An Emotional Weekend

It was a wonderful Christmas and an exciting and emotional weekend. Friday we learned that there would be a new addition to the Garcia family. No, I am not pregnant! Whew, a sigh of relief. Gus' brother, Javier proposed to his girlfriend Erika. We were all there along with all of her family. It was beautiful and sweet, and we are all so excited about the upcoming wedding and marriage. We all love Erika so much! She is a perfect fit for Javi and for our family.

We started today at 6 am by saying goodbye to all of the family that has been here all week. We all had such a great time together. There were difficult moments, but considering that we had 6 adults and 2 babies all staying in a 3 bedroom, 2 bath house, I would say that the week went very well. It was so sad to see them go.

The rest of our day was spent transforming Elias' room into a "big boy" room. The crib and dresser/changing table is gone, and a new twin bed and big dresser is in its place. I did not think that I would get emotional with this change, but it brought to light the realization that Elias is officially not a baby anymore. I am usually not sad to think about this. I don't typically lament over my child growing and maturing, but today I shed a few tears. However at the end of the day I am truly joyful. I am blessed and grateful to have the family I have, including my in-laws. I literally have no in-law horror stories. They are wonderful! I am joyful for the privilege to watch my son grow and to help him become the man (and ultimately man of God) that he is called to be. I am so blessed to share this journey with my husband.

Now to share some pics of the Garcia clan.

The future Mr. and Mrs. Garcia

The whole family.
(My smile is kinda weird because I am saying "M&M". The only way to get Elias to cooperate was to bribe him with candy.)

(My favorite picture.)
Grandma and her 2 beautiful grandsons.

Family Pictures

Here are our favorites from our recent family photo shoot.

Rejection

I was completely rejected by Elias tonight. Gus ALWAYS puts Elias to bed. They have a very specific routine of bath, brushing teeth, reading the Bible, praying, telling a story about "a little boy named Elias", rocking and finally, put to bed. Gus asked me to take over tonight after the bath, and I attempted to do so. He would NOT let me brush his teeth and screamed through the entire Bible story. Daddy finally came and rescued him and he instantly stopped crying. Rejection is usually tough, but I love the fact that my son and husband have such a great bond. Of course this behavior is also due to the fact that I have programmed my son to find comfort and security in routine. He loves having the same routine at night. I love my boys!

*Update*
Apparently throwing Elias off of his routine was a bad idea. He is refusing to go to sleep and is having one of the worst fits of screaming and crying we have ever heard. Gus and I are rotating turns to try to get him to calm down and sleep.

Thankful

Psalm 106:1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.

I am thankful each and every day for a God who loves me, the opportunity to serve Him, and the blessings He has given me. All I am (at least the good parts) and all I have I owe to my God and Savior.

The Greatest Deal Ever!!!

I just ordered this car seat for $47 with free shipping!!!!! This is one of the top rated (I actually think it is THE top rated) car seats on the market. When we were looking to buy Elias' "big boy" car seat I REALLY wanted this one, but we could not afford the $280 price tag. I cannot believe I just bought it for under $50! It holds a kid from 5 to 65 pounds, so we will be using it awhile. Here is the link if anyone is interested in getting in on this amazing deal. WooHoo!!!!

http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/ref=huc_ic_1_txt/601-4059712-2607333?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B000YSNMG2&nodeID=&merchantID=A1VC38T7YXB528

*****UPDATE***********
Never mind! Target contacted me to say that the price was an error and the order has been canceled. BOOOO Target!!!!

Finally! It's over!

