Monday, June 30, 2008
Sunday, June 29, 2008
The past week in pictures
Sunday through Thursday we had VBS in the evenings. The kids really had a blast. This years theme was set in Bible times during Christ death and resurrection. Each night the kids got a little bit more of the story. The last night we got to see a drama about the resurrected Jesus.
Aside from VBS and Dr. appointments we had piano lessons, library time, play date, etc. It may not sound like it but it was a really crammed week. This week is looking a little less full...but we still have fun stuff planned. I am really trying to keep the kiddos busy.
Here are a few pictures from the week for you to enjoy!
Anna making a piece of pottery in the marketplace
Aside from VBS and Dr. appointments we had piano lessons, library time, play date, etc. It may not sound like it but it was a really crammed week. This week is looking a little less full...but we still have fun stuff planned. I am really trying to keep the kiddos busy.
Here are a few pictures from the week for you to enjoy!
Anna making a piece of pottery in the marketplace
Anna and Ryan making necklaces at the jewelry shop.
Summer has finally come to our neck of the woods. On Wednesday it was 92 degrees. I pulled out the baby pool and let the kids play.
Jame's being James and getting stuck between the chair and the couch.
Claire being cute.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Wipeout
Has anyone else seen the new show Wipeout, on ABC? Oh my word! Maybe because it's been a long, tiring, stressful week...or maybe there is something demented about me for getting a kick out of it, but I seriously laughed so hard. We watched the first episode online tonight with the kids. I could not stop laughing for the first 10 minutes. I think the kids were laughing because I was laughing.
Ahhh, it feels good to laugh. My house is a mess tonight from not having any time this week to care for it. So I am going to go clean, do laundry and get things ready for church tomorrow now. I Just thought I'd share this with you all! :) If you go and watch it...come back and tell me what you think! You might not think it's funny at all...but I sure did need a good laugh!
Ahhh, it feels good to laugh. My house is a mess tonight from not having any time this week to care for it. So I am going to go clean, do laundry and get things ready for church tomorrow now. I Just thought I'd share this with you all! :) If you go and watch it...come back and tell me what you think! You might not think it's funny at all...but I sure did need a good laugh!
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
What? it's only Tuesday?
So far this week has been very busy. At least it feels that way to me.
Here is a rundown:
*Sunday VBS started in the evening. Sundays always seem pretty busy, so when you add something else in it really feels full. But, the kids are loving it. This was one thing on our summer fun list.
-Anna started having breathing problems again Sunday night so she was up 2 times for breathing treatments.
*Monday-We did lots around the house. Read lots of books from the Library. Kids all took naps because everyone got up at 6:30 am. I took all 4 kids back to VBS. That was fun and exhausting. I was seriously sweating from having Claire in the sling and chasing James for 2 hours, all the while trying to help the older 2 with stuff. Thankfully a sweet family from our church helped me out alot.
*Tuesday (today) started early, Anna and Claire both woke up at 2 A.M. Anna needed a breathing treatment, Claire needed a paci. Then both girls were up again (they don't even sleep in the same room) at 4. This time Claire wanted to eat, and Anna wanted a drink. I went back to bed at 4:45 and then had to get back up at 7:30.
-Anna had her 7 year check up and Claire her 4 month at 11 A.M.. Both girls had to get shots. :( Then we had to be back at the house by 12:30, to meet Bill's dad who was driving the kids and I to meet Bill at his work. I have no idea how, but we made it back home (having stopped to get gas and go through McDonald's) on time.
-We had Ryan's appointment at children's hospital (Bill works a few minutes from the hospital, the reason why we met him there) at 1:30 P.M. That went well but it looks like he does need to have surgery. I don't even want to think about that right now.
-We skipped VBS this evening. I am physically and mentally exhausted. I keep thinking that it must be Thursday or Friday only to realize that it is ONLY Tuesday. :) The rest of this week is equally as busy, so I am really looking forward to a quiet weekend.
Well, I am off to bed now. I think I need a few hours of beauty sleep before tomorrows busy day gets here! Life is good, but very full lately. I really do love summer even if I am spent by the end of the day! :)
Here is a rundown:
*Sunday VBS started in the evening. Sundays always seem pretty busy, so when you add something else in it really feels full. But, the kids are loving it. This was one thing on our summer fun list.
