Christmas Presents

but first...

a few "Ezekiel-isms"

• "ki-muss lites" - Christmas lights (I mis-posted last time)
• "jus-jus" - just
• "say-same" - same; as in, "we have the say-same drink"
• "Mah-kies hit me" - Malachi hit me
• "He's a she" - that dog/cat/person is a she/girl
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  • Our house on Christmas morning
    
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From their Grandpa Honeycutt, they received Jeeps. Yes, our children are the proud owners of PowerWheels. It is just nice that we have the space for them to drive them. I think that is Ezekiel's favorite present.

From friends at the daycre, they got 1 bike with training wheels (no brakes) and 2 scooters. They really were brand-new looking. We were told that they were only used outside once. Malachi loves have a "real" bike now! (and over an acre of land to do so).

From their Grandparents (Rieder), they got a transformer, viewmaster thing with extra pictures, ornaments with their names on it, books, and a few other odds and ends, not to mention time spent together at our new house in FL and at Disney.

From their parents, a mini-recliner (little boy sized), Potato head accessories, and a few other Lightning McQueen odds and ends in their stockings.


I know there are a few others that are working on sending their presents, but, of course, we don't mind if they don't send anything at all. You may notice that the parent list is the shortest. We know our boys don't need a whole lot. They have just about everything. Plus, we try not to make Christmas about presents. We buy gifts for our children all year long when they need something. I'll try to post some Disney and Christmas pics soon.

Daycare Christmas Program

Monday, December 21st, the boys' daycare held a Christmas play for the parents to enjoy. Our boys got a little stage fright but made us proud. This was their 2nd performance with their first ever daycare. How cute!The Nativity Scene (Malachi's head is to the left of "Mary")

"Mary & Joseph"

Sheep

Sheep Ezekiel

Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer

Z singing with his class

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

(from Disney)

We live

We finally have internet at our house, as of last night. We are working on getting settled in our new house. We moved in about 6 weeks ago. The boys room is now set. They like their bunkbeds and have plenty of room to play.

About 3 weeks ago, Ezekiel got pneumonia. He had recovered well until this past Saturday. He started out by complaining about his ear hurting in the morning. Nothing major after that until about lunch. He then just whined and wanted to be held. I took him to urgent care. He had a middle ear infection in the ear that still had a tube. His other ear was healthy and had no tube in it. He had no cold symptoms whatsoever. I don't ever remember him getting an ear infection without any other symptoms of a cold. I'm just glad there is a wonderful urgent care for children about 10 min. away in Tampa. They have taken good care of him twice without much waiting.

Malachi is really excited about their Christmas play next week at the daycare. I'll share more after it happens. He ate like a horse today, not sure why. I guess, maybe, he is growing. Poor boy is not skinny like his brother but short like his Daddy :)

I'm looking forward to posting more and posting pics, too.

October Daycare Photo

Yes, they really did pose like this! I am so impressed with them!

Ezekiel-isms 2.8

"Pu-gu-licks" - Publix
"baby" - very (as in, "its baby cold")
"Mommy see it" - let me see it
"moose-kick" - music
"Mah-ky" - Malachi
"ah-uh" - I want
"ah-uhn" - I don't want (as in, "ah-uhn milk")
"jep-py-his" - Zephyrhills
"Hammy Hammy" - Handy Manny (still one of my faves)
"kwi-mus" - Christmas
"ah-weh-come" - your welcome
"gwan-pa" - grandpa

He will be three before too long. I can understand him 90% of the time. Sometimes I have to translate, but if people know him at all, they understand most of what he is saying.


One Malachi-ism and a funny story.
"Pug-lix" - Publix

In the car last night, someone said something about Urine. Malachi (immediate reaction) said, "[person's name], your WHAT?!?

It came out of his mouth so funny that I just could stop laughing.

Random note: We have joined the Wii-nation and loving it!

We are homeowners again!!!

Friday, October 30th, we closed on our house! We are the owners of a 3bed, 2 bath, 2100 sq.ft. home, over 1 acre house. It is totally not our style, but is the biggest, and we are loving it already. All of our stuff is in the house. Thankfully, there is plenty of room for all our stuff, but I have no clue where anything is. I'm going to work on that tomorrow.

Here are the pics of our 800 sq.ft. trailer that we rented for 3 months. Daniel and I slept in the extended living room area ;)

the kitchen table we used as a filing system

the boys ate here and we ate on tv trays

playing with trains in the living room b/c the play room was too small

the tiny kitchen (stove, sink, refrig., no dishwasher)

the hallway

the boys room (yes, they shared a twin bed)

the one teeny, tiny, itsy, bitsy bathroom

the "master" bedroom (used for our clothes and the boys' toys)

I guess I forgot to put a pic of our bed in the extended living room. I'll work on that for later.

