Time Away and Time Flying

The flash got to him~ What a nut!

for his modeling portfolio... :-)

brothers, brothers...there were never such devoted brothers (White Christmas, anyone?)

Another favorite Asher shot.

We returned today from a busy time away. We took Ezra to my sister's house yesterday, then Delton, Asher and I headed to Lewisburg for a Cen-Pe-Co meeting. It was nice to just focus on Asher. Delton had a great time at the meetings. I enjoyed the peace and quiet of being in a hotel room, having nothing pressing to do while Asher napped. I even took a nap this morning! It was so nice to pick up Ezra and hear how his time went! He had a blast!

On the way home, Delton and I were talking about how to get across to Ezra that Jesus is the reason for Christmas. To backtrack a bit, we made the mistake of showing Ezra "Polar Express" on Christmas Eve. Since then, Ezra has continued to remind us that Santa brings presents! We must have mentioned gifts/presents in the car ride today, because Ezra once again brought up Santa! Thus the conversation as to the meaning of Christmas. As Delton and I talked, Ezra piped up again from the back seat. "Jesus rose 'gain. Jesus rose 'gain". Perhaps the theology is a bit off (Jesus rose, He is coming again...) but somehow he caught hold of a part of the Easter story. He is learning and growing almost daily, it seems.
I added some pictures- mostly of Asher, because I've caught some cute moments recently. He is 11 months old today. Can't believe it.

Can't get much cuter than that in this mom's biased eyes!

Our life in pictures

Bath Time!

Asher

The VonLehman family singers....???

Eating crackers

Mourning the Loss

We found out this morning that a young adult in our church passed away in his sleep overnight. He was our drummer and played with Delton on the worship team. It is hard to wrap my mind around his passing- He went to sleep, and woke up in Heaven. We can ask for no better transition. He knows! He knows what heaven is like, what fellowship with the Father is like. And yet, as a mom, I realize that his family is experiencing such a loss. So many lasts, and no more firsts. His funeral is Friday.
Our boys are doing well. Asher is rolling around, maneuvering to get to the toys he wants. Ezra is potty-trained. Yeah! Life is continuing, and we are enjoying it and trying to make the most of every moment.

February Update

Fresh from a bath, Ezra loves the next step, being "nake" until we get his pajamas on him.

My sister Katelyn, who came to GA with us, took this picture of Ezra and Delton.

My hubby!

Ezra enjoying himself at breakfast while on vacation.

The four of us enjoying the immensity of the ocean.

Life continues. Things I anticipate for so long are suddenly here and gone, and new interests fill my mind. Georgia? Oh, yes. I guess we did go to GA a few weeks ago. It was good, fun, and a bundle of strategizing to get two kids, accustomed to their own bedrooms, to sleep in one hotel room along with mom and dad and aunt Katelyn. Besides having to extricate Ezra's head from under the bed around 2 a.m. and Asher waking up 5 times in one night, we had a great time. Really.

Now, potty-training and two year old issues are at the forefront of my mind and my day. Potty-training was my agenda for this week. I told Delton today that I have down-graded potty-training from a career to a hobby. It is going well, and I am taking it slowly.

As far as "two-year old issues", Delton and I are learning that Ezra truly has a will, and things may get worse before they get better. Example: Ezra, who has been navigating the stairs unassisted for almost a year now, decided this morning that I needed to carry him down. Sorry, buddy. 33 minutes later, he finally made it down. He was diaper-less the entire time, so I knew I may end up with a mess on my hands (I didn't), but I was willing to take the risk. I kept imagining myself in a store with Ezra and dealing with a conflict of wills there. I would much rather teach him who is in control at home rather that fight it out in front of others- or simply give in to his demands. So- that was my morning. After a few tears after coming downstairs, he was the happiest, most pleasant little boy. Consistency has its rewards.

I am now on Facebook. It is so much fun to let everyone know what I am doing every moment of every day. I love changing my status! Right now, my status is "Charity is blogging while the boys sleep, but knows there is soooo much to be done, so she should get off the computer before it is too late..."

Adios, amigas!

Home Sweet Home

We are home... Yeah!
After a great week in NC and GA, we arrived home at 6 today. I will share some pictures soon. Right now, I am going to bed.

