Humbled Beyond Measure

Hi everyone. This is GG posting tonight. The Gasperini-Ville blogmaster has permitted me to take control of the keyboard for tonight’s message.

As so many of you know, last November I received orders from the Army mobilizing me to active duty from inactive reserve status. This mobilization was for the purpose of sending me back to Iraq for a second combat tour. The orders were quite a surprise and immediately became a source of anxiety for our family.

Shortly after receiving the orders, I submitted paperwork to the Army requesting an exemption or delay of the mobilization based on my desire to avoid disrupting my law school education and to avoid the dangers that would arise during combat from a preexisting medical issue with my shoulder.

For the past eight months we have been living month by month as the review process progressed. Twice my appeal had been denied, the most recent being two weeks ago. Our family became resigned to the apparent likelihood of my return to Iraq, and we had begun to make preparations. The prospect of hitting the pause button on our civilian life for almost two years was not one we looked forward to—but we were ready to perform whatever duty was required of us.

Today, however, we experienced an unexpected reversal of fortune. Today I was informed that the final Army appellate authority has decided to grant me an exemption from the deployment orders and discharge me from reserve status. In other words, I will not be returning to Iraq, nor will I be mobilized in the future. This news has been received, as you might imagine, with great relief in Gasperini-Ville.

We have experienced an incredible range of emotions today, as has been the case since this situation began last November. As we reflect on everything, we are most struck with a profound sense of God’s grace. Though we worked hard to put forth a convincing appeal, I am no more deserving of an exemption than any other veteran who has suddenly found his or her life interrupted by an involuntary return to a far-away combat zone. We have been so blessed by this news, and by the future it allows our family to pursue—but there is nothing I or B have done that entitles us to that promising future. The life we lead, the children we raise, the faith we share—none of it is of our own making. All of this is simply God’s unmerited favor. It is grace, and we are deeply, deeply grateful.

That gratitude is matched by our immeasurable thankfulness for the overwhelming outpouring of prayer and support over the past eight months. It is breathtaking to realize how many prayers have been offered on our behalf by our extended faith family. Unknown numbers of Christian brothers and sisters, many we will never know, have been prayer warriors for our family throughout this period. Countless intercessions by and to family, friends, the communion of saints, and the Blessed Mother have been offered for the Gasperinis. What a testament it is to sit here tonight and experience the fruits of that faithful solidarity. We are humbled, and we are grateful. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

As we go forward, we in Gasperini-Ville are mindful of the great responsibility we have to use this blessing to glorify God. To borrow from a popular saying, ‘With great blessings comes great responsibility.’ Whatever that responsibility, we will only be able to achieve it with the continued intervention of the Holy Spirit, and it will be our continued prayer to faithfully and openly receive the Spirit into our lives. Additionally, we in Gasperini-Ville remain acutely aware of the hardships being faced by thousands of military families across this country. We honor their sacrifice and their fortitude. We will continue to offer them up in prayer, and seek ways to support the troops and their families until this challenge is done.

Thank you all, and God Bless.

Worry-free Weekend

We're doing a pretty good job of distracting ourselves from the annoyance of this dragged out appeals process! I'm sorry to write with absolutely no news BUT the fact that we enjoyed a great weekend together. And with GG finished with his law internship, we are now able to celebrate togetherness even more... Quite wonderful, indeed. Not so wonderful, though, for blogging. :) Enjoy the photos and I promise a full update tomorrow. God bless.

Papa and M at a VA reservoir

T-babe, soaking in the sights
Mama and her precious babe
M at the peach orchard
Uncle C with the T Can you guess where the wiggly 2-year-old is?

No Word Yet

Since we still haven't heard anything, we are going to "happy" our sorrows by heading west to the country life. Should be so good for our souls... and not to mention great to convene with the whole family one last time before Gasperini-Ville shifts back to the Midwest at week's end.

I will be sure to write if we hear anything, but most likely you'll just hear from me tomorrow. :) Thank you for your love and continued prayers!

*Quick packing note: Don't you just love how there's no difference (with kids) packing for a one-night getaway vs. a week's vacation? Though you have fewer clothes to choose , the kids still need beds, high chairs, and everything else just as if you were packing to head away for awhile! This always amazes me and I'm never truly prepared for it... Crazy! :) God bless.

