Summer time!

Since I know that the main reason anyone reads this is to catch up on the kiddos, we’ll bring you up to speed on them first:
First born aka Big M – Mason is hilarious, as always.  He is having a blast this summer and everything is a new adventure at this age – it’s so much fun!  He loves to be outside and gets upset when you make him come inside.  He is a boy and loves to run, roll, jump, hit, kick and just get dirty in general.  He loves bugs.  He loves cars and loud noises.  He loves to rough house.  He is a daddy’s boy and always wants to go play baseball and wear Randal’s hats.  He loves to play hide and seek and is not very good at it.  He has yet to figure out the concept of hiding in a different place each time.  So if Mason is missing, check under the laundry basket in our bedroom – he’ll be there.

2^nd born aka Lil m – Madison loves her brother.  She follows him wherever he goes and climbs all over him.  She thinks he’s the funniest person alive and they keep each other pretty busy.  She is a mommy’s girl and doesn’t want me to leave the room without her permission, which I rarely get…usually just crying and stomping…She is a cuddle bug and I love it J She’s hilarious and loves to dance around the living room with her big brother.  She loves to climb on things and she has the most infectious smile!  She is clumsy and falls ALL THE TIME! Her poor knees are going to be just as banged up as her mama’s!  She refuses to let me put her hair up in pigtails or a ponytail anymore, but her hair is starting to get curly, so it’s cute anyway J

Head of household aka Big Papa – Randal is busy, busy.  He’s been working hard at work and at home.  He recently manned a garage sale at our house in 100 degree temps while I was out of town doing a farmer’s market!  Wowza J He has been busy playing guitar at church and playing softball during the week.  He spends his time “flying” M&m around the house and gets a good workout in the process.

2^nd in command aka Secretary to the Family – Beth is busy, busy too!  I work my regular job, take care of the fam, and do my bakery business on the side.  It has been a busy time for Mark It With a “B” Bakery!  Just this month:  farmer’s market, bridal shower, wedding reception, celebration cake, grand opening cookies, baby shower, and another wedding reception!  Whew!  I’m exhausted just thinking about it!  We’re half way through the month though and I’m still standing, so I think we’re going to make it!  I love my “spare” time that I get to spend each evening rocking m to sleep and giving M&m their baths.  I love my time with R when we get a free moment to just chat without little ones wanting to get their words in for the day.  Those moments are few and far between so we’ve learned to cherish them!

Our friends finally got to bring their baby girl home from Uganda after Melissa spent a LONG 11 months in Uganda working to get her here.  It was a wonderful day on Saturday when we got to see their family all together.  I’m so happy for all of my friends! 

The Plague of 2011

Was Harold Camping right?  Was May 21, 2011 the beginning of the end? 



If you would have asked me yesterday I would have said he was right.  This is how it all went down.

Last week, Thursday I believe, Mason got sick.  He came down with some flu bug, it was the first time he was sick like that.  And being the gentleman that he is, he does not throw up or any of those other terms, no Mason "spits".  His sickness at the time was accredited to allergies and drainage.  It lasted for less than a day and he was back.  Saturday (May 21, 2011), out of no where Madison got sick, I will not get into the details but she too "spit".  And again it lasted less than a day.  There may have not been any earthquakes that broke California off into the ocean, but the sickness of my two children was a sign.... the sickness will spread.  The sickness or plague hit mommy and daddy! 

Now this was the first time that both Beth and I have been sick at the same time... and we got hit harder than either of the kids, or we are not a strong as them.  Now I can only comment from my point of view on this, but it was like a bad movie that you have seen before.  I was roughly 5 hours behind Beth on the sickness.  So I could see what and where I was going before it hit me. Now I appreciated Beth taking one for the team and giving me a preview of the path the plague takes, but I hope to not have to ever do that again.  Its hard being sick in the first place, but when the person you can whine to and have them do things for you is sick too... well that is just... a sign of the end times.  And to add insult to injury, the kids did not want to sleep through the night AND the Thunder lost!  Needless to say I am tired, and so is Beth.  And I see how Beth got the nickname "lil' grump" ;)

On the bright side though we got this out of the way before our trip.

On the dark side, Harold Camping said he miscalculated and the End Times are Oct 21.  If this past week has been any sign of things to come, I plan on barricading myself and my family in!



This was another post by Randal.

Life as we know it...

We’re gearing up for my sister’s big wedding – only 2 weeks away!! Woohoo! I’ve been busy making cakes and am gearing up for graduation and wedding season!  I’m going to be busy over the next few months and am super excited for a chance to try some new techniques and work on some old ones J

Madi is growing like a weed.  She’s as big as her brother and has finally realized it J She will tackle him and laugh hysterically.  She loves to ride the 4-wheeler and play w/ big brother’s toys, which he hates.  She’s still not saying much, but gets her point across well…she loves food in general and gets cuter every day! Her mullet drives her Aunt Kelli crazy, but it’s finally long enough to put into pigtails and I love it!

Mason is as ornery as ever.  He is a typical 2 year old big brother and likes to test my patience ;) He is quickly becoming the entertainer of the family and walks around singing all the time and likes to stand up on the couches and put on a show for us.  Usually, that simply consists of him swing his arms and yelling random things at the top of his lungs, but hey, the attention is on him, so it’s enough. J  He is hilarious and is so sweet with little Madison.  They love to give each other hugs and kisses and play so well together!  This having kids close together thing is really paying off! We’ll see how they feel about each other in Jr High!

