Psalm 121:1-4

I lift up my eyes to the hills--

where does my help come from?

My help comes from the LORD,

the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip--

He who watches over you will not slumber;

indeed, He who watches over Israel

will neither slumber nor sleep.

**So....the above is what Bryson memorized for the Speech Meet. I love nothing more than hearing my child recite the Word of God! Bryson worked on it so much that Hudson pretty much knows it all, too! Want to hear something cool?? When Hudson had his surgery last month, Miss Martha (H's AMAZING teacher!) sent him a 'get well soon' letter. She created it and it is co cute! At the bottom of the letter, she put the first two verses (Psalm 121:1-2). Bryson was already working on memorizing the verses, but Miss Martha didn't know that! I love how God works like that...and how He put that verse on her heart...to send to Hudson. When I showed Hudson's letter to Bryson, the day that H got it in the mail...Bryson was SO excited that it was the same passage he was working on! When Lily died, the day before the Speech Meet, Bryson was so sad. He was crying...and I was able to talk to him and remind him of these words from the Lord. This passage has very special meaning to us now....for several reasons!**

speech meet

here are some pictures from the acsi speech meet that bryson competed in last friday!

bryson memorized psalm 121:1-4 and recited it before several judges and an audience! he did SO well and we were so proud of him!

as soon as we got there, b found one of his best buddies, liam!

children and parents came from all over...and many schools were represented!

feeling relieved and proud!!

the proud parents and their boy!

what a great experience this was for bryson (and for us)!

lily girl

it was one week ago today, that our lily girl (a.k.a. "niny") died. the very next day, when bryson was feeling sad....he drew this picture of her! i think it's precious and it's something that we will treasure forever. we always said that lily "wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed"....but truly....there wasn't a sweeter dog!! she loved to be loved on...and she was soooo cute and had the best temperament. we miss our lily girl.

our NOT-SO-FUN week (in review)

some weeks are good, and some weeks are bad. this one was Bad (with a capital B!).

on monday, hudson and i went to my friend's house (hey kim!)...and hudson got stung by a bee. he thought it was a splinter...and so i took my time...brought him into the house....sat him on the counter...and then yanked it out. he was crying pretty hard, the whole time. we showed it to kim's hubby and he said it was definitely a bee stinger. we got him bandaged up and played a while longer...and he was fine. in the middle of the night, on monday night...he woke up...crying...with a fever. his hand (where the bee stung him) was red and very swollen. we gave him some benadryl...and on tuesday, i took him to the doctor.

tuesday's appointment went well. she gave him an antibiotic and said it was cellulitis...which meant it was a local skin reaction to the sting (bad mommy feels like it's her fault...since you're supposed to scrape them out- not pull them). we got home and gave him the meds, and he wasn't totally himself that day. hudson had to miss school, too...which was a bummer. on tuesday night, one of our dogs (lily) started showing some symptoms that she was in some sort of pain. she couldn't seem to get up, and when i fed the dogs...she crawled to her food- with lots of effort. josh felt all around on her, and she's so sweet that she didn't whine or anything. he called the vet, and after talking with them, decided to wait until wednesday to take her in. she was able to get up a few times that night, and she seemed to be favoring one hind leg. we thought maybe it was something with her hips or a leg.

wednesday morning came around and josh took her into the vet. they needed to do some x-rays and told him to leave her there. hudson's hand was still puffy that day, but the redness was changing to purple. :( josh asked me if i'd be able to get lily, when she was ready to be picked up. she weighs 103 pounds, and i had two boys that would be with me. and she couldn't walk...sure....NO problem....NO problem at all. i got to the vet that afternoon, and the boys made friends with everyone and their pets. they gave me meds for lily (anti-inflammatory and pain reliever) and then asked if i could wait for the doctor, to go over the x-rays. we were there for about an hour and a half, and i spoke with the doctor. she told me that lily's hips looked great....showed me a few areas of possible concern- along her vertebrae, and sent us home with the meds. she told me, "nothing really popped out at her." i had to have help getting lily into my car, and when i got home....lily wouldn't budge. i was trying to be patient and the boys wanted to help. i lifted her out of my car, but then she laid down on my driveway and wouldn't move. i struggled with her...trying to lift her...and call her....entice her....for about ten minutes, when some nice neighbors came over and asked if i needed help. two of them wound up carrying her to my back yard. thank God for "good samaritans!!" we went to church that night, and she still wasn't right when we came home. we gave her some meds that night....

