Year One

In two days, Baby Cade will celebrate his first birthday. I'm not much on retrospectives. I prefer the future or even right now. However, I was looking back at pictures (which keeps me grounded to my history) and I have to say - he's come a long way.

I admit now - please don't tell Chad I ever said this (no, I'm pretty sure he doesn't read this blog) - that I was shocked the first time I saw Cade. He didn't look like the other three. He didn't look like me. He didn't even look like Chad. He looked weird. I remember thinking, "Oh my, he's got NO LIPS! How can my baby have no lips?" And his face was too puffy. And he already had a man-sized nose. He was just so... Picasso-esqe. I was afraid that having three of the world's most ridiculously spectacular-looking siblings was going to cause him future trouble.

However, he was soon rigged up to Tube City in the NICU, which magically transformed him into the world's most beautiful tragic hero. The anxiety of those days has softened, but not gone away completely. It's almost laughable to think that there was once a day that his appetite was cause for concern. Now, he's like having a tiny black hole in the house.

Let's take a look back.

Ahhhhhh...no lips!

Too small to finish 2 ounces.



World's largest pacifier?

Ah...the beginning of the turmoil between Stone and Cade started at the first meeting. Daddy got onto Stone for poking the new baby right in the eyeball.



Meeting Pearce and Cole



First captured cute moment (and maybe the last) between Stone and Cade.



Personality emerging!!!



First time I noticed Cade ruining a group shot (would not be the last)



Scary monster face!



Sneeze.



Cade ruining another group shot.

Ok, so there might have been ONE MORE cute moment between Stone and Cade.



Personality emerging-ing.



Personality emerging-ing-ing.



Maybe this kid is going to be crazy.

Definitely looking like crazy is coming out.

Houston, we have personality.

Needless to say, my helpless little NICU baby has turned into a ridiculously good-looking, crazy, fearless, hilarious sibling warrior. I cannot wait to see the bruises, scrapes, tears, and knots in the coming year. Oh, not on Cade - the ones he's going to inflict on his big brothers.

To whom much is given...

I intended this to be a post devoid of sarcasm. This is all about sharing a 'God moment' with you. I should reign in the sarcasm, banish it, ignore the temptation to use it. However, without it, you won't fully comprehend the glory of the God moment. Today, sarcasm serves a purpose.

A few days ago, I took all four boys to the tax assessor's office. I'll pause to give you time to laugh. Ok, collect yourself. Really, stop laughing. Now you're just being rude.

Anyway, they behaved as expected. Less like four boys and more like monkeys. I have yet to teach Stone that just because he crawls all over my furniture doesn't mean he can do the same to the county's. The poor woman at the window waited as I said 4-5 words to her followed by, "Will you excuse me?" followed by, "Pearce! Keep Stone from going through that lady's purse!" or "Cole, don't teach Stone to make the revolving door go that fast!" Then it was back to the lady at the window. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Finally, FINALLY, I'd tagged two cars, a boat, and the boat trailer and we were almost home free (read: restrained with seat belts). ALMOST. As we exit the building, my kids look like mercury from a broken thermometer - randomly going in all different directions. I'm scrambling to keep Cole from jumping off a wall in front of a Constable's car and yelling at Pearce to stop Stone from running into the parking lot. I'm losing my patience at this point and I'm ready to Gibbs-slap ALL of them. Even the cute ones, you know - the ones not going through an 'awkward teeth phase.'

Just then, a man walks by with a combined look of sympathy and amusement and says, "To whom much is given, much is required."

Steven Covey talks about paradigm shifts in his motivational speeches.
He was traveling in a subway, a man gets in with his two sons, the sons are running all over the place bothering the people, this continues, so he finally gets irritated enough to ask the father why he doesn't do something to control his kids. The father replies, "We just got back from the hospital where their mother died. I don't know how to handle it and I guess they don't either."

8 words caused a paradigm shift in me. To whom much is given, much is required. It's paraphrased from Luke 12:48. I like this translation - The man to whom much is given, will have to give much; if much is given into his care, of him more will be requested.
Mostly, this verse describes giving to the less fortunate in your community - if you have much, give much. But on this day, the words from the stranger's mouth made me look at the verse anew. And my children.

I wish I could tell you that the boys magically transformed into little angels at that moment - that I saw their little devil horns turn into halos. But, in fact, they piled into the van screaming at each other about who got to sit in front and who was stepping on who's toes as they tried to get in ahead of the the other two. Cade, who had been in my arms the entire time looked at them like they were the funniest cartoon ever.

And I was filled with peace.

You can't always get what you want.

I have loftier ideas than my reality is willing to comply with. Today, I went to the zoo and as we were going through the Texas part, I saw this G-R-E-A-T background. I was really excited and I began to formulate how the kids would look all together.

What I had in my favor:
Great camera
Great-looking kids
...uhm. Yep, that about does it.

What I had against me:
August afternoon in Texas
Cranky, sleepy infant and 3-year-old
Kids with attention spans the size of fire ants
Candy store in close proximity
Passersby

However, I have never been a fan of pro and con lists - they seem so negative. So, I'm looking at this background and I'm internally cheerleading the possibilities. Reality is having a good laugh at me.

