Slumber Party

It has been such a busy week that I haven't had a moment to even think about blogging until now.  I had a fantastic time away with three of my best friends this past weekend.  What did we do?  We talked, colored each other's hair (I just did highlights this time), talked, went out to eat and sat for as long as we wanted to without anyone interrupting us, talked, scrapbooked, talked, painted our nails, watched several chick flicks, talked some more, and we stayed up all night on Friday.  Seriously!  You would think we were teenagers.  I think a girl loves a good slumber party no matter how old she is.  Actually, I think a mommy needs a good slumber party now and then.  We had a blast!

It was so nice to hang out together.  We don't get to do this nearly often enough now that only two of the four of us are in the same community.  It made me miss New York so much.  We loved living there.  We loved the church, our friends, the community, and the area in general.  The Finger Lakes are so gorgeous!  Anyway, it is a place that I will always love to visit and will always hold a special place in my heart.  Afterall, both of my babies were born there!

The funny thing about this trip is that in all of our conversation, we never ran out of things to talk about.  In fact, I have since thought of things that I forgot to tell them or that we could have talked about if we had more time.  Is that not crazy?

I came back from Erie feeling refreshed.  I missed my family terribly and couldn't wait to get snuggles and kisses from my little ones.  Truth be told, they are Daddy's kids, so when they actually have the opportunity to miss me, it feels good to have all that affection showered upon me for a change!  I needed this trip so much.  I needed to talk.  I needed to listen.  I needed to know that my girlfriends were going to make it, and I needed them to know that I am always here for them no matter the distance.

I only have a couple of confessions to make about the weekend.  1-Our room smelled like something died in it after all that hair coloring and nail polishing.  Yuck.  I felt so bad for the person who had to clean our smelly room.  Plus, we didn't even think about what we might do to those nice white hotel towels with the hair coloring.  2- I was gone for an entire weekend and only completed 8 pages in my scrapbook.  How sad is that!  It doesn't matter though.  I had a mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually refreshing weekend.  I think we all did.  It was exactly what we all needed right now.  I can't wait until next year!

So, I am a better wife and mama because I took some time away for myself, and I don't regret it at all.  I may be the only one of the four of us who can admit that I don't really feel guilty for going either.  I loved every second of it.  As I said, I missed my family, and I was ready to return to their loving arms.  I couldn't wait to see them when I got home, but at the same time, I feel refreshed, rejuvenated, and recharged!  It's a great feeling!

Getting Away

I am going away for the weekend!  I am meeting three of the greatest people I know, Amy, Mindy, and Stacy, for a much needed weekend away just for the girls.  I cannot wait to get there!  I cannot wait to see them, and I cannot wait to spend a whole weekend just hanging out together the way we once could when we all lived in the same community.  We are a little more scattered now.  Amy and Mindy are still in the same town, but Stacy and I have had to move away.  I'm the furthest away, so I haven't seen any of them since last March.  Have I mentioned how excited I am?  Have I mentioned that I cannot wait to get there?

I am fighting a sinus infection still, but now I have fellow soldiers enlisted to fight the battle with me...antibiotics, allegra, and singulair.  I finally went to the doctor to get medicine today and should be on my way to feeling better in 48 hours or so, according to the doctor.  Of course, if I had gone to the doctor a month ago when I first ran out of my allergy meds, I probably wouldn't have the sinus infection in the first place, but that is quite beside the point!

Thanks to those of you who prayed for my energy level this week.  I have made it through my very busy week.  You might want to pray for Eric now.  He'll be alone with the kiddos all weekend.  I'm not concerned though.  He's a pretty capable Daddy.  I'm sure I'll have much to tell (or maybe I'll keep it all secret) when I get back.  Have a great weekend everyone!  I am certain that I will!

Pray Please

Hey blogger friends!  I don' t usually do this, but I am having a very hectic, busy week and could use some prayers.  It isn't going to stop any time soon.  Tomorrow is filled with appointments and a training at church, and Thursday will be packed with me getting ready for a trip and getting groceries and the house ready for Eric and the kids to get along without me for the weekend(not that this is a problem.  They fend quite well without me when I am gone on occasion).  And I still need to figure out when we're going to make it to the library this week since we have a couple of things due that they won't let me renew on-line.  I know I could just stop by and drop it off, but I'd really like to have the time to get some new books.

Anyway, I'm not sleeping well.  Eric and I are both fighting colds (so let me apologize to Mindy, Stacy, and Amy now because I WILL be snoring this weekend.  Truly, I am sorry and will not be offended if anyone decides to bring wax earplugs.  ).  I need some extra energy.  Today I lived on caffeine until I started shaking.  I'm definitely NOT good at holding down my caffeine.  So, no caffeine or at least a reduced amount for tomorrow.

