For Ezekiel.

Eight days old.

Today my little boy turns two years old. Ezekiel, much like two years ago, I can't sleep tonight. I'm too excited. Today we are celebrating you! And there is so much I want to tell you. On the day you were born I realized two things: Everything I had ever wanted in life was now laying in my arms - and I would never be the same. My heart no longer beat in my chest, but instead was wrapped up in a little white blanket with blue polka dots. And now it walks around on two little legs, experiencing life through big brown eyes and enchanting the world with a dimpled smile. Every baby is a miracle, Ezekiel, and every one of them arrives with their own story. But, to us, you have always been something extra special. A baby that comes after God brings a daddy home from war and after two other babies are loved and lost - now that is a baby you hold just a little bit tighter. And from the moment you arrived I thought that God saved his very best for us (just as every new mother does). If I didn't know it before, I now fully grasp the meaning of gratitude.

First birthday.

When I was pregnant, I prayed and prayed for a healthy baby and a safe delivery. When I held you for the first time I thanked God for answering my prayers - and then said out loud "And he's cute too!" I never imagined you would be so beautiful. Even still, I can't get enough of your golden hair, cherub cheeks, and that content little smile you get when you're looking out the window of the car or riding the ponies at the farmer's market. It's as if you already know that life is good, and you take in every moment. I love your happy spirit, your easy laugh, and the way you engage other kids assuming that everyone loves you as much as you love them. I love the way you yell "home!" when we pull into the driveway, as if you've been gone too long. And I love how you dote on your sister - kissing her head, helping me get her dressed, and pointing to the ground saying "baby down" when you want me to put her down so you can play with her. The Lord has given you a kind heart, son, and the sweetest of spirits and I pray that we are able to nurture that in you for His glory.

We are just beginning this journey, bear. Me as your mother and you as my son. You're making it pretty easy on me, but oh how I pray that I am equipped to train and guide you in the days and years to come. How I want you to use all of your wonderfulness to live a life that points people to Jesus. And how I pray for wisdom to teach you that.

I love you, bear. Happy Birthday!

New Hair.

Yes, I still plan to post about Almanor - just don't seem to have the time for such a lengthy one yet! In the meantime: Here is a fun pic of me and my sis's matching new hair. We unintentionally got very similiar cuts right around the same time. This is the shortest I've ever had it. I don't know if it's the "new me", but it's a fun change!

Namesake

How sweet is this? Here is Bekah Jane with her aunt Rebekah just a few days ago during a visit home. It is uncanny how much our little girl resembles the one she was named after (she certainly didn't get the blonde hair and blue eyes from me!).

My Cathedral

"Sweetest days of childhood, playing in the deep woods, stomping through the creek and feeling oh so much alive. Camping in the forest, enjoying the crichet chorus, hum my songs of gratitude around the crackling fire. Right here in the stillness I found my house of worship with column trees and canopy of stars...Here in my cathedral."

I love this word picture from this great song by Chris Rice - it resonates so beautifully with my own experiences at Lake Almanor. As a child, I loved all the adventure it offered - motorcylce rides, water skiing, innertubing, wakeboarding, chipmunk-catching...every day was filled with wonder and anticipation. But it wasn't until recent years that I began to see this little piece of forest as a retreat, a place of renewal and rejuvination, an opportunity to experience God like never before... a house of worship. Sitting on a log in the still quiet hours of the morning, skiing on perfect glass at sunset, or slicing through buttery water with the oars of my kayak - it is in these moments that I've never been closer to God. Ahh, only 11 more months until we are back again.

While I did have precious moments of serenity and solitude during our trip, that's really not round-the-clock reality with two small children and a yellow lab! Wow, I sort of think anyone who braves 10 days in a tent with two babies and a dog deserves a ribbon or something. And my husband deserves a gold medal. He worked HARD - cooked all the meals, did the dishes, and watched the kids so I could ski when the water was good. Not to mention set up camp, made comfy little beds for our kiddos, and helped at night when they were not such happy campers. Thank you, babe, for making such a huge effort to make this a "real" vacation for me.

So, here is a summary of our trip in pictures:

Night one: Not so good. Baby had a fever, up most of the night. Woke up Ezekiel. Both were freezing. Kevan and I both up trying to keep the kids from waking up the entire campground. Finally, at 3 a.m. Kevan takes the baby for a drive to get her to sleep. He stays in the car with her until 6, then they both come back to our tent and crash. Completely exhausting for all of us.

Day one: While Kevan catches up on sleep, Ezekiel manages to disclocate his elbow while playing (or maybe while I was "helping" him step over the ledge of our tent. Moms, beware. Don't pull your kids up by their hands!). While I try to decide if he's really hurt, he falls asleep from pain in Uncle Matthew's arms. When he wakes up and still can't move his arm, Kevan and I decide to make a trip to the dinky little hospital in town. On the drive there, we talk about the possibility of 9 more nights like the last and the fun of adding a broken or sprained arm to the mix. We wonder if we should turn right around and drive home. THANKFULLY, his arm is just dislocated, the doctor pops it right back in and we immediately have our happy son back. And then, finally, things started to turn around and the rest of our trip was GREAT. The kids even managed to stay warm and sleep well most of the nights (which makes for happy days!).



And the fun begins! Family boat ride...

After the first few minutes of adjusting, Bekah Jane really didn't seem to mind her life jacket. Both kids loved going on boat rides.

My little skipper.

How fun is this? Andrew and Melissa got this trampoline/slide thing and we spent hours on it every day! Fun for kids and grown-ups alike!

Bekah Jane taking her afternoon nap at the beach. Love that - mama got to read by the water while she slept.

Ezekiel spent all day playing in the sand or in the water with his cousins.

Kevan in the boat my cousin Steve made. I got to take it out, too, and it was simply beautiful. Definitely a highlight.

When Kevan saw these pictures he said "How could I not love hanging out with my kids? They are so great!"

Papa Mark with the "triplets" Autumn, Cami, and Ezekiel



It was sooo wonderful to be back in the water again after a 3-year maternity leave. How beautiful is this?! I skied and wakeboarded to my heart's content. And now that I am older and wiser (but mostly just older!), it is much more about peace than performance for me. And, boy, was it peaceful out there. Love love love it.


Me and my girl.



Bekah Jane was pretty exhausted after watching her mama ski! She kept on sleeping in the tent - life jacket and all!


Maddie, Bekah, and Abby.


Good morning, family!


Doesn't she look warm and cozy?

The Rebekahs at our traditional Pratville breakfast.

All 5 of us kids made it this year!

Saying goodbye to our campsite...

So, we survived. 10 days, 9 cousins, 2 kids, 1 dog, and lots of great memories!

Big Kid

If it wasn't obvious before, today confirmed it. Ezekiel is officially a big kid. Tonight we went to Carl's Jr. to play on the playground, and I could not believe how my son conquered that jungle gym. There were a few other bigger boys playing tag on it and running all around and E just watched them intently for a while. Then he decided he could do it too! And up he went climbing! That little monkey climbed all the way up and ran around through the tunnels and went down the hugest slide all by himself. I was amazed...he wants to be big so badly. He played and played until he was soaked in sweat. He even convinced the older kids to play with him, too (his big grin and easy laugh can have that affect on kids!). I can't believe he is almost 2, but he is certainly ready!

We're back!

Just a quick post with a teaser photo from our trip to the lake. After a little bit of a rough start, we had a GREAT time! Not much time to post right now, so more to come!