The Florida Whitakers

Claire is 4!

2011-12-26T18:56:00.000-06:00

Claire has been in a state of majestic exhiliration all day. She is the birthday girl, and boy howdy does she know it.

When I look back over the last year, I am amazed at how much Claire has grown. In the past year, she has gained so much self control. She is still quite a drama queen at times, but she knows how to control herself more and more. I am so proud of the way she is learning to deal with her emotions in a productive way. She is learning to focus more on other people, and prioritize other people. She has been such a great big sister over this past year. Mostly, I'm amazed at how much her understanding of God has grown. Last year, her prayers were adorable gobbledegook. Now she understands so much about God's nature and his work, and I think she is really growing in her love for the Lord. I am so glad to see it all, and am praying for anther wonderful year.

Claire had her favorite sticky bun breakfast, and her favorite mac-n-cheese dinner. She requested a castle cake, and I ambitiously decided to make fondant from scratch and assemble a 3-D palace, even though I'd never touched fondant in my life before. Ambitious? Yes. Misguided? Absolutely. The cake was a wreck. But at least there was enough beauty for a 4-year old's eyes.

This year, I decided to interview Claire. It's so much fun to discover what's going on in her little brain!

Claire at 4:
1. Favorite color - pink & purple
2. Favorite food - macaroni and cheese, cake, colors pasta, and bacon.
3. Favorite dessert - cake and brownies and ice cream, lollipops
4. Favorite friend - Anna Christine
5. Favorite play activity - playing princess (dress-up), dolls
6. Favorite fruit - watermelon
7. Favorite vegetable - salad

8. What do you want to be when you grow up?
I want to be a mama and do lots of things like working in the kitchen and driving places.
9. What are you most excited about for this upcoming year?
Turning 5.
10. What is your favorite Bible story?
Nicodemus and also baby Jesus being born.
11. What kinds of things are scary to you?
Monsters and the darkness when you go outside.
12. Who makes you laugh?
Papa Dan
13. What is something that you're really good at?
Painting, playing playdough, drawing pictures, taking care of babies...
14. What is something that's difficult for you to do?
Things that make me very destructive, then I need Daddy's help.
15. Who do you want to marry when you grow up?
Daddy. Maybe Isaac.
16.Where do you want to live when you grow up?
In North Carolina.
15.What is something that you love about God?
I'm so happy he was born in a manger. He loves me and I love him!

Eve's Birthday, part 2

2011-10-06T10:32:00.000-05:00

Birthday the Second took place when we got back from Hawaii, at Dad and Deonni's house. This go round was pretty different. Everyone wanted to be more involved, including the older kids. Eve was much more excited about the singing, and I don't even need to tell you how she liked the cake. The pictures speak for themselves :). Maybe it's because of the chocolate.

Eve's 12 month stats are: 21 lbs (70%), 29" (70%), and 93% head. We're the brainy type :). Here's to many more happy, healthy birthdays, sweetie!

Happy Birthday, Eve!

2011-10-06T10:26:00.000-05:00

Vance had a work conference in Hawaii at the end of September that left me with a conundrum: to go to a tropical paradise with my man, or to stay with my kids at home and be there for my baby's birthday? If you guessed that I would stay home, you probably overestimate my maternal devotion :).

We had a wonderful, wonderful time in Hawaii (more on that later), but I had to deal with my mommy guilt in some way. I also had to find a way to deal with a birthday in the midst of Vance's fatigue and all our travels. The solution? Two birthdays! Round One was at the Whitaker's house.

As we sang Happy Birthday, Eve looked a little shell-shocked. You could tell she wasn't sure she wanted quite so much attention. She was mesmerized by the birthday candle, but didn't quite know what to do with the cake. She gingerly touched the icing, but eventually tried the "all in" approach in an effort to keep her fingers cleaner. It only lasted a few minutes, though, and then she wanted to be done. She really surprised me! I thought she was going to really go for it.

I can't believe my littlest one is a year old. She's gained 3 new teeth in the last week, and has started to stand uncertainly on her own, but isn't quite ready for that first step. She is a talkative one, and I think we have another comedienne in the family...she loves to do silly things to make us laugh! I haven't been able to stop kissing her sweet cheeks since we've been back, and I'm glad she still lets me cuddle her so much. Slow down, baby girl!

Updates

2011-09-16T12:14:00.001-05:00

Isaac:
At the end of August, Isaac started Kindergarten! As you can see, he was beyond excited to go. Four weeks later, he still is. This "where should Isaac go to school?" question has been a long and very involved decision for us. We both have strong homeschooling roots, although I also went to public and a private school growing up. There are a lot of things that I love about homeschooling, but I have always been of the persuasion that any decision about my children's education should involve a lot of prayer and a willingness to follow whatever course seemed the best for them and the family as a whole.

Obviously education is another one of those hot topics, particularly within evangelical Christian circles. I am not going to expound on my philosophy of education here, except to say that this is an area of Christian freedom that requires great discernment. Regardless of the education we choose for our children, we as parents are responsible to educate and train our children in the Lord. That means a lot of time and involvement, whether at the kitchen table or in our children's classrooms. It also means a lot of observation on our part, to see how are children are processing their education, and how it's impacting their hearts. I don't know what we'll end up doing with our kids long-term, but we are open to pursuing whatever direction the Lord leads us.

I have been encouraged by the increasing diversity I've seen on this front. I know some families who are homeschooling that I would never have pictured doing so...and families who are sending their children to public and private schools that I would have pegged as "the homeschool type". Vive la difference!

It has definitely been a change of pace around here, but we're adjusting. We were able to "choice" into one of the top elementary schools in the county. Our friend teaches there, and we were able to request a Christian teacher. So far we've been very happy, and so has Isaac.

Claire:
One of the reasons we put Isaac in public school this year was so that I could have more focused time to concentrate on Claire. She is the middle child now, you know :). With Isaac being the loud, gregarious, leader-type, we felt that she needed increased one-on-one time. I think it has been so helpful for her. She is really blooming lately. She really wants to have my attention the whole time Isaac is away, so we have been playing a lot of games, doing "school", and talking lots and lots. She is growing up so fast, and is more and more of a help to me. I realized recently that I haven't heard her call green beans "bean beans" or her bathing suit "baby soup" in probably a year and a half. But she's becoming more willing to talk to strangers now that Isaac isn't here to cover for her. I have been really enjoying my Claire time!

Eve:
It didn't take long after she started crawling for Eve to become a cruiser. She's pulling up on anything and everything, and I expect to see her walking soon after her birthday. She is showing signs of becoming something of a fastidious eater, although I think maybe the other kids did the same. She thinks Isaac is the funniest person alive, and to watch her pump out the belly laughs while Isaac performs his very-5-year-old humor is good for the soul. She is sleeping better these days, and seems to have adjusted to our new school schedule without much of a hitch. I don't know what I'd do without my sweet baby for snuggles!

Us:
Well, we're still here. The last two weeks have been pretty hard, and I feel like I'm running on empty. It is truly the kindness of God that Vance has to go to Hawaii for work and that we made the decision months ago for me to come. Initially I felt like it was too expensive for me to go, but I am SO glad we opted to buy me a plane ticket anyway. Frankly, I'm exhausted, and heartsick from so many months of hoping and praying and yearning for this man I love to be healthy again. I know this trip isn't going to fix anything, but it comes as a sweet mercy when I feel the need for a reprieve. I can't wait to feel that sand between my toes!

Signs of the Times

2011-08-21T21:38:00.000-05:00

Isaac has spent the last day or so labeling everything in the house. I fully expect to wake up tomorrow morning with a "MAMA" sign taped on my forehead. When he is labeling the trees in the yard by their Latin genus and species, we'll know he's approaching an obsession. He's his daddy's boy...a scientist who wants to find a category for everything.

I refuse to intervene and correct his spelling (unless, of course, he asks me). It'll be over before I know it, and I'll be asking him about the "I before E" rules. I will mourn on the day he starts to put spaces in between his words, and it looks like that day is just around the corner.

Neat Freak

2011-08-21T21:24:00.000-05:00

My kids have always been messy eaters. The hose-down-the room-after-every-meal kind. I have lots of documentation from Isaac & Claire's respective high chair days. Eve, not so much. She's just not the type to put alfredo sauce in her hair or yogurt in her thigh rolls. Tonight we had our traditional Sunday smoothies, and this is about as messy as she gets, so I figured I should take at least a few pictures. Proof that she can be (a little) messy.

I haven't made much popcorn since Vance has gone on his new diet--actually, no popcorn in the last 2 months--so Eve had never had any (don't worry, we crumble it up). You would have thought we'd handed her the moon.

Landscaping

2011-08-08T14:30:00.000-05:00

Have you heard the saying, "The cobbler's wife has no shoes, and the doctor's wife dies young"? I like to add, "and the landscaper's wife has no yard." (However, my friends have called me out on that one, because the breeder's wife does indeed have strawberries :).

We took a step in the right direction on Saturday. Vance felt well enough to make a Home Depot run on Saturday, and he came back with about 10 foundation plants. Isaac could not wait, and since Vance wasn't feeling the best, he took an advisory role and let his wife do the actual installation. He acted all surprised to see me shoveling--I reminded him that I am also proficient with a pickaxe. So watch out, all you people.

Isaac was in charge of fertilizing and spreading mulch. Vance was in charge of critiquing. I was in charge of the gruntwork. Eve was in charge of soil sampling. We all had fun!

A Little R&R

2011-08-04T10:27:00.000-05:00

Thanks to some very gracious friends of ours, we were able to spend a couple of days at their condo near Fort de Soto Beach. It was so fun!

You know how, when you're in charge, suddenly vacation seems almost like too much work to be worth it? Isn't it sad that adulthood can almost talk you out of having fun sometimes? With three little kids and a sick husband, I had a hard time getting a vision for a 2-day vacation. It was going to be longer, but Vance wasn't feeling well enough to go for the first day. There were many times while I was getting everything ready that I was struggling with self-pity. It's just hard to have to do everything sometimes...or at least that's the way I felt. And it is true that these days, if it's going to be done, it's going to be me doing it. It's a battle most days.

But as I was standing in the Gulf holding my baby, looking back to the white sandy beach where my children were happily playing, I had to repent of my skewed vision. Yes, we have trials we are facing. But in the grand scheme of things, we are so blessed. It's one thing to ask for the mercy of relief and healing. I do countless times a day. But it is quite another thing to be so blinded by the difficulty of life that I cease to marvel at the mercies he is continually giving. God save me from myself.

And while I look forward to the day that I am not trying to pack, clean, load the car, take care of the kids, AND simultaneously look cute enough in a sundress to go out for dinner, it was so worth it. :)

Eve needed a bit of convincing that the beach was fun, but she warmed up. Crawlers sure do get sand everywhere!

My favorite part of the trip...grilling out at the beach for dinner and walking back to the water for the sunset...

an update on Vance

2011-07-27T14:48:00.000-05:00

It's been too long since I've reported on Vance's health: that's left those of you who are so faithfully praying with us hanging. I'm sorry about that. Here's a bit of an update.

About 6 weeks ago we put Vance on the GAPS diet to try and relieve some symptoms of his chronic fatigue. We also kicked up his "exercise" regimen into a no-matter-how-I-feel priority, and worked harder on the insomnia front. Within four or five days we saw noticeable improvement, and since mid-June he has been working pretty much full time. Praise God! For about a month, he had enough energy to play with the kids after work, was increasing the intensity of his exercise, and even started mowing the lawn again. As he described it, some of the low points in his illness have brought him to about 30% of normal. Lately he's been more like 85%. That's a pretty huge change.

At least it was, up until a week and a half ago. He had been feeling well for several weeks, and was feeling well enough to do some yard work. He was encouraged at how energetic he felt, and he did more than he should have. The bummer with CFS is that the recovery period from one afternoon of overdoing it is brutally long. Weeks, even. It's so discouraging, especially because I think we were both feeling that maybe he was done with the worst of it, and on the way to recovery. Chronic fatigue just doesn't give you much room for error when it comes to limits.

Our friends Yesupadam and Monika came over yesterday for lunch (so grateful for overseas friends who travel to us!), and they took the opportunity to pray with us for Vance's healing. Obviously we've been praying daily for healing, but as we prayed together Vance and I both felt a new level of faith that God would bring restoration to his body soon. We were also both impressed that this is an issue of spiritual warfare. I think in the spiritual culture I'm in, we pay more attention to the tempations of sin and self than to external foes like the devil. Generally speaking, that is probably fine...but Satan is still our adversary, and one we are commanded to actively resist.

After we laid hands on him, Vance felt significantly better, and has continued to. He's not completely healed yet, but I am waiting in expectation, even as I am so thankful for all the healing that God has thus far granted. Please pray with us!

Did we in our own strength confide
Our striving would be losing
Were not the right man on our side
The man of God's own choosing.
Dost ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is he
Lord Sabaoth his name,
From age to age the same
And he shall win the battle.
~ M. Luther

Evie at 10 months

2011-07-27T14:05:00.000-05:00

Look how I found Eve when I came to get her from her morning nap! All smiles and getting herself into a sitting position by herself for the first time.

At 10 months, Evie has finally hit the, "Hello, trouble" stage. She started crawling a week ago (3 months later than the other two), but she was a quick study after her delayed start. Within a day she was moving from room to room. I did enjoy having her stationary for so long, and I wasn't really encouraging her to crawl, but I think mobility is making her a happier baby. She's able to get what she wants now.

