Praising my way out of hiatus...

Anticipation. I think the anticipation for a big event makes it all the more wonderful. I love the way something tingles from the tips of your toes to the top of your head. I love even more when the build up is very very worth it!

Putting messes in God's hands. Knowing without a doubt that He will hear you. Knowing he will answer you in the midst of immediate problems or somewhere down the road in the long term.

Those times he gives you the answers right when you'd like the answers... I know He is a God of timing and most of he time He and I might not be on the same schedule, but there is a little bit of giddy delight when He sends the answers upon request.

Hearing the answers and knowing they are His and perfect even if they may not have been on your spectrum and they may be a hard sell to others.

Having the chance to praise with thousands of other women.

Music and moments that bring tears to your eyes and a heart filled with wonder.

Sharing something amazing like our first Beth Moore experience with some of my Bible study girls.

The gifts God has blessed Beth and her team with, servant's hearts and strong, gentle spirits.

The fact that my God came to meet almost 9000 women somewhere in the middle of Illinois.

Knowing that I could walk out the door (with Lily in the middle of a meltdown, Finn covered in a multitude of products including nail polish, baking soda, dirt and possibly some toothpaste, and Dax asking a billion questions about why I would not be spending the night at home) and Mike would take it all in stride and be just fine!

Having a husband who supports me running away for a night without him and sharing a bed with someone else =)

Have a soft place to sleep with a turn down service and chocolate on the pillow, even without reservations and a really cheap rate!

Worship music.


Thousands of women singing it acappella.

Someone you really don't spend enough time with willing to walk with you and help clean up your messes.

Really bad seats in a really great place. They may have made me a bit dizzy and given me a killer headache but they also gave me an amazing perspective.

Coming home to hugs and "I love you"s from three dirty little people and one dirty big person who had been doing yard work all day.

An incredibly beautiful fall day to rake and jump in the leaves.

A husband who offers to take all three kids (at the same time) to Kroger after having them all night alone so that I could rest for a little bit.

Being able to use that time to call my mom, knowing she would listen to me ramble on about my experiences. Knowing she's always there to listen to me ramble...

Reading Christmas stories to little boys at bedtime early in November because I can.

Joy. In it's simplicity and it's complexity.

Big reveals and feeling other's joy from hundreds of miles away.

God's bigness and his incredible intimacy.

Celebrities who are who they are behind the scenes and in front of the camera. Those laying it out there to serve something much greater then themselves even when they may not yet know how they fit.

Good friends to from which to seek advice and a listening ear.

Having enough people make sarcastic and nudging comments about my blogging skills that my heart felt it was time to return.

I guess it's official...

She is really in the 6th grade. Tonight we went and met the teachers. So far so good! Looks like maybe there are some new friends on the horizon and and some old friends coming back on the scene. She seems to be happy. Her teachers this year seem great...and I have to add a little hallelujah on that one after our classroom last year. I'm excited to see where this year takes her, I just can't believe it's all going so fast!

I guess since we've officially met the teachers I can share her first day of school pictures from last Wednesday. I know...I'm totally slacking!

And just to prove she's not so grown up, or maybe to show you how nervous she was I'm going to show you where/how she slept the night before school started.

Yes, that is our ugly couch, with a bed rail (that is about to be put on Finn's bed). That is also "Bear Blankie" and yes, that is a sippy cup. I'm praying that the sippy cup had been left there by a little brother and that she really did not use that for her water cup. Either way, don't tell her I showed you this picture, it might be a tad embarrassing and I don't want to be in trouble!

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While I'm posting, I should note that Finn has been binky free for two days now! Whooo Hooo.!

Eve of Summer's End Ramblings...

A week ago Lily made a list...

"Things I want to do before school starts"

1.Get School Supplies
2. Go to the Pool one more time
3. Go to Dairy Queen
4. Choose my first day of school outfit
5.Go on a bike ride with Dad
6. Bake cookies (from scratch)
7. Improve my handwriting


How funny her end of summer priorities seem!

