In the Petting Zoo

Besides the drive-through section of the safari park, they also had a walk-through area where we could pet and feed various animals (goats, pigs, etc.)...and simply observe others (tigers, for example--no petting allowed!). :)

~ David and Jeff feeding the pot-bellied pigs
~ Josiah demonstrating the flat-hand technique for feeding goats
~ what are you doing, David? throwing the food at the goats? :)
~ while the boys finished feeding the goats all the rest of the food from the bucket, I had fun taking pictures of this sleeping angel...I love him from the top of his head...
~ ...to his sweet, sweet hand, and all the way to...
~ Tobin's toes

Virginia Safari Park

With my parents zooming off to Florida for vacation, Jeff and I both had the bug to get out and do something--some sort of mini-vacation. :) So, what to do???

While we were still living in Israel, I had seen an article in Southern Living magazine about the Virginia Safari Park. It looked interesting enough that I had cut it out and saved it in a notebook that I filled with future hopes and dreams. Well, after several years, today was the day for us to go there. And what an adventure we had!

We've been to great zoos before which we always enjoy. But this was different than anything we had experienced because you literally drive through the park with windows rolled-down (if desired), holding buckets of feed out for the animals to eat from. And eat, they do! Hungrily...greedily...trying to pull the buckets out of your hand...sticking their heads in the vehicle to see if there's more when you pull the bucket away. I've never been that close to many of these animals before! It was quite thrilling for the boys--and for Jeff and I as well. We definitely plan to go back, maybe when Jeff's mom comes out for a visit? Or maybe with my parents sometime?

Without hesitation, I give the park a big two thumbs up!

~ Jeff feeding llamas
~ the animals are so close that it's actually intimidating (in a good way!)...I finally worked up enough courage to roll down my window and stick my arm out with a bucket of feed
~ this mischievous fellow was trying to yank the bucket out of my hand...can you see his bottom jaw beneath the bottom of the bucket, with his teeth gripping and yanking the bucket?...in the side mirror, you can actually see a better view, if it's large enough...greedy little guy!
~ this llama was steaming up my window!
~ this one was trying to get inside...what nice lips you have, fine fellow!
~ oh, hello there, zebra...care to get a little closer?
~ this bison was actually using our side mirror to scratch his neck...we were a little nervous about rolling down the window with him so near, so this picture is taken through the glass, hence the reflection of Jeff's hand on the steering wheel which is superimposed on the bison's head!
~ I don't think I ever realized before just how BIG these bison are!...I was thinking (similar to the way Christin thought!) about how painful it would be to give birth to a bison...such a huge head! such massive shoulders!...I'm so glad I'm a woman and gave birth to human babies :)

By the way, for most of these pictures, we weren't using the camera to zoom in. On the contrary, I was often wishing that I could zoom OUT more than our camera allows, because the animals got so close it was actually hard to get a good picture!

Folding My Own Laundry (and Other Notes)

My parents are gone. They left today for almost a week in Florida, attending a medical conference and visiting my dad's sister and her family and my brother's wife and son (my brother is a truck driver who drives all across the country, transporting new tires to racetracks for weekend races and then taking the old tires back to the factory to be recycled--I think that's right!--so he, unfortunately, won't be in Florida when my parents are there). So my handy-dandy deal with my mother--"I'll cook dinner for you and Dad, and you can fold my laundry!"--is out the window. What am I gonna do? :)

We'll miss them while they're gone, but I'm really glad they have this opportunity to get away and have some relaxing time (in between meetings and everything else). I don't know how they're going to survive in such a quiet environment though, without our noisy boys to liven up things! :)

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In other news...Jeff had the privilege of preaching for the first time at our church this past Sunday. He did so well! That's such an understatement that I just have to shake my head when I read it. But how to express my thoughts and feelings about it? I guess what I can say is that God's Spirit seemed to be moving powerfully through Jeff and God's Word seemed to flow from his lips. I loved it!!! And I'm so proud of him!