She hasn't really added any new words to her vocabulary, but she has waving down to a science now. She is sleeping better, which is wonderful. She and Claire like having a room together, and just like with the Isaac/Claire combo, having two kids in one room just hasn't been the Armageddon I dreaded.

This girl has pretty much given up baby foods for good, and I think she's going to be a foodie. She likes all the cheeses she's tried so far (even blue!), and cries when she runs out. She demands to receive the same food that we do, which made for some emotional drama when I denied her a chocolate chip cookie (It was my first time with this recipe, and it was pretty awesome). I am already thinking about how fun it is going to be to watch her eat cake, just two short months from now...

Sunday Lovin

2011-07-03T20:37:00.000-05:00

We had such a lovely Sunday. It was one of those days where both Vance and I just really enjoyed being with the kids all day long. (That sounds bad, but if you're a parent, I think you know what I mean). Evie has started waving and saying "Dada" over the last couple of days. She also made up for her cutting-teeth fussiness by being a perfect angel all day today.

Just look at those pudgy little arms.

I need to get a better picture of Isaac and Eve together...I think they look so much alike.

Claire wanted to be in a picture, but was making crazy faces the whole time, so this is what I have.

Evie at 9 Months

2011-07-01T14:55:00.000-05:00

In the midst of all the busyness that life is right now, it's been a bit hard to find the time to blog. Mostly it seems I'm spending my "free time" culturing yogurt, simmering broth, and figuring out what Vance can eat when. I should have spent more time catching up when the kids were away. But more on all that later... :)

Evie is 9 months old! Her checkup at the doctor yielded these stats--she weighs in at 18lbs (48%), and is 71% for length and 98% in head circumference. This girl was built for brains, not speed, apparently. That is proving true in real life as well. The other two kids were crawling at 7 months. Eve has had no interest in such things until the last couple days...only recently have I seen her really going anywhere. She doesn't really like being on her hands and knees, so she does a lot of scooching. But she's crossed the line from immobile to slowly somewhat mobile, and it's only a matter of weeks before she's on her way.

Moving isn't really her forte, but talking is! She is an incessant babbler, and last week she debuted her first word: "Mama"! I was beyond proud. Isaac's first word was "duck", and Claire said "Dada", so I was really pulling for my place in the lineup. And I scored! She says "Mama" all the time now, when I walk into the room, or when she's looking at me. She says "Dada" too, but never when he asks her to. Hmm...

I think she has also become my Most Complimented Baby. I don't know what's average, but I assume that all mothers get bombarded with the usual, "Your children are so adorable!" stuff. Almost all kids are cute, and people want something to say, so it's pretty natural. But I think Eve takes the cake! I have had 5-7 people stop me per store to tell me how beautiful she is at times, an older lady told me that Eve was as cute as her grandkids (!!), and a mom at the gym said that Evie was the most beautiful baby she had ever seen. Of course I agree! I think her blond hair really gets people going.

Eve is showing a little more "personality" these days, as they say. Some of that is due to the two teeth she is cutting in right now, poor thing. She is a die-hard cheese fiend, and will spit other food out if she gets cheese first, throwing a little hissy fit for more. She loves food of all kinds, and eats a ton. She can be very violent, and I have been pinched, bitten, and generally torn to shreds by her exuberant curiosity lately. But even with a little bit more spunk lately, she's still my sweet, easy-going girl.

Toward a Diagnosis

2011-05-30T21:20:00.003-05:00

I know some of you have been waiting and wondering about the results of Vance's doctor's appointment last week. I am sorry it's taken me so long to update. Things are just busy around here, and it's hard for me to get more than a minute or two together that aren't already spoken for by someone or something.

We went to see an Infectious Disease specialist at USF on Thursday. Unlike Vance's other doctor appointments, we felt like this one was actually helpful. The good news is that Vance does not have a life-threatening diseases. He doesn't have hepatitus or cancer. His blood tests have come back beautifully, ruling out autoimmune disease, adrenal failure, and other possible infections. The doctor also said that he's sure Vance does NOT have CMV.

So we're left with ... chronic fatigue. They don't really know what causes it, don't have a cure, and can't really treat it. It can last anywhere from a few months to the rest of your life. It can be mild, severe, or debilitating. As best I understand it, CFS seems to be the result of an immune system that just won't shut off. His body is running in overdrive all the time. Basically, the doctor told us that there was no one he could refer us to, and nothing traditional allopathic medicine could do for us. He told us to check out homeopathic medicine and dietary changes, and gave us the name of a doctor who uses some alternative treatment methods for CFS and Lyme disease.

In many, many ways, we've felt very relieved after Vance's appointment. It is, of course, unnerving that chronic fatigue doesn't have a cure or even a standard trajectory. The internet is my enemy here, since it is the outlet for the embittered and malcontents of the medical world. Start searching for information on chronic fatigue and it's all too easy to envision the future with Vance in a semi-vegetative state for the rest of his life.

I was initially feeling overwhelmed and discouraged as we drove home. I kept wondering, "What are we going to do if this doesn't go away?" But that evening, I was overwhelmed with a sense of peace and faith about all of this. We are back to where we were before Vance's "diagnosis": waiting for God to raise him up. I am content to be in that place. I believe that God will heal him, and while we will do everything we can to help him recover, we are ultimately and finally dependent on him to come.

So where do we go from here? We're still working that out. I'm going to be putting Vance on the GAPS diet first. It's often been used to help children with autism, adhd, and developmental delays, but it's a diet that has been helpful for people with UC, Chron's, IBS, autoimmune issues, Lyme's disease, and chronic fatigue. The purpose of the diet is to heal and reduce stress on the digestive system, which is closely linked to the immune system (70% of your immune system is located in your GI tract). I don't know if it will help. I know it's not going to be particularly fun in the beginning stages, but at this point I would spoon-feed Vance an elephant if I thought it would make a difference.

After that, who knows? Researching alternative treatments for CFS feels a bit like walking into a crowded room and shouting, "Who wants my money!?" Everyone has a corner on this market, and it's very difficult to know who is really able to help and who is a quack. And many of you know that my very intelligent, very scientific husband likes treatment backed by scholarly research and peer-reviewed journal articles.

The past two weeks have been particularly difficult, but I have been overwhelmed with blessings in the last four days. Vance has been feeling a good bit better, we had a good friend visit from MN, our friend Dave took Isaac and Claire out for a wonderful 4.5 hours on Saturday (and came back with flowers for me and Gatorade for Vance :), another friend sent us dinner on Sunday, and Dave came back today to mow our lawn and blow the leaves off our roof (thank you, thank you, Dave!). Someone prayed for us last week that the kids would be obedient and peaceful during this time--they've been playing dog and master since Friday for hours and hours. God is taking care of us, and we are beyond blessed.

Blood Tests and Other Mysteries

2011-05-19T21:46:00.003-05:00

I'm overdue for giving you all a Vance update, so here it is. I probably shouldn't be writing about this when I'm exhausted (like now), but c'est la vie.

Vance's second blood test came back positive for CMV. Blood tests can have false positives, but with two positive tests, I think it's safe to assume he's still fighting off cytomegalovirus. The blood was drawn almost a month ago at this point, and he's no better than he was in February. This week has been somewhat worse. Case in point: I had a (pretty tasty) black & blueberry pie on the counter, and he skipped it to go to bed last night. You know it's bad when your man doesn't want pie.

He has made an appointment to see an infectious disease specialist next Thursday, and we're assembling a battery of questions for said expert. In the meantime, the words "chronic fatigue syndrome" are being batted around occasionally here. It's always dangerous to self-diagnose with the help of the Internet, but he does have many of the symptoms. Since some people think chronic fatigue can be caused by a Candida overgrowth, I'm looking at putting him on the GAPS diet. It's strict, but if it would get him better, I'm totally game.

We're kind of settling in to a new routine with this illness...the kids are (a little) more understanding of Daddy's need to be in bed, and they don't swarm him as constantly as before. My martyr complex is definitely getting a beat down through all this, for which I'm grateful. Even so, managing our household is pretty solidly a 2-man operation, and I feel pretty wiped out by the end of the day. Lots of moms do this all the time...it's just that I've been spoiled for so long. But I'm getting a little tougher. I think :)

We're more aware than ever that God is the only one who can rescue--both right now and on the last day. He has always been faithful to us, and I see so much good he's working through these past months. Really, truly. But I'm ready for him to say "done!" Until that time, we'll pray for the faith to keep trusting.

Ana Maria Island

2011-05-18T20:54:00.000-05:00

Isaac has been begging for a beach trip for weeks now; last weekend Vance felt well enough to go, so we piled in the van for a lovely evening on the sand. I think we determined that it was Evie's 4th beach trip. It was the first time the water was warm enough for her to experience. She loved it! I hadn't planned on it being warm enough to swim, but the lack of proper attire didn't seem to bother her.

Isaac and Claire made some new friends, and were hard at work building walls and moats and such.

It was a beautiful evening.

Seven Months

2011-04-29T15:02:00.000-05:00

My cutie is seven months old...closer to one than a newborn. She celebrated the auspicious day by cutting a tooth. This is unaccountably exciting to me. It takes no talent to get a tooth, and as far as I know most every baby cuts them. And yet there I was, squealing to everyone who would listen about the new arrival.

We also celebrated her 7 month birthday by taking her into the pool. She was not really a fan. The water was 82 degrees, which is probably not warm enough for her discerning little self. Maybe we'll try again when it gets to 85 or so.

I noticed that she has been sleeping better in the last few days, and I wonder if her short naps were due to teething. I can never identify teething except in hindsight.

The girls are sharing sisterly confidences.

Everyone wanted to get in on the photo session. One day I will get a picture with all of them looking and smiling at the same time!

We are doing a bit better around here. Vance has had some more fatiguing days, as we expected, but the second half of the week has not been as exhausting as previous weeks. I started to get sick yesterday, but slept for 11 hours last night, and that seemed to stave it off. Thank goodness! Overall I think we're feeling a little more hopeful that Vance is (slowly) mending.

Thanks again for all your prayers and care--we have felt very loved by you all!

Vance: An Update

2011-04-26T14:26:00.002-05:00

Many of you have expressed your concern for Vance over the last few weeks--here's an attempt to fill you in on what's going on with him.

We are on week 6 or so of the relapse (or so we think), and about to hit the 3 month mark for the total virus run. It seems these days that Vance has several good days in a row (usually Mon-Wed), followed by the rest of the week in bed (usually Thurs--Sun, it seems). The well/sick periods don't seem to have any correlation to rest/sleep/eating habits, etc. Right now he's having one of his good days, and I have learned to just be thankful for those without expecting this to be the beginning of the end. We're both learning a lot of patience.

He went to see the immunologist last week, and that was very discouraging for me. Basically he told Vance, "On the scale of 1-10, you're a 10! Everything about you looks perfect. There's nothing wrong with you!" Except of course, there is. The immunologist even seemed skeptical about the CMV diagnosis, leading me to wonder if we were dealing with some dark horse disease that nobody knew about. It didn't help that after he went to the doctor, the rest of the week was pretty rough.

We decided to send him to his regular physician on Monday to get his blood drawn again. While the first titer indicated CMV, it takes a second test to confirm. If we know it's CMV, then at least we know what to do...wait. If it's not, then we start the search. His doctor said there was no obvious alternate diagnosis...in his words, if it's not CMV, figuring out what's wrong would be "like hunting zebras." I'm assuming zebras are hard to catch? :) At any rate, it will take a week or two for the test results to come back.

Last week was pretty difficult, I must say. I was exhausted, physically, emotionally and spiritually. I had all these expectations that weren't being met. I expected Vance to be making some sort of progress toward health. I expected the immunologist to be helpful. I expected the kids to understand that we were in emergency mode, and act like perfect little angels in consequence. All of those went unmet.

I have been fighting for faith, hope, joy, peace...but last week seemed to show more losses than wins. I felt like I was drowning in chaos, crying out to God and hearing only silence in return. In desperation, I have started to get up 45 minutes earlier so I can have a more profitable time with the Lord before everyone is up and the day is running away with itself. That has helped. But ultimately, the Holy Spirit has been comforting me and reminding me of my identity--not in my failures, but in Christ who is my "all in all".

Vance has been struggling somewhat with discouragement, weariness, etc...but overall he has been so patient and longsuffering through this whole process. He continues to express his trust in God in all the ups and downs. Amazing.

I'm still having difficult days (like today, when I'm starting to feel sickish myself--noooooo!), but my feet are touching bottom. Hiding myself in Christ is feeling more like a reality, less like mere words. And that is worth everything.

Rock of Ages, cleft for me
Let me hide myself in Thee
Let the water and the blood
From Thy wounded side which flowed
Be of sin the double cure
Save from wrath and make me pure.

Happy Easter

2011-04-26T14:18:00.001-05:00

Sunday was the best day of the year. I did not really understand that until I became an adult, but now Resurrection Sunday (as my mom so rightly insisted) is my favorite holiday. I think I've said that before.

