One of THOSE days...

I find myself wondering if there will be a full moon tonight, or was there one last night...


...or do rain + warmer temps = children bouncing off the walls + fighting all day long...


...or is it all just ME???



Yes, folks, it has been one of THOSE days. When you look at your kids and wonder who they are, where they came from, and who their mother is. When you find yourself saying and doing things that are completely abnormal. When moving the afternoon nap start time to 9:00am sounds just about perfect.



Today started out great, with my two kiddos plus the sweet little girl I babysit eating breakfast nicely together. Then the sibling fighting started, with the sweet little girl staring at the siblings like they are lunatics. Then it went to arguing. The snatching of toys. The spilling of glitter on the floor that I had juuust vacuumed and mopped.



It led to chasing one another, which led to just running around to get the energy out. But then that led to the somewhat brand new floor lamp getting knocked over and meeting its end, and glass all over the carpet I juuust vacuumed. (Yes, I love to vacuum! It's an obsession.)



That led to me removing hundreds of pieces of glass (then vacuuming again) while trying to keep a rather head-strong little boy off the carpet (who didn't listen, despite warnings of glass in his feet and boo-boos and a hospital visit).



This was all followed by an appointment to drop off kindergarten paperwork, which was preceded by a warning to behave "or else" but was followed by fights over who could look at the fish tank in the secretary's office, hitting, and high-pitched crying.



Lunch was successful, but was quickly followed by Caedon some little boy throwing a wooden train track at the sweet little girl I babysit and making her head bleed. A.LOT. This led to me trying to stay calm but running to get a towel to put on her head. My running led to panic and more crying, followed by calm instructions for my kiddos to get in their beds for nap. (Who knows...my instructions may or may not have been calm by this point.)



All of that was followed by a dab of ointment put on a 1/8-inch cut that had flowed like the Red Sea, followed by three or four concussion tests to make sure the sweet little girl I babysit was still alive and well. (These were mostly for me to calm down...the sweet little girl I babysit had long stopped crying, long stopped bleeding, and looked at me like I was nuts.)





And...


...finally...


...NAP TIME!



The reset button of all reset buttons. When the parents of the world rejoice. When I can piece my thoughts back together, move on, work, and figure out dinner. When I wonder if the parents of said "sweet little girl that I babysit", who happen to be our good friends, will still like me.



And when I pray that the next day is a tad bit less adventurous than this one!

A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book. ~Irish Proverb

Healing Is In Your Hands

A taste of what's on my iPod...one song, but oh SO powerful!


I first heard this song early last year, when emotional and spiritual (even physical!) healing seemed so far away.


Take the time, close your eyes, and listen. She sings of the truth that so many of us have already heard and know about, but still need to be reminded of.

Streams of Consciousness

Today I sit, on this gloriously sunny yet freezing cold day, with windows wide open, sunshine abundant, fresh air blowing in...God's little reminders that warmer weather will be here soon! While the snow is beautiful and the seasons are a part of life, I still LOVE warmth a whole lot better!


Princess Lucy is loving the sunshine too...quietly moping/sleeping on the playroom floor while her puppies leave this week. Poor girl.


The first puppy of the litter left on Wednesday, and two more leave today. That makes three sold, four to go! While I thought seeing them go would be hard on me and harder on the children, I'm realizing just how tired my head and body are - and overall we are SO SO glad to see them go! Yes, they are beyond adorable and playful...but do you know how much poop those little creatures make?! Three feedings each day, five total trips outside, four cleanings of the dog pen, and now two of them constantly climbing the sides of the cage and escaping. All of it equals one.tired.lady. (That would be me, in case you didn't guess.) Hey, if you know of anyone else that needs/wants of puppy, send them my way! I'm willing to make a deal! Seriously.


We have nothing planned for this weekend...a first for us in a long time. Sounds like some cleaning, organizing, tax preparation, bike riding, and long runs are in order. Wait, that now sounds like plans...ha! Ahh, the things that make my heart sing!


