He knows more than I think...

Every Sunday we drive down Ballas to get to church. Jacen loves to look at the different buildings we drive past, so this week I was telling him about St. Johns and Missouri Baptist, explaining to him that those were hospitals. I told him that people go to the hospital when they are sick and doctors help the people feel better. I also told him that the hospital is where the ambulance goes after it's picked up someone who is sick or hurt. That's a lot of info for a 2 year old to process, so I kind of assumed that I was just talking to him, and hoping something would stick.

Well, it stuck alright. Yesterday and today Jacen has had a bad cough and a low grade fever. This morning when I was giving him some medicine, he started coughing and then said, "Go hospital."

I'm just glad he's not really that sick.

Not quite tall enough

This morning we took a walk in the park with Jacen. As we walked Jacen kept pointing to the sky and saying, "cloudy". He had picked up a stick and ways doing the boy thing with it-- dragging it on the ground and poking and hitting things with it. Pretty soon he stopped and pointed the stick in the air as far as he could reach. I asked what he was doing and he said, "Reach it. Clouds." I told him the clouds were too high up for him to touch, but the rest of the walk whenever he stopped he stretched his stick up to the sky again, trying to touch birds, airplanes, or whatever else he could see up there.

10 Things I Love About My Life, or An Exercize in Positive Thinking

1. I love that I don't live in an apartment anymore. I take pride in owning my own home. I love having a yard and a park across the street It gives Jacen and Autumn a place to run and play.

2. I love that my husband thinks I'm a good cook. He is usually very happy to eat whatever I make.

3. I love that we get along so well with both my parents and my parents-in-law. We can always look forward to having family visit because we know it will be an enjoyable weekend.

4. I love putting Jacen to bed. Now that he sleeps in a big boy bed, I tuck him in and then crawl in bed next to him to read one of his favorite books. (right now it's "If You Give A Mouse A Cookie") Suddenly instead screaming "no bed! No night!" He says, "Night, Mommy. I love you."

5. I love being in a Bible Study again. Learning and worshipping together with other Christian women is truly a blessing.

6. I love that life keeps moving forward. There is hope to be found in a new job, a new home, and a new way of life.

7. I love that I can be confident in myself because of the talents God has given me. It is good to know that you are good at doing the things you love. For me those things are music, sewing and crafts, and working with children.

8. I love to hear my son talk and to watch him learn new things. Sometimes I think I should keep a journal what he learns each day. Today he began to say "I do" instead of "I did", that Play-doh is squishy, the difference between ice and snow,and how to climb the rock wall at the park.

9. I love my husband. I love that we have been married nearly 5 years and there has not been a day that I had 2nd thoughts. I love that we can work through almost any issue without yelling. And I love knowing that he loves me completely and will support me in all areas of life.

10. I love that our great God has redeemed me. And not only redeemed me, but blessed me as well. I have so many reasons to praise Him.

I am writing this post on my Blackberry at work at 4:00 in the morning. Though there is something very cool about writing a blog on my new phone, I am nonetheless wishing I was home in my bed and not up at 4 am.

Since I posted last several important things have happened. Ethan's new business, Bowman Huizenga Attorneys, LLC, got its first client,and has the opportunity to gain several more in the next week or two. Its amazing to see his big ideas unfolding and working themselves out. Who would have guessed he'd make partner at 25? Praise the Lord. On the other side of things, my long term nanny position ended rather suddenly when the mom of the kids informed me that she was quitting her job and would not be looking for another one right away. I've been able to pick up a few overnight newborn care jobs, butnothing permanent yet.

Jacen has proven in the last week and a half that he is really a 2 year old. The words that most often come out of his mouth are, "no, I not!" and he has taken to running as fast as he can in the other direction whenever you ask him to do anything.(Me: Jacen, let's put your coat on so we can go to church. Jacen: no, I not! As he runs full speed to his room.) He is still his good-natured little self, however, and most episodes of temper or defiance only last a minute or two, or at the very worst can be solved by a time out in the pack and play.

And now I have succeded in putting the baby to sleep, so I'm gonna go veg out too. Good night all.

A Note to my Son on his Second Birthday

Dear Jacen,

Tomorrow you will be two years old. It's hard for me to believe--it seems like just yesterday I was sitting next to your hospital bed, constantly watching the monitors and praying you would be ok. Nothing I have done in my life has been harder than watching you lying there. And there has been no greater blessing since than to watch you grow and develop into the happy, healthy little boy you are today.

You have an enthusiasm for life that I hope you keep into adulthood. You are a child who thoroughly enjoys all things, whether it be bananas at breakfast time, or an unexpected trip to the playground in the afternoon. I love your sincerity and thoughtfulness when you play with other children your own age. I love your amazing willingness to share with others. And I love that you never forget your manners. No one expects you to say, "Excuse me!" if we bump into them at the supermarket.

There are so many things you do that make you who you are. The way you carry Rhino around with your thumb in your mouth exactly like Linus on "Peanuts". The way you rock back and forth when you dance and sing, "La la la la, Elmo song!" You say,"wow", "awesome", "wonderful", and "all right" when your excited about something, and you wrinkle your forehead and say "oh no" if you're upset or unsure. You are independent and if I don't help you the first time you ask, you are more likely to help yourself than ask again. You eat everything, but especially love bananas and yogurt. You can identify almost every animal, even if I don't think you've seen it before, but call most birds either a penguin or a chicken. You are always ready to read a book, and if you read it once, you will want to read it five times.

At two, you are growing so quickly and learning things every day. You love to color, and your favorite toys are your blocks, and any airplane, car or truck you can find. You can spot a high flying airplane through a tree on a cloudy day. You are learning new words every day, and copy everything we say. You are beginning to count and learn your alphabet. You are especially talented with fine motor skills, and are very good at putting puzzles together and building with blocks and legos. You eat well with a spoon and fork and drink from a cup with no lid.

Even though your first two years went so quickly, you fill me with anticipation, and I am always more excited to see what you will do next than disappointed that your baby days are past. I love being a mommy more than I every believed I would, and I especially love being the mommy to the happy, lovable, and easygoing child that you are. I cannot wait to see what the next year has in store for you. God has blessed us richly through you, and we can already see his hand working in your life. I promise to help you see who God is, and to teach you to live and grow as one of his children. I promise to pray for you every day.

I love you, Jacen, and I am so very proud of you.

Love, hugs and kisses, Mommy

'Tis the Season

Merry Christmas from the Huizenga's! Christmas is coming and coming fast this year! I can't believe it's only 2 weeks (less?) away. We'll be leaving in a week to visit family (and hopefully some friends, too) in Iowa. This week we're busy practicing for our church choir's Christmas contata. We're doing Vivaldi's Gloria, which has been great fun. We're performing this Sunday evening.

We wish all of you the greatest blessings on your holiday season!

For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given!

We love fall!

Here's a few pictures of our trip to the pumpkin farm and my little cowboy on halloween.