So Thankful

I started thinking about the fact that I haven't been blogging as much as I wanted to, and thought this is the perfect opportunity. It's thanksgiving. So I started thinking about all of the things I'm thankful for, and I have concluded this: I am suuuuper blessed. So Here's what I'm thankful for, in no particular order. I'm going to do this in sort of a stream of consciousness method. So it might get kind of funny. Here goes:

Lord, I am so thankful for:

1. That I get to be an American and enjoy so much liberty and freedom. 

2. I get to worship God freely, without fear of persecution.

3. God created you and me and he loves us all so much that he sent his son to die, so that we can know Him. 

4. I have the best kids in the whole world. 

5. I come from a great family where I always knew that I was loved -- and unconditionally so. 

6. My family (The Bouskas) really really like each other — probably more than ever — and we love hanging out whenever we get the chance. 

7. I married into a really great family that loves each other so much. 

8. I get to live in a really great house that is warm and stays warm thanks to the new furnace we got on one of the coldest days of the year last year. 

9. We have two cars that work well. 

10. I get to stay home with my kids and watch them grow up.

11. IPTV now comes in through our archaic rabbit ears -- since we rearranged our family room and moved the TV. (Coincidental that this comes after being thankful I get to stay home with my kids!?)

12. This week, Penelope, August, and I somehow, by the grace of God, avoided the food poisoning that my parents both got after eating chicken at their house. Apparently, they ate contaminated pieces and we didn't. I'm sorry, mom and dad, that you have to go through this. But I am so thankful we are well!

13. I'm thankful we got sick the week before Thanksgiving. I might never be able to eat turkey and mashed potatoes again if I had to try to catch them in a bowl while Penelope threw them up. 

14. I'm thankful Penelope is getting old enough to throw up into a bowl. (Seriously, this is a huge deal.)

15. August has the best laugh in the world. Yesterday, as the kids and I were coming back from Minnesota, August had just woken up from an epic nap (that got us all the way to Ames), he just kept laughing. Not only was it one of two non-stop trips we've made from Minnesota in the last three and a half years, it was so pleasant to have a kid laughing, not crying in the back seat. 

16. I'm so thankful for that car ride. And that I didn't get pulled over for speeding. 

17. I'm thankful for the really great snow suit I got on Craigslist for August that I got just in time for the snow. And for the really cute snow suit we got from the girls next door for Penelope. These kids really like playing in the snow!

18. I'm thankful for the early winter. Romans 5:3-5 tells us to rejoice in our sufferings, so that is what I will do :) But seriously, though, it is annoying and it takes an extra 30 minutes to get out of the door...and then my van doors get frozen shut so we pile in through the hatch. But winter is so beautiful. And I'm honestly thankful for how the white snow reflects the dim light of winter. I think God had a plan with the season. 

19. I'm thankful for my husband. (Sorry I didn't get to you until #19.) He is so gracious and loves The Lord. He compliments me so well. And he cleans up after me a lot. 

20. I'm thankful for how Tim loves our kids and spends quality time with them. I'm thankful for how excited they are every night when he comes home from work. 

21. I'm thankful that we have plenty of clothes and plenty of food. 

22. I'm thankful that God's grace meets me at my sin and imperfection. 

23. I'm thankful for the Bible -- that I can read it and know who God is and understand what he wants for me in this life. 

24. I'm thankful that there is more to life than just this little, fairly insignificant life. I'm thankful that God can use my life here and now, and after this is over, I will get to be with God in heaven. 

25. I'm thankful for my incredible friendships. I have friends here in Des Moines that I met the first week of my freshman year at Drake. I have a history and commitment with these people.

26. And then I get to make new friends all of the time. And I am so encouraged by my newer friends' lives, too. I just know so many people who love people so sacrificially and selflessly. It is a beautiful thing. 

27. I'm thankful for story time at the Library. I get to see a couple of my college roommates there with their kids. It is so fun to have this time to catch up and encourage each other. The three of us go to different churches, but our hearts are really about doing the same things, and I love it. 

28. I'm thankful that we killed the two mice that were living under my bed. True story. I would wake up at night hearing things right beneath me. Tim would touch me and I would scream, thinking a mouse was actually in the bed. But they are gone now. So thankful. 

29. I'm thankful we didn't have a bat in our house this fall. 

30. I'm thankful for the girls next door. They are 8 and 4, but they play with my kids every day we are in the backyard. They came over today and made a giant fort in my living room. They are great kids, and it is such a blessing to have playmates for Penelope. 

31. I'm thankful that I get to go to bed around 9:30 most nights. I love my bed. I'm always exhausted. You know you're in a new phase in life when you are in bed on a Friday or Saturday before 10 and you feel like you've won the lottery. ha!

32. I'm thankful for my sister Beth and our friendship. I'm so thankful that she was blessed with such a healthy boy this year and that she is a great mom. 

33. I'm thankful that, even though my sister Julie lives in London, she comes home so often I see her just about as much as I would if she was still in Minnesota. And I get to see her in a few weeks!