In the picture below, he's enjoying some Daddy/Tobin snuggle time... :)
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In this picture, Josiah and David are rowing to China. That's right, China. In a rowboat. They're smart, aren't they? :) They packed all the essentials in that backpack between them on the couch: binoculars, markers and coloring pages, a few books to read, David's sippy cup of milk, a Rescue Heroes toy helicopter, Josiah's cross necklace and ring, a dinosaur, Josiah's wallet with some Chinese money that my thoughtful friend Judy who just returned from China sent to him after she heard of his plan to move to China when he's 18 to make silk. Josiah was THRILLED by her gift, and told me that if all his friends would send him a little Chinese money, he would have quite a lot by the time he's 18 and would be all set to move there. His current plan involves living for 6 months in China, then returning to the States for 6 months. He has no interest in college. Who needs college when you can live in China and dye silk???

I know "everyone" says this, but isn't it a hoot to see what our children's vivid imaginations come up with???

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Josiah news: my mother told me, after she spent a considerable amount of time with my boys last weekend while Jeff and I were at the marriage retreat, that she was really impressed by the way Josiah often looked out for David, helped him with things, and took care of him. Not that the weekend was without little squabbles, but she saw growth in Josiah in this area. I was so glad to hear that! It does amaze me how quickly Josiah often speaks up to offer to help David in some way.

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David news: he's very interested in rhyming words, and can come up with some on his own. For example, he told me the other day that "walk" and "talk" rhyme. And this morning, the first thing on his mind after he woke up was that "sword" rhymes with "board." He's not even 3 years old yet! (Only 9 more days though...) :)

The other thing David is progressing in is potty training. I think I can say without exaggerating that I hate potty training. With both Josiah and David, I have felt wholly inadequate to teach them this skill--one of the reasons being, how do you teach something that you don't remember learning? True to my nature, I have a book about it, so I've read all about the various plans for potty training (training as an infant...training in a day...training with potty practice...blah blah blah). But I'm still surprised that Josiah is actually potty trained because how did I do it??? :) With this go-around involving David, I'm still completely unsure of how this is all going to work out. But today was such a good day in this area--the best so far! David was in underwear basically all day, and only had one significant accident (and one minor one). It was progress--genuine, we-might-actually-get-there-some-day progress. Whew! :)

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Tobin news: he's an amazing sleeper. For about a month, he's been sleeping through the night sometimes, but wasn't perfectly consistent with it. But since about 11 weeks (and maybe earlier, but I didn't write it down so I don't remember!), he's slept through the night every night...and we're talking up to 10 hours of sleep. I'M SO GRATEFUL! Thank you, Babywise! (I know, I know...it's controversial...but it's contributed immeasurably to my sanity as a mom, and I haven't regretted using it for a minute. But, "to each his own," as my grandmother would say. Some families are comfortable using it and some aren't, so I'm not trying to start a war here, just expressing my personal gratitude!) :)

Kissable Tobin

I just want to kiss him all over. Oh, those sweet little hands! The arch of his eyebrow! The curl of his ear! Tobin, I adore you.

Blessed

I am blessed...

~ blessed to have this sweetheart of a boy to watch, to hold, to feed, to clothe, to nurture in every way, to love beyond my ability to say

~ blessed to have a friend like Lisa who happened to be in town this past weekend and came by our house on Sunday afternoon...it was such a joyful thing to see her again after many years apart, and such an awe-inspiring thing to see her handle her camera so skillfully and get amazing pictures of my boys...thanks, Lisa; I'm filled to the brim with gratitude!

God Creates, Man Classifies

This past weekend, Jeff and I, thanks to the babysitting generosity of my parents, were able to attend part of a marriage retreat that our church held. It was GREAT! A wonderful opportunity to connect with each other, spend time focusing on us, be refreshed by nature as we drove back and forth through the greening countryside to the retreat center, and get to know the other couples who participated.

One of the things that we did was take several "tests"...personality-type tests, how well do you know your spouse tests, etc. I love those things!!! It's so much fun to gain new insights into myself, my husband, and my children through analyzing in such a way.

However, the thought did come to me that God, in His amazing wisdom, knows each one of us so intimately that He considers us as individuals. He doesn't look at my son Josiah and think, "There's a firstborn, so he acts in this or that way." He doesn't look at David and say, "There's a kinesthetic learner, so he belongs in this category." He doesn't put Jeff in the Words of Affirmation group. He relates to us as individuals!

