Yesterday we were treated to a visit from a friend of mine from Cedarville. Renee and her family were on their way home from a vacation and stopped by to see us for two hours. It was nice to see her again and to meet their family. Her two oldest children and Matthew had a grand time playing, although Matthew couldn't seem to remember how to share. He was rather wild, even for him, and after they left Rob looked at me and said, "Does he always ack like that when kids are over?" I told him that Matthew's behavior was fairly normal, although he was a little crazier than usual. I guess he was trying to show off to his new friends!
Renee's littlest and Ben are about the same age, but they didn't really play together. I guess children that age don't quite know what to do yet. She was a cutie and Rob wanted to keep her. In fact, after they left, Rob said he missed the little tyke! He did teach her how to sign "more" and made her smile a few times. Both of the boys cried when Renee's family left, so I guess all three of my guys were a little sad.
As for me...well, I'm just glad to see Renee again. It's nice to be close to friends as well as family. So, if any of the rest of you from the 'Ville are out in our direction, let us know. We might even feed you if you stop by :)
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Friday, June 29, 2007
Lighting Fish
Yup, you guessed it. Tonight we took the boys outside to catch "lighting fish." If you don't know what they are, they look an awful lot like lightning bugs, but with a pre-school name.
Matthew had a lot of fun trying to catch them. I'm surprised that he took to it so quickly, considering his intense fear of insects. Yesterday, he had a friend over and kept trying to pull him away from a "bug area." Today, he ate a piece of food off the floor and I noticed small ants near it and teased him about eating bugs. He went and washed his hands and mouth and asked for a drink, then sulked on a chair for awhile. (Yes, I did apologize, but after laughing quite a bit!)
Anyway, he and Daddy caught a few and put them in a mason jar I supplied. Then we let them go. Unfortunately, Matthew recaught one and squished it, then wiped the remains onto his dear father, who was equally grossed out.
What was Ben doing during the mayhem? Well, running around and yelling with Matthew, running into the street repeatedly, and falling face first into the grass. I'd say he had just as much fun!
Matthew had a lot of fun trying to catch them. I'm surprised that he took to it so quickly, considering his intense fear of insects. Yesterday, he had a friend over and kept trying to pull him away from a "bug area." Today, he ate a piece of food off the floor and I noticed small ants near it and teased him about eating bugs. He went and washed his hands and mouth and asked for a drink, then sulked on a chair for awhile. (Yes, I did apologize, but after laughing quite a bit!)
Anyway, he and Daddy caught a few and put them in a mason jar I supplied. Then we let them go. Unfortunately, Matthew recaught one and squished it, then wiped the remains onto his dear father, who was equally grossed out.
What was Ben doing during the mayhem? Well, running around and yelling with Matthew, running into the street repeatedly, and falling face first into the grass. I'd say he had just as much fun!
Thursday, June 28, 2007
My Big, Strong Men
Today my big, tough guys had a chance to flex their muscles. Rob often brings home wood from work (he is saving up wood to build a desk) and he had alot in the car, so he and the boys brought it inside. Matthew carried in quite a few pieces, which is typical, but Benjamin actually carried five up to the porch. Not bad for a 15-month-old!
Later, Matthew helped his Daddy carry out the trash and recyclables, his weekly chore. It's pretty funny to watch, as Matthew isn't much taller than the trash cans. He carried out five small boxes, making a variety of grunting sounds (because boxes are very heavy!) Then he did manage to carry out the paper recyclables all by himself. That trip required A LOT of grunting, but he did it. We complemented him on being so big and strong. He got a huge grin across his face, and then collapsed in the grass.
Daddy then reminded him that there are bugs in the grass. My big tough guy, you see, is scared to death of the sound of mosquitoes buzzing by his ear. :)
Later, Matthew helped his Daddy carry out the trash and recyclables, his weekly chore. It's pretty funny to watch, as Matthew isn't much taller than the trash cans. He carried out five small boxes, making a variety of grunting sounds (because boxes are very heavy!) Then he did manage to carry out the paper recyclables all by himself. That trip required A LOT of grunting, but he did it. We complemented him on being so big and strong. He got a huge grin across his face, and then collapsed in the grass.
