"Mama I like to help."

"What are we making?"

"Are we making cracker cake?"

Cheesecake, silly!

The pool is always more fun with friends... love the company!

Reaching for a book. Everyday I find them scattered throughout the house and shelf nearly empty. 

"Veggie tale chips!" Huh? No, just veggie chips. Silly.

Here we are sitting at the park, a cool playground, nice scenery, fresh air... and what does he want to do? Practice his letters.

Happy boys...

Happy girl...

And some yummy brick toast! After dinner snack at Guppy, good thing NJ had an extra long nap. 

"Can Dotty come with us to Taiwan?"

NJ asked if Dotty could come with us today when we were going out. He also asked if Dotty could come to Taiwan with us. I said probably not, the flight is too long and she's getting old. Plus we don't know when we'll be going again. Hopefully in the near future, but no plans in place. Silly. Nice of him to want her to come with us, but I'm sure the feelings are not mutual. 

NJ asked to go in the pool yesterday, but we didn't get to. And he's always asking for Baba to join us, but he usually has too much work. Today, Baba was able to join us which made the pool even more enjoyable! NJ's been swimming longer and longer distances in the pool, which is great! Hopefully if the weather permits, we can keep swimming for a while. I don't want him to lose the enthusiasm he has for the pool, swimming, and diving. 

I got out first to start dinner, then my boys came in to help! We made little pasta casseroles for each of us (plus an extra for another meal). Yum. 

Oh yes, the corn. Can't forget the corn, one of NJ's favorites. If you ask him what his favorite food is, he lists everything he eats: "Corn is my favor (the way "favorite" sounds when he says it), rice is my favor, chicken is my favor, broceri is my favor, mushroom is my favor, crackers is my favor, goldfish is my favor, ice cream is my favor, chocolate pancake is my favor, raisin is my favor, cereal is my favor, strawberry is my favor...." 

The pasta and corn were so hot he had to wait for them to cool. I thought he was going to fall asleep!

"Can we go back to that place that we went a while ago?"

"Can I press the button?" He hogs the keys before I even get to them just to ask about unlocking the car. 

NJ loves his corn! He was very helpful with shucking them. Just as he did on Monday with our guests. Wish I got a photo of that!

Today he actually said, "a while ago"! For the longest time, anything in the past tense is, "yesterday". So I was so surprised to hear him say something different! Good for him. 

NJ's first taste of my specialty, cheesecake. Haven't made it in so long I could barely remember the recipe. I don't think I've even made it since moving. I was happy to see him enjoy it so much. 

NJ the exterminator. He said he was spraying the ants. He's been highly concerned about ants since they are so common in and around our house. A few days ago he woke up to ants outside his room. Maybe he brought food to his room without me knowing. When I got up, he had a long explanation about how he had to use all the tissues to get the ants that were aaallll over. Usually they are in his play area and he'll run and tell me about each individual ant he sees. 

Picnic dinner, back at the park again at last. NJ and I were missing our dinner dates at the park with friends. So nice to sit, eat, chat, laugh, enjoy the fresh air, and play. I so appreciate the company of a good friend. No need to worry about where we are, what we're eating, or anything but just being with a friend. 

Such Blessings

In last year, I don't think I've ever felt so lonely in some ways. The hospital and sickness is a lonely place to be. It doesn't mean that God wasn't with me, or my wonderful husband, family, and friends, but there's a loneliness to something you feel only God understands. It's been great to have my life back and feel "normal" again, I'm so grateful for that. But even though my body's healed, I feel like my heart, spirit, and emotions have not. Thank goodness for relationships and invitations and opportunities. I love how God's been using others to stretch my heart to help it heal and grow. I jumped at the chance to join a women's book club (me, the non-reader). The book "One Thousand Gifts" is a great read if anyone's interested. It led me to an amazing and strong group of women that I'm so thankful for. We got together with our husbands and kids on labor day. That was really nice. What's the use of having this great home and nice stuff if we can't share it or fill it with people? Kids, babies, family, friends, loved ones. It's just stuff and it's totally meaningless without God or relationships. (I wish I knew that in my heart and not just my mind long, long ago! so many regrets.) I was also so excited about meeting other families that also adopted from the Home of God's Love, which has led me to more amazing women. And talking with them has also been really healing. There's nothing like connecting with someone that understands your pains and has been through similar things. As He provides new friends, though, He's also provided the the strong friendships that have held me throughout my life. God is good, faithful, and healing. 

"Strawberries are good, strawberries are so nice!"

The daddies and kids played in the pool while us mommies relaxed inside with baby. Oh how I love babies, can't get enough! Good thing close friends know me well enough... Otherwise I'd seem much too eager and crazy.