The Chronicle

Bumpersticker of the Day

2012-01-02T19:38:00.001-05:00

WITCHES Parking Only
All Others Will Be TOAD

The Resident Ham

2012-01-02T14:11:00.001-05:00

I call this one Evil Jammie-Clad Baby

CHEESE! (or as she says it... Cheesssssse!)

Anything You Can Do...

2012-01-02T14:03:00.002-05:00

Naomi's Motto in Life:

Anything You Can Do...

I Can Do Better. :)

Whether it is climbing, running, talking, yelling, lifting, drawing... you name it, this little girl is going to keep up with her brother!!

The Archer

2011-12-29T14:07:00.000-05:00

Ben trying out Uncle Peter's Christmas Present.

9 Years

2011-12-28T19:54:00.001-05:00

Today we celebrated NINE years of marriage. It is hard to believe it has been that long.
Here is the picture that went out in our wedding invitations. :)

It has been an amazing, hard, fun and incredible adventure, and every year Jesus takes us further into the Gospel, closer to Him and closer to each other.

We were able to get away for an ENTIRE day (thank you Becki!!) together. Because our anniversary falls right before the new year we did some life planning (while sipping coffee), saw a movie together (in a theater!) and went to the Melting Pot. It was a good day, and fun to pretend like we were 19 again. :)

Juice Anyone?

2011-12-27T21:59:00.003-05:00

And I have yet another obsession. JUICING!! I have had a vitamix blender for about 5 years now, and LOVE it!!! And I recently borrowed a juicer from my sister-in-law and we have been using it almost every day!

I know it is lame, but I feel like a better mother if I can get veges into the kids... especially a whole bunch before noon! When I just had the vitamix we would make smoothies and such (laces with plenty of spinach), but I have found the kids love the smooth juice, so I have started using both!

FIRST, I juice some combination of apples, oranges, celery, carrots, cabbage, beets, pineapple and tomatoes.

THEN, I throw it all in the vitamix with ice, bananas, avocado, spinach, pineapple and cabbage (for fiber) and TA DA!!! You have amazing juice that your kids slurp right up!!

And all in all it takes me 10-15 minutes from start to finish (washing both machines).

(The only downside are the looks your husband may give you when they see yet another appliance - with 8 pieces - take us residence on the counter... I think he still loves me :).

All Boxed In

2011-12-27T21:40:00.003-05:00

I recently played a game where we attempted to list all the toys that made it in to the Toy Hall of Fame. Do you know what was #1??? A BOX!!! And it is soooo true. :)

I bought a box to organize the kids clothes (horray for hand-me-downs!) Well, needless to say, I didn't get to it right away, and the kids, particularly Ben, have been having a blast with the box. :)

This is how I found him this afternoon when I banished him to the couch for rest time. :)

And here he is the first day we brought it home.
I ended up giving him some animal crackers and he was happy as a clam for an hour.

Naomi: 20 Months

2011-12-26T21:14:00.000-05:00

How can you not just smile when looking at this face? Sometimes I forget how much she doesn't look like me, until someone comments... "Wow, she is sooo blonde!" Or I look at us in a mirror. :) He definitely got more of her daddy's genes, but she does look a little like some of my baby pictures, just dipped in vanilla. :)

I LOVE this age. 18-19-20-21 months... they just become little people. They can hold your hand in a parking lot instead of having to be held. They start really communicating. They want to participate and personally just bubbles over constantly!

She is adding new words every day, although she mainly uses her amazingly expression-filled face, and pointing and grunts to get her point across. (Which she is VERY good at). She loves to keep up with her brother, and do everything he does. She likes shoes and bracelets, but also loves to play with matchbox cars and airplanes. She has all the noises down for a good crash. :)

Too Much Fun?

2011-12-26T14:33:00.000-05:00

I think all the Christmas fun did her in. The day after Christmas she came downstairs with her favorite blankets and was acting cranky... Andrew offered to cover her up, and there she slept... on the rug in the middle of the living room. :)

Christmas!!

2011-12-26T07:15:00.001-05:00

We had a wonderful - albeit hectic - Christmas this year. :) Here are a few pictures from Christmas Eve and Christmas.

We let the kids open one present on Christmas Eve.

Yes, we are THOSE parents, who give their kids books. :)
Naomi got Blueberries for Sal
Ben got The Complete Collection of George & Martha

Christmas morning... opening stockings at home. :)

The off to the in-laws by 8am - just in time for amazing cinnamon rolls and presents!
Here are Daniel, Jonathon & Becki - waiting patiently to open presents. :)

Na found a good perch.

Playing piano before heading to church all decked out in there Indian clothes from my grandmother.

Naomi got a little tired during church.

Not a great picture, but we documented the event right?

The kiddos.

Cinnamon Rolls, Presents, Church, A Game of Settlers & Pictures we went home to hang out with my brother Ryan & his wife Meredith, and celebrated yet again. :)

Opening their big gift from us. An Art Easel!

Ben playing sword fight with Uncle Ryan.
At this point he had chopped off one leg and an arm.

Naomi having a blast making Auntie Mers entertain her. :)

Friends

2011-12-24T19:08:00.000-05:00

When I was little I learned this little jingle:

Make New Friends
But Keep the Old
Some are Silver
And the Other Gold

Josh & Missy are Gold! :) Sadly, J & M don't get any picture space now that they have a child (and one on the way!), but here is their daughter Alina with Ben and Naomi. They had such a great time together... which means the adults had time to talk without constant interruptions!

They were able to stay with us for a few days before Christmas and we loved seeing them!

Alina's B-day is Dec. 23rd, so we were able to celebrate with her.
Here are Ben & Naomi - every so ready to help her open anything. :)

The party was at the Play Lodge!
Ben got to try the stocks out. :)

The Three Kidlets. :)

Friendship!

2011-12-21T19:33:00.000-05:00

Here are Melanie, Becki, (Juliet,) Lara & I visiting the gingerbread houses at the Grove Park Inn.
We are all in bible study together and it has been such a blessing to be in eachother's lives!

Big Girl Bed

2011-12-17T19:42:00.000-05:00

Well, we have officially moved Naomi to a big girl bed.
I don't know if I was ready yet, I am not ready for my baby to be a little girl yet.
But their room was quite crowded with bunk beds and a crib,
so here we go! It will be an adventure!
She slept all night the first night,
and almost all night the second,
so I guess I can't complain. :)

Proof

2011-12-12T19:52:00.000-05:00

That mischief can be cute.

Sunrise

2011-12-09T21:24:00.003-05:00

This was the amazing view from my driveway as I left home this morning.

Kid Chatter

2011-12-05T15:10:00.002-05:00

A: Ben, what are you thinking about?

B: (Pause)... I am thinking about who is the best at disobeying.

A: Oh really, well who is it?

B: You (meaning Andrew :) & Grandpa & Uncle Daniel.

---

My sister-in-law Becki watched my kids while I was at a book fair and while picking up my brother from the airport...

Becki: Ben, do you know that Uncle Micah is coming today?

Ben shakes head yes.

Becki: And are you excited?

Ben: Yes!! I didn't know you know the awesome soldier's name! I love soldiers... because they kill the bad guys.

---

B: Oh no! This is just awful!!

L: What is awful?

B: I forgot to tell my teachers something!! (at Bible Study Fellowship)

L: Oh, and what did you forget to tell them?

B: That I am going to be a soldier when I grow up, like Uncle Micah. Isn't it awful that I forgot Mom? Oh well, I guess I will just have to tell them next week.

Bumpersticker of the Day

2011-12-02T15:17:00.001-05:00

MAKE CORNBREAD
NOT WAR

O Christmas Tree

2011-12-01T21:21:00.000-05:00

We love to get our Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving! We chop if down, drag it home, set it up and decorate it all the same day! We love it!

Here are a few pictures!

Naomi enjoying her candy cane from Santa (she did NOT enjoy Santa).

Ben with his sweet treat. :)

We don't really do Santa in our house, not because we have a philosophical reason against it necessarily, but more because I just think there are so many things I want to teach them about Jesus and his birth and the real reason for the season, that I don't want to waste any of this precious time on Santa. So when Santa asked Ben if he had been a good boy and what he wanted for Christmas, Ben just looked at me, as if to say, "Who is this guy, and what's with the questions?" :)

Ben and Uncle Ryan with the hat switch.
(Never mind that it was 70 degrees and hats were not necessary).

Andrew and Meredith's brother Noah doing the dirty work. :)

My lovely photogenic helpers dragging out the Christmas boxes.

Ben decorating the tree.

Last year we decorated after Ben went to bed, and he woke up the next morning distraught that we had done it all without him. So this year he wanted to put EVERY LAST ORNAMENT on the tree.

The angel ornament seen in the picture has special meaning. It came in the box of ornaments we got from Andrew's mom when we got married (most of them ones that Andrew had made). One for every year. This particular one I call the "retarded angel" (not very pc i know) and he lives on the back of the tree each year. :) But the funny this is that Naomi saw it, and loves it... pointing it out almost every day. Silly girl!

The finished product! I love our not-very-beautiful tree! We collect ornaments from every place we visit, and so each ornament has meaning, or at least a story, so it is fun to revisit all those places and memories while decorating the tree each year! (And then you also don't have the clutter of trinkets from all the places you visit the other 11 months of the year! :).

Turning 29

2011-11-27T14:16:00.002-05:00

Well, I am now 29. Twenty-nine. Two Nine. Thirty minus one. I am now on the brink of old. :) No, in all honesty, it was one of the best birthdays yet I think! And since I had run a 5k two days before, I think I am better shape than I have been in since who knows when.

