the.best.life

happy birthday, ava-girl!

2011-11-22T19:26:00.007-05:00

We cannot believe this sweet girl is now the big O-N-E!

We had a lovely time celebrating Ava. It was so fun buying pink napkins and plates and making pink frosting. I made her a giant pink cupcake cake and another pink cake with white sprinkles and a beautiful pink pendant made by my friend Tonia {who is not pink, but who most certainly has a rosy disposition}.

Ava LOVED her birthday balloons and wore a cute little pink shirt with the number 1 on it and her favorite pair of jeans. She bounced around from grandparent to grandparent to aunt to aunt and was just the happiest little birthday girl on the planet.

Ava, you are a JOY and a GIFT and we just LOVE you so much! We can't wait for this next year with you -- it is so fun watching you grow and learn and laugh and play! It is hard to believe that you were this sleepy newborn just one year ago....

T is for ENCOURAGEMENT :)

2011-11-13T14:26:00.004-05:00

T is for ENCOURAGEMENT.

Before you revoke my teaching license and put Mason on the school bus, allow me to explain:

Kindergarten has been going great. I am thoroughly enjoying teaching and learning alongside our boys. And they are learning and learning and learning and soaking in so much information and truths. It is amazing to watch them unlock door after door in their little brains. I swear I can sometimes SEE the sparks ignite as they put sounds together and make words. I can HEAR their pride as their pencils form real live letters. And I FEEL their joy as their scissors and crayons create I am so thankful to be there for this.

CAN YOU TELL WE JUST FINISHED OUR UNIT ON THE 5 SENSES??

But, let's face it, it isn't all sparks and songs and excitement. There are hard days. And last week had more of those hard days then I thought I could hande. Sickness and busyness and clutter snuck in and began to steal the joy right outta my new role. And this is fertile ground for doubt. Should I have just sent him to kindergarten? Is he learning anything? How can I balance this life as a homeschool mom?

And then I found it: the letter T. There are no words to describe the PEACE that washed over me upon this discovery. You see, I had looked and looked for this letter T on and off for probably a month at the beginning of the school year. I knew I had put it in a good spot. I could visualize it. But I could not put my hands on this letter card. I couldn't let it go. You know how that feels don't you? The soundtrack in my head kept repeating: "You're a mess!" "You can't do anything right!" "Who are you kidding that you'll be able to manage homeschooling!" etc. etc. etc.

And there it was. In the bookshelf where I had looked at least a dozen times. It was noon. I was still in my pjs trying to grab one more thing to wrap up our school day. Frazzled. Frustrated. Close to tears. And then RRRRRRRRRRR----UUUUUUUUU----SSSSHHHHHHHHHHHH: Peace.

Thank you, Lord, for your goodness and mercy. Thank you for knowing me so well that you knew exactly when I needed to encounter this encouragment. You knew how a simple piece of cardboard would soothe my soul.

So, yes, T is for ENCOURAGEMENT [and it really will be when we get to end consonant sounds].

Going Rogue

2011-11-03T22:09:00.002-04:00

I had a better post, but blogspot messed up....so this is a test post with picture for your enjoyment:

...on the move...

2011-09-19T16:31:00.004-04:00

Just shy of 10 months, our baby girl stood up and walked... She started taking some steps here and there last week and then got more consistent on Friday with 2 or 3 steps. Saturday she was more like 6-8 steps and yesterday included 10-12 steps and turning around and now she.is.non.stop.

The boys announce, "Her's walking!! Her's really walking!?" each and every time.

Side Note: I have been working on the use of SHE instead of HER with my boys...if anyone has any ideas, PLEASE help this momma out! My mom's English grammar gene is kicking in and it is seriously like fingernails on a chalkboard!! I sing "SHE SHE SHE SHE SHE SHE SHE" to the tune of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and that isn't even helping.

Oh wait...As I am typing this, Mason just said "SHE'S WALKING!!" Be.still.my.heart! And, OH WAIT!, that walking girl just opened up my kitchen cupboards....YIKES!

NOTE: This is new footage I took tonight as I couldn't get yesterday's to upload! I took just a quick snippet hoping that it would upload without problems...but you get the idea!!

FINAL NOTE: Yes. Mason is asking his Daddy for a lighter at the end of this video. We were building a campfire. Said lighter was not actually used by our 5 1/2 year old....promise!

9 months

2011-08-23T09:17:00.002-04:00

Oh Sweet Ava-Girl.

How can you possibly be 9 months old?

I want to change your name to Ava Joy because that is what you do...you bring J-O-Y to your mommy and daddy...and pretty much everyone you meet.

You are cruising the furniture like it is going out of style.

You got your first tooth on Grandma Bella's Birthday, August 13th.

You are starting to eat more foods, but prefer to self-feed. Some of your favorites are: garbanzo beans, cheese, tortillas, oatmeal with some cinnamon, and last night you gobbled up peas like they were chocolate chips!

You sing/squeal your way to sleep during the day.

You are so laid back. You just go with the flow. It is wonderful. It is refreshing.

You still are up once or twice at night, but just for a quick nursing (when will you give momma a b-r-e-a-k??)

Your brothers adore you. They drag you around the house. They make you belly laugh -- loudest, sweetest sound on earth!

Ava Shannon Best -- you have changed our lives. You have added so much J*O*Y to our souls...like, down deep, so far down deep that it hurts. Every day your personality shines more and more...and every day we love you more and more.

You are our precious daughter and we thank God for the gift that is YOU!!

Kindergartening ... at home

2011-08-15T08:26:00.002-04:00

It is the question that somehow always gets asked right after Mason says, "I'm 5!"

"Are you going to kindergarten?"
"Are you excited to start kindergarten?"
"Where will you go to kindergarten?"

I get it. I do the same thing. It's what 5-year-olds do. I am just a little unsure of how to answer this question.

"Yes" is what I would like to say. And then just leave it at that.

But my sweet 5 year old responds, "I am kindergartening at home." Oh how I love his honesty.

Most of the time there is an awkward pause in the conversation. Or a weird glance up to me to make sure this is, in fact, what is going to happen. Sometimes the conversation is over altogether.

It has gotten easier with each exchange. I am getting {more} comfortable with the idea. I am much more confidant in our decision. I am not {entirely} terrified at the very mention of kindergarten anymore.

The truth is we will be kindergartening at home. Kindergarten came in a box to our front door. And it is now unpacked from that box and getting itself ready for a year of adventure and learning and fun.

How did we arrive at this decision? Let's just say it was a L-O-N-G road of doubt and uncertainty, of reading and information gathering, of praying and seeking wise counsel, of reflecting on our own educational experiences. And finally...to surrendering to what we believe to be the very best choice for kindergarten for Mason and for our family.

I didn't want to. I fought it. But with each new school supply purchase and with each new conversation about kindergartening at home, I gain excitement and momentum to rock this new role.

Or die trying.

One year at a time.

P.H.E.W.

2011-07-06T08:29:00.011-04:00

******NOTE: I GAVE UP ON THIS POST. NEVER AGAIN WILL I UPLOAD SO MANY PICS TO ONE POST--THEY WERE ALL IN THE WRONG ORDER AND IT IS TOO TIME CONSUMING TO GET RIGHT. THEN AVA PUBLISHED IT WHEN THE LAPTOP WAS UNATTENDED. SO, ENJOY THE WHIRLWIND OF PICTURES WHICH ACCURATELY REFLECT THE WHIRLWIND OF ACTIVITY WE'VE HAD!! :)********

Wow! We hit the ground running upon returning from vacation. Ear Tube Surgery, Father's Day, Safety Town, Vacation Bible School, and then lots of family time when Uncle Matt & his new girlfriend Michelle came to visit. Emily & the cousins shacked up with us--and it went so well that they stayed almost a week (instead of the 4 days we had planned for)! And, we topped it all off with some good times with Tim's side of the family over a 4th of July weekend to remember .

Happy Father's Day to the BEST Daddy in the world! Mason told Tim he wanted to celebrate Father's Day for 21 days (or years)...We celebrated with a slow restful morning, a big breakfast, homemade cards, and a cookout over at Tim's dad's house. These 3 kiddos are pretty lucky to have such a patient and plugged-in providing, teaching, discipining, discipling Daddy for their Dad.

Ava first tastes of food. Homemade sweet potato puree. She didn't seem to mind the taste, but she had us all laughing when she kept her mouth open for the next 15 minutes and all of that sweet potato goodness oozed out of her salivating open mouth. She prefers chunked food-bananas, sweet potato cubes, cheerios...but, honestly, she just isn't that interested {much to my dismay}. My brother Matt and his girlfriend Michelle spent a wonderful week with us. They were total troopers since I can only imagine that hanging with 5 kids 5 and under is not what their typical Friday night or Saturday night or Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday nights look like. We had a fabulous visit--saw the new elephant exhibit at the Cleveland zoo. Mom and Mason rocking the color blue....at the zoo:

Carnival 2011

2011-06-18T08:28:00.006-04:00

We have a yearly tradition of hitting up the St. Barnabas Parish Festival with our dear friends (and former neighbors) Uncle Perry & Aunt Siggy. It began when Mason was a sweet 6 month old and may have just been an excuse to indulge in the a corndog or two, drink some fresh squeezed ~~sugar~~ lemonade, and maybe end the night with a funnel cake. But, as Mason has grown and we have added others to the mix, it has become more about the time together and the overpriced rides!

Safety Town

2011-06-17T12:48:00.007-04:00

Oh this 5 year old year is filled with so many milestones and firsts and tear-jerking moments...it is like a year of getting slapped in the face with just how old your baby has become. You used to tell them they were a 'big boy' to encourage growth and development...as in, "What a big boy you are!" "Let's put on your big boy underwear." "Big boys eat their veggies." etc. etc. Well {GULP!} it has been this 5 year old year that has announced loud and clear that Mason has achieved official 'big boy' status.

And this week was Safety Town. 5 days in a row of 9:30a drop-offs and 11:30a pick-ups. He loved it. And I loved 5 days of precious one:on:one time with my second born while Ava napped (more on that later)!

Here are the pics of the Safety Town graduation. I admit I find all of these 'graduations' a little excessive....I mean, kids graduate more now than ever before: pre-school, safety town, kindergarten, etc. I know it is much more for the parents than the kids--which is probably why I find it annoying. But even I have to admit there is something rewarding about hearing your child's name and seeing them accept their 'diploma' when all they really want is the kool aid and traffic light rice krispie treat ;-) Well, if I am being honest, it is also quite fun to chuckle at the parents who arrive {at least} 30 minutes early to get a prime seat {on a picnic table} for this {once of a lifetime} occasion. You can see the back of these parents heads in this momma's pictures.

all systems go!

2011-06-09T14:33:00.004-04:00

Well, here is the indisputable evidence: When I say our baby girl is crawling at 6 months of age...like, really crawling...I mean it.

She is quite proud of herself. We are quite proud of her. I guess it is time to start vacuuming and mopping every ~~day~~ week. :)

totally tubular

2011-06-09T14:08:00.004-04:00

Our sweet Ava {and her poor, poor parents} have been dealing with chronic ear infections since March due to persistent fluid in the ears. I blame Tim. I blame my sister. Both of whom had poorly tilted eustachian tubes as children. I thought my children would be invincible to ear infections since they are given only the good stuff, but {ALAS!} this was not the case. We tried every known natural remedy in addition to the dreaded antibiotic route, which, by the way, is absolute torture for parents and babies alike. Most antibiotics require 10 full days of twice a day dosing--seriously??!! These fancy schmancy pharmaceutical companies can't come up with anything better--a dissolvable tablet??

And, while it took everything I had not to chug the entire bottle of 'bubblegum medicine' (the smell of the 'pink stuff' (amoxicillin) brought me straight back to my childhood), Ava's sensitive pallet was not impressed in the least. Let's just say that I have no worries that my baby girl will ever be held against her will. She learned quickly and effectively how to evade the medication and adapted her evading techniques {pursed lips, head turn, spitting it out, double head turn} as I tried every possible position and coaxing technique under the sun. I dreaded 7a and 7p each day...for a long time!