Mickey-D's

Yesterday while we were driving around town, M pointed out the window and said "ren ries" (french fries). Sure enough, we were passing a McDonald's on our right. How sad that he can already identify a McDonald's, but probably wouldn't be able to pick out Pres. George Bush from Adam (maybe that's not such a bad thing--j/k :). The McDonald's franchise has already roped and hog-tied my sweet 2-year-old. Those golden arches have lured him in... along with his mother! I'm to blame for feeding him such rubbish!

But aren't those french fries just the best?

And there are healthier options now too--hello, grilled chicken snack wraps? Maybe McD's is helping our children along the path of life, introducing them to choices and encouraging them to make the better ones. (Fat chance, but it sounds a little more redeeming, eh?)

Except for the french fries. They're always okay in my book.
As I write, I have them simmering in my belly, causing me to smile quite widely.
So good.

Hope you're having a good Friday too.
We'll let you know the latest Army news when it comes down the pipes. No word yet.
God bless.

Cappuccino Girl

After taking a quiz and feeling very drawn to the answers I chose, I'm apparently Cappuccino through and through... Yet not so sure about appearing "complex to outsiders". Have always thought of myself as more of a WYSIWYG, What You See Is What You Get kind of gal. What kind of Coffee are you?

You Are a Cappuccino

You're fun, outgoing, and you love to try anything new. However, you tend to have strong opinions on what you like. You are a total girly girly at heart - and prefer your coffee with good conversation. You're the type that seems complex to outsiders, but in reality, you are easy to please

What Kind of Coffee Girl Are You?

Taking some time

...for the Son of God. He so deserves it!

Thank you to Jen for the Meme tag in which I must come up with 5 things I love about Christ. While it should be so easy, I'm initially somewhat stumped. Gosh, we're talking about part of the Triune God; the human component of the "dream team"--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit! Overwhelming, to say the least!! :)

5 things I love about Jesus:

1) He was so humble. He came to the world as a vulnerable infant in the meekest of settings. He loved all people with the greatest of compassion and never boasted of his kingly status. He was Christ, yet dined in the homes of sinners. His overall humility has always inspired great awe in me.

2) He had conviction--the perfect compliment to #1. With complete humility, Christ assured the people he was the Real Deal. He knocked over tables, He passionately proclaimed his message because He knew it was his mission to save the people. I love the idea of perfect humility coupled with perfect conviction. It strikes such a resonating chord in my heart! Way to go, Christ!

3) He was a storyteller. Nothing captivated me more as a child than the Parables of Christ. What a powerful teaching tool he used to share the Gospel message! People were captivated by his stories, taking home probably much more because Christ met them through simple tales. This is without mentioning the awesome teacher he was!!!! What a role-model for me to follow (particularly with my own kiddos).

4) He loved his mother and obeyed her. The story of the Wedding at Cana where Christ peforms his first miracle has become such a favorite of mine. In it I can see the love and respect Christ has for his precious mother. She is a gem of a woman and Christ knows it. He models such a unique adoration for the Blessed Mother. Very rich, indeed!

5) He was human. Whenever I really want to feel close to Christ, I imagine Him sitting in the garden, awaiting his crucifixion. I hear Him crying and pleading with the Father for the world to be saved in another way; for Him to be spared death on the cross. I see a completely broken and fearful Christ. He was the Son of God, yet completely human. He shed real tears and felt real anguish. Sometimes my misery loves Christ's company. I'm so grateful He can truly understand....

I encourage Rachel, J, and Blair to share 5 things they also love about Jesus! Enjoy girls.

God bless.

One last thing

A big CONGRATS to many of our law friends, who have just finished taking the bar exam today!
WOO HOO! We rejoice with you on being done... now get some sleep! :)

Yet another distraction

I admit, I am completely distracted from life at the moment:

*by cherubic cherabim, getting ready for bed? No. (checked off the list)

*by worry about the appeal? No. (rather thankfully)

*by prayer for those in need? No. (quite unfortunately)

*by blogging and being in touch with friends from afar? No. (usually, but not this time)

*by a 17-year-old with glasses and a lightning bolt scar? Most definitely.

