Wednesday, December 31, 2008
New Year's Eve
The outreach event we did for New Year's Eve went really well! We showed the movie Fireproof, which if you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend it! We had about 35 folks come, and about 15 kids came to see the VeggieTales "Pirates" movie. We served a hot dog dinner, and a shop in town donated the popcorn for us! It was exciting to see our church family come together to pull this off, and it was a great evening with a great message in the movie!
Is this kid for real?
Okay, one more, because in packing I'll lose the scrap paper I wrote this on...
First, some background-but not much, I promise:
We rarely drink soda around here (I know...I'm from "pop" country, but after 8 years here I give up the battle). Mark drinks it less rarely than the rest of us, and the boys always beg for their own if Mark is having some. This request is, of course, met by me with a resounding "No-it's not healthy." Or "No...you'll have water-it's better for you." Mark gives a less resounding "No" because it's accompanied by "just a sip."
Well, we were setting the table for dinner tonight. There is no soda in sight. Jacob climbs up on his chair and asks in the sweetest of voices
"Can I have some healthy water for my drink, please?"
LOL!!!
First, some background-but not much, I promise:
We rarely drink soda around here (I know...I'm from "pop" country, but after 8 years here I give up the battle). Mark drinks it less rarely than the rest of us, and the boys always beg for their own if Mark is having some. This request is, of course, met by me with a resounding "No-it's not healthy." Or "No...you'll have water-it's better for you." Mark gives a less resounding "No" because it's accompanied by "just a sip."
Well, we were setting the table for dinner tonight. There is no soda in sight. Jacob climbs up on his chair and asks in the sweetest of voices
"Can I have some healthy water for my drink, please?"
LOL!!!
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
A-Packing we will go
Okay, I realize I should not be blogging right now. I should be packing. We are, after all, loading all of our earthly belongings into the Uhaul in a matter of days.
But, I got A LOT done today, and yesterday, too (truth be told it was Kindra who got a lot done around here yesterday, getting our laundry room/pantry all boxed up). And it does me good to get caught up a bit.
And it's cold. We've been hovering around 2 degrees for the past several days...which is unusual for around here, being by the bay and all. For us to be that cold means everywhere else it's really cold...MP was at -18, Sol. at -25. Being in and out with the puppy and the goats in this kind of weather makes one want to either curl up with a good book in front of the fireplace (if one has a fireplace, which I don't, or a good book-mine are all packed), or sit around and blog. So, here I am.
But, this will end the streak this evening. I just wanted to give you a heads up with where we're at...
Wednesday morning will consist of packing. Afternoon will be at church for music practice, and then taking the kids over to the new house so that they have an inkling of what it looks like. Not that they're acting stressed, but it sure can't hurt to have some idea of your next stop.
Then tomorrow night, New Year's Eve, I have a prayer request! The church is hosting a movie night...we actually got a license to show the new movie Fireproof (from the creators of Facing the Giants). Great message both about turning your life over to God and also about saving or even just improving marriages...which a lot of people could use right now. We're offering free popcorn and hot dog dinners, and even babysitting...all the kids will be watching the new VeggieTales movie The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything. Please pray for a great turn out, and for hearts and lives to be open to the working of the Holy Spirit!
Then on Thursday, my parents-bless them!-offered to take all the kids until Saturday. So Mark will run them over Thursday morning, which will enable him to get the necessary fencing from HD to get the new goat pen rigged! So I have all day/all night on Thursday and Friday to pack!
Saturday morning, the Uhaul will arrive, and-hopefully, prayerfully, beggingly-also will lots of helpers! For any of you who "forgot" to put our moving day on your new calendars, here's a friendly reminder and a huge hope that you can come join the fun! :)
At any rate, I'll be offline sooner than later here. I'll keep the computer up till Friday, but shouldn't be doing any blogging, which is a bummer, because I've got some really great Sophie pics-and man, is that girl growing fast! We'll see how I'm doing packing. And then we'll be busy settling in the parsonage! So, if I don't post anything tmo, we'll see you in the new place!
But, I got A LOT done today, and yesterday, too (truth be told it was Kindra who got a lot done around here yesterday, getting our laundry room/pantry all boxed up). And it does me good to get caught up a bit.
And it's cold. We've been hovering around 2 degrees for the past several days...which is unusual for around here, being by the bay and all. For us to be that cold means everywhere else it's really cold...MP was at -18, Sol. at -25. Being in and out with the puppy and the goats in this kind of weather makes one want to either curl up with a good book in front of the fireplace (if one has a fireplace, which I don't, or a good book-mine are all packed), or sit around and blog. So, here I am.
But, this will end the streak this evening. I just wanted to give you a heads up with where we're at...
Wednesday morning will consist of packing. Afternoon will be at church for music practice, and then taking the kids over to the new house so that they have an inkling of what it looks like. Not that they're acting stressed, but it sure can't hurt to have some idea of your next stop.