In reality, Ava handled the pain associated with these infections like a super champ, but enough is enough. In addition to not wanting to pump any more antibiotics into my 6 month old, that nasty fluid in her ears was causing hearing loss/distortion, which is not good at this age in speech development. I was proud of myself for going in for a second opinion, which luckily agreed with the first opinion.

So, today at 7:30a Ava had a new pair of ear tubes installed in her sweet little bulging ear drums. Dr. Katz also assured me that he drained lots of 'thick, yellow fluid' from behind both ear drums. He said that our happy little girl should be even happier {which is hard to believe}...but I take this to mean that she might just start sleeping thru the night....hey, I can dream, right??!?

I was so thankful that everything went off without a hitch and that my hot hubby {he even rocks a blue hair net} was there to handle the job of holding Ava while they put her to sleep and then holding my hand while we waited the 7 minutes for the procedure.

Ava was a little confused and upset upon awaking, but quickly settled down and then slept off the anesthesia for 3 hours at home.

Beach Bummin'

2011-06-06T07:10:00.014-04:00

Oh what a week we had in Myrtle Beach, SC!! My parents gifted my sister and me a week at their Marriott timeshare and we picked this fabulous resort in N. Myrtle Beach. Can you say "OCEANFRONT WITH 4 POOLS?" It was beyond wonderful!!

A blog I used to read described how she loved to 'freeze' her kiddos at the beach every year. And this description has stuck with me. The running on the beach...how did my firstborn baby get such big boy legs? And how fun are these cute little girl bathing suits?? Enjoy these pics of our amazing week of fun in the sun...in no particular order... :)

Ava supervising her brother's sandcastle making

Levi riding the waves with Daddy -- he LOVED every second of the ocean!!

Beach baby watching the wave riding

Daddy & Ava catching some rays (and tasting sand)

oh this face says it all! Did I mention Ava started crawling a few days before we left for vaca!

Pooltime with Daddy Shark...

love this surfer boy!

Mason's turn riding the waves. He took a little longer to warm up to the ocean's 'roughness', but by the end of the week he didn't need to strangle Daddy with his death grip....he actually was riding the waves NEXT to Tim and loved getting pummelled by the waves!

Even the promise of chocolate ice cream didnt get a photo of all 3 smiling

Mason found this hermit crab and wanted a pic.

Our Sleeping Beauty: poolside. Ava was a total trooper, sleeping when she needed to wherever we were. So this is what it is like to have a laid-back baby!

My sweet nephew Elijah -- he LOVES the water! He would go out on the balcony every morning and point to the ocean saying "waddur" with a huge grin!

waterslidin'. the sign said you had to be 48", but the lifeguards were super cool and our kiddos couldn't get enough of this slide!

brothers -- and I didn't even have to bribe for these smiles

and awake poolside

my boys: beach bound

Mom, there's a tv in our room!!!! I am surprised he left this bed all week!

the boys

nursing our 'babies' on the beach....

Luke & Levi buried by Mason.

Mason buried.

Levi taking a little break from the waves.

The girls.

our family of 5

this is the life.

Ava's first shower. Each of the kiddos had their first shower with Daddy while on vacation!

My sleeping beauty! (the animal print bikini made it despite Daddy's protests ;-)

"Mom, why do I have a boys swimshirt on???"

Trying to get a family pic was difficult to say the least ;-)

but we took it anyways!

Sunbathing with Daddy...

one of the pools! the kids loved the splash area!

My sister Emily showing off her 25 pound+ weight loss!!

Sportin' the shades ;-)

All systems gos for the beach!

w We stayed with my dear college friend Tricia and her familyon the way down to Myrtle. More on this later!! It was so fun--she is an absolute inspiration and we haven't laughed this much in a long time!

Rite of Passage.

2011-05-14T21:26:00.004-04:00

Five years ago (sigh), my sweet firstborn son was bathed in Grams' sink and a tradition was born. Each grandchild (and their momma) has looked forward to stripping down and hopping in the sink for warm, soapy fun. Now the funny thing is that Gram will not allow anyone to wash their hands at the kitchen sink ... but somehow it is ok for baby bottoms?? Which, inevitably, means baby pee..... ;-)

I digress. It really is the perfect bathtub for a baby....no need to break your back bending over a tub. No need to waste a tubful of water on such a small baby. And easy access to the sprayer keeps even the fussiest child entertained. The sink bath comes complete with measuring cups. And on a hot summer day, Gram will even let you pour water out the kitchen window ;-)

The first bath in Grams' sink is always a special one. Ava got her first bath in Grams' sink on Easter Sunday...with help from big brothers (who may or may not have poured water over her head after being told not to) and Aunt Chelsea.

I would say it was a success. Ava LOVED it! And I have to say the tub chair is the greatest invention ever. I didn't use one with the boys, but I am loving it in this in-between sitting stage.

Born to ride...

2011-05-14T21:17:00.003-04:00

Have I mentioned that this boy LOVES this motorcycle. He begs to ride it from sun-up to sun-down. He rides it like it is a real motorcycle. He gets off to inspect it. He knows how to unplug the batteries, how to charge them, and how to reinstall them under the seat. He knows which buttons make the motorcycle go fast, faster, and reverse (even though I cannot figure it out). He fills the saddlebags with snacks, sunglasses, a drink, a hammer, and a cell phone. He has riding shoes and riding boots and knows when he needs which pair. He knows when he isn't quite going to make a turn and hops down and readjusts the bike.

Well, when a friend came over I was nervous about the share-factor. Actually he didn't mind sharing and said friend didn't mind riding on back. And said friend knew exactly how to pose on the bike....this was absolutely unposed!! And, for the record, Levi is upset in this picture because he doesn't want to be photographed without his riding sunglasses on....hilarious!!

Ride on, Levi...Ride on!

JOY! JOY? JOY!

2011-05-10T07:48:00.002-04:00

I asked a friend for a Mother's Day gift idea and she sent me this link. I thought it would be easier to go to Portrait Innovations.

But then I couldn't get it out of my mind. I had the perfect 3 letter word: JOY. And my friend reassured me that since they are black and white prints I didn't need matching clothes (Mason has a batman shirt on). Heck, I didn't even wipe their faces or comb their hair or weed my flower bed. And you wouldn't even know.

I fudged my way thru the craft...printed letters off of the computer instead of drawing my own. Had same friend help me edit the photos I took in the backyard. After picking up blurry/grainy pictures from Walgreens, I learned that my 5 year old camera is lacking in the dpi category. You can read about it yourself...dots per inch. Basically, I need a new camera if I am going to be able to compete in the photography business ;-)

But after numerous edits, reprints to eliminate or reduce blurriness, changing camera settings, retakes, and reading lots of articles on dpis...I was feeling less and less JOY...and I am pretty sure that my friend was wishing she would have never sent me the link in the first place.

But the grandmas were pretty JOYFUL when they saw these faces....and I was reminded and humbled about having JOY in the midst...that JOY is a choice....and that the source of all JOY is available to me at all times!

For you make me glad by your deeds, O Lord

I sing for JOY at the works of your hands.

Psalm 92:4

I have told you this so my JOY may be in you

and that your JOY may be complete.

John 15:11

May the God of hope fill you with all JOY and peace

as you trust in Him.

Romans 15:13

on the move

2011-05-10T07:15:00.002-04:00

The brothers were, let's just say, gone fishin'...literally. Fishin' with Gramps at the pond. I placed Ava down on her playmat to bat the monkey and pull on the parrot. And I left the room for a second. When I came back, this is what I found:

When the cat(s) are away, the mouse does play! Brothers, look out! Buzz may be covered in drool. Maybe this will be my new threat, er suggestion, to get them to pick up their toys!

As of late, we have also found Ava under beds, chairs, tables, and such. She is rolling across rooms. And now pulling herself up on her hands and knees and rocking back and forth with a big toothless grin....Can someone say "baby gate"??

Onwards and upwards, Ava-girl!

My T-Baller

2011-05-10T06:41:00.003-04:00

Mason had his first t-ball game last night. My big 5 year old. Another milestone. This year is chock full of them for our sweet first born.

He looks so handsome in his uniform. He is so proud of the young man he is becoming. And so eager to grow up. We are so proud of him, too....but I am not so eager for him to grow up. Although he is a pretty cool five year old!

Mason had quite the fan club for his first game: Mommy, Levi, Ava, Gramps, Grams, Pap-Pap, Grandma Linda, Uncle Phil, Aunt Chelsea, Lily the dog, Mrs. Nelson, Deacon, and Jack. I mean, his own cheering section. I kept Daddy up-to-date via text and picture messaging...he was so sad to miss the first game -- he is down in Columbus for technical rescue training...

Due to the very rainy April we had, all but 3 practices were cancelled so our clueless first year t-ballers were extra clueless as they fielded, ran the bases, and tried to hit the ball. Very entertaining. But I know it will look like a completely different team by the end of June!

::see ava jump::

2011-05-02T17:15:00.003-04:00

we set up the jumparoo for ava. she loves it. just like this guy did 2 1/2 years ago.

hopefully this doesn't mean she'll be walking at 9 months.

(and I am sorry you have to suffer thru my pathetic jumparoo song solo....)

Ready for the beach...

2011-05-01T10:07:00.003-04:00

This little girl can hardly wait for the beach this summer. Daddy will not be allowing his precious daughter to wear an animal print bikini at any stage in her little life, but when this hand-me-down was delivered to my door, I just couldn't resist a try-on session.

Building is Serious Business

2011-05-01T09:44:00.002-04:00

The Bests

2011-04-30T07:33:00.003-04:00

It has been the coldest, rainiest spring ever in Cleveland. After the coldest, longest, snowiest winter. But today there is sun.

What have we been up to?

Mason is pretty proud to be riding a 2-wheeler with no training wheels. We are pretty proud of him, too. He started t-ball. All but 3 practices have been rained out, but he is figuring out fielding, glove wearing, and running the bases.

Levi LOVES this motorcycle. He begs to ride it all.day.long. He is happy to be riding Mason's 'old' bike with training wheels.

(and yes his shoe is on the wrong feet.)

Ava can't wait to model her summer dresses without longsleeve onesies underneath. I can't wait to have her chubby arms & legs accessible for squeezing.

We spent a long weekend with the cousins in Maryland.

Ava has had 2 ear infections...and has handled them like a champ {except for sleeping well at night}. The most recent one is a double infection so we have called in the chiropractor.

Tim has been selected for the Summit County Technical Rescue Operations Taskforce (TROT) team and is training in Columbus once a month for 3-4 days. Absence does make the heart grow fonder.

My brother Phil & his new wife Chelsea moved to Ohio from Washington at the end of March. We are overjoyed to have them around and a part of our daily lives!

I am cooking a lot more these days and wondering how it is that I can {seemingly} work from sun-up to sun-down and still have a house that needs swept, laundry that needs to be done, papers that need to be filed, etc.

I have hunkered down and lost 30 pounds since January. Ready for spring! Excited for vacation to Myrtle Beach with the cousins at the end of May. Excited for a visit from Uncle Matt and his girlfriend Michelle at the end of June.

God is good. Time is flying. Will post pictures after I take some on this sunny day... :)

ava photos

2011-03-12T11:27:00.001-05:00

Ava's sweet Auntie Em took these absolutely adorable pictures in honor of our baby girl turning 3 months old. Ava cooperated with her smiles and worked the camera while Emily and I had fun playing dress-up with her for the first time. Thanks, sister!! You totally captured her sweetness and her precious toes with your camera!

Levi Love

2011-03-12T07:05:00.000-05:00

Levi, our second born little man,

You are one pretty special kid. You are physical and coordinated. Your vocabulary blows me away. You have a temper than can strike out of nowhere. You love to sing. You teach yourself new things daily. You do a really good job of keeping up with your big brother.

You have recently turned into a pretty cuddly and loving kid, kissing and hugging when you normally would fight it.

