Old friends

(This picture was taken by Joost. "I'm a PC and I'm five and a half.")

There are few friends in life that you know as a child and still have the privilege of having a friendship with 25 years later. Erin Doyle is one of my best childhood friends who I still get to see now that we are all grown up.



Today we had tea together at my house and she met Kate. It's great to be able to sit around playing the "remember when" game and be reminiscing about things you did as an 8 year old. (And, boy, do we have some tales...) I have few friends I can do that with that don't share my blood line.


Joost and Grace were pleased to be able to have tea with Miss Doyle, too.

Sleeping children

As I perused the pictures that are stored on my computer from the past month or so, I seem to have a good deal of shots of sleeping children--and they're not all of Kate. Here's a few of them--because what's more dear than a sleeping child? When they're sleeping it's easy to be sentimental and nostalgic. A sleeping child is not disobedient or stubborn, they're sweet and little and beautiful without any of the negatives that come from their sinful nature. It's good to view our children that way sometimes. It can be refreshing when any weariness from being a parent comes upon us.

happy st. patrick's day

Does any one have a good soda bread recipe? You don't have to be Irish to give it to me. Patrick wasn't even Irish. Learn about his life. It's really interesting and not at all like the exaggerated stories you hear about him. I would count him as one of the great missionaries of the Christian Church.

Pretty in Purple

I love Kate in purple. She's growing so quickly. Today, at her two month appointment, we found that she has gained an inch and a pound in the past month.

Ode to Mom

Yes, I know my son looks like he has a Hitler mustache with all the chappedness under his nose, but that's not what this post is about.

I am writing this to bring attention to the wonderful mother that God decided, long before time, to give to me. She has always been my greatest supporter through all the stages of my life--as a helpless infant, a needy toddler, a shy school girl, an emotional teenager, a far away college student, a girl figuring out what it is to be a woman, a newly wed, a mother. I could give countless stories and examples of the way she has come along side me to help, guide and protect. The most recent being all the help she has given since the birth of Kate. She has bent over backwards to help me as I adjust my life responsibilities from caring for two children into three. There are very few who are as caring and selfless as my mother.

I want to thank you, Mom, for all your help and all the love you show the kids and I. You are a blessing to all that are near you.

Pasta, pasta everywhere

"I'm in trouble now." Such were the words that came from my daughter's mouth shortly after I heard dry pasta spill from the box, all over the hallway that she was running down.

She really wasn't in trouble. It was a sad waste of our favorite pasta, but accidents happen. And as a team, we cleaned up the pasta. Now, per usual, Joost has big plans on how to use the pasta since we can't cook it and eat it. I think presently he and Grace are making themselves crowns out of it.

Sleeping baby

Kate still spends most of her life sleeping, so we have a lot of sleeping baby pictures. Here's a few from her last week...

We also have a picture of Grace--you may, at first, think it is Kate because she's wearing a 3 month size coat and sitting in an infant car seat, but do not be fooled. It's actually Grace....