Boys & Birthdays, Part 2

In my last post, I wrote about my nephew Brady.  Well this post is dedicated to my nephew Peyton, who's birthday is May 20th.  He turned the big 06 this year!

While I remember Peyton being born, the only thing that sticks out vividly in my mind is Tanya's fear that her baby was going to be ugly!  Of course, Lisa and I teased her incessantly about this and when we walked into the room the first time to see him, we both said, "Oh that's such a cute hat he's wearing!"  You see sometimes if you don't know what to say to someone who's child is unattractive, you can comment on their articles of clothing.  She knew this and immediately responded with, "I hate both of you!"  Seriously though he was a cute baby and we were thrilled for her.

Tanya wrote about how Peyton was a colicky baby and he really was.  He had digestive issues and I swear to you, I'd never seen a child vomit as much as he did.  The most memorable time was when Tanya and I were running errands and I'd gotten him out of the car in his carrier.  I looked away for 1 second and when I turned back, he was vomiting everywhere.  It was like a geyser and let me just say, I didn't know that much vomit could come out of such a tiny individual.  He filled up the carrier so we had to go back to the house to clean him up.  Once he outgrew that he became quite a sweet child but he also had incredibly sensitive skin so he had a rash as well.  I think it may have been somewhat prophetic that Peyton spent the early years of his life being so sensitive because that's his personality.  He has a very sweet little heart and is very sensitive and kind.  Of course, he's also a typical boy and loves to cause trouble and he HATES to lose!

The other really special thing about Peyton is that he's named after our brother, Wendall.  There are a lot of similarities between the two and their baby pictures are very similar.  It seems as though everyone who knew Wendall comments on how much Peyton is just like him or looks just like him.  In some ways, its like we still have a part of Wendall with us.  I can tell you this much, my brother would have spoiled these kids rotten - they say I'm bad but I don't think there would have been any comparison with him.

It's been fun to watch Peyton turn into a little man.  He loves to play sports as well, especially baseball and he's got a mean throw.  He loves video games and the computer and of course, teasing his sister.  One of my favorite things about him is his voice.  He has such a deep voice for a 6 yr old and it's hilarious when he walks into the room and makes an announcement.  Peyton also has a fondness for wearing too small pajamas.  Tanya has pictures somewhere which I'm sure we'll torture him with someday.  All and all Peyton has the ability to make people smile and most people just love the kid!

This picture just makes me smile - Happy Birthday buddy!

Boys & Birthdays

This month two of my 3 nephews had birthdays.  I thought it seemed appropriate for me to share some memories about the both of them since I shared about Lindsey.

Brady was born on May 5th and let me tell you, his birth was very exciting and sad at the same time.  You see I was in Denver when he was born so I got all these phone calls telling me how adorable he was and yet, I couldn't see him.  He was a month old the first time I saw him and wow, was I in love!  He was probably one of the cutest babies I've ever seen and no I'm not biased!:)  My best friend was getting married that day and about 5 minutes before the wedding started, they pulled me into the hall so I could meet him.  I was told I could hold him but if he threw up on me I was in big trouble.  I have a photo of that moment which unfortunately isn't digital so I can't upload it.  I was hooked! He came to visit me in Denver that August and he was even more adorable then the first time I saw him!

Brady was the sweetest little boy and he loved his daddy!  No one could compete with his dad at all - he was a major sports fan as soon as he could make sense of it.  He even learned how to read the sports page and would sit at the table and read all the scores every morning.  When he was really young, the Cubs had a really good year and were in the playoffs.  He knew what time the game was and he made sure that he reminded his mom so she could turn it on for him.  He sat on the couch and watched the entire game and when they lost, it was very clear that his little heart was broken.  He continues to love them to this day.

Another one of my favorite memories is when he was younger, his dad took him to an Illinois game.  They played Michigan State and the half time show were all these little dogs.  It must have made a big impression on him because he was a Michigan State fan for quite a while after that.  It used to frustrate his dad so much - Brady never cheered against Illinois if they played one another but he always would cheer for Michigan State - thank God he outgrew that too.

Brady has grown into quite the young man (or pre-teen as he likes to say).  He's got a really tender heart and can be quite withdrawn in crowds of people but trust me, he's hilarious!  And it always melts my heart to see him with Lauren - he's really good with her and she loves him for it.  He loves his sports and his video games, loves to torment his siblings, and loves his Mountain Dew!:)  Oh, one more fun fact - Brady shares his birthday with 2 of his cousins and since they were all born on Cinco de Mayo they have renamed it Cinco de Masto!