Then tomorrow night, New Year's Eve, I have a prayer request! The church is hosting a movie night...we actually got a license to show the new movie Fireproof (from the creators of Facing the Giants). Great message both about turning your life over to God and also about saving or even just improving marriages...which a lot of people could use right now. We're offering free popcorn and hot dog dinners, and even babysitting...all the kids will be watching the new VeggieTales movie The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything. Please pray for a great turn out, and for hearts and lives to be open to the working of the Holy Spirit!
Then on Thursday, my parents-bless them!-offered to take all the kids until Saturday. So Mark will run them over Thursday morning, which will enable him to get the necessary fencing from HD to get the new goat pen rigged! So I have all day/all night on Thursday and Friday to pack!
Saturday morning, the Uhaul will arrive, and-hopefully, prayerfully, beggingly-also will lots of helpers! For any of you who "forgot" to put our moving day on your new calendars, here's a friendly reminder and a huge hope that you can come join the fun! :)
At any rate, I'll be offline sooner than later here. I'll keep the computer up till Friday, but shouldn't be doing any blogging, which is a bummer, because I've got some really great Sophie pics-and man, is that girl growing fast! We'll see how I'm doing packing. And then we'll be busy settling in the parsonage! So, if I don't post anything tmo, we'll see you in the new place!
Jacob's 4th Birthday!
We had such a fun time celebrating Jacob's birthday! I actually enjoyed building the fire truck cake...though I will warn you of this: dairy-free frosting is heavy and unwieldy, is not keen on being spread scantly, and as such will look like it's melting within a matter of hours. I know I could have made my own frosting that would have been easier to deal with, but I was also gone to a worship conference in Anch. up till the night before his birthday. So, I paid for cutting corners in the interest of time. Does it look like it mattered to him that the windshield looked like it was melting in a fire of its own? No. Okay, good.
He had originally said that he wanted to go bowling for his party (following Andrew's footsteps), until we found out that the annual hay maze hosted by a local Bible camp was open. So, he chose the hay maze...which comes complete with a bonfire. I know, it sounds like a terrible match (no pun intended)...and perfect for the theme of the party. Ha!
Chad, Kindra, Tommy, and the kids joined us at the maze, and we all enjoyed hanging out around the bonfire. I can't count how many times Jacob went through the maze! You literally are tunneling through a barn full of hay, and it's not for you if you're prone to claustrophobia. I can make it through it once, but have absolutely no need or interest in it beyond that. Besides, it's hard on your knees. I'd best stop now...I'm starting to sound old. Thankfully he had either Jordan or Aunt Becca or Tommy to go through with time and time again!
After a picnic lunch to go with roasting hot dogs, we headed back to my parents' house for cake and presents.
Thanks to everyone who helped Jacob celebrate! (And there's more pics here if you like)!
He had originally said that he wanted to go bowling for his party (following Andrew's footsteps), until we found out that the annual hay maze hosted by a local Bible camp was open. So, he chose the hay maze...which comes complete with a bonfire. I know, it sounds like a terrible match (no pun intended)...and perfect for the theme of the party. Ha!
Chad, Kindra, Tommy, and the kids joined us at the maze, and we all enjoyed hanging out around the bonfire. I can't count how many times Jacob went through the maze! You literally are tunneling through a barn full of hay, and it's not for you if you're prone to claustrophobia. I can make it through it once, but have absolutely no need or interest in it beyond that. Besides, it's hard on your knees. I'd best stop now...I'm starting to sound old. Thankfully he had either Jordan or Aunt Becca or Tommy to go through with time and time again!
After a picnic lunch to go with roasting hot dogs, we headed back to my parents' house for cake and presents.
Thanks to everyone who helped Jacob celebrate! (And there's more pics here if you like)!
Firefighter Debut
These pics are from the beginning of October, when Nana and Papa brought the boys their firefighter outfits! They're the real deal...red suspenders, reflective tape, thmb holes in the cuffs-the boys LOVE them! The timing in getting them was perfect, as I think we were home from church b/c Jacob was sick, so it was a great distraction for him. And, he had already planned on a fire truck cake for his birthday coming up, so this just confirmed that decision for him!
There are days when Jacob literally wears his outfit all day. He asks if he can wear it to school (yes, except not the helmet, which gets in the way), and if he can eat lunch in it (no...for obvious reasons).
Thank you, Nana and Papa, for such a wonderful gift!
There are days when Jacob literally wears his outfit all day. He asks if he can wear it to school (yes, except not the helmet, which gets in the way), and if he can eat lunch in it (no...for obvious reasons).
Thank you, Nana and Papa, for such a wonderful gift!
Another sea life day!
We thoroughly enjoyed the fact that Alaskans had free admission to the center on the 10th of every month this year (the center is celebrating it's 10th anniversary). These pics are from November...we worked Andrew's writing lesson into it. He had his journal with him, and we were working on a word cluster of adjectives about Woody the sea lion. He did well, and they all had a blast!
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Christmas Sewing
Okay, so I've never sewn a stitch before in my life. Well, that's not entirely true. I took home-ec in 7th grade, and I still have the stuffed dog I made in class. And my mom has kept some pathetic little treasures that I stitched together as a child. But beyond that, sewing has been "out of my comfort zone."