I think no matter how everyone voted, we can probably all agree on one thing: We are glad it is over! I'm glad to see the election process is over, but I feel the divisive attitudes and feelings are far from over. I truly hate politics. I think it brings out the worst in people and causes such divisiveness. (I have fallen prey to this at times!) I think I finally came to a realization of why I hate politics so much. I hate the fact that no matter who had been elected there will be people (many who call themselves Christians) waiting like eager vultures to see the elected president fail. They will be watching his every move ready to pounce and proclaim "Look! He screwed up! I told you he would! If everyone had just listened to ME then this would not have happened!" That is the exact opposite of the attitude we should have, as Christians and as Americans. God commands us to respect our authorities in government (Romans 13). I must say that I was impressed by McCain's speech last night, but I was VERY disappointed in his crowd's reaction when he mentioned Obama. They boo-ed every time he said the name. That attitude is going to get this country nowhere. I agree with Obama on some issues, and I disagree with him on others, but he will have my respect. (If McCain had won I would have made the EXACT same statement). How amazing would it be if instead of waiting (or wanting) him to fail Americans encouraged and helped him succeed? I do not consider myself a Democrat or a Republican. I was not a staunch McCain supporter or an avid Obama supporter. (Although I have been called a Obama supporter like it was a derogatory statement.) I never felt like there was a "clear" Christian choice or that God had given his holy stamp of approval to either candidate. I supported both candidates for various reasons, but in the end I had to vote for only one. I knew that I would not be crushed no matter what the outcome. I say that because neither would/will prove to be a great "savior" to the country.
I will still continue to serve God. He never changes no matter what the political scene. This election has also left me with a deep desire to see people changed, not changes in politics. Policies may change, political figures may change, amendments may change, but none of this will truly CHANGE people's hearts! I believe God has called us to love people so that He can cause a heart change, not a policy change. A heart change is what makes the difference. I'm tired of arguing and spending my time and energy on politics. I believe God has called me to spend my time and energy on PEOPLE! And here is the bottom line: If people experience a heart change (through God) THAT would effect policy changes! Why are we trying to do it the opposite way?

Picture Time

The cutest Buzz Lightyear ever!

We took a ton of pics at the pumkin farm (or pumpkin patch as Elias calls it), but this was my favorite.

This one is cute too!

The family at Elias' birthday party.

My favorite picture from his party.

Explain this to a 2 year old!

This year Elias really notices all of the Halloween decorations and stuff in all the stores and houses. He has started to become scared of skulls, masks, witches, etc. Part of his fear has to do with the fact that Gus put on a very scary mask one day in Party City that made Elias literally try to jump out of the shopping cart. Now when he sees a skull or something scary he says "mask, mask!". When he started to show fear towards these things I told him that we don't have to be scared. We can just say "In the name of Jesus, I'm not scared". I have said this to him over and over again. I thought it would be a good way for him to learn to call upon the name of the Lord when he is scared. Turns out I am not so sure he understands. Now EVERY TIME he sees something scary he screams out "Jesus! Jesus!". Down the aisles of Walmart and Target I hear "Jesus! Jesus!". Passing Halloween decorations while driving I hear "Jesus! Jesus!". Looking at the Judgment set at the church I hear "Jesus! Jesus!". I am not sure if he is really calling upon the name of the Lord, or if he thinks those things represent Jesus. I think I need to work on clarifying the matter to him. I've had to explain this subject to many people that have heard his exclamations of Jesus as we pass Halloween decorations. It is not easy to explain things to a 2 year old!

Elias Update

-We had Elias' 2 year checkup, and of course he is a happy and healthy boy! He is only 26 pounds (which is in the 23 percentile) but is 36 inches tall (which is the 90th percentile).
-He has become rather obsessed with pumpkins after our visit to the pumpkin farm. He points them out everywhere we go.
-His speech has just exploded in the last few weeks. He has really began to use full sentences all the time, rather than just occasionally. He is growing so fast! I think I am finally ready for another baby, but we still plan to wait another year.

There are so many other things that have happened lately, but this happens to be a very busy time of year for us, so it's all I can do!

Elias is two!

Elias turned 2 today. 2 years has flown by, and we have enjoyed this little boy so much. I decided to finally write out his birth story. It is very long, and I wrote it not so much for others to read but for my own records. I don't want to forget even the painful details of that day! Don't worry, it is not graphic.