This year I celebrated by bouncing babies and rocking infants and changing diapers. You should have seen me trying to get everyone into their Easter finery, putting a hot cross bun and a banana into each sleepy hand, and piling them all in the car by 7:45! Vance stayed home until the second service so he could rest, which partly explains why this Easter shot of the kids is so haphazard (and this is the "best" one I got!). It doesn't really show off the heirloom dresses that Granny smocked for us girls growing up, but it does show that we were alive and well, at least. I didn't have an assistant for this one...and Isaac let Eve roll into the dirt afterwards :(. Fortunately she wasn't hurt in the slightest, and didn't even cry.

I'm working on taking some shots to enlarge for our very undecorated church nursery...and I got one halfway good one of Evie :)

I had a lot to be grateful for on Sunday. Firstly, the resurrection--Christ's and mine. Secondly, that Vance was well enough to come to church and enjoy the rest of the day with us instead of in bed. Thirdly, friends to come over and celebrate with good food, lots of little kid chaos, and fun in the pool. Fourthly, for my very comfortable bed that I crashed into by 10pm :).

Family Shoot

2011-04-17T16:48:00.001-05:00

Everyone wanted to be a photographer this morning! Here's my picture.

Vance's work.

Isaac's picture.

And Claire's. You should have seen Claire try to shoot a camera approximately as large as her torso! So funny :)

Our Strawberry Girls

2011-04-17T16:45:00.001-05:00

Their first matching outfits are, appropriately, strawberry dresses. I tried to get a few shots before church this morning.

"Behold, the baby!"

Eve & Great Grandma

2011-04-16T22:30:00.001-05:00

These are the pictures I meant to post last time...not sure why they didn't show up. I meant to get some more of Eve with her 2 other great-grandmothers when we were in NC, but I didn't check my camera battery before we left. Phooey on me.

Aren't they so cute together?

Thanks for coming, Grandma. We love you!

6 Months

2011-04-14T14:22:00.001-05:00

Well, I'm a bit behind, and my baby is really 6.5 months. Close enough, right? :) These pictures, however, were taken right at 6 months. My grandmother, grandfather, aunt, and 3-year old cousin came for a visit before my other cousin's wedding. It was so fun to see my mom's side of the family. We don't see enough of them...maybe one of these days we'll have to plan the family road trip extraordinaire and get all the way up to PA.

Eve got her 6 month checkup this week, and she has clocked in as a petite wee thing. Except for her head...apparently she's got mine :/ Length: 26 in" (42%) Weight: 15 lbs (22%) Head: 17.5" (94%) Since I'm pretty sure that she doesn't really belong in the 22nd percentile, we're beefing up her feedings a little. Seeing her weight drop in the curve always makes me nervous, but at this point I'm doing all I can to keep my supply up. I'm just not one of those powerhouse mamas with milk to spare, I guess. Unlike many of my friends :) At 6 months, Eve is adept at sitting, and she is so stinkin proud of herself for this accomplishment. She will often sit without toys, just grinning at anyone coming near her. She is starting to reach for EVERYTHING, and I predict she will be active like her predecessors. Crazily enough, she has skipped rolling from back to front. She has no interest in doing so whatsoever. My pediatrician doesn't seem concerned. She has also decided to make naptime a battle, which is disappointing, to say the least. Things are improving, but she is no longer taking that blissful 3-hour afternoon nap. I guess I shouldn't have expected it to last :). She is talking a lot these days, still gives her biggest smiles to her brother and sister, and loves to be held 24/7. I cannot believe you have been with us for half a year, sweet girl! We can't imagine life without you and your smiles.

Alive

2011-04-12T21:12:00.003-05:00

It's been about a month since I've posted. And we are still alive. But it's been a rough patch.

Early on in February, Vance had some weird virus...if you were at the kids' birthday party, you might have noticed that Vance spent a good part of the party hiding in the bedroom. That's kind of how the last two months have been...Vance collapsing in bed every free second there is, and me trying to hold everything else together without succumbing into the pity parties I am unfortunately prone to.

That sounds really bad, and I don't mean to make it more dramatic than it is. Much of life looks somewhat normal. Vance still holds babies and functions on a basic level, so it's not like he's an invalid. He even had a week or two that felt pretty normal in the middle there, but I think he worked himself into the ground at that point, and the relapse (if that's what it is) has been worse than the initial virus. His doctor diagnosed him with a different strain of CMV than he had four years ago. It's a relative of mono.

Adding insult to injury, we both got the stomach flu two weeks ago, right after a slew of company. It was the first time we had ever been sick together. It was pretty pathetic--both of us shivering in bed with 104 temperatures. We were so desperate we had to call some friends to come to our contagion-filled house to take the kids for the morning. They came in looking like a HAZMAT team with their masks on :). Thank God for friends, especially when family is a day's drive away. We muddled through, but I think that second virus pretty much stripped Vance of his last reserves.

With all that, Vance was unable to fly to Spain/Italy for his work trip. I was able to get everything together so we could at least spend a week in NC for a little R&R. Vance got a lot more rest in than he does around here--as hard as I try, life with 3 kids ages 5 and under is just not the most peaceful environment! All that rest didn't get him where we had hoped, though, and he's still dragging.

So you can pray with us that this virus would end. Soon. And that we would both fight the discouragement and fears that creep up. Vance's doctor recommended that he see an immunologist to try to get to the bottom of this mysterious thing. So we're going to take that next step. But our real (only!) hope is Jesus, our advocate and healer.

Thanks for praying.

First Food

2011-03-14T09:37:00.001-05:00

One of the things I've done differently with baby #3 is to jump into cloth diapers. Isn't it funny how cloth diapers were so passe after disposables came in, and now they're all the rage? How can something that holds baby poo be chic? I'm still not sure about that one :).

I had considered cloth diapering when I was pregnant with Isaac, but paying $1 wash/$1 dry quickly nixed that idea. I was reluctant to begin anything that would mean more work for me this time around. However, my kids have had significant diaper rash issues, and I wanted to see if cloth would help their bottoms. Let me tell you, I am sold. Evie has had NO diaper rash...it's been such a relief. I'm not sure if I would have taken the leap without that skin incentive, but I've been so pleased at how easy they are...and having virtually no blow-outs is a definite plus.

Vance talked me into letting Eve start solids this week. Being lazy (and using cloth diapers this time), I wasn't too eager to get going, but I admit that it is really fun to see her try new foods. She started out with sweet potatoes with a healthy swirl of good butter. And a little salt. People, it's better for her that way...and who would want to eat veggies without butter? Not me, for sure.

Still trying to decipher the flavor profile.

Not sold on the mouth feel.

I think she's a true Whitaker child. Despite her suspicious face, she took to food like a duck to water. The first 8 spoonfuls or so she was still getting the hang of swallowing, but she loved it. I gave her avocado the other day, and she likes that, too. Next thing I know, she's going to be fighting me for my steak.

Morning Magic

2011-03-10T16:29:00.000-06:00

I am not a morning person. Many of you know this.

But I do enjoy the mornings when Evie gets up (a little) earlier than the rest of the crew. We get to cuddle in bed and she bats her hands around happily in the air. She also smiles at me, which is what makes it so fun.

Oh look! Little Miss Bedhead is up! She's pretty fun, too. Looks like it's time to move on to the crazy/busy part of our day :)

Beach at Sunset

2011-03-06T20:16:00.000-06:00

Today after church we crashed at a friend's house, and then went to the beach after naptime. We've been here a year and a half, and this was our first time at the beach at sunset. It's my favorite time of day at the beach, and I can't believe we hadn't done this yet. It was so beautiful. Isaac saw the boats out in the sunset, and his first question was, "Are those pirates?" Vance looked at me and said, "I'm going to be so sad when I don't hear questions like that anymore."

Me too.

It was a little chilly and windy, which I wasn't expecting, so after our walk Isaac spent a lot of time under the blanket.

Mom always said when we went camping that she thought, "Why are we doing this?" as she went through all the work of packing. Once we were actually camping, though, she rediscovered why it was worth the work. Today was like that for me. I didn't want to be up after midnight getting our lives organized enough to be gone all day, but once we were at the beach, it didn't matter anymore.

I think when the weather gets a little warmer, we'll grill out at the beach for dinner some evening. Who's coming?

More Fun in the Kitchen

2011-03-05T14:55:00.000-06:00

If you know Claire, then you won't be surprised that she was ready to jump in the cooking action today. We packed a lunch to take to the park, and Claire was in charge of shredding the cheese. It took maybe 15 minutes, but she loved every minute of it. And felt so proud of her little self.

I let Isaac help me chop the carrots, but it takes a bit of pressure, and he needed help. He could manage the strawberries with a paring knife, though, and he was very careful. You can see that he's working on his proper form, but doesn't have it down yet. He is trying to curl his fingers, though.

That was a carefully packed lunch, let me tell you. Made with pride in the U.S.A.

Achievements

2011-03-04T14:25:00.002-06:00

Today I inducted Isaac into the culinary world. Appropriately for us, we started with PB&J.

I was inspired last night after reading one mom's food blog...she lets her 3 and 8 year olds do everything in the kitchen with her...chopping, peeling, you name it. She has pictures on her blog of her 3 year old with a 9" Henckel's. I'm not quite ready to give my knives to Claire, but I realized that Isaac was ready for a little more responsibility. And he was. I sliced the bread, but he assembled the sandwiches, washed the grapes, and I gave him his first knife lesson. I held his hand and we sliced red peppers together. It was fun, and the proud look on his face as he served up lunch was priceless.

I think tomorrow I'm going to teach him how to scramble eggs. My goal is to retire from the kitchen by 2012.

Here is Claire's new accomplishment:

I'm sure that's a pretty normal drawing for a 3 year old, but it's not normal around here. I'm no artist, and Isaac is too much of a perfectionist to get out there and try. So this is the first human sketch I have received from a child of mine. Not too shabby! She actually drew one on the Magna Doodle with recognizable appendages, but she erased it before I could get my hands on it.

It's so fascinating how different personalities make way for different abilities. Isaac is careful, and has an eye for perfection. Blessing and a curse, I say. Claire is eager, and ready to try ("All by myself!") and keep trying. Her threshold of frustration is much higher. Again, it's a blessing and a curse.

And Evie? She did roll over at nap time two days ago, and she is an expert at toe nibbling. Everyone has their level.

New Habit

2011-02-24T08:43:00.000-06:00

I've caught Evie sucking her fingers like this several times in the last few days. How cutely uncomfortable does that look?! If these end up being her fingers of choice, she will have flipped Isaac's version (He sucked his 3rd and 4th fingers too, but the other way around). Claire was my classic thumbsucker. We'll see.

Oops.

2011-02-23T21:44:00.000-06:00

I ordered some spillproof paint cups so the kids could use the paint Nana gave them. Papa Dan and Noni gave them the easel last year, so it was a group effort getting them painting. They are having a blast with it.

In the above photo you will notice that Claire's hair is *ahem* quite short. It all started when I found a lock of hair on the bathroom floor one morning. Claire had cut herself some bangs the day before, and I hadn't really noticed. They didn't look half bad--I found myself thinking her hair was waving a bit more than normal on one side. I was grateful, all things considering...cutting your own hair seems to be some sort of girl rite of passage, and at least she had the sense not to cut at the roots.

So really it's my fault, not hers. It looked a little jagged, so I thought I'd fix that. Then I thought I'd just trim it up a little. Since I'm more of a "get in there and have at it" kind of person than a "let's measure and be careful and do this right" kind of person, I just whipped out those scissors and fearlessly started shearing. I started in the back so it would be even, and forgot to check the length in front. Eeek! I was so mad at myself when I saw her bob was about an inch shorter than it should be! What do I do? Just let it grow out or take her to a (real) stylist and get it layered up? It would be even shorter then, but maybe she wouldn't look like she stepped out of the 40s with a too-short bob. I'm so irritated at myself...

Claire doesn't even know. But Claire, when you're a teenager, please be understanding. And merciful.

And hey, look, they really do love their paints! :)

Mama, Where Do Words Come From?

2011-02-21T14:41:00.000-06:00

I took these pictures almost exactly 2 years ago at the Como Conservatory, when I was dying for a bit of color and life. Fast forward to today, where I'm hoping it doesn't get too warm too fast, and I'm wondering when I'm going to have to cave and turn on the AC!

Look how little they were :)

Although I have two children dedicated to the idea of being farmers when they grow up, Isaac and Claire are starting to dabble in etymology. Who knows...I may have some budding linguists (although their precision is not as notable as their enthusiasm at this point).

1) On the way home from church yesterday, Claire asks, "Mama, what does 'patter' mean?" I replied by making the sound on my lap. "That's what patter means, honey." I thought it was a strange question, but I've had stranger. Then Isaac pipes in. "Mama, what does 'sin' mean?" I said, "Isaac, you know what sin means! What is it?" He said, "It's disobeying God." There was a little silence, and then I heard him mumur, "'Patter-sin'.... 'Patterson'! " I laughed and tried to correct him, but I should have just left him thinking that our friends the Pattersons were extreme reprobates. Who knows? He still might be thinking that :)

2) The kids got little catapults in their Sonic kids' meals (by the way, why do people even like Sonic? I was not impressed). Isaac is now calling it his 'favorite toy'. When Vance mentioned that it was called a 'catapult', Isaac said, "Yeah, because it's so heavy that cattle have to pull it!"

Whatever it takes for it to make sense in his little world, I guess!

