Weather Storm Survivors!

I don't think I really knew the meaning of "cabin fever" until being stuck inside with three children and a dog for nearly three days.

I just want to go somewhere. Anywhere. Shoot, I'd even go to the dentist - although I really like my dentist, so maybe that wasn't a good analogy.

In our neck of the woods, we got some major snow fall. Having lived in a warmer climate for almost four years, it was nice to have this beautiful winter weather at our doorstep. My kids are so unaccustomed to it that Ellie Kate asked me why there were a bunch of marshmallows outside. Boy do I need to get that kid out more - or limit her marshmallow intake. Both would probably be a good idea.

Anyway, here are some pics of our backyard.

Too bad my kids couldn't make a single snow angel or throw even one snowball. Having not been use to this type of weather, I had not equipped myself with the proper "playing in the snow" attire. Not a single glove in this house. Not that my kids knew the difference. If I showed them a sled, they would probably given me that "you want me to do what?" look.

Oh well, we survived this ice storm 2010, as our weathermen like to call it. And we did it in style. We might have gained a few extra pounds from all that "this is so boring" comfort food we have been eating, but other than that - no complaints. In fact, I would say we survived with a smile.

"I AM the next American Idol.

Or not.

So Ben had the divine priviledge of giving my darling daughters a bath tonight. I thought I heard some commotion coming from that end of the house, but quickly dismissed it because when daddy is in the mix, there is bound to be some commotion.

It wasnt long before I heard some interesting noises and decided it needed further inspection. so I hurried off - with the camera, of course!

What I found was nothing short of pure fatherly insanity, at its finest. My darling husband was teaching my girls....well the video is pretty self-explanitory.



So, whatchya think? Could the next American Idol be in the Ramsey household? Yea, I don't think so either.

Busted...

Busted indeed, but not until I got a picture...

A Double WHAT!!!!

Yesterday, I got some pretty awful news...

News that every mother dreads hearing.

News that makes you sick to your stomach.

News that makes you wish you could go back to the past week and stay quarantined to your house and ONLY your house.

News that, well, news that just plain stinks.

Yesterday, we received the news that sweet baby Stone has a double ear infection. Bummer.

For several days, he had been acting particularly cranky, which is very unlike my sweet-natured, relaxed third born. (Lord knows he is going to have to buck up to survive in this estrogen filled domain). But I chalked it up to constipation. I changed my diet, gave him gripe water, and even administered my first homemade enema. Now THAT was lovely (or anything but).

When he was still running a fever on day three, I knew it was time to see the pediatrician, something I haven't done in nearly two years.. Now don't get me wrong. I love doctors. We take our kids to a wellness doctor every six weeks, and hold off on the DOs until a serious problem occurrs.

So after some serious prayer time and a few recommendations from friends, I made an appointment with our new family doctor. Boy did God have his hand on that one.

As I sat with my exhausted, sleep-deprived, feverish, limp baby, I began to get a little hysterical. Ok, so maybe a lot hysterical. I just knew in my gut, sitting in the doctor's office, that my seven week old baby had something more than just everyday constipation. Of course my doctor walks in just at the peek of meltdown. He must have sensed a common spirit, because he came in and asked to pray over my baby. WHAT??!!! Umm, absolutely you may!

Isn't God good?

Anywho, so three sleepless nights, two days of fever, endless hours of fussiness, two trips to the chiropractor, and one trip to the doctor's office later, we finally have a established problem and a plan of attack. Hopefully, my sweet baby will be up and running in no time. And when I say up and running, I mean back to his eat, sleep, poop kind of ways - but hopefully all with a smile. (I know its mean, but I thought I would add a pic of our boy in the throws of a double ear infection. Such a trooper.)

Our third little blessing

Nearly seven weeks ago, on Thanksgiving day to be exact, Ben and I welcomed our third child into the world.



We were surrounded by people that we love. While no family was in attendance, my midwife and the birth photographer are some of my closest friends and I am so glad they got to share in this joy with me.



It was excruciating, yet the most joyous experience. There is no greater feeling than holding your newborn baby in your arms for the first time. I had several days of stop and go labor, but finally on Thanksgiving Eve, I started to realize it was the real thing.



Once I progressed to active labor, it was a mere three hours before I started pushing. Luckily, I only pushed for eight minutes, and we were holding our baby boy at last.



Here is my birth video (nothing graphic, don't worry). It does show me in some "interesting labor moments," so beware. Hopefully it will give you a glimpse into the beauty of that wonderful day, and into the eyes of of one of God's most beautiful creatures - Livingston Lake Ramsey.

Blogging = Barfing???

Have you ever felt like you just didn't have the freedom to do something?

No, I'm not talking like the freedom to eat as many double-stuffed Oreos as possible. Or the freedom to drive 90 miles an hour down the highway. I'm talking about something different.

Have you ever felt like you didn't have freedom from the Lord to do something? Like maybe you were suppose to refrain from a decision or a task? Have you ever felt this way, but there was no explanation for it other than it gave you a deep pitted nasty feeling whenever you thought about doing it? Maybe that is what my parents were talking about when they use to say, "You can't go to *fill in the blank* because I said so," and gave no other apparent reason. Ewww, that kind of response from my parental units use to aggravate me, but as much as I hate to admit it, Mom, I understand what you were saying now.

Whenever I have thought about blogging and capturing all my thoughts so fluently (or not) onto this beautiful electronic screen, I would feel like I had morning sickness all over again. Don't you worry though, no pregnancy scare here seeing as I just had a baby six weeks ago (pictures to come).

I think now, after months of reflection and obeying that two minute stomach bug, I finally understand.

As I have vaguely alluded to, my little family (that is only little in stature now, not in number) went through the wringer a few months ago. We were literally hit from behind by people we loved and trusted. And as much as I would like to lie and say that I handled it beautifully - I didn't. I was angry. I was bitter. I was furious. And then I was sad. I was lonely. I felt robbed of a beautiful "well-groomed" life. And then I would be angry, bitter, and furious all over again. I wanted to shout from the rooftops what had happened to us and cripple every single person who had done my family wrong.

Can you figure out why God put a hold on my blogging for a while?

If I had been blogging these past few months, I would have disgraced not only my family, but my Savior as well. In my attempt to "defeat" the wrongs, I would have wronged myself. I would have wronged the picture of forgiveness and grace that the Lord has allowed my family to be. I would have destroyed the good God takes from all evil endeavors by trying to take vengeance into my own hands. Boy am I glad for that "lose my lunch" feeling when looking at my blog site.

But I am finally ready. I am ready to put the past behind me. I am ready to forgive those that hurt me. I am ready to forget the wrongs. I am ready to put behind the friends who turned their backs on us - and be thankful for the ones who picked us up. I am ready to share with you the wonders that the Lord is doing in my family TODAY! I'm ready to share with you about my two beautiful girls and all their silliness again. I am ready to introduce our new bundle of joy and the blessing that he is. Yes, friends, I am ready to start a new.

Just go ahead and consider me a new blogger. I mean, I am the mom of THREE now, so I practically am a new woman. Things I thought were easy before, ain't so easy anymore. Things I once held dear - like sleep and my coveted one hour a day to watch Gilmore Girls - seem like a thing of the past now. But don't you worry, you won't catch me complaining (ok, that's a lie), because I am the mother of three of the most beautiful children in the world, and I can't wait to tell you all about them....