"Your other child is under there...!"

Saturday night, Blane Isaac and I went to the Christian Bookstore so Blane could look and maybe find some study materials for church. So I got to chase Isaac around the store. Once in a while I'd get interested in browsing and off Isaac would go...I chased after him as he headed into the "breakable" area of the store wearing a finger puppet theatre around his neck! Then he took interest in a little boy around 6 or 7 maybe who was running around the store and flopping down wherever...Isaac was thrilled to chase him and the boy seemed to enjoy being chased while his father was oblivious to everything as he listened to music...Again I was glancing at something and realized I didn't see Isaac. An older lady saw me looking and said "he's around the corner but he almost went out the front door!" (She wasn't too pleased with me)..."And your OTHER one is over there under that rack!" "Oh NO!" I said..."I only have THIS ONE!" Well that little boy kept popping up wanting Isaac to chase him and I finally told him "I DON'T WANT HIM CHASING YOU!" He disappeared briefly. Next time we'll use the stroller for sure! Two or three dirty looks is enough for me and it's a little like torture when I find myself in a bookstore and I can't look at anything! Everything is so close yet SOOO far away!!

Things I Typically Say Throughout the Day...

Want some breakfast now?
Do you want some juice?
No No!
Oh, oh oh, be careful!
Get Down!
No No No!
Come Here and let me smell you..
Keep still..
No No No!
I'm gonna get you!
(squeals and running feet accompany that phrase)
Gimme some sugar...(gimme a kiss)
Get down!
Wanta go bye bye?
Want to sit on the potty?
How about a book?
Don't throw the playdoh on the floor!
Ok playdoh time is over!
Psst psst..guess what! guess what! I LOVE YOU!
You need a diaper change..
No No No!
Get Down!
Daddy's Home!
(squeals and running feet accompany that phrase)
Psst psst..guess what what...I LOVE YOU!
...it's nite nite time!
...brush your teeth
...ok, it's nite nite time now!
...say goodnite to daddy!
...OK it's nite nite time NOW!
...want me to sing you a song?
ISAAC: Wake up! (by this time he's in bed with us)
Me: Boy that nite sure went by fast! Want some breakfast?
No No No!
..Gimme some sugar!
..I LOVE YOU!
..I'm gonna get you!
(squeals and running feet)...
etc. etc. etc....

"Oh there you are Mommy"

This was taken as I was looking over the porch at the cabin on our vacation and Isaac was looking for me as I called him. I remember saying "Oh don't fall down honey from looking up!" as he leaned way back looking for me....As I said it a spiritual thought popped into my head...I thought, well, in the spiritual sense it would not be a bad idea if we Fell Down from Looking Up if our sense of awe and worship brought us to that point....I wonder if reading The Shack had anything to do with that thought? I had just started reading it on vacation...not finished yet. I must admit certain parts I've enjoyed as its painted a lovely picture of the trinity and how our relationship SHOULD be with God....and at the same time...hard to still process it all...and some of it just plain weird to me....so for me the book has been a mixed bag so far....but overall glad to have the chance to read it....

Our North Carolina Vacation

A rare sight...Blane relaxing and reading... another rare sight, Isaac sitting still long enough for a picture..another picture of Isaac relaxing on Mrs. Weda's lap...

We had a great week in Green Mountain, NC visiting our friends Ken and Carolyn Weda! The weather was beautiful too all week...till we headed over to the Raleigh area to visit some more friends and decided to follow a bit behind Hurricane Hanna's path...or were we in front of it? I can't remember...but turns out we only drove in a little rain and the sun was shining by Saturday afternoon. Before we headed back to PA, we visited a church in Cary, NC. Wow! The people were so friendly, I was half expecting some of their greeters to pop up in our car as well!! Even though the sermon was an hour long, I think I paid attention the whole time and we were relieved that Isaac did so well in the nursery! Although we enjoyed our time away, Isaac definitely sleeps better at home, which means we do too!

Friends From New Hampshire

My Friend Terry and her three kids came to visit recently. (photo above:James 15, Olivia 9, Terry, older than me....ok by one month)....I've known Terry since her oldest (Jesse, far right in bottom photo, was just a baby and now he's 21!)...and Terry was in our wedding 4 years ago. It was a short visit but a nice one! We spent the afternoon and part of the evening together...in Lancaster..and then supper at our place. I don't think Terry would mind me mentioning that since the last time I saw her (two years ago) she has lost about 83 lbs!! It was great to see them all!! Isaac had no problem going to Terry-maybe he sensed that she works in a daycare with kids just his age? I might post a few other pictures but it takes FOREVER to put them on. I hope it's not another two years till we see Terry and family again!

