Prayer requests

Some things our family/friends need(s) prayer for right now...

1) Homeschooling vs. private school vs. charter school vs. public school.  We haven't ruled any of these out, and this will be a really tough decision for us to make for Elijah.  Only through prayer will we be able to make it.  And yes, we need all the time we can get!

2) A family friend whose daughter moved into college, and the mom and son (brother) are having a really tough time with it.

3) My niece goes back to daycare this week full-time (and my sister-in-law back to work as a teacher).  Please pray for a smooth transition!

4) That the Lord begins to put on my heart topics/questions/ideas for the "alternative service" I'll be leading at our church in a few weeks on addiction and recovery.  And that He gives me courage.

5) For Shawn and me as a couple (and parents).  The last few days have been great, but last week we had a really rough week as a couple.  Please pray that we have/show patience and kindness in our communication with each other and Elijah, humility in our arguments and servant-like attitudes as we go throughout our days together at home.

Thank you for your prayers!

Labor Day Weekend

Yesterday we had a wonderful day at home with a THREE hour nap (Mommy & Elijah) and lots of cooking.  I have to say... there are many neigh-sayers about co-sleeping, but snuggling with Elijah like that has produced some of our most precious memories.  For example, when Elijah wakes up in the morning (which is almost always before me), and I pretend to keep sleeping when I feel him stir.  He sits up and tackles me with a kiss... proceeding to hit me if I don't visibly open my eyes.  And that morning smile... it's sooooo big!  After Elijah wakes me up, we sometimes wake up Daddy (if it's the weekend). Then we let him sleep in and go make breakfast.

While Elijah and I slept yesterday, Daddy worked really hard on the outside of the house with Grandpa Voss.  They worked on the side of the house, replacing wood.  Soon it will be all painted and look nice as new!  We took some pictures too, which maybe we'll add later.  Daddy and Grandpa worked literally ALL day on the house while Mommy and Elijah made zucchini, bread and basil to freeze for the winter.  We all (including Elijah) finished off our day of hard work with a pizza from Petrino's pizza in Holland.  Delicious!

Today we slept in (no church today) and then went out to Sandy Pines for lunch with Nana and Papa Brouwer.  We went for a golf cart ride (Elijah loved to drive with Grandpa), played with toys, went out for ice cream (Elijah loved it for the second time), played at the park and then had dinner with them too.  Elijah went down the slide all by himself today (for the first time).  He wasn't so sure about it while he was going down but opened his mouth very wide with excitement when he got to the bottom!  Off to bed soon for the zoo tomorrow with Grandma and Grandpa Voss.

What a busy weekend for a little boy who wasn't feeling so well.  He's all better!

Pajama Days

Yesterday Elijah came down with stomach flu-like symptoms just a few minutes before Daddy was going to take him to Nana's house.  Thankfully, Nana still allowed him to come over and took extra good care of him.  She went to the store to buy things to help him feel better, like applesauce and bananas.  He seemed to feel okay throughout the day but became sick again on the way home with Daddy :-(

Today Elijah is still sick.  We were hopeful when he slept well, but it was obvious within just a few minutes of waking up that he still wasn't feeling well.  To the sink, then to the bath.  But he was such a trooper.  If it weren't for the things he couldn't control, you wouldn't even know he feels sick. 

Grandma Voss volunteered to watch Elijah tonight to give Mommy a break :-) I didn't think I would need one but took advantage of the offer anyway so I could surprise Shawn with a date night.  We took Shawn's '67 LeMans to Earl's (about 40 minutes south of Holland) and got strawberry shortcake... mmm it was SO yummy (worth the drive)!  Knowing that Elijah was in great hands, we had a lot of fun, and it felt like we were dating again.  No house stress.  No parenting stress.  No work stress.  Just flirting and enjoying a ride in the old car.

We canceled our plans to go to Sandy Pines tomorrow (with my family) and will be spending the day at home.  Just another pajama day for our sick little man... but I like these too.

