Sunday, October 16, 2011
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Can't believe it's been so long!! (A quick update)
Wow. It's been since right after we moved here since I posted anything new! We have had a lot of changes since we bought our "Little House in the Neighborhood" last August. A few highlights, and then I promise to post more frequently!
Steve's job is great. Aegon is a great company, and true to the way they operate, they have taken care of all of us since we've been back in Iowa. Steve loves his job. I often call it his affair. Good thing Aegon is not a female. I might have to do something more about it. He is also heavily involved in men's ministry at our church, CRFC (Cedar Rapids Family Church). He is so glad to be back in Iowa and loves hanging out with his best buddy, Steve Smith, when he can.
Benjamin switched schools to avoid the 2 hour round-trip drive he, Michael, and I were making daily from our new home to the school we really thought he would go to. We were very disappointed to not be able to allow him to continue there, as the school was amazing, but we bought ourselves 2 hours back when we moved him to the same preschool Michael attends. He is doing well, but he is ready to be back at "big-boy school", which will happen when he goes to Kindergarten in the Fall. He is the most "home-sick" of all. He misses his friends, school, church, and house in Georgia. Bless his heart...he just wants to have his friends over. I asked him the other day who he missed most, and he said "Caroline...not fuzzy Caroline, Mommy. The other one.". That's my boy. I pray he can really make new friends here this summer in preparation for the Fall. He starts soccer and baseball soon, so that should help quite a bit!
Michael loves his preschool and continues to exude joy. He is 100% boy with the most tender heart you've ever seen. He's still very, very small in stature, and he has no idea that he is. He gets himself wherever he needs to go. He's GREAT at maneuvering himself around no matter what. We are about to go through our first round of genetic testing here in IA to see how his NF is progressing. We hope it is not progressing, but we have some concerns for his health. He; however, has NO IDEA that there is or should be anything wrong with him. He climbs around and follows his big brother with the biggest brown eyes anyone has ever seen. Benjamin, or "ja-MIN!", as he calls him, is truly his idol. He adores his big brother.
I am continuing to find my way around...figuring out where I belong back here in Iowa, so I guess I'm the only one left who is still unsure as to what I'm doing and what God is doing with me. Very challenging for me...the ambitious, driven one who is not sure where I'm driving in my 10 year old car, but I will get there. God always brings me around. I am blessed to be involved in women's ministry at our church, and am leading a ladies' Bible study in our home on Thursday nights. I love the women who come and love all the discipleship teaching I've been able to do since we've returned. I have made some new friends, and look forward to continuing to see where God takes those relationships. I'm excited to see what God does with women's ministry at CRFC.
As many of you may or may not know--we lost Steve's brother, Brad, over the holidays--which I hope explains the absence of the traditional Christmas/New Year's greetings we tend to send out with pictures. It's been a very challenging transition for Steve and his family. We spent New Year's in Indy in a hotel, planning the funeral of a very young man who left this world entirely too soon.
Please continue to keep us all in your prayers as we continue to try and figure out life without Brad. He fought demons that no one should face until the very day he died. It breaks our hearts. He was my brother...not just Steve's brother. I'm blessed to be able to say that. He had such a great heart...but couldn't beat the demons that eventually took his life. Alcohol kills. Literally.
I promise to post pictures soon and bring this blog back up to date regularly so those of you far away can keep up on our life here in Iowa. If you don't live here, we miss you. And you know who you are. If you do live here, come over. We would love to have you!! Or, if you don't live here and want to visit, then do that, too!!
Steve's job is great. Aegon is a great company, and true to the way they operate, they have taken care of all of us since we've been back in Iowa. Steve loves his job. I often call it his affair. Good thing Aegon is not a female. I might have to do something more about it. He is also heavily involved in men's ministry at our church, CRFC (Cedar Rapids Family Church). He is so glad to be back in Iowa and loves hanging out with his best buddy, Steve Smith, when he can.