Two things this past fall merged to set me on a Christmas sewing frenzy. First, while at Joe and Marge's, I was admiring (yes, covetously) Marge's table runner that her daughter Amy had made for her. The second was that when Ben and Rosella brought the boys their firefighter outfits, the pants needed to be hemmed, and I mentioned that I had found a sewing machine in the shed when we bought our house, but had no idea if it worked or not. Within an hour Ben had it cleaned up and humming along, and I mentioned that I had always wanted to make table runners, and now that I had a machine maybe I would someday. Ben and Rosella were leaving on vacation two days later, but before they left, Ben dropped off a huge bag of all kinds of fabric and matching threads for me, including some beautiful material for both autumn and Christmas-the two runners I most wanted to make for our home.
Well, I experimented and fudged along and came up with this "guinea pig" before they returned from vacation, and I sent this fledgling try to Mom Milligan as a non-Christmas gift. :)
And in the process, I discovered that I loved to sew! So I tried this one for Dianne for Christmas:
After that, Rosella graciously arranged for her and I to attend sewing classes at the shop in town (not that she needed the classes...she's a quilter extraordinaire)! One of our projects was this quilted table runner, and I decided that I would love to make some table runners for my mom (I had picked her name for our family gift exchange). Her dining room/kitchen is decorated with a grapevine theme, and I made the backing an autumn runner.
These two aren't back-to-back like the others...they just have boring backings! The finished results fell disappointingly short of what I had planned for my mom...I wanted a table runner for every holiday/season of the year, and it came to just the three runners all together. I did learn that it is best to try to learn a new skill and complete elaborate projects well before the season, particularly if one is in the process of selling their home and moving within 4 weeks of starting the sewing projects. Live and learn, right? :)
Two things this past fall merged to set me on a Christmas sewing frenzy. First, while at Joe and Marge's, I was admiring (yes, covetously) Marge's table runner that her daughter Amy had made for her. The second was that when Ben and Rosella brought the boys their firefighter outfits, the pants needed to be hemmed, and I mentioned that I had found a sewing machine in the shed when we bought our house, but had no idea if it worked or not. Within an hour Ben had it cleaned up and humming along, and I mentioned that I had always wanted to make table runners, and now that I had a machine maybe I would someday. Ben and Rosella were leaving on vacation two days later, but before they left, Ben dropped off a huge bag of all kinds of fabric and matching threads for me, including some beautiful material for both autumn and Christmas-the two runners I most wanted to make for our home.
Well, I experimented and fudged along and came up with this "guinea pig" before they returned from vacation, and I sent this fledgling try to Mom Milligan as a non-Christmas gift. :)
And in the process, I discovered that I loved to sew! So I tried this one for Dianne for Christmas:
After that, Rosella graciously arranged for her and I to attend sewing classes at the shop in town (not that she needed the classes...she's a quilter extraordinaire)! One of our projects was this quilted table runner, and I decided that I would love to make some table runners for my mom (I had picked her name for our family gift exchange). Her dining room/kitchen is decorated with a grapevine theme, and I made the backing an autumn runner.
These two aren't back-to-back like the others...they just have boring backings! The finished results fell disappointingly short of what I had planned for my mom...I wanted a table runner for every holiday/season of the year, and it came to just the three runners all together. I did learn that it is best to try to learn a new skill and complete elaborate projects well before the season, particularly if one is in the process of selling their home and moving within 4 weeks of starting the sewing projects. Live and learn, right? :)
Friday, December 26, 2008
More of Anna's Christmas
Okay...so I confess that I have a few more pics of Anna on Christmas than I do of the boys. I can chalk it up to one of two things, or both. First, this was her first "participatory" Christmas...last year she was just 6 months old, and not nearly as entertaining as she was this year! And two, since she had just learned to walk a few months before Christmas, she holds still longer for pictures than the boys do! I do actually have a lot of pics of the boys, but they weren't good enough to keep or post, the little blurs! :)
This was taken first thing Christmas morning. We made the boys wait in the hallway until Mark and I were ready to head into the living room, but Anna was just marching around jabbering. With her long nightie and bed-head, Andrew just chuckled to himself and said, "She's just too cute for words!"
We've adopted Mark's family's stocking tradition of sitting down at the table with our stockings, and taking turns from youngest to oldest to pull a gift from the stocking. It gives everyone time to actually appreciate the gifts they've been giving instead of just tearing through. Anna was pretty funny, trying to peer into her stocking!
We invited Ben and Rosella (Nana and Papa) for dinner, and we had a delightful time together! The ham dinner was superb (thank you again, Dianne!), and then had a fun afternoon of playing the new game they had given Andrew, Apples to Apples Jr. Thank you, Jesus, for another great birthday party in your honor!
This was taken first thing Christmas morning. We made the boys wait in the hallway until Mark and I were ready to head into the living room, but Anna was just marching around jabbering. With her long nightie and bed-head, Andrew just chuckled to himself and said, "She's just too cute for words!"
We've adopted Mark's family's stocking tradition of sitting down at the table with our stockings, and taking turns from youngest to oldest to pull a gift from the stocking. It gives everyone time to actually appreciate the gifts they've been giving instead of just tearing through. Anna was pretty funny, trying to peer into her stocking!
