Our New Family Member..... Dolly

After a few months without our Ethel and Norman we have finally gotten  new kitty.  We names her Dolly after, of course, Dolly Parton!  Rob and the kids got her for me for Mother's Day but we only brought her home in October.  She has already brought our family so much joy and laughter.  Ethel and Norman were already almost "seniors" when our kids were born so they have never been around a kitten and the fun and playfulness that that brings.  It has been so fun watching them learn to play and watch her pounce and jump. :)  Silas didn't even know you could pick up cats!  I think Dolly wishes he never realized that. :)  She has fit in perfectly with us and we are thankful to have a little furry friend to cuddle.  Zelda loves her too! :)

Conversation with Seth...

Seth.... half naked as usual.....

Me: Your belly button looks like a butt.

Seth: What? Where?.... (contorts his body to look).....(throws head back and chuckles)  .... Ohhhhh....Classic Mom... classic mom.....

Double Digits

I didn't have the time to sit down yesterday and write about my favorite girl on her birthday.  But....

Lily reached the big 1-0 yesterday.  Lily is just about the coolest girl I know.  One of the things I admire most about her is her ability to love everyone.  She has never met anyone yet that she doesn't get along with.  Mostly this is because her interests are so broad.  She loves to do EVERYTHING!  This girl would spend her life learning everything possible...if there is a camp or class to do something... she is asking me to do it.  She works until she can do it and then wants to learn more.  She puts her heart into everything from taekwondo to guitar to math to pogo sticking.  Lily is pretty much everything I wanted to be as a girl.  She makes friends easily. She's athletic. She's smart.  She doesn't take herself too seriously and knows how to laugh at herself if she makes a mistake.  She loves God.  She loves people.  She's serious.  She's hilarious.  She's beautiful inside and out.

I love this girl so much and incredibly thankful to God for letting me borrow her.

Happy (one day late) Birthday, Lily Marie.

Baseball

Me: Seth, how was baseball practice?!
Seth: it was GREAT!!!  Mom! if this house was really tiny... I would have hit it OVER the house!!!

Me:  Awesome!

Oh No!

The day I have been dreading for 13 years is now here.  My baby boy is now a teenager.  Ian was born at 10:01 am on January 31st 2004.  This was one of those life changing moments that we have in life.  When you become a parent it changes you in ways that you could never imagine.  I couldn't believe that this hospital in Scottsdale, AZ was actually going to send Rob and me home with a tiny baby.  Is that even legal?! ... I kept wondering... But we did take him home... very carefully.  We did everything we could to protect him and show him the love we felt.  We kept encouraging him to grow and to crawl, to walk, to talk.  We kept rushing him to grow up.  Then another baby followed him and another and another.  He got bigger and bigger and older and older.  But I promise you when I looked at him last night and this morning as he slept... he was still that tiny baby that was about the size that his feet are now.  And now 13 years later, he is a teenager... that label gets a bad rap.  Because now that it's here... I have realized that I love it.  True, he has grown... he can talk... not always respectfully, because he is not perfect.. And it is an octave lower.  He can walk... a little awkward, again, because some times his body grows too fast for the rest of him.  But he is so good natured.  He still laughs.  He still hugs me. He still will even cuddle with me on the couch.  He is anxiously awaiting the day, which will be very soon, that he can officially say he is taller than me.  I never knew it, but having a teenager is pretty great.  He can help me with anything.  He is great company.  He loves to joke and tease me.  I had a friend share with me some thoughts about Ian one time when he was just a little guy.  Someone was trying to figure out who Ian was more like... me or Rob.  She described him perfectly... "Ian is like Rob by nature, but so much like Anita by nurture".  This has always been so true.  I think it makes him pretty awesome.  Maybe a little peculiar, but I think it's perfect.  Thinking on that this week, I see now that as he grows and matures... he is more like himself.  Rob and I have tried to put all good things into him.  We have prayed constantly that he is filled with the Holy Spirit and that he accepts all the gifts that have been given to him by God.  We have taught him "right from wrong",  we have prayed with him, taught him Bible stories, taught him to be respectful of all people and that ALL people are loved by God.  I've taught him to hold doors open, to honor and respect his elders and women.... that women include the girls in his class and his little sister.  He has been filled with all that I think of at any given minute of the day.  But this new thing happens the older he gets.... He is forming his own thoughts, his own opinions and he no longer seems so much like the parents who have loved him and cared for him, but God is making our role less and less.... which is how life goes, I suppose.  It's so beautiful to sit and watch as he acts on all that we have invested in him.  All that God has put inside of him.  It's a profound and amazing, spiritual thing to have a child.  Rob and I have made so many mistakes through the years with trying to raise him.  I'm so thankful that, ultimately, it's not us.  God created him.  And He saved him and continues to cover him daily.

Ian is a pleasure.  I don't think I"ll ever look at him and not see that tiny, sweet baby.  But I love the man-child that he is and the man that he is growing into.

Happy Birthday, Ian Thomas.

Seth.

I asked Seth to make his lunch and then decided to say... "go ahead and make Si's too... just give him what you have".   He enthusiastically started on his way.



I didn't have the heart to tell him his brother was going to be super disappointed to see that cute, tiny sandwich. :)  (See 'Si loves Sandwiches' post)  But his would be super happy to see 3 desserts. :)

Conversation with Seth...

(Seth driving a remote control car around under my bed)

Me: Are you chasing a cat?!

Seth: No!  .......................... can I though?'

Me:  ........ :) .......  sure.