34. I'm thankful that my kids go down to bed fairly easily, and that they sleep through the night most of the time. 

35. I'm thankful that we are all very healthy. 

36. I'm thankful that God is for me (Romans 8:31-32); that he has really good things planned for me as I trust him. I'm excited what this means for our future. 

37. Speaking of the future... This is something to be really thankful for:

Another Laehn will be coming home sometime in June. We are really excited about this. Penelope wants a sister. 

I could keep going, but this seems like a really good place to stop. Happy Thanksgiving!

Kitchen Reveal

On the hottest weekend in August, Tim and I shipped the kids to Grandma's house so we could undertake a project. We were determined to do a little remodeling... of a useless entertainment center.

It looked kind of like this. Except it was white. (We didn't take a before photo. I just did a quick search on Craigslist and this is the closest thing I could find.)

But this is what it looks like now:

I'm pretty particular when it comes to what toys look like in my house. I just want to avoid big plastic things if possible. The Pottery Barn Kids play kitchen is like $700, the IKEA kitchen is reasonable, but not cool at all. (Penelope had zero interest in it when we were there.) So, making our own was the best option. And Tim and I like doing projects together, so everyone was excited about it. 

We did a lot of shopping at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore and found some good deals. We got the faucet for $10, the backsplash tiles for $1, and the towel rack for $1. 

The cooktop is a muffin tin from Walmart. We painted the tops to make them look like burners. It's kind of weird that the burners sit so high off the countertop, but we figured kids have an imagination. 

Underneath the sink and cooktop is plenty of storage for pots and pans. 

And there is plenty of storage in the fridge for food. Penelope got a lot of play food from friends and family for her birthday. 

The most expensive part to the kitchen were the knobs, coming in at $16. We debated improvising with some wooden knobs, but we knew the real ones would be a detail that would make it look legit. 

The greatest thing is that Penelope loves it. 

Out and About

So here we are in fall, home to pumpkin spiced everything. And here at the Laehn house, we have been trying to get out as much as possible, knowing that winter is lurking. Here are our three favorite Des Moines destinations:

1. The Hubbell Pedestrian Bridge: When you live as close to the interstate as we do, you really have to make the most of it. Luckily, there is a pedestrian bridge just a few blocks away. Nothing is more entertaining to kids (and me) than to watch hundreds of cars zoom underneath you.

2. The P-A-R-K: This fall I have really begun to love parks again. When Auggie was crawling and eating sand and wood chips every moment I looked away, a trip to the park was more stress than it was worth. Now that he is walking (and running) he is much more self sufficient.

The most unfortunate thing about our neighborhood is that we don't have any parks within walking distance. But, the closest one, Chamberlain Park, is a two-minute drive and it is perfect. And the best part is Penelope's hair looks like this when she goes down the slide:

3. Fountain at the Downtown Library: The days of splashing around in this guy are numbered or even gone for good. But, if the temperature reaches 70, we're up for some wet feet (we stopped by a couple weeks ago).

In the summer, this is my favorite alternative to pools and splash parks. You get it all to yourself, and there are different levels to climb on and falling water to play in. No crazy splashing things that my kids hate.

Another perk, there's a public piano outside the door to the Library, so if you're lucky, you may even get some music to dance to. And did I mention Starbucks is just a few yards down the sidewalk?

Dad Day

My kids have the best dad.

They seriously have so much fun together. I love watching August's face light up every evening when Tim comes home from work. He gets a huge grin and starts bouncing, anticipating the inevitable tickling and tossing that accompanies Dad. 

Last week, P, A & Dad time was at a premium. I finally took advantage of Tim's Mother's Day gift to me—a whole day of his PTO—so I could have a day off. 

In all honesty, I wanted Tim to struggle in the position of Mr. Mom. I wanted him to have sympathy for how difficult life can be taking care of kids non-stop, and how the house seems to erupt with stuff all of the time. I passive aggressively mentioned that it was laundry day when I left, but I told him he didn't have to do it (I didn't want to make the workload too heavy for him). 

I left and didn't have to worry about life at home. I knew things were under control. Tim is not at all intimidated by manning the children. But when I came home about eight hours later with pretty, pedicured toes and shopping bags, I came home to a clean house, two clean loads of laundry sitting in the hallway, kids who had been to the park, on a walk, and who did a craft, and dinner on the grill. 

I knew things would be under control—like no one would lose a limb—but that under control!? This guy makes me look bad. What I find difficult he can manage with ease (I can count the number of times we've done something crafty on one hand). 

So I get to live in God's grace and be ok with the fact that I do not have it all together. And I get to be thankful for my incredible husband who compliments me so well. 

And look at how much fun they have together:

They really do have the best dad. 

The girl that changed everything

I hate this photo of me.

Tim thought it would be cute to snap a pic of me and the belly right before we left for the hospital before we had Penelope. I was about to have my labor induced. I was sooo scared. All I knew was that I was about to experience excruciating pain, and then have a baby that I would be entrusted to nurture and take care of for minimum 18 years. Terrifying, right?

Most women in their last trimester of pregnancy anxiously await their baby. They are fat, uncomfortable, and exhausted. Me? I thought it was easier if my body was taking care of the baby. Those car seat things that other moms lug around looked really bulky and awkward to carry. My belly was a hands-free approach.