More pics to come of the beach and other fun things we have been doing.

The Whirlwind is Almost Over!

So, here is where we are right now...

We just finished helping coordinate, feed, and photograph my sister-in-law's wedding in NC. We left on Thursday evening for NC around 5pm. We arrived at my parents house at 2:30am on Friday. The boys were up at 7am! We did some finishing touches on our leftover stuff back in NC from our move. We leave tomorrow morning around 7am in order to be back in FL for the 6pm service and dinner.

I was able to get a job in Tampa (the next county over). I drive around 30min. one way to get there, but it is not bad. I teach all 3 grade levels in Reading. Most of my classes are students who did not achieve well on the FCAT (similar to EOGs). I have enjoyed it thus far. I was hired on a Monday afternoon (teacher's first day) and was a work the next day. I was "official" on Wednesday. Students began on Tuesday, the next week.

The boys LOVE their daycare, which is at the church where Daniel works. Malachi is in VPK (pre-kindergarten). He is enjoying learning. Ezekiel was put in the 3 year old room since he is advanced. He loves it, too.

We accepted an offer on our house of Monday this week. We should close in September 20-something. We now have 2 months left to find a house in the Z-hills area. We are happy for the temporary housing with no lease but ready for a house with room for all of us and our stuff. We will be looking at some homes next week.

The boys were ringbearers in the wedding today. We bought them suits. Ezekiel called it his "soup." When he says bathing suit, it is "baby soup." He was so exhausted from today's festivities and no nap and little sleep that he was in bed by 7:30pm and should sleep until we wake him up in the morning.

We don't have internet or cable/satellite at our temporary house, so I will try to do better about updating later. That's why these are a little far and few between.

Pictures!!!

Last week we were at General Council in Orlando. We had a great time.

Bibleman (Malachi)

My friends Tigger & Pooh (Downtown Disney)

Rainforest Cafe - very scary for the boys - in Downtown Disney

Playing outside at the house

More Playing outside

Maw-Maw Carol (plus Grammy & Grandpa) came down with us to help us move. This is from a recliner in our furnished temporary house.

We're "settled" in.

We arrived with our U-haul with car-in-tow and Durango at our "rental" temporary housing (for 3 months max) on Thursday morning around 1:30AM. We had planned to leave NC around 6am, but we didn't get to leave until 1:30pm. I love how plans work out :) Anyways, we would have made it sooner, except we were stuck on a stretch on I-95 in SC for about an hour. A tractor trailor must have jack-knifed in the rain, so we got to STOP! It was nice to take Ezekiel pee on the side of the road and share mom's snack of friendship bread with Daniel, Maw-maw Carol, and Malachi (while stopped). We also inched along interstate 95 to 295 as Jacksonville decided to route all traffic for 95 & 295 into ONE LANE! How wonderful!

Well, we made it without any excitement on our part that day. We were able to sleep until 8 or 9am. Then, we began to sweat more than any human should ever have to sweat! The humidity is horrible. Thankfully, we got some help to unload most of the stuff into a storage unit (our rental is furnished). The head pastor and great man, J, came out to assist while Maw-maw and Grammy watched the boys nap and unpack kitchen boxes.

Friday, Daniel went into work for a few hours. I took the boys to the local spraygrounds/splashpad. Malachi wanted Ezekiel to play, but Z would have none of it. It ended in a double meltdown. I'm glad I had to other "mothers" along that day. Malachi had a "talk" with Ezekiel about being his buddy next time and playing. It is so funny how Malachi is a splashpad man, and Ezekiel is a swimming boy. Z hates the splashpad, and Malachi is finally warming up to the pool. He used to be terrified of water.

Saturday, we went out to breakfast, toured Lakeland and saw Southeastern, then ended the day with CiCi's and swimming at the pool at Grammy & Grandpa's hotel.

Sunday was church. Malachi did great, once we got to church. I had to wrestle his clothes on him at home, then throw him in the car. Once there, he calmed and actually sat in his seat the whole time! I was so proud of him. Ezekiel did fine in nursery, too. Grandpa, Grammy, and Maw-maw headed for home right after church. We went to a little Italian/Greek restaurant and home for naps. Church at 6pm, then warm-up the taco meat we bought in the microwave b/c the oven pilot hasn't been lit yet.

Monday, I did laundry and clipped coupons. Afternoon we ate lunch at the house then went to a local bank to start a new account. Then, we ran home and packed, so we could get in the car to head to Orlando for General Council.

We've had a fun time at the Liki Tiki resort in Orlando and a great time at General Council.

