Score Board

My family is a sucker for yard games!  We love corn-hole, croquet, volleyball… You name it!  We’re not the best at any of the above, but what we lack in athletics, we make up for by being competitive.  (I think I’m speaking for myself here, as most of my family is pretty athletic.  :o))  And while typically we’re good sports, I’ll admit there have been times when I’ve been so far behind in Croquet I’ve given the ball a good double hit to catch up.  I’m guessing my brother Bear caught me in the act, because he seemed to think what we needed was a score board.  And since he just happened to have an old shuttered closet door lying around, this is what he came up with.

He painted the frame, and then painted the slats with chalkboard paint.

On the left is what he started with, next to the finished product.
You can use the chalk to mark what your score is, and then wipe it away with the rag for the next game.
 
 
If you don't like erasing the chalk each time, he made a couple of TEAM tags (above, far left) which can hook on the shutter to keep score too.

Bear’s church was throwing out a bunch of old unused sign stands... so he took some of them and stored them in his basement, knowing they would come in handy. He screwed one of them to the back of the shutter door and it works perfectly!

He also made the Corn-Hole set.  :o)
  (And Bear)

Vanity Mirror

I found this mirror listed on Craigslist for FREE!  Can’t beat THAT price!

It was just a LARGE mirror with a tacky wood frame.  Right now you are looking at the backside, but the mirror originally matched a dresser that looked to be 1980’s.

 

Bear found some hardware for 15 cents each.  He started out painting the mirror black to contrast the copper hardware, but quickly realized that wasn’t going to be the look he wanted.

 

He spaced the hardware equally around the mirror and screwed the hardware in place.

 

Then came the ivory paint, which tied everything together.

 

And HERE is the finished project.  Reflected in the mirror is our Shutter Sofa Table project.  Bear placed the mirror above and now my Sister-in-law has a lovely vanity space.  I love the dimension and interest that the hardware adds. 

Thanks!

A moment in time

A few weeks ago we experienced “the” dreaded wake up call… The phone ringing in the middle of the night.  We live 10,000 miles away from my husband’s parents, and it was on a Thursday that we got that dreaded call.  My Mother-in-law was in the hospital with chest pains.  We were assured that we didn’t need to rush back to South Africa, that she would be fine… And so we began praying.
Two of her 4 heart compartments weren’t working properly, making the other two work overtime.  The Doctors started blood transfusions to help ease her breathing.  My Mother-in-law suffers from anxiety, and this wasn’t helping.  We were scared.
Two days later we were told that Mom was losing blood, but that the doctor’s weren’t sure where it was going.  They had run tests, but nothing had been conclusive, so they began doing more extensive blood work.  It was so frustrating as we waited, and the doctors treated all the effects, while still clueless as to the cause.  (I’d better insert here that while South Africa is considered a third world country, she was being treated in a “first world” hospital, being given the best care.  We are so thankful for those Doctors and Nurses.)
Due to a cancer scare a couple years ago, Mom’s 1 kidney was removed.  With only 1 kidney left to process all the meds in her blood, they moved her to the ICU in order to put her on the dialysis. This allowed the machine to assist/take over for the 1 kidney and get the excess fluid off of her lungs.  During this process the doctors discovered where all that lost blood had gone… her lungs.  She had been close to suffocating when they caught it.  Then she developed pneumonia and an infection in her lungs.  Her kidney quit working, so they put her back on the machine.  Through it all, she kept fighting to live!  We were so thankful for her desire to fight!  Obviously it’s not in any of our hands, but we just didn’t want her to give up!
We got the phone call on the Saturday morning asking Hubby to come to his Mom’s bedside as quick as he could. We secured his buddy’s pass by noon, and got a seat on the 8:30pm flight.  There were plenty of seats, so although a buddy pass flies standby, we had no concerns that he wouldn’t make the flight.  In fact, all went as planned.  I dropped him at the airport, he made the flight.  And then the flight was delayed.  And delayed again.  Then the pilots timed-out, so they had to get new pilots.  By the time the pilots arrived, the Flight Attendants timed-out.  (FAA Regulations.)  They couldn’t find replacements, so at 2am, the flight was officially cancelled.  I got the call, and had to drag both kids out of bed, put them and their blankets in the car, and go pick Hubby up from the airport.  We laid around the house on Sunday in a panicked blur.  The fear was overwhelming, and we had no control over anything.  My Dad offered to pay for any flight we could find, but Delta had closed all ticket sales in order to accommodate all the displaced passengers, so the only flights available flew via somewhere, cost $6-$7K, and only arrived on Wednesday after all the lay-over's.  Our best option remained flying standby on that evening’s flight.  But knowing that every single passenger that had been on the previous night’s cancelled flight was also rebooking, and as we had a stand-by ticket, our chances of making the flight were impossible odds.  We even talked about whether or not we should even go to the airport… maybe we should just wait for the Monday flight when our odds seemed better.  But how could we sit there begging God for a Miracle, and then with such lack of Faith, not even bother to show up to see Him perform that Miracle?  We had done everything in OUR power. But in our weakness, God's glory is only magnified.
There were 15 paid passengers, and 6 standby passengers ahead of him on the list when he checked in.  That’s 21 people without seats, BEFORE he could get on.  (His plan B was either flying through Amsterdam, Paris, or Nigeria, catching a connection, but only arriving Wednesday. With layovers we were looking at over 48 hours of travel time!! That, and he was told if he flew through Nigeria he'd never see his baggage again. EEK! Another Praise!! No Nigeria!!)  I was waiting in the restaurant area of the airport when he called me to say he’d made the flight.  I never thought I’d hear hubby praise God for a middle seat, but if ever there was a time, this was IT!
Hubby arrived in Cape Town around 10pm local time the following day and went straight to the hospital and to his mom’s bedside.  Praise!!
Tests came back that showed that Mom had a very rare liver disease.  They were able to start treating the actual problem.  Our SA doctor was able to talk to some of his colleagues at Harvard Medical to confirm that he was giving the correct treatment.  (He was.  :o))  It turns out, she’d had the disease for a long time, and it had worn down her immune system.  So when she caught the cold, it was the straw that broke the camel’s back.  Her heart failed, her lungs, kidney, liver… all her organs!  Hubby extended his stay to make sure his mom was on the mend before he came home again.  He was gone for two weeks.
During that time, I was at home with the kids.  Crying.  Praying.  Pacing.  Eating.  Hoping… And trying to be normal for my kids.