Because I have a birthday around a holiday, I live by the motto: CELEBRATE EARLY & CELEBRATE OFTEN, because everyone seems to be out of town on my actual birthday. So, I think I got no less than 5 parties in. :) So here is a little overview of my brithday festivities:

PARTY ONE: First I celebrated with 16 friends, 7 of which also have November birthdays. :) We had a blast at the olive garden, just enjoying life together!

On the Tuesday before Thanksgiving my brother Micah came to visit and brought me THIS:

No, not the child.... a BOB!!!!!! For those of you who don't know, this is the cadillac of strollers, it has shocks better than my car! It is great for jogging, and so easy to steer. Awesome, so THANKS MICAH!!!

PARTY TWO: Friday after Thanksgiving, we got our tree and headed to my brother Ryan's house where he and his wife Meredith made awesome pork tacos and a carrot cake for a birthday dinner. :) Yumm! And they gave me an awesome Tupelo Honey cookbook! (Sweet potato pancakes are on the menu in the near future!)

PARTY THREE: Later than evening, instead of going out of eat, we splurged and got some of the pre-made appetizers at Sam's Club and decorated the tree and had chicken burchetta bites. :) Andrew, Ben & Naomi gave me a day at a local spa... yippee! And the book Bossy Pants by Tina Fey! Can't wait to read it.

PARTY FOUR: On my actual birthday, a few friends managed to get away, and I made black forest cherry cake and we watched Seven Brides for Sever Brothers... nothing better than singing along to "Bless Your Beautiful Hide" with seven friends. :) And despite express instructions to not bring gifts, I am now the proud owner of a "runner girl" bumpersticker, a PINK running top, a foam roller (if you don't know what this is, you should), some purple toe nail polish and Settlers of Catan!

PARTY FIVE: And for a final horrah, the day after my birthday the Z side of the family gathered for a make-your-own-sushi night. I love sushi and they went all out on the toppings, we had a blast!

So there you go, I think I am ready to be 29. And hopefully some time in the next 364 days I will be ready for the big 3-0. :) Yikes!

Naomi: 19 Months

2011-11-26T14:44:00.000-05:00

Cheese!

Hi Mom!

Naomi & her doggy... early one morning. She loves everything dog.

I absolutely love this age. We are sort of beyond the baby stage. She can walk into a store, instead of having to be carried every time. She can communicate well, she has a personality, preferences, opinions, desires that are totally her own. :)

She loves animals, running, screaming, bracelets, shoes and her blankets.

She is still working on the words, but adds more every day. At Bible Study Fellowship they do a little thing with them each week, " ONE, TWO, THIS IS TRUE, GOD LOVES ME & GOD LOVES YOU!" She is great at holding up two fingers, and she can say "twuuuu." So sweet.

She wants to be part of everything, loves helping cook, clean and would love to be tickled every minute of the day if she had her way. We love our Na-Na!

Uncle Da-tah!

2011-11-25T14:09:00.000-05:00

Despite her look in the picture, Naomi and her Uncle Da-tah (Very different than Da-deee :), had a ball when Uncle Micah came down for a 2.5 day whirlwind-thanksgiving visit. It took her a little bit to warm up, but once she did she pretty much decided he was there for her personal entertainment. :)

My brother Micah flew down early on Tuesday before Thanksgiving and we manged to pack in Lunch at 12 Bones BBQ, squirrel shooting, Risk, Settlers, a Thanksgiving Meal (on Wednesday), a 5k race, and a huge Post-Race Cinnamon Roll & Quiche breakfast before he hopped back on the plane Thanksgiving afternoon. We love it when Uncle Micah comes to visit!

T-day Turkey Trot 5k

2011-11-24T15:17:00.000-05:00

As I have blogged about a few times, my sister-in-law Becki and I started running back in June with the goal of running the Turkey Trot 5k on Thanksgiving morning, and... WE DID IT!

My race buddies - Pre-race!
L-R: Becki, Meredith, Micah, Noah (Mers brother), Me, Brent (Lara's Dad) & Lara

Some cute spectators, watching for their uncles, aunts, friends and mama cross the finish line!

We we are huffing across the finish line.
Our goal was under 40 minutes and our official time was 35min 37sec.

Sweaty, post-race crowd. :)

The fireman ran in full gear... awesome!

My running buddy, without her I wouldn't have stuck with it! :)

My Little Turkeys!

2011-11-19T15:14:00.000-05:00

We had a little homeschool craft day before Thanksgiving and made this amazing little turkeys. The body is a cut out of their feet, and the feathers are their hands. Fun, fun! (Even if I spent 30 minutes cutting. :).

Kid Chatter

2011-11-16T14:40:00.003-05:00

Ben: Mom, is Jesus as strong as God?

Leah: Yes Ben, he is! God and Jesus are actually one being, but three separate persons, kinda like water...

(and then like any good, slightly-unhinged mother, I broke into song)

L: My God is to GREAT, so STRONG and so MIGHTY, there's nothing my God cannot do! My God is to GREAT, so STRONG and so MIGHTY, there's nothing my God cannot do! The Mountains are His, the Rivers are His, the Stars are his Handiwork too!

B: Handiwork? That's a weird word. What does that mean?

---

30 minutes later after we do our errand and get back in the car...

B: Mom, can you sing that song 20 1/2 times please?

L: My God is to GREAT, so STRONG and so MIGHTY, there's nothing my God cannot do! My God is to GREAT, so STRONG and so MIGHTY, there's nothing my God cannot do! The Mountains are His, the Rivers are His, the Stars are his Handiwork too! My God is so GREAT, so STRONG and so MIGHTY there's nothing my God cannot do, for you!!

B: Umm, that is one time... I said 20 1/2, so keep singing...

L: My God is so... pause (I love to have Ben fill in the words)

B: GREAT

L: So...

B: STRONG

L: And So...

B: FIERCE!!!

L: Oh, really? I think the word is Mighty...

B: Yes, but Mom, Fierce is a type of Mighty.

Bet ya didn't know that! :) Never a dull moment here!

Bumperstickers of the Day

2011-11-16T14:03:00.002-05:00

SOMETIMES I AM THE WINDSHIELD
SOMETIMES I AM THE BUG

----

HOMOPHOBIA IS SO GAY

----

I EXPRESS MY INDIVIDUALITY
THROUGH MASS PRODUCED BUMPERSTICKERS

---

JESUS LOVES YOU
the rest of us think you are an a**

Leaves!

2011-11-15T15:08:00.002-05:00

Well, since we have about 100 trees in and around our yard raking is always a major ordeal at our house. Thankfully the kids have a blast! (And mama gets her exercise, so I guess that is good). It has taken Ben 4 years to enjoy the leaves. This is the first time he really played in them, he is my clean boy! Naomi, on the other hand, jumps in head-first, crawls on her belly through the WHOLE pile, and then rolls around until she can't tell which way is up.

Mama's helper.

Here we go...

2011-11-01T15:11:00.004-04:00

THIS...

OR THIS...
That is the question....

I just registered for my very first 5k race. My sister-in-law Becki and I (and hopefully my brother Micah and some other friends too) will be running the Turkey Trot 5k on Thanksgiving morning. (I picked the race with the least intimidating name - no "iron man" here...)

As I blogged about a while ago, Becki and I started walking back in May, and started a program to run 20 minutes back in July. We fell off the wagon for September while I had a booth at the fair and she took a Nurse Assistant class, and we got back on the wagon in October. We have been running about 25 minutes, and hope to get to 30 or more before the race...

Ready or not... here we go!

I guess the only question left to answer is whether or not I am going to look more like turkey 1 or 2 by the end of the race.... (although neither one is very attractive - I am hoping for alive rather than dead) ... we shall see!

Trick-or-Treat

2011-10-31T20:45:00.000-04:00

We had our first Halloween last night. Until now Ben hasn't really been old enough to care, or really enjoy it, so it wasn't really worth the effort. But this year... we were invited to a party on Vermont Street in west Asheville by our awesome friends the Whipples. And we had a blast!

So here are a few pics...

The dinosaur and the bear.
I really like warm costumes... and even better warm HAND-ME-DOWN costumes!

The little dinosaur all ready to go out!
He was so excited he couldn't sleep for his nap. :)
Can you blame him?

As we were walking to the car on the way to the party, Ben started to panic...
"Mom, how can I sit with a TAIL!!"
After we got home and were in pajamas he reached behind him and said,
"Mom, I kinda think I still have a tail." :)

Naomi's costume was a 3T, but who doesn't love a wrinkly teddy bear?
Oh, and that tail! I just LOVE it!
We might just use it again next year. :)

And here are my friend Lara and I.
And I somehow didn't get a picture of her precious Juliet... 6 weeks old and dressed like a tiger!

We saw some awesome costumes!

I didn't get any awesome shots of actually trick or treating, but we had a great time. After the first house Ben was hooked! Vermont Ave in west Asheville is the place to be! (Our friends went through 20ish bags of candy!) In addition to candy people were handing out fresh-made popcorn, animal crackers and raisins (Rachelle, you can tell Mike we like them!)... which was a nice break from the candy! And once we got back to the house, we loved watching all the trick-or-treaters and seeing all the cool costumes!

The kidlets. :)

Blanket Girl

2011-10-31T11:31:00.002-04:00

I never thought I would be a mom that had a child who was attached to something. Ben, other than his amazing attachment to my hair, doesn't really have that thing he loves. He enjoys his stuffed animals and plays with all of them, but life didn't fall apart if he didn't have it.

