Meet Symba!

We checked out the Lion King from the library. Colson has been Symba ever since. Here he is pretending to be a big-bad Lion!

Budding Masculinity

From standing up on our couch, Colson, standing straight and proud, said this: "I'm going to jump down and hurt myself. That's what I'm going to do."

Me: "Oh no! You want to hurt yourself?

Colson: "Yes, I do mommy."

He didn't hurt himself thankfully, he is under the care of a mama afterall, but signs of reckless and silly ideas of jumping off of heights and hurting oneself is a good sign, I think.

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I was holding him in the bathroom the other night after we brushed his teeth when he said:
"Don't drop me in the potty mommy. Then I would be lost from you."

I think every child dreams of getting lost in the potty.

Pining for Spring

Today Colson and I were actually able to walk around our neighborhood in less than our most intense snow gear. It was fabulous. Colson had a wonderful time throwing rocks, hiding from mama in left over piles of snow, finding treasures (pine cones), and having an altogether wonderful time getting outside for a change. Another fabulous part of this adventure was all the available mud. The snow is melting and mud is plentiful. Why is it you don't have to teach a boy how to throw rocks or to play in mud? It's an inherent magnetic force between them.

Thoughts on Perpetuating the Gospel to Others

"We live not unto ourselves; we affect other people."

Edith Schaeffer

I came across this statement from Edith Schaeffer this morning , and have not been able to shake it. This is a simple statement, but one that rocks me to the bone. One that frightens me in light of the "otherness" of those that I come in contact with, whether it be daily, or just once in my lifetime. I should consider this statment as a wife, as a mom, as a friend, as a daughter, sister, citizen, and even as a stranger - and altogether as a Christian woman.

Surely we are not made to be all alone, to live unto ourselves. We are human. We are made for community. And what we do is going to have a direct relationship with those who are sharing that community with us. With this in mind, I am challenged to live truth. If I'm going to be living with others and others are going to be affected by my thoughts, words, and deeds, then I need to be thoughtful about what I'm passing on. In what ways are my actions affecting others?

This challenges me to live truth in order to perpetuate truth to those that I entangle my life with. In one enormous area of application is a way of the parent with the child. Am I passing onto my son a fasle gospel? Am I living out the truth before him? Or am I passing on to him a way of idolatry? Am I handing him the baton of faith and love, or am I handing him the baton of autonomy? Ultimately, the question comes down to this: am I following Jesus' example in giving my life away to others? A life of sacrifice, humility, giving and nurturing? or am I living "any damn way I choose." Which way is going to be liberating and life giving? Which lifestyle will he grow to love? How will "living any damn way I choose" affect the relationship between husband and wife, parent and child, or between friends?

And why do we listen to a cultural lie that says living "any damn way we choose" is our right in becoming original, and the individuality we achieve for living for ourselves has become more valuable than stepping outside of ourselves and loving our neighbors - seeing the world from anothers' perspective, walking around in someone else's shoes? This is much more interesting than always camping out in your own skin. In living for yourself alone all you get to experience is yourself, and chances are, if you are living this way, you know more than anyone how lonely you are, and how vile and wicked you are. You are lying to yourself if you think that your individuality and right to originality is more valuable than investing in the lives of others, and you are certainly deceived if you think that living for yourself is more interesting and fulfilling.

It is profound to really stop and think about how we are affecting the lives of others. It's an inevitable, inescapable truth to know that the things we say or don't say, the ways we serve or don't serve, the ways we love or choose not to love, etc, are going to have some kind of significance, even if it may be as slight as a kind gesture to the grocer or a drink of water for a child. We cannot live in such a way as to think that our lives have no impact, make no influence.To believe that you can live any way you choose with no regards or altering of others, is really an impossible persuit.

As a parent you are inherently going to have an impact on a scale unimaginable: just consider the impact a life of mercy, compassion and love has, it's not hard to imagine the life that comes from this. but think about the what's spilling forth from a life lived in sole selfishness? This is a perpetuation of autonomony, loneliness and death. It's not hard to imagine the kind of relationship that will occur between a husband and father who chooses to live a life with no regards to his wife and children. If we want to perpetuate and cultivate truth goodness and beauty, and to live the way Christ has called us, we are called to consider how our daily habits are affecting those that we love, and we are called to love all peoples, not just those we share our breakfast table with.

It is a good thing to consider the otherness of others. To consider the personality, the wonder, of being someone else, to try to walk around in their shoes, apart from your own self altogether. It's a good thing to meditate on ways we can pass on a life of beauty in all of our relationships. I am challenged today with these thoughts. For me, today, I know I can start in my home, with my husband and with my son. But I hope that I can also perpetuate this kind of living with strangers and with the needy. And maybe somewhere, somehow along the road the Rumreys will be entertaining angels unaware.

