It's a whirlwind...

around here starting at the end of January. Bubs birthday starts it followed by Samuel's. Two parties then it's Valentines and all that craziness. I do intend to post more often but the days start to run together. I would love to post some of my ideas here...mainly so that I won't forgot some of the crafty goodness I have put together at times. Brian says I should write a book with all my ideas, but if I can't seem to get to a blog how would I ever write a book...here's some things we have been up to. Some of the ideas are not original and some I will take credit for...
These are some princess wands Gracie made at a playdate with her good friend. We also made some more pretzel rods for teacher's Valentine's presents but I didn't get any pictures.
Bub's Toy Story Cupcakes...too bad he didn't eat them...they were good.
He did enjoy his chicken though...

We have a family tradition that the Birthday Kid gets to pick the place to eat on their "family" birthday (that's the day they were born!) Of course for Bub's day we hit Chick fil a. After the dinner we go to Toys R Us and they can pick a toy of their choice. Of course Bubs also likes the hat you get there too! :)
Samuel chose to have a football party this year. This idea for the cake was his...he's a pretty creative kid don't you think?
Here's some of the party guests waiting for the football throw contest. Brian came up with some football contests for the boys. I think he was pretty proud that his son picked a football party as his choice. It clearly was the easiest party for me!

Brian caught this picture at the party. Just makes you smile! They really were the cutest little bunch of wild Indians! :)
Samuel helped me make this Valentine Tree for a table decoration. Here's the kid's cards. They each got a card and a pair of new PJ's this morning for Valentines. I love those kids...and that one of their favorite gifts is a new pair of Pajamas.

This was my parent gift from preschool. Each child made a heart handprint and then made a heart out of clay and painted it. I made the clip for their artwork. It truly came from their heart! :)

Samuel Cooper Kaman

was born February9, 2004. Can't believe it's been seven years. He gave us all a scare seven years ago when he came six weeks too early. I had been praying for months that he would be healthy after weeks on bedrest and numerous doctor visits. After two attempts to stop my labor, God answered my prayers! Samuel came after a painful miscarriage and a rough two years trying to digest Benjamin's diagnosis. He was a beautiful baby boy and exactly what we needed!

He has been an absolute delight for a mom. I mean you know he has all the energy of a seven year old boy and the appetite to go along with it. He can love his brother and sister one moment and completely annoy them the next. He is funny and comes up with the funniest questions about life. He is sensitive but very boyish. He loves to brush my hair at night after he watches some sort of seasonal sport with dad before bed.

I love the fact that his favorite food is tacos. He loves legos...and has finally saved enough of his birthday money to get the Police Station that he has been admiring since Christmas. He loves animals and is the cause of Bailey's weight gain because he just can't stand to hear her cry for food.

He has made so many friends at school. When I visit for lunch...at least five or six of them ask if it's their turn to sit with him. He has grown up a lot!

At seven...it seems like just yesterday I held that little baby with all those tubes and wires in the hospital...but can you believe in seven more years I will have a teenager! Hopefully God can give me the wisdom to raise him to be the man He created him to be. He truly has been the "child for which we prayed."

I love you Samuel!

Happy Birthday Bubs!

It was nine years ago today I first laid eyes on him. He looked like any other baby to me. Of course I wasn't a doctor or nurse...apparently they could tell something was different. Most of you all know the story...we didn't know about his diagnosis until he was almost a week old. Brian and I will never forget those first few days we spent at home with our first child. Life was perfect...all was well with the world. God had done so many wonderful things for us and we were truly thankful. Then when Benjamin was 5 days old we realized things were not as "perfect" as we had thought. A child with a disability...what...how would we handle this...why did our perfect life have to be snatched away so quickly...

Nine years later I have a perfect life. I have three perfect (or as close to perfect as you can be this side of heaven) children and one amazing husband. It's a great life and I am truly thankful for all the wonderful things God has done for us.

