Forget about being a soccer mom...I'm gonna be a wrestling mom.

We have had an eventful couple of days.

We went to the childrens hospital on Wednesday morning for Levi to have his tonsils and adenoids removed. It was such a tough decision for us. We went back and forth on whether or not we should have it done. I think I always knew it was the right thing, but it was just scary to think about him going in for surgery, and obviously I didn't want to do it if it wasn't absolutely necessary. But listening to him sleep every night, I knew it was what we had to do.

We were expecting the worst, but we were pleasantly surprised in the pre-op as Levi was very cooperative and happy. He even agreed to wear the hospital gown. He wasn't exactly happy about that part, but he did cooperate. He didn't even cry when they wheeled him away from us. I was so nervous in the waiting room, just praying my heart out.

The surgery went great. It lasted about 45 minutes, which seemed like an eternity to me. I was so relieved when the surgeon came out to the waiting room after surgery and said Levi's adenoids and tonsils were both huge. That really affirmed our decision. We had to wait about another hour to see him, which seemed like more than an eternity.

They finally came and got us as they were wheeling Levi into his recovery room where they said we would spend about 4 hours. Or so they thought.

Levi was so happy to see us and just wanted me to hold him. He seemed to be in so much pain and was a bit delirious. The fun part began when it was time for the nurses to give Levi his medicine. Let's just say that he wasn't very happy about it. It literally took Michael and I plus 2 nurses to hold him down so that the medicine could be forced into his mouth. It was absolutely terrible. Poor Levi's throat hurt so badly that he didn't want to swallow a thing. One of the nurses said that she had been a pediatric nurse for over 40 years and had never seen a child protest quite so much. They kept commenting on how strong he was and then the other nurse said to me, "Have you ever thought about getting him into wrestling?" NO! I have not, and I don't plan to think about it. A future of watching my son roll around on mats in tight clothes doesn't sound appealing to me.

The nurses hadn't been able to get Levi to drink anything, but they thought maybe we would be able to convince him. They definitely don't know our Levi. You can't convince him of much once he's made up his mind. So the next several hours were spent with nurses tempting Levi with every fun drink they could imagine. Michael and I just shook our heads, knowing that nothing would probably work. If chocolate milk and sprite weren't going to work, nothing would. Levi would drink when he was ready, and he definitely wasn't ready yet.

We realized later that evening that we weren't going home, and they admitted us into an overnight room. Levi was completely out of it and in pain. Because of the risk of his throat bleeding and dehydration, we couldn't go home until he was drinking and taking his meds. Thankfully, my mom was at home with Ben and Graham.

Levi slept most of the night, and we had many more battles with medicine. I am sure that there are Levi medicine stories being told around town by sweet, innocent nurses who had to witness the battles. Poor things.

Levi woke up Thursday morning and seemed to be feeling a little better. We got him to take a few sips and then came the climax...he took his medicine without a fight. The nurse was so excited that she went and got him a "prize". I expected a little trinket or sticker, but she brought back a brand-new, still in the box, big truck. Levi looked at her, smiled and mouthed "thank you". We decided that it was time for us to go home. Although he still hadn't met the requirements to be released, we asked them to let us go because we thought he might do better at home.

And, yes, he sure has. He started drinking a lot better yesterday and even had a few bites of pudding and macaroni & cheese. He slept great last night and woke up happy today. He has spent most of the day watching movies and playing trains. He even played outside for a while and asked to ride his trike. Tonight he seems like his old self again. Well, maybe not quite that good yet. I think it will be a while before he's back to normal.

And now Levi is milking this for all its worth. "Remember Mommy, the doctor said I can have as much ice cream as I want," he told me. And all he wants to drink is Sprite and juice, neither of which we have ever kept here at the house. We are going to have some lovely habits to break! Ben is benefitting from his brother's surgery as well...juice boxes, popsicles, ice cream, mac & cheese, lots of movies. He owes his brother big time!

The next 10-14 days will be filled with lots of videos and ice cream. And since he's not supposed to participate in any strenuous activity, we'll try to keep the wrestling at a minimum.

Back to reality

"Levi, what would you like for breakfast?" I asked this morning.

