It's a boy thing...

Last night I caught Jordan leaning over the side of our papasan chair and watching his drool fall to the floor forming a big puddle. And I must say, he found it quite hillarious. What the heck, he isn't supposed to do that, he is only 1 years old!! Such a boy thing.. Ewww.... :)

And here is the video I promised from the last blog.... Nothing too exciting, but just for laughs I guess...


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The Weekend Review

Friday night, Papa E stopped by to play with the kids for a while. Later on, he and Nik went to see the movie Transformers. They thought it was awesome. Saturday I had a baby shower in Kendallville for Nik's cousin, Ashley. It was a lovely shower with a ton of good things to eat. I actually went up for seconds, which didn't quite agree with me. Saturday night, Max and Amy came over with their 2 boys. Amy cooked us an amazing supper, although I ate my meal much later than everyone else because my stomach was still very upset. Sunday, after church, Lance and my parents stopped by to hang out for a bit. It was good to see them. These pics are from Friday night when Nik and his dad left for the movie.

Takin a break.

The "I'm done smiling nice" look.

I had a video of the boys to post, but the website that hosts the videos is under maintenance right now. I will try to add it tomorrow.

My Sprint Vent.

So Nik upgraded his Sprint phone a couple months ago. Ever since then, our last 2 billing statements have been sky high. We paid the first one, cuz we thought he had text messaging. Well, we have been told that we do have it, and that we don't have it. Anyways, after the first bill, they took off some of the balance, but we had to pay most of it, and we told them to take off incoming and outgoing text messages. Well, the next bill was again high. What the heck, so I called and complained, and the guy said he would take off all the charges and everything was great. So I just checked the internet to see if my latest check was received by them, and it was, but those last charges were never taken off.

So again, I just called them and said, look this is the THIRD TIME I have told you people to take off text messaging. And he of course had no record of my "so called" recorded conversation about the charges getting dropped in the previous conversation. But he took off some of the charges this time again. I am tired of this game... Let alone, the fact that the last 2 phone calls I have had to wait to speak to someone for 20 WHOLE MINUTES. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.... I was ready to rip my hair out. :) Ridiculous. I have been with Sprint for about 6 years now. IT'S TIME FOR A CHANGE. So when my 18 month commitment runs out, I will be looking elsewhere!!! So if any of you just love your service provider, please let me know who I should switch to. Ok, done venting....

Bargains and Pictures

So I was organizing Carter and Jordan's closet on Tuesday night and I found a box in there full of 6 different baby lotions and baby oils that had never been used, and that weren't going to get used for that matter. So I was going to give them away as baby gifts eventually, but then I thought, why don't I just take them to Walmart and get money back, cuz I could probably make about $15.00. And then Wednesday morning I received an email from the Picture People at the mall sending me a free picture coupon that had to be used up by July 28th. So anyways, on my lunch yesterday, I went to Walmart and returned the lotions/oils and got back a $15.48 gift card. I then decided to use that and buy matching shirts and shorts for the boys to get their picture taken in with the free coupon. The shirts and shorts came to $15.00. So I paid nothing for them!!

The picture experience was a little harder this time now that Jordan can walk. Which that is exactly what he kept wanting to do was walk away. It was getting pretty frustrating, but the end results were pretty cute. I scanned the pics on my scanner here at work, so the quality isn't as good as the actual pictures, but still cute. And the one where they are both doing a silly "oh my goodness" face might get put up at the Picture People Store in the mall we were told. So hey, maybe you will see a big blow up of my kids some time.

After the Storm

Last night we finally had a thunderstorm. It was the first big rain we have had in a while. It came pretty late though, I know it was after 10pm. Jordan slept right through it, but Carter, not so much. He woke up crying and didn't want a thing to do with it. I ended up sleeping with him, which turned out to be quite a long night because he woke up several times crying, due to the storm. But we sang some songs, and he was okay.

Here are a few happier moments from this morning before we got on our way.

Aren't we cute!!

Brotherly Love.

What a cheeser.

A Post from Nik

Nik posted this blog on his myspace a couple days ago. He wanted me to share it with all of you.

The Heart of the Father.


So, my son Carter has been going through a phase at this 2 ½ year milestone in his life; this must be when "attitude" begins to take form in a human. Instructions such as: "Don't hit your brother; Don't run into the street; Time to get ready for bed; Time to go inside now; Don't jump off the couch; Don't use the coffee table as a giant drum; Listen to your mom…(just to name a few)" , are phrases he occasionally does not like to hear. When presented with a statement such as listed above, Carter has a choice on a reaction. It seems that lately, a common reaction is crying, falling on the ground, pounding the floor with his fists. He has even pounded the floor with his head and slapped himself in the face as a reaction or "statement" to discipline or being told not to do something. He has looked at me with the pouting face, and when I still tell him he can't do something, I have been called a "mean daddy".

Now I don't want you to get the wrong picture, this is not the way Carter acts all the time, and my purpose for this blog is not to paint a bad picture of my son, but to use as an example. As a father, my heart breaks when my son goes into a tantrum. My heart breaks when discipline is enforced.