Daddy then reminded him that there are bugs in the grass. My big tough guy, you see, is scared to death of the sound of mosquitoes buzzing by his ear. :)
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
The Queen
Yup, you guessed it from the title, I'm going to talk about myself. I would have Rob do this post, as he offered to, but he's busy with a class right now and when the class ends he still has his Sunday school class to prepare for and then I think he'd like to sleep through the month of August. So I'll do it myself. Besides, don't we all love to talk about ourselves???
I was born at a very young age....okay, that's too old, but I am chuckling to myself. And that's one of the biggest things about me--I like to laugh. Someone once told me that I don't take life seriously and I really thought that was a problem. Now, 16 years later, I realize that laughing through life is better than taking everything seriously. I grew up with a family of jokesters and wouldn't have it any other way. We always had to warn our friends before they came over about our dad. Dad's a terrific guy, but he does dish out the digs. We always tell people to give it right back to him and you'll fit in fine. And that's me. I use my humor to cover for my shyness around strangers, to get children to talk to me, and to have a good time. I love life and I'd rather spend it laughing than crying. I was so amazed when I started teaching that my students did not find the same things funny that I did. Someone gets hurt and instead of babying them, I made light of the situation. Other students would say, "Mrs. Litwiller! That's mean!" It dawned on me that not every person is equipped with a sense of humor. People that aren't funny do have a purpose -- like writing instructions for hair dryers and being made fun of by me. I just choose not to be one of them :)
I'm not going to write about my childhood because then I'll get into trouble with my parents and sibs, but I'll skip ahead to college. I graduated from Cedarville College (now University) in 1997 with a degree in Social Science and was ready to take on the world as a single gal. I met Rob the day after graduation, got engaged two months later, and was married two years later. We taught in California for several years (me nine) and I did enjoy it. I have to admit, however, that I was not cut out for teaching. Oh, I did my job and I did it well, but as I reflect upon my teaching career I realized that the times I did my "job" the best was when I wasn't doing my job at all. I love just talking to the students and getting involved in their lives. I was an unorthodox teacher and love doing things outside of the box. I genuinely loved my students, but I'd much rather have counseled them that taught them. I do love my subject, but I don't think I'll go into a traditional classroom again. I do plan to homeschool my children (as schools are set up for boys to fail) so I will teach again, and I'm exicted about training my two little guys.
Our children came along while I was still a teacher and I greatly regret continuing my career while they were babies. Matthew was in daycare for two years, and while he was only three doors down from me and in excellent hands, it just wasn't me. I had to learn to let a lot of things go about their training and had some "make-up" work to do with discipline, but that's okay. Things are better now, but I do wish I had given up teaching two years earlier. Oh well, can't go back in time, so I'm just thankful I can be with them now.
I've learned much about myself as I've become a stay-at-home mom. Maybe that's how I'll end my post: things I've learned about myself. Poor Rob, he didn't get a "top ten"
1. I can get madder than a hornet at the drop of a hat over the dumbest little things.
2. I'm addicted to naps. (Not mine--the kids!)
3. I'm very easy going with the boys regarding their play because I want them to be boys. (For example--Matthew is allowed to run ahead on walks because he knows when to stop, I let him throw rocks in the river, and both boys are allowed to climb up the slides when the park isn't busy! What a rotten mommy!)
4. I can tune out even the most incessant of screams.
5. Screams go through me, but whining stops me in my tracks.
6. I know the theme songs to Bob the Builder, Spongebob, and Veggie Tales (okay, so I knew that last one from college!)
7. I'm more apt to listen to kids music when I'm alone.
8. I really can make it through a day without seeing my kids. (When I worked, I was addicted to them!)
9. I'll confess: Sometimes I drag us to church on Wednesdays just because there is a nursery.
10. No matter how rough the day was, I can still look at my sleeping angels at night and love them with all of my heart.
And that's me!
