It has been a while, indeed.

So, we have been back in ATL for over a year now! I am still at Delta and loving every second of it! John is home with the boys during the day until I get home and then he goes to our church (Trinity Anglican Mission) and works. The boys...well I will post pictures in a sec but they are 4 and 2 1/2...holy smokes are they hilarious and more than a handful. They keep me on my toes...always needing to be consistent and my new mantra with them (especially Eli-4 year old) is "Slow obey...is NO obey." He knows that means some form of discipline is about to occur! Okay...pictures of two of the most handsomely opposite brothers God has ever created!!!


Eli's very first team sport...soccer!!

One of Eli's fav things to do is sneak my camera and take pictures of Noah...

Eli watching John tube @ our dear friends lake home for Memorial Day 2011!

Noah and I...towards the end of a wonderful Memorial Day!

The boys hanging on the deck waiting for dinner from the grill...aka hotdogs!

Eating candy from the snack bar waiting...

Patiently waiting for my co-worker to get back so we could go in the hangar...beginnings of a little loud craziness...

Noah Lee Burke-Pilot of the MD90!

Eli Mack Burke-Co-Pilot!!!!!

Exploring under the nose of the MD90 asking about the Nose Landing Gear (NLG for us airplane geeks!)

As you can tell our life is VERY full! The boys are more amazing every day (in spite of their new attitudes and beating each other up) and...ummm...when did it become OKAY that I have a 4 year old?!?! If I think about it too much it makes me cry!!! Oh and Eli's hair-this was a first...he asked for me to style his hair like the pics from DAL so he could be "handsome" for visiting my office! I have already had to tell him if his hair becomes an issue that he chooses to pitch fits about then we'll shave it all off!!!!!! The complaining ceased!!!! :)

Until next time...Cheers!
Lindsey

My girlfriend, Candace, posted this in her blog and I had to re-post it because I just love all 50 of these.

Regina Brett's 45 life lessons and 5 to grow on
Posted by Regina Brett September 20, 2007 14:03PM
Originally published in The Plain Dealer on Sunday,May 28, 2006

To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me.

It is the most-requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolls over to 50 this week, so here's an update:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.

17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.

18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Overprepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years, will this matter?"

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

36. Growing old beats the alternative - dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.

38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

42. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

45. The best is yet to come.

46. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

48. If you don't ask, you don't get.

49. Yield.

50. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

Christmas Time Pictures

Ramie holding Noah when we went sledding!

Eli and Tessa playing!

Eli excited that I was about to slide down this ice slide we found!

John and the boys in their Christmas PJs...this is what I got when I asked Eli to smile for me!

And yes, this is my youngest boy's, Noah, booty! I couldn't resist...look how cute it is!!!

Eli's face Christmas morning when he saw all the presents!!!

Eli in his Christmas PJs with his jazz hands!

Noah's First Birthday Cupcake!

Eli and Tessa enjoying the beaters from Grandma making cookies!!!

Eli and Noah playing in the indoor playground at a local fast food joint! I have learned that when the weather stinks outside these indoor places are a LIFESAVER!!!!!

The steaks we ate for Christmas dinner were from Omaha Steaks and they came with dry ice in the packaging. Ramie (aka Grandpa) had a lot of fun with the little ones and the dry ice smoke!!!

Celebrating my 27th birthday with family!

The Crew here for Christmas...all of John's siblings and their spouses and children and parents! The only one we are missing is his Grandma, or Memaw as my boys call her!


I hope you enjoyed a little peak into what a wonderful Christmas season we had! I have about...300 pictures! These are just a few of my favorite! My boys are growing quickly! Noah is figuring out how to talk! He says "appa" for apple, he says "pass" for pacifier, he says "baaaaa" for ball. He says mama and "daa" for Dad. He says "mmpaw" for Grandpa...he says dog. He is full of new things EVERY day! His newest love is trying to tackle us when we sit on the floor! He LOVES Eli and says, "EYYYI!" All the time! He follows directions VERY well, "Noah, go find Eli and play with him." He turns to go where Eli is and we'll find him sitting down to play. Oh gosh...I could go on. Noah is awake from a nap and I am not feeling totally wonderful right now! Hope you enjoyed our pictures :)

John.

He is coming home tomorrow after being gone for a whole week! When I think about my friends who have husbands in the military I feel like such a wimp! But, I did NOT sign up for a husband that would be gone for long periods of time! (God knew, I just didn't at the time!) Anyways. I am totally excited. It's so funny/awesome. I feel such excitement in the depths of my being when he comes home! Like the feeling I had when I went to visit him 3 weeks after I met him and I sat in his driveway with my lights turned off for about 20 minutes because I was so excited/nervous/freaking out that I felt like my legs wouldn't work if I tried to walk on them! That's the feeling. I lost it for a while. Thank You JESUS it's back!

We are heading to Austin, TX for one of his best friends from high school's wedding. Guess who is going with us?! NO ONE! We are going, alone. With no children. For a long weekend. Can I get an AMEN?!?!?!!! John keeps calling it our "Second Honeymoon" because Eli was conceived a mere 6 months after we were married! So, we didn't have a very long "honeymoon" phase of our marriage! I'll stop before I divulge TMI!