Anyway, not much to report other than that I could use prayers that I sleep well, feel well, and have enough energy to get everything done in the next few days.  I feel bad even asking because I know others are dealing with much worse things right now, but nothing is too small to take to Him in prayer, right?  Thanks for reading this and keeping in touch with our lives, and thanks for your prayers when needed.  I truly appreciate each one of you!

Turning a Corner

We're moving forward.  We're turning a new corner.  Ever notice what happens when you turn a corner?  You can no longer see what was behind you.  It's gone.  What lies ahead might be new, exciting, and hold great possibilities, but there is still that little bit of sadness that surfaces when we leave something behind.

I'm sure that you are sensing that I'm not talking about driving a car or riding a bicycle around the block.   Last week, we started something new during our family devotional time each evening.  Each time we participate in it, I am moved.  I feel sad that we have left something behind and thrilled that we have moved into a new world, a good place, for sure, with great possibilities, but, all the same, it means that we've left something behind.

"So what is this great milestone?" you ask.  It may not sound like that big of a deal to some, but it brings tears to this mama's eyes.  Eric and I are no longer reading the Bible story to our children each night.  Lukas is reading it.  Not every night, but some nights.  Tonight was one of those nights.  He has a Growing Reader Phonics Bible that we bought him for Christmas.  Each story gets progressively more difficult throughout the Bible adding more sounds and more challenging words.  It is perfect for a young reader.  Of course, I expected him to start at the beginning where the easier stories are, but he did just fine the other night reading about David and Goliath, which is well into the middle.  I can't believe that he is able to do this.

We have definitely turned a corner, and there will be no looking back.  It is like the corner you turn when you graduate from high school or college.  It is like the corner you turn when you get married.   It's like the corner you turn when you choose to have your first child.  They were all great corners to turn, and this is too, and really so much smaller in comparison.  I know it's a good thing.  It's a great thing!  I am so proud of Lukas, but I also know that he is growing up so quickly and right before my eyes.  I know, that is very cliche, but it is also very true.

Sometimes I wish there was a way to freeze frame our lives so that they were little forever, but, of course, that is not what I really want.  I love that they are growing, learning, and changing almost every day.  That's what motherhood is all about, watching them grow, teaching them new things, expanding their horizons and giving them the best chance for success in a difficult world.  But...at times like this all I can think about is my little, helpless baby boy snuggled in my arms.  What happened to days spent like that?  Hmmmm...I guess we turned that corner a long, long time ago, but it doesn't seem like it at all.  It truly seems like it was just yesterday.

Movie Reviews

1.  The Last Sin Eater...Eric and I went to see this movie a week ago, and I am finally taking the opportunity to tell you about it(If you've read Eric's blog, then you have already seen his review).  If you are a fan of award winning author Francine Rivers, then you already know how great this story is.  I have dreamed for years that someone in Hollywood would discover Francine and create a series of movies based on her Mark of the Lion series, which is a phenomenal three book series that takes place in the Roman Empire of the first century after the crucifixion.  Anyway, I digress a bit....The Last Sin Eater is a must-see film.  It is produced and directed by Michael Landon Junior, and it very much sticks to the author's original story and intent for the novel.  The screenplay is beautifully adapted from the original text of the novel.  I will admit that the graphics in the movie aren't always what we would expect from a top-quality movie, but that in no way takes away from the film's overall message and quality.   

The movie takes place in 19th century Appalachia amongst a group of Welsh settlers.  The premise of the movie is based on an ancient belief of the Welsh people in a person called the Sin Eater.  They believed that they must choose one person amongst them to be the sin eater for the community.   That person, once chosen, is outcast for their entire life and is only called upon at the death of another villager.  The story moves on from there, but I won't reveal any more of the tale.  It is an incredibly moving story that I think is a must-see film.  I will, without a doubt, own this film when it is released onto DVD.

2.  March of the Penguins...We are finishing up a unit on penguins, and tonight we rented this movie.  I wasn't sure if our kids were ready for this type of film, but Lukas quite quickly made it known that he loved the movie.  It is very well done and protects the young viewer from any atrocious scenes that could have been included (and probably would have been on National Geographic) without eliminating the idea of what really happens within the year of a penguin's life.  There are obstacles faced such as long trips across ice, frigid temperatures and storms, predators, and hunts for food, but the film in no way shows anything too graphic.  I was pleased with this for my children and reccomend this film to other parents.  One word of caution...at the beginning of the film, it is mentioned that the penguins have chosen to live on Antarctica for millions of years.  We immediately corrected this statement, to which Lukas replied, "I know.  Just like the dinosaurs aren't really millions of years old. That's not in the Bible."  Alright Lukas!  Don't let this fact scare you away.  Kids are smarter than we think they are, and this movie provides a wealth of information about these penguins!