We hope to sell our house soon. It was viewed on its 2nd day on the market. Then, we can seriously buy a house. I'm looking forward to more space than a hotel and little 2 bedroom can provide. It's been a whirlwind.

Please pray that I can find a job. School starts in a few weeks. I am believing and praying that God would provide that.

Love ya.

Welcome Summer Michelle!

Today, my big brother became a DAD for the very first time! He has "adopted" Jasmine as his own, and he is a wonderful father to her. It was so neat to see my brother, David, smile from ear to ear with the birth of his daughter, Summer Michelle. Michelle, his wife, did an excellent job and was thrilled that no extra surgery was necessary. It was blissful to see the proud parents.

She was born at 7:43am, weighing in at 8 lbs., 10 oz, and 21 in. long! She has blue-gray eyes and a head full of thick, dark brown hair. More pictures to come!

Congratulations, David, Michelle, and Jasmine on the birth of this beautiful bundle of joy!!!

We are moving to Florida!!!

In 2 weeks, we will be moving to Florida. Daniel has been offered and accepted a full-time children's pastor position in a small town outside of Tampa.


We are sad to leave our friends and family but excited about the opportunity that God has given us. He has given Daniel a wonderful job at a wonderful church and even provided cheap housing for us before we even had a chance to look for an apartment.

God has performed 2 incredible miracles thus far. Now we are praying and believing for our house to sell and a job for me. Praise the Lord!

Anticipation

I'm literally giddy with anticipation over what is happening in our lives right now. I can't share right now and ask that those who do, only share with those who will pray. I have spent hours upon hours crying out to the Lord for help, and he has answered the cry.

Now, I am spending hours and hours praying that He would continue to do the miraculous in our lives.

You see, CFA, our church, has been in the "Pursuit of the Miraculous." About 2-3 months ago, it moved to "Receiving the Miraculous." That is where we are. I hope that in the next few days we can fully divulge all our "secrets." It's not meant to be secretive but the timing has to be right.

I can't wait to share!

What a Blast!

Malachi's Green B'day Party Luau was great! We had a TON of people in our tiny little house. Malachi got some great presents, but most of all, had a great time with friends and family. Daniel had told Malachi he would make him a green Mickey Mouse cake similar to Ezekiel's cake, but he just ran out of time to make it. So, the day before I was at Target and ordered a Mickey Mouse cake. It was great for our theme, and Malachi got some figurines out of it to play with.

Malachi's Green Luau

We had some things pop up that made us decide to have his 4th birthday party THIS Saturday at noon. Malachi will be having a green luau party at our house. If you can come, please let us know. Presents are NOT required! We have plenty, but if you must bring something, Malachi likes Cars, Mickey Mouse, Handy Manny and just about anything green. We hope to see you there!

More on the day...aaarrrgggghhhh!!!

So, I had to wake Ezekiel up from his nap early today to go to the hospital to get Malachi and see their newest cousin, Ivey. She was born at 3:09pm, weighing over 9 lbs., and longer than 22 in. Malachi was the only one to actually see her before we left for church. Tomorrow, we'll visit again.

Ezekiel was cranky for over an hour. When we sat down to dinner, Malachi went to the bathroom at church and didn't return for awhile. We found him in the bathroom with green poop all over his leg, shoe, back, etc. Church starts at 6:45. We left for home to bathe at 6:30. Malachi wanted to do it all himself (for the first time ever, only this time, the clock was not on our side). I got to church late (7:00). My pager went off at 7:30, which is supposed to mean Ezekiel, but it was Malachi with runny poop (in church). I was so blessed to have a man who adores our children and is a wonderful father, hanging with him until I could figure something out.

I got Z's pull-up. He was still wearing underwear! Malachi was, again, wearing a 2t pull-up while his little brother was wearing underwear. Poor Malachi!

When I got home, Ezekiel pooped in his underwear and then in his bedtime pull-up!

I am so tired of poop and running to the potty to pee with Ezekiel. I don't know if I want to see tomorrow. At least, I think, someone is giving me a phone, and I will be reconnected.

I am soooooo grateful that I was not working today. I ended the day with many laughs and smiles. Any other workday would have killed my nerves and driven me totally crazy. I'm thankful my child was sick like that while I was not at work, but this ALWAYS happens. Every summer break this happens (and sometimes other breaks as well).

I'M DONE!!!

Interesting Day (to say the least)

Just so you know, Malachi's runs ended after his nap that day(of course, he was in Daddy's care then, so he didn't have to clean up all that I did).

