Sometimes I Write

It’s mine. This afternoon I got my first tattoo. Yes it’s real. Yes it hurt. Yes I love it. It will look even better once the swelling goes down and the color evens out. I love the design. To me it represents a lot of things about my faith. The chain is made of prayer beads which remind me of my constant communication with God. The cross is my reminder of the sacrifice made for me. Having a chain around my ankle reminds me who I belong to. It’s on my left foot which is the side of the body(sort of) that my heart is on. You can’t tell by these dark pictures, but there is blue in the beads and the cross. Blue is a color of royalty, and I’m a daughter of THE KING. If you’re going to get a tattoo, why wouldn’t you want it to be somewhere people are going to see it so you have the chance to explain what it means to you?

I finally saw NARNIA. WOW! Fantastic! Incredible! Amazing! I laughed…I cried…It moved me Bob! (little tribute to Veggie Tales there) Seriously, this is a must see. Benny and I took Max to see it on New Years Day. We had a great date, though it was a little strange to think that the last time it was just the three of us at a movie, he was our only child. Now he’s growing up and wants his own snacks and drinks instead of just sharing with us. However, he offered me his very last skittle with a tempting, “It’s red mommy…” My sweet boy!

There were so many lines from the movie that stick out in my mind that it’s hard to pick my favorite. I can’t believe anyone ever compared Narnia to the LOTR. It’s all about story my friends and one is NOT better than the other! That would be like me saying my story is better than yours, or yours is more important than mine. NONSENSE! We all have our part to play in this battle (which I believe life is) and there are no minor characters. But God calls us to be valiant and put away our toys for the tools He wills us to use. There have been enough books written that detail the “Christ parables” in these two movies (and books) so I’ll spare you my feeble attempts at a review. Just please hear me when I say both movies are worth seeing, and both stories are rich with Christ’s truth. I love it!

Benny and Robbie had the opportunity to take a few of the street kids to see Narnia yesterday. A few more will be going with Matt and Nikki on Thursday. Please pray for their eyes to see and their ears to hear the message of God’s truth and love. Seeds were planted when they all went to see The Polar Express a few weeks ago. Matt had a great blog post about it. Since I haven’t figured out how to link to certain posts yet (time to call Yoda again) you’ll have to scroll down until you get to “Seeing is Believing”.

BTW, I’m glad we took Max to see Narnia. He covered his eyes for the whole stone table scene, and the wolf jumping at Edmond. He did great, and I’m glad we were able to be with him when he saw the example of bravery in Peter, friendship in Lucy and Mr. Tumnus, the loyalty in Susan, and the forgiveness for Edmond. There are so many lessons he took away and more await him when he is older and has a deeper understanding of Christ’s sacrifice for us. Praise God for C.S. Lewis and the people who worked so hard to make this film. I look forward to more…

In the room down the hall sleeps an adorable two year old boy. Tucked under his arm is a squishy basketball and a baby pooh bear. His sippy cup is well within reach and he is snuggled under his race car blanket. He is the baby of the family, which I’m sure he thinks is both a blessing and a curse. Petey is two years old today. We celebrated with birthday jello and a trip to the McDonald’s playland. He played hard today, like he always does. Here’s a bit of his story.

Zoe was six months old when I discovered I was pregnant. Talk about shock! You have to read my posts about Max and Zoe to fully appreciate my surprise! He was totally unexpected, but I hated it when people referred to him as an “oops” baby. He is no such thing! The pregnancy started off well, but fatigue became an issue by the end. It was easier being pregnant with my first child because I didn’t have a preschooler and a baby to take care of. But the real challenge came from the insurance company.

We had moved to Kansas three months before I found out I was pregnant. In switching insurance companies, there was a 240 day waiting period to have maternity coverage. If I delivered the baby before day 240, insurance wouldn’t pay a penny. Pete was due on day 239. So we had people praying I wouldn’t go into labor early, especially since we needed a scheduled c-section. He was due December 26th, we couldn’t deliver before the 27th, and that was a Saturday. The hospital doesn’t schedule c-sections over the weekend, so we had to wait until Monday the 29th. We prayed and prayed, and I put myself on bed rest the last few weeks of December. He was born right on schedule – Thank God! Now, two years later, I feel silly about worrying so much. I know that God was (and is) in control, and if he had been born early, God would have provided the money for our medical expenses.

Pete Allen Nowell is named after his grandpa Pete, Benny’s stepdad. Pete is a wonderful man, and I was so excited to be able to honor him by carrying on his name through our son. Allen is a family name and we decided all of our boys would share the same middle name. His name means “Rock”, and he is one strong and tough little guy!

