happy father's day!

We love you daddy! You're the best!

Our homemade, from scratch cake with our homemade frosting (after seeing the ingredients in box cakes and canned icing, I had to make one with ingredients that I knew and could pronounce). It's definitely not figure friendly but Jason loved it...and that's all that mattered. Ethan helped color the tie and cut it out for the decoration on top.

11 weeks

So I guess it is true that you show sooner with each pregnancy. My regular shorts definitely are not fitting at this point. If I didn't already have an ultrasound I might think that there was another little bean in there.

But in all reality all that bump is is probably all my belly fat being pushed up and out...that doesn't make it so cute anymore.

the language of Jude

This is Jude "reading" his truck book. I love listening to him try to pronounce such big words. Sorry it's a little long but we had to get through the whole book...it's worth it though to listen to such cuteness.

bears and bag

My latest sale. My friend wanted daisy and dahlia flower fabric for two little girls whose names are Daisy and Dahlia.

last day of pre-school

Yesterday we finished up pre-school with Ethan. He is now officially a Kindergartner. We will probably take a month off and then start Kindergarten...so that when baby comes we can take our "summer" then. Ethan was a great student this year and I am excited to see what he will learn next year. His enthusiasm and desire to learn helped this year to be a great experience for me also...that and of course God being with us every step of the way. So I am looking forward to starting up his Kindergarten year and Ethan is excited about the little end-of-school party we are having after dinner...with some special dirt cups for dessert. Congratulations, Ethan, for finishing your first year of school!

long time no write

I guess between the morning sickness and the low energy, my blog has been a little non-active. When it came to sitting down to post something or laying on the couch...the couch always won. So a little update from the past week...

• some sea glass hunting with my friend Milda. My first time and kind of addicting...the blue is the most rare, so quite a rush when you find one. The brown is pretty common but it goes with my decor. And the frosted glass or writing on the glass is even a better find.

• a little kayaking. When friends move they sometimes give us things they aren't going to take with them (surfboards, TV, furniture, etc.). So we are now the new owners of two kayaks. This canal is right behind our neighbors house, so Jason took Ethan out for the first time. Ethan loved it but before I could snap their picture, they were already out of the water...so I still made them pose for a picture, for memories sake.

• some fun beach time. As a family and also for our last MOPS group.
  
• water park day with the youth group. I've determined Ethan and Jude are part fish. They LOVED it and would go down the slides by themselves...well the little kiddie slides.
  
• visiting with old friends...well they're not old but Jason's youth pastor (and family) from high school (so old in the sense that he's known them for quite a while) were visiting Hawaii and we got to visit with them some this afternoon. Good to see you Urbans. Come back again.
• I've sewn three bears and two bags.
• Jason's last youth group tonight which we ended with a big finish...The Amazing Race. If you've seen the TV show we modeled it after that...my favorite show by the way. I keep trying to talk Jason into entering it. So tomorrow his title will change from Director of Family Life to Headmaster of the upper division school. It's sad to not be leading the youth group anymore but also exciting to see the plans God has for Jason and the expansion of the school. It will be a busy summer for us.

Alright, I'm off to the couch...

big boy bed

Two things I want to accomplish with Jude before the baby comes is 1) potty train him and 2) move him into his big boy bed. We already have the bed because they are Jason's bunk beds from when he was little. So we put the side rail up a couple of nights ago. Ethan seemed okay with sharing a room and after I explained to Jude that it was his new bed and that he had to stay in his new bed, he had the biggest smile on his face. He just laid in the middle of the bed (without a pillow) and had a grin from ear to ear while I said goodnight and turned out the light.

This looks like trouble...but so far so good. Jude tells us everynight "my bed"....I don't think he wants to ever go back to the crib.

our little bean

As the picture clearly shows...baby Wood #3 is on her/his way! We are very excited and are expecting her/him around December 29th...hopefully closer to that date, than the 25th (Christmas). But baby is doing great...with a healthy heartbeat and the size of a small bean...right on schedule. I'm nauseous and tired but otherwise doing well. Ethan is very excited and asked if we get to keep this one. So we had to explain that foster babies are different than our very own babies...yes, we are definitely keeping this one.

arts and crafts

Since Jude has had a yucky stomach bug all weekend, Ethan has kept himself entertained on his own. He loves anything that has to do with paint or glue. I'm not sure where he got the idea of garden vegetable markers but while I was gone for the women's brunch on Saturday, Ethan filled my herb garden with about 20 of them. Jason said he didn't help him with any of it. Ethan had the idea and glued it and drew his pictures. I must say I am one proud mama of my little artist.

journaling

We had a women's brunch at our church yesterday and Sally Gleason was our speaker. I really enjoyed what she had to say. Part of her talk was on the Foundations of a Biblical Women's Ministry (which can also be applied to the Foundations for a Church)...the Gospel, the Truth, Sound Doctrine, Discipleship and the Covenant. What a beautiful picture of what the church was meant to be. It's about a community of God's people pointing and directing each other to Christ...not one of those things is centered on ME, MYSELF or I. We are called to preach the Gospel, tell and point each other to the Truth even if it doesn't make everyone feel warm and fuzzy, teach Sound Doctrine from Scripture, Disciple and (young/old men, women, mothers, fathers, grandparents, teenagers, children) deepen their knowledge and understanding through the Word of God, and to understand the Covenant that was fulfilled and carried on by Christ (which has nothing to do with what we do).

