This and That

Let's see, we've been staying busy around here. My blogging motivation goes in waves, this is obviously one of the down turns.

I know I'm pregnant when I'm craving eggs at 10am and obsessed with the opera singer Cecilia Bartoli. She's my favorite to type into youtube. Another sure sign this go around is my non-desire for that morning cup of coffee. This is not normal! I've settled with tea for now. Anybody have any favorites I can try, being that I'm in the tea market these days, and quite the novice, I might add?

I got to see baby 2 weeks ago via ultrasound. I know that the little darling looks more like a twitching insect I dug out of Milk Creek when I was in Jr High and inspected under microscope, but I already feel pangs of love and joy for this new little life. Oh, I am thrilled!

And now....for some pictures...(of course)...

He's still taking his time learning to walk. He can go quite a ways when he knows that there is a point B from his point A. He doesn't just walk off into oblivion. He's cautious. I like that. But there is also the go-getter in him. Last night we took him to a little park and he got filthy and had a ball climbing and sliding. As Colson always says, "What a baby!"



An older woman once told me that gifts to your children that involve wheels are always a great investment because they can be passed along, and no matter the age or sex, they all will use and love them. Here's Lewis' start on Colson's old trike. He looks disgruntled. He's probably mad he's not able to keep up with his brother yet as his feet can hardly reach the petals.

Speaking of disgruntled...

This is the face 3 year old's make when they can't button up their britches.

Batman Lives:




And the adventures never cease...




These two have got something special going on. It melts a mommy's heart.


Ok, hope you enjoyed the pictures. The weather is too nice to stay inside. I've got to get busy and do all my housework so that we can go on an adventure when lewis wakes up, and besides, I need to go take care of someone in the bathroom yelling for me.

Those teeth! I love them.

Photoshoot

Look at these little munchkins. I had so much fun doing a photoshoot for my friend Sarah's children. We're swapping our artistic trades: I get to take some pictures of her children, and in return she's making me an awesome bag! What a deal.

P.S. Check out some of Sarah's work.

A Letter to Lewis

Dear Lewis,

I'm sorry I have made you cry yourself to sleep the last 3 nights. But Mommy was ready, after 1 year, to sleep the whole night through. I have to admit, I missed your dense, sandbag weight against my chest those nights, but a mama's got to let her baby grow up. Come November, Baby, you will be the baby no more. You will be joining the ranks of your big brother by becoming a big brother yourself....to the newest little Rumrey.

That's right! We're having a baby!

March

In like a lion; out like a...bigger lion?

My Boys in Backlight

I got a chance to take some pictures outside, finally. I am so excited about the upcoming warm seasons. I have been wanting to try to get some picts shooting into the sun with some delicious backlight. I was pretty excited when I saw this gorgeous light show up in these photos of my wonderful boys. They are my inspiration.
I think Lewis' first word may be "Da" for Daddy. He says it when we ask him and whenever KC walks through the door.


Colson is loving his new bike. But he thinks it is the fastest transportation device on the planet even though he's barely inching along. I like it because I can keep up on foot with Lewis.

I have more fun pics, but not the time. Enjoy.

Tid-Bits

My commentary will be brief on this post, unfortunately, but hey, at least you've got pictures. I know you all just love seeing this face all the time!


The weather has been making small turns towards the better! Praise God! We decided to make the most of a nice-weathered season and get Colson a bicycle. He's loving it. And he's too cute with his helmet on!


My sweet baby is turning one this week. Actually tomorrow, but you won't hear about it because we're going to slip in a small celebration on the weekend. Look at this monkey. He crawls around the place like this going so fast. It's adorable. No, he's adorable! And I realize some of these pictures are huge. But I want it to be. So there.



I can hear the boys in Colson's room giggling and squeeling with delight as I write this. They are hitting a phase where they can play, un-supervised, and Lewis will follow Colson around. It's a moment of freedom for me. Colson will also grab Lewis' hands like he is in this photo and walk him around. He loves taking him to his room where they can do "boy stuff". I love this phase!



And these next two photos? Well, you've probably noticed I have been MIA lately. Sorry about the lack of blog posts lately. We've been busy! But I wanted to post these pictures, because I just like them.....

We had a fun steak dinner with our extraordinary neighbors, the Creasons! Sam Creason took this one while KC worked the grill! Good job Sam! (Is it a violation of copyright to post if it's on my camera but your work of art? You are almost a lawyer, you should know.) I had to do this one big too.



Are you drooling yet? Come on, I know you love a good piece of beef.

KC's been relieving me of Mama duty now and then. Thank you Hubby. I love a good time to read and reflect. And of course, some yummy coffee goes a long way. These outings are precious to me.

Thanks everyone for stopping by. Hopefully, there will be more soon.

My Goofy-Almost-1-Year-Old

These toothy smiles just crack me up.

Spring Haiku & Batman (respectively)

Spring
I can feel you rise.
Ascend to your consciousness!
And defeat this wintry death.

Here is Batman: freeing the world from wickedness and rot. Ringing in an order of justice and mercy.