I was born at a very young age....okay, that's too old, but I am chuckling to myself. And that's one of the biggest things about me--I like to laugh. Someone once told me that I don't take life seriously and I really thought that was a problem. Now, 16 years later, I realize that laughing through life is better than taking everything seriously. I grew up with a family of jokesters and wouldn't have it any other way. We always had to warn our friends before they came over about our dad. Dad's a terrific guy, but he does dish out the digs. We always tell people to give it right back to him and you'll fit in fine. And that's me. I use my humor to cover for my shyness around strangers, to get children to talk to me, and to have a good time. I love life and I'd rather spend it laughing than crying. I was so amazed when I started teaching that my students did not find the same things funny that I did. Someone gets hurt and instead of babying them, I made light of the situation. Other students would say, "Mrs. Litwiller! That's mean!" It dawned on me that not every person is equipped with a sense of humor. People that aren't funny do have a purpose -- like writing instructions for hair dryers and being made fun of by me. I just choose not to be one of them :)
I'm not going to write about my childhood because then I'll get into trouble with my parents and sibs, but I'll skip ahead to college. I graduated from Cedarville College (now University) in 1997 with a degree in Social Science and was ready to take on the world as a single gal. I met Rob the day after graduation, got engaged two months later, and was married two years later. We taught in California for several years (me nine) and I did enjoy it. I have to admit, however, that I was not cut out for teaching. Oh, I did my job and I did it well, but as I reflect upon my teaching career I realized that the times I did my "job" the best was when I wasn't doing my job at all. I love just talking to the students and getting involved in their lives. I was an unorthodox teacher and love doing things outside of the box. I genuinely loved my students, but I'd much rather have counseled them that taught them. I do love my subject, but I don't think I'll go into a traditional classroom again. I do plan to homeschool my children (as schools are set up for boys to fail) so I will teach again, and I'm exicted about training my two little guys.
Our children came along while I was still a teacher and I greatly regret continuing my career while they were babies. Matthew was in daycare for two years, and while he was only three doors down from me and in excellent hands, it just wasn't me. I had to learn to let a lot of things go about their training and had some "make-up" work to do with discipline, but that's okay. Things are better now, but I do wish I had given up teaching two years earlier. Oh well, can't go back in time, so I'm just thankful I can be with them now.
I've learned much about myself as I've become a stay-at-home mom. Maybe that's how I'll end my post: things I've learned about myself. Poor Rob, he didn't get a "top ten"
1. I can get madder than a hornet at the drop of a hat over the dumbest little things.
2. I'm addicted to naps. (Not mine--the kids!)
3. I'm very easy going with the boys regarding their play because I want them to be boys. (For example--Matthew is allowed to run ahead on walks because he knows when to stop, I let him throw rocks in the river, and both boys are allowed to climb up the slides when the park isn't busy! What a rotten mommy!)
4. I can tune out even the most incessant of screams.
5. Screams go through me, but whining stops me in my tracks.
6. I know the theme songs to Bob the Builder, Spongebob, and Veggie Tales (okay, so I knew that last one from college!)
7. I'm more apt to listen to kids music when I'm alone.
8. I really can make it through a day without seeing my kids. (When I worked, I was addicted to them!)
9. I'll confess: Sometimes I drag us to church on Wednesdays just because there is a nursery.
10. No matter how rough the day was, I can still look at my sleeping angels at night and love them with all of my heart.
And that's me!
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Benjamin Joel a.k.a. Puddy
The Puddy, the Pudmeister, the Pud-a-rama, the Pudinator...that's our little Ben! He has so many nicknames, but he has so many little "personalities" that it seems to suite him. I'm often asked, "Do you call him Benjamin or Ben?" The answer is "yes." He even gets called Benji (not Rob's favorite) and Benny! He's a delightful little sweetheart, a mischevious booger, and a mama's boy all rolled into one.
Benjamin Joel's story is not as involved as Matthew's. We were out for a walk in late May of 2005 and Rob said, "It feels like someone is missing from the family." By July, we knew that I was expecting again. My pregnancy with Ben was much less eventful, although I did have gestational diabetes again (lost 22 pounds!) and he was also breech. There is no medical reason for both boys to be breech: I just think they wanted to be close to my heart. I carried him well and taught up until the day before he was born. Rob said I was slowing down, but I really don't remember getting all that tired. I did have a horrendous head cold which did not go away. Having a c-section and a head cold at the same time did not make life real pleasant, but I managed.
