More Retreat Pix

GFA Retreat Pix

Simon has been a trooper this month. We were gone for two weeks to Georgia (pix to come from that soon) and we were home for only two full days before leaving for Huntsville, TX for a GFA retreat!

The second pix is of Simon, right before throwing mulch at Bro.K.P.!!

Simon "roomed" with Timmy. Debi and I had the two bottom bunks and it was sweet to see their playpens touching. Sweet..and a little scary. We wondered if we would get any sleep at all. The first night was a little funny and borderline rough as they swapped sounds and noises but eventually they wore out. The interesting feat was changing Simon's dirty diaper in the middle of the night and then braving the short, but in the middle of the night in the woods small treks can be a little scary, trek to the garbage can in the middle of our cabin "circle."

The next night was awesome. We weren't tired and decided to let the boys battle out their bedtime solo, and we took the monitor out to the front porch and sat in the rocking chairs. We were joined by Dorinda, Ingrid, and the Buscemis bearing Smores ingredients!! AND, the boys were prob'ly asleep in 10 or less minutes!!!!

Simon loved our long canoe ride. He kept entreating, "FISH, WHERE ARRRREEE YOU?"

Simon has been a pretty flexible little guy the past few weeks; though, it is nice to be home and be in a routine for another week or so before Matt goes on a support/camp trip and Simon and I camp out at Pops and Gigi's new home during that week.

Imagination and Real Play

Simon is becoming more creative in his play dialogue. He'll initiate story lines as we read. Sometimes I let him 'read' me a book and it is such a pleasure to hear what he comes up with. Right now he is also really into collecting acorns at the park, so as I walk through the house I often find myself stepping over acorns, or finding them in his dryer where they had been washed inside his shorts!

Life and Bubbles

Family Meal at Cracker Barrell

Kelly and Alex were in Texas for the weekend. Matt and Scott had both boys over at our place on Friday night while Kelly and stayed at the hotel during the NTAC Ladies' Conference.
Simon is still talking about baby Alex.
Simon and I just finished building a house with his megablocks and then playing with his barn. We fed the animals Berry Berry Kix Cereal and when they were finished eating, Simon helped them empty the feeding trough!
Last night the Tysons came over and all I heard about during the day was "Eli" and Jude. I'm surprised he took a nap. Today he keeps wondering where they are.
Simon and I are doing laundry today. He continues to be in utter distress when we wash his sheets. He gets on his mattress and cries, "My bed. My bed." The upside is that he is SO HAPPY when we put the sheets back in place later in the day.

Ben and Jerry's National Free Cone Day

This year, the free cone day fell on today, April 17, 2007!
Lots of fun, not a bad line at all. I was totally the laidback fun mom for about 20 minutes, took some pix, but then I had to whip out the baby wipes!
Simon has began lately asking as soon as he wakes up, "Who's coming over?" And then he answers it. Usually his answer is "Timmy" or "Nina." Cute.
Last night I went to give him a hug and he said, "Go night night with me, mama?" I said, "No sweetie, I can't do that." So he wanted a kiss and a hug instead. Such a sweet little boy.

More April 2007 Photos

Resurrection Sunday!

This year we have been trying to really teach Simon what Easter is really about. I watched a children's animated Easter video with him twice this week and he seemed to really get excited that "Jesus is Alive!"

On a funny note, we watched it once with Matt who started laughing during the credits. Apparently the script writer was a famous mormon, Orson Scott Card.

Simon did the Easter Egg hunt at church on Saturday. He was able to take home a big plastic Easter bunny. On Sunday morning, Simon woke up kind of early, I went in there just to check on him and whispered in his ear, "Simon, Jesus is Alive!!!" He looked at me. Opened up my hands and looked in them (they were empty.) Then asked, "Where's my bunny rabbit?" Oh well...I went to get the plastic bunny, Simon hugged the bunny and went back to sleep for another hour.

Easter Egg 'Hunt'

Simon in his Veggie Tales t-shirt! I bought him the t-shirt and matching hat the day before. I brought home a Veggie-Tales video from the library, excited to introduce him to veggie tales and to let him wear the shirt ... When he saw the shirt he said "VEGGIE TALES!" Evidently someone (I think the nursery) has already introduced him to veggietales!
Simon and his chocolate cupcake ... Simon ate the jelly beans from the top, tasted the frosting, and had no idea how to eat the cupcake. He sat at the table for quite a long time and then I helped him unwrap the cupcake and showed him how to eat it. I think he only took a bite, though. He was much more interested in all of the people ... and the Easter video on the television!

On the Blog Again

Simon loves wearing his 'lamby ears' from the bucky bin at Target! With his mass of curly hair, he sort of looks like a lamb!
We had the privilege of having Kellie stay with us for 10 days.
Simon's armor suit ... most of it stays in our stroller and he wears it while we walk. We tend to get lots of smiles from people. My little man-in-training!
Nancy and Elizabeth at the Easter Egg Hunt. Our baby will be almost this exact same age next year at this time!

Sweet Sayings

Simon became quite the encourager and exhorter this weekend!

Saturday morning, he was helping Matt make waffles (a fun Saturday a.m. tradition). Simon loves to help 'cook.' Later in the morning he walked into the kitchen and looked up and Matt and said this next sentence very clearly, "DADDY, YOU MAKE EVERYTHING GLORIOUS." That is a word for word quote right there.

(Simon likes to sing a worship song called "You make everything glorious" (David Crowder Band.) So, that's where the phrase comes from.}

Next on Simon's list of encouragement, was when he saw a picture I had drawn for him the day before. He pointed to it and said, "THAT'S BEAUTIFUL, MOMMY"

Today at dinner I was discussiing with Matt some things that I wanted us to pray about so I wouldn't worry about them. Opportunities for faith and trust as opposed to worry and striving. A few minutes later, when we were clearing the table, Simon looked at me and said, "DON'T WORRY, MOMMY."

His compassion continued even post bed-time. He was in bed for the night. I was cleaning up the kitchen and sneezed. Then I hear, "BLESS YOU MOMMY" coming from his closed bedroom. And then, "YOU OKAY, MOMMY?"

Precious.

Musings

I must have the textbook pregnancy. Morning sickness is supposed to hit around 6 weeks. Mine began last Thursday, the very day we hit 6 weeks.

For sake of information, and hopefully not complaining, I am very sick. Much more than with Simon. I hear that every pregnancy is different; thus, I am making no assumptions about the implications of the differences.

Maybe God just let me off easy the first time so that we would have another one :)

Hmmm...a few more weeks of this. That is kind of overwhelming. Little tasks are seeming insurmountable.

Following is a link to a recent blog article by Pastor John Piper on his website, desiringgod.org. I thought it was a beautiful and tangible description of death and a resource of how to glorify God when saying goodbye. Apparently, John Piper's father just passed away. Not morbid, just practical and insightful.

This is not a link, but you could highlight it, copy it, and paste it in your browser window ...
www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/TasteAndSee/ByDate/2007/2013_Hello_My_Father_Just_Died/