The A-Team

WOW! 2 posts in one week…this may be a record! Enjoy our fun times in April!

Who knew sheet changing day could be so much fun???

Finger puppets were a HUGE hit!

Abraham had to wear them ALL on one hand.

The ONLY cold day in April - really - and it was Daddy's 15K race. We didn't stay in the car this time.

We were able to catch a picture of Daddy crossing the finish line!!!

Abraham gave his testimony at the Eggstravagansa at Church. He did such a great job!

Ham was SO proud of his eggs at the Easter Egg Hunt we had at church.

Abel REALLY got into this year's egg hunt. He was so good about getting eggs!

The kiddos emptying out their loot!

Love this picture Aaron got of the boys on Grace Hill by the cross.

Family nap time. This is our favorite time of the day!

Have no idea what makes hills so cool, but these guys love running up and down the hill at the back of our property!

Abraham started dressing himself and has down a rather good job at picking out his clothes. This one was funny because he said everything matched because the shirt and shorts were both green!!!

This was Abel's 23-month picture op. In case you can't tell, he was NOT happy about this.

There is my cutie pie!

A semi-smile for his momma.

Cousin Nikolas' birthday party...these kiddos LOVED the legos and the table.

Grandma Jean, Daddy, Abel and Great-Grandma Brown at Niko's birthday party.

Abel wanted to "look" through the balloon to see everyone. He is so silly!

The cake had wonderful blue icing that took a couple days to wear off!

Ham showing off his blue tongue!

On the way home from the birthday party, we found this life-like Bertie the Bus!

There was also this awesome train car sitting there!

Ham's first shower and let me tell you...this kid LOVES showers!!!!

31 weeks 5 days with Abilene and both my adorable boys!

31 weeks and 5 days. This was a good day! I felt great!

We transitioned Abel into Abraham's room. He slept fine on this twin bed for about 2 days...then things went downhill but more on that later.

This is a shot of both boys ASLEEP in the same room! This was day 1. If you were to ask me today, I have been pulling my hair out ever since. This was the ONLY good night we have had since they started rooming together.

Anyway, we enjoyed our April. I am slowing down more and more as this pregnancy progresses. I tire rather easily (mostly because I am chasing 2 very active little boys) and trying to keep the nasty contractions at bay. So far so good as the contractions come but with rest they go away.

We did get some crazy news during the month of April…first Aaron found out in early March he would be leaving for his training for FAA ATC on 6/22 – just 3 days after Abilene is due to be born and then on 4/30, we got another call that said his class was cancelled until further notice! We were willing to step out on faith and do what God had laid out for us but I was SO relieved to know he would be home for at least a couple weeks after I have our 3rd baby!

Anyway, I will try and get some May photos up soon so I can keep this blog more up-to-date:)

Ok, so that is a pretty lame use of a “sports” theme especially since we aren’t a sports oriented family…oh well! I still will share our March via a photo show!

Playing in the laundry basket AKA "the boat"

Hail storm that we had to seek shelter from!

Watching Daddy's 10 K race from the car...it was WAY too cold outside!

Ham "freezing" in the backseat while waiting for Daddy to finish his 10K

School time!

They LOVE the new whiteboard we purchased for the school room

Abraham did these all by himself! I was so proud of him! He really doesn't like writing.

We had some fun with water outside in the month of March! Crazy!!

Abel enjoying the outside toys.

Ham is now a total pro at riding his trike!

I caught him doing a PUZZLE! This was huge as Abel has shown NO interest in puzzles!

Aww...taters is snuggling some buddies at bed time

I even caught Abel "reading" books! Again, he hasn't shown much interest in books! So this was huge!!!

27 weeks!

Cheese!

Aww...brotherly love

Super double CHEESE!

Abraham in his adorable "robey robe"

We transitioned Abel to his big boy bed and he loved it!!!

He even pretended to go "night night" for a picture:)

Massive Island of Sodor!

His first time in his new big boy bed and he went right to sleep!!!!

Abraham accepted Christ!

Aaron's goodbye to our bassets

My goodbye to our beloved bassets...thankfully you can't tell I am sobbing in this picture.

We found Hammy like this one afternoon. He crawled up in his bed and crashed!

Insane play time...ham did this ALL on his own!

