And the news is...

... we have a baby boy!!!

We got the call this afternoon and within an hour I was at the agency picking up the beautiful 8 week old bundle! A bit of a whirlwind afternoon, but he's already had a bath, a diaper explosion, a little nap in the cradle and his first trip to church... and all within 3 hours! I cannot disclose any info or photos due to need for confidentiality, but he is precious to us and we look forward to giving him much love!! Please pray for our adjustment!!

When life gives you a rainy day....

... find a puddle to splash in!!!

Today was a wonderfully wet, stormy day in southern Wisconsin. I am one of those who is thrilled by thunderstorms... and we get great ones out here in the Midwest!! So, the kids and I spent the day watching the darkening sky, waiting excitedly for bolts of lightening and crashes of thunder. We watched from the front porch, and then from the open garage, until the winds whipped the rain inside and drenched us. We took a total of 3 walks today, 2 of which were taken in rain, and we loved it!! I think my nature-loving self is rubbing off on the kids. The rain smelled wonderful, and I realized as we walked today just how much it made me think of "home".

kaden playing and singing in the rain

the kids walking in the puddles


I loved the single file line :O)


Of course... we have to search for wiggle worms!


Oh, how I love you guys!!!

Wednesday nights at the Roots

Wednesday nights at the Roots this year has been busy!! We eat an early dinner and are off to church for AWANAs. The boys love the Honeybee program for 2-3 year olds and always have fun singing, playing and creating fun projects. Kylee is completing her second year in Cubbies and enjoys the singing, games and Bible verse memorization. Jim and I have been Cubbies leaders during the year and it has been a fun and wild ride! It's an hour and a half of high energy and organized craziness with 50 plus kids! :O) AWANA is now ending for the year and I've been looking forward to having our Wednesday nights free, but last night at our final Cubbies meeting I was surprised to find myself actually in tears as I listened to the kids retelling the lessons they learned throughout the year. Many of the kids remembered the stories and characters that we studied. A few kids could apply the stories to their own lives, for example, "God was with David as he fought Goliath, and He will also be with me when I might be afraid." I was especially emotional when we talked about Easter and the kids spoke of Jesus dying for them and then rising again. A small handful of kids knew what this meant to them personally and stated that Jesus had taken away their sins and that they had asked him into their hearts. Little kids, knowing their need for a Savior! It was wonderful!! Childlike faith is so very refreshing and I am so grateful that I've been able to be involved in these kids' life all year long, every Wednesday night.

I think my heart might burst!

There is just something about spring... warmer temperatures... new life budding about everywhere you look... breathing in fresh air.... kids excited to be outdoors once again... I could just go on and on!! You just can't imagine how much we enjoy and appreciate spring after spending the past 4 1/2 months in snow and subzero temperatures. It is so invigorating to feel the comfort of warm sunshine on your face after months of fighting off bitter cold wind gusts, and to be able to dress in one layer of clothing rather than 5, and for it to take just moments to get the kids out the door and into the car with the need for bundling abolished! Neighbors are out walking, bike riding and visiting with one another and it is such a wonderful, warm feeling.

On one of our own outings about the neighborhood, I felt that my heart might burst with pure joy as I took in the smell of fresh, spring air mixed with the aromas of backyard barbecues and walked beside my 3 year old boys as they rode their little red bikes down the street for the first time. They were so very proud of themselves and continuously looked up at us from beneath their helmets with sparkling eyes and broad smiles stating, "Watch me! Look at me! Do you see me?" Kylee patiently circled around them on her own bike and Jim and I gently instructed them to look ahead, steer straight and keep pedaling as our little family made it down the road and back home. I was very proud of the boys and amazed at how quickly they are growing up. But, mostly, I felt so blessed, so grateful and so full of joy.

The gorgeous spring weather has allowed us to have many more opportunities to be outside enjoying God's beautiful creation. We just can't seem to get enough and are outside as much as possible!!

the kids chasing birds

Daddy and Cole playing baseball


the boys "fishing for killer whales and dolphins" at the lake


When the boys aren't riding their own bikes, they get pulled along in the trailer


Kylee loving the swing!!

another day at the park

Kylee helping Colson get started


at Daddy's baseball practice


the boys live for Daddy's baseball season!!

After all that play time, you can be sure that good rest is in store! The boys love to jump into bed and snuggle with us in the morning, but on this day they were quickly asleep again!