One morning I was praying for my MIL at the kitchen table while my little girl was coloring. I got up to get some tissue. As I came back I heard a funny noise... My Princess was sitting there with eyes closed, hands folded and in a VERY high voice (that I assume is what I sounded like to her as I cried/prayed) she was saying "Dear Lord, pwease be wif Ouma. We're scarwed." so sweet!

We sent this photo to encourage and lift her spirits.  (Girly makes this face when I say “smile.”  :o))
Those first few days after Hubby left were so emotional.  Thankfully Goose was still in Preschool, so I would drop him off, come home and turn on the cartoons for my daughter, sit at my kitchen table, cry and pray.  Drink Coffee.  Cry and Pray.  And then I would pick him up again.  I would pace the hallway, I stocked up on carrots and apples as I’m a stress eater and just needed the activity.  My phone can’t call SA.  Most of the time the family was in the ICU and not allowed cell phones, so I had no way of knowing what was going on.  I had my two babies to look after, and they couldn’t just watch tv all day.  But all I could do was cry, pray, pace and chomp on carrots.  And then came my friends…  Oh my goodness!  The ARMY of dear friends who came marching along to help.  I’ve had friends in similar situations, and I prayed for them.  I’d ask how they were when I saw them, proud of myself for remembering to ask.  It was humbling to see how to truly be a friend in these situations!  Dinner arrived one night, another friend watched my daughter for a play date allowing me a break, the phone calls, emails, texts… It was never ending.  I was so surrounded by love and support.  I thank God for these dear people, and only hope that I retain the lesson I learned about how to be a friend in such a situation.  Was I capable of cooking?  YES.  Was I capable of watching my kids?  YES.  But they did it anyway, and by doing so, they blessed me more than words could ever say.  They hugged me, and I needed it!
Meanwhile, Mom was fighting for her life in the ICU.  She no longer knew when it was day or night, slept poorly, and was constantly bombarded with new cases being rushed into the ward, and seeing those who didn't make it wheeled out… We prayed that God would lift her spirits, and that just as in the beginning He separated the night from the day, we prayed that he would do the same for my Mother-in-law’s mind and allow her to sleep.
Due to the treatments, her immune system was very weak. In the ICU ward she was very susceptible to catching any of those germs, so the doctors were anxious to move her to a private room as soon as she was able.
 
