Been thinking...

I was snuggling with my youngest daughter, Julia, on Friday night, listening to her breath and feeling her little chest go up and down. I thanked God for her breath, again, and again, and again... Each time that little chest went up, I sighed and I just realized how precious a gift our breath is, and how much we take it for granted. I have been thinking about my eyes a lot lately, too. How remarkable that these two eyeballs can produce an ability to see, especially now so after my lasik surgery. I can see. I can hear (sort of:). I can walk and talk and look and laugh and wonder and think. The human body is indeed an amazingly complex walking gift. Some say it was created... Other say it evolved. Most are conflicted after watching their little baby being born into the world. Well, I gotta at least join the writer of Psalm 139 in the Bible in just being bit awed by this human body and annoucing his thankfulness to the one he believed created it:

Psalm 139:13-16 (NASB-U)
For You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother's womb.
[14] I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.

Take a minute today to reflect in gratitude for the gift of breath...

Lasik, part II

Well, I am back, had my surgery, got 20/15 eyesight and feeling pretty good. Amazing!!!! It really is. I can't believe I can see so clearly. So far, so good...

Lasik surgery...

On Friday morning at 8:30 am, if all goes well, I (Steve) am going to have lasik surgery. I am a bit freaked, super excited and just can't comprehend not needing contacts or glasses to see. I'll update on Saturday my progress.

So sweet...

Julia if she wakes up in the night usually feels it is her duty to yell for mommy. (She can yell for daddy all she wants but I think she has learned that daddy doesn't hear very well.) Anyway, she yells for mommy. So, last night Stephanie told Julia to not call for her and she didn't. It was great, for Stephanie. (Steve usually never knows if she calls or not) She found out this morning though that Julia did wake up and instead of calling for Mommy, said, "Kamryn, I had a bad dream. Will you come snuggle with me?" Kamryn said, "No, Julia, but I will snuggle with you in the morning." Julia went back to sleep and then woke up again, later asked, "Is it morning, yet?"

Good idea...

Being a parent, you get used to be humbled. Usually I (Steve) am the one who says something stupid, or I tell the kids to do something and it was the wrong thing to tell them. Well, tonight, it was Stephanie, and since it happens on such a rare occasion, I thought i would blog it:)

We got back from dinner with some friends, and Stephanie yells to the kids:
"The first one who gets their jammies on gets a treat." Bradyn and Kamryn go tearing out of the car only to be followed closely on the heels by their daddy. Their is a faint distant sound of screaming and crying as we blaze up the stairs and into the house. Bradyn throws open her drawer as I bust through my door. Shoes come off and go flying around the room. Loud hopping is heard as pants are being torn off and socks meet the ceilings and yells of "I am going to get the treat float through the house."Daddy gets his jammies on and busts into their room yelling, "I WIN!" My pride of winning quickly dissipates as I am greeted by a hysterically crying Julia who was dusted by both sisters and her daddy and who desperately wanted to win the treat. She is crying, crying, crying... (She was really upset... Screaming and yelling and inconsolable) I put her jammies on and she can't settle down. Meanwhile, Kamryn and Bradyn, oblivious to the fact that the competition is already over and that Daddy has already ran his victory lap, are racing to win the treat. This doesn't help a distraught Julia. Kamryn yells, "I win!" To which, I obviously dumbfounded, say to her, "What! I already won." To which she gives me a look of something like, "You weren't even in this competition." Meanwhile, Julia is still crying, and Mom, whose good idea got this whole thing going is trying to console little Julia. Kamryn is trying to find out what her treat is going to be, and I am trying to tell Mom that I won. Mom is telling Kamryn that the treat isn't edible and that it is a kiss, to which Daddy again, emphasizes with much vigor, that he is the victor and he deserves the kiss. So, Dad gets his just reward to which Kamryn squeals with horror and runs in to the living room, Julia, still crying is wailing in the living room and Bradyn is, well, I am not sure what Bradyn was doing. But, she giggled after we followed Kamryn into the living room to make sure that she saw us kissing. After much laughter we head back the bedrooms, with Kamryn and Bradyn laughing and Mommy and Daddy giggling and Julia still crying. We were in the room talking when we look back at the door to little Julia, holding her blankie, and standing in the doorway with big sniffs between her tears, exclaiming, "Kisses aren't a treat. Kisses aren't a treat."

Meet Julia...

I am sitting here at the computer with my little Julia. She is so cute. I thought I would ask her some questions: Here you go!

What is your favorite color? - Red and Pink

What is your favorite food? - Grapes and Macaroni

What are your favorite animals? - Horsies, cows and chickens

Who is your favorite friend(s)? - Annabelle and Molly Bea (her cousins)

What are your favorite fun thing to do? - Polly Pockets

What is your favorite song? - Ring around rosie and twinkle, twinkle and house in the meadow.

What do you like to do when the kids are in (home) school? - Polly Pockets and Blocks

What is your favorite computer game? - Dora

What is your favorite movie to watch? - Dora

What is your favorite thing to snuggle with? - Her tee-tee (blankie)

What is your favorite snack? - Crackers

Where is your favorite place to go? - The dentist (she has never been:)

Merry Christmas from the little ladies!!!