I was scheduled to go to the hospital to be induced on October 4. We got to the hospital about 9pm to get things started. I had been on bed rest for 2 weeks because I was showing signs of preeclampsia. One symptom was that my blood pressure was a little high. However, my blood pressure was perfect the entire time I was in labor. Anyway, as the nurse (who was WONDERFUL) put my IV in I began to have a slight panic attack. I HATE needles. It actually made Elias’ heart rate drop a little. After we both recovered everything was fine. At about 11 pm they gave me something to prepare my cervix for labor. When I went to be induced I was not dilated at all, and my cervix was not effaced. My body was showing NO signs of labor. My chances of having a vaginal birth were not really high considering my body had done nothing on its own to prepare for labor. So about 11 pm they give me a drug to prepare my body for labor. I sleep fairly well until about 6 am, and then I began to feel cramping. At about 8 am my doctor comes and breaks my water and starts me on pitocen. Things begin progressing well, and the pain is not too bad. About 11 am I get a shot of some drug that took away the pain, but it made me feel very loopy. I got another shot about noon, but it did not work. At that point I asked for the epidural. The anesthesiologist came in the room with a great air of arrogance and acted as though I was an inconvenience. As he begins to place the epidural I feel cramping in my back and say “ouch”. He replies with “You feel that? You are not supposed to feel that”. Very comforting. He has some trouble, but finally gets it placed correctly. I anxiously wait for the pain to magically disappear. I continue to wait and NOTHING happens. The pain does not disappear or even fade a little. He comes back in and tries to readjust it with no success. Then, the head anesthesiologist comes in and does it all over again. At this point I am freaking out a little, because I want the pain to end. Gus ends up getting stressed and almost faints. That actually made me laugh a little even though I was hurting. Long story short, the epidural only numbs my right leg. A lot of good that does. I feel EVERY single contraction. Due to the pitocen they are long and very strong. I have a breakdown and begin to say that I can’t do this. I really start FREAKING out. It was so very painful. After a good 20 minutes of this I finally buckle down and tell myself that I HAVE to do this. It will be painful, but I have to get through it. Honestly in that moment seeing my mom in the room gave me such strength. She had 2 out of her 4 labors without drugs, and she was still alive! At that point I knew I would not die. (Yes the thought of death crossed my mind. I was also about to request a c-section.) Through it all Gus and my mom were so great. I could not have made it without them both there. With every contraction I would grip the bar of the bed and begin to pray in the Holy Spirit. It was the only thing I knew to do. I had NOT prepared for natural childbirth. I could hear Gus and my mom praying too. Finally right at 4pm the nurse told me I could start pushing. What a relief! Pushing actually gave me relief from the contractions. I pushed for 38 minutes, and then our sweet baby boy was here! I could not believe that I had just given birth to him. I could not believe that I was holding my son! It was overwhelming to say the least. He was perfect in every way. Praise God! The pain (and complete agony) were absolutely worth the reward of having him!

My Husband

My husband is seriously so amazing! I know I always proclaim Elias' greatness on here, but I often fail to mention Gus' awesomeness. I just have to say that I have a great Godly man that loves his family. I honestly hope that our little boy grows up to be like his daddy. There is no greater role model for Elias. Gus is loving, devoted, caring, supportive, FUN, humorous, and most importantly he loves the Lord! My message to Elias is: Watch your daddy. He knows how to serve God and he knows how to love his wife. Your daddy knows how to go above and beyond to be a loving father to his little boy. Watch and follow him. He will lead you the right way!