We made this card for mom.  My sister-in-law printed it out, folded it in half and laminated it.  Then, the nurses could turn it around for when it was night time or when it way day time.  While we didn’t expect it to help, we hoped it would cheer her spirits.
One beautiful thing Hubby shared with me the same day we sent this; His mom told him she'd been clinging to Psalm 139 and asked him to please read it to her. I was deeply moved by how perfectly it pertained to this particular situation, (God knowing her innermost workings... Separating the Night from Day...) I am also so thankful that she had this piece of God's Word written on her heart, that while she lay on that hospital bed, she was never alone, because God was speaking these very words to her. As children we are told to "hide God's Word in our hearts." But the beauty of how God used those words to comfort her... I am constantly amazed by His goodness!
The next two weeks we saw ups and downs in Mom’s recovery.  There were a few steps forward and then a couple back.  Hubby extended his ticket and was able to stay a full two weeks, leaving only after the Doctors assured him Mom was back on the road to recovery.  And I guess that is what we’ve realized along the way… that it’s called a “Road to Recovery” because it’s a journey, not a snapping of the fingers.
My Mother-in-law was released from the hospital this morning and is back at home!! Her kidney is still not working, so she'll be going to the hospital 3 times a week for dialysis, but she is making progress!  There is still the chance her kidney will kick back in, and so we continue to pray for complete healing.
While we will continue to dread that middle of the night phone call, we are so thankful to our Heavenly Father for the many blessings He has shown us through this ordeal.  For how He has held us in His hands, comforted my Mother-in-law, and for the many miracles we witnessed along the way. 
We are thankful for the new direction we believe that God is leading OUR family.  We continue to pray about this, and will hopefully have more to post in the future. 

Petite Dining Table

 

We have a new project to show you!  I always get so excited when something we've worked hard on gets finished, and I can post pictures!  Here is the latest:

Bear got creative with this next project and put two pieces together to create a petite dining table that can seat up to four.  Perfect for a small apartment or a kitchen eating nook.  As usual, we repurposed existing pieces, to create this unique table.

Here’s what we started with.  A metal stand, and the top from this old coffee table.  (We already used the bottom of the table to create a new, improved coffee table, and we have plans for the galvanized bucket.)  Bear took what we had left to create this table.
First I (Bear) removed the top of the coffee table.  I then turned the table top upside down and centered the stand on it. I attached the two using 1/2 inch utility fasteners.
 
I turned the table right side up, and gave it a coat of primer after sanding it down. I then painted two coats of paint.
 
I used stencils to create a quote in French on the top. The quote states: “You be the sun, I’ll be the moon, just let your light come shining through, and when night comes, just like the moon, I’ll shine the night light back on you.”  (My wife’s favorite quote…) Then I distressed the table’s edges.

And the finished project, one last time.  Ta-Da!  We’re excited with how it turned out!   One note:  It’s definitely the aged affect that Bear used at the end of the stenciling project that finishes the table off.  It now has a warm, time-worn, aged look to it.  Just like a little Parisian Cafe Table should. 

30 FUN things to do with your kids!

 

I have a friend (I’m sure you all do) who somehow manages to do all sorts of fun things with her kids that have NEVER CROSSED MY MIND!  Recently I was at a Mom’s retreat and towards the end of the session (on “Having Fun”) the speaker asked moms from the audience to give suggestions of fun things that they do with their kids.  The ideas kept coming.  I was writing like the wind, trying to get every idea down on paper so that I could arrive home and impress my family with all my new ideas.  I hope they inspire you as they did me!  Here’s the list.

1. Movie and Popcorn night.

2. Pajama day. 

3. Breakfast for Dinner.

4. Scavenger hunts.

5. Never-ending Stories.  (These are great for creative, willing, Dads.  Every night for a week he tells a story for bedtime, and each night picks up where the last left off.)