Then we had this little girl... and MAN does she LOOOVE her blanket. Thankfully, it is not one particular blanket, any of the little baby ones will do. One lives in the car and the other two in her crib. But if she is feeling tired, she will go and pull it out through the bars of her crib, it always helps her calm down and she loves to cuddle with it. We can't read or sing at night without it. It is an extension of her. So sweet. :) So long as it doesn't go to college with it (and I may change my mind on even this) I am okay with it. :)

Benjamin

2011-10-31T11:26:00.002-04:00

A: Ben, what does your shirt say?
B: It says, if you go up high in a tree and stay there for a loooong time, that no one will EVER, EVER see you.

L: Ben, why is the baby giraffe in the middle?
B: Because they are all going to EAT him!!!

For the next 5 minutes the circle proceeded to close in on the poor baby giraffe... with Ben chanting the whole time... "eat him, eat him, bite him, bite him... yumm... yumm!"

It is never dull around here!

She Speaks...

2011-10-31T11:14:00.005-04:00

Well, at least a little bit. :) It took three videos to get the majority of her words, so unless you are a grandparent or an uncle or aunt you don't have to watch them all.

A little bit of explanation: Her words are Mama, Daddy, Kitty, Uh-oh, Ow (which she says with great conviction), "lllllll" is her word for "ew." I guess I say it when something is gross... :-P. And she can sign More, which I thought was so cute when she first learned it that I laughed, and how she does too every time she does it. And the one I didn't get was "DEEEEEEE!!!!!" Which is Ben, this little girl LOVES her brother. :)

Video 1

Video 2

Video 3 - looking a lot less like Captain Crazy Hair (or as Ben has started calling her... Dragon Hair)

Naomi: 18 Months

2011-10-28T21:21:00.003-04:00

Sweet. Spunky. Sassy. Determined. Independent. Cuddly. Kissable. Adventurous. Passionate. Crazy.

So many words to describe this little girl. She is a joy in our lives!

I can't believe she is already 1 1/2. The time goes too quickly. But she is getting more fun every day, and every day is keeping up with her brother just a little bit better. She is feisty but quick to forgive and give hugs. She is loud and loves to have fun. She doesn't say many words but know what she wants, and is surprisingly good at getting her point across. And she is blonde, but has her mama's whispy hair curse. :)

All Grown Up.
(She got up there herself.)

Corn Maze

2011-10-21T16:01:00.003-04:00

Today we went with our little home school group to the Elida Home Corn Maze. The weather was B-E-A-UTIFUL and we had a wonderful time!

Although the corn maze was beyond what our kids could really handle (we found that out the hard way... and by hard I mean lugging a 30 lb little girl through a mile-long mud pit... okay, not quite that bad... but almost)... we still managed to have an awesome time. They had a bunch of other things to do, including a mini-maze, a "corn box," tractor rides and a huge slide. And now... the pictures! :)

My attempt at a self portrait on the tractor ride.

Ben on the Super Fast Slide. He did it about 25 times.

Corn Angel?

Bumpersticker of the Day

2011-10-21T15:54:00.001-04:00

EAT THE RICH
THE OTHER WHITE MEAT

---

MY OTHER CAR IS
DIMENSIONALLY TRANSCENDENTAL

The Boy

2011-10-18T14:50:00.001-04:00

I Love Fall!

2011-10-18T13:49:00.004-04:00

I LOVE Fall! I love the cool weather, the falling leaves, the colors! And I love everything it inspires! Hot tea and cocoa, soup, jeans, sweaters, jackets, pumpkins...

We have been out enjoying the beautiful weather the last couple of days, here are a few pictures!

Naomi swinging.

Collecting leaves, sticks, acorns and more. :)

Naomi with her loot.

Ben the odd ball.

Oh the colors. Ben pushed this stick the entire 1/4 mile home, trying to hit as many leaf piles as possible.

Walking around the Bass Pond at the Biltmore today.

I finally caught a smile!!!

King of the Stump!

Girls Weekend!

2011-10-17T14:46:00.005-04:00

Last weekend I went to Atlanta along with 2000 other women for the Amazing Grace 360 Conference. It was a great time of friends, fellowship, worship and teaching and more. Indelible Grace lead worship, which was incredible.

Friends. The best part of the conference. :)

The roommates! Melanie, Ann & Jen. We had a great time together! Ann, Jen and I were able to go a day early... we went out for thai food, watched lame TV & drank red wine. Fun, fun!

The awesome showers in the locker room at the hotel. :)

Oh yes, and on the way home we stopped at this crazy place called Goats on the Roof (yes, there were actually live goats on the roof... and you could feed them if you wanted to.)

And, horrible as it is, this made us laugh really really hard. :)

Benjamin

2011-10-17T14:04:00.002-04:00

while downtown last weekend we decided to go to the chocolate fetish for a sweet treat...

B: Mommy, I can't walk, I am tooooo tired!

L: You need to be able to walk if you want a chocolate.

B: Oh! ... long pause.... if I run can I have a really big one?

---

Ahh.... real life... yikes...

Andrew: Leah, do you know where that little thing went?

L: No, I don't.

A: Ben, do you know where it went?

B: Nope. Don't know, don't care.

Family, Family, Family!

2011-10-01T14:13:00.003-04:00

As you saw in the last post, my family gathered out here in Asheville for a family reunion and to celebrate my grandmother's 80th birthday! We had a wonderful time! Here are a few pictures to prove it!

My dad's crazy cousin Mala flew in from Texas to surprise my grandmother!

And here we all are! My dad's cousin Mala and his other cousin Viji came, along with her son Vinnie (the super tall one) and his finance Hilary, and her daughter Gayathri. And then of course there are my parents and three of my brothers, and one wife... plus the 4 of us! All together we represented NC, TX, NY, UT & MD... not bad! We all gathered on Saturday night for dinner!

Horray for grandma's that bring cool new toys, and uncles to play with them!

Oh, how different life would be if we didn't have crazy uncles to strap weird things to our feet...

My parents rented a condo at Lake Lure, they had an awesome swimming pool, life-size chess, mini golf and more! So much fun!

Cornhole anyone?

Mini Golf?

Uncles Rock!

Naomi & Mala, they got along SOOO well. They bonded because they are both grumpy in the morning. :)

Naomi & her great grandmother Shanthi

Ben & Auntie Mers!

In the clothes that their grandmother brought them. I even got them not to smile like good little indians. :)

The kids and their great grandmother.

While here the siblings, minus nate :(, were able to escape and go out to lunch together. It was awesome, and it was so much fun to all be together! (And yes, my baby brother has facial hair... man I am getting old!)

The amazing sushi we had for lunch. :) The one in the middle was the best (and the most unique... lemon on top!)

Shanthi Patti

2011-09-30T09:02:00.003-04:00

My parents and brothers are here celebrating Shanthi Patti's (Grandma Shanthi's) 80th Birthday!! My grandmother is here in the US for a few months and we are all gathering on the east coast this week to celebrate!

Ben has never met his great grandmother, but once she started playing with food they had an instant bond! I just love this picture!

Weekend Away...

2011-09-30T08:42:00.005-04:00

Andrew has this week off, and since my parents were coming on Wednesday we decided to take a little mini-vacation-within-a-vacation before they got here. We were planning to camp, however the forecast did not seem to cooperate, so we went to Charlotte for three days instead! (YAY for a husband who travels and get hotel points so we can stay for free!) Here are a few pictures from our weekend!

Celebrating a birthday with a friend at Papas & Beer!

Naomi was not such a huge fan of the hat.

Our hotel... 6th floor.

Ben was impressed by the "trees that grow inside!!"

Naomi was NOT a fan of the glass elevator.

We ate amazing food... middle eatern, vietnamese, japanese... SOO yummy.

And no vacation is quite complete without a trip here... :)

And on vacation Ben gets to watch cartoons in the hotel... he loves it.

On Saturday Ben and Andrew went to the Discovery Museum... and watched an IMAX film.

They also built a New York City Skyscraper.

On Sunday we went to the Discovery Kids Museum, geared for younger kids. Naomi and Ben both had a blast playing in the water.

Driving a Race Car.

Riding a Cow. :)

And on Monday we took them to a huge mall in Charlotte, and saw the HUGE catfish in the tank at the Bass Pro Shop.

All in all a GREAT weekend!

Naomi: 17 Months

2011-09-26T14:24:00.004-04:00

Naomi is already 17 months old! She is a spunky little girls who doesn't say many words but ALWAYS gets her point across. :) She can say Mama, Daddy, Uh-oh, & No with perfect inflection. :) She can sign please and more, and the rest she can communicate through a number of different ways... including her constant interpreter... her older brother. :)

Ben and Naomi have started really playing together. She LOVES sticks, and rolling around on the rug with a matchbox car making car noises. She wants to do everything Ben does. She likes reading, loves music and adores dogs. Any time we see one she jumps and squeals and points until we go and pet it.

She is not the automatic smiler that I thought she was going to be. She inherited her old brothers intense-knit-eyebrow look and uses it often... and always with new people. But she will wave anyone and everyone goodbye! :)

She is a crazy one and we love her to pieces!

Oh the hair! There really is a reason we call her Captain Crazy Hair!

This little girl loves the outdoors and is always up for an adventure!

We LOVE Crocs!

