Vacations and Surprises

There has been something that I have just been DYING to write about for months and months and months. However, that something was a great big surprise for somebody who may or may not be a reader of this blog so, I was unable to utter a single word about it and risk blowing it. Until now. Yipee! That somebody has been presented with her BIG surprise and now I am free to write about it all I want.

It all started last August when I was talking to my little sister, who lives in Florida. She casually mentioned an idea that was suggested to her by our aunt, who lives in Idaho. It was an idea that got my sisters and I jumping with excitement. Phone calls were made from Florida to Idaho to Texas to Florida and around and around it went for months.
The plan, presented by an uncle who swears he has no recollection of ever suggesting such a thing, started out as a simple idea to get my sisters and me and all our children up to Boise for my mom's 50th birthday and ended up as the biggest surprise ever planned (and pulled off) by this family. What fun it was too!
As I mentioned, this all started last August. My mother's birthday is June 14th. So, we spent almost a year planning and organizing this thing and somehow managed to keep it a secret! By Thanksgiving the whole family (about 32 of us) knew about and became involved with the organization of this party. I still don't know how we all managed to keep it from her for so long! My Aunt Dora (the main organizer) gave out jobs and responsibilities to various members of the family and threatened us with our lives if we were to spill the beans.
You see, I moved to Texas with my husband and kiddo #1 when kiddo #1 was just 4 weeks old. I have been back to Boise a couple times to visit and Mom has made it down here a couple times. However, a few months after we moved to Texas my younger sister moved to Florida and my older sister followed her down there a couple years later. The day we left for Texas ended up being the last day that my Mom was able to spend with all of her kids together and the last day that I saw my younger sister for 7 years. My mom had 2 grandkids that she hadn't even met yet, I had 2 nephews that I had never met and my sisters had 2 nephews and a niece that they had never met. So, this surprise party was a REALLY big deal.
Anyway...

Now that I think about it, I don't know what jobs my sisters were assigned to but, I decided that I absolutely must provide the birthday cake. This presented a pretty interesting challenge because our plan was to drive up and our vacation was cut short because of work conflicts with my husband so, we had to actually bake the cake here and bring it up with us to 'assemble'. I planned a 3 tiered thing with flowers growing up the side. It took a lot of extra time and some creativity but, we figured out how to pack it relatively safely and got it up there with minimal damage.

So, with great excitement we piled into our van on June 12th for the mad dash up to Boise. The party was planned to start at around 4pm on the 14th and I had to have time to finish the cake so, we had to get up there as fast as we could. It was tiring (tiring? exhausting) but we made it. The kids were fabulous on the drive. I think they even enjoyed themselves a little. This was the first time that we had been able to go on a vacation in a very long time so, everybody was very excited.
There were some hiccups in plans on the day of the party but, it all came together spectacularly. This was the first time that my entire family had gathered together since my grandmother's funeral over 10 years ago. My Aunt even somehow managed to get my Uncle and Grandfather, who haven't spoken to each other in that amount of time, together at the same event. There were only two people missing, my cousin and her son, they were unable to make the trip up from Florida (what's the deal with everyone moving to Florida?).
My Aunt and Uncle were able to get Mom to come over to Aunt Dora's house for her birthday by telling her that my Uncle would really like to spend the evening with her and he would grill her ribs for her on her birthday. Mom is not big on celebrating birthdays but, he was very convincing and she agreed to the little party of just the 3 of them.
We planned it so that when my Mom came out to the backyard she would not be able to see those of us who had so sneakily come to town to surprise her. The rest of the family were going to yell "Surprise!" then, all her grandkids would come out of hiding (which was behind her) and say "Happy Birthday, Grandma" and give her a rose. The funniest thing was that when my niece, Ayla, the eldest grandchild called out to her, Mom didn't even turn around. Poor Ayla was running up to her and must have said "Happy Birthday" 3 times with no response by the time she reached my mom and tugged on her shirt so she would turn around. And when she finally did turn around, the look of shock was priceless! There was some speculation as to whether or not she would cry because my mom is not the type to cry. While there was no real crying per se, there were a few tears that made their way out. Her reaction made all the hard work and hard traveling well worth the effort. Her arms and her mouth opened wide and she was shaking as she tried to hug all her grandchildren and children at once. It was a wonderful thing to see.
And there was my Aunt who was really the one behind it all, hiding in a corner laughing so hard she was in tears. It was such a wonderful thing that she did for my mom, her sister. I cannot thank her enough for getting us all together up there. It was amazing to see my sisters again and to spend that time all together.