Benjamin switched schools to avoid the 2 hour round-trip drive he, Michael, and I were making daily from our new home to the school we really thought he would go to. We were very disappointed to not be able to allow him to continue there, as the school was amazing, but we bought ourselves 2 hours back when we moved him to the same preschool Michael attends. He is doing well, but he is ready to be back at "big-boy school", which will happen when he goes to Kindergarten in the Fall. He is the most "home-sick" of all. He misses his friends, school, church, and house in Georgia. Bless his heart...he just wants to have his friends over. I asked him the other day who he missed most, and he said "Caroline...not fuzzy Caroline, Mommy. The other one.". That's my boy. I pray he can really make new friends here this summer in preparation for the Fall. He starts soccer and baseball soon, so that should help quite a bit!
Michael loves his preschool and continues to exude joy. He is 100% boy with the most tender heart you've ever seen. He's still very, very small in stature, and he has no idea that he is. He gets himself wherever he needs to go. He's GREAT at maneuvering himself around no matter what. We are about to go through our first round of genetic testing here in IA to see how his NF is progressing. We hope it is not progressing, but we have some concerns for his health. He; however, has NO IDEA that there is or should be anything wrong with him. He climbs around and follows his big brother with the biggest brown eyes anyone has ever seen. Benjamin, or "ja-MIN!", as he calls him, is truly his idol. He adores his big brother.
I am continuing to find my way around...figuring out where I belong back here in Iowa, so I guess I'm the only one left who is still unsure as to what I'm doing and what God is doing with me. Very challenging for me...the ambitious, driven one who is not sure where I'm driving in my 10 year old car, but I will get there. God always brings me around. I am blessed to be involved in women's ministry at our church, and am leading a ladies' Bible study in our home on Thursday nights. I love the women who come and love all the discipleship teaching I've been able to do since we've returned. I have made some new friends, and look forward to continuing to see where God takes those relationships. I'm excited to see what God does with women's ministry at CRFC.
As many of you may or may not know--we lost Steve's brother, Brad, over the holidays--which I hope explains the absence of the traditional Christmas/New Year's greetings we tend to send out with pictures. It's been a very challenging transition for Steve and his family. We spent New Year's in Indy in a hotel, planning the funeral of a very young man who left this world entirely too soon.
Please continue to keep us all in your prayers as we continue to try and figure out life without Brad. He fought demons that no one should face until the very day he died. It breaks our hearts. He was my brother...not just Steve's brother. I'm blessed to be able to say that. He had such a great heart...but couldn't beat the demons that eventually took his life. Alcohol kills. Literally.
I promise to post pictures soon and bring this blog back up to date regularly so those of you far away can keep up on our life here in Iowa. If you don't live here, we miss you. And you know who you are. If you do live here, come over. We would love to have you!! Or, if you don't live here and want to visit, then do that, too!!
Monday, August 24, 2009
Benjamin's First Day at "Big Boy School" (Before and After)
Today was Benjamin's first day at the elementary school where he goes for Pre-K four days a week. He LOVED it--couldn't wait to get there, get in, and learn the computer! (Yes, they will be learning computers at this school...)
He got to eat his first school lunch (not packed by me) and meet new friends and teachers. He had a great day!!! No crying...not by him; not by me.
Michael, on the other hand, was NOT happy to leave his big brother at school! He cried and yelled for a good 30 minutes off and on! And then, when we pulled back up to school at the end of the school day, he was very excited!!!
Here are a few pics...enjoy!
Benjamin and Michael enjoying some tickle-bug!
He got to eat his first school lunch (not packed by me) and meet new friends and teachers. He had a great day!!! No crying...not by him; not by me.
Michael, on the other hand, was NOT happy to leave his big brother at school! He cried and yelled for a good 30 minutes off and on! And then, when we pulled back up to school at the end of the school day, he was very excited!!!
Here are a few pics...enjoy!