We invited Ben and Rosella (Nana and Papa) for dinner, and we had a delightful time together! The ham dinner was superb (thank you again, Dianne!), and then had a fun afternoon of playing the new game they had given Andrew, Apples to Apples Jr. Thank you, Jesus, for another great birthday party in your honor!
Christmas morning!
We had a delightful Christmas morning together! After stockings and breakfast, the kids finally got to opening presents! We only give the kids three presents (not counting stocking stuffers), since baby Jesus only received three gifts. It really helps us to both keep on a budget and also helps us to really thing through what we want the kids to receive. And our course our friend Dianne in Missouri outdid herself once again! She loves on our kids something fierce! :) *(I just love the felt "Santa" gift bags she made with each child's name on the belt buckle...how clever)! We're so excited she'll be here visiting this summer, and will have a chance to play with the kids with some of the gifts she's sent over the years!
Anna was quite funny with the whole deal of opening presents...with her brothers' help, it didn't take her long to catch on!
So many people are so good to our family...a great reminder of God's goodness to us in sending his Son!
Anna was quite funny with the whole deal of opening presents...with her brothers' help, it didn't take her long to catch on!
So many people are so good to our family...a great reminder of God's goodness to us in sending his Son!
A Christmas Friday Funny...or "Mr. Analytical"
One thing Mark and I managed to stay on top of this month was wrapping the boys presents and stashing them in the crawlspace, so as not to be up till 2 a.m. on the 24th wrapping. We also put down there any other Christmas gifts that we received in the mail, rather than putting them under the tree that we didn't have up yet. And while the tree did eventually get put up, the presents never migrated up...far easier to just bring them up all at once after the kids are in bed Christmas Eve.
We have a tradition, of which the boys know, of opening one gift before bed on Christmas Eve. Wednesday morning I greeted them with a cheery "Merry Christmas Eve!" After they verified that yes indeed it really was Christmas Eve, that their program was that night, and that the next day would be Christmas, Andrew had some clarifications to make.
I honestly can't remember how I answered him in my efforts not to laugh!
We have a tradition, of which the boys know, of opening one gift before bed on Christmas Eve. Wednesday morning I greeted them with a cheery "Merry Christmas Eve!" After they verified that yes indeed it really was Christmas Eve, that their program was that night, and that the next day would be Christmas, Andrew had some clarifications to make.
"Mom, today is Christmas Eve, right?"
"Yes, Andrew."
"And we get to open one present on Christmas Eve?"
"Yes, just one after we get home from church."
"Well, we don't have any presents under the tree. Is this going
to be a problem?"
I honestly can't remember how I answered him in my efforts not to laugh!
The Ham Story
If you've been reading this blog at all this past month, you know that our lives are a little crazy right now. In our best efforts to keep life simple, we decided that we would just get a spiral sliced ham from Costco for Christmas dinner. Potatoes, a veggie, rolls, salad, and Rosella would bring dessert. She would make two...one something chocolately for Mark's sake, as he's the only one that won't eat any pies or fruity desserts. Not too much to prepare in addition to the zillions of preparations that go into the Christmas Eve service at church.
Our last trip to Costco before Christmas was the day we went to get Sophie. Quick trip in, grab the ham, and be done. One problem...the hams hadn't been received yet, and not a one of the Costco employees I questioned could tell my why or when. Simply no hams. Just ham steaks that get dried out and are hard to slice...not the simple "throw the ham in the oven and when you pull it out pull the slices onto the plate" that I had planned on.
Needless to say, I was a bit disappointed, and was not looking forward to having to do a turkey for Christmas. Big mess. De-boning, etc...no time for it at this point.
Then last Friday, there was a knock on the door at about 6 p.m. It was our UPS man, bearing a large white styrofoam cooler. A large white styrofoam cooler sent from the Honeybaked Ham company. A large white styrofoam cooler sent from the Honeybaked Ham company that contained not just a ham, but a side dish of au gratin potatoes, green bean casserole, and a chocolate fudge brownie cake. No identified sender, just a message that someone wanted to share with us the same great ham they have on Christmas.
I had my suspicions on who the sender might be, but at the moment was too overwhelmed by the love and provision that God gave us through someone who was just being faithful to what they felt led to do, even if they didn't know why. Believe with me when I say emphatically that God is good, and He knows our hearts and lives and will meet our needs in His time and His way. I had not told a single person about the whole Costco ham story...all I have done is to ask you all to pray us through this stressful month. Know that he has answered and is answering...and we give Him all the praise for it!
Our last trip to Costco before Christmas was the day we went to get Sophie. Quick trip in, grab the ham, and be done. One problem...the hams hadn't been received yet, and not a one of the Costco employees I questioned could tell my why or when. Simply no hams. Just ham steaks that get dried out and are hard to slice...not the simple "throw the ham in the oven and when you pull it out pull the slices onto the plate" that I had planned on.
Needless to say, I was a bit disappointed, and was not looking forward to having to do a turkey for Christmas. Big mess. De-boning, etc...no time for it at this point.