The Harry Potter bug has bitten (at 3:45pm this afternoon, to be exact). I'm checking out of life for the next few hours to indulge and entrench myself... God bless you in the meantime. Wish me luck at being able to pull away when it's time for bed!

A Small Glimmer

Just a small one, but a glimmer I'm clinging to...

We found out recently that GG's Army service has a smidgeon of a chance at being postponed, allowing him to finish law school, depending on the decision in Alexandria this week. There's always room to hope more! Prayers, prayers, prayers! We'll keep you posted as we hear the latest.

Tiger Woods, eat your heart out.

Take me out to the ballgame

Nothing like America's pasttime to distract us from our woes... GG and M headed with Mimi and Papa yesterday to enjoy a AAA game against the Toledo Mudhens (a former team of mine--wink!) :) They had a great time and M was in full form, entranced by the sport and often dancing along with the music.

As luck would have it (sort of), a bomb scare (after GG and the gang left) postponed half of the game to this afternoon. So what did we do, but head back to the stadium this afternoon for part 2! And in the process, we saw some home runs and Papa caught a foul ball! Hysterical! In all my years of going to baseball games (and bringing my mitt every time), I have never been in the presence of someone catching a ball. And here M has it happen during his first game (part 2)! Pretty cool... Here are some glimpses from the game(s).

Happy 63rd Anniversary!!!

A HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to my beloved grandparents, Mickey and Molly, on their 63rd wedding anniversary! In the words of my grandma, "It's been a long trial period, but I'm thinking I'll keep him." Not too shabby after 63 years of marriage!

We love you both so much...

Feeling Loved

It is truly blessed when circumstances call for the support of friends and family, and they respond with overwhelming prayers and love. Gosh, it's really wonderful. Thank you so much.

We've been laying low since Friday and reveling in time together. GG and the boys have been enjoying some good male bonding, particularly a McDonald's date last night while Mom suffered a short-term stomach bug (what great timing, huh?)

Mostly we've been talking through the what-if's of the coming months, creating plans for all sorts of scenarios. We are desperately trying to let go of our expectations, offering up our thoughts and plans. This isn't the first time we've had to "let go and let God." GG's first deployment (while he was actually in the Army) came in the midst of our supposed plans for him to apply for the JAG program and enroll in law school a year early. Unfortunately, the deployment meant he was overseas during the application period and LSAT prep. Plans changed and we had to change too. I remember feeling so exasperated that we couldn't follow through with our dreams and desires... Welcome to life. Never are we certain of tomorrow. God teaches me that lesson quite often!

The hardest part of this whole scenario is imagining GG being absent from our boys' lives for an unknown period of time. My heart just aches thinking of this, especially as GG is M's hero. There is nothing better than "Daddy" in Gasperini-Ville. GG has also expressed worry about little T not knowing him when he returns. Okay, heart now falling out of chest...

That's not to mention our "plans" being put on hold for another 3 years! GG will most likely serve for 2 years and then will have to take a 3rd to finish law school. This is a long time from when we'd imagined things. Note: Above rationale applied; we are working through our letting go.

Above all, we know we can make it through this, particularly with the support of our friends and family and with the saving grace of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Thank you again for your prayers. We are so bolstered by your love.

God bless you on this Lord's Day.

Appeal Status

I'm very sad to report GG's appeal has been denied.

It is now in the hands of the powers-that-be in Alexandria, VA, who will make their decision by next Friday. That will be the end of our appeals process and the start of GG's involuntary Army service.

I am beyond anger, beyond tears (though they've still been falling), beyond exasperation...

Gasperini-Ville is under heavy fire tonight. Please pray for us and for our brave soldiers in combat. Thank you.

Still No News

Keep those prayers a'coming.
No news yet on the appeal... We should know something soon, especially if GG's packet was viewed on Tuesday (though we're never quite sure of dates when dealing with the Army!) Thank you for your awesome support. Hugs back!

A Day in the Life

...of our beloved T-baby.

11-mos. into his little life, T baby is shaking up his world (and his parents') with non-stop curiousity and adventure. While M was a more placid, predictable baby, T-babe is keeping us on our toes (to say the least). Just the other day as GG looked away for a second, T crawled up the stairs for the first time! Oh Lord!!

Here are two glimpses of life with a pre-toddler... Enjoy and God bless!