I pray this for our church. That we would see what we are called to do as a church. I know and am comforted that God is greater than all the mess and chaos that we sinners create, and it is all in his control...PRAISE GOD!

do you have a popular name?

HowManyOfMe.com

There are 221 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

And statistically the 78th most popular last name. Kind of fun. Thanks Krista for the fun blog idea!

funny kid

Ethan after lunch today: "Mom can I have dessert?" (a child after my own heart...dessert after every meal except breakfast)

Me: "I don't think we have any dessert."

Ethan, after he checked the frig: "Look mom!"

Me: "You want applesauce for dessert?"

Ethan: "YEAH!"

This is the kid who said he wanted "peas" for a snack one day. Not that he doesn't have a sweet tooth (like his mommy and daddy) but I'm glad he does have this healthy side to him. Funny kid!

bear

Another bear on the way....with my official tag around it's neck. Tab, I hope your friend loves her Aloha Bear.

James Sire

Today Jason and I went to listen to James Sire speak. He is author of the books The Universe Next Door: A Basic Worldview Catalog, Habits of the Mind: Intellectual Life as a Christian Calling and Learning to Pray Through the Psalms...to name a few. He mainly spoke on the topic of his book Learning to Pray Through the Psalms. It not only was nice to get away and be challenged but also just to spend some time with my honey...sans the kids. I love my chidren but I do enjoy uninterrupted conversation with Jason too.

our trip to Costco

This is amazingly our view on the way to Costco. Pictures are courtesy of Ethan from the back seat.We had to stop at Makapu'u Beach Park to snap a few pictures and stretch our legs.Ethan then made sure to get pictures of the construction...which was a guy waving me to go (in a very impatient manner) while he was holding his sign on the "stop" side. I was a bit confused so I was moving a little slow just in case he was waving to someone else. Once he realized he forgot to flip his sign over to the "drive slow" side, he sheepishly smiled and we were on our merry way.As we got closer to Sandy Beach Park we not only got to see the kites flying but the fire department was doing practice drills. They would fly up in the helicopter, a guy would throw a rope down to the ground and then slide down the rope. Of course we had to pullover and watch this.

And then it's always important to get a picture of your feet...Our view on the way back home was even more amazing.
I don't really mind going to Costco with this kind of drive...and Ethan now thinks we need to always take our camera in the car so he can document it with pictures.

refrigerator art

Lately Ethan has really been into writing his letters and words. He copies words or writes out everyone's name that he has memorized. He then takes his writings and hangs them up all over the refrigerator and chest freezer...every inch of my appliances are covered in papers and letters. I love that he enjoys writing his letters, making words, and that he is getting all of this good practice writing his letters....but being showered by papers and magnets every time I open the refrigerator door is getting a bit old. Maybe we will have to make a nice booklet of all of his great writings and drawings so that I can once again see the front of my refrigerator...then we can have a book of art rather than refrigerator art.

Great is Thy Faithfulness

Pardon for sin, and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide
Strength for today, and bright hope for tomorrow
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside

Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me

trip to the zoo

Since the boys have watched way too much TV the past couple of weeks (reason: baby in the house and the boys needed distractions and quiet entertainment) we decided to get out of the house and go to the zoo. It was overcast and perfect weather for being outside...not too hot. It had been a while since we had ventured on over to the zoo (not sure why because it's only $4 for all 3 of us to go). Jude loved naming all the animals that he's been seeing in books and Ethan kept asking me "mommy are we lost?" everytime we rounded a corner. It is kind of maze like there...but no we were not lost. All roads led back to the mega playground that is in the shade...which topped off our zoo adventure.

baby J goes home...

