multitude monday

Here's my continuing Multitude Monday post which is part of a series started years ago on Ann's wonderful, amazing blog that is a favorite of mine. If you've never checked it out, do yourself a favor and click on over. She's an amazing, gifted writer and an inspiration (not to mention a mother of 6)!

"One Thousand Gifts"::

3049. clear, snow-free paths around the lake
3050. more than 10 miles run this week
3051. kindergarten registration night for Anna :: she's SO excited for kindergarten!
3052. a kid-free Costco trip with Kirb (that nearly counts as a date!)
3053. a glorious sunrise
3054. a great musical for our girls and their choir friends
3055. LJ's teacher and our school principal coming to watch the performance (and that the girls had the courage to invite them)
3056. Kirbs :: I'm so very proud of him and blessed to be his wife
3057. good oncology follow-up for my mom
3058. wonderful, compassionate, understanding teachers who genuinely care for and about their students (especially when one of their students is your precious kiddo, who is having a rough go of it)
3059. healing
3060. a new member in the family of God :: party in heaven, that's for sure!
3061. antibiotics :: and just about a year since Sara's last ear infection
3062. youth group leaders
3063. nap time
3064. less trouble than I expected when needing to located Rebekah's kindergarten picture to put in the yearbook (since she's 'graduating' and all)
3065. the girls' practicing violin together
3066. family dinner at my brother's new house with his family
3067. 9 years of life for my spunky, adorable, fun, favorite (well, there's not much competition) godson.
3068. a 4-day school week (Friday begins spring break!)
3069. the beauty and magic of softly falling snow
3070. a new picture of Melvin and his family :: a 5x7, even!

May you realize all the blessings the Lord brings your way and take the time to make note of them. (you'll be glad that you did!)

flashback friday

A happy sister-brother pair.

flashback friday

Two of my favorite football players :: Luke & Jacob

Fall 1999

multitude monday

Here's my continuing Multitude Monday post, which all started a while back, right here on Ann's wonderful, amazing blog that is a favorite of mine. If you've never checked it out, do yourself a favor and click on over. She's an amazing, gifted writer and an inspiration!

"One Thousand Gifts"::

2278. safe travels for Kirb
2279. fun week at day camp for Rebekah, Lydia and Joe
2280. book club :: fabulous book, yummy treats, favorite friends and a break from single-parenting
2281. soccer games
2282. TONS of rain and still a completely dry basement :: praise God it's all doing what it is supposed to do
2283. continued basement progress
2284. new windows
2285. paint on the walls
2286. 70 year of grandpa Roger {my father-in-law}
2287. Kirb and Beka going up to surprise him for his birthday
2288. friends
2289. a beautiful night and a long walk with Rebekah and Sara
2290. kids, waterballoons and a trampoline {a really fun combination!}
2291. making it, problem-free, through our week without our dad/husband
2292. Kirb getting to enjoy dinner with some good friends {who now live in Canada} while he was traveling for work
2293. another meeting with an old friend while Kirb was in his part of the world -- unplanned, Kirb walked into the building where he works and guess who was standing right inside the door, took a long look, smiled and opened his arms for a big hug? What a blessing that Keith had some free, un-scheduled time when Kirb happened to be in his "neighborhood".
2294. antibiotics for Sara's month-long, really nasty diaper rash :: finally a bit of relief!
2295. a good 7-year check up for Joe
2296. flowers
2297. beautiful summer days :: glorious, sunny days and cool evenings
2298. Father's Day and all the wonderful father's in my life :: my dad, my husband, my brother . . .
2299. being reminded of a fun piece of trivia that I knew, but had forgotten :: Charles Schultz {of Peanuts comics fame} was baptized in our church as a teenager, as the nearby church he attended didn't have a baptismal. How cool is that?
2300. resolution to Joe's t-ball team being cancelled for the summer due to low registration :: he's going to do archery at the Y and is super excited! {we will not be putting his name in for the Hunger Games, however, so never fear}
2301. a good old-fashioned thunderstorm to lay awake listening to and watching {fabulous thunder and lightning!}

Alrighty, that's it's for now. Tune in next Monday for the next installment.

multitude monday

Here's my continuing Multitude Monday post, which all started a while back, right here on a wonderful, amazing blog that I read each day.

"One Thousand Gifts":

1403. lilacs
1404. great platelet numbers at my 3-month check
1405. the Falcon Heights Elementary School staff
1406. people who are good sports and are willing to look silly to express gratitude and bring joy to others
1407. having my parents home again
1408. little sharp, bumpy white peaks . . . new teeth erupting through toothless gums
1409. watching Rebekah run
1410. family game of Farkle
1411. Charlie & Lola
1412. a good friend
1413. SAFETY for my brother and his family after a tornado ripped through his neighborhood and damaged their house.

Alrighty, that's it's for now. Tune in next Monday for the next installment.

multitude monday

Here's my continuing Multitude Monday post, which all started a while back, right here.