on thursday, hudson went to school and i went to visit my friend, rebekah. it was a nice morning...just hanging out with her and her cutie pie, emelyn. i picked up hudson, took my friend's daughter home...and then came home. i went to check on lily, and found her...dead. i pet her for a minute...in total shock. i called josh, who immediately came home. i didn't want the boys to be at the house, when josh got home to get lily into his truck...and take her into the vet. hudson and i went to pick up bryson, and then we went to get my car washed. i didn't want to tell the boys alone...so while my car was getting washed....the boys and i walked to a burger place on the corner. josh had finished up at the vet, so he drove over to us...so that we could tell the boys together. hudson never shed a tear, but kept asking..."is lily in heaven?" bryson, our tender-hearted one, took it very hard. he cried and cried...and was so sad. josh and i cried, watching him cry...and hudson just watched all of us, in silence. needless to say...it was a sad time for our family, and we won't be returning to the burger place. (we have many questions for the vet...and she is currently sending the x-rays over to the radiologist. she told us she'd look inside of her, too...to see if there was something she missed. the whole thing was sooo fast and just weird.) josh had to go back to work, so the boys and i ran some errands. it was an emotionally draining day.

friday started out really well! bryson had the honor of being a participant in the ACSI speech meet! we dropped hudson to joanna, so that she could get him to school for us (thank you, friend!). then, we picked up my mom...and headed down to temecula. bryson was very sad in the car, and he drew the sweetest picture of lily (i'll share soon). he cheered up by the time we got down there, and we even had a few minutes to stop at mickey d's for breakfast. the whole experience was really neat, and bryson did really well! we were very proud of our boy! he got a ribbon...and he was so excited (i'll share pics soon!)! i kept getting weird stomach cramps...and wasn't feeling well at all. so...we headed home, stopped to get lunch and drop my mom off...then went to pick h up. when we got to joanna's, i had to use her restroom. i was starting to feel worse. when we all got home, i went straight to bed. i kept having to make trips to the bathroom (good times). bryson had basketball practice, and a pizza party...which i had to miss. thankfully, josh took both kids and i was left in a quiet house. i got in the tub for a long time, and then took a shower. while in the shower....i felt as if i needed to throw up. i could barely stand up...and started puking my guts out. pretty. real pretty. i'll spare you the rest of the nasty details....but it was NOT a fun night for me. josh came home, got me a 7 up...a wet washcloth...and we watched a movie in bed. five hours went by, and i thought that was the end of the upchucking. but, alas...it was not. after the second and third bouts, i got some good sleep. the upside? i lost three pounds yesterday!!! woo hoo!

anyway....today, i woke up feeling better, but not great...and i had to miss b's ball game. my mom went with josh, so that was good! they won their game...and i am feeling much better now. i am feeling a bit weak, and my back is sore...but i'll take this any day- over what i experienced last night. oh...i don't think it's a stomach bug. i think it was food poisoning. the only thing i can think of...that i ate (and no one else here did) was a fish taco (from the burger place on thurs.). we already NEVER wanted to return there, because that was where we broke the horrible news to the boys...but now? you couldn't pay me enough to return! guess i should've known better than to order a fish taco from a burger place in norco?!

okay...if you're still with me....you might be wondering the point of this post. to be honest, i'm not sure there is one. i wanted to explain why i've been MIA all week...and maybe i want some pity, too. i know that our problems and issues pale in comparison to so many. i also know that....my God never changes. His mercies are new every morning...and we can always look to Him. there is a purpose for everything. He has a plan. i am sooo thankful for my friends...who call to check in on me...who text and offer to bring me whatever i need....who pray for me. through the hard times this week, i have felt very blessed by them (you know who you are!).

so...in a little bit, i get to go to a makeup class/workshop with my friend, amber. i am excited to learn some new tricks and techniques! i am hoping to feel 100% soon. josh and i get a date night tonight, and i am hoping and praying that things start "looking up" 'round here!

i apologize for any errors in this novella. thank you to those of you who could actually read this whole thing! and...i pray your week was better than ours!!!!