The Beginning

Exactly 11 years ago my life completely changed. I walked into that youth service at First Assembly of God a typical 15 year old girl, but I left a new creation. My life, my heart, my future, my goals, my everything was changed. That was the night I realized that God was real, His Son had died for me, and that His love for me was great enough to accept me as I was.
I can remember every detail of that night and that moment where I gave everything I had to the Lord. I literally felt as though a huge burden and weight was lifted off of me. I remember the incredible sense of love and joy I felt. Since that night living my life for the Lord has not always been easy. In all honesty there have been times when my faith has been weak and I have doubted Him and His truth. In those moments all I have to do is remember September 17, 1997 and every doubt vanishes. I KNOW that night was real. I KNOW that night I encountered God. I KNOW that what I felt was not emotions created by me or by a human being. I KNOW it was true. It was my moment with Him.
All I have and all that I am (at least all the good parts of me) I owe to my God, my Savior. Thank you Lord for that moment that has led me to a lifetime and eventually an eternity of serving and loving you!

I love the lyrics to this song:
I have known you now for many years
And life has not always gone perfectly
Gentle whispers followed by the storms
And life has caused tears to fall

But if you ask has it been worth the price
And would I do it over again

I would give my life all over again
I'd run to you with no regrets
On my knees I give my all to you
For your Kingdom's sake

Praise the LORD.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
Psalm 106:1

Pictures!

This is his take off postition.

How could you deny anything to this sweet face?!

Preparing to jump!

Climbing is second only to jumping.

He is always full of big smiles at the pool! He feels right at home in the water.

He is saying "cheese" on his way to his first day of school.

Jumping!

Elias is all about jumping now! For the past few weeks we hear "I dump, I dump, I dump" (which translates to I jump) all day long. He jumps on things (and people, especially me), couches, sidewalks, steps, etc. He jumps on stuff, off of things, onto things, and into things. It is really cute because every jump, even the tiniest ones, require him to swing his arms back as far as they will go, bring them forward again and JUMP! He attempted to jump out of his high chair the other day and landed on his back. He had the biggest knot on his little head! We both cried. He cried because it hurt, and I cried because I should not have let that happen.
This Tuesday he will start 'preschool'. He will be going 2 days a week from 9am-2pm so that I can work. I know he will love it, and honestly so will I! It is nice to have a job that allows me to get out of the 'mom mode' that I can easily get stuck in. Not that I don't LOVE being a mom, but I need work that requires use from the other parts of my brain. If you don't use it, you lose it!

Happy Birthday, Gravity!

It has been almost 2 weeks since we celebrated Gravity's birthday. (That is the name of our college and career ministry.) What a great year it has been! God has again been sooooo good to us and allowed Gus and I to get to know some incredible people. When the idea to take on the college and career ministry at FWC, Gus and I were bombarded with a multitude of emotions. The idea was an abrupt surprise to us both. We begin to seriously consider that God was shifting our ministry focus. Under all the questions and all the emotions regarding the college ministry, there was an immense peace. I knew that our focus needed to be on the college age and young adults. From there God took over and just began to "wow" us! Let me preface my next few sentences by saying that Gus and I LOVED youth ministry. We absolutely loved our students and ministering to them. However, with Gravity I feel home. I know that this feeling is due to God's amazing love. He has used our Gravity students to show ME his love in an overwhelming way. I constantly thank God for allowing me to know them and love them. I am thankful that he has allowed me to show His love to them. Their passion and total authenticity is exciting and contagious. I cannot wait to see what God is going to do through them! How awesome that I get to go along for the ride too. Lives are going to be changed! Wait and you will see.

In other news, I think they deleted the pic I had of those shoes! Funny!
Elias' newest phrase is "I am that hero!". Again this one is from Larryboy. Just when I think that kid can't get cuter, he goes and learns something like that!

Check out Elias' new shoes!

Okay, so NOT REALLY! I found these today and seriously cannot believe they market these shoes for baby boys!!!! Are you kidding me? Wow! Starting a little young with the sexual images, you think? How is this considered cool or cute? Would it be "cute" to put a pair of shoes on a baby girl with a sexualized (not sure if that is a word) silhouette of a man on them? I think it is pretty obvious that a man designed these shoes. Sad!!

In other (real) news this week:
Our anniversary trip went great! We stayed in Chattanooga and went to Ruby Falls and Lookout Mountain! It was a wonderful, refreshing weekend.

