I got a swing set!

Pancho and I have wanted to get Katrina a swing set since spring rolled around in Wausau (last week -- ha, ha!). We investigated several options and were not satisfied spending thousands of dollars on a Rainbow swing set or even a Play Star one from Menards. We simply didn't feel it was appropriate for a 2-year old. I was really praying and asking the Lord if there would be another way we could get her one. I drove around the neighborhood frequently (we live in a VERY family-oriented subdivision) looking for a home for sale with a swing set in the back. Nothing. Then, I remembered that some friends from church, who live in our neighborhood, are moving to South Bend, Indiana. I asked Kara if they would consider selling us their swing set. She said, "Yes. We would love it if Katrina could have it." Yesterday after church my brother Nick and Pancho went to their home and brought the swing set to our house. They set it up in the back and Katrina has been loving it ever since. I am so grateful the Lord is concerned with the birds of the air and the flowers of the field and the "swing sets of our children." Thank you, Lord and the Amstutz family, for giving our daughter a GREAT swing set!

Johnny Appleseed, Eat Your Heart Out

We bought an apple tree on Saturday and planted it in our yard. Katrina and Pancho worked on planting while I took pictures.

"Katrina, we really need to water this tree if we want it to grow apples. Will you help?"

"I'm good at watering, right, Papá?"

Looks Can Be Deceiving

Last week we had a few of Katrina's girlfriends over. While their mom and I talked in the kitchen, the girls busied themselves in Katrina's bedroom. I thought they were unusually quiet but when I went to check on their status I found the bedroom in really good condition.

Or so I thought... The girls took many of the baskets and crates from Katrina's room filled with books, blocks, dolls and stuffed animals and dumped them out in her closet. Then they simply closed the door. If any of you know me at all, you know that I appreciate order (ok, I know that is an understatement, but it sounds much better than "anal retentive" when it comes to cleanliness and order). Thankfully, I was able to enjoy the moment and take a picture to remember it. I picked up the closet quickly and the girls went about their play date without a glitch.

What are you eating, Katrina?

Worms.

Pancho took the day off on Monday and spent some time working in the yard, doing some landscaping. Katrina and I were outside with him as well. Pancho found a few worms for Katrina to play with and suprising to me, she was intrigued by them. She put them in a bucket and gave them flowers to look at. This morning I was making some macaroni and cheese for a play date lunch we were having and she wanted to eat some of the plain noodles (one of her favorite snacks). I gave her a small bowl of noodles and as she snacked on them she told me she was eating worms. I asked her how they tasted and she said, "Good."

OK, Katrina, just don't eat the real ones, please!

Spring has arrived ... we hope

Even though it is in the low 60s here in town, Katrina insisted on wearing her winter hat to play in the sandbox today.

The sad thing is that she could be right. We could have frost on the grass in the morning. Even at her young 2 years, she is aware that weather in Wisconsin is not very predictable. With only 10 days left in the month of May we SHOULD be able to go outside without ANY winter clothes on, but oh well... We take what we get, right?

Katrina brings such joy to our lives

Katrina brings such joy to our lives. We have had so much fun with her these past few months. She is reaching new developmental milestones like speaking in longer sentences and understanding imaginary stories. Enjoy some of the more recent photos we have taken of her...

She has discovered umbrellas and the first rain after this great discovery she ran to the closet, grabbed the umbrella and asked to go outside. We were actually grilling that evening so Pancho took her out with him.

Tonight Katrina found this hat that we received in a snowman kit. She put it on and said it was raining (her new "umbrella"). Can't you just see the joy she brings to our lives?

Thank you, Lord, for this blessing you have bestowed upon us. In the times we forget how blessed we are with this wonderful gift, please remind us of Your faithfulness toward us in this way. We love her dearly and thank You for her. We love You and ask that you will also help us to demonstrate Your love to her as parents. Amen

Perfect Peace

Isaiah 26:3

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he who trusts in thee."

Have you ever been able to accomplish this perfect peace Isaiah talks about?

I am working on this at this juncture of my life. I encourage you to do the same.

Psalm 27:13,14

"I would have despaired unless I had believed I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord Be strong, let your heart take courage. Yes, wait for the Lord."

These verses have helped me through the tougher days this past year. It seems like most recently the days have become tough again. One year ago today I was working in the kitchen preparing a special meal for my family to share with them the good news about the arrival of our second child. I was making every effort to create moments that we would never forget. Unfortunately I was extremely successful. I remember EVERY detail. I think that is why the days are tough because all of those memories have come flooding back.

I have been strongly encouraged by these verses to LET my heart take courage. This is a hard task for me but the Lord prompts me to do it and I want to be faithful to His direction.

As I look back over this past year it is incredible to see the ways the Lord has worked in and through our lives. There are things I have learned and things I have become that I never envisioned for myself and yet I believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are for my good and God's glory. I went to the dentist today and it seems like when I go to the dentist that is some of the only total-thinking time I have in my busy days with Katrina. I began to think about my life and where I am in it...

