Fetish Boy

Luke Maddry is a child that has some serious fetishes. His top 5 are (and in this order):

tomatoes
balls (any kind)
shoes (anyone’s)
apples
grapes

If he sees any of these things he gets so excited. I can’t put a salad out on the table without him losing his mind because he knows that there will be some tomatoes in it. Then he won’t eat anything else. Our waitress at Red Lobster was quite impressed at what a “healthy eater” Luke is. And then I think she was a little shocked at how many tomatoes one child could eat. It was a little ridiculous!

Below I have documented his shoe obsession.

JACKPOT!!! I was cleaning the house and realized that I hadn't seen or heard Luke in a while. When I found him, this is what he was doing...lining up shoes. He found a tub with shoes that don't fit the boys, somehow managed to open it and was in shoe heaven!! 

What more could a Wookie (that's what we call Luke - he often reminds us of Chewbacca) want?!? Okay, maybe a pacifier... 

And this is how he walks around ... shoes on, shoes in his hand & PACIFIER in his mouth!! 

Seriously....so cute! 

This is a great picture...Luke was walking around with Caleb's church shoes on, then I got after him for hitting his hammer on the wall & took it away from him. He threw one of his little fits where he very gingerly lays on the floor (and usually cries) but thought it was funny when I took a picture of him! 

New Years Resolutions...

So I made a New Years resolution this year. It was to lose weight and start exercising regularly (how original!). It is now almost April and I have lost 19 ½ pounds and I go to the gym 6 days a week – sometimes 2 times in a day. I haven’t been this thin (and it’s not really that thin) since Joseph and I were dating. This is the longest resolution that I have kept. And now I’m starting to run out of steam. I don’t know if it is because we were all sick last week and I didn’t get to exercise all week long so got out of that habit. Or if it is because Lovey had Spring Break all week and I didn’t want to go to the gym and all I wanted was Chipotle & rice crispy treats. Hmmm. Not exactly Weight Watcher friendly. My original goal was to lose 40 pounds by June 1. Not gonna happen.

So I need to refocus. 20 ½ more pounds to go. With a changed goal date…Luke’s birthday. August 29th! That sounds good. And will feel wonderful!

Crisis in Darfur

"Darfur, a region in western Sudan, is home to what has been called the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Government-backed Arab militias, known as the Janjaweed, have killed more than 200,000 of the region’s black villagers according to recent reports. The same forces have destroyed villages and crops and poisoned water supplies, and they continue to murder and terrorize. At least 4 million people are hungry or starving, and another 1.2 million, including 400,000 to 500,000 children, have become refugees.President Bush and Congress have recognized the problem and labeled it 'genocide.'"
Excerpt taken from http://www.samaritanspurse.org/SudanCrisis.asp

Ugh! I feel so helpless when I read about the crisis in Sudan. It's so hard for me to think of these children walking for days as refugees to a place that they will call "home" for an indefinite amount of time. Ripped from their moms, dads, brothers & sisters - everything they know and love. So much more pain than I can bear to even imagine, much less go through. Lord, remind me that you love them more than I can imagine loving someone. You know and feel their hurt and pain. Lord comfort them. I don't even know what else to pray for them. My words are few and aren't enough. But you are my God. You are...

Playin' hookey at the zoo!!

So you know that Joseph Maddry is burnt out when he decides to play hooky from school! We had a much needed family day and took a trip to the National Zoo. It has been beautiful in DC lately and all the animals were out and playful. Luke was adorable, pointing to everything saying “animal”. He is really staring to talk lately. Caleb knew all of the things that he wanted to see. The monkeys & sea lions are always a must. And of course he wanted to see the new baby panda.
It was a great day together! Joseph has one last test this week and then SPRING BREAK!!!!

for some reason only the monkey & I are posing for the camera...we must be on the same wave length! 

my boys 

Daddy & Caleb with the beavers 

Brothers 

Oaks of Righteousness

In the midst of moral confusion,

Surrounded by darkness and despair,

God has planted His servants,

Who breathe in Heaven’s air.

With roots reaching deeply into God:

His holiness, mercy, truth and love;

Each moment they are nourished

On nutrients from above.

Having weathered many storms and droughts,

More than once appearing far weaker;

What would have killed lesser souls

Only makes these much stronger.

With their arms ever-stretching upward,

And faces gazing into the light;

They taste the dews each morning,

Drinking in the Spirit’s might.

While many others lie on the ground,

Casualties to the flesh and shame;

These stalwarts have stood the test of time,

Protected through Jesus’ name.

They are the Lord’s own chosen planting,

Displaying His splendor all around;

“Oaks of Righteousness,” He says—

May their number, Lord, abound.

by Ralph I. Tilley

www.lsministries.org