:. quiet before God .:

I have a confession to make:
I haven't had a "real" quiet time since Sunday. Hhhmmm . . . those boys came Saturday night. I wonder if there's a connection? Sure, there's been some down-time, but when they were sleeping, I usually curled up on the couch myself. Dishes could wait, dusting could wait, reading the Word could wait.

It all came back to me this week, how BUSY a young mother is. Caring for children is one of the most draining jobs in the world. Pure joy, but very demanding. And looking back, I know I never was able to have a consistent quiet time until my girls were in elementary school. It wasn't until then that I felt well-rested, and a bit more the master of my days.

I am not down-playing the importance of spending time with God. But to all you mothers out there, know that He is quite aware of the work you do. He knows the busyness of your day. He understands that cuddling a toddler is just as much worship as singing praises. Caring for your family is an act of obedience, and it brings joy to the Father's heart.


[Ed. note: I'm turning my blog over to Chris and Kate for a couple of days. They've promised to carry on with the pictorial history of Gavin and Liam! Thanks, guys!]

:. things I will miss .:

Well, today is the last day the Loves will be at my house. Uncle Chris and Aunt Katie are whisking them away to Ames tonight after dinner. Benny and I have an all-day Parkinsons' conference tomorrow. (Doesn't this family attend the most interesting events??) They get to spend two wonderful nights with the Saldanhas, and then Saturday afternoon MOMMY AND DADDY WILL BE HOME!!!

I am going to miss those boys terribly when they pack up and leave grandma's! I know I normally see them on a regular basis, but having them around 24/7 is absolutely the greatest thing on earth.

There are so many wonderful moments from this week.

I'm going to miss Liam's random and funny commentary on life. Here's a small sampling:

"I like eagles, but I don't like otters."

"Grandma! Stop singing! That's weird!

"GRANDMA! LOOK! THERE'S A SKUNK UP IN THE TREE!!"

(it was a squirrel)

I definitely will miss his goofy grin and loving heart. All those kisses he gives? Heaven. And next time you see him, be sure to say 'garden monkey'. Hilarious.
I'm going to miss Gavin's sweet, sweet spirit, and his precious pet phrases:

"My hair is short."

"Mommy and daddy are at Massachusetts."

(and when I asked him where he lived, he said, "Grandma's house".

I was actually going for 'Iowa', but, hey!)

"We don't want to make Mr. Liam cry!"

And yes, his hugs and kisses are out of this world. He told a funny joke last night at dinner. Liam was rolling a place mat up into a tube to make a 'tunnel' for his helicopter. Gavin watched him for a minute, then said, "Mr. Liam is making a peanut butter wrap!" And then guffawed, because that was a funny joke!

And I'm really going to miss the way he lines up his shoes and toys. I absolutely LOVE his quirkiness!

Gavin and Liam, you are the BEST boys in the whole wide world!!!

:. fun in the sun .:

It's been a busy day around our house today! After a hearty breakfast, we made some plans. A forecast of 92 and sunny called for a day at the pool.
Not really sure what's happening here, but I'd say Liam is taking Aunt Katie's car for a spin. Sounds like a good idea to me.
Then it was off to ggb's house . . . she has awesome trucks to play with, and awesome little Fritzi, too. Always a good time!
Then, off to the pool . . . along with every other child in the greater DM area under the age of 9.
But we didn't mind! We slathered on the sunscreen, and headed straight for the water.

We spent a wonderful hour at the park, but I found it's pretty much impossible to snap pictures AND keep an eye on two swimming boys. But trust me, they had a BLAST. And we even saw our friend Lucy at the pool.
Then it was home for some pbj . . .
and a yummy peanut butter wrap:

That's about it for now. Both boys are napping, and Aunt Katie is coming over after work to hang out for awhile. Gpa is going to grill burgers for dinner, then I promised we could watch Punchinello.

Wow, is it ever AWESOME to stay at grandma's!!

:. thoughts at the end of the day .:

No pics with this post. It's 11:00, everyone is asleep, and bed is where I'm headed.

At dinner tonight, we learned about "dinner conversation". (This was in response to the VERY loud siren sound that Liam is fond of making.) I explained what conversation means, and then I asked Gavin to tell us something he did today. He said, "I rode on an elevator". Which he had, because we went to visit great grandma Jean.
[grandma's apartment? one word: BREAKABLES. But don't worry, mommy, nothing was broken!]
So then it was Liam's turn for conversation, and he said, "I played with doggies." Which actually were some of the breakables mentioned above.

And as I was getting Liam stripped down for his bath tonight, I mistakenly called his 'pee-pee' his 'pee-wee'. He thought that was the funniest thing EVER . . . and of course kept repeating it the rest of the evening. (along with yelling 'SEA LION', which made no sense to me, but he thought it was hysterical!)

After the bath, Gavin requested more conversation . . . so we sat (jumped; those boys rarely sit still) on the bed and chatted. It somehow evolved into what they want for their birthdays, so we'll have to work on that some more.

On tap for tomorrow: a visit to great grandma Barb (and Fritzi!), and if weather permits, a trip to the wading pool. (Liam already told me the fountain scares him.)

Laying with those Joys Of My Heart tonight, listening to them giggle and chatter as they were winding down, cuddling and singing with them, I thought my heart would burst. God has given me so much . . . and those boys are the epitome of His goodness and grace. They are so sweet and beautiful and loving and funny. I have been so blessed the past few days to have them here; there is nothing that compares with those angel faces.

:. back to the "new house" .:

Took the boys over to their house this morning for awhile. Thought they'd enjoy the change of scenery, and playing with their toys.

Of course, the first thing Liam wanted was his targ.

So, Gavin played with daddy's goggles.





and Liam cried because he wanted daddy's goggles:

which he got to wear (after an appropriate amount of time so he could learn 'sharing'):

Then, grandpa figured out the TiVo, so everyone could enjoy some Super Why!

And just look at what we found hanging from Gavin's tent bed!

We love you, mommy and daddy! We miss you, too!!