Friday was Hannhah's 2nd Birthday. She really seemed to know what was going on. I think because we have so many birthday celebrations in our house that it's old hat to her. I did my usual "decorate the dining room" when she went to bed the night before. So when she woke up and we were all telling her "Happy Birthday!" she kept saying "Oh!" with her eyes real big. It was so cute!! Elijah wrapped her gifts (one from mom and dad, one from siblings) and made her some birthday signs. David was at guitar, so he didn't get to help much. Ann decorated her cake. I put the white frosting on, and Ann purplefied it with a tube of frosting. She was sooo proud, and it actually looked really good! There were "flowers" and stripes all over it.
I also took the the kids to our free local zoo (aka Petco) especially for Hannah who loves to look at the fish. She was screaming "fiiiish" most of the time. Atleast people think it's cute at her age. We love going there! There are a ton of cute critters to look at, all at a kid's eye level. Plus people bring in their own animals for us to gawk at. AND there are the cutest little buggies for the kids to push, I put stuff in it for them and then put it back before we have to pay for it! David and Elijah always want to go next door to look at the store, not Big 5, but Staples! Weirdos! They love to save up and buy their own rubberbands, paperclips and whatever else you can reinvent into something else. I just take them, and pick-up supplies for the Corps. I love to pick on the youngest children and ask them to help me lift the 50 pound box of copy paper into the buggy. It makes me laugh so hard! Everyone's had their turn, lately it's been Hannah who tries soooo hard and grunts and everything!!
Saturday we had our very good friends, Stacie and children (minus the husband who had to work), over at lunchtime. The kids played and played and I talked and talked. Paul played and talked. It was great. The Brown kids are just about a perfect match for all of our kids. Their older boy is a few months older than our oldest. Their next 2 are one year older than our next 2. Their fourth just kind of roams about. It's funny to keep track of him, but so nice that he keeps himself entertained! And then we have babies, well 2 yods, that are the same age by about a month. It makes for everyone to have a playmate of their own, including us adults when Steve's around, plus extra! Our next babies will only be 2 weeks apart. Crazy! In fact when I met Stacie, I had just moved here and was pregnant with Ann, and she had just been pregnant with Andrew. I try to play matchmaker with the kids, but the personalities are still not mature enough to figure it out for sure. Elijah has already said that if Stacie has a girl next, he gets dibs on her!! Great way to think ahead! Ha!Ha!
Today is a full day, especially for me. My turn to preach (Psalm 71, "A Lifestyle of Dependance") and my turn to go to Evergreen nursing home to hold church (the boys and Ann will come with me to help), in addition to my regular teaching Sunday School, pick-ups/drop-offs, and be bombarded by 50 people at church (oooops... did I say that? he!he!). That on top of the regular get my own children out the door and kept track of! Wow, when I write that down, I don't feel so guilty about my feelings toward the day! But I've done it long enough to know that when all is said and done, I'm really the one who gets the blessing! And I've learned that in just fulfilling my duties (being obedient!), God gives me enough grace for the day!
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Wednesday
Aaaah... blessed Wednesdays, full of people and programs. I'm taking a break! Home League (women's ministries) was good, but I missed the first 45minutes due to a staff meeting and a counseling session. But they got started without me and all was well. We made a prayer blanket for one of our missionaries. It still needs a few finishing touches. I made gooseberry pie for Home League. I was thinking that not everyone would like it because it has a strong flavor, but we were fighting over the last peice. They all loved it. Do you know how hard it is to transport a pie with 4 kids?!? I was constantly telling everyone... "watch out for the pie!" as they climbed in and out of the mini-van. We almost made it, but Hannah stepped on the edge and flattened out the meringue just as we arrived at the Corps. It was covered in plastic, so I ate the smashed part, hoping the ladies wouldn't notice. I don't think they did... unless they just read this!
Tonight is youth activities (Troop meetings and Jr. Soldiers). Paul and I are still trying to juggle pick-ups and youth activities with David's Destination Imagination team meetings which also meet on Wednesdays. He will just have to leave early on some days. Thankfully after the competition in March, it will be over for the year.
Paul spent the entire day yesterday putting together bunk beds for the girls. We got them for only $199, but after that experience, we're willing to pay more just to get it already assembled. It was a huge project and the kids and I heard many loud complaints coming from the bedroom. We were giggling, but Paul sure wasn't! I built the boys' first set of bunk beds in Springfield, but is was the metal kind with much less peices and only took an hour or so. I think since it was Paul's turn, he was jealous that mine were so easy! (ha!ha!) Anyways, they are up and the girls slept last night in them. Hannah is on the bottom with her purple sheets (the only color she knows) and Ann is on top with her pink sheets. They were sooo excited! Hannah keeps saying "big" and Ann is having a blast with the ladder.
