just things. What makes our house a home are the people within and the love that is shared.


I don't think it is a coincidence at all that Adam wanted to pray with Daddy last night. There is so much to thank God for... now and ALWAYS!

Sun Fun

I am finally getting around to uploading some pictures. I couldn't find the cord for my camera for awhile. Of course, it was right where I put it... in a place "I wouldn't forget".

Here are some of my favorite pictures from the past couple of weeks.

Zachary on his 9 month birthday!


We ventured to the local pool a few weekends ago for our neighbors birthday. It was our first time for the summer season, but I'm sure there will be many more days spent at the pool.

Adam was hesitant again this year--

And did NOT like the older kids splashing water in his face. (granted it was a little cold)

Zachary played "Odd or Even" with Daddy.

Then he got in the water... he had no qualms about any kind of splashing.

With the assistance of our neighbor (whose son was having his birthday), Adam eventually got used to the water and showed Daddy what splashing was all about.

I don't think Zachary was expecting Popsicles to be so cold when he took a huge bite out of one. Brain freeze!

By the end of the party, we had a hard time getting Adam OUT of the water!

Later that night, the boys took a ride in the wagon.

I was trying to get both boys to turn and smile for me. This is the best I could do!

A couple weeks ago was "Think Pink" week at work. The end of the week of course is the "Race for the Cure". I have helped with Think Pink Week at work for several years, but this is the first time I was actually able to go do the walk. I took the boys with me and we actually had a lot of fun! Zachary slept most of the time and Adam enjoyed watching all the people and hearing some drums.

We also went on a "Choo choo"- otherwise known as a subway or metro. This was a big treat for Adam who is quite into Thomas the Train right now. The boys look terrified in these pictures; they actually were just overwhelmed and tired.

Oh yea, and we also got yelled at by the secret service.

VP Biden--

Apparently we weren't supposed to walk in front of Biden's cars. We're in front of that first car, and that secret service guy... yep I think it is us he is staring down. Oops!

Burnt

Last night we had some steaks to cook. I was excited as we normally do not have steak. I made supper for the boys while Joe went to put the steaks for us on the grill. I heard a "puff" and then Joe peaks his head in the door. "Do I still have a face?" he asks. I did not know how to respond and did not know what he was talking about. Then he tells me that the grill isn't working and that he just had a big fireball fly up into his face. I continued to feed the boys and then went to get them cleaned up. I had resolved that, with the grill not working, I wasn't going to get my steak after all. Joe follows me upstairs and says, "Look all the stuff from the grill got in my hair." I investigate further and then come to the conclusion that it's not the stuff from the grill-- the ends of his hair are BURNT! (I tried to convince him to let me take a picture, but he was not amused by my wanting to document the scene). So now he has a little bit less hair than he had before and his eyelashes are a little shorter, but I thank God that he is okay.

Oh-- and I did get my steaks. We just cooked them on the stove instead. Not as good as on the grill, but not too bad either.

On the go

sdfk Zachary is much more interested in standing up than being on his stomach. He normally cries out whenever you put him down for his "tummy time". He was flipping around in his bassinet when he was 2 days old and rolling over after a couple months. But then he decided that he would much rather stand and stopped rolling over and definitely was not interested in crawling. In addition, he had whatever he wanted brought to him (normally by Adam), so there has not been a real issue for him wanting to get to something.

At his nine month appointment he still was not crawling. Everyone has told me not to worry, but that is impossible for a mother. I was told that he is very strong and that he might go straight to walking.

Well, we've been working on it... and over the weekend... he started crawling! YEA!

On his school paper yesterday there was a note from his teacher- "He's crawling. Yea! And pulling up too. I'm so excited."

Unfortunately/ Fortunately... I think all those that said he will go straight to walking may be partially right. Last night he would crawl a short ways and then try to push up and stand (not pull up on something and stand-- push up from sitting and stand!). We'll have to see, but for now I am excited that my little boy is mobile and at the same time frightened by how quickly he has grown.

With all the ups and downs, frustration, and constant worry... there is no greater joy than motherhood!

Stuck

Adam loves stickers. Zachary does too. Adam will find stickers and I have to remind him to share with his brother.

We end up having stickers all over ourselves and the house on most days.

Yesterday it was Thomas the Train stickers that Adam found. When I showed up at school there was a train sticker stuck to Zachary's blanket. And later that night Joe asked me, "Why do you have a train sticker stuck to your back?"

Then this morning I went to grab some of my work papers and found this...
little post it note stickers all over my work papers. I don't know where he found them or when he did it, but it looks like he had fun.

Oh... and he also had one of these on his knee last night over his "boo, boo". Apparantly he thought these stickers were bandaids.

Straws?!?

So a couple days ago I was on the phone with my mom. I was sitting on the floor of my kitchen holding Zachary while Adam roamed about. My purse was on a little table in the kitchen, and having already learned there might be cool things in it, Adam was going through it. I wasn't paying much attention to him... first mistake... until he came over with something in his hand saying "Open Mommy". What was it- of course a tampon. I told him no and continued my conversation with my mom. Zachary started freaking out wanting the tampon and I told Adam to just give it to him so I could continue my phone conversation without shouting kids.

Zachary proceded to try to eat the unopened tampon like it was some sort of candy. Meanwhile, Adam had found another tampon for himself and figured out how to open it. Next thing I know he comes up to me holding it and asks "Mommy, what's that?" "A tampon" I say and once again continue my conversation as my mom laughs and tells me a story of Taylor and tampons. Adam in the background is shouting "Mommy's tampon, Mommy's tampon!" the whole time.

Then Adam comes up to me with just the bottom of the tampon and says: "Look Mommy, a straw!" I lost it!

Oh the things they do and say!!