Today, we took our time getting ready and then went to the hospital to see Felicia & Nathan. She went in at 6am to have labor induced. They also have a little girl that is 2 weeks younger than Ezekiel but a little bit bigger than Malachi. Funny, huh? Anywho, the boys love their little girl cousin and jumped at the chance to hang with her (wherever they were). Ezekiel has been potty training since Saturday. Yesterday, he stayed pretty much dry all day. Today, I didn't even put him in a pull-up when we left the house. We ran to the bathroom about 12 times (literally) in the 2-3 hours that we were there. On one of the trips, Z had just peed 5 minutes before but insisted that "Ize pee-pee in da potty." As we opened the door, Daniel called me. I was leaning over him (Ezekiel) while talking on the phone to help Z get his pants down, and guess what?

Down, went my phone!!! It was submerged in water literally for about 1.3 seconds (if that). It began to malfunction and now does not work. I think I might have slipped and said, "crap," in front of both my boys. No parent of the year award for me! There are much worse things, though, and I never say anything close to that normally. As long as Ezekiel doesn't start saying it like, "hush-yu-mouff" (hush your mouth), then it's not so bad---which, for the record, Daniel and I did NOT teach him that.

Now, I'm in a real dilemma. We are in the process of canceling our home phone. It should have already gone into effect but hasn't yet (thankfully). We didn't get insurance on my phone, so I'm trying to figure out a cheap way to get a phone back quickly. I think one of our friends from church will be giving me her old one, and I am so ok with that. As long as I can call and text people, I'm good. I should be back with a phone by tomorrow afternoon at the latest! What a great day :)

YUCK!

So, Saturday, a small part of Sunday and today, Ezekiel has been in the process of potty training. He's doing pretty well---much better than Malachi in the first few days. He's only had one puddle on the floor thus far. We went to Target on Saturday and bought all 3 boys new underwear. Ezekiel got Diego. Malachi got boxer briefs of Transformers, and Daniel got well, not tidy whities.

Today, Malachi has had the diarrhea. He hasn't complained of a stomach ache, but he hasn't been able to make it to the potty in time. I've been cleaning up the runs all day. Now, I think they are sleeping. I'm tired of poop!

Ironically, my almost-4-year-old has been wearing a pull-up today, and my 2 year old has been wearing underwear. It has been a fun, first day off for me :)

I hope it gets better after nap!

Woo-hoo!!!

Tomorrow is my last day of school! I'm ready to spend the summer with my children. My boys need some discipline, and Ezekiel is ready to be potty-trained.

Daniel is itching a lot right now. He got bitten by one black ant on Tuesday. He went to the doctor on Wednesday. After the doctor looked at the 6 in. diameter swelled area on his arm and his swollen knees (previous problem), he was given 4 prescriptions. One was an antibiotic, another was a steroid, another was strong advil to use after the steroid, and then 2 epi-pens (just in case). He's doing much better, and I'm glad we didn't have to make an emergency room visit, but it stinks that he is so allergic to something like that.

I still can't believe how Ezekiel talks as well as he does. He will name just about any character, "Hammy Hammy" (Handy Manny) is still one of his favorites. The "wu-pets" (wonder pets) are also a personal favorite.

Malachi is gearing up for school in August. He still needs a pull-up to sleep at night, but I guess we'll tackle that one this summer, too. I'm not quite sure how to handle it all, but most of it will get done (as it does each summer).

Truly, though, my heart is at home with the boys. I would like to have more children, but it is hard that I can't totally control how they are raised. I want them to only take the right things and be spared (for awhile) from the bad. I'm just trusting the Lord that change will come. I would love to be a SAHM. Maybe in a couple of years we will be able to work that out. I'm praying for change.

Malachi's Party Plans

Malachi's birthday is July 9th. I have a little time, but I also have 2 weeks of school left and an anniversary on June 22nd. So, I was talking with Malachi about what his "theme" should be. As it stands today...

"Green" party!

His favorite color! He doesn't want a Cars party, again. He doesn't really want a Mickey Mouse party like Ezekiel; however, he does want a Mickey Mouse cake. So, it looks like we'll have green drink, green (Mickey Mouse) cake, green plates, green cups, green decorations...you get the idea. I am kind of stoked about this. It saves $$$$$!!!! Generic stuff is so much cheaper than any Disney or Nickelodeon theme. I was worried he would chose Diego or Handy Manny. I think he may stick with that decision.

Not to mention, we can call it "going green" and people will think we are helping the environment (ha, ha, ha). I also like the idea of not endorsing a character but just having a good time. Malachi will be wearing green, I'm sure.

We'll see how it ends up :)

A few Malachi-isms for the road...

• "ress" - just
• "ever-one" - another one
• Handy ManDy - sometimes instead of Handy Manny
  

A Day at the Zoo

We went to the zoo today. It was nice to take the boys out, but it was stressful. Malachi enjoyed the giraffes the most. Ezekiel LOVED the elephants. We got some good pictures of animals but not many of people. I'm glad we went. the boys learned a lot, and it was fun to see them look at all the differences.

