Watermelon Works

With over a hundred hits on the blog yesterday it sure looks like the video was a winner.

(90 of those hits were grandparents, I'm sure). Well, since this was the main reason we started this blog, I shall please the crowd with more. I sure have enough material!

Enjoy watching Samuel enjoying his watermelon! It's no where near as entertaining as the "strange arm movements" video, but the grandparents will appreciate it.

Strange Arm Movements

Samuel has been doing strange thing with his right arm. It's quite hilarious.

He mostly does it in his carseat and his highchair. We have no idea what he's trying to imitate. He does it a lot when I'm singing, perhaps it's his way of dancing... Sometimes he is pointing at something while he does it to. Or, it could just be his way of "extreme pointing." Anyway you look at it, it's adorable.

Just another reason to kiss him all over.



Can anyone view this video?

A Sacred Marriage

Andy and I have been sold out on making our marriage the best it can possibly be. We are not content to have a mediocre marriage. But that means hard work! I have been re-reading Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas and have forgotten what rich text it is. What an incredible book. The premise of the book is: What if God designed marriage to make us holy more than to make us happy?

What a thought!

God designed marriage. It's a fact, whether you believe it or not. Why would we ever go to anyone or anything else to find out how it should be done?! I am not implying counselors and mentors are null and void, obviously not, because I'm reading a book by another human. But, to try and maintain a marriage and not know what the creator of that institution meant it for seems asinine. Our world has made an embarrassment of the word marriage. It is so easy to fall into the trap of having a marriage like the world.

Join me in asking God to show us what marriage should really be all about

*He also has a book Sacred Parenting that I'm looking forward to reading.

The Week in Review

All things aside, if Samuel could eat watermelon for every meal his life would be ideal!

Lots of random facts... beware.

Life has been flying at an unbelievably fast rate. With that brings a running child. Yes, Samuel has moved from toddling to confidently walking. It's amazing how quickly that transition takes place. It seems like once we got pregnant Samuel went from a baby to a toddler overnight.

We've been playing catch up this week. I've had a bunch of things I've needed to get done but just haven't made the time for until this week. It wasn't fun. Nothing to blog about. But, most of them are done, so life can continue on with it's fun self.

With so much stuff to do it forced me to freeze all my tomatoes. I've been told it's fine though because what I'm going to be doing with them makes no difference whether they were frozen or not. I wanted to just go straight to canning, but this detour sure was much easier.

We went on a hike after church on Sunday and had a great time. It was the first hike in awhile. Samuel actually stayed awake the whole time. He's making progress.

We leave tomorrow afternoon for Baltimore. We are going to visit Andy's mom and step dad. While we are there Andy and I are going away for a night to celebrate my birthday. We are going to the Morrison House in Old Town Alexandria, VA where we stayed for a night on our honeymoon. I am so excited to be going back there. This will be the first night I'll be away from Samuel. Andy and I am in need of this one-on-one time. But, we're also glad it will only be for a night. Not sure I could be away from the Samonster for longer. Now, when he gets to this terrible two's phase, I'll probably be singing a different tune. But, until then, I'm loving most each and every moment with him.

Yes, Tuesday, September 4th is my birthday. Believe me, I was not going to skim over that! I am turning 25. In the 7 years since Andy and I have been together I have not spent one birthday with him. While we have been married he's been in Iraq for one of them and down in LA and MS with Hurricane Katrina relief for the other. We call Samuel a Hurricane Katrina baby, since he was conceived shortly after Andy returned home.

Anyways, I'm big on birthdays. Especially my own. I even celebrate my half birthday, which is March 4. I get my feelings hurt when Andy forgets. Baby Pig is due somewhere around the 8th, but I would be the happiest mommy around if she was born on my half birthday. That would be great!

Andy has been working on my birthday present for awhile now in his 'shop.' I'm having a hard time trying to figure out what it is. I hear lots of loud tools, which is totally rare for him since he's a no power tools kinda guy! I think he wanted this to be more accurate and not take so much time. We'll see. I asked if I could open it while we were away together, and he said he would consider it. Yay.

Oh, and I'm getting a big round belly (already). That's to be expected, I suppose.

I Should Have Been Born A Long Time Ago

I feel out of place in this world of fashion magazines and malls.

I like quilting, baking and especially my new hobby, canning, more than most anything else in this world. Yesterday I did all of those things. I couldn't have imagined a better day. (Okay, if Andy was home all day that would have been better).

We started our day off in the garden picking tomatoes until our hearts content.

Then we made some salsa and canned it. It turned out very yummy!