2011-09-22T12:51:00.003-04:00

We are a crocs loving family. I got them first, then Andrew got a pair, and I don't think he has taken them off since. He has been through 3-4 pairs and wears nothing else (in the summer). At the beginning of summer we decided to get Ben a pair, and he has loved them! (And we love that he can put them on himself. I had been thinking of getting Naomi a "winter" pair since she has little thick feet, and I can't buy the target/walmart stuff that I always did for Ben. So when I saw THIS at the fair last week...

... and found out they gave Vendors a discount... I just had to go and look!

And here is what I found. :) I love them... and better yet... so does Naomi!

And the guys at the booth even game me these! Ben has been LOVING his little Croc Dude!
So there you go... Crocs are just awesome. :)

My Pirate

2011-09-22T12:45:00.002-04:00

"Mom, look at me! I am SOO cool! Everyone is going to think I am a dead man!"

Post-Nap Hair

2011-09-22T12:40:00.001-04:00

Oh, how I love it!

Picnic At The Biltmore

2011-09-22T12:33:00.002-04:00

On Monday night Andrew was out of town, so being the wonderful, planner that I am... we went to the grocery store, and wandered around hungry until we found something we wanted to eat. :) (I am still recovering from the fair :-P... or at least that is my excuse). We settled on crackers, cheese, lunch meat, applesauce and oreos.

We had a great little picnic and even ran up and down the hill a couple times to use up all that toddler/little boy energy. :)

Rocking Girl...

2011-09-22T12:31:00.001-04:00

Blogging Silence...

2011-09-21T21:41:00.005-04:00

THIS is why I have not blogged for 2 weeks.... 106+ hours of my life were spent in this booth at the Mountain State Fair. It was worth it... but I am tired now! :)

And here are a few pictures from when I did get a away for a little bit!

And let me just say that I am one AMAZING husband. All 106 hours I was in that booth my children were with Andrew. He took them camping for two days (yes, alone), took them to the mall, to the Biltmore, to the botanical gardens, to Grandma's house, Sam's Club and More! And I even came home to clean toilets at the end of the week! That man deserves an award!!!!

First Jeans!

2011-09-21T21:39:00.000-04:00

The End of Summer...

2011-09-11T21:31:00.002-04:00

A few pictures from the last month of summer... we had a full and good summer!

From Drop Box

Apples!!!

2011-09-04T21:48:00.002-04:00

Over Labor Day weekend we went to the Apple Festival in Hendersonville. We had a wonderful time, despite the heat!

Our double stroller, I know you want one!

Ben and his one treat... I think they thought he was cute and made it extra big! Augh!

Just Ben

2011-09-02T16:29:00.002-04:00

Andrew: Let's Hit the Road!

Leah: Ben, is it nice to hit roads?

Ben: Noooo.

L: That's right, we need to be kind to the roads. You should tell daddy that.

B: Daddy! You need to be KIND to the roads.... otherwise they will run over your feelings.

Bumpersticker of the Day

2011-09-01T17:24:00.002-04:00

I ALWAYS SAID I WANTED TO BE
SOMEBODY WHEN I GREW UP
I GUESS I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE SPECIFIC

----

IF YOU CAN'T TRUST ME WITH A DECISION
HOW CAN YOU TRUST ME WITH A CHILD

Naomi: 16 Months

2011-08-26T21:12:00.001-04:00

From Drop Box

Oh, this little girl! She is growing up so fast! She is wearing 2T clothes and doing her best to keep up with her brother. :)

She says a few words, like uh-oh, daddy & mama (finally) but I think Ben talks for her, and so she doesn't really have a need to talk. :)

We loves music and dances with any sound of music.

I must admit I LOVE doing her hair, I never thought I would have this much fun. Who would have ever thought I would be brushing BLONDE curls. :)

Kidless Wedding Weekend!!!

2011-08-26T15:16:00.003-04:00

Well, we left our kids for the first time ever this weekend. We got off to a rocky start, with Andrew getting delayed in Philedelphia for so long that he missed his connection in Charlotte and ended up renting a car and not getting home until 2am Saturday morning... but we proceeded anyway... just added a few more coffee stops.

We left the kids in the very capable hands of Aunt Becki & Uncle Jonathon and headed to Augusta, Georgia to party with the Goodrums. :)

If you don't remember, the Goodrums are a family in our church, whom we love almost as much as our own family. We took care of Cecilia's daddy for a while before he moved to assisted living, he and Ben had a wonderful time together. :) Andrew also also employed Caleb when we were doing construction and Caleb and his sister Mary-Lisa were in youth group when we helped out. So, needless to say they are near and dear to our hearts!

My constant battle is whether or not to "document" the event, or just sit back and enjoy it. 95% of the time I go for the former... but this weekend I went for the latter. We had a great time away... although not quite long enough I think... and had a wonderful time being a part of Caleb & Nada's wedding! The ceremony was beautiful, the food amazing (Nada is Egyptian so they had a Mediterranean themed dinner), and unique to this wedding was a Lego video created by the groom's little brother depicting Caleb & Nada's relationship (sort of), learning the Egyptian Wedding Call and watching Nada's aunt teach Caleb to belly dance. :) Good times! And here are the three pictures I DID take. :)

Richard & Cecilia (Parents of Groom, and Richard was the Best Man)

Mary-Lisa, Kim Pierce & Caleb

The Radiant Bride & Groom!

Bumpersticker of the Day

2011-08-23T14:51:00.001-04:00

EAT MORE OPOSSUM

Ice Cream & Apples

2011-08-16T11:28:00.005-04:00

After picking up Andrew from the airport Friday night (he had been gone a little over a week)... on the drive home:

Andrew: Ben, were you good for mommy this week?

Ben: Yes!

A: Did you obey her right away?

B: Yes.

A: Were you good enough to get ice cream?

B: Umm.... maybe?

----

Ben: Mommy, your computer is old.

Leah: Yes Ben, I know.

B: Mommy, it is super old... it is going to die soon.

L: I know.

B: When it dies can we get one with an apple on it?

Completely unprompted. But cool Uncles Daniel & Jonathon have apples on their computers. Apparently theirs are far better than my 7 year old dell:)

Cool Chick

2011-08-13T15:09:00.000-04:00

Mango Eaters

2011-08-13T15:03:00.003-04:00

We Krishnans love eating mangos. I remember all standing around when my dad would cut one open when we were little... and there was always a battle over the pit. :) I love having my kids experience some of the things I did growing up... and mangos are just awesome. :)

Oh Say Can You Say...

2011-08-13T14:59:00.002-04:00

Forget Saturday Morning Cartoons... Uncles who read Oh Say Can You Say before 8 in the morning are the BEST!

Asheville Swine

2011-08-13T14:46:00.002-04:00

Why do we live in Asheville, NC? Here is one of the many reasons:

Because any old day you could see THIS while driving down the road. :)

Bele Chere Weekend!

2011-08-12T14:05:00.011-04:00

Bele Chere 2011!

Bele Chere is a funny thing... half of Asheville heads downtown to enjoy the festivities and the other half goes out of town or hides in their house. I am one of the former. I love it, for so many many reasons. I used to love it for the music, the booths and an evening out, now I enjoy the air conditioned kids area and the balloon man... and the 5K... and I have ALWAYS loved it for the food (Corner Kitchen reuben and Mama Citas guacamole tacos!) and especially the people watching.

My brother Micah flew down for the weekend and we tried to pack it all in, as we always do. We managed to do Bele Chere Friday & Saturday night, watch/run the 5K, see Harry Potter 7, go to 12 Bones for lunch, Birthday Dinner for Daniel and we also packed coffee and a nap or two in there. :) So here are some pictures from our awesome weekend.

Pre-5K on Saturday morning.
Daniel (brother-in-law), Eric (father-in-law), Lara (my amazing 7 1/2 month pregnant friend), and Micah (brother).

Hopefully next year I will be on the OTHER side of the camera with a number pinned on. :)

There they go! It was so nice of Eric & Lara to wear bright colors, much easier to see them!

Eric crossing the line... and the time was a minute or two faster since they were at the back of the pack when starting.

Micah & Lara coming across.

Post race. Note how far apart they are now as compared to the first picture. :)
Running at the end of july in humid A'ville makes you SWEAT!

Some of the entertainment at Bele Chere. I love the gold girls. :)
They have Ben a chocolate kiss when he gave them a $1.

Ben getting balloons.
This is my brother Ryan's friend Mark, so he totally hooked Ben up. :)

That right... crazy hat, light saber WITH holder. :)
And what do you do with a light saber? Attack uncle micah of course!

Watching the Dog Jump.
Tall Uncles ROCK!

So this is Bele Chere. And can you believe that some guy came up to me when I had stopped to talk to some friends to tell me that "my stroller was in the traffic pattern."

Bele Chere!

Thanks for letting me steal your pictures Micah!

And finally a video taken by my brother Micah, which perfectly captures why I go to Bele Chere... there is nothing quite like the people at Bele Chere. It is worth the 17 seconds to watch. :)

A Week in Pictures...

2011-08-12T08:47:00.003-04:00

Naomi went from NO interest in books, to wanting to read ALL the time. I love it. :)

Making Oatmeal Pancakes

It is a little dark, but that is Ben at the top on the left.

Auntie Becki in one of her finer moments.
Flash back to the early 90's. :)
Thank you Becki for bringing laughter to my week!

A frog and a butterfly. Toddler towels ROCK!

Mama's Little Helper

2011-08-11T13:47:00.002-04:00

Naomi was my little helper while making banana bread yesterday.

