The Sterzik Family

Weekend away... some of it really good, some not so much.

2011-04-17T18:51:00.002-05:00

This is just a quick one. I dont even have the camera out of my jacket yet, so no photos either. We just rolled in from Charis Hills Camp. It is a camp specifically for kids with "special needs." 90% of the kids there were in the Autism spectrum, namely Aspergers, which is what Jacob has.

It was eerie to see so many of his traits on display there, things that I think are just 'him' are really Aspie traits. I used to wonder what he would have been like without his condition. Now I try and rest in the fact that God created him this way and not to dwell on the what ifs. Lord its hard. It was a difficult start for us yet the end of camp was sweet. It was great to be together as a family, dwelling on God's provision and being in the company of others in the same place. More to come...

Florida Trip in photos

2010-10-17T23:17:00.005-05:00

Our trip to Florida began with the train ride in the Tampa airport. The boys were super stoked and Luke's blankie was along for the ride.

Here are my boys at the wedding. Aren't they the handsomest things you've ever seen? Those white shirts stayed clean about 17.4 seconds after the ceremony finished.

The next day we went to the beach with Dad, Linda and Matthew and Kevin along with Stephanie and her family. The boys loved the ocean. It was Jacob's second visit to the beach and Luke's first. Salty sea water was Luke's downfall- he struggled to keep his eyes open and his mouth automatically popped open instead! It was great to see the Jones fam and experience Matthew and Stephanie's wedding day.

This Fall and Winter in Photos

2009-12-18T09:25:00.002-06:00

Been a loooooooooooooong time since I posted any photos of the boys, so here is a quick recap of our fall and winter via pictures. Luke decided to dress up as Bumblebee for Halloween- that's the Transformer, not the bee. You wouldn't believe how many people thought that a 4 year old boy would dress up like an actual bee for Halloween.

Jacob dressed up as a Jedi Knight for trick or treating. Which Jedi he was pretending to be depended on the day, but the important thing was that he was a good one and not on the Dark Side.

We went to Arkansas to visit my mom's sister Cookie, her husband Rusty and all my cousins and various nephews and a niece for Thanksgiving. Highlight of the trip for the kiddos? The giant leaf piles they made in the front yard.

We bought a LEGO Advent calendar for the Christmas season which the boys have LOVED! Trying to explain that Legos and Jesus dont really have anything in common has been a wee bit difficult, but we are trying. We are preparing to go to Arkansas yet again next week to visit Chris' side of the family. The presents are bought and wrapped, just got to do lots of laundry and prayer! Merry Christmas from ours to yours!

Autistic Children With Sleep Problems Benefit From Melatonin

2009-10-14T21:54:00.001-05:00

Autistic Children With Sleep Problems Benefit From Melatonin

Shared via AddThis

Denton: Transform begins

2009-06-14T17:38:00.002-05:00

Our church participates in an awesome event called Transform. See the boys working hard to serve our city for God. Check it out at the link below.

The writer of the article is in our homegroup. Way to go Lacy!

Denton: Transform begins

Psalm 23

2009-05-13T23:51:00.004-05:00

(Click on picture for closer look at the art)

This is the coolest thing ever. There is a website called 'wordle' where you can customize any text into graphic art. Any text you enter becomes randomized into a free flowing shape. You can modify the font, colors, orientation, size, language, you name it. I entered Psalm 23 with a few modifications and out came what you see above. Best of all, once you create it, you can do whatever you like with it. Make objects with the words, print t-shirts, blog banners, print photos of it, etc. One thing to note, if you save it, it becomes public domain on the wordle website. Go check it out! www.wordle.net

Lunch convo with a 3 year old boy

2009-05-13T23:30:00.003-05:00

We were eating lunch at Chik-fil-A, aka Chickenland, just Luke and I. He picks up one of the tasty fries in his small hand. He grasps it fully in his palm and says, "Its a gun!" He then proceeds, to 'shoot' it around the room. Seconds later he takes a huge bite, snapping the 'gun' in half. Do mothers of girls ever have episodes like these? I think not. God has quite a sense of humor. And for the record... it did look like a gun.

Things the doctor doesn't tell you before surgery...

2009-05-01T11:25:00.002-05:00

Well... my doctor failed to mention that I would not be able to drive for a week after my bladder repair surgery. THAT would have been good information to have, considering life continues moving after you leave the hospital. Our friends have rallied to my side and have picked up or walked Jacob home from school, taken Luke for the morning on play dates and even delivered us meals at night. What would we do without them? God only know and He's not letting us find out. Thank you! Thanks to all of you who have taken time and energy away from your families and given it to ours. Bless you! Only 4 more days of driving restrictions and then look out, I am on the road again!

My boys love these guys- well the original ones anyway!

2009-02-25T16:26:00.000-06:00

Wordless Wednesday...a little late...

2009-02-10T23:15:00.004-06:00

Drama. Drama. Drama. In Spades...

2009-02-10T22:52:00.006-06:00

Yes, I am well aware that it has been a trillion years since my last posting, but my life has been chock full of drama. So much drama, it will take me 5 posting to catch you up. I have decided to dribble rather than dump my life for the last few months on you. You are so very welcome!

First post is regarding my eldest son, Jacob. See photo below- POST SURGERY!

Look a few millimeters over from his inner corner of his eye. The red lines are the sutures.

Last Saturday, we were shopping and we got tangled up in the store and one of the clothes hangers dangling over my arm, dangled itself into his right eye. Upon, unknown removal by me, by turning away from my son, it created a full-thickness tear of his upper eyelid. That created a centimeter long tear which looked like a triangular chunk of his eyelid was removed.

We proceeded with great alarm to the urgent care center, who upon taking my insurance information, refused to touch him and sent us to the ER next door. The ER, upon taking my insurance and admitting us, refused to touch him and transferred us to Children's Medical Center in Dallas. The injury was at 3pm, we got to Dallas at 6:30pm and he had surgery at 11:30pm. The poor thing not only never had ANY pain meds, he also didnt eat or drink for over 12 hours that day.

He did amazingly well. He was at times even charming the nursing staff into thinking that putting an IV in his arm was going to be "no big deal." Ha. Double Ha. By the time the surgery took place, he had exhausted every flexible, patient and pain-controlled nerve in his body. He was worn out. It took us 3 hours to wake him up post surgery to get him home, because they had to give him double the sedation meds to calm him down.

The pictures above "are not that bad" unless its your child needing sedation and you have to sign papers saying that you know its a possibility that your child may never wake up from the procedure. Thank you Lord for my husband, friend's prayers and my faith in God. I was a wreck and cried the entire surgery.

Jake is 100% in that eye. His vision was even 20/20 before they did the repair. The doctor said he was very, very, very lucky. No cornea damage and a few millimeters to the left and he would have needed tear duct repair, full admit to the hospital and a trip to the operating room. She says luck, I say God's Providence.

