While Daddy is away....

...we play, play, and play! He enjoyed a few days up in the mountains of Northern Nevada hunting with his brother. Me and my 3 sons did the usual, ordinary, everyday run of the mill happenings but amidst those were moments sprinkled with the not so ordinary. Simple fun is always the best fun....including a sleepover on mom and dad's bedroom floor! This posting doesn't have much to say so I'll just let the pictures do the talking. (Be forewarned: I took plenty of them.)

Mason working on his puzzle

Carson decorated the bottom part

Austin's flowerpot

yellow pancakes for breakfast Saturday morning! (Austin's soccer team color)

listening to his coach (#3!)

Austin scoring!

Austin stopping the ball

After the soccer game = park time with cousins!

Carson and Jovi going down at the same time

Mason hiding in the tunnel

CJ swinging

Mason seems to be suggesting to Aven where they should go....

After an exhausting afternoon, it was the usual night-time routine, to which Mason could barely keep his eyes open--so he sang good night around 6.  Blissful. 

*snoring*

 

 

 

 

sooooooo tired

...and a movie!!!!

popcorn...

church time!

This afternoon I decided to take the boys apple picking! The catch....it was in our backyard. :) 

so many to choose from!

now where did Carson go???

under the apple tree

Our pickings

 

After an afternoon of snacking on our apples and enjoying the sunshine, we concluded to take all this playing indoors. At one point, it got oddly quiet and I hesitatingly grabbed the camera unsure of what sort of boyish destruction I might find behind the bedroom door (and what I might need as proof someday).....here's what my lovingly mothering eyes beheld....

 ...my little budding artists working on their "masterpieces" before daddy comes home. I love my boys. :)

Uniforms

I was looking through the moments I captured on camera this past week and realized, we have quite the array of uniforms!! Some are similar in style (soccer practice shirts & game jerseys, AWANA--for Cubbies and Sparkys, etc) and yet each is individual just for that particular boy.

CJ ready for Cubbies!  

 

With the older two boys both playing soccer this year our evenings and Saturdays give us temporary residency at the soccer complex. The innocence at this age is almost too much to handle. Little young men saying "sorry" if they hit the ball just above another opponent's head, high-fiving each other after a goal (even if they are on the opposite team), laughing in the middle of the field for some apparent reason. If only the innocence would last through those high school years when competitiveness seems to get the best of them (&/0r the parents!). 

Carson going for the ball

CJ and cousin Daniel love playing soccer together!

my little soccer boy!

Austin running hard for the ball! (he's on the far right)

go #3!

my oldest soccer boy!

 Austin doesn't necessarily have a "uniform" for school, but it's another title he carries around with him now...first grader. And he loves his desk. And his classroom. And his teachers. And the "farm theme" they have established for the school year. I was finally able to peer inside his little desk at all the goodies he keeps in there at his school's open house last week. I must say it was very neat and organized for a 6 year old! :)

Austin's desk at school

  As I was rummaging through the array of photos, I started to ponder how as a mom, you hear different sayings such as "the many hats mom's wear" in regards to all the variety of titles they bear. I guess the same could be said about how many different uniforms we wear--soccer moms, chauffeurs, referees, chefs, coaches, teachers, nurses/doctors (aka...boo-boo fixers), librarians...need I go on? My train of thought continued as I thought about those who wear uniforms are very distinctive--you know their line of work or duty. You know what rank they belong to. I started to think about how as a daughter of the God Most High, is my uniform distinctive? Do I make that known so people are aware of my "rank", of who I belong to? My "uniform" as a mom is pretty clear--you'll hardly ever find me in a store or some other location without a youngin attached to my hip or hand. And my stylin' mini-van seals the deal. :) My "uniform" as a believer in Jesus is not one that can be taken on or off. It's permanent. But washable. It will get dirty...often. But can be made whiter than snow...just as often. I guess in my own way of thinking about such a simple thing as uniforms, it's a good reminder for me that I want to be known whose team I'm on, who I root for, who my coach is, and what game plan I follow. And I want as many people on His team as possible!!

The Anderson's newest addition

You often hear that phrase "the miracle of life" when a newborn makes his or her appearance into the world. Nowadays, seeing a pregnant woman or hearing the news of another baby being born is so commonplace. The story behind that pregnant woman is unknown and it's easy to assume that all went well and all is going well. No complications. I have friends who would give anything to be that pregnant woman walking the baby aisles at Target but for whatever reason, God has chosen that today is not the day for them to conceive. And I know of many others who have miscarried more times than they can count. Yet through it all, God is sovereign and His will prevails...no matter what. It's a matter of us yielding to it. 
   I say this because a few months ago, I, along with the rest of the Anderson family, shed tears of joy to the heart-warming news that there would be another little member added to the family. I would be an auntie again! My sister-in-law (Andy's sister) Heather and her husband Mitch were on the track to have a baby this fall!! Elated. Rejoicing. Overwhelming joy! They were one of those couples who had been trying, praying, wondering when it would be "their turn" again to give Daniel a sibling. God chose this spring. 