Smileboxes

We are finally getting a decent amount of snow.  The city is pretty much shutting down due to the snow and ice.  Eric ended up coming home half-way through his workday because they were anticipating nearly an inch of ice on the roads this afternoon.  He tried to stop to bring lunch home, and the restaurants were closing.  That was at 1:00!  Anyway, it's the midwest, definitely not the northeast!

The kids got to play for a little while in the snow, which was tons of fun.  When I say a little while, I mean 10 minutes.  I was trying to get them bundled and out the door in time to play in the snow before the freezing rain hit.  They ended up with 10 minutes.  They weren't thrilled about coming in that quickly, but what can a mommy do?

I promised a smilebox about my grandfather's party, and I also made one of the kids in the snow today.   The photos from Grandpa's party were taken with a phone, so they aren't the best.  A lot of them turned out blurry, so I didn't post most of the blurry ones.  Better to have a few not so great pics than none at all!  Enjoy!   Click on the links below to see them:

Kids in the Snow

Grandpa's Birthday Party

Weekend Highlights

I had the greatest day yesterday, and a wonderful weekend in general.  I spent Friday evening at church until midnight scrapbooking, watching movies, and having our monthly girls night.  I was there for almost 5 hours and only finished 3 pages.  Can you believe that?  I did A LOT of chatting I guess!

On Saturday afternoon, we headed to Coshocton for my grandfather's 85th birthday party.  He looked much better than when I last saw him, which is when he was in the hospital.  I'm not sure he was really up for a party, but he was a good sport.   Ava sat with him for quite a while, which was super-sweet.  Grandpa actually shed a tear when Eric told him that Ava prays for him every night.   I think if we actually lived closer and saw him more regularly, Ava and her Great Grandpa would be best buddies!

It was nice to see many of my relatives that I haven't seen in years.  My Aunt Pat was visiting from Arizona, which doesn't happen very often.  It was great to see her and most of my uncles (my dad has 7 brothers and one sister).  One of my cousins who I hadn't seen since 1999 was there and seemed to be doing so much better than she was back then, which was nice to see.  My kids had a great time hanging out with all their second and third cousins!  It was like a big family reunion!

After the party, we headed to my parents where my mom made me a birthday dinner and a jello cake, which is what she has made for me since I was a little girl.  I'm not a birthday cake fan, but I love jello cake!  It was nice to celebrate my birthday with my parents.  I haven't had that opportunity in years!  I also got to babysit Maia for the evening, which was a nice treat!

We skipped church yesterday because Lukas was sick in the middle of the night (yes, Michelle, we also visited the land of bodily fluids), but right afterwards, he seemed fine.  I didn't want to risk having him around other kids though.  Now both kids are well and have been at Eric's parents since about 3:00 yesterday afternoon!  My mother-in-law has been asking to have the kids for a day, and we had planned on today.  Then Eric asked her to babysit yesterday so that he could take me out for my birthday, so she volunteered to keep them all night.  She didn't have to ask twice! 

This is the flexibility that homeschooling provides.  Since Lukas had school on the 2 days that most of the schools in the state were closed last week and will be having school next Monday on President's Day, I can choose when we need a day off according to how we're doing or what we need rather than follow the school's calendar.  I love it!  Of course, I love a lot of things about homeschooling besides this!

Anyway, my husband and kids loved, loved, loved, on me yesterday!  They woke me up with cards and presents.  The kids bought me a 2 DVD set of Everafter and The Princess Bride, and Eric bought me an Archaelogical Study Bible that I had asked for back before Christmas.  He also took me to dinner at The Cheesecake Factory (pineapple upsidedown cheesecake...YUM!) and a movie(We saw The Last Sineater ...GO SEE THIS MOVIE!).  It was such a great day!  I felt very blessed and very loved at the end of the day, which is what birthdays should be all about!

Today, since I am home alone, I'm going to head upstairs, spend some time in the Word and then pull out my scrapbooking stuff again!  I'm so looking forward to this!

Oh...I forgot my regular digital camera when I went to the party, so I took some pics using Eric's phone since he actually has a memory card in his phone.  I'll try to post a smilebox tonight or tomorrow!

Snow!