I'm wordless this Wednesday...

2008-12-10T18:58:00.002-06:00

Wordless Wednesday...

2008-12-03T00:05:00.001-06:00

Ahh... sugary goodness awaits us!

2008-11-20T21:02:00.004-06:00

FREE DR. PEPPER! AXEL ROSE IS BRINGIN' IT!

Dr Pepper is making good on its promise of free soda now that the release of Guns N' Roses' album "Chinese Democracy" is a reality.

The soft-drink maker said in March that it would give a free soda to everyone in America if the album dropped in 2008. "Chinese Democracy," has been infamously delayed since recording began in 1994, but goes on sale Sunday.

"We never thought this day would come," Tony Jacobs, Dr Pepper's vice president of marketing, said in a statement. "But now that it's here, all we can say is: The Dr Pepper's on us."

Beginning Sunday at 12:01 a.m., coupons for a free 20-ounce soda will be available for 24 hours on Dr Pepper's Web site. They'll be honored until Feb. 28, 2009.

Wordless Wednesday...

2008-11-19T13:30:00.002-06:00

******WARNING!! FULL FRONTAL NUDITY!!!*******

The time has come...

2008-11-13T09:51:00.007-06:00

Here are the long awaited Halloween photos of Jacob and Luke. Oops! I mean Optimus Prime and Spiderman Jr. strutting their stuff. Yes, these are my actual children, even though you cannot see their cute and adorable faces.

Check out these cool Halloween bags my Dad sent them last year. They even talk when you push a button on the handle. Great for 3 year olds who are going through a shy phase. It says 'Trick or Treat' and 'Thank you.' Jacob's was a skeleton hand and Luke's was a witch claw, complete with creepy voices.

And here are the silly pumpkin faces they made with Grandpa and Grandma Sterzik's help on their last visit. I especially like the snot coming out of Jacob's pumpkin nose! It's great being the mom of 2 boys- grossness is encouraged!

Wordless Wednesday...

2008-11-11T23:53:00.002-06:00

Halloween pics

2008-11-06T16:16:00.004-06:00

Well.... I can't seem to get my act together. How many days has it been since Halloween, and I still haven't downloaded the pictures of the boys in their costumes. I am going to blame my lack of time to pre-presidental angst and prayer. Anyways, here are a few photos of some children that are NOT mine, but I thought the outfits were great!

Here's my first fictional child, Pinocchio. Is that how you spell his name? Oh well, we just call him P-knuckle. He does whatever I ask, I mean make him do.

And this is little Shark-bait. Isn't he cute? The tiniest little feet you've ever seen!

Hope this tides you over until I get my rear in gear and download my real progeny. Is that a real word, or did I make that up?

Wordless Wednesday...

2008-11-05T13:12:00.003-06:00

Why dogs hate Halloween...

2008-10-28T09:13:00.005-05:00

The time of year when parents of human children and dog children dress them all up in silly outfits. At least the kids get to pick out their own costumes. Poor canine creatures...

Where do they come up with these ideas?

Small dogs have it the worst... Is this a beany baby outfit? Tiny!

This is my absolute favorite. Where on earth did these costumes come from? My brother in law works for McDonald's and he never mentioned any dwarves working there! What patient animals. How much time do these people have on their hands anyway?

Stay tuned for photos of my rugrats in their Halloween costumes...

Wordless Wednesday...

2008-10-23T12:09:00.005-05:00

Oops! It's Thursday. So sue me!

Song lyric Sundays...

2008-10-15T23:14:00.014-05:00

This idea has been pestering me lately. To take my love of "secular music" (as if music had chosen a side in the great spiritual debate) and pair it with what God is teaching me through scripture. Crazy I know, but call me crazy. So with no further ado, I present my first Song Lyric Sunday, with Seether's 'Rise above this.'

Take the light, undarken everything around me. Call the clouds and listen closely, I'm lost without you. Call your name every day when I seem so helpless, I've fallen down, and I'll rise above this, rise above this doubt.

Lately, I have been burdened by what I can only describe as weighty problems in the lives of those around me, including myself. Shattered marriages, uncomfortable sibling issues, adultery, unexamined lives, depression, physical pain and nearness of death. My typical response to hearing these things is one of two things: become overwhelmed and depressed or to pretend like its not happening and live a life of denial. I'm not exactly sure which of these two fabulous choices is worse.

Back to scripture and our song. The song speaks to the helplessness we feel when our circumstances are so overwhelming but also to hope and rising above our problems. I've been studying the life of Moses recently and it has been so amazing for the last month. His life didn't ever seem to go the way he thought it would, and it reminds me of our lives. In the book of Exodus, Moses

Thought the Hebrew slaves in Egypt would know he was their redeemer- they didn't and he spent 40 years in the desert as a shepherd fugitive.
Thought that if he gave God enough excuses or asked a lot of questions, that God would find someone else to go to Egypt- God sent him anyway.
Thought that Pharaoh would listen to him and believe the miraculous signs God enabled him to do- Pharaoh didn't and increased the work load of the Hebrew slaves, creating resentment in them.
Thought the Hebrews would believe his encouragement that the Lord was going to save them- instead they blamed Moses and Aaron for their punishment and harsh treatment.

Things were not going the way Moses' thought they would, just like our lives don't always go according to our plans. What happens when God calls us to something and it isn't easy? Our marriage is difficult, or even broken, our siblings hurt us, friends betray us, a parent dies, children are a struggle. What do we do when our circumstances overwhelm us? A friend recently said, "Disappointment is deafening. It can impair our ability to hear God talking to us." Our circumstances can sometimes scream louder than God's whispers.

God doesn't always promise us a smooth road. Life is hard. Let's face it, life can be crappy. But do we let our circumstances dictate us? God promises over and over to be with us in all things, good and bad. He promises to help us rise above them. "My help comes from the LORD, the maker of heaven and earth" the psalmist says. That Seether song says that I'll call your name everyday when I seem so helpless and I'll rise above this doubt. Hard times= times of doubt for most people. God is this really where you want me? God, where are you? Why is this happening to me?

Moses invariably went to God with his doubts. When all of the Egyptian plans they made together didn't go as Moses thought they should, he went straight to God for answers. When disappointment deafens us, and impairs our ability to hear God clearly, we need to go straight to Him for answers. Then we will rise above our doubts, because we will know God intimately, and know that His plans, no matter how difficult are for our ultimate best and His glory.

Wordless Wednesday...

2008-10-15T16:01:00.002-05:00

Yep, the ladies love him...

2008-10-10T22:08:00.003-05:00

Be patient. I will explain the photo in due time, in due time. Took Luke to the doctor for his annual exam. Yes, I DO know that his birthday was in August and its now October- time just gets away from me. Anyways, we were discussing his current quirks while Dr. D looked over his info. There was a time that we couldn't get out the door before Dr. D would announce, "He's the biggest boy on the block isn't he?" (Master of the obvious, but I love the man). "Luke is greater than 100% on his height and greater than 100% on his weight."