That's right folks... she licked the FLOUR clean. :)

(And now you see why we always have her hair in a pony tail, because she has to tip her head back like this to see me otherwise :).

Thankful

2011-08-09T21:00:00.006-04:00

It has been a LOOOONG week, and yes... it is only Tuesday. Andrew left Friday and I think my kids knew he was going to be gone for 10 days and wanted to mess with mama as much as possible, get some much needed teething in, as well as let sleep take a back seat to just about everything... But there is still A LOT to be thankful for, so here is my list of things I am thankful for... so I can remind myself often:

SC peaches and fresh picked blueberries
brothers and moms who call to check in... often
a husband who has a job he enjoys
a sister-in-law who takes a 3-year-old to a movie, and squishes between two car seats on the ride to the theater because said 3-year-old freaks out about leaving mom
a little boy who, out of the blue, says: "Mommy, can I hug you, 'cause you are the best mom ever!"
a little girl who takes time out of her busy schedule put her head on your chest and let you tickle her back
a friend who brings you sunflowers because she says they remind her of you
a brother-in-law that takes your kids for walks
a mother-in-law who feeds you dinner and takes your 3-year-old to a meeting so you can have a break (and entertains him by letting him lick an altoid... 45 minutes folks!)
a God who is gracious and lavishly covers me with grace when I am FAR from the parent I should be
and there are so many more!

Coconuts, China and Other Fun Stuff

2011-08-08T10:35:00.002-04:00

Ben: Mom, if you need a coconut you should just call the airplane guys.

Leah: Oh, and what would they do for me?

B: They would just take you to the place that has coconuts of course!

L: Ohh...

B: But, they would just bring you home too...

L: Good to know.

----

While drawing with wok bok (sidewalk) chalk:

B: Mom, look at what I drew!

L: Wow Ben, tell me about it.

B: Well, it is a pweonvaoko and it is super super scary. You can't go near it because it will surely eat you.

L: Oh...

B: But, we don't have them in this world... only in China.

LOVE THIS TOWN: Thursdays

2011-08-05T21:43:00.004-04:00

I love my town. It is laid back, casual, a perfect blend of hippies, hillbillies and rich retired folks... with a few of us "none of the above" sprinkled in. Big enough to have lots going on, not big enough for horrible traffic. Voted most independent restaurants per capita recently, very earthy and organic but you can also find a walmart when you need one. :)

Well, a friend mentioned that I should blog about fun things to do here in Ashevegas, so I will try and list some of the fun things we do... some free, some not, but hopefully all fun.

So, tonight we will start with THURSDAYS!

On Thursday nights we head to Earthfare for free kids meals! With a $5 purchase from the deli area (I usually treat myself to some sushi or lettuce wraps, but you can also get wraps, pizza of stuff from the hot bar) you get up to six free kids meals. (They are usually only $4). You get your pick of sandwich (chicken salad, ham and cheese, pbj, soy nuggets and more), a fruit or vege (carrots and dip, raisins or grapes/bananas/oranges/apple... and you can pick), a snack (cheese stick, yogurt, animal cookies- that are dairy, wheat, rice free! - organic goldfish or gummies) and a drink (milk or juice box).

We usually pack up our lunches and head out for a picnic... sometimes on the front lawn. But a couple weeks ago we went downtown and found a concert in Prichard Park. Put on by a local radio station for the summer (so it is almost over), they have Homegrown artists from 6-8. Fun music... as you can see Ben, Naomi and my friend Missy's little girl Alina really got into it!

These kids can move! Enjoy the videos!

Captain Underpants!

2011-07-26T14:59:00.004-04:00

I am sure he will kill me for posting this picture some day, but I just have to brag on this little boy for a minute... and the picture was just too great not to post. :-P

On May 1 st we started potty training. After two days I almost quit, but on Day 3 it clicked and by Day 5 he had it DOWN! And about 3 weeks ago we stopped wearing pull-ups all together, not even at night.

This kid is awesome!

Naomi: 15 Months

2011-07-26T13:45:00.002-04:00

Taken downtown a couple weeks ago.

Taken at Rick & Tonia's wedding, right after she split her chin open. :)

A soaking wet little girl at my in-laws... it started raining and Ben ran inside and Naomi ran out into the rain. :)

Naomi is 15 months old now! She is growing so fast! I don't know how tall she is but she is taller than most 2-year-olds we run into. :) She is going into size 7 shoes, and thanks to cloth diapers some of her 2T clothes are a bit snug. :)

She babbles all the time, but the only real words are NO! & Uh-oh. She LOVES animals just like her brother, while reading she wants you to identify each animal with name and sound. :) She very enthusiastically will tell you what each animal says... and in case you were wondering... EVERY animal says "mmvvvvvpppphhhhh." She also knows her body parts with her belly button being BY FAR the favorite one to show off.

She understands EVERYTHING, and wants to be a part of everything. Whenever I ask Ben a question (like do you like your sandwich?) she will poke me until I ask her the same thing and then nod her head vigorously. She is a very determined little girl and likes things her way. She is also VERY jealous of her mama, not letting anyone sit on my lap or touch me for that matter, without her voicing her opinion and clamoring to get my attention. :) She has brought so much fun to our house with her constant antics and love for life, we love our little girl!

Outtakes. :)

2011-07-25T14:29:00.002-04:00

I really did try!!

A Few More Pictures from our Charlotte Trip

2011-07-25T14:09:00.003-04:00

Downtown Greenville, it has a great paths along the river and some really cool bridges.
If you go before about 8 in the morning it isn't too hot out. :)

Wasting time with Dad while Mom & Ben are rehearsing. :)

Naomi Grace.

Faces.

2011-07-25T14:08:00.000-04:00

I just love taking pictures of faces. Places are fun, beautiful even. But nothing compares to faces.

Ben: Mom, I am done with pictures!
Naomi: He is so cool!!!

Sweet siblings.

Naomi. :)

Baby girl.

The radiant Bride.

Ezra.

McKenna.

Benjamin.

Kaylan.

Kiersten.

LAUGH... Or You Just Might Cry...

2011-07-25T12:54:00.002-04:00

There are so many words that come to mind when thinking about last weekend. Fun. Hotel. Wedding. HOT. Ring bearer. Teething. Ice. Croup. Sucker. HOT. Clean. Blood. Stitches. Museum. Cartoons. And so much more.

Last weekend was a wonderful weekend because we were able to see... and participate in... the wedding of my amazing friend Tonia... the weekend also presented its fair share of challenges... and we needed a vacation after our little vacation. :)

So here is the story in pictures:

Andrew had a staff meeting in Hendersonville Wed/Thurs/Fri of last week. So on Friday morning we went with him since his meeting was half way to Greenville, SC where the wedding was. The kids and I visited Sam's Club (to buy a swimming suit for daddy so we could go swimming at the hotel pool!)... and then we headed downtown Hendersonville to the Hand's On Children's Museum.

If you haven't been to downtown Hendersonville, there are these odd bears all over... and my animal loving kids had to of course stop and hug each one. :-P

The kids, especially Ben, had a blast at the Museum. They had painting stuff, a huge bubble blowing thing, rice that was like sand with all the toys to go with it, play dough, slides, slides for lego cars you built, a kitchen, a grocery store, a stage, dress up everything and so much more!

And that is when the weekend started to go south. :) Naomi decided she was a big girl and tried to go down some wooden stairs... I caught her about 2 seconds too late. She managed to save her teeth but split her chin wide open (being the horrible mother I am, my first thought was "there goes the nice family picture all dressed up from the wedding). After talking to my nurse mother I decided to not go to the Urgent Care but to CVS instead for alcohol wipes, steri strips, bandaids and all that good stuff.

Thanks to Andrew's travel schedule we had some extra hotel points and were able to get a cool hotel in downtown Greenville. The not so cool part was that they didn't have a pool. Note to self: Never Promise Something until you KNOW it will happen. Instead we got to the rehearsal a little early and I sent Ben running up and down all the isles to burn off some energy. :)

Well, shortly after that he decided to run up the stage. He then fell off and got a bloody nose.
But LAUGH, don't cry... right??

This is Harper. Isn't she just beautiful?! I love that passie. Her mama was in charge of making sure everyone was where they were supposed to be, at the proper time... a big job. :)

Rehearsal time! All the guys in a line.

And now all the girls in a line. :)

So, there were 3 ring bearers and 3 flower girls. And I had the lovely privilege of keeping track of them. :) So, needless to say I don't have many pictures from here on out. This is the only picture I have of the adorable sign Ben helped to carry down the isle. If you can't tell it says: HERE COMES THE BRIDE.

I don't know why I love this picture so much, but I do.

All six kidlets with their stuff. Ezra with a pillow, Ben & Walker with the sign and the McKenna, Kiersten & Kaylan with their baskets. Aren't they just adorable??

Rehearsing. :)

Shortly after this we all headed upstairs for dinner. Where Ben proceeded to RUN into a brick wall... with the side of his face.

Laugh... don't cry... right? :)

And here we are on wedding day. Ben & Ezra. Such sweet friends. :)
And between this picture and the last Ben woke up at 2am with croup. So we ran from the hotel shower to the ac for an hour in the middle of the night. Praise the Lord he was doing fine the next morning!

Me and my ring bearer. :) He walked down the isle like a champ!
I did use bribery though... FOUR months ago I promised him a sucker from the grocery store (you know the big ones by the check-out?) and he didn't forget it. It was waiting for him at the bottom of the isle. :)

The beautiful bride attempting to stay cool on what could have been the HOTTEST day of the year.

