Uncle Mark

Beautiful Blake

These sweet pictures were taken by Sharra's talented photographer friend at the hospital.

I don't know, does it?

Yesterday, Shann and I told the kids we are going to be working on being more consistant. Alyssa said, "does that mean angry?"

Early Christmas

This year, Caden has been VERY into figuring out what his Christmas presents are. He has been trying to find my list, cajoling me to tell him secrets, and trying to figure out where things have been hidden. Hoping to head off snooping, I've now told him that if he goes looking, and happens upon his gifts, that he can be sure he won't be receiving them for Christmas.

In the car a few days ago out of the blue, he said to me, "I just think people should have my Christmas gifts ready". I told him, that not only is Christmas many weeks away, but also, we have no idea if they have them ready! And of course, why should they have them ready?
He didn't really have an answer, of course, just reiterated a sense of feeling like 'they just should have them ready'.

I sort of know this feeling. Do you ever feel like asking how people are coming on your gift list? Ah well, it looks like we could use a reorientation to "The Reason".

New cousin...Blake Thomas!

Shann's sister, Sharra, and her husband Ryan have miraculously acquired another child today! He once was in, and now he's out! And happy to be so!

Praise God for healthy baby (9lbs7oz!) and mama. Blake, we can't wait to meet you!
See 'Ryan' link on sidebar for more pictures.

Soccer!

This fall, Caden played soccer. He had a great time, but Shann had a really great time, cheering and teaching from the sidelines :) He is so excited that Caden is old enough to play on a team! Shann knew all the kid's names by the end of the first game... I think he had a rough time not being the coach!
I have a few pictures - I meant to post several times about this, now it has turned into one large post!

a loyal fan!

Notice the tongue...

So close!

the tongue always seemed to be out...I think he got this from his Dad!

Good job, Caden!

10 years...and counting!

Ten years ago today, I married the love of my life. I'm happy to say that he still is, multiplied by 10! These were taken recently...we still look just as young, right?
The street sign is telling him where he should keep his gaze! :)

I'm even more excited about the next ten. I love you, Shann.

a chance to trust

Funny really. Funny, that directly following the recent post on thankfulness for our kid's health, Caden started experiencing double vision. 2 or 3 times a day, he would casually say he was seeing 2 of things. Such as "I see two of you, Daddy."
He had no other weird symptoms, just sporadic double vision. This lasted for 6 days. We saw the pediatrician. We saw a pediatric opthamologist. No one found any problems, and no one had answers.
After talking to several medically savvy friends, and hearing of a couple other people experiencing similar things, we Think this may have been caused by a virus that will clear up on its own. At our follow up appointment with the opthamologist last evening, she again didn't find anything. Caden hasn't had any symptoms in several days. However, to be on the cautious side, she would like Caden to have an MRI. So that is scheduled for Monday, November 23rd. An MRI isn't a huge deal in the medical community, but children have to be sedated...and oh, he's MY child! My baby, I mean, my child has to be sedated and have an MRI.

Interestingly, or most likely providentially, the fruit of the Spirit we're learning about together this week is Peace. Just yesterday, I explained to the kids what peace means:
1)choosing to work things out with each other and separate to play in our own rooms for awhile if necessary,
2)it means a home that is a welcoming sanctuary (and not a compound of wild banshees),
3)And it means to obey God and not be afraid. We talked about how often God Commands us to have peace and not fear.
Isaiah 26:3 Thy will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusts in thee.
So I'm continuing to try to keep my mind on God, and trust Him. He holds our days in his hand. In fact, Isaiah 49:16 says we're engraved on the palms of his hands! What better place to be?
I felt I was doing rather well at this until a few minutes ago, Caden told me he was seeing 2 of things again (for the first time in 5 days)!
Now where did I put that 3x5 card with my Bible verses?

More Fall Fun

How many?

Driving by a lawn covered thickly in leaves, I asked the kids how many leaves they thought there were.
Caden confidently answered 'a dozen'! When I told him that a dozen is only 12, he was quite astonished. He said "that is unbelievable, a dozen sounds like a So Many! Wait until I tell Antonio!"
Caden's buddy Antonio may or may not be quite as astonished. We'll see.

Halloween

My pumpkin - if you can't tell, is a pineapple! Hard to tell, but Caden was Iron Man, and Alyssa was a bride. The kids went around the block with Shann. When they left, it was warm, but sort of damp and drippy. And by the time they got back, their costumes were soaked! The weather decided to monsoon for a few minutes, soaking many tiny ghosts, princesses, bumblebees and ladybugs, and spidermen.

Here is Shann's pumpkin, that once again, won first place at our annual pumpkin carving party. I must at least comment that he had a pattern, and I freehanded it! :)

Marooned

I'm at the end of a rather long week. Mon and Tues I didn't have a vehicle. By Wednesday I had the use of my car back, but Caden was sick. Alyssa licked a couple of medicine bottles, and (Caden tells me, she licked him too) by Thursday, she was sick. Both of them had fevers, coughing, and Caden's nose has been a faucet (he declared that no one had probably ever had coughing AND their nose running a lot at the same time). Of course, I haven't been sleeping all that well as I've gotten up several times each night to get tissues, get a drink, or administer medicine. Oh, also Caden tends to gag when he gets coughing deeply, so we've been getting to clean up vomit as well. So fun.
Although both of them are still coughing, we're definitely on the mend. I have some hope that I'll be able to go places this coming week.
Shann and I often say to each other how deeply thankful we are to have healthy children. Some parents deal with this and much more difficult illnesses all the time! After having a tiring, germ-ridden, boring, snotty week, to all you parents who deal with often or always ill children, I salute you.