moon

Sorry guys, I just thought this was hilarious.

the package

I'm uncomfortable and bothered by my son's fascination with, you know...what's "down there." I was completely unaware that his bits would become his newest bath tub toy, or that he would request to grab and pinch just as I undo a dirty, stinky diaper thus making his hands a dirty, stinky mess. I had imagined that my child would lay on the changing table calmly cooing as I put a new diaper on. RUDE AWAKENING! My kid kicks and yells and pushes my hands and does every thing he can to reach what is NOT meant to be reached!! I am just hoping that he will not move into the stage of walking around with his hands in his pants-mama is just not cool with that...

schedule

I thought perhaps you might find it interesting to know what an average, let's say...Wednesday, is like in the Daniels' Home.

530A - Wake, nurse Asher, running clothes
550A - Run to Katie's (a friend, lives 1 mile away), 2 miles with her, run to gym
630A - Circuit weight training
700A - Shower
730A - Make smoothies for me and Ash, will arrives
800A - Breakfast with Asher and Will
830A - Shelby arrives
900A - Babies play in tupperware, I do dishes
930A - Clean-up song (I sing, babies stare), diaper changes all around
1000A- Peace in the house! Nap time for kiddos, Bible and prayer (and latte) time for me
1100A- Begin preparing for lunch time
1200P- The big show...feeding 3 toddlers lunch at once!
100P - Free play for little tykes, I shuffle to straighten up the place, check emails, etc.
145P - Diaper changes again, getting ready for Nap #2
230P - Let nap commence-this is my cleaning, laundry, phone call, keep posted on political
nonsense time (yesterday I watched Tina Fey as Palin 3 or 4 times...FUNNY...but
that's not usually how I research political party lines, don't worry).
400P - Get babies up from naps, everybody gets a snack and some juice
430P - Book time: we usually read a few stories in Asher's room
500P - Get all of Will and Shelby's things together.
515P - Nicki arrives, we chat
545P - Shelby's ride arrives, we chat
630P - Ash, Corey and I get some family time and dinner, then leave for church!

And there you have it folk, a day in the life of the Daniels' DayCare.

wonderful

Sweet friends.

Edwin and Stacy-we go way back. Still knowing them allows us to always hold on to the history of our time in college. The late night studying at the UGL, the dates under the stars and trees at the capitol, sand volleyball and river floating. I am so grateful for Stacy-she's one of those women that is just so real and so blatantly open about her thoughts and attitudes (even if they're ugly!), it took awhile but I can say that I feel so solid around her, so at peace. I think (and hope with a greatest hope) that they will be a part of our lives always, no matter where we live (and that they'll go on our Alaskan adventure with us). They're just those kind of people. Plus they're such hotties! Er, I mean...such a beautiful couple.

lemony goodness

This is fun in the last 5 seconds.

"Tickle" can now be added to Asher's vocab.
He can also sign more, milk, all done and drink.
Baby sign language is a brilliant thing.

heavy things

Life has presented so many heavy hearted thoughts and prayers these days. While our family is thriving and getting closer and closer to the end living off loans (a very worthy reason to celebrate!), so many around us are experiencing heart ache and emotional despair. I'm constantly left feeling that I am just not doing enough to comfort these wounded souls; truly all I can do is be myself and put that self aside to focus on the needs of others, praying that God teaches me to be a place of peace. Today we met with a lawyer friend to begin writing a will, I just spent the last few hours researching life insurance policies. When I did I grow up? It happens so suddenly doesn't it? The reality of my day to day living remains that I LOVE my life. I choose to wake up each day knowing that my best choice is to be grateful for everything, making the most of it, letting nothing steal my joy. We don't have a perfect life, but it is a mine and I choose to believe that it is great and worthy of my living it to the full every day. Trials will come, there will be days when there is sadness, less perfection, complaints and sorrows-but if I can some how rejoice even in those times, I feel I will leave a legacy.

echo

Asher is 10 months now, it's hard to believe only 8 weeks separate us from his 1 year birthday! This past month has brought many firsts for little Ash. "Dog" is the first real word we can put in his vocabulary, and while everything is "dog," it started with learning that Frankie is a dog, so we figure it counts. He calls all the right things dog, it's just that everything else is also dog. We're hoping he never learns "cat," we really don't like cats.

Asher has also finally gotten his very first tooth! It's a little tiny nub on the bottom, but it's there! I'm sure more are soon to follow suit. He's eating lots of little foods he can pick up. For breakfast we break up a waffle and some fruit, he loves grilled cheese sandwiches and plums and graham crackers. I'm glad to be passed the stage of spoon feeding him everything, though that is still the only way I can get him to eat his veggies.
** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
On a sadder note, Corey and I got some news on Saturday that was just heart wrenching. A family in our church has experienced immense loss, I can hardly bear to think of it. Larry Mason, father of two beautiful little princesses (3 and 18mos) was involved in a car accident on Friday night that took his life. He was working 2 jobs to support his beautiful family, and in coming home very late in the evening, he ran off the road. The best guess is that he fell asleep at the wheel. I just can't imagine the pain and heartache and loss of faith that his wife, Rachele, must be going through. I only write this here to ask that those of you who read this please pray for their family. That Rachele is able to somehow find an ounce of peace, trust in a plan she can not possibly understand, that the church can support them and lift them up and care for all of their needs in the upcoming months.

Never let your loved ones out of the door without a proper goodbye.