Elias' new word of the week is "mom-is" which translates to Thomas, as in the train. He has also started calling Gus "Dus" instead of Daddy. He told me the other night, "I want Dus". I said, "You want Gus?" His reply, "Day" (yes). We realized he constantly hears people calling his daddy Gus at church. Someone is always looking for him! The cuteness never ends with this kid!

5 years ago....

Five years ago today I married the most wonderful man! I love thinking about our wedding day. On that day I experienced one of the greatest feelings of peace I have ever had. I had spent 11 months planning EVERY detail of our wedding. If you know me at all you know that I have a tendency to really stress out about things, especially big events that I plan or am in charge of. Everyone (including Gus) expected me to be a total Bridezilla that worried and stressed over all the details on that day. However I still remember the overwhelming sense of peace I woke up with that day. I knew that everything was perfectly in place. I don't mean the details such as the flowers, decorations, or food, but our marriage, our union was all that mattered. I could have cared less if the church looked perfect, my hair was in place, or everyone thought it was a beautiful wedding. All I cared about was becoming Gustavo's wife. If that was the result of the day then everything was PERFECT! God filled me with such a joy and peace. I was 100% sure that this was exactly God's will for my life. I have questioned God on many occasions. I've asked questions such as why? Is this really what you want for me? How can this be right? Are you sure, God? But not on July 19, 2003. I never questioned, never doubted, never hesitated. It was the perfect day because we were joined together. We made a covenant to God and to each other. We became husband and wife! I still feel that peace when I think about the man of God I call my husband. Thank you, Lord for blessing my life in such an incredible way! Thank you for that day 5 years ago and every day since that we have served you together. Thank you for the many, many more we have to go!

New Job!

I finally have a (actually a 2ND one) work at home job! I think this one is going to work great for us. It is not a ton of $$ but gives us a little "breathing" room if you know what I mean! It has so many perks to it. First of all the schedule is entirely up to me! I can work WHENEVER I want for HOWEVER long I want! That means I can work around my family's schedule and my other part time bookkeeping job! It's actually a lot of fun too! If anyone else is looking for a fun way to make a little extra loot let me know. I would love to help sign you up on my team. Just call me or email me. If you don't have my # or email, leave me a comment and I will get back to you. By the way you do not have to sell products, buy anything, or call people.

In other news, Gus and I are like little kids waiting for Christmas morning just thinking about our upcoming anniversary trip! Cannot wait!

FINALLY Some Pics from Texas!

Girls are rare in this family.
Isaiah, Alexus, Elias, and Nana

Elias and Abuela

Elias and his new baby cousin, Josiah. He loved that baby!

This is not in Texas, but it is cute! This is how he prays.

Cousin Zack rocking Elias (Nana is in the background). He did not want anyone but Zackary to rock him that night!

Last Week in Review

-Gus and I are actually going away on a very short trip for our 5th anniversary, which happens to be the 19th. It is the first time we are going away together (just the 2 of us) since Elias was born. We have secured great babysitters and are super excited!

-Elias continues to learn new words all the time. The latest "big" word is "dyn-O-mite"! He pronounces it just like that and learned it from the Larryboy theme song. This song is one of his new obsessions, and he requests that I sing it 10-15 times each day!

-At the park the other day he found a locked door that went to some mechanical room. Upon finding the door was locked he ran over to me and said "I nee tees" which translates to "I need keys". I gave him my keys (because who could resist that sweet request) and he tried to unlock the door. I am still shocked when he uses complete sentences even though he does it quite frequently. However the sentence ALWAYS starts with "I nee" or "I want" and ends with one of the following: "Bob, Boz, cookie, cup, daddy, choo-choo, meow, tees, wawer, bubbles, ball, dis (paci), Bri-Bri, or eat-eat".

-At the same park he went to the picnic table climbed up and sat down. He then folded his little hands, closed his eyes, said some gibberish that I could not translate, and then yelled out "Amen"! I almost started crying in the park!