And, you love your sister. You love to talk to her and make her laugh. You bring your very favorite, I mean, very favorite blankie down every morning and tuck her in with such tenderness while she plays on her playmat. You hold your mousie up above her face and laugh when she grabs the tail....

You are a delight. I can't wait to know you more.

Of course I can zip up my own jacket, Mommy.....I just figure these things out on my own to make your life easier ;-)

an extra measure of grace

2011-03-07T15:51:00.009-05:00

This time around I had a pregnancy friend. A friend that grew her baby girl with me, a friend that offered encouragement, understood every stretch and ache and pain, shared every joyful kick, and was able to lament with me as our girlish figures swelled with baby glow.

One day as I was fighting back tears of inadequacy, she reached out to me with the best encouragement a friend could offer (especially one that was getting ready to add #5 to her brood):

"The Lord pours out an extra measure of grace with the third baby."

This was just what I needed to hear in response to my tearful, fearful thoughts..."What on earth would I do with a 3rd baby when I was so burnt out with 2?" "What if this baby girl screamed as much as #2?" "How would I get out of the house with 3 kids?" "How would I stay in the house with 3 kids?" "How will I break up fights between the 2 boys when I am nursing on the couch?" "How will I make breakofast, lunch, dinner while I am nursing?" "How will our marriage survive a 3rd baby?" "What were we thinking??"

Well, I started to pray for this extra measure of grace....I prayed and prayed and prayed for God to meet me where I was at. And I am so humbled at how God has answered those prayers in such sweet, tangible ways. I don't know how else to explain the {mostly} smooth transition to 3 kids. I don't know how else to explain the transformation in my boys. I don't know how else to explain the strengthening of our marriage in the midst of sleepless nights. Lord, forgive me for doubting your grace and thank you for meeting me where I am time and time again.

Here are just a few of these very tangible ways:

** Mason, who was unable to buckle himself in the 3rd row of the minivan, figured it out.

** After spending the entire month before baby fighting and screaming and not sharing, they miraculously discovered they can play TOGETHER and that they can be FRIENDS during the day.

** Mason and Levi can brush their own teeth, put on their pajamas and go to bed without me sitting in the chair in their room for an hour.

** Levi started zipping his own winter jacket.

** The boys can pick out mostly matching clothes and get dressed by themselves.

** They can both use the bathroom without help....including wiping.

** They are not jealous of Ava in the least....they love to love on her.

These things may seem like small things, but to a nursing momma of a new baby, these are HUGE milestones. And, I can't begin to tell you how suddenly these changes took place after Ava's arrival. And I can't begin to tell you how much these things have helped in the smooth transition to a family of 5. Of course, there are so many more ways God has met my needs: No post-partum depression, a laid back baby, a good nurser, a caring, helpful husband with a much easier work schedule, a supportive family and church family and the best friends on earth, meals for a month...I could go on and on and on.

It reminds me of one of my favorite Bible verses for this season of life:

He tends his flock like a shepard:

He gathers the lambs in His arms

and carries them close to His heart;

He gently leads those who have young.

Isaiah 40:11

I love the visual this produces in my mind's eye, snuggled in the safest place possible. I love the word 'gently' ... that is so what I need each hour of each day: gentle leading. And the very thought that the Master of the Universe is offering this to little old me. There are so many times when I try to rush ahead of this gentle leading or think that I can lead our family in my own strength with my own ideas. But when I step back, let Him gather me up and carry me close to His heart and submit to His gentle leading...what a difference.

And so, when a mom of 2 approached my kiddos and me at the zoo last week and asked, "Honestly, how is the transition to 3?", instead of going into a long drawn-out response about the ups and downs and such, I should have just replied, "Do you have Jesus? Because, honestly, I couldn't imagine how I would do it without Him."

The Cousins Come to Town

2011-03-06T20:45:00.005-05:00

The cousins were in town for a good 10 day stretch--10 days of no-napping fun! There was lots of playing and crying and snacks and adventuring. We took a field trip to Trader Joe's and the zoo's Rainforest. Gram read lots of books. The boys had lots of fun together, pulling toys out of the playroom and stuffing them into our teeny tiny bathroom {their firehouse} or under the kitchen table {to keep them from getting 'soggy' in the storm} or in Mason's top bunk {to practice their heavy lifting}. They dressed up as super heroes. They played outside in the mud. They rode bikes out front. Ava went with the flow and starred in an Aunt Emily photo shoot for her 3-month pics...can't wait to see the results.

I have never made this many peanut butter & jelly sandwiches in one week! It was a fun time filled with lots of memories {most of which are on Emily's camera}.

hot cocoa & popcorn after playing in the mud

Grams' Story Hour

Aunt Emily & Ava-Girl

Introducing Bumblebee

2011-02-23T16:47:00.002-05:00

I picked up some costumes on clearance after Halloween and Levi has embraced this Bumblebee costume. Apparently Bumblebee is a character on Transformers...

Anyways, the other day I said, "Levi, pick up your toys." and he responded, "I'm not Levi. I'm Bumblebee!" So I said, "Bumblebee, pick up Levi's toys." ;-)
And here he is in his costume, wearing his Uncle Brandon's shoes.....best $3.00 I ever spent!

Ruffle Bum

2011-02-23T16:31:00.003-05:00

Ava is grow, grow, growing and continues to be quite the little socialite....she LOVES when you talk to her and is quick to reward your attention with a HUGE smile and her sweet little coos. Her favorite pastime of lying on the play mat has been upgraded to both grabbing and batting at the hanging animals and rolling over from her tummy to her back.

A woman from my Community Bible Study group that we go to on Wednesdays gave me the sweetest little outfit for Ava...complete with a ruffle bum...and I couldn't wait to put it on her today to show the lady what a perfect outfit she picked out!

Ruffle bums are one of the many adorable ways that girls clothes differ from boys! And while my tween and teenage Ava will not be allowed to wear any ruffles or words drawing attention to her derriere, I just think these little ruffles are super cute!

"Task At Hands"

2011-02-16T07:22:00.004-05:00

Funny story. We have really been working with the boys on following directions, focusing, staying focused, not losing focus, keeping focus, finishing what they are asked to do...you get the idea. I hear this is harder for boys.

We started using the phrase task at hand, as in: "Mason, getting dressed is the task at hand." "Levi, brushing your teeth is the task at hand." "What is the task at hand, boys?"

So, yesterday while eating breakfast (the task at hand), Levi holds up his hands and says, "These are my "task-at-hands"!" His little voice blended these three words together...sounds like casket-hands with a T.

Tim tried to correct him, saying your hands work at the task at hand...but all I cared about was that he was using those sweet little 'taskathands' to eat all of his yogurt & granola!

He is pretty proud of his 'taskathands'....they may not always be working on the true task at hand...but it's progress, right??

12 weeks

2011-02-15T15:03:00.005-05:00

Our baby girl is 12 weeks today! Wow! I swear it goes faster with each baby...

There is no memory of what life was like before Ava. She just fits with our family! Ava is an absolute delight! An easygoing, sweet, smiley, playful baby girl that has added oodles and oodles of pink joy to our lives.

Ava loves to be talked to. She engages you with her big toothless grin, smiling eyes, and dimples. She loves to coo and 'talk' to me right after nursing. These soft sounds are quite possibly the sweetest on earth! She has been called 'the most expressive baby I have ever met'.

Her big brothers love to love on her. Levi calls her 'Little Lady' and 'Precious Sweetheart'. Mason must give her a kiss and a hug every morning. He is so very concerned about her: where she is when she is napping, if she will be coming with us when we leave the house, where she will sit in the grocery cart. They do not like to hear her cry and scold me if I let her cry too long (you know, like if I am taking 5 seconds to go to the bathroom when she wakes up from her nap).

Tim is pretty sure he will never be able to say no to her. And I, well, I am quite humbled that I get to be this little girl's mommy.

Happy 3 months to our baby girl!

:: no words ::

2011-02-10T21:13:00.002-05:00

I don't know how to put words to what I have been feeling the past several days...the grief and emotion I have felt from afar for a family I don't even know is very real.

This is how I feel.

This is where you can read of a man's love and loss.

Don't let this reminder of the fragility of life be wasted. Hold your loved ones a little tighter.

Pray for Chad as he trudges forward into his new reality these next days, weeks, and months.

:: captured ::

2011-02-07T21:33:00.006-05:00

At times, the days seem to just go by in a rhythmic fashion: wake up, nurse, breakfast, nurse, play, nurse, lunch, nurse, naps, nurse, dinner, nurse, bed, nurse, repeat. I am reminded not to wish these days away. I am reminded that these precious children are growing and changing each and every day. I am reminded that I will miss these faces just like I miss the faces of my newborn boys, my crawling boys, my toddling boys. And it hurts; it makes it hard to breathe.

Winter in Ohio does this. Long days indoors does this. But in the midst of these days, weeks, months, I try to slow down the rhythm of routine and capture specific moments. I hold these captured moments so close to my heart: the faces of my boys at play, the smiles of my sweet baby girl, the wink of my hubby. I watch my boys' laughing silliness and freeze it. I watch as they kiss and cuddle their baby sister and I freeze it. I watch my husband melt when he holds his baby girl. I watch him tenderly teach and train our boys.

Moments. Captured.

Treasured.

a turning of the page

2011-02-04T07:10:00.002-05:00

Around the time everyone else is winding down from the holidays, we are ramping up for birthday season! This year was particularly exciting because our firstborn son turned 5--a huge milestone!! It was a bit hard to swallow for me...and it kind of caught me by surprise! I was so busy with new baby transitioning and Christmas that it sideswiped me. The fact that he is growing up and becoming more independent is my greatest joy, but the fact that I am 'losing' that little boy, that little face, that transformed me into a momma is, well, tearfully overwhelming!

Mason had his first 'kids' birthday party at the firestation. It was a lot of fun -- Tim dressed up and gave a big tour to the wide-eyed kids. Levi turned 3 on January 24th. We celebrated at El Campesino and then back to our house for cake and ice cream.

And here is our growing girl at 10 weeks:

More soon. Oh so hard to blog with 3 kids!!!

new life

2010-11-28T11:19:00.004-05:00

we welcome to the world

with heart-exploding love:

ava.shannon.best

23.november.2011 @ 2:48p

::9 lbs. 6 oz. :: 20.5 inches ::

:: born safely at home ::

Wild Western Adventure

2010-07-15T07:37:00.004-04:00

It's been a while...I am going to ignore talking about that and fill you in on the WHY:

#1 We will be adding a BABY GIRL to our family in November!! This BABY GIRL made me sicker than sick for 8 long weeks....

#2 We have a BRAND, NEW KITCHEN...Tim slaved for 5 weeks while the boys and I stayed at my parents (Tim was there for 3-4 hours every night). The results are amazing, although it is not quite 'done'....will get some before/after pics up soon.

#3 We just got back from 12 days in the wild, wild west, which included watching my baby brother get married to Chelsea, hiking, canoeing, whining, and exploring.

Here are some initial pics. I left the majority of the picture taking to my sister and her fancy camera...there are some up at http://www.ashbyadventures.blogspot.com/.

Girlfriends

2010-01-18T13:01:00.004-05:00

My dear friends Rachel and Megan from college came into town on a snowy, icy Friday night....along with sweet Zilani, Rachel's 20-month-old daughter. And when I say sweet...I mean SOOOOOO sweet. Just look at her preciousness:

We had a fabulous weekend in Ohio...going sled riding on Saturday morning in the 2+ feet of snow, talking, talking, talking, being surprised by our fave red-headed college friend Kara on Saturday afternoon, going out to dinner, talking, talking, laughing, enjoying one another's company. The boys loved having extra commotion and Mason was happy to allow the girls to sleep in his bunk beds--such grande accommodations we have here at The Best House... ;-)

And, we had a little drama on Sunday morning, when Rachel received the call that her flight was cancelled because the Cleveland airport was shut down with no power....but it all worked out and we ended the weekend together with a quick drive to the Pittsburgh airport where both were able to get flights out within 20 minutes of each other.
Here are some pics from our time together!