Get this- Luke is 40 inches tall and 40 pounds at the grand old age of 3. He is the size of an average 4 year old. He and Jacob are assumed to be twins almost everytime the go out in public together. Jacob is 46 inches tall and 46 pounds at the age of 5. Well, Dr. D tells me, "You are looking at a boy who will be at least 6'4 or 6'5." At 5'6, I think my 6'2 husband is a giant. Luke is going to be huge. I am going to have to go back to work full-time and Chris will need a second job to feed these boys. We better be sweet to them now or we are in danger of them sitting on us and squishing us when we are old and feeble.

By the way, the photo... the ladies do love a tall, tall boy! He is a shameless flirt and cuter than puppies and kittens on Christmas morning. I do believe I will keep him as long as possible.

monkey see, monkey do...

2008-10-08T23:42:00.004-05:00

Doesn't matter what it is, if one does it, the other will too.

Note the differences in wearing apparel. It appears that I have a skull worshipper and a cucumber and tomato salad lover, living in my house. No... its just Jacob in his Halloween spirit wear and Luke in his brothers size 7 t-shirt. He wore it for over 24 hours a few days ago. Wore it to bed, wore it all day and had to have it pried off of him that night for clean clothing. Yes, I do have standards about cleanliness.. although it would have been easier to just let him wear it again. There was a tiny fit thrown about removing Bob and Larry from his person.

But my all time favorite story of the week involves the dentist. I took them in for a cleaning- it was Luke's first time. He was amazingly calm and cooperative. The dentist even commented on it. I told him that Luke was just very easygoing- that's how he rolls. We go to check out and Jacob has all his goodies PLUS a toy car they gave him. Luke did not recieve a toy, so he goes to get one himself. I stop him from pilfering the toy basket and he lets out, what the dictionary would term a "blood curdling scream." Not just one. Not just two. Three or four of them in a row. I take him to the bathroom where he continues and I am sure the office staff are convinced that I have ripped an arm off punishing him. I quietly talk to him and he stops the "from the gut" screaming. I have NEVER heard this child act this way.

We go back out and I ask him to apologize to the receptionist. Do you know what she said? She stated, "You scared me." My 3 year old freaked her out. THAT is how loud and insanely crazy he was acting. For those of you who know my son, you are shocked and appalled. If he wasn't a boy, I would blame hormones.

Wordless Wednesday...

2008-10-08T20:17:00.002-05:00

year book part deux

2008-09-30T09:09:00.012-05:00

My better half.... lookin' wicked awesome!

year book

2008-09-27T20:11:00.016-05:00

Here I am in all my glory...

from the 50's to the 90's.

I am way fabulous!

some cuteness...

2008-09-26T10:27:00.006-05:00

Look at them! Aren't they the cutest? I keep reminding myself of that every time they tromp downstairs at 3am to ask if they can sleep with us or for us to take them to the bathroom, etc. Everthing seems to be flying by at the speed of light (except sleep deprivation). Got to keep in mind that they days will pass so soon. Pictures help me remembers how blessed I am.

Wordless Wednesday...

2008-09-24T21:50:00.002-05:00

Wordless Wednesday...

2008-09-17T22:11:00.002-05:00

As this is the first of my wordless Wednesday's, I will explain what I am doing and then you will never hear from me again! I am stealing this idea from a friend (Melissa), but instead of cute photos of my boys, you will see silly and goofy stuff, with no interpretation from me. You don't have to thank me.

This is personal...

2008-09-14T21:07:00.004-05:00

Tonight was ugly. Jacob had what we call in our home, "a major meltdown." He was uber-tired and he didn't get what he wanted and it quickly escalated into hysteria and frustration. And here's the deal- this post is not about my child. This post is about me.

I "pride" myself on being a person who can figure things out. God has given me a moderate amount of intellegence and I supplement that with things I read or research. I keep trying things until I figure out what works best in a situation I am in or problem I have.

Current problem="I got nothin'." My son represents a problem that I do not have the resources, information or power to fix. Honestly, as I prayed, I realized that I think my pride is hurt. I cannot heal or repair my son's issues and that frustrates my pride. Don't misunderstand me- I hurt so much for Jacob and how he struggles. However, right now, the problem is ME. Scripture says that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Well, I don't think my mindset is humility folks.

The dictionary defines pride as a high or inordinate opinion of one's own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority, whether in the mind or as displayed in bearing, conduct, etc. The opposite of pride= humility.

Is God opposing me? So that I can see the error of my thinking? My faulty mindset that hard work and intellegence can fix that which is broken? Only God has the power to truly heal or repair broken people-where did my arrogance come from? I can see that my concept of who I am and who God is are skewed today. P.R.I.D.E. What an ugly word.

Wednesday, we have a woman from the school district coming to our house for a few hours to interview us and Jacob and watch us interact. Then she'll observe him at school and set up a plan for how to help us "train" Jacob at home. Basically, its parent training for Chris and I. Which we need. Admitting that is my baby step toward walking in humility with God.

Good News!

2008-09-11T11:08:00.003-05:00

This is my cousin Alan. He and I are only a few months apart in age. We got married about the same time, and have children around the same age. He and his wife Melissa live in Arkansas and we don't get to see each other often. When we were kids, we were really close. I'd give him my corn on the cobb and he'd give me his black-eyed-peas (it was a great trade!) We even bonded over our love for The Dukes of Hazzard and beating up our younger cousin Ryan (don't ask!) Anyway, he found out last week that he has cancer. This past Monday he went to Little Rock and underwent his surgery. The surgery took approximately 3 1/2 hours. The surgeons did remove the tumor, the kidney, the entire spleen, and a lymph node close to the kidney. Afterwards, the doctors told Melissa that the surgery went extremely well. Recently, they got the test results back that the lymph node was completely free of cancer, which is fabulous news. As far as chemo and radiation, I haven't heard, but I would appreciate it if you would keep Alan, Melissa, Sydney and Carson, as well as his parents Rusty and Cookie and your prayers. Pray that their faith would not be shaken and that God will prove Himself faithful to them. He may get to go home this weekend if all goes well.

1st Day of School

2008-09-05T19:30:00.003-05:00

Look at him. Isn't he

an imp? Let's just say

that getting a serious picture of Jacob is nigh on impossible. He is doing fabulous in the classroom and enjoys going everyday. He started speech therapy this week and I start being a homeroom parent next week. Luke is happy being at home with me and no one to take his toys. All is right with the world!

Chick-fil-A Day

2008-09-05T19:25:00.005-05:00

We ate for free a couple of times on Chick-fil-A day last month. We only had to dress up like cows to get the free goodies. It was worth it!

Recap from Sunday...

