3 years ago...

3 years ago I was part of a miracle.
3 years ago I was tired of waiting.
3 years ago I gained an experience that I had no scope of how it would impact others.
3 years ago I held my little boy for the first and last time.
3 years ago I was the center of my Savior's attention.
3 years ago I experienced a love that I had never felt before.
3 years ago I received the Healing that He freely gave.
3 years ago I understood a deeper meaning to His Faithfulness and His Love.

Though hard, I want people to know through the experience we had losing Jedidiah, there is a path of healing and even restoration through our Father's love. How deep is His love for us and how vast beyond all measure? For us, we celebrate His life and rejoice (really!) that He never had to enter this earthly world, but is living in the presence of an Almighty and Ever-Wonderful God.

Jedidiah means "beloved friend of God". We named him this for that specific purpose. While I carried him, I felt his spirit so close to his Maker's. It was strange, but awesome. Now, we still remember him and are excited to one day meet this amazing close friend of God's.

There is another child waiting for us as well, but Jedidiah will always hold a specific special place in our heart. We're proud of him. I'm proud to be his mommy.

For those of you who have gone through a miscarriage, LET Him do a work in you. It is a unique loss, no doubt, but His concern for you and your emotional healing is important to Him. God desires you to thrive and grow! There is sadness, but there is JOY. Don't choose sackcloth and ashes for a lifetime. Resist the urge to depress yourself into a pit. Grieve and receive His healing...

Willow

So here it is! We had some amazing friends of ours come over this past weekend and offer to paint Jude's room. I was a little unsure of the color at first, but it works really well, especially without the harsh overhead fan light. (Who really needs FIVE light bulbs overheadin a small bedroom?)

I finally picked this bedding a few months ago and am really glad I did! If you haven't heard the bargain story, here it goes! I had waltzed in to a children's boutique in town with about an hour to kill before taking Deron to the pool a few weeks ago, not really expecting to buy anything at all... just look around at what they had. They do have some mighty cute things in the store, but as for most boutique-kinds of places, all quite pricey. I strolled to the back of the store where the clearance items were placed, and what did I find?? None other than all of the Kidsline Willow Bedding and accessories that you see in my pictures (plus a changing pad cover) 40% off!! Needless to say, I called my hubby at once and shared the joy!

That meant that I could be guaranteed some pretty awesome stuff for a nursery for this little one, that we didn't have to pay shipping, AND it was WAY less than expected! How 'bout that for favor?! So thank you, mom and Vonnie (mom-in-law) for blessing us with all of this wonderful stuff! I have thoroughly enjoyed every second of nesting, and intend to enjoy it for a long while!

Jude's room so far!

His soon to be napping place.
I can't wait to sit here in this cozy corner...

to my love...

I adore you, my sweet Philip.

You have made me an inexpressibly, incomparably, and uncompromisingly happy woman.

I love your touch.

I love your smile.

I love the "pokies" on your face when you don't shave for a few days.

I love the little hairs that fluff on the back of your head when you rub the gel out of your hair or when you've been resting with your head on the couch for awhile.

I love the way you love chips and salsa every day at lunch.

I love the tenderness of your hands and the strength that they represent.

I love the music that your heart writes- the melodies, the harmonies, and the way you want them to express something besides just music on a page.

I love how meticulous you are about budgeting and taking care of our finances.

I love how you prefer one particular pencil above all else and how it bugs you when the laptop cord isn't properly taken care of behind the laptop.

I love how you always plug your phone in, even if we're home for 10 minutes.

I love how soft your feet always are and how they handsomely don a little flipflop tan line these days.

I love how excited you get talking about really technical aspects of computers and how knowledgeable even you make me feel eventhough I still have little understanding about them.

I love the way you look at me across the room and tell me I'm beautiful.

I love that you are 6'1" and can (under normal circumstances) pick me up and hug me.

I love how you leave me notes often, and you know that I love when they're hand-written.

I love that you look for ways to show me that I am special to you.

I love that you will give me a back scratch anytime I ask for one before going to sleep.

I love how you work so dad-gum hard every single day of the week, but hardly anyone ever knows because you don't complain.

I love how you always thank me for cooking for you, and that you usually like it!

I love the silly little songs that you sing that no one else gets to hear but me.

I love how you prefer Homemade Vanilla icecream above any other flavor.

I love how boyishly-giddy you get about computer parts.

I love how you wipe the tears from my eyes when I cry, and the hair out of my face when I'm upset.

I love your shoulders and how they always look so big and strong.

