Table Manners

Sitting outside with 7 sitting-at-the-table grandkids can be quite interesting. First it's Grandma: "OK, you are all glued to your seats. No getting up unless you ask first or are excused. Understand?" (this is a rule used before with success) Most kids acknowledge in some way. Then it's: "It's time to eat, no more singing at the table" said by one of the Mommies. This too is a rule used by all families and known by all kids. Then somehow it turns into: "What other rules do you have when you are at the table?" To which Jakob replies in all seriousness, "No kicking. No Hitting. And no Head-butting." Getting quite the reaction from the adults, Jakob - the child always looking to make everyone laugh - keeps at it, adding some rediculous "rules".

Just when you are at your whits end, thinking that they never hear a word that you are saying, they come back at you with something that you might have said. Maybe it was 6 months ago when they were wrestling or fighting, but none-the-less, they retained it and are using it now...

What to say...

I have honestly not felt like putting anything on my blog lately. It seems like everything that has happened has been crap and I don't feel like dumping that here. So I will just put a "lovely" little update on me and my boys:

Isaac seems to get heavier by the day. He is sitting up and trying to roll over more and more every day. I think that he weighs around 18#, but when you can only carry him with one arm, it sure feels like more! He is such a bright light in my sometimes dark world, smiling and laughing at the slightest silly face or whenever someone says "Hi!" (Which is about all that Jakob says to him - in the highest voice, dragging out the whole word to make a sentence out of it!)

Jakob and Christian are doing well. They are both having a really hard time dealing with everything that is happening, both very emotional. Christian is doing better in school, his teacher told me that she hadn't had to tell him to keep his hands to himself for a while - Progress!!! Jakob is signed up for Kindergarten in the fall and he cannot wait! He will have an assessment in August to see where he is academically, which ought to be very interesting! Both my boys are so smart, they amaze me daily with what they can remember and recite.

Me. hmmmm. What can I say that isn't horrible. I am living day by day with the grace of God, praying for strength to get through it all. God has a plan, I am just dumbfounded at where I am right now. Jeremiah 29:11. Praise the Lord.

Blessings to all!

Hard Day

Today was a hard day for me. It is/was (I don't know how to classify it...) my 8th anniversary. I realized that this day would fall on a day that my mom had off so I asked her if we could go and do something. Things fell into place and I found a babysitter for Jakob and Christian after school (thank you Amy!). So mom, Isaac and I drove to Salem and went shopping. First we went to JCPenney's and I got myself 2 pairs of jeans, 1 pair of chocolate brown capris and 2 shirts - all thanks to Sarah who gave me some money for my birthday. What a great start to a potentially bad day! Then we went to Costco and did some roaming and shopping (and tasting!). After that we went to Olive Garden and had soup, salad and breadsticks for lunch. All in all, it was a great day that could have really brought me down. Thank you to everyone that kept me in their prayers today. And thank you to Cynthia, Michelle and Kathy for the beautiful flowers, another bright spot in my day!!!

Jakob D. Owings

My super-long baby boy



Cheeseball, hammin' it up for the camera!

Just a glimpse into the mischievous side of Jakob, and into what he is really like!

I did it Mom! Only 4 feet off the ground, but he was so proud!

"Kung-fu Fighter..."

My wonderful, soft-hearted, middle boy turned 5 today. YIKES! I remember that very first picture - thinking I wonder what this boy will grow up like...