Pictures to come.

Let's go racin' boys - Part 2

So, today we headed to the track again with little hopes of seeing a whole race, but Malachi went and sat for hours last night with nothing to show for it. He never saw any cars race.

We made it to about lap 180 after stopping for about 1 1/2 hours for rain and the drying of the track. We decided that after the 3 o'clock stop to honor those veterans who died that if it began raining again, we would leave. Malachi wasn't as well-behaved as the night before, but I felt so bad for him. He got jipped.

His Paw-Paw Phil went with us to the track yesterday and today. He was thoughtful enough to bring us rain coats. Malachi got a special Lightning McQueen poncho. Today we took lots of food and snacks.

Now that they just called the race and David Reutimann was the winner, it was time to post. We only missed about 40 laps or less, so I don't regret leaving when we did. I couldn't take anymore at the racetrack. I enjoyed it but if rain had not been an issue, it would have been different.

Here are some pics...

Let's go racin' boys!

So, we tried to go to the race last night. We sat in the rain for 2-3 hours until they called the race for noon today. Malachi was so well-behaved, but I hate it for him. He wanted to see cars go around the track.

The worse thing was, we live like 4 miles from the track and had to drive over our shoulders just to get to our butt. In other words, it took us an hour and a half to get home and lots of state troopers.

I hope the race today is better and we don't have to pay to park again. Please rain, stay away!

Still Sick

So, Monday night I was up every 1-2 hours with Ezekiel screaming b/c it hurt to breathe! Poor thing. The only thing that would calm him down was a breathing treatment and laying in my arms. Needless to say, I got no sleep in my bed and had to work hard in between all those hours to help the poor thing sleep.

He was doing better, but today he started to get a puffy, itchy eye. I finally broke down and took him to the doctor. The dr. gave him an antibiotic (shot). He was really whiny and cried about the shot for awhile, but after it had time to kick in and he got some dinner, he was a new boy. Praise the Lord!

I hope we are finished with the big mess and will be able to recover now. I've missed my workouts all week :(

Sick

Last night (and especially this morning) both the boys had a snotty nose. Ezekiel's was much worse than Malachi's. Poor thing woke up last night, crying, because he couldn't breathe. He also seemed to have a slight fever. He got two doses of Advil today and his first breathing treatment in a month and a half.

I am so thankful that it just seems to be a cold and that Ezekiel has been healthy for about 2 months. It has been such a blessing to not have to worry about him everyday and whether he was feeling all right.

Thank you, Lord, for blessing us the past 2 months. Please, heal him now and keep him healthy.

Updates

Happy Belated Mother's Day to all the moms out there! I had a few moments of deja-vu as I purposely put Ezekiel in the red & blue plaid shorts that Malachi wore on my first Mother's Day as a mom of 2. Ezekiel was 3 months old and wore blue plaid shorts that were similar but not matching.

Our lives have changed a lot since then. My very first Mother's Day as a mom came with my friend, Lesli. Malachi was 10 months, his buddy, Kyla was 3 months. Now Lesli had her first Mother's Day as a mom of 2. We've shared a lot together.

Malachi is doing well. He is talking more and more clearly. I think that he is pretty articulate for an almost-4-year-old. His speech has dramatically improved. He has fallen in love with Veggie cheese. We tried it over a year ago, and he just didn't care for it. Now, he loves having his "own cheese," and it is much better for him than cow's cheese. That is what I am somewhat glad for. Dairy really is not that good for you. It seems to have been a blessing in disguise that Malachi (& Ezekiel) drink soy milk, and don't have much dairy. I believe they are healthier for it. We're trying to cut some of that dairy out of our meals, too.

Daniel is on a mission to lose weight. I'm trying to join him. I have been gaining weight instead of losing it lately. I would ideally like to lose about 30 lbs. Yes, I can lose that much and be in great shape (like I was in high school). I would be happy with losing 15-20 lbs. Thankfully, I do carry my weight well, but I don't want to do that. I know that my body may not be the "same" after kids, but I would sure like to not use that as an excuse.

Ezekiel TALKS a lot!!! He will say things that I didn't know he could. He accidentally busted Malachi's lip tonight. He came running in the kitchen saying, "I sorry, Na-ky. I nnt mean to. I sorry, Na-ky." He can use some pronouns correctly. Lately, he will catch me at a quiet moment and say, "Momma, Momma, Momma," until I answer, "yes, Ezekiel," Z: "Mommy, I luff you!" You can understand what he says 90% of the time, and he is a sponge. I know that he talks much better than Malachi did at that stage.

