This wasn't on the list!

We are, like everyone else this time of year, slowly but surely checking off the Christmas To Do list. You know, gift buying, wrapping, Christmas cards, all your favorite Christmas cookies--you want it all to get done! Well a day or so ago, after checking the kids right before bed, I was in a hurry to get to sleep. Somehow, though I've walked to my bedroom from theirs' a thousand times, I missed the hall and smashed my pinky toe into the couch. It is a lovely purple and fairly painful. As I mentioned this to my neighbor, she said, "That wasn't on the list!" I agreed completely.

Prayerfully, everything that truly needs to get done, will get done, even if I have a broken toe!

She's Nearing Independence

She loves to walk across the kitchen floor pushing this chair.

This particular day, she would cry every time she ran into a wall and couldn't keep going.

Dinner III

Here are our Salmon Starfish. They took forever on a night I could have been doing so many other things! Elizabeth had a blast cutting them out. She was very good at it, really. The verdict by all eaters was, "Not bad." I'm looking forward to eating Thanksgiving Dinner with my parents and siblings and David and the kids, and I just get to help with everything...I mean, we actually will eat even if I don't help. Of course I will, but the pressure's off!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYBODY!!! There is so much to be thankful for!

Chatting with Daddy

The internet and communication capabilities today are truly amazing! We are truly blessed with so many amenities during family separation that families in years past have not been privy to. The kids get to video chat with their Dad at least a couple times a week. Andrew took this picture of David during one of those times. So, you get to see what we see when video chatting with him!

She just keeps on growing! Notice her standing on her own! She's actually just about figured out how to consistently just stand herself up from the floor instead of needing help pulling up on something. She cries a little more since she's falling a lot more, but she's getting used to it and I usually just look away when I know she's not really hurt and then look back briefly to give her a reassuring smile. One thing's for sure: there is NEVER a dull moment around here!

Birthday Party

"Whose birthday is it," you may ask. "No one in their family has a fall birthday." Well, we have a birthday party almost every week at our house. If a birthday is not being celebrated, the next one is being planned. Elizabeth is our gracious little hostess. She loves getting out gift bags I have saved and filling them with presents for us. This was Andrew's party. She used some tissue paper inside the bags, but also used blankets and pillows in place of tissue. Andrew played along with her, very much enjoying another birthday. We sang 'Happy Birthday' and there he is blowing out his candles (colored pencils stuck into the crisco can of crayons) on his cake.

Dinner, Again

Well, we had to eat dinner again tonight. With a little more labor than last night, this is what we had! I still make mediocre mashed potatoes...but the rest of our Chicken Sausage Snails were quite yummy.

Dinner

Well, when you have three young kids, everybody has to eat dinner. It's just what exactly is for dinner that can sometimes get complicated, and sometimes, I admit, downright irritating! Elizabeth deciding she doesn't like chicken anymore, Andrew having difficulty with any food that doesn't stand alone (casseroles)...oh, it seems endless. And I do not cater to them. We eat healthy food on a tight budget, and what you see is what you get at our house! We hate to waste food, so if you don't eat it, you go hungry till breakfast, when oftentimes, you'll see that meal again.
Well, I'm tired! It gets exhausting trying to get them to eat it and not wiggle around and go look out the window and not play with it, so, I started thinking a couple weeks ago that when David is not home to help enforce, something was going change. So here is a picture of the lovely dinner we had tonight. Elizabeth saw a picture of it in a cookbook I have and requested we make them for dinner. Her pizzas are the cats on the top, Andrew's dogs are in the middle and my flower, mouse and monster are at the bottom. See if you can spot all our favorite pizza toppings! Dinner was so much more enjoyable!
And then we had dirt with worms for dessert! I told them I had put a surprise in their pudding, but Andrew's face when he felt a gummy worm in his mouth was priceless. After we had a good laugh about it, he told me I was silly, but that it was a good surprise.

My Husband is Amazing!

