12!

In the past 18 days, we have:
*Moved
*Moved into a house mid-renovations
*Moved into a house mid-renovations with no baths upstairs, no appliances, no kitchen counter tops, etc.
*Attempted to move 3+ car garage into a small 2 car garage
*Given away a LOT of crap
*Worked around contractors here at any given hour of the day
*Noticed a lot of dead spiders from the bug bombs we set off
*Had a boy with a massive asthma attack/flare-up
*Had a man with West Nile virus
*Had a 2-year old only nap about 2 of those 18 days
*Had a lot of meltdowns
*Remembered the dead spiders after finding out our contractor was bit by a brown recluse and headed to hospital
*Went under contract with a pesticide company to rid us of the apparently ongoing spider family residing here
*Wondered what in the he!! we are doing
*Asked a dear friend who is a therapist if she could get me in a for a little 'break' at Larned
*Cleaned up puke off the brand-new carpet that was installed...break it in sweet boy, break it in!
*Vaguely remembered around 12:30 pm that today is our 12th anniversary.

Happy, happy anniversary, JJH!!  As he so romantically put about 15 minutes ago, "there is no one else I'd rather be scrubbing puke up with than you, baby!"

I don't know whether to be thankful and proud or embarrassed that I have 2 parents that can still pretty much outwork me! A lot of work was done on the house in Pratt this weekend. Seems crazy that 7 days from tomorrow the movers arrive. Also seems a bit crazier that this will be our 6th move and 6th home purchase in 12 years. Some of those were really challenging moves but looking back, I wouldn't change a one. I have never felt God's blessing on a move like I do this one. His hand has been in it the entire time, even in the details. I foresee a lot of happy memories made on Myrtle St...don't be jealous that I am going to live on a street named Myrtle either!!

 When I got back home last night, the little boys were full of stories for me. Loved these two stories.

 Isaac
 Momma, you know some days when I am trying to take my nap, some big taxi drives up and down the street, ringing his bell and playing music. It just infuriates me. I mean it, JUST INFURIATES ME!!

***How does he know how to use that word correctly and how have we made it 5+ years w/o them knowing that's the ice cream truck??***

 Jereme had to wake the boys up one morning to work...needless to say our boys are pretty spoiled by sleeping till whenever they want most days. Jereme said if looks could kill he would've been dead by the way the kids reacted to being woke early in the morning...he said it was a very clear glimpse into our future! They definitely are their parents kids with wanting to stay up late and sleep in a little later.

 Jorden
My favorite part of being with daddy was playing at the park in Concordia. I like that park. My least favorite part...{20 second pause}...was when daddy woke me up this morning!! DADDY WHY'D YOU DO THAT? WHY DID YOU WAKE ME UP LIKE THAT SO EARLY????

 Jereme and I are both blessed to have been raised by great dads. I am also so blessed that the boy who captured my heart 14 years ago is a great dad, too! Happy Father's Day!

Cheese

Of course I am not about to push my little brother off of this tractor...

I'll just do a little break-dancing instead (Momma, you should do this to help with the ol' muffin top issue!)

Thank God he's occupied dancing for the camera and leaving me alone.

Sweetness

Considering not being so sweet

Future mowers-in-training

:(

Is it okay to use a sad face for a title post?  I've noticed this past week or so my emotions seem to be right at the surface.  I am weepy about so many things.  It finally dawned on me...although we so delight in watching the harvest crews head down south and then seeing combines moving in the field right here in Kansas, it sure brings a sense of sadness upon me.  I don't think I feel the sting of missing my Grandpa and Jereme's dad more so than when the combines are rolling in the field.  So much loss is wrapped up in the death of those two men.  We miss them so much and we miss them so much for our boys.  Both came from a long line of family farms.  With their deaths, so came the separation from the family farm to someone else farming/renting the family farm.  It's difficult to explain but for those that have experienced this loss no explanation is needed.  It's weird how one moment we are excitedly pointing out to our boys the harvest crews and then in the very next moment, Jereme and I will look at each other trying to hold back our tears.  Makes me think of Amy Grant's song:
"We pour out our miseries,
God just hears a melody
Beautiful, the mess we are
the honest cries of breaking hearts
are better than a hallelujah."




Jereme checking Grandpa's wheat just 6 short weeks after he died

I'm not ready for these conversations

Right before rest time today this was Isaac and my conversation:

I:  Momma, where does our pee come from?
Me:  What??
I:  Where does our pee come from?
Me:  Well, when we drink fluids like water and milk our body uses what it needs and then our bladder holds what we don't need until we pee it out. 
I:  What's a bladder?
Me:  It's the part of our body that holds the fluids we don't need. 
I:  Oh.  Is that what those balls are in my underwear?
Me:  WHAT!?
I:  I have those things that are like balls in my underwear...is that my bladder that holds the pee? 
Me:  Um, no. 
I:  What are those then?
Me:  Um.  Ok.  Those are called testicles. 
I:  Testicles? 
Me:  Yes. 
I:  What are testicles? 
(Oh sweet mother of mercy do I really have to have this conversation.  Why oh why isn't their father ever around in moments like these???)
Me:  {Big sigh} Your testicles are a part of your body that will someday help you have a baby with your wife. 
I:  What is a wife??
Me:  Your wife is the woman you are married to.  I am daddy's wife. 
I:  I'm a boy!!!  Boys don't have babies!!
Me:  I know that, son, but it takes a man and a woman to have a baby. 

{HOLDING BREATH}

I:  Ok. 
My only thought:  Thank you, sweet Jesus, that's the end of that conversation.  For now.  I know Isaac far too well to assume that's the end of it.  But, it appears he might be going to see Poppa and Mimi for some special time.  One can only hope he'll want to continue that conversation with them...

Recently...

Lots of exciting things happening at our house the past few weeks! We were able to continue our house-selling streak which was a complete shock to us and we are so grateful. God's hand has been so evident in this move for us...we are blessed and so at peace. In a really crummy time and tough market, we got an offer/contract on our house within 2 weeks. That makes 5 houses we've been able to sell within 2 weeks. I quite candidly told Jereme we best not go for 6!!!

For the first time ever, we had to have a plumber come and snake out our lines. He said he had to go almost 100 ft out and he was completely baffled at what could've created that situation. I, on the other hand, am not the least bit shocked. He obviously had not met our boys.

And, just a few cute sayings from our boys.

 Isaac: Momma, how do I find the person I am going to marry? I mean, how will I know?

 Me (to be honest, I really wanted to answer these questions with, well, we're not worried about this b/c we aren't planning to let you ever leave the house): We will pray. We will pray even now that God will reveal to you who He wants you to spend your life with.

Isaac: (Contemplates this for a bit) Ok. Well, will I get to have chocolate cake at my wedding??

***Ah, now I see what the cause for concern was!***

 Luke after every nap and in the morning when you open his door: Get up here now on my bed. Snuggle me!!
 ***I dare you to resist him!***

 And, Jorden has completely mastered monkey bars! He is quite proud of himself and can do all sorts of tricks to swing himself up on the bars. It's amazing and quite terrifying!