Ben came into the world screaming his head off and continues to make his presence known. He was a wonderful baby and always knew that nighttime was for sleeping. He ate constantly, but slept often and charmed all of us to pieces. Matthew just loves his little brother and gave him the most wonderful adivce early on--Don't pick your nose. He sailed through babyhood with nary a "scratch" and we just adore him.
Lest you think my Benny-boy is perfect, I need to tell you that he inherited Mommy's temper. He throw things when he doesn't get his way, screams and hollers at everyone, and doesn't really respond to corrections yet. Thankfully, he's not often like that and does tend to cool down quickly.
I know all moms are biased toward their little ones, but Ben is just so cute! I love to watch him walk around and play with toys, explore new horizons, and play with people. He has an infectious smile and the cutest little voice. He's learning new words all the time. The most recent addition to his vocab is "buh-bye" and he says it often. His favorite word is "Mommy." I know most little ones say "ma-ma" but my boys are partial to mommy. In fact, "ma-ma" was Matthew's word for "more." Ben just picked up the habit from Big Brother.
Well, if I gave ten reasons why I love Matthew, then I need to do the same for Ben. I'll try to keep it at ten...he's just so cute!
1. His smile is so sweet, especially when he gives his big cheesy grin.
2. He has a funny waddle-walk that proves he still has some baby in him.
3. He's a smart little guy and remembers most things you tell him.
4. He, like his brother, is an easy passenger in the car.
5. He is absolutely fearless. He's not afraid of running out in the street, chasing a flock of ducks, or hitting his older brother.
6. He's a good eater and even eats my baking mistakes.
7. He can always make me smile, even when I'm having a bad day.
8. He makes the cutest pouty faces when I say it's time for bed. (I confess--I say it on purpose just to see the face!)
9. He always attracts a crowd at the park (which means I get "help" watching him.)
10. He is the "son of my right hand" just as his name suggests.
Thanks for enriching my life, Handsome!
Benjamin Joel's story is not as involved as Matthew's. We were out for a walk in late May of 2005 and Rob said, "It feels like someone is missing from the family." By July, we knew that I was expecting again. My pregnancy with Ben was much less eventful, although I did have gestational diabetes again (lost 22 pounds!) and he was also breech. There is no medical reason for both boys to be breech: I just think they wanted to be close to my heart. I carried him well and taught up until the day before he was born. Rob said I was slowing down, but I really don't remember getting all that tired. I did have a horrendous head cold which did not go away. Having a c-section and a head cold at the same time did not make life real pleasant, but I managed.
Ben came into the world screaming his head off and continues to make his presence known. He was a wonderful baby and always knew that nighttime was for sleeping. He ate constantly, but slept often and charmed all of us to pieces. Matthew just loves his little brother and gave him the most wonderful adivce early on--Don't pick your nose. He sailed through babyhood with nary a "scratch" and we just adore him.
Lest you think my Benny-boy is perfect, I need to tell you that he inherited Mommy's temper. He throw things when he doesn't get his way, screams and hollers at everyone, and doesn't really respond to corrections yet. Thankfully, he's not often like that and does tend to cool down quickly.
I know all moms are biased toward their little ones, but Ben is just so cute! I love to watch him walk around and play with toys, explore new horizons, and play with people. He has an infectious smile and the cutest little voice. He's learning new words all the time. The most recent addition to his vocab is "buh-bye" and he says it often. His favorite word is "Mommy." I know most little ones say "ma-ma" but my boys are partial to mommy. In fact, "ma-ma" was Matthew's word for "more." Ben just picked up the habit from Big Brother.
Well, if I gave ten reasons why I love Matthew, then I need to do the same for Ben. I'll try to keep it at ten...he's just so cute!
1. His smile is so sweet, especially when he gives his big cheesy grin.
2. He has a funny waddle-walk that proves he still has some baby in him.
3. He's a smart little guy and remembers most things you tell him.
4. He, like his brother, is an easy passenger in the car.
5. He is absolutely fearless. He's not afraid of running out in the street, chasing a flock of ducks, or hitting his older brother.
