Loved

...... by my thoughtful son, Elijah!

Fluff Balls

Their eyes are now open and they are moving around the box a lot more, trying to explore and get out.  Mama Twix is more concerned with all this moving around and is trying to keep them corralled.  These little kittens have been such fun bright spots in our days!

Whoa, it just really struck me in that first picture how much Benjamin and Michaela are looking alike.  These two really have a neat bond and get along swell.  Their bantering back and forth and quoting movies and comedians is constant entertainment for us.  I love my maturing teenagers!

And Here it is Again

Mother's Day

I am blessed with five treasures to hold and call my own.  It is a privilege and responsibility I don't take lightly.   Each and every day brings its own challenges and joys.  Motherhood constantly humbles me and brings to light areas that I need to improve in.  I am so thankful for the grace of my husband and children as I navigate through this journey!

Today I held my youngest, trying to wake her up for church.  How long will this last?

I was escorted to church by my oldest.  I guess I'll likely be a passenger and not do much driving of my own for the next few years as the kids all become old enough to drive.  :)

Happy Mother's Day to my mom and mother-in-law.  Thank you for instilling in me and in Chris a love for God and a love for family.

Botanical Gardens

Today was Benjamin's 3-month follow-up with his oncologist and we had an excellent report.  Dr. G. is very pleased with how Benjamin's knee has healed and sees no concern at all at this point.  We'll go back in 3 more months for an MRI and CT and just keep monitoring from here. 

Being in STL once again at the hospital brought back some of the flood of emotion that we experienced last winter.  We have so quickly and easily moved on since Benjamin's successful surgery, but I never want to forget how God brought us through a very difficult time.  We have high hopes for an uneventful future, but know that no matter what the future holds, He is ever faithful and we will rest in His care.

So with all of our visits to STL we've been picking a different place to visit each time.  Today we took advantage of the great weather and went to the Missouri Botanical Gardens.  It's been several years since our last visit, so Elijah and Ami got to enjoy it with us this time.  It's supposed to be the third most well know botanical garden in the world.  It is indeed very beautiful.  You could easily spend hours strolling through the different areas.  They are preparing for the upcoming Chinese Lantern Festival to open in a couple of weeks.  We definitely want to go back for that.  The preview that we saw was incredible!  They have brought in several Chinese artists for the duration of the event.  The lanterns and dragons and other displays have all been put together by hand. 

 There are two huge dragons that are made entirely of porcelain dishes!

These displays are all handmade with silk.

 (Just because I love the pigtails!)

After our field trip and lots of walking, we checked out The Hill (aka Little Italy) and found a bakery with lots of yummy choices.  We managed to save some to bring home to Dad.  :)

Today was a great ending to our week.  We definitely have spring fever and can't to finish up our school year in two more weeks!

Sooooo Cute!

Since Monday, I don't know how many times I've heard, "They're sooooooo cute!!!"  They are indeed and you'll have to put up with some kitty pictures over the next six weeks before we give them away.  Any takers?  They are sure to be well loved on and comfortable with human folks.  :)

Such tiny balls of cute fluffiness!

Spring Concert

This evening we attended Johanna's spring band concert.  She has enjoyed learning to play the flute this school year and has progressed very nicely.  She loves to practice and it's enjoyable listening to her as well.  Good job, Jo Jo!

Dishwasher Duty

This is just a funny that I want to remember when I look back and cry that the kids are no longer home to empty the dishwasher for me.  :)

For some reason or other the kids think it's fun to stand in the corner with both drawers pulled out to put away the silverware and larger utensils.  They've all done this, even Ami gets up on a stool in the middle to do her chore this way when it's her turn.  Michaela has outgrown this method, opting for more grown-up ways now.  It just makes me smile to see them doing chores in their own fashion and making a mundane task more fun.

They grow so quickly.  Johanna was only one when we moved to this house and was barely walking, unable to reach our higher than normal counter tops.  

(Johanna at 3, still too small to reach the silverware drawers.)

Japan

Although it's been over a year since the devastating earthquake and tsunami in northern Japan, there is still a great need.  My sister and brother-in-law, Jennifer and  Chad, moved up there last fall from Osaka for roughly a year to be among the people there.  They have been joined by a couple of families who have felt led to move there permanently.  They have had hundreds of volunteers come through and help.  It seems to be an overwhelming task, yet each house that they help clean out, each bag of food they share, each life that they touch has a lasting impact. 

Here is a video put out by an organization that has come alongside Chad and Jennifer and their team to help.



Chad and Jennifer have huge hearts for the people of Japan, and especially now for the people of Ishinomaki.  I would ask you to pray for their stamina and strength as they continue to wholeheartedly serve those that they live among. 

We love you, Chad, Jennifer, and cousins.  We are so proud of you!

Awwwww....

We have three new kittens!  The kids have anxiously been awaiting this day as they've watched Twix grow larger and larger.  Mid-morning, Michaela was excited to announce that Twix was having contractions and kept meowing loudly.  We all rushed out to the garage to see for ourselves.  We had to wait about 45 minutes, but then we all got to witness the first kitten being born!  So neat, and something I will never tire of. 

Yes, the kids tried to work on school in the garage while waiting for the REAL science lesson.  Twix had no privacy, but lots of cheerleaders during her labor and delivery.

First was a black male.  I'll spare you the gory photos I took.  It was quite a learning experience for some!  

About 30 minutes later a grey male was born.  Twix kept moving around quite a bit, but finally settled in the second of two cat boxes.  The kids were very anxious about whether or not Twix was doing a good job.  I had to keep encouraging them to let nature take its course and that God gave Twix the instincts she needed to be a momma cat.

Third was a white male.  The three of them are too adorable and will surely be receiving a LOT of attention.  This all sure made school interesting today!  The older three remember our other cats having kittens several years ago, but this was a first for Ami and Elijah.  So glad it happened during the day and when we were home!