2008-08-31T15:45:00.003-05:00

Our sermon this morning at the Village was exhausting and exhilarating at the same time. Matt spoke on the difference between religion and the gospel. I have heard this before, maybe even from him, but it never fails to impact me. His scripture reference was Luke 11:37-12:11, when Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees, and they basically accused Jesus of being unrighteous because He didn't ceremonially clean Himself before eating. Jesus told them that they made a big deal about being clean on the outside but inside they were still dirty and pretending that they weren't. Isn't that just what we do? We want people to think that we are good and moral people because of how we act, but inside we are broken and we don't ever want anyone to know it- they might think less of us- and it's "all about us" isn't it?
Matt broke it down pretty clear when he talked about relativism and religion. Our our country used to promote universal lessons to moral dilemas that were true for everyone (like drinking under age is not ok) but now relativism rules the day and people can make choices for themselves and no one can make these decisions for them. Or people use their religion to make decisions for them. Religion says "I obey my god's rules and therefore he accepts me." Christianity, on the other hand, says "I am accepted by God because of Christ and therefore I obey my God out of thankfulness." Religion motivates out of fear and insecurity- if I dont obey god, he will be angry with me. The gospel motivates me because I want to know more of God.
A religious person inherently thinks of themselves as a good person, where their sense of value comes from how moral they are or how hard they work at being good. "I must be successful, otherwise people wont believe in my religion- my failures show my religion to be false- I must keep up appearances." A person whose life centers around the gospel knows that they are inherently a sinner, who can't "be good" on their own- they need Christ and His power. Knowing yourself to be a sinner results in not finding your value in your morality- my value isn't in me, but Jesus. "I'm broken but God loves me anyway, and my failures are because of my sinful nature, and not because my faith is flawed." Christians believe that everything we have- our faith, our salvation and our hope comes from God- I may fail, but God will not. There is such freedom in that . Romans 8:1 says "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus..." Ever since I heard that verse several years ago, it has resonated with me. I keep praying that I would truly, deep in my soul, believe it- because if I did, it would transform me. My religious past, my obsession with ME and what others think of me would fall away. I would understand that religion and sin destroy what I really want- a deep relationship with Christ and to share Him with everyone I meet.

A "minor" meeting...

2008-08-24T16:51:00.004-05:00

Last week, I asked Jacob's new vice-principal Mrs. Brown, if I could come take pictures of the school and make a little 'This is my school' album to help orient Jake to Kindergarten. She agreed and we chatted a little about him while we toured the school. All the teachers that were there let me take a photo and get a look at the rooms. She said she would like to meet again before school so we could meet some of the other staff and do a 'mini-ARD'. ARD's are school meetings for kids with special needs where staff and parents discuss goals, plans, etc. So, Thursday morning our entire family traipsed down to Hawk Elementary and were met in the conference room by: the Vice Principal, Diagnostician, Speech Therapist, Inclusion teacher, Inclusion paraprofessional, Psychologist, and his new Kindergarten teacher. This was a little overwhelming. We discovered that Jacob has not undergone a true Autism Evaluation (we suspected but weren't sure) but will by the first 6 weeks, and that he will be getting some pretty amazing services. I felt like we overwhelmed his Kinder teacher, but everyone else seem very excited about working with Jacob. I wouldnt call myself an anxious person, but I couldn't sleep very well last week and I think I have been dealing with the entire situation by ignoring/not thinking much about it. I've been praying about it all, but this is really a 'I dont have one iota of control' type situation and I'm not sure how these all go down. All I do know is that all of the staff we met were so professional and kind to us and to Jacob. You can't ask for much more than that.

Potty Training

2008-08-24T16:43:00.005-05:00

Well... we started potty training Luke this week. Day 1 was pretty uneventful- a few minor accidents. Day 2 I decided to force drink Luke, giving him lots and lots of juice to ensure he got the hang of it. Mistake #1. He is a camel and can hold his pee for inordinately long periods of time. So, me taking him to the bathroom every 30 minutes was very frustrating for us both. Then he would have an accident after about 4 hours of no peeing. Tuesday morning at our house looked like "Hades- the Musical," with me starring as Satan and Luke as a little imp. After a long crying jag by Luke, yelling by me and a long nap. We all awoke in a better frame of reference. Since then, it could not have been easier. I removed myself and my ideas about how hard this should be and "How to potty train a boy" rules and just listened to my son. He tells me when he needs to go and is happy to do it. Yet again, experience does not equal wisdom on my part. The Bible says that man's ways are not God's ways and my wisdom is not God's wisdom. Another life lesson from the Lord via my 3 year old son and a potty.

Bootcamp results are in!

2008-08-09T19:36:00.005-05:00

Well, the results are in. Today was the last day of bootcamp for me. 5 weeks of torture and foot pain has resulted in some very interesting numbers. I didn't lose a single pound (insert 4 day Sea World trip one week before weigh-in here) but I am still a loser.
I lost 3% body fat. I was able to do 27 pushups on the wall in a minute when I started, and 37 on my knees when I finished. And the greatest part was I lost 10.75 inches off by body! That tells me two important things. One, I may not have lost any weight but I now have a lot more muscle taking up space where the fat used to be. Two, that I had next to no muscle before I started. My poor body couldnt lose any weight, because I needed to make some muscle.
How was I even walking around before? So... anyone want to do it with me? It starts again on the 18th...

Birthday Boy turns 3!

2008-08-07T10:09:00.007-05:00

Luke turned 3 this past Sunday and I had to share some cute photos and stories about this adorable boy. He and Jacob were in our hotel room and Luke decided to share one of his new birthday toys with his older sibling. I told Jacob, 'Your brother just shared something special with you- tell him he's awesome and thank him.' Jacob responds and adds the awesome part for good measure. What was Luke's reply? 'Yes, I am awesome.' Such a humble boy we have on our hands.

Check out those ultra big shades he's sporting at the poolside table. Tre' chic no? And what about the future James Bond? Green castle hats are all the range in San Antonio right now!

Putting the 'fun' in dysfunctional... or Our trip to SeaWorld

2008-08-04T22:28:00.009-05:00

There is nothing like getting away from it all, to put things into perspective. On our SeaWorld trip, our hotel had movies outside at night, up on the wall. Like a drive in, only with mosquitos and smores. Anyway, the showed the classic Bruce Willis homage "Over the Hedge," in which he plays a deceitful raccoon. The other main character Hammie is a turtle. At the end of the movie, they are discussing how they are all a family and sharing how families operate; what they do and dont do well. Hammie tells RJ that he would have helped him in his quest to repay a killer bear if he had only asked him beforehand. To which RJ replies, 'I wish you would have told me that sooner,' and Hammie essentially says communicating is another thing families don't do well.

