Milestones

I am continually amazed at how quickly the milestones are flying by as my two little boys are growing into little men. Neftali, my oldest, has decided that he is a big boy and has been using the potty for the last three days! We are so excited!! After hearing all sorts of 'horror' stories about not getting boys potty trained until no earlier than three (and even then, it's much harder with boys), I am so grateful that my little man has made this big decision at only 25 months! And check out his cool flames big boy underwear! Yes, I'm bragging, because I feel like the luckiest mom on the planet! And who wouldn't if they were me? :o) Sure, we're not home free yet...but my little boy is not such a little boy anymore. One thing I've noticed is that as exciting and these little victories and milestones are, they are also bittersweet, because the reality that they will one day be young men who are no longer as needful of their mommy brings a tear to my heart. Thank goodness that day is still many years away!



Solomon wanted to say hi, too. So here's an adorable clip of him cooing away. He is the most happy baby! (Sorry it's sideways...I'm still figuring out technology!) Isn't that the sweetest sound you ever heard?

Father's Day

Thank goodness for fathers. Though I don't really know my earthly father well, I have a Heavenly father whom I love very much and I know He loves me too. I thank Him every day for blessing me with marriage to a man who is the most wonderful father and husband to me and my boys. I tried to remind him how much I love and appreciate him with a nice seafood fettucini dinner and delicious glass of wine. But even on 'his' day, he couldn't help but consider his son before him - and he ran to the store to buy Neftali a kiddie pool to play in! He truly is BEST father and daddy - and I know my boys would agree!

Summer

I think it's fair to say that summer has finally arrived in Oregon! It resisted with all its might. But it could finally resist no longer - hallelujah! I am officially tired of the rain and enjoying every moment of the last few days of warm, sunny weather. It is days like these that I remember why I love Oregon so much. Yes, it rains here - ALOT. But if it weren't for the rain, it would be as green and beautiful as it is. And summers here are the absolute BEST. We have been talking about when we are going to take our first camping trip - I can't wait! It will be Nefty's second and Solomon's first. Daddy is pretty excited to take his boys camping. It must be every man's dream. :o) But until we pitch the first tent of the summer, Nefty is enjoying playing in his kiddie pool in the backyard. I think he's part fish. He LOVES water! Even though it's freezing cold! No matter to him. And he especially likes to splash our dog Chester (I doubt Chester minds).


The video is a peek at playful Nefty splashing in his pool, saying hi to his Grandma Elena, who is currently on a mission trip in MaeSot, Thailand. She'll be gone all summer and he already misses her tons. So hopefully, she'll be able to check the blog and enjoy the greeting from her little Neftali after a challenging day of serving the refugees and orphans whose lives she's changing daily.

Training

So I found out the this race I am 'training' for is actually a 10K, which means it's a little over 6 miles. And I know there is no way I will be in shape enough to run 6 miles in the next two & a half weeks. But, I am still going to jog-walk it with my babies and hopefully a girlfriend or two. Maybe next time...but I pretty disappointed all the same. :o(

Run the race

"...let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us..." Hebrews 12:1

I have attempted to go jogging regularly in past years and have never been successful. I wouldn't say that I'm not athletic...but running does NOT come easily for me. I can't ever seem to get the breathing down and I lack discipline. But, once again, I have set a goal for myself to 'train' over the next four weeks so that I might be able to run in an annual 5K race on the weekend of the 4th of July. It's called the Butte to Butte and it sounds scary, but I'm going to go for it anyway! I even subscribed to Runner's World magazine in hopes for some hints and inspiration. So I've been walking the last four days for 20 mins each day and will continue to do so for the next four days. Then I'll gradually increase my time and distance and incorporate jogging. It's part of a program that I found in the first issue I received - it's as if the editors of the magazine selected several articles that were written just for me! I am not going to give up this time - my boys just won't let me!...look out buttes! Here I come!

Vegetable Garden

I decided to try something new and plant a vegetable garden in my backyard this year. I have wanted to do so for quite awhile, but the potential maintenance issues and work involved has previously deterred me since I have a growing family and busy schedule. But this year, I decided to give it a try, especially since the people who owned our house before us had a garden in the same part of the yard for many years, and my neighbor says that it was very fruitful. Hopefully the ground is still fertile, and will ensure the success of my 'novice' vegetable garden. I sowed only a handful of starter plants in three rows. But I hope to reap some delicious tomatoes, cucumbers, snow peas, corn, and green beans. I hope to also add some strawberries and maybe blueberries this week. I can't wait to see fruit budding, though it's not supposed to start happening for at the earliest by the end of the month. I guess I'm just going to have to be PATIENT!!!