One of the biggest things I have learned over nine years is that I am pretty sure that God gave me Benjamin to teach me a little bit more about Himself..I see glimpses of His glory in His life everyday. He has taught me about unconditional love and God's grace...what other kid can be punished one minute and then a minute later give you the biggest bear hug ever and kiss you. What other kid will give up a toy to his brother or sister to keep from hurting their feelings. Life's not always easy with a kid with special needs. But what other kid can so easily forget and forgive me when I become frustrated! He has taught me to value every life made by our Creator...I always believed in the sanctity of life, but when I look at Benjamin I am reminded that he was "knitted together in my womb" perfectly. Just as he was supposed to be...no mistakes! I have learned that God doesn't want us to be concerned with material things. I have never met a kid that is completely happy with a book and a couple of matchbox cars. I have learned to laugh more...the kid is funny! His laugh is contagious and you will not resist his smile. He loves to be silly. I am pretty sure we will be laughing in Heaven...I think I need to do more here on Earth. He has taught me that it is sometimes better to listen than to talk. It breaks my heart most days that Bubs has such a drastic speech impairment...but you can learn a lot about others and you can better hear your Heavenly Father by being still and just listening.


So...Happy Birthday to my sweet Bubs...I know you will continue to be a shining example of your Creator's glory.

My husband

I know most times I post about my kids. Today I feel compelled to write a blurb about my husband. I am completely amazed every day that God gave me such a wonderful man. He isn't perfect and I don't pretend that he is...none of us are this side of Heaven. But...every day I love and respect him more. I think having three kids under eight and the challenges of raising a kid with special needs takes a toll on a marriage. I feel like we rarely have time to "romance" each other. I mean most days we rarely complete a thought until the kids are in bed and then we are usually so exhausted it's really hard to feel like finding some energy to really try to do more than "veg" out with some sort of lame TV show. BUT all that said I honestly don't think I could imagine going through this crazy life of mine with anyone else. He is truly my best friend. Besides my creator, he knows me best. He can complete my sentences. For that matter...he can read my mind. He predicts my reactions to situations and can talk me through before I even react at all.

I fell in love with a wonderful man but as I see this man become a father, trying to be a better husband, a God fearing man...it makes me fall in love that much more.

It's been a while...

Wow! I can't believe it's been so long since the last post. Some of you might be wondering what we have been up to this past month. Our Christmas and New Year's was relatively quiet...except for the fact that everyone in the house besides me came down with the stomach flu at some point over a four week span. It was a bit crazy. I honestly think it would have been better to have gotten it all over in one week's time but the fact that it was dragging on and on was tiring! But...it's water under the bridge now...isn't that what they say???

Oh and we got a new kitten. He is really cute. His name is Smokey (for TN and for his gray color). All the kids really love him. He loves to play and is very loving. Bailey isn't really too sure about him. She's 13 now and really not wanting to befriend any new kitten but I keep hoping she will come around...or at least not attack the poor kitty.

So you can see things here have been pretty uneventful. I have been trying to organize and declutter this house after Christmas. It's amazing the stuff you can accumulate after 10 years of marriage and 3 kids.

I am looking forward to 2011. I am always amazed to look back at the year and see all the blessings God has given us. Every time I look at my children and see how they are growing and maturing and becoming little "people" I get a glimpse of His goodness. My husband is a constant reminder of my Heavenly Father's unconditional love. My friends are reminders of the sweetness of the body of Christ. God showers us with so many blessings but I am often so ungrateful. I am surrounded by God's gifts and they are great. My hope for this next year is that I will be faithful to appreciate that these blessings are amazing miracles from God.

Great are the works of the Lord;they are pondered by all who delight in them. Psalm 111:2

A visit with Santa Claus

Well...every year the Kaman family has their annual visit with Santa Claus. I really think we only have one more year doing this with the middle kid. He's about figured it out. He is entirely too logical to understand how this thing makes any sense...here's his questions..."how could someone really fit down our chimney? how can one man deliver all those presents? what is an elf anyways??" Well... Brian and I have always said we would not lie to our kids about this whole Santa thing...but Gracie and Bubs are still firm believers and I hate to spoil this for them...so I just run when Samuel starts in on his quest for the truth. Let's just get through one more year, please.