What does this have to do with our SeaWorld trip you ask? Well, my dear, it has everything to do with it. We drove 5 hours to be reminded that communication is the key to any healthy relationship, whether it is husband and wife, parent and child or brother to brother. In hindsight, we probably looked like the 4 stooges- constantly miscommunicating where to meet, where to eat, what to do and where the truck keys are and no one answering their phone- shoot, even knowing where our phones were! But, dont get me wrong. We had a great time and I have the pictures to prove it to you!

The boys at the Waggin' Tales animal show. They loved seeing cats, dogs, ducks, skunks, pigs and ponies doing tricks.

And this is how close we got to the dolphins. No photo cropping required to get this close. All you need are some stinky fish and they come right up to you.

The boys after face tattoos of Dolly the dolphin and Shamu the Killer Whale. Great times!

The Soccer Champion Blizzards

2008-08-04T22:21:00.006-05:00

Here they are in all their soccer glory- the 2008 summer indoor champs with their purple trophies in hand. To commemerate the occasion, we bought Jacob a t-shirt in the color of his choice (purple) and an iron-on that has a soccer ball with the word "GOAL" on it. Very snazzy this shirt. How did I end up with 2 boys whose favorite colors are purple and pink? Maybe its because they never see these colors and are therefore novel to them? Lets hope so- for a solid month Luke begged for a 'pink birthday.' Without any intervention or slamming of pink, he changed his mind and requested a 'blue Shamu' birthday in honor of our SeaWorld birthday/family vacation trip to San Antonio.

Our BIG Day!

2008-07-19T21:11:00.004-05:00

Today was crazy. Lots of things happened, but just stay with me. I promise it will all be worth it. Andra heads out to Bootcamp while Chris feeds and clothes the boys for Jacob's soccer tourney. His team, the Blizzards, were third in the indoor soccer season this summer. We were playing the Lightning team, who had soundly beat us both times we played them. Surprise, surprise, we won that game! So, it was home for a quick lunch, practice in the backyard with Chris and naps before heading back that afternoon to play the Storm team. We had beaten them earlier in the season, but after a full morning game (hour long), were the kids up for another win?
We scored several goals early on due to Storm being short a few players and a COACH for 15 minutes. About 15 minutes before the game was over, the score was 3 Storm and 4 Blizzard. Imagine a large huddle of 4-6 year olds and Jacob in the middle. The ball gets kicked to him and lo and behold, he fires it straight into the goal- SCORE! Our teams parents went crazy. Moms were hugging me and gives me high fives, the coach said he could see me crying from the bench and Chris was in shock because he had missed everything before the goal by talking to Luke! I was SO proud of my son! He looked up at us when all the shouting and clapping started and you could tell he was beginning to understand what he had done. The Storm came back and scored with about 45 seconds left, making it 5 to 5. Our star player Josh came out as goalie to play forward and literally with less than 5 seconds left he scored our final goal, making the Blizzards the champions! Trophies and everything! What a day! We followed it up with ice cream and Braums.
That goal was such a huge gift from the Lord- such an encouragement for the learning process for Jacob, but mostly for us as his parents. Its tough to see him struggle, but I hope he remembers that moment forever- Chris and I will. So, the next time you visit our house, look on our mantle for the coolest purple soccer trophy ever!

Chris or Hal Sparks?

2008-07-19T21:09:00.000-05:00

MyHeritage: Celebrity Morph - Family tree diagram - Free genealogy software

Celebrity Morph by MyHeritage

2008-07-19T16:58:00.001-05:00

Check out the Fam

2008-07-15T15:17:00.001-05:00

Create your own family sticker graphic at pYzam.com

Random post of the month...

2008-07-15T14:24:00.006-05:00

I am awkward. There is no way around it. I have some serious social skill deficiencies. I am awkward in social situations. My poor son, no wonder he struggles. Get me in a large group and I can hide, but get me one on one or intimate setting and I struggle to stay afloat. So frustrating! People must wonder about me sometimes. How does this woman function? Arg! Fortunately for me, Jesus loves awkward people who dont always make the best choices. Thank God that I have a loving husband, family and some great friends who look out for me. Awkward women of the world unite!

Cow Killer!

2008-07-10T22:19:00.003-05:00

Ok... we found THIS in our backyard tonight. We proceeded to catch that booger in a jar and look it up on the internet. It is a wingless wasp called a 'cow killer' or a 'velvet ant.' That sucker was at least an inch long. It looked like a fire ant on some serious steroids. You can see in the photo the gigantic stinger, hence the cow killer title- apparently a sting from them makes you want to die! They eat bee larvae- yes, we have bees in our backyard. We are trying to save the ecosystem since bees are myseriously dying all around the nation. Our mint is pollenating currently and bees are everywhere. What could be worse than the boys gettin stung by bees? Being stung by cow killers! Yikes! Be on the lookout for these in your area...

Check out that male model... look familiar to you?

2008-07-10T15:11:00.004-05:00

That my dear friends, is my church's minister, Matt Chandler, lead pastor at The Village Church. I chanced upon this priceless photo on our lead music minister's blog and had to share it with the world. That is just the kind of loyal parishoner that I am!

It's official...I've joined the Army now

2008-07-07T20:42:00.004-05:00

Seriously, I had my first night of bootcamp tonight at my gym. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be- but then again, the instructor said it was the easiest night of the 5 weeks. Ha! I thought the heat would be my undoing, because I am like a popsicle in the desert. I melt and become worthless. But after the first 15 minutes, it was just the exercises that were making me miserable. I wont bore you with details but suffice to say that this is perfectly sufficient for whipping my body into shape muy pronto. Another step in my quest for a healthier temple. I'll keep you posted on my progress.

Random shots of the fam

2008-07-04T11:21:00.011-05:00

The boys at the children's museum in Commerce, Tx

Jake in his great, great, great grand- father's hat and his Nonna's cane

2 boys ready for anything Jacob at 5 and Luke at almost 3- his birthday is August 3rd. We are going to SeaWorld to celebrate!

Living life

2008-07-01T15:24:00.005-05:00

Today was a fun day. The boys and I had some friends we hadn't seen in a loooong time over to our house. We all have something in common- one of each of our children has developmental delay. Anywhere from autism to tactily defensive to PDD. It was so easy to talk about our lives with the struggles we have faced over the last 2-3 years as we have walked the path separately. God is so kind to put people in our lives on the same journey as us that have had totally different experiences but can totally relate to our path. I think it is so easy to feel isolated and bewildered by all the uncertainties of knowing what is best for your child. I laughed and said there is no instruction manual for that, but in a way that isnt true. God has moved and directed us in lots of different ways. Obviously the Bible is full of wisdom and humble going to the Lord and saying, "I dont know what the heck I am doing and you are in control heere- help me out!" There has been a lot of that. And people. People have been so instrumental in helping us out. From the preschool director telling me about the monthly free screening, to a new friend giving me advice that has helped with her own recently Autism diagnosed son, we have had people guiding us through what seems to be unknown and scary territory. I have NEVER known anyone with autism. Now I know an adult man at my church, and 5 kids plus my own son with PDD- all within 9 months. How gracious is God that He has surrounded me with people who KNOW what our family is going through. And what is even better is that because I know that all things work for our good if we are in Christ, I know that our story will benefit others- it will all be worth it, because our journey will help other people navigate life- may I faithfully give God the credit for the growth in our lives and in others. Because, like I said, I dont have all the answers, but I know Who does.