Heart in my throat

I just had the scariest experience being locked out of the house by my own son! I was in the garage taking out the trash and M locked the deadbolt!

No keys, no cell phone, no nothing...

At first I didn't know what to do. I freaked out a little while attempting to pursuade him to unlock the door. I really tried not to panic (but failed miserably) and then went around back to check to see if any doors were open. They weren't. [I'm a freak for locked doors! :)] I did get to see M through a sliding door, though, and assure him I was okay. After, I went back into the garage and patiently coached him to unlock the deadbolt... He did it! Hallelujah!

My lesson for the day is attitude in motherhood is EVERYTHING! My approach to all the day-to-day details directly influences how family responds to those details. When I started to openly worry about being locked out, M became scared and sad, unresponsive to my coaching. He just needed to see that mom was okay and then was open to my joyful instructions. Lesson learned.

Hallelujah, I'm back in the house.
God bless!

**T-baby said "bye bye" today for the first time while waving! [I think he also said "baby" at breakfast while we were talking about a baby. Maybe? Who knows? All I know is he's growing up!!]

Appeal

Part 1 of GG's Army appeal gets decided today! We would so appreciate your prayers!!!
Thank you!

Wild Samaritan

The Church's Gospel passage yesterday was of the good Samaritan story from Luke; an awesome tale of a Jewish man in need, receiving care from a kind Samaritan after being snubbed by two previous "religious" folks--a Levite and a Jewish priest.

Our priest began with a story about his father's dog, Bridget, a very well-behaved Pointer, going crazy one day in the presence of a fox. While normally tame, the dog became wild and unwieldy in a setting provoking his instincts. In the same way, the story of the Good Samaritan seems like a tame one, learned when we're children and incorporated into societal norms and laws. When Jesus told the story of the good Samaritan, however, it was wild, uncouth, and quite challenging to people of the time... as it should be to us today!

Why is it so wild? He touched on the following points:

1) Christ used an enemy of the Jews, a Samaritan, to teach a lesson. He taught compassion, love, care, and generosity via an enemy. This would be like using an al Queda member to show us compassion. Whoa. I can't imagine a better way for Christ to show the people humility, especially when admitting that one's enemy did the right thing. Very tough!

2) Christ showed two very "good" people using religion as an excuse and reason to keep their distance. There were certain laws and rituals governing the behavior of these religious leaders, which is why they ignored the injured Jewish man on the side of the road. How often do we use our busyness with church activities/religious affiliation to avoid really reaching out to those in need?

3) We should be offering charity to every man, despite our insecurities. We should be loving the homosexual couple, the illegal alien, the poor, the man on death row... Challenging stuff, especially to an affluent, white parish! Very cool.

4) And when it's all said and done, we come back to the Eucharist, to Christ, for renewal, for reason, for acceptance ourselves. Yes!

I looked over at GG after the priest finished and he mouthed the words "boo yah".
You got it. The priest brought down some BOO YAH to challenge all of us... It was awesome. So awesome that I had to share!

Hugs and prayers for an awesome day! May it be richly blessed.

Lazy Sunday

Some days it's nice just to be together not doing a whole lot...
It's a quiet way to celebrate the Lord's Day.
Just the way we like it.

I'm going to laze today, but tomorrow will fill you all in on an awesome homily we heard today at Mass. Good stuff to report.
God bless.

You know you're living when...

*your lovable yellow lab rolls in another dog's diarrhea and stinks up the house. Gross!

*your toddler comes down with the same fever the baby's had all week.

*you go to pick up your car from getting work done, the overdrive stops working, and you have to have the car towed back to the dealer for this new problem. Very frustrating!

And then you realize that this is life and you just have to deal with it!
Hope your weekend is off to a better start than ours!! God bless.

Priorities

I had to laugh today while making my "to do" list:

1. Mail electric bill.
2. Mow lawn.
3. Call to schedule make-up at Romp 'n Roll.
4. Check on car maintenance.
5. Run.
6. Review marathon training programs.
7. Shower!!!

Isn't it sad that I have to include showering on a to-do list?
And isn't it equally as pathetic that it's the last thing on the list?