Bald is Beautiful!!

Bald became a beautiful thing to our family 2 years ago when our precious nephew/cousin started his chemotherapy and lost his hair. Since that time, Kylee has been particularly drawn to baldness for that very reason. In the above photo, she drew a princess on her castle with Jesus and an angel above (marked by the "J" and the "A") and her Mom and Dad below. When Ky first showed me the picture she stated, "And my pretty princess has no hair, Mommy, because she has cancer."

Here, Kylee told me she drew 2 angels. One angel with hair and without cancer, and the other angel with cancer and without hair.

My tender hearted one

I had a terrible migraine 2 weeks ago and after it had subsided some, I descended the stairs and was met by Kylee who asked how I was feeling. "I'm better, but not perfect," I answered. "Oh, Mommy, yes you are perfect! You're the best mom ever!"

***

On another day with another headache I was a little irritable and felt it necessary to let my kids know I was sorry for being a bit snappy with them. Kylee answered ever so sweetly, "Oh, Mommy, it's OK. We still love you just the way you are!"

***

On a week when I was studying airplanes with the boys, we were searching for airplane clips on the internet. We unintentionally viewed a short clip from 9-11 and Kylee was suddenly very concerned and had all sorts of questions. First she asked if it was her Daddy's building that was hit, and I was able to reassure her that it wasn't, though on that day, some daddy's were lost. "Oh Mommy! I would be so sad if my daddy were there! I want to go there and teach those men how to be kind! They need to know about Jesus!"

***

Kylee has also had several questions about war lately, which we have attempted to answer in simple, age appropriate ways while encouraging patriotism and appreciation for the troops. One day when she was talking on the phone with her Papa, Kylee said, "There are some men, big and strong like my Daddy, but not my Daddy because I would never let him go to war, but some men just like my Daddy have to go to war and fight for our country!"

***

While working on writing some thank yous, Kylee kept writing her S's backwards. "How 'bout we just work on S's for a little while?" I suggested. Kylee let out a frustrated grunt and retorted, "I used to be so good at those! Maybe God took my thinking away!"

***

Kylee was talking about the kids in her class and stated there was one kid who was always getting in trouble. I suggested to her that we pray for that little boy. She had an idea too! "I think that I need to bring my Bible to school and bring him out in the hall so that I can read it to him and show him the pictures of Jesus dying on the cross for him! Maybe then he can be nice!"

***

We have always found it important to teach our kids that it is a privilege to live in a country where we are free to go to church, learn about and worship God. Kylee, in particular, understands that this is not a privilege that every Christian has. One afternoon I found Kylee packing some of her little toys into bags and back packs. "I'm going on a trip on an airplane!" She announced, stuffing one bag full. "And where are you taking the airplane to?" I asked her. "To China!" She announced, then continued, "but I have to be very careful there because I am bringing gifts for the children and I don't want to go to jail for loving Jesus!"

A wonderful wedding

Kylee had the wonderful privilege of being a "rosette" in the wedding of dear friends of ours. She had a big responsibility (along with 2 other "rosettes") to hand out pink long stemmed roses to each of the ladies attending the wedding. She took her job very seriously and was planning ahead for months!!


Kylee with the bride, Becky, and the other "rosettes" Allison and Molly


The boys also think very highly of the bride and groom and were excited to be invited to the wedding as well. When they weren't watching the wedding (which they were actually quite interested in) they would study the pew Bibles.



Posing with the beautiful bride

And... SNOW?!? Yep, we're still having snow here in WI. I can't believe it!

There's the Root kids, first in line for cake!


Congratulations Brian and Becky! What a wonderful wedding to be a part of!

When I asked the kids the favorite part of their day, here were the answers:

Kylee: handing out the roses and the kiss!
Colson: seeing the cross up on stage and playing with Sophie, who I want to marry.
Kaden: the dessert!

Treasures in Heaven

Matthew 6:19-20

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal."

good-bye playroom!!

For the past 10 months we have been blessed to have a wonderful, carpeted playroom down in the basement where the kids and friends have spent countless hours playing. It was one of the things that was attractive about this house - a room just for the kids and all their toys. But this morning, Kaden came up from the basement telling Daddy that it was "wet" and "very messy". Jim went to take a look and yelled for me. With all the melted snow and rain we've had in the last couple weeks, the water was seeping into our basement through the walls and cracks in the floors. Apparently the sump pump malfunctioned so the extra moisture was not being pumped away as it was supposed to!! Our beloved playroom was destroyed... and several toys, boxes, clothes and books were saturated with water. After talking with our insurance agent and finding out that nothing was covered by our homeowners policy, Jim and I jumped into gear, salvaging what we could, moving items to dry places and tearing up the soaking carpet and piling it outside to take to the dump.

