Busy July

We had a fabulous trip to Ontario to visit my family. Micah did well on the plane rides, and had a lot of fun with Grandma and Grandpa, but he did have trouble sleeping at night. The 3 hour time difference probably hit him pretty hard.

So we got back on Saturday and had to get right back into the swing of things. This month is so busy for us. Sunday we had two softball games back to back, and then this week we have a game on Tuesday night and Thursday night and another one next Sunday. My grandparents are coming in for a visit on Friday and staying until next Wednesday and then we have another vacation to Chelan next Thursday through the end of the month. Whew. If it weren't all about vacations I think I'd go crazy!

I will update more with photos when I get more time. Micah is taking a nap right now but I have to gather stuff together so I'll be ready to take him to Nana and Papa's house while we play our game tonight.

Summer with Daddy at the beach

On Saturday, with 90 degree temperatures, while I was out with friends at a baby shower, David took Micah to the beach. Micah spent a long time throwing rocks in the water. They had a great time. When we all got home, Micah helped Daddy clean up the backyard patio and ran in the sprinkler, saying "Cold!" We had a nice barbecue for dinner and then went out for ice cream as a family. What a fun day!

Finally!

Dave is finally on the web! He has been working hard these last couple of weeks in preparation for our trip back east to visit my family. He's got his business website up and running, a tech blog, and his own personal blog. I'm so proud of him! He's getting with the times. :)

Today was our 6th anniversary but we didn't do much to celebrate. After church we had a softball game in the afternoon, so we dropped Micah off at Nana and Papa's and then played in the blistering sun for a couple hours. We went back to pick up Micah and stayed there for dinner, eating out on their shaded patio.

At Nana and Papa's

We had our first two softball games of the season on Sunday afternoon. Our team did great. We won both games... by a lot. While we were out playing softball, Micah was with Nana and Papa. Nana just got a brand new camera and had to test it out, so what better subject than a little 20 month old?

This is a mischievous look that, for some reason, I think we'll continue seeing a lot more of!


Micah and Daddy

Caught with his hand in the "cookie jar"

Doesn't he look big?!

Look! I can put magnetized letters on my head!

Don't we all wish we could crouch like this?

Here, I found something for you.

Papa with big boy Micah

He loves their gravel driveway, he is fascinated with rocks right now. Joen says David was the same way, and would save rocks in ziplock baggies and put them in the freezer.

Rocks still won't top his number one love, though. He'll spend all day kicking, hitting, and chasing after balls.

Weekend Fun

A couple weekends ago my friend Kimber and I ran in the 5K race in Gig Harbor to kick off the weekend of festivities. I'm not really sure what the festivities were all about, but there was a pancake breakfast, a parade, and a whole bunch of other things going on that day. We had fun running the 5K, and then Micah and David showed up a little later, as did Kimber's husband, Matt, and we stood around and watched the parade. It was a fun parade. Micah mostly enjoyed it from the backpack carrier, but soon got antsy and wanted down.

As you can see from the winter clothes we are wearing, June was having some trouble finding the sun. This past weekend started getting a little nicer. I ran in another race just this past weekend in Tacoma. It was 12K (7.46 miles) called the Sound to Narrows. It's a really popular race around here and I was really nervous about it because I hadn't run anything longer than 4.5 miles since my half marathon a month ago. Also, this one was very hilly. I read on a crazy ultra-marathoner's blog that the Sound to Narrows is "referred to as one of the most difficult 12k's in the country and Matt Downin who is an elite runner for New Balance agrees with that statement." I didn't like the hills too much, but I am glad that I had trained (albeit only 3 miles at a time) with my friend Ketra in her hilly neighborhood because I didn't feel too bad during the race. There were two negatives though: 1. I didn't have a friend to run with and 2. I forgot my ipod and headphones so I was only thinking about how horrible I was feeling with the ache in my side and the racing chip digging into my ankle. But I am so glad I did it and I had fun, and I felt pretty good afterwards!