We then took our new mixer for a test run and it performed superbly! We made jalapeno cheddar rolls.



Then we finished the evening out with some quilting. I have a bunch of quilts I have had going for the last year that I was making for my sewing group back in NC. I'm determined I'm going to get them all done and then the various ones done that I've started for our family before this little critter comes!

It was the first time I've quilted since Lutalo hasn't been with us. He was ALWAYS laying right in the middle of my quilts, no matter what. Gamba could not have cared less about what I was doing. But, the second I laid the layers down to start pinning them together Gamba appeared out of nowhere and wanted to lay on just a corner, by the end of my quilting session he had taken his part right out of the middle. I promised him I would never yell at him to get off a quilt. Now, ask him nicely I will, but not yell. I like it so much that he is laying on it just like Lutalo use to always do.



That makes me happy.

And come to think of it, the entire day yesterday made me happy. I think I will make time for more of that stuff more often. After all, it's what makes a house a home!

And to top it all off, it was BJ's birthday. I've lost track after all these years, but I'm quite confident he turned 16 years old yesterday! I've had him since I was around 8. I don't remember life without him! Happy Birthday Buddy Junior! Here's to 16 more years :)

My dad would have also been 51 yesterday. Happy Birthday Daddy, I love you!

I Now Have It All

With just a few ingredients and very little work on my part. The possibilities are endless.

Pizza Dough, check.
Brownies, check.
Cookies, check.
Mashed Potatoes, check.
Cake mix, check.
Any dip you can imagine, check.
Pancakes, check.
Muffins, check.
Biscuits, check.
And I'm sure way more than I can even begin to imagine.

And with a few extra dollars I can get a few craved attachments, a pasta roller and cutter set, and an ice cream maker!

It been almost 10 minutes and I'm still catching my breath. I had an idea it was coming, but I wasn't prepared...

I just received (or should I say, Samuel received) a KitchenAid stand mixer. One that has all our little hearts could desire.

I can now make loaves of bread by the dozens and not lose my circulation kneading it myself.

Samuel asked his Nana for one for his birthday, strange I know. It must have taken her quite awhile to find the perfect one. It almost is like it's for my birthday, since it is in 13 days, but Samuel's the one who asked for it!

Back Home

It's been almost a week since I've written, I know. Not acceptable in my book, either.

We were visiting Andy's Dad and step mom this past weekend in Norfolk, VA and also went to Carl and Joy's wedding in Virginia Beach. We had a great time, but it's good to be home. Samuel is now able to get back to his schedule. He had a lot of sleep to catch up on. It was all worth it. He was able to spend some very quality time with his Papa Bear, Oma and Aunt Julie while we were at the rehearsal and the wedding.




My tomatoes did great canning and now I've got some more lids and I'm ready to start venturing into the world of tomato sauces and salsas, wish me luck!

7 Years of Blessings

We have a flight leaving at 7am tomorrow morning out of the Indianapolis Airport. We are going to see Andy's Dad and step mom for the weekend and also attend a friend's wedding in Virginia Beach.

So, as you can imagine, my day has been chaotic to say the least. The least of my worries are packing and actually getting ready for the trip. The issues are dealing with everything left behind, such as, pounds and pounds of tomatoes that are going to go bad if I don't can them TODAY, and finding a home for our poor Gamba while we are gone. Our usual sitter cannot watch him and we're pressed for another. On top of preparing for a dinner guest tonight, I over did it, I know.

But, in all of this seemingly madness in my life I was reminded of a wonderful reason to celebrate today!

I got a call from my husband wishing me a happy 7 year anniversary! We started dating August 16, 2000. I can't believe he remembered. In the chaos that is life I forgot this year.

7 years ago today we went on our first date. It was a day I will never forget. He was headed off to college in a few days and we had worked together all summer in downtown Baltimore and had become very good friends. We decided to take it another step and see how it went. Our expectations weren't high since we were going to be living 3 hours away, but we thought it was something worth pursuing.

Boy, were we right. 7 years later we are married, have a child, and have another one on the way. We are so blessed.

Thanks for showing me, Andy, what life is really about!

On The Farm

Let's start off by saying that I DROVE to our mailbox this morning! That's how far away it is. No, it is not a PO Box, it's at the end of our driveway. But, that driveway is a third of a mile long and Samuel's jogging stroller has a flat tire.

That's not why I love it here on the farm!

Now that we have turned our attention back to Indiana, I am so glad we are staying. Not that I wasn't excited about moving to Wheaton, because I was, but staying here has already proven to be a blessing.

