Kids are funny..........

Mariah is always making us laugh. What makes her so funny is that she doesn't want to be funny. She says things that she thinks make her sound big and she doesn't like for us to laugh at her.

This past spring Marc and I had a chance to take our children to meet Jimmy Carter in person. After some thought (and some discouragement from our pastor!:>) we decided it was best not to go. He explained to the children that our beliefs were different than President Carters and that it would be compromising to go. I think he must have told the older ones that he was pro-choice. I am not sure what all was said or what Mariah understood but I overheard this conversation just the other day at the breakfast table. (The kids have educational type of place mats that they like to pull out and read at breakfast. One of them has the presidents on it. On this particular morning they were looking at it.)

Mariah: "That is Jimmy Carter. We didn't get to go see him because he hates babies."

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I am reading "Farmer Boy" to her right now. She was washing dishes with McKenzie one evening and I heard this.

Mariah: "Almonzo's family was pretty good tucked in, but Laura's family was poor."

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One day discussing Christmas with Madeline:

"We will just get Christmas presents from grandma because daddy's dollars are all going to the hospital."

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Malachi was playing on the front porch with sidewalk chalk this evening. We were commenting on how sweet he was playing out there (and I was thinking of why I had never thought about doing that before!) when he came walking in with his jeans down and doing something funny with his nose. I knew he had tee teed off the porch but I asked him what he was doing with his nose. A few minutes later I took him into the bathroom to look up his nose and I saw a small piece of chalk shoved way up his nostril. I normally (and in the past have) would freak out over something like that, but the recent tradgedies have made things like this seem so minor. I plugged one nostril and told him to blow. He shot the chalk out onto the bathroom floor, bent over to pick it up and wiped it off on his shirt! He cried when I threw it away!

NEVER a dull moment! :>)

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And, because it was just too cute not to share...............................................

What a difference a month makes!

"We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks! For Your wondrous works declare that your name is near." Psalmes 75:1

One Month Old!!!

I was talking to Myles from behind the black camera and he stared so hard!

Getting sleepy and bored!

Trials and blessings...

I don't even know where to begin. Since my last post announcing the birth of little Myles Truth, life has been a whirlwind. Having Myles has been a blessing through it all. He is such a good baby.

The Sunday that he turned one week old we were staying home from church to rest as a family and my sister and her girls were coming up to meet Myles for the first time. Right around lunch time Marc, Matthew and Malachi left to go pick up a picture CD from Wal-Mart. They had not been gone too long before my phone rang. It was a neighbor from down the street and she told me that Marc had been in an accident. I felt my knees buckle as I sat down on my bed trying to listen to what she was saying. My worst fear has always been to get a phone call like that, and I was living the nightmare. I hung up with her and called 9-11. They would not give me any information and told me to try to call his cell phone. I dialed it and of course I didn't get an answer. A few minutes later my neighbor called me back to tell me that her son (who just "happened" to leave church and was the first one at the accident scene) called and said I needed to come get Malachi (the 3 year old). At this point I am thinking he must be ok, but what about the other two? Marc had driven my van and I didn't have a key to his car. The phone rang again and it was a police officer calling to let me know about the accident and that I needed to come get Malachi. He wouldn't give me any information on the other two either. I felt like I was having a nightmare and couldn't wake up! My neighbor was sending her daughter to come pick me up. In a daze I walked to the end of my driveway to wait on her. Before she could get here my sister just "happened" to drive up. I immediately got into her car and we went to the accident scene to get Malachi. I was desperate to find out how Matthew was doing. By this point someone had told me that Marc was talking, but that Matthew was hurt. When we got to the accident scene it was nauseating! It was the kind of scene that when you see it, and don't know the people involved, it still makes you sick to your stomach. Fire trucks, ambulances, police cars, and the horrible sight of the crashed van. They had already taken Marc and Matthew by ambulance to the larger hospital 30 minutes away from us. They still would not give me any information, which was pure torture! When I saw the side where Matthew was probably sitting (the front passenger seat) I knew it was bad. I got to Malachi where they had strapped him in the fire engine. He was pretty traumatized as he sat there with his teddy bear, fire hat and Gatorade that they had given him. We took Malachi home and decided it would be best for Kellie to stay home with all of the children and I would drive her vehicle to the hospital. As we got back to my house our neighbor's son was at our house. I finally had someone that had seen Matthew and he told me that Matthew was pretty banged up but had spoken. I was just relieved to know that he was alive! I was so grateful that I had that to at least get me through the trip to the hospital. As I drove on the interstate I prayed harder than I have ever prayed. During Mariah's two horse accidents this summer I had seen her and knew she was going to be ok. This time I really didn't know what to expect. I got to the ER and felt like a wet noodle as I was trying to carry Myles in his seat into the ER. (Remember, I had just given birth a week before!) They told me which number Marc was in and which one Matthew was in. I was so desperate to see Matthew, but nothing could have prepared me for what I walked into. He was laying there by himself behind a curtain. He was flat on his back with blood all over him, tubes, an IV and unconscious. I spoke to him thinking he would rouse when he heard me but he did not. I felt like I was going to pass out. The trauma surgeon came in and told me that his CT scan looked clear but they were concerned that he was not waking up. He started talking about doing an MRI to look for sheer brain damage that could cause personality changes and would require rehabilitation. I have always heard that the Lord won't allow you to go through anything that with HIM you can't handle. I was really pushed to my limit and at that moment wished someone would knock me out. "The eternal God is your refuge, And underneath are the everlasting arms;" Deuteronomy 33:27 I continued for a few minutes trying to get him to wake up, but when he wouldn't respond I couldn't deal with it anymore and I left and went to where Marc was. He was conscious and talking but still flat on his back with a neck brace on. He was waiting for test results before they would let him get up. Of course he was worried about Matthew and about to lose it wanting to get up. I went back to where Matthew was and tried again to talk to him. Three men from our church (our pastor, elder and song leader) came walking in at a point that I didn't think I could handle much more. It was such a relief to have someone with me. They started talking really positive to Matthew and he started responding. It was amazing to watch. About an hour later they moved him to the pediatric ICU. His injuries were concussion, broken collar bone, pneumo thorax, bruised lung and bowel, and broken teeth. He had lots of cuts on his head and leg. It was a miracle that his leg was not broken or even crushed. (We found out the day after the accident that Malachi had a broken leg and had to be casted.)