A Lengthy Update

I spent last week with my family in Oregon. It was the best distraction while KC was in Myanmar teaching and fellowshipping with the Saints there.

I love the beauty of Oregon. The moss, the green, the smell, the feel. I enjoyed spending time outside my folks' home in the morning dreaming about my childhood and watching Colson enter a fairytale world in the forest.


Here he is with his friend, the salamander. We happened upon him and Colson, of course, loved him. And check out the Batman suit. It's got an awesome cape and it's reversible. Flip this thing over and voila, he's Superman! The best part about it is that my mom made it in replica of some my brothers grew up with (that she also made). He wore it the entire time we were in Oregon, and he's still wearing it, right now in fact.


Here's Lewis and Grandpa. Lewis was quite picky about his company in Oregon, but Grandpa's got a golden ticket. Both my boys just adore this man. This was taken at the zoo. Lewis was so cute. He pointed and talked to all the animals.


This picture is of my fabulous sister-in-law, Jessica. When I saw those preggie curves against that aquarium wall, capturing it became a necessity. I love this image.


Then later I made her let me take some pictures of those beautiful curves. Pregnant woman are glorious, and Jessica, you are no exception! And this baby bump is harboring my niece! Yay! I'm so excited.


I also got to take some images of my beautiful friend Jenni and her fiance Jeremy. They are recently engaged! Oh, on a side note, the ring is major bling, folks. I'm talking gorgeous. Good job Jeremy, and if I'm not mistaken, Jenni is in love with it!



Congratulations you two! I love this picture of them together. They are so cute and I can't wait until I can be there to witness them join together as one. Jenni, if you don't like this picture, I don't care. I do. It's so cute. So there. And it's so you.



While I was making myself a homebody in Oregon, KC was on the other side, literally, of the world. Our denomination supports a church and orphanage in Myanmar. There is more information here: http://www.fromeastandwest.wordpress.com/ Colson and I have been praying for these orphans by name for some time, so for KC to go and meet them and pray for them and with them face to face, and to play with them, it was quite special and exciting. Here he is with Pastor Doug Jones and the children.



These Christians are quite dear people. It was such a blessing for KC to see their genuine love for our Lord Jesus Christ, and he was so blessed and humbled getting to bring them the Word. I am so happy KC captured this moment. I think it's so beautiful. Here Pastor Jones is giving a gift to one of the women who works along side her husband, the pastor, in the church and orphanage.



I'm so glad to have my hubby home safe and sound. Pray for him, he's still on Myanmar time and is having difficulty sleeping when he should be.

K.C. is on his way across the world, as I write. Pray for him. Pray for his safety and that he would be a blessing to those that hear him teach.

In the morning I'm leaving with the boys to be with my family while he's away. I miss the man terribly already. It doesn't help that everytime Colson and I pray for K.C., Colson says something like, "We neeeeed Daddy." or, "I want Daddy to come home." He usually says it with sad eyes too! Break my heart, will ya, child?

On the up side, when KC's gone:
*I don't cook, which means, dishes are minimal. (this also means we eat like I did in College. Some almonds here, some crackers there, some cottage cheese, sandwich meat, and raw fruits and veggies. oh, and for Colson, why not throw in some hot dogs?
*I watch Chick Flicks and buy Ben & Jerrys.
*I get to travel to Oregon to spend time with the fam.
*oh, and my brother and sister-in-law are having a baby! and I get to see them. YAY!
*My best friend is getting married. We get to hang out! And do wedding stuff!

But the bed seems awfully cold when he's not in it after I'm up with Lewis in the night. And dinner time seems extra lonely. Even Seinfeld episodes are not quite as funny without him. What can I say? He's a great man and we like having him around. In fact, let me tell you something that blessed my little heart a little while back.

I try to make our home a joy to enter when K.C. gets home from work. I try to consider the fact that he's been working his tail off all day (for his family), and the last thing he needs when he walks in the door is me unloading all my garbage at his feet before we can say hello. So, what that means is that I have Colson pick up all his toys, I tidy up, and I try to get dinner, at least, started, and I don't yack his ears off of his head with all my woes and frustrations and challenges.

Something I am learning as a woman, is that timing is so important, when communicating with my man. There is a time to unload the feelings-truck on your man's lap, but that time is not all the time (especially right when he's transitioning from employee to husband and father). I want to be able to greet him after a long day with a welcome and loving home, not a circus, (although, I will admit, it happens). K.C. coming home is such a grace in our home. Colson loves it because they can sword fight. I love it because he's such a kind man. Always helping me in the household, always attentive to our boys, always thankful for the work I do here at home, always thankful to be home, and always loving towards me. It's a grace. from God. I love it when K.C. comes home, and I want him to know. And by doing little things to make his entrance home smooth and a joy for him, I do a little extra to make it so.

So you can imagine how it struck me awhile back when I caught a glimpse through our kitchen window of K.C. running from our van after work to our front door. Literally, running. After being on his feet at work for 10 straight hours. And it dawned on me. He's almost always running when he's getting home. This blessed my heart! To know that home is a joy to him, a haven, a place where he can recharge, renew, and put up his hard-workin' feet, to know that after he's worked hard all day, he is running to get through that door to a family that is so happy to see him and hug him and thank him for working hard for us.