Then last Friday, there was a knock on the door at about 6 p.m. It was our UPS man, bearing a large white styrofoam cooler. A large white styrofoam cooler sent from the Honeybaked Ham company. A large white styrofoam cooler sent from the Honeybaked Ham company that contained not just a ham, but a side dish of au gratin potatoes, green bean casserole, and a chocolate fudge brownie cake. No identified sender, just a message that someone wanted to share with us the same great ham they have on Christmas.
I had my suspicions on who the sender might be, but at the moment was too overwhelmed by the love and provision that God gave us through someone who was just being faithful to what they felt led to do, even if they didn't know why. Believe with me when I say emphatically that God is good, and He knows our hearts and lives and will meet our needs in His time and His way. I had not told a single person about the whole Costco ham story...all I have done is to ask you all to pray us through this stressful month. Know that he has answered and is answering...and we give Him all the praise for it!
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Christmas Eve
This is my friend Melanie and her daughter, Anna's "best friend" Emma! Unfortunately, this is the only picture I have from the Christmas Eve service...there's just too much going on for both of us to take any pictures.
Poor Jacob-typical middle child. His debut in a Christmas program in which he actually has a line, and not only do we not have video, we don't have pictures. Actually, Kindra
had some video, and if I can cut it down to just a clip of our darling shepherd boys, then I'll post it! It was a really nice service, and all the Sunday school kids did a great job in the program!
Poor Jacob-typical middle child. His debut in a Christmas program in which he actually has a line, and not only do we not have video, we don't have pictures. Actually, Kindra
had some video, and if I can cut it down to just a clip of our darling shepherd boys, then I'll post it! It was a really nice service, and all the Sunday school kids did a great job in the program! Scissors story
I have three instances in the past few weeks where I have seen God work in significant ways to either answer prayer or bless us out of the blue! Here's the first!
My good friend Rosella (Nana to the kids) has become my "sewing benefactress" the past few months. She paid for the two of us to attend together six sewing lessons at the local sewing shop, and has outfitted me with anything I could possibly need to complete the projects! Among my new sewing supplies is a very nice little pair of gingher 4" scissors. Never in my life would I have thought one needed a tiny pair of scissors like that, but they soon became indispensable to me. One afternoon I was hurriedly working in the dining room trying to finish one stage of a project. Several days went by before I got back to my sewing...and my scissors were nowhere to be found. I spent a week looking everywhere, even places I knew they could not (I suppose with 3 children around it's more like they should not) remotely have been in. But do you know what my house is like when I'm in the middle of packing and decorating for Christmas? A little,um, cluttered at times. I finally went to the sewing shop to get another pair, thinking that it wouldn't be too bad of a thing to have an extra pair of scissors around. Gulp. That little pair of scissors is $40. I don't have an extra $40 laying around for an "extra" pair of scissors when I know full well that they are somewhere in my house! A few more days of searching and not finding went by. And then came the day of our next sewing class. I simply had to have those scissors before I went to class...partly because I couldn't bear to tell Rosella that the money she had spent on those scissors for me was wasted, and partly because I couldn't possibly fit in a replacement pair and still count it as good stewardship. There were just 45 min. before I had to leave for class. The boys were sitting on my bed reading books as I was sorting through the material I needed for class, and I finally called out to God...and literally prayed out loud for Him to please help me find my scissors before class. After getting all of my sewing supplies ready, I scurried around the get the kitchen cleaned up a bit before Ben arrived to watch the kids (Mark was to be at the first funeral from a few weeks ago). I put in place a few wandering decorations, including a Christmas box of tissues. I realize we now have out 3 boxes of kleenex on counter, so went to put away the 2 non-Christmas boxes. Hmmm...one of the boxes had an object rattling around in there. You already know the punch line...voila! There were my scissors! I cried, I was so thankful! So like God...to answer with 1o minutes to spare! (And no, there is no certain conclusion as to whether I dropped the scissors unknowingly into the box in my haste that day, or whether a certain little boy helped them to find their way there....)
My good friend Rosella (Nana to the kids) has become my "sewing benefactress" the past few months. She paid for the two of us to attend together six sewing lessons at the local sewing shop, and has outfitted me with anything I could possibly need to complete the projects! Among my new sewing supplies is a very nice little pair of gingher 4" scissors. Never in my life would I have thought one needed a tiny pair of scissors like that, but they soon became indispensable to me. One afternoon I was hurriedly working in the dining room trying to finish one stage of a project. Several days went by before I got back to my sewing...and my scissors were nowhere to be found. I spent a week looking everywhere, even places I knew they could not (I suppose with 3 children around it's more like they should not) remotely have been in. But do you know what my house is like when I'm in the middle of packing and decorating for Christmas? A little,um, cluttered at times. I finally went to the sewing shop to get another pair, thinking that it wouldn't be too bad of a thing to have an extra pair of scissors around. Gulp. That little pair of scissors is $40. I don't have an extra $40 laying around for an "extra" pair of scissors when I know full well that they are somewhere in my house! A few more days of searching and not finding went by. And then came the day of our next sewing class. I simply had to have those scissors before I went to class...partly because I couldn't bear to tell Rosella that the money she had spent on those scissors for me was wasted, and partly because I couldn't possibly fit in a replacement pair and still count it as good stewardship. There were just 45 min. before I had to leave for class. The boys were sitting on my bed reading books as I was sorting through the material I needed for class, and I finally called out to God...and literally prayed out loud for Him to please help me find my scissors before class. After getting all of my sewing supplies ready, I scurried around the get the kitchen cleaned up a bit before Ben arrived to watch the kids (Mark was to be at the first funeral from a few weeks ago). I put in place a few wandering decorations, including a Christmas box of tissues. I realize we now have out 3 boxes of kleenex on counter, so went to put away the 2 non-Christmas boxes. Hmmm...one of the boxes had an object rattling around in there. You already know the punch line...voila! There were my scissors! I cried, I was so thankful! So like God...to answer with 1o minutes to spare! (And no, there is no certain conclusion as to whether I dropped the scissors unknowingly into the box in my haste that day, or whether a certain little boy helped them to find their way there....)