Happy Birthday Bud!!

I'm Still Here

I just got a text that said, "remember when you used to blog? haha"  Ok, ok, so it's been a while!!  I just wanted you to know that I'm still here and yes I still plan to blog.  I've actually got several ideas rolling around in my head but they haven't been fully developed yet.  And sometimes I wonder if people actually think that what I have to say is interesting.

I will tell you that I owe my dear nephews a birthday post since 2 of them had birthdays this month...oops sorry that I'm so behind!

I was just laying here in my bed thinking about how happy this time of the year makes me.  I love getting up to a bright sunshiny day and feeling the day get hotter as time goes by.  I think I'm just happier during the summer.  But the downside to that is that I feel like we spend all this time waiting for summer and then it's gone in the blink of an eye.  I intend to make this summer count....I want it to be a summer full of FUN!!!  So if anyone has any really great ideas how to make it an even better summer, please I'm all ears!!   Also, feel free to invite me to any BBQ's or other parties you might be having....I'm pretty fun!;)

Happy Thoughts

Today was one of those days that just made me smile - lots of little things that brought a smile so I thought I'd share some of them!

1. My sister called me to tell me I'd be getting a call from my niece cause she wanted me to go to the zoo with her.
2. When my niece called me, she told me that we could go over the rainbow to see unicorns at the unicorn zoo.
3. After 2 weeks of being sick, I was finally able to work out again.  And my workout clothes don't fit properly so that was a plus.  
4. Kate Voegele dropped a new album today and because a friend of mine has such a generous heart, I was able to download it for FREE!!!
5. My niece yelled to her mother in the middle of small group, "Mommy, can you come wipe me?"
6. Not only is Glee on tonight but so is the Voice - I love these shows!
7. Tomorrow I get to have lunch with one of my favorite people.

Lots of randomness I know but that's where I am today.

Road Trip = Hope Renewed

Let me start by saying that I hope this blog makes sense because I have about a 1,000 thoughts running through my mind and I hope that I can formulate them into a comprehensive post.

My sister called me at 8:30 and asked me to come and stay with her tonight because her husband is gone.  So while I was driving over to Peoria, I was randomly flipping through my CD's and hit upon Jesus Culture and boom, a new post is born.  But first, let me back up a bit.

As those of you who have been reading my blog know, the past few months have been really difficult.  I've been struggling a lot with my relationship with Jesus and whether or not I really hear Him.  Tuesday morning I woke up at 2am with a horrible sore throat - it hurt to swallow so yesterday was a struggle to go to work.  About 1pm, I got an email from an old friend and when I started reading it, I immediately burst into tears.  He told me that he'd meant to email me last week but I'd been on his mind and he'd been praying for me and wanted to know if there was anything particular going on.  And then he told me he found an old letter I'd written to him when I was in YWAM (I know - who writes letters anymore?  It was over 10 years ago).  I'd shared a picture that I felt like God had shown me - I saw a big pile of glass beads w/ someone shuffling through them. All of a sudden a piece of thread w/ a needle on the end of it appeared. I felt like God was telling me if I let Him He would make this incredible necklace out of my life one bead at a time, if I was willing to let Him, instead of doing it my way and putting on any old beads, just so the necklace would be finished quickly. He told me he didn't know if it meant anything but felt like he needed to share it with me.

I emailed him back and told him that I needed to be reminded that God hadn't forgotten me and that it did in fact mean something to me.  He responded back that God was in fact amazing, because he'd been doubting his ability to hear God because of circumstances he was dealing with and my response confirmed to him that he did in fact hear God.  How cool is that?  But wait there's more.

Back to Jesus Culture - the first song that played was this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZoOfGiqZ7Y and these words hit me like a sledgehammer:

I have a plan for you
I have a plan for you
It's gonna be wild
It's gonna be great
It's gonna be full of me

This brought such hope and joy to me.....but I felt like it was for more than just me.  I felt like it was an encouragement for all those of us who have been struggling recently in one way or another.  I've listened to that CD several times and have never heard those words before.  Clearly, after the email I got yesterday and the words I heard tonight, it seems like God is about to do something really cool.   And even if it doesn't happen immediately, it has given me a renewed hope about what God has in store for me.  I hope those of you who are reading this feel encouraged as well.