Cleanliness before godliness? Not here. :)

Once in college, my roommate, Kellie, and I forced each other to sign a pact, promising to shower once-a-day. We were so busy with school, sports, and junior papers that showering became a low priority! And now amidst motherhood, I am once again finding it last on my list.

As long as my kids are clean, I'm okay with it. They get a bath every night.
Cleanest kids on the block. :)

So for now, I'll just have to keep putting it on the to-do list and *hope* it gets done.
Cheers to squeaking clean today. God bless.

To the ER after all...

GG, T-babe, and I became intimately acquainted with the ER here last night, or shall I say, this morning. We headed in around 12:30am when T's temperature took a scary turn toward 105F after being down all day! The poor thing was so hot, tired, thirsty, and whimpering the entire time. What a sweet, little trooper!

I remember being sick as a child and hearing my mom say she wished she could assume the illness for me so I didn't have to suffer. My grandfather had expressed the same sentiments to her as a child. And now I can completely understand the logic behind such feelings. To see your little one racked with fever leaves you feeling completely helpless and vulnerable. My poor baby! I would have taken his place in a heartbeat. All parents out there can completely understand.

Well, after many pokes, prods and blood sticks, an antibiotic shot, and three very tired Gasperinis later, T-baby was diagnosed with an ear infection. Can you imagine?! The doc still thinks something additional is going on (potentially bacterial, but also possibly viral), so we're taking a very conservative antibiotic route and keeping on the fluids. If we don't see improvement within 24-48 hours, we'll head back to the ER. We would so appreciate your continued prayers for his health!

And thanks be to God, the ER accepted T's Indiana health insurance. Hallelujah! It was such a blessing to learn his coverage had been approved upon our departure from the hospital. That was one thing in our favor!

Off to tend to the sick one... God bless you and your health today!

Strike 3

In the baseball world, three strikes and you're out!

Thankfully not for T-baby; though we've been close to sending him packing with a bottle and some formula for the last few days. This week T has gone on nursing strike #3 after biting Mom twice and getting an adverse reaction (can you blame me?)

Funny enough, the illness (mentioned in the last posting) might be solving our feeding woes, getting us back on track for the last month of a 12-mos. nursing program (sounds like a degree!) We are seeing it through and I'm thrilled about it... Breastfeeding has been such an endearing time with the boys. I'm so glad to have had the privilege to nurse them. And I'm not done yet.

The reason for these thoughts is I wanted to promote nursing via a really cool, hip product that just came to my attention. It is way cute and chic and all pregos should be in line at the store to buy one immediately (that is, if you plan to breastfeed!) I can remember many-an-embarrassing moment nursing in public and this little contraption should help. The Bebe Au Lait (or "Hooter Hider") is the perfect solution.

You better believe it will be on my registry for child #3! Just what GG wants, another reason for me to nurse in public and humiliate him! Poor guy... :) At least with this thing, there's more modesty involved!

And aren't the patterns the cutest?!

God bless.

**As I type, T-baby plays happily to my left. Fever completely gone! Hallelujah!

Prayers for T-babe?

When you read this, could you please pray for a feverish T-baby?

His temp. just registered at 104F, the highest he's ever had.
I am so worried... and have been up reading about fevers. If it doesn't break by morning, we will be heading into the ER and praying simultaneously they take our out-of-state healthcare.

Dear Lord, please bless this wee babe.

Working for the good

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28

This verse has been on my heart all day, repeating itself as my subconscious deals with issues far beyond our day-to-day. What hope it gives--that God works for the good for those of us who love him. What a precious and optimistic sentiment.

The Good Word especially called out loudly today as I was sharing our future "plan" if GG has to return to the Army and Iraq. Where would we live? How would we get there? Who would help? were a few of the questions on the mind of the person with whom I was sharing. Inside I began to feel that familiar panicky sensation that returns when I don't really have a plan and I don't have things laid out in my mind. The control freak in me surfaces and I begin to doubt the Romans message above.

But then the words ring out clearly...

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

And I am brought back to the reality that we can make it; we can feel "at home" wherever God chooses to plant us; we can endure any situation and come out with our heads above water.

All things are possible. All outcomes are for the good, no matter how they may seem here on earth to our limited human minds. God's in control. We're not. And in the end, that's the way I'd prefer it to be.

God bless you today.