I went to check the results of my race and didn't see the time listed on the website, so I emailed the support team and they said the chip registered my start time, but not my finish time. My watch, though, said I finished at 1 hour and 10 minutes - about a 9:20/mile pace. Fine with me on "one of the most difficult courses in the country!"

David taught Micah how to roll down the hills. Micah loved it! He giggled and ran up to do it again and again.

Micah ran in the little Diaper Dash race for kids after my race was over. He's looking pretty determined (or distracted)!

A few new photos

It has been a while since I have posted any photos of Micah and what we've been doing. I will get a couple up tonight and then tomorrow if I get a chance I'll write a bit about what we have done over the last couple weeks.

Here's Micah trying on Daddy's slippers:

A few of these photos are from April - the one day all spring that we had nice warm, sunny weather. Micah wanted to help out when daddy was washing the cars.

Happy Birthday my Beloved

There are so many reasons why I love this man. Today seems like a good day to share.

This man loves his son and does an incredible job as his father. He is selfless and giving. He is calm with discipline and wise in teaching. He is goofy and quirky and his son absolutely adores him.

This man is a great spiritual leader. He loves the Lord. He is generous, always wanting to help those in need. He likes to pose questions that make you think.

This man is quick and witty and always makes others laugh. He is sarcastic and funny, and he gets away with it. He is a lot fun to be around. He makes others feel at ease.

This man is an intelligent businessman. He is trustworthy. He knows his stuff. He has great relationships with his employee and his clients.

This man is a strong and loving husband. He is thoughtful and caring. He always opens the door for me. He gives of himself in so many ways. He cares for me when I am sick. He loves me when I'm tired. He enjoys my company. He shares his life with me, the good things and the not so good things. He is enthusiastic about my latest hobbies and helps me achieve goals I never knew I had.

I am so in love with this man! Happy Birthday, David.

Calling All Cilantro Recipes

I don't know why, but I saw the big thing of cilantro at Costco and picked it up. I like to buy fresh herbs, especially when they are called for in recipes I'm using (imagine that?). However, I usually only use a couple handfuls of the herbs and the rest spoil in the refrigerator. So, I'm not sure why I purchased the huge bundle of Costco cilantro except that we had eaten a yummy pasta dish that a friend brought to our home group last Tuesday, which had cilantro in it. So far I have made a couple blue cheese sauces with cilantro (I also got the big thing of blue cheese), I have made salsa and yummy guacamole. I have a recipe for a really good chicken and sweet potato chili, which calls for a little cilantro as garnish. Still, I may only use an eighth of the package. So, I need help! If anyone has recipes that call for cilantro, please, let me know!

Tonight we had steaks with a blue cheese sauce (with just a little too much cilantro), and artichokes. Micah had a little macaroni and cheese with carrots, but he really wanted what we were having - so we mixed his macaroni and cheese with the blue cheese sauce and he much preferred it that way. A kid who likes blue cheese and cilantro over regular cheese sauce? I hope I can accommodate his expanding tastes!

Free Music!

One of my favorite bands is offering their latest CD for free download. Downhere is a band I know because they went to the same college that I did. It has been fun hearing their music on the Christian radio station around here and even seeing their faces on billboard advertisements! Their music is rocky, their lyrics are thought-provoking and their sound is melodic. Some of the songs on the radio these days is "A Better Way" and "How Many Kings". These are such beautiful songs. Another favorite of mine from this album is "Little is Much" talking about how the little things we do are great things when God is in it. I listened to that song many times on my way to work at World Vision when I was calling and talking to some very unhappy people about their giving. Here is the link to the free download. This is an offer that is available through the month of June to help get the word out about Downhere just in time for a new album to come out in the fall.

