And her name will be...

Names have always held a lot of significance for Andy & me. When we discovered that our firstborn would be a boy, we immediately began thinking through all sorts of name options. It’s a daunting task-- selecting a name. You feel the weight of labeling another human being for the rest of their lives. Plus, you don’t want your kid to be the one all the other kids make fun of at school because their name rhymes with something horrible! Talk about pressure!

As we prayed for our unborn son, we prayed that God would use him mightily in His Kingdom. We wanted a name that reflected that prayer, so we decided on the name Caedmon (wise warrior) Elliott (near to God). A wise warrior who is near to God is a powerful weapon in the hands of the King!

After over 3 years of infertility, God blessed our home with a beautiful little boy for whom we had prayed a thousand prayers. I deeply resonated with Hannah, in the Bible, who wept and prayed that God would bless her with a child. I also, like Hannah, was committed to dedicate this child wholeheartedly to the Lord. That is why “Samuel” felt like the perfect name for him. After all, Samuel’s mom and I had a lot in common.

Little did we know at the time how deeply significant the meaning of his name would be. Our Samuel (meaning ‘God has heard my prayer’) was given the birth name “Wondimu”, which we kept as his middle name. We thought it was ironic, however, that Wondimu means “brother” and at the time of his birth, Sammy was an only child. How divinely beautiful is it that Samuel Wondimu’s name means, “God has heard my prayer for a brother”! God hears the longings of an orphan’s heart long before he is able to express them.

The journey to the birth of our 3rd child has taken us on dark, winding roads that often left us feeling lost and confused. We knew God had a plan for us, that He loves us completely, and that He is perfectly in control. But the aching in our soul was deep. After  6 years of infertility and losing a baby last November, Andy & I know full-well what a gift a child is. Life is so precious and never to be taken for granted. This baby girl that I now carry is a gift of grace from a merciful God. 

That is why we have selected the name Karis (meaning ‘grace’) Joy for our daughter. God’s grace to us has brought us joy. Indescribably joy. Joy with such anticipation that the sight of her name can bring tears to my eyes. 

She is our gift. Our long awaited gift of joy. 

My sister monogrammed all these beautiful things for Karis!

Home Improvement

Andy and I are not home-project kind of people. I think this can be boiled down to 3 main reasons.

1. Neither of us have the skill set needed for even minor repairs. We can’t fix a leaky faucet and we will stare at a hole in our wall until we pay someone else to come patch it. We’re doing good just to change a lightbulb around here, People. Andy tells me, “I am not your Handy-Man. I am your Andy-Man.” Noted.
2. Home improvements require money. When we moved into our house a year and a half ago, there were several things that we needed to spend money on to make it more homey. But we ran out of cash before we ran out of projects. So several things that have needed attention for some time have been left undone as we’ve saved up some more cash.
3. Neither Andy nor I enjoy shopping. We avoid retail stores like the plague and would much rather spend an evening cuddled on the couch watching a TV show than surfing the Internet for rugs. Plus, the “visual design” component of my brain never developed, which makes picking out curtains and hanging pictures a rather daunting task.

But, alas, the time had come to give a little attention to the homefront and I must say that I am right proud of ourselves! We have gotten more accomplished around our home in the last six weeks than (probably) the last 10 years of marriage!

I felt particularly motivated because of some significant deadlines: 

• Homeschool starts August 19
• Andy’s brother is moving in with us for the Fall on September 4
• Baby is due on November 9

I’m pretty sure that I won’t be super productive once homeschool starts back up and ESPECIALLY once our Little One arrives. So we had a small window between family vacation and school starting to get it done!