Tonia & I.

The 3 ring bearers. It is hard to keep 6 little people clean in the 2 1/2 hours between pictures and the wedding!!

Groomsmen & Groom praying.

Another attempt at keeping the kids clean. Take pictures!
Kaylan (neice of groom), Kenna (daughter of Bride) Ben & Kiersten (niece of groom)

Sweet friends.

Pre-wedding fun. :)

Father-daughter dance.

Bride and Groom.

Sadly this was about the best picture I got of them. Their wedding was beautiful (even if my 1-year-old screamed through it and made my husband miss the whole thing). And the reception was HOT so with kids falling apart we didn't last long. But we are SOOOO happy for Rick & Tonia and McKenna and the beautiful family they are now!!

Motherhood Is a Calling

2011-07-19T20:51:00.001-04:00

You know those days when you can't quite remember why we did this whole "kid thing?" :) This article is great, a wonderful refreshing reminder of why we do this... and that our "our hands are full... OF GOOD THINGS!!" Read it!!

Motherhood Is a Calling (And Where Your Children Rank)

A few years ago, when I just had four children and when the oldest was still three, I loaded them all up to go on a walk. After the final sippy cup had found a place and we were ready to go, my two-year-old turned to me and said, “Wow! You have your hands full!”

She could have just as well said, “Don’t you know what causes that?” or “Are they all yours?!”

Everywhere you go, people want to talk about your children. Why you shouldn’t have had them, how you could have prevented them, and why they would never do what you have done. They want to make sure you know that you won’t be smiling anymore when they are teenagers. All this at the grocery store, in line, while your children listen.

A Rock-Bottom Job?

The truth is that years ago, before this generation of mothers was even born, our society decided where children rank in the list of important things. When abortion was legalized, we wrote it into law.

Children rank way below college. Below world travel for sure. Below the ability to go out at night at your leisure. Below honing your body at the gym. Below any job you may have or hope to get. In fact, children rate below your desire to sit around and pick your toes, if that is what you want to do. Below everything. Children are the last thing you should ever spend your time doing.

If you grew up in this culture, it is very hard to get a biblical perspective on motherhood, to think like a free Christian woman about your life, your children. How much have we listened to partial truths and half lies? Do we believe that we want children because there is some biological urge, or the phantom “baby itch”? Are we really in this because of cute little clothes and photo opportunities? Is motherhood a rock-bottom job for those who can’t do more, or those who are satisfied with drudgery? If so, what were we thinking?

It's Not a Hobby

Motherhood is not a hobby, it is a calling. You do not collect children because you find them cuter than stamps. It is not something to do if you can squeeze the time in. It is what God gave you time for.

Christian mothers carry their children in hostile territory. When you are in public with them, you are standing with, and defending, the objects of cultural dislike. You are publicly testifying that you value what God values, and that you refuse to value what the world values. You stand with the defenseless and in front of the needy. You represent everything that our culture hates, because you represent laying down your life for another—and laying down your life for another represents the gospel.

Our culture is simply afraid of death. Laying down your own life, in any way, is terrifying. Strangely, it is that fear that drives the abortion industry: fear that your dreams will die, that your future will die, that your freedom will die—and trying to escape that death by running into the arms of death.

Run to the Cross

But a Christian should have a different paradigm. We should run to to the cross. To death. So lay down your hopes. Lay down your future. Lay down your petty annoyances. Lay down your desire to be recognized. Lay down your fussiness at your children. Lay down your perfectly clean house. Lay down your grievances about the life you are living. Lay down the imaginary life you could have had by yourself. Let it go.

Death to yourself is not the end of the story. We, of all people, ought to know what follows death. The Christian life is resurrection life, life that cannot be contained by death, the kind of life that is only possible when you have been to the cross and back.

The Bible is clear about the value of children. Jesus loved them, and we are commanded to love them, to bring them up in the nurture of the Lord. We are to imitate God and take pleasure in our children.

The Question Is How

The question here is not whether you are representing the gospel, it is how you are representing it. Have you given your life to your children resentfully? Do you tally every thing you do for them like a loan shark tallies debts? Or do you give them life the way God gave it to us—freely?

It isn’t enough to pretend. You might fool a few people. That person in line at the store might believe you when you plaster on a fake smile, but your children won’t. They know exactly where they stand with you. They know the things that you rate above them. They know everything you resent and hold against them. They know that you faked a cheerful answer to that lady, only to whisper threats or bark at them in the car.

Children know the difference between a mother who is saving face to a stranger and a mother who defends their life and their worth with her smile, her love, and her absolute loyalty.

Hands Full of Good Things

When my little girl told me, “Your hands are full!” I was so thankful that she already knew what my answer would be. It was the same one that I always gave: “Yes they are—full of good things!”

Live the gospel in the things that no one sees. Sacrifice for your children in places that only they will know about. Put their value ahead of yours. Grow them up in the clean air of gospel living. Your testimony to the gospel in the little details of your life is more valuable to them than you can imagine. If you tell them the gospel, but live to yourself, they will never believe it. Give your life for theirs every day, joyfully. Lay down pettiness. Lay down fussiness. Lay down resentment about the dishes, about the laundry, about how no one knows how hard you work.

Stop clinging to yourself and cling to the cross. There is more joy and more life and more laughter on the other side of death than you can possibly carry alone.

Rachel Jankovic is a wife, homemaker, and mother. She is the author of "Loving the Little Years" and blogs at Femina. Her husband is Luke, and they have five children: Evangeline (5), Daphne (4), Chloe (2), Titus (2), and Blaire (5 months).

New Hobby #2: Running

2011-07-13T20:05:00.004-04:00

I know what you are thinking... What? She is crazy!?! Well, you would be right. And I am SOOOOOOOOOO far from being a real runner.... but one day at a time.

My sister-in-law Becki and I started walking 3 miles 3-4 times a week back in May. In June we decided "why not try a little jogging..." and a little bit after that we were addicted. So, we are now on week 5 of a 10 week program to get up to running 20 minutes... and then we will go another 10 weeks to go from 20-30 minutes... which is close to a 5k. I definitely would not have stuck with it this long if I didn't have a buddy, Becki has been awesome and I look forward to getting to hang out with her so much (6 hours a week :).... even if it means getting out of bed at 5:35am. I am still not to the point where I really enjoy the running part... but I am getting there... and I love the feeling of those last three cool-down walking laps. :)

When we started my father-in-law let me borrow his Runners Handbook:

It has been awesome and extremely helpful. It really is The Runner's Handbook... it walks you through EVERYTHING! There is a 40 page chapter on buying your first shoes!

I also liked the 10-week program the best out of all the ones I have read about. It is a "pyramid" so you run the most in the middle of your time, instead of just 1 minute walking - 3 running etc. As an example... this week we started week 5 which is 2-5-8-3 running, with 1 minute walk breaks in between.

It is amazing to see what your body can handle. I never thought i would get even to week 5. At the beginning we started with 1-1-2-2-1-1 with 2 minute walk breaks... and it really was all we could handle, but we have noticed that we recover faster, we can breathe easier etc. a little more each week.

I also got THIS BOOK from the library last week:

It has some great success stories (they did a 12-week program with a handful of people and then reported back on their results). It is written in a week by week format, so I have found it less helpful when it comes to finding information... espeicially since I am not exactly following THEIR program... but I have found a few helpful things.

So, in case you are like me... and one of the last people on the planet who ever thought about jogging/running... there are a few books for you to go to!

And for all your Ashevillians... we are planning to run the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Morning... and we would love to have a crowd join us! Let me know if you are planning on it!

(So, I guess now that I have posted about it, I had better stick with it. :-P)

Moving In Together

2011-07-13T19:27:00.002-04:00

Ben has been telling everyone for the past few weeks (even complete strangers in restaurants) that "Naomi & Me are MOVING IN TOGETHER!" It took us a few weeks, and it isn't completely done yet... but we are mostly there. It has been Ben's room, so we left the bottom brown but painted over the blue on top to a pale green. We also discovered the wonder that are wall decals!!!

Ben's side of the room. The painting was done by Andrew's cousin's husband, and it fits so perfectly. We love it!

Naomi's side! I love flowers.

Where they collide... all the leftover stickers. :)
Thanks Tonia for the dresser and Ben's twin mattress!

This is the view from the door. Ben on the left and Naomi on the right. The white curtains are currently at Grandmas being lengthened and putting some light blocking stuff on the back. If only I knew how to sew... but until then my mother-in-law has saved the day.. yet again. :)

New Hobby #1: Reading

2011-07-12T13:12:00.002-04:00

I have a new hobby... I say "new" because it has been many years since I have really read a book. Sad but true. College ruined me. In middle school and high school I would read ALL THE TIME. When my parents built a house I begged and begged to have a light put in above my bed with a switch just above my head so that I didn't have to get up to turn the light off. Well, they agreed and I remember many many nights that I read until I heard my dad get up to go to work... then I would quickly turn my light out and go to bed. :-P In college I had to read so much that when I finished I didn't want to see a book... ever. So now... going on 10 years later (that's right folks, I am coming up on my 10 year college graduation reunion next year)... I am finally getting back into reading...

Here are the ones I have finished lately:
THE HELP: I really enjoyed this book. I read it with my sister-in-law Becki and we had a great time discussing it together. I thought the characters were well developed and the story engaging. I can't wait to see the movie when it comes out in August! For those of you who don't know the book follows three women who live in Jackson, Mississippi during the 60's... one white woman and two black women. The book is fiction but is loosely based on the author's life which made it all that more interesting. I did feel that the end was a little flat, but the author may have intended it that way... I haven't quite figured that out yet.