6. He's a good eater and even eats my baking mistakes.
7. He can always make me smile, even when I'm having a bad day.
8. He makes the cutest pouty faces when I say it's time for bed. (I confess--I say it on purpose just to see the face!)
9. He always attracts a crowd at the park (which means I get "help" watching him.)
10. He is the "son of my right hand" just as his name suggests.
Thanks for enriching my life, Handsome!
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Matthew James: The Little Man
When I stop to think about my oldest, so many pictures come to my mind. I see him scrunched inside me on an ultrasound, I see that sweet little face when he was first presented to me, I see him lying helplessly in a hospital bed after surgery, I see that mischevious little grin when he's about to do something outrageous, and I see his "dead man" pose when he's sound asleep. He's my sweet little man, a name I started calling him pretty early on. There's even a song to go with it, but it's just for him. His name means "gift of God" because we believe that having a family is a gift from the Lord. (James is Rob's middle name, so we passed it on!)
Matthew was born on July 19, 2004 at 9:51 am. His story starts, however, back in March of 2003. Rob and I truly believed that the Lord wanted us to dedicate ourselves to our teaching ministry, so we had decided not to have children. (Aside: How ridiculous is that! Like God can't supersede anything we attempt to do to prevent children. ) Well, the Lord put a huge burden on my heart and I began to long for a child. We prayed about it and it wasn't until a missionary's wife spoke to our ladies about faith that I realized my problem was not my ministry but a lack of faith that kept us from having children. We decided to try in that fall and Matthew was conceived about two months later. My pregnancy was kind of crazy, as I was admitted to the hospital when I had stomach flu, I had complications early on (which turned out to be nothing), and then I developed gestational diabetes (best diet ever!) Toward delivery time, the doctor discovered that Matthew was breech and we decided to deliver via c-section. The surgery went well, recovery was a little rough, but we made it.
During my pregancy, a decision had to be made regarding his care. I did not want to give up teaching and we really couldn't afford to live on Rob's income alone, so we had to find care for the little man. After going around through several meetings at school (meetings I would rather forget) we were given permission to have him on campus under the care of Mrs. Tica. What a blessing she was to us! He was the only one in daycare that first year and he received such loving care from her. Even though setting all that up was a trial, I'm thankful we worked at it because now several other teachers are able to keep their children at the school. It was also fun to see him interact with the high school students as he got older. His language skills progressed rather quickly (although he did pick up a few things we had to train out of him!)
Matthew was a pretty good baby, although he did like to keep us up at night and screamed ferociously at feeding times. My attempts to nurse him were abyssimal failures, but I don't regret it. Despite was the militant nursing crowd says, you can raise a happy, healthy child on formula and it was easier when I went back to work. He did have pyloric stenosis when he was three weeks old and although it was frightening at the time, he sailed right through it and recovered nicely.
Matthew has always been a very active child. He loved to climb, run, explore and do all those fun little boy things. (I guess he still does...he's not that old yet! I don't see him as still being little because we have Ben around.) I have noticed something very interesting about him, however, and that is in his behavior. When we moved from Cali to Wisconsin, he went from daycare to being at home with Mommy. He was rather wild before as we were not consistent with his corrections. Now, he is much better behaved. I know we really can't afford for me to stay home financially, but we can't afford my not being at home. Even when he's driving me nuts, it's still worth it if we can produce a godly man who loves the Lord and exhibits the behavior of a gentleman.
I could sit here and talk about Matthew's failures, as we moms tend to do sometimes when we chat about our kids, but I think I'll end with a list of things I love about Matthew:
1. I love to hear him talk. I like asking him questions and hearing his crazy answers. He comes up with some fun stories like "Once upon a time, there was a BIG WHITE TRIANGLE. And it got hit by a car!"
2. He is so caring. Whenever anyone is crying, he's the first to see what's wrong.
3. He loves babies and wants to help take care of them.
4. He has an excellent memory and can memorize Scripture very quickly.
5. He's still not too old for a good cuddle on Mom's lap or to be carried around.
6. He loved to hear me sing when he was a baby.
7. He is an excellent passanger in the car and rarely needs toys or books, even on long trips.
8. He can operate the VCR all by himself and is figuring out the DVD player.
9. His laugh is contagious and he finds some of the same things funny as I do.
10. He's man enough to help me bake.
I love you, Little Man!