Morning at the Park

2011-02-19T14:27:00.001-06:00

Have I mentioned how wonderful Florida is in February? I think Feb went from one of my least favorite months to one of the best. We went with Nana and Papa to the park up the street, and Isaac and Claire spent a good chunk of time flying as high as they could. They're starting to learn the concept of pumping, but this time they let the adults do all the work.

Nana got some giggles out of Eve.

After the park, we went to one of the kids' fave restaurants: "Chicken Fir Lay". The other favorite would be any restaurant serving pasta :).

We sent the family home with strawberries, citrus, and some mutant lettuce Vance was growing at the Center (seriously, that lettuce was so well fertilized that the heads were about 20" tall!). Now that they're gone, it's back to the to-do list for me...painting doors and the patio table, repainting the dining room, finding some (cheap?free?) art for Isaac's room, making an upholstered headboard, and doing some research on kindergarten for next year. I must have the spring fever urge to get stuff done, and I better roll with it for as long as it lasts...

Choose Your Favorite

2011-02-17T16:36:00.000-06:00

Sunday was a sick day...Vance was down for the count, and wasn't going to church. I was supposed to be "serving the babies" as Claire says, in the nursery. But around 5am, I woke up with a horrid pinch in my back/side, and then really bad cramping. I could barely sit still long enough to nurse, and it got worse afterward. Vance prayed for me, but I just could not get comfortable. After a shower failed to help, and the only manageable position was squatting, I decided to go look up appendicitis. Vance asked what I was doing, and said, "I'll go look that up for you." As he was leaving the bedroom, he put his hands on my shoulders, and I rested my head on his. Immediately all my pain was gone. I didn't believe it at first, and after he left the room I started moving all around, checking to see if there was any pain. None. It was really amazing--God was so gracious. I've been struggling with various doubts and fears lately, and it felt like a great comfort from the Lord to be reminded of his direct intervention and care. And I got to go serve the babies after all :).

Before I left for church, I took these of Eve. I think one of them is going on the wall, but the jury is still out on which is the best. I think the middle one. You?

Craft Time

2011-02-17T16:29:00.000-06:00

For their birthdays, Nana and Papa gave the kids a box of craft stuff. They have been busy ever since, and I've ben pretty impressed with their creations. Thank you, Nana and Papa!

In the Sink

2011-02-07T20:16:00.000-06:00

If you happen to be an undeniably sweet four month old, and you hardly ever fuss except when you're left alone, you may find yourself in some strange places. Eve sometimes has a hard time letting me leave the room to get my makeup on, and when I tried the sink option today, I knew I had a winner. She loved it!

Evie at Four Months

2011-01-27T14:27:00.001-06:00

Look who's four months old today! She marked the occasion by discovering her voice yesterday. She has been talking up a storm since then...and she is loud! I think I may have another extrovert on my hands :) I was saying the other day how wild it would be if Evie was our easygoing, laid-back child. But I don't think we make those babies around here! I don't think we'll really know until this girl is walking.

She also rolled over two weeks ago, and once again this past week, but I don't think it counts, since she was on my bed. I think it's easier there. She has her weigh in on Tuesday, but I'm pretty sure she's going to clock in healthy. Granny is here right now, and she can't get over Evie Lynn's sweetness. Which puts us all in the same boat, I guess!

Happy Birthday, Isaac!

2011-01-26T22:55:00.000-06:00

Isaac has been head-over-heels excited for his birthday since early December. Claire's birthday only heightened the frenzy. The night before his birthday he came out of his room at 11pm saying, "Is it morning yet?" When I said no, he said, "Is it ALMOST morning yet?" When I again said no, he said, "Do you have all my presents now?" One track mind, let me tell you.

Vance had to pull some strings to be here for breakfast this morning, but it was worth it, because Isaac was dead set on having his Daddy here for the beginning of his day. I'd say they both look a bit sleepy :)

Part of the birthday frenzy has been endless agonizing over his birthday cake. At first it was going to be a rocketship, then a giraffe, and finally, "a vanilla cake with white icing and gumdrops all over it." Suits me...it was much easier than a rocketship! I tried my hand at a true buttercream frosting, and let me say, it is delicious. I'm not much of a fan of sickly-sweet powdered sugar frostings, and this one allowed me to use my beloved palm sugar. Delish.

Granny and Merle came for Isaac's big dinner: salmon croquettes, homemeade mac n cheese, creamed spinach, and corn. What kind of kid asks for salmon and spinach for their birthday?! Not that I'm complaining. Just look at his face. He is reveling in every moment.

My little man is five now, and it's amazing how much he's grown up this year! He's learning to read, write, and cipher, and he's getting over the hump of perserverance when things aren't automatically perfect. He's really memorizing lots of Scripture these days. He is able to really help Vance around the yard now, and he is such a great big brother to his sisters (most of the time). He is still my snuggler, and I hope that never fades. Best of all, his thoughts about the Lord and his prayers are becoming so thoughtful and substantive. In so many ways, the oldest child defines the season of life for the family. He'll be taking us into the world of school and "big kids" this year. Even though I will always miss the little boy I've had, I'm even more excited about the growing boy I get to be with every day. It's an exciting world out there, and he can't wait to take it on.

Happy 5th birthday, my son! We love you!

Gasparilla

2011-01-26T22:32:00.000-06:00

We went to "The Pirate Parade" last weekend. For those of you who aren't from Tampa, this is our version of Mardi Gras, except the kid-friendly stuff happens one weekend, and the "adults-only" events occur on another. That works well for us.

This year was really fun, although cold. Yes, yes, I know you are sniggering at us. But it's all about the clothing, people! I don't tend to think FL can get much past "chilly", so I didn't dress Claire in anythimg more than a long sleeved shirt and a jean jacket. That wasn't enough for the 1.5 mile walk to the car and back, plus parade and the fun dinner party. She was a champ, though, and never complained through her blue, chattering lips. It was around 45 when we left, which is COLD for Floridians.

Shiver me timbers, it's the pirates, come to take over Tampa!

Finger Lickin Good

2011-01-26T22:25:00.000-06:00

This is what happens when "Can I help you make a chocolate mousse pie?" really means, "Can I lick the bowl?" which really means, "Can I spread chocolate all over my face, hair, and shirt?"

She loves chocolate. Why yes, we do share genes...why do you ask? :)

Look Alikes?

2011-01-23T20:57:00.000-06:00

This is an old one...Mom at (I'm guessing) around 3, sandwiched between Ellen and Leslie. Grandma, you must have been tired in those years :). I found this on my aunt's facebook page recently--see, Facebook really is good for something!--and stole it. It makes me smile.

Am I totally reaching, or does anyone else see a little of Claire in Mom's face? Regardless, they're both cute!

Overheard Today...

2011-01-12T14:15:00.004-06:00

Isaac, talking to Evie:

"This year, I'm going to have my twoth birthday, and Claire is going to have her oneth birthday!"

(Wrong on so many levels, buddy! And I don't know where this is coming from, since he knows his age and Claire's. Maybe those durn ordinal numbers are messing him up)

* * *

Claire, after going outside to play with the playdough she had left out overnight:
"Mama! (Dramatic pause to hit me with her horrified look) The play-playdough is DEAD!!!!"

(although she has left it out before, it usually doesn't dry out in our humid air)

***

Isaac had been worried over Vance leaving for the day...
Vance: "Guys, if you're worried, you don't have to freak out and start crying. You can just pray for me." (leaves)
Isaac: "God, I pray that you would take Daddy safely to work, and bring him home for lunchtime, please, so I can see him, then he can go back to work."
Claire: "God, I pray that you blessings to Daddy, and take him to the hospital, and help him to praise you, inJeeznameAmen."

(Apparently, Isaac needs a refresher course on "not my will but yours be done", and Claire needs to learn that the hospital is not the destination of choice for most people).

Just a few quotables from a day that's far from over. I wish I was better at getting them all down!

Baby and Me

2011-01-06T13:56:00.000-06:00

I realized that I have very few pictures with me and Evie. Isaac snapped this one of us. Perhaps next time I'll try when sleep deprivation isn't hitting me so hard. Or when I have some makeup on. Or when Evie doesn't look like she's about to sneeze. But it's a start.

Today I got 2 (!) happy comments from people at the grocery store. I don't know what it is about going to the grocery store, but I must have some invisible sign on saying, "Please make comments about me, my children, and my parenting." I cannot tell you how many times I've heard some variation on the theme of, "Wow, your hands are full!" or, "I don't know how you do it!" I suppose they are trying to be nice, but the tone of voice says something like, "Lady, you are crazy, and just looking at you makes me tired." Ultimately, I don't really care what random strangers in the store think, but comments like that don't really help me feel encouraged and valued. Let's just say that.

Lately, however, we have been attracting more encouraging (if still unoriginal) comments. Such as, "You have the cutest little children," or, "Your baby is so sweet!" or, "Cherish every second of it...they grow up so fast." One day, an older woman at the grocery store (see what I mean? It's always there!) even said, "I really admire you."

Dealing with the little ups and downs of our day somehow felt a little easier after that. Certainly better than having, "you have your hands full!" ringing in my ears.

Tuesday in the Backyard

2011-01-04T13:42:00.001-06:00

Today I caught a couple shots of the kids. Look at this one of Isaac...now I know what he'll look like at 15. Isn't that crazy when a person's older self (or sometimes younger self) flashes across their face? It always catches me by surprise.

Today an elderly man walked by us in the store and said, "She is such a pretty little girl." I totally agree...just imagine how cute she would be if her hair stayed combed! :)

See what I mean about those little legs? Delicious.

Sew Not Crafty

2011-01-04T13:32:00.000-06:00

Before I show off my latest sewing projects, a disclaimer: I am really not any good at sewing. My mom could wield her glue gun and sewing machine with confidence. I would consider her to be relatively crafty. Me on the other hand? Well, let's just say she ended up finishing a lot of projects that "I" supposedly started in her efforts to teach me.

Now I have her vintage Pfaff machine. I will probably never sew an Easter dress for my girls like my Granny always did, and I probably won't be making robes and Cabbage Patch dolls like Mom, but I've gotten brave enough to at least pull the beast out and try my hand at a few very basic projects. You know, things that require you to sew a few straight-ish lines. Projects that don't have to fit anyone. :)

I had heard a lot about these "babylegs" leg warmers, and discovered that they are stupidly easy to make. You just need a pair of knee high socks and thread. I think I'll make a few more pairs, because I can't resist squishing those chubby little thighs!

For Christmas, I made the kids beanbags. For extra credit, I even topstiched the bags and made little drawstring sacks to put them in. The best part, however, was the cornhole board that Dad made to go with them. It's super cute.

And, the piece de resistance.....Roman shades! I made these about 5 months ago, because our miniblinds were ancient and ugly, and I needed some more fabric to soften up the front rooms. The biggest obstacle was the sheer bulk of all that fabric, but the actual sewing was not hard. I even lined them! It's just a rectangle, so it met my criteria for an easy project. The above is in the living room--below is the dining room (which I'm about to repaint: January must be House Project Month). Now I just need to sew the rest of the fabric into throw pillows for the couch, and then I'll be able to rest on my laurels for a bit :).

Busted

2011-01-01T15:14:00.000-06:00

Last year, Vance promised me "as many strawberries as you want." I said, "Are you sure? I can go through a LOT of strawberries." He promised. And he has come through. Much of the winter, it's all I can do to freeze, jam, give away, eat, and otherwise use our bounty. It's a blessing.

It's also a source of gluttony...for the kids, at least. I had made some appetizers for having a few friends come over for New Year's Eve, including a bowl of strawberries and clementines. I knew the kids had been in the kitchen a while, and this is what I found.

Good thing there were more in the fridge! Good thing they're good for you! And thank goodness Vance isn't say, a celery breeder :).

Evie at Three Months

2010-12-29T13:20:00.000-06:00

This little cutie is the Sweetest Baby in the World--we tell her so all the time, and we all believe it!

At three months, she is holding her head up without any uncertainty, not needing as many feedings, and letting out funny little laughs that make us all act like complete morons to get more out of her. She is my first baby to truly hate tummy time. The others had short attention spans on their stomach, but she cries as soon as I put her on her tummy. Then Isaac comes over and tells her how good exercise is for her, and how strong she's going to get when she keeps it up. In case you were wondering, the pep talk never helps.

She loves Isaac and Claire, patiently puts up with their attention, but prefers Mama and Daddy. We do have a bit more experience with babies. She loves hanging out with us (ie, she must be held nearly constantly), which is fine, because we love being with her! Happy 3 months, baby girl!

More Christmas

2010-12-28T09:41:00.000-06:00

While the rest of us were lolling around drinking coffee and relaxing, Allie showed us up by being all productive. I expect to see that scarf in my stocking for next year! :)

Dad and Claire testing out the bean bags a bit more...

Isaac with the guitar that Uncle AJ and Aunt Julie gave him. Probably the biggest hit of the day. Between that and the cowboy hat from Papa and Noni, Isaac has been the spitting image of Garth Brooks lately. Hmmm. At least he's thrilled with himself--yesterday he said, "This is the BEST music I've ever heard in my entire LIFE!"

Indeed.

Christmas 2010

2010-12-28T09:34:00.001-06:00

Evie getting ready for the Christmas Eve service. I didn't get a very good picture of him with all the dark lighting, but she was so cute in her little hat! We kept all the kids in for the candlelight service, and they did so well. Except for the part where Isaac pointed out a woman who, in his words, "She eats too much food!" Par for the course around here, and fortunately she didn't notice. Distractions aside, the service was wonderful.