Sharing gone bad

Mimi and I had a good laugh today pondering the unusual sharing happening these days in Gasperini-Ville. We seem to be sharing all of the wrong things.

While M doesn't share a whole lot... of anything. The rest of us just keep sharing and passing around the latest bug, virus, etc.

We are excellent at sharing germs and horrible at sharing our toys.
How does such a phenomenon happen?

I must report, however, some amazing brotherhood emerging in our home. M loves little T so much that he hugs him and won't let go. T-baby crawls forth from the hug, carrying his older brother along with him. Today I found myself saying, "M, you need to hug and let go." What a great problem to have--my son is smothering his brother with love. That can't be all bad! :)

Hope your day is full of love of the smothering kind. Apparently, we need 8 hugs/day to fill our emotional quota. Have you gotten yours? I'm off to pursue some...

And speaking of love, happy 30th wedding anniversary to our beloved Mimi and Papa!! What a feat and what a marriage! We love you both so much!! Here's to 30 more!

God bless.

Rolling Down The River

Or the canal... same difference!

Yesterday's canal ride was full of entertaining sights and sounds, not to mention a train overhead to boot! Can you guess who was absolutely thrilled? [See: wide-eyed toddler below!]

M couldn't stop to be tired and cranky (he was overdue on a nap) because of all there was to see. Thank goodness! Hope your weekend has been blessed...

Adorable

What is sweeter than a baby panda like this little guy? I just had to post him! :)

Silent Prayers

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee...

What would it be like to be the mother of Jesus?
How would it feel to be full of grace?

Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

I pondered these things today while praying this silent prayer.
Mary was an incredible woman and mother. I imagine her being so full of grace that she could only have been completely graceful and peaceful. I sigh deeply every time I think of Mary. Thoughts of her are so calming.

If only I could be more like her in the day-to-day--when the children are crying, when I can't find my sunglasses, when the car keys are missing, when I've lost the kids' sunblock, when we've missed the boat tour and have to wait another hour before the next one, when my toddler fails to eat a good lunch, when the same toddler awakens as I attempt to transfer him mid-nap from the car to his bed...

These are just a few of the moments from our day today when I could have been a little more graceful... a little more like Mary; ultimately, a little more like Christ.

Have any moments like these today? If so, I hope you've been blessed through them.

a Hugger, a Dancer

That's our little M, seen here tonight at an outdoor concert at a local mall. He went from hugging to dancing to hugging... We never knew he had such moves.

TGIF everyone! God bless.

For all the pregos in my life

There are so many of you these days... Kellie, Katrina, Linley, Kerri-Lynn, Maureen, Sally, Libby, Amy, Jessica, Blair, and others that I'm not yet allowed to mention (wink, wink!) :) God bless you all.

Looks like He already has. What a wonderful gift to all the pregnant women out there.

Almost makes me want to join the club again.

Almost. ;)

From the holiday...

Here are a few shots from our celebration on the 4th. I've been meaning to get them up all day... and just haven't had a moment. Tonight GG and I went to see Shakespeare's The Tempest at an outdoor theatre venue. Such fun! While out I felt affirmed that we need to do more cultural things together, GG and I. Dinner out is great, but what about a picnic dinner together with wine and art? The finest evening, indeed.

I also keep reminding GG that my ultimate date would be a trip to the planetarium. Really.

Call me crazy, but I have always loved seeing the night's sky while sitting in a cozy lounge chair. That's without mentioning the monotonous voice of the man talking about stars. Oh, I could lie there forever... :) GG has yet to take me, but I know when he does it will be special. Until then, I will wait. Ho hum. :)

God bless your zzzzzzz.

Happy 4th!

Sparklers, watermelon, spirited games of croquet, watching fireworks (especially the sparkly ones that look like diamonds in the sky), cozy blankets strewn on the lawn, patriotic accents, picnics, paper plates, flags waving, burgers and brats, potato salad, apple pie, ultimate frisbee** (story below), weddings, warmth, friends and family gathered, smiles, laughter...

Happy Independence Day!

Today marks the anniversary of a funny occurrence that was later printed up as a story in our local paper...