Sweet little taters

March was crazy and lots of fun but it was also very emotional for us as we had to make the difficult decision to give up our bassets. With the news of Aaron going off for training and everything changing, we just couldn’t keep them any longer. But they found a great new home and are loving it (we have seen photos!).  I hope to get April up here by the end of this week!

Yes, I am aware that it is April but hey, gotta start somewhere!

Some of his last days with his "binky" - but he sure wants my camera!

Color Wonder play time with markers!

Sticker fun! Abel LOVES stickers!!!

Mommy with her sweet little boy

Early morning race for Daddy. We watched from the car - It was freezing out!

Best $4 ever spent - pom poms and valentine's baskets. These kids had SO much fun!

Abel VERY proud of his tower of blocks

Abraham had to out-do his brother - His version of a TOWER!

Abraham's new bed! It will sleep 3 - the bunk with a trundle!!! He LOVES it:)

First 100 pc puzzle completed solo!

Buttons, buttons and more buttons - messy but SO much fun!

Moon Sand - very messy but again, oh so much fun!

Park play time! Cabin fever was taking over:)

They are just too cute! They couldn't WAIT to get outside to yell and scream!

This was our February in a nutshell! We had a good time even though mommy is always tired and moving rather slowly. That’s okay. They boys didn’t seem to mind too much:)

Friday night Abraham made the biggest decision of his life. He accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior!!!! Yes, I know he is only 3.5 but he really truly gets it. Of course his understanding isn’t like you or me but he does “get” the entire concept that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and rose from the dead and is in Heaven preparing a place for us. He also understands sin. He knows that sin is when our hearts allow us to do something bad (like steal a toy from his brother).

Here is how it all happened. We were reading the Bible like we do every night (it is his special Bible for ages 4-7). We were on the last part of the Bible which explains the Gospel and supports it all with Scripture. At the end of the reading it states that if he is ready to make a decision for Christ, he just needs to tell us. We have read this several times and he has never feigned an interest (not surprising at his age) and we go on and start the Bible over the next night. Friday night was different. He shocked both Aaron and I when he said he was ready to make the decision and wanted to do so! Of course I grill him to make sure he understands the gravity of this statement and he stays the course and wants to accept Jesus! We pray the prayer of salvation together that is in his Bible and he is so excited (not to mention his mom and dad) that he has Jesus living in his heart! He could NOT wait for church this morning because he wanted to tell everyone! Aaron and I continued to grill him about his decision all day Saturday just make sure it wasn’t a fluke thing. He responded positively every time we asked him about it.

It is still a bit surreal for me. I was an adult before I ever even knew about Jesus (of course I knew about baby Jesus but nothing more).

Anyway, so last night was rough. Abel has been fighting something (allergies most likely) and it is keeping him up throughout the night. Plus he hasn’t been eating well so he wakes up around 3 am starving. Needless to say, mommy didn’t get to sleep until nearly 5 am and Daddy had to work late last night and also didn’t get to sleep until nearly 5 am. We were wiped out! The kiddos wake us up around 9 am and I gently let Abraham know we won’t be heading to church since Mommy and Daddy are so tired. He immediately welled up and started crying telling me how he HAD to tell his teachers at church that he accepted Jesus! How could I say no to that? I immediately recanted my statement about not going to church and said I had to HURRY! Momma got a move on and we scurried out the door in just under an hour.

Abraham was so happy to tell just about everyone that he accepted Jesus (the door greeter at church, welcome center folks, people in the hallway, his teachers and his friends). He also had 2 very proud parents who shared the news with some of his other teachers who have been instrumental in his development. We also had the privilege of telling our pastors. Abraham was “interviewed” by Pastor Bryan and I was very proud of his answers!  He was able to communicate his decision and his understanding of his decision to our pastor. It was awesome! We get to look forward to putting a rose in a vase in front of the WHOLE church very soon!

I am so thankful for a  loving, merciful God that has allowed my son to learn from his mommy and daddy that Jesus is our Lord and Savior and that even though I fall short daily of living as Jesus wants me to, He still worked in the hearts of our family to bring Abraham into the family of God. Now I have the new challenge of helping Abraham grow in his relationship with Jesus. I will have to do some research, lots of praying for guidance and hopefully find some good books to help direct him on his path!

Super Duper proud Daddy, Hammy and Mommy

We took this picture right after we prayed the prayer with Abraham for his salvation. We wanted to record the moment. It is so precious that God gave us this sweet life to bring to Him. My one main goal as a mother (who loves Jesus) has been to see my children come to know Jesus as their Savior (one down, two to go!). Words truly can’t capture the feelings I have about this. It is truly amazing!