The Hinton family last fall

   It was in the summer months that I again shed tears but this time, it was tears of confusion. Not understanding. Questions. And dare I admit, a little heartbreak. We were back in MN for our annual summer trip to spend a few weeks with family and friends when I got the call from Heather that my precious little nephew (yes...it's a boy!!) would be born with Spina Bifida. My limited knowledge at the time told me that he may never walk and the road ahead was long with so many unknowns. It wasn't fair. Praise the Lord for the wisdom of my mother as we talked through the shocking news together and she offered words of comfort that I was easily able to pass along. Spina bifida is basically this: a developmental and congenital disorder caused by the incomplete closing of the embryonic neural tube. Some vertebrae overlying the spinal cord are not fully formed and remain unfused and open. The form of spina bifida that  baby Paul (don't you love his name?! So fitting already!) has is myelomeningocele--the most common and most serious type of S.B. Surgery will be necessary within 48 hours of his birth to close up his little back. Paul also has hydrocephalus (excess fluid on the brain) and will be monitored following his surgery. Depending on the severity, he many need a shunt to drain that fluid. Heather will be delivering via c-section on Monday, Oct. 3rd (after an amniocentesis to make sure Paul's lungs are developed) and Paul's surgery will shortly follow. She will be delivering at UCSF, in San Fransisco and depending on how the little man is doing and recovering, will stay for a few weeks. We will make the trek to San Fran as well and I just can't wait to meet this little man. He is going to be so handsome. So perfect. Another boy created by the very hands of our Creator.  "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." (Psalm 139:13-16)  God doesn't make mistakes.

  With all the questions that naturally surround something like this, there seems to be more of those than answers. So much still remains unknown. Underneath it all, however, there is one constant....God's will is prevailing. He hand-picked Mitch and Heather to raise this baby boy, chose them to be the parents of this precious little Paul at this perfect season of life. He has given them the awesome responsibility of raising another boy who will hopefully come to love the Lord as much as they do, to have the kind of faith they have. That is one thing that continues to be the center as we walk through this together--our faith as a family will not be shaken. Only made stronger. Paul is not even technically "here" yet, but already he's touched lives and caused people to pray in new ways and with new fervor. He's brought a community together to think beyond themselves and love another. Perhaps that is why I write about my little nephew now and not simply post pictures of when he he makes his grand appearance (although, you know I'll be back then with some pictures of that little guy!) I know many of you are avid prayer warriors so I ask that you would add the Hinton's to your prayer list. For those of you who live in Winnemucca a fundraiser has been organized to help them foot the bill for what is to come--it will be on September 24th, from 3-7pm at Las Margaritas. If you are able, please join us. Your very presence will mean more than you know. If you are unable to make it or simply don't live here, but are wanting to help in someway, please let me know. 

a glowing mother with a beautiful boy inside

 "...so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever." (1 Peter 4:11)

Labor Day Weekend!

I love me some good ol' family time. This weekend proved to have plenty of it and we made the most of it from sun up to sun down. For some reason "foods" seemed to be the theme for the weekend as we made fresh homemade salsa, appetizers using our over-abundance of tomatoes from our garden, banana bread, cinnamon rolls, partaking in racks of ribs that are still sticking to our ribs, and Andy tried his steady hand at making some elk jerky (we have so much elk from his "kill" last year....anyone wanna come for dinner?!). Naturally, the camera was readily available so we snapped away as our hands were busy putting together some pure deliciousness that filled our aching bellies over the course of these past four days.

the makings for some fresh salsa

ready to cook!

chopping the fresh veggies to add in last

where's the chips?! :)

appetizers

Andy smoking some elk jerky

YUM!!!

Mason's expression captures it perfectly here. He seems to be saying "are you serious? You actually want me to put this in my mouth?" He did. And he proceeded to beg with those pleading eyes and that semi-high-pitched Mason-like voice "cracker? Peeess?" Jerky just isn't in his limited toddler vocabulary as of yet. We're working on it.

I also really like his shirt--handed down 3 times now! :)

Labor Day weekend is also the weekend for the big "Tri-county fair" here in Winnemucca. Saturday was the day to embark on that little fair and be a part of the parade as it traveled down main street. We haven't been to a parade in a while but the boys instinctively knew to have the "candy bag" ready. We found our spots alongside the road and impatiently waited for those sirens to start, marking the beginning of the long line of cars/floats/animals/etc to head our way. Mason stood statue still as the parade made it's way to us, captivated by the loud noises and randomness of the variety of people that walked in front of us, taking in the colorful get-up of the vehicles and floats, and eventually, stepping out into the street to wave at the tractors as they drove by. He pursed his lips together making the tractor sound as he pointed in sheer delight that he finally recognized something passing in front of him. Plus, he just loves tractors these days. All three boys were so polite as they excitedly waved at everyone and anything that went by....I'd like to think it was just good manners. Partially, probably. But of course the candy won out--6 little hands found the sweet goodness on the ground and that delightful "candy bag" became heavier as the parade moved on.

ready for the parade!

our friend Madison with Mason

Mason carefully watching as the parade begins

CJ finding candy!

Mason getting candy!

all three boys waving at the tractors!

firetrucks!

Austin getting sprayed by the firetruck

family photo op!

Mason "petting" a pig! (a grand prize winning pig!)

shaved ice to cool off! (Austin's buddy Ryan joined us)

It was a fun weekend indeed. Today, however, it's back to that routine. I better grab one more cup of coffee before we settle in...and maybe one more piece of that banana bread.