Last weekend we went on a ski retreat with the senior high kids from our church...and we lived to tell about it! ;o) No, really...it was truly a fun weekend. I'm just not used to going to bed around 1:00am two nights mornings in a row, plus skiing for almost an entire day. In drippy cold rain/sleet. Still totally worth it, though.


Any plans out there for the big V-Day on Monday? Honestly, I could take it or leave it. Note to Hubby: No pressure to go out to eat or get me a present...how 'bout an early bed time for the kiddos and a nice snack and a movie? Shoulder rub? And a hot chocolate? I'm now pushing it, aren't I?


I need to start getting paperwork done for Danae's kindergarten registration. Yes, I did say the "K" word. Shudder. Sometimes I feel so old when I realize my baby is going to school in just 6 months...where did the past 5 years go?! So, yes...paperwork, then scheduling the kindergarten screening and the parent interview in May. Yup, they check us child-owners out, too, I guess to make sure we are sane and know what we're doing. Ha! Ha! Ha! Just thinking about how that will go makes me laugh. I might ask them what happens if we don't get a passing "score". Oh, I crack myself up. :o)


Have a beautiful weekend!

Puppies for Sale!

Ok, folks! We need your help!


The time has come to sell these totally cute German Shorthaired Pointer puppies that we've been raising in our home since December. They are almost 7 weeks old, and they are ready to go next week/next weekend!





We have 5 males left...all A.D.O.R.A.B.L.E. All 5 are white with ticking and varying amounts of liver-colored patches.













If you know nothing about GSPs, know that they:

1) need exercise

2) typically love to hunt, and

3) need exercise. :o)



Our puppies are purebred (litter is registered with the AKC), have health certificates from the vet, are up-to-date on shots and deworming, have tails docked, and come from a championship bloodline. They have been raised in our home and are socialized daily. They are also on regular food and water (with some nursing here and there). We are asking $600.





Please email us at cbdulrich@yahoo.com or call 717-201-1765 to come visit!

Julians Josiah

Thank you SO much to so many of you who posted comments, called, sent cards, and prayed for us last Thursday! The love was overwhelming, and the support was needed and REALLY appreciated!


Sometime in November I mentioned that we had several friends and family members who were having babies over the span of several months. So far, three have made their debut.


While each birth is amazing and special, this most recent one now holds a separate place in our hearts.


Our friends Matt & Lija were expecting their first born babe to come around February 10...until they found out around Christmastime that he/she was breech. After several doctor's visits and a big scare, Lija needed to have an emergency c-section...which happened to take place last Thursday, January 27. Our Josiah's birthday.


It was already an emotional day for us and for many others, and this little man's arrival brought up lots more emotions in all of us. NEVER anger or bitterness...just a deep wonderment and questioning of why God would bring our friends' baby...a boy, nonetheless!...into this world one year after our son died...one year almost to the hour.





You know, we can sit here and wonder why, be angry about losing Josiah, be bitter that a healthy little boy so close to us was born exactly a year later, worry what future birthdays will look like, ruin friendships, and make life awkward. OR we can embrace this little miracle and continue to walk the path together. And that's exactly what we and Matt & Lija have decided to do. There's no getting around our boys having the same birthdate, so we embrace it and trust God's reasoning.






We got to meet little Julians last night, hold him, and take in his adorable features. He truly is a cute little bundle, weighing in at 6 lbs, 7 oz.





We were also honored to be asked if Julians' middle name could be Josiah...in honor of his birthday-buddy, his friend that's only one year older and is waiting in Heaven. Julians will know Josiah's story forever, and hopefully more people in years to come will know about our son and what it means to truly trust in God's plan, no matter what.

One Year: Celebrating Josiah

Today marks one year since Curt and I met, held, and had to give our youngest child back to the Lord. Happy 1st Birthday to our Josiah!




Recently I was asked if I ever think of Josiah in Heaven...if I envision him growing and developing while there, or do I think he stays a newborn baby. Interesting. I have never given thought to that, and I don't think there's a clear answer. But regardless of what he might be like, I know he's healed, healthy, and having the most awesome birthday party today.