This guy totally understands LOSTIES

2008-06-09T17:06:00.005-05:00

Check out this Daily Show political discourse about the presidental campaigns excitement versus the LOST show. Hilarious!

Check out my boy Luke's book- he's famous!

2008-05-23T23:02:00.006-05:00

Click here to view this photo book.

9 days of the unknown...

2008-05-23T22:38:00.004-05:00

Well.... I have been convinced by someone I know, that a cleansing would do me a world of good. So, the next 9 days will be very revealing, if you know what I mean. I am looking forward to this time of introspection. God has been pressing on me for oh, about a year, on my eating issues. I use food for comfort, for control and for distraction. Pretty much for everything that food wasnt meant for us. In other words... a substitute for the one thing that will really make things better and that will satisfy me... God. I am reading some great biblically based books about food issues. Love to Eat, Hate to Eat and Lose it for Life. One of our pastors did a two part series last year on gluttony and referenced these books. They are phenomenal. My journey with God is taking another turn, and I am praying that God will use this cleansing as a way to clear my mind and body in preparation for worshipping Him rather than worshipping food. If you dont have food sin issues, this probably makes NO sense to you at all. But if you do... then you feel my pain. Struggle well and struggle in the Spirit!

If you give a mom a muffin

2008-05-20T15:11:00.003-05:00

I got this from my friend Kim's blog and it is true to life... all except the coffee part. I like my caffeine cold and carbonated...
IF YOU GIVE A MOM A MUFFIN
If you give a Mom a muffin,She'll want a strong cup of coffee to go with it.She'll make herself some.Her three year old will spill the coffee.She'll wipe it up.Wiping the floor, she'll find dirty socks.She'll remember she has to do laundry.When she puts the laundry in the washer, she'll trip over boots and bump into the box of Goodwill items.Bumping into the Goodwill items will remind her she has to get these boxes in the car and out of her basement.When she puts the boxes in the car, she'll find a bag of groceries and this will remind her she has to cook dinner.She will get out the chicken defrosting in the fridge.She'll look for her cookbook (101 Things To Do With Chicken).The cookbook will be sitting under a pile of mail.She will see the Ne tflix movie she's meant to mail and the preschool bill, which is due tomorrow.She will look for her checkbook.The checkbook will be in her purse that is being dumped out by her one year old.She'll smell something funny.She'll change the baby's diaper.As she finishes up, she'll realize she brought the hand sanitizer down to the kitchen.While she is throwing away the diaper and searching for the hand sanitizer, the phone will ring.Her three year old will answer and hang up.She'll remember she wants to phone a friend not for coffee but a very strong drink.Thinking of drinking will remind her that she was going to have a cup of coffee in order to stay awake for the rest of the day.And chances are..If she finds her cup of coffee (which she has to reheat by now),Her kids will have eaten the muffin that went with it.

LOST- There's No Place Like Home Part 1

2008-05-15T22:34:00.004-05:00

Oh. My. Goodness. LOST is the most incredible show ever. EVER. I was literally queasy in the stomach tonight watching this episode. I normally watch all the previews I can of the upcoming shows, but I wanted to be totally surprised for the last 2 episodes. Was I ever surprised. Claire's mom is out of her years long coma? I thought Jack was going to stroke out right there in the church. That was some good acting by the way Foxy. And then there is Ben. I told Chris I am going to start wandering around the house saying, "I told you. I always have a plan." That man is a stellar example of quickwittedness and manipulation. Poor John Locke- he never knows whats hitting him. Ah... Richard Alpert. So good to see you again after last week's ep. I think we will be seeing a tad more of him in the future. And the C4 on the boat. After Sun left, and they showed us that door slowly closing, I turned to Chris and said, 'If there is an explosion, I am going to be crazy mad!' Imagine- Desmond, Michael and Jin all dying in one fell swoop. I cant handle it! I could go on... and on... and on.. but I need to go to sleep. If I CAN sleep. Typically I lay in bed going over the show in my mind. A.D.D.I.C.T.E.D. Yes, it is true. I am addicted to LOST...

Recycle Relay

2008-05-14T19:12:00.003-05:00

Recycle Relay
Originally uploaded by Keep Denton Beautiful

Gretchen managed to end up in even more photos!

See the post below for more info on why she is playing with trash...

Keep Denton Beautiful

2008-05-14T19:10:00.002-05:00

Event Headquarters
Originally uploaded by Keep Denton Beautiful

Our homegroup from the Village Church Denton, helped out at Keep Denton Beautiful. After helping clean up Northlakes Park, we headed back to the civic center for some free pizza and good times. We ran into our friends Jill and Gretchen and got their picture taken with Recycle-saurus Rex. Luke requested that we go find him and then requested a photo opp. What a kid! Arent he and Gretchen the cutest things ever? Check out the pizza in his hand... and in his mouth...

What Mother's Day is really all about...

2008-05-11T16:10:00.004-05:00

Happy Mother's Day! Here is a great example of what it is like to have small children. This was not written by my, but it could have been, because its just like my life. So I stole it!

"To all the mothers out there, I hope you have a fabulous day. Surrounded by your loved ones.
My morning began with my 3 and 5 yr olds snuggling in bed with me. I use the term snuggling loosely, to include climbing on top of my head, tying my hair in knots, kneeing me in the stomach, and fighting over who is laying on what side of the bed. Nothing like breaking up a preschoolers brawl at 6am to wake you up.
As annoying as it is to be awoken in this manner when all you want to do is sleep another hour or five, the perspective of having older children makes me realize how short this season is. This is how they show they love me, in part by fighting over who gets to sit the closest to me. My older children don’t come and snuggle in bed anymore, being their mother is decidedly less physical. And so I take a deep breath and get out of bed with them.
Really isn’t that what Mother’s Day is all about? Not the sappy sweet sentimental cards, the handprinted cards, the breakfast in bed, or whatever else the media tells us that Mother’s Day should be all about.
Happy Mother’s Day. I wish a tantrum free day to everyone."
Love, Andra

once a month...

