Happy times

I think the hardest part for me this surgery (besides praying and wondering about pain management) was the fact that James was doing so great before surgery. It is not so difficult to hand your baby over to the surgeon when you know his life depends on it... and he looks like he is depending on you to help him.

It's a little different when he looks the best he has in five years... and you're sending him anyway.

I believe it won't be long until James is back up to full speed and, since pain management has not been the nightmare this time that it has been in the past, I really have no regrets. Already his little belly looks more like that of a little boy and less like that of a war-torn veteran. That is certainly something to be grateful for... and I am!

I am also grateful for some sweet time yesterday. Just about the time I was wondering if this was our day of trouble since James had gone so long without food or drink, the Big Apple Circus clowns that are permanently assigned here showed up. They occupied James for about 45 minutes and I think they had just as much fun as we did!




If you want to see MORE pictures you can go here!

James is learning to read!

We figured out YouTube and signed up for an account, so we could share this sweet video of James and Momma reading James' ABC book from Love and Learning.

'Tis the Season - For Unto Us a Child is Born

Inspirational DaySpring Movies

This post is a part of 'Tis the Season carnival. You can head over to Hannah or

McKenzie's site to read more Christ-honoring Christmas posts.

Amputate or Agitate: What's the Difference

We're listening to 'The Enemy Below'. Momma and I were by the computer and I overheard 'we had to amputate his fingers', so I asked 'who's fingers?'. After a minute, Carrie said 'A guy's hand was shot and the doctor had to agitate his fingers.' Oh, Carrie, you are so funny!

Love, Hannah

The Lone (St)ranger

James got a toy gun, holster, cowboy hat and mask for Christmas (the children got together with Daddy to make this work).. Becca donated one of her bandanas. The pony came from neighbors awhile back. Then he would only sit on the horse if it were inside a large box. Now he'll climb on the horse to watch his favorite cowboy shows.

For Christmas, the little three got a wagon. James is learning to pull it around. Becca is helping him out.

Notice the shorts, short-sleeved shirt and sock-free outfits... This is December. It did get colder in January.

Love, Stephanie

War movies

In an earlier post, I mentioned that we like to watch Hopalong Cassidy.

The children are also fond of some of the olderwar movies too. Like Sergeant York and some of the Errol Flynn movies.

Can you tell?

I love that little boy...and his brother and sisters too!

Lookout Hoppy!

The children are big fans of Hopalong Cassidy. James loves to imitate him and the rest of the children (especially Owen, Becca and Carrie) love to play along. Mrs. Julie brought these toy guns--she works at Salvation Army and when toy guns are donated, they can't sell them. (No, I don't know if that is just their store or if it is a nationwide policy).

At any rate, the photos below are of Hoppy-inspired activities around here recently.

Talking about movies

Awhile back, I mention that Momma and I went to Garden cafe at the hospital in Duluth.
One of the many things we talked about was a movie some of us had watch recently called 'Ma and Pa Kettle go to town'.

Here is a little history of the movie, but the main thing we talked about was when Pa was arrested by the police in New York for supposedly poisoning the monkeys at the zoo. Ma had visited the 'Lucien et Louise de Paris' Beauty salon and now looked very fashionable.

At the beginning of the funny part, Ma comes into the station and to the desk and says "I'd like to see Mr. Kettle". Finally the sergeant tells her where Pa is and Ma heads for the room and opens the door just as the three men with Pa Kettle say "TALK". This is now the funny part!

Ma~ "I've come after yah' Pa. Pa~ "You sure look purty Ma" sniff, sniff "and smell purty too."
Ma "never mind all the sweet talk. What they been doing to yah." Pa "nothing, it's been right sociable." Ma "well, I'm taking you outa here" grabs him by the shirt and pulls him out of the the chair. One of the detectives "Just a minute lady, what about his Habeus Corpus"
Ma "I'm taking that too." I've tried to put it in the words they used, but I'm not sure I was very successful at it.

One of the things that makes it hilarious is that Ma has no clue what Habeus Corpus is.
You should see the movie, it is much better than words. Besides, words can't be given Ma's facial expression.

Here is some links to the meaning of Habeus Corpus.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habeas_corpus

http://www.lectlaw.com/def/h001.htm

and here is a neat article from 1679, http://www.constitution.org/eng/habcorpa.htm


Love, Hannah