Pray for Ava

I want to ask anyone that reads this post to please follow the link:

http://joshuajoelhunter.blogspot.com/

Ava Hunter is the granddaughter of the senior pastor of the church Patrick and I went to for over ten years in Orlando. The blog is written by Ava's dad, Josh. Ava was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer just 10 weeks ago. The family thought they would have 12-18 months with their daughter, but it now looks like without a miracle, Ava's time here on earth will be much shorter.

Obviously, the Hunters want as many people praying for Ava as possible so I'd love for you to pray for her if you feel led. But I also think you will be touched and encouraged by this father's willingness to leave his child in the hands of God.

The Elbert County Fair

Since we're really trying to get into this whole "country" thing, we thought we should make an appearance at the county fair.

It wasn't a county fair in the sense there were lots of clowns and rides. It was free and mostly a chance for 4H kids to show off what they'd been up to all year. Several kids from our church were showing their bunnies, chickens and goats. We even got to see one girl who we love dearly participate in a horse show.

The boys loved it. There's no such thing as too many smelly farm animals for them.

Waiting for Miss Brianna to enter the ring on "Blue."

The boys liked the goats the best. And Caleb will use any reason to make a funny face. Or maybe he's commenting on the stink.

The boys got to pet a few bunnies. I felt guilty about all the bunny shooting at our house. But Patrick reminded me that what we really have around our house are rodents, not the cute, fluffy, floppy-eared pets that were at the fair.

This is Hanna. She and Eli have a love connection. We would like to adopt Hanna but her parents told us no. Her bunny, Buckwheat, won Grand Champion and she gets to take him to State.

Daniel's little, best friend is Emma (Hanna's sister). These two are inseparable when they get together!

And finally, after a very, very, very hot day, we got to drink slurpees under the shade of the grandstand and watch the horse show.

Patrick's Birthday

Lest we forget there are other members of this family beside Nadya... Patrick had a birthday recently! Turned 40ish. Plus a few.

A couple months ago Patrick announced he had bought a ticket to see RUSH at Red Rocks and was going with a friend. (I know that might sound weird to some. My husband buying a ticket to a concert and not even asking me to go. But my tolerance for RUSH is 2.5 songs and then I ask if he can switch to something else.)

I noticed the date of the concert fell on August 18 (his birthday) and my thought was, "How convenient. Happy Birthday, Babe!" So that was my gift to him this year.

He got this crazy spotlight from his parents. Patrick's comment, "This is going to great for bunny hunting at night!" Later he asked me if I thought Daniel could hold the light while he took aim.

NO! Bunny Killer.

Patrick's birthdays tend for follow a theme. He gets a lot of golf related paraphernalia. This year he scored!

Hat and the best-kind-of golf balls from his Atticus co-workers.

Golf shirt and sweater vest from his brother and sis-in-law. Perfect for Fall golfing in Colorado!

And the boys got him an hour lesson with a golf pro. Not that I (or the boys) think Patrick needs to take a lesson, but he's been saying for awhile that he needs to "tweek" a few things. I know he hasn't done it though because he doesn't want to spend money we might need somewhere else or take time away from our family. But we thought he deserved a little "Me Time."

Happy Birthday, Babe! I'm glad you were born!

frogs, frogs and more frogs

It appears the Plagues have visited central Colorado this year. We've had more mosquitoes, crickets and grasshoppers than I have ever seen hanging around this summer. And then today -- we have frogs! I was actually picking up a grasshopper that found his way into my kitchen with a tissue (I hate when they kick inside your hand) when Caleb ran in to tell me they had dug up a ton of frogs!

And sure enough, they were all carrying around several quarter sized frogs in their boxes. Well, frogs I can handle. These little ones are sort of cute.

As long as the boys keep them outside.

Daniel showing Eli the frogs in his box. I'm not sure what Caleb was trying to tell me.

Eli had a difficult time catching a frog of his own so Caleb kindly shared.

Not sure how much squishing these frogs can take. Remember my post last summer about Caleb's earthworms? Hopefully, these frogs have a better fate and don't end up down the garbage disposal.

Let's decorate!

Let's count the number of months we've been in our new home... 1, 2, 3... 8 months! And I just got around to putting the first decoration on the bland, beige walls. It's actually not even hung yet. It's more propped up against the wall.

But I have a good excuse. I was pregnant! And tired! And sick! Besides, my philosophy is that you should mull things over for a bit in your new home so you know what you really want to do with it. This might take a few months. It might take a few years...

My biggest challenge has also been what to do with this fireplace mantle:

I love that it is simple, not too ornate, but what in the world am I supposed to hang up there? It's blank and beige. It's big. It has this weird shape. I felt like once I figured out what to do there, the rest of the room would come together.

Most people have suggested a large, family portrait. As much as I love my family, think my husband is handsome and my kids are adorable, I just don't like the idea of having a blown up shot of all our heads being the focal point of the room.

Some sort of artwork? We're not that artsy.

But as I wandered the aisles of Hobby Lobby this week I found what I thought would be the perfect piece. And it was big enough to fill the space! And incorporated our family without being overwhelmingly FAMILY.


Even Patrick, who could care less about the decor of the house, says it's perfect. Now to just get pictures of us put in it. I quickly stuck in some pictures of Daniel and Caleb, but the top row is of people much better looking than us! And it will eventually get hung in the middle, not propped.

At least I feel the creative juices flowing again. It might be because I finally figured out what to do with that mantle. It could also be that I watch about two hours of HGTV daily while I'm nursing Nadya. Whatever it is, maybe the next time you come over we'll have a picture frame here, a shelf there, some splashes of color.

Maybe I can even talk Patrick into letting me buy a rug!

thoughts on a fourth child

I was sitting on the couch yesterday, blissfully awestruck by sweet Nadya's sweet face (I'm so in love with her) and had a very guilty feeling come over me about all the other things I should be doing. I should be folding laundry. I should be cooking dinner. Actually, what was I going to cook for dinner since I should have gone to the store earlier in the day? The dust on the TV stand is about an inch thick. The dog needs a bath. But... I can't pull myself away from this little person who has entered my life and grabbed my heart.

Not that this hasn't happened before. It's happened three other times. This little creature that can't do a single thing for itself shows up and has the ability to make me go all goo-goo and forget about the rest of the world... for a few months at least.

I know the day will come when she no longer gazes wide-eyed with wonderment at me. She'll stop grinning from ear to ear whenever I show up in her field of vision. She'll eventually look to something other than me for nourishment. She'll insist on holding that spoon herself.

I know this to be oh, so true because I have three other babies that grew up too fast. The day will come when she gets her hand swatted for the first time and I'll get teary-eyed because it will mark the start of the end of her innocence.

So for right now, I'm okay with letting the house be a bit messy, the meals I cook being subpar and rummaging through baskets of washed but not folded, wrinkly laundry for something to wear. I'm going to sit for awhile and enjoy being in love. All the stuff I should do will still be there waiting the day she jumps off my lap and walks away...



"Poem for a New Baby"
by Ruth Hamilton

Mother, oh Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing and butter the bread,
Sew on a button and make up a bed.

Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.
Oh, I've grown shiftless as Little Boy Blue
Lullaby, rock-a-bye, lullaby loo.

Dishes are waiting and bills are past due.
Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo.
The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew,
And out in the yard there's a hullabaloo!

But I'm playing Kanga
And this is my Roo.
Look! Aren't her eyes the most wonderful hue?
Lullaby, rock-a-bye, lullaby loo.

Cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow,
For babies grow up, as I've learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down, cobwebs, dust go to sleep.
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.