I was up for 3 hours last night between 1am and 4am, only to get up less than 2 hours later at my usual 5:45am. I am so tired of my sleeping! (or lack of!). I'm willing to not sleep for a newborn baby, but nothing good comes of this! I go to bed exhausted every night, and then half the time- my eyes pop open and I'm up and ready for the day- even if it's 1am!! Last night I read, prayed, watched the news, unloaded the dishwasher, packed lunches... I was wide awake. I wish this would stop. Psalms says that "God gives sleep to those He loves" so why aren't I fitting in there!? I think it's all these darn pregnancy hormones. But, it's still a good day and there could be a whole lot worse wrong with me! This too shall pass... say in about 30 years when life slows down a bit (right?!).
Tonight is youth activities (Troop meetings and Jr. Soldiers). Paul and I are still trying to juggle pick-ups and youth activities with David's Destination Imagination team meetings which also meet on Wednesdays. He will just have to leave early on some days. Thankfully after the competition in March, it will be over for the year.
Paul spent the entire day yesterday putting together bunk beds for the girls. We got them for only $199, but after that experience, we're willing to pay more just to get it already assembled. It was a huge project and the kids and I heard many loud complaints coming from the bedroom. We were giggling, but Paul sure wasn't! I built the boys' first set of bunk beds in Springfield, but is was the metal kind with much less peices and only took an hour or so. I think since it was Paul's turn, he was jealous that mine were so easy! (ha!ha!) Anyways, they are up and the girls slept last night in them. Hannah is on the bottom with her purple sheets (the only color she knows) and Ann is on top with her pink sheets. They were sooo excited! Hannah keeps saying "big" and Ann is having a blast with the ladder.
I was up for 3 hours last night between 1am and 4am, only to get up less than 2 hours later at my usual 5:45am. I am so tired of my sleeping! (or lack of!). I'm willing to not sleep for a newborn baby, but nothing good comes of this! I go to bed exhausted every night, and then half the time- my eyes pop open and I'm up and ready for the day- even if it's 1am!! Last night I read, prayed, watched the news, unloaded the dishwasher, packed lunches... I was wide awake. I wish this would stop. Psalms says that "God gives sleep to those He loves" so why aren't I fitting in there!? I think it's all these darn pregnancy hormones. But, it's still a good day and there could be a whole lot worse wrong with me! This too shall pass... say in about 30 years when life slows down a bit (right?!).
Monday, January 19, 2009
monday
Home all day! Wonderful! I'm usually at the office monday mornings but the kids are out for MLK day. I just didn't feel like taking them to the Corps and I honestly had more to do at home than there!
Paul is at the Corps all day to make up for our Caseworker who is on vacation and fill in the Thrift Store in which our manager has the day off. Mondays are a bear for Paul, so I try to make sure the kids are bathed and in their jammies, rooms cleaned up and dinner on the table when he gets home close to 6pm. (Wednesdays are my draining days... thank God for crockpots!)
The kids and I did a short study on MLK over the internet. I did 9 loads of laundry, (sort, wash, dry, fold, put away). The boys read books to the girls, Ann and I cleaned out and organized her room. Hannah just kept getting into stuff, so I put her in front of a Dora movie. I tackled the kids' momento boxes and finally got caught up on that. They each have a medium sized plastic tub with baby momentos and other special things. Over the last year, I think, I've just piled up the stuff on top of the closet thinking... "I'll get to it later". Well today must've been a year later because I found stuff from Elijah in Kindergarten and David in 3rd grade! How pathetic, Rachel! But now it is more rewarding to be done!! The kids and I played the Wi for an hour. It is so FUN! Even Hannah can swing the remote for baseball.
Fish (hake), brown rice and peas for dinner. I want to stay up tonight and watch John and Kate plus 8 at 9pm. It looked like a good episode. Paul can't believe I like to "chill" by watching another big, crazy family, but I love it!
Ann will finally get her bandages off tomorrow morning . She has been real good with them, but desperately wants it off. I think I'll just take her back to the Corps with me and Hannah can be at school by herself until we pick her up at lunch. Ann likes to use the chalkboard in my office to teach school to all her baby doll and stuffed animal students. She has a stick and everything to point to the alphabet that I write up there. She takes it so seriously! Hannah likes to teach school too, but she mostly likes to beat her students with the stick.
Paul is at the Corps all day to make up for our Caseworker who is on vacation and fill in the Thrift Store in which our manager has the day off. Mondays are a bear for Paul, so I try to make sure the kids are bathed and in their jammies, rooms cleaned up and dinner on the table when he gets home close to 6pm. (Wednesdays are my draining days... thank God for crockpots!)
The kids and I did a short study on MLK over the internet. I did 9 loads of laundry, (sort, wash, dry, fold, put away). The boys read books to the girls, Ann and I cleaned out and organized her room. Hannah just kept getting into stuff, so I put her in front of a Dora movie. I tackled the kids' momento boxes and finally got caught up on that. They each have a medium sized plastic tub with baby momentos and other special things. Over the last year, I think, I've just piled up the stuff on top of the closet thinking... "I'll get to it later". Well today must've been a year later because I found stuff from Elijah in Kindergarten and David in 3rd grade! How pathetic, Rachel! But now it is more rewarding to be done!! The kids and I played the Wi for an hour. It is so FUN! Even Hannah can swing the remote for baseball.