-I've been looking for a part time job. I need something super flexible and low to no stress. Seems like a tall order, but we are praying about it and know that God will work everything out!

One of those nights

Tonight's service was so great! Well, actually it is always great (I mean how can it not be great when your in the very presence of God?!), but it was so encouraging for Gus and me. During the worship/prayer time a group of our Gravity people (that's our college/career ministry) gathered around us and said they felt led to pray over us. About 5-6 gathered really close, laid their hands on our shoulders and begin speaking words that brought me to tears. I could not believe the things they were saying. I actually thought, "Are they really talking about me?" They were thanking God for putting us in their lives (which is funny cause I always thank Him for putting me in theirs), thanking him for all we had done for them, and just going on and on. I was humbled, which is not unusual around such awesome people, and I began to thank God for what he has done in and through me. If anyone sees anything good out of me it is because of HIM. If I do anything good for anyone else it is because of HIM and what HE has done for me. HE has made me everything I am and continues to use me despite my many faults and shortcomings! It was a very touching moment.

Later I was able to talk to one of our students about a lot of stuff she is struggling with and all that's going on in her life. In situations like this I always think, "OK God you are going to have to help me out because I really don't know what to do or say." I just listened to her and shared some of the same struggles I have had. She then gave me one of the greatest compliments I have ever received. She said, "You are just so real!" I guess I am, NOW. I've done the fake stuff. I've put on a smile and told everyone it will be okay and no big deal. "Just walk in faith" I would say even though I found it difficult doing this myself. It is hard when people expect you to always have it together and to always have the answer. I really struggled with this in the past, and it continues to snare me sometimes. However the past year I have felt such a freedom to just be "real". That is what people want more than anything: from themselves and from others. It is also what God wants from us! Faking it only brings more grief and guilt.

God reminded me again tonight what a privilege it is to serve Him and to be called to love and "be real" with these students of Gravity!

And just to make you smile I added this pic! It is my very favorite of Elias! Man, this kid is cute!

A Not So Light-Hearted Post

Usually my blogs are just info on current family happenings, but this one will be a little different.
I was reading a story in the paper about the raid made on 3 local restaurants that led to exposing 50 illegal immigrants. A man was interviewed about it and said he would never eat at that place again. He then went on to say "what is this world coming to". Wow! Really, sir, the world's greatest problem is 50 (or 100, or even 100,000's) illegal immigrants! What about the fact that 16,000 children die EVERY day due to hunger and malnutrition? Have you heard about the worldwide food shortage? What about the 1000's of children (some as young as 3 or 4) and women who are caught and used as sex slaves throughout the world? What about the people, including U.S. travelers who keep these sex traders in business? What about the millions of Americans who can't afford health care? What about the mothers, fathers, husbands, wives, and children who have lost loved ones in the war we are fighting? I could go on and on and on and on, but I will spare everyone. I am seriously astonished by this man's comment. I wonder if he has even ever met an immigrant (legal or illegal). Does he actually know what sacrifices it takes to come to this country (legally or illegally)? Does he even consider what circumstances brought them here? Was it to escape death? Or extreme poverty? Or oppression? But many Americans don't even stop to think about it. They don't take time to realize the immense blessing it is to just happen to be born on American soil. If illegal immigration was the world's greatest problem, this would be a much better world to live in! We really wouldn't have many complaints!
I'm not sure if anyone will even read this, but I'm sure some will disagree and that is okay. One more reason I love America!

Home Sweet Home!

We finally made it back Thursday night (after spending 6 hours in the airport). I hope to post some pics soon, but I have a huge "to-do" list awaiting me. Being gone for 2 whole weeks is great, but it is a big adjustment getting back into our routine. We already miss our family and can't wait to go back for Thanksgiving. Elias asked for Nana as we were getting in the car at the airport. He also keeps asking for "Bubbas" (this refers to Isaiah, Darion, and Zackary) and "Sissy" (Alexus). I'm sure the time will fly, and we will see them soon! As for us, we are starting potty training Monday. Well, Elias is anyway. Gus and I are pretty well trained.

