WE MADE IT!

We slept the second night in a row- no paci, and this time, NO TEARS! He didn't even wake up, thank you Jesus!

Oh to see my children grow. . .

Well, it's been a big week. Last night we went outside in the driveway to ride bikes and Little Boy sat in the seat on Daddy's bike and Big Boy rode around and around the house on his no-training wheels big boy bike. I watched him almost run into just about everything, fall over, and get up again. He went almost all the way down the hill in the grass, and then pushed it back up the hill again, claiming, "I don't need any help. I can get it." After a little bit, Little Boy declared he was tired and ready to go night night, and so we went inside and began yet another massive moment in the growing up process.




Little Boy has recently found very fond affections for the frog in this picture. Daddy and I decided (on the night before he starts teaching again) that it was time to make a move. We sat down with Little Boy and talked to him about the great switches of life. As you get older you switch from bottles to sippy cups. Then big boys switch from diapers to underwear. You switch from baby food to big boy food, and sometime you switch from sleeping with pacis to sleeping with froggies. Yes, there it is friends. Take a moment. . . this is probably the biggest one yet in our house. We put the paci away, or "wah" as Little Boy has so affectionately learned to call it. All was well through the discussion, but then it came time to get in bed. And the sadness welled up within him. If you know my Little Boy, you know his heart is really big. He was REALLY very sad. He was mourning the loss. And he felt it deeply. I laid with him to help him fall asleep- hugging tightly his frog and eventually he did. Around 11pm he woke up again and the sadness returned. "I want my wah! I want my daddy." I went and woke up daddy (who by the way is napping right now alongside his son!) and then they went back to sleep. We made it the first night! Today, sadness again came at nap time, but it was shorter and a bit less dramatic. I have the highest hopes for tonight. Please pray for us. Really. It's very sad.

However, it has also led me to some exciting thoughts. I love to watch my children grow. I wonder if it is a taste of what the Lord feels for us. I stood there last night and beamed as I kept watching Big Boy on his bike. I caught myself on several occasions, running around to the other side of the house to watch him come back around. I was grinning like a big, fat nerd. Then, as Little Boy wept, I sat on the floor outside his room. Knowing what was best for him, and yet crying with him through the process. I laid with him and then sat very close by, but never was my heart far from him. I have a great feeling that IS like the heart of the Father. he does know best. He is standing there jumping in our celebrations and ever so present in out sufferings. He does know what is best and He is good. Thank you for your hand in our lives- cause us to see it at every step of the way, not just the good ones!

Little Boy's Fun too . . .

It's funny the way that your kids are some how inately different. They are made that way and we get to watch it all come out as they grow. Well, if you keep up around here, you know well that Big Boy was given drumsticks when he was two and kept completely entertained playing on either the floor or the couch. Very rarely did he attempt to use them as weapons. :) To this day, he is unexplainably good at just using them to play the drums. All that to say, Little Boy has no such gift. At least not yet. At two, he loves to beat on things with drum sticks, but he loves to beat on all things. Floor, couch, brother, floor, chair, wall, counter, friends, and back to the floor. Which at this point in the game is exactly what I would expect from a two-year old. However, this little one walks around the house during the day singing all kinds of wonderful songs. Some of them I don't understand a bit, but others are familiar. It's a whole new kind of fun in the home, and I thought you all would like a taste.

Yesterday, Katrina and Kinsey came over to play while Big Boy was at school. you should know that Little Boy and Kinsey have become quite good little friends and play very well together. After a few moments of quiet, this is what Katrina and I found-

the two of the singing and dancing to their hearts content. Enjoy the beauty of being little and remember- no matter our age and status in life, no matter how we look or how we sound- Jesus loves to hear us sing. He loves to hear us express our hearts to him in whatever way we were born to- and in our little corner of the world, it seems to be either singing, playing, or drumming (or dancing, if you include Kinsey!).

Bike Riding. . . . a new era has dawned!

Okay friends, we have come to a new day in the Harrigan house. Big Boy is riding his bike without training wheels! It was truly an amazing experience. The first video is of he and daddy on the first round. . . a little bit shaky but successful. That was Sunday after church and by Monday afternoon, here's where we were! Very exciting!

Conversations. . . .

and I quote. . . .

Mommy: "Samuel, eat your lunch."

Samuel:"Ow. Noonas hot." (mac and cheese noodles)

Mommy: "Wait for them to cool baby."

Samuel: "Ow. Green beans hot."

Mommy: "Wait for them to cool. Blow on them, baby."

Samuel: "Hey mama, i put ray rays (raisins) on my noonas?"