How Far Would You Go?

As a mother, I know the answer to that question.  I would do anything for my kids.  They are small and vulnerable and unable to defend themselves.  I would take a bullet for them and go to the ends of the earth to do anything for them… I’ve never doubted that.  I’ve known it inside since before I was even really a mother.  I knew that I wanted kids, had a yearning to be a part of that world and to make and nurture life and see it bloom into what I pray is a God-glorifying adult and parent someday.  But just what does this look like? 

Does it look like the many friends and family I have that have struggled to conceive a child?  Does it look like the anguish that no one can quite understand that hasn’t walked that road?  Does it look like the friend who had multiple miscarriages before finally, finally, getting to experience carrying a child to full-term?  I think it does.  I am so thankful that I never had to experience that pain and sadness that accompany a miscarriage.  I’ve walked with friends through that valley and know that I’ll never truly understand that pain.  I struggled to get pregnant with my first child, but was lucky enough to only have to go through that struggle for a year and didn’t have to go through the painful process of exploring other avenues of conception.  How exhausting a fight!  But how precious.  And how thankful I am for my friends and family that have chosen to fight for their children.  Some may never see the outcome that they’ve longed for, but I know countless women who are willing to fight with all that they have to make it happen.  That’s a picture of fighting for your children.

What about the friend who’s been stuck in Africa for 8+ months trying to bring her little girl home to her family?  She met her daughter when she was just a few weeks old and has been struggling to get her home ever since.  What a warrior.  This, more than anything I can think of, is the picture of fighting for your children. She will fight until her daughter comes home.  Period.  That’s a picture of fighting for your children.

What about all the parents who decide to adopt?  What about all the paperwork, the money, the time, the emotional roller coaster, the questions and strange looks from strangers?  All of the time you spend knowing that your child is suffering and you can’t do anything about it.  What about all of the time spent teaching that child that they are loved and that they can trust you and depend on you?  That’s a picture of fighting for your children.

What about just the day to day stuff?  Going to work, doing chores, wiping butts and noses, rocking a baby at 2 am that can’t tell you what’s wrong.  Every day is a fight for these little ones.  They have no one to fight for them, so we do it.  We love them more than our lives and we fight for them.  That’s a picture of fighting for your children.

We do whatever it takes and don’t look back.  We know it’s right, even when the world questions it.  They don’t understand.  They never will. 

 
But He does…because He fought and won.  He wages battle on our behalf and He wins.  And every day, there’s a struggle over us…and every day He fights for us.  He did what it took and He wins.  He fought for us when we didn’t deserve us, He died for our sake.  That’s the picture I want my kids to see.  That because He fought for us, I fought for them.

Ok, OK...

Ok, Randal has been HOUNDING me about posting, so here we go :)

Schafers 4: 
We've had lots of family time lately and it's been so much fun!  I was able to travel to OKC for Kelli's first bridal shower (hooray!) last Saturday and then we stayed overnight in Argonia for her 2nd shower at the church there.  It was so great to see most of my dad's side of the family (have I mentioned I love my family?!).  Even Aunt Teri was there from NC since the shower dates coincided with her trip back home!  We missed everyone that wasn't able to make it, but it was still fun to hang out with everyone that came.

Head of household: 
Randal got a promotion - let me just say right here and now how proud I am of that man.  He has worked hard to get to the position that he's in and God is blessing him because of the choices that he has made.  He, of course, got lots of compliments from everyone on a job well done, so I hope he realizes how great he is :)

Snips and Snails, Sugar and Spice: 
Mason is a two year old boy.  He runs, he shouts, he jumps, he kicks, he talks back...you know, normal 2 year old stuff.  He's still as funny as ever, even when he's having a tantrum.  He loves our new van...he loves to push the button to close the door and has a blast exiting out the back when the seat is taken out.  He is still as protective as ever of his little sister and I love him even more for that!  Aunt Kelli went with me and the kids to see Elmo the other day at IBA and Mason had a blast. 

Madison couldn't have cared much less, but I think she had fun anyway (stuck her head in the popcorn bucket and got the to walk the halls...what's nut fun about that?). She is just as adorable as she was before, maybe even a little more so.  Her little personality comes out a little bit more every day.  She is still refusing to talk, even though we know she can.  She just talks quietly to her self or jibber-jabbers at us all day long.  She loves to play with her big brother, even though he is always trying to tackle her.   She is finally learning to fight back, so things could get interesting in the near future.  She loves to eat now taht she figured out that food can be good, so that keeps her busy most of the time ;)

Little Ol' Me:
I am busy.  Work is good, and the bakery business is picking up.  I have a large wedding order this weekend and have started piling up graduation and wedding orders for this spring/summer.  I am also busy planning Kelli's last shower right now, which is this weekend as well.  I'm so excited for her and can't wait for our trip to Mexico!  I haven't lost as much weight as I was hoping to at this point (have not been great about getting up early to work out), but am still eating much better and losing pounds and inches and have been able to avoid gaining everything back, which I'm super excited about.  The kids keep me entertained, but I have made it a point to start reading regularly again also, which I'm loving :) It gives me a good little escape from reality and the craziness of my own wonderful life.