Christmas morning at the Whitakers is a long, drawn-out affair. I came out of my room at 7:30 to the sight of two little munchkins parked in front of the tree, basking in the glow of the lights. Just like we did as kids...

They were so excited to have a "big party for Jesus' birthday!" And, as Isaac commented, "Jesus isn't selfish--he gives all the presents to us!" Aside from the selfishness inherent in that comment, he spoke a lot of truth. Vance read 2 Cor 8:9 to us after the story of Jesus' birth: "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich."

After sticky buns and scrambled eggs and fresh-squeezed orange juice, we read the Christmas story and sang a carol. Then it was on to the presents. Isaac and Claire were a little overwhelmed with excitement at first, but they settled down and really enjoyed the whole process. The blocks were a big hit.

So were the bean bags (that I made), and the cornhole board (that Dad made). He had a lady in his church paint it--isn't that adorable?! It ended up being the gift that children of ALL ages could play. Meaning, of course, that we adults commandeered it for an evening of competitive beanbagging :).

Let Claire Eat Cake!

2010-12-27T16:46:00.001-06:00

The (violently purple) Cake

Listening to us sing Happy Birthday, and staring at her beloved...

Eating all the icing off the tail...

Papa decided she wasn't messy enough.

Claire is Three!

2010-12-27T16:44:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, Claire turned three! Little Miss "All By Myself" is growing up so fast. She is a nurturing little mama to Evie and her baby dolls, an independent little lady, an opinionated drama queen, and our very sweet little girl. She is saying so many cute things these days, and keeps us laughing up our sleeves at the dinner table.

Lately one of her favorite songs is "Glorious and Mighty"....real words are on the right:

Glorious and Mighty Glorious and Mighty
You're Sovereign in Cuuuuties You're awesome in beauty
Greatly to be Raised Greatly to be praised

Claire has no problem keeping up with Isaac these days...in fact, he depends on her to find missing toys, open packages, and attend to other activities which require patience and fine motor skills. She loves to dispense the morning vitamin, oversee any cooking, play playdoh, and sing loudly and with exaggerated vibrato. She thinks she is fifteen already, and takes her little responsibilities very seriously.

Since Papa Dan, Deonni, and Aunt Allie were here for Christmas, she got to celebrate in style (even though we're waiting a couple of weeks after Christmas for party/presents). Aunt Allie took her to see her first movie in the theater (Tangled), which she greatly enjoyed. She chose asparagus and macaroni and cheese for her birthday dinner, and a purple kitty cat cake--which she has been dreaming about for months. It is so fun to celebrate you, sweet Claire, because we love you so much! Happy Birthday!

Vignettes

2010-12-03T13:48:00.005-06:00

I have so many little conversations with the kids stored up in my head, but as said object is less than reliable, I realized I needed to save these stories for later. I might need them :)

* * *

Today, in the car:

Claire: When I grow up, I want to be Cinder-lella.
Isaac: Princesses like beautiful things. They like to live in beautiful castles, and have beautiful pink tulips, and beautiful purple tulips.
Me: Wow, Isaac, you know a lot about princesses. How did you learn so much about princesses?
Isaac: That's just the way God made me!

* * *

At dinner with friends, when Claire returned to the dining room with both legs stuck in one side of her culottes (yes, my daughter has culottes. Crazy.)

Me, picking her up to show the other girls: Look what Claire did!
Everyone chuckles, and as I set Claire down, she starts wailing.
Me: Honey, what happened? Did you hit your head on the table when I set you down?
Claire, still sobbing: Don't be laughing at me!

In that moment, I realized two things: 1) My girl is growing up so fast--I can't believe how self-aware she is, and 2) I have a GIRL. And if her hormones are like this at 2, I have a lot to look forward to in the teenage years. Hang on to your hats...

* * *

At Wal-Mart, checking out. At the time of this story, I was 9 months pregnant, and the cashier was also very round, but very NOT pregnant.

Isaac, looking at the cashier: When is your baby coming?

Note: At this point in the story (the point at which my heart hits my stomach), I notice that the cashier does not yet realize that Isaac is talking about her. I have two options: 1) ignore Isaac's comment, and hope that he does not say it louder, or 2) play the comment off as referring to me. I choose option 2.

Me, laughing: Our baby will be here soon, sweetie! In just a couple of weeks!
Isaac: Not your baby, Mama! HER baby! (as he points to the cashier)

At this point, the smile dissolves from the cashier's face, and she finishes checking out my items in silence. I can think of nothing to say that will help, and lamely wish her a nice day and run off as soon as I have paid.

* * *

At our house, where we are hosting a cookout for Vance's lab. About 15 people are here, gathered and ready to eat. It would be helpful to note that, in our reading of On the Shores of Silver Lake the previous day, Isaac asked me what "drunk" was. We had an enlightening discussion on the sin of dissipation. Vance had just finished blessing the food, when Isaac, ever the gracious host, pipes up with his announcements for the guests.

Isaac: The beer is in the cooler by the fridge! You can only have ONE at a TIME! If you have too many, you will get DRUNK! Don't do that, you will LOSE your PRIVILEGES!!!

(Everyone laughed. But was it coincidence that only half a dozen beers were consumed that evening?)

All I want for Christmas is a social filter for my son. :)

Evie at 2 Months

2010-12-03T13:43:00.003-06:00

(because my blog is also my baby book)

Length: 24 in (95%)
Weight: 12 lbs 11 oz (90%)

Evie's chunking out, just like her sister did. I thought Evie had won the fattest baby prize, but it looks like Claire actually had her by 2 oz at this stage. She is the longest baby, so far. But the best news is that she's happy, healthy, and doing everything a 2 month old should do!

She's so smiley these days, and she LOVES being around people. It's amazing how, if she's crying, I can just go talk to her and touch her (without picking her up), and she will calm down. Isaac and Claire are more than happy to pull out their song-and-dance routine to keep her entertained. Must be nice to have your world completely wrapped around your little finger. Enjoy it while it lasts, little one.

The Old Mill

2010-11-29T15:43:00.002-06:00

Down the road from Vance's parents' house is The Old Mill. It really is old...I think there's a legend that General Cornwallis ground his corn here during the Revolutionary War. It has a lot of history in its old walls.

I have a little bit of history here, too. I visited the Old Mill on my first visit to Vance's house, before we were dating. It was the summer of 2003, and Vance had just graduated. His parents threw him a birthday/graduation party, and I was invited.

I was mentally going round and round in my head that summer, trying not to obsess over whether Vance liked me or not. He was leaving for MN that August, and I was not going to sit around wasting away for someone who didn't like me. So I decided that it was time to fish or cut bait. If I couldn't tell that he liked me when I went for a visit, I wasn't going to like him anymore.

Easier said than done. I left his house with no hard evidence that he liked me (in fact, I thought maybe he had a crush on one of the other girls there), but I still couldn't get over it. I buried myself in Burroughs' The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment. It was a great book, but it didn't cure me of Vance.

Fast forward 2 months: we're dating. 3 more: we're engaged. 6 more: we're married. And the rest is history.

But every time I drive by the Old Mill, I remember being there 7 years ago. Hanging out with friends, having fun, but all knotted up inside because I wanted something I wasn't sure I could have.

Isaac and Claire got their first visit to the Old Mill last week. Isaac told the miller all about how the corn gets ground.

My first picture with Vance was taken in front of this gate. And now my children are playing on it. Life is sweet.

Photo Credits: Vance Whitaker :)

November in Raleigh

2010-11-28T09:28:00.001-06:00

Isaac on the swing Dad made for me growing up

We took a whirlwind trip to NC for Thanksgiving, since it's too tight for us to come up for Christmas--too many strawberries vying for Vance's attention. Sorry to all our dear friends in Raleigh: it ended up being a stealth visit, since we were only one day with the Stolldorfs. It was a short visit, but we packed it all in.

We spent the morning and afternoon with the Bragdons, and it was so much fun as always to see the cousins playing together. I was too out of it to actually pull out the camera, unfortunately. That evening we saw AJ & Julie, and Melia met her new cousin. Again, not enough brain cells for pictures.

I did get some the next morning, though, before we left for Thanksgiving with the Whitakers:

Papa and Claire

Noni and Eve

Sleeping Beauty

2010-11-21T16:20:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow this little lady will be 8 weeks old. Can I still get away with calling her a newborn? I'm realizing that I've already missed my window for some of those ultra-cute newbie shots: she's getting more alert now, and won't sleep through any crazy poses. I do take pictures of her...I just haven't found as much time for an elaborate shoot. Maybe soon :)

She's still happy, sweet, and loved to pieces around here. She can now hold her head up by herself, and she is getting more alert and smiley by the day. She's pretty easy-going, as long as she's held. That's the key. And the reason why I have to do almost everything one-handed these days. Naptime is amazing because, as much as I hate to put down my little bundle, it's an INCREDIBLE feeling to suddenly be able to use both appendages.

More Saturday

2010-11-20T10:22:00.001-06:00

The double piggy-back: a new necessity in the Whitaker household.

I haven't posted much about our little garden. In Florida, we plant when the rest of the world is harvesting. It's strange, and it's still hard for me to get excited about planting when everyone else I know is canning and freezing and eating winter squash and other mythical items we don't grow around here. But I'm grateful to have a garden, and it's growing! This year we just have a little plot--green beans, sugar snap peas, cherry tomatoes, eggplants, cucumbers, and lettuce. Isaac quickly commandeered it: it's now his job to water it and check obsessively for new growth. As you can see, that takes up a lot of his time. He likes to just sit down and spend some quality time with his plants. I wonder who his daddy is?

Two more people I love.

And one more.

Hooray for Saturday!

2010-11-20T10:17:00.001-06:00

Last Saturday we went to a friend's 3rd birthday party. They had won a birthday party at Planet Jump as a prize from our church's fall festival--I was secretly jealous, but then they invited us! Isaac had a blast going on all the bounces. Claire wasn't quite as enthused, but it turns out she's the reigning queen of the 2-year old division of air hockey. Really, it was pretty impressive. Maybe she has her daddy's coordination after all (pleasepleaseplease :).

This Saturday has been a bit more relaxed and lazy. I like mornings like this.

A New Season

2010-11-12T21:43:00.000-06:00

Vance brought these little beauties home today. It's the beginning...

I'm looking forward to strawberry jam, strawberries and whipped cream on waffles (one of my favorites!), strawberry shortcake, strawberry salad, strawberry ice cream, and strawberry smoothies. If you have any strawberry recipes, send them my way! I'm sure I'll be running out of new ways to deal with strawberries by the time spring rolls around.

First Beach Trip

2010-11-12T21:39:00.000-06:00

Vance surprised me by taking Veteran's Day off and taking us all to the beach! We went to Santa Maria Island, and the kids were excited. Well, the older kids were. I'm sure Evie would have been excited to be there, had she been awake for it. She was in a mood to be lulled to sleep by the susurrations of the waves. :)

I didn't see much of Isaac and Vance. They were running around on the beach while I was holding down the fort with Sweetie Bee (Isaac came up with that one :). Claire came to visit and work on drip castles every once and awhile.

I had to wake Eve up to feed her before she left--otherwise I don't think she would have seen the beach at all. I think it was a bit bright for her. But she looked very cute in her little sunhat (thanks, Joy!).

Nothing says "November" like the smell of Coppertone and the feel of sand between your toes. Happy Fall, everyone!

First Haircut

2010-11-07T14:42:00.001-06:00

Today we did it. I took Claire in for her very first haircut. It was time...her curls were mostly grown out, she's been resisting ponytails, and there was just too much damage for it to look decent. At first she said she didn't want to go, but after I talked to her in hushed, reverent tones about the wonders of the hair salon, she was ready to get her hair cut and be a big girl.

She did it, too, without getting scared. It was so cute to see her sitting stock-still in the chair: she knew this was a big deal! She is very proud of her new do. Now for the million dollar question: will the curls come back, or are they gone forever?

Eureka Springs

2010-11-07T14:16:00.001-06:00

On Saturday we checked out a botanical garden close to our house--and I'm so glad we did. I've never really thought of Florida as a beautiful place (except the beaches of course, which are breathtaking). It's easy to see the interior of Florida as just an overgrown jungle of weeds. But walking on the boardwalk through the bald cypress swamps and landscapes of native plants reminded me that there IS a lot of beauty here. I don't know exactly why I found it so comforting. I guess I just love to be somewhere where I can enjoy being outdoors.

We all had fun. Claire got a little tired, but she stuck with it. Isaac embarked on one trail, saying, "Do you think there are wolves and bears in here?" Pretty sure he was pretending to be Pa from Little House on the Prairie.

Claire also insisted on holding Isaac's hand during most of the hike.

What cheeseballs.

Such a fun little outing. And amazingly enough, we still got some stuff done during the remainder of the day. We organized the disaster zone that was the garage. We balanced the monthly budget. I tried my hand at Julia Child's hollandaise sauce, and we had Eggs Benedict for dinner. We built the first fire in the fireplace. It was a lovely day.

Punkins

2010-11-07T13:07:00.002-06:00

What should our pumpkin look like, Claire? Scary? Silly? Funny?

Isaac has obviously voted for scary.

Striking resemblance, don't you think?