Matthew was born on July 19, 2004 at 9:51 am. His story starts, however, back in March of 2003. Rob and I truly believed that the Lord wanted us to dedicate ourselves to our teaching ministry, so we had decided not to have children. (Aside: How ridiculous is that! Like God can't supersede anything we attempt to do to prevent children. ) Well, the Lord put a huge burden on my heart and I began to long for a child. We prayed about it and it wasn't until a missionary's wife spoke to our ladies about faith that I realized my problem was not my ministry but a lack of faith that kept us from having children. We decided to try in that fall and Matthew was conceived about two months later. My pregnancy was kind of crazy, as I was admitted to the hospital when I had stomach flu, I had complications early on (which turned out to be nothing), and then I developed gestational diabetes (best diet ever!) Toward delivery time, the doctor discovered that Matthew was breech and we decided to deliver via c-section. The surgery went well, recovery was a little rough, but we made it.
During my pregancy, a decision had to be made regarding his care. I did not want to give up teaching and we really couldn't afford to live on Rob's income alone, so we had to find care for the little man. After going around through several meetings at school (meetings I would rather forget) we were given permission to have him on campus under the care of Mrs. Tica. What a blessing she was to us! He was the only one in daycare that first year and he received such loving care from her. Even though setting all that up was a trial, I'm thankful we worked at it because now several other teachers are able to keep their children at the school. It was also fun to see him interact with the high school students as he got older. His language skills progressed rather quickly (although he did pick up a few things we had to train out of him!)
Matthew was a pretty good baby, although he did like to keep us up at night and screamed ferociously at feeding times. My attempts to nurse him were abyssimal failures, but I don't regret it. Despite was the militant nursing crowd says, you can raise a happy, healthy child on formula and it was easier when I went back to work. He did have pyloric stenosis when he was three weeks old and although it was frightening at the time, he sailed right through it and recovered nicely.
Matthew has always been a very active child. He loved to climb, run, explore and do all those fun little boy things. (I guess he still does...he's not that old yet! I don't see him as still being little because we have Ben around.) I have noticed something very interesting about him, however, and that is in his behavior. When we moved from Cali to Wisconsin, he went from daycare to being at home with Mommy. He was rather wild before as we were not consistent with his corrections. Now, he is much better behaved. I know we really can't afford for me to stay home financially, but we can't afford my not being at home. Even when he's driving me nuts, it's still worth it if we can produce a godly man who loves the Lord and exhibits the behavior of a gentleman.
I could sit here and talk about Matthew's failures, as we moms tend to do sometimes when we chat about our kids, but I think I'll end with a list of things I love about Matthew:
1. I love to hear him talk. I like asking him questions and hearing his crazy answers. He comes up with some fun stories like "Once upon a time, there was a BIG WHITE TRIANGLE. And it got hit by a car!"
2. He is so caring. Whenever anyone is crying, he's the first to see what's wrong.
3. He loves babies and wants to help take care of them.
4. He has an excellent memory and can memorize Scripture very quickly.
5. He's still not too old for a good cuddle on Mom's lap or to be carried around.
6. He loved to hear me sing when he was a baby.
7. He is an excellent passanger in the car and rarely needs toys or books, even on long trips.
8. He can operate the VCR all by himself and is figuring out the DVD player.
9. His laugh is contagious and he finds some of the same things funny as I do.
10. He's man enough to help me bake.
I love you, Little Man!
Friday, June 22, 2007
The Big Guy
If I'm going to be as cool as Shelly (see her link if you have no clue who she is) I'd better introduce each member of the family in an individual post. I know our family know who we are, but many of our friends only know one or the other of us. So, I'll start with Rob.
Rob is.....boy, it's hard to start describing him. He's like an onion...he has many layers. (Thank you, Shrek!) He is by far and above the greatest guy ever and I really don't know where I would be with him in my life. I always tease him that he was raised right, but it's the truth. (Thanks, Jim and Leanah!) He is a gentleman, but not a sissy, he knows his way around both a kitchen and a woodshop, and he changes diapers and wrestles with two little boys. He's my best friend and my spiritual guide, he's both a teacher and a learner, and he, like me, has no fashion sense. (Aside: I am using way, too, many, commas!)
