My 3 Sons

My heart almost burst when EJ added Ryan's silhouette to the wall.

I am one very blessed mama.

They are hung vertically in our dining room.

I made each one when they turned 2 yrs.

 

Here is a side by side for a better comparison.

April is National Donate Life Month!

My very talented sister works for United Network for Organ Sharing as a graphic designer. She created the image below for their campaign this year. She has included some very important facts below. Please consider!

78 lives are saved daily through organ donation but your help is still needed! Currently more than 110,000 men, women and children are awaiting life saving organ. Thousands more are in need of tissue and cornea transplants to restore their mobility and sight.

Register to be an organ, eye and tissue donor today and provide HOPE to those who wait. For more information or to register visit www.donatelifeamerica.com

Concerned about signing up? Learn the facts:
Fact: Anyone can be a potential donor regardless of age, race, or medical history.
Fact: All major religions in the United States support organ, eye and tissue donation and see it as the final act of love and generosity toward others.
Fact: If you are sick or injured and admitted to the hospital, the number one priority is to save your life. Organ, eye and tissue donation can only be considered after you are deceased.
Fact: When you are on the waiting list for an organ, what really counts is the severity of your illness, time spent waiting, blood type, and other important medical information, not your financial status or celebrity status.
Fact: An open casket funeral is possible for organ, eye and tissue donors. Through the entire donation process the body is treated with care, respect and dignity.
Fact: There is no cost to the donor or their family for organ or tissue donation.

Field Trip

Mason's last field trip as a preschooler :(

He is a registered Kindergartner. A very excited one!

Solo

He doesn't usually have the bath to himself ;)

I had to make the most of it.

(fun new editing option in picasa-cinemascope)

His Trip to Nicaragua

EJ's words not mine...

It’s wonderful to get a glimpse of how God sees the world and the ways his Spirit is alive and at work in Nicaragua. The church and orphanage have many complex issues to overcome. God was quick to remind me of John 16:33.  

“In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” – John 16:33

It was truly magnificent to see the ways God is at work in the mist of difficult circumstances. The hospitality of the staff and children at Casa Bernabe was the biggest testimony to that. I would never have expected the team to be so well loved and cared for during our trip. We were truly blessed.   

working at Casa Bernabe orphanage

Case Bernabe

Ali's dad is in the red t-shirt

lunch at cafe outside Verbo Church

Ali's dad

Skyline of Managua (one of the only buildings left standing after earthquake in 1972)

Enjoying the view with Ali's Dad, Peter..."I miss my sail boat" -Peter

Nicaraguans just get it done. No cherry picker required. 

Here are some trip highlights:

• Packing up 19 (50 lb) bags full of donations (clothes, toiletries, school supplies, and shoes) to take with us. It was amazing to see so many donations.     
• Attending the Easter Sunday service at the nearby Verbo church in Managua and hosting and egg hunt for the kids: We mixed in some resurrection eggs to go through the Easter story afterwards. 
• Working with a few of the older boys (and staff) at the orphanage to raise the roof on their home to prevent leaking:  Adapting to Nicaraguan construction methods (and philosophies).   
• Spending time with Christian and Jen Ziegler: praying with and for them.
• Playing soccer every afternoon with the kids at Casa Bernabe 
• Evening devotions with the younger boys throughout the week and the opportunity to get to know them.
• Traveling to the nearby town of Nueva Vida to see how the church is working within this impoverish community to provide meals for children, employment, training and hope by utilizing a farm, bakery, and school.  
• Getting to know the staff Casa Bernabe:  Believers with hearts for living out Psalm 82:3 every day.   

Many of you made his trip possible. Thank you!

Belated Birthday

We celebrated Ryan's birthday last night. It was very low key. My parents and sister and her husband Alex were in attendance. He had plenty of help opening presents  ;)

Owen and Mason bought this hockey stick set with their own money
and were very eager for it to be opened.

Most sports were covered ;)

There were some disappointed people when no cake was served. Oops! 

Ryan doesn't really eat cake and LOVES ice cream. So I forced myself to keep it simple.

Which was a good thing b/c I was not feeling well yesterday.

Happy Birthday Sweet Boy! I count it pure JOY loving you. God has richly blessed my life with you.

For Laughs

He loves to get a laugh. 

Man, have I missed that about him the past 12 days.

So glad he showed up yesterday ;)

I am VERY excited his word count has surpassed 15. It has been SLOW going, but just in the last 3 weeks his list has tripled. He has started repeating words we say, so it's only a matter of time. Phew! His temper has been flaring for lack of words. I am hopeful it will simmer down. He is two, who am I kidding ;)

Last Ones

These photos were taken with my phone.

I had to capture my "teenager."

 

 My shell collector and Sandcastle King

 

with Lissa's help ;)

Off the Beach

When we weren't at the beach or pool we were looking for ways to keep these boys busy. Phew!

We tried Monopoly for the first time. Several games of Chinese Checkers. A 513 piece puzzle. Some movie watching. One lousy bike ride. Yes. I managed the bike rack and it was not worth the hassle. Not to mention the roof rack top opened while on the highway and we lost Mason's helmet forever. Oops!! Thankfully no one was behind us. On Wed. we drove 40 minutes "into town" for a Walmart to get a new helmet. Only to go riding 1 time (there was no place to ride safely). Live and learn :)

Found a playground

The older 2 slept together the whole week. It was a bunk bed with a double underneath. And they insisted on sleeping together. Good to know they can ;)

On the Beach

My favorite part was the view from our condo. 

That's the boys and me down along the dunes.

 

 We stayed bundled most of the week. Thank goodness for the indoor pool.
Especially when one day was a high of 55. Burr!

There was a lot ball playing! I had to represent ;)

 So did Aunt Lissa. Thank goodness she gave my arm a rest.

 Notice anything similar in the photos above and below?

 He is watching their every move!

 Almost hit my camera with the ball!

 

Owen was not too thrilled to waste time with baby throws ;)

 They did play well on their own, occasionally.

We spent most of our days between the beach and the pool. Mom and Lissa managed to squeeze in time at the fitness center and went on some walks and runs (Lissa).
It was definitely hard not having EJ with us. No relaxing for this mama. I found myself being thankful that I have had 8 years worth of vacationing traveling with children to know that vacationing with small children isn't so much a vacation. God was SO gracious to allow me to be good with that. He provided the physical strength it required of my body and He provided the grace and patience I needed and allowed me to be JOYful (not perfectly) at the same time.
My mom and sister definitely did their share to help, but the boys and I also had time alone which was nice too.

1st Full Day

So our family went their separate ways this spring break. I am very blessed to have had 2 helpers while EJ was in Nicaragua. My mom and sister and my crew arrived to the beach late in the day on Easter Sunday.

Monday morning was spent exploring our surroundings. Thankfully I brought my camera along on the walk b/c it's the only one we all 6 went on together. There was lots of tag teaming during the week ;)

Ryan spent most of the day being held.
He was pathetic!
He did muster enough energy for a little exploring.

We stayed in the condo in the background with the red roof.

SO thankful, for my helpful family.