Merry Christmas!!

2009-12-24T21:03:00.002-05:00

From our family to yours:

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Fall Foto Fun

2009-11-12T23:19:00.004-05:00

Our pastor {and friend} Brad took some pictures of our family....and {we think} they turned out great so we thought we'd share:

Singin...

2009-11-09T10:05:00.003-05:00

Pilgrim's Progress

2009-10-29T12:15:00.002-04:00

We got anxious after 2 vacant home comments ;-) Which I still feel were mostly unwarranted and ridiculous. And so we decided to knock out some projects this fall to spruce up the homestead.

Tim painted the front of the house, put up new shutters, added a tier to the front flower bed, painted the front door to match the shutters (navy), installed a new storm door (not pictured), and we mulched the front beds for plants in the spring...and it just looks so nice and warm and inviting...and inhabited!! I pity the fool that makes any type of home comments to me now....!!

We have spent some time outside on beautiful fall days...We raked the leaves into a big pile at the bottom of the slide. The boys LOVED it!! And the camera loves pictures on crisp & sunshiney fall days!!! Enjoy!!

My Levi Boy

2009-10-25T12:31:00.003-04:00

Couch Time

2009-10-25T12:15:00.002-04:00

Lots of couch time has been accumulated during the last weeks of not feeling well. Both boys alternated in falling asleep while watching some videos from the library. You know they're sick when they can't make it through a show!

My poor babies...but-OH!-so sweet when they're sleeping!

Sickies

2009-10-20T09:31:00.003-04:00

We have been hit with a bout of sickness this October...which has meant lots of days in jammies. We are desperately hoping not to relive "The Plague of 2009" .... please pray for our health!

Gramps

2009-10-20T09:22:00.004-04:00

Levi loves his GRAMPS...If I ever mention Gram and not Gramps, he has to make it a point to say, "GRAMPS!" Between sickness in both of our houses at different times, we hadn't seen Gramps for a while....so the boys were very happy when Gramps came over for an impromptu visit. Levi brought him over a book to read him and Gramps just couldn't say no!

When Momma Needs A Break...

2009-10-20T09:18:00.003-04:00

She sends the boys out to cut the grass!!

FALL DAYS

2009-10-09T13:38:00.001-04:00

Double Deuce!

2009-10-09T13:30:00.003-04:00

Aunt Brittany turned the big 2-2 on the 22nd of September...so we had a little birthday celebration (mine was the 14th)...

Fall Routine

2009-09-23T14:38:00.002-04:00

We hit the ground running after vacation...and it has been so much fun! Literally, the week we got back, we started fall story hour at our award winning library, our MOMS Konnect! playgroup through our church, and CBS School (which Mason sometimes calls BS School--HA!).

Mason loves his 'pre-school'! He has made lots of new friends and comes home with lots of stories and anecdotes from his morning. Early this summer, we made a painstaking decision to not put Mason into our local co-op pre-school for the fall term. It would have meant we would have been unable to do CBS and with Tim's 24 on/48 off schedule, it would have meant less family/daddy time and we decided that was more important. CBS (short for Community Bible Study) meets once a week...which allows us time for impromptu family field trips & play dates and also allows us to be involved in the library story hour and not be rushed to get out of the house 3 days a week. They have an excellent children's program and it also has an excellent adult program that I am really enjoying! I was second guessing our decision a couple weeks ago, but am now so assured that it was the right decision for our fam!

And, just as a side note, Mason and I are working extra hard on our letters, numbers, cutting, and other 'pre-school skills'. ... so don't worry for a second that he will be behind!!

Here are some pics for you to enjoy!

::Mason's first day of preschool::

:: Priceless ::

:: Brothers sharing, a rare-but-more-often-occuring moment ::

obx 2009

2009-09-14T12:35:00.004-04:00

more details about our 2009 vacation to come...but here are some (of the far too many) pics that were taken. my sister did a professional photo shoot of our fam so i am excited to see those very soon....think white t-shirts and khakis...

uncle phil and his nephews...

mason dancing to the beat of the waves next to Gram

...wading...

my brother matt soaking in the sun

tim & boys digging

Snip Snip

2009-09-02T16:34:00.002-04:00

Levi got his first haircut today...about time considering he is 19 months old! He wasn't so sure at first, but then he just sat their nonchalantly with an expression like...Hey Mom, this is what big boys do....

Of course, it helped that big brother was in the booth next door showing him what to do...

uh....I'm not so sure about this...

all cleaned up...and checking himself out in the mirror!

CORNHOLE

2009-09-02T08:34:00.002-04:00

a blank slate ...

... stirring the paint ...

we put the "TUCKY" in "TWINS-TUCKY"

2009-08-25T07:10:00.003-04:00

I was dealt a pretty low blow on Saturday whilst at the grocery store. A woman I have known since childhood asked me if we were still living in the same house....because it.looks.vacant! OUCH! I mean, we are in the midst of several home projects that have kept us away from the landscaping and have required the removal of our shutters and have required the removal of all window treatments....but vacant?? OUCH!

Luckily, I am content in the here and now and know that all of these projects will get done and the house will get put back together, but with two little ones and Tim's busy work schedule, it just may take a little longer than we would want...I humbly replied, "We are a work in progress!"

Seriously, folks, check back next spring and you will be amazed at how we've pulled it all together. Our house will look sparkly and new ... but in the meantime, we are proud to put the "TUCKY" in "TWINS-TUCKY"!**

Oh yeah, and as a perfect example, here are some pics of Mason painting his cornhole boards in our vacant-looking frontyard...in his underwear...

Tubing

2009-08-16T12:20:00.009-04:00

We spent Saturday afternoon with The Bests {Pap Pap, Maw-Maw, Uncle Brandon, and cousins Mark, Kathy, Andrew, Dan & Sarah} and had the best.time.ever. It was another hazy summer day so we thought it was the perfect time to take Mason & Levi on their first tube ride.

Mason wasn't too sure at first and kept repeating, "I don't need to go on the tube!" Being the good parents that we are, we didn't push...especially after he witnessed Pap Pap giving Brandon, cousin Andrew, and Daddy the rides of their lives--which included hair pin turns, full throttle speeds, whipping them back and forth over the wake, and {eventually} when they couldn't hold on any longer, throwing them off of the tube.

Levi, on the other hand, couldn't wait to get on that tube with his Daddy. So, the second born went first and had a nice leisurely ride...Mason saw this and, out of nowhere, yells, "I need to ride that tube!" So, the fearful firstborn found his courage and headed out onto the tube...I guess all it takes is the thought of being shown up by your little bro?!

Tubing followed by a great cookout feast {porkchops on the grill, corn on the cob, fruit, salad, and so many other lovely delectables} followed by a "swim" in the hot tub, followed by rocks in the chanel, followed by some more tubing and swimming at Boaters' Beach. We didn't roll back to Pap Pap and Maw-Maw's house until almost 9:30 -- with 2 very tired boys....baths, jammies, and a short carride home..all we had to do was transport the passed out little ones into their beds...great day!

BOATING FUN:

...out on the boat...

Mommy & her boys

...two of a kind...

Uncle Brandon and his nephews

Mommy & her Levi Boy

stealing Pap Pap's sunglasses

enjoying the wind blowing through their hair

Mason & his Uncle Brandon

loving the boat

Levi's first tube ride!

and now Mason's first tube ride

Mason & Daddy tubed all the way back to Pap Pap's house

sunset cruise with the Best's {Grandpap, Maw-Maw, and cousins Mark, Kathy, Andrew & Sarah}

BACK AT THE RANCH:

some of the Best's

Hot tubbing!

Mason teaching Levi how to select the perfect rock

Levi has learned to stay behind the rope {much to our relief!}

deck hockey

we like to believe that Mason is teaching his brother how to hold the stick {and not taking it away from him}

Dinosaurs ROAR!

2009-08-14T19:16:00.007-04:00

The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo has a really cool dinosaur exhibit that we checked out today. We saw it a couple years ago pre-Levi, but hadn't checked it out on our subsequent zoo visits...until today...

It was a hot one, but we had lots of water and snacks to keep us hydrated and energized. We saw lions {sleeping in the shade}, bears {sleeping in the shade}, and rhinos {sleeping indoors}. Monkey island was a little slow, too, but the giraffes were up close and personal. And the flamingos, turtles, kangaroos, and birds were out and about!

It is, however, a little tricky for a 3 1/2 year old to grasp that the dinosaurs aren't real, but the rest of the animals are real. When we got home and were talking about all of the animals, Mason still thought the seals were robots??! Oh well!

uh...are you sure it won't eat me, mommy?

Mason was so proud that he scaled this rock ...

my boys

{heart melting}

when the t-rex roared, levi pulled his hat down over his ears

mommy and her sweet babies

?? are you sure these dinosaurs aren't real??

... safe in Daddy's arms ...

guess the fear is gone...what's in here??

:: courage ::

you can pick your nose...

and you can {apparently} pick a wolf's nose...

mommy & mason on the train riding through the Australian Outback ...
we even saw a baby kangaroo in her mommy's pouch!

A picture says a thousand words...

2009-08-05T10:50:00.002-04:00

I have a feeling I'm in for quite a few of these looks in the years to come....

Boy Asks For Waterslide....

2009-08-05T09:33:00.008-04:00

Who needs Kalahari in the summertime?? Mason asked for a waterslide and Daddy made it happen! So now our backyard has been transformed into a waterpark extravaganza...the boys love sliding down the slide into their pool and running through the doggie sprinkler. I'm not sure about the safety factor of the slide (as you will soon see Levi flying off the end of the slide!), but...hey, when you have boys, safety goes out the window, right? It's all about adventure and risks and physical fun! And now all three can be found in the context of H2O right in our own backyard....I can tell you, however, that no children were harmed in the filming of these videos...

Enjoy!

Aunt Brittany came over and joined in the fun! The boys loved sharing their doggie sprinkler with her....

And here's some still shots:

:: my honor ::

2009-07-30T14:31:00.005-04:00

We did it again! Thank you, Lord! I arrived in Maryland on Tuesday evening and Emily went into labor on Wednesday (July 22nd) morning...and we met Elijah Philip Ashby (another BOY!) at 5:44p.

You can read about her birth here. But I will tell you that it was an intensely beautiful, wonderful water birth! Emily handled the labor with grace and strength while I papparazied around, capturing the whole thing in pictures. The only thing better than birthing yourself is watching your sister birth. Dan (the other 1/2 to D*N*A Doulas) and I behaved ourselves this time around and were joined by Tina, a real doula, that really saved the day!

We were home by 11p that night...got a full night's sleep before big brother Luke came home. Luke bonded with his Aunt May-mee....and I so enjoyed getting to spend some quality one:on:one time with my first-born nephew. He helped me pick up pizza, grocery shop, fix things (his fave pastime) and posed for lots of my pictures. He wore the I'M THE BIG BROTHER shirt with pride and joy!

It was difficult to leave that newborn smell on Friday, but I sure did miss my boys...who looked inifinitely bigger and more beautiful than when I left them earlier in the week. They were busy, busy, busy with Daddy and Gram while I was gone and were nice enough to greet me with big hugs and kisses...Mason exclaimed, "Mommy...you're HOME!" I did have to chase Levi around and around for his sweet lips, but it was well worth it for the sound of his laughter whilst I chased.

And, of course, I missed Tim...but I was so grateful for the honor to witness the miracle of life yet again. God Bless You, Elijah Philip!

A recap of some events

2009-06-16T15:10:00.011-04:00

Please...don't fall over. I know, I know. 2 posts in one month. Well, I am getting back on the bandwagon and, while I hope this is a normal occurrence, I don't want to cause anyone any chest pain in the process ;-)

Here's some of our fun events of late:

Levi was dedicated at church this past Sunday. We all dressed up and paraded up to the front to promise to do our best to raise Levi up to know Jesus. Here's a snapshot...thanks to our dear friends...Levi talked loudly, repeatedly saying, "Hump-tee, Dump-tee"...seriously what is with my kiddos and this egg???? I promise I don't encourage it at all!!

