A patter

We were sitting at the kitchen table after FHE tonight when we hear A in the living room swatting something against the couch. We were working on a little craft project and had a bunch of sticks in the kitchen and I was sure he had grabbed one and was using that. Without looking at him I just raised my voice and said, "A, what are you doing?" His response was "patting, mommy." That caught my attention as it was a somewhat unexpected word to use. I turned around to see what was making such a noise against the couch. A had found a fly swatter and was "patting" the the couch. Perhaps only a two-year-old would use such a gentle word for such an activity.

The Big 3-0

Happy birthday to me! This is slightly belated, but last week I turned 30. I've never really been huge on mulling over ages, etc., but surprisingly enough, this one really caught me off guard. I'm a thirty something. By the time my mother was thirty she had her teaching degree, taught school, put her husband through a BS and a PhD, lived all across the US from California to Connecticut, and had six children. Many of my high school friends married much younger than I and have children who are nearly baptism age. So I got a little bit later start.

I'm grateful for all the fantastic things my thirty years have brought. My life has been full and I am in awe of the miracles that I have seen in my own life and the lives of so many of the people I love. The Lord is truly gracious and merciful. I've got a great husband and a beautiful son with a healthy little baby boy on the way this Fall. I've got the gospel of Jesus Christ and the choice to live the best life I can every single day.

So a little birthday recap: My great home teachers brought me some lovely Salvia flowers to plant in my garden and my visiting teacher brought me a package of Dove chocolates (sooo decadent!). I threw my own birthday part and had a lot of fun breaking a pinata and making homemade ice cream. I also bought myself a very love bouquet of flowers. From my husband I got a sparkling kitchen floor. He scrubbed it clean on his hands and knees. I asked for it and was so pleased to get such a great gift! I'm also getting new guitar strings from him. Thanks to all who were so kind in sending cards, packages, gifts, etc. It is nice to be reminded that you are loved. I also got to share the spot light with my friend who had her birthday a few weeks earlier. That was so much fun as well. It will be a sad day when she moves away in a few weeks.

I've already eaten most of the chocolates from my visiting teacher; I've already read the entire Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants book another friend gave me; I've already found a place in my garden for another pot of flowers from another friend; I'm waiting to eat the chocolate and Cinnamon bears another friend gave me until I'm past a little bit more of my pregnancy sickness (I really want to enjoy them); and I won't let anyone else touch the foaming hand soap and lavender lotion and bath wash other friends gave me (A wants to try everything I have, and then try it again and again...). Oh and I downloaded a nice CD of music from another friend onto my ipod. A likes to tell me to turn on the music in the car so he can listen, too.

So thanks again for all who just love me and bring such happiness and joy into my life. You are the great people that make me who I am. I can't imagine what it must have been like for my parents to finally get me after many years of trying and hoping and praying. I always love my mother's story of how I was no accident (I was born eight years after my older sister), but rather much hoped for and much anticipated. I guess the Lord just knows where we need to be when we need to be there. Thanks to my parents for not giving up and listening to that still small voice that brought me in to the family. It was a very happy Memorial Day for my family back in May of 1978. Life really is full of greatness!

Baby pictures

Here are a few cute pictures from our ultrasound last week. They are "4-D" images. The first one is of the baby with his hand on his head; the second is of his little feet; and the third is his head and torso. As we were saving the pictures on the computer, A said, "That's my baby brother! That's great!" It was so fun. He still thinks we should name the baby "milk."