"Ummm, how about some pudding? That's a good idea. And I don't want milk or water, just sprite," Levi replied.

At that moment I realized that today was going to be a recovery day. Recovery from a very full and fun weekend. Maybe a little too much fun. It was a weekend filled with lots of laughter, lots of playing, very late bedtimes, no structure and lots of chips and juice boxes. It was fun while it lasted, but now my boys are tired and spoiled.

My oldest sister, her husband and their 3 kids came in town for the long weekend for my niece's soccer tournament. My brother was also here from Colorado Springs. The whole family got together all weekend, and the 10 cousins had such a great time together. We went to lots of soccer games and congregated at our house for cookouts, pizza, long walks and backyard fun.

I'm so thankful that my kids have family who loves them so much. It makes me smile to watch them running around with their cousins. My oldest sister's kids are 17, 15 and 13 years old, and I couldn't ask for better role models for my boys. They are fun, engaging, well-rounded and best of all, they love Jesus. My 17-year old nephew is such a sweet guy. Levi and my other sister's 2 boys look up to him, and I'm so glad! He is just the greatest kid. He told us over the weekend that he isn't interested in dating - he would rather be fishing! What a guy. And my nieces entertain all their younger cousins and take such great care of them. We would have some fabulous babysitters if only they lived closer! My other sister's 4 children are my boy's very best friends. I'm so thankful for that!

Our family hadn't all been together in a while, so it was such an encouraging weekend. I often think it would be so wonderful if we all lived closer, but maybe weekends like this wouldn't be quite as special.

I didn't take many pictures, but here are a few...






So today we are doing laundry, cleaning the house, sleeping! and getting ready for Levi's surgery tomorrow to remove his tonsils and adenoids. Yikes! Please say a prayer for him.

Happy Birthday Benjamin Elliott!

Today is Ben's 2nd birthday. How did this little guy get to be 2 years old? I have been very sensitive to the fact that becoming a big brother at only 16 months could take away from his babyhood, so I have tried to make sure that he is allowed to be little! But he's growing up before my eyes. I couldn't love and enjoy this little guy more. He is such a delight!

In honor of Ben's birthday on May 20th, here are 20 things that I love about my little Benjamin. (Yes, I know that I wrote 27 things for Levi's birthday, but his birthday was on the 27th of April. Plus, I've had 2 more years with Levi. I thought I should make that disclaimer so that nobody thinks I play favorites!)

1. You know how to make someone feel loved. Whether I've been gone for a few hours or just went upstairs for a minute, you always run to me with the biggest smile on your face and give me a hug that makes me feel like the luckiest person in the world.

2. Every night at dinner we ask each other what our favorite thing of the day was, and every night you answer with a grin, "Thomas". Without fail. Every night. And without fail it makes us all laugh.

3. You absolutely love your big brother Levi. You imitate him and play just like he does. You don't know what to do with yourself when Levi is at preschool. He is your hero, and you do everything you can to keep up with him.

4. You are a sweet and gentle "big" brother. While I was so nervous that you would be jealous of Graham, you have never shown a single sign of that. You love your baby brother "Gam" and take delight in him. It's just precious when I catch you singing to him and sharing your toys with him.

5. I love the way you smile with your entire body. Your little nose scruntches up, your eyes sparkle, and you often put your hands together in a bashful way.

6. When you are watching television or playing with something intently, it's absolutely impossible to get your attention. You have selective hearing down pat.

7. You are a chatterbox, constantly walking around the house jabbering about something. You talked in complete paragraphs long before we were able to understand a single word.

8. Trains and cars are your very favorite. You know the name of every single one and could play with them all day long. When you were just learning to talk, you said "lightning" and "thomas" much more than "mama". I love the way you get down and watch their wheels turn when you play with them.

9. You love to sing. You are often singing a Thomas song while playing trains, and you belt out praise songs from your car seat. It cracks me up how you accentuate some words much more than others.

10. You are an independent little guy and often want to do things all by yourself. You don't want us to help you into your car seat or help you with your food. After church last week there was a long line behind you going up the stairs because you insisted on climbing up the long flight all by yourself.

11. You are all boy - loud, rough and crazy! Case in point...tonight at dinner you crumbled up your chocolate cupcake, made it into dirt and then crashed your cars into it.