Little is Much

What is the measure of a life well lived
If all I can offer seems too small to give
This is a song for the weaker, the poorer
And so-called failures

Little is much when God's in it
And no one can fathom the plans He holds
Little is much when God's in it
He changes the world with the seeds we sow
Little is much, little is much

Who feels tired and under-qualified
Who feels deserted, and hung out to dry
This is a song for the broken, the beat-up
And so-called losers

Consider a Kingdom in the smallest seed
Consider that giants fall to stones and slings
Consider a child in a manger
Consider the story isn't over
What can be done with what you still have

A Better Way

I'm not alone, I really believe
You never go, You never leave
Here and now, You always stay
“I love you” could not be said a better way

It's everything You've promised
There's no greater love than this
From prophets until today
A man laying down His life for His friends
Your sacrifice has spoken, You gave everything
And “I love you” could not be said
A better way

I am forgiven, I clearly see
It's why You came to do all you did for me
Trading earth with heaven, You took my place
“I love you” could not be said
A better way

Because You redeem, I know what's to come
Everything I could lose here, You've already won
So You have my surrender, with passion obey
“I love you” could not be said
A better way

Oraganic baby formula

We used formula when Micah was a newborn. We didn't use the organic stuff, but I knew some people who did. Here's a news article on how Similac Organic uses cane sugar to sweeten their formula. The article talks about how pediatricians say it's risky to give babies cane sugar because it can harm tooth enamel, babies might resist less sweet formulas or solid foods, and they might overeat, leading to childhood obesity.

I think a lot of things can lead to childhood obesity and the least of our worries is infant formula, but it's still an interesting article.

I know it's been more than a week since I ran, but....

Bodies are amazing things. I am amazed at how my body could go from pretty much no physical activity to running 13.1 miles in a relatively short amount of time. I’m sure if I had pushed myself I had enough time to train for a full marathon, but that would have been a lot of stress on my body and a lot of extra hours of training. I’m glad I didn’t do one and I doubt I ever will, but I won’t say that I NEVER will. I’m halfway there at this point and could probably keep training the way I have and work towards a full marathon which is coming up in November in Seattle. My knees were sore from running the half and my muscles were a little tight the next day. My knees were only sore from the pounding on the pavement, which is quite common with street running. They were not sore from the surgeries I have had to fix my torn ACL.

I was always amazed at how I could keep going after the first couple of miles and feel fine. I don’t understand how the body works. With all the training we did, my heart was strong and my friend and I were able to talk almost the whole way through the race without feeling too winded. It is incredible how a body can work itself up to running for 2 hours straight without feeling too tired and sore. I have never really been a runner, besides running a bit of cross country in elementary school. I played soccer all through high school and college, but since having Micah I was only playing once a week, and that was only when someone was around to watch Micah for us. It’s amazing to me how I could start by running a couple miles, and then add a few more on to our longer runs each week. I was running 3 miles consistently a couple mornings every week and was a bit nervous about trying to add anything longer than that, partly because it was harder to figure out when I would be able to do it and partly because I wasn’t sure I’d be able to make it. I certainly wouldn’t have been able to do it if I didn’t have a friend meeting me each morning.

I was surprised at the race by how many people of all shapes, sizes and ages were there. There were some people with prosthetics, and even a man in a wheelchair who was pushing himself through the half marathon course! The older people that were running were truly inspiring to me! It makes me believe that absolutely anyone can work towards doing a half marathon!

William Tell Mom Sayings

This is pretty funny. Some of you may have already seen it, but for those of you that haven't, enjoy... and Happy Mother's Day!

I survived!

Now that this morning is over I don't know what to do with myself. I have been training for so long to run a half marathon in Tacoma with my friend Ketra. Up until about a month ago, this half marathon was something in the back of my mind that I was possibly going to do. We were jogging in the mornings for short runs together and then we'd go on longer runs on the weekends. At first I was doing it to help get in shape but as we ran farther I started thinking I just might be able to run 13.1 miles. So I had May 10th in my mind but oddly enough, I felt like I had nothing beyond this date. I didn't plan a life past it! It's like I was planning on not making it through.

Well, we made it through! And we ran faster than we have ever run before! Our longest run up until this point was 11 miles, but we made it all the way to the end without walking. We ran an average of about a 9-minute mile, which is a minute faster than our usual pace. We finished the half marathon at just over 2 hours, which was about 15 minutes faster than we had planned.