"One Thousand Gifts":

747. planning underway for next June's big family vacation
748. more than 24 consecutive hours spent with wonderful, wonderful friends
749. nice ER doctors {who remind the injured child of their favorite teacher} who staple your head closed again . . . and the dads who go along so the moms don't have to endure the emotional pain of watching staples go into skulls. YUCK!
750. tummy x-rays showing no more coins in Anna's tummy {we must have missed it on its exit during our week-long, thorough poop checks somehow . . . glad we went to much of that super fun work unnecessarily!}
751. surviving my nearly 9-hour long 8-kid day last week {9 kids if you're counting the one I'm carting around in front of me}
752. Schaeffer Christian Carlson
753. the hours at the front-end of the day, before I start waddling {by the end of the day, I can't do anything to stop the waddle . . . believe me, I've tried}
754. more than 32 weeks down, 8-ish left to go
755. life-long friends
756. sleepovers
757. birthday parties {happy 2nd birthday, sweet Ava!}
758. the anticipation of family camp
759. 3 days until the fair starts!
760. seeing the Elliott's {the circumstances under which we saw them boggle my mind quite a big, but we're thrilled to see them nonetheless!}
761. the laughter of kiddos
762. a trip to the zoo
763. a couple more things to check off on our summer list . . . and a few more extra fun ones to come in the week ahead
764. a safe 400K bike ride for my no-longer-in-his-30's {or even 40's or 50's} father . . . way to go, Dad. You're one of a kind!!
765. the little hint of fall in the air {but only for one day} we had last week
766. contentment
767. a big week for my brother's family::1 new baby, 30 years of life for Jenn, 6 years of marriage for Mr. & Mrs. Carlson {and before next week, 2 years of life for Haddon!}
768. the excitement of kids when given their very own cameras! {thanks, Elliotts!}
769. my grandma {it's her 84th birthday today!}

Alrighty, that's it's for now. Tune in next Monday for the next installment.

flashback friday

Almost exactly 2 years ago today {8.28.08} we welcomed Mr. Haddon Christian Carlson to the world. We love you, big brother, Haddon, my how you've grown!

thankful thursday

Today I'm so very thankful for the safe arrival of our newest nephew. The little man belongs to my brother {Luke} and his wife, Jenn, and is the same little guy whoe gave us a little 33-week scare at the beginning of July, thinking he might make an earlier-than-we'd-like entrance into the world.

Anyway, without further blabbing, I'm excited to introduce you to:

Schaeffer Christian Carlson
{named after Francis Schaeffer}
born on 8.18.10 at 12:02 in the afternoon
{punctual little bugger: born right smack dab in the very center of his due date}
8 pounds 2 ounces
22 inches tall

meeting cousins Anna & Lydia::

yikes! one overly excited aunt::

"meeting" his younger cousin while resting on my belly::

Uncle Kirby & Joe::

Mom, Dad and big brother, Haddon are all doing great and 2 of those 3 are especially grateful that Schaeffer didn't make his debut on the shoulder of I-94 . . . he wiggled his way into the world about 5 minutes after Luke and Jenn arrived at the hospital! Yikes! Luke admitted to speeding on the way there {good choice "little" brother!}

the proud dad and his little guy::

We made a trip out to the hospital to see him {and his parents} last night. He's an adorable little guy, and his parents looked fabulous too {check out Jenn, all dressed -- necklace and all -- looking cute as can be so shortly after having a baby. Honestly!! . . . so rude of her to show up the rest of the female, child-bearing population like that!!}

Dad, Mom & baby::

So, welcome little guy. We're so glad you're here!!

flashback friday

an intense game of Simpson's chess in 1997 at "2118"

answered prayer!

My brother, Luke, and his wife, Jenn, are expecting their 2nd little kiddo in August {very close to Haddon's 2nd birthday . . . I'm wondering if history will repeat itself and their 2 oldest might share the same birthday like ours do. Only time will tell!}. We found out the good news at Christmas and have been thrilled and excited ever since. A couple weeks ago Jenn had an ultrasound with some vague, slightly abnormal {and thus, worrisome} findings. First of all, they found out that they are having another boy, but that quickly became not the main focus of the ultrasound. It seems the little guy had more room than would seem normal inside his skull and they wanted her to have a level 2 ultrasound at the hospital to get a better view and find out what was going on. Needless to say, the wait time in between ultrasounds was an anxious time, filled with lots of prayer, some worry and tears and eventually peace. We prayed often for peace and calm for them during the waiting and also for normal results for the little man at the next ultrasound. Well, their 2nd ultrasound was yesterday and it looks like he is a healthy, normal {if that's possible considering the genetics he comes from!} little man! Praise God!

Here's a picture of the handsome fella::

If you want to see another handful of ultrasound pictures, or read more of the story, you can visit their blog here. We are praising God that the anxiousness and lack of answers of the last couple weeks is at an end and that little man Carlson II is doing well and developing on track. I just wanted to share our joy with you guys too. We can't wait to meet this little guy this summer {and his slightly younger cousin a couple months later!!}. I can hardly wait. Babies . . . oh how I love 'em!

Flashback Friday

one of my favorite pictures:

brother & sister
august 2004

Flashback Friday

July 17, 1993
Luke (just shy of 15), Shana (1 day shy of 19), Kirby (almost 21)

Anyone know where we are? You know, as in, where we are physically (what building) and why we are there (what occasion).
Just venture a guess.