There is more to the story of our vacation. More surprises, good and bad. More adventures. However, it is late and this may just be the longest blog entry that I have ever written so, I think I will stop here and pick up the story again another day. Now, y'all know where I have been for the past few weeks, though. Preparing for the trip, making cake, more trip preparation, driving, more driving, and a week of recovery. :)

Kiddo #2 Update

I have had a few people ask how kiddo #2 is doing. I want to thank you all for your concern and your prayers! It's comforting knowing that there have been people out there praying for him.

So, now for the update....
Let's see, the last post was on Monday. We took him to the doctor on Tuesday just to find out that he had "some sort of virus" and was dehydrated but, not quite to the point of needing an IV. There was nothing we could do other than keep the fever down as much as possible and try to get him to take some liquids. He was required to use the potty by 4:00 that afternoon in order to stay out of the hospital....he finally peed at 3:45! He ended up back in the Dr.'s office later that afternoon, though because he started getting a little delirious from the fever, that was a bit scary. The fever FINALLY broke last Friday afternoon and it has not come back. He is no longer hovering on the edge of dehydration and hospitalization. He has some lingering fatigue which worries me a bit. He has not returned to his normal high energy, rambunctious self. He is eating and drinking more but, again, not back to normal yet. I am considering taking him back to the Dr. but, I don't know that they can do anything for him so, have not made the decision to return yet. If he is not closer to normal by Monday we will be heading back in to see Dr. Jim.

So far, everybody else has remained healthy. I am probably speaking too soon but, it is possible that we have avoided spreading this nasty little virus.

The Shirt Says It All

"Daddy thinks I'm awesome!"

Poor Kid

Well, we have gone for quite sometime without the germs invading. Alas, all good things must come to an end, though. Kiddo #2 has.....something, don't know exactly what. The poor kid has had a fever for two days now. He has been very calm and very still for 24 hours now. It is about time to call the doctor.
I have to say, it is VERY disconcerting to see such an active rambunctious little boy lying so still and quiet for so long! Please pray for him.

Happy Birthday, Teya!

I can't believe it has been seven years already! My sweet curly headed little angel is 7 already!
Friday was kiddo #1's birthday. I wanted to post a happy birthday message for her then but, it has been a busy couple days. So, here it is, sweetie. Just a little late.

Teya, we are so blessed to have you in our lives. I feel so lucky that I get to be your mommy.

You are such a beautiful and smart little girl. (big girl? :) )

Your patience and loving kindness towards your little brothers and sister (as well as others) is amazing. You are such a big help to me, there are some days that I don't know what I would do without you. Thank you for not only being such a big helper but, doing it happily and lovingly.

You make me smile everyday. I love your silly jokes and funny stories. You have a great imagination kiddo. :)

I love that you love reading and learning new things so much. It is so fun to watch you learn and experience new things. What a pleasure it is to be your teacher. :)

You are a beautiful dancer.

You play the piano and sing beautifully.

Your love for reading the Bible and your love for our Lord is inspiring.

It has been a fun and fast 7 years. I am excited to see what the future holds for you! But, hey kiddo, let's slow it down a little, huh? We don't need the next 7 years flying by as quickly as the first 7! :)

Growing Up So Fast!

