Amtrak Superliner

So....Christmas Day Grandpa Bryan and Andrew and his cousin Brandon headed to the basement of my in-laws to create a train made out of wood for Andrew. They created a 12 car length of train and I made the mistake of telling Andrew we could paint them and make them look like real Amtrak cars......

So, today we embarked on that endevour - my goodness - 3 hours alot of spray paint, 4 rolls of colored electrical tape and a sharpie later I had accomplished 2 cars.....this is going to be a long long project.

Here is a before and after of the boxcar.


and the sleeping car...

Conni's Baby Shower

So Sunday we had a baby shower for Conni -we had fun celebrating baby Boy Nevills and I am so excited to meet him! Here's a couple pics,

Awww Christmas

So we returned home Christmas night from Eric's parents. I walked into my bathroom and looked fondly towards the big tub.....warmth....relaxation....it was calling my name. And then my eyes were drawn to the purple and white bucket now sitting in the bottom of the tub full of toys. That's right - Court took a bath on Wed night and look - though I told her that bucket was not to be touched - she used it to transport all her toys into her bath and then proceded to play with it. "Whats the big deal?" you ask? Andrew used that bucket to vomit in all day Tuesday. Uggggg......now the bathtub is contaminated for another 24 hours.....so tonight I longingly climbed into the scalding hot water to warm my poor little feet and enjoyed a nice relaxing bath and am so very grateful that Court didn't inherit any bugs from that lovely bucket.

Birthday Invite

So I worked all evening - and then decided I had better start thinking about Andrew's 9th Birthday Party. Though I have nothing yet planned aside from a date and a theme (Amtrak, his new favorite thing). I did put together the invitation and I think its one of my favoite things I've created. Nothing like wasting 1 1/2 hours creating an Amtrak train jpg...he..he...

Just thought I'd share my creative juices!

Accident

Well the first snowfall in a while hit this morning and thus the accidents have begun. I recieved a a text while I was assembling the children's lunch this morning - and like I usually do during that most crazy 30 minutes of my day - I ignored it. Well I grabbed my phone on the way out the door to do my carpool duty and saw it was from Skills.

It read - "i was just rear-ended. im ok, cops are on their way." YIKES - I wasn't expecting that one. I prefer the usual.... "i lov you..." or "...hope you have a nice day." texts myself.

I proceded to throw Andrew out the door to his bus and push Courtney toward the cold, awaiting van, while sending away for more info. I told Courtney that daddy had been in a car accident and she looked at me and said "Is he dead?" OK, so not the words I thought she would have to say for that particular situation. "No, he's OK." I said. "That's good." was her response and the end of our conversation.

FYI....Eric is fine - the Teknoforce car is driveable - but he does have some lower back issues so prayer for that would be helpful. We are supposed to help Luke/Susu move on Saturday and he won't be much help if he's injured anyone else want to join us :)

Complicated!

So I've been rather lacking in the blogging department these days. Seems like I most need to get things off my chest when I am struggling - usually with Andrew. The truth is, I have been convicted lately to love and embrace Andrew for who he is, who God created him to be, and not who I want him to be. It is easy for me to continue to push him in the direction I want him and completely miss out on who he is and what he has to offer.

We had a kinda bad night on Friday - a fight with him sitting BUCK NAKED on the steps at his grandparents house..... and he was naked because he knows it makes us mad when he does that. Anyway, we spent some time calming him and helping him pray through his high anxiety. Seemed to be fine the rest of the night. The next morning I was exhasted since Court had been throwing up every 30 min all night long, he came in my room...said "I love you Mom"...kissed me on the cheek...and waited for me to return his kiss. I knew it was a special moment with him - ones that almost never happen. He initiated some Andrew love and I gladly embraced it. Eric later said that he was very conversational all morning. And as if he could read my mind..(What did we do different yesterday? What did or didn't he eat? What supplements did we miss? Etc..) ..which often he can....he said "I guess we should just say a prayer of thanks instead of trying to figure out what we did differently to make it happen."

I'm learning to except the moments - and try to balance the "helping him improve" and "loving him for who he is". Who knew life was going to be so darned complicated!

Smack -

Prayer and Petition

So I'm doing a book study at church again this year and this year's book is "Having a Mary heart in a Martha World." Oh so a book I need to be reading.

This weeks chapter was on worry. As I started the beginning of the chapter I figured "I so don't have a worry problem, this isn't me." But as I got deeper into the chapter it talked about fear playing a similar role. Fear is something I am very comfortable in...something I have lived in for the last 6 1/2 years. Every month, every day, sometimes even every hour is a guessing game with Andrew. What will help him today, what will set him off, when will this regression end or will he slip further into it. I'd like to think that I after all this time I have my act together - that I've learned to lean on my Savior instead of focus on the what'ifs or how'comes. But in truth, I haven't.

The book had some aha excerps for me today. "Jesus knew that a life filled with fear has little room left for faith. And whithout faith, we can niether please God nor draw close to him for the comfort and guidance we need to face the cares and affairs of everyday life." and "Worry....it is the view that God has somehow lost control of the situation and we cannot trust Him."

Both of these were instant underliners. I am tired of trying to fix him on my own, but feel if I ask God isn't going to fix him anyway so I might as well keep trying. I know in my head that if I just let go of the fixing and just put my faith in him, that He will give me the peace I long for and the ability to not fear the future with him or what he is going through.

So, this last exerpt is what I shall try to do. "When we decide to pray instead of worry-when we choose to have a grateful heart in not-so-great circumstances- then the peace of God comes and takes us into "protective custody". It stands guard at the door of our heart, transcending, surpassing, and confounding our own human understanding, bringing us peace."

I'm asking for prayer - that I can stop trying to fix - and allow God to bring me peace within the storm. And please continue to pray for Andrew - his Awana leader said he is a different kid this year and not in a good way....it is so hard to keep hearing and seeing his spiral downward. I want him better, but more so I want to have a better relationship with Christ so it doesn't matter what Andrew does or says or is....I can accept it because I am confident in my Savior and his ability to give me peace. I know I can get there....I know all I have to do is remember to ask.......