Maybe I'm being a little too honest about how I felt, but I really didn't know if I would like my baby. I had never really liked another baby before; what would be different about this one?

So far this one was actually worse—it was more like a parasite. This baby made me sick and exhausted most of my pregnancy.

I was really honest with the baby, too. I thought it would be sweet to start a little journal to write notes to him or her. But a lot of the notes went something like, "I'm really scared of being a mom..." I also wrote about what The Lord was teaching me through reading his word. I wanted this baby to know that even though I was so scared of this new stage of life, I was attempting to trust God with it.

But then this happened:

Nothing has been the same since that moment. She was a girl named Penelope and she had all of this dark hair and a skwaky cry. They put her on my chest, and as I began to talk to her, she lifted up her head and looked toward me and stopped crying. She knew my voice. She loved me. I loved her.

The strangest thing happened later that night. I woke up just before the nurse brought her back to be fed, and I missed her. I had only known of her for about 12 hours, but I missed her. I had no idea where this love for her came from, but it was so deep and so real.

Here we are three years later.

This little girl is THREE!

There is nothing about her that's a baby anymore.

She is growing into a little kid. She speaks in full sentences. You can even understand her words.

She's so goofy.

And beautiful.

I was so scared to give up so many things that I really loved about my life before kids—mostly my freedom. But honestly, there is far more joy in my life with this girl around.

What I Did This Summer Part 2—Party Time

For three weeks, we were party animals around here. Well, more like party-planning animals. From July 18 to August 3, there was event after event after event to put together.

Event 1: Christmas in July

This was our fourth annual Christmas in July party—where we pack gifts in shoeboxes that are sent to impoverished countries through the Operation Christmas Child organization. In the past we had packed 300-500 boxes and raised some money. And the whole event is put on by our community group from our church.

This year was a little different. We had decided to do a Special Access Party, where we would pack and fund 1,000 boxes that would go to countries that have limited access to The Gospel and Christianity.

Because our goal was twice as many boxes as we had ever packed, we spent a lot of time planning how to raise the money, how to get enough gifts to pack in the boxes, and how to pack 1,000 boxes in two hours.

And then we spent most of the week leading up to it setting it up and getting everything ready.

The event was incredible. People came through by donating toys, underwear, school supplies, shoes, and more. Things ran so smoothly, in fact, that 1,000 boxes were packed in one hour! I wish we had planned confetti to drop when we reached our goal because it was so exciting.

The Lord came through above and beyond in exceeding our financial goal, as well. Nearly $9,000 was raised.

One thousand kids who I will never know will receive a gift—for many it's the only gift they will ever receive—as a result of that night. We pray that these kids will experience Christ's love through these boxes.

Event 2: August's 1st Birthday

The week after Christmas in July we thought we should celebrate the first birthday of this guy:

Isn't he so great?

The thing about having a second child is that you feel guilty for things that are pretty ridiculous. It would be impossible to give child 2 as much attention as child 1, etc., etc. But, I began to feel really bad for things that are maybe justifiable. Like, we didn't even get him a Christmas present (because we knew he wouldn't care—but it's the principle of the matter). And this party was a total afterthought. I felt horrible. I had spent all of my time and energy on Christmas in July and Beth's baby shower (see event 3) that there was little time to spend on this guy's day. Even though part of me thinks the whole first birthday craze is over-hyped, I felt really bad.

Tim and I decided we were going to host a simple, small event with our family and closest friends. We would serve sliders, cowboy beans, and watermelon. And we got him a water table for a present.

And then one night I got insomnia. I decided, since I had some time to kill, I would try making a little project that I had brewing in my head. And this is what happened:

I made these illustrations and threw his head on them for the place cards for the food. Once I started, I couldn't stop. I elaborated on the menu just to make more cards, adding bowtie pasta salad and lemonade.

The funniest thing is that after doing this I felt ok about his party. I had put in a little time and effort into making it unique, so now I could sleep at night (literally:). These little pictures may have been overlooked by those more excited about the food than some quirky illustrations, but I thought it was great.

And the party was so much fun. He got to smash a cake. He got some gifts. The other kids played in his water table, the little pool, and our sprinkler.

Event 3: Beth's Baby Shower

I could not wait to throw Beth a baby shower. It is quite an intimidating task to throw the ultimate party planner a party. But she and I have become really, really close in our adult life, and I had invested years of prayers for that baby in her belly. I really wanted to bless this much anticipated and hoped-for baby and mommy-to-be.

The whole theme was around Psalm 127:

The shower was pretty low-key. Mostly hanging out with the ladies, eating brunchy foods, and opening presents.

I made these cards so guests could encourage Beth in motherhood. What new momma doesn't need some good ol' affirmation?

I also made a bunch of laundry soap, packaged it up, and gave it as favors.

It was good that we had the shower when we did. The following Saturday, Beth's water broke and she was admitted to the hospital and proceeded to have a very long and difficult labor. But Beth and baby are safe and healthy, and I'm proud of my sister. Baby Bennett was six weeks early, so he had a short stay at the NICU. But he's a hearty boy and made it out of the hospital in record time. And Beth is a great mom.