And just so you know we almost always hold off on school supplies till the end of the time. To me, buying supplies just seems like waving goodbye to summer and I am never in a rush to do that!

As of 8 pm tonight, she and her dad took an after dinner ride around the block and her list was complete.

Since I'm in the middle of reading The 5 love languages of children, my favorite part of this list was the baking cookies part. It along with the bike ride, just backed up my suspicion that my girl is a quality timer. It wasn't about the bike or the cookies at all it was a very big girl way of saying she wanted some quality time with each of us before she headed back into the school world. I'm so grateful for that.

Lily is Lily. She always has been a force of nature. In many ways I hope she always will be. I love seeing her growing up. I love seeing the gentle way she talks to little children (that are not related to her!). I love seeing how excited she is about the future. I love seeing her faith.

Sunday morning at church, cards in little manila envelopes were passed around with assignments in them. If you chose to open your envelope you were asked to prayerfully complete your assignment. Lily's was almost perfect. She was asked to surprise 5 neighbors with cookies or popsicles. Tonight she and Dax hopped on their scooters and knocked on 5 of our friendly neighbor's doors with bags of made from scratch, quality time cookies. I loved watching them together on their scooters with their silly helmets on. I wished I'd had the camera, something about it just made me a little teary.

I know she's getting too big for me to hand write her name on everything in her backpack, no matter how much joy I get from it. Tonight she allowed me to write her name on a few things, with explicit directions, "small mom, on the bottom, how 'bout black sharpie on this black background, it's ok if you can't see it, you could just make an 'L', really mom in 6th grade it's ok if it's not on everything...."

Next year I can write for Dax! But truth is, I'm probably done writing for Lily. She's probably humored me longer than most would. I'm so grateful that she and I are still able to have our lunch and movie date after school tomorrow. We've been doing this since at least 1st grade, maybe longer. I love the first day of school run down just she and I, I hope that lasts all the way up!

Now that it's late and tomorrow will come early I should go iron her top and write that first day of school note... I'm sure these things will last for many more years! As will the prayers that God will always be near her...

Peeking out of the darkness...

to share a little story overheard in our car yesterday...

Dax: Finny, use your powers to stop that car!
Finn: Ooooookaaaayyyy
Dax: Great Job! You did it Bud!
Finn: I stop Cars!!!
Dax: Whoo Hooo...stop that one!
Finn: whoosh whoosh shusshh whussh
Dax: Wow, Bud! Great powers!

Hmmm.....and I thought it always had to do with those round green and red things hanging on the poles, little did I know...

Heard a bit later...

Dax: Finn! You stopped that house!
Finn: Yeeeeaaaahhhh!

Magical powers. If only we didn't outgrow them!

Another little peek into our summer...

Thought I'd share a few more pictures....

Finn loving his football and growing up oh so fast!

Captured! Musical beds in progress. You never know who will wake up where! It's a mystery!Our trip to the newly added on to nearby zoo...

Monkeys watching monkeys.

Since the expansion the zoo has brought in some colorful friends.

Let's just say little boys get great pleasure out of "rainbow booties"

Started to feel like we were visiting The Lion King

And now we have Nala on Pride Rock...

Giraffes! You don't even know how excited I was to see some real zoo animals!

Yawning tigers, oh so ferocious!

More new additions. So when are the elephants coming?

Last time we came I whined a lot about the lack of real zoo animals, because really, a goat and a llama don't count.

This time I left the whining to the shorter people.

This one was hot...

This one was thirsty...

This one was hot, thirsty, and had a slight disdain for all zoo visitors who filled the bleachers at the sea lion feeding display leaving him no place to sit.

This one is not mine, although I might have opted for a trade, I never heard him whine.

We should have known it was time to go when we saw this face...


And I probably should have put down the camera when I saw this one...