At long last, I read David's review on his LogiTech Harmony Remote. If you have not yet read it, it is truly an artful article. Just click on Reviews at the top of this screen to read it. Written with his continually advancing writing skills, his quick wit, humor and his heart, it made me laugh and nearly made me cry.

He continues to work night and day, pressing through difficult days and weeks at work, coming home to write papers on the leadership qualities of Biblical heroes like Moses and David. Somehow he finds time to bless others who are in need, play with our children, teach them new songs ("Swing on a Star" by Bing Crosby--Andrew can sing every word!), play in the band at church and love me in countless wonderful ways! That barely touches the many activities that demand his time other than his job, which puts food on the table and gas in the cars, and thankfully, pays the bills, too.

I'd better stop now and save some more praise for a later date. Though I do not always gush so, I should much more often. It is certainly not for lack of things worth praising!

I love you, honey!

Rachel

My Baby Has Teeth!!!

I truly am in shock over it! She's just 6 months old. I know that's the average age babies get teeth and all, but I was 0 for 2 on the last two kids who didn't get their teeth till 9 1/2 and 11 1/2 months! I knew it was possible, just not probable. She's been pretty fussy and enjoys being held. She's not eating much baby food and her naps have left much to be desired. She's as cute as ever though!

Burger King

Well, I would have certainly been the last person to believe that anything good could come from Burger King, but this time, I was wrong.

A few weeks ago, while David was waiting for his food (if you can call it that!), he decided to enter his name into the drawing they were having. Well, much to his surprise he won something! And a pretty cool something at that! He won an Ipod Nano. Well, since he already has a Sansa player for himself, and since the Nano was PINK, he graciously conceded his prize to his dear wife. (He might tell the story slightly differently, but nevermind that!) So, in his words I "looked funny" listening to my new pink ipod nano while I washed the dishes on Saturday after working in the garden in the hot Alabama sun! I'll let you be the judge.

Rachel

Hannah Day

She brings us so much Joy!!! I just wanted to share a little bit of her sweet spirit with you!

Love,

Rachel

Who Knew?

Two posts in one day! Who knew it was possible?

Well, add child #2 to the list of head wounds! At Mother's Day Out today, Elizabeth got hit in the head with a rogue metal water faucet key (you know, the ones for turning on an outside spigot). Exactly in the center of the back of her head, she has a tiny hole where it split her little head open. The nurse counseled me to go ahead and take her in to the PriMed facility just to make sure it didn't need stitches or wasn't at a high risk for infection. After getting the wound thoroughly washed, the very nice doctor concluded that it would heal just fine on its own with a little neosporin and sent us home with a grape lollipop. Then we had to go back to MDO to pick up Andrew. All the teacher's felt so badly! I just felt badly for the 11 weeks pregnant mommy who had to clean her up with blood pouring everywhere. She put forth a huge effort not to let the sight and smell get the best of her pregnancy hormones!

Well, that's it for now. Another fun day to add into the book for mommy and kiddos. I know I have many more to come! I'm so glad God is so gracious and spares me and our family from disaster many, many times a day. Thank you, Lord! We would be lost without You!

VBS

It brought me more joy than I can describe last week, when our dear son Andrew had a fabulous week at VBS. Yes, it was a little bit busy getting there every morning, but it was by far the most unchaotic VBS I have ever been a part of. I assisted with the online registration the first two days. Andrew sat still (still for him anyway) and listened to his story, stayed with his class, listenend and laughed and loved the big "show" at the end of each day, and had no outbursts at all! He respected and obeyed his authorities. This, I believe, was a direct answer to prayer. Last year was not so great, so we talked and prayed and prepared a lot for this year. It was a big boost of confidence for him, too. I am so grateful!

Recapping

It's been a while. I do apologize!

To quickly sum up, we enjoyed fireworks in a small community just east of Montgomery for the Fourth. Hannah is here in her patriotic dress from her Aunt Sarah.