Almost from the beginning Pete has struggled with skin problems, and other health issues. Our doctor thought it was probably eczema, but he wasn’t sure. Medicinal treatments were unsuccessful, and we were sent to a dermatologist for further testing. The guy took one look at Pete, asked me a few questions and prescribed a very expensive cream (that insurance didn’t cover) and told us it would solve Pete’s skin problems. He was a cocky jerk, and I should have gotten a second opinion. Pete cried everytime we put the cream on him, so I stopped. He was small enough that he couldn’t communicate with words, but the deep scratch marks all over his body and the constant rash told his story. I was feeling so helpless and defeated when we found a new hope through a chiropractor friend of ours. Dr. Todd Farney was treating Benny for back problems, and I can’t remember how they got on the subject of Pete, but Todd agreed to check him out too. He suggested the possibility of food allergies and told us about a blood test that could tell us what Pete might be allergic to, and we readily agreed to it. Two weeks later we found out Pete is severely allergic to milk and a host of other foods. (That was right about the time I started blogging last year.) Removing the offending foods from his diet and regular chiropractic care improved Pete’s skin problems and other health issues almost immediately. He was a different baby. He was happier, and the sinus problems cleared up. He started sleeping better which meant I did too. Over the past year we began re-introducing the offending foods to check for sensitivities. The skin problems slowly returned. We had him retested a month ago and he is still allergic to most of what he originally tested sensitive to. That is why we had birthday jello today – he can’t eat cake, even in small quantities.

Despite all of the special needs he has had and the sometimes painful state his little body has been in, he is one of the happiest little boys I know. He has quite a sense of humor, and like his brother, he is “all boy”. He is our sports nut, and there isn’t a single ball he doesn’t love. At this point he prefers basketballs and baseballs, but he loves them all. He even prays to dream about them at night. 🙂 He too is an eager learner and wants to “do school too mommy” when Max and I are working. He is fascinated by animals and scared of loud noises. He and I have a little game we like to play. I ask him, “Are you my baby?” He smiles and says, “No”. “Are you my little boy?” “No” “Well then who are you?” and he makes up a name or a word, usually one of our family’s names, or an object in the room. I didn’t teach him this, he taught me. Smart kid.

He wakes up too early in the morning for my taste, then he climbs into our bed to cuddle. He can be sound asleep and still hear Max or Zoe come in. He immediately slams himself against me and possessively says, “My turn cuddle mommy!” He’s a fighter, which is probably common for being the baby of the family. Maybe I need to read The Birth Order Book after all. While Max and Zoe love to play together, Pete is content to play alone. He is a bit territorial, and what’s his is his. He hasn’t caught on to the whole sharing concept yet, but I know he will. He loves to sing and dance, and can’t help but move when he hears music of any kind. He has a tender heart, and tries his best to kiss owies away for his brother and sister. He loves to eat, and had mastered the fork and spoon by 18months old. His vocabulary is amazing for his age. Another advantage to being the baby I guess. What Max learns he does his best to teach Zoe and Petey and they both soak it up. He also has really good balance and motorskills. He has a great sense of humor and he is my goofy kid. Angi says he has Benny’s sense of humor. He’s my athletic comedian. Is that a strange combination or what?

I look forward to seeing the changes that will take place in him through the next year, and the years after that. I’m so thankful God brought that little blessing to our family. I can’t imagine life without him. I never believed it when people said all three of my children would be completely different, but they are…and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Happy Birthday Petey!

The Christmas party at Sox’s was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced although I joked that it reminded me of Chirstmases growing up with my extended family. It was loud, there was cussing, gifts, lots of food, and several little kids running around. 🙂 There was a mix of gratitude, expectation, and sadness in the air. I definitely felt out of place there, but I’m so glad we went. There were one hundred or so people there, most of whom I’d never met. I found great comfort in the hugs and smiles from the street kids I knew. Some of the people serving food looked more uncomfortable than I felt. My emotions ran high and I had a hard time keeping from crying. I was so sad to see those people who would be taking their gifts back to their squats and tents. I was irritated at the few people who were unappreciative of their gifts (that they had asked for) and were asking others to trade with them. There were also those who didn’t expect anything but a meal and were surprised and grateful for the gift they received. I had a few good conversations and we invited one of our street friends to spend Christmas Day with our family. Benny doesn’t understand why it was such a strange experience for me, so I reminded him that I’m not around downtown as much as he is. His comfort level is higher than mine.