HUMILITY: My dad gave this book to me last year and I am just now getting around to reading it. It is small and not hard to read It was refreshing and definitely convicting. The main thing I took away from it, is that I need to be quick to see the Grace of Christ in others. And also to begin and end each day with Thankfulness and Thanking the ONE who gives me good gifts!! Read it!

HUNGER GAMES TRILOGY: So, I just finished these three books as well. They were sort of like a bad train wreck... horrible but you can't look away. I think I read all three in about 4 days. They are an easy read (they are considered juvenile fiction), and definitely entertaining. It has been a couple weeks since I finished and I am still trying to figure out what her point was, or if she had one. I felt a little like the characters didn't really change or develop and at the end I was left with a feeling of hopelessness. The movies are being filmed here in A'ville, so I am sure I will go to see them whenever they come out. But the jury is still out on this one...

TREASURING GOD IN YOUR TRADITIONS: I think this book gives you a great insight into making God the focus of your family traditions, and gave you a good look into the Piper family. It mainly talks about Christmas & Easter, but also covers Birthdays and a few others. The thing that I really took away from the book is that her goal for her children was to always "teach her children as much about Christ as they could possibly understand at their age." It is definitely worth the read, I am sure you will get something out of it. I did feel a little bit like she wasn't necessarily writing to an audience as much as she was recording her own thoughts, and some of her suggestions seemed a little too much (I love my husband and he is an amazing father and husband, but he isn't John Piper :). Read it and let me know what you think!

Currently on my bookshelf are: Prodigal God, Give Them Grace & Cutting for Stone. I will let you know what I think when I am done (because i know you want to know!)

Bumpersticker of the Day

2011-07-11T20:23:00.002-04:00

2012
End of an Error

---

if you knew that the fetus was gay
would you still fight for its rights?

---

You. Me.
Whipped Cream. Handcuffs.
Any Questions?

Independance Day

2011-07-04T19:52:00.001-04:00

Our good friends (who ditched us and moved to the thriving metropolis of Greenville, NC) came and visited us for a week over the 4th!! We had such a wonderful time with them, catching up and just being us again (+ 3 kids :). Here we all all dressed for the 4th! We ended up going to the Tourist Game followed by fireworks. It was quite interesting, since the game started at 7 and Naomi's bed time is 6:30... but she made it... and even fell asleep during the fireworks. :)

Us.

Our friends, Josh, Missy & Alina!

One of many, many attempts at a good picture of all three kids. Two are smiling, that must count for something, right?

All looking... but no smiles...

Wait, is she one of us??

"I'm outta here... "

Bumpersticker of the Day

2011-06-29T10:12:00.001-04:00

MY OTHER CAR
IS A GARBAGE TRUCK

---

MY LIFE IS BETTER
THAN YOUR VACATION

Mommy-Son Weekend!

2011-06-28T20:41:00.005-04:00

Being the wonderful wife and mother that I am, last weekend while Andrew & Naomi were sick/recovering from a horrid stomach bug... Ben and I had a wonderful weekend hanging out downtown and going canoeing and swimming on a lake. :) Here are a few pictures from our grand weekend. :)

We took our friend Lara downtown and had dinner at Chai Pani and then walked around downtown, visited the drum circle and found these guys. Ben LOVED watching them... and first he would just yell AHH-HAAAAAAHAA any time they did something cool... but then I taught him to clap when he liked something... so he then became quite an enthusiastic clapper. :)

After this Ben decided he wants to be a "cwazy dancer" when he grows up. :)

And here we are, I am not so great at the self-portrait thing... but Ben and Lara look nice. :)

Ben and I went to visit Jonathon & Becki who were camping... and wonderful Aunt Becki spent an hour + in the lake with Ben. Apparently it was not the warmest water because when he got out and came to get his towel he looked down and his hands and feet and asked, "Mommy, why can't I feel myself??"

Ben being Ben.

Naomi: 14 Months Old

2011-06-28T20:26:00.001-04:00

This little girl is growing up way too fast! Where does the time go! She hasn't been my baby for a long time, but she is a little girl now! So sweet, feisty, determined and just plain cute! She is busy, busy, busy... but ever since her stomach bug a couple weeks ago she has been a little more cuddly and actually lets me READ to her sometimes! Ben has been all about books for a long time, but Naomi has just discovered them... but as with everything in life... she jumps in with both feet... so we could spent an hour "reading" her books (she does like to flip pages rather fast)!! I am just eating up the time with her on my lap!

She has slimmed down a lot, but she is still perfectly squishy. :)

Never thought I would have a pebbles, we Naomi has a reverse mullet... short on the sides and LONG on the top... it makes for some awesome little fountains on the top of her head. :)

And man can this girl climb. Here is a picture from a couple weeks ago. Once she decides what she wants there is nothing that stops her.

Words :)

2011-06-27T18:41:00.003-04:00

Naomi: Da-do-da-do-da-do

Ben: Mommy, she is telling you about the crooked watermelon!

N: da-do-da-do-da-do

B: Now she is talking about ladders and birds!

So glad I have a translator!

---

Andrew (after getting Ben to side with him on the shade of a particular paint color): Out of the mouth of babes...

B: Don't call me babe!!

A: Why not?:

B: Because I am NOT UNCLE RYAN!!!!!!!!

Guess we know what Mers calls Ryan all the time... :)

---

After trying to describe what Asian means, and talking about China (his current favorite place)...

Leah: Ben, we have a friend that was born in China... can you guess who it is?

Ben: Uncle Micah??

---

Leah: Drew, I think we should go to the B-I-L-T-M-O-R-E today. (We have learned that we should always spell these things so we don't get hopes up only to come crashing down when they don't happen).

Ben: Mom, I want to go to the S-P-Q tomorrow.

L: Oh great, I love that place. Anywhere else?

B: Umm... let's go to the O-T-X on Saturday. That spells Splasheville.

---

B: Mom, what if I were a firetruck, what would happen?

L: Well it depends, but if someone was hurt you would turn your lights on so everyone got out of the way and go to help the person that was hurt or in a burning building...

B: What if I were an ambulance, what would happen?

L: Well, you would sort of be like a firetruck and go and pick up people that were hurt and take them back to the hospital.

B: What if I were a wee-ooo car, what would happen?

L: A what? A real car?

B: No mom, a wee-ooo car.

L: A wheel car?

B: NO! A WEE-OOO car!!!

L: OH! You mean a police car, that goes wee-ooo, weee-oooo?

B: YES!

We play this game often, everything thing from being sun glasses, to a stop light, to a street sign, to a tire, a bird, an ant. And sometimes we turn it around:

L: Ben, if you were a glass of water? What would happen?

B: You would drink me weally weally fast to take your vitamins.

Sweet Faces

2011-06-15T15:41:00.000-04:00

Oh how I love them...

Oh That Face...

2011-06-15T15:28:00.002-04:00

Why this face you ask?? (Yes, I know I am a horrible mother for photographing my crying child, I am working on it...)

Because of THIS: Yes, that right... our old, DEAD vacuum.

This vacuum started breaking about 2 days after we got it... yet we managed to make it limp along for almost 5 years. I am pretty sure the past year and a half it has blown out more than it has sucked in. Anyway, after purchasing a new one last week (thank you tax return) I said something like... "Say goodbye to our old pathetic vacuum... you weren't very good and we aren't gonna miss ya!" I wheeled it out to the garage and turned around to find the face you saw above... but huge tears, sobbing over our vacuum. (Poor boy, he has probably seen me vacuum a total of 15 times in his LIFE). It took me 10 minutes to stop the sobbing and for the next half hour he just kept crying over the vacuum and saying things like, "it is just so sad" and "I weally, weally loved that vacuum". Funny child. :)

Here we go!

2011-06-15T14:36:00.004-04:00

That's right folks... a ponytail!

This part of having a girl actually scares me less than some of the other parts. :) Growing up with 4 brothers I always loves to braid and brush hair whenever a girl came to visit. We have done barrettes but this thing ponytail is just plain fun! :) Sadly, I think poor Naomi inherited my whispies curse.

What do YOU learn from National Geographic?

2011-06-15T14:28:00.002-04:00

Ben loves looking at the pictures in National Geographic each month, he will usually spent an hour or more just leafing through... this month he got fixated on this picture. So, I indulged him and introduced him to the world of Pringles. :) So now THIS has been the conversation in our house this week:

B: Mom, can I have some pringles?

L: Sure, here you go.

B: But Mom, can I have mooorreee than three?

L: No, I think that is good for today.

B: But MOM! ONCE YOU POP YOU CAN'T STOP!!!

Life of Late

2011-06-15T13:28:00.010-04:00

Ben earning his keep. :)

The first Tuesday of the Month is free at the Western NC Arboretum. We have a fun, albeit HOT day... the kids were like magnets to the water. :)

Despite the water being FREEZING Naomi just plopped right down and didn't want to move.

We were able to meet up with our friends Gabriel & Isaac! (And their mama Brooke).

On our hike... soaking wet. :)

We LOVE downtown, and find any excuse we can to go down there. On Friday night we went out with Jonathon & Becki and some other friends and after the drum circle stopped off at the ice cream shop where we finally convinced Jonathon to plan on the cool old piano!

