As my brother M (the older of my two brothers) pointed out, May 28th was one of the coolest days EVER for our family. The baby of our family graduated from the United States Air Force Academy with a degree in both Civil and Environmental Engineering and was commissioned as a 2nd Lt in the United States Air Force. How many people can claim that in their list of lifetime accomplishments?

Mr President, meet 2nd Lt DMB.

Whatever your political opinions of George W. may be, you have to admit that standing in the misting cold rain to salute and shake hands with every single one of the 1000+ graduates was pretty amazing of him.

Although we are incredibly proud of his accomplishments at the academy and his commitment to serving our country, our favorite thing about him is his role as Uncle D.

Drawing uncle M’s hand

Having Uncle M draw his hand

Watching TV with Uncle M

Going night-night with Uncle M

Going to the park with Uncle M
Looking for fish with Uncle M
Do you detect a theme? After 3 years in South America, we are ALL so happy to have Uncle M for a visit. No one is happier than KJ, though. He wants to be by his side at all times and watches everything he does. I’m so thankful that they are getting to spend time together. Not to be left out…C-bug has been getting his share of snuggles too, but for some reason the pictures came out blurry.

side note: Yes, KJ still occasionally wears one (or two) blue gloves for no apparent reason…even when it is 90 degrees outside!

1) We took both of the boys to the doctor today. It was 2 years for KJ and 4 months for C-bug. To see them you might think we only feed one of our children. KJ is at the very bottom of the charts, height and weight. C-bug is at the top, weighing in at an amazing 16 lbs and is already 26 inches. While we were there, KJ learned a new word…stethoscope. He can say the whole thing, all three syllables. His vocabulary totally amazes me these days (I am slightly biased, though). Here is picture of them from this week (can you tell that C-bug has the sweetest dimple in his left cheek?)…

2) I’ve taken to calling the baby, “C-bug” (insert his name where the ‘C’ is). I’m not exactly sure where it came from, but think it evolved from snuggle bug. It really stuck when KJ started calling him by that name and it is ever so sweet when big brother says “Its ok, C-bug, don’t cry, baby brother” or “watch this C-bug” or C’mon C-Bug, go to K’s room” (as if any day now his baby brother will get up and run with him) or “mommy, where’s C-bug go” (KJ always says “where’s insert name go?” sort of combining the two questions).

3) I was starting to feel like we were really over the hurdle with our little (or big) C-bug but the last week or so has been a little rough. He is still sleeping great at night but will have major meltdowns at least once a day where nothing will console him. He arches his back to the point that you cannot even hold him. These usually happen in public. I know I shouldn’t be, but I can not help but be terribly embarrassed and feel like everyone is staring. Recently we were in Target and having a major scream-a-thon. I finished as quickly as I could and left. As soon as we left, he was fine so we went to another store in the same area. I was oh-so-pleasantly greeted in the second store by someone who recognized us from Target and just HAD to say “Oh, look, its the screaming baby from Target”. Thank you very much.

4) On that note, Saturday at church a very nice man asked me how old my baby was. I told him 4-months and he responded “wow” (in a moment of vanity, I thought he was going to say “Wow, you look great for having a 4-month-old) but instead he completed “wow, you look REALLY tired. Have you been up all night?” Thank you, Lord, for that little dose of humility.

5) Speaking of Church, have you read, Screwtape Letters? I’m getting it out to read again because I feel some of the tactics of ugly Wormwood and Screwtape might be at work in my life right now. To be more specific, I am starting to wonder if these little demons wait for me at the door to church trying to ensure that I have a miserable experience each time I show up to worship. More specifically, I feel like every-time we walk through the doors one or the other of my children so drastically consumes my attention or frustrates me that I forget altogether while I am there. I say this slightly tongue-in-cheek, but I do believe in the spiritual battle that goes on for each of our souls and I do believe the devil knows I crave the fueling I get by worshiping my Lord with my husband and by being in our small group bible study (neither of which have happened a single time in entirety since C-bug was born). I’m not really looking for advice here since I think it is somewhat of a personal battle, but I would appreciate your prayers.

6) While I’m on a C.S. Lewis kick, (one of my favorite authors by the way) I thank God everyday for a good friend who recently celebrated her birthday! This quote from C.S. Lewis very clearly defines how we became (and remain) friends. Happy Birthday, Tara.

“Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, ‘What! You too? I thought I was the only one”

We’ve had so many of those moments over the last couple of years as our oldest boys are 3 weeks apart and amazingly, our youngest boys were also born 3 weeks apart. Really, I might go insane without her encouragement and reminders that in some twisted way, what I’m going through is normal. Here is a picture of our oldest boys. They sure love each other.

Amazingly, I think that is about all for now. I guess if I posted more regularly I would not have to go on these marathon sessions.

ABL

Elisa tagged me. I do not think I have ever been tagged…if I have I do not think I responded. Says a lot about my consistency (or lack thereof) in blogging. This one is pretty easy, though, and light-hearted and fun so I thought I would give it a whirl…

What three skills or hobbies would you learn if you had unlimited time, money, and tools?