2008-04-29T15:10:00.001-05:00

Once a month... I think that is all I can handle doing for this blog apparently. Life keeps coming at me faster and faster. It makes you appreciate the fact that God is sovereign and He knows what is coming even when I don't.
BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) will be ending in 3 weeks. Those 9th and 10th graders are something else- I have seen my future and I am afraid! They are either as silent as stones or non-stop talkers. My co-leader Sheree and I had dinner together last night and had a great time talking about our families and the students. She has been so great- I have always admired her transparency and sense of humor. We are finally starting to get things down and there are just 3 meetings left. I can really see the growth in me this past year- definitely NOT a fun year, but a growing one. Funny how you can look back and see transformation but not feel it. All year our theme has been, "Are you going to be the same person at the end of year that you were at the beginning. All the stuff you have learned from studying God's word isnt worth it if you havent applied it to your lives." I am looking forward to processing everything and evaluating myself- 3 more weeks!

wishin' and hopin' and dreamin' and livin'

2008-03-25T16:11:00.003-05:00

Well.... here it is again. Long time no write. Where does the time go? Will someone please let me in on the secret? Things are settling down at our house- thank you to God! To make a reallllllllly long story short- Jacob was not having seizures. He quite promptly met our $900 deductible in 2 visits- one for an EEG, one for the neurologist and a bonus MRI under anesthesia. We are still getting bills 2 months later. Our neurologist (sent to us by the Lord) has given Jacob the diagnosis of 'Autism Spectrum Disorder,' which is as confusing as it sounds. Basically, there are 5 disorders within this spectrum, 3 of which are Autism, Asbergers and PDD-NOS. They are all similar in appearance but different in classification. For example, Jacob has many of the characteristics of autism but not enough of them to meet the criteria for diagnosis. He is most similar to PDD-NOS which is pervasive developmental delay-not otherwise specified.

But all that to say, he is doing FABULOUSLY! We weaned him off of his meds and tried some new ones with good results, but decided to leave him off of medication for right now. He was doing so much better on his new meds, but spectacularly on nothing. God has so used all of the speech-language therapy, social skills training, pre-school and what we have been doing at home to work wonders in him. He is a totally different little boy. Ask anyone who has known him his whole life and they will testify to what I am saying! There is such peace in our home! I am tearing up right now just writing about it. More on this later.

Keep us in your prayers. There are many deep, dark places in our souls that God is plowing up through all of this. Areas of stubborn rebellion and ignorance. Pray that God would show Himself faithful to us as we struggle through these raw places. Thanks for listening. Andra

Seizure or sleep deprived?

2008-01-30T23:30:00.002-06:00

Well, it is 11:30pm and Jake and I are watching Toy Story II and eating popcorn as we try to stay awake for his EEG tomorrow. He is supposed to be sleep deprived, because somehow that gives them better brain wave activity readings.

Anyways, I was looking through some of my photos on the computer, when I came across this one. THIS is what makes me think he fell asleep and didnt have a seizure. I just want things to be cleared up. Maybe its denial, but I dont think he is having seizures. If he is, I need some clarification, big time. I hope its a $750 insurance policy- get it done and rest easier. We'll know soon wont we?

Christmas tree

2007-12-27T22:19:00.000-06:00

Well, I sit here looking at my forlorn Christmas tree, stripped of its beauty- all except for its twinkling lights. It still has lots of presents under it though. We havent done Christmas yet with my mom and the boys. We went to Arkansas for Christmas to be with the Sterzik clan. We left the boys there for 3 days and we go back to pick them up Saturday. When we return we will do a very belated Christmas at home. It doesnt really seem like Christmas now until we do it here at home. But in the interest of saving my sanity, I packed up all the decorations before the boys returned. Chris and I both have colds right now and are struggling to breathe through congested systems. We have gone out to eat and went to the movies to see 'I am legend' with Will Smith. Scary but excellent movie.
My house seems so quiet. Every morning I think I hear one of the boys as I walk into the kitchen. I miss their cheerful talk and even miss their bickering. No, I dont miss the bickering. I miss their sweet faces though. Cant wait to see them. So kind of my in-laws to watch them for a few days for us. I wonder if I could pay them a million dollars to drive them home so we wont have to spend 6 hours in the car on Sunday?

2007-10-30T23:52:00.002-05:00

Lots and lots and lots of photos from many moons ago...

A trip to Frank Buck Zoo with all the wild animals

Jake's first day of preschool- check out the uniform baby!

First ever trip to Chuck E Cheese- the roller coaster ride of their lives!

The big birthday boy in his silly party hat! 2 yrs old

Super duper hot day in August at the Grapevine Botanical Gardens

Day at the Train Museum- cant figure out how to rotate this thing!

Nonna getting a chance to love on both boys at the same time.

Picking up the boys after a week spent at G-pa and G-ma's house in Arkansas.

Luke, prior to giving up the passeys for good. He looks pretty attached doesnt he?

Crazy life

2007-10-30T23:35:00.000-05:00

Our life is crazy. Now I know that everyone's life feels crazy these days, but we have never experienced this level of craziness before in the Sterzik household. Chris is adjusting to the new job he took back early this summer. It is in a rather new area for him, and the learning curve has been high. We are leading a home group with our church, and finding the time to spend with everyone and giving these relationships the time they need has been stressful. We want to spend so much time with these folks we are 'doing life with' as we walk with Christ. Its frustrating having to go to work and clean the house when there are people to get to know!
I am also a Children's leader again this year with Bible Study Fellowship here in Denton. I have a fabulous co-leader, Sheree. We are teaching the 9/10th graders- whole new experience for me. These students are either as quiet as rocks, or we cant get them to stop talking. I am not sure which one of these is harder for me! The time required for the home group and BSF are exposing exactly how weak I am in myself. Somehow, every week God helps me get it all done, but I want so much more than just getting it done. I feel my inadequacy every day- it just keeps pushing me back to God for his aid.
Jacob was diagnosed a little over a month ago with ADHD. This was not a big shock to us, but since getting the diagnosis, all the waiting for intervention has turned into a flurry of activities. We are being reassessed through the school system, more thoroughly than this past spring. We have our ARD meeting next Tuesday to see if he qualifys for school based intervention. A speech pathologist will be observing him this week. His IQ testing showed a significant difference in his verbal versus non-verbal IQ. He struggles with any type of verbal instruction and has a very hard time understanding words in their contexts. Socially, this causes problems at school with his peers and his teachers. Thankfully, his teachers love him, which I pray for all the time. He loves school, loves learning and loves to be around other children. We are praying for him to get more help. He goes to a social skills class once a week to work on learning skills that 4 yr old boys need to have to carry on conversations and communicate effectively. It is all so overwhelming for our family. I am so blessed that God has placed another family going through similar circumstances with their 4 yr old son recently diagnosed with Autism. The mother Becky, has been such a source of encouragement and prayer. God is so good.
Luke is amazing. He is so charming and fun right now. He is also going through the 2 year old toots I like to call them. The tantrums and attitude have officially begun. He is such a little light in our house though. The boys are such great friends and love each other so much. Almost makes me want another one. Getting super sick a few weeks ago gave me a clue that I can barely keep up with life now, if I had another child, the floors would stay permanently sticky and crunchy here.
Well, I think that is enough rambling for now. I am going to add a bunch of photos for you to see, starting way back this summer. I love each one of you!