Here is a photo-tribute to my hard workin' man. He's so dashingly handsome:



And then there is this little monkey. He's turning 1 next month! I can hardly believe it. No. I won't believe it. Time goes too fast. He's such a treat to our family. He can now sign please for his food. It's a good thing because the boy can put it down! He ate half a P.B.&J. for lunch the other day and an entire piece of pizza for dinner! wow! Such a switch from his big brother.

Yeah, I like him...



Isn't my baby sweet?



And Colson, who introduced himself to a man the other day as, "Colson Christopher Rumrey Buzz Lightyear" is more lively than ever. He tried to convince me that since he's a superhero he doesn't need to be disciplined because Superhero's are good guys. What do you say to that? What did I say? "Superheros don't disobey their mamas. And if they do, they need to be disciplined, God says." :)



See the backpack hanging on the chair under his arm? He loves this thing (thanks Aunt Ali and Q.) It's constantly being filled with his "currents." Let me see, right now it's holding all of his storm trooper action figures. Go figure.

You wouldn't believe the loot I found in his pants pockets before I stuck them in the washing machine tonight. It was just as my mom (who raised 3 boys) had always told me: a flashlight, a box of matches (the stinker!), and a lone race car. Such a boy!

And what a smile. If he thinks he can charm his mama with this little face, he's right, although it won't keep him out of trouble. ha!

The Age of Men

Today marks the dawn of a new era.

Colson was sitting with me reading a story about a young prince who saves the love of his life, the princess (of course), from a fierce and deadly dragon by cleaving his head. Mid-story we heard the oh-so-familiar roar of the coming garbage truck. I paused as I expected Colson to do what he does every time he hears this garbage truck: ditch me (or whatever he's doing) and run out the door to watch the garbage man do his thing with our apartment dumpster. Not only does he watch the garbage man, but he waves at him frantically and yells, "Hi Garbage Man!" This happens faithfully, twice a week. The garbage man waves back, just as faithful. They have a little relationship of this.

Today, however, as I paused and waited for my boy to jump off my lap, he didn't move. "What's that?" I asked. To which he coolly replied, "A garbage truck." He didn't budge. He didn't say another word. He was waiting for me to continue the story. And so I did.

Cars and Trucks were Colson's first tangible, material obsession: back when truck was pronounced "Kuck! Kuck! KUCK! KUCK!..etc...!" And he'd go on like that until you audibly acknowledged that he did indeed see a "Kuck." This obsession has continued on, but as of late has been slowly dying. Today seemed to officially mark the end of this fixation.

This story of heroism has been creeping in to his little brain and he can't get on without it anymore. What I would give to climb into his little brain for awhile and watch the story unfold in his little play-world imagination. He's a hero. He's a prince. He's a dragon slayer, a warrior. I have a feeling there will be no turning back.

This is Colson. The boy is on a mission.

I want to share with you these moments. They are just so precious to me. This little baby body is something to behold. It's such a joy for me to take the time to seal these images up in a photograph and not just a memory.

The beer-belly is my favorite part. :)

Colson Quotes +

Colson: Thank you God for this food. Thank you God for my toys. Thank you God that I have a Light-Saber. Thank you God that I am a Jedi. Thank you God for Lewis' eyes, that he can see. Amen.

Me: Colson, good prayer!

Colson: You're welcome.

------------------

A couple months ago Colson was wanting me to rest in his bed at night with him and he'd say, "Will you rest with me, for just a minute?"

And then he started trying to convince me that I needed to sleep in his bed with him until finally I explained that I sleep in bed with Daddy and not him. And that some day when he's a hard-working man and loves a woman she can be his wife and she can sleep in his bed.

The other morning KC and I were sleeping in when Colson came into our room. He didn't see me right away among the blankets. "Where's Mommy, Daddy?" he asked.

"She's right here," KC answered.

"Are you Wife-ing her?"

(For the record: we were only cuddling.)

And thus, has become one of my very favorite Colson quotes. I love that he used the word "wife" not just as a noun, a state of being, but as a verb, an action. Husbands and wives need to act like husbands and wives, and God, by His grace, has given us this context to raise our boys.

KC, thanks for wife-ing me. I love you.

And here's some pictures because I like them.

Who can resist this cuteness?



I adore this relaxed portrait. I hardly ever notice his little eye that sometimes closes more than the other in real life, only in occasional photos.

...Always Mother By...

A Few Rules for Beginners
by Katherine Mansfield

Babies must not eat the coal
And they must not make grimaces,
Nor in party dresses roll
And must never black their faces.

They must learn that pointing’s rude,
They must sit quite still at table,
And must always eat the food
Put before them—if they’re able.

If they fall, they must not cry,
Though it’s known how painful this is;
No—there’s always Mother by
Who will comfort them with kisses.
.

A Slump?

Sometimes, my inspiration for the blog falters...

But (for you Mom) why not post a pic? :)