1) COOKING- this is one that I stole from Raina, but actually totally agree with. I would love to pay someone to teach me to shop and cook on a time and money budget. I would love to have a large index of recipe’s that I am confident making in my brain. I’m not a terrible cook, just never have time to think through the meals that I fix ahead of time and I am not creative at all.

2) SWIMMING- What I really want to do is a triathlon, but the major hurdle is swimming. I am not necessarily afraid of water, but I am not very confident in it, either. I would love to be a strong swimmer and have an “efficient” stroke- not one that leaves you worn out after half of a lap.

3) DRIVE STICK SHIFT- Ok, I know this is lame and I debated even listing it, but I really would love to learn to drive a stick shift car. We do not own one so there is no need for this skill, but it is just something I have always wanted to learn. In college Mel would occasionally let me shift while she drove (and did the clutch) which was the coolest, but doesn’t really count. I seriously used to have nightmares that I would be out somewhere and someone would get hurt or something terrible would happen which would lead to me being the only one available to drive for help. I would jump in a car with great urgency only to realize it was a stick shift and I was STUCK.

Does it say a lot about my life right now that those are my 3? Maybe one day, when my boys are grown or at least big enough to tie their own shoes, I will pursue cool hobbies and skills. Until then…this is me!

ABL

The title, as stolen from a line in one of my favorite stories, pretty much summarizes my life these days. I cannot seem to get it together, in general, but especially when it comes to communicating. If you are one of many who feels disconnected in relationship with me right now, just know it is not a lack of interest, just lack of sleep. I’m sorry! Someday soon, hopefully, I’ll make time to stop and at least say “hello” to those of you who are significant in my life. In the mean-time, here are some pictures of the boys I spend time chasing after (and dressing, and feeding, and changing, and loving on).

First, my BIG 3-month-old. I can’t believe how time has flown by with this little dude. He is developing quite a personality. There is no “luke-warm” with this child. When he is happy, I’ve never seen a baby smile and laugh and talk like he does…but watch out when he is not happy.

Easter was great. We went to Saturday night and Sunday morning services, both were uniquely wonderful. The first two pictures here are Saturday night and the last two are Sunday morning. In the second one you get a glimpse as to why C’s eyes are HUGE and look a little scared in most of the pics of him with KJ.

We love playing with CT and LT. Recently when they were visiting at our house they were both so sweet to our baby C. LT gave him his paci so gently (big brother should take some lessons) and at one point even went into KJ’s room to find a book to read to baby C. See him “reading” below…HOW SWEET!

At 22 months, KJ finally got his first ever haircut. The “mullet” is gone. If you look closely in the Easter pictures you can see that it was pretty long in the back. Daddy did the honors and it was all I could do to keep from crying. I video-taped the entire thing.

Here is a post-haircut picture.

We took a recent trip to the Zoo with our friend AKH. This year is so much more fun than last year at the zoo because KJ really recognizes animals, knows how to watch for the animals and was just so very excited. I made the mistake of telling him a couple of hours before we went that we were going to the zoo to see all the animals. He kept saying “zoo, see animals”. I tried distracting him by saying “we can’t go yet because the animals are asleep”, to which he answered “be bery twiet” as if that would fix everything. Next I decided to just shoot straight and tell him that the zoo did not open until 10 o’clock. Then the broken record changed to “time is it?” I have learned not to tell him anything before it happens!

Quick disclaimer about the next picture, there were adult hands very close, my baby was not in danger. Also, check out the rolls on those little thighs!

Here is one tired little boy, after a day of watching animals!

Ok, hope that gives you a glimpse into life around here!

Better run, I’m sure I’m late for something…

ABL

For the few of you that have been faithful DRRF readers from its beginnings you will remember that this is actually the second home to my blog. The first and original blog was deleted (see explanation here) and with that I realize that I lost the explanation as to how my blog got its name Deep Rolling Right Field. Since it is a rainy Thursday, I’m not up for much deep thought and I’m still mourning the fact that the memory card on my camera with some super cute pictures of my boys decided to rewrite (read- unwrite) itself, I decided this might be a fun and easy post.

I played softball for years. Actually, I was on softball teams for years and was always pretty terrible. I sure tried hard, but it just was not my passion nor my skill set. Lets just say hand eye coordination was not something the Lord chose to bless me with, even to this day I struggle with clumsiness thanks to my eyes/brain not communicating with my hands. As a result, I was typically assigned to a position on the field that I have since dubbed “deep rolling right field”…way, way, way out there where you can’t do a lot of harm. A great place for thinking, watching the game, and on rare occasion fielding a dribbling ball that slipped past the infielders. I have some great memories from my days in my tight knicker-like pants, pounding my glove, chanting for my team-mates and basically watching the game.