Pool parties have begun!! We pull the basketball hoop up to the edge of the pool and slam dunk over and over and over. The boys love it!! And, I knew it was coming...but it is a necessity to JUMP into the pool...so I pulled up the kids bathroom stool to the edge and it was perfect!! Mason could jump clear to the other side of the pool and Levi required a little help to keep it safe...but f-u-n!

Charlotte's 1st birthday party.....I didn't get any pictures of the precious birthday girl, but here is Mason enjoying some cake with his Maw-Maw and Levi with his Uncle Brandon....

Playdates are a sanity must for both the kiddos and myself. Here the boys are playing with their friend Deacon...they lined up under the swingset and played noneother than Humpty Dumpty over and over...

Grams and Gramps surprise Mason with a big boy bike! And he takes off....my pics were turned in photoshop, but are uploading crooked...UGGHH!! I love it when nature cooperates with big moments. .... My dad helping Mason ride his bike under the blossomed tree...PRECIOUS!

Grandma Bella surprised the boys with some extra special super duper ride-on toys and then stayed to play on the swingset. The boys LOVE their Bella!!!

And I'll leave you with a little video of the boys...I will note that the fence is now closed off (THANK YOU, HONEY!!) and that my boys do own shoes....

2 boys...

2009-06-10T10:00:00.002-04:00

Since Levi made his appearance in 2008, Mason loves when Mommy or Daddy hold '2 boys'....it is a little more difficult now that '2 boys' weigh a combined 55+ pounds, but I love when Mason says '2 boys'....one of those 'melt-your-heart' moments ;-)

Since the warmer weather has been here, we have been o.u.t.s.i.d.e. just about every chance we get. I scored a second-hand swingset on craigslist so our backyard is even more kid friendly. The boys stay busy from sun-up to sun-down. Mason has learned how to ride a bike (with training wheels) in a very short time. Levi has mastered steps and ladders and all things climbing....his vocabulary continues to blow us away.

Anywho, more update later, but here are some pics of our sweet boys!

Mason riding his motorcycle (it was Uncle Brandon's when he was little)

My almost 3 1/2 year old...

Levi is able to do superman on the swings...

running to the swingset.

priceless...

promises, promises

2009-05-07T06:59:00.002-04:00

Well...it is the 7th of May. Wow! It sure hasn't been such a great beginning to 2009....but I would like to claim the promise of the rest of the year! We are healthy. I have entered the world of migraines...but am trying to battle them from all sides....along with catching up on E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G. I haven't been doing since before my ankle injury in December...WHAT?!

Spring is here and, with it, the promise of green grass, playgrounds, parks, swimming, scraped knees, bike rides, cookouts, s'mores over the firepit, short sleeves, sunshine. Hmmmmm....and the promise of spring means the promise of summer...and the promise of summer is Oh! so good for the soul! And did I mention that this will be the first summer that I haven't been pregnant or nursing since 2004!! Ahhhhhhhhh!!

Mason is excited to learn to ride his bike and swim and play outside. His imagination is taking off and he likes to go on adventures, searching for turtles and frogs at the local nature preserve. I really do feel like he is my little buddy....and I love to see the world through his eyes.

Levi is almost 16 months old....and is a fearless climber. He really can climb just about anything and does not let his young age stop him from keeping up with his big brother. He says so many words...it really blows me away. And, I almost fell off my chair when he started signing long after I had given up....more, please, etc.

And did I mention my sister is having a baby....in July! YAY! Can't wait to meet this little bundle and we are both praying that I can be there again for the delivery.....I mean, who will laugh with Dan...I mean, take the pictures of the sacred event?

Tim has a fishing/golf trip planned with his dad and brother, I've got a long weekend with my Hoodies in August, and then a family vacation in Nags Head in September...so many promises for the rest of 2009....may they all go just as slow as the first half of the year!!

And, there will be pics soon!

On the Mend????

2009-02-18T15:06:00.004-05:00

After the kids joined the ranks of the healthy, I came down with THE PLAGUE....the morning after I had puffed to a friend that my superior immune system had beaten the illness...note to self: pride goeth before a fall....and it was a long way down....

I have been S*I*C*K...sinus and ear infections that resisted the 1st antibiotic and that are giving this second one a run for its money. I have entered the world of towel-draped-over-head-steam treatments at the stove, q-tipping tea tree oil on my forehead and ear lobes, neti potting and nasal spraying....and it stinks. If this is even a fraction of what my poor babies went through, I feel so badly for them. Tim has been working triple time between his jobs and helping with the kiddos and I am so thankful that I am able to count on him...and that "in sickness and in health" were a part of our wedding vows ;-)

We have cancelled three birthday parties due to illness and poor Levi still hasn't had the glory of tasting his 1st birthday cake ;-( We are hoping that the 4th time is a charm and that we can have a party this weekend.

As a result of the past month and a half of illness (seriously...we are off to a great start in '09!), I haven't been too busy with the camera...but here are some of our few fun moments. We did have more than 30 people here for the Super Bowl. It was so fun...and I'll post some pics of that later....

Enjoy the pics while I head back to the stove to breathe in some steam.....and I am resolving to NEVER.COMPLAIN.AGAIN when all are well! I mean, N.E.V.E.R!

Sunday afternoons w/ Daddy

Are you Joe the Plumber??

This kid LOVES to eat!!

Our little rock star

Mason in his new hiding place...a kitchen cabinet

Sunday afternoon post-nap

no words needed...

Levi's snack trap...world's greatest invention....

I'm a big boy....

The Plague

2009-01-22T06:57:00.002-05:00

The Plague has infested our children. It arrived a week and a half ago and we are more than ready for it to leave.

Mason's on the mend (YAY!), but our sweet Levi boy is misery personified. I took him to the doctor yesterday and we have our first ear infection! On top of the diarrhea and consequential diaper rash, runny nose, cough, and fever.....

I have been getting lots of snuggle time.....the head-down-on-your-shoulder-wimpering-sad-boy snuggle time....it is heart breaking.

But, at the same time, I am thankful. I am thankful for strong boys that can fight off this bug. I am thankful for healthy boys...that really haven't been sick very often....and, as I am praying for healing and wellness for them, I am also praying for strength for the parents that have chronically ill children. Health is something I far too often take for granted....and this has refreshed my perspective.

My doctor told me how glad she was to hear Levi's pathetic cry...that she would listen to it all day long. You see, her 11-day-old niece has RSV and is on a ventilator. A ventilator. 11 days old. Her mommy can't hold her or feed her or hear her cry. That's heartbreaking. And so I pray for Heidi and her newborn daughter and her two siblings ages 2 and 4. And for all of the other parents whose minds and hearts are filled with worry and stress and pain.

Oh yeah, HNY 2009

2009-01-09T09:16:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year! Hard to believe that December is gone and January is here! So much has happened, it is difficult to know exactly where to start. Do I step back in time and post chronologically? Do I just do one of my photo recap posts? Do I just start fresh and forget the events of December all together?

Well, I am not sure exactly what I am going to do. I don't feel like pouring through the hundreds of pics taken over the Christmas festivities and uploading the best and brightest to this here blog. I don't know how to pick just one or two....so much has happened. Here it is in short bullet points with hopefully pics at a later time:

:: December 11th -- Slipped on black ice while carrying Levi....Levi was miraculously ok, but I managed to twist my ankle into so many different directions that I received a lovely 3rd degree sprain! I actually pulled my sock down right after it happened expecting to see bone poking through the skin. Off feet completely for 5 miserable days--lots of help from Tim, friends and family!! Still swollen and ouchy after 4 weeks, but able to get around!

:: Ankle put damper on final Christmas preparations, but all important things got done--Christmas newsletter and cards, gifts out in mail to friends, peanut butter balls to a much smaller number of friends. So, I didn't bake 15 doz. cookies this year, but my mom made up for that with a baking spree to top all baking sprees.

:: Tim was off Christmas Eve and Christmas Day for the 1st time in our married life!! It was a great feeling! We Christmas Eved with Tim's dad and Linda and then headed over to my parents for a gift exchange. We Christmas morninged here with just us and then spent the majority of the day at Tim's mom's house before heading back over to Tim's dad's house.

:: Levi's 1st Christmas was so fun! It is difficult to believe that he wasn't around last year! He has fit so perfectly into our family and I don't even want to imagine life before he was around!

:: Mason got the whole Santa thing this year. We left milk and cookies for him and Santa even left footprints by the front door. Although we love Santa, we do keep the focus of Christmas on the True meaning of the Season: Jesus. And, Mason was excited to learn about Baby Jesus coming in a stable and his mommy Mary and the wise men and shepards. We struggled with what to call Joseph....Jesus' daddy?

:: My sister Emily, her hubby Dan, and Luke came into town the Saturday after Christmas and stayed through the Monday after New Year's! It was a great visit with them. We played Hearts almost every night until after midnight. We spent New Year's Eve here with our friends Jenn and Jed and played Apples to Apples and learned the dice game Greed....the boys played well together. The kids rolled with the punches for the most part--lots of packing up and running around and playing and late nights. We took a trip again with the kiddos to Winking Lizard in Peninsula for Happy Hour and air hockey and wings and pizza--kids had a blast....this will become a tradition....

:: Mason turned 3 on New Year's Eve!! He dressed in all his spiderman garb and had a DQ Lightning McQueen ice cream cake! Can't believe he is 3!! We'll have a joint bday party with Mason & Levi on January 18th for sanity's sake!

:: Tim turned the big 3-0 on January 4th! We had pizza and chocolate chocolate cake here and then the adults headed out to Dave & Buster's (thanks, Mom and Dad for watching the kiddos!). What Tim didn't know was that other people were going to be there to surprise him!! We had a great time playing games (I love snowmobiling and SkeeBall!) and stayed out!! So fun!

There was a trip to the Westside Market in there (Tim took Mason--I stayed home w/ Levi b/c of my ankle), Emily's quesadillas, WAY too much food and sweets!, baths in Gram's sink, gifts, gifts, gifts, laughter, CARS movie, phone calls, family, friends, and missing my brothers!!

We love all of you, our dear and very generous family and friends! May 2009 be filled with lots of time with each of you!

:: Merry :: Merry :: Joy :: Joy ::

2008-12-24T11:26:00.002-05:00

Wishing you all a Merry, Merry Christmas....Enjoy this season of giving....and take a moment to slow down amongst the hustle and bustle and reflect on the True Meaning of the Season: Jesus' birth.

Thanksgiving!

2008-12-04T13:48:00.008-05:00

So much to be thankful for this year! As always, God has blessed us in so many ways throughout 2008 -- 2 incredible boys! a great home! great family and friends! Tim's dream job! He has provided in ways beyond what we could have ever asked or imagined!

So, as we reflected on Thanksgiving Day, the words grateful and thankful just hit the tip of the iceberg for us. More like: PINCH ME--IS THIS REALLY HAPPENING??!--HUH??!--HOW??!--WOW!--AND THEN DEAFENING SILENCE FROM THE AWE OF GOD'S TIMING AND FAITHFULNESS THROUGH IT ALL! SERIOUSLY!? THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

And, we were able to share a wonderful Thanksgiving with Tim's mom and John and Aunts Britt & Lindsay -- Levi's first and Mason's third! Tim was off this Thanksgiving and the entire weekend afterward -- which is a first in a very.long.time!!! So we soaked it in!

Tim's mom and John came over along with Aunts Britt and Lindsay for a wonderful dinner --courtesy of Heinen's. That's right, we took the "low stress, more fun" approach and picked up a full dinner at our upscale grocery store on Wednesday. Heat and Serve--that's what I'm talking about! And it was delicious!! Of course, we made some appetizers (can't live without Grandma Bella's deviled eggs) and I threw in a dessert or two to top off Heinen's pumpkin and apple pies! We couldn't go wrong.