(Almost) Blown Away

We have been in Texas for over a week now and things have definitely been interesting! The first day the wind was blowing about 30-40 mph and it was 103. The next night we had a bad storm come through. The winds reached over 80 mph with hail and rain. We were watching the news waiting for the tornado sirens to go off so we would head for the cellar. Suddenly the electricity went off and the winds (they are not calling it a tornado, but it did major damage like a tornado) hit. We huddled together in the hallway until it was over. The aftermath was astonishing! Entire trees were down, roofs torn up, and my mom's trampoline was blown at least 50 yards away. We were left without electricity for 2 whole days and nights! Just imagine no air conditioner or fan and 100+ degree weather! That makes for miserable conditions. We did make it through, and things have been going well. Elias is loving all the attention from his grandparents and is having a blast playing with all his cousins. I am enjoying the time and although I will love getting back to my house, I know it will be very sad to leave!

Weekend in the Smokies

We spent last weekend in the Smoky Mountains with our Gravity (college and career students) group. There were 19 of us. Everything was great! It was the first time we have left Elias for 2 nights! I was a little nervous for the first few hours, but I calmed down because I knew he was perfectly taken care of. Brianna did a great job with him, and my mind was at ease to enjoy the time away. We went to the highest point of the Smoky Mountain National Park. Beautiful! We then had a picnic along a gorgeous river. Unlike last year, I managed to not fall in the water! Our cabin was literally amazing, and I think everyone had an awesome time. I must say going on a trip with college and career students is much more relaxing than taking high schoolers! We tell our Gravity students that they are adults and if they make stupid decisions or do something idiotic, WE will not be held responsible! WE will not have to explain their choice/decision/actions to their mommy or daddy. It is all up to them! Of course, it seems as though stupid decisions/actions are less frequent (although not totally absent) after graduating high school. At least for most!

Little Drummer Boy

Elias LOVES the drums. Every time we are at the church that is one of the first things he goes for! He amazingly can keep a pretty good beat and always plays every drum and symbol. Everyone says we should buy him a set for the house, but we are still not sure. Maybe in a few years if he still shows interest. He also loves to play the guitar with his daddy. He did have a diva (what is the male form of diva??) moment the other day. I had the guitar out for him to play, and he kept saying "chip, chip, chip" and refusing to play. I tried to figure out what he needed as he was beginning to have a meltdown because I wasn't getting what he was saying. Finally, I said ,"You need a pick?" He broke out in a smile and said, "day". Which means "okay". I found him a pick, and he happily played the guitar. Gus can't wait until he can take drum or guitar lessons!

Day of Discoveries

We spent the day at the Discovery Center, which is a hands on children's museum in M'boro. It was a great day, but we did have a major mishap. Everything was going great.... Elias AND Gus were running around touching and playing with all the exhibits. Then we decided to go outside to see the spring and wetlands. All was perfect until Elias took off running full speed and slipped on a pile of slimey sludge! He fell all the way down on his back and even hit his head! He was covered in that nasty stuff and was mad! Of course I didn't think to pack an extra set of clothes. We proceeded to strip down our child until he was left with only his diaper, shoes, and hat. Gus went down a few blocks to the salvation army and got Elias something to wear so we could finish the day. I took him (wearing only his diaper) back inside. Gus came back with a yellow girls shirt size 3-6 months and a pair of navy shorts. He looked pretty funny in his tight little yellow shirt, but we refused to let it end our day! We had our picnic, only to find Gus had forgot to pack bread for his sandwich! I thought he had packed it, and he thought I had packed it. Oh well, we made a few discoveries today: always pack extra clothes and extra bread! We all had a great time.

Starting Out

I probably should have started a blog a long time ago! I just figured this would be a good way to keep friends and family (especially those far away) updated on all the happenings in our very busy life! Expect excessive posts about my amazingly wonderful husband and gloriously gifted son.