-Anna started having breathing problems again Sunday night so she was up 2 times for breathing treatments.
*Monday-We did lots around the house. Read lots of books from the Library. Kids all took naps because everyone got up at 6:30 am. I took all 4 kids back to VBS. That was fun and exhausting. I was seriously sweating from having Claire in the sling and chasing James for 2 hours, all the while trying to help the older 2 with stuff. Thankfully a sweet family from our church helped me out alot.
*Tuesday (today) started early, Anna and Claire both woke up at 2 A.M. Anna needed a breathing treatment, Claire needed a paci. Then both girls were up again (they don't even sleep in the same room) at 4. This time Claire wanted to eat, and Anna wanted a drink. I went back to bed at 4:45 and then had to get back up at 7:30.
-Anna had her 7 year check up and Claire her 4 month at 11 A.M.. Both girls had to get shots. :( Then we had to be back at the house by 12:30, to meet Bill's dad who was driving the kids and I to meet Bill at his work. I have no idea how, but we made it back home (having stopped to get gas and go through McDonald's) on time.
-We had Ryan's appointment at children's hospital (Bill works a few minutes from the hospital, the reason why we met him there) at 1:30 P.M. That went well but it looks like he does need to have surgery. I don't even want to think about that right now.
-We skipped VBS this evening. I am physically and mentally exhausted. I keep thinking that it must be Thursday or Friday only to realize that it is ONLY Tuesday. :) The rest of this week is equally as busy, so I am really looking forward to a quiet weekend.
Well, I am off to bed now. I think I need a few hours of beauty sleep before tomorrows busy day gets here! Life is good, but very full lately. I really do love summer even if I am spent by the end of the day! :)
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Lessons from a puddle
The other day I decided to pack up all the kids and head to the park. Everyone was stir crazy, and it was beautiful out so we really had to get outside to enjoy the day. I picked a small park that I felt would be manageable being by myself with 4 little people. They were all giddy with joy and could not wait to play.First thing I noticed when we got to the park was a HUGE puddle. "Oh great" I thought to myself. I knew James was going to see it right away. Sure enough, within minutes he eyes up the water. First he looks at me then the puddle, then he starts running. As I opened my mouth and said, "Stay out of the water", I felt the Lord nudge me. "Relax. It's ok. It's just water...and water dries. Let him enjoy being a boy."
So, I took a deep breath and sat down and watched. James ran and jumped and splashed,. Soon Ryan was joining in the fun. Both boys completely soaked but loving every minute of it. I just sat and watched in amazement. (Anna sat contentedly playing in the sand during all this) They had a whole park of fun things to play on and yet they chose the puddle. We were there for an hour and and a half and this is what they did for the majority of the time. I honestly think they were probably both thinking, "I can't believe mom is letting us do this. We better keep at it for as long as we can." :)
I know it won't always be appropriate to allow them to do such things, but in that moment it was. I needed to let them do what boys love to do. I found such pleasure in watching their joy written faces.
I read a quote the other day that said something like, "Oh serious mother today is the day to smile." Sometimes I find myself being far to serious and not enough silly. I know the Lord used this to show me that I need to lighten up, have fun with my kiddos, and find joy in the simple things.
I don't want to wake up one day and realize that I missed out on opportunities to experience the joy of childhood, because I was always too busy doing the "right" or "proper" thing. So I have resolved that...today is the day to love louder, hug tighter, laugh harder, grab them by the hand and do a silly dance,take a deep breath and enjoy watching my kids be kids. I'm not sure what that all entails yet, and it might look different each day, but I know that it'll bring a smile to my far to often serious face. And we might just all learn something in the process.
I think I am in for a crazy silly ride...
Monday, June 16, 2008
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Full hands, Full heart
Happy Father's day Bill! You are an amazing husband and father. Our family is so blessed to have you! We love you!
Friday, June 13, 2008
Flood pictures #3
If you look down...I took a pic of the Riverside Apts sign. I thought that was kind of ironic. They are now more river side then anyone would want.
