Having a Flywheel moment....

Ok, here I go with the blog "thing" again.
So February of 2010 I threw a surprise party for Matt, with much help from our friends and family. I rented a ball field for a fund day of baseball fellowship.

March, Seth's 1st birthday, what a milestone. Seth brings such a comic relief to our home. He cracks us up with his dancing and obcession with anything baseball. I am beginning to think certain passions can be genetically passed down. This baby will sit next to Matt on the couch and actually watch a ball game. He has a bitty bat that he sleeps with, rides in the car with and takes on walks. Matt is over the moon that Seth throws and bats left handed, and he really throws straight, even I am impressed. Maybe this boy-child will be the one to "go pro" and afford our family a condo on the beach. Tine will tell:) Ok, ok, also in March I hosted a surprise 85th birthday for my dear Nana, Mary. She is just the best and I love, love, LOVE her to pieces. About 25 of her friends came and just raved over the house and the food , and our family, and the baby, and the coffee, and the napkins....Got to hand it to the elderly to not overlook a chance to pay a compliment.

April came and with it full swing baseball season. Matt coached both boys on one team (yay) and they chose the Cubs, since Seth's nickname is Cubby. Lots of practices, laundry, and late night "second dinners" to follow. Ben pitched, and Jonah was our catcher. Cubby loved going to "bah'ball" and watching his brothers and playing in the dirt. He was the darling of the stands and he had his "connections" for candy, popcorn and ice.

May was much of the same. I started watching my niece, Anysia twice a week. She and Seth are about the same age and are a riot to watch play together, and fight too sometimes. Ben and Jonah made it through STAR testing and we begun a huge timeline in our hallway and learned all about the 1960's. Space Race, JFK, MLK, Civil Rights, Cold War, Cuba. It has been really fun for all of us, grandparents included. Matt and the boys built a fence accross the lawn so Ada, our dog, has her own area away from the play area. So happy the poo is contained and the stinky shoes are a thing of the past. Matt and I decided this was the time to look in to adoption through the foster system. We had a home inspection, filled out applications and classes are scheduled. My boys were baptized! (pics to follow)

June, ahhhh, at long last:) Summer is on the horizon. We played our last game (until all-stars) and Matt and I cleaned out the garage/laundry and the shed (for all the summer play toys) I just bought home 4 new beach towels and we are stocked on sunscreen. We plan on lots of pool time and visits from friends. We have gone to two classes for the adoption and we have been praying for a sibling group 2 girls, to add to our family. Next two home projects are to lay bark under the swing set/fort and build a shade structure for the pool area. I have a long term project of my own, we are expecting again! We are interviewing a midwife tomorrow and are hoping for our first home birth. I KNOW!!! So, the adoption is on hold for at least two years, but we still feel the Lord has two girls for our family through fost-adopt and are continuing to pray for them and the whole process. Did I ever in my wildest dreams imagine a family of this size?! What do you think?? God is so good, all the time. One of my verses has been Luke 6:38 "Give and it will be given unto you; good measure, and pressed down, shaken together and running over will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you." Matt and I both feel overwhelmed at the Lord's blessing. He has blessed Matt at work as well, and provided for our family and other families through Matt's job. We are praising Him for our Flywheel moment:) (If you haven't seen that movie it is a must-see)

These are my guys.
It's amazing to me that although I see them every day...ALL day long, I find I don't get tired of searching these faces.

A man loves his sweetheart the most, his wife the best, but his mother the longest.~Irish Proverb

I think I'm pretty lucky to be two out of three to Matt;)

Ok, I'm baaaaack. The last year has been a busy, crazy at times, but full of blessings. Gently led, that is hitting the nail on the head. "He tends His flock like a shepherd; he gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart; He gently leads those that have young." Isaiah 40:11.

We have not escaped hardship this year, but we have put our trust in the LORD, and His mercy has surrounded us. I'm not even going to try filling in the last several months, but I'll try to share some highlights. Seth , of course, rises to the top of the list this year. Seth has been such a huge blessing to our family. Matt and I have been having a total blast with this little guy. He is growing into quite a little character. He dances. I can't explain it, you will just have to watch the video.

Can you stand it?! If there is any sound that can be interpreted as music he finds the rhythm and moves! He's a really agreeable baby, so long as he gets fed on time;) and he has turned out to be such a Daddy's boy. "Da dadadadada..."

Ben is growing like a weed. Played basketball and baseball this last year, and is a self professed "Lego maniac" and we agree. Ben has so many Lego creations in fact, that he burst out of the "boys room" and has acquired his own room this month. (We subsequently lost our office) Jonah also played baseball, and (both boys) are doing well with piano lessons. Jonah is so patient with Seth and we call him the "Baby Whisperer". From the get go he has been able to capture Seth's attention and has afforded me little breaks throughout the day. Homeschooling is going well. We are all learning together how to navigate through lessons with a baby in the house. Rosetta Stone and Aleks math, both online, have been a new addition to our curriculum this year and it really has worked well for our new "baby" schedule. Above all, what stands out to me as I reflect on the past year is God's provision. His grace that is sufficient to meet our needs; emotionally, spiritually, financially...there is just no end to it. "And from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace." John 1:16

Merry Christmas

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Boy, oh boy, oh boy!

Things have been busy here at the Hooks home. Since the baby came (the same week little league started) we've been hitting the floor running it seems every morning. Life is good though, and I try to keep the perspective that all the diapers, laundry, and dishes are just reminders that I live with the ones I love the most in the whole world.

SoCal January Park Day

One of the greatest rewards of home schooling has been the beautiful friendships that we've made. This school year we have not been able to meet as often with our buddies for long park days, and it was so nice and encouraging to visit with these ladies for a few hours one unseasonably warm winter day. I felt recharged and ready to jump back in to our school schedule after Christmas break...Bring it on!

I can do all things with spellcheck!

I am so pleased to know I can be grammatically correct in sharing my random thoughts and in reporting the happenings of my family...whew! I had a lot more confidence in my spelling before home schooling. I think partly because I feel the pressure to always be correct, I AM the teacher..and partly because the boys ask me how to spell words I rarely, if ever have written or typed, like galactic, and millennium. Usually they ask while I am cooking, paying bills, or some other distractive task. They always ask with such a frantic urgency too that rattles my nerves. I tell them, come to me at a level 2 or 3, don't wait until your're at a 10!

Anyway, today is the second to last day of winter break (for school), and the first day of Ben's basketball practice, 64th day till Seth's due date, and four days till my dad's birthday. That should give you an idea of some of the happenings of the week, while I attempt to get some photos up for you and organize my thoughts...and get a snack or two...I AM 7 & 1/2 months along now and the demands are pretty high for snacks around here.