The last two weeks have been weeks of major milestones for our two little ones. They are growing up so fast! Soon they will be children not, a toddler and a baby. I don't know what I will do without babies in the house anymore! It sure is fun to watch them grow. Oh, but how fast they are growing! We need to make them, especially the baby, just slow down a notch or two! :)

Kiddo #3 here has suddenly made leaps and bounds in his speech. He went from talking gibberish that hardly anybody could understand to almost conversational in a matter of days. He has been slow in his speech development, mostly because he just didn't want to, and it is just amazing to hear understandable words come from his cute little mouth. :) On top of that, he has decided that using the potty rather than a diaper really is a good idea and has given up diapers completely during the day. He still wears a pull up at night for sleeping but, I suspect that won't last too much longer. What a big boy!


Kiddo #4 is 9 months old now. She has decided that she can and will walk. She walks everywhere and only crawls if she wants to get somewhere REALLY fast. Walking! Big girl! I keep telling her that she is only 9 months old and she is the last one so, she needs to just slow it down and let me enjoy her "babiness" just a little longer but, she must think I am just being silly or something because she will not listen to reason. Then just two days ago she sees her very favorite daddy and gives him the biggest grin and says "hi, daddy!" Clear as day, there was no mistaking what she said or that it was what she meant to say. Talking?! Really, this is just getting out of hand!

Quiet! Is it really possible?

Seriously, is it really possible to have the house quiet during naptime? Am I asking too much? Are my expectations too high?

Here's the situation. Kiddos #1 and #2 no longer take a nap during the day. Kiddo #2 really still needs one but, he has figured out how to keep himself awake so it's just not worth the battle anymore. Kiddos #3 and #4 still really need a nap. Naptime is at about the same time everyday. I give plenty of warnings and plan for what we will do while the little ones are napping. The time comes and the little ones go to bed, it's a pretty easy process at this point, not much of a battle to get them down. Then the problems start.
I try to do school time during naptime because it's easier for the older two to concentrate on their studies when the two little ones are not there bugging them. It seems to me that it should be fairly easy to be nice and quiet while we work. We move to the back of the house where the playroom is and close the doors behind us creating a sound buffer. Should be nice and quiet for the sleeping ones, right? Yet, it never fails kiddo #2 ALWAYS wakes his brother and sister before they are ready. EVERY day. He also wakes them up in the mornings if he gets up before them. He just CANNOT be quiet.
WHY!? Why can't he manage to keep quiet for just a short time? How can I teach him to be quiet? How can I make this important to him? Is it just not possible? Should I give up the fight?
You would think that a kid who has a father who worked nights and slept days all of his life would understand about being quiet while someone is sleeping. No, sir! Not a chance! He yells, he bangs things around, he slams doors, he runs through the house, etc, etc, etc.
I made him stay back in the playroom today because he just would not calm down. I told him that he could only come out if he had to potty, until the little ones woke up. He still managed to wake them up. Now, I have two tired and grouchy little ones and I am tired and grouchy. GROWL!

He's such a sweet kid. He has a lot of energy and gets excited about so many things. He is a joy to be around, most of the time. I just wish he could be quiet for an hour or two in the afternoon!

It's Playoff Time!!!

Monday Blues

What is it about Mondays? Yesterday was Monday and it was just not a very good day. In fact, the last three or four Mondays have just been...well, bad days. I can't figure out why that is. There is nothing particularly special about Mondays at our house. I don't have a Monday thru Friday job so, I am not doing the stereotypical get up and go to work Monday thing. We homeschool so, I don't have to do the get the kids up and ready Monday thing. So, why is it that Mondays have been so extra chaotic and just downright bad days? What is it about Mondays? The husband does go back to work Monday mornings after the weekend off but, it just doesn't seem like that should be a deal breaker for the day to me. Maybe that is what it is but, I am skeptical.
What is it about Mondays? The kids have been extra grouchy, whiny, and uncooperative. And the mom has been extra low on patience. Put these things together and it makes for a bad day for all of us. To top off this particular Monday, ants have decided to invade our master bathroom. Ants. In the bathroom. I HATE ants. Why ants? Why the bathroom?
It's strange because Monday should be a fun and easy day because it is music class with Gram day and mini-church for the mom and dad day. Things that we all enjoy.
I need to come up with a plan to make this day somehow better for all of us.

