Tonight Mike is preaching out of town, so I decided to make pizza with Jude and have a picnic as a treat. Thinking I would be the greatest mom ever, I told Jude he could pick the toppings for his half of the pizza and he promptly said, "Sprinkles". So, here is the half of the pizza that Jude topped:

My boys enjoying relaxing after a long Sunday evening walk:

Jude is devouring his library books about airplanes. He wanted to learn about the landing gear and amphibious planes. (You should hear him say "amphibious"!)

Peter, surprised and delighted by his new sitting-without-falling-over skills.

This morning Jude grabbed his stuffed bunny, sat on the sofa and announced that he was having a meeting "for ladies only". When asked, he explained, "It is a meeting about how the bunny is doing and what he is like".  

So, I took my assigned seat across from him and waited expectantly. He opened our meeting with prayer and then looked up at me. "Um, What was the bunny doing?"

Well, he was sleeping with you in your bed last night.

"Yeah. What was the bunny outside doing?"

Um, Eating dinner?

"Okay. The meeting is done now, so you can chase me."

Mike goes to so many "meetings" and Jude always wants to go with him. I guess he decided that if he couldn't go to Daddy's meetings, he would just have to have one of his own.

I feel like I should have some big or exciting news to convey to explain my lack of blogging lately, but in truth we have just been living life. Many days have seemed daunting and some insurmountable, yet each one slips by and there is another to take its place. Mike has had his usual church busyness with a few extra meetings and things thrown in. He is beginning a sermon series on the Parables of Christ, which, by the way, can be found on www.sermonaudio.com. The boys are growing like weeds and Peter is turning out to be quite a chunk. Jude has always been such a twig that it surprises me every time I see the rolls on Peter’s thighs.

Speaking of Jude, his imagination and understanding amaze and amuse us daily. He grasps so many things that seem difficult to me, yet cannot grasp what often seems obvious. I love seeing things through the eyes of a three-year-old. I’m pretty sure he’s going to grow up to be one of those guys who is brilliant yet can’t tie his own shoes J He has been learning the names of cities and states (by his own choosing – “Mommy, Watertown is a city?” “Grandma lives in Michigan and it is a state?”) and how to rhyme.

Peter is Mr. Smiley. He loves to watch Jude and giggle at him and he is in love with Aunt Jaime. He is rolling over from front to back but not vice versa. If he is on his back and sees something he wants, he scoots to it using his feet to push himself. Lazy, but clever?!

I have been thoroughly enjoying my sister, who is with us for six weeks! I am so spoiled! South Dakota has been a very lonely place and it is so nice to wake up every morning and see a friendly face from home! We have planted a garden, played at the park, haunted Target and are in the midst of painting the downstairs bathroom.

Jude and Kylie (my niece) had to be stripped down outside after mud combined with sidewalk chalk at Grandma's house.

Peter started waking up hungry every night so we tried some rice cereal with him. He was not a fan, however and it all came right back out. We'll try again in a few weeks!

Jude's favorite hangout lately -- the sandbox. He still won't sit down in the sand -- too dirty -- but he really enjoys scooping it up with his bulldozer  

We are starting to come out of survival mode and actually do things again. My Mom flew in the Saturday after Peter was born and I’m not sure how we would all be fed and clothed if she weren’t here.

We started this process so far behind….. for two weeks before Peter was born, we had the flu in the house. In fact, the 18^th, Jude and I stayed home from church because I was still sick. Mike was way behind on work and sleep because he had been sick for a week and then helping me when I was sick. Then, on his way to church Sunday morning, the car went in the ditch a couple of blocks from our house. It was fellowship meal week and the crock pot full of chili that I had sent with him went flying across the car, which has now been dubbed the “chili-mobile”.

Although I had put several meals in the freezer for when the baby came, we used them all when we were sick.  I was so sure (as was my Dr.) that I would go late with this pregnancy that I assumed I had more time! However, a dear friend who is very knowledgeable about homeopathic medicine had told me about a vitamin regimen to follow during pregnancy that would make labor happen naturally (no inducing) and quickly. I followed it somewhat skeptically, I must admit, but WOW did it work! I woke up in hard labor at 12:40 Monday morning and our friend, Deb arrived around 1:20 to stay with Jude (We didn’t call her right away because I had never gone into labor before and wasn’t sure it was the real thing. I did tell Mike, however, “If this is false labor I’m going to cry!”). We drove to the hospital, ran up to the OB floor between contractions (Why don’t they have the OB department on the ground floor???) and Peter was born at 2:30.  

Jude is doing well as a big brother, although it is taking some getting used to. He loves to kiss and hug Peter and occasionally will ask to hold him, but is frustrated by the amount of time and attention Peter gets and wants someone to play with him constantly, even though he is usually very good at playing by himself.

We have been to church twice now, and are working out the logistics of that! The building that our church meets in does not have a nursery, so no crib, changing table, comfortable chair to nurse in, etc. I think we pretty much have it worked out now, thanks to a nursing cover and a two-year-old who almost always sits still J

It’s amazing how such a tiny little person can turn an entire household topsy-turvy! We are so thankful for little Peter, though and look forward to seeing who he is and what God will do with his life!

Making his entrance four days early (yay!), here he is......

Peter Marinus Calvin McGee

Peter, because this was a name from the Bible that we both love.

Marinus after my great grandfather, Marinus Houskamp, whose legacy is one of Godliness and faith.

Calvin after John Calvin, the reformer whose 500th birthday is being celebrated this year.

He weighed in at 7 pounds 1 ounce and is 20 inches long.

He is sweet and adorable and looks a lot like his big brother.

He has very long toes, but none of them are webbed like Jude's. 

My three guys