Nana to the Rescue

2010-10-31T13:22:00.001-05:00

This past week, Vance had to go to California for work. I think he was afraid that he might come home and find the wrecked remains of his wife huddled in a corner, twitching and biting her nails while the kids foraged for themselves out of the pantry. He was right to be afraid for my sanity, I think. At any rate, he begged his mom to come and help out while he was gone. I'm so glad he did.

We've always lived far away from family, so I've never had the luxury of help when I've had to play Single Mom. But let me tell you, having an extra pair of hands sure is nice! Nana read books, retrieved pacifiers, baked muffins, played catch, cuddled my baby, cleaned my kitchen, swept the floors, babysat, and sang approximately 8,546,332 bedtime songs. She even made Vance a double batch of his favorite snack mix. I don't have many pictures of Nana from this weekend, but that's probably because she wasn't sitting still much.

For a lot of women, the word "mother-in-law" is enough to start a full on vent session. There's something about two women from different families suddenly being thrown in together that seems to be a pretty consistent recipe for trouble. All of which makes me feel grateful for my mother-in-law. That gratefulness has only increased after losing my own mother. Claudia doesn't criticize me or try to control my husband. She doesn't undermine my attempts at running my household, even though I'm pretty new at this and I make lots of mistakes she wouldn't. She isn't shocked when my children disobey, or when our family doesn't look like anything Norman Rockwell would want to paint. She doesn't try to replace my mom, but she does treat me like family. She loves my children so much that I can't help but love her back, and thank God for giving our family such a wonderful woman.

So thank you, Mom. Not just for doing my chores this week--but for loving all of us so unconditionally. You can come stay anytime :).

Pitter Patter

2010-10-28T17:17:00.000-05:00

They are all still so little. At least for these next five minutes or so....

Don't you just love Evie's little fist pump in the background? :)

One Month

2010-10-28T17:12:00.001-05:00

I can't believe she's already a month old. Time flies when you're having fun, I guess.

I took her to the pediatrician on Tuesday--she clocks in at 10 lbs, 6 oz (84%), and 22.5" (93%). But the best part: she smiled on Monday!

Today is Mom's birthday, and she would have been 51. I wish these three sweeties could have a chance to know their grandma. I wish we could at least call to sing her Happy Birthday. Death really is an enemy. But even in the midst of all the sadness, I have been thinking about what birthdays must be like in heaven. Of course we don't know, but I can imagine it must be pretty special to spend your birthday with the one who created you. We all have that to look forward to--Mom has that to experience today.

A-Tisket A-Tasket

2010-10-15T13:52:00.001-05:00

"A baby in a basket"...is irresistably adorable, it turns out.

And before I hear it from all you "back to sleep" people: don't worry, she sleeps on her back at night. But I do let her nap on her tummy, because A) it looks so comfy, and she likes it, and B) it's better for their physical development. So she gets to nap this way, since I can go check on her and make sure--in true neurotic mother style--that she's still breathing :)

Eve - One Week

2010-10-15T13:47:00.000-05:00

Latest greatest family photo

Look! She's awake! (It doesn't last long...)

Our Little Staycation

2010-10-14T20:40:00.001-05:00

Since I had such an easy delivery, our hospital stay was more about getting alone time with Evie, and less about actually recovering...

I really liked it better that way :)

Where else but at the hospital do you get to spend a whole day sitting in bed, staring at your new little love?

She's going to kill me for this one when she's sixteen...oh, well.

Meeting the Sibs

2010-10-14T20:20:00.001-05:00

I wondered if the older kids would feel shy or reserved when they met their little sister. Not a bit of it. They both jumped in like pros.

We're still working on taking turns with the baby, and not smothering the baby with affection, but I'd rather them be over-excited than underwhelmed by our new sweetie.

Checking to make sure all body parts are here and accounted for

Welcome, little Girl!

2010-09-27T15:02:00.003-05:00

Eve Lynn Whitaker

8 lbs, 5 oz, 21"

born 3:28 am, September 27, 2010

I'll have some better pictures when we get home (I forgot to bring my card reader to the hospital), but Evie is here, safe and sound and beautiful! I finally decided to take castor oil and kick this labor into gear if I could (since I was scheduled to be induced Tuesday). Much to my surprise, it worked!

Regular contractions started around 10:30pm, we got checked in to the hospital around 12:30. I was so shocked to discover that I was already 8 cm! My midwife broke my water to get my contractions going stronger, but I hung out at 8cm until 3am. She mentioned the word "pitocin" at that point, but I said I just wanted to rest. Did that for 20 minutes, and suddenly it was time to go! It was by FAR my easiest labor, but pushing is still horrible. :) Fortunately it only took 4 pushes for her to arrive into the world.

She looks just like Isaac, except 1lb heavier and blonde, and I think she takes after Vance's mom's side of the family. The "big kids" are totally in love. They both held her almost constantly when the came to visit: Isaac showered her with sweet kisses, and Claire immediately took charge as the little mamma. I think they're going to do great... :)

More on her name later, but we are healthy, happy, and so grateful to have a sweet, healthy baby girl in our arms. God is so overwhelmingly kind.

Patience is a Virtue

2010-09-23T20:44:00.000-05:00

...or something like that. Do you see these cute pictures of my 2 kids? They're still accurate. Because I still have only two children available for photo shoots. The third is in hiding.

This has been a pretty emotional week. Just ask Vance :). I went into labor on Monday, but after 4 hours it petered out, and I was devastated. I was SO convinced it was the real thing, and so excited and ready and then I just felt like the rug was pulled out from under me. I've gotten progressively more stable as the week has gone by, but every series of contractions gets me wondering. Darn prodromal labor.

The good news is that all these contractions are doing something--my midwife commented that at this rate, I'll just wake up one morning with a baby next to me :). I guess that could work fine.

It's certainly been an exercise in patience and trust and helplessness. I know there are things you can do to speed labor along--and I HAVE DONE THEM ALL. All, I tell you! Except castor oil, and I might try that on Saturday if I'm still baby-less then. But ultimately, this is just an area where I'm not really in control. I don't like that very much, to be honest. But it's a good reminder that my whole life is really pretty much like that. So I'm learning patience, one contraction at a time.

Hopefully soon, though, I'll get to learn something new, like how to juggle life with 3 kids :)

Eviction Notice

2010-09-19T17:44:00.003-05:00

Dear Baby Girl,

In case you are not aware, let me inform you of an important fact: TODAY IS YOUR DUE DATE.

I know you are your own person. I know you have your own agenda and your own personality. I'm getting over the fact that my third baby is going to be the first overdue one. Really, I can deal with it. Mostly that's due to family sickness this week--I'm actually kind of glad that you haven't decided to show up in the middle of our sore-throated, ear-infected, head-pounding, exhausted week.

But as I'm starting to climb out of my sickness-induced fog, my dissatisfaction with the current situation is growing. It's time for you to leave, dear. There are bigger and better things in store for you. Let's get on with it, shall we?

My hips are no longer interested in holding you. My arms are. See you soon!

Love,

Your mother

PS - I don't know what you've got going on tonight, but I'm free...what do you think??

Trundle Love

2010-09-14T20:10:00.000-05:00

Recently we got Claire a big girl bed, and it has been true love ever since. Isaac was thrilled to put it together, but for Claire it represented a new level of intimacy in her relationship with her daddy. SO many times while he has put her to bed, she has hugged him and whispered, "You built this trundle bed for me". He has earned serious Daddy points.

She loves that it's a trundle bed...for now it stores her toys away, and when Baby Girl grows out of her crib, she'll get the trundle. I scored some cheap bedding on clearance today, and although she's still sleeping on an air mattress, Claire couldn't be happier.

Oh, and if you're wondering about Claire's outfit--plaid skirt with brown polka dot shirt--that's just what happens when a 2.5 year old fashion maven begins dressing herself. I'm sure I'll see much more exciting outfits in the future :)

In Claire's World

2010-09-08T16:05:00.003-05:00

Claire's version of "I'm in the Lord's Army":

"I may never march in the -- YES MA'AM!!!!"

Claire going to a friend's house:

C: "I'm going to Pattea's house"
Isaac: "It's not Pattea, Claire. Her name is Mattea."
C: "No!!!! Her name is Ka Puh.... Ka Puh.... Ka Puh...(obviously struggling)"
Vance: "Pattea?"
C: "Yes! Pattea!!" (we now call Claire's friend General Petraeus :)

Claire, upon seeing me with curlers in my hair (a rare sighting!):

C: "Mama!! I see your hair! It is LILLY LILLY LILLY pretty!! Do you, are you, do you have Twizzlers in your hair?" (Note: she liked my hair better with the curlers in than out :)

Rich

2010-09-07T21:27:00.000-05:00

It's slowly starting to cool down here...not during the day, but in the mornings and evenings it's getting fun to be outside. Especially with Daddy.

Isaac is spending much of his time as a soldier these days. The biggest and strongest one in the world, actually! He uses his powers for good, though--mostly in protecting Mama and the baby.

Soon to be big sister.

Pictures like these remind me how stinkin rich I am. Yesterday was a fun day--new books from the library, a relaxed afternoon, lots of time wrestling Daddy in the front yard, movie date night in after the kids were in bed. It was one of those days where it was easy to enjoy my job. I needed that.

I feel like I've spent a lot of time lately grasping for control in my life (especially my parenting), and the attempt has made me frustrated and also not very fun to be around. I've spent a lot of time trying to correct: "don't talk like that! wait your turn! be patient! please move! I told you to speak kindly! No whining! Come here, I said". So much time correcting that I haven't had much left for other things, like enjoying, giving thanks, and praying.

I've been re-reading A Praying Life (for the third time, and I highly recommend it!), and he was saying that we are often prayerless in our parenting when we think the answers are obvious. I don't need to pray about Isaac's impatience, because the answer is obvious: he needs to wait his turn. I don't need to pray about Claire's whining, because the solution is obvious: she needs to just stop it. Guilty, guilty, guilty.

So I'm working on requiring obedience without becoming a control freak. I'm working on being a little more patient, slowing down enough to enjoy the kids instead of just being the boss. And I'm working on praying for my children instead of just assuming I know what the problems and solutions are. Easier said than done...but I've been grateful for the grace I've been given the last few days to do that. And you know what? Not being the tyrant in the family is...fun.

Nice Catch

2010-09-04T13:30:00.001-05:00

Today was a big day in our adjustment to FL life: Vance got to go fishing with a friend from work. They went kayaking in the mangrove swamps by the Gulf, and apparently only caught one fish within the weight limits: everything else was too big to bring home! Some men bring home the bacon--I'm happy if mine brings back the fish. And fillets it, batters it, and cooks it up for me. That's just the way I like it.

Apparently, that's the way our kids like it, too... :)

"Surgery is SO FUN!!"

2010-09-01T19:26:00.001-05:00

Seriously, that is what Isaac said to me at 6:30 this morning when we were headed out the door to All Children's Hospital. We dropped Claire off at a friend's house (she was super pumped about that, too), and Isaac reveled in his alone time with Mama, Daddy, and the very-friendly staff.

They had a little flat screen in the pre-op room, and Isaac got to watch Diego track down gorillas. Heaven, I tell you. Who WOULDN'T want to have surgery?! They even special-ordered a wheelchair to take him to the OR, since he asked for one.

Aside from a lot of waiting, everything went just about as smoothly as it could have. The surgeon said everything looked great, although it will take 6 weeks or so to know conclusively how his eyes are responding.

I was curious if the recovery process would take the edge off of Isaac's excitement. Not too much. His only complaint was, "I have sand in my eyes," and once he commented that his left eye hurt, but I heard no more complaints after the nurse brought out the "big" popsicle he had requested.

He was reading on the drive home, has been eating like a horse, and generally has been acting full of energy and completely normal. We have been overwhelmed by all the texts, phone calls, and messages everyone has sent us--thank you so much for all your prayers, everyone.

Even though our hospital experience was a great one, there is something about seeing your son laying on a guerney with a hospital gown and a bandage over his eyes that twists at your heart. It gave me a tiny little window into the lives of people I know who have had much more traumatic and life-threatening things happen to their children...more sympathy and understanding for the parents who have sat in other waiting rooms helplessly while someone else fights for their child's life and health. It makes me grateful that God gives more grace to those in need of it, and grateful that for today, at least, he has spared us that experience.

Going Under the Knife

2010-08-31T21:13:00.000-05:00

My little man is having eye surgery tomorrow morning. And it's my fault. Rather, it's my genes' fault.

Those of you who have been around Isaac in the last year and a half or so have probably noticed that his eye increasingly crosses in. We first started noticing it when he was 2.5, and it has been getting worse since then. After seeing three different opthamologists, we're finally convinced that surgery is the best way to go. So tomorrow morning, at 9:30 am, Isaac's eye muscles are going to be readjusted. Please pray for peace for all of us (probably me more than anyone!), skill for the surgeon, and a completely successful operation that would NOT require subsequent surgeries. Unfortunately, this kind of surgery comes with a 20% chance of needing a second surgery...which we would obviously like to avoid.

One day, probably when he's 8, I'll give him all the gory details of how they pull out his eyes, sever the muscles, and reattach them. He'll think it's cool then. For now, he just knows that he's going to the hospital, the doctor will give him some special medicine to help him sleep, and when he wakes up, Mama and Daddy will be right there, and his eyes will be fixed. I told him his eyes might sting later that day, but that I would make him a special treat for dinner. (He is his Daddy's son, and has already chosen pasta :).