The last 2 miles were tough for me. Ketra ran a little ahead of me at the end. It was especially tough because the last 3 miles were mostly uphill. Not the easiest part of the race to have hills! But we finished well and I'm so proud of us! It feels so good to have accomplished something like this! Like my friend Jill said, who ran the 10K this morning - we still got it! Happy Mother's Day to us!

Edited to add: My time was posted on the website yesterday: 2 hours and 2 minutes. I came in 27th in my age bracket and 343rd overall. There were about 1000 male and female runners in the half marathon. It being my first race, I'm fine with those results!

Baby Talk

Micah is saying a lot more these days. He's learning sign language better each day, too. He would probably be able to say a lot more if I knew more signs to teach him! He loves to have music on when he's in his high chair so he asks for it saying "eh duh" looking and pointing to the ipod on top of the fridge, so I learned what the sign for music was and now he points, says "eh duh" and does the sign. He tries to sign diaper change and he's trying to sign "I love you". It's pretty cute watching him learn. I have a long list of words he says, I'll try to capture them here:

His most recent words:
Bee = Bee (he's got a little windup toy)
Ooo-ee = Willie (his teddy bear)
Cuckee = Cookie (along with the sign)
behbee = Baby
GOLL! = GOAL!

He loves to sing, too. He loves the songs Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and Old McDonald Had a Farm. He sings "Ba Ba Ba Ba Ba Ba Ba" (Up above the world so high) and "Ee I Ee I Oh". He also likes The Itsy Bitsy Spider and tries to make the hand motions. He listens to his toys over and over and over again if they have any of those songs.

His words that he has said for a while now:
Na na na na = no no no no
Papa = Papa (or any slightly older man anywhere followed occasionally by kissing sounds)
Kee Kah = Kitty Cat followed usually by a Maow (meow or Mario) and/or kissing sounds
bah = ball, help, please
mah = milk, phone
moh = more
mama, dada, dadee
eah = yeah
guh bah = good night, good bye, the end
dah dah deeee! = one two three!
geay = get it
cuppa cuppa cuppa cu-ckee = cookie monster (not sure why...)
na = banana (with sign) or tissue (to wipe his nose)

arms out = where did it go? where is it?
der dizz = there it is!

Eat Your Veggies

Micah has always been a great eater - in fact, he used to eat more than I could provide for him. I am waiting for the day when he will turn his head in disgust at everything I offer him. I know that a toddler happily eating broccoli and carrots and eggplant will one day come to an end. But for now, I'm a very happy Mama! I have recently made a Roasted Vegetable Lasagna that Micah absolutely LOVED. He asked for MOH in a low-to-high pitch frantic cry every time he finished what was on his plate. It tasted pretty good... for a vegetarian meal! Here's the recipe, if anyone is interested. I added more than the called for amount of cheese because, seriously, everything is better with more cheese! And it seemed to be a tiny amount.

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

3 medium raw eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3 medium sweet red peppers, chopped
4 small plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
4 medium garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp table salt (or more to taste)
1/2 tsp black pepper (or more to taste)
9 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (or more)
3/4 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded (or more)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. In a roasting pan, combine vegetables and garlic with olive oil. Bake until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, about 20-25 minutes.
3. Place half of vegetables, salt and pepper, and 1/2 cup water in food processor and process until smooth.
4. Spoon 1/2 cup vegetable puree into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.
5. Place three noodles over puree. Top with 1/2 cup puree, 1/2 remaining vegetables, 2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, and 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers and then top with remaining 3 noodles, puree and cheese.
6. Bake until bubbly, about 40-45 minutes. Slice into 6 pieces and serve.

Friday Date Night

David and I went out for a rare date on Friday night. Dinner and a movie. It was SO nice! Dave's parents were around and willing to watch Micah, so we went to a nice dinner and then to the brand new cinema in Gig Harbor, which was really nice. The movie we saw was 21 - I absolutely LOVED it! It was very entertaining. The movies and shows we've been watching lately have been pretty violent or graphic, but this one had very little violence in it, for which I'm glad. It was just so nice to be able to get out and enjoy an evening together, just the two of us.