These days my life is about as far as I could get from deep rolling right field. Its busy, I’m caught in the action and my teammates (especially RRL, KJ, and C) depend on the fact that I’m actually in the game ALL THE TIME. So I created this blogspot to step back into my little quiet place of observation. Every now and then I like to pause, reflect, and share. Because these thoughts are about the game I’m currently observing, you are likely to mostly see stories about my little boys, my life as a minister’s wife and occasionally some thoughts about the bigger world around me. All of the thoughts come through the lens of where I stand right now: in my role as a wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister, a part-time employee, and especially as someone anticipating the Lord’s return. I find that these moments I spend writing about my family and reflecting on my life tend to bring me to a place of thanksgiving and pure delight. The Lord has richly blessed me. That by no means should indicate to you that I’ve got it all figured out or that my life is easy (heavens, I have two boys under 2). In fact, quite the opposite is true. My life often feels like it is spinning out of control. Here, though, I can reflect on the good and rich life that the Lord has placed me in. From this position on the field, I’d say this is a pretty sweet game I’m getting to play!

So there you have it, DEEP ROLLING RIGHT FIELD defined. As a glimpse of what you’ll continue to see on this small piece of the world wide web, I’ll leave you with this:

I love putting similar pictures of KJ side-by-side to see his development. He has always loved books and I love these two photos:

ABL

I will continue the “My thoughts” posts soon, but wanted to take a quick break for some KJ stories and recent pictures of the boys. I suppose this is appropriate for Valentine’s day, talking about two of the people I love most (after their Daddy, of course). KJ is developing such a funny personality. It really is best when experienced first hand, but I wanted to try to give you a glimpse:

Hope you enjoyed those as much as I do! I am blessed.

Facing the following moral dilemma, what would you do?

Say you are leaving Target, having successfully completed a pretty sizable shopping trip by yourself with both of your boys for the first time. You get out to the car, unload the purchases, buckle both boys into their carseats and go to return the cart. As you approach the cart you realize that two items were accidently left in the basket, and did not get paid for. You look back to the boys, think how close it is to nap time and how you are already pushing the limits. Then you look to the items, take into account that the total of the items is probably $4. Do you:

1) Pretend like you do not see the items, leave them in the basket and hope the next person that finds them will return them inside.

2) Decide that the $4 pales in comparison to what you already spent and what you continue to spend at this establishment and just place the items in your bag. As consolation you think maybe your husband could return them later.

3) Load both boys back into the cart, grab the items, your wallet, and a fake smile and go inside to pay for them.

Based on the fact that I am telling this story, I suppose you can guess which road I took. Let me tell you, though, it was a dilemma and I did not take the high-road joyfully. When I looked at KJ in the backseat of my car, though, I just couldn’t feel good about handling it any other way. I explained it to him on the way inside (as if he could understand), telling him how we have to do the right thing even when it is not convenient. I think the only line that stuck with him was, “Ah nuts, Mommy messed up and we have to go back inside”. Now he’s been saying over and over “nuts, side”. Ah well.

I did buy myself some gum to make the trip worthwhile!

ABL

Thanks to input from Jamie, I’ll start with my thoughts on some recent TV shows.

Repulsion may be a strong word, but considering we don’t have cable I think it is absolutely AMAZING that I have seen some of the following previews for new TV shows lately. I won’t put the titles of the shows here primarily so my blog doesn’t show up in google search for these, but also because I can’t remember exactly what some of them were called (I was too repulsed to pay that close of attention). If any of you have watched these shows and can tell me something redeeming about them, I would love to hear it. Also, please feel free to comment and add to the list of shows to avoid.

1) Have we really become so desensitized to premarital sex that it is entertaining to watch a show where the tag line is “Shack up or Ship out”? SERIOUSLY? Do enough people enjoy sharing their bodies with complete strangers that they can find contestants for this reality show? I AM REPULSED.

2) Is it seriously entertaining to watch people air their dirty laundry on TV while attached to a lie detector? Do people really find pleasure in knowing how much sin their neighbor/friend/spouse/sibling/parent is living in? Maybe its me, but I tend to want to be ashamed of my down-falls, not make money off of them. Why would you sign up to be a contestant with questions like “are you having an affair”, “do you make yourself throw up to lose weight”, “do you cheat at work” (and those are just the questions on the previews)? As Mel pointed out, you really can’t win. Either you answer truthfully and have everyone know, lie and have the detector rat you out, or don’t say anything and give yourself away by default. I just don’t think eating disorders and broken marriages are a great way to make a buck. I AM REPULSED.

3) Having known many a God-fearing man that would admit to having struggled with looking lustfully at women, especially those that are scantally clad, I hate the fact that there is a show where women are competing to become “pussy cat dolls”. The way they dress, do their make-up, and dance ON THE COMMERCIAL was enough for me to say…I AM REPULSED.

Those are just the three that I have seen in my limited TV viewing time. If I can “stumble” on these three when I mostly TIVO everything I watch and do not even have cable, I hate to think what else is out there.

ABL