How long has it been anyway?

2007-09-16T18:10:00.001-05:00

Well....good night! Its been forever since I posted. I couldnt even remember what my password was to login. So much has been happening that I can barely keep up. In a nutshell, we have been a part of a church start-up, leading a small home group that is growing bigger by the week, Jacob started preschool 5 days a week, Luke is in gymnastics, Chris is trying to play softball, I want to scrapbook but dont have time, family here occasionally, Andra is co-leading a Bible Study Fellowship class for 9th and 10th graders... did I forget anything? Most likely. Anyways, hopefully I can post again soon, and with photos, because we have got some good ones to share. Talk with you soon...

Wild weekend at the 'W' hotel in downtown Dallas

2007-06-06T19:17:00.000-05:00

In February, my girlfriends from UNT had a girls weekend in honor of Kim Holt who was pregnant with her daughter Georgia. We stayed in this fabulous room at the posh 'W' hotel. We even went to the 'place to be' bar - no stars spotted though. In addition to our dinner out at Fireside Pies for pizza, we had an early morning wakeup alarm the next morning. An alarm was going off telling us that we needed to evacuate the building immediately because there was a fire in the hotel. Wewere still in our pj's as you can see above- and it was freezing. We had no idea how long we would be outside so we went out for breakfast at this uptown joint. We were quite the lovely group, especially me in my lime pants and Kim in her snowman bottoms.

Here is a snapshot of the street right outside our third floor room. There were about 5 or 6 firetrucks and multiple police and ambulances there. A friendly fireman told us it was only a fire in the trash container. We were downstairs for about 15 minutes before most of the people were escorted out of the building by hotel staff- guess they were not too concerned about the fire. A tv helicopter and crew were set up in the parking lot across the street.
Here we are! Tara, Amy, Kim and me right before our big night on the town. Smokin' right? Seriously, it was a weekend to remember with my sweet, sweet friends.

2007-05-24T09:55:00.001-05:00

Last Bible Study Fellowship with Louraine

This past year I have co-led a 5th/6th grade bible study for BSF. It has been lifechanging for me. I have learned so much by teaching those students and I am amazed at what God has done for me. These women have been such an encouragement and source of wisdom for me. Our fearless leader, Louraine Wilburn has retired this year after 11 years of being teaching leader and 25 years of BSF leadership in all. She is the kind of woman I would like to become- wise, witty, warm and real. I cant wait for Fall!

2007-05-24T09:44:00.000-05:00

I cant believe its been so long since I posted. It has been busy- we went to Chicago for Chris' brother's wedding and then had some family in town, and Chris' birthday somewhere in the middle.

This is a recent photo of the boys in Jake's room. Jacob is out of preschool for the summer and Luke started saying his name (baby Luke). They are going to go to gymnastics this summer which should be a blast for them both.

Luke is almost 22 months and Jacob is 4 years old. My babies are growing so fast!

2007-04-01T19:01:00.001-05:00

A Day out with Thomas the Train-

We went to Grapevine to ride Thomas. It was a beautiful day to be outside. The boys were a bit overstimulated by all the people and sights to see. We had photos taken with Thomas and Sir Topham Hatt, played with train sets and explored the gift shop. Reeeeeeally explored the gift shop. On our train ride we sat in an old coach complete with a conductor in full regalia who punched our tickets. The photo was taken as we were leaving the train. The boys were pretty exhausted at the end of the day. They wore their Thomas shirts that day and since we returned they have both been playing with the train set quite a bit. Ah... boys and their machines.

Chris is back...Hey la... my husband's back!

2007-03-29T22:59:00.000-05:00

Chris is home from Taiwan, but still feeling the jet lag almost 5 days later. Now he can focus on... his new job! He is very excited about the job transfer within TI to another group, but he has
4 weeks before he begins working in the new group. He is busy, busy trying to tie up loose ends on old projects. It is so exciting to see how God orchestrated the whole deal. Ask Chris for the full scoop, its pretty neat to see how it all fell together. After the last 9 months of painful work situations, it will be great to see how God works in the midst of all this change.

Jacob went and got assessed by a developmental pediatrician because we have been having some severe behavioral issues the last 6 months. It is even affecting his preschool activities too. Any way, the physician said that she felt he has a great need to be in control (tell me about it!) and he has a lot of anxiety when things start getting out of his control. I had actually been reading a little about this for a month or two and was starting to wonder if he was anxious. She recommended getting some tools from seeing a therapist to work on behaviors and self-soothing for Jacob. He has been in a really good phase the last month or so, so it has been much easier around our home. He is so sweet and charming and affectionate these days. A big change from 2 months ago, when I was pulling my hair out! Please be praying for us as we attempt to raise him in a manner that will help him succeed in life and relationships.

2007-03-21T18:40:00.000-05:00

Well, its been a crazy week thus far. Chris is in Taiwan for the week and he comes back Saturday. When he left, the boys and I were still recovering from the dreaded stomach virus running rampant in our area. We are finally back to normal and no longer existing on toast and oatmeal for every meal. The boys and I have done pretty well, all things considered, this week. Well, except for the waking up for hours in the middle of the night and not wanting to be by themselves or sleep by themselves. Needless to say, I am taking a nap every day to make up for my fragmented sleeping.
We had pictures made last Friday for Jacob turning 4 and Luke's 19 month milestone. They turned out GREAT. I will try and add one to the blog so everyone can see how cute our children are- :). They are upstairs playing very nicely together as I am writing this. No bloodshed as of yet.
Gotta run, dinner is in the oven!

2007-03-17T23:58:00.001-05:00

Here we are! Team Sterzik. Big Jake is 4 years old, Andra and Chris, and Luke the Moose is 19 months old. We are living life in the fast lane here in Texas, and we do our best to keep up with the blessings the Lord has chosen to share with us.

Chris just got a new job within Texas Instruments and is thrilled to be pursuing a dream career path. However, this week, He is slaving away in Taiwan on a 7 day business trip. Andra spends her days chasing two energetic boys around and drinking her mandatory Sonic vanilla coke with easy ice (you know its bad when you pull into Sonic and your 3 year old says 'Mommy, I want a coke, easy ice.') Jacob is in children's day out twice a week learning social skills and ripping the knees out of every pair of pants he owns. Luke keeps me company at home, following me around asking for food and to pick him 'bup.' A busy season of life for us and it seems to pass by in a blur. We are trying to keep our perspective and our wits about us here, and can't wait to see what else God has in store for us in 2007.

2007-03-17T23:47:00.001-05:00

Our family of four- three amazing men plus one lucky woman. This was taken in November last year at Luke's dedication service at Denton Bible Church. Boy, he sure looks cute, but he was a handful on stage! He did not want to be held- he wanted down on the floor and he would not let me take the pacifier out of his mouth while they were doing the service. We were able to have this wonderful family photo taken afterwards.