Fish (hake), brown rice and peas for dinner. I want to stay up tonight and watch John and Kate plus 8 at 9pm. It looked like a good episode. Paul can't believe I like to "chill" by watching another big, crazy family, but I love it!
Ann will finally get her bandages off tomorrow morning . She has been real good with them, but desperately wants it off. I think I'll just take her back to the Corps with me and Hannah can be at school by herself until we pick her up at lunch. Ann likes to use the chalkboard in my office to teach school to all her baby doll and stuffed animal students. She has a stick and everything to point to the alphabet that I write up there. She takes it so seriously! Hannah likes to teach school too, but she mostly likes to beat her students with the stick.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
the weekend
Today was a good day, yesterday was too. Actually it's been a good week :). We are back to a normal Corps schedule, which is easier for everyone to keep track of. Attendance has been great, even on Sunday mornings we are seeing those on the "fringes" come more and more.
Saturday was spent at home, yay! We played games, did chores, watched a movie, the boys and Paul had a nerf gun fight. The boys work hard building their "fort" downstairs, it's actually pretty impressive. Paul just gets the matress, but still nails them like crazy. Ann is the bullet girl and happily retrieves bullets for daddy. I stay upstairs with Hannah because there is no doubt she'd get hurt and with all I hear, I don't want to be down there either. I was once and I kept "accidently" being hit. Plus they have all these crazy rules that I can't keep track of.
After church today we went out to lunch with a Corps family. It was a real nice time. I can't believe we were at there for almost 3 hours! It's nice on the Sundays that we don't have church services at the nursing homes because we're able to relax after church instead of gearing up for the next thing.
The boys are playing in the bathtub with their legos. They are waterboarding their lego guys and coming up with other forms of torture in order to interrogate them (like they're ever going to talk!). I wonder if I should be worried.
Ann and Hannah did my hair. I think I have close to 25 bows and clips in my hair. They think I look beautiful. I told the girls the story of the woman who washed Jesus' feet with her perfume and then wiped His feet with her hair. Ann was amazed that someone would do that. It was funny trying to explain the lesson to her, she just couldn't get past the feet and hair thing!
I have my digi cam up and working and have taken a ton of pics. I'm so happy! The kids are dying to use it too, but I don't know if I want to open that door. Paul will teach me how to get everything on the computer since he has done that before with the Corps camera. I can't believe how dumb these computer things make me feel. I was proud of myself just getting my camera up and running, getting it on the computer is another thing.
Well, good riddens. I need to get back upstairs and throw something on the table for a late dinner. Everyone was stuffed after lunch so dinner will be easy.
Saturday was spent at home, yay! We played games, did chores, watched a movie, the boys and Paul had a nerf gun fight. The boys work hard building their "fort" downstairs, it's actually pretty impressive. Paul just gets the matress, but still nails them like crazy. Ann is the bullet girl and happily retrieves bullets for daddy. I stay upstairs with Hannah because there is no doubt she'd get hurt and with all I hear, I don't want to be down there either. I was once and I kept "accidently" being hit. Plus they have all these crazy rules that I can't keep track of.
After church today we went out to lunch with a Corps family. It was a real nice time. I can't believe we were at there for almost 3 hours! It's nice on the Sundays that we don't have church services at the nursing homes because we're able to relax after church instead of gearing up for the next thing.
The boys are playing in the bathtub with their legos. They are waterboarding their lego guys and coming up with other forms of torture in order to interrogate them (like they're ever going to talk!). I wonder if I should be worried.
Ann and Hannah did my hair. I think I have close to 25 bows and clips in my hair. They think I look beautiful. I told the girls the story of the woman who washed Jesus' feet with her perfume and then wiped His feet with her hair. Ann was amazed that someone would do that. It was funny trying to explain the lesson to her, she just couldn't get past the feet and hair thing!
I have my digi cam up and working and have taken a ton of pics. I'm so happy! The kids are dying to use it too, but I don't know if I want to open that door. Paul will teach me how to get everything on the computer since he has done that before with the Corps camera. I can't believe how dumb these computer things make me feel. I was proud of myself just getting my camera up and running, getting it on the computer is another thing.
Well, good riddens. I need to get back upstairs and throw something on the table for a late dinner. Everyone was stuffed after lunch so dinner will be easy.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
These are pics of Jacob (my twin) and I when we were kids (obviously!) These are us in our Jr. Soldier uniforms for The Salvation Army. I think the one on top is us when we were a little older. My mom emailed these to me so that I could share them with my children and our Jr. Soldiers at church and now I share with you...
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