Favorite Photo Friday

Don't ya just LOVE the bubble bath beards?!

My kids are terribly mistaken!

This weekend the kids were telling each other to be quiet so they wouldn't wake daddy from his nap. I said, "How come mommy never gets a nap?" Hunter quickly replied with, "because you never get tired mom!" Are you kidding me???

Weekend Happenings....

Since the weather was GORGEOUS this weekend, we spent a lot of time outside. It took a ton of sunscreen for the kids and I to keep our skin white! :) An area town was celebrating it's 100th centennial so we took part in the parade and got stocked up on candy. Brylie's best friend, McKenna, came out to our house after the parade to play on the water slide. McKenna is the daughter of Robb's best friend from high school and my college roommate, Brian and Sunny. We get together with them almost EVERY weekend and have a blast together. We have 7 kids between us so it's always a little noisy but we still end up having some great visiting time. Later that evening Brian took us out on his boat for a little ride around the lake. We stopped at a nearby beach and played in the sand and water. It was the perfect evening for some water time. Here are a few of the kids "swimming" to shore. Gage loved sitting in the sand and waiting for the water to hit his feet. Too cute! I couldn't resist this adorable photo of Brian and Sunny's twin boys, Kasen and Gavin. :) All in all it was a fun weekend spent with friends and family. How did you spend your weekend?

OOPS!

Just realized that it is only Thursday!! HAHAHA! Sorry about the Favorite Photo Friday a day early! I better go back to bed......

Favorite Photo Friday

Having a daughter has enriched my life and made me appreciate the little things that are "beautiful" all around us, such as 'sparkly rocks, dandelions, bunnies, smooth sticks and the list goes on and on. She is a girlie girl that has stolen her mommas heart!

Dive in!

Since everyone is posting pictures of their pools, I thought I'd share ours! It doesn't accommodate me and my raft but it does provide endless hours of fun for my rambunctious kids! :) This is our outdoor water park. If you're in the neighborhood with your swimsuit, please stop by!

Why adopt?

After getting this question a few more times this weekend, I thought I would share with you, my blogger friends, the whole story of how we came to the decision to adopt. When asked why we are adopting Robb very simply answers, "It is bigger than we are." That short sentence pretty much sums it up. A year ago in March I followed the adoption journey of a friend of ours. Long after they were home I found myself still reading adoption stories daily on the internet. With Gage not even 1 year old, I knew that this wasn't something for our family but enjoyed reading of other families who gave the gift of life to an orphan. I started praying for orphans and for the Lord's protection upon them. By Fall I was starting to feel a stirring in my heart about doing more for these orphans. With a 15 month old I still felt that adoption couldn't be for us and found many reasons why it just wouldn't work for our family to adopt but maybe we were supposed to be doing missions work. The stirring became more evident and the more God nudged the more I prayed. From November to February I had chronic stomach aches that I saw a doctor about, and of course the tests brought up nothing. He put me on heartburn medicine and sent me on my way. One night in February I woke up with such a heaviness on my chest that I could barely breathe. I started sobbing as I thought of all the orphans in the world that weren't being held that night because there just wasn't enough hands to provide comfort for them. I had a vision of a room full of cribs with babies lying quietly, waiting for their turn to be held. At that very moment I knew that God had a bigger plan for our lives. We were to provide a home to one of those orphans. Well, now that I knew without a shadow of a doubt that this was what we needed to do, Robb hadn't had any of the same feelings. I never shared anything about what I had been feeling because Robb was satisfied with our family after we had Brylie....I talked him into a 3rd and there was no way I wanted to even approach him about a 4th! My stomach aches became worse after my revelation and it was eating me up inside as I prepared to tell Robb about all that had been going on in my heart. Two weeks after that night Robb and I lay in bed and I cried as I told him about what the Lord showed me. I explained that this was not something I sought after, but something that the Lord brought to me. He hugged me with tears in his eyes, knowing what I had been going through, and agreed to spend a lot of time in prayer about it. I knew that the enemy had been working over time on me when, after I spilled my heart to Robb, the stomach aches completely stopped! I haven't had a stomach ache since! After 3 weeks of fervent prayer Robb wanted to proceed with the adoption of a little girl from China. We both felt so confident about this decision and knew that this was the path of the Lord. Well, just this weekend Robb said to me, "ever since making the decision to adopt, I feel like I have been under attack". And it clicked....since that decision, Robb has had a terrible eye infection, pulled a muscle in his chest, which caused him a lot of pain, had several back aches, and most recently has suffered with an aching pain in his side. The devil works in such a way that it took us a while to realize what was happening. We had been chalking up all the aches and pains to stress and whatnot. Knowing that we are "under attack" only makes us more confident that we are doing what we are supposed to be doing. Now that we recognize what is happening, we are committed to praying even more for God's hand upon the whole process. This past weekend I was told by another mom that is adopting that she heard it could take up to 3 years for us to get our little girls. I am believing that this will not happen and we will have our daughters by the beginning of 2009. God can do amazing things and I believe he will miraculously speed up the very slow adoption process so more children can be united to their forever families. So, to answer the question, 'Why adopt?' we can confidently sum it all up by responding with, "it is bigger than we are".