Haiti Day One

If you know about the mission trip we took to Haiti, you know that we returned quite some time ago. Did you know, however, that the trip is still making daily impacts on many people, including myself? While there, I kept a journal of our activities and a few observations. I hope you find them meaningful, encouraging, thought provoking, or at the least, entertaining.

Friday, 26 February

Finally here in Haiti. Had a small scare in the getting here part. While in customs, a few of our bags & trunks were inspected. The "officials" there wanted to charge us tax on some mirrors we brought. It was very obvious that the customs "officials" were more well off then the other Haitians we had seen. It was also unsettling that they were the law of that time and place. Somehow, (read, "by the grace of God") we were able to convince them that the mirrors were gifts, not wares to be sold. Or maybe they got sick of arguing, but either way, 45 minutes later we moved on. A 10 minute drive to the other side of the airport. Our "taxi's" were more thrilling than a ride at Six Flags. The driver's seat in the SUV I rode in wasn't bolted to the floor. I don't think I've seen a window yet that isn't cracked. On to another wait in a packed airport. The bathrooms have nosey attendants and everything is dirty and in poor repair. We were informed that they knew we were to fly out soon, but they needed to find the airplane first. That's right... find. Another hour & a half and we're off in shiny, pretty new puddle jumper... with balding tires. We land on a gravel strip. The Jeremie airport is smaller than many north Texas homes. There isn't anyone working there. No control tower. Four trucks pack us and our 21 bags on the trip to the church. The roads redefine bumpy. Average mph? 7 at best. 1:45 drive. I'm sore and beaten. We stopped for gas in downtown Jeremie. Very crowded. Our hosts gave us a bottle of soda and a small sandwich. Chicken with catchup on a hard, dry biscuit. A young boy, maybe 7 asks for something. Rubs his belly while pointing to my sandwich. So skinny. Three of us end up splitting the sandwich. When I hand him his piece, a small bit of chicken falls on my hand. The thought crossed my mind to just drop it, but he snatched it into his mouth before I could blink. The refill takes a while. The gas is brought out of a shop in gallon containers, and poured in with a funnel. As we leave the city and wind through the mountains we see people everywhere. They all stare. Wide, wide eyes. Open mouths. I can't tell if they're expressionless, or if it's something else. Maybe they're trying to deal with the contradiction of our being there. Our presence forces thoughts about their poverty to the forefront of both of our minds. Maybe there's a spark of hope behind those eyes, yet the fear to show it. To give the hope a foothold that might not be there tomorrow.
When we arrive near our sister church, it is dark. We dismount to walk the remaining half mile to the church. The townspeople are out and waiting. There is a huge contingent of children leading us into town with a singing parade. They sing louder than you could ever believe possible from such little bodies. It is beautiful. Small hands grasp mine. Smiles light up the night as we walk. A small welcoming service greets us, and we are led to our beds. The room is small, and has bars for windows. There is one naked light bulb. Fell asleep hoping the massive spider that we killed earlier was the only one in the room.

Hope you enjoyed, more days to follow.
Neil

Prayer Request

A couple things I would like to ask my friends out there in blog world to pray about for us.

First, I have a very good friend whom I love dearly. This friend is going through a very rough time right now. I am not at liberty to go into any details about the trials this friend is facing so, I just ask for your prayers for her.

Second, the husband has been unable to escape the sickies going around this year. He has come down with a pretty nasty respiratory infection that is trying to turn into bronchitis. After just a little prodding from me, he went to the doctor today and recieved an antibiotic shot and a couple of prescriptions for cough medicine and....something else. He feels pretty crumby right now and still has to go to work. Please pray for healing for him.