But if I had I wouldn't have captured this little moment of brotherly love on camera...

Thank God for moments like this one...

...it makes it all worth while!

Praises and Promises...

I know I have neglected my blogging promises lately, but it's summer, and it's crazy, but it's good and I am so grateful for that! I promise there will be an upswing in the future, however I cannot predict the date!

Praises...

Warm summer evenings.

Nights with grown up girls.

Free Movies.

Big comfy reclining movie seats and little hands covered in popcorn butter.

Making it through Home Depot with only a small amount of whining and no injuries.

My husband who sometimes does sweet little things I don't expect.

Lily getting to be such a big help.

Mike never complaining when i go for a grown up girls night. The fact that he can bath, feed, and put kids to bed all by himself! I didn't think this was such a big deal till I chatted with some who's husbands can't do such things.

The promise of clean air for Finn and big yard to run in! Soon I'll blog more, but for those of you that haven't heard, we signed a contract on a house yesterday. It's funny, I thought I'd be jumping up and down, but I just feel hopeful. And maybe a little like I wish I had tab at Lowes paid for by a random stranger! =)

I feel like we have been so blessed and I think we are all excited about a new chapter in our life.

For this minute, I am yet again most thankful for all those sleeping safely and soundly all around me.

Thank you Lord, for a beautiful day.

A peak into summer

Here, in pretty random order, are pictures from our summer so far...

Max & Dax in deep T ball related (or not)conversation. Coach Nick showing Dax where you go after you hit the ball. (God bless these coachFirst Day of Soccer

You know it's a whole different game when the goaly wears the shirt on his head.
VBS our friend Claire thinking the whole thing was just nuts.

Max, Molly, and Friends blowing bubbles.

Really it was just a 4 year old free for all

Drumming

July 3rd's July 4th celebration with friends.

There are more to come. Actually there were more attached to this that have somehow disappeared. You may see some more VBS, more soccer/Tball and other goodies soon!

Hope your summer days are going well!

Excuses, Excuses...

So, I haven't blogged in forever. It's not you, it's me =). I felt honored to have a few commenters remind me that I was shirking my responsibilities. Friday I started a post with lots of pictures to update you all on what has been going on here for the past weeks, but someone needed something and the pics take forever to seek out and upload and I jumped ship midstream. Good thing for Blogger's automatic save as you go! That post is still half loaded and will be coming to you soon!

For now I thought I'd just do a short praise list so you know we are still here and are feeling very excited at the moment!

I am so thankful that after 6 months of misdiagnosing Finn this fall/winter that they finally found it wasn't recurrent pneumonia caused by cystic fibrosis or some sort of immune deficiency, but instead just an extreme mold allergy that induced asthma attacks that mimicked pneumonia.

I am grateful for Flovent inhalers and cute little baby face masks that allow such a little guy to take such big medicine. We are blessed that since he started on meds even living in the house with the mold ridden basement has not induced another trip to the ER since diagnosis.

I am in awe of God's timing.

I am grateful for falling house prices and low interest rates.

I am grateful for strange Mold inspectors with cryptic messages that disappear and turn up later with messages that all of the sudden make sense and make you smile.

I am grateful for a little boy who seems to know things outside his scope.

I am grateful for daughter who is learning to deal with change.

I am grateful for a two year old who calls everything "thingy" as in "what that thingy called?" and "I love that thingy"

I am grateful for a brother with knowledge and experience to reassure and encourage his big sister.

I am grateful for parents who are just as excited as we are and are willing to stand behind us.

I am grateful for God's wisdom, and his amazing timing.

I am grateful for bad days that send you out driving around to find some peace.

I am thankful for a husband who finally got on board, he was apparently just waiting for God, little did I know.

I am thankful for friends and strangers who have prayed for our journey for days or for years.

I am thankful that God rewards diligence.

I am thankful that we have good friends!

I am grateful that I have spell check that kept me from using the word "greatful" a whole lotta times!