After gorging ourselves on the delicious food, we watched CARS and Grandma Bella brought over a new toy for Mason--POINGO--where you have a magic pen that reads the story to you and does sound effects. He loves it! And we couldn't get over how Levi understood how it worked!! He was pointing up a storm. And chewing on it in between.

I slacked in the picture department....missing Levi on his 1st turkey day--how did that happen?? I guess all of the heating and serving took over. I think Bella got some pics, though. I also missed a pic of Aunt Linds....sad, but true. Levi had a blast showing off his walking and talking and eating skills. He gobbled down some turkey and sweet potato casserole. Mason, on the other hand, wouldn't touch a thing (what kid does not like MASHED POTATOES??) and I ended up making him Dino Nuggets and frozen veggies...ridiculous!

I did a bit of early Black Friday shopping and then we went over to my mom's sister's house (Aunt Karen) to see all of the cousins and their children. Then, we high-tailed it over to Uncle Brandon's hockey game--Levi's first hockey game--and then relaxed the rest of the weekend!

Is that Levi's teenage babysitter?? NO! Is that Sarah Palin? NO! That's Grandma Linda!

Hockey--a family tradition!

Grandpap and Mason -- true love!

(EMILY--when you figure out photoshop, can you get that other guy out of the pic?

Second cousins Hannah and Eric. Little E has spinabifida and is a true inspiration.
Mason LOVED playing with him!

Snow Day!

2008-12-04T13:38:00.002-05:00

Grandpap brought over an antique sled and Tim took Mason out sledding in our neighbors' back yard. They had a great time and Mason did not want to come in. The hill is bigger than I thought it was and they were going quite fast, but there was no fear in our almost-three-year-old. Mason was yelling, "Look at me! Look at me!" the whole way down!

Grams found this wonderful full snow suit at one of her rummage sales and it fit perfectly....for a bargain price!

Free sled + Free snowsuit + Daddy + Snow = Lotsafun!

Life Happens

2008-12-04T13:12:00.003-05:00

Love this expression...

Is this normal for 10 month old??

Sweeping Boy!

Life's a puzzle....and I like it!

Playgroup....

Fun times! Reading with Grandma Linda!

www.adventconspiracy.org

2008-11-21T15:03:00.000-05:00

Boy Wonder Walks...

2008-11-16T08:45:00.006-05:00

Boy Wonder (aka Levi Matthew Best) is now walking. He has been taking steps since the end of October when the bros were in town....at 9 MONTHS OLD! And, I was reluctant to write anything b/c I was sure no one would believe me....but now, at a young 9 1/2 months, our little Hulk is walking....I mean, REALLY WALKING!

He can walk, turn around, stop and restart, bend over and pick something up and keep going....and, as of yesterday (although Tim says this has been going on longer), he can stand up and begin walking unassisted. It is his favorite mode of transportation now...and you really have to see it to believe it!! Mr. Levi is quite proud of accomplishment...as you can see by the look on his face!

See for yourself. I will get better video of this, but I am so busy chasing after him that I keep forgetting...plus, I think I have been in denial...my baby is too little to walk.

And, not only does this happy child walk, he falls asleep on his own, sleeps through the night (YES!), eats (& throws) pretty much anything like a champion, hams it up for the camera, and has the most wonderful squeal of delight that I have ever heard....I LOVE THIS BOY...and am so thankful that I couldn't find the receipt to return him when he was in, what we now lovingly refer to as, his 'freak out stage'!!!

And, before I appear biased in any way, I LOVE, LOVE my big boy Mason, our resident puzzle pro, CARS fanatic, lover, fighter, inquisitive, sharp 1st born. It is truly remarkable how two children with the same mother and father can be so drastically different and it is even more remarkable how the Lord just pumps your heart full with LOVE to the point that your pretty sure it will burst with the mere thought of them!

Our boys...gush, gush, sigh, sigh....God's perfect provision for us....may we love them well!

Post Playgroup

2008-11-07T10:21:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, we had 13 moms and 18 kiddos over for a large and in charge playgroup! It was super fun and actually a lot less crowded than I thought it would be thanks to the 70 degree weather. Mason played the whole time with his "new best friend girl"....aka Ashley...which was awesome because he wasn't picking on the little kids. Actually, Mason did great sharing his toys...and we loved getting to know our new friends a little better!

And, after everyone was gone, Mason was pretty tired:

This boy has never, ever, never even come close to falling asleep at the table....I mean, he couldn't even focus when he looked at me. I wanted to wait for him to put his head face first into his lunch, but the loving mommy side of me won out and just wanted him tucked in to a nice cozy bed.

KETCHUP

2008-11-06T20:51:00.007-05:00

During my elementary years, I was in an enrichment class once a week (I think we were picked at random, so don't be jealous, Ms. Ironical). The wonderful teachers broadened my horizons, challenged me to think creatively (a near impossibility for this Type A), and got me out of the drudgery and boredom of 'regular' school for a whole day!!

It was one of these beloved teachers that would write on the board "KETCHUP" and draw a Heinz bottle and then post the items we needed to catch up on during that time .... unfinished assignments, projects, etc. For some reason, this simple, witty idea has stuck with me and, although I don't know how to draw a ketchup bottle, I do make my ketchup list from time to time....

And this blog is one of the items on my KETCHUP list:

It has been a fun and busy fall. From the moment the brothers booked their flight to OH (and the subsequent booking of the sister and nephew flight), I began RUNNING with excitement in happy preparations.....more cleaning out, washing, planning where everyone would stay, possible outing ideas, conversations to have, faces to soak in.... I mean, the brothers only come around once a year now that they live "TOO FAR AWAY!" in Washington State.....that this is a BIG deal...

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit with Matt & Phil ... I love these guys! They were total troopers, hanging out and playing with 3 sometimes delightful (more often fussy, teething, whiny, demanding messes) children in the confines of our home because the Ohio weather surely did not cooperate with my grandiose ideas for pumpkin picking, Aurora Farms, the zoo, parks, walks, hikes, museums, etc. And, our one attempt at going to Fun n Stuff was foiled as they were CLOSED....Of course, it is 70 degrees and sunny here THIS week....go figure.

The brothers are fantastic uncles...playing on the floor with the kiddos, trying to eat all of Mason's macaroni and cheese, teaching Mason how to cannonball, going trick or treating. We had so much quality time together that I just don't believe they could possibly wait a whole year to come back....hint...hint...wink...wink!

So, here is one of my famous photo essays of the past couple of weeks (in no particular order) .... Again, I realize this is the easy (and lazy) way out, but I can't possibly do individual blogs on everything that has happened....and I need to cross this off my ketchup list!

I love this kid! He gives new meaning to the word JOY!

Matt thinking about how much he loves the great state of Ohio!

Uncle PHILLY!

Levi the Lion ... only pic with the mane on!

Professional Trick or Treater

A rare "brothers-playing-together" moment .... instead of Mason tackling or pushing Levi

Luke, go get your candy!!

Enjoying the fruits (or chocolates) of his labor!

I love this face!

Trick or Treat with Uncle Philly

I love this kid! He was binge eating all week....can you say GROWTH SPURT??!

Floor time with Uncle Matty

Uncle Phil bulldozing with Luke

Trick or Treat

Pumpkin ... completed 5 minutes before trick or treating

Carving with Daddy ... Mason was still grossed out by the insides .... he wouldn't touch it at all!

Mason slept on the floor in our room so Auntie Em and Lukey had some space... Here he is totally passed out with exhaustion after another late night...

A warm welcome to Uncle Phil

Classic. Another Auntie Em find...she is dangerous with a Kohl's 30% off coupon!

Spooktacular

2008-10-22T11:38:00.006-04:00

Tim had to work at a local Halloween event, so I got the kiddos all dressed up and met Grams at the Spooktacular. My friend let me borrow a lion and a bumble bee costume for Mason this year and since Mason prefers the lion, that's what he was. Levi was a pumpkin....

Mason rode his first pony, got a tatoo of the temporary variety, had a deep talk with the fire dog, and got to see Daddy. So fun. Levi chilled in the stroller looking cute and watching big bro.

"Pair Hockey"

2008-10-22T11:24:00.003-04:00

We headed out to meet Grandpap, Maw Maw, and Uncle B at a local restaurant. Our dear friends were also there. We got to sit right by all of the video games, tvs, and air hockey table...I was a bit over-stimulated from my normally quiet life, but it was so nice to see family and friends.

Mason LOVED playing what he lovingly calls :: Pair Hockey :: with Daddy and Uncle B. And Levi loved snuggling with Maw Maw. We had to eat and run because of the time and having pushed Levi past his limit, but there was plenty o' time for multiple games of pair hockey.

1986

2008-10-16T09:57:00.004-04:00

This past weekend, we had our Clique Gathering at Grandma K's house....and, being such wonderful grandparents, they had their home fully stocked with [not only all things Longaberger;-] but with fun toys and cribs and changing tables, etc. It was perfect for the boys.
And, in their preparations for their first-born grandson, they went digging in their basement and found this:

At first glance, I had no idea what this colorful fruit loop lookin' thing was. I saw a very cute Baby Z in it and thought it was just a 'holding tank' of some nature. And then I saw the wheels [GASP!] It is a cross between an exersaucer, walker, and a bumper car....and Levi LOVED it.

After things wound down at the party, I got a little more information. It was manufactured circa 1986....which blew me away b/c it looked brand.spankin.new. They must have had it sealed in a special cryo-machine for cool toys. It has two holes for legs and the child can move freely about...and if they bump into anything, there are no tears, they just bounce right off. Why, oh why, do we have such safe safety regulations these days?? Do you realize how much our kids are missing out on because of choking hazards and falling-down-steps hazards???

The following video does not do it justice because Levi was all over the room...and when he was jumping around, he practically bounced right out of it....maybe that is why they don't make these anymore. Anywho, we are going to try and bring these back to pay for a nice Clique Vacation with lots of babysitters....

Long Weekend

2008-10-14T13:47:00.003-04:00

We took a long weekend road trip to Maryland to visit Aunt Emily, Uncle Dan, cuzzy Luke and Didji doggy. The boys did fantastic in the car (much to my surprise)....

We enjoyed our time....Tim and Dan went fishing, we met up with the Hood girls (who are all a-glow with pregnancy), ate Emily's famous Honey Chipotle BBQ Chicken, continued Mason's lesson on sharing with Luke, Fall festivaled, pergola paraded (where Tim and I got engaged), celebrated our 6 year anniversary, had our first side-of-the-highway pee break (Mason is a champ)...and got to see Gramps and his new and improved hip on the way home....

Fallin' In Love

2008-10-14T13:37:00.002-04:00

I just couldn't help myself. I just had to get a fall shot from above to make me happy....and, oh!, the JOY!!

Soggy Sandbox

2008-09-30T07:14:00.003-04:00

And this is Mason acting out Humpy Dumpy in the sandbox while Levi looks on in the swing:

Humpy Dumpy

2008-09-29T07:53:00.006-04:00

The obsession continues. I haven't blogged about it b/c I was hoping it would be a short-lived infatuation....but I can't ignore this important part of our life any longer:

Mason loves..."Humpy Dumpy". We talk about him all.the.time. We watch him on YouTube. We pretend that we are him. We have 'great falls' all.day.long--he did this for the first time at a local park. He perched himself at the edge and said, "Mommy...whoa, whoa, whoa.." and threw himself down. Luckily, I was there to catch my little Humpy Dumpy....and he immediately yells, "I had a great fall!" Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

I have to 'put Mason back together' time and time again...day in and day out. We are driving on the freeway and every time we pass those sound barrier walls on the side of the road, Mason goes into a rant that those are Humpy Dumpy's walls. When I am typing on the computer, he comes over and says, "I need Humpy Dumpy" which means put YouTube on right now (thanks for the idea, Emily)! When people come over, he wants to show them "Humpy on the 'puter." Mason is just a tad out of control with this one and I can't get this darn song out.of.my head. And, I will pay someone to make a new Humpty Dumpty video for YouTube...they are all pretty sad and def. way too short since I have to keep replaying them over and over and over.