What can I add to my prayers for you?

More Jokes from the Little Jokester

Kiddo #1 has made up some new ones that I thought would be fun to share with y'all. :)

What did the spoon say to the fork when she said she was getting married?
That's "soup-er"!

Knock, knock.
Who's there?
Tank.
Tank who?
Your Welcome!


What did the duck say to Maverick?
You quack me up!

What did the basketball say to the shooting star?
Can I shoot with you?

small smiles for you! :-)

Haven't We Had Our Fair Share?

Just when it seems like we are finally getting past all the sickness going around, something else happens. Just yesterday child #3 had to go to the doctor with a pink eye infection. I just wanted to sit down and cry. It has been one thing after another after another. Now, allergy season is upon us and the misery at our house will only continue. :( I don't want to do this anymore.

All for You

This song has been one of my favorites for quite some time, then I found this video that somebody put together and it really brought the meaning of the lyrics home for me. Maybe this song and video aren't for everybody but, there is no denying that it contains a powerful message.
A warning, though. The video was put together using scenes from Mel Gibson's movie The Passion of the Christ so, as anyone who has seen the movie knows, it is a bit....graphic, I guess you would say. And it is not for the faint hearted. I will tell you that I cried the first few times I watched it. But, it is really a great message and I think it's a good way to share one of my favorite songs.

Happy Anniversary

Wow! I can't believe it has been eight years. In some ways it feels like it has been a lot longer and in other ways it doesn't seem like it has been nearly that long. Eight years ago today my husband and I were married. What a lucky girl I am to be married to such a wonderful man for eight years!

Eight years ago I made the craziest decision I have ever made I jumped into a car with this wonderful boy that I was completely head over heels in love with. He took me back to Seattle with him. I had no place to live, no job, pretty much no money but, I had him and I was beyond happy with that. Some friends of ours let me stay with them (thank you!). It was barely two weeks later (12 days to be exact) and we were saying our "i dos". It all happened so fast! People all around us were saying it would never last, that we were being too crazy and impulsive. The funny thing is, though, that it didn't seem like it was happening so fast to us. In fact, it was like time slowed down and I am still amazed when I think about how it was only 12 days later that we were married. It feels like it was at least a month! We spent hours and hours discussing the possibility of our getting married and what that would mean and if it was the right thing to do. It was the right thing and I don't regret it for a second. I would married him again in an instant. Wouldn't change it for the world. You get the point. :)

There are regrets about the fact that certain people were left out of the ceremony and even the decision to get married. We deeply regret and are so sorry that those people were hurt by our actions. If we could go back and do that part of it over again we absolutely would. But, the part where we ended up as husband and wife, there are no regrets there.

My husband is a wonderful person and the perfect man for me. I love him very much and appreciate every little thing he does for me more than he knows. He is incredibly intelligent and loving and sweet and a wonderful father. He makes me want to be a better person, to be the best wife and mother that I can be. He is the greatest gift from God. I am so very grateful that he is my husband and I look toward our future with great anticipation.

I love you, husband.

What Was He Thinking?!

I sit down at the computer. The house is quiet. The two little ones are napping and the two bigger ones are outside jumping on the trampoline. Suddenly, the peacefulness is shattered by the screaming cries of kiddo number 2. My heart races as I jump up to run outside expecting to find blood and or broken bones. Kiddo number one gives kiddo number 2 a hug and says she's sorry before beginning to help him climb down from the trampoline. Aside from his screaming, everything seems okay. No blood, no obvious broken bones, no big bumps or bruises forming on his head, he's walking just fine. But, he is holding his mouth and screaming something about a lose tooth.
"What on earth happened here?" I must hollar to be heard over kiddo number 2's screaming.
"Mom! I kept telling him no but, he kept telling me to do it so, finally I did!" was kiddo number 1's cryptic reply.
"What is it that he wanted you to do?" I was completely perplexed.
"Swing at him, punch him in the face." she replied, hanging her head.
Oh my goodness! Why would he want her to do that?! I never did get an answer to that question.
Well, once he was calmed down and assured that he was in no immediate danger of losing any teeth I asked him, "So, do you think it was a good idea to have her punch you?"
"Noooo!!!" was the sniffly answer.