Reflections

I have been thinking about a few things lately. One, how lucky I am to have a husband around as often as he is and family close by who love and watch Micah occasionally, and Two, how blessed we are to have a healthy and happy baby. I'll tell you why:

At church on Sunday I went up to a girl who had been sitting in front of us all by herself. I'm so glad I did because I don't know if anyone else would have spoken to her. This was her first Sunday at our church. Her husband is in Iraq and she has two very small children - a 2 year old and a 6 month old. The father has never even met the younger child. The woman found our church through Focus on the Family. There were a few choices they gave her, so it sounds like she's going to be shopping around a little bit trying to find the right fit. She will fit in well at our church if she comes back because there are a lot of young moms in our church. I pointed out another girl whose husband had been in the military and who had lived on base where she lives now. She is not from around here so she has absolutely no family in the area and her husband is not around and it seems like there aren't any Christians in her circle of friends on base because she had to go to Focus on the Family to find a church to attend. She had her 2nd baby without her husband, so I'm thinking there had to be some support from others on base, but who watched her oldest while she went into labor? Who took her to the hospital? How is she surviving with 2 small children!? She is also going to school. I just can't imagine. I think it's tough when 2 days out of the whole MONTH Dave goes straight from work to his men's group for Bible study. This gives me some perspective.

Also, I'm thankful that my husband isn't gone all that much because I have other friends who have husbands that started a business almost a year ago and work really long hours. It's the time in our lives when our husbands are work hard trying to build their businesses or make their climb up the corporate ladder and the time in our lives when us women are having kids and wishing our husbands were around more to help with the kids or with things around the house. It seems like it's a tough stage of life (but I know I haven't been through many stages)! Those friends of mine are lonely and struggling and I've been trying to think of how I can encourage them, but I'm not very creative or thoughtful. People have said that even just hanging out with them for a couple of hours means a lot. Any ideas?

The second thing I've been thinking about is how thankful I am to have a healthy baby. I know Micah is a gift from God and I am so thankful and blessed to have been trusted to care for him and I can only pray that God lets me watch over him all my life. Some parents aren't so lucky. My aunt and uncle had to say goodbye to their precious son due to a brain tumor when he was only 21. At least they were given 21 years with him and they have the blessed hope of reuniting with him again in heaven. But how incredibly difficult to outlive your child.

There is a family who have a little girl very close to Micah's age and are dealing with a brain tumor as well. A friend of theirs, a girl whose blog I read religiously, wrote a very moving piece about their situation. I encourage you to follow that link and read their story. If there is anything we can do to help this family in need that they might be able to get the best care for little Emily and spare her parents the pain of losing her at such a young age, well then, let us band together and help, pray, do whatever we can to petition her case before Jehovah-Rapha, the God who heals.

Discipline

Such a sweet, innocent smile. This kid could never need discipline, right? Wrong.

Awhile ago, Micah was testing his limits by showing his anger and frustration through physical hitting. Lately he has gotten better and hasn't been hitting as much. He has also been learning more words so he is starting to communicate better, which decreases his frustrations, I'm sure. But one day last week he was playing in the cupboard in the kitchen with the glass bowls and after I told him that he was not to play with them, he got up with a bowl in his hand so when I went to take it away from him he could run away. I caught him and pried the bowl from his death-grip, but he squared up and hit me in the face. I grabbed both of his hands and very sternly told him that is unacceptable and that he does NOT hit. I took him by the hand and led him to the wall so he could sit for a minute of time out. I sat there with him and told him that he needs to make good choices and listen to me when I ask something of him. He sat there the whole time with his head down. He knew it was wrong. He's finally getting it. We have occasionally had to spank him, too. I'm not sure how I feel about the whole "You DO NOT HIT!" so I'll spank you. I've had to swat his behind when he's been squirming too badly on the changing table.

One time when we were at Dave's parents house after soccer, Micah was not listening to us and was whining pretty bad. Dave's dad was trying to talk to us about something, but finally David said "hang on dad, I need to deal with this" and he took Micah down to the bedroom, flung him across his lap, pulled down his pants and smacked his behind. Micah came back into the room with little tears almost spilling over, but he behaved much better after that.