Happy Birthday, Elijah!

In light of Elijah turning one year old today, I want to begin with a blast to the past.

A year ago today, it was Friday the 13th.  But I'm not superstitious.  And there has been nothing unlucky about this past year.

At this time last year, I was at the beginning of my four months home with Elijah.  A beautiful fall season, full of apple-picking, red and orange mums, many many "nature" walks, and lots of snuggling with my baby boy.  A lot of firsts.  A lot of pictures.  Very little sleep.

Then I began my job at Arbor Circle.  I have experienced nothing more difficult in my life than saying goodbye to Elijah and going to work.  No one will ever understand or be able to empathize with that feeling.  Another mom can come close if she has done it before, but the intensity of the feeling is easy to forget.  It led me to quit my job at Holland Hospital (a second job at the time), which I swore (to them and to myself) I would never do. 

We were tremendously blessed to have many caregivers step forward and volunteer to take care of Elijah for free (though, I considered us to be mutually blessed, as he is such a special boy to take care of!).  First Elijah's grandmas, then my friend, and then our neighbor.  And they have all become such special people in his life.  At work I have hanging in my office a watercolor painting that Elijah made with our neighbor, Faydra, on Valentine's Day while I was working.  It reminds me of all the fun he has with other people when I'm not with him.  He develops important relationships with other caring adults.

While working at Arbor Circle, I prayed and prayed and prayed, begging the Lord for part-time work, and in February of 2011, my prayer was answered in just the way I had hoped it would be.  Shawn was given a full-time job with benefits and a salary sufficient enough for me to work part-time.  I swore I would never quit Arbor Circle after they waited five months for me to begin my job there, but I did.  I was offered a part-time job as a therapist.  No application or interview.

And now I work part-time, two very long days each week, spending the other days home with Elijah... cleaning, cooking and playing.  And my baby is one year old!  Many people have asked, "Didn't (the time) go fast?"  My response tends to be something like... "No, not at all.  It has been quite the year!"  I imagine without the job changes and day-care-finding in this upcoming year, time will go by much faster if I let it.  I'll need to be very intentional about incorporating new experiences into each of our days.  It's new experiences that slow down time.

We were blessed to be able to celebrate Elijah's birthday today with a party with all of his close family, including his Auntie T who "Skyped" in from California.  Here are some pictures from Elijah's birthday party:

The birthday cake I made for Elijah

We had pork bbq, fruit, veggies, cheese/sausage/crackers and turkey wraps (with a raspberry cream cheese spread) with pink lemonade.

Daddy decorated the dining room with balloons and streamers (it's hard to see the streamers, but they are there).

Nana and Papa were the first to arrive!

Mommy made your birthday sign out of paper plates.  Daddy printed and cut-out the letters.

Those were all your presents that people bought or made specially for you, Elijah!

You always go to the window to say goodbye to whoever is leaving, including Mommy when she leaves for work.

Having fun with Grandma Voss, who came to your party after work... still in her work clothes!  She was so eager to see you.

Reaching for your birthday card from Nana.

Running towards Mommy.

What fun presents!

Mmmm... so so good.  You LOVED the birthday cake.  You preferred the sugary fondant over the cake.  About five minutes into the cake-eating time, Daddy asked Mommy, "Do you think we should take it away?"  We did.  You'll get some more next year :-)

After your birthday party, we went to visit your Great Great Grandma Florence Voss.  We had heard she was not feeling well, and we thought who better to cheer her up than the birthday boy?  Well, it seems as though she was waiting for you even though she wasn't responsive to us when we arrived. Less than an hour after we left, she passed away.  Although we will miss her, she was so eager to be with Jesus, and it truly was a joyous day.  She lived to be 96 years old.  I hope that you, too, Elijah will live a long, intentional life.  I pray this was the first of many years ahead of you.  We love you so much and have been unspeakably blessed by you.  Happy Birthday, little man.