A Book Update

We're still here, don't worry.  But inspiration to write is missing!  Plus my fingertips are dry and cracked, which makes typing quite unfavourable.  I'll use that as my excuse for why it's been so long... but really, I know I need to type through the finger pain.  I'm such a wimp!  Haha.
So, what's been new over here.  We received unexpected and upsetting news a few weeks ago from which we are still reeling.  Doctors have diagnosed Dad VD with leukemia, and while we are still waiting for confirmation of the type and staging of the disease, we are hopeful that it is a fairly treatable form known as Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML).  It is amazing how quickly you can learn about something when given a reason to!  There are a lot of unknowns and  uncertainty about the future, but we rest in the knowledge that all things rest in the Lord's almighty hands, and that His plans for us are perfect. 

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."  Phil. 4:6-7 

"Do you not know?  Have you not heard?  The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.  He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom.  He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.  " Isaiah 40:28-29

I had the opportunity to borrow and read Ann Voskamp's book One Thousand Gifts over the last few weeks.  I have been reading her blog for some time now, and appreciate her fresh insights on living thankfully before the face of God, as well as her unique style of writing.  I wouldn't mind having a copy of her book for myself, as I felt I needed to read it a little faster than I would have liked since it was a borrowed copy.  There was a lot to digest and think about!  It is an urge to recognize everything as a gift from God - the big and the small, the lovely and the difficult - and when thankful living becomes a matter of habit, our lives will be steeped in joy.  What a challenge, to see even the difficult things, the trials that we face, as gifts from God to be thankful for as they draw us closer to Him.  A lot to chew over and contemplate when life seems to get overwhelming.
Life at home continues on in a relatively predictable fashion - busy!  Life just doesn't slow down, does it?  This week is a bit of a lonely one for me at home as Mike has meetings M, W, Th, and F nights.  He won't even come home for dinner tomorrow.  I think we're actually home this weekend though, which is nice.  There is a long list of things that need to get done on Saturday, and it will be interesting to see how far we can get through that list.  Might as well have a long list - you wouldn't want to run out of things to do or anything!  And at the end of the day, we have a potluck at church to celebrate our 20th anniversary as a congregation - we've been there for six.
The boys are doing well, and we have been enjoying the unseasonably warm temperatures over the past few weeks.  It has been absolutely lovely to increase our living space by playing in the backyard!  It has been a long winter in the house, especially with the basement being out of commission while it is in renovation phase (as that is somewhat stalled at the moment).  The kids have rediscovered the joy of the sandbox, their bicycles, the swings, and the park.  While the past week and a half has seen an inexplicable but unmistakeable rise in grumpiness, I am looking forward to the warmer weather of the spring and summer and the chance to explore the outdoors a bit more.  Hopefully an extra infusion of Vitamin D (together with lots of sunscreen!) will increase the cheerfulness factor in everyone.
Peter is really enjoying school lately, and seems to be blossoming in his learning.  He especially loves days when we have both Story Hour AND school, which is a complete turn-around from the situation in the fall.  According to his teacher, things seem to have "clicked" for him, and he is having a lot more fun interacting with the other kids in his class.  I sure hope this enthusiasm will transfer to his new school in September when he changes over from half days every day to full days every other day.  We'll see when we get there!  He loves helping out around the house and having little jobs to do to help me out.  He has been very affectionate towards Nate the last little while, eager to give him hugs and call him "cutie".  This morning when we dropped Nate and Aaron off at the nursery, Peter called out "Good-bye cuties!" as he skipped off to Story Hour.   
In the meantime, Aaron is convinced he is going to turn four on his next birthday, as he is really looking forward to going to school.  I find it quite ridiculous that he is still two!  I know I've said it before, but I think I must have missed a birthday somewhere along the line.  He is ahead of the game mentally and physically, and I will definitely have to come up with some special learning activities geared towards him in the fall when he sees his brother go off to school again without him.  He is a lot of fun to talk to, and he comes up with some interesting and amusing comments.  We get a kick out of his logic and sometimes out of the randomness of his conversations.  He was talking the other day at the supper table.  "Jesus died on the cross for our sins, eh?  That's good, eh?  Woodpeckers are nice too, eh?"  He also said something funny to me the other day as we were playing outside on the driveway.  He was pretending he had an axe and was chopping down trees.  "Mommy, I have an axe and I am working.  I am cutting down trees.  I won't cut off your arms though".  Ok, thanks kid!  He also assured me today that he wouldn't hit me with his hammer.  How kind of him!
Nate is also at a very fun age right now.  He can be quite a card, making hilarious faces and making us laugh.  He continues to refuse to talk - he babbles a lot and definitely talks to us, but it's all gobble-de-gook right now.  He can get his point across well enough with the noises he makes and the pointing he does, but I'd love to hear him try some talking.  He loves books and reading, and will often climb up in my chair and flip through books on his own.  He often joins me with the older boys in reading longer books on the couch, and he can sit and listen for a surprisingly long time as long as there are some pictures for him to peruse while I read.  He had his 18 month appointment during the March break, and he weighed in at 27lbs  4oz, and 33.5" long. 
What else is there to write about?  I've been sitting here writing for at least an hour now, and I'm sure there is more to catch up on.  When was the last real update anyways?  Oh of course.  Silly me.  How could I forget some of the most exciting things that are going to happen this year?  It will be an exciting year for my family - a wedding and a baby!  Danielle and Timothy got engaged on Feb 14, and we are SO excited for them!  We are looking forward to celebrating with them on October 13, and pray for the Lord's blessings on them as they prepare for their wedding.  And in August, we are looking forward to meeting our first niece? nephew? on the M side of the family, as Tom and Lauren are expecting their first little one.  We are thrilled to have two new members added to the family this year!
Well, Mike just came home from tonight's meeting, so I'd like to chat with him for a while.  Besides, those cracked and dry fingertips are screaming out to stop the bloodshed on my keyboard.  Time to wrap it up!  I'll try to post up a few photos in the next few days - not that there are a whole lot of winners on the camera right now.  Take care!