I don't like to spank because usually when I do it I'm frustrated with his behavior. I have a hard time being calm in certain situations. His incessant screaming and whining gets on my nerves. Often when we're driving in the car Micah will scream. One way to get around that is to give him something to eat. He's always content when he's eating! But since I don't want an one hundred pound toddler I'm not going to give him food every chance he acts up. I'm not sure how to keep him from screaming in the car. If I try to give him a toy or book, he chucks it. Sometimes he'll even take his shoes and/or socks off and throw them. We have a little game we play, which calms him down. He locks his car door using his foot, and I can unlock it from the front. We go back and forth with that for awhile, which is a great, safe game because I don't have to turn around to look at him or use my hands to reach back there. I also sing to him, but I'll admit that it's very hard to keep singing when I can't even hear myself because he's still screaming. This morning, though, I went through the ABC's a couple times and Old McDonald Had a Farm about 6 times (with every animal I could think of that makes a noise I can imitate!) and he quieted down. Some days being a mom is exhausting!

So, does anyone have any great advice on how to keep a child from screaming during a 25 minute car ride? Or any creative ideas on ways to calm an aggressive child? If your children are older, does it get any better? I've heard from another mom that her 10 year old has always let out his frustration by kicking and hitting and throwing things around, so she makes him go to his room, do what he needs to do to let it all out, and then she deals with him when he's calmer.

Easter

Every time I go away for any length of time David always takes on some kind of house project. It makes me feel like I should go away more often! But I try not to expect it so that if it doesn't happen, I won't be disappointed. When I went away for the Women's Retreat, David organized the guest room to be more kid-friendly as Micah's play room. We picked up the cute little kid's table at the benefit auction for Lighthouse Christian School, a school that David does some work for.




Saturday there was a community-wide Easter Egg Hunt in our neighborhood. A friend of mine is now on the community board so she planned it all and pulled it off - it was a lot of fun. Micah was actually too young to participate, but I was there to help, so he was with me. I just happened to bring an Easter basket with us... and he got into it!

Sunday morning Micah and I went to church to meet Daddy there. David played guitar for both the Good Friday service and the Easter morning service. I was scheduled to work in the nursery, so Micah and I enjoyed Easter morning with lots of little kids, play doh, and flying cars! Here is the handsome little guy all dressed up in his Sunday best.

Micah had another Easter Egg hunt at his cousin's house.

Here comes Jack, swooping in to steal the egg Micah had his eye on!

Weekend Retreat

The women from my church went on a retreat last weekend - something that hasn't happened for three years. We went to Cannon Beach, OR - to the coast, where the weather is always unpredictable. It was mostly nice, sometimes a little rainy and cold, but the scenery is always beautiful. I was supposed to go because I was helping lead worship in playing guitar. I always love going to the retreats because I know God will work in some powerful ways, but I don't think I had my heart in the right place. I was going because they needed someone to help lead worship. No one at church knew I could play guitar because I haven't really felt the need to tell anyone. Stephanie, the other girl in the picture, sings at church and so when she found out I played, she wondered if we could try to do it together. We both have played about the same amount of time and we felt comfortable enough to lead since we'd have each other as a support.
Worship actually went very well - many of the women have said how much they enjoyed it, cried, and were led into worship. I guess at the women's retreats in the past it has been something that has been lacking because it has always just been thrown together.

The lady that spoke is the same woman who has been leading the Bible study I attend every Thursday night. She is such a wise woman and a lot of what she shared coincides with what we are learning in our Bible study, so it was an especially powerful weekend for those of us in the study. I have seen in her a depth and passion for our Lord and for being in His word that I haven't seen in too many people and I love seeing how that passion manifests itself in different ways in different people. My own passion has been renewed again for the Lord and I am grateful. It really is what matters in this life. His love for me is so great and from His abundant love is where I get my love for my family and friends, and for those that are not so easy to love. I want to tap into that abundant life that He has for me, which I have yet to discover.