12. Not just any sippy cup will do for you. You are very particular about which one you want at any particular moment. It drives me crazy and makes me laugh at the same time!

13. You have a wonderful imagination and can entertain yourself so easily. You are known to go into the playroom and shut the door so that nobody bothers you.

14. You love to be outside doing just about anything. Playgrounds, however, are your favorite place in the world.

15. I think just about everyone who knows you would agree that you have the most expressive face. You can furrow your brow better than anyone I know.

16. You are such a tough little guy. When you fall down and get hurt, you just get right back up and keep going. Nothing keeps you down for long.

17. Your froggy is deeply loved by you. And when you have him in your hands, your thumb goes straight to your mouth. It's just precious.

18. You love to hold my hand. It's so sweet. Whether we're on a walk or just walking into the store, you ask to hold my hand and will not let go! I know this won't last long so I'm treasuring every moment of it.

19. Putting you to bed at night is a highlight of my day. We cuddle as I read a book to you, although you try really hard to read lots of books and each of them several times. When we get to the end of a book, you just push the pages back to the beginning and say, "again". I love to sing our song and pray with you. And then I lay you in your crib and you give me the biggest smile and say, "Bye, Mommy!" It doesn't get much better than that.

20. You remind me so much of your Daddy, which of course I love because your Daddy is pretty special. You have his easy-going, laid-back personality that everyone loves and wants to be around. There is no one I would rather you be like than your Daddy.

Happy Birthday, Ben. I love you!

We threw a ball party for Ben!

We celebrated Ben's 2nd birthday on Sunday night with a ball party. Ben absolutely loves playing with balls so it was the perfect party for him. We were able to celebrate with family and some dear friends. I made my first homemade decorative cake, and let's just say that icing and I are not on good terms right now. This ball cake may not look very difficult, but do not let its looks deceive you. I don't think making cakes is a talent of mine. Actually, although it was a bit harder than I thought it would be, I had a lot of fun making it for him.
We had a dinner of round foods - pizza (Ben's very favorite), salad (not really round but served in a round bowl), and fruit cut up into balls. Of course, our dessert was the ball cake and cupcakes.
Ben didn't know what to think about everyone singing Happy Birthday to him. He actually said "no" a few times. He wasn't sure about all the attention.
He had a lot of fun opening up the presents and had lots of help, especially from his big brother who had to keep being reminded that they were Ben's presents.
We set up the bounce house in the backyard and filled up a swimming pool with 500 little balls. It didn't take long, however, before the pool was turned upside down and got a hole. There were also lots of big balls in the yard for the kids to play with and take home as favors. It was a gorgeous night out, and I think the kids all "had a ball". It was so great to watch Ben play with his beloved cousins and a couple of good little friends. He had a big smile on his face all evening!






It was a wonderful night to celebrate our sweet little Ben. I could just eat this guy up. What a joy he is to his daddy and I. We couldn't be prouder of him, and we couldn't possibly have more fun with him.

Because Biblical authority is important in our family...

A couple of days ago Levi found a big spider crawling across our kitchen ceiling, and we joined together to rescue it. Well, I'll be honest...to kill it. Because the same thing occured last week, Levi knew to get out the broom and then stand back. He never volunteered to do the job, but he sure did cheer me on. It was an easy mission, and as I wadded up the paper towel with the remains of the spider, Levi insightfully asked me, "Mommy, do spiders stink?"

"No, Levi. I don't think they stink."

"Oh yeah, Mommy. That's right. Remember, the Bible says that spiders don't stink!"

"Really, Levi?", I said a bit sarcastically. "I guess I didn't know the Bible says that."

He seemed pretty sure about it, and I didn't want to crush his spirits about his interpretation of scriptures.

About an hour later while Ben and Graham were napping, Levi had a friend over, and the two of them were playing in the backyard while I was planting some flowers. It was great because I could hear their 4-year old conversations yet I was far enough removed that they didn't really know I was there.

I heard Levi telling his friend about the spider incident. His friend rightfully said, "yuck!", when Levi told him about the big spider. But then Levi gave his friend some good spirit-changing Biblical truth.

