Ladybugs & Stinkbugs

Okay, I couldn't resist.

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These are just adorable (of course, that's the Mom in me speaking). We got a Wii 2-3 weeks ago, and so far it is a big hit - with the grown-ups as well as the kids. =) The Sports games that the Wii comes with are really fun for Annie & Andrew. Matthew likes the more advanced games a little bit better, and Andrew LOVES the HotWheels game that we got for him, but these are still the most consistently played.

Andrew is just hilarious to watch - when he's doing everything, and this is no exception. He just makes you laugh!




Annie's got such a graceful bowl! She looks really cute playing tennis (or "tennessee" as Andrew calls it), but I didn't get any video of that.

Here are some more pictures of my garden. I am having so much fun! It was a lot of work (and money!) to get this planted, but now we get to pick the fruit and eat it!

I'm a little disappointed - my zucchini had LOTS of blooms, but we don't have any fruit yet...hmmmmmm. So we're still waiting on that. But the tomatos are doing well, as are the cucumbers.

Jeremy's in Boston with the Restoration (high school & college) Choir on a mission trip. He'll be gone until next Saturday, so please pray for him!

(You can check out the choir here and here.)

Remember him? One of my heroes from childhood!





As far as I can tell from Google, Psalty really did show up at Saddleback. Wouldn't I love a video of that?!

My Dad went to Russia in February. If you are interested in seeing the pictures, here is the link:

http://s252.photobucket.com/albums/hh10/lindsaydowns1/Russia/

Here is an update on Little Man Downs. He's no almost 8 months old!!! It's crazy! His two bottom teeth are completely in, and he is getting four new ones on the top - all at once! He's the best teething baby!

He's still not sleeping great, but that's the ONLY complaint we have with this little one! He's happy all the time, he enjoys watching his brothers and sister, he likes to go places, and he likes to stay home. What more can you ask for?? =)))))

Jake (Jakey, Little Man, whatever) is still scooting like a commando crawling through the bushes. But he's also starting to pull up and stand everywhere he goes - it's possible he'll be walking before he's technically crawling. Won't those be fun pictures!

More pictures Here!

A couple of cute videos from the past few weeks. If you'd like to see more, check out the Photobucket link to the right.

The kids singing at church. It is so sweet hearing them sing and worship!



The kids enjoying singing during music & dance at VBS.



Jacob drinking lemonade.

Here are a few pictures from Landra's wedding. You can also follow the link at the bottom of the page to see the whole album. I've tried to list who everyone is and (to the best of my knowledge) how everyone is related. Happy viewing!

Ok, I have had a ton of requests for MORE INFO about our E.R. trip. Sorry for being so ambiguous in my previous post - I was in a hurry. :)

In order to better serve you, I am posting two versions of the story: the Long Version and the Short Version. You may choose which format you prefer.

Short Version
Mom (Granny) went to the ER after a really bad fall. They did X-rays and CT scans and nothing was broken. She was given pain medication and sent home around 1:30am.

Long Version
The day of Landra's wedding dawned rainy - that sweet, warm kind of rain that feels nice and refreshing.....okay, okay just kidding - it's not THAT long!

After Landra's wedding, we all went home to rest, except for mom and Leanne. They stayed to finish up some cleaning in the reception hall. We had been home about 1 1/2 hours when Leanne called and said Mom had fallen - she had tripped over one of the parking curbs and fallen straight down on her face. She had hurt her wrist, cheekbone and knee. They had called an ambulance because they thought she had lost consciousness for about 30 seconds.

They got her right in at the ER, and the doctor saw her and ordered a CT scan and x-ray for her cheek and wrist. Then we waited...and waited...and waited...

They finally came back and said nothing was broken, nothing was wrong, and she could go home - with some really strong pain medicine!

She spent yesterday recovering and seems to be doing really well today - sore, but lots better.

Thanks for all of your concern!

Our week from "H" "E" "Double Hockey Sticks" is over!!! We are very> glad of this. As exciting as the last week as been (and it has been exciting), as meaningful and important as each event has been, we are terribly glad that we don't have to do it any more!

Our week went something like this:
Up as early as possible (which was at least 20 minutes later than it needed to be)
Eat breakfast, then Out the door (sometimes vice versa)
VBS-ing all morning
Home for naps
Over to Mom's to visit with family
Eat dinner
Hang out til way too late
Get the kids in bed
Get US in bed
Repeat

The weekend included my sister's wedding, and a trip to the emergency room.

There are several parts of this weekend that I never want to repeat again. However, there are other parts of it that I am disappointed have come to an end. Jerry, Leanne, Brandon & Jeremy came down (Brandon for the first time in AGES), and we got to hang out w/them - but not nearly long enough! I was sad they had to go home.

