Vintage Valerie: Leslie's Birth

Today, my precious Leslie Anne turns eight years old! I have never gotten to share her newborn baby photos before because I couldn't find them! I searched high and low a few months before we moved and finally uncovered them! *whew* I was so worried that this special day would be saved only in my memory. I'm so excited to share it with you today!

Leslie is such a sweet little girl. She is my helper; she is always at my side while I'm cooking, ironing or caring for little ones. She was nine months old when Laci entered the world, and would often come tell me "Baby kye" when Laci would cry as an infant. Those girls have been constant companions from day one and have grown into little giggle boxes! :) Leslie loves to organize and straighten. She loves to talk and she remembers minute details of daily living. I'm so blessed to be her mommy!

Without further ado, here are the pictures! I arrived at the hospital only 1.5 hours before she made her appearance! I will never forget this extra special day, nor all the blissful days that have followed since Leslie came into my life.

Hello, my sweet Leslie! She was born in Lawrence, Kansas, at 3:08 PM on May 17, 2005, weighing 7lbs. 9oz. and 19.5 inches long.

Leslie and Dr. Moreano, who delivered her. 

Me and my Leslie.

Sweet girl. ♥

Ready to go home!

Daddy for the third time.

Our little family! Mitchell was almost 3 and Lauren was almost 6.

Big sister and little sister for the first time together.

Little sleeping princess. 

She loved to snuggle with her dad then, and she loves to be at his side, now, too! :) 

And here she is, almost 8! :) 

We are spending her birthday today in a very special way: we are in Mattoon, Illinois! I'm typing this at their gorgeous public library! We are getting to see grandparents and hear Dad preach at his home church this Sunday. On Monday, we're going to see Terry's brother and his family in Trenton, Missouri! Yesterday, we got to see my friend, Ava, at the Laura Ingalls Home and Museum in Mansfield, MO. (Photos to come later!)

We've had several busy and exciting days lately, but even the ordinary, hum-drum days are sweetened by the presence of my darling Leslie Anne. 

Happy 8th birthday, Leslie Anne! I love you!

Laci's Haircut

My sweet Laci has long, wavy hair. All of us in the family have admired it, since we don't have this added blessing. However, it was getting unruly and hard to manage, so we needed to trim it. I've only trimmed it one other time, and that was less than an inch. This time, I cut it a bit more. I view this as her first haircut in over six years! I just had to put it here in my "scrapbook". :)

 Here are some "before" photos:

This is how much I cut off! It's about six inches!

Here are some "after" photos:

I did a side-by-side comparison. {click to enlarge}

Lastly, here are some photos of it dry. I noticed it's slightly crooked when dry! I guess the natural wave and bounce made it lopsided. Hopefully it's not too noticeable in real life. :) 

Her shorter hair makes her look even more grown up. *sigh* But, it's staying a lot neater during the day as she plays (her hair wouldn't stay in a ponytail very well), and it's easier to brush. She likes it, and so do I. :)

Favorite Shoes

My middle child, Leslie, had to get new sneakers this week. She had worn out her favorite shoes - some Skechers Twinkle Toes that my mom bought her one year ago. That's right, these shoes lasted her a year! Knowing how fast kids grow, I was amazed! When she first got these "Twinkle Toes", the lights on them were so bright, that if they went off in our van at night while driving, we thought a police car was passing with its lights on! In recent days their lights had dimmed though.

And they were getting a little tattered.

Okay, they were getting a lot tattered.

But you can't just throw away your favorite shoes without a picture or two.

I just wanted to show Nana how long those shoes lasted and how much a little girl loved them.

The Ocean of Emotion

A few of the kids enjoying our new backyard.

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. ~ John 14:27

Moving is one of the hardest things I've ever done. Perhaps the only the harder is pregnancy and childbirth! :) My family and I have just completed our ninth move. One thing I've learned after all of the moves, is that men and women handle it differently. Every move we've made in the last fifteen years has been for my husband's job, or calling; for the ministry. My husband is excited about moving and starting a new work. He loves exploring new church buildings and getting the lay of the new land. He loves meeting the new people. He just loves his work. I am called to the ministry, also, but in a different way. I do not get up and preach, but I am a support behind the scenes. I keep the home fires burning and food on the table. I wash kids' faces and listen to them read. I fellowship with folks at church and assist them in ways that my husband cannot. We are a team.

But since my husband  is, after all, a man, he is able to jump right into his new job and become immersed quicker than I can. I'm easily bogged down with "mom" type worries: Where is a good doctor? Where is the pharmacy? Does everyone have our new address? And so forth. After the initial settling in is over, comes the ocean of emotion washing over me:

I don't know my way around!
I miss my friends!
Where's the toilet paper in this Walmart?
Do the people like me?
Where is my can opener?

Where's my rut? 

