I'm too sexy....















Aunt Mary's wedding tie -- but I can't compare...















Isaac's tux - he never made it down!















I love being a mommy!

We have a busy weekend -- but FUN weekend coming up. Aunt Megan, Uncle Matt and cousies are coming -- along with Namaa and PapPap. We are hitting the zoo on Friday and a reunion on Sat. I'm sure we'll have pictures!

Daddy's at GA! Off to Namah's house to play!















Curwensville Dam - Isaac's funky hair!















Theo NOT afraid of the water! Wa hoo, cee-cee!
The beach is going to be fun.















My sweet new little walker. I love this frankenstein walk.

While M is away, we decided on a mini vacation to Namah's and Papap's home in Clfd. It was hard to leave the 'burgh as we have been so stinkin' busy lately (ie - no posts!) I'm so glad we did. It has been such a treat to be around family and new toys and new places. Yesterday morning was GORGEOUS and we got to Curwensville Dam. The boys had a blast in the lake - Theo drank half of it.

I can't believe how blessed I am to have such wonderful in-laws. They care so well for me. I am just amazed. Thank you Lord....

Marwage is what bwings us togbebber tobay.

Daddy's boy

My sister gets married tomorrow. She is so beautiful!

isaac grabbed my face tonight with both hands on my cheeks and kissed me. he then giggled and said, "we're married, mom."

i love this age. those ideas are forming... associations are being made. i stand in awe of God's creativity...

i have a mole that grows lil hairs on my jawline. for some odd reason, while singing his good night tune lying next to him in the evenings, he finds it incredibly entertaining (while singing along) to try and pick the hairs out of it! bleck. quite distracting.

we are well in the k home. the boys seems to be getting another little cold... i am hoping with a bit of airborne here and there will wipe it clean. there's something in my gut that doesn't like that stuff. i think i fear that they will start to "depend" on it to get better if we use it too much at first.

the big news of the week. isaac is potty training. this has actually been fun... we tote his lil potty when we head to the park and any time out hit the bathroom every 20 minutes. it has been really fun to watch him learn and grow in this area! i don't know why i am enjoying it this much... i had really begun to dread the thought of starting. why do i not see more parents toting portable potty seats to the park? do kiddos really use portajohns?

i have just started reading younts everyday talk... i am really enjoying it and am already finding myself being challenged. he really encourages parents to be watchful even in the mundane. we talk about this a lot... what does it mean for Christ's gospel of grace to penetrate every ounce of our lives? younts works it out specifically in our talk.

These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up - Deuteronomy 6:6-7 (NIV)

what do you think your everyday talk reveals about your priorities and your worldview? it is really frightening how much my children HEAR everything i say. things are repeated that i am ashamed to admit he has learned from me! his attitude reflects my own. my child is learning to love the things that i love... he is learning to bow to the idols i bow... oh that the Lord of grace would continue to cover this broken attempt of parenting!

to clarify. isaac decided to start singing on laundry day.
my house doesn't always look like that.
i promise.

Our little Singer/Entertainer

Theo's Haircut!

You are 100% Pittsburgh.

Great job! There's nooooo doubt about it. You're from Da Burgh. You deserve a reward, so go have an Ahrn City or two. And GO STILLERS!

How Pittsburgh Are You
See All Our Quizzes

good thing i'm not only 99% pittsburgh ;)

also loved this post. what fun memories.

sabaa still comes over now and again. she has started bringing her new friend mohammad to play with the cat. i love our new friends. i am learning arabic -- so i can someday try and talk to mohammad's mom across the street. sabaa wants to teach me how to write it! i doubt it will ever come to that... but i love our time together. LORD, that you would move there. that we (our family) might love and care for our neighbors well.

i love living in this city. i love greenfield. i want to spend the rest of my life here!

yep. so that's it for my random post this evening.

Two NEW videos...

WE love our new (old) friend SIMON! Here you go, Linso... you missed their time in the pool.

A week in the sun.... studying.... reading.... working.... with the Lins'! I am quite excited.

I'm sure pictures will be posted.

matt came home after we both missed each other this morning and immediately went upstairs to go to the "potty" (as we know it in this house) -- and my phone started ringing. i went to pick it up and noticed it was matt and started hollerin' at him that he was dialing the wrong number. that's when i noticed it. a piece of paper. with my name on it.

looks like i've got myself a date with my favorite musician patty griffin tonight. wow. thank you, love of my life!

Birthday Tribute!

Note: I spent WAY too much time waiting for this thing to finally download. However, it is worth the view. What a sweet little boy. I am done posting the pics... you sick yet?!



I love this child as does the rest of his family!

The walking boy:

My ONE year old

Happy Birthday SWEET boy...

Because my blog is so "depressing" (hee-hee!)

I feel like I deserve a lot. I wake up with the kids early in the morning. I make their breakfast, build Isaac's Thomas tracks, hold the clingy Theo, wipe their noses, let them cry themselves down for their naps, take them out on some "fun" adventure, worry about their health, and put dinner together all while I try and do some part-time work out of the house that allows us some financial flexibility. I deserve a day off. I deserve a night out with my husband without the kids. I deserve etc, etc, etc. I deserve squat. I deserve eternal existence without my Creator. Truly.

I disparately need to dethrone this idol of pleasure that I am so hotly pursuing!! I don't deserve to have fun every day! I am not owed anything! I'm not giving my 50% waiting for Matt to match with his 50% (ha, his own sermon illustration.) How clear this idol of pleasure has been made to me this past week. Do you know how it works itself into surfacy sin? I get angry at my kids for not taking naps at the same time... so that I can have time to my self. I'm frustrated with my Isaac right now because it's 9:05pm and he STILL is not asleep. I am INCONVENIENCED. Oh Lord, that you would change my heart... that Your grace would permeate and change my heart.

On a different note, this evening after our dinner & during our family's devotions we said the Lord's prayer with Isaac repeating... "Hallowed be MY name..." he says so reverently... isn't that really what our hearts yearn for far more than what the Lord taught us to pray? Bah - another thing I need to work on!!

I continue to be addicted to craigslist.com -- I look at least 2-3 times a day. The things that I "need" to make my home complete (besides 10 more children as wonderful as the two I've got): an armoire (we have no closets in this teeny weeny home), new living room furniture (we're living with the set my parents had when I was growing up) and a bed.

Matt and I found this set of couches that we like - available only at Boscov's - while I really like them, I wonder if they are too trendy rather than "timeless," you know? We do have a fairly small living room and they are crazy narrow yet comfortable couches... so this would maximize space although my mother-in-law would not enjoy sleeping on this couch, I am sure. We'd go with the dark brown leather... comments welcomed. I hate making decisions!

Patty Griffin plays at Byham April 16th. I have yet to hear her new album (I know Tammy!!! Isn't that horrid?)

Rather random and meaningless post... just haven't posted in a while other than the videos and felt like I'd like to add meaningless content to all of my own vanity concerning my children!

My latest workout routine...



Isn't he the best! We are certainly over our fuss spell... shew!

I have to do it! Matt took a couple of videos of this little one going crazy to momma's ticklin'... but it does end in Isaac not particularly enjoying what's going on. I suppose he was a bit concerned. Of course, my beautiful sister is holding Theo!