Mommy: "I suppose so, but that may not taste very good."

Samuel: "okay. sure. hm."

Mommy: "Hmmmmmm. . . . .how is it?"

Samuel: "Good."

Benjamin: "Mommy come find me!"

Mommy: "Are you in the fort? Under the pillows?"

Benjamin: "NO! What else did I bring?"

Mommy: "Your bedspread? Are you in the fort under that?"

Benjamin: "Yes!" (laughing fully) "Come find me!"

note to remember (didn't i just say where he was??)

Mommy: "Okay I'm coming!"

The Adventures of Samuel- the two-year old and his mommy

This morning as I got out of the shower Samuel was playing hide and seek. It is a new game, one that we LOVE to play with brother, but since Benjamin has started kindergarten, we have been a little bit lonely and needing a bit more attention. I came out of the bathroom and saw this, and proceeded to walk around the house looking for him. When I did find him, it was laughter and joy abounding! He even managed to stay "hidden" until I came and got him. What fun!




After that I went into the kitchen to unload the dishwasher. I was blessed and amazed at the love of the Jesus shown me last night. We had dinner with some dear friends from Kentucky who were in town and sadly I had to leave early to meet with a new friend. In the process, Suzanne loaded the dishwasher for me. When I opened it up this morning, this is what I found. And let me tell you, she is a pro. Do you see the utensils placed softly on top of the glasses, so they can get clean? Do you see the bowls arranged in just such a way that one more could fit in, but they still got clean? It is truly amazing, and I received the love of Jesus through such a simple act of servanthood. Thank you Suzanne, for such kindness. :)

Harrigan Man-Land Adventure #4,132,793.

Okay, so sorry if you haven't heard about all the adventures that we have around here, but today's was well worth the post. We had a dead, 100 foot tree in the backyard, very close to a powerline that had to come down. My adventurous and fearless husband along with his sidekick/co-master planner Ken went to work on it. After about an hour of plotting, planning, and beginning cuts it got exciting. After another 1/2 hour, the tractor took on a secondary purpose, began pulling and. . . .

See below: the beginning set-up




Then: the actual fall (you'll have to turn either your head or your computer 90 degrees, my apologies!)

Adoption News. . . See these two amazing things-

Hello again, those of you who read here every once in a while. I thought I would point you to two really interesting things. For one, my dear friend Candace. She put up a post today on her blog about Bethany, and the fight that we are facing for this next new member of our family. Candace is a dear friend, and when she writes on her blog she often says the emotions of my heart better than I can get them out. This post is just one of them. Read it and be blessed!

This second one I don't know at all, but it is a really cool site. Randy Bohlender (an adoption junkee on the leadership team at IHOP) posted this link about a movement in Colorado to have all the kids in the foster system adopted by 2014. It seems like a crazy and ridiculous goal, hardly unachievable, but they are totally on track for completion! You should look at it, it's pretty cool. It's also really interesting to see other places where the Lord is moving about adoption, totally disconnected from us. Be blessed friends!

A Saturday of Fun....

So, we had a day of it. It started early this morning, as Samuel awoke at 6am saying he needed to poopoo. Lo and behold, he really did so John took him in and they had their business. However, after the adventure, there was no going back to sleep. SO, for the next hour he laid in bed with us, talking, singing, kicking, talking some more. . . . you get the point. At 7 Benjamin woke up, and the day had begun. We made waffles, had our coffee and were ready for the blackberry patch. It's actually at the same place we went a couple of weeks ago for blueberries, but it's a different season now. Or so we thought.

Sadly, there were no blackberries to be found. Nonetheless, we had a great chocolate chip cookie, a train ride pulled by a riding lawn mower, and some really good corn on the cob and green beans. Picked by our own little hands. :)

Afterwards, naptime ensued and everyone was happy. The boys both slept for some time, and then we went to a swimming party at our friends, the Stephensons, house. We gathered with our AMS comrades, enjoyed the water, the sun, the grill, and the fellowship. And it struck me. As it so often does, at the most random of times. I am thrilled to be in this place, at this time. We have all kinds of issues (who doesn't??), but we are so grateful to be connected to such amazing people. The leadership of AMS is wonderful, the students are amazing and inspire me daily. Thank you dear friends! For such an amazing reminder of the goodness of the Lord- simply in sitting together and laughing. I am blessed beyond measure.

Bethany Update

Hey friends- this is quick, but we are almost done with our home study and I got an email today saying there was an agency in Utah that was desperate for families. I have printed off the application- and we need to fill it out, finish and copy the profile, and mail it in. It's getting more and more real. . . . be praying for us and her.

lydia