That about sums it up! I want the rut! The very thing I often complained of, is that which I now miss the most. I miss getting up and knowing right where the bowls were. I miss knowing where I stored the crib sheets (or whatever!). I miss the smooth flow with which I could cook a meal in my old home. I miss the neighbor boy who could feed our dog when were away. I miss the familiar faces in our old town. I miss going for a drive and not being afraid of getting lost. I miss my hairdresser, my post office and even the tiny library we used for five years.

There is definitely an emotional toll to moving. I think it's one of Newton's Laws of the Universe: "when a woman re-locates, it causes stress, tears and weight gain." Okay, so it's not a law of the universe, it just feels like one! Through all the ups and downs and ins and outs of starting over in a new place, I find great comfort from the One Who has gone before me. My Savior has walked this road ahead of me, and He is with me in my transitions, both physical and emotional.

Even if I had stayed put in one town my entire life, I would still be making transitions. I would be moving from one phase of life to the next. Going from newlyweds, to our first baby, to our second, third, fourth, and fifth babies, to seeing them enter the teen years and move out one by one, to being just the two of us again is a lot of change! Up, down, in, out, around, under are words to describe life's exciting seasons! I'm thankful that the Lord is with me through those, too. He is here helping me adjust to my new house and town and He is here helping me adjust to the changing seasons of life. He is telling me, as the verse above says, that He brings me peace, and my heart should not be troubled. I will trust Him when everything around me is screaming otherwise. I must make the effort to keep my eyes on His word and my hope in His promises. He alone can calm that raging ocean of emotion inside of me and make the waters as smooth as glass.

Mother's Day 2013

I was blessed with a wonderful Mother's Day this year, as I have been every year so far! I still stand amazed that God has allowed me to be a mother. I grew up believing that it was the highest calling a woman can have. It is really the second highest: being a wife is the highest. I am thrilled that a godly (and handsome!) man wanted to marry me. I am humbled that my Lord blessed me with five children. I was an ornery, stubborn child for my parents to raise, so of all women, I am most unworthy to be called "mom". I am very aware of how I fail as a mother each day, but I'm learning that failure is a good thing. My failure drives me to my knees and I call on the Lord for help. He has been giving it to me daily and I know He will continue to do so. What a huge comfort that is!

Me and my favorite man. :) 

My blessings: (L-R) Mitchell (10), Lauren(13), Leslie (7), Laci (6), Matthew (2)

Terry helped the kids pick out some gifts for me. I got a purple sign that said "LOVE", a Coca-Cola glass, a coffee cup that has a small spoon in the handle (very cute), and a package of birthday cake flavored Oreos! I tasted the Oreos when we were in Canada last year, but hadn't seen them in the states. My kids were overjoyed to find those for me here! I'm struggling to take off some weight, so I gladly shared my treat with everyone.

I hope you all had a great Mother's Day! I would love to hear about it, so please comment! I have many other things to share, so I hope to be posting again soon. Thank you for reading!

Protect Your Cabinets from Getting "Trashed"

Most of you know that we have just purchased our first home. While settling in, I got an idea. Now, that's unusual for me, so I had to sit down and share it right away. I am asking myself now, "Why didn't I think of this sooner?" In fact, you have probably already thought of this.

I noticed (too late) at my last house that the wall beside the trash can was constantly getting splashed with...well, trash. I have several small children who are learning to clean up the kitchen and sometimes their aim is off when scraping the plates. This can make a mess. My solution was to [have my husband] tack up clear shelf covering on the cabinet next to the trash can! It's clear, so it's practically invisible, and it cleans off much easier than a painted cabinet or wall would!

Can you see it?

Of course, if you have your trash can in under a sink or something, you have it made! If not, this tip should keep your cabinets from getting "trashed".

Happy Homemaking!

Vintage Valerie: More Florida

I recently found a few other photos that should have been on my first VV: Florida post. I wanted to include them here.

Just as I was about to take Kevin and Stephen's photo, Mitchell (age 1) ran up and hugged Uncle Kevin's legs! It startled him, thus we have the above expression. I kinda like it. 

Okay, this is better.

Kevin, me and Kathy. I'm really sunburned. And really happy.

My mom and Nathan. (Sorry it's so yellow! Now I know that the white balance was off. Live and learn!)

Nathan at the top of the stairs at the vacation house we rented and shared.

Dad took this photo of me and Terry at the Orlando airport, right before we left to go home. I would see my partner only one more time before he would look upon Jesus' face. He also bought me a small, stuffed Shamu at the gift shop. Of course, I will treasure it always.

My little Lauren, ready to fly! :)

I'm not sure if I can keep posting these "vintage" photos. They make me kinda sad. But, as Dr. Suess said, "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened." I am happy to have such wonderful memories, and I pray I get to make many more.