I had a similar issue at birth, and had this surgery at 18 months old. Thankfully, I only needed one surgery, but because of it's early onset, I lost my binocular vision (a source of endless wonder and entertainment for some of my friends in youth group days). I'm really glad that Isaac's outlook is a lot brighter, but very aware right now that we are at the mercy of a surgeon's hand and our God's mercy on Isaac.

Thanks for your prayers, everyone. We'll post an update tomorrow.

Lemon Blueberry Bread

2010-08-30T13:50:00.000-05:00

I have two very eager helpers in my kitchen. They are both short, clumsy, and a little too inexperienced to function as good sous-chefs, but I'm trying to be a good mom and let them help anyway. Our kitchen, while no longer microscopic, is still a little short on counter space, so it takes a little extra patience to let them haul in chairs and crowd me out of my own space. But it's a good cause, right? I want my kids to help one day, and I want to involve them in the cooking process. But sometimes it just seems like more work than it's worth...

Like on the day I decided to make lemon blueberry bread. I don't make it that often, but Mom made tons of it for my wedding, so it has a lot of good memories attached to it. Plus, it's really yummy. In a moment of brilliance, I figured we 3 could whip up a double batch of blueberry bread before I got dinner on the table. I know all you moms of preschoolers are laughing about now. But everything was going pretty well, until I started squeezing the lemons. After laboriously juicing the too-small lemons I had, I finally had enough. That's when Claire leaned over to grab something Isaac had, Isaac batted her hand away, and ... CRASH! Down went my lemon juice on the floor, into a million pieces went my measuring cup.

But I"m working on being patient, right? And kids are kids, right? So I heroically sweep up the glass, get out the mop, clean the floor, and head to the fridge for another bunch of lemons. Isaac, convinced now that the purchase of a new measuring cup is going to put us in the poorhouse, is too intimidated to cook any longer. But Claire forges on. She is motivated by the reward of licking the beater at the end.

After juicing another batch of lemons, I remind Claire once again, "DON'T TOUCH THE LEMON JUICE." And she tries, really she does. But she lost her balance on the chair, steadied herself on the counter--and wouldn't you know it--the measuring cup. Down goes the juice. Did I mention that I had just mopped the floor earlier that day?

ARGH! But I mop the floor again, look at the clock, which reads, youreallyshouldbeinthemiddleofmakingdinnerrightnow, and get out another 120,00 lemons. This time I don't let go of the measuring cup for even a second, and the juice miraculously makes it's way into the bread. Victory! Except that Claire leans forward, pushes the chair a bit on the slick floor, and faceplants on the tile.

Those are the days where I just have to laugh, because the day is getting too ridiculous to do anything else. And I make sure, when Vance bites into the bread he loves, that he knows how much it cost :).

37 Weeks

2010-08-26T15:16:00.000-05:00

I knew I should have gotten Vance to take a few pictures about a month ago, when I was still feeling cute and pregnant. Right now, I mostly feel ready to explode. But that's okay, because I hopefully don't have that much longer...right, Baby?! Do we have a deal?

Even though I feel massive and increasingly like an 85 year old woman trying to heave myself off of furniture without any functioning abdominals, I feel pretty healthy overall. I'm still trying to work out as much as I can, and we're swimming a lot in the pool. We are all very impatient to meet this new little Whitaker, although I am starting to have bouts of intimidation at the thought of the impending craziness. I've felt a bit overwhelmed with the parenting challenges that I already have, so adding another baby on to that can be pretty scary. I'm trying to prepare myself for a rough transition period--but after going from 1 to 2, I do know that it is just that: a period.

I already can't imagine our family without this new little mystery girl, and I can't wait for all the cuddles a few weeks will bring my way!

La Playa

2010-08-24T20:51:00.000-05:00

This is Florida, after all, so when we get a chance, we head down for some white sand, blue water, and free fun.

Teaching the kids how to make drip castles was our latest activity. They really got into it!

Summer on the Porch

2010-08-24T14:16:00.003-05:00

Although Isaac still insists (on a nearly daily basis) that when he grows up, he will be "a farmer and a daddy", he still has plenty of room in his heart and schedule for construction. He found this foam block in the trash and went to town. It took days to get all those little foam balls out of the lanai, but it was worth it :).

And speaking of finding time, Isaac has plenty to spare. He often wants to go swimming right when I'm getting dinner on. The resulting conversation usually goes something like this:

Isaac: Mama, can we go swimming now?
Me: Honey, I don't have time right now...I'm making dinner. I'm sorry, honey.
Isaac: But I have time! We can go swimming! I have 5 pounds of time!
Claire, these days, is more occupied by serenading anyone in a 2-mile radius with her latest extemporaneous vocal compositions. My shyer child comes completely out of her shell, even around strangers, if she is holding this miraculous device in her hand. It doesn't hurt to wear the "dancing dress" (the ultra-touristy flamenco dress we got her in Spain--a total hit). She's got lungs, that one. And remarkably good pitch for a 2 year old. She may have a future in the performing arts :)

But her fortissimo arias tone down into hushed lullabies when she is putting her babies to bed. She loves her babies these days, and is constantly seen rocking, singing, walking, and comforting them. She sings them her favorite songs ("Jesus Loves Me" and the "Gospel Song"), pats them and says, "Don't cry, sweet-heart" when something scary is going on, and changes lots of diapers. She's also quite the disciplinarian. It looks like she has another future in store for her as well...

I'm Back

2010-08-24T14:13:00.002-05:00

No, we didn't move to Timbuktu, or get drowned in all our FL rain, or have a baby, or fall of the face of the earth...

But I did lose my camera card reader--and with it, all motivation to post. However, I finally hauled myself, my larger-than-life baby bump, and 3 kids (one was borrowed, for all you math majors out there) out to Best Buy in the pouring--and I mean POURING--rain to buy a new card reader. So I'll put up a few pictures from our summer, and try to catch up on life before the next baby arrives and chaos descends again :)

Isaac's Prayers

2010-05-27T15:19:00.002-05:00

My boy is growing up. I see it all the time, now...he's thinking and talking and interacting on a different level. It's fun. It's intimidating. Because now that I feel somewhat comfortable dealing with the needs of infants, I have a toddler and a preschooler on my hands. They're always one step ahead of my competency :).

One of the best parts about Isaac's age right now is having more significant spiritual conversations with him. We've started encouraging him to have his own devotional time if he wakes up while we are having ours. He sits on the couch and looks at his children's Bible while we read and pray. Obviously he's not getting a ton out of it, but I do think he's starting to understand that God needs to be the first priority in his day.

About a month ago, Vance was reading the crucifixion narrative to Isaac at bedtime--they talked about why Jesus had to die, and what he accomplished for us. As he was putting Isaac to bed, Vance asked if he was ready to pray. Isaac said that he wanted to pray by himself. So Vance left, put his ear to the door, and heard Isaac pray, "Jesus, please save me from hell. Thank you for dying on the cross for me so I wouldn't be punished."

Wow. That's all I could think when Vance told me.

Is their a "moment" when a child becomes a believer? Is it important to know it? How can you tell when a child understands enough to repent of his sin and put all his hope in Christ? These are big topics, and lots of books have been written about them. For our family, I don't want to put too much emphasis on one defining moment (he wasn't an angel the next day or anything!). At the same time, I would hate to "despise the day of small things" and blow his prayer off. Instead, I have found myself praying, "God, hear his prayer. Give him eternal life with you. Give him eyes to see you." And I've been rejoicing that, young as he is, he gets it. Not everything, of course--wait, neither do I! But he knows that he does wrong. He knows his sin has to be addressed. He knows he needs a new heart. And he knows Jesus came to rescue him so he could go to heaven one day.

Time will tell the fruit, but for now I'm grateful for moments like that one. And I'm excited about getting to talk about significant, life-changing things with my (not so!) little people.

Kids' Top Baby Names

2010-05-21T08:38:00.000-05:00

In no particular order, the kids have suggested:

1. Azalea (the baby doll's name)
2. Fluffy (!)
3. Claire (guess who chose that one :)
4. Baby Terri

Hmmm.....any other ideas? :)

It's a ....

2010-05-06T14:24:00.002-05:00

We had our big ultrasound yesterday! It was really fun (despite being really early in the morning), especially because it was the first ultrasound the kids could participate in--without being the subjects :). They were really excited about meeting the new one, and Isaac talked about the baby the WHOLE drive to the hospital.

Everything looked great, Baby checked out exactly with my due date, is a healthy 13 oz., and is a--wait for it--GIRL! I told the tech that we wanted to know, but I wanted to try and figure it out for myself first. Our little lady showed us her gender last, and she was a little wiggly by that point, but I got a pretty decent view and gasped, "It's a girl!" I was so surprised. I had really started assuming that it was a boy. I don't know exactly why I kept thinking that, but I did. So seeing girl parts on the screen was kind of a shocker for me. Still is, a little!

I turned to Isaac and said, "Isaac, you're going to have a little sister!" To which he wailed, "I didn't want to have a SISTER!!!! I wanted a GIRL!!!!!"

I'm still not sure what he meant by that. But it was pretty funny :).

Being the mother of not one but two girls is starting to make me realize what a big responsibility I have as a mother. Somehow I have to model what it looks like to be a godly woman for them. Intimidating. And what about competition, inferiority complexes, endless comparison, estrogen spikes?! Yeesh. But intimidation aside, I am so excited to get to raise sisters--I'm looking forward to all the talking and teaching and giggling and slumber-partying.

But first things first--mostly I'm looking forward to cuddling a sweet little lady in a few months!

Chicken Stock Epiphany

2010-04-23T21:07:00.002-05:00

I know, I know. The language is a bit strong...an epiphany over chicken stock?!

But if you've read much on nutritious cooking, a good homemade stock pretty much gets #1 on the list of must-haves. It's full of minerals and valuable electrolytes, it's easy on your digestive system, promotes digestive healing, reduces allergies, helps your body get every bit of value out of the protein you eat, boosts your immune system, and is frugal and easy to make. Basically, it's a wonder food. You just have to know how to make it right.

My mom taught me how to make chicken stock when I was a teenager, and I had always used a relatively similar process. However, the nutrition experts said to simmer the stock for 6-24 hours to get the full nutrition from the marrow, and by then, my stock smelled so overcooked I didn't even want to taste it.

But I have overcome. And you can too. (if you care, that is). The secret is to simmer the bones for 6-24 hours, but add the veggies in only at the very end. It was the vegetables that were getting nastily overcooked.

This is my new method (my apologies to recipe lovers everywhere--just apply this method to your favorite stock recipe if you are into following rules and that kind of thing):

- Soak chicken bones in cold water to generously cover, along with a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, for an hour or so. (The vinegar helps get the minerals and gelatin out of the bones and into your broth).
- Simmer on low heat all day, for 6-24 hours.
- An hour or two before you're taking it off, add two quartered onions (with the peel on), a couple celery stalks, several chunked carrots, parsley, salt, and whatever herbs you desire in the pot.
- Drain broth into a large bowl, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate overnight. You'll know sweet success if your broth has turned into a gelatin--this means you've gotten all the good stuff! You can skim the fat, but it's a good-for you kind of unsaturated fat, so I usually keep it.
- I freeze my broth in two- and four-cup portions, and make an ice cube tray of broth cubes for those times where you just need a 1/4 c. of broth.

I am now making stock every time I get a good bag of leftover chicken bones saved up in my freezer, which is about every week or two. Since it's so nutritious, I substitute broth in for the water in casseroles, rice, stew, and even pasta sauces. It tastes 10 times better than Swansons, and is infinitely more nutritious.

Just had to share my latest culinary victory!

Convos, Take Two:

2010-04-23T21:04:00.003-05:00

A few more conversations from the last few days:

Isaac, to Vance on a walk, just after Vance had beaten him in a race (Isaac was biking):
"Daddy, you're full of slowness. I'm full of fastness!"

(He's confident. Not a very good grip on reality, but the confidence he has in spades :)

Isaac, to me, as I spilled a good bit of pudding cake batter on the counter, in a disappointed voice:

"Mama, I'm not very impressed."

(do I get at least an E for effort? I was making dessert for a weekday meal, for crying out loud! That almost never happens! :)

They just keep coming at me...

Talking with Little People

2010-04-22T13:09:00.003-05:00

One of the best parts of my job has to be the crazy and curious little conversations I have with my little ones during the day. They frequently say such crazy things, or make me say things I never thought would come out of my mouth. I know I've posted some of these on facebook, but since this is my "official" family record, they need to be taken down here as well...

At dinner:
Vance: "Isaac, would you pray tonight?"
Isaac: "Okay. GOD!! (big sigh) Stop the hateness!! Give us loveness! Amen."

Again, at dinner (wherein all the items on his plate are things he likes, but my arrival to the table veggie in hand was met with a cacophony of "BROCCOLI!!!!!!" from my kids..as if I never feed them green things):
Isaac: "Mama, can I have some more broccoli?"
Me: "Um, sweetie, you haven't eaten anything else yet. Eat some potato, and then you can have more broccoli."

At bedtime (wherein Isaac wanted me to put him to bed instead of Daddy):
Isaac: "I don't like you very much."
Vance: "Oh. Well, I love you. Do you love me?"
Isaac: "Yeah."
V: "Do you like me?"
I: "No."
V: "Oh. Well, I like you, Isaac."
I: (sighs) "yeah, me too."