Happy Birthday Simeon!

All Aboard! Hop on the Birthday Train!







What a party. Somebody had a beautifully wonderful time.

I get by with a little help from my friends

For Christmas my mom and dad pitched in on the dometic adventures in our home and bought me my first sewing machine. I had only tried my hand at sewing one other time: trust me, it was not pretty. My craft-extroardinare friend, Anna, showed me the ropes of my machine and got me started on my very own project: curtains for our living room window. Here they are folks:
Here you can see the stiching. I'm so proud!
On the backside, you can see that I'm no professional, and (more importantly) it's homemade!
I have a lot to learn, but am excited to have a start at it. I definately felt a great deal of accomplishment when I had them all hung up in the window. They are not perfect, but this is a great starting point. Thanks Anna! Thanks Mom and Dad!

Now I just need some more inspiration and a keen eye for fabric. Joannes is not an easy place for me to spend time. You really have to have a keen eye when looking for the fabric that will be just right. It's like thrift store shopping or yard saling. You could pick something out thinking it would be perfect only to realize that you don't really like it afterall.

I am truly blessed among women!

Jesus loves me

What a Cheesy Kid

32 weeks

The Death of Binky

This child, from the very beginning had a special thing for his little pacifier. Last night marks his first binky-less night! I thought this day would never come. When KC asked him if he wanted to throw his pacifier in the garbage he said he did, got up, threw it away, and the rest is history. He's so excited that the garbage truck is going to come and take it away to the dump that it has already been a smooth transition. He's napping right now, no paci, with a lighting McQueen blanket completely covering his head. I just checked and he's snoring away under there. soo cute!

I have been shocked at what a little boy he already is. I know that when baby comes he's going to seem HUGE!

potty training update: going #1 is easy as pie.
We have yet to tackle #2. All I know is that his dirty diaper seems more and more like an injustice.

update in pics

The snow has not slowed down for us Northern Idahodians. Colson is enjoying the snowplow! This is the first winter for our Subaru. What a perfect car for winters like this. I don't quite remember there being this much snow last winter.
I love the snow! I think I love the spring more. (Maybe because Spring will also be bringing to us a very special package this year)! Spring always reminds me of new life; that's one reason I love it so much, but so does the snow: pure white, fresh, new every morning- kind of snow. It's beautiful. I'm still looking forward until Spring. I can't wait to get back on my bike. I'll be toting two this summer.

Big baby bump!

It's time. I've graduated to wearing KC's t-shirts when I'm lounging or sleeping. Whenever Colson notices my baby belly he says enthusiastically, "IT'S A BIIIIIG ONE!"

Politics make me sick.

While I don't believe the answer is to bury my head in the sand of ignorance, I can't escape the vile political taste in my mouth that accompanies the process.

I have been missing this:

I long to get lost in a hard run.
To know no time, to feel no bounds
to run and run and run...
to the rythm of my heart and drum of my feet.

Morning Post

This morning after coffee, egg and cheese burritos, and seeing Hub off to work, I'm sitting here in a warm and lovely home looking out on the fresh snow. These pictures of Colson and KC together were taken last night and really sum up what we do every night, especially since Christmas. We thought that with all the new Christmas presents, Colson, who has been very into his toys, would be distracted with them so obsessively that we'd have to pull him away. Well, the opposite has happened. He's become interested in one thing: playing WITH Mommy or Daddy. Be it toys or singing or reading or helping me put the wet clothes in the dryer, he just wants to be doing it with us...especially with KC. As soon as that door opens and in walks Daddy after a day's work, the first thing that is shouted from his mouth is, "PLAY WITH ME DADA?!? Dada want to play with me?"
These two have been having a ball together, more than ever before. It's a beautiful thing to watch Colson try and emulate KC. Sometimes when we're sitting on the sofa together, Colson will come over and prop himself up between us trying to copy KC's body language, whether putting his feet up a certain way or holding his hands resting on the top of his head. He'll copy KC's phrases and will sometimes call me "Ker" and then say what KC had just finished saying.
So we've been filling up our evening with wrestling contests, race car courses, airplane shows, football practice, telling stories, games, and lots of tickling.

Snow Day II

Another beautiful day of WHITE!

Too bad we trampled all over this unblemished snow!

"Mama, got my trucks, ready to go!"

Warming up with a bath! It's so hard to be a mommy to such a grumpy child! ha!

back in the snow

Time to warm up!

Ahhhhh, hot chocolate time.

Sooooo goooood.

All smiles!

I asked for it. He returns the favor by taking my picture.