My veggies are now becoming ripe. If we would have moved in a week, all that hard work would have gone down the drain. What a sad though. I would have been so busy packing that I wouldn't have had the time to can these babies like I will be doing today.



Samuel agrees that life on the farm is the best life around! Tomatoes taste the absolute best seconds after being picked!

We Are Staying Put (For Now)

After much prayer and conversation, we have decided that even though the door to Wheaton is open, we will not be walking through it this Fall. We do not have the peace about this possibility like we should if we were suppose to be going there. There are many reasons why it is either not the best timing or not even the best possible path at all.

It was a difficult decision to make since this option has been open to us for so long and has seemed like it was the best option for quite some time. Once we decided to pursue it without reservations we felt like the peace would follow. It did not. Since then we have discovered some alternative paths we could take where we would end up in a similar situation in the end. We are taking it slow and considering those options.

Please continue to pray for us as we are growing each and every day to discern where God wants us. Our hearts only desire is to be where the Lord wants us. This season has shown to be quite trying, but we've grown more in the past 7 months than we could have ever imagined.

The story seems to be unfolding slowly and that is fine with us. We are in no rush. We have learned so many lessons during this season that we most likely would not have learned if everything had gone flawlessly. We will only be stronger for it and have more of a testimony to how God has taken care of us through it all.

A Life That Affected Thousands

Yesterday I flew into Raleigh for Isaac's funeral. What a blessing it was to be present during the events.

As I sat there looking around at a room full of people touched by this life I learned that no matter how long you are on this earth, your life affects people. Some lives affect few, but in Isaac's life, his affected thousands! What a legacy for a 5 and a half month old. Some might think that Isaac's life was cut short. But I believe that the Lord used his life in exactly the way he wanted to. I know Patience and Jordan are so grateful that God chose them to have this miracle and to love him and care for him even in the short time he was here on earth.

My heart was touched when one of Isaac's pediatricians spoke. He was a man in his late 40's. He talked about what an impression this family has had on their entire staff at the UNC Chapel Hill Hospital. He knew something was different about this family. He saw their strength. He could not understand it. He spoke of his journey as the Leino's were a part of his life. He was curious as to what they held onto that made this journey of theirs a blessing and not a curse. He said by the end he grew to understood that their faith was in the Lord and that's where they received their strength.

What a blessing Patience, Jordan, Isaac and the rest of their family have had on those around them! People's lives have been changed by their unceasing faith in our Lord. He is using them as vessels to glorify his kingdom.

We love you Patience and Jordan. Thank you for show us how Christians are suppose to act in the face of adversity.

Once Every 13 Weeks

When I was pregnant with Samuel I gave myself one trip to a fast food restaurant each trimester. I've decided to do that for baby #2 as well. He came out looking good, so I won't fix what wasn't broken.

Yesterday was my trip for trimester #1.

All day I had been craving a spicy chicken sandwich at Wendy's. Andy seemed quite on board with my dinner selection. I had to run into town anyways to get some things, so it was a great reason to make it be the day.

I was reminded that when we moved here to Indiana I was given a $100 reward debit card from Rent.com for using their site to find our apartment. I knew it expired sometime soon, but was 'positive' it wasn't already past due.

We decided to go all out. Especially if it wasn't going to be on our dollar.

And we did.

But, it was on our dollar!

The Rent.com card was expired. Great memory, huh? I could have just looked at the card to check, but that would have ruined the suspense.

I realized that after I excitedly handed the card over the lady in the window thinking "yes, this is going to be so much tastier cause we aren't paying for it." It was responded with, "Ma'am, this card has expired."

So, in the end, we spent an entire $15.95 of our own money!

We both agreed it was well worth it.

I'm quite junk-fooded out though. Maybe even next time I'll splurge and get some fries. Probably not, though. In my mind that's just going too far. Totally no validity in that thought, but just let me go with it. Like a fried chicken sandwich was any healthier?!

At least I'm motivated now to workout. So, thanks to my Wendy's run my craft fund will be up by $1.

Clarification

For some of you (not naming names), this way of sharing was a little vague. Let me clarify!

WE ARE HAVING A BABY!!!

The baby should be born on or around March 8, 2008. But we all know that that's just an educated guesstimate. Some come way before, some come a little before, but if it's one of my children, it will come months past the due date!!!

I have not gone to the doctors yet, because we are waiting to move to Wheaton so I can start from the beginning with the doctors up there. I am feeling wonderful though and there have been no known complications.