I bring this up because lately my prayer time consists of prayers longing after Gods heart; to know his heart, and to please Him. I put into perspective Gods heart when I think of my heart for my son. That when I, as a son of God, in defiance hold onto things in this world instead of giving all to God like he asks, how much it breaks his heart that I am not living my potential, which is His fullness. That in my obedience, the Father is pleased, and in giving up of myself and my natural, sinful, human desires, I understand my purpose and I can run into my Fathers arms. That with his forgiveness, he makes me holy, and with his grace I am free. I see myself as my son. That when I tell God "No!!" out of love his heart breaks. And how he longs for us to simply say "yes". That by choosing to compromise and settle for the standards of the world it is the same as giving God the pouting face and saying "you're a mean daddy'. It's giving up our inheritance in His kingdom for a momentary pleasure this world daily offers us.

C.S. Lewis writes this in 1945 in the Preface of his book "The Great Divorce"

"I do not think that all who choose wrong roads perish; but their rescue consists in being put back on the right road. A wrong sum can be put back, but only by going back till you find the error and going on. Evil can be undone, but it cannot 'develop' into good. Time does not heal it. The spell must be unwound, bit by bit, 'with backward mutters or dissevering power' – or else not. It is 'either – or'. If we insist on keeping Hell (or even earth) we shall not see Heaven: if we accept Heaven we shall not be able to retain the smallest and most intimate souvenirs of Hell. I believe, to be sure, that any man who reaches Heaven will find that what he abandoned (even plucking out his own eye) here on Earth was precisely nothing."

In ending, my son brings me more joy than I could imagine; and knowing that joy it makes me excited to give that joy to my Father.

May God Bless You

Nik

A day at the Lake

Saturday we traveled to Jimerson Lake. A friend of ours, who used to live on our street, bought a house there on the lake. So several people from our neighborhood were invited. There was lots of food and the kids had a good time. There was also a swing set for them to play on, but it was covered in sap. YUCK!! Yeah, you can say Carter got pretty sticky. Here are a few pictures from that day.

Sammy and Carter playing with their trucks

Maddie, Sammy and Jordan having fun with the football

This one's for you, Grandma Burkhardt.

Jordan has been making this silly face lately ever since we were in Hilton Head. It makes me laugh every time. Carter never got in the water on Saturday. He doesn't like sand for some reason and the water was probably too cold. LOL.... But show him a pool, and he is in!! Jordan really isn't phased by anything though. He was all about it.

Quick story... Last night we were watching some TV before Carter had to go to bed, and a newscaster came on during the commercials. It was Linda Jackson, the anchor for Channel 21 News. She was on for about 10 seconds talking about the upcoming news, and Carter pointed at her and said, "Hey, that's Linda." We died laughing. I guess he must see her at the sitters during the day.

Well, it's raining outside right now. Our grass sure needs it. I think were supposed to get a thunderstorm tonight... Yippee...

A visit from Jasmine and Mickey Mouse

Have a good trip to Tennessee this week Mom, Dad, Lance, Meg, Brian, and Tara!! We'll miss you!!

So last night Nik, Carter, and I were sitting on the couch watching TV, and around 8:00pm there was a surprise knock at the door. It was Savannah with Grandma and Grandpa Burkhardt!! Carter was very excited to see his sister. They were just coming back from seeing Ratatoullie. While the adults were talking, the kids decided to transform into Jasmine and Mickey Mouse. But soon, Carter became Davey Crocket, or Rambo, or, well, you can see for yourself.

Jasmine and Mickey Mouse

Carter's Welcome to Disney World pose

Savannah workin the ballet pose

I think this is some kind of karate move

Rockin the hair

I also wanted to include a video. It's pretty dark cuz we were out in the garage for a bit so that Carter could play on his drum set out there. But we decided to do a little do-a-diddy for you. Although, he usually does it a lot better, but it's still cute.

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Blueberries for Jordan

Nothing too exciting to post. After work last night, I picked up the boys as usual. Nik went street witnessing with some people from church after he got off work until about 9pm last night, so I was on my own with the boys. They are always fine except when it comes to dinnertime with Jordan. As soon as he sees me open the refrigerator, he goes ballistic. I could tell him over and over that I am pouring his juice or cutting his food and that it will be there in a second, but he goes into a crazy screaming cry and throws himself on the floor. It is actually quite humerous at times, but mostly annoying. And he will act that way until the very second I pop the juice in his mouth. Then he is instantly quiet. So last night as I was making Hamburger Helper, which had to cook for an eternal 25 minutes, Jordan of course couldn't handle it, so I was constantly popping blueberries in his mouth as he stood at the gate staring at me. What a goofball.

And then there is Carter. Half the time he either tries to help Jordan by telling him "It's Ok Jordan," and hugging his neck. Or the opposite once Carter gets bored with that, and decides to run Savannah's huge Barbie car over Jordan's toes. They have that brotherly love/hate relationship you know... ;)

Once I put Jordan to bed, Carter and I went out in the front yard for a bit. Every time we go outside, he immediately looks for 2 sticks so he can start drumming on whatever is around him. He has been doing this for months, and it doesn't matter if we are eating dinner or what, he will drum away. He truely finds joy in doing it. He just lights up and makes sure everyone is watching him. Someday, Uncle Nate will have to show him a thing or two on the drums.

Well, pretty soon it was time for bed. I read him a couple books, and then we said our prayers. Now when we pray, Carter always has to remind me who I forgot to pray for. He will mention everyone he knows or can think of, and then he always adds items in his room. "Pray for clock, mommy. Pray for blinds and music. Pray for Spiderman." After we are done with that, I usually lay with him until he falls asleep, but he was very awake last night and kept laughing and talking to me. He stayed up until Nik was walking up the stairs, and then went into his fake sleep mode, including snoring sounds. I have never taught him this. It's funny what they pick up.