Coming into his own...

Asher had a rather limited view of Georgia last year, unfortunately.

Georgia last year- Ezra was dancing to the music.

Delton and Ezra at our first convention, 2008. We are so excited to be returning with both our boys- so excited that Ezra will be able to enjoy everything so much more. Grace to Katie, my sister, who is coming along to help us out. Does she know what she is in for? :)

Asher loves to play with balls. Why does this excite me so much? Because it is the polar opposite of Ezra's toy choice, which has always been pens, screwdrivers, and other long narrow items. And Asher likes balls!!! It has been so much fun watching Asher's enjoyment of the two balls we have scrounged up (one came from the church nursery on Sunday. whoops. It will be returning this Sunday...). We had an 11 month old at our house on Tuesday. He tried to get the ball from Asher- and Asher held on tight, even ducking his head and protecting the ball with his chin. I want to go out and buy him a bin of balls! I am so glad that Asher is Asher, not a mini Ezra. The only forseeable problem with this...Ezra's toys never rolled away from him!

Things heard around our house recently:

Me: We are having lunch soon.
Ezra: No want lunch. Want 'nack. (somehow he realized that he gets less healthy choices for snacks- now he wants snacks instead of breakfast, lunch, and dinner!)

Me: No, Ezra, we don't pick our nose while we are cooking... (!!!!)

Me: Here is a cookie (or toy, or video, or anything where there is a choice)
Ezra: No. Want blue one. (color has nothing to do with it. Somehow, he has latched on to "blue", and everything that he wants is "the boo one". )

We are having fun, enjoying the snow today. Delton is running errands with Ezra, Asher is (correction...was) asleep, and I am taking advantage of the quiet. We leave for Georgia in a few weeks, so I am excited about preparing for that. Any advice on taking two young children on a car trip?

Some other milestones- Asher is having trouble sleeping because he has discovered that he can turn over onto his stomach, but hasn't figured out how to roll onto his back from the position. I keep finding him yelling, on his tummy, in the corner of his crib. I don't remember Ezra going through this- hopefully, this means that Asher will crawl!

Ezra counted to 3 this week~ He hasn't made it past two before. His counting was a bit deja vu-ish (1,2,1,2,1,2 ...didn't he just say that?). But this week he was jumping on our bed, counting, and he made it to three!!! I can't describe how exciting it is to watch your children grow and learn and discover- I know all you moms know what I am talking about. It makes you want to cry and laugh and pop your buttons for pride!! What a blessing our boys are!

Well, I have to get a kleenex and wipe my eyes, then go get Asher, who is upstairs talking... Goodbye.

Confessions of a Mom on a Learning Curve

I was on my way to Bible Study. My mind was filled with regrets- regrets that I had gotten upset with Ezra that morning, regrets of leaving a house that was chaotic and in need of attention. As I drove, I considered turning around and just going home. I kept driving. Our car, which is scheduled to go to the shop on Monday, started acting funny. I turned around and went home.

I threw both boys in bed- Asher to sleep, and Ezra to take his usual quiet time. I started cleaning. Ezra came down, and we kept cleaning. Asher, who woke up with a cold that morning, slept 1 1/2 hours for his morning nap, then 3 1/2 hours after lunch. Ezra played and played, then took a great nap. I had hours in the afternoon to finish puttering, have quiet time, work on a project...

All this to say that turning around was probably one of the best decisions I have ever made (Earlier, I called it THE BEST decision ever, and Delton took issue with that!). So, while I may not have passed the test with flying colors, I know I passed. I have only to look at my house, my boys, and my quiet spirit to know the results!

Blessings to you...

Christmas pictures

My boys on Christmas!

Mugging for the camera...

Ezra got a Craftsman tool work bench and tools for Christmas. He sees Daddy put nails in his mouth as he is working, so...

Delton made two tea rings. I'd have to say they were on par with the best I've ever tasted!

There is something about this age, something about Asher that makes my heart swell with pride and love. It is hard to express how much he is loved!

We had a great Christmas, and the festivities are not over yet. Enjoy the pictures.

For those of you who don't get Reader's Digest, here is a Christmas joke I keep laughing about...