I am grateful that tomorrow holds amazing promise. If you pray for a smooth tomorrow for us, I will share the story of what has been going on around here then. =)

I am thankful for you and I am thankful for all those sleeping in this house around me!

Have a beautiful Saturday!

Counting My Blessings and asking for prayers...

There are moments we have this split second revelation that in a matter of minutes our lives can change in a way we can't even fathom.

Sometimes we have those moments in our own world. Last week we had one. I was standing 2 feet from Dax while he sat on the side bar of our swing (about a foot off the ground). With all the crazy things he does, this one didn't even make me concerned. He wasn't goofing around, he was just sitting. He lost his balance went over backwards and landed on the back of his head. It made that sound, that horrible sound and blood started pouring out. To make a long story short, 5 hours in the ER, a wound that ended up being the wrong shape (round) to be stapled, a head CT due to the ER doc suspecting a depression fracture, which turned out to just be soft tissue damage, and a late night mother/son dinner at McDonald's, we made it home where I felt so blessed to have three sleeping children.

Sometimes we have those moments where we stand on the sidelines and watch in horror as the unthinkable happens in the life of another family. The blessing is, we have the ability to pray for them, to ask God to let us carry just a tiny piece of their burden if it could lessen it for them. A young family in my hometown suffered a terrible loss last night. The very simple story is here.

The bigger story is that this couple are friends of both my brother and sister in law and Mike's brother and sister in law. This family is a strong family of faith with a 5 year old little girl, Cara, and twin boys, Ethan and Evan, who are just a few months younger than Dax. Ethan has lost his twin brother. I can't even imagine how that would feel. There is nothing we can do that is bigger than praying.

Praying and looking at our own children in that misty midnight light in broad daylight. You know the light...when you stand beside the bed and they are sleeping peacefully and you feel this ache in the deepest corners of your heart that can't possibly love another human more. We are so blessed to have every minute we have as they grow. Today, for the Dell family, do it middle of the day, when part of you would rather be soaking in a warm bath and reading a book. Remember what a blessing those crazy moments really are.

Praises for what I would have missed if I was where I planned to be...

I planned not to be home tonight.

A friend lost her dad earlier this week, and it hasn't been so long since I lost mine. That sting comes bubbling to the surface whenever someone I care about gets dealt the same blow. We learn from it, we grow through it, we survive because HE carries us through it, but really, let me be honest, it still sucks. I know how much it meant when people showed up at my dad's service for me. Those old friends and new friends. People who lived around the corner and those who traveled for hours. There was a bit of a pile up at the end of the line of my friends, and just the sight of them, their hugs, their being there brought me to tears. It made me feel held.

In my infinite wisdom I wanted to be there for my friend. I know there were many from here making the trek. Many from our Bible study and Sunday school were headed that direction. And really, that was my plan.

Seems though, that sometimes what I think are the right plans may not be. Due to all sorts of logistical issues I ended up at home this evening.

If I had been there I would have missed...

the electricity going out

dinner made completely on the grill and eaten outside

special ice cream treats left over from last night's visit to Mission Survivor (a youth group event, I promised to blog them, I will!)

ice cream treats dripping off little boy bodies

three children, two naked and one dressed, running through the hose, soaping up outside and running through the hose some more

I would have missed their giggling, their splashing

God planted me where HE wanted me, he kept my friend and her family close to my heart, circling prayers through my head for them as they walked through this evening and He left me living this night, this perfect summer evening.

If I had been where I planned to be I never would have captured(straight out of the camera) the amazing sunlight washing over everything as it went down this evening over the joy of little boys exploring their world.

My day was changed, morphed, because I was not in control. He reminded me of those little moments that make life so beautiful.

Tonight, I don't feel like running away. I can't say that the thought of that Calgon commercial did not run through my mind earlier today, but tonight I'm at peace and I pray that all those who were where I thought I should be will find those same moments of peace.