The rain came down, the flood came up
It is hard to believe the amount of damage that can be done from a storm overnight. The park that flooded the other day had pretty much dried out by yesterday afternoon. Well, that all changed last night. We got hit hard with rain all night. These are a few pictures of what we woke up too this morning. Our town was SHUT DOWN! We were literally surrounded by water. The river overflowed. There is alot of damage all around. We are still very blessed that not too much water got into our basement. I know that this in no way compares to the horrible floods that have happened in other places...but this was still very shocking for us.
The kids and I walked through the parts of town that we could get to. There were pretty much no cars on the roads except county workers. There were quite a few people out waking around taking pictures, like us. One thing neat that we did get to see were neighbors coming together to help one another out. In one place we saw just a line of men sand bagging.
The first picture is of our backyard. The other pictures in this post are all around the corner from our house.
The kids and I walked through the parts of town that we could get to. There were pretty much no cars on the roads except county workers. There were quite a few people out waking around taking pictures, like us. One thing neat that we did get to see were neighbors coming together to help one another out. In one place we saw just a line of men sand bagging.
The first picture is of our backyard. The other pictures in this post are all around the corner from our house.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Summer Fun
I have been praying about what I could do with my kiddos over the summer that would be fun, and memorable, and that would give me quality time. The kids and I brained-stormed together and here is a list of things we came up with. I actually think that most of this is pretty doable.
-Go to the beach (We are planning a trip once with grandma and hopefully another with friends)
-Go camping as a family, hopefully the weather cooperates for this.
-Participate in the reading program at the Library (Already signed up for. Anna is reading like crazy so that she can get her prizes.)
-feed the ducks down by the lake
-Go to the YMCA (This one is iffy. We won a family pass for a week, but thinking of taking all 4 kids swimming there by myself kind of freaks me out.)
-VBS- This one stresses me a little too. Our church's VBS is not like most of them. It is a family event. You have to be there with your kids, not just drop them off. I am all for the family doing things together, I honestly LOVE the idea, but I would have to do it alone because Bill does not get home early enough in the evening to make it there on time. I don't know what to do about it. I can't NOT take my kids. They love VBS...but I feel really overwhelmed with having to help them with projects, listen to Bible stories...all the while trying to watch a very active 2 year old, and probably nurse my baby. I am not trying to complain I just feel really conflicted about it. And I feel guilty that I am conflicted over this. Maybe if I had everything together I would be able to handle this and not feel stressed about it? That's what I keep thinking anyway.
-Play at various parks in town. Also make play dates with friends.
Last Sunday another homeschooling mom (there are only 3 or 4 other families in our church that homeschool, and all but one have kids that are way older then mine.) approached me about doing a unit study together over the summer. She has a daughter that is the same age as Anna. I cannot tell you what an answer to pray this is going to be. Anna really needs this interaction. We are going to be doing a History unit study using the books from The American Girl collection. I believe this link will show you the study we are doing (the unit study is not endorsed or published by American Girl). Anna is really into the American Girls, so I think this is perfect for this summer. After the study we are going to go see the movie Kit, which Anna is more then excited about. I know in my heart that this opportunity is from God, and I am praying that it will be memorable and a great fun learning experience.
I Would love to hear what your plans are over the summer, and I'm open to any other ideas of things to do with my kiddos.
This season is going to just fly by so I want to seize the day, savor the moments with my little ones, and make memories that will last a lifetime! That is the goal anyway.
Happy Summer everyone! And hopefully warm sunny weather will arrive here soon. :)
-Go to the beach (We are planning a trip once with grandma and hopefully another with friends)
-Go camping as a family, hopefully the weather cooperates for this.
-Participate in the reading program at the Library (Already signed up for. Anna is reading like crazy so that she can get her prizes.)
-feed the ducks down by the lake
-Go to the YMCA (This one is iffy. We won a family pass for a week, but thinking of taking all 4 kids swimming there by myself kind of freaks me out.)
-VBS- This one stresses me a little too. Our church's VBS is not like most of them. It is a family event. You have to be there with your kids, not just drop them off. I am all for the family doing things together, I honestly LOVE the idea, but I would have to do it alone because Bill does not get home early enough in the evening to make it there on time. I don't know what to do about it. I can't NOT take my kids. They love VBS...but I feel really overwhelmed with having to help them with projects, listen to Bible stories...all the while trying to watch a very active 2 year old, and probably nurse my baby. I am not trying to complain I just feel really conflicted about it. And I feel guilty that I am conflicted over this. Maybe if I had everything together I would be able to handle this and not feel stressed about it? That's what I keep thinking anyway.