Grandma decided not to buy gifts for everyone this year but just send them money. She sent the checks along with a note that said, "Buy your own gifts". A few months later, grandma was cleaning out some papers and found the checks she thought she mailed with the note... :)

A Day in the Life...

I was awakened at 5:30 a.m. by the sound of a little boy calling out. "Mom! Mommy! Da! Please!" It is so cute, but yet so annoying. I finally rolled out of bed at 6 or so, after having a little boy sit next to me for several minutes, talking about juice and "dark"- he wanted the light turned on.
Breakfast was eaten- the dishes piled in the sink, along with the dishes from supper last night. We played. Asher took a nap, Mom showered, Ezra played with the vacuum attachments in his crib.
I planned to work on Christmas cards while Ezra watched a "choo-choo" on Delton's laptop. My dad called, and I spent the next 20 minutes working on sending him pictures of everyone in my family for my parents Christmas letter that I was going to generate but couldn't. Long, boring story.
After helping my dad, I took a credit card, wet wipe, and a Curious George library book and tried to do some surgery on a book that should have been returned weeks ago (the library informed me I had exceeded the maximum number of times you are allowed to renew a book. I asked if there was anything they could do so I didn't incur a fee until I could get it in. They renewed it. :) Ezra had scribbled all over two of the pages. I don't know where I was, but he spent some serious time scribbling- he focused his attention on curious george who got more than his fair share of red crayon. I have been procrastinating cleaning the book. Good thing the library has a renewal limit...
Asher woke up. I decided to run errands. Dad Lehman agreed to watch Asher. Ezra and I went to Martins. He rode in the cart with a car in front- the main reason I go to Martins! The cashier forgot to ask for my Customer Card- I had to go over to Customer Service and wait in line, then wait while the accountant counted the money in the drawer. Saved 3.01.
Ezra ran away from me in the parking lot, so no "pop" at the bank. Unhappy child and mom drive to Christian bookstore. Along the way, I hear "pop?" multiple times, as well as please, and even see him sign "yes, ma'am!" Each time I said no, there was a new eruption.
I got exactly what I needed at the bookstore- it was a rush! I love spending money!
Get home with both boys- Ezra eats a piece of ham lunchmeat and his leftover eggs from breakfast in his highchair in the kitchen doorway as I nurse Asher in the living room. Ezra almost falls asleep in his highchair as I change Asher's diaper.
Both boys fall asleep. I eat lunch, do dishes, then hear Asher waking up. I put Asher in his exersaucer and work on Christmas cards. Asher gets fussy. I play with him, feed him, and put him to sleep again.
I sat down to work on Christmas cards again, but had to post all the threads of today that are running around in my mind.
Blessings to you. Have a great Thursday.
P.S. Ezra wakes up, and the day keeps on going...

Tradition

One of the last steps in making Tea Rings

Mom letting Ezra help with the process...

The new face of CenPeCo...

David (my brother) visited his girlfriend, Molly, in Italy, where she was studying for a semester. I look forward to hearing more about their time when I see them at Christmas. The little he has said about it makes it seem awesome- David loved every minute of it! In this picture, they are standing at the back entrance of a castle started in 1201. He said it had a moat and a drawbridge and everything. Amazing!

Daniel and Cynthia (law school grads) on the Pacific coast. Beautiful!

As the boys grow older, I have more of a desire to both pass down traditions and establish new ones for our family. My mom came down on Wednesday and we made Swedish Tea Rings, a Christmas tradition in my family. Every year, mom would make tea rings for Christmas. Tea Rings are made with a sweet bread dough. Butter, brown sugar, cinammon and raisins are spread on the rolled out dough. The dough is rolled into a log, formed into a circle, then cut partially and laid down on the pan. After it is baked, we drizzled frosting on it, then placed maraschino cherries on top. It seemed more like Christmas this year because there were tea rings in my home.