Rob was born and raised in Illinois and only lived in two houses his entire life. He went to the same church and school through high school, then went to Maranatha for three years until we married. Then the big change came: We moved to California. We had so much fun in those early years getting to know the Golden State. Rob is a lot of fun to pal around with and just as nerdy as me, so we saw all kinds of things out there.
Rob was a teacher for seven years at a school in San Jose, right along with me. I have to admit that I wasn't sure he'd make it at first. Don't get me wrong, I knew he could teach, but the many small teachery tasks we undertook almost did him in. He never did turn in lesson plans consistently and rarely had a clean classroom, but I can honsetly say that he was one of the best teachers I ever knew. Rob had such a heart for those kids. He cheered when they succeeded, both academically and spiritually, and he felt he failed them when they failed. He took their failures very hard and prayed for those kids daily. He never won teacher of the year (what's up with that?) but he sure deserved far more than most of the staff. Few of our fellow staff members loved those kids like Rob. He taught them math and science in the classroom, but I know he showed them love everywhere he saw them.
Back in March of 2005, both Rob and I felt the call to missions, separetely, at a missions conference. We dedicated ourselves to the field, planning to leave the school in around five years. God had other plans for us. We both felt the need to leave after the 2005-06 school year and began to make plans to attend West Coast Baptist College. After an interesting turn of events, God led us to Wisconsin instead. Rob is now working on a degree in Biblical Studies with a minor in Missions (and possibly Greek). He wants to work on a Master's Degree after his undergrad and then see where the Lord leads. We have no leading toward a specific mission field, but as we think we'll be here for a few years, we're willing to wait for direction.
This summer, Rob is teaching the singles Sunday school class at church in June and August and will be teaching a Doctrine of Christ class in July. He's nervous, but I know he'll do well. He is also on the nursery committee and takes care of our desk area (paging parents, etc.) Guess who wrangled him into that one?
Rob is working at The Custom Shoppe currently, and loves his job. I don't know what the Lord has for him in the future, but he always says that the Lord isn't done with him yet. I hope not because I'd like to keep him just a bit longer. He doesn't have enough insurance yet....
I praise the Lord daily for bringing this wonderful man into my life. I can honsetly say that he is my better half. Someday we'll find that lost chapter to Proverbs, you know, the Proverbs 32 man. :) I'm sure Rob will fit it perfectly.
Rob is.....boy, it's hard to start describing him. He's like an onion...he has many layers. (Thank you, Shrek!) He is by far and above the greatest guy ever and I really don't know where I would be with him in my life. I always tease him that he was raised right, but it's the truth. (Thanks, Jim and Leanah!) He is a gentleman, but not a sissy, he knows his way around both a kitchen and a woodshop, and he changes diapers and wrestles with two little boys. He's my best friend and my spiritual guide, he's both a teacher and a learner, and he, like me, has no fashion sense. (Aside: I am using way, too, many, commas!)
Rob was born and raised in Illinois and only lived in two houses his entire life. He went to the same church and school through high school, then went to Maranatha for three years until we married. Then the big change came: We moved to California. We had so much fun in those early years getting to know the Golden State. Rob is a lot of fun to pal around with and just as nerdy as me, so we saw all kinds of things out there.
Rob was a teacher for seven years at a school in San Jose, right along with me. I have to admit that I wasn't sure he'd make it at first. Don't get me wrong, I knew he could teach, but the many small teachery tasks we undertook almost did him in. He never did turn in lesson plans consistently and rarely had a clean classroom, but I can honsetly say that he was one of the best teachers I ever knew. Rob had such a heart for those kids. He cheered when they succeeded, both academically and spiritually, and he felt he failed them when they failed. He took their failures very hard and prayed for those kids daily. He never won teacher of the year (what's up with that?) but he sure deserved far more than most of the staff. Few of our fellow staff members loved those kids like Rob. He taught them math and science in the classroom, but I know he showed them love everywhere he saw them.
