Laina's genetic hand-me-downs...

Well, it had to happen at some point. Laina is, after all, half Hoskinson, and so I should have expected her to start exhibiting some classic behavior that can only be attributed to my half of the gene pool. Unfortunately, her Hoskinson-like tendencies are being twisted and in some ways amplified by the odd behavior only seen on the Ali side. Pictures speak a thousand words.


First off, a Hosko-Ali mixture. She started out feeding her toys "spicy peas" whenever she ate because it was sort of funny (classic Hoskinson). And she even carried the joke on long past its shelf-life (also classic Hoskinson). But she's gone beyond that and turned it into somewhat of an obsession with feeding every toy in the room when she's eating. And they can't share a pea, they each need their own, and the chair needs to be pulled in all the way (Ali-like). This photo was taken at what was hopefully the peak of attendance at the spicy pea buffet, as today only her bus was available to dine.

Next is classic Hoskinsonitis. Olives on the fingers. Anything for a laugh. Surprisingly Jenna introduced her to the idea, and even helped her do it, so I might suspect there's some Ali-ness in this one as well.


And then there's the Jelly-Joker. A little more jolly than the Heath Ledger version, and she didn't need to be dipped in a vat of chemicals to get this way, just ate a particularly jelly-saturated PBJ. This is all Laina. Speaking of PBJ sandwiches, I made the mistake of introducing Laina to the Peanut Butter Jelly Time song... and had to sing it with every PBJ I gave her for a couple of weeks. The fact that she loves the song? Hoskinson. Making me sing it over and over for weeks? Ali.

So there you have our two-in-one daughter. Sorry for handing down all the idiosyncrasies, Laina.

Laina's first pig-tails

I put pig-tails in Laina's hair for the first time the other day. I can't believe her hair is long enough to put into pig-tails! She didn't like the process of me doing it, but afterward when she saw her hair in the mirror she loved it. Now she asks for "piggies". It's pretty cute. She looks like such a little girl, not a baby anymore!

Yes, we are Still Alive

I know we haven't blogged much lately. Everything is a little more chaotic right now than normal, but things are okay. I don't remember how much Jay posted in the last installment, but he is still looking for work. I am working 3 days a week at the stables now, and that brings in a little bit of income. I also have my little baby diaper/clothing business going fairly well right now and just got my embellished prefolds listed in Pampered Buns' shop! That is exciting for me to see my stuff in an actual shop! I also have my nutritional supplement/wellness business going very well and plan to make a full time income with it by year's end! I am going to an all-day training this Saturday to learn about health and nutrition and how the products I'm selling fit into a healthy lifestyle. This is exciting for me because I've always been interested in healthy living and nutrition and had even thought of becoming a nutritionist at one point. Now I have the opportunity to turn yet another of my interests into a career.

So, in spite of Jay losing his job, God is good and I know that He will be the ultimate providor for our family. The message at church last Sunday actually got me thinking about this whole situation differently. It was on John 11 and the death of Lazarus. When Jesus heard of Lazarus' sickness, he said "this sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." I'm not sure why I related this to our situation, but I realized that the outcome of this situation will be for God's glory. It is not for us. It isn't so Jay can get a better job, or so that we can be in a "better place" in the long run. It's not about us suffering or having to learn to rely on God (once again). It isn't about us at all. It's about Him. I think the outcome of this situation is going to be something that brings glory to God. I have no idea what that means, but I still believe it. It's hard to be in a place of waiting and not knowing. But I trust in Him and know that we are here to serve His purpose and that if we let His will be done, this will all serve to glorify Him.