Here’s a list of some of things we’ve gotten accomplished around these parts the past 6 weeks:

• transformed my school room / office into a bedroom for Andy’s brother
• painted nursery
• bunked boys beds and transformed half of their bedroom into our school room
• painted outdoor patio and bought some patio furniture
• single-handedly put together 10 (TEN!) pieces of furniture!
• purchased a vehicle
• lots of cleaning, organizing, odds & ends type projects

We are in desperate need of a garage sale as our garage is becoming scarier and scarier to go into...like a black hole of STUFF.  But we’ve made a ton of progress and we are closing in on the finish line. Whew! 

And it’s a good thing, because school starts on Monday!

2013 Tour de Family

We got home from our 2013 Tour de Family over a month ago, but I thought a few fun summer pictures are always in order. I took about 600 pictures and have narrowed it down to 15. This will hit a few of the highlights!

Both Caedmon & Sammy had a blast getting buried in the sand on the shore of 

Lake Michigan by their Uncle Josh (Andy's brother). 

Jamie, Caedmon, me, Nanny, Marcy (Andy's mom), Sammy, Andy, & Josh

Caedmon can hardly contain his excitement! 

Andy, Josh, Marcy, Nanny, & Jamie

relaxing in the shade while the boys play at the playground 

Caedmon, Dalton (Andy's brother), and Sammy 

Ice cream from "The Yum Yum Tree" on a summer night

Sammy, Olivia, Danielle (Andy's sister), Denise (Andy's stepmom), Andy 

A scavenger hunt for the grandkids from their Mimi.

The disguise glasses were a crucial part of the experience! 

Andy's dad, "Papa", helps guide the scavenger hunt 

Andy's grandfather 

My mom & dad (CC & Pops) with their 8 grandkids

3 more grandkids are on the way! 

The Cloud Family altogether at the beach 

These kinds of stunts are only pulled AFTER all the kids go to bed! 

It rained A LOT while we were in South Carolina and, with 7 boys 

ages 7 & under, we had to get creative. GI Joes were a favorite. 

Wrestling matches with Andy were another big hit! 

We attempted a trip to the zoo. This picture was taken during the 15 minutes 

that we were there BEFORE it started raining again. Boo! 

And, what's the 4th of July without a water balloon fight with your dad & grandpa?!

These trips are about making memories that we will all cherish forever. It is worth the effort to invest in these precious relationships. Our boys are smothered in love, special outings, and lots of ice cream each time we head East. They LOVE it!

This is Parenting...

Lately I've been getting up early to go on a long walk before my kids wake up. (My pregnant body seems to appreciate walking a whole lot more than weight lifting and Insanity DVDs. Go figure.) I absolutely love this time. The air is cool. No one is stirring about yet. And I have an amazing view of the whole Silicon Valley. I've been using the time to listen to worship music and pray.

I think about my boys a lot while I'm walking. I think about how the day went yesterday and what we have in store for today. I feel bad about the moments I fussed at one of them over something insignificant and smile as I remember funny comments they said. I pray great big world-changing prayers on their behalf while they sleep peacefully in their beds. And it is amazing to me just how much I love them while I'm out there walking.

Then I get home.

They typically wake up right about the same time I get home and, Folks, sometimes it's not too pretty.

You see, my kids gross me out multiple times a day. They show me lugees on their tongue as I lean down to kiss them. They fart really loud and then ask if I like their new perfume. They put things in their mouths that explain why God gave us white blood cells.

Not only that, but my kids can suck peace out of a room faster than that squirrel ran across my kitchen floor. Andy could have just enjoyed an hour long time alone with God while I basked the serenity of my walk. Peacefulness is radiating throughout our home until that bedroom door crashes open and out they roll. They may kick each other full force in the stomach and then stare blankly at me when the other one starts crying. They snatch toys, they laugh at their own meanness, and gleefully do things to make the other person mad.

On top of this, there is the element of their childishness. They can make a mess in 5 minutes that will take 45 minutes to clean up. They tell jokes that don't make sense and aren't funny but require a pleasant response (over and over and over). They lose library books, break things, and get stains on their brand new clothes. They require the same verbal instructions way more times than I deem necessary and take an excessively long time to do simple tasks. They are opinionated, demanding, and have put me in the category of waitress, maid, and chauffeur.

