The ides of March

OK, so I'm a little behind.
In March, Jon David and Luke started Spring soccer back up again. Luke is a soccer stud this year. Last week-end, he scored six goals during one game! I'll try to include some more pictures in another post.

Dan and Mel and fam came to visit us over their Spring Break. So fun! They even came to one of Luke's soccer games. We arrived with strollers and camping chairs in tow. We set up camp on the side lines, and as you can see, enjoyed sitting and watching the game very much. (What can we say: this is what you get when you bring 5 kids to watch a soccer game--especially when it involves two toddlers, and 3 active big kids!)

In other news, Caleb discovered his big toe:
Jon David and Luke are finally coming out of their Calvin and Hobbes stage. We had to just bring it to a halt. But here is a memory of Jon David during his fan hood:

Yes, he is dressed for church here... which does in fact imply what you think: that he read his comic book in church sometimes.
A friend of ours had given us a bagfull of clothes for Jon David. (LOVE hand-me-downs, especially good ones like these!!) There were a few things that fit Luke as well. A real blessing!! They looked handsome in their new shirts, so I took their pic. Which, as it turns out, is a good thing, since we didn't even get an Easter pic this year!! That makes me sad... Although the vests that I put on them were kinda big, and falling off of their shoulders, and their shirts were not tucked in, so I guess it's just as well. But Caleb had a vest on too, and was so cute! Ugh... what can I say. "Yah yah p'eacha' wife..." It's very difficult to find time to do things like take a family portrait on Sunday mornings now.
I am SO thankful, though, for the family background that God has given me. It's really great to have Mom and Dad as a "backdrop" in my mental wanderings. When I am sitting in church, frustrated at having to tell one of the older boys to sit, or be still, or stop being so loud, or stop pulling my dress, or try not to get up again, or stand during a song, or sing during a song, or listen: in my mind, I almost subconsciously go to my childhood with questions such as "I wonder if Mom had to deal with this when we were little?" or "I wonder if she had to get the kids ready all by herself?" or "I wonder if she got frustrated with x,y, or z?" And inevitably, the answer is yes! I am so thankful that God gave me the background that He did, so that I don't feel quite so alone in the battle. It's amazing how God has provided for me, starting long ago, when I had no clue exactly what He was doing. Who knew that God had bottled up my parents' experience as preacher and wife in a bank account for me to withdraw from when I reached adulthood and began to need an anchor in the tossing seas of my negative thoughts? Pretty cool.


Below, Jon David is getting ready to receive an award at his school. (Btw, this event happened in April, I'm pretty sure). He wore "the lone stranger" veggie tales shirt to school that day, and his shoe is untied, which, apparently, is stressing out the kid to the left.


Way to go, JD.
And finally, Caleb and Luke: morning cuddle time. :)