Benjamin and Michael enjoying some tickle-bug!
Michael sat on Benjamin's lap...he missed his brother today!
Benjamin before school in front of the big tree in our yard (note that I did NOT take a picture of the HOUSE!!!). Next month, I'll take another one of him in front of our new house...
Such my big boy. I can't believe how big he has become!!!
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Our New House in Iowa...
After several months of prayer, searching, anxiety, and faith testing, we have finally found a home in Iowa (again). The boys (my scouts) and I went to meet with the mold inspector today (a requirement when you have heavy mold allergies!), and Benjamin was excited to see "his" tree again (not the one in the front of the house--the one in the BACK!).
We weren't looking for this house--we were looking for a very different one, but apparently this house was looking for us. We went through this house no less than 6 times before we finally agreed that this was the house God had chosen for us.
Here are a few pictures...enjoy!
(Note how small Michael looks in comparison! Objects (house) are not as big as they appear in comparison to Michael!)
Family room (with Benjamin and Michael posing)
Happy, happy, happy kitchen! :)
We weren't looking for this house--we were looking for a very different one, but apparently this house was looking for us. We went through this house no less than 6 times before we finally agreed that this was the house God had chosen for us.
Here are a few pictures...enjoy!
(Note how small Michael looks in comparison! Objects (house) are not as big as they appear in comparison to Michael!)
Benjamin's tree.
Family room (with Benjamin and Michael posing)
Happy, happy, happy kitchen! :)
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Life in the Ashtray...
Our first post on the new blog is dedicated to our lives in the ashtray cleverly disguised as a rental house. Since we had such a whirlwind exodus from Georgia, we ran out of time to purchase another home in Iowa, so we are living in a rental house until we find a home that we feel is the best one to raise the boys.
We were blessed to have found this rental house, as it was so last minute, and the landlord has been incredibly flexible with us. Other than the never-ending smoke smell and damp basement where Steve and I sleep, we couldn't ask for more. Well, maybe a little less struggle with sinuses and breathing, but really not much more.
After several "blogworthy" days (to quote Steve), we believe we may have found our way out of the ashtray and back to the real world. We put a bid on a house today...not necessarily in the school district we wanted or the area of town we had hoped, but the house is a great house for our boys, and we know that as in the past, if it is to be ours, God will work out the details. We have stopped worrying about details. Those never matter, anyway...
Tomorrow is Benjamin's day to meet his new school teacher, visit his new school, and possibly meet some classmates. I am excited and anxious simultaneously as Benjamin has struggled so much with this move to Iowa. He keeps talking about wanting to go back to Georgia. How do you explain to a 4 1/2 year old that we won't be going back to Georgia other than for visits in a way that he will understand? My poor baby boy.
In a few days we celebrate Michael's 1 year homecoming anniversary. We look forward to sharing that with you!
We were blessed to have found this rental house, as it was so last minute, and the landlord has been incredibly flexible with us. Other than the never-ending smoke smell and damp basement where Steve and I sleep, we couldn't ask for more. Well, maybe a little less struggle with sinuses and breathing, but really not much more.
After several "blogworthy" days (to quote Steve), we believe we may have found our way out of the ashtray and back to the real world. We put a bid on a house today...not necessarily in the school district we wanted or the area of town we had hoped, but the house is a great house for our boys, and we know that as in the past, if it is to be ours, God will work out the details. We have stopped worrying about details. Those never matter, anyway...
Tomorrow is Benjamin's day to meet his new school teacher, visit his new school, and possibly meet some classmates. I am excited and anxious simultaneously as Benjamin has struggled so much with this move to Iowa. He keeps talking about wanting to go back to Georgia. How do you explain to a 4 1/2 year old that we won't be going back to Georgia other than for visits in a way that he will understand? My poor baby boy.
In a few days we celebrate Michael's 1 year homecoming anniversary. We look forward to sharing that with you!
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