...and I thought I loved you then!

"I remember trying not to stare the night that I first met you. You had me mesmerized...I hadn't told you yet, but I thought I loved you then...Now you're my whole life, now you're my whole world. I just can't believe the way I feel about you...like a river meets the sea, stronger than it's ever been. We've come so far since that day, and I thought I loved you then!"

"With a little bit of live, little bit of learn, little bit of watching a few more candles burn, and finding out what life was. With a little bit of fuss, little bit of fight, little bit of kiss and makin' up all night, and one day waking up...in a real love."

"When I hear you stop and laugh out loud, when you're falling fast asleep, when you're in the middle of the crowd, when you're lying close to me, when I hear you softly say my name, when you're high and when you're low, when you don't need me to explain, 'cause you already know...when you smile that way, I know every night and day...that's when I love you, when I need you, when I care about you! That's when I know without a doubt that I can't live without you. Every day I find another reason, every season we go through...every little thing you do, that's when I love you."

Thank you for a beautiful first five years, my love! "This much I know is true...God blessed the broken road that led me straight to you."

Yes, it really is another birthday blog!

Two years ago today, we welcomed into our family our beautiful third daughter...on our third anniversary! It was a crazy time in our lives, especially since Bethany arrived 4 weeks early, and only a week after Hannah had turned one. There was very little sleep happening that December, but many worries and questions: "Can we do this?" "How do we take care of three tiny girls, ages 2 and under?" "Will we lose our sanity?" "Will they be happy?" "Can we really do this?"

In the middle of all that sleep-deprived uncertainty, Lamont and I fell in love with Bethany Rain Miles. This sparkling red-haired beauty took our hearts by storm. Somehow it has always seemed like she has given us more than she has taken...how is it possible for a baby to do that?

Happy birthday, my darling Bethany!

(Photo courtesy of Holly Clouse Photography)

"Precious girl, in our lives, making every moment bright...your mummy and daddy love you, you fill us with delight! Precious girl, so special too, God has got a plan for you...and we can see it clearly, as you shine His light. Do you realize when you shine everyone sees you? The lives you touch...you're worth so much, and that is just how God made you! Precious girl, can you see you're a precious part of our family? This one thing I promise, God's plan for you is true. You are worth so much and it's just by being you!"

~~(Veggie Tales "It's a Meaningful Life!")

Greetings from Play-Doh Land...

Today was just begging for a creative activity of some kind. The girls have been antsy lately...the snow is hard and crunchy and not fun for playing, and last week was crazy with a bunch of traveling back and forth to Spokane, so the girls and I were overdue for some super fun playtime together. So out came the plastic tablecloth and the play-doh!

My parents gave the girls a *ton* of new play-doh and play-doh gadgets for their birthdays. They were so thrilled when I got it all out for them this morning...there may have been quite a lot of squealing and running around in circles going on here for a few minutes!

Bethany only tried eating it twice; she wrinkled up her face each time and seemed extremely disappointed that this lovely, colorful stuff didn't taste nearly as good as it looked. She was very serious about her playtime -- every picture I took of her she had this serious, focused look!

Hannah kept me busy helping her make these twisted ropes using the gizmo Bethany is holding in the above picture. She used every color she could find and wore the ropes as necklaces and bracelets. She told me, "I am a beautiful lady!"

Now I know that this picture of Ashley will make my mum cringe, because when I was a little girl we weren't allowed to get the colors all mixed up like this. ;-) Ashley spent over an hour perfecting this beautiful tower to her satisfaction!

The way it was going to work in my head was that I would get the girls all set up with their play-doh and then would be able to get all my chores done around them while they played happily. The way it worked in reality was that I eventually pulled up a chair because I got tired of standing while I played right along with them! We were at it for 1 1/2 hours. :-)

Birthday Interview with Hannah!

Are you happy that today is your birthday?

Yep. I'm thinking about me having my yummy cake!

How old are you now?
Three! That's pretty old. I'm growing into a big lady, but my legs are still little right now.


What makes birthdays fun?
Because if somebody turns 3, and they're really big, then they get a birthday cake!


Who else is in your family?
Us! I mostly love everybody. But I don't love mean mouses. But mean mouses are not in our family.


What do you like to do to have fun?
Play with my family and eat my birthday cake and have dinner! Yes yes yes yes yes! And I like to stomp. And doing puzzles, and coloring pictures with colored pencils for school.


What yummy foods do you like to eat?
Salad...spaghetti...macaroni...candy...and I think cake!


Do you think you are old enough to learn how to drive yet?
No...well...I'm big so I CAN drive!