There are only 21 days left of school!!! Now I need to find a part-time job to help make ends meet. We're planning on taking Malachi to the race, and taking both of them to the zoo. We're trying to keep the funds under control but still do a few nice things for the boys. I've been wanting to take them to the zoo for awhile.

One last thing...Ezekiel is HEALTHY!!!! How awesome is our God. He hasn't had a breathing treatment since the end of March, and we haven't heard any croop-y sounding coughs. Hallelujah!!!

Alligator Wrastelin'

When we go places, we try NOT to do "touristy" things. We like to try restaurants off the beaten path and take in new experiences. Well, on the gulf coast, most of thos restaurants are seafood, and since I don't want to take my husband to the emergency room again, we tried a "touristy" place. The boys had a great time. There was live music, hula hoops, beach balls, a kid play area, food, and LIVE ALLIGATORS. Malachi was too scared to touch it at first. Ezekiel boldly went to "pet" the aaa-gay-der. After dinner, Malachi wanted to hold and get his picture with the al-gator, so we did. It was a little pricey, but it scanned pretty well. So, thank you to Fudpucker's in Destin. We had a great evening!

Beach Pictures

Vacation Firsts

We've been on vacation this week, sort of. We left after church on Sunday to head down to FL to visit my brother & his family (who will be moving to Japan for a few years in June). We spent the whole day inside on Monday, thanks to some severe thunderstorms. We packed up the camper yesterday, and my bro hauled it down to the beach. Today is just us. Tomorrow we leave.

Here are some firsts for our vacation in random order. It really has been quite the adventure.

1. Ezekiel has been sleeping out of a crib (and fell off a few times).
2. Malachi & Z have been sleep deprived (not really a vacation first). Malachi has not done so well.
3. Malachi has decided that in his bad moods, he would take it out on his Daddy.
4. Ezekiel got only about 20 minutes of nap yesterday and did ok, not great, but ok.
5. The boys CLEANED A PLATE at the restaurant for lunch yesterday. We ordered onion strings. Usually they don't like onions, but it didn't taste like onions, and they literally ate it all. Malachi kept dishing out the little pieces to he and Ezekiel. It was funny. I don't think I'd ever seen them do that.
6. They both slept late this morning. Finally, their internal clocks were over-ridden by exhaustion.
7. Malachi busted his lip in the trailer when he was supposed to be sleeping. He was jumping from his bed to the trundle (Z's bed) and now has a fat lip. It wasn't a little bust, it was a big bust. It looked like someone chewed on his lip violently. Gross. Thankfully, he actually held a cold pack on it and took it to bed. It seems to have helped some.
8. Malachi "swam" in the pool for the first time today. I went to the dollar store before we left and got a set of arm floaties for each of the boys. Malachi is TERRIFIED of water, but he didn't want to leave. Thankfully, Daniel was able to talk him into it, and he was very proud of himself. He said, "Mommy, I can swim now!"
9. Ezekiel LOVES to swim. He would take off with his little tube from the steps when Daniel wasn't looking. He wouldn't kick his feet a lot, but when he gets his ear tubes out, I hope to put him in arm floaties, too, and turn him loose.
10. There is an AWESOME pizza place across the street from the campground. They do not skimp on the toppings or cheese in the least! That is a new one.

*I broke my glasses!!! I only have one arm on them now. It's a good thing that I only wear them at night and in the morning or middle of the night.*

***Pictures to come when we get home.***

Dear Malachi,

This is one of the hardest notes that I have written to you. The past few weeks, you have decided to throw fits. I don't mean little ones. I mean, screaming, crocodile tears, non-stop for at least 15 minutes. Those fits are usually over little things. I think we have discovered the "root" of these fits, but I won't have to tell you here. I'll remember for later.

We go through several days of fits until I can't take much more. This usually means a L.O.N.G. talk in the car-ride home & something drastic that we have to do (like going to bed without dinner - of course, after about 30min. that takes you to realize we mean business, then you can eat). I don't like these at all. I know that we have raised you to be polite & respectful and to accept "no" as an answer. You can't ALWAYS get what you want.

However, the next day, you are a perfect angel (like today). I wish we could have days like today all week long. It would make life so much less stressed. I love to praise you and hug you for doing the right things. I do NOT like to punish you. I don't like to punish anyone (even my students), but it is something that I feel that I have learned to do effectively.

Well, son, you are growing up so fast. You continue to improve on your speech. You are excited about going to school in August (4K). We have gotten free uniforms to last us through that year (unless you get an unexpected growth spurt). We are blessed, and so are you.