6. Camping.  Even if its in the backyard.

7. Puzzles and Board Games.

8. Bowling.

9. Hiking together.

10. Turn up the radio and have a dance competition.

11. Kick-ball.

12. Painting Ceramics.

13. Tickle Monster.

14. Backwards Dinner.  Dress Backwards for dinner and then serve Dessert first, followed by dinner.

15. Balloons. (Ridiculous amounts of time can be spent playing with these!)

16. Breakfast in Bed for Birthdays!

17. Living Room Forts.

18.  Rescue Animals!  (Place kid’s stuffed animals around house and take pictures of animals in trouble.  [Like the Wonder Pets.] Stick teddy in the laundry basket, take a picture, and then send it to your spouse’s phone.  When the phone rings, alert the kids that there is an animal needing their help.  The kids search for the animal in trouble and return it to the spouse.  When you hear all the excitement, you should be ready to send the next photo of another animal in distress.)  I don’t know who’s idea this was, but my kids LOVE this show and I can’t wait to try this game!

19. Tea Parties.

20. Hide and Seek.

21. Play Store.  You can take an adjustable shower curtain rod and secure it in a doorway, and hang a closet organizer from it.  The kind that you usually use to hold folded sweaters.  Ideally you may already own these things.  Let the kids take drive-thru orders.

22. Play with Shaving cream in the shower.

23. Play music in the car with the windows down and dance!

24. Have a “Dora Day” complete with map, scavenger hunt, and backpack.

25. Have an “English Accent Day” or a “Talk without showing your teeth Day.”  These activities can also be implemented to break up a fight between siblings.  (“No more fighting!  For the rest of the day you must talk in an English Accent!”  Suddenly tensions  are eased and laughter breaks out!)

26. Sardines in the Dark.  It’s like Hide and Seek, but you play in the dark, and when you find the “hider” you have to hide with them.  (Also a nice opportunity for Mom and Dad to steal a kiss while the kids are busy trying to find them.)

27. “What’s missing?” at the Dinner table.   This is a great game if you have a picky eater and the rest of the family is sitting at the table waiting for the last child to finish.  Someone removes and item (a fork, say) from the dinner table and puts it under the table.  Everyone opens their eyes and has to guess what’s missing.

28. Parades down the street for Holidays.  Send them outside to decorate their wagons, barbie cars, and bicycles with toilet paper, crepe paper, balloons and whatever  else you have on hand.  When they are finished (and they are likely to be busy for a while!) take a parade down the street.

29. While you are trying to fix dinner, give your kids a piece of aluminum foil and tell them to make something out of it. They’ll be sitting at your feet, but you’ll be freed up to finish cooking in peace.

30.  Give them opportunities to create their own fun!  There is nothing wrong with telling them to “go play!” and letting them become independent, self-starters who get their own creative minds working!

A special thanks to Birds on a Wire Ministry for all the love and support they provide to all of us moms who are just trying to do the best we can!

http://www.birdsonawiremoms.com/about/

For more fun things to do with your kids, check out this book for more than a thousand ideas!

http://astore.amazon.com/beezwax-20/detail/1603760636

Vintage Toy Lamp

A couple  months ago my brother and I decided to start a little business.  We both love finding old “stuff” and re-purposing it.  Over the years we’ve found that we have similar ways of seeing things, and when we see things differently, it only works to better our creations.  (At least we think so.)  We were doing all these things separately, but we both had issues.  With two small children, I was able to shop with my youngest while my son was in preschool.  Once a week she and I would go treasure hunting and find all sorts of great items.  But I had no time to devote to the re-purposing, as much as I love to do it.
My brother, on the other hand, loves a good project!  But finishing up his last year of grad school, he has no time to treasure hunt.  And after an a-ha moment one day, HIVE was born.  It’s our little business where we make all sorts of things for the home.
This is us:

Yes, that is a burp cloth hanging out of his back pocket.  (He’s a new dad, and a really hands-on one!)  And, yes, we are trying to look cool.
SO, Here is our first completed project!  And I must say, I love how it came out!

It was on one of our treasure hunts that my daughter and I stumbled onto this old tin toy.  It’s one of those spinning tops.  I don’t know the date for sure, but I’d guess it was a reproduction made to look old.  This is of benefit for two reasons.  1.  An original would likely have been worth more in it’s original state, and 2. Being reproduced, banged up and beaten, it had that vintage appeal while still maintaining it’s color and design.  I also found an old lamp for about $2 at a thrift store.   It was about the right scale, with all the right parts and working.  So I brought both pieces to my brother.
He called me the next day exasperated.  It had taken a ridiculous amount of time and effort to “gut” this toy of it’s workings.  Without damaging the toy, of course.  However, once that dirty work was done, he set about fitting all the pieces together.

