Elias - The Fun One!

This is it! It is here! Elias' second birthday! Here is a picture of our Baby Bear enjoying an ice cream sundae at lunch today. He truly is a ball of fun. He has yet to begin talking yet he 'communicates' very well through squeals and squeaks. Today, his big day, was spent on an impromptu trip to Pueblo. The whole way he gave commentary on all the large sized vehicles on the road, tractors on the side of the road and trains passing by.

Huge thanks to those of you who have inquired about his Child Find appointment last Monday. Elias was found to speak in the lower 5th percentile for his age bracket. He was put at the 15 month age for speaking. Today he turned 24 months. So he is nine months behind on his speech development.

Todd and I are not surprised or shocked. We both knew there was a problem now we'll get it taken care of. The experts say that he has low muscle tone in his mouth/tongue/lips so he is physically unable to form words. We are to do exercises with him that'll help strengthen those muscles. And he has been approved for speech therapy. His first appointment is this coming Wednesday at our home. Due to his age all his appointments will be at our home!! Yea.

Ahhhhutumn

Does anyone else out there just love crisp autumn air!?!? I absolutely love having the windows cracked just enough to let the fresh air flow in along with the slight chill that begs for a light sweater and a pair of slippers. Autumn candles are the next most important ingredient for these crisp days. The aroma fills the house with that 'this is our cozy home' smell. LOVE IT!

Tomorrow is Elias' Child Find appointment for his speech delays. I am not worried or nervous, just curious. I am eager to find out why our baby bear does not talk. If it is nothing then no big deal, we know to be patient and wait on his natural development. If it is something then let's take care of it so he can join in on the conversation!

Super Long Time

Since it has been a super long time since I've blogged I feel that I really need to post something. I am stuck in a conundrum, there really is nothing to write yet at the very same time there is so much to write I could never cover it all. Hmmm... Throughout my days I often think 'I could really post this' but then life sweeps time away, the sun falls out of our sky just to climb back up a few hours later and all my well-intended plans dissolve out of my brain.

So, as I wrote the above paragraph one topic did come to mind. I am preparing to embark on a whole new realm of adulthood...Quicken - finance tracking!! For all the years and summers and holiday vacations I worked for my Dad I entered more expenditures into Quicken than I believe was countable. I believe I was Quicken-ed out. Well those memories have faded enough that I believe it is time for me to get a glimpse into where our money is 'invested'. hehehe.

Don't read into this, we are not struggling in any way. We, to the best of my uninformed knowledge, are doing just fine. The problem is that I really don't know percentages. You know, what percentage goes to basic needs, food, shelter, etc. and what percentage goes to fluff.

I should really be spending my time setting up this new Quicken account and not babbling on and on about this. There probably is not another person in all Douglas County who is like me in this area. People here are way too in touch with their money, did I just say that??

Eli's Newest Trick

Needless to say we've had an exciting lunch hour! While I was in the kitchen preparing lunch Addie was nestled in the couch watching The Magic School Bus and Eli was happily entertaining himself upstairs!! I had checked on him two times before this, the first time he was playing with toys in A's room and the second time he was playing hide-n-seek with Fizz in our shower, too cute. Back down stairs I went to finish preparing lunch.

A few minutes later lunch was ready so back up I went to retrieve my little bundle of wiggles and giggles. At the top step I could hear the water running, the bathtub filling!! My first thought, unfortunately, was not of his safety, "he could be drowning!!" No, my first thought was, "Ugh, I bet he is standing outside of the tub, wasting water down the drain while he pours water all over the floor!" I don't know which is worse!?!? This was definitely a 'quick, grab the camera' moment.

People often say to me, 'Wow, three little ones, you sure are busy." Actually, I belive that Elias alone keeps me on my toes, he definitely adds the most 'excitement' to the day. Now that he knows how to turn on the bathtub faucet I don't know what I'll do! Any ideas??

Thanks, Lord

Thanks, Lord, for never giving up on lil' ol' me. I am so thankful that the Lord's patience with me will last my lifetime. In my fallen state I cannot comprehend how He will persistently guide me along this journey teaching and reteaching and reteaching me (sometimes the same lesson over and over again) for the past 32 years and the next 60 or so years.

My MOPS leadership retreat was this weekend. The book upon which the weekend was focused was an allegory of a woman's journey from being hopelessly fallen to a new creation in Christ. It is called Hinds' Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard. The lessons I've taken away from this book are life-changing. Thanks to God who met me at the retreat this weekend I am a little more like him.

One of the themes of the book centers on the enemies in our lives who walk along our path with us doing everything they can to turn us back. In the book Much-Afraid's enemies happened to be Self-Pity, Pride, Craven Fear, Resentment (notice the capitals, the author personified each trait). After much reflection over my life I recognize that I have several enemies who walk at my flank whispering or sometimes yelling insults at me in hopes of making me turn my journey back to the valley from which I came.

The most interesting thing I learned, besides my constant companions, is that these used to be parts of me! An example is Anger. Right now Anger is outside of myself, always hanging around waiting to spring. Before when my walk with Christ was much newer Anger lived with me, it was a part of me, actually, it was me. I was angry much of my teen years. I see the redeeming work of the Lord in my life as he has amputated Anger from my being so now it is an annoying enemy who no longer has a hold on me.

Does any of this make sense???

Wild West Relay pics

crossing the finish line as a whole team!

school days

We've arrived, I cannot believe it but it is here, the first day of school. Addie's was yesterday and Traeton's is tomorrow.

I was excited for Addison to begin because she is still in the safe bubble of Mom's school. There are three new little girls who've joined her class this year, her best buddy from the cul-de-sac, Taryn, being one of them. She is thrilled to back in school and I am thrilled for her.

Traeton, however, is a different story. Tomorrow he'll begin first grade. At our school that means he will be in five full days now. Last year in kinde he was in only half days. This is going to be quite the adjustment, surely more for me than for him. I cannot imagine him being away from home under the instruction of others for a greater amount of time per day than he is with us. As of tomorrow my 'cannot imagine' will have to dissipate into reality. I've heard this can be a painful transition. I've heard the empty feeling strikes without warning and an overwhelming feeling of 'something missing' engulfs you. We'll see... I don't even get to pack him a lunch on the first day as the teacher really wants him to buy his lunch since she'll be with them all day walking them through the process.

For those of you who are curious, Todd and his team completed the Wild West Relay beautifully. The twelve men completed all their assigned legs without injury. Their final time was something like 29 hours with a per mile average of 9:30:00 or so. Thanks for all your prayers, I truly believe he was protected as a result. While Todd was very, very sore and limping painfully for a day or two he reflects that the whole experience was mostly enjoyable.

I will post a picture or two.
ERB