Fortune Cookies

2008-09-26T08:36:00.002-04:00

One more cool thing...I don't believe in fortunes and such...I do believe God has a sense of humor and speaks in many ways.

After a long day of purging in preparation for a garage sale, we ordered Chinese food. The 2 fortunes were as follows:

:: Your hard work is about to pay off. Congratulations! ::

and

::You will never need to worry about a steady income. ::

What are the chances?? Seriously?

Speechless...Well, Almost!

2008-09-26T07:40:00.004-04:00

Last night, the fam got all spiffy and headed off to the city council meeting. We took a seat in the third row...and were joined by our favorite people (our parents). The council rolled in, followed by the mayor. Tim was the very last resolution on the agenda. How will my 2 1/2 year old sit through this whole meeting...let alone the very sleepy and starting-to-get-fussy 8 month old..??

The mayor, in his infinite wisdom, took note of the young (and beautiful) children in the audience and bumped up Resolution 100-2008 to hire Timothy Shannon Best as full-time firefighter to the very first matter of business. We held our breath. Roll call. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. I beamed. I looked at my hubby and there are no words.

The mayor invited us up to welcome Tim 'on-board' and have him introduce our fam to those in attendance. We shook his hand and had that awkward moment where we weren't sure what to do next....

And, then, I couldn't stop myself. I couldn't help it. Something had to be said. We have been waiting for this day for so long and I couldn't let them hurry us through 'our moment'.

You see, yesterday I was cleaning out a storage closet and found The Inkspot, a Nordonia Middle School publication of short stories and poems and such. And, as I wondered why the heck I still had this, I flipped through to see how many times I was published ;-)....and there I found it: the writings of an 8th grade boy...dreaming about where he would be in 2010:

"I am 31 years old and I have two exciting careers. I am in my 10th season of playing professional hockey and I am also a firefighter. I started playing hockey when I was younger and after years of hard work I became pro. I make 7 million dollars a year and live in a huge house. My house has a pool, 300 acres of land and the best part my wonderful family is there.

I became interested in firefighting in 7th grade. A career speaker came into my class and got me interested in the field. I really enjoy doing them both." Tim Best - Grade 8

And, I had to share this with the council, the city, the world. They weren't just filling another city employee position, they weren't just giving the voters what they asked for; they were playing a role in helping an 8th grader realize his dream to become a career fireman. They were giving our family what we have been dilligently praying for for 10+ years....They were letting our boys see that your dreams can be realized. They were providing our family with an opportunity that seemed so out of reach.

I wanted them to know that they are getting far more than an employee. They are getting the 'total package' -- a well-trained, experienced firefighter/paramedic AND a man that cares deeply about people and the community. I am not sure who is getting a better deal: us or them...

Tim and I met in Macedonia. Our parents graduated in Macedonia. We learned to drive in Macedonia. We grew up in Macedonia and have watched it grow. We love its people. We know its people: hard-working families. parents. grandparents. veterans. teachers. and even a retired NFL player. We are excited to give back. To be civil servants. To educate, laugh with, cry with, grow with this city.

And we are just so darn happy. And thankful. And in awe that God has orchestrated this for our fam. Wow. Speechless...well...almost.

Thank you, Jesus! Thank you, mayor, council, fire chief! Thank you, Tim for not giving up on your dream. Thank you for your perserverence and persistence and patience in following this God-given dream.

but those who hope in the LORD

will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint.

Isaiah 40:31

We are soaring. I am so proud of you....I am so excited for our family! I am married to a FULL-TIME FIREMAN!!!

We are living the dream. And I don't have a picture.

In Action

2008-09-23T13:45:00.005-04:00

Mason has a new game: he puts all of his cars down his shirt and lets them stack up around his middle...he then pats his big belly and says "I'm FAT!"...not sure where he got this from...but it is hilarious!

Patting his fat tummy

And out they come...

See my top 2 teethies!

Uncle Perry teaches Mason how to play SLAPJACK...

ROLE REVERSAL: Mason puts his hat on Levi...and then tells me that it is Levi's turn to sit in the Bumbo and that he, in fact, would be siting in Levi's high chair.

They were cracking each other up...

Secret Hideaway

2008-09-23T13:33:00.003-04:00

The other morning, I told Mason to read some books while I took a shower...when I got out of the shower, I could hear his sweet little voice, but I couldn't find him. He wasn't on his bed, not on his chair, not in our room....and then I saw these sweet little feet, ankles crossed...sticking out of his closet...and there was Mason...in his secret hideaway...reading to himself...

My Birthday Weekend...30 Never Felt Better!

2008-09-16T07:58:00.007-04:00

I turned 30 this past Sunday and my loving hubby, mom, and sister threw me an 'almost-surprise' party on Saturday at a lovely local park. Luckily, we were under a pavilion b/c we were experiencing the remnants of Hurricane Ike...rain, rain, rain.

The fam was quite deceitful and almost pulled off a total surprise...even my sis, who I can tell is lying a mile away, managed every conversation without a hint of deceit.

It was so great to see my closest family and friends and share a birthday lunch and Karen Champa cake--YUMMY!! Thank you, thank you, thank you...for making me feel so special and loved on my birthday!!!

Of course, the question, "How does it feel to be 30...??" came up too many times to count. I have been busy preparing for the big three-oh...busy trying to get myself into a good mindframe to start a new decade...I started weight watcher's to shed some baby weight, got my hair cut and colored, and have been on a decluttering rampage. We have been throwing away so much and it feels so good....so I am actually happy to be 30...I am embracing it ;-)

Like I said at my party, 29 was a tough year...emotionally, physically, and spirtually...tough pregnancy, tough work schedule, tough 3 months of Levi's life, tough toddler sleeping issues, etc. This year has so many new promises for our growing fam: a full-time firefighter job for my hubby, a happy Levi, and my sweet Mason-sponge....a year of learning and exploring this world around us...together. I like where I am. I like 30. Now, 40 and I may have issues....but we've got some time to worry about that!!

Here's my verse for the year of 30--maybe I haven't been waiting as patiently as I should have been, but the Lord sure has heard my cry:

"I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand." Psalm 40:1-2

The Fam...

Cuzzies...

Brothers

Sisters

Cuzzies and a fan...what more do you need??

3 Men in a Tub

2008-09-16T07:57:00.001-04:00

I love, love how both boys are looking up at their daddy...and the way that Tim is looking down on them with such love ...priceless. These boys love each other and I love the way they love each other. There are so many memories awaiting these guys and I am so glad that Mason & Levi have Tim to teach them how to be a man's man...a real man...a family man....

The Piano Man

2008-09-16T07:54:00.003-04:00

Dad, Linda, and Uncle Brandon came over the other night and watched the kiddos while Tim and I went out for a quiet, no-kids bite to eat (YAY--Thank YOU!!!) Ma Ma fed Levi some food...and I realized that I really haven't taken many pics of Levi eating so I snapped some. His gag reflex is def. tamed down and he actually seems to enjoy some foods--avocado being his fave right now.
He also loves to chomp on Cheerios and banana and frozen bagels...which reminds me. Levi's front teeth came in last week. One on Sept. 11th and the other one on the 12th...He has handled them pretty well, but we have had a couple of sad nights ;-(

Uncle Brandon brought his keyboard...and we enjoyed listening to his tunes. He has learned so much since June...it is unbelievable. Mason loves dancing to the tunes and pushing random buttons and Levi did, too...of course, he loved pulling himself up on the keyboard even more!!
The Best Boys

Meet Kendy

2008-09-16T07:41:00.004-04:00

Did you know???

* 6.5 million children under 5 die every year from hunger-related diseases. That is 12 children every minute....

* 1/2 of the world's children live in poverty. That is 1 billion kids...

Tim learned these (and other) hard-to-swallow statistics while attending a men's conference a couple weekends ago. Despite 'our' appearance as a world of lattes and margaritas, there really is tremendous poverty. So, he decided that it was time for our family to do our part...a small part...to help. He came across this sweet boy named Kendy Liberte...and decided to make him a part of our family. Kendy is 6 years old and lives in Haiti with his mom and dad and 4 brothers and sisters. Through Compassion International, we are sponsoring Kendy, hopefully providing him with new opportunities to learn and grow physically, mentally, and spiritually.

Here are some pics of Mason with his Haitian brother, Kendy. We keep his picture on the fridge to remind us to pray for Kendy. Mason likes to talk about Kendy's life in Haiti...who knows, maybe someday we can meet him!

We would encourage each of you to help combat world poverty through the organization of your choice...and keep Kendy in your prayers as Haiti is in a state of emergency with flood levels up to 9 feet in some places. Catastrophic flooding, destroyed homes, roads and bridges, and the deaths of hundreds in Haiti from Hurricanes Gustav and Ike and other severe storms have forced government officials to declare a state of emergency and appeal for help from the international community.

**For more 'you-can't-just-sit-there' poverty facts, take Compassion's poverty quiz here.

And Now...Mason & His Cars

2008-09-06T09:14:00.002-04:00

If You're Happy and You Know It...

2008-09-06T08:37:00.003-04:00

Levi can now clap his hands...and he is PROUD!

Oh yeah, and Mason takes full credit for teaching Levi...

the simple things...

2008-09-05T20:48:00.000-04:00

this picture makes me happy!

I'm a MANIAC, MANIAC...

2008-09-05T20:30:00.005-04:00

Levi just does.not.stop! I am amazed daily at his sheer strength and determination....Today, he decided that crawling was not enough, pulling up was not enough...and, in the short time it took me to get Mason up from his nap, Levi speed-crawled to the steps from way across the room...and, by the time I got to the top of the steps, he was up 2 steps and standing holding onto the bars on the banister...I rushed down to spot him while Mason got the camera so I could record his achievement. By the time Mason fetched the camera, Levi was standing just on the first step (thank God I was spotting him!) ...but he had previously been up on the second step...

And, here are some more pics of my MANIAC...STRONG MAN! He just can't stop pulling himself up on anything and everything....and it makes him HAPPY!!

this scares Mommy!

see my 2 teethers

Cars, Cars, Cars

2008-09-05T20:20:00.005-04:00

Mason got a new cars set a couple of weeks ago from his Aunt Siggy....he loves them. It's all we do...it's all he does. It is fun to watch him use his imagination. He likes to line the cars up very specifically (where does he get that from?). Then he gases up each car before it speeds down the ramp...We discuss each car...the fire truck, ambulance, Scooby Doo jeep, Lightning McQueen, etc. We know far too much about these cars...that's for sure

In other 'cars' news, Mason is also getting quite good at his Cars Puzzle....he needs fewer and fewer cues to figure it out.

So fun...here's some pics.

I Get It...

2008-09-03T07:14:00.002-04:00

So, now that Mason is 2 1/2....I understand the following over-used mommy phrases:

BECAUSE I SAID SO! After being so proud of myself for responding with patient, informative answers every time Mason asks WHY??....after the 400th WHY?? of the day, I just can't help but use this time-tested response. I was so excited when Mason started asking me WHY?? I thought, "Wow! He wants to understand the world he lives in...." And, "I get to be his teacher...." But, after having observed this phenomenon for more than a month now, I have to say that most of the time I don't think Mason really wants to know WHY? I also don't think he appreciates my creative, well-thought-out responses. So it really does take all I have to bite my tongue...so that this doesn't come out every time I hear WHY?!

I'LL GIVE YOU SOMETHING TO CRY ABOUT...Oh....what a hateful line...what cruel, cruel parent would say this to their sweet child?? ...especially when their own flesh and blood is crying? Well, I am shamed to admit that I may have said this a time or two in the past several days...when crying and whining become a 2 1/2 year old's favorite manipulation tool and it seems to be all you hear all day long...when patience is wearing thin at the end of the day...when you've given all you have all day long for this tiny creature...when you've skipped your shower to play cars, when you've skipped your lunch to read him extra books for nap time, when you've decided to take him to the park instead of going to the grocery store, when you've wiped his butt more times than you can remember...when it is that fake, no-tears-louder than necessary-dramatic cry, you just want them to understand that you really could give them something to cry about.....and it really does take all you have to refrain from shaking them and saying this....

stats

2008-08-21T21:42:00.003-04:00

I know that the silly percentile charts at the doctor's office mean nothing...and even less for a breastfed baby...but, I like numbers. I like to know where my child is at...even if it means nothing. So, you can understand why it has been difficult (for me) that Levi hasn't been to the doctor since the beginning of May.