Friday, December 19, 2008
Friday Funnies
There are some figures of speech that you just don't realize your kids don't know-until you use them for the first time with them!
Abby has been tolerant of Sophie. Not overly playful or welcoming, just tolerating her. And resenting the fact that Sophie is taking over her "bedroom." Abby's bed, food, and water is in the laundry room...and being the room that is the easiest to gate off and with a hard floor, that's where Sophie is, too. And when Sophie is not in her kennel, she likes Abby's bed.
During dinner last night, Abby was barking at the back door (which leads in to the laundry room), and Sophie was in her kennel. I let Abby in, and rather than let her come out with us, I told her to lay down on her bed. She very reluctantly obeyed...almost cringing to actually lay on her bed that the puppy had "contaminated."
I came back out the dinner table, commenting to Mark that "Abby can hardly stand to be on her bed now."
Andrew looked at me quizzically. "Why? Did she fall down on her bed and now she can't get up?"
It was all Mark and I could do to not bust out laughing!
Abby has been tolerant of Sophie. Not overly playful or welcoming, just tolerating her. And resenting the fact that Sophie is taking over her "bedroom." Abby's bed, food, and water is in the laundry room...and being the room that is the easiest to gate off and with a hard floor, that's where Sophie is, too. And when Sophie is not in her kennel, she likes Abby's bed.
During dinner last night, Abby was barking at the back door (which leads in to the laundry room), and Sophie was in her kennel. I let Abby in, and rather than let her come out with us, I told her to lay down on her bed. She very reluctantly obeyed...almost cringing to actually lay on her bed that the puppy had "contaminated."
I came back out the dinner table, commenting to Mark that "Abby can hardly stand to be on her bed now."
Andrew looked at me quizzically. "Why? Did she fall down on her bed and now she can't get up?"
It was all Mark and I could do to not bust out laughing!
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Update
Wow, that week of scheduled blogging went by as fast as our vacation did!
A few updates on life here:
1. THANK YOU for all your prayers surrounding the funeral. I really need to post prayer requests here more often! The funeral for the church neighbor went better than we expected, though it was obvious to us that what we shared was "out of place," as can be expected when God would have been "out of place" if the deceased had been alive. Does that make sense? There wasn't room in his life for the truth of God in his life, and so it was an odd feeling trying to make room for him in his death. But, the Word of God was shared and sung, and we pray that it planted seeds in the hearts and minds of those who attended. Also, I think it was a comfort to the family, who were not accustomed to native ways (he had been adopted). The traditonal native funeral service that followed Mark sharing the Word and singing hymns together was not as offensive spiritually as we had feared.
2. The wedding for Tripp and Willow went really well! Despite having a very late night due to the unexpected responsibility of making the wedding cake, it was a great day! We managed to make our humble little church look downright pretty, and it was a blessing to see them commit their lives to each other and to the Lord. And Anna was a darling flower-girl...Jordan did a great job teaching her how to throw the flower petals! Pictures will be coming...
3. The Christmas program is coming along well. We have only 2 more practices, but I feel at peace about it. It will be what it will be! At least Andrew and Jacob have their lines memorized! Jacob is a stitch as a shepherd..."Let's tell evweyone we see!" They are quite excited about it, and both diligently study their scripts. Yes...the 4 y.o. who can't read studies extensively.
4. We're making slow but steady progress on packing. Wall hangings, candleholders, teapots, and the entire china closet are all packed...which also means the linens are packed as free cushioning. We have just two days of school left, a few more presents to wrap, and then I'll be able to get more packing done.
5. Sophie is doing pretty well! She's sleeping through the night already, and today we haven't had any accidents in the house. The goats are getting used to her, and will just calmly stand and chew their cud while I'm out there with Sophie, though it will take months before we let her loose with them. Somehow puppy biting and chasing just won't do a whole lot to build the trust factor...but she does spend a few periods of time a day in the big kennel in the goat pen.
Please continue to pray for the church as we are still working through the process of constituting and incorporating as our own church body, as the wording of our constitution and bylaws will govern the church for years to come (well, the bylaws can be changed readily enough, but it sure would be nice to get them right the first time).