Back in March of 2005, both Rob and I felt the call to missions, separetely, at a missions conference. We dedicated ourselves to the field, planning to leave the school in around five years. God had other plans for us. We both felt the need to leave after the 2005-06 school year and began to make plans to attend West Coast Baptist College. After an interesting turn of events, God led us to Wisconsin instead. Rob is now working on a degree in Biblical Studies with a minor in Missions (and possibly Greek). He wants to work on a Master's Degree after his undergrad and then see where the Lord leads. We have no leading toward a specific mission field, but as we think we'll be here for a few years, we're willing to wait for direction.
This summer, Rob is teaching the singles Sunday school class at church in June and August and will be teaching a Doctrine of Christ class in July. He's nervous, but I know he'll do well. He is also on the nursery committee and takes care of our desk area (paging parents, etc.) Guess who wrangled him into that one?
Rob is working at The Custom Shoppe currently, and loves his job. I don't know what the Lord has for him in the future, but he always says that the Lord isn't done with him yet. I hope not because I'd like to keep him just a bit longer. He doesn't have enough insurance yet....
I praise the Lord daily for bringing this wonderful man into my life. I can honsetly say that he is my better half. Someday we'll find that lost chapter to Proverbs, you know, the Proverbs 32 man. :) I'm sure Rob will fit it perfectly.
This is for you, Shelly!
Okay, cousin-in-law, you are now the first link on my page. You even beat out Maranatha and my church. Hope you're happy! And don't do anything embarrasing to have your self removed...like detail any more of your crazy massages!
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Finally, an update
So, I started this blog page about four months ago and never got back to it. That is because I am a technoidiot and couldn't figure out how to get on it again! Oh well, I'm here now.
We've been plugging away at life since last I sent out an update via e-mail to all of our family and friends. Rob finished the semester with good grades and we took one large breath and then plunged into summer school. I took a class on music and Rob is currently taking an American Lit course, which he can't wait to finish. I enjoyed my class quite a bit and have continued to prune my musical preferences. God has been working in my life in so many ways...it may take more posts to tell the story.
Matthew will be turning three next month. He has continued to be his adventureous self and recently went to the ER because of his big toe. He pulled a heavy iron gate onto his toe and sliced it right under the nail. He didn't need stitches, just a big bandage and a whole lot of lovin'. It's healing nicely now and almost looks normal. He kept screaming every time we worked on it so finally, Rob and I screamed with him. He stopped, looked at us and said, "Stop it! You're not supposed to cry!"
Benjamin has morphed into a monkey recently. He is climbing on everything, including tables, chairs, Mommy, the stairs, Matthew's bed, Daddy, and did I mention tables? Sometimes I feel like I'm constantly pulling a child off something or someone. He has learned quite a few words but only chooses a few each day to use. Right now his favorite are "mommy" and "baby". He recently learned to sign "please" but only uses it when he wants something he can't have. He's a silly baby.
Now that I've finally figured this out (like it was really that hard....I'm just a big chicken) I'll be posting more often. My next big goal is to get pictures on this thing so mine can be cooler than Shelly's!
We've been plugging away at life since last I sent out an update via e-mail to all of our family and friends. Rob finished the semester with good grades and we took one large breath and then plunged into summer school. I took a class on music and Rob is currently taking an American Lit course, which he can't wait to finish. I enjoyed my class quite a bit and have continued to prune my musical preferences. God has been working in my life in so many ways...it may take more posts to tell the story.
Matthew will be turning three next month. He has continued to be his adventureous self and recently went to the ER because of his big toe. He pulled a heavy iron gate onto his toe and sliced it right under the nail. He didn't need stitches, just a big bandage and a whole lot of lovin'. It's healing nicely now and almost looks normal. He kept screaming every time we worked on it so finally, Rob and I screamed with him. He stopped, looked at us and said, "Stop it! You're not supposed to cry!"
Benjamin has morphed into a monkey recently. He is climbing on everything, including tables, chairs, Mommy, the stairs, Matthew's bed, Daddy, and did I mention tables? Sometimes I feel like I'm constantly pulling a child off something or someone. He has learned quite a few words but only chooses a few each day to use. Right now his favorite are "mommy" and "baby". He recently learned to sign "please" but only uses it when he wants something he can't have. He's a silly baby.
Now that I've finally figured this out (like it was really that hard....I'm just a big chicken) I'll be posting more often. My next big goal is to get pictures on this thing so mine can be cooler than Shelly's!
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