We got the call back this morning with a new date for Aaron’s class, June 22!!!! Yeah! That means Aaron will be able to be there for the birth of our daughter!!! This is a HUGE burden lifted from me. Of course there are many other trials upcoming but this is giant answered prayer!!!!

We got the call, tonight. It was 8 something pm and we were wrapping up our evening with the kiddos by letting them watch a quick show to calm them down for sleep. Aaron’s phone rings and he mouths to me, “It is the FAA.” Those words changed me forever.

After about 15 minutes or less, Aaron comes back into the room and declares that he received a date for class. They want to send him on April 20! He did explain our current situation (me pregnant with child #3 and due on 6/18/12). The next date she had available for class was June 4 (Aaron’s birthday). Of course that doesn’t help much with the whole birth issue. The lady was cool and said she would be attending a meeting in the morning and see what she could do for us to push the date beyond Abilene’s birth but there is NO guarantee.

I knew this day would come…I really did. Somehow I just didn’t prepare myself enough. I am full of mixed emotions. I am excited for him to move on with his career choice but I am so afraid of what lies ahead.

1. Will he miss the birth of our daughter? If so, what will I do with my other kiddos while I am having her?

2. Will I be able to handle 3 small children all by myself?

3. Will I make it to my scheduled delivery date without him around to help? He is integral in our daily lives and I rely on him SO much…especially when the contractions kick in around 6 pm.

4. We won’t even broach the money subject. That is ridiculously scary and not even worth worrying about because it just doesn’t matter to me.

Many of you reading this probably have no idea how “easy” I really have it right now. I have a wonderful husband who is home with us 90% of the time. He is able to work from home and that has been a tremendous blessing. He works 2nd shift which means he is “all mine” during the morning and early afternoon hours and I really only have to handle the evenings “by myself” – kinda. He still bathes the kids most nights and is there to help at a moments notice. To go from having that amazing support to having him shipped off 750 miles away for 4 FULL MONTHS is unbelievably frightening for me.

Anyway, I guess the point to my post is this…

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE pray for me, the boys, and Aaron. We are in desperate need right now and want to follow the Lord’s leading (even if it is uncomfortable). We love our Lord and trust in Him and know He will see us through this. Just help (me) let go of my fears!

Since today only occurs once every 4 years, we decided to do something fun as a family! I was so blessed to have had a great night’s rest (I actually slept for about 4 hours straight!) and felt AMAZING today. Because of said “feeling amazing” I decided to completely over do it today:) We went to Meijer and stocked up on a few things that were on SUPER sale and headed over to Incredible Pizza Company for a fun-filled afternoon! We had a blast and the food was fantastic! A picnic would have been cool except we would have all blown away in the wind. Speaking of which, it was too funny…tonight after dinner I took the kids outside to play and watch Daddy run his final mile of the month. We weren’t out but all of 10 minutes but the winds sure picked up as the sun was setting. Little Abel actually got knocked over by a gust of wind! He was so perplexed by it that he just giggled! So did I and of course big brother had to be “knocked over” too! So both kiddos are just laying on the driveway laughing at the thought that wind blew them over:) So silly!

This is too weird NOT to post. I finally gave in to Abraham’s many demands to open our game of Candyland and play a round last night. We played, I won (hehehe) and yes, I let him kinda cheat at one point. Anyway, so the kiddos are in bed and I am doing my nightly email check and I come across this email. I was beyond floored! It was too perfect for me to have read last night!

All that I Need to Know, I Learned in CandyLand

Posted: 27 Feb 2012 12:28 AM PST

The kiddos wanted to play a game of CandyLand. With strong nostalgia towards the game, I was happy to oblige.  Little Man got it set up and drew the first card.

The game teetered back and forth but towards the end we were neck and neck to the finish line.  That is… until Sweet Pea drew the dreaded gingerbread man.

Now for those of you who aren’t CandyLand savvy, the gingerbread man is at the very beginning of the board and can be a positive death sentence when the game is close to being over. 

Debating on how to handle the unsettling news, Sweet Pea looked at me for support (hoping I would tell her to draw again).  You could see her literally fighting between the two choices – move and have a good attitude or let the bad attitude win out.