Also, we have many loose ends to wrap up in the real estate realm. We're still waiting for a final total and actual money from our parent church from the sale of the property in S. Not sure what the hold-up is, but we would appreciate prayers for a quick wrap-up, and for the total received to be greater than expected!
Our house is still scheduled to close the 26th...we'll keep you posted on that front!
And if none of this makes sense to you, then check back at my original post here. Thanks so much!
A few updates on life here:
1. THANK YOU for all your prayers surrounding the funeral. I really need to post prayer requests here more often! The funeral for the church neighbor went better than we expected, though it was obvious to us that what we shared was "out of place," as can be expected when God would have been "out of place" if the deceased had been alive. Does that make sense? There wasn't room in his life for the truth of God in his life, and so it was an odd feeling trying to make room for him in his death. But, the Word of God was shared and sung, and we pray that it planted seeds in the hearts and minds of those who attended. Also, I think it was a comfort to the family, who were not accustomed to native ways (he had been adopted). The traditonal native funeral service that followed Mark sharing the Word and singing hymns together was not as offensive spiritually as we had feared.
2. The wedding for Tripp and Willow went really well! Despite having a very late night due to the unexpected responsibility of making the wedding cake, it was a great day! We managed to make our humble little church look downright pretty, and it was a blessing to see them commit their lives to each other and to the Lord. And Anna was a darling flower-girl...Jordan did a great job teaching her how to throw the flower petals! Pictures will be coming...
3. The Christmas program is coming along well. We have only 2 more practices, but I feel at peace about it. It will be what it will be! At least Andrew and Jacob have their lines memorized! Jacob is a stitch as a shepherd..."Let's tell evweyone we see!" They are quite excited about it, and both diligently study their scripts. Yes...the 4 y.o. who can't read studies extensively.
4. We're making slow but steady progress on packing. Wall hangings, candleholders, teapots, and the entire china closet are all packed...which also means the linens are packed as free cushioning. We have just two days of school left, a few more presents to wrap, and then I'll be able to get more packing done.
5. Sophie is doing pretty well! She's sleeping through the night already, and today we haven't had any accidents in the house. The goats are getting used to her, and will just calmly stand and chew their cud while I'm out there with Sophie, though it will take months before we let her loose with them. Somehow puppy biting and chasing just won't do a whole lot to build the trust factor...but she does spend a few periods of time a day in the big kennel in the goat pen.
Please continue to pray for the church as we are still working through the process of constituting and incorporating as our own church body, as the wording of our constitution and bylaws will govern the church for years to come (well, the bylaws can be changed readily enough, but it sure would be nice to get them right the first time).
Also, we have many loose ends to wrap up in the real estate realm. We're still waiting for a final total and actual money from our parent church from the sale of the property in S. Not sure what the hold-up is, but we would appreciate prayers for a quick wrap-up, and for the total received to be greater than expected!
Our house is still scheduled to close the 26th...we'll keep you posted on that front!
And if none of this makes sense to you, then check back at my original post here. Thanks so much!
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Celebration, then sadness.
After our rounds to visit with so many friends and family, we ended up back at mom and dad's for a few more days. As they had not been able to be here for Mark's ordination back in August, mom planned a celebration dinner for the occasion! Dave and Sue and family were able to come, and we all had a great time over the most amazing dinner! A friend of mom's, who attends the church where dad is interim, works at the "premier" steakhouse in town. Mom was just looking for suggestions on where to buy a good cut of meat, and next thing we new, Valerie was buying and preparing the most delicious filet mignon any of us had ever tasted. It was so tender, it cut like butter and melted in our mouths! And of course, Mark's other favorites-crescent rolls, and his new favorite, Crash Hot Potatoes. (Just for the record, I did not take the picture of the food. That was Mark's doing...said he didn't ever want to forget that meal. I just wanted to reassure you that I'm not going completely out of my journalistic style, but that this is, after all, a family's blog, and if he wants pictures of his dinner, I'll post the picture of his dinner). Definitely worth remembering! :) 
But, it was kind of bittersweet, knowing we would be leaving the next day, and not knowing when we would all be together again.
The next afternoon found us maneuvering the Pittsburgh airport once again. The kids did great, even though both Anna and Andrew got sick on the way home. Anna puked all over me once (thankfully I at least had my light jacket in my bag to change into!), and Andrew also got sick...but he made it in the bag. So it was rough, but I think we were all glad to be home in our own beds when we finally rolled in about 14 hrs later. My, what a wonderful trip we've had! We are so blessed by our family and many friends, and are thankful that they haven't forgotten us, and we're full of wishful thinking that everyone would just move up here...
But, it was kind of bittersweet, knowing we would be leaving the next day, and not knowing when we would all be together again.
The next afternoon found us maneuvering the Pittsburgh airport once again. The kids did great, even though both Anna and Andrew got sick on the way home. Anna puked all over me once (thankfully I at least had my light jacket in my bag to change into!), and Andrew also got sick...but he made it in the bag. So it was rough, but I think we were all glad to be home in our own beds when we finally rolled in about 14 hrs later. My, what a wonderful trip we've had! We are so blessed by our family and many friends, and are thankful that they haven't forgotten us, and we're full of wishful thinking that everyone would just move up here...