Let's break the cons down into picture format.

Exhibit 1 (August afternoon in Texas):
In this picture, Cole is whining about how hot he is and asking if we can skip the pictures and go to the water area.



Exhibit 2 (Cranky, sleepy infant and toddler):
You can see that I chose two pictures. Look at how oblivious Stone is to Cade's tantrum.



Exhibit 3 (kids with short attention spans and nearby candy store):
After only four or five attempts, Cole decides (without my input) that it's time to go on to funner activities, like said candy store. I like the randomness of this one. It's sort of a snapshot of our life.


Exhibit 4 (passersby):
I FINALLY get Stone to look at me only to have Pearce and Cole looking off at different passersby. Not to mention Pearce has finally given up on holding Cade.


After 30 attempts (according to my camera roll), this is the best I got:


So, obviously, my kids weren't going to give me the cherished moment I was after. I decide to switch subjects and put Stone's friend in the game. You know, fresh players.

This is the first picture that I took:

It didn't get much better from that point.


And at last, with much coaxing from me and my friend Megan, we got them to give us brilliant fake smiles.

Lesson for the day: Don't expect portrait quality family pictures after a day's walk around the zoo. In August. In Texas. With toddlers. Or infants.

So, you can't always get what you want. But if you try real hard you just might get what you can blog.

Beautiful America

I have to say, there's nothing like a road trip. I grew up traveling by car across this great nation and I can't get over how she leaves a little of herself embedded in your heart forever. I was struck by a combination of nostalgia, wonder, and awe. I'm so proud to live where beautiful landscapes are driving distance from me.

Rain in the Rockies

Cascade Falls, Ouray Colorado

These beautiful flowers grow wild along the trails in Ouray, CO.

Poppies in Ouray, CO

Just outside my window on our way from Durango.

Petroglyph - looks like it's in an eye socket

Bandelier National Monument, NM

Bandelier National Monument

God having a little fun with the mountain in New Mexico

Bandelier National Monument

Colorado jeeping road


Aspen woods


Alta Mining town outside Telluride, CO

Bungee-Tramp (no, I'm not referring to myself)

Man, it's been awhile and my fingers are creaky at this (not to mention my brain). I'm not sure how any of this will translate in a blog setting, but I have a few stories from our latest adventures to share. With pictures, of course.

Where to begin...

I guess I'll start with my most told story of late and just add pictures. Believe me, this is a story that is better backed by photos than told in real life - there's no way to give it physical perspective. But, thanks to my loving husband who so graciously held the camera still through his fits of laughter, we have historical evidence of my bad choice. Here, let me show you.

Bungee-tramp. It's a 'ride' you can take/do at the Durango Mountain Resort (old Purgatory) in the summer. Basic principle is easy - rig a person to a harness attached to some strong bungees, tighten it based on their weight by adding or subtracting bungee straps, then bounce them on a trampoline until they shoot into the atmosphere. Bungee-tramp.

All four of us decided to have a go at it. Watching Pearce and Cole go first, I was really excited and not at all nervous, although I should have looked more closely at their faces.
My husband, the crazy dirt bike rider was even unsure of himself!

Check out the guy who is bouncing him - while we are screaming like little girls, he's without a harness, jumping 10'-15' into the air while talking on his cell phone.


At any rate, my turn was next. Let me stop and give you additional information. There were two other bungee-tramps going next to ours where little kids were doing backflips on the thing. So, Chad and I were yelling, "Do a backflip!" Pearce and Cole both refused by shaking their heads emphatically.

Ok, back to my turn. I realized that this was my shining moment. It was my chance to show my kids up and come out the cool mom who tries crazy stuff. I asked the girls bouncing me how to do a back flip and they told me it was sooooo easy. All I had to do was throw my head back and tuck my legs. From here it's just easier to show you.

On my first attempt, I clearly didn't tuck the legs:

On my second attemp, I remembered the legs and look! I'm over!!!! Showing up kids - check.

Maybe I should have waited to get cocky - no one told me I needed to extend my legs to get out of the flip. Half way down in the wrong position - still upside down.


My legs are definitely extended, but gravity has already won the battle. I'm not coming out of this flip.

By the way, I doctored the last three pictures to keep this posting G-rated - I'm actually sporting quite a 'plumber crack' in this sequence of events.

Finally, I submit the following picture - proving that Chad has laughed himself out of camera focus. This is where my weight, gravity, and the harness all collide in one harmonious moment I like to call 'The Rib Killer.'

Did I show up my kids? In their kind words, just the trying was proof that I did. But in the process I created a bruise that extended across my abdomen and managed to bruise the insides well enough that I still can't pick up my three year old without it taking my breath away.

Still, it wasn't bad until I tried the stupid trick. Before that, I was amazed at how thrilling the ride was - fear, exhilaration, the feeling that I was truly flying at moments - it was awesome. I recommend the experience, just not the back flip.