I didn't mention AJ & JEssi b/c they didn't leave - they will be staying with us until after camp. We LOVE having them every summer!

This is awesome. Simply awesome.

The Walk Before the Water.

My sister-n-law is doing something really creative for her girls when they lose a tooth. When I saw this, I thought, "What a way to make some lasting memories with your kids!" I love things that will help kids remember their childhood. I have so many blank spots when it comes to looking back on mine, but the things I remember are the things that my parents took the time to make special - or things they did over and over again - or, of course, things I really didn't like! Some of my favorite childhood memories:

Christmas! Of course. Mostly I remember my mom hiding presents, and Landra looking for them. I also remember it always seemed like my sister got something a little cooler than the thing I had gotten the year before. =) I remember a radio with a television tuner in it. Oh, and then there was the year I got a typewriter - that was awesome!

Video Games Back them it was Nintendo. I think Atari existed, but family didn't know what that was. It was Super Mario brothers and Zelda, and maybe Jeopardy. I remember my mom and dad playing with us in the living room - it was a blast for us, but Mom hated it. I would get SO FRUSTRATED when I couldn't get Ms. Princess out of the Scary Castle and away from the Bad Guy. It's the important things, right?

Going Out to Eat I confess. This is one of my favorite things to do. (I know, I've heard all about the money you can save eating at home, but, frankly, I don't buy it. Well, maybe I do "buy" it. That's what we're talking about, right?) I think the reason I like eating out so much is because it was always such an adventure when we were young. I remember Shoney's strawberry pie, Dad getting upset when we spilled drinks (and banning us from using straws until we were married), and, of course, the "Dr. Pepper" incident.

I have to tell this story. Forgive me, Landra!

We were eating at Luby's with some friends, having a Very Serious Discussion. I think we were trying to figure out all there was to know about the End Times and Christ's return. (Of course, since the Bible doesn't tell us All There is to Know, we were having to invent a few things along the way!) I was an older teenager, and, as usual, more interested in the fascinating Biblical discussions that were going on than my sister was. Unknown to the rest of us, as we were in the middle of intense debate, she was in deep thought. While we were talking about the Tribulation, and the pain and agony that unbelievers would experience during the worst time in history, she was staring at her Dr. Pepper and drinking out of her straw. As we moved on to the Rapture, she slowly took her straw out of her drink, turned it upside down, and began to drink again. By the time we were talking about the Great White Throne judgment, she had, again, taken her straw out, turned it upside down, and continued to drink.

As we all sat back, satisfied that we had "accurately handled" the subject matter, Landra sat up and opened her mouth to speak. We all looked at her, waiting to hear to words of wisdom she had been holding in during our entire conversation. She had the answers to the questions that had been plaguing us! Maybe she could tell us whether the Tribulation would happen after the Rapture, or before, or during! What truth had God revealed to her during our discussion?

She looked at us all very intently and said, "Did you know Dr. Pepper tastes different from one end of the straw than it does from the other?"

Pause.

Laughter.

Not just giggly-laughter. The kind of laughter where you are holding your side, you are crying, and you can't take a breath because you are laughing so hard. This comment jolted us from our "other-worldly" discussions and slammed us down into reality - where Landra had been sitting for the last 30 minutes.

She looked at us with a confused expression, and said, "What? It does!!!" Which, of course, only served to make us laugh harder!

These are the kinds of memories that I will remember forever. They are also the moments that bind people together. Anyone who was there will remember that incident, and many who weren't there feel like they were because we've told that story so many times!

What are your favorite memories? What did your parents do, or what are you doing for your kids, that capture these moments like a snapshot in your mind, and allow you to replay them and remember them for the rest of your life?

My intention this summer was to take the entire summer off until Music Camp in late July. That hasn't worked out so far! The VBS ladies (yes, that is their official title) converted my mother into a zealot for their cause, and she resorted to shameless flattery to convince me to teach during VBS. (How can you resist "We really need teachers who really know the Bible and really love kids" etc etc...)

Really, I'm excited, though. I've been teaching a summer Sunday School class for 3rd-5th graders called "How to Study your Bible," and it has reminded me how much I enjoy teaching. So I'm looking forward to next week, even though it will be a busy one.

So, this week is my "getting ready for music camp" week. Music camp won't happen until late July, but there is child care at the church (thanks, VBS ladies), and I'm taking advantage of that. Of course, I've insulted my 7-year-old, insinuating, evidently, that he is a child by forcing him into the confines of "the nursery wing," but, well, you can't please everyone. Annie & Andrew are happy to go play with their friends, and I'm getting lots done. (Jacob, however, is going through the 6-month-old stage of separation anxiety, and I think he's teething, too. The combination is not good for the nursery workers. )

Anyway, I may be a bit behind on my blogging for the next couple of weeks - but don't despair! I'll be up & running after VBS next week.