He painted the wood disk that you see, and all the other lamp hardware a lime green.  The adorable finishing touch is the top (that was pushed up and down to make the toy spin) is now the part of the lamp that holds the shade in place.
Speaking of the shade, I’m working on that!  I found a great $2 shade in pristine shape at a yard sale, and am trimming it out with red grosgrain ribbon at the top and bottom.  I’ll post the picture once I have it finished.
Thanks!

Up-cycled Clothes for a Quirky little Princess

I had a few shirts that I combined to make this little outfit.  It’s a bit quirky, but for me, that was part of the fun. 
 
I took the shirts below, and came up with a game plan.  I liked the colors of both the teal polka-dots and the pink stripes.  The other shirt I just loved the lace detail, and also the elastic at the end of the shirt I was able to re-use for the pant’s waistband.


I took the pink shirt and made it into Capri-pants.  I bought a tutorial on Etsy that was fantastically easy, and now that I’ve made a pair or two, I can do it with my eyes closed.  I just adjust the length as needed.  If you’d like a tutorial, you can get the one that worked for me, HERE.

I pulled out my ribbon case, and pieced together what I had to work with, coming up with different combinations, until I found what I liked.
 
One day she’ll probably roll her eyes at me, but for now, she's happy with her little outfit, and the pocket in front is a favorite!  There’s something about seeing my little girl wearing something that I created, particularly rewarding.  Maybe it’s because as she’s running around the yard playing, I can’t put my finger on all the sleepless nights, the number of diapers changed, or the number of lullabies sung, but I can point to that little outfit (however quirky) and say “My baby girl, I made it just for you!”  There’s something about that, that just feels good. 

Homeschool, Here we Come!