Father's Day

Since both Robb and I have lost our dads, Father's Day is always a bit bittersweet. It has been 13 years since Robb's dad died in a farming accident and 7 years since my dad lost his battle with cancer. It is days like Father's Day that we find ourselves missing them more than ever and wishing we could spend the day with them. We had 2 Father's Days between the death of my dad and the birth of Hunter that were the most difficult. Since having kids of our own we have been blessed to be able to celebrate this day again with Robb, as he is an amazing father. Our kids are so blessed to have a dad that makes time for them, plays on the floor with them, teaches them about the importance of loving the Lord, and loves them with his whole heart. A father's role in the lives of his children is so very important and I appreciate the time and energy Robb invests in his family. Yesterday we went to church and then spent the day at Robb's sister and brother-in-law's new house. They have recently built a beautiful new home and they graciously hosted the whole family, all the crazy kids included! :) We had a lovely afternoon of relaxing and visiting while the kids played. Gage took an hour and a half nap on daddy, so I could relax too! Yea!

Eleven years and counting.....

It was 11 years ago today that I married my best friend. We were the ripe old age of 20 and couldn't wait to spend the rest of our lives together. I look at 20 year olds now and can't believe how young we were! It was Heidi Jo that set us up in the summer of 1993 and we were pretty much inseparable after that. (thanks again Heidi!) Robb and Heidi went to church together and she invited me to the church 4th of July picnic and it was there that I met Robb. We dated our senior year of high school and continued dating as I went off to college and got married before my junior year of college. Eleven years and 3 kids later our marriage is stronger than ever. A Godly husband is truly a blessing! I love you babe! (this picture was taken last year when we went to Cancun for our 10th anniversary)

Entering the world of baseball....

The Arnold family has entered the world of baseball! I knew this day would come when we would be spending our summers at the ball field. Neither Robb nor I were quite ready for it, but Hunter, on the other hand, couldn't wait for his first practice and then his first game. Hunter's Uncle Wesley is the very patient coach for these 5 and 6 year old boys. Four of the boys are from the Arnold family and love nothing more than being together! They have had 2 games and it has been very entertaining to say the least! It really is a fun way to spend a summer evening. The 'Arnold boys', Booker, Nash, Sage and Hunter. These boys are as mischievous as they look! :) I LOVE this picture of the boys in the outfield during their first game. They are all in position looking like true baseball stars! This was approximately 5 minutes later...Sage and Hunter decided it was more fun to visit in the outfield than it was to wait for the ball to come to them. :) Here's to a great season following the Hazel Rockhounds!

Gage Dakota is 2!!!

On June 9th, 2005 Gage Dakota came into the world in record time! I was induced at 8:15 am and by 11:20 it was all over with and I was holding little 7 pound 4 ounce Gage in my arms, trying to figure out who he looked like! There were a couple small resemblances to his brother and sister but for the most part he had his own look. I was thrilled with a healthy baby boy to add to our family. I had loved the name Gage for quite some time but had to give Robb time to decide if it was the perfect name for our 3rd child. Naming children in our house is no easy feat, but I'll save that for another post! I really wanted Robb to name him since I had come up with Hunter and Brylie. He decided on Gage Dakota as he thought it was a strong name. And isn't it funny how once you decide on the name, it just fits them perfectly? Gage is such a blessing to our family in so many ways. His personality is very different than either his brother or sister. He is the busiest of our kids and has absolutely NO FEAR! We consider him the comedian of the family and spend a good portion of our day laughing at him. He will do anything to get a laugh! (many times it involves a mess....like food on his head, etc.) Gage is very strong willed but with the knowledge I am gaining from 'Bringing up Boys' I think I may still be one step ahead of him! :) I am looking forward to the year ahead. There will be more talking, more risk-taking, lots more laughing and the disappearance of the last bit of baby fat on his body (for that I am quite sad!). My baby is becoming a little boy and although it makes me a little sad, I am excited to watch this little boy grow and develop. I love you Gage! Happy Birthday!

Elmo Birthday Party

'Mom, I'm tryin' to open some presents here...please stop with all the pictures!' New toys!! Yea! This is the first birthday cake that I have not made for my kids. The guilt was a little overwhelming at first but the ease of planning the party without having to worry about the cake was wonderful! I plan on ordering them from now on. There is a lady locally that makes these wonderful cakes for only $15! I could not pass that up. As we were singing to Gage, he decided to dip into the frosting! Gage couldn't consume his cake and ice cream fast enough! We bought this really fun water slide last year and pulled it out today for the first time this year. It was 90 degrees today so it was perfect for some water fun. Gage got right in there with the big kids and loved every minute of it! (Michelle F., I hope the summer photos aren't depressing for you. I remember when you posted summer photos when we were freezing here in SD and I about cried thinking this weather would NEVER come!) Ahhhh, there's nothing like falling into a pool of freezing cold water! Gage was so wiped out that he actually fell asleep standing up! Turning 2 is exhausting!