We bought a Wii! We went & spent $$$$ on the kids as their part of our tax stimulus pkg (the rest will fix the a/c in our van).

Pulling up!

Okay, this is scary. I definitely did not expect this to happen quite so early. Is it okay to push them over?? =)

Okay, so I'm kidding...mostly.

Matthew loves helping his little brother; and Jakey definitely loves having the attention.

If you're a parent, you know your children never look cuter than when they're sleeping!! Here's proof:



Don't ask my why my children, who all have perfectly nice, warm, comfortable beds, would all prefer to sleep on the floor!! Annie sleeps in the boys' room every night with her brothers, and they all end up sleeping on the floor together.



Matthew is a good sleeper - always has been. Get him to hold still (and stop talking) and he's sound asleep. Anywhere, anytime.



Annie's a very light sleeper. She may be confused when you come in there, but she's gonna be awake. She also has the hardest time actually falling asleep. She has lain awake for hours before, just still and quiet, because she can't fall asleep.



Drew's the hard sleeper. You can't wake him up with a crane, a jackhammer, or a hurricane (I wonder where he gets that?). Seriously, I've picked him up, taken him into the bathroom, turned the light on, and set him down and he still hasn't woken up!

We go in and check on them each night before we go to sleep (an old habit from the infant "are they still breathing" phase), and there's nothing that will fill your heart as quickly as taking the time to stop and look at the blessings that God has laid at your feet, in the form of loud, wiggly, messy - and beautiful - children.

Okay, I thought this was really cute: the kids riding a horse!! (And, yes, "The kids" does include Jeremy!) Thanks to Shelly & the girls for letting us ride!

Matthew is learning the catechism right along with Annie. Here he is reciting, with Annie asking the questions:

Here is a photo of how my garden is growing:



It's doing really well. The cucumber is running along the ground and starting to grow up the fence. The zucchini is just taking over! We also have a few bell peppers already on the vine - cute little baby ones. The tomato plants are getting huge, but not a whole lot of blooms yet. Here are some close-ups:


Zucchini Squash


Baby Bell Peppers!!

We are having so much fun taking care of this garden. The kids love to help me keep the grass away from the edges, and they watch me water (sometimes they water without asking...), and are very eager to pick those bell peppers!

Annie's Bible curriculum this year has a catechism that she is learning. You ask her the question, and she responds with the answer about God. She is learning a lot about Him and His truth, and they will be ingrained in her heart as she is memorizing them. Here is her reciting questions 1-5:

Midwife victorious in Penn. case

Jeff Johnson - OneNewsNow - 6/2/2008 6:00:00 AM

A Pennsylvania court has ruled that lay midwives can continue delivering babies in the Keystone State.

The Pennsylvania State Board of Medicine fined Diane Goslin, an internationally certified lay midwife with 25 years experience, and ordered her to stop delivering babies after the board re-defined lay midwifery as the unlicensed practice of medicine. Randy Wenger, chief counsel with the Independence Law Center, represented Goslin.

"For communities who find home births to be important -- particularly, say, the Amish community -- by prohibiting lay-midwifery, it's really going to have a significant effect on a way of life," says the attorney. According to Wenger, the majority of home births in Pennsylvania are to Amish families.

Wenger says the court looked at the strict definition of practicing medicine in reaching its decision. "The appellate court has sided with Ms. Goslin and said that the laws that we have here in the state do not apply to lay-midwifery, and that she can continue her profession and she can continue helping those in the community."

The court did not consider the religious implications of the medical board's decision, Wenger says, as much as it looked at the literal meaning of the law. "So what the Commonwealth Court has done has been to allow home births to continue the way that they have been for, I guess you would say, centuries," Wenger concludes. "And I would applaud what the Commonwealth Court has done. It's sticking by the rule of law and it's standing by freedom."

Had the decision been upheld, Goslin would have faced a fine of $11,000.

Article copied from here.

We are going through it right now!!! I'm not complaining, because things are going really well, but, man, when it rains it pours!!

First, earlier last month, the a/c went out in our van. Jeremy thought it was the evap. coil, so he took it to the dealership. They said it was something different, and "fixed" it - $600 worth of fixing. That was great, and we had a cool van again...until last week. Then it went out AGAIN. We took it back in, and, sure enough, it was the evap coil! Of course, this time it's going to be $1200 to fix, so right now we are "suffering" (as Matthew would say) until we can get the money to fix it.

That was bad enough, but then, the same weekend, the a/c in our HOUSE went out, too! We spent one day in 95 degree weather. It was horrible. But we finally got the guy out there and he fixed it. That was SUCH a blessing.

So, I guess "trials" may be a bit of hyperbole. And "suffering" definitely is.

And Jeremy says we don't need a new van...