Sadly, she chose the worst and became ugly very quickly.  She ended up going to her room screaming and stinking up the atmosphere with poor sportsmanship and attitude.

And at that moment, as Little Man and I calmly finished the game – that I won, by the way! – I realized the vast amount of life skills provided for us through the game of CandyLand.

• Sharing – Sometimes several players want the “blue” gingerbread playing piece.  Someone has to give in and share the favorite marker.

  Luke 6:38  Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
  

• Support – We need to celebrate with those who get double-colored cards or move ahead with a picture card.  We are to encourage each other as we travel this road of life.

  I Thessalonians 5:11  Therefore encourage one another and build each other up.
  

• Taking Turns – The game is only fun when everyone takes a turn and respects each other.

  Philippians 2:3  Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves.
  

• How to handle the good and the bad – Life gives us ups and downs which we have to face with a joyful attitude.

  James 1:2  Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds.
  

• Sometimes life is smooth sailing and sometimes life is really hard.  – Just when you think you will win the game, the gingerbread card can be drawn.

  Romans 8:28  And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
  

• Perseverance – Keep moving forward even when the cards don’t work in our favor.

  1 Corinthians 9:24  Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize?  Run in such a way as to get the prize.
  

• The end will be so sweet – for those who have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

  Revelations 21:4  He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

Heidi from ABCJesusLovesMe.com wrote this above email. She is a really neat lady and I couldn’t have been more blessed by reading this!

It started on Sunday when I didn’t feel the greatest (mostly congestion). By the afternoon, I had a fever. I was out for 2 days with a few hours here and there when I felt okay. Congestion got worse and ended up a sinus infection. Thankfully, I had antibiotics on hand to start taking right away.

Monday morning Abraham definitely doesn’t feel good. All he wanted to do was sit in the cart at Meijer. I knew something was definitely up. By the time we get home from our grocery trip, he was running a fever. This fever is STILL GOING ON as I write this. The fever has been the worst I have ever had to deal with. It started around 102 and kept climbing. He topped out at 104.6 F last night. We did make a trip to the doc’s office on Wednesday but he had NO other symptoms so they are just as unsure of what is the cause. The poor kid got so hot last night that he did eventually throw up. It was mostly medicine since the kiddo hasn’t eaten in days. After some fervent prayers over Abraham last night, the Lord delivered him from this severe fever. It is now around 99.9 F. The worst part of all of this has been seeing him suffer and being able to do nothing about it except let him watch way too much TV and keep him on Ibuprofen and Tylenol. He has tolerated it very well considering how bad he must feel.

Now we have Mr. Abel to contend with. He has been feeling great and doesn’t much care for TV at his age. Plus he is FULL of energy. He has not appreciated my attention NOT being centered on him…hence his CONTINUAL testing of every single limit known to him. It has been nothing short of frustrating but I can’t totally blame him. He is bored to tears and just wants some attention – good or bad. We are working through this. The blessing in disguise here is that Abel is healthy! He has shown no signs of sickness except for a minor fever tonight (which might be his teeth) and a little runny nose. Praise Jesus! I surely hope this gets no worse.

The man who has held us together for the better part of the week is now coming down with the sinus thing I have/had. Yuck. Figures. But it is also a blessing in disguise that he doesn’t get sick until AFTER I am able to pick up where I left off. I am also so thankful that he is not afraid and certainly willing to take care of the dishwasher and keep up with the laundry! God gave me a great man as my partner!

Now the dogs could not be out done by the family. We are still dealing with huge issues with them (skin irritation, missing fur, bleeding skin, lack of appetite one day, eating like crazy the next, so thirsty they drink too much and vomit it back up). In a nutshell, they are a mess! We are currently on the path to get them tested for thyroid issues. I am so tired of dealing with this mess. I just want a definite answer to get them better! Too bad they aren’t listed on my health insurance because continual vet visits are expensive!

Anyway, prayers for continued recovery would be much appreciated especially for Aaron to quickly recover as he has a 10K race next Saturday that is VERY important to him. Thank you in advance!

I am only 22 weeks, I assure you, but I sure don’t feel like it! I have felt great this past week other than my stretching abdomen! It is getting huge already! I mean seriously uncomfortable…like split belly button type uncomfortable. Ah well, the sacrifices and suffering we go through to bring about a new life. Once she is in my arms all of these things will fade quickly and I will remember nothing!

This was taken at 18 weeks...I need an updated shot but man belly is big!