"No, Jack. Spiders don't stink. Jesus says in the Bible that they don't stink."

Jack didn't respond. He was probably wondering why his mom and dad hadn't read him that story in the Bible!

Graham's dedication

Our family has lots of celebrations this spring. We celebrated Levi's birthday at the end of April, then today had Graham's dedication and Mother's Day, and next week we will celebrate Ben's 2nd birthday. I am a planner, and I like to think through things and be well organized. However, being a mom of 3 little guys, I am learning that planning can only go so far. There are so many uncertainties and unknowns in our days, and nothing is picture perfect. Sometimes I wish that everything would just be nice and orderly, but I guess that wouldn't be life. It certainly wouldn't be motherhood.

We were so excited to dedicate Graham today on Mother's Day. Michael's mom and dad came to town for a day, and my mom joined us as well. I planned a lunch at our house after church. Everything went as planned until Ben woke up this morning burning up. He was fine yesterday, but after he vomited a couple of times we realized that he was definitely not fine now. Poor guy. What were we supposed to do? We decided that we would just have to cancel everything, but then his fever broke and he started to act pretty normal so we deciced to go through with the day as planned, with a few little changes including having someone take Ben straight home after the dedication instead of going to the nursery.

We made it to church, and it went great. It really was a special time for our family. Ben was definitely sick, and I was so worried that he was going to vomit on stage but thankfully, he never did. What an unforgettable memory that would have been! The sweet little guy just stared off into space and made me feel like a horrible mother for making him be there. He was a trooper though and fell asleep in Daddy's arms during the rest of the service. Most importantly, since the day was about him, little Graham Oliver enjoyed his special day and was on his best behavior. Michael was holding him and he kept reaching out to play with my hair and laughing. It was too sweet.

We had a great lunch at our house. The boys loved spending time with grandma, mimi and papa, as well as our good friends Kevin and Deborah. We never dreamed that we would be dedicating another little guy this spring, but I couldn't be more thankful that I get to be Graham Oliver's mom. I am blessed beyond belief. What a wonderful way to spend Mother's Day. I love you, little man!


The 5 of us. (We really were cruel for making Ben take a picture.)


Grandma and Graham

Mimi and Papa with Graham

Poor Ben just cuddled up in a chair and watched a video. Normally, when my kids are sick I just want to hold them all day. I felts so badly that I wasn't able to do that. He did gets lots of attention though.


Graham's dedication is a good time for Michael and I to think back to our parenting commitments. Before Levi was born we went to Aspen for a weekend and thought through what our most important priorities would be as parents. I wanted something tangible to look at and hold us accountable.

What We Commit To Teaching Our Children...
I. To Know Christ As Their Personal Savior
a. Be active in church
b. Share the store of Jesus from birth on
c. Pray for them and teach them to pray from the very beginning
d. Talk openly about our personal relationship with Jesus

II. To Find Satisfaction in God
a. Pray with them on a daily basis
b. Have family Bible studies and devotions
c. Praise God as a family
d. Laugh together often
e. Don't focus on material things
f. Maintain a kingdom-focused mentality

III. To Live Life To Its Fullest
a. Go on regular family vacations - introduce them to the world and God's creation
b. Regularly participate in family activities (biking, hiking, etc.)
c. Teach them to be well rounded, helping them learn their interests and talents

IV. To Love Others
a. Laugh, play, talk and show affection as a family
b. Love them unconditionally
c. Invest in freindships (model it!)
d. Introduce them to the less fortunate and participate as a family in helping to provide for their needs

V. Work Hard, Play Later...But Do Play
a. Require them to do chores
b. Teach them to be responsible for their things
c. Place priority on learning and education
d. Teach them the value of a dollar through working

We weren't parents yet when we created these commitments, but I still treasure each one of them. While there are many other things that we think are important in raising these guys, the most important remains to introduce them to Jesus Christ. While their happiness is important, it won't mean a thing if they don't know Jesus as their Savior.

Happy Mother's Day and happy dedication day, Graham!

So thankful for this season...

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven." Ecclesiastes 3:1




We are loving the warmer weather (finally!) and playing outside every chance we can get. What fun it is to see the boys laugh, play and enjoy each other.