I love your hugs and how they envelop me completely.

I love that you will hold me without question, and you know those times so well.

I love that you support my dreams and goals and that you want to see me pursue them.

I love that you talk with me about your feelings about things and want to communicate with me.

I love that if I ask for your attention or time, you willingly give it.

I love the way you care about our marriage, and will invest time, money, and effort to make it the best it can be.

I love the way you check on Deron every night before we go to sleep, whispering in his ear how much you love him and kiss him on the face.

I love that you smile every time we talk about Jedidiah.

I love how cuddly you are with me and Deron, and love watching you smother Deron with kisses and hugs while he squirms and giggles hopelessly.

I love how talented you are at playing piano, and how it always makes me swoon.

I love how you understand me, sometimes better than I realize.

I love how you insisted years ago to have a quiet time with me every single morning, and you won't let us sleep in past it.

I love how you know proper Old English and will easily use it in Boggle.

I love that you love your coffee black.

I love that your voice is the lowest in the choir and you're proud of it.

I love how straight and white your teeth are.

I love how look for ways to bless me and make me happy.

I love how you'll come home with flowers if you know I've had a hard day.

I love how hard you are to beat in most any game, but you do so with grace.

I love sharing memories with you like my "rag-of-muffins", the candle wax picture, the early mornings at BCBS, the U.S. Open every summer, "conservation mode" in the summertime, Howie, the maroon suburban, playing scrabble, the State Park, date nights, just to name a few.

I love love love you, Philip Crumpton. You have made me such a happy woman.

earning minutes

So, I feel pretty responsible and creative today (actually, yesterday)! This is the story: We have Super Mario Galaxy, a really fantastic game for the Wii that our family (including me, thank you) have played and beaten completely (I'm talkin' getting all 121 stars on Mario AND Luigi- if you know the game) THREE (3) times. Don't call us losers. It's a great game! Highly entertaining and replayable! Plus, it doesn't help that Deron always wanted to watch us plsy it. Anyway, a friend had borrowed it, thankfully, for awhile and it was out of our house for several months.

Well, the game has made it home, and our charming 4-year old knows it. So, utilizing my powers of creativity and with a desire for him to learn the ways of earning things he loves to do (and teaching him responsibility in duties around the house, thus me getting some help getting chores done), I incorporated a reward system.

I cut out little pieces of paper and labeled them 5, 10, and 15, for the amount of minutes he can earn playing the game. He has a little box he can cash them in whenever it's "game time". Yesterday we began this and he has responded SO well! Far beyond my expectations! Yay!

He earned 5 minutes for jumping up and running to the car when it was time to leave for the gym in the morning, 10 for being an impeccable child (except for a little whining at one point) at the doctor's office, and 5 more for sorting the silverware while we were putting dishes away.

This morning he woke up asking if he could earn minutes! Not much else could make a mommy happier than a child willing to help do stuff around the house!

Crazy Eights

You know you love 'em... I was tagged by Kara.

8 things to look forward to:
1. Seeing my brand new son in several short weeks.
2. Getting his room ready for him.
3. Watching Deron grow into being a loving, protective, and wise big brother.
4. Cheering my husband on as he walks across the stage in December!!
5. Getting a bigger house and a bigger car.
6. Experiencing signs, wonders, and miracles in and through the Kingdom.
7. Traveling all over the world with Philip.
8. Owning a puppy.

8 things I did yesterday:
1. Worshiped at our amazing church.
2. Saw some friends whom we haven't seen in months.
3. Got kicked in the bladder, ribs, and gut.
4. Was kissed by the two most wonderful men in my life.
5. Ate the best combination of food at Outback. (Alice Springs Chicken and Ribs)
6. Devoured the best signature creation at Coldstone. (Chocolate Devotion)
7. Relaxed and read a little in 5 Love Languages of Children.
8. Wished my hubby an early "Happy Birthday!"

8 things I wish I could do:
1. Paint my toenails.
2. Not get tired doing laundry.
3. Travel, travel, travel.
4. Have more of a knack for cooking organic and healthy.
5. Keep our house cleaner longer.
6. Stay awake during movies these days.
7. Make my thumbs greener.
8. Lead worship as a career.

8 shows I watch:
1. LOST
2. World News Tonight
3. Local News (only on KTXS - the only I can handle)
4. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
5. sorry guys, we only have antenna, so our channels are now down to 2. hehe
6.
7.
8.

People to tag:
1. Amity
2. Diane
3. Erin
4. Ashley
5. Missie
6. Jenn Z.