What do your sisters like to do?
Play play play, and they like to eat cake!


What does Daddy like to do?
He likes to work. He likes to play "Hannah Banana", and tickle me and chase me. And to play music, and he likes driving.


What does Mummy like to do?
Play with us! Read books. Push buttons on computers. Some coloring and flashcards with me. And to cuddle.


What do you think about all the snow we have right now?
It's fun to play in it! I like to build snowmen and I like the pretty Christmas lights in the snow. It is cold and it makes me shiver and I wear a big coat!


Did you like answering all these questions?
Well Mummy, it's ok if you want to ask me questions. But I don't know everything, but I'm growing to be a big lady and then I will know more things!

Tidbits for Tuesday

Hello, friends! It's been a busy holiday week since my last blog, combined with a foot and a half of snow to welcome winter -- much of which arrived in a crazy blizzard just over a week ago. As I write this morning it is snowing again, with another winter storm warning in place for today and four to eight inches of new snow expected. In our house, if you are four years old or younger, you are overjoyed by the dramatic beginning to this winter! If you are 25 or older -- and especially if you happen to be the unfortunate one who got her minivan stuck both in her driveway and in the driveway at the church building on Sunday -- you are not quite so thrilled. But I have to admit, winter in the mountains is beautiful!

This week my Hannah will turn three! She has been waiting for her birthday ever since her big sister turned four in October, and she has her whole day planned out. She will start out with "eggs and pop tarts" for breakfast. (Ashley asked for pop tarts for breakfast, too! It's a treat they've only had a few times in their lives -- I guess it's becoming their new birthday breakfast tradition.) She has specific books she wants me to read to her on her birthday and games she wants to play, and she's super excited about going to her daddy's Christmas band's first concert mid-day. For dinner she has ordered "lots of spaghetti, like more spaghetti than you usually give me, and lettuce and cheese, and bread -- but not the normal bread, the yummy bread -- and more punch than you usually give me." Translated, that is spaghetti, salad, french bread, and the birthday punch we like to make from fruit juice and 7Up. :-)

Here's Hannah apparently doing the splits while opening an early birthday present from her auntie and uncle and cousins -- she's so silly!

Follow-Up to Exciting PSA!

While most readers sympathized with my recent blog on the arrival of Starbucks holiday cups -- both the bright shaft of joyful light that they create in the world, and the severity of Lamont's error in neglecting to tell me of their joyous arrival -- I did receive, to my astonishment, a few comments suggesting that I had overplayed the importance of these cups. I am certain that my more astute readers are reeling in shock at this moment, just as I did! Nonetheless, I have graciously decided to provide further explanation, for those (weak minded) individuals who may require it.


Are you ready? Ok. This is what the world, the beautiful world, looks like with holiday cups!






And now...prepare yourselves...this is what the world, the dismal world, looks like without holiday cups.



If that didn't make it clear enough for you, I'm sorry to be the one to inform you, but there is actually no hope for you. None.

On my baby who is no longer a baby...

(Photo courtesy of www.hollyclousephotography.com)

Our first family dinner after Lamont returned from his business trip to Vegas this week, and following a naptime power struggle with Ashley that had her lying in bed for hours while her sisters played without her, this was what Bethany prayed:

"Thank you God that Daddy's home, and Ashley's back, and Hannah loves me, and Mummy's nice to me. In Jesus' name, amen." She looked carefully around the table at each one of us as she prayed, to make sure she wasn't missing anyone. :-)

Bethany has the most endearing way of saying everything twice, wrapping it around our name. So if I give her something, it's "Thanks, Mummy, thanks!" When Lamont is swinging her around the livingroom and she wants me to watch, she calls excitedly, "Wooka me, Mummy, wooka me!" And when Lamont was playing around with her the other day and pretended to cry after he got an "owie" in the game, she wrapped her baby arms around his neck and gently told him, "Don't cry, Daddy, don't cry." It was beyond precious, so this morning I tried the same pretend crying as I played with her; she looked me squarely in the eye and chirped, "Hi, puppy, hi!"

Hmm. Ok then.

I helped Bethany get herself potty trained a few weeks ago (yay for no more diapers! I do a happy dance inside every time I walk past them in the store and don't have to buy them!), and she is so delighted with herself for mastering this "big girl" skill. She's successful at least 95% of the time right now, and every time she goes in the toilet she beams up at me with her little eyes sparkling, and says, "See?!" It makes me laugh every.single.time. Yesterday evening she was even more delighted with herself than usual, so she threw her hands in the air and said, "Ta da!"