Wiley Fights Poverty

The other day, Wiley and I walked with some of our friends in the deFEET Poverty 5K. While we did not run, we did have a great time walking and talking and cutting short the course together.

Elise and Wiley high-fiving!

Fun Stuff

We have had some fun things going on the past two weeks. We had train day at the Children's Museum which Wiley absolutely loved! We also had a surprise visit from Aunt Brooke last weekend. It was perfect because it was a quiet weekend which everyone needed. Brooke was so helpful with Wiley as well, which we loved. She taught Wiley how to do "king of the castle" on his castle/slide. Pretty funny. Wiley has really blossomed in his speech. He is putting a couple words together quite frequently which is great. He is also getting better at learning names, which can be pretty difficult. Thanks to Allison Buch he also can find the mouse throughout the book Good Night Moon and make the noise a mouse makes. Wil is busy with IM sports as well as taking some really interesting classes (Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, for example). I have started my "junior block" which is where I learn how to teach reading, social studies, and science. It is a lot of fun and I have an awesome field experience placement! Hope everyone's semesters are off to a great start!

the Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away...

Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,
And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.
-- Job 1: 20-21 (KJV)

I am not meaning for this to be an especially dreary post, but I was just reading some news in Alabama, and this was on my mind. Rick of the Rick and Bubba Radio show in B'ham recently lost his son in a drowning accident. My dear friend Brian who goes to West Point just lost a best friend in a tragic accident in New York, and when I spoke to Brian the other day (and Bang,I hope you don't mind me saying this)...he simply said "The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away." And it struck me at the time as such a hard thing to have to say/think. But now, after finding the actual verse online, knowing that it was Job that said it, gives it greater context and meaning. I hope to focus on the fact that indeed the Lord gives, but He also can take away...I mean focus in a good way, a grateful way that appreciates what the Lord has given,and praise the Lord that indeed He has given.

And I ask that yalls prayers be with Brian, the cadets at West Point, and Mitch's (the boy who passed away) family. Along with the Burgess family.

Praise Baby link

It somehow did not work, but here is the link:

or
www.praisebaby.com

Praise Baby!

This afternoon was a little rough for some reason--I just was getting into a funk. Wiley and I had a great walk outside, and we had come back much to his chagrin. And then I found it. Praise Baby DVD. We had not watched it yet, and I did not want to watch Barney or Elmo AGAIN and he did not want to watch Oprah. Thus, I stick in Praise Baby.

And Praise the Lord I did. It was (and is...we are still watching it) amazing. It just calmed me down (Wiley likes it fine) and the first song, Better is One Day in Your House, was just what I needed to hear. I needed to hear that one day in the Lord's house, in His presence is much much better than this world--a world where it is so easy to be caught up in my own little "issues."

For those few of you who have kids and read this (who am I kidding...it's only me) this is like Baby Einstein visually (and y'all ALL know what that is like, kids or no kids, b/c you have been around us!), but with better music. That parents can enjoy. I envision this being perfect for car rides during naptime to calm Wiley down.

Y'all check it out if you want to know more. And praise the Lord for these sweet reminders of His presence in our lives.

Snow Day!

Today we had a snow day! No school and lots, I mean, a little wet/icy snow on the ground. It was so pretty to look at on the trees outside. We even went sledding a little on Davis field on plexiglass...?! We took Wiley outside too. He was not especially happy at first, but afterwards wanted to stay out and look for the neighbor's dog. It was a little muddy though by the afternoon, and poor boy doesn't have any shoes that are snow appropriate. He did look cute in his gloves, hat, and Carhartt overalls!! What a fun day! If only it had snowed enough for a snowman!

And we're back...

We are back in Winston-Salem after being gone for about 4 weeks! We came home with about three times as much stuff that we left here with and consequentially had to basically re-organize everything to fit in. I feel like there is so much that happened over the break with us that I don't know how to fill it all in. I was working at Table Matters in Mtn Brook Village, had a great time, loved my discount and the free/broken shelf, and got paid! Wil had a great time hunting and taking care of Wiley--he, as in Wil, shot 3 deer while down at the farm. Wiley was busy playing with his dad and with his grandparents, aunts, and uncles. I will have pictures up as soon as I have uploaded the newest ones...

In the mean time, we would appreciate any prayers and/or advice that anyone has on the terrible twos that it appears we have started prematurely. We find ourselves yelling and saying NO all the time, and it is, quite frankly, exhausting. We are trying to teach Wiley-man that no is no, to mind, to basically do what we ask him to do. He is very much in a challenging kind of mood as he stands on a chair as I tell him to sit down with that smirk on his face that says "what are you going to do about it?" Ahhh mischevious child.