Favorite Photo Friday

Brylie LOVES to put on makeup when she plays dress-up. We need to work on the application a bit! :)

Sharing a good book

Ginger posted this blog filler on Just a Thought and since I love hearing about good books I thought I would share the book that I am reading now. Ever since giving birth to Hunter, other parents of boys have recommended this book to me. After giving birth to a second son I knew that I better make this purchase. Well, I have finally gotten around to reading it and I definitely wish that I had read it 6 years ago when it was recommended! I am only on page 75 and many questions have already been answered as to why my boys do the things that they do. Interesting stuff! Dr. James Dobson is a wonderful writer and if you are a parent or grandparent of boys, I would HIGHLY recommend this book! Now the rules of the book blog filler are to grab the closest book, go to page 123, find the 5th sentence and, on your blog, put the next three sentences. Since I have not yet made it to page 123 this is new info for me too! "If you as a parent have an effeminate boy or a masculinized girl, I urge you to get a copy and then seek immediate professional help. Be very careful whom you consult, however. Getting the wrong advice at this stage could be most unfortunate, solidifying the tendencies that are developing." Are you interested yet? I know that I won't be able to get through this book fast enough! It is jam packed full of information about boys and how and why they do the things they do and how as parents we are to raise them to be Godly men. If you have a book you would like to share, please play along! I would love to hear what you are reading.

No one told me being a mom would be this hard!

Yesterday at snack time Hunter said, "mom, I really want a snack but I just don't want to poke my finger. When will I be able to eat without poking my finger all the time?" With tears in my eyes I explained to him that I want nothing more than for him to be able to eat without worrying about his blood sugars and that we will continue to pray that Jesus will heal him. Trying to understand it all he replied, "you always tell me that if I pray for Jesus to heal me and believe it in my heart then I will be healed. Well, I have believed it in my heart for a LONG time and I STILL have diabetes!" More tears and less wisdom from me. Please say a prayer for my very wise 5 year old who does not know life without lots of pokes.

Favorite Photo Friday

This picture just makes me smile! :-)

YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO BELIEVE IT...

Our REFRIGERATOR quit working last night! Seriously, I have no idea what is going on around here! We transported all of the food over to our farm and have our fingers crossed that if we WHINE a lot the service man will be able to make it here TODAY! I guess it's frozen pizza for lunch! On a good note, the stove works great, no problems with the microwave, my washer and dryer seem to be holding up and the dishwasher is good as new!

One down...two to go!

THE DISHWASHER IS FIXED!!! Yea! It is quite an embarrassing story though. The whole problem was caused by a stopper from a sippy cup...it got caught underneath the float so the dishwasher was unable to fill with water. It took the service man about 2 minutes to fix the problem! OOPS! Actually I knew that one of the stoppers was missing and had looked through the dishwasher but never thought to look in the float. SO, 2 weeks of washing dishes, dishpan hands, lots of frustration, and who knows how much money later, the dishwasher is fixed! Now on to the coffee pot and the camera! Hopefully those problems are just as easy to fix! Ahhh, I love the whirring of the dishwasher. Life is good!

Have you ever had a week like this.....

First of all my dishwasher broke. It would go through the motions but the dishes would come out dirty. Huge bummer! Since we had so many adoption fees this month I decided to wait a week to call the service man, to avoid another bill. So I washed dishes for a week and was more than ready to have it fixed after that. So, last Monday Robb called the place where we bought the dishwasher (the place that sells their appliances based on their "great service") and after 8 DAYS we are still waiting for them to show up!! Robb has called them TWICE and was making another call this morning. Since it is busy time on the farm I am cooking up a storm for the guys and am tired of washing tons of dishes every day! I have reached the point of planning my meals based on what takes the least amount of dishes to prepare! (BTW this is the universal picture for dishwasher posts, right?? :-))))) On Saturday morning I woke up to 40 degree weather and couldn't get to the coffee pot quick enough! I NEEDED that cup of coffee to warm me up and get my mind off the fact that it is the end of May and temps reached close to FREEZING the night before! Well, you can imagine the tantrum I threw when I went to turn it on and NOTHING happened! I quickly carried it around the kitchen trying other outlets then doing a once-over of the appliance and then shedding a FEW TEARS! This CAN'T BE HAPPENING! Okay, after pouting for most of the day I decided I can at least blog about my BAD LUCK. So I grab my trusty digital camera that I LOVE OH SO MUCH and push the power button only to see BLACK and hear a little bit of a NOISE. I changed the battery and pushed a few buttons and......NOTHING. At this point I didn't throw a tantrum or shed a tear, I simply put it down and made sure I didn't say, "What more could go wrong?!?" Oh, what a week!

Quotes to live by

"When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and I could say, 'I used everything You gave me.' " Erma Bombeck