We are still living with John's parents, Susan and Ramon (we call him Ramie) and his little brother, Daniel (16) and little sister, Jocelyn (almost 14). Yes, it is so hard that we only have 2 rooms that are "ours" that have our stuff in it. I have been going to our storage unit often lately because I have lost about 15 LBS in the last few months so I am retrieving old clothes (hallelujah!). I found all my dishes yesterday and I was a little choked up! How silly am I?!?!!! So ridiculous. I know. But there is just something about getting married and starting a family that makes a woman desire, need, want to have her own home to make it for her family. I wonder if God put that in us on purpose?!??!!! I miss washing my Fiestaware dishes! Oh I just love them! They are so fun and colorful and...you would LOVE them. Maybe one day when I have my own house again you can come to dinner! Yep, YOU! Whoever you are! I long for the days of having friends over for dinner and celebrating birthdays with them and...oh goodness!

I am thankful we have a roof over our head and we are fed and healthy! And Noah is walking. Yep, he is only 11 months old. He's been walking for about 2 weeks now. He definitely still crawls, but every day he crawls less and less! He gets so darn excited when he walks to! He is already trying to run. I am certain it is to keep up with Eli. Who is a grown up boy. Seriously. He looked at me the other night when I asked him to come to me so I could change his diaper and put his pj's on him. He looked at me, square in the face and said, "Oh whatever Mom. Oh just whatever." As clear as day! My jaw literally fell open and I said, "Excuse me? What did you just say?" And THEN, THEN he said it under his breath as he looked away from me rolling his eyes!!!!!!!!!! I about died! It is SO hard in those parenting moments not to just start cracking up so hard you shed a tear or two! Oh I just love him! He is totally giving me a run for the money though. He just wants to see if I am serious. Oh, and serious I am! I love my boys.

John is coming home tomorrow for a whole week and he leaves next Monday to go out for another 4 weeks :/ We won't talk about that right now! My mountain man is coming home! WOOHOO!

Joy is something that is a choice, every day!




Joy in spite of circumstances.



Joy deep, down, in the depths of your heart. I choose joy! Look at all I have to be joyful about!



It is definitely not something that I do all the time, in fact, I am in a season of really meditating on choosing to have joy in my heart. Joy from the Lord. Because He is always the same. And for that I am thankful.

What A Day!?!

So, today my awesomely fantastic husband let me sleep in! And the angels sing, "Allelujah..." So I get up around 8:40. Groggily pour my coffee, walk upstairs, sit down. 5 minutes later Eli goes face first off the couch onto the floor...split lip. Swollen. Thank goodness for frozen Go-Gurt!!! So, we sit him down, put a movie on for him. About an hour later...SMACK!?!!!!! I watched him slip on his little leather chair and goes eyebrow first into a built in entertainment center...the corner of it. Oh yes, instant black eye! I was immediately praising the Lord that the SMACK didn't split his eye open. Oh thank you Jesus!!! I will post a picture tomorrow! It is pretty gnarly looking! My sweet Noah bear...is SICK. I don't know if it's an ear infection or if he's cutting teeth, or...he's been sick for almost a month. I think a doctor's visit is in order for Monday! Wounded and sick they still wrestle and chase each other around the house. Makes a mama's heart melt!

Tonight as it was nearing Eli's bedtime, he said, "I go night night Da-da's bed." "Where will Dada sleep?" "OH, Da-da sleep in Eli's bed." "Hmm, I am not sure that is going to work." "Oh, otay. Mama sleep Eli's bed?" "No, I think Eli is going to sleep in Eli's bed." "No, Mama. I sleep with you in Dada's bed. Pleasssssse."

So, I let him pretend...I leave the room and hear him talking into the baby monitor going, "Hello? Honey? Are you dere? Hello Honeey?" HA!!!!! I do not know where he discovered that...John DOES NOT call me Honey, EVER! He is SO fun! I think he has an imaginary friend too. He keeps asking for "Jimmy" to eat with is every time we eat a meal? It could be the kid from the McGee and Me videos too. Anyways. That is all here in Idahizzle. I am missing my girlfriends pretty bad lately. What I wouldn't do for a little girl time, vino and deep conversations with the ladies. Oh, another time, for sure!

Peace from beautifully cold Idaho!!!!

Fall is upon us...

The weather is a bit cooler. The leaves are falling and changing. Life is still pretty slow. Slow but in a good way. We have found a church that we are attending and it's good! God is good. Learning more every day, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men," (Colossians 3:23). The boys are awesome! Noah is my little groovin' happy man! Eli is talking up a storm! Singing "Jesus loves me" "Holy, Holy, Holy" and a myriad of others. I spend my days laughing, playing and loving on them! The boys are already wrestling with each other. They are already best friends! The other morning we woke to the boys just talking to each other! Eli makes funny noises and Noah giggles! I love baby monitors!
John is spending his days going into the woods to cut down trees for firewood for the nearing winter weather! Thankfully the "first snow" won't come until the end of October! Snow suits, snow boots, gloves and hats are being shopped for and found! We are getting excited! I am getting more involved with the church. Teaching a Sunday School class and I will also help with the meals for new Mom's, sick families and other things. I am participating in a contest at a local gym to try to get the last bit of pregnancy weight off of me! I am excited about it! I will leave you with some pictures :)
Morning snuggles with my "bear"



Happy Man!!



The smile that will steal your heart!