Saturday we went to Target to get some prescriptions filled. I saw a family with three kids who all had to be under the age of four. Both the mom and the dad had carts with one or two kids in them as well as the items they were purchasing. As I looked at them I thought, "Wow. That must be tough." I continued pushing Katrina in our cart and said to Pancho, "You know, I wanted to have a family like that. I wanted to have children that close together." He nodded. "I am thankful the Lord saw fit to do what He has done in our lives." Pancho agreed and we went on with our day.

As I thought back on that conversation today while lying back comfortably (not THAT comfortably with my mouth as wide open as I can get it!) in the dentist chair I thought about possibilities of what our family will look like in years to come. Will we have more children? What if we only have one? Am I ok with that? It is never what I imagined for myself. I began to tear up and tried without success to stop thinking along those lines. I didn't want the hygienist to think she was hurting me with all her scraping and scratching.

The only thing I could do was call out to the Lord. I said, "You know, God, I have not asked you for another child in a long time. I have been afraid to ask for it. You know we really want more children and I know you want us to ask you for the desires of our heart but I am afraid of asking for fear you will say no again. But, Lord, if it be your will, we do want more children in our family. Would you consider blessing our family with another child? "

These were words that I have not breathed for a few months now. I haven't really thought consciously about it, but I have not asked the Lord for more children because I ... I really don't know why. We want more children but I have been working on arriving at a place where I am surrendering my will and seeking to modify my will to coincide with His will for us. I guess today in the dentist chair I came to a place of consciously acknowledging that I do want more children and that is part of the surrendering and seeking process. It is a good place to be. I am content here.

Read CAREFULLY

I used to say I was a scrapbooker. I have not scrapboked in a LONG time. Today I was making some thank-you cards and I got the itch. The itch to scrapbook. So I started to go through my supplies and find where I left off and I ran across this picture.

One year ago on Monday we found out we were expecting our second baby. We were thrilled to say the least. I searched online to find a big sister t-shirt for Katrina. She was 14 months old. We decided to make our own shirt. We had some iron-on transfers so we made our own shirt and took a picture of Katrina in the shirt. This is how we told our families we were expecting another child. We hid the picture under each family member's plate at a family dinner at our home. Before the meal was served I told my mom I put a picture of Katrina under her plate (for Christmas we gave my parents a calendar and each month we gave them an up-to-date picture of Katrina, this was the picture for the month of May). I told my brothers that I had a copy made for them too. They all picked up their plates and found this picture. My mom said, "Is this for real?" She jumped up and hugged me and Pancho and Katrina. Dad and the boys figured it out eventually and did the same. It was an awesome moment in the history of our lives. The memory of that time is something I recall frequently.

I stopped scrapbooking around the time we lost the first baby (May 23). I couldn't bring myself to get motivated to do it. If you scrapbook, I think you can understand my sentiments. Today when I got the "itch" to put a few pages together I ran across this picture. I had debated for a long time if I was going to do anything with this picture. I consulted a good scrapbook friend and she encouraged me to keep it and scrap it some day. She said, "It is a part of your family's history, Kristina. You will want to have it in your scrapbook."

She was right. It is a part of our family's history and I do want to have it recorded.

I thought that after such a long time, and after how I have been feeling lately (so content), that seeing this picture again would not drudge up all that emotion. I was wrong.

I am still doing fine. I am just purposing to be thankful for this baby and the other two that the Lord blessed us with for 8 short weeks in utero each time. These were great times in our family's history and although they ended too soon, we continue to trust that God did and will do as He sees fit in our lives for His glory and for our good.

So, in closing, I titled this post "Read CAREFULLY" because I want to be sure that no one thinks we are expecting again. We are not. I was simply rummaging through some old photos, ran across a great memory and wanted to share it with you.

Who I Am (in a few short phrases)

My friend Sarah did this and I thought I would take her hint and do the same. It is kind of fun... Enjoy.

I am….....a child of God, a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mother and a friend.

I want..... to take a nap.

I wish..... the weather was a bit warmer.

I dislike....... that it is still cold enough to wear a coat on May 1.

I miss...... my college roommates.

I fear....... that my plan and the Lord’s plan for my life will not be the same.

I feel........ content not having plans for a party or any other event in the near future to plan or host.

I hear......... it is supposed to rain this weekend… YUCK!

I smell....... fun Bath and Body Works foam soap that I just bought yesterday that I really am enjoying.

I crave........ salty things.

I search...... for Katrina’s chupones (nuks) too often during the day and night.

I wonder..... why she still needs the chupon.

I regret........ putting the winter coats away as early as I did this year.

I love........... Pancho, Katrina, my parents, my brothers and in-laws, my dear friends.

I ache......... I must have pulled a muscle in my back.

I care........ if my house is clean when I have unexpected company.

I always...... clean up the house before I leave (even for a short errand run) because I really don’t like coming home to a mess.

I am not…... hungry. I just ate.

I believe......... that Jesus is the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE.

I dance......... infrequently. Sometimes Katrina sees me and laughs!

I sing............ to Katrina when she is very upset.

I cry........... often.

I don’t always........ want to get dressed in the morning.

I fight........to keep the van clean.

I write....... many, many emails a day and not enough snail mails.

I never.......go to bed with dishes in the sink or on the counter.

I listen......... to country music even though Pancho does not care for it.

I need.......... Pancho to give me hugs and kisses each day.

I am happy...... when Katrina has had a good night’s rest (and therefore so have I!)