Ethan the hero!

Ethan looks like an aloof "cool" guy in this picture, but don't let the exterior fool you... this boy is a hero!

Two weeks ago as we were going to school I was praying over my boys and sensed it was going to be an especially important day for them. I felt the urgency to specifically pray that they would make wise decisions and be life giving individuals for their school instead of just taking up space. Little did I know how wonderfully the Lord would move that day.

Ethan was playing at recess when one of the girls in his class he didn't know very well ran up to him asking for help. She said that there were boys chasing her trying to beat her up. Ethan instantly ran to tell the teacher. Since there hadn't been any real incident yet, she didn't take action to avert a possible situation, she told Ethan that she couldn't do anything yet.... Now, if you had told me that as a year old and you were a teacher, I would have shrugged my shoulders thinking they knew best and would have just walked away. Not my boy. The urgency to go thwart a problem rose inside of him and he ran over to the girl who was now being confronted by the three boys.

The details aren't super clear, but his teacher said that the boys spit in her face and started throwing punches when Ethan stepped in. The girls other friend went and told the teacher who THEN jumped into action. All the kids went to the principles office and Ethan got to tell his story. The three boys were suspended for 2 days and Ethan was hailed a hero.

When I went to talk to his teacher about it she said, with tears in her eyes, that she was so grateful for Ethan because if it hadn't been for him she would have been hurt so much more. The girl had had a brain tumor a few years ago and she went from being a bright energetic girl to a somber girl that struggles in school and spends time staring off into space. These boys thought she was staring at them and wanted to "teach her a lesson". They didn't know about her past medical issues, but assumed the worst and decided to be cruel beyond reason.

Needless to say I haven't been this proud of my boy ever! My prayer for Ethan has been that he would increase in compassion which hasn't seemed to come real naturally for him. However, he shines in the setting of school and really does rise to the occasion. There are few things more satisfying to a parent than to see your kids actually doing what you know they can do and making decisions that help others when you aren't there to remind them to do it!

One proud mama!

11 amazing years!!!

Here we are!!! 11 Years and counting! November 6th was our anniversary and we were so blessed to be given 2 nights at a little vacation home about a half hour from here. We had Gracie with us but our boys went to stay with my brother's family and we had about 48 hours of doing mostly whatever we wanted to do. Bliss.

The Bible says that we will go through trials of many kinds, but He promises to keep us through them all.... I am convinced that life isn't about IF you will see troubles, but Who you will turn to when they come. If someone had told me 11 years ago that our first decade of years would be filled with all the stuff we dealt with I think I would have fainted from fear and then spent days in depression.... God knows when to tell us things and when to just give us the strength to stand in the face of great trials. Thankfully He gives us times of joy to outweigh the times of heaviness and restores our souls in the midst of being depleted. We are in a wonderfully restoring time right now. It's been almost 2 years since we moved here to Bend and Daniel and I are just now beginning to feel like we are "waking up" and coming out of the cloud of heaviness and intensity of our first 10 years.

Here we are though, stronger, wiser, better people and instead of shaking and breaking our marriage, those years cemented us together like nothing else could have!! For that alone I am more than grateful for such a tough season. I look back with great peace and overwhelming gratefulness that He knit us together in that tough season.

My husband is amazing. My best friend, and truly the completion of who I am! I couldn't ask for a more wonderful partner.

Looking forward to many decades of wedded bliss to come!

Fall, miracles and milestones

My favorite time of year for sure! Even with our short summer, our fall is a welcome sight. Beautiful in so many ways. Here we get all 4 seasons, which makes me especially happy! The colors these last 3 weeks have been brilliant! We are drawing to the end of the beauty and each day the weather gets more and more sketchy and uncertain. Still, it's beautiful!

Dad is officially cancer free!!! Praise the Lord! This coming holiday season is the first time we have had a holiday without some sort of "cloud" hanging over our heads, either cancer, brain tumors, recent deaths etc.. in the last 5 years!!! THAT is something to celebrate.

My darling children are growing and thriving.

Ethan is literally growing before our eyes. He has grown about 2 inches in the last 2 months since school started. He is by far the tallest 3rd grader in his school and comes up past my chin now! UGH! He is going to pass me up by 5th grade I'm sure. His love of music and desire to play absolutely every instrument he sees is fascinating. He wants to explore the electric guitar and other guitars and his love of drums is unquenchable. I am quite excited to see where he goes with all this talent.

My Micah is a budding artist! Since school has started and his days are filled with "busy work" he is starving for some artistic time, so today he is home from school just drinking in the hours of endless artistic genius he gets to pour over. I wish I could post on here his book that he made, but it was quite amazing and one his mommy will treasure for years to come. I can't wait to see what comes of this passion of his.

As for my baby, she is as amazing as ever. 7 months and she is brilliantly smart. She seems to know and understand a lot more than she lets on and I'm fascinated by her ability to communicate already. We are teaching her a few words in sign language to limit the frustration especially at meal time, but her main form of communication is grunting and growling... funny for such a cutie pie, but when you hear it it is really astounding. I will post a short video we took of her eating at the end of this post and you will see the intensity she takes with eating.

A true Burgess.

In 4 short days my husband and I will celebrate 11 blissful years of marriage. Seems like such a small number for all that we have experienced in those years, and yet I can't remember much before we were married.... I think marriage is an amazing invention and I'm so glad God thought of it. When you are married to your best friend like I am, there truly is nothing sweeter!

Looking forward to 100 more years of wedded bliss.