Well today we are a family of 4 again. Baby J was able to go live with his extended family for the time being. To be honest we were looking forward to this day (because we were so tired and cranky and overwhelmed with how to take care of a drug baby) but it has really been a sad day. Having a newborn around was a bit overwhelming and exhausting, but we really grew to love that sweet little face. I walked in the house today after running some errands and sadness swept over me as I saw a baby blanket and the baby swing still out. Jason called this morning and said he had been thinking about Baby J this morning, too, when he was out in town and saw a mother pushing her baby in a stroller and blowing her cigarette smoke all over the poor child. We just pray that Baby J will be in a loving environment that is safe and we truly pray that he will come to know the Savior as his own. We were able to meet the uncle, auntie and grandparents yesterday and they are so excited to take him in. So we felt better about where he was going. But my thoughts this afternoon have been I hope he's okay and I hope he is loved and I hope they know the way he likes to be rocked or burped or swaddled. This was probably the hardest experience we have gone through as a family and a learning experience for us all. Do we want to foster newborns again? Probably not at this time in our lives. Do we still want to foster children? Absolutely. Without a doubt.

worship

I started this blog to do exactly what the title says...tell you about Life with the Wood Family. I didn't want to use it as a place to give my opinions of what's wrong about politics, religion, the world, etc. But this is a topic heavy on my heart...so here we go. We live in a culture where church is only attended if it is convenient and entertaining. The biggest complaint we hear at our church is that it is boring and too heavy (yes we don't want to be challenged to think, that is too much work)...boring to them particularly when it comes to "worship". I feel that the whole church service is a form of worship, but here in Hawaii the word is used for the music in the church service. Words do really work as a virus that spreads discontentment and strife...and it is now affecting the hearts of the youth in the church as well. Parents, don't think that the complaints and foolishness of your own hearts aren't imitated by your children. Instead we should be teaching them the importance of worship, in all things, with our hearts and minds...as well as our emotions. It's an attitude of the heart.

"Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs." Psalm 100:2

It doesn't say "unless the music is really dull". Pay attention to the words that you're singing...not just the music. Are all songs sung in my church my favorite? Not all, but guess what....it's not about me. It's about worshiping my Lord and Savior with songs, meditating on the words and giving glory and praise to Him...not being entertained by amazing instruments or watered down lyrics that sound good in harmony. Do instruments and harmony have a place in church? Absolutely. But they are not the focus. If we were singing songs that weren't Biblical, then by all means stand up in protest. But if we are singing songs that are praising God for his glory, singing his mightiness, standing in awe of who he is...than shame on you for complaining that it's too dull. God our Father is the farthest from dull or boring.

"Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.
One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts.
They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works.
They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds.
They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness. " Psalm 145:3-7

vog, vog go away

What does volcanic ash and no wind cause = VOG. Not fog or smog but vog. It looks as though we have forest fires around us with all the haze...and it is stinkin' hot too. But with the active volcano's on the Big Island that are spewing ash and hazard gases, it's bound to float on over to us. We have scratchy, dry throats and sneezy, drippy noses. I am ready for the trade winds to come back and the bright blue Hawaiian skies to reappear.

the island of Missouri

Ethan says, while seeing something familiar:

"They have those on Kyle and Tyler's island, mommy."

To a kid who lives on an island, why wouldn't he assume everyone lives on their own island...so to him, his cousins live on the island of Missouri. Makes sense doesn't it?

are we famous in Japan?

Today the boys and I were stopped by Japanese tourists who were "asking" if they could take pictures with us. This weird phenomenon happened when we first moved here and a couple of Japanese girls wanted pictures with Ethan. I felt flattered that they thought he was so cute, but now it's a bit weird to me. So while we were at the beach park today we were taking a photo session with a bus full of Japanese tourists. They didn't speak any English but kept pointing as one by one each of them got their picture with us. How weird that we are going to be in a bunch of photo albums in Japan.

adoption/fostering story

So this is the short of it...it started when Jason and I got married and we both talked about how it would be neat to adopt one day. And that was the extent of the conversation. It wasn't until after Jude was born that we began to seriously pursue the process...especially after witnessing a few of our friends adopting children. So we decided to try in-state first. We wanted to wait until Jude was at least one years old, just in case the process of adopting went faster than we had thought. So last summer we started with all of the paper work, finger printing, criminal background check, TB tests, etc. We then took a 15 hour course (3 Saturdays) and a home study...and were licensed in November for a child that was 5 years old or younger. We had never even considered fostering because I didn't want to have to give back a child that we all got attached to and thought of our own. But it's amazing how God can work in your heart to mold it to his will. So in December we changed it to fostering, in hopes of being able to adopt if that ended up being an option. Four months later we got a call that there was a newborn that needed a foster home. At first I wasn't too sure because, honestly, a newborn is a lot of work...and I didn't have 9 months to prepare myself. But here we are with Baby J. He was exposed to drugs in-utero, but so far has not showed many signs of it yet. Even though he is such an easy-going baby, it has not all been a piece of cake. But through many great encouragers in my life, I am being reminded to pray a lot and trust that God is with us through this whole process....and that He has a great plan for this little guy that we get to be a part of. I wish I could show pictures of him because once you see his sweet little face you can't help but want to kiss that cute little head.

I hope to journal a little bit along the way of my emotions and thoughts. God is already stretching me through this process and at the same time bringing me comfort and peace to my anxious heart.

what do you get....