We have the Sollenberger Christmas gathering tomorrow. I am really looking forward to it. I love the festivities of Christmas. We keep our schedule pretty free, so the business of the Christmas season centers around family get-togethers, which I love. This year (finally!!) we get to have a Lengeman Christmas get-together at my parents. My brother and his girlfriend as well as my sister Krystal will be in from Iowa. That means that everyone except my brother and his wife, who live in CA, will be together. 8 out of 9- not too shabby. (By the way- my brother and his wife found out recently that they both passed the bar- three years of law school have paid off and they are done! My brother is now a District Attorney for Riverside County in California. I am so proud of him!)

Asher fell asleep a little before 6 this evening. Amazing. He woke up to eat at 8, then fell asleep so deeply I checked twice to make sure he was breathing! Ezra is asleep, there is Christmas music playing, the tree is lit, we are home, and I am at peace.

Blessings to you this Christmas Season.

Is there tuna in the pantry?

Ezra went to work with Delton Friday morning for a few hours. He had to take his tools with him!

Cousins!

I guess I forgot to say "Cheese"

Yes, we were tourists. I couldn't resist taking a picture of the bridge!

What a blur. Thanksgiving has come and gone, the weekend is over, and I am again able to focus on being a mom. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving, visiting several sides of the family and enjoying the great fellowship and food.

On Friday, we drove to my sister's home. We spent the evening, and then Delton, Asher and I left for Long Island, New York around 11:30 a.m. We left Ezra with my sister, thinking that playing with cousins all day would be more enjoyable for him than 6 hours of driving. We went to Long Island to see a college roommate I hadn't seen in 10 years. She was having a baby shower and invited us. It was crazy, but we decided to do it. It was a wonderful time. We saw the New York City skyline, crossed the George Washington bridge, paid a huge amount of tolls, drove in city traffic, and arrived with no problems! We were at the shower for 4 hours (Delton hung out with her husband and his friends, thankfully!), then turned around and came home. Did you hear about the person who was trampled at a Walmart store? That happened in Long Island- a few minutes away from where the shower was located.

Asher had cried for about 45 minutes on the way to my sister's house the night before. Needless to say, we were a bit tense about the drive to the shower. God is sooooo faithful! Asher made one whimper in 6 hours. Seriously. He whimpered, I fed him, and he was good to go. He fell asleep on the drive home and slept the entire time. It was such a peaceful time. We actually had much more trouble getting home from my sister's house last evening- we hit crazy traffic on 81 as everyone (including us) was returning from their long Thanksgiving weekend.

I went shopping with my mom and sisters over the weekend. As I was trying some clothes on in the dressing room, I heard a woman in the next stall say the comment that I used as the title. She was on the phone with someone. I had to smile- what a random comment to overhear! I came away with some fun clothes from Kohl's, a birthday gift from Delton. Thanks, D!

P.S. I got some picture frames from Kohl's for a steal- 1.99 and 2.99 for $20 and $30 frames. If you are looking for frames, that may be a place to look!

Hope you had a great time this Thanksgiving. It is fun to start anticipating Christmas.

Happy Thanksgiving

Ezra sitting in the same chair I probably sat in as a child, in the same senior citizen center where we have had my dad's sides Thanksgiving for as long as I can remember

Ezra, Talon and Cale-cousins and second cousins getting acquainted.

This is for you, Andrea.

My three youngest sisters. What a beautiful trio.

This is what Thanksgiving has looked like for me- at least until I met Delton! Now, we get to celebrate in several different ways and with several different sides of the family.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Another wonderful Thanksgiving is over. Delton and I are home, the boys are in bed, and we are about the finish "Rudy", a movie I first watched years ago and recently found on hulu.com.

We went to the Lehman side for brunch this morning, my dad's side in Harrisburg for lunch, then to mom and dad Lehman and Grandma Sollenberger's for supper. I paced myself very well throughout the day, but at the end of the third meal, I was completely overstuffed. I was miserable!!!

We have so much to be thankful for. I came home and saw that there is an ongoing incident in Mumbai (Kenya?) where many people have been killed. It always make me feel shaky when things like this happen. I hurt for those involved. Somehow, the fact that it is not on U.S. soil makes it easier for me to process the fear- when it is something that happens here, then it could happen to me, and I have a harder time dealing with it. All that to say, we have so much to thank God for. Even beyond circumstances, He is Good!!

Blessings to you! Thanks for reading my blog.