Wilson turns SIXTEEN! and other fine events.

this is what we spent the second part of our day, all the way down in New Albany, Indiana...right next to Louisville, KY. It was a lovely day to drive with our family of 7. Unfortunately, Southside Thunder did not win their game. but they played hard!

another re-enactment...now I will just have to dig out the little version. I have some great re-enactment plans, Kara. it's going to be a long winter.

Nora Bean, waiting for us to get our acts together and dish up cakeage.

we love this boy's face. don't ask what we are doing with Will's tiny 2 year old face in the hole of a piece of notebook paper. nope. just don't ask.

while walking thru Target one fine day, Beck and I came upon these ginormous footies...and thought it'd be funny to get them for our ginormous teenager...if they'd actually fit a bit better, he'd have kept them...hiii-larious.

the 16-year old still enjoys a Marvel Encyclopedia...

bashful, as always...Hope your birthday was fun, Will. I think you will have a good time in Champaign/Urbana with Dad this week! Savor the peaceful moments!

can you believe they actually make footy pajamas this long? I honestly don't think my kids wore footies much....they were all hot sleepers like their mother. Will is so stinkin' tall!

LOL!

Today has been one of "those" days. not too bad but not particularly super either.

Worship service was good, good message on Acts 7 by Pastor Randy...donuts, fine fellowship, home to clean the house and let Molly run off with our Venti coffee and proceed to drink MOST of it.

Kids had different youth group activities tonight so while we weren't shuttling them there, we were finding out that our storage unit had been broken into and such. Yeah. not fun. But in light of the news on Facebook of the loss of my HS friend's 6 year old son, we'll be ok.

Emma's little son collapsed at school last week (from an undetected heart issue) and due to loss of oxygen, eventually went into a coma and had no brain activity. Life support was shut off at 1 p.m. California time today. Godspeed little man. Prayers and love to Emma and her family. Hug your littles....if this news just doesn't make me cherish each aggravating moment, I'm an ogre for sure. God's ways don't always make sense.

Tally ho! Onward to a new week, filled with promise and joy.

My goal is to smile when I feel like shrieking. To giggle when I feel like banging my head on the wall. I may fail. that's ok.

If you asked me, I could write a book....

two and a half years ago...

two years ago...He's much taller now.

Just wanted to drop in and say HEY!

A few updates for myself more than my blog friends...occasionally, I go back thru my blog to remember events for David's records...

~Joe's meeting with investor this morning - sounds like some answered prayer again. we shall see.

~work being done at Bandy's on the Six Square game.

~Levi spending the entire Wednesday out with D. Good male bonding and a break for mom :)

~Details on Methodist job coming together.

~Visit with an old friend, prayerful reconciliation.

~All the what if's, how's and such of our future. Leaving it ALL in God's hands. all of it. yikes.

~Investor meeting tomorrow night, being held at our C4 building, from what I hear. We will have food and info.

Ok. Did you enjoy the much needed rain we got yesterday? Our weather guy said it was the most rain we've had since July 28th. Wow. Droughty Droughterson. I love the way clouds and gloom force you to chill. I so need that in my life right now. It's like a whirlwind each and every day. So I'm hoping that this autumn, we get some of those days. I just wanna stay home. (I'll stop whining now).

As for Will's upcoming b-day....the kid only wants $ to buy his own clothes and stuff. seems so strange. yet so easy. now, if that $ tree hadn't dried up in this drought...:P

Here's hoping your Thursday is a beautiful Autumn delight.

P.S. This day last year, we were in Colorado Springs with Eric, Carrie and their kids. That was one of our all time favorite stops. Pike's Peak, Colorado Springs Zoo, Garden of the Gods....man, it's beautiful out there. can't believe that was a year ago.

Willy Nilly

November 1994

My 22nd birthday...holding the best present! and loving my perm at the same time...

Will at almost 2...ducky slippers and baby keys. I see a re-enactment coming...wish I could find this snazzy one piece outfit though.

We still have this car...Will STILL tries to play in it. and when he does, this is the face I see.

This sweet little face is, in all honesty, the face I still see when I get a glimpse at my nearly 16 year old son in all his facial hair, long legged glory...(I'm going to cry for a minute. no. really, I am...) I blinked and he's nearly a man. dang that nostalgia....I am telling my 24 year old self to cherish these two little future men that I had at this time. gosh. I am going to go beat myself up.