What do you get with a $10 plastic pool from Kmart, a Playskool slide and water? An instant water park and apparently tons of fun. Since we'll be spending a lot more time at home (I'm not brave enough to venture out with 3 kids by myself yet) I was trying to think of inexpensive things that would entertain Ethan and Jude and also get some of that crazy energy out (if I could only bottle it and sell it....). Forget all of the pools with inflatable sides and built in slides and water sprayers. All they really want is a container big enough to hold them and water.

And for those of you that are wondering, Baby J is doing really well. For a newborn he's amazingly good. I am a pessimist when it comes to newborns, so I just keep waiting for the day when he starts acting like a newborn with the crying and not taking good naps, etc. Although I must say that battery operated swings are the greatest invention of all mankind. I think I will go this afternoon to stock up on batteries because he is a sleeping champ in it...that and the swandle blanket.

our big news!

Yesterday we became a family of 5. Baby J came to live with us possibly for a few weeks and possibly for a life time. We will have to wait and see what God has planned for baby J and for us. I haven't blogged about our experience with fostering/adopting because I just wasn't sure how long the whole process would take. And we have been waiting a few months since we've been licensed. But like they told us it would happen quickly when it happens. So Thursday afternoon we got a call that a newborn needed a home and Friday morning I went to get him from the hospital. We are extremely excited and at the same time scared to death. Because of security reasons we can't share pictures of him or his real name but I have to tell you he is a quite a cutie...and so far pretty easy going. The boys love him already and Ethan loves to hold him. So I will blog later about our story a little more when I have time. Right now I am going through the "I forgot how tired I can get with a newborn" reality/fog.

boiled peanuts

I lived in the south for 8 years and didn't once try boiled peanuts. You are probably thinking "how could you not have stopped by one of those road side stands and tried boiled peanuts?" Honestly it sounded really gross to me. Well who knew that I would end up trying soggy peanuts here in Hawaii (they are quite popular here) and find them to be my new favorite snack?

the saying goes...

"Sleep like a baby" now makes sense when I peeked in on Jude during his nap and saw this. I miss the days when I could sleep like this...in positions like this...and wake fully rested. Well I don't actually remember those days but that seems amazing!

look what came in the mail

If you would have told me that one day I would be giddy over curriculum I would have rolled my eyes at you and said "Yeah right". We just received Ethan's Kindergarten curriculum in the mail and I am seriously excited over it. Yes, a bit weird and dorky I know. But there is something about teaching Ethan that is so rewarding...not always fun all the time, but absolutely fulfilling to build a foundation for him that will hopefully bring fruits of a godly man that desires to follow and love God with his heart, soul and mind. Overwhelming yes, but a challenge that stretches me and hopefully grows me as well. It's funny how the thought of homeschooling in the past was always followed by a thought of "no way", "never" (yes, all do to a laziness of not wanting to do all that work)...but now that we are in a place where public schools are the furthest thing from an option, and Christian schools are too expensive, God has opened up the door to homeschooling as the only option. I am thankful that he made it very clear this was the route he chose for us because I have no doubt that this is what we are to be doing with and for our boys. So as we wrap up this year of preschool over the next couple of months, I pray that I will continue to be thankful for this opportunity to teach my boys and that I will meet the challenges with humility and wisdom that can only come from God my Savior.

Proverbs

A few more nuggets from my Bible study book Proverbs: The Ways of Wisdom by Kathleen Nielson...as I've been catching up from what I missed while I was in St. Louis. Proverbs is a book of conviction, accountability, hope and God's amazing grace. It has really challenged me in so many ways.

"A hot-tempered man must pay the penalty; if you rescue him, you will have to do it again." Proverbs 19:19 (or the lazy man, etc.)

"A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones." Proverbs 14:30

"Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the LORD." Proverbs 23:17

"Pride, anger, and envy block the heart. Cleaning out such attitudes allows wisdom's qualities to grow in our hearts." (p.95)

"Discipline your son, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to his death." Proverbs 19:18

"As water reflects a face, so a man's heart reflects the man." Proverbs 27:19

the language of Jude

Just in case you don't catch it, Jude is saying "Clifford the Big Red Dog"...and this is not an April Fools joke...you just have to listen carefully.

I've just started realizing lately that Jude has a way bigger vocabulary than I thought he had...such as today he was saying "awesome mommy" or his famous phrase "I dunno". The problem is not many can interpret what exactly his vocabulary is, which is beginning to really frustrate him (he tends to say it over and over until we can figure out what he's saying). But if I listen carefully and watch what he is looking at, I can sort of figure out what he is saying...just like "Clifford the Big Red Dog" being a recent discovery. He had been saying it, but up until yesterday I had no idea what "iifuu-da-dog" meant.