Turning 3

Keegan is turning 3 Feb. 5. It's hard for me to grasp the concept that he is almost 3 and won't stop growing up. I'm mean, I want him to grow, but staying little forever has a nice appeal to it too. At this point, I'm ready for a few things to change. I'm ready for him to be out of diapers. He's no where near that yet. I'm ready for him to be in a big boy bed, so I can take down the crib. I keep asking him if he wants to sleep in the big boy bed and he has no desire. I'm ready for him to do more things on his own, rather than depend on me to do it (i.e. eating, dressing). I guess that's all I can think of. He's comfortable where he's at. So, I try and encourage and do a little pushing so he will become more independent, but it's really hard right now for him to do any of this on his own. Ugh!

So do you think having a baby is easier or a toddler/preschooler? I think a baby is easier. Well, Keegan was an easier baby than Nolan, so maybe that's why I'm thinking a baby is easier.

Slowly Melting

The ice is slowly melting. I think it'll be around 36 degrees today. Heat wave around here in the past week. I don't foresee a lot of ice melting by the end of the day. The good thing is, the sun is shining and it's really pretty to see it glistening off the trees. You probably can't tell too much, but there's plenty of ice on the kids swing set. The trees in the background look pathetic. We're expecting snow Sat. night into Sunday morning. Not sure how much at the moment. It's been 3-6 inches, then 4-8 inches. Kind of hard to know what we'll end up with on top of all this ice. At least it won't be hard to drive on. Snow is always better than ice on the roads, I think!!!

Currently, Kyle is driving home. His ETA is 12:30pm, about 2 1/2 hours from now. I'm a little excited and the boys have no clue. I told them that daddy was coming home, but they're too wrapped up in their own world.

If you have snow or ice stories, power outages or a baby on the way, feel free to share what's going on in your area.

1st Ice Storm of 2007

Our neighbors tree
Our neighborhood
Our little tree in the front yard

Our bushes
Our backdoor neighbors tree in the front yard
tree down the street, split in half

This is the 1st ice storm of 2007, but the 2nd ice storm since "winter" began. The last one hit early December, making roads impossible to drive on. This ice storm hit hard and most of the US has been effected by it in some way. Mostly power outages.

I just got home on Friday night (Jan. 12) around 8:30 and had just put Nolan to bed. Keegan was sitting in my bed and I was on the phone with Kyle. Everything went pitch black and of course, I couldn't see a thing. Keegan was upstairs yelling for me. It's hard being "blind". Opening a curtain or blind wasn't going to help my situation. The power was out and it wasn't coming back for a long time. I found Keegan and came downstairs and we were sitting on the couch talking to Kyle again, when the freakiest sound started hitting our house. The tree was literally coming apart. I thought it was coming down on us. So all night, I couldn't sleep b/c this tree kept snapping and hitting the house or the ground. The next morning, this is what I found outside my back door.

From Friday night to Monday afternoon, we were without power. No I did not stay here during that whole time with 2 kids. It was freezing inside and outside and I would have gone crazy. Most definitely. Good friends and neighbors have taken care of us and now we're returning the favor. Our good friends, John and Erin, along with Avery and Alec, plus the 2 cats, are staying here until their power is restored. The boys and their two kids have been having a blast. But we're all ready to have our own beds and get back to our own routines. Until then, we're safe and warm, have food and water, and we're healthy. God is still good. There are still several thousands without power and so many trees that are snapped in half and laying on the ground. It's unreal to look at this scenery.

I'm proud to say, on Saturday, our Church is having a work day. Kyle is excited to be coming home and he's ready to get to work. As much as I want him all to myself, I'm glad he's a hard and diligent worker for the Lord. He's a wonderful husband and father and I can't wait to have him home again for good.

Laid To Rest

This Wednesday afternoon was very different for most of us. The sky was blue, hardly a cloud in the sky. The wind was chilly. The mood was mellow. At one point, I looked up at the sky and saw an airplane go by. An American Flag was flying at half staff. These were things I noticed as I attended a graveside service for friends of ours at church. A baby boy was born Sunday evening. And because the time was too early for him, he passed before he could live. I have never attended an infant service before. Let me just say that my heart was aching before I even saw the parents. I cried with them as many others did. The casket was so tiny. It's hard to say goodbye. The minister, who did the service, did it with grace, elegance, compassion and it was real. He let the family know that we were all there today loving them and supporting them. I believe they felt that and the presence of God. I don't think anyone will ever know what it's like unless you've been there. It's hard to know what to say. A simple touch, a friendly card, a phone call, an invitation can mean so much to a person grieving. Never give up on someone who's lost a child or a family member. Everyone handles death differently. I believe healing begins when you allow others to grieve with you. I love this family. They are quiet individuals, but would do anything for anyone. I encourage you to pray for those you love. Pray for those you don't know. Pray always for that is what God wants us to do.

In Memory: Austin Beeman, January 7, 2007

It's 2007

Happy New Year!

Do you remember what you were doing, this time, 10-years ago?

Kyle and I were in the planning stages of our June wedding. And now that I'm thinking about it, time has really flown by. Now we're married, almost 10-years and have 2-boys with two different personalities. Neither one look like the other. A house we call home and a jobs that we both love, most of the time.

God is good!

God's blessings on your families this new year. Keep in touch. -k.a.k.n.-