The thing that's cool about Will? He's freaking out about 16 as much as I am. He spent the night with Ian Sat. night and he told me yesterday that he woke up in the middle of the night panicking. I thought it was because he was in someone else's house but he said it's because he is going to be 16 this coming Saturday. Such a sweet, young at heart guy.

You are such an amazing (UH-MAZING for emphasis) young man, Will Franklin. I love that you still hug, kiss, speak words of love to your dad and I. I love that you love Levi so very much. I love that you stayed home from our work at the Kaleo open house Friday night so you could keep Molly occupied and out of our hair. I love your quiet strength. I love that you already read "To Train Up a Child". I love to watch you play soccer and the moves where you scoot with your bum. I also love that when you and that black kid konked noggins on Saturday, you asked him if he was ok and when he responded "Of course I'm ok", you replied "Don't be a butt".

Gosh. Thanks for being such an encouragement to me (and to Dad)...thanks for letting us borrow money when our well seems to be running dry. You are one of the finest examples of just how good God is to us. man.

I am going to go have a good cry while I fold laundry. (you are actually working at Bandy's this morning with Dad and Vince before your Biology class...you go Boy). I love you so much.

Good Monday morning, folks. Thanks for letting me wax nostalgic up above. I am shaking because well, I'm hungry but mostly out of sheer gratitude for Will. If you know him, you love him. he's quiet but thoughtful. He's serious but hilarious. If you know him, you are as blessed as I am. he's an astute young man of God.

Firstborns break us in...we become different people because of them. We grow up with them. and sometimes, while they grew more mature than us, we stay immature (at least in my case). I will ask Will how I should respond in certain situations. He's always "spot on". that is mind boggling.

This week will be busy, filled with trying, busy and blessed times, but I wanted to take a minute to remember Will since we will be out of town on Saturday (the actual day of his birth) for soccer.

Hope this finds you and yours enjoying summer's last ditch effort to torture us a bit more. I'm so thankful for a morning at home. God bless you!

note: I just re-read this post and wow, sorry for the redundancy. I think I mentioned 15 times that this Saturday is W's birthday. garsh.

Happy trails

Will left on a great adventure all his own today, and by that, I mean none of us are with him.

He is on a Spring Break Work Week with his PhosOntos group.

We look forward to hearing many cool stories and ways in which the Lord has worked in his life.

it's hard to come to grips with the fact that our firstborn boy is growing up.

exciting

Happy Monday Eve. Exciting things on the horizon for this week. I just know it.

shoulda known

I should've known on this day, that Molly was going to be a pistol. such a sweet baby she was...and kapow! now I'm stuck with Sybil of the split personality. more below.

I just added this because these days, though difficult in their own way, were so much easier than these days now. Now I have kids from 15 to 2.5 and whew...the dynamics are intense. teaches me to choose joy in each situation and circumstance I find myself in.

Hi there. I hope you are enjoying the lovely spring days God has given us. I know we are.

I let the littles out to play this morning. I opened the windows on the school side of the house so I could hear any tomfoolery. Not even five minutes later, I hear Levi's squeaky, screeching whine....er, scream that "Molly is running in the parking lot up the hill....."

Yeah, I look out the window and there are the curly q's bopping toward Waverly Rd. She was running like the wind...not a care in this world. heck no, she was FREE! FREE AT LAST. Melanie saved the day....but that 2 yr old is fast and independent.

A great way to start out this day. I long for simpler times. Less time in the car but with soccer on the horizon, that is NOT likely to happen. Will, you really need to look forward to driving...lift my burden. :)

I'll be back when I can form a coherent thought. I'm bushed tonight...but in spite of it all, God is good and takes such good care of us. I have no complaints...so forgive if it seems as if I do. my bad.

g'night.

Not much

One of the many exciting activities we've been a part of lately.

Time to get out there and enjoy this awesome weather...be back later...gonna go get my walk/run in!

Happy St. Patty's Day to Ye!

