This is what I have been waiting for

Earlier in my blog, I dedicated a post about how, as a mother, I had always dreamed of dressing my kids in matching outfits. Well, readers, there is another silly little event that I have been eagerly awaiting since the second time a pee-stick said "positive": bath time!
   But not just any bath time, readers. No, I'm talking about everybody in bath time! Like so:

 It was Witten's first time in the tub without any baby tub or safety ring, He loved it! So much more water to splash!

Noah seemed to enjoy it as well. I mean, he wasn't over the moon excited, but he enjoyed passing toys to his brother and then taking the toys that Witten had.
  I remember the pictures of me and my siblings in the tub. You know, those pictures that embarrass you to death but everybody has one or more of them doing it? Yeah, that's what I'm talking about.
   Well, another joyous milestone reached. Now, I get to treasure the pictures I took until the boys are old enough to realize that they are embarrassed of them. Then, they will be my tools of possible humiliation. Stay in line, teenaged Noah and Witten, or your future girlfriends are gonna get an adorable eyeful of baby booty.   

How'd you get to be so sweet?

Noah's copin' a 'tude with me. Within the past two weeks, he has shifted gears from whining when he wants something to demanding when he wants something. He will use a very mean voice and say something to the tune of, "Mommy, give me my cup right now!" Needless to say, I have been working very hard to correct this new, unpleasant behavior. Since this strange change in my son, I feel like I spend most of my time with him correcting or disciplining him. It drives me crazy! Not because his behavior is odious and makes me mad, though sometimes it does, it's because I love my child so much I hate being upset with him. I want him to be compliant and grateful and pleasant all the time and instead he's being such a two year old!
  I realize, friends, that good children are formed by patient, loving, yet consistent discipline from involved parents, so I will not lose sight of my goal for my son. Nor will I give up on what I have to do to help him become the man God and I want him to be.
   As for Witten, aside from the occasional bite, he's darn near perfect. Both of my sons are so adorable. Both of them are magnets for old folks and their kind compliments. Both of them are sneakily running away with my heart. Someday, they're going to team up with their Daddy and end me with an unbearably sweet display of love. I'm thinking next Mother's day or something. As for now, I will wallow in this massive blessing God has dumped on me and capture as much of it as I can on camera. Here's an example:

   

Obligatory Blog. Oblogatory.

I'm sorry for the delay in posting, friends, but my heart's just not been into it lately. So much to distract me from blogging has been going on lately. I wish I had the drive to report all the cute tales of my two studly muffins in a fun and easy to read blog post, but I'm not feelin' it. Instead, I think I'll go eat a snack and nap while I can.

Oh Lord. please hear my prayer

I have found myself praying a lot lately. Granted, I pray daily regardless of my or my friends' and relatives' circumstances, but this past week or two, I have been praying a lot. I'm not bragging, I promise.
As of lately, God has been bringing issue after concern after praise after heartache after joyful news after fearful scenario my way, and my first response is to send it right back His way in prayer. I act when I can to help meet physical needs or encourage emotional distress, but my attempts more often then not feel feeble, especially when I've been presented with a huge dilemma. That's why I thank God for the opportunity to approach Him, unafraid that He would reject me or my words, and present my requests and pour out my praises at his feet. Even as I lift up my worries, fears, pains or concerns, I praise Him, for I know he hears me.
  "How do you know He hears you?" you may ask. Dear readers, I know because I have seen my prayers answered. Sometimes it takes days/weeks/years of bombarding the throne of God with the same request, but sometimes it happens immediately. Sometimes, God answers my prayers as I was hoping he would, in a fashion that suits my plans and fits comfortably into my life. Often, God makes me all uncomfortable with a response that I was not anticipating or wanting at all. (I know why He does that though. How can there be growth of any kind if there is no change?)
  I type this to say that my God is so BIG, so strong, and so mighty, there is nothing my God cannot do, and that my hope for you, dear reader, is that you will not let a seemingly silent listener discourage your prayer life. Prayer is powerful, use it wisely.

  Noah making Witten laugh as Witten wishes he could climb on the table like big brother can:

This is rare. Had to share. Rhyme

Toby and I have an interesting relationship. I like dogs, especially big dogs, but Toby is a one-of-a-kind dog. He has the stubborn temperament and downright haughty personality that Great Pyrenees dogs are known for, so he has the tendency of getting on my last nerve with his blatant disobedience.
    What? You want me to go outside? But I don't want to. I'm going to lumber lazily into your bedroom as you watch me do it instead. 
Don't get me wrong, Toby is a good dog. He's very patient with Noah and all his friends and he saved Stephan's oldest brother from a pit bull once. He even tolerates other dogs, should my sister or someone else have to leave their pooch in our back yard for a bit. And he loves being loved on. If you start scratching his head, don't expect to stop anytime soon. He'll poke/scratch you with his big, heavy paw until you resume scritching his ears. Heck, if Toby would stay clean and fragrant instead of dirty and crazy-stinky, and if he'd stop shedding for at least one week out of the year, I would have no qualms with him being an indoor dog.
  To sum up, I consider Toby to be Stephan's dog who puts up with me because he has to and I feel the same about him.
   That's why I thought it strange and sweet when Toby sought me out for comfort during the last thunderstorm.