-Play at various parks in town. Also make play dates with friends.
Last Sunday another homeschooling mom (there are only 3 or 4 other families in our church that homeschool, and all but one have kids that are way older then mine.) approached me about doing a unit study together over the summer. She has a daughter that is the same age as Anna. I cannot tell you what an answer to pray this is going to be. Anna really needs this interaction. We are going to be doing a History unit study using the books from The American Girl collection. I believe this link will show you the study we are doing (the unit study is not endorsed or published by American Girl). Anna is really into the American Girls, so I think this is perfect for this summer. After the study we are going to go see the movie Kit, which Anna is more then excited about. I know in my heart that this opportunity is from God, and I am praying that it will be memorable and a great fun learning experience.
I Would love to hear what your plans are over the summer, and I'm open to any other ideas of things to do with my kiddos.
This season is going to just fly by so I want to seize the day, savor the moments with my little ones, and make memories that will last a lifetime! That is the goal anyway.
Happy Summer everyone! And hopefully warm sunny weather will arrive here soon. :)
My summer reading list
It has been a long time since I have had a chance to sit down and read a book for myself. I used to read ALOT...I miss having something to read. One of my goals this summer is to read through a few books. I have never been very good at getting through non fiction, but there are actually quite a few that I would like to read. I am more of a fiction person, I like to dream, I like to escape sometimes. :)
Anyway, I am making a list of the books that I want to read over the next couple of months. If you have read any on my list and want to share your thoughts about them I would love to hear.
Non-Fiction(This list is big, and I'm pretty sure I will probably only make it through 1 or maybe 2 of these)
-Love and Respect by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs
-Bringing up Boys By Dr. James Dobson
-Feminine Appeal by Carolyn Mahaney (I started this months ago and have not finished it)
-The Mission of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson
Fiction
-I think I want to read through the Sons of Encouragement by Francine Rivers.
-I could use some fiction recommendations. Do you have a favorite that you could suggest?
What are you reading this summer?
Anyway, I am making a list of the books that I want to read over the next couple of months. If you have read any on my list and want to share your thoughts about them I would love to hear.
Non-Fiction(This list is big, and I'm pretty sure I will probably only make it through 1 or maybe 2 of these)
-Love and Respect by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs
-Bringing up Boys By Dr. James Dobson
-Feminine Appeal by Carolyn Mahaney (I started this months ago and have not finished it)
-The Mission of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson
Fiction
-I think I want to read through the Sons of Encouragement by Francine Rivers.
-I could use some fiction recommendations. Do you have a favorite that you could suggest?
What are you reading this summer?
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Input wanted please
Ok so I have a question for all you mommies out there. Claire has been drooling like crazy lately. She is starting to soak up her outfits. She is always sucking and chewing on her fingers. Also, she has started clamping down hard occasionally when I am nursing. My question is, could she be teething this soon? I have forgotten when my others started teething. But it doesn't seem like it was this early. She just seems so young at 3 months. I would love any thoughts on this. :) Did any of your babies start teething this soon?
Monday, June 9, 2008
Flood
This weekend we got hit with some pretty bad storms. Tornadoes, flash floods, thunder and lightning, and power outages. It was a long weekend. Our small town, and many around us, are under alot of water right now. North of here many homes were totally destroyed and swept away in the water.
I took the kids for a walk to the Library yesterday. I didn't realize just how bad it was by us until I saw with my own eyes. This park is one that I take the kids to all the time. It is behind us and across the street. In the deepest parts, the park measures 7 feet of water!!! I am totally blown away. Last night we spent time praying with the kids for all the people around us who have been affected by the flood. Thankfully our house sits on a little higher ground, so we only got a little bit of water in our basement. Praise God for his protection!
I took the kids for a walk to the Library yesterday. I didn't realize just how bad it was by us until I saw with my own eyes. This park is one that I take the kids to all the time. It is behind us and across the street. In the deepest parts, the park measures 7 feet of water!!! I am totally blown away. Last night we spent time praying with the kids for all the people around us who have been affected by the flood. Thankfully our house sits on a little higher ground, so we only got a little bit of water in our basement. Praise God for his protection!
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