July 11 was "National Cow Appreciation Day" at Chick-fil-A, anyway. We celebrated (as did many others) by dressing up like cows and getting FREE meals! It was fun to do and the kids really enjoyed it. Notice Andrew's "bull" horns in the picture. He wanted to make sure he was clearly a boy cow!

David spent a week fishing in Alaska, coming home with a total of 120lbs. of salmon and halibut. Yummy! We spent that time split between the Davidson and the Sulhoff families' homes. We had a delightful time swimming, eating Chick-fil-A, going to the Yellow River Game Ranch, spending time with cousins, and just relaxing.

I will write again, sooner than later!

Five Months Old Today

Hannah Joy is 5 months old today! How the time has flown! She is still living up to her name, she is such a joy. The picture of her in her carseat with all the animals is particularaly precious because her big sister Elizabeth gave them all to her! The red and white polka dot outfit is from Aunt Katy. Thanks, Aunt Katy! Hannah also has figured out how to roll from back to tummy. I'm brainstorming the baby-proofing, because it's only a matter of time now before she's crawling!

I love this picture of the four of them playing a card game about space on the floor one night after dinner.

We've been busy! We travelled to N. GA this weekend to visit David's brother Mike and his family. The kids and I had such a great time playing the Wii, hiking, swimming, jumping on the trampoline, catching frogs and lightning bugs and visiting with their cousins.

Speaking of Lightning bugs, who would have guessed that lightning bugs don't live in Montgomery, AL! If I'm wrong about this, please post a comment correcting me! However, I have yet to see one, in either of the houses we've lived in over the last 20 months.

More on bugs...does anybody have a clue whether we should spend $290 on a yearly termite insurance policy? The money goes into a pot with everybody else's and then, IF we get termites, despite the treatment they gave the house, they will pay for any damages done by the sneaky little critters. The guy who worked for the company who came and inspected to make sure we didn't have any, seemed to think it wasn't really necessary. The lady who answers the phone thought differently, of course.

And, regarding bugs and Elizabeth, that little beauty will pick up just about any worm or beetle on God's earth! We found a big earthworm under a rock on our hike this weekend and she wanted to put it in her pocket and then feed it to Skippy, the pet turtle! So, we did just that!

I never cease to be amazed at these young lives I have been charged with. They are learning their place in the world and their place in God's kingdom. I sure love 'em a lot!

Rachel

Summertime Fun!

Well, though it is not "officially" summer, you could have fooled me! In Montgomery, AL today it was 98 degrees! We began the day at swimming lessons, where at 8:45 I had sweat streaming down my face!

Swimming lessons. Boy, the kids were really fearful about them. I made them repeat, "I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me" and I shared some other Scripture with them about not being afraid, and then we prayed about it. Well....once we got there, I could barely keep them out of the pool! Elizabeth grew bored with her class and wanted to come join Andrew's to be with him, and Andrew really was struggling sitting still on the side. Once he realized he could jump in and touch the bottom, he wanted to continue doing that the whole time! They both practiced floating, which they weren't very comfortable with, naturally, and Andrew practiced kicking while holding on to a kickboard. Elizabeth practiced kicking while her coach helped her balance on a noodle. Today was the first lesson of 8, so hopefully they'll be swimming/floating more adequately by the end!

The kids were fortunate enough for their dear parents to acquire a FREE swingset over the weekend. David put it together on Sunday, and those kids played on it almost every waking moment on Monday, heat and all! They played on it all afternoon and this evening as well! I really never would have imagined that so much pure joy and laughter would come from getting a swingset! We have really enjoyed it and are so grateful to the family who outgrew it and passed it on to us.

Rachel

Shepherding a Child's Heart

Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp really captures the essence of parenting in a no-nonsense way, unlike any parenting book I've ever read before. I think it is better than, dare I even say this, James Dobson's parenting books! I know I just committed heresy, but I challenge you to pick it up and read it!