Happy Mom's Day

Happy Mother's Day!

I found this cute poem a while back and just had to share with all you moms!! I hope you're enjoying this special day and feeling loved by your kids!

A (Fairly Lame) Ode to Mothers

-by Jen Hatmaker-

An ode to the marvelous woman called "Mother"

Though not one of us is exactly like the another.

From the second we're born to the minute we die

Our preferences are as limitless as stars in the sky.

We might have been perfectly gracious before

But childbirth entered us in the Mommy War.

Rather than letting everyone else be

We criticize parenting that isn't exactly like...me.

So once and for all let me put this to rest

None of us owns the title of "best."

Natural childbirth does not make you a hippy

Epidurals are not just for women who want to feel trippy.

In a bathtub with a doula or in a hospital bed

We all got a baby with limbs and a head.

Nursing is great if nothing goes wrong

But some nipples turn inward and refuse to play along.

This is a choice for each mom- it's HER route

So it's just A+B and everyone else can C their way out.

Schedules and timers do not make you cruel

Feeding on demand does not make you a fool.

In the nursery with a monitor or in the family bed

Every chick gets to pick where her baby lays his head.

If I see one more mom roll her eyes at "organic...."

"Partially hydrogenated" throws some of us into panic.

But neither judge Sonic burgers and fries

Some of us just want to enjoy food before we die.

Preschool, home school, public, or Montessori

Listen, my friends, and I'll tell you a story:

Two moms differed on favorite school trends

Their kids turned out pretty much the same. The end.

If a girl gets the title of "mom" accidentally

The worst thing we can do is treat her judgmentally.

How about some love, some help, some advice?

She needs our love and we shouldn't think twice.

Discipline through various methods will prevail

Look, we're all just trying to keep our kids out of jail.

These things are just preferences, not right or wrong

What matters more is teaching our kids to get along-

To love and to share, to speak gently and kind,

To obey so that mom won't go out of her mind.

Showing them Jesus is our common ground

Teaching them how He can always be found.

He's present in public school and Waldorf (so trendy)

He's over at Whole Foods but also at Wendy's.

Jesus never cared about these sorts of things

It's our hearts that He wants and the worship we bring.

It's time for us moms to declare a truce

Regardless if we buy Capri Sun or 100 percent juice.

My way is not your way, and your way isn't mine

But both of our kids will turn out just fine.

Rather than judging and looking down our noses

Let's enjoy the common ground motherhood poses.

As believers, we all love the same good Lord

We all have children who tell us "I'm bored."

We all need more sleep than these tiny five hours

Most of us struggle to find time for a shower.

We haven't been to the bathroom alone in an age

Our mothers have all told us, "Relax, this is just a stage."

We all love our babies so much we could die

We'd take a bullet for each one without batting an eye.

Though we are different, we're in the same tribe

Motherhood requires a similar vibe-

Love and affection, sacrifice and grace

Laughter, which keeps the whole mechanism in place.

Though different, by the grace of God, I suspect:

ALL our children will rise up and call us....collect.

"She looks well to how things go in her household...Her children rise up and call her blessed."

-Proverbs 31:27-28 (AMP)

National Day of Prayer...Picnic at the Park

Join us for National Day of Prayer...

and a picnic at the park....

Thursday, May 5th

10 am- noon

*Bring: your kids, a picnic lunch, outdoor toys*

...and I'll provide: a few crafts and a dessert!!

Hope to see you there...but please email me at:

2boys2love@gmail.com

...for the address and details!