Christmas Day was relaxing. Our friend Nick spent the day with us. Angi is here for two weeks too, so we had a good time chatting over our dinner. Angi and I make a good team when it comes to pumpkin pie. I made my crust and she made the filling. The results were delicious! We quizzed Nick about his life, and Benny teased Angi a lot. Nick is from another country and I love his accent so talking with him is always fun. We just hung out and watched t.v. and went to look at Christmas lights, then took Nick back to his squat. He said it was the first time he had ever celebrated Christmas and that he had a good time. I believe he also said it was “interesting”. 🙂 I told him that I’d take that as a compliment and he smiled.

The day after Christmas we took down our tree and put away everything Christmasy until next year. Petey’s birthday is tomorrow and we want it to be special for him. I’ve been thinking a lot about what I want to say about him as tomorrow’s post is all about Pete. I’ve really enjoyed reading everyone’s posts about their Christmas experiences, and seeing pictures of my friends with their families. I am thankful for the blessings that the holiday season brings. I look forward to the changes coming in the next few days as we begin a new year. God gets all the glory for life, friends, family, and all of the many reasons we have to celebrate. Praise God!

*We finally updated our website and our Christmas letter (Review of 2005) is there along with pictures of our family – especially the kids. Check it out here.

Last night was our weekly pool night and afterward me and a few of my former street friends (still my friends- they just have homes now) fed everyone Dominos pizza. I met a few new people at Shakespeares in between the drama. Two of my street friends (who are married) got in a fight because the guy sold the girl’s bike to buy marijuana. Same friends have a dog who snarled and tried to lunge at me as I tried to comfort the girl after the guy took off. I have been very intimidated by dogs since my dog attack when I was fifteen that left me with a scar down the side of my face next to my right ear. You’d never notice it if my hair isn’t pulled back. The dog was tied up and the girl grabbed him and calmed him down, but I was still shaking a bit and backed away from her. Let me just say there will be problems if the dog ever gets loose and hurts me or my kids. If I don’t kill it myself, Benny will. Enough said about that.

Benny was playing pool with a guy and I walked over to meet him. Another girl said, “That’s Benny’s other half”. It just struck me as funny because it’s been so long since I’ve been called that. I don’t know if she didn’t remember my name or if she was just establishing our relationship, or what. Maybe that’s just the way they say it.

Our teammate George had brought a book for another street friend called, “So you’re going to be a Dad”. I talked to the guy for a few minutes and I was taken aback and proud of him as he told me how nervous he is about the baby arriving in May. He is scared, but he wants to do things right and he really wants to be a good dad. He’s making changes in his life to get ready for that, and he spent a good part of the night sitting at the bar reading that book. I also caught him watching Benny playing and wrestling with Max and Zoe during his breaks in shooting pool.

When we were at the park during the feeding, a man came with several bags of warm clothes. He saw my kids running around and came up to me to let me know that he had a whole bag of children’s clothes I could go through. I smiled and thanked him then introduced myself and told him I was part of the staff. He was very friendly and he gave us the whole bag of clothes to take to a street family we know that recently got an apartment. I think he was disappointed that the kids weren’t flocking around to get the clothes. I explained that they probably wouldn’t because it was an unusually warm night. On the nights it’s freezing they do take anything and everything they can get to stay warm. I told him not to be discouraged. That’s twice I’ve been mistaken for being homeless. My friend Kevin says I should wear that as a badge of honor, and I am glad that I am part of the crowd enough that he thought I blended in well. I did have a few of the guys hugging me and draping their arm around my shoulder. haha I had my makeup on this time, but I was wearing a fleece over my Dry Bones t-shirt, which is one of the ways other people who volunteer know who the staff is. I would have thought me handing out pizza would have been a clue too. Oh well, there are worse things in life than being mistaken for being homeless by someone who wants to help the homeless!

I was informed by one of my new street friends that I met last night that I HAVE to bring my kids to the Christmas party at Sox’s place today. Sox is another guy downtown that has a drop in center for at risk youth. We are partnering with him and another organization, Urban Peak, to provide a party, food, and gifts for the homeless youth of Denver. I’ve already peeled, boiled, and mashed 20 pounds of potatoes today, and now I have the privilege of delivering them myself instead of just sending them along with Benny. I didn’t think I was supposed to come to the party, not that anyone said I couldn’t. It’s just hard to know what I should bring my kids to and what I shouldn’t because they would be in the way. So I’m off to celebrate Christmas with our street friends and give my kids an example of generosity and love for others. I am truly a blessed woman!!!