12 years ago, my high school friends and I went out to a local town's fireworks display, held at a Rev. War battle site. At that time, we were really big into playing ultimate frisbee and had fierce competitions that would go on for hours. We arrived at the fireworks site and parked in a nearby neighborhood, realizing upon parking that we had accidentally left our frisbees at home. Some folks were sitting on their front lawn, so we approached and asked to borrow a frisbee. They kindly obliged and we were happily on our way. The game was a rough one and no sooner had we engaged in play, but the frisbee took a bad angle and snapped on the grass. We were done for the evening. Later after the display, a few of us realized we had no frisbee to give back to the owner and began to scrounge for change and money to reimburse. We found a random piece of paper and scribbled an apology note, leaving $2.75 on their porch (all we could find among three of us--pathetic!) and heading on our way. We gave no thought of it until seeing an article in the local section of our Ohio paper... The frisbee owners had written in, so grateful for our honesty and willingness to own up to our blunder. While the incident hadn't been a big deal to us--you borrow something, you return it; the integrity our parents had taught us... To the frisbee owners, it was remarkable. We had restored some of their hope in youth (and had gotten a front page article to boot). Pretty cool.

It was a tale that warmed my heart so. One good deed can go a long way in the heart of another. That's my lesson for this holiday.

Happy Independence Day and God bless.

Sicky Ticky

While scratching my head last night, I came across a first for me--my first tick. Yuck! Thankfully, we think it had embedded rather recently and was still very small. GG did me the honor of removing it with tweezers. From that point on, he affectionately called me "tick girl" for the rest of the night. I couldn't help but laughing in response. GROSS! So far, the tick prevalence is the only negative I can find to living in this part of the country. They aren't as common in the midwest due to the colder weather...

Today I feel itchy and now I'm paranoid of Lyme Disease. Yuck.
Hope your day is tick-free and wonderful... God bless.

Our Baby's Orange!

In case you've been worried after seeing some of our pics... T-baby has "carotenemia" from eating excess amounts of beta-carotene. He's a REALLY good eater, consuming everything, including his veggies! He's also still nursing, which provides more beta-c because this mama's eating her veggies too!! Don't worry, he won't stay orange forever... but while he's tinted, we'll love him that way!

Baby orange skin (medical condition): Carotenemia is an excess of beta-carotene in the blood. It is a common and mostly harmless condition in infants usually appearing when infants begin to eat solids. When they eat too many foods containing beta-carotene (e.g. pumpkin, carrot, most yellow or orange vegetables), the baby receives too much beta-carotene and some is deposited in the skin. This gives the skin a yellow or orange coloring. www.wrongdiagnosis.com

Another extension

As you'll see on the sidebar under "Prayer Requests", GG's report date has been yet again extended--this time to August 12th.

While the appeal process makes us weary, we are so grateful for another month together.

In the meantime, let's all be sure to hug the ones we love and let them know we care. You never know what tomorrow brings...

Weekend Report

While our weekend was busy, busy, busy... we had oodles of fun! (I've come to the conclusion that when I'm busier, I'm usually happier.)

*We initially headed up to northern VA to visit some friends, who have just welcomed their third sweet baby! What a joy it was to meet the little man and see the family! Our shots include all but one of their sweet cherubs... Thank you, Brian and Julie, for a wonderful afternoon.

*We then headed to western VA for some countryside adventures, including canoeing and kayaking in a small mountain lake. M had been anticipating this particular excursion for days. While in church that morning I leaned over during the consecration to explain to him that Jesus was going to be present. Instead of responding, he looked at me and said, "boat". I think the kid has a one track mind. :)

You can imagine his excitement when it was time to set sail... Thankfully we had a mama present to sit with him in the middle and Mimi around to stay with T-baby. We all had a great time. Highlights include getting to paddle with Daddy and seeing cows "grazing" in the surrounding forest. Slightly weird, but entertaining nonetheless.

*Our last true adventure was enduring M's first bloody nose yesterday afternoon. I'm afraid he's inherited this susceptibility from a long line of nose-bleeders, from Pappy to Mama and now to poor M. What a little trooper he was to be surrounded by adults and covered in blood, yet not totally freak out (as his mother was doing inside!) Poor thing. We all survived and are stronger for it.

Hope your weekend was equally as adventurous and of course, blessed.
God bless your Monday. Let's get it started... :)