We are so thrilled for this blessing we've been given. The blessings that come along with children could never be added up. We are just overjoyed that we will be a part of another miracle. We could not be happier. Samuel is quite excited as well, especially since they will be so close in age (20 months).

Samuel's Big News

Since Samuel doesn't know how to type on the keyboard he wanted to share his news in picture form. Luckily, he does know how to upload pictures! Smart kid, I know!

Don't Follow the Crowd

Our friend and former pastor, Jim Kelley, wrote a great post today on his blog. It was about not following the crowd.

Here is an excerpt:

Too many believers have the mistaken notion that being a Christian is all about them. They might say, "My sins are forgiven" or "I have a home in heaven." While both of those statements are true, it is only part of the story of being a Christian. Believers are called by the Lord to be His partners in the work of the Kingdom right here and right now. As God's ambassadors, we have been given a ministry of reconciliation in pointing others to Christ (2 Corinthians 5:11-21).

Our call from God has not been to follow the crowd, but to follow Him. We want to follow Him no matter what that may mean. What a great reminder that our calling will most definitely come with a lot of sacrifices, but those sacrifices will be met by more blessings than we could ever imagine. I am so excited to see what God has in store.

Answered Prayer

With moving in about 20 days, it's obvious I have a million things to do. But all I want to do is sit here and hold my precious blessing in the form of Samuel. Especially since two parents cannot do that today.

Today, our awesome God answered the countless prayers for our sweet boy. With our eyes flooded with tears & loving arms holding him close, today Isaac Jordan Leino went home to Jesus. At 5:10p, God healed our son & gave him a new body, free of defects, tubes, & alarms. While our heavy hearts grieve the loss of our precious child, our spirits find peace & hope know he now stands face to face with our Savior, worshipping in His presence. What a bittersweet joy is found in trusting him into the arms of Jesus.

My heart grieves for these friends as they are faced with one of the hardest things this earth has to offer. But right along side this grief is a joy that surpasses all understanding. They are confident that they will spend eternity with their boy when they as well pass on from this life to the next. What a great place heaven will be!

I have been so blessed to be a witness to this story and watch as God moves through so many around the world and brings people to a deeper understanding of him and his love. I cannot even imagine how many lives have been effected by this family.

Please pray for this family as they transition into the next stage. That they find an overwhelming sense of peace and that they find rest in God.

Quite possible the answer to my workout dilemma.

I think I've got it this time.

I have a very hard time motivating myself to work out. I'm always trying out different ways to motivate myself and they never work. I think I've got it this time.

I have a monthly craft budget where I am allowed a certain amount each month to spend towards crafts. Well, I've decided I don't deserve it anymore... Not unless... I work for it! Each time I work out I get to put a $1 towards the pot. If I don't work out, I don't get a craft allowance. And, I'm gonna need some money in there soon for some crafts I NEED to do! Emphasis on the NEED!

This was how the conversation went:

Me: I've got my workout motivator!

Andy: What is it sweetie?

Me: Every time I work out, I get to add $1 to my craft allowance.

Andy: That sounds like a great idea, but who is the one who decides what a workout consists of?

Me: I do!

Andy: Well, we'll have to talk about that...

So far in August I have 3 dollars.

Andy made me help him carry a very heavy picnic table about 200 yards: $1.
I did 40 minutes of my pilates video: $1.
He made me carry this heavy picnic table back: $1.

He already doesn't agree with the total!

Haha, I suppose we'll have to make some "rules" about this new plan. Any suggestions?

I thought I had already learned this lesson.

Remember back when I wrote a post about lessons learned, well, apparently I didn't follow my own advice.

I let the garbage fill up to the tippy-top!

Observe the progress made...

He was pushing around the garbage can in the kitchen, opened it up and saw the milk container.

He starts shaking it all around.

Then he decides to test it out and see if there's any left!

I wanted to teach him how to put it back in the trash where it belongs, so I opened up the garbage. He thought I was opening it up so he could lick the rest of the ice cream out of the container.

Silly mommy, thought I'd teach him a lesson!

But, once again, I learned one...

NEVER let the garbage can fill up to the tippy-top!

Good Friends, Good Times

Being far away from good friends is tough. So many situations remind you of something that happened when you were little. It's so nice to have those people around to reminisce with, but especially to make new memories with.

Andy and Andy have known each other since they were 3. They've got some great stories to tell. Andy came and visited us this past weekend. It was his first time meeting Samuel. You wouldn't have known it though. Samuel acted like he's known Andy for years too.

It was a great visit. Wish they weren't so few and far between.