"Snow, snow, snow, snow!"  Picture the cast of White Christmas singing their hearts out!  I love that movie, and I love snow!  I am so excited that it is finally snowing here enough to actually cover the grass.  It is hard to believe that it took until February to get this much snow.  Truthfully, we're getting just enough to cover the grass.  I'd like to get dumped on, but this still makes me happy! 
Why is it that snow makes me so happy?  I'm trapped inside with my kiddos who are begging to go outdoors(They can't because it is super cold), which is just annoying, but still I love looking out my window and seeing a landscape blanketed in pure white.  It's beautiful, refreshing, and peaceful.  Maybe it's the nostalgia of it.  I remember snow days when we lived along the Walhonding River in Warsaw.  I can't tell you how beautiful it is too look outside to see trees covered in ice and snow, an ice jam in the river also covered in snow, and a nice little hill the perfect size for little girls to sled down for hours also blanketed in white.  Oh, and the island across the ice jam in the middle of the river was white too, as well as the farm across the field.  Nothing can cheer up drab, seemingly lifeless trees and a mowed over hayfield like a fresh coating of white flakes.
I'd like to stay here in my nostalgic state thinking about how beautiful the snow is, but I'm not so naive that I don't realize that there are hundreds of people working tonight to clear the roads.  My grandfather and my uncle did that job for years.  When I was in high school, my Uncle Dan timed it perfectly so that he could stop by just as our lights came on the morning of a snow storm so that he could get his thermos filled with hot coffee, get some breakfast to go, and continue on his all night quest to clear the roadways for the school buses.  It's a noble job that sometimes gets overlooked.  Thank your plow workers.  They truly deserve it!

Growing Up

Children grow so quickly, and what do parents do about it?  We encourage it.  That's right.  We desire for these sweet, precious bundles to remain small, innocent, full of energy and bursting with joy forever, and, still, we push and prod them towards adulthood sometimes gently and sometimes with a good kick in the pants.  Isn't that what all good parents do?
Today was the day that Lukas got his first "allowance."  I'm not going to debate with you about the pros and cons of giving a child an allowance.  It is something that we have decided to do for many reasons.  It is going to be good for him.
We are excited that Lukas will be learning good practices for dealing with his money starting now rather than when he gets his first job, goes to college, or, worse yet, when he gets married.  We are giving him ten dimes each Friday.  It makes it so much easier to teach the concept of giving 10%, saving 10%, and using the rest for worthy purchases.  Of course, Lukas is simply thrilled to have any money at all and wants to spend it right away, so the "worthy purchase" part might come with a little trial and error, but that's part of the purpose of doing this.
So, you see, we are encouraging him to grow up too quickly right before our very eyes.  Sigh.  My baby boy is getting an allowance.  I can't believe he's old enough to be learning about money at all, but he definitely is.  It's part of his kindergarten math program, so it must be time.  Sigh and sigh again.  Where does the time go?
Anyone have suggestions on how we can tie this into Lukas' responsibility chart?  I don't think he's really old enough for the "pay your sibling to do the work."  Well, actually, I don't think his sibling is old enough for that.  I just want him to recognize that he is getting this because he is being a responsible family member and doing his part.  Make sense?  Anyway, we're still working on that part.  We'll figure it out!
I think I'll go give my kiddos some extra goodnight kisses while they still let me!  Oh gosh...side note here...Lukas is scouring the house for "Blankie," who is a HE by the way.  I guess he isn't growing up too quickly if he still calls Blankie by name and refers to HIM by gender rather than as an "it."  I truly enjoy this part of childhood.  Children are so sweet, and I enjoy their innocense.  Good night all!

Ava or Eva

I just wanted to write briefly to let you know that I will now be more forgiving of those people who mispell my precious Ava's name.  My friend Amy Murphy graciously wrote to me in an e-mail to point out that her husband also assumed it was spelled with an E.  Why?  Because Eva Peron's name is spelled with an E but pronounced the same as our little Ava, with the long a sound.  I hadn't really thought of that before.   When we named Ava, we were only thinking of people like Ava Gardner, who spell it with an A.  (No, she isn't named after Ava Gardner.)  Anyway, as long as it gets pronounced correctly, I don't really care all that much.  Yesterday was simply rant and rave day.  I have no other explanation for my cranky behavior. 
Also...the tax deadline has passed and I have my husband back.  The kids are thrilled, and so am I.  We went out tonight, and while the kids played on the mall playground, I went shopping ALONE while Eric watched them.  It was soooo refreshing to simply be by myself for a little while.  I needed that time.  Plus, I found some great sensitive earrings at Icing that were BOGO, and I need new earrings.  I gave all mine away years ago when I developed a reaction to them.  Now I have found out that I can wear either real gold (yeah, right), or the nickel-free ones that are for sensitive ears.  So, I'm trying to replenish my earrings since I seriously have 3 pair that I can wear right now(Well, not anymore, now I have 9 pair, and I only spent $14!).
I am so babbling.  You know, when I started this blog I thought it would be a creative space for me to hone my writing skills.  Now it has become a place where I just babble about random things or whatever is on my mind, mostly my kids.  I barely think about sentence structure or vocabulary, and if I'm not sure how to spell a word, I rarely take the time to look it up.  I mean, really, no one is publishing me here, right?  You are a brave person if you are still reading this regularly!  Thanks for stopping by!