Our ladies Bible Study is right in the middle of it. It has revealed so many truths and eradicated so many lies we so commonly believe about relating to and disciplining our children. I could go on and on about all I've learned, but truly, you should read it yourself. You'll want to underline every word. Parents have been telling David and I since we were pregnant with Andrew that this is the best parenting book out there. Someone even had given us a copy. But it didn't get read till now. I am in better communication with the Lord about my children than ever before and they are in better communication with me than ever before. I am happier, knowing that in how I teach Andrew and Elizabeth to obey, I, also, am obeying my Lord. There is great peace in that obedience.

Maybe I'll write more on this another time!

In Him,
Rachel

Answer to Prayer

Yesterday is a day to mark on the calendar. On Thursday, May 15, 2008, Hannah Joy Sulhoff began drinking out of a bottle, as if she'd done it all her life!!!! She's continued to do so today, so I'm thinking it wasn't just a freak accident! I'm actually thinking, "Lord, you really answered this cry of my heart! Thank you so much!" Now, SOMEONE OTHER THAN ME can feed her! That's really huge. Thank you all for your prayers in this area. Other benefits to the bottle success: I can wear a dress to church (some of you may have to think about that for a minute), I can leave her with a baby-sitter or family friend, meaning David and I can actually go out at night every once in awhile, and eventually, she'll be able to feed herself.

Thank you, Lord! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!

Gifts

The art of gift-giving is an art my husband is very good at. And, might I mention, he doesn't only give gifts to me! However, lately, he has blessed me so much with two wonderful and probably life-changing gifts. He gave me the garden for our anniversary, which you can read about on this blog. I have always wanted to grow a garden. My grandparents always had a garden every summer and they first inspired me with the idea as a young child. It is so neat to have something so "pure" and "good" for our family to have to "think upon", as Phillipians 4:8 says. Watching a plant grow from a seed is something I had never done before and it is something that definitely reveals the glory of God! Our family is richer for the experience, and I hope to make it a yearly one.

David gave me yet another gift this month, for Mother's Day. It was very thoughtful. He got me a new Bible! I've had my NIV Study Bible since at least 1993, maybe longer. The dedication page on which my mother wrote so nicely the date and occassion of her and my dad giving it to me fell out long ago, and now I've forgotten when it was. To make a long story short, the Bible I ended up with is the New Living Translation Life Application Study Bible. I haven't read much yet, as I just got it yesterday afternoon, but I can already tell my time with the Lord will be enriched and my relationship with Him stronger, as I use this fresh new translation to hear His Word through the same Holy Spirit He has always used to speak to His children.

David has taught me so much about giving gifts! Receiving a gift, a gift that really met a need and/or blessed you in a special way, like the gifts described above, is not an everyday occurrence. Think about it. When is the last time you received a gift that really "hit the spot" in this way? When did you last receive a gift that was just exactly what you wanted or needed? First of all, make sure you let the giver know how much the gift meant to you--even if it's been years since the giving. Secondly, make sure you are a good receiver. If you do not appreciate a gift, do not lie, but do not be rude either. However, if you do appreciate it, and yet your pride is getting in the way of letting you truly be thankful for what someone wanted to bless you with, then you need to take a look at that heart of yours and ask God to start doing some serious surgery! Pride will rob you of so much joy! Thirdly, let the givers example inspire you to be a great gift-giver also! Don't let money or time hold you back. Just budget and plan and make it a priority to think of someone other than yourself or the hurry you're in, or all the things you have to do and make it happen. Blessing others is usually a lot more rewarding than checking off the To Do list! And coming from the queen of checking off lists, that's saying a lot! I've actually, on occassion written on my To Do list for the week, in between number three "Fold and put away the laundry" and number 5 "Plan out the dinner menu for the next two weeks", number 4 "Think of some ways to bless others this week and do it". You know, God always honors that and gives you the opportunity and means to do it!

Be encouraged and give the gifts God has given you in order to be like Him and bless others. Even a timely word, picking up a couple groceries for a busy friend, or mowing a neighbor's lawn are all excellent examples of gifts anyone can give.

