Siblings Camping Trip

Over the weekend we went to Delaware State Park for the 3rd annual Costello sibling's camping trip. We were thankful for a break in the unbearably hot weather and for temperatures topping out at 85, instead of 104. The kids were so excited and couldn't wait to spend the night in our miniature tent (that we've yet to upgrade despite it having a max capacity of 2).

We got to enjoy an evening boat ride where Eli took his first ride on a tube with Uncle Sam and Max. Norah entertained herself by getting drenched at the campground water fountain for a loooong time and both kids thoroughly took advantage of the opportunity to shovel Cheetos in their mouths whenever we turned our backs. There were a total of 15 cousin kids this year, 7 girls and 8 boys. The girls rode bikes, played at the water fountain, and filled up water balloons so sweetly. The boys, rowdy and fired up mostly thanks to Eli (what a shocker), ran from tent to tent where they wrestled and shouted and shook the walls.

I didn't get any pictures of my favorite part about camping-making S'mores, because Gavin and I headed home after dinner. Now don't get me wrong, I am usually a pretty good sport when it comes to roughing it in a tent overnight. However, the thought of waking up several times during the night to feed Gavin while being 1 of 5 people crammed into a 2 man tent on a hot night was enough to send me running for my king-sized bed. John got to stay and have the delightful "bonding" experience of getting Eli, Norah, and himself to sleep on a single twin air-mattress. What a good daddy! And seeing as he called me at 6:40am the next morning to say the tent was down, car packed, and they were heading to Bob Evans....I think I made the right choice.

And next year, it looks like we'll be ready to upgrade that tent. And yes I said the same thing last year, but this time I really mean it.

Jesus Calling

I couldn't have needed to hear this more this morning....

"Stop worrying long enough to hear MY voice. I speak softly to you, in the depths of your being. Your mind shuttles back and forth, hither and yon, weaving webs of anxious confusion. As MY thoughts rise up within you, they become entangled in those sticky webs of worry. Thus, MY voice is muffled, and you hear only "white noise."

Ask MY spirit to quiet your mind so that you can think MY thoughts. This ability is an awesome benefit of being MY child, patterned after MY own image. Do not be deafened by the noise of the world of that of your own thinking. Instead, be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Sit quietly in MY presence, letting MY thoughts reprogram your thinking."

Deuteronomy 30:20; Genesis 1:27; Romans 12:2

-Jesus Calling

A day to celebrate

Father's Day and our 6 year anniversary happen to fall on the same day this year. John went to enjoy a morning of golf with his dad and all his brothers and I was pretty proud of myself for getting 3 kids fed, dressed, reasonably clean, and out the door on time for 9 o'clock church. Granted, I did start getting ready at 5:30am but that's besides the point. And my lovely sister-in-law Rebecca greeted me at the door with a helping hand and an icy-cold Starbucks coffee, which kept me awake during the service.

Last year we were riding roller coasters, dining on steak, and enjoying a fancy hotel overnight on our anniversary. This year we are snuggling a new baby, ordering take-out, maybe a little wine, and spending the night at home. It may not be very glamorous, but a quiet night in with my best friend sounds pretty alright with me.

This morning when I was up feeding Gavin at 5:30, John woke up and wanted to show me this video he had made me for our anniversary before he left. I was a little bleary-eyed, but it still made me cry. It is extra sweet to me because John isn't the most technologically savvy man (no offense babe) and I know he worked hard to figure out how to put this together for me. So here's 6 years of our marriage in about 4 minutes.

And Happy Father's Day John! Thanks for partnering with me not only in life, but also in parenting our kids. I couldn't imagine anyone else to share all the ups and downs with. And thanks for working so hard to provide for this growing family and for doing it with a smile on your face. We love you! 

Sibling Love

These kiddos are pretty crazy about their new baby brother. Makes our hearts melt to see how sweet they are with him. Gavin doesn't get much personal space around here but he doesn't seem to mind all the head rubbing, hovering, and sticky fingers so far.

Who's Who?

Eli and Gavin or Gavin and Eli. Can you tell the who's who? It appears that we have some twinsies in the family.

Introducing Gavin Michael

A little less than 48 hours ago, we celebrated the birth of our third baby and second boy in our family. Gavin Michael was born on Wednesday night at 10:03pm and was 7lbs 2oz and 2 days late. My labor with him was mostly a blur and went so quickly that I wasn't even completely convinced I was in true labor until my water broke in the car on our way to the hospital. After being triaged and admitted to L&D I decided I most definitely wanted an epidural (NOW please!) and wasn't up for the experience of another natural birth. I received nods and "we'll sees" from both the nurses and my midwife, who knew there wasn't a chance that we had time for that and I eventually quit begging when I realized it was time to push and my complaining wasn't going to get the baby out any faster. My midwife and John were both amazingly supportive and worked hard to keep me focused and from losing my mind during the whole experience. And once that beautiful baby boy was in my arms, all was mostly forgotten and I was one very grateful mama. Gavin came out with the rarity of having his umbilical cord tied into a complete knot and the nurses and midwife were all shocked by how healthy and perfect he was, as apparently infants with this condition in-utero do not typically have "happy" outcomes because the blood & nutrient flow to the baby is compromised. John told them that we serve a mighty God and we were certainly praising Him for protecting our son's life. Thank you Jesus!

There is nothing so sweet as that newborn baby smell, the little grunts, and a tiny warm body cuddled up on your chest. I know there are many sleepless nights and long, exhausting days to come, but I'm not worried about those right now. With each new baby, I realize a little more how precious these early days are and how quickly they will pass and become distant memories. So I am soaking them up and feeling so overwhelmingly happy and blessed tonight with our new little family of 5.

The umbilical knot

                           

Things we do while we wait for baby

John and I received a fancy ice-cream maker as a wedding gift and we have used it exactly one time in almost 6 years. You know, one of those gifts you register for as your mom rolls her eyes and tells you how much space it will take up to store and how you'll never use it, yet you scan it anyway because you picture yourself giggling in the kitchen with your new hubby as you make batch after batch of delicious goodness that you feed each other off a shared spoon as Norah Jones croons in the background. 

Fast forward 6 years and 2.9 kids and okay, I can admit we haven't used it quite as much as I anticipated we would, but there's no time like the present right? And since the kids seems to share an obsession  appreciation of ice-cream equal to their mama's, its a good way to keep them happy and entertained for a good 30 minutes. Today we made a batch of chocolate cookies n' cream and oh my goodness, was it delicious. And I consider myself to be a connoisseur, so I wouldn't say that if it wasn't true. There is something about the creamy perfection of homemade ice-cream that beats anything you can buy in the store. And that is what I had for lunch today friends. And seeing as I'm moments away from birthing a baby, I think that is just perfectly acceptable.

Pour in all the ingredients

and then turn on machine and wait....

and wait some more.

Crush up Oreos with rubber mallet..

add to mixture, and then wait just a bit longer

Ready to pounce as soon as the timer beeps

Creamy, perfection in only 25 minutes

Chocolate on the face, arms, legs, shirt, shorts, and table means it must be pretty good

Chocolate warrior princess

To sum things up, its just the perfect treat for a lazy Sunday afternoon. 

And perhaps also perfect at 3am when I am up watching House Hunters tonight because I can't sleep... but that's just speculation.