You love to pray for the food and at night before bed. Miss Nicki taught you "God Our Father." Anytime we talk about prayer, the first thing out of your mouth is, "Let's say, 'God Our Fa-ver.'" I love to see you say it at the dinner table (or at snack with your friends) with such fervency and eyes closed. It is such a blessing. I'm glad you like to pray.

And you L-O-V-E to sing, still. You and Ezekiel will belt some major tunes in the car or at home. Your favorite song is "I won't (don't want to) gain the whole world" by Toby Mac. You even call it "my song." It's funny that the song I wrote for you to the tune of Avalon's Adonai is now a distant memory to Toby Mac. I can't complain, though. As much as you like music (just like your momma), it is such a blessing to know that I don't have to worry about you singing inappropriate songs. You will sing almost any song on the radio, and that is a great thing.

I can't wait to see you turn 4. You've been expecting your birthday (July 9) to come since January, but you are waiting. I hope that we can move from the "trying threes" to the Fabulous Fours (?).

I love you, Malachi James. I am so thankful for you and the responsible nature that is within you. Many times you are so much more caring & thoughtful of others than I could ever hope to be. Keep that spirit with you always.

Much love,
Momma :)

Results

The doctor finally called me yesterday afternoon with the biopsy results.

It is a confirmed benign tumor. It should never become malignant but may grow (especially if more children are in our future). So, I'm cool with having a little extra something in me and not having it removed. I'm glad it is "nothing."

This experience has been a good one. I found out a lot about myself and my relationship with the Lord. God took something bad and turned it into good to draw me closer to him. How cool!

Biopsy

Today was the biopsy day for the lump in my breast. Everything went well this morning. They took 3 samples. I am a little sore and am keeping the "ice pack" on the area. I haven't taken any Tylenol yet, so all is well. The doctor seemed pretty sure that it was benign after looking at it and taking the samples, but I will know for sure in the next day or 2. I cam home after the biopsy and took a nap. Daniel took me out to lunch. I came back home and took another nap. I've just been resting and watching tv. It's nice to have a "day off" even if I got poked with way too many needles this morning. All is well. If you don't hear anything else, then assume that no news is good news. I'm glad that there have been no complications, thus far. Praise the Lord!

Accidents happen, right?

Malachi had an accident today. I don't know why. He hasn't had a pee-pee accident in MONTHS. I didn't have extra clothes for him, so he got to run around the church in a t-shirt and pull up. Yes, his shoes & socks were wet, too. After working at the church for a little while, Z & I ran to a local consignment shop and picked him up a nice-looking & nice-smelling pair of pants for less than $3.

Why in the world would he have an accident? Maybe he was upset because his momma was rushing out the door this morning, and he wanted to spend time with her.

Why would that cause him to get upset? Maybe because his momma left him sleeping in bed on Wednesday morning and did not return until 10pm on Friday night.

Why would he be cranky for momma being gone? Maybe Momma told him she would wake him up at 10pm, Friday night to tell him she was home and give him a kiss, and then Malachi chose not to go back to sleep until almost midnight. I can't help it the kid missed me.

Hmmm... I think there is a correlation.

By the way, those of you who have been wanting to talk to me, I'm sorry. Last week was crazy and a learning process. This week was busy with cleaning, packing, taking 175 8th graders to the OBX of NC, and then practice for the Easter Trilogy starting tomorrow! Monday will be my biopsy day. Wow, just thinking about all that makes me tired! I did survive most of it already, though:)

Scary but a "God-thing"

On Monday, I went to the OB/GYN for my yearly "womanly" appointment. While there, the doc discovered a lump in my breast. I was scheduled for an ultrasound on Friday (yes, I had to wait that long). The doc reassured me it was nothing but wanted to take the precaution. I believed her and went on my way. As I walked away and headed to my car, the weight of the situation began to hit me. I broke. Tears and doubts began to flood my brain like never before. It was scary to think of the future and a lump.

Daniel and I have been under immense pressure the past few weeks due to the opening of a satellite campus of First Assembly that we felt called to be a part of. Then, I got hit by the news. It was all I could do to keep it together (barely). Daniel and I ended up having an impromptu date night on Tuesday to help "clear our heads." It was nice and just what we needed.

Wednesday rolled around, and I was still struggling with the issue. I was supposed to "skip" church to go to another meeting and costume fitting. I chose not to go because I just felt that I needed to be in the Bible study. We have been focusing on the minor profits. Before the study, I thought that I was crazy and would get nothing from it, BUT most of the study was for me and my situation. It was freeing.

I woke up Thursday morning with peace in my heart and mind and great anticipation for Friday afternoon to see if all my fret was in vain.

Today (Friday) was my appointment at the Imagery center (in the same complex as Z's ENT and where his tubes were put in). Daniel, of course, went with me. As I watched on the monitor during the ultrasound, I could tell that it was more than just a normal "lump" by the way the tech was spending time on that spot and measuring and such. Then, the pics were taken to the doc. He came in for a look himself.