I know some folks really have a problem with the whole Santa thing but we find really no harm in it. And...I don't have a problem with folks that don't really get into the Santa thing. If you ask my kids they will tell you the REAL meaning behind Christmas. They understand why Jesus' birth is so important to us. We make sure to spend more time on the Nativity and we do have a very special Nativity play we attend every year and our kids REALLY look forward to it. This year it was quite special...it snowed on us while we were singing our Christmas carols that night...God made that extra special for us I think. Oh, and...the whole Naughty/Nice thing isn't a focus for us...only God sees our hearts and knows if we are naughty or nice...but here's the thing I DO love about our yearly visit with St. Nick...my child's own personality comes out when we go.

So this year is no different for my kids. Bubs was absolutely EXCITED! You would have thought he was about to be given a plate piled high with Chick fil a nuggets and fries. He was quick to climb right into Santa's lap and give him a hug, he quickly told him what he wanted for Christmas...just the TOY STORY 3 movie. As always, this kid never has a long list. Usually just one thing he REALLY wants. And...quite frankly he would be content to just get that movie. You know he'll get many other things. BUT...that movie will be his most favorite gift...you mark my words. That's why I love that kid! :)

Well Samuel! HEE HEE HEE. That kid cracks me up... he brought his list. He was so scared he might forget the three things he wanted to ask for...Legos, a Spy kit, and a science kit. He wanted me to hold on to the list while he saw Santa. Poor kid...his nerves did get the best of him for a minute. He stood silent and stared at the man in the red suit for a minute and then ...he remembered and proudly smiled at me when he finished. Gotta say...I love that kid too!

And then Gracie...Santa couldn't resist that sweet thing..who really can??? So, I told him she would most likely be too scared to sit with him, I mean the last three years of her life she has screamed BLOODY MURDER when she saw him. She had already told us she would NOT sit with him. So she held Bubs hand at first. He asked her what she wanted and then all that came out was "Barbie." She really wanted a Barbie Make Up Vanity. But she couldn't get it out...
Now, we had an AWESOME Santa. He quietly put his arm around her, talked to her really softly and picked her up as gently as he could and sat her on his lap. Can you believe she didn't cry but smiled so proudly at me and Brian. Santa said, "See Mom, she's not scared anymore." Well...so I love that kid too and my eyes started to well up with tears. You know that's not really what got me...it was thinking...she has just grown up on me. She's not a baby anymore. That really made me feel like crying!

But I must say that seeing those three kids smiling at me and running to give me a big hug when they came off that stage was enough to make me feel like the most blessed woman in the world. So...I look forward to this Santa visit every year...not because I just love Santa that much...but because I love those three kids and just when I think my heart cannot love anymore it just fills up again some how... So Santa makes me remember that my loving God chose me to be their mom and for that I will be forever grateful!

Realities...

are a part of life. I think that facing realities are not of our own control. Well...you know I know that my life is not in my control. It's by God's gracious hand that my life has been shaped...but you know I think when we face a true reality in our worldly life it is through the Holy Spirit's conversations with us. You know I know we face some realties of our life that aren't life changing...like the reality that I am not a runner...I have tried to be a runner but the honest truth is that although I don't mind exercising I really don't have an interest in running. Another reality that is not that earth shaking that I have learned in my life is that I am a picky eater. I try to blame my pickiness on lots of things...but the reality is I am JUST PLAIN PICKY...and I think somehow I like being picky.

SO...enough about these trivial realities. My thoughts are more serious than that! Lately my reality is about Benjamin. Here's the reality. He's eight. He has Down Syndrome. He was created differently. AND...what am I doing to help to foster his differences. He is mainstreamed in a typical classroom at school and church. He plays with typical friends. We treat him just like our other two children. I have always been proud of that about our family. BUT...I think it's time we celebrate the differences that God gave him. I will say that all the differences are not worth celebrating some days. Some days it just plain stinks. But...heres' the thing...he needs to find some friends he can relate to, he needs to find his place, and I need to help him to do that. I need to be more involved with the disability community. I haven't done that much because I think it is hard to be a part of a group when Christ is not your focus. So the final conclusion is that the body of Christ must be more involved in the disability community.

I know I have been feeling God's call to reach out in our community to those who are disabled in some way and to their families. Some families may be hurting...some families may be longing for a friendship from someone who can relate to them...some may be looking for Christ. I truly believe I was given this path for a reason. God didn't put Benjamin here by accident. It's time to face that reality. What does He want me to do now? I am praying for that very thing right now...more to come.