I began to see a pattern forming. Every morning I would pray these wonderful prayers about who God wants me to be as a mom and what He is shaping in my children's lives. Every morning I would have expectations of peace, joy, and laughter in our family. "Today," I determine, "I will enjoy my kids. They are my gifts from God." But then by the end of breakfast, I'm contemplating escape plans.

What went wrong?

I found myself reflecting on this question as I washed up the breakfast dishes, disgusted with the way the last 30 minutes had just unfolded. And then a thought popped in my head.

"This is parenting."

I like to think of parenting as Bible stories before bedtime, trips to Yogurtland, picnics at the playground, family movie nights, and wrestling matches in the living room. I like the way my children look when they're sleeping or laughing or focused on constructing something out of Legos. I like it when they play independently or peacefully with each other for extended periods of time.

Yes, that's the kind of parenting I signed up for.

But that's not the whole of parenting. Parenting is also rough edges of personalities, awkward quirks that drive you nuts, bad attitudes, lack of gratitude, cleaning up messes, and laundry. Oh, the laundry!

It's the whole kit & caboodle. You can't have one without the other. It is glorious and it is humiliating. It is energizing and it is draining. The same children that make you smile will make you cry, and those who fill up your heart can also break it.

This is parenting.

God is using them to refine us just as He is using us to train them. 

So, if you've ever wondered, "Shouldn't I be enjoying this more? What is wrong with me? What is wrong with my kids?" just know, you are not alone. You are a parent, and this is parenting. 

Summer Reading

My summer reading list is getting a little out of control. For some reason, I seem to have really high hopes that I'm going to come across a ton of free time this summer and will be able to devour a ridiculous amount of books. My high school English teacher would be proud that I still enforce "summer reading" upon myself. Thankfully, though, Jane Eyre is not on the list!

Mercy Triumphs by Beth Moore
This is what I am doing for my Bible Study this summer. I've already completed week 1 and it is SO refreshing to me! Really enjoying it already.

And the Word Came With Power by Joanne Shelter
This is the story of how God worked through a couple missionaries in Philippines to to show His great power. I love true stories of courageous men & women who give their all for the KING and His Kingdom!

Seven by Jen Hatmaker
This is the story of one women's journey to eliminate excess in her life so that she could enjoy God more fully. My friend recently read this and was challenged to make some "crazy" adjustments to the way she lives. I can't wait to see what God challenges me to do.

For the Children's Sake by Susan Macaulay
This was a book recommended to me by our homeschooling curriculum. It explores the educational philosophy of Charlotte Mason and lays a framework for effective education through a biblical lens.

Grace Based Parenting by Dr. Tim Kimmel
I've been listening to this audiobook and it has been so insightful. I great perspective on parenting and creating a healthy home environment. I feel like I would get even more out of it if I had the book in front of me, so I may order a hard copy as well.

Home Schooling 101 by Erica @ Confessions of a Homeschooler
I follow Erica's blog and have found her stuff tremendously helpful in setting up our home school. I've used a lot of her resources, so I was pretty excited when she recently released this book on how to get started. Goodness knows, I need some help in this area...I feel like I'm fumbling around in the dark most days.

Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer
I'm reading this book because I really enjoy this author. I recently finished another one of his book about Mount Everest called Into Thin Air. Fascinating. This one is about the Mormon church, plural marriage, and fundamentalist off-shoots of the Mormon church. It's kinda a disturbing book, but it really makes you think about the nature of religion in society.

Come Be My Light by Mother Teresa
I've never read anything by Mother Teresa, but her life intrigues me. Every story I hear about her makes me want to know her better. So, I finally ordered this book to hopefully catch a glimpse inside her heart and mind.

 
Here's to a few plane trips, long car rides, and laying by bodies of water... Let the Summer Reading begin!