He told me that he was hoping it was a cyst (no problems, let it be). It wasn't that. It appeared to be a tumor. The good news was that it also seemed to be benign. He gave me 2 options, a needle biopsy with local anesthesia OR to go ahead and schedule a full removal of the .5cm area and surrounding, just to make sure. There is a small chance it is malignant, but the signs don't point there. Most likely, the needle test (which is what I chose) will show that it is benign, and we'll just keep a close eye on it for the many years to come. It is not expected to grow anymore.

So, on Monday, May 30th, I will go in again to the center to be locally numbed and have a needle stuck in me. Fun! I'm thankful that all seems to be going well.

Through all this I have been "finding myself" again and who I am in Christ. The past few years, I have had control of my life. God has constantly been calling me to trust him and let go of the reigns. I haven't. Now that I have been faced with an issue that I have no control over, whatsoever, I have begun to let go of the control issue in my life. I have such a peace. If it is malignant, then God knows, and I trust that He will provide total healing. If it is not, then I trust that all will be well in the future. I am using this time as a life lesson and relationship lesson. My stress levels have been much higher since August. I have taken life too seriously and tried to control my own life. The problem is, it is not mine to control. There has been such a weight lifted off my shoulders. I'm fine with whatever the outcome is.

As my teammate keeps reminding me, if it's not breast cancer, don't stress. The situation will be over soon. She's a breast cancer survivor. I've learned so much from her. She's one year from retirement, and has "done it all," for the most part. She's my sounding board and sound mind at work. I thank God for her. Now I truly can remind myself that life is short, and that God is in control. He deserves the glory for whatever happens in the next few weeks and months. He's worthy, & I am truly blessed.

Nothing New Right Now

I have nothing "new" to report right now. We have been busy, and I am exhausted. I can't seem to find time to catch a break or get a breath before all the laundry piles up again or another school event happens. We have been trying harder to eat more at home and be healthier, but we can't with the crazy schedule.

Ezekiel is talking more than ever (as he does each week). Saturday, he came up to me while I was doing something (don't remember), and said, "Mommy, you doin'?" It was so cute!

I got upset this morning b/c Malachi wouldn't put his own clothes on for the 459th time today. I just started to cry. I was frustrated. Ezekiel had made me wrestle his clothes on, and I was tired at 7:15am. Z was in "timeout" in his crib when he noticed me crying. I realized later that he had stopped crying (and trying to pull his clothes off). He waited for me to finish fussing at Malachi and waited for me to pick him up. Then, he gave me the biggest (most wonderful) hug! I carried him into the bathroom where he kept an eye on me in the mirror. How sweet is that boy!

I just wish Malachi wasn't going through the TRYING THREES. Every morning and evening it is a battle to get clothes on and a battle to go poop (before he doesn't have time to go). It is routine. Why is it so difficult? I love that little boy so dearly. I just wish we were through these times sooner.

Grand Opening for Concord First Assembly 29North will be Sunday. There is a lot to do. I'm sure I won't get a nap that day. Maybe I'll plan on being "sick" on Monday. Just thinking about it makes me tired.

Recent Pictures & Snow Days

I can't remember a time that we haven't been busy. Last month was an extremely trying time for us financially & emotionally, but the past few weeks have been very rewarding and enjoyable. The boys were able to use their birthday/Christmas money to go to Build-a-Bear on Friday. Ezekiel picked out a Bobcats uniform with a basketball. Malachi chose a fireman's uniform.

The boys enjoy taking baths together and playing with the toys. Malachi loves to "swim" in the tub, and, SURPRISE, "monkey see, monkey do."

Hey, there, cutie! Our big 3-year-old.
If you look closely at his left eye, you can see the scab he got when he dove into the corner of a table.

Who's cute? Our little 2-year-old.

This was our "snowman" from about 2 weeks ago. The snow would not pack, and I can't take credit for this little snowman, anyway. A neighbor from down the street came out to play with Malachi, and this is all they could do with about 30 minutes. I told you, the snow didn't want to pack. It was too powdery.

Today, we got our 3rd snow this year. It was preceded by 2 days of rain & about 2 hours of freezing rain. It made it pack well but very slushy. Of course, we had no school today. This was my quick attempt at a snowman. It has already melted & while we were making it, Kiev kept knocking it over and eating the eyes, nose, mouth, etc. No fun!

This video is the day after his party. I was trying to get Ezekiel to talk about his party the way he had earlier, but, of course, he didn't cooperate. Malachi enjoyed being in the spotlight. The Foof chair is always a favorite place to play.