Well, we went yesterday. Levi is 19 pounds 10 ounces and just shy of 27 inches long. That places him in the.....drumroll, please....50th percentile....see, he's not some monster baby after all. The doctor was, of course, impressed with my child....he has been crawling for some time now and is quite strong. Solid and strong. My Levi. Ahead of the pack ;-) Did you have any doubts??

The other fabulous news is now that we are paying almost $450 (cough, cough) each month (choke, choke) for our own health insurance....I am able to take the boys to my favorite doctor of all time who is right.down.the.street! No more packing them up and driving the 25 minutes out to the ghetto that is Metro, parking on the 4th floor of the parking garage, schlepping babies, stroller, diaper bag, purse, jackets, blankies, etc. down 4 flights of stairs, across the street and into the building, waiting forever in a smokey, crowded waiting room before continuing to wait forever in the exam room. This is monumental! Round trip, my doctor's appointment took less than 1 hour and that included a stop at the bank and a drop off at the library. HALLELUJAH!

The boys are doing great. Levi decided yesterday that crawling is not enough...he now can pull himself up to standing! Did you hear me?? Pulling himself up to standing shy of 7 months!! Give me a break! He did this for the first time as Tim and I watched him playing with Mason's car garage. I didn't get the full stand with my camera because of a weak battery, but Tim got it on the video camera.....

It is so crazy to look at these pictures and see Levi PLAYING...I love it! You should have seen his face when he hit the gas button and it made the gassin' up sound. He beamed....and so did Tim and I! It was like he really got it...and he was having fun!

And, Mason is our resident potty pro. I feel like this has been my one 'easy button' with him. He really has had an easy time with the potty training....and he is staying dry all.night.long and during his nap! No more diapers for him...and, since we are using cloth with Levi, we are in the money!! He has learned how to use his new 'going on the potty' status to his advantage. When my mom was putting him down for a nap the other day, he told her he had to go pee-pee...which he didn't, but it bought him some time and attention....the manipulation continues ;-) Mason also continues to label his poo....His most popular is "a big U"...but, recently, he has had a worm, the letter "S", and (perhaps the most beautiful) a butterfly. This trend is hilarious....and I never thought I would be so excited to see what he thinks his next poo looks like. I truly have to hold myself back from photographing these masterpieces...because they really look like what he says....And here he is on the pot.

Tooth #2 & U-Shaped Poo

2008-08-14T21:47:00.006-04:00

Levi's second bottom tooth made its debut this evening! He was gnawing on anything he could get his hands onto--his fave was Mason's matchbox cars--much to Mason's dismay. Last night, Levi was pretty miserable trying to get this tooth to poke through so I called the neighbor and borrowed some whiskey (a. because I am too cheap to buy a whole bottle just for this occasion and b. I wanted her reassurance that I should try this old-school remedy) The neighbor lady was happy to oblige and offered me my choice of whiskey, brandy, or wine....I'll have to keep her number on hand...

I'm not sure if the whiskey worked or not....it was a little shocking that Levi seemed to enjoy licking it off of my finger. Especially considering he HATES the nice, sweet, fruity flavored infant's tylenol and motrin. I hope that isn't a sign ;-) He smacked his lips together for the next 20 minutes or so and then passed out while nursing. I had myself convinced that I had gotten my sweet baby drunk even though I seriously just dunked my finger in it for a second and shook my finger off to further reduce quantity. My neighbor lady told me she used to take the knuckle off of a chicken bone and soak it in whiskey in the fridge before giving it to her kids....seriously! That made me feel like it was ok for a quick rub on the gums.

Tooth #2 is HERE!!

In other news, Mason is doing very well using the potty. #2 has been a small (and messy) issue...but today he pooped on the potty and he was very proud of himself. He even pointed at it and said, "Mommy, it's a U"...it's true, my boy has U-shaped poo....and even though it was the cutest U-shaped poo I have ever seen, I'll spare you a photo... ;-)

Potty Time

Tonight was beautiful...here are some snapshots of our time in the backyard. Levi was so content exploring the grass, eating leaves, and watching his big bro and I run around. Mason took the birdseed out of the shed and insisted that I stock the bird feeder....such a little animal activist.

Good Night!

One for the history books...

2008-08-11T13:25:00.002-04:00

Last week was a monumental week for The Best Fam. Here's a glimpse:

:: Monday, August 4th -- Mason starts potty training--he does great with his BIG BOY UNDERWEAR and only has one accident ALL DAY LONG!! Such a smart boy....
-- Levi can now get himself pretty much anywhere he wants to go! He can inch worm with the best of them and pushes himself up into a sitting position!! Such a big boy!

:: Tuesday, August 5th -- The fire levy PASSED & Mason POOPED ON THE POTTY!! Tim's mom watched the kiddos so Tim and I could get out and go to an 'election results' party....When the news came in that the levy had passed, we flipped out with excitement!! I schmoozed the Chief with a cute little line like, "Now, Chief, we have to have a little talk...I have these 2 beautiful babies that need their daddy home a lot more....and paying for health insurance is KILLING us." ;-)

:: Wednesday, August 6th -- Difficult to accomplish anything today....just had this nervous excitement about the levy passing....Wednesday night while Tim & I were at our small group, the Chief called Tim to say that he had spoken with the Mayor, Finance Director, Law Director, and had a call into the Civil Service....The Chief is fighting for Tim to be fast-tracked which means he won't have to retest....and could be hired as soon as December 1st.

:: Thursday, August 7th -- Levi gets his FIRST TOOTH and is definitely CRAWLING now--on all fours! Such a big boy at 6 months!!!
-- Tim works at the station and finds out that Civil Service has green lighted hiring a firefighter right away!! Next step--get Council on board....which is more like a rubber stamp.

We are so excited...and while it isn't 100% OFFICIAL, we are almost there. Last 30 seconds of the Super Bowl and WE ARE UP by a TOUCHDOWN!! We are so grateful and humbled that God is making this all happen right before our eyes!!! Thank you to all for your prayers and support and love and encouragement....this crazy dream of Tim's is coming true....and we couldn't be happier!!

Vacation, Part II

2008-08-06T14:14:00.005-04:00

Vacation 2008 was a new adventure. Instead of our normal trip to Ocean City, we decided to hit up beautiful Hocking Hills in southern Ohio....so we stayed in a spacious lake house on Lake Logan. We definitely missed the ocean air and Dan & Tim missed riding the waves...but it was nice to try something new...and we got to hike and swim and fish and hot tub...all just 3 hours away from T-burg.

Emily was the menu mastermind and we overpacked foodwise, but did better than last year. Tim and I suffered from minor sleep deprivation as Mason and Levi tagteamed us each night...but we tried to keep our chins up and were able to stay motivated to hike despite the muggy heat and tired eyes.

Mason had normal 2 1/2 year old sharing issues with his cousin Luke and disciplining became tiresome towards the end of the week....but I just kept reminding myself that Luke would be beating up on Levi next year, hopefully, evening the playing field.

The highlight was a 2 1/2 mile hike around the rim of Conkle's Hollow. We were 200 feet up for much of the trek--it was breathtaking and gave quite a sense of accomplishment that we were all able to go with such well-behaved children on our backs.

The adults were even able to muster staying up late, playing cards and Trouble and Hillbilly Golf (borrowed from Tim's Aunt & Uncle) and going for dips in the hot tub. And I was able to start and finish a book, Operating Instructions by Anne Lamott, which was quite a fun read.

Mason loved fishing with Daddy and Uncle Dan. He caught several sun fish and even touched them. Levi had his first taste of real food--bananas.

Here are some pictures....and you can check out Emily's blog for more pics and details. All in all, another year of memories with our favorite people = a trip well worth it!! Some day, we'll be able to vacation without the kiddos....and then what will we do???

packing light...in my parents' minivan

Mason's first fishing trip with Daddy...

4 men in a tub...

The Ashby fam

Swimmin' in Lake Logan

Hiking sisters...

Soaking in God's beauty

Vacation, Part I

2008-08-06T14:05:00.003-04:00

On the way down to Lake Logan for the Best-Ashby Annual Vacation, we stopped for an overnight in Columbus to visit Tim's Aunt Janie & Uncle Jay and their family. We really enjoyed seeing them and their children and grandchildren.

Mason insisted on cleaning their outdoor house (don't know why he decided to turn into a neat freak??) and then begged to 'paint' it (where he got this idea, I have NO idea) so Uncle Jay obliged with a bucket of water and a paintbrush...Mason then insisted on having a ladder so cousin Emmerson hunted one down for him.

Levi was a little angel in his exersaucer and got lots of lovin' from the relatives. We enjoyed a delicious dinner outside and stayed up late talking and laughing. The big highlight, though, was that Mason finally got to watch CARS. He will now forever associate Aunt Janie with CARS on the 'big TV"....he would not even blink when it was on....

Why?

2008-07-24T09:15:00.001-04:00

Well...we have officially entered the "WHY?" stage with Mason.....it started two days ago with an occasional "Why?" and has progressed to questioning everything we say...almost like an automatic response....YIKES! Vaca should be interesting with this recent development.

tradition

2008-07-22T21:33:00.002-04:00

it is a family tradition on my mom's side to have all of our babies photographed in this christening gown....although we don't get our babies, christened....it is fun to procrastinate the picture and worry and worry that the baby is going to be too big to fit in the gown....

well, here's levi's pic....he fit just fine....you can check out luke's pic on emily's blog....and i actually took mason to wal-mart to have his pic taken in it so i can't post it here...well, i could if i scanned it and posted it...but that is a lot of work.

levi will be 6 months on thursday!!! unbelievable. i remember praying and praying when he was going through his rough time that by 6 months he would be my happy, healthy boy. i mean, i even dreamed of this chunky, happy baby...it is part of what got me through. i also prayed and prayed that levi would still be nursing...i was so close to quitting.

thank you, lord, for answering my prayers! i am so grateful...beyond words...and my prayers were answered without needing even one drop of formula.

levi has taught me so much about perserverence and patience and hope and pain with a purpose. thank you for growing my faith, levi. thank you for bringing me such joy. thank you for overflowing my heart with love.

being a mom is the hardest, best job i have ever had. it's a job that requires all of you....more of you than you thought you had. you must be present. in the moment. all.the.time. you can't quit. you don't want to quit. it changes you.

the other week, i was flipping through some pictures from christmastime when i was pregnant...and this wave of sadness came over me....sadness because i realized that in those pictures, i did not know my levi. and i remember having this same feeling after mason was born. from the first moment you see your baby, you simply cannot imagine life without them. i mean, sure, you can remember being able to sleep in and napping and not having to worry about packing everything but the kitchen sink every time you leave the house...but, you honestly can't remember what was so important before. what was your purpose for living before...

i love being a mom. i don't say it enough. but, today, i want to scream it from the mountaintops! I LOVE BEING A MOM!! I DO!! I CAN'T IMAGINE A BETTER PLACE TO BE THAN RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW! THANK YOU, LORD, FOR ENTRUSTING THESE TWO AMAZING CREATURES TO US!! GIVE ME THE STRENGTH, PATIENCE, WISDOM, AND WHEREWITHALL TO BE ALL THAT THEY NEED IN A MOTHER. AMEN!

Grandma Bella & Papa John

2008-07-22T08:53:00.001-04:00

Grandpa John never ceases to amaze me -- reading Peter Rabbit to Mason (& Tim & Levi!)

Can't take my eyes off of you...

Mason loves Grandma Bell

4 bucks, 4 bucks, 4 bucks

2008-07-22T08:50:00.003-04:00

We love craigslist.com....look what we found for $4!!!

Hours of fun and smiles from Levi: PRICELESS!!