Maybe I'm the only one who's ever done this, but I found myself a bit stressed (just a tiny bit) by my inability to figure out whether I was, in a certain system of classification that we were discussing this past weekend, an auditory or visual or feelings person. I couldn't decide, because I have certain characteristics that fit all three categories...and some of the aspects of each category are clearly NOT me. So what am I???

And then I realized, who cares? :) Although I think these systems of classification are often enormously helpful and I certainly am not going to stop trying to learn about myself and my loved ones, I do realize that in God's eyes, I'm a unique creation. If no one else is like me, then I'm not going to fit into anyone's box, am I?

So with that, here a few pictures of my boys, who don't fit into anyone's box either...

~ Josiah and David pretending to sleep on the steps...why they would choose this spot for their pretend naps is beyond me? don't we have more comfortable places to lay down? :)
~ playing doctor with their stuffed animals...looks like Kevin, the teddy bear on Josiah's lap, is getting a shot in the--ahem--bottom :)

My Personal Paparazzo

Saturday afternoon was so warm and beautiful that I had to do a repeat of the trampoline adventure I had done earlier in the week...only this time, Jeff was around and sat on the front porch to take pictures of me. Fortunately for me, he was far enough away that he didn't really get any good, close-up pictures. Even in this one, you can't see my head because of the tree! And that's fine with me. :) But this picture does bring back fun memories, and I especially like the look on my neighbor Wilma's face in this photo, as she stands outside the trampoline, looking in. Too bad Jeff didn't have the camera ready when she got in and started jumping with all of us. That would have made a much better picture! :)

Birthday Blessings, Part Three

First, a picture of this wild man that lives in our house... :)

~ one of the women that works in Jeff's shop has hair gel in various colors, and Josiah has been EAGER to have some in his hair...so on Wednesday, we stopped by the shop and let him be a redhead--and a bluehead--for the day...he was thrilled :)
~ the big gift for my birthday this year was a swing...it came in a box like this...
~ ...was assembled by my loving and talented husband (with assistance from his little helper)...
~ ...and turned into this! a swing for our yard!...I LOVE it, and have already discovered that the horizontal position is a good way to enjoy it...I have a feeling Jeff and I are REALLY going to enjoy it this summer as we watch our boys frolic in the yard :)

Birthday Blessings, Part Two

The birthday fun continued on Tuesday when Jeff got home from work bearing a surprise bag of goodies: a romantic and meaningful card, two boxes of chocolates, and two books, one of which was Noah's Ark by Rien Poortvliet. Do you know this author/artist? Jeff's mom is the one who first introduced me to his books, and they are phenomenal. I wasn't expecting any gifts from Jeff on Tuesday because I knew what the big gift was that he was getting for me, and we were planning to pick it up on Wednesday. But I'm getting ahead of myself...

Tuesday evening we had a really nice dinner out at Dona Rosa's with my parents and our friends Omar and Anna Kathryn. I love the avocado salad at this restaurant, as well as all the other food I've had there. It was delicious and fun, and any time I don't have to cook or clean up is a good thing. :)

~ Omar and Anna Kathryn regale us with tales of their life in Africa
~ Tobin, the little sleeping prince
~ David, the adventurer, who kept telling Jeff as he was helping David eat his beans, "They're hot"...but Jeff said, "Oh, they're not really hot"...when I took a bite, I realized that they were indeed spicy...David, our little guy who asks Jeff to please share his jalapenos with him, bravely ate all the spicy beans!

Yikes! I'm Tagged!

Now what do I do?

It's a good thing Crystal included the rules on her blog because otherwise I'd be clueless. Despite my love of blogging, there are many things in the world of blogging of which I am ignorant!

So, the rules:

1. Link your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

And now...seven things about me:

1. I've never tasted beer. In my growing-up years, prohibition was practiced pretty forcefully around here. :) As an adult, I've simply never had a desire to have a sip of that (vile) liquid! :) OK, to be fair, I've got plenty of friends who drink a beer every now and then...and I know the Bible doesn't condemn drinking, only being drunk...and I've heard that you can't really enjoy a fish taco in one hand without a beer in the other. But since I'm not a fan of fish tacos, I don't think I'll be enticed to drink beer. Besides, this random fact comes in handy when playing silly games like this one! :) But for the record, I'm not criticizing anyone who has tasted beer. Is that enough hand-holding to make sure no one is offended? :)

2. Camels are my favorite animal. They're so unique and interesting...they've been invaluable in the Middle East for thousands of years...and I have great memories of a "real" camel ride I took during my first full day in Israel, 13 years ago (not like the "here, hop on this camel, you silly tourist, and we'll take your picture" set-up you see all over the place in Jerusalem).