I sit back now, though, and just wonder how the heck a year - an entire 365 days - seemed to fly by right before my eyes. The past year has been full of tears, conversations, get-aways, birthdays, anniversaries, projects, get-togethers, holidays...but this day one year ago is still so vivid and clear to me, just as if it were yesterday. (And if you know me well and know my inability to remember things from my childhood or from even just last week, that's saying a lot.) I hope and pray that January 27, 2010 remains a clear memory!




This past year has also had lots of questions for God, as well as growth. The first few months after Josiah's birth and death were full of tears, anxiety, anger, faith issues...all that, I believe, are a normal part of this whole grief process that we all, at some point, will experience. Even though I feel like I haven't given the proper amount of time to self-reflection, I still have learned a lot about myself, how I cope, how I handle stress. Some of it is preeety ugly, and God has shown me ways in which I need to change, both outward and inward. It's His way of molding and shaping, right?


I have also learned a whole lot about how God wants us to love Him and to love others. (Note: I think it no coincidence that our church small group started reading and studying the book "Crazy Love" [by Francis Chan] the same month that Josiah died.) Since last January, we have been cared for by SO many people: church friends and others in our church who we didn't know very well, our families (both immediate and extended), our wonderful small group (they are practically family to us), neighbors who hadn't known us very long, friends from childhood and friends from college, even strangers. Meals, cards, phone calls, thoughts and prayers...the ways that people showed their love and support is innumerable. It has truly been amazing to see the love that has been poured out to us, and "thank you" was and is never enough to show our gratitude!


THIS is exactly what we are called to do: to care for and love on others, no matter who they are, no matter where they live, no matter what they do or have done, no matter how much you do or do not know them. I'm trying so hard to cultivate and grow this desire in me to love as Jesus did in all areas of my life, as hard as it seems. I've learned many things over the past year through Josiah's life and death, (as my friend Kara put it, probably more than I would have learned through his life!), and if God just wants to use me to 1) share Josiah's story and bring encouragement, and 2) care for the hurting around me, then so be it. Oh, these life lessons!


I still think about Josiah multiple times each day and miss him a whole heck of a lot. It's hard not to think about what he would be doing if he were here. Walking or still learning how? Saying things? Getting wrestled and pounced on by his big brother? Getting shoved into a princess dress-up dress by his big sister? Having his food stolen by the dog? Probably. We.miss.him.terribly. Can't ever say that enough. Today we are shedding tears, holding close his memory, celebrating his first awesome year in Heaven, and continuing to learn and grow through the heartache.

Monthly Game Review - Hasbro's Ratuki

From day one, my husband and I loved to play board games. I don't know if it's the competition or just the time spent together, but even now I get excited when we plan to play a board game after the kiddos are in bed. Our favorites over the years included Ticket to Ride, Settlers of Catan, Blokus...


And as the kids arrived we have tried to instill the love of game-playing in them. Lately we enjoy Memory (one of my favorites as a child!) and Operation (but with missing pieces...I'm preeetty sure our youngest ate them) with our five year old, and The Fishing Game with our two year old. Oh, the joy of kicking back, letting the To-Do list go, and just playing!


The Hasbro company encourages just that with their Family Game Nights - time set aside for you and your family to play together, learn, laugh, and love.





The wonderful people at Hasbro sent me one of their newest card games to review - Ratuki - which also happens to be the game of the month for January. Here is a little description sent by Hasbro:


"With Ratuki, families will enjoy card-slamming fun as they race to complete runs of five with numbered cards represented by Roman numerals, numbers and dice. Players will feel a rush of excitement as they try to be the first to slam down their cards and collect the most cards in the group."





We have yet to play this game with a group, but Hubby and I have played Ratuki numerous times in the past month and continue to love it! It's very easy to learn, doesn't have a lot of rules, and is a fast-paced game (one that I tend to win...but don't let Hubby know that I told you). ;o) Check it out for yourself by clicking here!



While you're at it, plan your own Family Game Night during these cold winter months. I think it helps bring the warmer weather back much quicker! ;o)