"Isaac Lewis went up the hill.....(wooden hill that is)

....to fetch his mommy Brenda...He fell down but is ok and his mommy came tumbling after...."
Yes he fell down the steps from top to bottom at my sister's house and gave me quite a scare! I actually tried to chase him down the stairs to catch him and skipped a few in the process and almost fell myself....He was fine..cried a little and said over and over "fall down! fall down!" then he got off my lap and proceeded to play! The NERVE of him since I wasn't finished crying!! Later I had an unsettling realization that it's not going to get any easier!!! There's going to be MORE things I'll be catching my breath about and people might start yelling at me "Hey save some oxygen for us!" as I loudly inhale and gasp when Isaac almost hurts himself or DOES hurt himself!! I'm even thinking ahead to when he starts driving!! Will I be a nervous wreck and stay up waiting for him and tell him to call me every 15 minutes! Well I guess I shouldn't dwell on the "what ifs"...He DOES belong to God who loves him even MORE than his parents (hard to wrap my head around that thought)....but he's in good hands and BIG HANDS... I just have to keep telling myself that AND continue to keep a close eye on the rascally little angel who sometimes thinks he can fly! and doesn't think enough about the concept of GRAVITY!

"I prefer to do my reading in the laundry basket!"

A kitchen towel, onesie, and packaging tape

Isaac was down to his last diaper this morning BUT I had to change him twice before I could get to the store and get more diapers....soooooo....I had to improvise a bit...I lined a kitchen towel with a onesie and tape the sides with packaging tape and it worked!! Maybe I'll send this idea into "Hints from Heloise"...or something....No..I imagine I'm not the ONLY one who's ever had to do something like that...

Isaac's First Corvette Ride

Blane took Isaac for a short ride in his corvette and when they pulled into the driveway afterward, he (Isaac, not Blane) was fast asleep!!! I guess he enjoyed the ride! The night before we all went for a moonlight bike ride on the rail trail...with about 30 other people. It started at 8:30pm till about 10:30pm with snacks at the end. Pretty much cancelled out any exercise I got since I stuffed my face with shortbread cookies....
Blane took the day off yesterday....and we set out stuff for our community yard sale...only three houses were doing it so far...and I brought in a little over $4 by the afternoon...WHOOPEE!! Where am I gonna spend it all?

Definitely a "LIVING" Room...

...no there are no eggs in the cartons....they make great building blocks...

First Class Mail(Male)

Well I guess if he gets lost, someone can just mail him back to me.....

Tour De Fra....Uh Dover

Saturday, July 5th..Isaac went for his first bike ride and liked it! They just rode to a playground nearby and played for a bit and came home....Yesterday (Sunday July 6th), my brother Mark, Blane, Isaac and I all went for a bike ride. First we had to wait till the storm passed so we set out around 5:45pm with a diaper and wipes stuffed in the back of my bike shirt in case of emergency ....We rode about 20 miles....what?..what's that Blane? Oh...uh...about 2-1/2 miles....(felt like 20 to me) to one of Blane's aunt's house...visited for a bit so Isaac could load up on grapes, pretzels, strawberries and ginger snaps...then came home. I told Blane starting out that my tires just didn't feel right but he said he put plenty of air in them...so I just assumed it was me and I was out of shape all the more...but really I couldn't believe how far Mark and Blane got ahead of me even on the easy roads. When we got back, Blane looked at my tires and started laughing and told me to look. Well, my tires had plenty of pressure but the back tire wasn't tight and the WHOLE time had been rubbing against the frame!!!!! I'm pretty sure I had that same problem last week in the amazing race!

You The Owner's Manual

I just finished this book....and I regret spending the money buying it even if I got it for 30% off. I should have just as well checked it out from the library instead. I was disappointed the many times they referred to evolution, even if it was in passing. Some of the book was very good, but if you ever read it, I would say go into it with the idea that you will have to "take the meat and throw away the bones" as you read it...I did like their style of writing in layman's terms of how the body works and how everything fits together...All organs are important and depend on each other....What a MORE fascinating book it would have been if they were Christians and put a spiritual twist on it! But I guess that book's already been written - In His Image by Paul Brand, and also another book, Fearfully and Wonderfully Made by Paul Brand and Phillip Yancey (I think..I may have the authors wrong on that one)...
One thing the book said you could try to test your "brain strength" was to stand with your hands at your sides, close your eyes, and lift one leg...if you are 45 years old and can stand like that for at least 15 seconds, then you have REALLY good Brain strength! I'll just say that I'm still practicing to get there but I think it's improving!!! I'm getting good practice from precarious positions I find myself in when "saving" Isaac from diving off the furniture..that's GOTTA help, right?