Oh, and did I mention that Molly is nearly 100% potty trained? She was ready right around her 2nd birthday but I was lazy (she's still 4 mos from her 3rd)....she slept in her undies last night (oops, that was actually a mistake) and upon awakening, she told me she had to go potty. When I pulled her jammies off, howdy do...you are wearing undies, little miss....and they are DRY! Leave it to Sybil to get herself potty trained....she's such a go-getter. these are the little moments that allow her to stay in our house (I won't mention the little scene she gave when we were with friends this afternoon...smacking her mom in the face and screaming...yeah, we don't blog about those moments)...Sybil still needs her naps...esp. with all this fresh air we are getting!

Flagstaff, you are beautiful!

the view of Flagstaff from our hotel patio...such a pretty, clean town....

look to the right...another view from the room...

Unsinkable Molly Y...she was in rare form at dinner. I sang her a song, tickled her arm and she fell swiftly to sleep in my arms. awww. how many more of those instances will I get with this kid? Having little kids with older kids makes one more thoughtful of the times that were missed with the olders. I still balk when I realize Will and Ethan aren't 1 and 2 anymore. sniff sniff.

My handsome brigade of Little Men.

Father and Daughter. awww.

I am so done with this stinkin' high chair AND this weird Target outfit, thankyouverymuch.

The Olive Garden Employees, breaking up after their rousing rendition of the Italian Version of Happy Birthday...

Good night, peach...stick that straw up your nose. O, wait, you already did that.

While we were away...

A lot of cool things occurred...

but one of the coolest is that we left with a 14 year old boy and came back home with a 15 year old young man...

Will turned 15 while we were in Flagstaff, AZ...the day before we visited the Grandest Canyon of 'em all...

When I get my pics switched from B's laptop to this here Mac...I will have some grand tales to tell....

but until then, and until this house is back to "normal" (ha ha...laugh then)...this sweet blog will have to wait.

Happy Birthday Month, Willy Nilly...you are one awesome young gentleman.

Alvin

Meet our chipmunk. His name is Alvin. assuming, of course, that it is a Him.

Will's been taking pictures of him all summer long. I think this last one is rather spectacular!

Wanted to post these before they got lost in the shuffle...

Welcome the newest member of our family with me...

Meet Bilbo...Will's new leopard gecko. He's simply adorable. for a lizard.

and ya know what? Will has actually held this little guy today. His five year old lizard, Liz, has barely been in his hands....so Will determined that he would start this lizard off on the right foot...he'd get the little guy used to being held. Liz doesn't cope well with human interaction.

Welcome to the family, Bilbo.

These pix were taken by Will. that explains why they are kinda blurry....work on that focus, boy!

Welcome to our crazy, wacky family!

Wednesday...

Fellow bloggin' buddy, Heather, fellow soon to be bloggin' buddy, Becky, and I...in the Methodist Parking Garage...after some delicious girl time! Heather, Beck, you girls ROCK! so glad to have you both in my life! Heather, you are a rare breed...genuinely nice. Let's do this again sooooon!

This was a fun thing to stumble on. Molly loves to climb up to the computer. She is ALLLLL over the place, quite literally. And while I love it, it does get a little old about 3 minutes after she gets up in the morning.

This permanent red marker that she scribbled all over my desk, did come off...but it was awfully close to the keyboard and I just don't like that.

she is starting to talk in full sentences..."Levi hit me"..."I want water"..."Look! rain"...she is growing up right before my eyes.

birthday parties and such

being attacked by a Great White shark...


do you like my gift bag?

some of the party revelers. wow, whatta lively bunch!

Mr. Rogers rocks!

Beck's on her coffee drinking kick again. she does this once in awhile...to get my hopes up. She says she doesn't drink it more because of the pictures that ensue.

Will's party was a low-key, present-filled event.

He got some nice clothing, socks, undies (yah, thanks for sharing that, mom)...a few DS games, those dang Schleich animals that he loves so very much, Legos (yes, he's 14), gift cards, and such.

We ate lasagna, garlic bread, salad, mmm mmm good. thank you to my parents for all their help, as always. Mom, your 'sagna ROCKED! Thank you, everyone, for your kind gifts to our firstborn son.

I'm gonna go now. Just wanted to post these pix for ya, Tory, Dad, Beck...Levi's crying down stairs because he had an accident in his pantses. maybe he will be completely trained by the time he's 14!! yah!!

Hope y'all had a magnificent weekend. Soccer is over. that is what matters. Up next? harvest party prep. whoa nelly. Peace!