With all that we have been through with Mariah's horse accidents, her being in the hospital in August, the birth of Myles and then the car accident I look back over it amazed that I actually made it through without losing my mind! The car accident pushed me pretty close. I am a worrier by nature. I hate that about my personality, but I always worry about my children's safety. I know in my head that God can take care of them, but I have always thought He needed my help! I am learning through all of this that I can't protect them from everything and I have to Trust Him. I also look back at all of it and am amazed that God DID protect them when it could have been so much worse.

I have so much to be thankful for!

~Mariah surviving being kicked twice in the last six months by a horse.

~The birth of a healthy baby.

~God sparing the life of Marc, Matthew and Malachi.

~Thankful that Matthew's injuries weren't worse.

~Family and friends that prayed and did so many other things for us.

~An unbelievable church family

~A friend from church (with a large family of his own) loaning his 12 passenger van to us until we could replace our van.

~Meals brought to us.

~How God orchestrated the details the day of the accident. I had just the right people in place throughout the day.

~My sixteen year old daughter who is capable (and willing) to run our house in my absence.

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Matthew leaving the hospital.

This shows where the door came in on Matthew. It was the hand of God that protected him!

"I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety." Psalm 4:8

Malachi with his cast. He has learned how to get around just fine with it!

Thankful for a healthy thirteen year old boy!

It's A Boy!!!

Myles Truth "Soldier of Truth"

"Lead me in thy truth, and teach me; for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day. Psalm 25:5

*We wanted him to have a strong name. Myles means "Soldier" and Truth means "One of truth"

September 20th at 8:30 A.M.

8 lbs 12 oz. 21 inches long

Minutes old

First bath

Our wonderful midwife!

Our precious boy........ he has the most kissable cheeks and lips!

Proud daddy.

Big sister McKenzie

Big brother Matthew

Big sister Madeline

Big sister Mariah

and big brother Malachi!!

Getting ready to go home.

Ready to go home! Waiting for daddy to fix carseat straps.

I will write about his birth and share more pictures next time!

Conversations with Our Children

Conversation with our six year old:

Mariah: "Mama, why do pigs like mud?"

Me: "I guess they like to dig in it. That is just the way God made them."

Mariah : "Well, I would want to be a pig to ya'll."

Not knowing what she was talking about.....

Me: "Why would you want to be a pig to us?"

Mariah: "Because I know ya'll wouldn't eat me."


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Conversations with our three year old:

In the middle of our local health food store..........

Malachi: (very loudly) "Mommy, are you fat?"

Me: "No Malachi I am not fat."

Malachi: (looking surprised) "Are you SKINNY?"

Me: "No Malachi, I am pregnant."

Malachi: (as if a light bulb went on) "Oh, yeah, you are pre-nant!"


A few days later while at the midwife's office:

Malachi: "You are FAT mommy!"

Me: "No I am not fat."

Malachi: "Are you pre-nant?"

Me: "Yes, I am pregnant." "Malachi, you are fat."

Malachi: "No I NOT fat! I PRE-NANT!"

Happy Birthday Malachi!!!

Three years ago today the Lord blessed our home with a BIG baby boy! We are so thankful for him and what he means to our family. He brings much joy and lots of noise and messes! :>) We had a quiet weekend celebrating yesterday with just our family. All he has talked about for weeks now is having chocolate cake on his birthday. We had hot dogs and homemade oven fries for dinner and chocolate cake and ice cream for dessert. It is fun watching the other children get into and have fun making birthdays for each other special. We put baseballs on his cake so Madeline made a game of "pin the bill on the baseball cap".

Today after church we went to see grandma and grandpa. He got to go swimming and had way too much junk! Maybe one day I will get some pictures uploaded and put them on my blog. I am not the best blogger! Maybe after the baby gets here I will have more time................ hahaha

Then....................

And now.......................