On Sunday we went to an Asheville Tourist's (A Baseball) game. I love baseball but I have to say this picture was pretty much the highlight of the game. :-P The game started an hour late because of rain, and it still continued to drizzle. By the top of the third inning the other team was up 9-0... we lasted until the 4th inning. :)

Ben liked the idea of the mascots but once he got close was mortified... can you see him pressing his body into my brother? :)

Benjamin Growing Up

2011-06-15T12:30:00.004-04:00

Perhaps we are horrible parents... but we sure do have fun. :-P

And this one I took last night. I love watching him think as he talks. :)

The requested picture. :)

Recent Videos :)

2011-06-15T12:26:00.002-04:00

I pray these two will be the best of friends.

We have officially reached the "goofy" stage with Ben. :-P
I would be okay if it ended tomorrow. :)

Naomi while camping. :)

I tried so hard to catch her shaking her milk jug on camera... sadly I only caught about 3 seconds... the first three of this video. :)

Summer is HERE!

2011-06-11T20:13:00.001-04:00

Fresh strawberries, peaches, cherries, blueberries, and now SWEET CORN! Life is Good.

Bumpersticker of the Day

2011-06-11T20:05:00.001-04:00

I AM SO FAR BEHIND
I THOUGHT I WAS FIRST

Blueberry Picking/Eating :)

2011-06-11T12:16:00.006-04:00

We went and picked the first blueberries of the season this morning! Ben had a blast following grandma around... his job was to only pick "big, fat, juicy ones" and he did a great job! He was REALLY great and picking the "big, fat, juicy ones" out of grandma's bucket. :)

We are so thankful that Naomi has pretty much grown out of her berry allergy! This little girl LOVES blueberries and couldn't get enough today... she didn't quite get picking the blue ones... but man could she eat them once they were picked!

Ben, and his bucket of Big Fat Juicy Ones. :)

We had to take Naomi's bucket away so she would look up. :)

Thumbs Up... Sort Of...

2011-06-06T14:31:00.002-04:00

Here my my attempt to teach Ben how to use "Thumbs Up." He got the meaning down just fine... but getting that thumb (and nothing else) up was a bit of an issue. :-P

Close enough... right?

Fun Stay-At-Home Weekend

2011-06-03T23:02:00.002-04:00

We had a great long weekend and did nothing but stay at home and be tourists in our own city. On Friday we visited our local camping gear store and got a few more things we needed for camping (including a kitchen sink!), and then headed downtown to the drum circle (which I have blogged about before) and had dinner at an Indian Restaurant too! (Thank you Groupon!)

We got to play in the water a little... we love Splasheville downtown!
(And yes that little girl is drinking the water... ewwww yuck!)

We visited the Biltmore on Saturday with the sole purpose of getting the kids tired... so we made them walk everywhere... it worked. :)

They had a sheep shearing demonstration... Ben loved it.

We played cornhole.

On Saturday night we went to a surprise birthday party for my sister-in-law Becki. Here is Naomi riding the huge fake horse while waiting for a table. :)

At Papa's and Beer they make a big deal out of birthdays. They all sing... VERY loudly... you get to wear this amazing hat... and if you are lucky (like Becki was) they will smear whipped cream from your dessert all over your glasses.

And to top off our amazing weekend, our good friend Sabella from our college days was coming through town on her way home from a weekend! I am sad it was only one night, but we made good use of the time and stayed up until 2am talking! :) As you can see Ben loved his new friend.

We also got some R&R in, a few home projects checked off and I sent the kids out with Andrew for a morning and swept, mopped, vacuumed and scrubbed until... well it didn't shine... but it was a lot cleaner. :)

Popsicles!!!

2011-06-03T21:47:00.003-04:00

My brother Micah got me THIS amazing toy. That's right folks... it freezes popsicles in 9 minutes!!! We have had so much fun with it! Our first attempt was watermelon pops as you can see below... we have since tried Key Lime Pie pops and last night we made Marble (vanilla and chocolate layered) Cheesecake Popsicles... were they ever good!!!!!!! Next on the list is the chocolate/peanut butter ones... yummy! Thanks again Micah!!!

I banished the kids to the deck while eating drippy, sticky things...and two minutes later this is what I found. :) (Sadly, about 10 seconds after I took this picture Ben fell off the top and cut his ear.)

Ben

2011-06-01T10:09:00.003-04:00

Well, it is getting harder to write down the little things he says... because they are now more discussions than little one-liners. :) He is growing so fast, and I feel like I am talking to a 12 year old, not a 3 year old.

This past weekend Ben was introduced to Star Wars. So, last night:

A: Good Night Ben, I love you to the moon!

B: I love you to the stars!

A: I love you to the stars and back!

B: I love you DARTH VADER!

---

In the car:

A: Ben, what are you thinking about?

B: Why are there back guys in the world?

(Let me know what the 3-year-old answer to this question is :).

---

I have loved watching him grow in his knowledge of Jesus. Yesterday while playing by himself I overhear... "Dear Jesus" and a few other things and then he turns around:

B: Mommy, how do you END?

L: You mean while praying? Well first you say Dear Jesus and then you thank him for...

B: Yes, I know that mommy... I already prayed for the sun to shine on Melanie... what do you say at the end?

L: Oh, well... um... at the end you say... In Jesus' Name...

B: Oh yeah... In Jesus' Name... Amen!!

Naomi: 13 Months

2011-05-26T22:16:00.001-04:00

A few words about this little girl:

Adventurous.
(Note that you don't see her brother anywhere around. :)

Independent.
(Since about two days after she started walking, she has no use for holding anyone's hand. It just slows her down.)

Determined.
(In everything)

Swirl.
(I just love the way her hair swirls around her little head :)

Smiley.

Goofy.

Toothy.

I have been listening to some parenting podcasts lately and the pastor said, "You can argue with me... but I won't change my mind... a child is born with a temperament and they leave the world with that temperament." I saw it in Ben, but now having two and seeing the contrast between them has been amazing. This little girls is sweet, kind, nurturing, loves dirt, INDEPENDENT, knows-what-she-wants (my mother-in-law said she hasn't seen a child so young know exactly what they wanted. Should I be scared?? :) Also in the same parenting session he said that a strong will can be a Gift from God, if it is directed toward the right things... and I pray every day that this little girl will use her passion for Jesus!!

I think we have reached the max frustration point... I remember hitting it with Ben too... when the child can walk, climb, run, jump, know exactly what they want, and NOT BE ABLE TO TELL YOU! :) One of these days all the grunts and sqeaks and squeals are just going to turn into words and sentences and they probably won't stop. We have few words... all done, daddy, doggy but that is about it so far...

She is now up to THREE teeth. She is in 18mo-2T clothes, although she is thinning out A LOT... she has only gained 6 lbs in 9 months... she is up to 26lbs. :) She loves fruit, some veges, eggs and meat but it not a huge fan of bread/carbs in general (when you cut out wheat and rice there isn't much left :). And she doesn't like the same thing twice. And going back to the knows-what-she-wants if she wants a drink she will NOT take even one more bite.

She loves shoes (taking them off and putting them on again) and to hug and kiss on her stuffed animals (but has no use for baby dolls), stack blocks and LOVES water... showers, Splasheville, kiddy pool, the sink, a puddle... you name it. She is adventurous, and always up for something new!

We love you Naomi Grace and are so thankful God gave you to us!!!

Dirty Little Kids

2011-05-23T14:26:00.003-04:00

This past weekend we went camping for the 2nd time since purchasing camping equipment. I do think that sometimes "vacation" is just another way of saying "parenting without a crib, high chair, and toys." But we still managed to have fun. :) We went to Davidson River which is just about 40 minutes from door to door...er... campsite. Andrew's brother Jonathon and wife Becki came and we had a great time with them... staying up late talking, making smores and playing Uno by lantern-light until midnight. :) We also took the kids to play in the river, and Naomi had a BLAST yelling at all the dogs that walked by (but freaked out if they got too close).

This chair proved to be IMMENSELY helpful. Until the last day Naomi couldn't quite figure out how to get out, and she would sit for an hour or more with some crackers and her sippy cup just walking and watching and enjoying being outside. It was like a little play pen only better. :)

Ben enjoying his sandwich in Daddy's "gorilla" chair. :)

Kidlets by the fire.

Who needs toys when you have empty water jugs and gravel? I can't tell you how many fights I broke up when Naomi decided she wanted BOTH jugs. :)

We Are Family!

2011-05-23T13:52:00.004-04:00

I love being from a big family, and I love that Andrew comes from a big family too. We both have 4 siblings and have added 2 through marriage now too! I can't imagine life without my brothers and I love keeping up with them, and living life vicariously through their experiences. I love the chaos (although I was morbidly embarrassed about it as a kid, I felt like an army any time we went some where, and always trying to keep them orderly and in-line. :). I think having a big family has made me a better, more self-less (although I have a LONG way to go, but I don't want to imagine what I would be like if I was an only child) person. And I am reminded of this every time I see pictures of my family. I am so thankful for them!

I love this picture. It is Ben with his Great Grandfather (Gwampa Bill). He came to visit with my parents at the end of April for Naomi's birthday.

Grandpa with me and his two great-grandkids!

4 Generations.

And more family! Andrew's brother Jonathon graduated from Culinary School last week, and we were able to celebrate with him... despite some crabby children. :)

The three older Z children. Andrew wasn't thrilled about the picture, but I wanted to prove that he was there. (He spent the majority of the graduation pacing the halls with a cranky 12-month-old. :-P)