3. If I could have any pet, it would be a collie. We had one once, when I was young. His name was Bucko, and we all loved him. And then he got hit in the road and died. That was a sad day. But someday--maybe--I'll have another collie.

4. I've thrown up in a movie theater. The place: California. My companion: Jeff (and fortunately, no one else I knew). The offending food: pizza. The feeling: supreme embarrassment. Enough said about that! :)

5. If I could take a vacation anywhere in the world, it would be Ireland. Of course, I would love to go back to Israel--always--but Ireland is another place I've always wanted to go because my ancestors on my mom's side are Irish.

6. I've never colored my hair. Although, if I don't want to be obviously gray at 32, I just might have to start! Early graying is in my genes from my mother's family, so what's a lady to do? :)

7. I hate being tickled. Despise it. Absolutely can't stand it. If for no other reason, I would love Jeff passionately because he has honored this quirk of mine and has never tickled me. He's a good man! :)

OK, well, I got that out of the way. Let's see...what do I do now? Oh, yeah, tag other people.

You know what? I'm such a rebel that I'm gonna break the rules and only tag 3 people. I know, I know, I'm breaking the chain. Call me a spoilsport...tell me all kinds of unlucky things will happen to me...but I'm only going to tag 3, and you can't change my mind! :)

So here they are:
1. Morning
2. Mrs. Bonnie
3. Elizabeth

Birthday Blessings, Part One

I intended to write more tonight, but oh my, look at the time! So I'll simply say that I had a superb birthday, made special by many things, including the wonderful comments and emails that I received from so many friends. Thank you!

Another great part of my birthday was the beautiful weather yesterday (76 degrees...perfect for a girl born in '76!), and the fun time my boys and I had as we played outside yesterday afternoon.

~ Josiah, the mighty hunter

~ David swinging...he looks so big in that little baby swing...can't believe how much he's grown since last summer!

~ it was so beautiful that, for the first time, I laid Tobin out on the grass on this special blanket that my mother made for us when Josiah was a baby...Tobin had fun kicking and punching the air while I jumped on our neighbors' trampoline...that's right, I put aside all my dignity and jumped like a wild woman on that thing...such fun! and good exercise, too...I highly recommend it!...fortunately, Tobin is too little to take pictures and the neighbor girls are Old Order Mennonite and don't know how to use a camera, so there was no one to preserve the evidence of my gleeful jumping :)

32

In honor of my 32nd birthday today, I took some time this morning to rummage around and dig up some old family photos. My mother, bless her heart, didn't have time to keep them neatly organized in albums by the time I, her fourth child, came along. But she did do a good job of writing the date on the back of most of the pictures I found, so I'm impressed about that! :)

As I revealed last year in this blog, I'm not the slightest bit reluctant to reveal my age...which is a good thing, because my dad announced it to the whole congregation at the end of our service on Sunday. :) 32 feels good to me!

~ my brother David and I on April 4, 1976...I was 3 days old, and he was almost 2 years old
~ me as a one year-old
~ fall 1978...2 and 1/2 years old
~ family picture in November 1980...4 years old
~ with my brother David in 1982 or 1983...he was my best buddy growing up
~ my sister Donna, brother Doug, me, and brother David in 1993 on the day of my high school graduation

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As I looked through these pictures, a few thoughts came to my mind. For one thing, how could I help but notice the blaring characteristics of the various decades: the orange carpet and crazy wallpaper of the 70's, for example? :) Secondly, as I look at the pictures of when I was young, I thought, "How can that be me? I don't remember being that girl!" :)

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I've always thought we should honor the mothers in a special way when one of their children has a birthday, since the moms are the ones who did the hard work! :) And the dads are also responsible for creating and nurturing life. So to my parents, a big thank you on this day for having me and raising me in such a loving, secure environment. You're the best!