Rachel

A Quick Update on my first blog

Well, for the record, I just wanted everyone to know that the turtle population at the MMFA pond is still thriving. About 10 days after the last post, we went back to see a puppet show, and saw plenty more baby turtles. One little boy there, even scooped one up in a cup and took it home to befriend his other turtle.

Turtles, Spiders and Garage Sales

Well, here are some things on my mind:
First of all, last Saturday I witnessed something so terrible and brutal, yet funny and exactly how God designed things to work. Of course, I want to share it with you!

So, we're at the Montgomery Museum of Fine Art having a picnic and looking at all the turtles and fish swimming in the pond. We were with some dear friends who were in town visiting us. The kids were throwing their goldfish into the water to attract more turtles and watch them try to eat the goldfish (this is completely acceptable, by the way. People come to the MMFA just to throw bread and crackers to the ducks, geese, fish and turtles, not to look at the art.). Well, while we were watching the water, the tiniest, most adorable turtle I've ever seen swam up to the surface. I don't think it was even the size of a silver dollar. It was precious. While I was oogling over this tiny turtle, the unthinkable happened. A huge carp came up from below and swallowed him up in his big, fat, carp mouth, and he was no more. I screamed in shock and disbelief and what I had just witnessed. I wanted to cry and laugh at the irony all at the same time. Thankfully, none of the kids saw what David and I and our friend had seen. It was a lot to handle for me, watching a cute innocent creature get eaten alive! It could have really been one of those life moments for Andrew and Elizabeth!

What else is on my mind? Well, Andrew's third soccer game in a row is probably going to be rained out tomorrow. Ok, yes, that would mean that all of his games have been rained out so far! They make them up on Monday evenings, which is good, and then practice is on Tuesday evenings.

Garage sales. I love shopping garage sales! My friend asked me yesterday where my kids had gotten their cute summer clothes...garage sales in our neighborhood, I told her! I also got a wonderful double jogging stroller for $45 and a new bike for Andrew for $5! He is fairly close to being able to ride it (no training wheels), which means we're pretty close to being able to walk (someday RUN) the two-mile loop of our neighborhood with the girls in the stroller, while Andrew rides his bike.

Tomorrow I'm not going to shop garage sales. I'm going to go to real stores to buy new shoes and new shirts with the money I budgeted for shopping this month! I get to go with my dear friend Bonnie. I will even leave Hannah at home with David with very clear, written instructions! I am praying she will get better at drinking from the bottle!!!

....now, SPIDERS! Oh, they're just so creepy!!! I respect them tremendously. I'd probably even like them if they weren't so creepy and scary. But, alas, all that said, they still had to die. A couple weeks ago I noticed several webs in the windows right outside our back patio door. There were very large orb spiders dwelling in them. One of them had an egg sack. Then, a day or two later, I noticed more spiders, webs and egg sacks. Six spiders in all and seven egg sacks! And one dead spider, eaten by another, I'm assuming. Well, I had just about had enough and was not looking forward to thousands of baby spiders running all over my patio and getting into my home and scaring me and my children. I couldn't figure out exactly how to kill them though. Spraying them wasn't working, so I started thinking about what I could squish them with and if I had the guts to do it. Well then, my dear friend Bonnie, once again, suggested sucking them up and then dumping the container they were sucked into out into a bowl of a hot water and bleach solution. So that's what we did, after I refilled the bucket since my daughter dumped the first one out. I just know the spiders lived somehow and are going to get back at me somehow for trying to kill them so brutally when all they wanted to do was catch mosquito hawks and have a family on my patio.

So, there's my first post! Kind of long and wordy and, oh, so random! I'm sure I will get better though! Please don't compare me to my brilliant husband, David. He's such a good writer and has been doing this for so long, his writing and his blog is really impressive and fun to read. Thank you for at least humoring me, reading mine!

First post, not Rachel

This is Rachel's first blog post. Even though it will say it was written by Rachel, it was actually written by David. I know her posts will be a lot more interesting.