Talking about the new baby:
Me: "Isaac, do you think the baby is a boy or a girl?"
Isaac: "I think it's a girl"
Me: "Why do you think that?"
I: "Because I like girls. Girls are my favorite!"
(Lock up your daughters, ladies :)

Claire hasn't come out with such extended strange talks, but she has her own slew of cute-isms. She is the most encouraging two-year old I know. She is constantly exclaiming over things I do, saying, "Good job, Mama! Good job!" She told me that yesterday when I was making dinner: "Good job, Mama! You are a good cooker!" (I'm sure the fact that we were having pasta for dinner did not sway her judgment in the least :)

She also likes to call me "honey" or "Terri" at random times. It's particularly sweet and unexpected when she calls me honey or sweetie. She will do that to Isaac too, and if he is crying or whining she will run to find him, calling, "What's wrong, honey?"

Claire wants to be a big girl, and tries to keep up with her big brother as best she can. Isaac has been sounding out lots of things lately, and she's trying to do the same. After a car ride full of Isaac's " B says, b, b, Bicycle!", Claire decided to try: "B says b, b, stroller!

She's almost got it, I think.

Protected...

2010-04-21T22:14:00.002-05:00

that's how we feel tonight. And a little shaken up.

We were driving the bridge over the Bay tonight after church when we heard a sound like a gunshot. I whipped my head around to see Isaac's window splinter into a thousand shards, and then Isaac and Claire both started screaming. As Vance pulled over, I realized that Isaac was holding a tennis-ball sized chunk of concrete next to his face.

It was scary, what with all the screaming and the flying glass and the blood (which turned out to be from Isaac's nosebleed 20 min before). But when the glass settled, we realized how protected we'd been. Somehow that chunk of concrete came directly through Isaac's window and hit him in the face, yet he had nothing but a little rash from the abrasion. No blood...not even a scratch. Thank you, Lord.

In typical fashion, Isaac bounced back almost immediately--it shows you the power of childlike faith that he could immediately calm down because God was his protector--but Claire took on the fright and had a much harder time calming down. We drove home a little slower, with the window blown open, suddenly much more aware of how helpless we are to truly protect anyone we love. And suddenly much more grateful for the sovereign King who is able to do all that we cannot.

Strawberry Fields Forever

2010-03-30T13:40:00.001-05:00

Well, that's what it feels like, at least. We've had strawberries coming at us since the end of November. Now that we're nearing the end of the season (and I have finally purchased a freezer for bulk storage), I'm trying to put up a few more flats of berries for smoothies. And then I realized--embarrassingly enough--that I hadn't yet taken the kids out strawberry picking! They've been out in the fields several times, and done some impromptu picking, but I hadn't given them the job of picking. Until today :)

Picking strawberries revealed my kids' ages and personalities. Claire rolled around in the sand, eating any berry of any color she could get her hands on, putting a few indiscriminate berries in the bucket occasionally. Isaac refused to eat any ("Mama, you can't eat them until they're washed!"), and earnestly asked me if every.single.berry he picked was ripe and ready. He's my rule-keeper :) At the end, though, desire got the better of him, and the berries ended up in his mouth more than the bucket.

Claire didn't feel the need to resist :)

It's not a good picture, but it's the only pregnancy photo I've got right now, so please excuse the squinty eyes. Baby and me at 15 weeks--still at the "girl, you eat too many cookies" stage. Early baby bumps, it turns out, are for short people, no matter how many pregnancies you've had :). Maybe next month I'll have something more definitive to show for all the work I'm doing ...

Thoughts on #3...

2010-03-19T14:31:00.003-05:00

I suppose some of you might want to know more details than simply that I resemble a can of spaghetti sauce right now :)...

Baby Whitaker's estimated time of arrival will be somewhere around September 20th. That puts me at 14 weeks, and I'm starting to feel significantly better. It's funny how each baby treats your body differently. I've definitely been more sick this time (it's the only time I've ever lost weight while pregnant), but not as tired as I was with Isaac. By this time, too, I'm much more in tune with my body, and I feel like I am aware of every.single.twinge. Of which there are many :).

This may very well be my last pregnancy (although not necessarily our last baby), so I'm trying to savor every moment of it. Even so, everything felt pretty surreal until I heard the heartbeat a couple of weeks ago, and then it finally hit me: there's a PERSON in there! Pretty exciting! I held a friend's newborn this week, and that brought back a flood of memories. It's such a privilege to get to grow and nurture a little one...and I get more and more excited about the idea of meeting this tiny one.

Although I am looking forward more and more to being a mom of three, it's pretty interesting to note the shift in public opinion going the other direction. Of course most of our family and friends are excited for us--but occasionally someone will give me a bit of a hesitant response. Funny how in America today one child is too few, two is just right, perfect, and enough, three is going a little overboard and anything more is just plain INSANE. :) I can't tell you how many people have said, "Congratulations!........sooooo, how many kids are you guys going to have?!?"

They must be concerned about overpopulation :)

We, however, are over the moon. Isaac loves to talk about how big the baby is, and it's so fun to share the little developmental milestones with him. Claire is in love with babies, and she was adoration incarnate when we visited our friends' newborn, oohing over his tiny ears and head. I know they are going to have so much fun with this little person. And I'm (crazily enough) not really worried about our adjustment to a family of 5. I'm sure there will be plenty of time for panic around month 8.

I honestly don't care if it's a girl or a boy...either way will be wonderful. I do, however, think it's a boy, and Vance lights up like a first round draft pick when I say that. It's obvious which way he leans. Isaac is adamant that it's a boy (of course). We shall see in about 6 weeks!

2010-03-08T13:29:00.000-06:00

yep. That's me! Coming September 2010!

My Four Year Old

2010-01-26T22:20:00.000-06:00

We are praising God for our raisin-eating, tractor-loving, train-obsessed, tool-wielding, orange-picking, loud-talking, guitar-playing, active, happy, passionate boy that God has given us!

I've been thinking back to his actual birth-day today, and the months leading up to it--how I was praying for him and felt like God was telling me that he would be someone with deep joy. That was part of the reason we named him Isaac. Well, I smile now when I think of that, because it is so true! He is such an intense little person! He wears some people out, I imagine, but I love his energy for life.

I've also been thinking about his heart...the surgery-requiring defect he was diagnosed with before he was born, the NICU staff whisking my firstborn away from me right after his birth, Vance following Isaac, me being left alone to wait and wonder, talking on the phone with Dad and seeing Vance walk in the room beaming, hearing him say, "his heart's perfect. Perfect." and crying with joy, but also feeling totally unsuprised because of the faith I had that God would heal him. Most of the time we forget about his heart now, but that's because of the healing he experienced before his birth.

I am so excited to see what God is going to do in Isaac's fifth year. His brain is exploding with questions and interesting thoughts these days, and he is learning obedience and respectfulness and helpfulness and patience. It is such a privelige (even when it is an exhausting one) to be the one to explain God and the world to him. The best job ever, and I can't say enough grateful words to express how much I love my sweet boy.

Gasparilla

2010-01-23T21:54:00.000-06:00

Today we had one of our first experiences with a genuine Tampa tradition: Gasparilla! It's a city holiday that celebrates Jose Gaspar, one of the last pirates to terrorize the west Florida coast. Of course, legend has it that he buried untold treasure somewhere around her (maybe our backyard?). He is Tampa's excuse to have a bang-up pirate extravaganza. The "adult" celebration is next weekend, but the kids' festivities were today.

We started out with flybys of old WWII bombers, a very cool parachute landing from the U.S. Special Ops.

The kids got pretty bored waiting for the floats and the bead throwers (pretty much the main event of the parade is the dozens of beaded necklaces--pirate booty?-- thrown from the floats). They blew through my healthy almonds and raisins in about 30 seconds...so Daddy came to the rescue with a 3 gallon bag of kettle corn. What's a momma to do besides let them ruin their dinner?

The obligatory "act like you love each other" photo. Although they weren't that excited about the picture-taking, Isaac LOOOOVED the parade. He was screaming and jumping and waving and begging for necklaces and having the time of his life. Claire was not so gregarious, but she did wave to the floats, and received her fair share of necklaces as well.

They have built the only modern, fully-rigged pirateship around (so I was told). They dock it in the Bay year round for your viewing pleasure, and then it fires cannonballs at the crowd for Gasparilla. I shudder to think how much that pirate ship cost, but it was pretty cool! The pirates have now defeated the city, and next week the mayor will hand over the keys to the city, and more pirate festivities will ensue.

We ate dinner at a friend-of-a-friends's house (who lives right on the bay!), and walked back along the shore while the "Piratetechnics" exploded overhead. What a night!

Reupholstering for Dummies

2010-01-13T15:55:00.000-06:00

There are so many projects to get done around here, and so little motivation! A lot of that has to do with the projects that I don't really know how to do...the intimidation factor has a way of slowing you down. Fortunately, this reupholstery project was as easy as I had heard! I hope that gives me motivations for the 1520 other projects left on my to do list.

I got the chair from Goodwill for about $10. The heavy-duty fabric was much pricier, but I got it for 60% off at Calico Corners, and I'll (hopefully) use the rest of the bolt end to make a lumbar pillow or a throw pillow. It only took a screwdriver, a staple gun, and about an hour of my time.

I can't believe I forgot to take a before picture, but it was a dusty-rose brocade, which is why no one else had snatched it up, I think. I didn't even rip the old brocade off...I just put the foam and new fabric right on top.

I don't know about you, but I'm all about makeover projects that take less than a naptime to complete :)

Happy Birthday, Claire!

2010-01-02T12:53:00.000-06:00

Look who is 2!!! Just like last year, Claire celebrated her birthday with family, pasta, and hamming it up. She loooved being the center of attention, and flirted with anyone who made eye contact with her all dinner long. But the real party started once she saw the candles and realized that everyone was singing just for her.

Talk about delight! She even made an excellent attempt at blowing out her candles.

She has been changing so much in the last couple of months. Up until just a month ago, she wanted very little to do with books. Whereas Isaac had been into books since he was about 9 months old, Claire just had too much to do to sit still. But just in the last month, that has started to change. She's really getting into reading, and that makes her mama very happy!

She's also breaking out the full sentences, and more complicated syntax. Although she's quieter than Isaac on first contact, she has quite a bit to say after she warms up to you. Some of her favorite words right now (and mine) are "Sis-mas wites" (Christmas lights), "Taw-babies" (strawberries), and "Baby Soup" (bathing suit). She loves her daddy's new profession, and would eat strawberries all day every day if she could. She loves food, and is very adept with her fork and spoon. She loves to sing (quite loudly), and I'm starting to wonder if she's going to be the next family vocalist. She provides BGVs for a lot of the songs we play in the car, and she regales us with "ABC's" and "Baa Baa, Black Sheep" all day long. She still loves to be held, and wants to be in the center of it all as long as she can be close to someone she trusts. Although she has earned the nickname, "Clairedevil" for her reckless attempts to break a bone or try something outside of her age level, she is also very cautious around almost any kind of animal, and some people.

Claire is no shrinking violet...she has to keep up with Isaac and does so without any problems whatsoever. We're working on not grabbing, patience, and obeying the first time.

Claire has definitely taken the place of cutest Whitaker in the household, and she is a joy to live with. We love you, sweet girl, and can't wait to see what is in store for you this next year!

Christmas with the Fam

2010-01-02T12:34:00.000-06:00

We had a lovely Christmas with my family last week! Dad, Deonni, Allie, and Persephone (Allie's cat) came to celebrate with us. We had moved in just 6 days before, so there was still (is still!) a large stack of boxes in the garage, but no one seemed to mind. Christmas Eve was spent cooking (me), working (Vance), shopping (D&D), exercising & resting (Allie), and playing (guess who :).

Christmas morning was a twist on the old classic...we had our traditional breakfast outside on the patio, since it was warm enough! We had a good time of fellowship reflecting on the Incarnation, and then we read the Christmas story together out of one of our children's Bibles.

Isaac and Claire really got into the presents this year, and they had fun delivering packages to all the recipients. They also enjoyed the unwrapping and playing :).

Claire enjoyed her dress ups, but her clear favorite was Baby (who has been named Navia by Isaac).

Isaac loves his new pirate ship from Uncle AJ, that floats in the pool and shoots little cannonballs!

Isaac was very excited all day about the "party for Jesus". In my mind, that's what all the eating and unwrapping and sharing and reading and singing really is--celebrating in every way we can the greatest event the world has ever known. God became man, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory. It's worthy of a little partying in my book!

Stolldorf Cousins!

2009-12-10T13:15:00.000-06:00

My attempt at a cousinly photo...obviously the lighting wasn't great, but we took what we got. Melia is being the perfect little angel, Isaac is cheesing, and Claire is just being her goofball self.

Isn't she adorable?!

I always remember having so much fun going through the toys at my grandparents' houses; I guess it was the mystique of playing with my parents' childhood toys. It's fun to watch my kids enjoy a few of the things we played with growing up!

family photos

2009-12-10T13:10:00.000-06:00

We tried to get a few family photos done one morning ("tried" being operative). We did get a few! Here are my 3 favorite people in the world...

aren't they cute?

this was my favorite family photo failure: in response to, "Isaac, look at the camera!" :) Gotta love it!