It was frustrating indeed, but as we worked away we remembered the verse above and felt grateful that the damage done and the things lost were temporal. Things on earth are not meant to last forever, but we know our hope lies not in these things below, nor the pleasure or convenience they may bring us, but in what is awaiting us in our eternal home. Today was a great reminder to us and I hope that our attitudes and words reflected these important truths to our children!!

The kids loved having some of the toys relocated upstairs!

They also loved having our neighbor, Jerry, over to help Jim with the sump pump.

All in a bike ride

"Oh, Mommy! Isn't that a beautiful forest with that pretty water?"

My 5 year old is an optimist. When I see the so-called forest I think 'bare', 'dead' and 'dull'. And the water? I would describe it as murky and swampy. It is a view I have seen in our backyard for the last couple weeks as the snow has melted and we are still awaiting even the tiniest sign of green life sprouting from the naked, brown trees. But, for Kylee, as we rode our bikes down the road she was amazed at the "beauty" of the forest. How could 2 people look at the same exact thing and have such differing viewpoints and observations? I loved her view better. It reminded me that though many times in my life I feel lifeless and lacking in fruit, the God who made me can look at me, love me tenderly and still find me beautiful and purposeful to Him. He can see what He's doing in my heart and what I can become. And if He can do this for me, I must remember that He does this also for others.

Thanks, Kylee, for this reminder, as well as the many other lessons that you teach me every day in this journey of life. I am so blessed that God placed you in our family.

When I'm sixteen....

Colson has an obsession with the age 16. One day, he asked me how old he had to be to drive, and when he learned he had to be 16, it suddenly became the "golden age" in his little boy mind. Since that day, he's made several goals for himself by the time he reaches 16 years old. Here are some of the many that I can remember.

When I am 16 I will....

...be as big and strong as my Daddy.
...jump off the top stair and not get hurt.
...ride Daddy's big yellow bike and pull my Kaden brother in the bike trailer.
...get Mommy coffee every morning.
...bring toys inside my friend's house and not forget them.
...play baseball on my Daddy's team.
...stay home all by myself.
...not ride in a carseat anymore.
...fly a kite by myself.
...cook dinner and cookies.
...read my Bible and go to biblestudy.
...know how to spell my name.

Spring At Last!!

Kaden


Kylee

Colson

There's a reason for all those big smiles... we've had two full days of 55-60 degree weather and we're loving it!!! We've been outside as much as possible riding bikes, playing ball, cleaning the garage, digging up worms and doing yard work. The kids have had so much fun running around playing with one another and rolling around in the grass getting dirty. And the amazing thing to Jim and I is that they are getting along so very, very well!! I think they must have been suffering from a little cabin fever lately and it appears the outdoors and the fresh air have cured it!

Kaden setting up for a swing


Kylee and her "pet" worms

Kylee is a little princess, but she is not afraid to get dirty!! She was so excited to find wiggle worms as we overturned the soil and quickly had a squirmy, slimy handful of them. She got the boys in on the adventure of finding them... but then they were all hers. She would hold them close to her face and say, "Oh, you want to get down in the dirt? Well then, you must say please." She would then do as they 'asked'. She had 2 worms get married, with all their friends in attendance and she talked to every single one. "Mom, can I take them inside and keep them?" she asked as we were tidying up to go indoors. I assured her that worms were happiest in the dirt and talked about God's purpose for them there. "OK," she said hesitantly, then placed them back on the dirt, followed by blown kisses and 'I love you' signs with her hands. It was hard for her to depart her beloved worms, but she eventually did so and joined the family for dinner.

The boys were pretty adorable too. They communicate so very well with one another and I love to hear their little 3 year old voices engaged in conversation. Here Kaden is trying to convince Cole to come and play ball with him, while Colson is quite content using the mini-grill utensils as bowling pins. Eventually, they happily tromped off to play ball. Kaden's negotiating skills must have worked.

We are so thankful that God provided us with such a beautiful weekend to get outdoors and enjoy the family He has blessed us with as well as His beautiful creation!

Can you feel the love?