I am sure there was some sort of lesson learned. But, even if there wasn't, it sure did give the mom and dad a big laugh! :)

She's Mobile!

Oh my! Over the last week the baby has begun crawling. Not only does she crawl but, she also pulls herself up to stand using anything she can get her hands on; this includes people, toys and furniture. I think that what she really wants is to walk and it won't be incredibly long until she figures out how that works. She's a fairly determined little girl!

So, now she is crawling around. Everywhere. All over the house.

We are now presented with a host of new challenges. We must baby proof, we must make sure the older kiddos keep their small toys out of the baby's reach, we must keep the poor thing from getting stepped on.

Some new challenges but, oh my goodness is it ever a cute sight to see her crawling along, following her big brothers and sister wherever they go. :)

What a Sweetie

A picture of kiddo #4 taken a few days ago. Just way too cute not to share. That's her, always full of smiles and laughter. :)

The Adventure Begins

They gathered at the airport at 5:45 this morning. The plane was scheduled to leave at 7:50. Day one has begun. This group of 10 people have begun their journey to Haiti. I know that at least two of them have never been on a mission trip before. I wonder what it will be like for them. Will this be the first of many? I hope the experience is a great one for them all.

Their adventure has begun. So has mine. 9 days alone with 4 kids. Some people think that is no big deal. Some people have done this many times themselves. Well, it is a big deal for this little family. I have never been on my own with them like this before. Of course, Gram is still around to lend a helping hand if needed but, I am on my own in a way that I have never had to be before. I must admit that it is a little overwhelming. I am feeling a little lonely right now.

It is about 1:30 in the afternoon right now and so far we have managed just fine on our own. There is a full schedule for the rest of the day in front of us and I am quite sure that we will get through day one fairly well. The remaining 8 days are a mystery.

I am a little excited that I will have this time to develope the routine and schedule that is severly lacking in our household. I hope that by the time the daddy comes home we will be in the swing of things integrating schooltime, clean-up time, and playtime in our days. I actually started with this plan on Monday and we have faired rather well so far. We still need to figure some things out though, and this will be a good time for the kids and me to do that. We already miss the daddy so very much, though!

So, the adventure has officially begun. I am interested to see what the next 8 days will bring.
Please pray for the group of 10 who are headed to Haiti. Pray that they stay safe and that they are able to accomplish what they are headed there for. It is a very exciting time for them, I am sure!

Prayer Hands

Maybe he picked it up from church. Maybe he picked it up from watching his big brother and sister. Maybe it came from the Mom or Dad. Whatever it is, child number three has become a little boy who loves to pray. It is the cutest thing in the world!
Praying is something that has become important to him. It is something that is part of his daily routine. He will not lay down for naptime or bedtime without first saying a prayer. When he sees other people praying he wants to pray too. Sometimes he comes to me wanting to pray for no obvious reason. He would rather have somebody praying with him although, I have seen him praying on his own. The other day he saw the cat sleeping and he went over and said a little prayer with her.

Child number three is only two years old. He does not talk as well as most two year olds (probably just because he doesn't want to). When he prays the majority of his words are not unerstandable. I wonder what he prays about in those sweet little prayers. My guess is that he is just repeating things he has heard those of us around him say when praying but, maybe not. Maybe he has come up with his own things to say to God. Whatever it is that he is actually saying, it warms my heart to see those little hands go together to make "prayer hands" and to hear that sweet little voice babble away some message to God.