More friends!
Being in Tom and Jenny's neck of the woods also brought us back near to our first home and church family. We made sure to connect with our good friends Dave and Berlia (Dave is one of the Davids for whom Andrew David is named...amazing friends and people of God!). Bless their hearts, they made several phone calls and voila-there was a potluck with many of our friends from our church, whom we wouldn't have had enough days to see if it weren't for a gathering!
It was wonderful to connect with so many people and to hear how God is moving and working in lives. Thank you to everyone who came on over to see us!
Train Museum!
Mark and I lived in the Lancaster area prior to moving to AK, and the PA Railroad Museum is in the area. With our boys' penchant for trains, we have for several years now said how much we would like to take them whenever we were back east. Well, we finally had our chance! We toured the museum with Mark's dad, and then met up with Tom and Jenny and Aunt Carol, Uncle David, and Fred for lunch at one of our old favorite restaurants, and then the "Under 35 crowd" went on a short but genuine train ride! Unfortunately it was a very rainy day (actually one of the very few rainy days we had the whole trip!), so we didn't get to tour many of the trains displayed outside. But there were plenty to admire and climb on and in-the boys loved it! And they were just amazed to get to ride on a real train...and they liked the little Thomas ride a whole lot, too. :) One of the great things about the day was that mom stayed with Anna back at Tom and Jenny's...so she had an enjoyable day instead of being carted in and around through the rain in the baby backpack. A great day was had by all!
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Tom and Jenny!
After our time with friends in northern PA, we headed south to see Mark's brother Tom and his wife, Jenny! Andrew actually remembered being at their house the last time we came back east, and was greatly looking forward to our visit! Again, although we could have used several more days with them, we were grateful for the time they carved out of their weekend for us! Anna warmed right up to Uncle Tom...Hmm-you remind me of my dad. You must be okay. And you have my blankie. So you're really okay.
Uncle Tom and Aunt Jenny are also both really good at reading stories, and have a great old farmhouse to run a loop through! (I think they were probably glad to have some peace and quiet when we left). :)
They joined us at the train museum on Saturday (that post coming next!), and then we were able to attend their church on Sunday, which Tom pastors.
From there, Mark's Aunt Carol and Uncle David and also his cousin Fred were able to drive up from MD to see us. It was wonderful to catch up with everyone! Fred brought his remote control airplane, which was an instant hit with the boys. And Aunt Carol and Uncle David had sent the boys some money to use on their trip, and at the train museum they picked out the roundhouse for their wooden Thomas train set...it has been a huge delight to this day!
(And in the bottom left pic you can see the darling pj's Aunt Carol brought for Anna)! :)
And before we left Lancaster, we were able to get our Cracker Barrel visit in with Mark's parents and Aunt Carol and Uncle David! A fun time and good food were had by all for the whole weekend-thanks for your hospitality, Tom and Jenny!
Uncle Tom and Aunt Jenny are also both really good at reading stories, and have a great old farmhouse to run a loop through! (I think they were probably glad to have some peace and quiet when we left). :)
They joined us at the train museum on Saturday (that post coming next!), and then we were able to attend their church on Sunday, which Tom pastors.
From there, Mark's Aunt Carol and Uncle David and also his cousin Fred were able to drive up from MD to see us. It was wonderful to catch up with everyone! Fred brought his remote control airplane, which was an instant hit with the boys. And Aunt Carol and Uncle David had sent the boys some money to use on their trip, and at the train museum they picked out the roundhouse for their wooden Thomas train set...it has been a huge delight to this day!
(And in the bottom left pic you can see the darling pj's Aunt Carol brought for Anna)! :)And before we left Lancaster, we were able to get our Cracker Barrel visit in with Mark's parents and Aunt Carol and Uncle David! A fun time and good food were had by all for the whole weekend-thanks for your hospitality, Tom and Jenny!
Karen and boys!
Yet another huge blessing this vacation...my best friend from college, Karen, was able to come down from MA to spend a few days with us at Joe and Marge's! (For those of you were at our wedding (does this give you deja vue?), Karen was my matron of honor). While we didn't get the privilege of visiting without being interruped by 5 kids, it was still wonderful to visit and see each other's kids. This was the first I had met Zach, and the only time I had seen Chase was when he was a newborn four years ago! Karen had never met Jacob or Anna. And it's just weird to me, as a mom, to not have some of the most important people in my life-my best friends-, know my kids-who are the most important parts of my day-to-day life
. Does that make sense? Anyway, it was important for me for us to know each other's kids! It was a major undertaking for Karen to make the drive with the boys, who were both sick (a big deal since they have asthma), so I am so grateful that we got to spend some time together. Thank you, Karen, and thank you Joe and Marge, for your hospitality!
. Does that make sense? Anyway, it was important for me for us to know each other's kids! It was a major undertaking for Karen to make the drive with the boys, who were both sick (a big deal since they have asthma), so I am so grateful that we got to spend some time together. Thank you, Karen, and thank you Joe and Marge, for your hospitality!
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