Is there a word that combines “scared out of your mind” and “bubbling over with excitement”?  If so, I can’t think of it, but that sums up the two feelings that are existing simultaneously in my heart as we embark on this journey.
I have linked to a blog called Confessions of a Homeschooler.  I take you right to her “Why We Homeschool” post.  It was an inspiration from the moment I read it.  I’d love to tell you that THAT was the initial pull to Homeschool, but for us, that came later.
Our son was “behind” in his motor skills at the Preschool he attended, and being a boy, and one of the youngest in his class, this wasn’t unusual.  (I found out later!)  But he is my first-born, and so I acted appropriately.  I cried my eyes out.  It’s like when your first-born drops his pacifier on the floor, and you stick it in your diaper bag to take home and disinfect.  Child #2 comes along, drops her pacifier, you pick it up, brush it against your pant leg (if they’re lucky) and stick it right back in their mouth, problem solved.  Somewhere along the line, you learned that your child is licking the floor whenever you aren’t looking anyway, and however GROSS that is, they aren’t getting sick from it, so…. life goes on.  Well, when I found out Goose (my son) was behind in his motor skills along with a couple other concerns, I started having heart palpitations.   We took him to get tested.  At the same time, I read the book “Parenting by the Book.”   The test results came back a day after I finished reading that book.
Test Results showed that my son is left-brained and very smart!  Yay!  It also helped us see areas of his development where we needed to spend more time on, and areas we had been over-working due to his natural strengths.  We needed to cut out almost all television, no video games, minimal puzzles and legos.  We needed to do more arts and crafts, play more music, play make-believe games and above all, play outside!  He had other things to say, but this is where the book comes in.  Reading “Parenting by the Book”, I saw areas where we had fallen into certain parenting pitfalls.  Mind you, we don’t watch a lot of tv, we are doing our best to raise children who will one day love God and have a personal relationship with Jesus.  We’ve been doing our best.  I cook healthy meals, we are all for playing outside… but somehow, we had fallen into a routine that wasn’t working.  I had become an exasperated parent.  Instead of dealing with my son’s outbursts with consistency and consequence, I’d begun sighing, rolling my eyes, waiting until it was over, and talking… a LOT of talking.  Only no one was listening, and nothing was changing.
After leaving the meeting with the doctor, my husband and I gave each other high fives.  “Our son is Smart!” the tests had shown.  And we took a moment to celebrate.  Then we got down to business.  “He has a delay in motor skills.  But what’s really going on here is a discipline problem on our parts.”  Friends, I tell you now this was a horribly humbling thing to have to acknowledge, let alone share with all of you.  Also difficult was meeting with his teacher.  She is a lovely woman who’s husband had been an assistant pastor at our church, so I know her personally, and she teaches at the small private Christian preschool my son attends.  I told her what the doctor said, and about the changes we would be making at home.  Next I apologized to her.  I told her that I was realizing that the reason Goose wasn’t obeying or paying attention in school wasn’t because of any problem that he had, but rather, we weren’t enforcing these things as rules in our home.  I told her we’d be working on all these things, and we have.  In fact, after about 2 months now of no to minimal t.v. (I still have to shower),  lots of effort on our part, a few discipline showdowns, and a LOT of love, we have seen marked improvement.  Also, his teacher has seen marked improvement.
But in the midst of those showdowns, one day Goose had a melt-down and refused to go to school.  Normally, this wouldn’t fly, but it was one of those situations where I couldn’t ask his teacher to deal with him, along with all the other children.  So I told him he could stay home, but he’d have to do all his schoolwork.  And he did.  In fact, we had a GREAT day!  He did worksheets from all his subjects, we baked cookies, we played, he helped clean… It was great.  But I was also in turmoil.  I knew my husband would be upset that I’d given in.  I didn’t know what to do about my son, about his schooling for the following year… our options were public school, and private school.  Our district for public school is not a good one, and private school is expensive.  I did what I do with all my life problems when I’ve finally come to the end of my rope.  I went to my room, shut the door, fell on my bed and cried.  And then I prayed.  With all my heart!  I told God exactly how I felt, how overwhelmed I was and scared.  But I also told him I was exhausted and didn’t have the energy to deal with it anymore.  I prayed and asked God to please speak to my husband.  To show him the right answer for our family.
Well, my friends, God is a God who answers prayer!  When hubby came home from work, I told him all about our day.  Why I’d let Goose stay home, and how well he’d done.  We’d already noticed that he excels in a one-on-one environment, something you can’t expect at a traditional school, but up until this day, Hubby disliked even having the “H” word said out loud.  So when he finally said “So you’re telling me that everything he would normally do at school, you just did with him here at the house?  Jen, I think we need to consider homeschooling next year.”  I nearly fell off my seat.  Why was I so shocked?  Hadn’t I just asked God to provide us with the answer?  And here it was!  I was excited!  It solved all our problems… And then came the fear.
Oh, the feelings of inadequacy that followed!  Could I do this?  How would I do this?  I watched as my dreams of morning manicures and coffee with friends slipped out of sight.  And replacing them were thoughts of ruining my children with the best of intentions.  Don’t quit reading here, folks!  It gets better.
That’s when I found Erica’s blog; Confessions of a Homeschooler.  I read why she’d chosen to homeschool.  And it hit me.  This wasn’t about a delay in motor skills, or about my son excelling with one-on-one attention.  It wasn’t just a wake-up call about consistent discipline.  It was a Bible Blue-Print for how to raise your children to LOVE GOD above all else.  It was about what my job as a mother looks like to God, and apparently that didn’t look like my plans of sipping lattes in a pedicure spa chair.  (Sigh.)  I suddenly realized that if God was bringing me to it, He would give me everything I needed to equip me for the job.
And so my journey is beginning.  It started with heart palpitations, doctor’s appointments and parenting books.  I moved on to internet resources, blogs, and friends.  But ultimately, it’s a choice for our family that is slowly being built upon the rock of our Salvation.  Please read Erica’s post HERE.  She has so thoroughly and eloquently written what’s (now) in my heart.  Also, to anyone out there who may be struggling with the same doubts that I do, I want to say one more thing.  I realized that ultimately, there may be better teachers out there.  (Teaching is not my background.)  However, there is no one out there who loves my children more than their Dad and I do.  Who cares more about how they turn out than we do, and wants to see them succeed.  Who cares more about them having a relationship with God…   Ah, but wait.  I stand corrected.  God does.  And as He, our Lord and Savior,  is ultimately the one who is leading us down this path, I’m going to trust Him to equip me for every good work that he has prepared in advance for me to do.  I will keep my eyes on Him, and let God lead the way.  Adventures in Homeschooling, here we come!