     Even though Stephan, his favored owner, was in the house, he snuck sneakily down the hallway and nestled up to my legs. I petted and scratched him until he felt confident enough to get up and walk away, then I washed my hands. Boy, is that dog dirty.
    The moral of this story: I guess that dog is okay.

Witten loves his daddy, by the way.

Oh brother

They're the best of friends.
Noah loves his brother. Even at only 7 months, I can clearly tell that Witten adores his older brother.

Noah loves to hug and kiss his brother. He especially loves to hold his little hands.

Noah always wants to show Witten how to play with toys and he loves to read him books.

 Witten can't run and play and wrestle and climb with Noah yet, and the size difference between them is still rather drastic, but he is his big bro's bet bud.

Watching this loving, tender, brotherly relationship grow as it has been is making this mother's heart so glad. I think it makes for a happier Witten, too.

Show yourself, selfish house

I wish there was a "self clean" setting for houses. I'm pretty amazing at cleaning my house in a hurry, since I've been practicing so much lately, but I still don't like the panic-mode-type of cleaning that I do almost daily. Don't get me wrong, I'm more than happy that our house is showing so much and I do love a clean home, I just wish that my home would stay clean when the boys and I are in it as opposed to only when I'm gone and other peeps are viewing it.
  Ne'er the less, I consider it pure joy that God has granted me this day to live, explore, visit loved ones, and eat good food. (My mother-in-law can out-cook your mother-in-law!)
  Be blessed, dear readers!

Earth, meet Stephan's face. Stephan's face, the earth.

My husband has not joined a fight club, nor has he taken up bmx-ing or some other hazardous sport/activity. He just went bike-riding through the park on what turned out to be a rather defective bike. Long story short- after the front tire ran away from him in mid-jump, Stephan hit the earth hard, cleverly taking the majority of the fall with his face. This was the end result:

It was even prettier before he left for work this morning.

I tell the epic tale of Stephan's face plant because it is a tale of God's ever-watchful care. When I say Stephan landed on his face, I literally mean his face. There was no shoulder hitting first, then quickly rolling to his face. The order of collision was cheekbone and jawline immediately followed by neck and shoulder. Where are you seeing God's protection in this, Colette? Good question, reader, and the answer is simple. Stephan's alive. He walked away from a helmet-less accident that could have broken his neck or at the very least his collar bone. So said the paramedic that was jogging past as Stephan's bike fell apart. The worst injury he's going to have to content with is a sore, blessedly unbroken face.
   This exercise in dangerous exercising and the results thereof reminds me once again how blessed I am. Often I find myself grumbling in my head about this discomfort or that annoyance that I may be enduring at the time and I have to stop myself and say, "Self, stop! Look at your life! Why the h-e-double-hockey-sticks are you complaining?" Even if God chooses to take away all the unnecessary comforts He has bestowed upon us, let me praise His name, for He has given me His Holy Spirit. And, He saved Stephan from living out the rest of his life as a paraplegic, at the same time giving him a pretty sweet scar and a story to tell our sons when they grow older and want to ride their bike without helmets.

  "Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content."
1 Timothy 6:6-8

Oh, to be young again

Noah got excited about a new lamp. Not just any lamp, mind you, a Lightening McQueen lamp. His daddy is awesome and loves him, so yesterday, after work, he went to Ross and found this really neat lamp. When Noah saw it, especially after he saw it lit up, he flipped his lid. How excited was he?

I wish I saw young and innocent enough to get that excited over something as simple as a lamp. The last time I got a-tad-bit-crazy excited was when my bestie surprised the snot out of me with a really cute shirt on her little girl that said "Big sister". Then I did indeed jump and squeal and laugh and yell for a while. God bless you, Aubrey, for giving me a reason to be two-year-old-with-a-lamp-in-the-shape-of-his-favorite-thing-ever excited.
 
   Be blessed, dear readers!

In the morning when I rise, give me Jesus

Good morning. It is early, but I wanted to type a post today and this day has potential to be a busy day, so I thought I'd knock one out before the rest of the house wakes up.
   Not much news to report. Witten's stinking adorable and has three and a half teeth. He's also so close to crawling. Noah is continuing to test boundaries and be your average 2 year-old. I love him so much and it really pains me when I feel like I'm constantly correcting, chastising, scolding, or disciplining him. Then suddenly, out of the blue, he'll say, "Mommy, I wanna hold you!" and my heart smiles so big and I know he still loves me.
  Stephan and the Stand are doing very well. He recently referred to it as his "second marriage" because of how much time and effort he puts into maintaining it. I only laughed a little. God has blessed us by sending along a new employee who will hopefully enable Stephan to come home from work before the kids' bedtime         And because I'm in a bit of a rush, as the rest of my household is awakening, I'll close with a hearty and joyful congratulations to Rachel and Alan Thomas and their brand new baby, Jonah! I pray that your first few days, weeks, and months are a smooth and peaceful transition into parenthood and being a happy and God-centered family of three.
   Hey, Johnson! You're next. (Imagine an ominous voice and steady, serious glare.)
Be blessed this weekend, readers!